In Jiangnan, the most elite area of the country, there was a rebellion against law and taxes. The most affected area was the commercial and tax collection of the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Nowadays, the proportion of commercial tax in Daxia's taxation is higher than that of land tax. The main source of commercial tax is firstly the maritime trade of the Shipping Department, and secondly, Jiangnan, where commerce is the most prosperous.
Since the beginning of the year, sporadic tax resistance has occurred in southern Zhili and Zhejiang. At that time, due to the failure of local government agencies to handle the situation, the anti-tax resistance in Jiangnan was like a prairie fire and intensified.
In the end, it swept through several provinces in southern Zhili, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Huguang, accounting for almost half of Daxia.
In early May, the commercial tax money from Jiangnan was delayed for the first time and failed to arrive in the capital. At the same time, the suspension of water transportation left major shipping companies south of the Huaihe River with a large backlog of tax money that could not be sent north. Even the military rations purchased by the Ministry of Household Affairs, etc. The supplies are all parked in Huai'an Prefecture and cannot be sent to Xuanfu and important places in Liaodong in time.
Lin Ruhai was worried about losing a lot of hair, but she still had money. The small treasury she had secretly saved in the past few years was enough to cope with a nationwide war.
But food is a big problem. If we don't send military food to Xuanfu and Liaodong, we will be in big trouble.
The official documents urging military supplies were piling up. Lin Ruhai, who had not been able to sleep well for several days, finally failed to maintain the image of a gentle gentleman and started to curse loudly in the room on duty at the Ministry of Household Affairs.
"What does Pei Weisheng, the governor of water transportation, do for a living? How can the Cao Gang control the entire canal water transportation, and the small Cao Gang actually stumped the imperial court?"
Shen Zhui, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, said a few words of defense on behalf of Pei Weisheng: "Budang, what can Pei Weisheng do? The water transport has been controlled by the two major water gangs in the north and the south since it opened. The one in the north is okay, but the one in the south is To put it bluntly, these few companies are the bastards of the Jiangnan gang."
Lin Ruhai also knew that what Shen Zhui said was true. He had been in charge of Jiangnan for ten years and knew more about water transportation than anyone else. This meeting was just a few helpless complaints to relieve his frustration.
"In this case, Zhipu, you go to the Ministry of War and ask Mr. Jian if we can let the Dengzhou Navy go south to transport grain. We can't delay it any longer, or there will be big problems if we delay it any longer."
"You mean shipping by sea? It's not impossible, it's just..."
Shen Zhui was the best at mental arithmetic, and in an instant he roughly calculated the time required for sea transportation and the transportation capacity of navy ships.
He shook his head: "I'm afraid the Dengzhou Navy alone is not enough. Don't forget that there are millions of mouths waiting for food in the capital. Moreover, the Governor's Mansion has already made a plan. The Dengzhou Navy will choose a day to Go north and attack the hinterland of Goryeo from the sea."
"Oh, I know, but the only way right now is to rely on naval shipping. We can't just do it. Shipu will go and ask first how many ships can be freed..."
Emperor Taizong moved the capital to Yanjing, and the canal became the lifeline that maintained millions of jobs in the capital.
Lin Ruhai sighed, sitting on the chair a little dejectedly and smiling bitterly.
At this time, I heard a familiar voice coming from outside the door: "Since the navy does not have enough ships, then we will recruit merchant ships to go south. At most, we will have to pay more money. Uncle, don't worry about this matter. Leave it to me. I will definitely be able to do it tomorrow afternoon." Done."
"Brother Cong? You're back!"
Lin Ruhai stood up in surprise when he saw the figure appearing at the door.
Jia Cong's expression was a little gloomy and slightly worried. After entering the house, he cupped his hands with Shen Zhui as a greeting, and then bowed to Lin Ruhai: "My nephew just returned to Beijing and heard that something happened in Jiangnan. Your Majesty is following There is a small court meeting between the Cabinet and the Governor's Mansion, so I will come to my uncle's place first."
