Chapter 690 Exchange of Interests

Shen Qingqian also frowned when he heard what he said.

Northern Hubei now needs to develop armaments, build canals, and form caravans. In addition, there are a group of people building border fortifications. Money is really needed everywhere.

"What's the current tax situation in northern Hubei?" Shen Qingqian asked after thinking for a long time.

Shengze didn't hide anything, and said, "Master Zhang has been sorting out the books for the past years since he came to Northern Hubei. He had given them all to us before. I asked someone to check them, and there are no problems."

"So few?" Shen Qingqian was surprised when she heard this number.

After all, there are 300,000 ordinary people in northern Hubei. How come they only have so little tax money?

Shengze sighed helplessly: "Last year, only the part of the tax and grain that belonged to the Northern Hubei Army was retained, and the rest was handed over to the court. The same is true for the tax and silver. It is good to keep it. It is not the time to collect taxes this year. If there is no Last year Shan Man took over the 500,000 taels, and the Northern Hubei Army may have a more difficult time."

Taxes and grains in Dajin are handed over after the autumn harvest every year. Taxes on merchants and city taxes collected from people entering the city are collected and submitted to the treasury every quarter.

Liang Cheng and Zhang Zhiyao should be using this money to support the normal operation of the entire northern Hubei.

"Have you ever thought about raising funds?" Shen Qingqian thought for a while, looked at Shengze and asked.

Shengze was confused, "Collect donations? Do you want people to donate money?"

Who would donate money for no reason?

Shen Qingqian curled her lips, "Essentially, we are asking people to donate money, but we can't let people give us money for free, right?"

"For example?" Shengze looked at her cunning little fox-like eyes and his mood became lighter.

Shen Qingqing smiled slightly, "Isn't the Northern Hubei Army building fortifications? We need people, right? Should the children of powerful families be recruited like ordinary people? Then they don't want their own people to build city walls, shouldn't they? Give something?"

This is not aimed at wealthy families. Ordinary people's families have to do things that benefit the country and the people in the court. Every family has to send someone. This is a kind of corvee.

In ancient times, corvee was a kind of unpaid labor that the ruling class forced people to participate in, including manual labor, miscellaneous labor, military service, etc.

The common people are oppressed and have nothing to do, but rich people can solve it with money. However, sometimes such things are not notified to the powerful class at all. Over time, it becomes a common practice.

Shen Qingqian didn't know what happened in other dynasties, but the Jin Dynasty had such an attitude towards this matter.

"You mean..." Shengze also remembered this and began to think about how this matter should work.

Shen Qingqian blinked and said: "According to the rules, taking money to pay for corvee is only the first step. Our goal is a win-win situation. For example, if we build canals or build outpost walls, do we need to provide tools and materials? Then let's The corresponding merchants or aristocratic families will contract these..."

Nowadays, all the ordnance used by the Northern Hubei Army is made by the Ordnance Supervisor. Shen Qingqian has long felt that this model is not feasible. If Sheng Ze can figure out the key, maybe he can take advantage of this to form a good market for military-civilian cooperation. environment.

"I understand." Shengze already had preliminary ideas in mind based on what he saw in his dream and the current situation in northern Hubei.

When Shen Qingqian saw the sadness on his brows dissipated, he said no more and only reminded: "Businessmen are actually ordinary people. As long as they pay taxes according to the rules, they should have the rights of ordinary people. Even if they want the money in other people's pockets, Then you have to get similar benefits in exchange."