Brocade clothing as the country

Chapter 271 Is It Wrong to Take It from the People and Use It for the People?

"Don't want to lose your dignity in front of you!"

Seeing the stunned look of all the ministers, Zhang Juzheng said in a deep voice.

The ministers in Wenyuan Pavilion stood up and lined up on both sides in the usual order. The atmosphere in the room became calm, and it looked like it was back to when the emperor just came in.

Anyone can see that Wanli's mood is already very low, and it has reached such a point. Just now, he even lifted up the great god, the empress dowager. Do you want to continue to fight?
It is of no use to argue with the emperor. If it is not the emperor's decree to promote the safety brand in Tianjin, then absolutely not.

In the matter of commercial taxation, in the early Ming Dynasty, Shanxi asked for credit for the magistrate of a certain subordinate county, because the county’s collection of commercial tax exceeded the quota, and it increased greatly. Being able to exploit, he was sentenced to exile in the Northwest.

Since then, officials at the upper and lower levels have had a rough judgment on how to deal with tax collection. Excessive taxation is harsh, and not collecting less is showing compassion for the people.Of course, the land tax cannot be reduced. In the eyes of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was born as a farmer, it is only natural for the common people who cultivate the fields to pay the land tax.

Before and after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there were wars everywhere, the people's livelihood was in decline, the damage was extremely serious in the local area, and it was true that the industry and commerce did not collect any taxes.

By the time of Hongzhi, people's livelihood had recovered, the economy was prosperous, and industry and commerce had developed greatly, but the policies upheld at that time were no different from those in the early Ming Dynasty.

There are local officials in Hangzhou collecting taxes, and they only set up a table and a box at the gate of the yamen. On the table are pens, ink, paper and inkstones and an account book. The box is a half-open wooden box.

The notice posted was to ask the merchants in Hangzhou to register their business entry and exit on the account books, and then throw money into the box as tax payment. There was no one guarding the table and the box. The set of household utensils was placed at the gate of the yamen for three months, and a total of [-] Wen was collected.

This kind of behavior seemed to be a joke, but it was praised by people at that time.I think it can be compared with Tang Taizong Li Shimin's deeds - Tang Taizong Li Shimin released the death row prisoners to go home to reunite with their families, and then the death row prisoners came back on time within the agreed time limit, Li Shimin amnesty their deeds.

This matter of voluntarily paying taxes in front of the door is also considered to mean that a gentleman is not greedy for money and does not demand the virtues of the people, which has become a good talk for a while.

From Zhengde, Jiajing, and Longqing to the present, collecting commercial taxes must be called an act of exploiting the people and seeking their fat and anointing, otherwise it is an act of a gentleman to make people's livelihood happy.

The only effective business tax collection is the seven tax customs set up on the Grand Canal from Hangzhou to the capital. Ships passing through the customs customs have to go through cargo inspection, and taxes are collected according to the value of the goods on board. Customs favoritism and corruption are extremely serious, not to mention that many goods are transported by tank boats exempt from tax and inspection, and nothing can be received at all.

The commercial and taxation system is corrupt, and it is useless. There are reasons in the early stage, but in the middle and late stages, there are differences. The economic prosperity in the south of the Ming Dynasty far exceeds that in the north.

This economic prosperity has brought about an increase in the level of education. Rich peasants in the south of the Yangtze River can provide their children with education that can only be achieved by small and medium-sized landlords in the north.

The level of education determines the quality of the imperial examination results, which in turn determines the number of Jiangnan people in the officialdom. Although the imperial examination has a rigid ratio of six from the south and four from the north, almost all the high-ranking civil servants are from the south. birth.

A senior official often means the wealth of his family. Even if the family cannot be rich for a short time, he still needs the support of contacts and financial resources from his hometown.

In other words, the middle and upper-level officials of the Ming Dynasty were often born in the wealthy class in the south of the Yangtze River, and the prosperity and wealth of this class were inseparable from industry and commerce.

Perhaps at the beginning, they relied on land for exploitation, but the real growth came after the prosperity of industry and commerce. The rich family in the south of the Yangtze River may not be a big landlord, but it must be a big businessman and a big workshop owner.

They are inextricably linked to maritime trade, and they are also the main tax base of commercial taxation, so commercial taxation is an untouchable bottom line for them.

Collecting commercial taxes is a detriment to their vital interests. Anyone who tries to do this will be regarded as an enemy and will face pressure from the entire Jiangnan gentry class.

In this class, their descendants continued to become high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the center of the Ming Dynasty, and continued to maintain this class. This class relied on this maintenance to continue to expand, and then went back and forth, becoming an untouchable interest group.

