The best little eunuch

Chapter 115 Making a Deal with the Emperor
Chapter 115 Making a Deal with the Emperor
"Your Majesty, I suggest that the name of the village along the coast be moved to within [-] miles of the sea. In this case, the pirates will retreat if they cannot find a target when they go ashore." The affairs of the navy, the navy is a bottomless pit!

"What Li Xiang means is that we give up the coast? How will the villagers survive if they are relocated back?" Liu Yi immediately retorted that most of the coastal villagers make a living by fishing. If they are relocated to the inland , then how do they survive?

There are few people in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is impossible for the imperial court to allocate land to them.Without land and unable to go fishing, these coastal villagers had no choice but to starve to death.

"Then just watch them being robbed by pirates?" Li Henian asked without giving an inch.For Li Henian, if moving the coastal villagers back could effectively prevent pirates, he would not mind doing so at all.As for the life and death of those common people, that was out of his consideration.

Anyway, the big families in the south of the Yangtze River all lived in the big cities above the government. Pirates would not dare to go to these big cities.Therefore, pirates have no influence on the big families in the south of the Yangtze River.

"In order to prevent the people along the coast from being looted by pirates, I once again proposed to the emperor to rebuild the navy." Liu Yi said loudly.Rebuilding the navy has always been Liu Yi's goal, because only with a strong navy can the people along the coast be protected.For Liu Yi, who came from a poor background, this was his sole purpose of stepping into the imperial court and becoming an official.It is to allow the court to rebuild the navy and protect the people along the coast.

Glancing at Liu Yi, Li Henian said: "Master Liu said it lightly. It's a good sentence to rebuild the Navy. I also want to rebuild the Navy, but what about the money? Where does the money come from?"

"Li Xiang, the navy is not just a burden to the imperial court. Li Xiangke remembers how powerful the navy of my Great Yan Dynasty was back then. At that time, the life of the people along the coast was at least ten times better than it is now. Could it be that For the sake of so many people along the coast, can't the court pay some money to rebuild the navy?" Liu Yi said.

At the beginning, the navy of the Yan Dynasty was so powerful that the people along the coast even dared to go out to sea for dozens of miles to fish.Now, pirates are rampant. If you go out to sea and get caught by pirates, you will never come back.Therefore, the people along the coast had no choice but to fish in the offshore, and did not dare to go too far.In this way, the income is naturally greatly reduced.Coupled with the looting of the pirates, the life of the people along the coast is even more miserable.

"Lord Liu, I also know about this issue. But the annual expenditure of the navy is too high. The imperial court has to pay the expenses of the frontier troops in various places, and it is simply unable to pay the expenses of the navy anymore." Li Henian said patiently.

From the bottom of his heart, Li Henian also hoped that the court would be stronger, at least in that way he, the Right Prime Minister, would be more prestigious.But the actual situation is that the court is still going downhill, and it is completely powerless.

"I am willing to donate all my family wealth to help the court rebuild the navy." Liu Yi knelt down and said.Back then when he obtained his fame, it was with the hope of the whole village that the court could rebuild the navy as soon as possible, but now that he has been an official for so many years, he has not persuaded the court to rebuild the navy.For so many years, only he himself knew the self-blame in Liu Yi's heart.

"My lord Liu Yi, I know that you desperately want to rebuild the Navy's heart, but even if you donate all your wealth, so what? The expenses are not small, and the court can no longer afford it now." Liu Rufeng also stood up and said.Although he was unwilling to help Li Henian from the bottom of his heart, what Li Henian said was indeed true, so he stood up.

"Your Majesty, since the imperial court cannot provide the money, it means that the money must be in the private sector." Liu Yi said: "In order to rebuild the navy, I implore the Emperor to increase taxes."

"Master Liu, are you crazy?" Li Henian asked.You know, the people are suffering enough now, if taxes are still raised, how will the people live?Now it's not that the court's tax revenue is insufficient, but that the tax revenue from various places is not handed over to the court at all.This is the root cause of the emptiness of the imperial treasury.

