Dragon Sea Empire

The so-called "collection of sea rates".In fact, when Yin Feng's Chinese company started to rebel.When the sea ban policy was reopened, it was already brewing and launched.The sea ban is opened.The several 10 taels of silver "allocated" by the Chinese company to the Fujian government every year stopped paying.Haichengyue Port, which is controlled by the Chinese company, has not received a penny of overseas trade tax.The Yuegang Merchant Tax, known as the "Son of Heaven's Nanku", has been suspended.The military expenditure of the court to maintain the sea ban has skyrocketed.

originally. "The Kingdom of the King of Fortune".Wanli has already raided the Taicang treasury.This made the treasury bottom out after experiencing the "Three Great Marches of Wanli".It is completely unable to deal with the newly increased "sea ban" expenditure.

Fang Congzhe, the chief assistant of the cabinet, asked Emperor Wanli to distribute the internal treasury to make up for the lack of military expenditure.Emperor Wanli withdrew his memorial.There is no sound.thus.Hubu Shangshu proposed countermeasures to increase land tax.The supervisory censor who was in charge of relief for the hungry and drought-stricken people in Shandong said in a court lecture: The chief ministers are full of famines.The common people are unable to bear the pressure of increasing taxes.The court ministers started a new round of quarrels for this.

When the Chinese army suddenly landed near Dagukou and Zhenjiang.The front of the soldiers directed directly to Beijing and Beijing.The ministers above the court were dumbfounded.The resolution to increase "sea rates" nationwide was quickly passed.

Yin Feng came to an end after the Battle of Nanjing.From the intercepted Chaotingtang newspaper, I learned the news of the additional "sea rate".He was holding a pond newspaper in the big tent of the old camp in Shogunate Mountain.Can't help but smile wryly: the "Liao Pay" that added fuel to the fire of the Ming Dynasty in the previous life has not yet appeared.The imperial court sent an additional "sea rate" for itself.I thought about "changing the track of history."History really made a big joke with itself.

Xu Hongji shook his head while reading the same Tang newspaper: "This increase in salary and payment is really an act of the imperial court to make up for the sores. Alas... the imperial court is not without money. The Taicang treasury has to pay the clan's expenses every year. 300 Ten thousand taels of silver. And this starts to levy sea rates. Add 520% silver per mu, a total of [-] million taels. It’s just two years of clan expenses. I’ve seen the imperial palace newspaper during the Zhengde period. It said that during the Zhengde period, Huangzhuang It spreads all over the universe, covering a total area of ​​more than [-] hectares, and now it will only be more. The current emperor bestows the new prince's farmland, which is tens of thousands of hectares. In fact, there are so many idle fields without owners in the world. Apart from the 'all sizes are taken by the people', a considerable part is replaced by rent money obtained through additional distribution."

Xu Hongji, the clerk responsible for collecting all public information from the imperial court.I remembered something.He lowered his head and rummaged through a pile of documents for a while.Handed a mansion report to Yin Feng: "Master Commander. This is the memorial of the governor of Henan. It said that in Xixian County, Henan Province, the Epai Fuwang Mansion has 150 hectares and 32 acres, all of which are 'within a whip of this county. A case of taxation'. King Rui's [-] hectares of fertile land are all rented from Shaanxi, Henan, Shanxi, and Sichuan based on the apportionment of acres of land and additional taxes. These clan lands do not need to pay taxes. The sea rate is imposed on them It has no effect at all. It only affects the ordinary people."

徐鸿基把一份邸报摊开递给尹峰。说道：“这是户部给内阁的会计录。上面记载万历44年。即去年朝廷田赋收入为二千800多万石。其支出是:第一。地方存留粮约1000万石。其中800万石作宗室禄米。其余为地方行政开支。80.00%用來养活越來越多的朱家子孙；

second.Every year, 400 million stones of the grain are shipped and 100 million taels of gold flower and silver are exchanged.A small number of military officers Dai Lu.Most of it belongs to the palace consumption; the annual palace consumption is the bulk;

third.The annual trough grain is 400 million shi.For consumption by the Beijing Army, the Jizhou Garrison and the bureaucrats of the central government.Raising officials is the big head;

fourth.17 shi of white grain.For inner palace consumption;

fifth.The annual cost of food in Nanjing is about 100 million shi.

sixth.Jiubian spends 300 million shi to 800 million shi for military rations every year.The above six expenditures are about 300 million shi to 800 million shi.In other words.Almost all the land tax income of the imperial court was used for military, administrative and court consumption.One-third was provided to the current emperor and the descendants of the Zhu family. "

Yin Feng nodded.Resignedly said: "This is the so-called giving one person the wealth of the world. It is said to increase the land tax to deal with me, a pirate. In fact, I think those local officials, subordinate officials, and yamen servants have benefited the most. Therefore, they have All kinds of opportuni Those who are paid by the sea rate. But only ordinary people are left."

Xu Hongji smiled wryly.Shaking his head, he said: "Your Excellency is right. The imperial government has come like this. In fact, it is fishing in a dry lake. It is digging its own grave. In the residence newspaper here, there are memorials of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of War and Zhang Heming, Minister of the Ministry of Industry of Nanjing. It is said: Although the people today Poor, but not poor in payment. Within a year, there are countless people who are assigned to the Yin. For example, if the pilgrimage exam is completed, and the line is pushed up, the lesser will spend five or six thousand gold. It is calculated in the sea, and the country chooses a guard. Orders, the world will send millions more. Patrols, inspections, gifts and recommendations, as many as [-] to [-] gold. Combined with domestic calculations, the state will send a patrol, and the world will send more than one million. The amount of extra money is bigger than Ming Zeng's various land taxes. If this goes on for a long time, the world will be full of turmoil."