Whoever talks about collecting commercial taxes is an enemy of this class, and whoever is an enemy of high-ranking officials and dignitaries from this class. If you look at the people covered by this class, you can say that you are an enemy of the world's scholars. It may be a bit far-fetched that the civil servants of the world are enemies, but it must not be said to be a mistake.

This is also why the Ming court sent tax inspectors, mine inspectors, and weaving inspectors to various places to collect money for the internal treasury. The money they usually plundered from corrupt ink was not much less than these eunuchs, and some of what the eunuchs plundered went into the internal treasury and spent in the public office, while what these civil servants plundered went into their private pockets.

But every time there is such a person who comes out to fight, the public opinion of the whole world, regardless of the government and the opposition, must be biased towards this civil servant. Comments of such a strong and strong character are added one after another. Why, it is because this person safeguards the interests of the gentry class
Why does Zhang Juzheng, the chief assistant of the cabinet with all the power in the world, always talk about the wealth of the world? enemy.

The gentry is the official gentry. Those who have fame and fame do not need to pay taxes. The country has no money to collect land, but the commercial tax cannot be moved. The blood-sucking monsters and parasites on his body, the more prosperous they are, the more Da Ming will not get any benefits, and even be harmful.

What is the Ping An brand? From the perspective of the capital, the Ping An brand charges a little more money from brothel gambling houses, but the money collected from those merchants is definitely not exploitative, which can be said to be very reasonable.

On weekdays, local ruffians and errands go to harass and extort money, and there will be losses in the shop, and normal business will be delayed. , and it is fair to pay more for big businesses and less for small businesses.

But this is determined according to the amount of business in and out of each family. The Department of Public Security sent officials to check the account books of each family, and then collected money based on this amount.

What is this? It is said to be a Ping An brand, but it is actually a commercial tax. It has changed its name. It does not mean that everyone cannot understand it. No one who can sit in this position is a fool who only reads sage books. Everyone understands the meaning .

The capital is at the foot of the emperor, and there are only a few hundred households in Jinyiwei and a general judge in Shuntian Mansion who carry out this matter, but behind this is the chief eunuch Zhang Cheng, the chief inspector of ceremonies, and even the shadow of the emperor.

It's just the capital, after all, it's not the root of Jiangnan. Maybe the emperor just had fun for a while.

But it's not worth mentioning that Wang Tong did this in the capital, but he actually did it in Tianjin. What's even more hateful is that the emperor actually supported it and even issued an order.

First in the capital, then in Tianjin, if they are completed one by one, wouldn’t they be generalized? If you don’t argue for it at this time, then people will think that the policy of collecting commercial taxes for this brand called Ping’an is actually acquiescing , or even support, that would be a catastrophe.

Maybe I can take it easy, what should I do with the huge foundation accumulated at home and the wealth and glory of the children and grandchildren behind me, I must fight for it, and I must stop it.

But why did they open their mouths? Just now, the two imperial censors kowtowed and remonstrated with the intention of retreating. After uttering such serious words, the little emperor actually called in the guards to arrest people. Although he did not do anything, it was the first time for Wanli to lose his temper. Second-rate.

How to put it, whoever said it, wanted to stop it, but in order to stop throwing one's official position into it, it was too unworthy, and everyone in the room looked at each other in blank dismay.

The two censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate had spoken outrightly just now, but now they took two steps back, unwilling to speak out anymore, and everyone exchanged glances for a while, but finally they all focused on Zhang Juzheng.

"Your Majesty, the imperial decree is the law, but everything in the world is justified. The matter of the Ping An brand has never been heard of since ancient times. Let Jin Yiwei be responsible for this matter. It is easier to cheat for personal gain. Your Majesty, can you tell your ministers about this safety?" The truth of the brand, so that the ministers have a reason to do it, and can also convince those merchants who put up the brand?"

The people who heard this shouted in their hearts. Wang Tong urged the emperor to do this, just to please the emperor and search for money. What's the reason? With righteousness and confidence, Mr. Zhang Ge and Mr. Feng can play the Empress Dowager, and even the capital's Ping An sign can be cancelled.

"Mr. Zhang, dear friends, I ask you, who owns the land used by the shops in the world?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the shore of the land, could it be the land of the king, naturally belongs to His Majesty."

"Let me ask you again, who built the outer city wall, and who paid for it?"

".It's money from the imperial court."

"Who sent soldiers and horses to guard the streets, who sent soldiers and horses to guard the Quartet, to protect them from doing business safely!?"

"Of course it's His Majesty, and it's naturally the Ming court."

"They can do business and be safe. It's all because I spend money to build the city walls and support soldiers and horses. Why can't I collect money from them? Is the money collected by me alone? Isn't it used on the people? , Take it from the people, use it for the people, is there anything wrong!!?”
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(End of this chapter)