Standing up and looking at Li Henian, Liu Yi said: "Li Xiang, I'm not crazy. I know what I'm talking about. Compared with the fishermen in the coastal areas, the people in the Central Plains are already very happy. Since everyone is a big swallow The people of the dynasty, can we ask them to give some money to help the fishermen along the coast and rebuild our Navy of the Great Yan Dynasty?"

"Lord Liu Yi, this matter is not what you think at all. It cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences." Li Henian still said patiently.No way, he couldn't say that the reason why the court couldn't pay was because the tax burden for the land was not handed over to the court at all.

If he said that, wouldn't it have removed the last fig leaf.Thoroughly pierced the last layer of window paper between the imperial court and the governors of various places.Although the governors of various places do not pay taxes to the imperial court very much now, they will pay a symbolic amount every year anyway.That's it, coupled with the court's frugality, they can barely get by.But it is absolutely impossible to rebuild the Navy.

"Li Xiang is also from a wealthy family in the south of the Yangtze River, but have you ever seen a fishing village along the coast? Do you know the hard work of fishermen?" Liu Yi also cared about the relationship between superiors and subordinates at this time.It doesn't matter if you are in Qinzheng Hall.He now regards himself as an ordinary fisherman along the coast, and narrates this obvious fact to all the ministers in the court.

"Master Liu, I understand what you mean, and I sympathize with the people along the coast, but it is an undeniable fact that the imperial court has no money," Li Henian said.Li Henian didn't know how miserable the people along the coast were.But the great country is often bullied by pirates, this is intolerable to Li Henian.

However, now that the imperial court has no navy, it has to be tolerated if it can't be tolerated.We can only wait for the imperial court to solve the problem of the governors of various places before solving this problem.

"Since there is no money, let's levy a commercial tax as Lord Lin said." Liu Yi knew that the collection of commercial tax would touch the interests of many people, but at this time, he couldn't control it anymore.For Liu Yi, rebuilding the navy is a top priority.So many people along the coast have been looking forward to it.

He still remembers the day before he took office, the whole village sent him far away.The elders in the clan repeatedly told him that the court must rebuild the navy.Even if I can't wait for that day, I can't let my children and grandchildren suffer anymore.

Now, Liu Yi has been an official for many years, but his goal of being an official has never been realized.And judging from the letters from home, the pirates are getting worse every year.If the imperial court doesn't pay attention to it, the fishermen along the coast can only fend for themselves.

"Lord Liu Yi, Taizu once said that he would not compete with the people for profit. When Taizu founded the country, it was so difficult that no commercial tax was collected. Now, are we going to go against Taizu's will and re-levy commercial tax? Tax?" Li Henian said after moving Taizu out.

"Li Xiang, I have a different opinion." Hearing Li Henian's words, Lin Feng came out and said.

Looking at Lin Feng, Li Henian asked, "I don't know if Lord Lin has any different opinions."

"Grandpa Taizu didn't levy commercial tax at the beginning because he had just founded the country, and a lot of waste was waiting to be done. And commerce can make a country's economy more prosperous. Now the merchants of the Great Yan Dynasty have enjoyed the gift for so many years, and they should It's time to contribute to the court." Lin Feng explained.At the beginning, the commercial tax was not collected, one was because the commercial tax was very small, and it was basically negligible, and the other was that the imperial court needed merchants, so it adopted the situation of exempting the commercial tax, but this does not mean that the commercial tax cannot be collected.

"Mr. Lin's words are biased." Liu Rufeng also stood up and said: "Since businessmen have made such great contributions to the country, they should not collect business taxes." Well, businessmen make this country more and more prosperous, then businessmen can become heroes of the country, and give preferential treatment to heroes, isn't it right?
"The country has treated them preferentially for more than 100 years, and now it's time for the country to pay them." Lin Feng said.He has been to Jiangnan, and he also knows the wealth of those merchants in Jiangnan.Take the expensive Dahongpao as an example, even the imperial court could not enjoy it, but it was available from a big merchant in Jinling City. This is enough to show that the merchant is rich enough and it is time to pay taxes.

"But Grandpa Taizu said in the past that merchants would not be taxed." Liu Rufeng also said the same thing, and directly moved Taizu out.If this is for the courtiers of this era, it might work, but it is a pity that it is for Lin Feng.Lin Feng has no ancestral family law in his bones.There is no respect for Taizu.

