The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Wei Guangde brought up the topic of Japan and the rumors of mountains of gold and silver. Wang Guoguang naturally understood and figured out the key.

The Ming Dynasty really had no good feelings towards Japan. In the past few years, the Japanese riots in the southeast were mostly pirates, or bandits from the Ming Dynasty, but everyone called them pirates.

Anyway, as long as you know that the court had no good feelings towards the pirates, it was right.

Knowing this and making good use of it, you can find a reason for the Ming Dynasty to send troops to Japan.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty sent troops to Japan not simply for revenge, but because of the legendary mountains of gold and silver.

Japan is an island country. If you want to go there, you obviously can't do it without a strong navy.

From this perspective, a strong navy is really needed.

Before the Ministry of Revenue, most people believed that the strength of the South China Sea Navy was second to none in the Ming Dynasty Sea and there was no need to continue to develop it.

And those sea ships, as long as they are properly maintained, do not need to be replaced in large quantities within 20 to 30 years, so it is completely possible to stop investing in the navy.

Although his views remain unchanged, he naturally knows that the Ministry of Revenue needs some changes in the discussion of the Ministry of Revenue, that is, to continue to support the construction of the South China Sea Navy.

In the earlier distribution of the tax silver of Jiugang, the Ministry of Revenue did not consider the participation of the South China Sea Navy.

Doing so is certainly not a waste of time, but the army is really not suitable for having its own economic source.

How did the feudal lords in the late Tang Dynasty come about? It was because they controlled the army and local finances and taxes, and had the strength of self-sufficiency, so they had the courage to challenge the central government and formed a de facto warlord separatism.

As long as the army does not get stable financial support, everything depends on the face of the court, in order to be obedient and maintain national stability. This is the consensus of all court officials.

However, when Wang Guoguang left, I don’t know that Wei Guangde’s eyes were wrong when he looked at him.

Wang Guoguang wanted to take away the tax silver of Yuegang through Jiugang, and he also wanted to play a trick on the inner court in the distribution of tax silver in Jiugang. This was not something he could touch.

If this method was really to be implemented, Feng Bao would be the first to jump up.

It was not because this matter concerned Feng Bao's personal interests, but because he had to help the master behind him.

The two Empress Dowagers and the little emperor were not suitable to compete with the court for silver face to face, so only he, the internal minister, could come forward.

Well, who is Feng Bao? Zhang Juzheng can only lure him with benefits.

For those who want to take away the money of the inner court, Feng Bao must treat him as the top enemy.

If Feng Bao knew the news, even if it was Zhang Juzheng, he could only save Wang Guoguang's dignity and let him retire voluntarily. If things go wrong, he might even dig up the old case and deal with him.

There is no such thing as an official who is absolutely clean.

Wang Guoguang is from Shanxi and has close relations with the late Shangshu Yang Bo and the former Xuanda Governor Wang Chonggu.

And these three families, together with the Zhang Siwei family, are also big families in the Shanxi business circle, controlling most of the market share of the Mongolian trade.

Of course, it would be impossible to control the market and become the leader without their power in the court.

When it comes to the opening of the sea during the Longqing reign, most people only know that it was a limited opening of the sea ban. In fact, the mutual trade between the north and Mongolia was also an important measure for Emperor Longqing to maintain an open attitude towards foreign trade.

It was just because it involved tribute, so it was not taken seriously by the outside world.

Wei Guangde's influence on the border was actually limited, far less than the influence of Shanxi merchants who had been working hard for a hundred years. He could be said to be a local snake.

Therefore, Wei Guangde was not interested in northern trade from the beginning, but focused on opening the sea in the south.

Because of the Japanese invasion, the original largest maritime merchant families such as the Xie Qian family suffered heavy losses in the Japanese invasion, and there was a gap in strength, which was a godsend opportunity for the Wei family to intervene.

With him as a link, he connected the merchants in Northeast China, Beijing, Shanxi and Fujian, and with the convenience of his friend Lao Kan working in Fujian, he was deeply involved in maritime trade.

However, even so, Wei Guangde only participated in the shares and did not become the biggest decision-maker or major shareholder.

If his Wei family became the largest maritime merchant in the Ming Dynasty, it would be a target of public criticism.

Wei Guangde didn't want to be the first to do something, but some people couldn't see it clearly.

The Yangbo family was the largest merchant family in Shanxi at that time, and the other families were also rising stars, so it was hard not to be noticed.

In the next few days, the cabinet still handled the affairs of the South in an orderly manner and negotiated with the Ministry of Revenue on the transfer of grain and relief.

However, in their spare time, the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue also secretly discussed the distribution of the old Hong Kong banknotes and customs duties.

The plate of Yuegang must not be moved. Zhang Juzheng saw it very clearly and knew that the "Tianzi Nanku" was not just a casual talk. The annual income of one million taels of silver was already the largest income in the palace, even exceeding the income of a large number of imperial farms.

