golden scales

If the main force of Ming Dynasty is added up, there are a total of 11 main soldiers and auxiliary soldiers.For a large country with a population of 5000 million, the recruitment rate of [-] out of [-] is probably the smallest army in all dynasties.However, the combat effectiveness of this army is impressive.

In addition to many factors such as firearms, systems, and discipline, Zhu Cihong invested real money in this army, which has never been seen in previous dynasties.

"Chongzhen's military expenditure in 21 years was 7708 million taels, or 160 taels per capita." Chongzhen read the recently compiled financial report, his hands trembling.This is equal to the sum of the annual income of one's own treasury, and now it is only the cost of raising soldiers.Of course, when he was in charge of the country, the main expenditure of fiscal revenue was military expenditure.To be more precise, nearly 1000 million taels of soldiers in Liao Town are spent every year to guard against the Eastern captives.

"Father, this number seems high, but after careful analysis, it is not high." Zhu Cihong said: "The salary of soldiers is actually not high, but training consumption, weapons and equipment, uniform replacement, daily diet, garrison construction...these are all kinds of things. With the addition of the expenses, my Ming soldiers are still very hard."

Chongzhen was dubious.He really didn't know much about the military, but he absolutely didn't believe it if it was said that it was difficult.However, he spent a lot of Liao's salary back then, but the Eastern captives entered the pass, and he didn't even have Nanxing's guards.However, the son used these silver coins to gather people's hearts together, and regained the lost ground, which seemed to be invincible.

"In terms of culture and education, the annual expenditure is 6205 million taels? How is the money used?" Chongzhen continued to read, feeling guilty.

"This is also saving and saving, and there are many private schools in the south of the Yangtze River, which really saved the court a lot of money." Zhu Cihong said:

"Where do students get so much money for studying?" Chongzhen said, "Isn't it just a matter of hiring a gentleman?"

"Father, many people regard their children as labor. If children are allowed to study, there will be fewer people in the family to work. Of course, the imperial court cannot subsidize the students' families because of this, at least they have to provide two meals a day. Now the textbooks used by students are from generation to generation. According to legend, it is already very frugal, but the money needed to build libraries and laboratories in various schools is indispensable. In addition, prisoners used to be used. Basically, labor can be ignored. Now more and more normal students are starting to teach, and the salaries of these people cannot Province."

Zhu Cilang thought for a while, but still didn't say anything about the fact that the teacher's monthly salary was as high as five taels.Firstly, Father may not have the concept of "five liang", and secondly, if he has this concept, I'm afraid it will be even more distressing.

If it is said that national defense and military expenditures are painful, education expenditures are unavoidable benevolent policies in all dynasties, but the following figures make Chongzhen short of breath.

"Why did the administrative expenses cost 5807 million taels!" Chongzhen read the figures aloud, looked at Zhu Cihong in disbelief and said, "How much did you increase their salaries?"

"My son didn't raise his salary." Zhu Cihong said innocently: "The ancestors made it. There are rice and banknotes for officials' salaries, but my sons just turned them into taels of silver. Father, in fact, it's not much. Abolish the guard and change the county After the counties, there are 160 prefectures and more than 16 counties in our Ming Dynasty. All counties have to pay salaries from the imperial court for officials to officials, and the total number of employees is more than [-], which is really not many."

Chongzhen put down the report and said: "I told you that day. It is a waste of public funds to give public food money to the officials. The money should have been paid by the officials themselves."

"Then these people have become the personal possessions of the officials, deceiving the superiors and the subordinates. Corrupting the atmosphere?" Zhu Cihong shook his head: "Father, the national change is not simply a matter of military warfare. There is also a problem with our government system. If everyone The county’s administrative ability is strong, first of all, it will not be cut off due to natural disasters, and secondly, it can guarantee taxation, so that the treasury will not be completely empty. At least there will be no civil uprising. This is the direct cause of Jiashen’s uprising.”

Chongzhen was silent, and looking at it further, only the Huanghuai flood control and disaster relief expenses were 300 million taels.This is also a bottomless pit. As long as the treasury has money, it has to be thrown into it.Secondly, there is only infrastructure construction in the major items of people's livelihood, with an expenditure of 140 million taels.This is basically civil service and material money.The main force of real hard labor is prisoners serving sentences, which saves a lot of wages.

"Based on this... Didn't you make ends meet last year?" Chongzhen sighed.

Chongzhen's fiscal revenue for the whole of 21 years was as high as 430 million taels. This figure made Chongzhen excited for two days and two nights, and he couldn't sleep from ear to ear in his dreams... until today he saw the expenditure details.

"The total expenditure is 590 million taels," Zhu Cihong said. "Last year, the national treasury was short of 4000 million taels."

Chongzhen's heart ached, and he said, "Not a single cent of this money is counted as suzerain vassal or internal money."

Zhu Cihong's plan to reduce the vassal was met with explicit or covert conflicts and failed to form a law.However, the right to canonize lies with the emperor, and the power to distribute Lumi lies with the Ministry of Household Affairs. Chongzhen did not confer the title of prince, and the Ministry of Household Affairs did not allocate funds.In fact, what Chongzhen meant was to be passive and procrastinate in this way. Anyway, this is also the tradition after Wanli.

"It's because I didn't think carefully. Starting this year, the treasury will input 300 million taels of internal funds every year." Zhu Cilang said with a smile: "Forget about the past."