"Taizu made the correct decision based on the situation at that time. But this decision is no longer suitable for use now. Now the court is unable to make ends meet, and you look at those businessmen, which one is not rich. The country is fattened They, shouldn't they share the country's worries?" Lin Feng also said a little excitedly.What he can't bear most is this kind of selfishness that disregards the interests of the country.

"Does Lord Lin mean that Taizu's decision was wrong?" Liu Rufeng asked.If Lin Feng answered yes, then he could make use of the problem. If Lin Feng answered no, then it was just right. Taizu's decision was correct, and he should carry it out.

"I've already said that there was no problem with Taizu's decision at the time. However, more than 100 years have passed, and Taizu's decision is not suitable for the present." Lin Feng also explained.He naturally heard the murderous intent implied in Liu Rufeng's words.

At the court meeting, it turned into a debate between Lin Feng, Liu Rufeng, and Li Henian.Others can hardly get in their mouths.And as people in Lin Feng's camp, they also don't want the court to levy commercial taxes, after all, who doesn't have any business.

However, relatively speaking, neither Jin Quan nor Shen Xu's family's business is too big, and even if the business tax is levied, the impact is not too great.It can even be said that there is not much impact.It was precisely because of this that they stood on Lin Feng's side.

"Everyone dear." Seeing that the court hall was about to become a vegetable market, the emperor had no choice but to intervene.

After everyone calmed down, the emperor said: "I think that now that the imperial treasury is empty, it is feasible to levy some commercial taxes. How about we suspend the collection of commercial taxes when the imperial treasury is filled up?"

"A child is a child." Li Henian said in his heart.If the sweetness of collecting commercial taxes is tasted, will the imperial court stop collecting commercial taxes?This is a very obvious problem.

"Your Majesty, this veteran thinks it's inappropriate." Li Henian immediately objected.

"The old minister reconsidered." Liu Rufeng also stood up to support Li Henian.

With Li Henian and Liu Rufeng taking the lead, how could those officials have any reason not to stand up and support them?In an instant, except for the ministers on Lin Feng's side, the other ministers expressed their reconsideration.Especially in the area of ​​Yushitai, a large area was knelt down in darkness.

"Your Majesty, I feel that this is inappropriate. Since the commercial tax is levied, it should be the end of it." Lin Feng also stood up to object.However, he is not opposed to the collection of business taxes, but against the cessation of business taxes.

"This doesn't work, that doesn't work, you guys have a feasible plan?" After all, the emperor is a child, this doesn't work, that doesn't work, and he suddenly became a little anxious.

"Your Majesty, I feel that commercial tax must be collected." Lin Feng stood up and said.

"The veteran objected." Li Henian stood up and said almost at the same time as Liu Rufeng.

"Lin Aiqing asked for a commercial tax, but Li Aiqing and Liu Aiqing objected, so I have no idea." The emperor said with a sad face.Originally thought that after the pro-government, you can do whatever you want, but the emperor discovered the tragedy, after the pro-government, it is not as good as before the pro-government.

"Your Majesty, why don't we try it out in one place for a while, and if it's feasible to collect commercial tax, we can continue. If not, how about we don't collect commercial tax?" Lin Feng thought for a while and said. A compromise idea.

"Lin Aiqing's idea is good." The emperor said happily.Try to find a place first, if it doesn't work, then don't collect it, if it works, then you must continue to collect it.

Looking at Li Henian and Liu Rufeng, the emperor asked, "What do you two lovers think?"

Li Henian and Liu Rufeng glanced at each other, but they didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Lin Feng's gourd.However, judging from what Lin Feng meant, he was determined to collect commercial tax, and the collection of commercial tax was indeed beneficial to the imperial court but not harmful at all.

"I don't know what Lin Jue thinks is suitable?" Li Henian asked.If Lin Feng chooses to collect commercial tax in the northwest, then go ahead and collect it all the time. Anyway, his family is all in the south of the Yangtze River, so it will have no effect at all.

(End of this chapter)