"Don't worry too much about your teacher. King Zhongshun just sent an urgent report from Jinling this morning. Qingteng was injured in an assassination but not to his vitals. He was treated by the palace's miracle doctor. Now he is suffering from severe injuries in Jiangnan."
As expected, Lin Ruhai's words made Jia Cong's sadness fade by a third. Jia Cong nodded: "My nephew understands that the teacher said when he went south that he would be benevolent if he didn't succeed in going to Jiangnan. Whether it is clearing the land or reforming the tax system, it must be done. It created a huge storm and offended so many people, it would be strange not to go through a few assassinations."
The Lin family was almost ruined by a salt class. Not to mention the land and tax reforms, the gentry and wealthy merchants in Jiangnan still hated Xu Jin to death.
Such a huge struggle for interests was much more bloody than the struggle in the officialdom. Xu Jin almost had to carry the coffin to the south.
"The merchant ships that Uncle Yongfeng just mentioned refer to those ships customized by the Capital Chamber of Commerce before?"
Shen Zhui's sudden inquiry broke the sighs of Weng and his son-in-law. Jia Cong also put away his sadness and cheered up to explain his strategy to the two of them.
In fact, sea transportation is more convenient than water transportation, and it saves losses on the way.
When Lin Ruhai took charge of the Municipal Shipping Department and tried out the policy of opening up the sea, not only did merchants from the southeast coast follow, but merchants from the north also sensed business opportunities and formed caravans one after another to participate in maritime trade.
At that time, Jia Cong asked the Ministry of Industry to accept many large orders, established three shipyards in Laizhou, Dengzhou and Weihaiwei, and used full power to build large-scale ships.
The Beijing Chamber of Commerce alone has ordered as many as 60 sea-going ships. According to the news sent by Shandong at the end of last year, the three shipyards have completed 21 sea-going ships. If you add them together, there will be at least 30 ships. Sea-going ships are available for household use.
Caobang? Sky over the canal? Go to hell!
When Jia Cong had an audience with the emperor, he asked for orders. After two days of rest, he took people to walk on the canal.
…
Jia Cong didn't stay long in the household department. He told Lin Ruhai and Shen Zhui about the merchant ship, and then the emperor sent someone to call him to the Qinzheng Hall.
Xu Jin's injury was not serious, and he was now protected by Liu Ke, the loyal and shun king who guarded Jiangnan, so he was safe.
However, this news was kept secret from other people except for the officials at the ministerial level and above in the court.
Assassinating the imperial envoy and plowing the fields south of the Yangtze River would not be worth the blood shed by Xu Jin.
The "Great Summer News" has already prepared tomorrow's front page headlines, so let's start with the public opinion.
"I asked Old Thirteen to go south just to be on guard against this. This guy is really willing to do anything for money. Lin Qing was fooled back then. Look, it's still the same after a different group of people."
Apart from Xia Shouzhong, there were only the emperor and Jia Cong in the palace.
The emperor probably complained to Jia Cong in order to relieve his depression.
"Although I raised the commercial tax from the original 30 taxes per 1 to 20 taxes per 1, I also canceled various checkpoints and exorbitant taxes. These people are still not satisfied and have gathered tens of thousands of people to cause trouble in Jinling..."
At the beginning of the founding of the Xia Dynasty, Taizu set a commercial tax rate of 1 in 30 taxes as a way to recuperate and recuperate.
But this tax rate does not include all kinds of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, plus checkpoints, city entry fees and other fees for taking cards, the consumption is definitely more than one out of ten taxes.
Since the beginning of the year before last, the Ministry of Household Affairs has reformed the tax system and raised the commercial tax to 1 in 20 taxes. It seems that the burden of commercial taxes has been heavy. However, at the same time, because the imperial court has abolished checkpoints in various places and severely cracked down on carders, the burden on businessmen has actually been reduced. .