The internal money and treasury of the Ming Dynasty are like the two ends of a tug-of-war.When the emperor was strong, he could get money from the treasury.When the cabinet is strong, Zaifu can squeeze out the money in the cabinet.Emperor Chongzhen was an emperor who was strong on the outside and capable on the inside. He looked strong, but his internal funds had long been emptied by the treasury.

"300 million taels... isn't it too much..." Chongzhen felt a little embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter, the emperor took the 300 million taels and covered the entire suzerain vassal, so there is no need for additional expenditure from the treasury in the future." Zhu Cihong said.

Chongzhen stared at Zhu Cihuang's face, and thought to himself: Although the emperor's family is responsible for the suzerain, but you said before that not giving the suzerain a copper coin... Doesn't this mean that the money of the suzerain is swallowed up?

Zhu Cihong is not so black-hearted.He also plans to use the money to establish a clan fund to ensure the life of poor clan members and the education of clan children.

"This year, can we not lose money?" Chongzhen put down the report in his hand and asked tangled.

"Father, there is still room to increase the income." Zhu Cihong said: "We will start to collect regular taxes this year, and this income will be nearly 3000 million taels. If we are lucky, we can even get more."

Chongzhen let out a heavy breath and said, "This way the treasury can also have a surplus."

With a smile on his face, Zhu Cihong seemed to nod his head, as if he agreed with it very much.However, as the helm of a country, Zhu Cihong knows that money buried in the soil is tantamount to nothing, so it is absolutely impossible to watch the treasury prosper and the money pile up.In fact, although nearly 3000 million taels of positive tax can be received this year, the largest fiscal revenue last year was 500 million taels of "ransom money".

Among them, 2000 million taels came from Nanjing Xun Qi, 1000 million taels came from Zheng Zhilong, and 500 million taels came from big and small families.This income is a one-shot deal, and it is impossible to have it again this year.

Last year's health and medical expenditure was only 30 taels, and it was still concentrated in the capital, as well as the smallpox vaccination expenses in various places.After the establishment of the General Administration of Health this year, the first is a public health and epidemic prevention publicity plan of 80 taels. It is already good to stop at 300 million taels a year.

As for administrative expenses and military expenses, I am afraid that there will be further expansion.Because of the pacification of Liaodong, this year's strategic direction must be placed on the struggle and control of the Nanyang sphere of influence, which requires shipbuilding, large ships, and many large ships.Therefore, military spending can only increase, and it is impossible to reduce it.

In terms of administrative expenses, it is the construction of inspection departments in various places.Now local security depends entirely on the army, which is obviously killing chickens with a sledgehammer, so an inspection department must be established so that the main force can face more ferocious enemies.If there are an average of 50 people per county, the National Inspection Department will have 5000 people. From food and clothing to equipment training, the average annual consumption per capita is ten taels of silver, which is 75 taels.

——Well, that's right, the savings of Chongzhen's 19 and 20 years can also be used up.

Zhu Cihong thought to himself.

Compared with Emperor Chongzhen's enthusiasm for throttling expenditure, the Ministry of Households, which upholds the concept of the crown prince, pays more attention to open source.

Yao Taogao sat in the first seat of the lobby of the Ministry of Household Affairs, facing the heads of the Qing officials below, holding a report and said: "It's fine that the salt tax was opened late last year, and the tea tax is only 120 million taels, which is definitely not enough. Even if the province of Zhejiang That number is too small!"

The State Administration of Taxation is an independent department in name, but Yao Tao is so powerful that he turned this department into a subordinate department of the Ministry of Households, and became the relationship between Dongchang and Jinyiwei in the tax version.This has led to instability in the administrative framework. Some yamen at the general administration level are equal to the level of ministry temples, while others are treated the same as the head of the Qingli department.

The principals responded one after another: "I am indeed too loose in the tea law. The supervision should start from the tea field. If it is out of the hands of the farmers, it will be taxed."

"When you follow the example of the salt tax, you can't tolerate it." You said humanely.

Yao Tao said: "I issued a document to the State Administration of Taxation, saying that the four items of salt, tea, tobacco and alcohol must be tackled at the root. It is said that there are many types of tobacco in the fields in the south of the Yangtze River, but the tobacco tax is only 150 million taels. Make it clear to the tax officials that if the figures do not improve this year , not only the Ministry of Household Affairs wants to investigate them, but I also want the Metropolitan Procuratorate to investigate where the rats are evading taxes!"

Seeing that the chief officer was angry, everyone fell silent.

Yao Tao ignored it, and drew down the charcoal pen in his hand, saying: "The customs tax of the Shibo Department is 500 million taels, this is qualified... The export of porcelain is 200 million taels, this is less, if no one in Jiangxi burns it, we will burn it ourselves." Go set up a factory to burn porcelain! Burn less cheap pottery bowls, more valuable porcelain is serious. Smallpox...how did it sell for 30 taels? Five-dollar medicine powder costs 500 taels per person, and Taixi only has 600 people Is it worth it!"

This time everyone was really speechless, not knowing what to say.

The five-money medicine powder is really a "small handful", and it's amazing to be able to sell 500 copies of this little medicine powder for [-] taels! (To be continued..)

ps: Ask for a recommendation ticket, ask for a monthly ticket~~!