Yin Feng patted those mansion newspapers: "Mr. Xu, one thing must be clear. It's not that the court and the government have no money. It's just that they have no way to convert this money into national power. The royal family has land and money, high officials and nobles have land and money The gentry and landlords also have land and money. But the imperial court has no way to transform their financial resources into the strength of the country. Those salt merchants and Shanxi merchants are rich and powerful. But is there a way for the imperial court to expropriate all their money? Impossible. This is the fundamental difference between my Chinese company and the imperial court. We can temporarily transfer funds by borrowing from wealthy businessmen. We can also use the company's financial system to collect countless funds. There are also our money houses and banking systems. As long as our company needs it, we can borrow from all over the world Funds. On the other hand, the imperial court. High-ranking officials hold high positions. But they are unwilling and unable to solve financial problems for the imperial court.”

Xu Hongji never thought about looking at the problem from this perspective.He couldn't help but nodded again and again: "Master Commander. This is indeed the strength of our company. But. Is it possible for the imperial court to learn from our system?"

"This is unlikely. The imperial court has never borrowed money from merchants. It is all apportionment and purchase. It is no different from robbing by force. It is even more impossible for the imperial court to rob the property of the royal clan and high-ranking officials. It is announced that the Seven Greats hate this God. I said it in my class at the Political Science Institute. The Ming court did not have a war financial mechanism to mobilize the whole country and the whole people. Because it did not mobilize all beneficial war resources. The defeat is inevitable. Overall planning means: it cannot be financed Mobilize and mobilize the resources of the whole society in a unique way. No matter how much wealth is accumulated, no matter how developed production and trade are, it is useless.”

Yin Feng stood up.Open the curtain of the big tent.Outside is the weather of autumn wind and autumn rain worrying about killing people.

After the Chinese Army temporarily occupied half of the Jiangnan area.Military operations ceased.The Ming army is gathering troops.Attempt to counterattack.Now is the season of transition from summer to autumn.It is a good time to fight.Offshore winds in the Western Pacific are about to change.In order to ensure the logistics supply before the north wind.The Chinese companies are doing their best to mobilize thousands of galleons to deliver supplies and ammunition to the marching troops.

Mr. Zeng has already arrived from Quanzhou.He succeeded Zeng Shan, Xu Hongji and others in the administrative management of the occupied areas in the south of the Yangtze River.I came with Zeng Qi.There are also more than 100 students from the Political Science Institute who train civilian administrative officials.They immediately took over the government affairs of more than ten prefectures and counties.However, the administrative system of the Chinese company was not copied.But just follow the policy of doing nothing.Tax exemption for people everywhere.Open a warehouse to help people.Conduct trade and maintain law and order.

The financial strength accumulated by Chinese companies over the years.It can fully support Zeng Qi's various expenses in Jiangnan.therefore.The Chinese Army promoted the slogan "Exemption for Three Years" in the occupied areas.It also began to recruit handicraftsmen from all over the south of the Yangtze River with high salaries.Do business with wealthy Jiangnan merchants.

There has been no water conservancy construction in Jiangnan for a long time.Zeng Qi used the funds of the Chinese company to hire local people to repair the water conservancy.And also repaired the Confucian Temple in Jurong and the school in Wuhu.in publicity.The company makes full use of all the printing houses.A large number of "Seven Great Hatreds", "Six Great Oaths" and "Business Daily" published by some Chinese companies were printed.Distributed publicly and free of charge in occupied territories.In the publicity post written by Zeng Shan's organization.The Chinese Army claimed that it sent troops to the two capitals for military remonstrance.As long as the imperial court agrees to the "six vows" proposed by the Chinese company.The Chinese army will retreat immediately.

One thing is clear.The Chinese Army does not treat those officials, gentlemen and landlords specially.As long as they don't talk nonsense.Generally don't mess with them.And once there are open rebels.The Chinese Army mercilessly used armed forces to wipe out the situation.It is often after the extermination of those rural soldiers and regiment training.Those who lead the trouble will be executed.Family property ransacked.but.The Chinese Army did not take all the stolen property as its own.Instead, most of them are distributed to the surrounding people.Even force it on them.Even the property of those exterminated landlords.The Chinese Army also burned all land deeds.at the same time.The Chinese Army also released all domestic servants and servants.All deeds of bondage were burned.

According to Zeng Qi: "The occupation of Jiangnan is only temporary. We are not managing local government affairs for the imperial court. We only need to leave a good influence on the people. Those gentry and landlords do not cause trouble. We will not move them. Anyway, stay. Let them down. It will not increase taxes for the court. Instead, it will be a burden on the court's finances."

Yin Feng asked: "There are rumors among scholars that we are thieves who dare to advocate chaos. It will be bad for us to fight for the world in the future."

Zeng Qi sneered and said, "So what. I used to be a scholar. Jiangnan is the place where Donglin literati gather. They usually talk high-spirited. Now they are under the guns of our army. This Jiangnan area dares to openly oppose us. It's just that They are just some landlords and gentry. They are just scholars. They have high eyes but low hands. Don’t worry about it.”

Yin Feng nodded: "Okay. Since we are here to remonstrate, we still have to make a fuss about the military. Occupy a large area of ​​territory. Now is not the time. But my father-in-law. There are outstanding people in the south of the Yangtze River. There are too many craftsmen, painters, and scholars. .You spend some time. Try to recruit as many useful talents as possible."

……

When Yin Feng and Zeng Qi were busy competing with the imperial court for the hearts of the people in the south of the Yangtze River.The decisive battle between Chen Zhongji and the imperial army is imminent.