The prosperity of business can be seen from the changes in the tax rate of the Ministry of Household Affairs. The twenty-one tax rate is the most suitable for the actual situation of Daxia.
In the middle of last year, the emperor issued an imperial edict that, in addition to special exemptions from taxes, people should be divided into acres, and officials and gentry should pay taxes together. Relatives, nobles, civil and military officials, and those with meritorious status, in addition to being exempted from corvee, must pay taxes according to the system.
Pay taxes? What tax do you pay?
There are people at the emperor's feet scolding him for this, not to mention the gang of gentry and wealthy people in Jiangnan who have been taking advantage of them for nearly a hundred years.
If the new law harms the people, the court competes with the people for benefits and demands the restoration of the ancestral system. In fact, it is to force the court to abolish the new law so that they can continue to suck the blood of the court.
Even if the ancestral system is restored, it only stipulates that those who have passed the examination can be exempted from corvee, and those with family difficulties can apply to be exempted from the Dingtian tax. The great ancestor has never said that officials and gentlemen are exempt from tax.
The monarch and his minister shared the same hatred in the palace and greeted the eighteen generations of the greedy people in Jiangnan. They stopped complaining until they felt hungry. When they were handed the meal, they ate and talked about Shanxi.
"Many people in the court asked me to punish you, saying that you killed too many people..."
Jia Cong huffed and drank the hot porridge without even raising his head: "I haven't let go of the killing. If we really follow the rules set by Taizu, less than 10% of the officials above the seventh rank in Shanxi will survive. If it weren't for Your Majesty has ordered me to return to the capital. I also want to visit various counties and kill some more national thieves who are oppressing the people."
Anyone who is greedy for more than 20 taels of black money and silver will be executed immediately!
According to this law, it is estimated that the entire dynasty will have to stop, because almost all the officials will have to be killed.
The emperor agreed very much with Jia Cong's words. Even Wei Qinghe, a model civil servant and minister of the Great Xia, would follow the rules of the officialdom and accept Bing Jingtan Jing, let alone others.
"Okay, don't blame me."
The emperor glanced at Jia Cong angrily: "Your second brother killed many people in Xuanfu, and you killed so many people in Shanxi. Even if I am partial to your family, I must take into account the political affairs in the court. Shanxi's I have already let Haigangfeng pass the matter, and with Haibijie here, you don’t have to worry about anyone neglecting justice."
"I understand that your Majesty is protecting me, but you are not happy..."
Jia Cong put down the bowl and chopsticks, his expression obviously gloomy.
The emperor pursed his lips and waved his hand to order all the servants serving in the palace to leave.
"I know you are not happy, and in fact I am not happy either. You are a smart man. What we, the monarch and the ministers, have to face now is no longer one or two corrupt officials, but millions of people who rely on the old system to gain benefits. .”
The emperor's face was full of solemnity, and he continued to persuade Jia Cong: "This is a force that can shake the country and the country, and I have to treat it with caution. The same goes for you. I don't want you to become the Shang Lord of Daxia."
Historical records: Husband and Lord Shang made clear laws for Qin Xiaogong, prohibiting adultery, honorable nobles must be rewarded, and guilty must be punished, balanced balance, correct measurement, adjust the importance, break up the Qianmo, calm down the people's business and unify their customs, and persuade the people Farming and profiting from the soil, doing the same thing in one house, working hard to accumulate crops, and practicing warfare, make the territory vast when the army moves, and the country becomes rich when the army stops, so Qin is invincible in the world, establishes power among the princes, and completes the cause of Qin.
However, when Duke Xiao passed away, Shang Yang lost the monarch's support. The interest groups he touched began to fight back. King Hui did not protect him, and he was eventually abandoned by Che...
Jia Cong understood what the emperor meant by these words. He was grateful for the emperor's protection, and at the same time he was more determined on the path he wanted to take.