In the end, the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue formulated a distribution plan, which was 10% for the Xuanweisi of the Old Port. This was an old rule and would not be changed.

The South China Sea Navy drew 20%, which was specifically used to build new ships, which was considered the court's investment in the navy.

The remaining 70%, the Ministry of Revenue insisted on 40%, and the inner court 30%, while Zhang Juzheng and Wei Guangde had similar ideas, that is, to split it in half, and such a result would be more likely to be approved by Feng Bao.

At this time, the news could not be concealed, and Feng Bao also knew that the court planned to set up a banknote customs in Jiugang.

Feng Bao knew about it, and the previous discussion of the Ministry of Revenue naturally reached his ears.

Although Feng Bao looked normal, Wei Guangde still noticed his hidden deep hostility towards Wang Guoguang.

You know, although Feng Bao was a eunuch, his literary talent was still good. If he hadn't been stabbed when he was young, he thought he could have won the title of Jinshi in the imperial examination.

Therefore, he didn't think he was inferior to the civil servants.

However, even if he fully cooperated with the political affairs of the previous dynasty without damaging the interests of the inner court, he didn't expect that there were still civil servants who wanted to stab him in the back.

Wang Guoguang, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, naturally hated him.

After all, the mentality of a person who was stabbed has changed to some extent, which is not easy for ordinary people to understand.

Wang Guoguang didn't think he offended Feng Bao. After all, the six ministries often argued about official affairs, but if they were not deliberately targeted, they would not have become enemies.

It can only be said that each of them competed for the interests of their own yamen.

Therefore, in the distribution of the 70% tax silver, Feng Bao deliberately made things difficult for the Ministry of Revenue, forcibly demanded a 40% share, and only left 30% for the Ministry of Revenue.

The two argued in the cabinet, and finally turned into a quarrel, which made Zhang Juzheng feel a little uneasy.

Wei Guangde was still watching the show at the side. It was Zhang Juzheng's nervousness, and it had little to do with him.

Feng Bao asked him, and he still insisted that it was fair for the Ministry of Revenue and the inner court to split it in half.

"Is this the rule that the Ministry of Revenue is discussing?"

Just when the inner court and the Ministry of Revenue were arguing over the distribution of the tariff of the old port, Wei Guangde received a document sent by the Ministry of Revenue's spy. It was the first draft of the memorial that the Ministry of Revenue discussed privately and intended to submit to the court as a ministerial discussion.

"That's what Doctor Hu said when he sent it over. He said that most of his colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue thought it was feasible, but they were afraid that the Ministry of Personnel would have to increase the number of officials in the Ministry of Revenue. Otherwise, with the current staff of the Ministry of Revenue, it would be too busy."

Zhang Ji whispered in Wei Guangde's ear.

"The money and grain in the world are scattered and belong to various government offices. Please merge them into the Ministry of Revenue."

Wei Guangde muttered softly. To say that the taxation in ancient times was indeed complicated, it was actually difficult for later generations to understand.

The taxes collected by the government were finally collected by many government offices. The Ministry of Revenue received the most money and grain, followed by the Ministry of Works. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites also received some income, and each had its own warehouse to receive local taxes.

There were actually many types of taxes in the Ming Dynasty, the main taxes were land tax and capitation tax.

Land tax was a tax levied on land owners and was the main source of tax revenue in the Ming Dynasty.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the land tax implemented the two-tax system, namely summer tax and autumn grain. Summer tax generally levied wheat, money, banknotes, etc., while autumn grain mainly levied rice, beans, grass, etc.

The tax amount was determined based on factors such as the fertility and yield of the land. For example, the tax standard for official land and wheat was 1.76 dou of wheat per mu for the first grade, 0.5 dou of wheat per mu for the second grade, and 0.027 dou of wheat per dou; while the tax standard for civilian land was relatively low, such as 0.5 dou of wheat per mu for wheat, and 0.027 dou of wheat per mu for wheat.

Ding tax is actually divided into head tax and Ding tax. One is a tax on the population, and the other is only for men over 16 years old. This tax system is mainly to ensure that the country has enough soldiers and labor.

With the development of Ming Dynasty society, Ding tax gradually evolved into a household tax, and no longer strictly calculated according to the head. The one-whip rule that is being implemented is to spread the head tax on the land.

But in addition to this, the Ministry of Households also has to collect rent and taxes and consumption. The objects of rent include military garrison royal fields, grain garrison fields, school fields, official halls, and Tang Siling fields. The consumption is the loss.

These are the main taxes of the Ministry of Households, but in fact there are also very complicated industrial and commercial taxes, such as market stalls, pawn taxes, tooth stickers, salt taxes, wine taxes, tea taxes, cattle, donkeys, horses, pigs and sheep taxes, flower cloth and cigarette packages taxes, land tax deeds, etc.

