Brocade clothing as the country

Chapter 220 Retreat to New Year's Eve

On the [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month, everyone got up early even though they were tired. This is the [-]th day of the new year.

Mrs. Ma walked around all the families who came with their families to see if anyone was not ready, so she chatted a few words and sent someone to help.

In particular, some families moved here with the whole family. Are the ancestral tablets and incense and candle offerings ready? The elderly pay special attention to these things.

I brought my family with me, new clothes and hats, chicken, duck, fish, snacks and candies, and even rice noodles from Wang Tong's side. Nothing is missing.

The [-] farmer headed by Chihei distributed sorghum burnt from Baoding Mansion. This is high-quality spirits, and when transported to the grassland, they would be exchanged for horses, cattle and sheep. , Let them go to the wild to hunt game, and the supply is complete.

The housekeepers gathered together and busily prepared. What awaited them at night was big fish, meat, mountains and sea delicacies. The young people were in high spirits. With such a large group of people together, they forgot their homesickness and were completely excited and fresh. feeling instead.

Naturally, Wang Tong's house was the main house and the main courtyard. His father Wang Li's coffin and incense table had already been set up. When he got up early in the morning, according to the rules, Wang Tong respectfully offered incense and kowtowed first.

After the sun rose, Lu Wancai, who came yesterday, came to the door again, and Wang Tong was startled when he entered the door. This Lu Wancai's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he hadn't slept all night.

Before he could ask a question, Lu Wancai said with a wry smile:

"Brother Wang's speech yesterday afternoon was really eloquent. I thought about it all night, and then I simply didn't sleep. I lit the lamp and copied what my brother said. After reading it, I felt something. I often hear the elders at home talk about Wenqu stars descending to earth, and what is brother descending to earth like this?"

Wang Tong looked at the excited Lu Tongpan, and said dumbfoundedly:

"Brother Lu, combine work with rest, it's easy to damage your body!"

"Combination of work and rest" Lu Wancai said this word, and then tapped his palm with a folding fan, admiring:

"These four words really make sense."

Wang Tong shook his head, didn't dare to say any more idioms, and asked directly:
"Brother Lu didn't come here this morning to admire you, and you can't waste too much time here in Tianjin, just ask if you have anything to say!"

Lu Wancai blushed a little, and smiled a little ashamedly:
"Brother Wang is very old-fashioned. If you are a brother, you should ask. The Department of Public Security has already started to collect information in the Beijing Normal University. Except for brothels and gambling houses, other brands don't know how to distribute them. How to collect money, Brother Wang needs to come up with a charter."

Not knowing how to send and receive, Wang Tong was stunned when he heard these words, what's so difficult about it, but looking at Lu Wancai's expression did not seem to be fake, he just said:
"People in restaurants and teahouses come and go, places where dragons and snakes are mixed first send down the signs. They have a lot of dealings with the yamen, and they can't offend us. The rest will start with the big merchants and get it done. The small ones below the big ones dare not not accept this brand."

Hearing Wang Tong's words, Lu Wancai nodded, but the bewilderment on his face became more serious, and even Wang Tong became confused, wondering if such a thing is so difficult, and sure enough, Lu Wancai hesitated and asked:
"What if these merchants don't pay?"

"If you don't hand it over, is there still less way to trouble them in the yamen? Shuntian Mansion can't find it, could it be that Jin Yiwei can't find it, Jin Yiwei can't find it, and Dongchang can't do anything, whether it's the emperor's relatives or relatives behind him. Ministers and senior officials, don't you have any secrets?"

Wang Tong's words suddenly became severe, and Lu Wancai couldn't help trembling when he listened intently, but the question was still there. It was so easy to say, what if the property of Marquis Wu Qing, what if it was the property of Eunuch Feng and Eunuch Zhang, what if What about Mr. Zhang's property, the chief assistant of the cabinet, but Wang Tong immediately gave the answer:

"Naturally, some of them are unnecessary, but if you want to trouble Eunuch Zhang, you must ask His Majesty to issue an order to waive them. This is His Majesty's reward, not the benefits they gained by relying on their power."

Lu Wancai admired again. In this way, even though they are not charged, the meaning is different. It is a common practice in the Ming Dynasty to exempt people with fame and official status from taxes. Exemption, this is a special case, they should be grateful.

After tax exemption becomes a privilege, those who obtain this benefit will actively maintain it and exclude others. These top noble families in Ming Dynasty will also automatically maintain the system of this safe brand.

However, the next sentence that Lu Wancai asked made Wang Tong almost lose his temper:
"Since this is the case, how much do those serious merchants have to charge? After all, they are serious merchants, which are different from brothels and gambling halls. Wouldn't they go bankrupt if they charged so much?"

