I was the emperor in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 282 Compete with the people for profit?

At the end of the early dynasty, Li Tian summoned Yang Shiqi and others to discuss matters in the cabinet.

Li Tian came to the cabinet one step ahead of them.

As soon as the four of them entered, they directly congratulated Li Tian and said,

"Your Majesty Wan An, Great Ming Qianqiu!"

Li Tian was a little puzzled, the four of them were all extremely respectable court officials, and they would be so respectful only if they encountered some difficulties or did something wrong on weekdays.

What is this today, why are you suddenly so polite.

"Shi Qi, what are you doing!"

Yang Shiqi laughed, and said with a smile on his face,

"Your Majesty, you don't have to wait without telling the old minister. The soap is really an excellent item. Although it is a bit more expensive, it should be used sparingly. There is no problem after using it for a month."

Hearing what he said, Li Tian immediately understood what was going on.

Yesterday, the queen invited almost all the wives of officials above the third rank in the capital to the palace, and the wives of Yang Shiqi and others seemed to be included.

Soap is such a good thing, they naturally want to share it with their relatives first.

It's just that Li Tian didn't expect that Yang Shiqi was forced to use it once at such an advanced age.

He wanted to laugh in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to laugh in person.

After holding back for a long time, I finally said quietly,
"Since you have all used this thing, then you should understand the matter of the workshop!"

Yang Shiqi bowed his hands and said, "Your Majesty's move is really beneficial to the country and the people. I respect you."

Li Tian also wanted to hear their real opinions, so he deliberately pretended to be puzzled.
"Oh, I just picked up some gadgets and made some money for myself. How come you say it and it becomes a good thing that benefits the country and the people!"

Yang Shiqi couldn't tell that Li Tian was trying to play riddles with them on purpose, but he didn't reveal it but said slowly,
"Your Majesty's move has a deep meaning, and the old minister dare not speculate on it, and can only talk about it!"

"First, in His Majesty's workshop, all the people employed are poor people who are lonely or have no fixed place to eat. This alone is a great fortune!"

"Secondly, Your Majesty bowed down and worked hard to set an example for the world's ministers. This is my great honor."

"Thirdly, fill the internal treasury and enrich the court, this move is even more beneficial to the world!"

After hearing these three things he said, the corner of Li Tian's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help applauding himself.

Yang Shiqi's vision can be regarded as vicious, and he saw so many benefits in just one day, but that's it.

The deeper meaning, even if he is given another ten or twenty years, I am afraid he will not be able to penetrate it.

Of course, it is impossible for Li Tian to just tell him that, no matter what, Yang Shiqi and others can be regarded as one of the powerful representatives of the official and gentry group.

After pondering for a while, Li Tian smiled and said,

"I made something on the spur of the moment, and you said that I am so superior, it really makes me blush a little!

However, even you, Shiqi, think this move is a good thing, so do you think this move can be extended to the whole of Daming? "

Several people's faces changed slightly when they heard the words, they really didn't expect Li Tian's thoughts to be so out of the ordinary.

It is indeed a good thing to open large-scale workshops and recruit more homeless victims, and it is a great thing that will benefit the future.

But everything has a good side, and naturally there is a bad side.

From the present point of view, Li Tian made a lot of money by opening a workshop, which not only saved a large amount of Fengyin for the court.

The excess money can also fill the treasury and reduce the pressure on the people all over the world. It seems that there is nothing wrong with it.

But if you look at it from another angle, after a long time, it will inevitably lose a reputation of competing with the people for profit.

If this point is exploited by someone with a heart, it will greatly affect Li Tian's image.

They raised this matter grandly and solemnly for a few days, in fact, they wanted to remind Li Tian.

As the director of the Household Reform Bureau, Huang Zhun, who has earned millions of taels for the court in just over a month, was the first to speak,

"Your Majesty, although your intentions are good, it is inevitable that you will make people talk about competing for the interests of the people. I think you should leave this matter to the Ministry of Households or the inner court to govern in the future!"

Li Tian was taken aback for a moment, and only now did he understand that the purpose of the few of them bringing this up today was to wait for him here.

He looked at the other people silently, seeing them with normal expressions, knowing that they should have discussed this in private.

Although he was a little annoyed in his heart, he also knew that the reason why they did this was actually out of good intentions.

"Shiqi, Zirong, do you think so too!"

Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong was directly called by name, and quickly bowed his hands and said softly,

"That's right, the ministers and others have to do this because of this reason."

Li Tian shook his head lightly and said,
"Hey, you guys are really short-sighted, let me tell you what's good about you!"

"Ah? What does His Majesty mean by this, I don't understand."

They were indeed confused by Li Tian's words. It was a rule set by the Taizu when he was alive not to compete with the people for profit.

And the royal family cannot participate in business because of this rule.

In the early Ming Dynasty, there was even a direct decree not to allow officials of the fourth rank or above or even nobles to participate in the industrial and commercial industry.

However, when Zhu Yuanzhang was still alive, everyone in the world was terrified of this system, and most of them still followed it.

But since his death, this system is like a fake, and it can't restrict anyone.

Not to mention the officials above the fourth rank, even the nobles have business as their main business to make money.

Therefore, it is simply nonsense to compete with the people for profit.

In the whole world, if the collusion between government and businessmen is really investigated, I am afraid that [-]% of the officials in the court will not be able to escape.

Officials and nobles can ostentatiously compete with the people for profits and make a lot of money, but as an emperor, he opens a workshop and makes a little money, but he will be criticized by others. How can Li Tian not be angry.

He patted the table lightly, making several people tremble with fright, Li Tian planned to teach them a good lesson,
"I'm sure you all know that when the Song Dynasty's annual income was small, it was tens of millions of guan, and when it was more, it could even hit [-] million guan.

My Ming, both in terms of population and territory far surpassed those of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, so why can I only have a tax burden of more than two million taels a year.

Even for many years, even this number could not be reached. I would like to ask you why. "

As soon as these words came out, Yang Shiqi and others were immediately dumb.

Don't they understand, no, they actually understand better than Li Tian, ​​what they don't understand is just.

It has been five or sixty years from Taizu to Chengzu. Why did Li Tian suddenly talk about this matter again at this time.

(End of this chapter)