The monarch and his ministers did not talk about Shanxi anymore, but instead brought the topic to Xuanfu and the war in Liaodong.
The stubborn fourth man is indeed the stubborn fourth man. The stubbornness in his heart is the strongest supporter of the general who is fighting abroad.
The imperial court's impeachment of Jia Lian for engaging in side provocations had no effect at all. The emperor not only fully supported Jia Lian's fight against the Tatars, but also dismissed several officials who jumped up and down to jointly impeach Jia Lian.
Yesterday, the Xuanfu came to report that Jia Lian planned to attack in the east and west, and wanted the emperor to re-enable Wang Ziteng to lead the army north to defend the Xuanfu. He planned to lead the partial army to quietly go around the hinterland of the Tatars, imitating the Han Dynasty's Dou Xian, and restraining Shi Yanran.
Jia Cong didn't expect his second brother to be so decisive, and he didn't know what to say for a while.
He thought for a while and said truthfully: "The strength of the Tatars is not as strong as that of Oara. It can be said that the strength of the country is overwhelming if they can gather an army of 100,000. If a partial division invades the hinterland of the Tatars at this time, there is at least a 70% to 80% chance that it will be possible." Recreate the old story of Wala withdrawing from the vassal and setting up a county. As for Wang Ziteng, he is indeed the most suitable candidate to fight a defensive war, otherwise Mr. Zhang will have to go north in person. "
There is no shortage of generals who can fight in the country, but there are only a few generals who are best at defending the city.
The British Duke Zhang Yue is old, so it is really inappropriate for him to go to the Xuan Mansion; Shenwu General Feng Tang is now in Datong, so it is not appropriate to leave him lightly; Jia Cong's father-in-law, the Grand Master, is far away in southern Xinjiang, and the water far away cannot quench his thirst.
As for Jia Cong himself, his combat skills may be pretty good among the younger generation, but in such a large-scale war, not to mention the emperor, even Jia Cong himself does not have much confidence in himself.
This is one hundred thousand versus one hundred thousand, and Xuanfu is the north gate of the capital, how dare you ignore it?
The emperor was very satisfied with Jia Cong's performance. He was able to put aside his personal grudges and plan for the court. Both Jia Enhou and Jia Enhou were indeed good boys.
He said with a smile: "You two brothers have the same idea as Zhang Qing and the others. This is a good opportunity to kill him while he is sick. If we destroy the Tatars this time, I will be safe in the north." , you can focus on dealing with threats at sea from now on."
"Your Majesty has decided?"
"Well, we just discussed this matter with the cabinet and the Governor's Office this morning, and the Governor's Office is already formulating a plan."
The system of the Great Xia court has such an advantage. As long as there are no major problems in the operation of the central government, any threat can be dealt with in a short period of time by finding a way to deal with it and taking action.
Jia Cong asked about the war in Liaodong. While marveling at the wisdom and bravery of King Jing Liu Yi, he lamented the arrogance of Goryeo Bangzi.
I don’t know where Goryeo Bangzi got the courage to dare to provoke the Celestial Empire during the period when Daxia was full of force.
"In the morning, the minister told Lin Shangshu and Shen Shilang at the Ministry of Household Affairs that he wanted to use the Dengzhou navy to transport grain south. Unexpectedly, His Highness Prince Jing actually asked the navy to go north to attack the hinterland of Goryeo."
Jia Cong scratched his head: "Your Majesty, tomorrow I would like to borrow your name to negotiate a business with several businessmen in the capital. This can relieve the pressure on the household department and maybe make a fortune."
oh? Is there money to be made?
As soon as I mentioned this emperor, I became interested. Recently, Daxia has been at war on three sides. Money has been flowing out. Lin Ruhai has come to pick his pockets. I am so poor!
Thank you Fat Brother for the reward for being so fat!
I’ll stop here today and continue tomorrow. Good night!
(End of chapter)