"Find some accountants to check their account books, look at their business, and set grades according to how much they earn. Those who earn less earn less, and those who earn more pay more..."

"Brother Wang, if you talk about being a brother here, you must be laughing, but where can I find this accountant? Those who can settle accounts are all in various shops. How can these people help us?"

"Why don't you go to the Ministry of Households to look for it? Aren't there officials there who are the most proficient in arithmetic in the world?"

Wang Tong was indeed a little anxious, and he asked back there in a blunt tone. Unexpectedly, this rhetorical question he thought was common sense made Lu Wancai smile bitterly.

"Brother Wang, it seems that you don't know that the Ping An brand of the Ministry of Households has the most discussion about collecting Ping An money. The household department has never been involved in the calculation of the silver taels brought back by the prison, and has to be collected by the internal treasury, so how can their officials help us?"

Hearing this, Wang Tong was taken aback. In the long run, the Ping An brand policy is equivalent to opening up a new tax source for Daming. According to this method, the industrial and commercial industries in cities and towns will have a large amount of taxes. However, it is easy to turn around such a contradiction. How can civil servants collect taxes on their properties? It is not worthwhile to criticize the setting up of cards in private, but to resist passively in the open.

Wang Tong sneered, and said in a deep voice:

"Since this is the case, let those shopkeepers report their own turnover, and then collect money according to this amount, and set up heavy rewards at the same time. As long as someone says that the turnover of this shop is fake, they will be severely punished, and they will be punished according to the amount they falsified. If you don’t pay a fine, you will not be allowed to start business. As for the money for the heavy reward, it will be paid from the amount of the heavy fine, and [-]% to [-]% is not a lot.”

Hearing this, Lu Wancai couldn't help clapping his hands and shouting hello, and said:

"Whoever is most familiar with the business income of these stores is not the shopkeepers of the accounts. After they inform the secret, we will have the handle in our hands. Next, we will have people to check the accounts of other stores..."

The two were talking happily, but Mrs. Ma opened the door and came in. She clapped her hands angrily and said:

"It's Chinese New Year, the two of you have been talking about business for so long, and you don't take a break. Come out to see the boys are busy, and it's good to enjoy the joy of this Chinese New Year."

Wang Tong and Lu Wancai looked at each other and smiled, then quickly stood up and said to Mrs. Ma:

"Go here, go here."

What Wang Tong said just now may not be good governance, and there may even be various disadvantages once it is implemented, but the problem now is not how to collect the money, but whether it can be collected, first have a start, and make achievements for the little emperor to see , and then the little emperor showed this result to others, this is the primary problem.

The two walked a few steps outside, Wang Tong looked ahead and said in a low voice:

"Go back, please tell Eunuch Zou and the others that the officials in charge of the various yamen here in Tianjin will help me check a copy, and it would be best if they can be delivered before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. In addition, His Majesty must be very concerned about the affairs here. There must be a lot of memorials and edicts, please help Eunuch Zou and Eunuch Zhang, as a secret place, can you get a locked iron box, the key is only owned by Your Majesty and me, the box contains memorials and approvals, and will be delivered back and forth by fast horses. "

After Lu Wancai heard it, he hesitated a little, and quickly replied with a solemn expression:
"Brother Wang, don't worry, this news will definitely be brought to you. It is estimated that the Holy Majesty and the father-in-law will not have any objections."

These words were not just words, but also made it clear that Wang Tong understood that Lu Wancai did not mean to come this time. Zhang Cheng and Zou Yi would definitely be behind him, and there might even be instructions from Emperor Wanli.

He is already in Tianjin now, and he was required to come up with an idea about the capital affairs. Wang Tong also took advantage of the situation to put forward his own conditions. He knew that his power and status came entirely from Emperor Wanli. No matter how serious the relationship is, it will definitely become indifferent.

It is necessary to establish a communication channel to maintain this connection and friendship. Secret Zhezuo is undoubtedly a good way. At present, the palace will definitely not refuse.

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The [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month in the palace is not so much a celebration as a busy one, worshiping the ancestors and ancestors, worshiping the gods of all walks of life, praying for the blessings of the country and the country, and so on.

The little emperor Wanli was wearing a formal dress and finished doing this and that. He returned to his study in the afternoon, temporarily took off the heavy dress and crown, waved away the eunuchs and maids who were serving him, and then complained:
"When it's dark, I have to wear this dress to go to the queen's side. It's really exhausting."

The current little emperor would ask everyone except Zhang Cheng to back down when he said any private words, and occasionally went back to the door to see if there was any eavesdropping.

Zhang Cheng hung the dress on the rack there, and Emperor Wanli whispered again:
"When winter started this year, I told Hutou that we would celebrate the New Year together, set off firecrackers and go to temple fairs together..."

Zhang Cheng didn't answer, just sighed there.

(End of this chapter)