Changsun Wuji said angrily: "How can I, the dignified head of the Sun family, be a despicable businessman?"
This old dog is just swearing!
Wei Zheng still looked calm and relaxed, but he was really low-spirited. He drooped his eyelids and sneered: "The Changsun Iron Factory monopolizes seventy-eight percent of the iron used in the army, and the profits it makes are greater than those of the merchants in Guanzhong." He! You are not a merchant, who is a merchant? You, Duke Zhao, are the largest merchant in the Tang Dynasty! In turn, you keep belittling merchants and classify yourself as a noble class... I have lived for so long, and I have seen too many shameless people. But I’ve never seen such a shameless person in my life!”
Fang Xuanling felt so happy in her heart. It was indeed Wei Zheng. His ability to curse was unparalleled in the world! Even though His Majesty the Emperor is worried about him and often has to stay away from him, what kind of onion are you, Changsun Wuji?
Ma Zhou almost applauded Wei Zheng's words!
He was born in a poor family, and he was most disgusted with the shamelessness of the gentry class, who said, "You have to build a memorial arch after becoming a bitch"! We keep talking about belittling merchants, but looking at the world, which noble family has not accumulated a large amount of family property through business, lived a luxurious life of great food, and at the same time, they also spent a lot of money to make alliances and win over all parties?
While flaunting and being proud of their pure gentry bloodline, where are the gentry who truly “farm, study and inherit the family”?
Wei Zheng is Wei Zheng, and his face was slapped!
Changsun Wuji was furious, banged the table, and said angrily, "Old man, how dare you insult me?"
When Wei Zheng faced the furious Changsun Wuji, he remained unmoved and just sneered: "Listen, Mr. Zhao, what did I say that insulted you? That's right. I will kneel down and kowtow to you to apologize."
"you……!"
Changsun Wuji was so angry that his blood pressure soared, his face turned red, and he glared at Wei Zheng's old face full of sneers, wishing he could pounce on him and bite the old immortal to death!
Changsun Wuji, who has always been ridiculed with hatred as "the Yin man of Changsun", has always been feared by the civil and military officials of the court because of his deep city, but he can't withstand Wei Zheng's humiliation of tearing people's faces apart!
His Majesty Li Er put his hand on his forehead and felt a headache.
Sure enough, he was still the same Wei Zheng. Fortunately, he thought he was going to die, so he changed his habit of biting people. Only then did he realize that this old guy's target today was not him at all, but Changsun Wuji...
However, Wei Zheng's words were based on Changsun Wuji's words, and he was right.
Isn't that nobleman a businessman?
Without doing business, would the entire family really live on just a few acres of land and official salary?
But such people do exist!
Wei Zheng is...
Otherwise, why could Wei Zheng mock Changsun Wuji so hard? Why was Changsun Wuji so angry but unable to refute? Because Wei Zheng is such a person who only relies on a few acres of land and salary to live.
Therefore, at Changsun Wuji’s house, the bells and cauldrons ate brocade silk, while Wei Zheng ate chaffy vegetables at home…
Business can bring huge profits, which is the core meaning of Fang Jun's memorial.
All the gentry are doing business, and they are all merchants, but they still tell lies in order to maintain their superior status. While they monopolize the domestic commerce, they also shout that "merchants are humble", "merchants are profit-oriented", "gentlemen, farmers, industry and commerce" "The social structure is the cornerstone of the empire's stability...
In fact, commerce has long been an industry not much inferior to agriculture, but the huge profits have all gone into the treasury of the nobles and have nothing to do with the empire.
Therefore, Fang Jun wanted to leverage this benefit, snatch it from the mouths of the nobles, and put it into the empire's treasury.
At this moment, the interests of His Majesty Li Er and Changsun Wuji, who represents the interests of the gentry class, are naturally in conflict. Due to the deep friendship and close relationship with Changsun Wuji, as well as the achievements Changsun Wuji had made for the empire and for His Majesty Li Er, His Majesty Li Er could tolerate almost everything Changsun Wuji did.
But the premise must be that it does not harm the interests of the empire...
The emperor is the empire, and the empire is the emperor.
As an emperor, it is natural to safeguard the interests of the empire. This is a natural attribute.