The financial income of the Ministry of Works mainly comes from the silver conversion of labor and materials sent to various places and the income from bamboo and wood. These sources of income enable the Ministry of Works to be independent of the management and interference of the Ministry of Households and form a self-contained income and expenditure system.

Specifically, the financial revenue of the Ministry of Works includes two parts: one is the silver for labor and materials collected by sending them to various places, and the other is the income obtained by drawing bamboo and wood.

These revenues are mainly used to support the various expenses of the Ministry of Works, including but not limited to construction projects, maintenance, etc.

The taxes collected by the Ministry of War in the Ming Dynasty mainly include silver for soap servants, silver for horses, silver for firewood and charcoal, silver for raftsmen, silver for post stations, etc.

In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the Ministry of War in the Ming Dynasty gradually obtained a large amount of silver income, including various forms of silver, and these incomes were mainly concentrated in the Arsenal Department and the Chariot Department.

These income items reflect the important role of the Ministry of War in the financial system of the Ming Dynasty, especially its contribution in military and logistical support. The financial function of the Ministry of War in the Ming Dynasty not only reflects its independence in the national financial system, but also reflects its specialization in military and logistical management.

The taxation of the Ming Dynasty was adjusted in different periods. It can be understood that the government had new expenditures, but it had no money to list the expenses, so it often thought of a tax type and levied a tax on a specific area to pay for the expenditure.

Therefore, even if there are documents and materials, the taxation of the Ming Dynasty is often completely unclear.

Wang Guoguang is now in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and he wants to give the Ministry of Revenue the power of finance and taxation. Wei Guangde couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

Perhaps in the eyes of many people, the Minister of Revenue manages the national treasury and has a very respected status, but this is not the case.

Among the six ministers of the Ming Dynasty, the Minister of Revenue is actually a tough job, and it is really not something that can be done by one person.

Perhaps, in the eyes of many people, the Minister of Revenue is the highest administrative chief of the Ministry of Revenue among the six ministries, equivalent to the modern Minister of Finance.

This position is mainly responsible for national economic affairs, including household registration, taxation, and the coordination of national funds. It is in charge of the country's financial power. Whether it is disaster relief, appropriation or war, it needs to be approved by the Minister of Revenue.

Therefore, the Minister of Revenue occupies a pivotal position in the political and economic system of the Ming Dynasty.

But in fact, in the ancient monarchy, the Minister of Revenue did not have such great power. Most of the time, he just played the role of the emperor's financial adviser.

Under normal circumstances, his duties were only to implement some limited plans.

In the early days of the dynasty, people paid taxes in kind and served in person. Military facilities, the palace and several other expenditure agencies in Beijing had fixed quotas of materials and corvée, which were completed by designated collection agencies.

By the end of the dynasty, most materials and corvée were converted into silver, but these monetary revenues were not combined.

The expenditure agencies simply maintained separate expenditure accounts, and the converted silver was still paid by the collection agencies that previously completed these supplies and corvée.

The only exception was the palace. Since there was no central financial institution in the imperial city, part of the silver for the palace was managed by the Ministry of Revenue.

In addition, the accounts of the Ministry of Works, the Imperial Household Department under the Ministry of War, and the Imperial Household Department under the Ministry of Rites were managed separately, with large amounts, and the same was true for the management of military equipment and facilities.

The Ministry of Revenue only played the bookkeeping function of transporting silver. It could not control the allocation through the budget. All the savings of various expenditures were controlled by each department and deposited in their own silver vaults. The Ministry of Revenue had no right to manage it.

The emergence of this situation meant that income and allocation were based on the system, and the Minister of Revenue could only make very limited adjustments, such as revising the ratio of payment, suggesting more silver, and sometimes changing the location of material and capital transportation.

These tasks were temporary expedients, so the Ministry of Revenue in the Ming Dynasty could be said to be a large accounting management department rather than an executive agency.

The general system of the dynasty was clearly arranged by Zhu Yuanzhang, so the Ministry of Revenue had limited autonomy and often found it difficult to cope with the unreasonable demands of the emperor and eunuchs.

Most of the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue in the Ming Dynasty were famous for refuting the emperor's order to purchase various treasures, but this also came at a price.

Since 1380, a total of 89 ministers of the Ministry of Revenue have been appointed, 16 of whom were dismissed, 3 were executed, 2 were exiled and banned from employment for life, and 1 was exiled.

Most of these people were defeated in the cruel political struggle because the emperor disliked them.

Wang Guoguang wanted to concentrate the financial and taxation power of the court without knowing it.

Undoubtedly, this is a taboo, which will not only make the emperor unhappy, but also make his colleagues unhappy.

"Jump, make a fuss, in the end, Zhang Juzheng may not be able to protect you."

Wei Guangde thought silently in his heart.

Zhang Juzheng's power was largely due to the trust of the harem and the support of Feng Bao, which Wei Guangde saw more clearly than anyone else. (End of this chapter)