His Majesty Li Er watched with cold eyes and did not reprimand the two for their quarrel. He just said slowly: "The benevolent has a different opinion. Whether to mobilize the power of the empire to encourage merchants and support commerce requires a long and rigorous research process. It is the responsibility of all prime ministers. . Now, I just want to ask, what do you think about the advice Fang Jun mentioned at the end of the memorial?"
As the Prime Minister and Fang Jun's father, Fang Xuanling naturally had to be the first to express his stance.
He nodded and said solemnly: "Wei Chen thinks it can be implemented."
Cen Wenwen pondered for a while and said slowly: "You can give it a try."
Wei Zhengguang was busy "scorching" Changsun Wuji. He hadn't read the memorial yet, so he extended his hand to Changsun Wuji and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Zhao, show me the memorial."
Changsun Wuji was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that he was just aware of Fang Jun's intention and had to stop it. He hadn't finished reading the memorial yet...
In Wei Zheng's angry eyes, Shi Shiran picked up the memorial, turned it to the end, and read it carefully.
Wait until you finish reading!
Changsun Wuji threw the memorial on the table and shouted loudly: "I object!"
At this moment, all Changsun Wuji's reserve, all his palace, and all his forbearance were all gone.
All he knew was that he had to stop it!
Please establish a municipal shipping department?
In charge of world sea trade?
Cancel customs tax and only charge customs tax?
Improve the sales tax of all states, prefectures and counties in the world?
You are already in charge of Canghaidao affairs. You can be called a frontier official in a single town. Now you still have to be in charge of the world's maritime trade? Do you still want to impose tariffs?
You are going to heaven!
Wei Zheng said displeasedly: "Mr. Zhao, please trouble me!"
The old man had been holding out his hand for a long time, so Changsun Wuji had no choice but to pick up the memorial and angrily handed it to Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng flipped through the memorial and watched. Changsun Wuji and his Majesty Li Er bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Fang Jun's move is really a move that shakes the foundation of the country! The world has a long history of taxing Guanjin. Taxes not only have to serve the court, but also have a large number of tax collectors to support. If they are abolished hastily, it will inevitably lead to turmoil in various places and will be detrimental to national defense. Moreover, commerce is a free activity. Maritime merchants come to Datang to trade, and Datang is responsible for it. If you give it, you will give it. How can you draw a line and stipulate that it must land at a certain port for transactions? I am afraid that this will cause confusion among maritime merchants from various countries and greatly reduce commercial transactions. It is really random and ignorant. Your Majesty, please think again!"
His Majesty Li Er looked at the gloomy Changsun Wuji and remained silent.
He could see that Changsun Wuji was opposing for the sake of opposition...
It is not a secret that the Changsun family not only owns the largest iron factory in the Tang Dynasty, but also has a large fleet of ships engaged in overseas trade.
It is conceivable that once Fang Jun's advice is passed, the Changsun family will inevitably suffer heavy losses.
The turmoil in Guanjin, the instability of national defense, the fear of maritime merchants, and the reduction of trade, in the final analysis, are all just for the benefit of the Changsun family.
With Changsun Wuji's wisdom, can't he see that this move will bring huge tax revenue to the national treasury?
Of course it's impossible.
It's not that he can't see it, but he has to object.
The prosperity of the Changsun family relied not only on the emperor's favor and trust, but also on the obedience and obedience of countless noble families. It is these noble families who have raised the eldest son's family to an incredible height.
His Majesty Li Er knows all this, but he has always ignored it.
Without the Changsun family, there will inevitably be the Dugu family and the Yuwen family. This is the normal way for the noble families to survive. They unite to double their strength, and then occupy resources and each benefit. They will use marriage, cooperation and other means to be closely connected, and they will be united and prosper together.
As long as there are noble families, this situation cannot disappear.
Since it is inevitable, why not let these noble clans unite around the eldest grandson family who is loyal to them? At least this way you won't be out of your control.
Changsun Wuji must oppose Fang Jun's strategy of almost draining the family's salary, otherwise how can he lead the noble families who are attached to the Changsun family?
Moreover, fundamentally speaking, Changsun Wuji looked down on Fang Jun and any advice he put forward...
This was within His Majesty Li Er's expectation.
But at the same time, His Majesty Li Er was also deeply disappointed...
With this breath, he swept his dagger-like gaze across the Prime Minister's face, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, express your stance."
