In June, the Huguang area ushered in a long-lost harvest.
This is the first real harvest in the Huguang area since the 14th year of Chongzhen.
Last summer, King Yu took control of Huguang, but the entire Huguang area was in a mess. It took more than half a year of renovations to stabilize Huguang again.
Grain ships came out of the Yangtze River one after another, but Hanzhongfu passed through the Han River and reached Xiangyang.
With the arrival of the summer tax, there was also good news in Prince Yu's palace. Sun Xuan'er also found out that she was pregnant in early June, and the time was right.
Naturally, he couldn't do the job of personal bodyguard, so he could only take good care of the fetus.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zhu Yixi briefly mentioned the damselfly matter, and Princess Yu reluctantly agreed with anxiety.
She had already seen something was wrong.
How can a sister-in-law live in her brother-in-law's house all the time?
Therefore, Prince Yu's palace naturally added an eighth lady.
"The fifteenth government in Huguang paid a total of 1.5 million shi in summer tax. If you divide it into 37%, you can get 950,000 shi."
In the meeting hall, Zhu Yixi sat high above him, and Zhao Shu, Zhang Shenyan, and Feng Xianzong sat below him. According to the court rules, this was the cabinet.
However, Zhu Yixi was alone and not accompanied by eunuchs, which made the Ming Dynasty, which was plagued by eunuchs, particularly special.
Zhao Shu was wearing a cyan robe with a silver hem on the right side, and the elegant embroidery highlighted his extra freshness.
Facing everyone, he kept a faint smile and spoke fluently, as if he had memorized it in his mind. With his long beard, he looked like an elder.
Of course, he didn't bring his favorite feather fan with him at this time.
Originally he admired Zhuge Liang, and even in the cold winter months, the feather fan would never leave his body. However, Hui Dengxiang was an arty man, waving the feather fan and swaggering around.
In order to avoid being laughed at, he would never wear a feather fan in ordinary public places, feeling particularly unhappy.
"The summer tax of Hanzhong Prefecture is 300,000 dan, and 210,000 dan are put into the treasury."
"As for the various mansions in Henan, there are only a few of them, only about 100,000 shi, so they simply stayed in Nanyang and hoarded them for military rations."
"Sichuan's summer tax is two million dan, and about one million dan will be put into the treasury. However, the Chief Secretary of Sichuan said that starting from this summer, it will be divided into 30-70 like Huguang."
"but……"
Having said this, he couldn't help but hesitate.
At this time, the few who listened carefully immediately opened their eyes and sat upright, with their upper bodies tilted slightly, looking searching.
Even King Yu couldn't help but become interested. What could possibly trouble Zhao Shu, who regarded himself as Zhuge Liang?
"But what?"
King Yu said softly.
"Reporting to Your Highness, after Chief Yan went to Sichuan to establish a new transportation department, he met with unanimous opposition."
Zhao Shu shook his head with a troubled expression: "As for the Transshipment Department, the entire Sichuan Province reluctantly agreed, but they proposed that the commercial tax should also be divided, and not all should be collected by the shogunate."
"They said, even if two people die, they can be sentenced to seven points. Why can't business taxes be divided?"
This time, the scene fell into silence.
Zhang Shenyan stroked his beard and fell into thinking.
Feng Xianzong had little political experience, so even if he had various ideas, he could only remain silent.
King Yu's right thumb kept hitting the throne, which sounded extremely loud in the empty palace.
The reason why the Transshipment Department was set up was because the grain tax was insufficient and they wanted to rely on commercial taxes to subsidize the shogunate's army. After all, one hundred thousand soldiers and horses would cost about two hundred thousand taels of silver every month.
Add in the bureaucracy and the grain tax is absolutely not enough.
Dividing business taxes is no less than cutting his flesh. valley
However, this is the same as the previous boycott of the judge. It is a demand for local interests. The central and local governments, imperial power and prime ministerial power, are always topics that feudal society talks about.
Politics is not a dinner party, but a bloody conflict of interests.
"Xianzong, what do you think?"
Zhu Yixi made up her mind, but she didn't want to act arbitrarily.
As a monarch, the most important thing is to learn from the strengths of others and absorb suggestions to decide on the most suitable one.
Therefore, the literati looked down upon each other, were not the first in literature, were self-arbitrary, and were arrogant. There was never a founding emperor who was purely a literati.
As for the literati emperors, there were always few good ones, such as Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong.
Feng Xianzong was stunned. He noticed King Yu's attention. A trace of astonishment flashed across his face, but then he covered it up well:
"Your Highness, I don't know much about the Jiangnan area, but I know that Henan is located in Zhongzhou and lacks gold and silver. Silver in Jiangnan is as cheap as four or five hundred yuan, but in Henan there is still as much as six or seven hundred."
"And Sichuan has been short of copper coins since ancient times. The commercial taxes of the Transshipment Department only require silver and copper. If things go on like this, Sichuan's coins will be greatly reduced..."
These words were not directly explained, but they were suggestions.
This time, Zhu Yixi's fingers tapped faster: "What do you think of Zhang Changshi?"
Zhang Shenyan was stunned for a moment, then said calmly: "What Chief Feng said is reasonable, but it seems to me that the more urgent Sichuan's opposition is, the more insistent the Transportation Department will be."
"Oh?" King Yu raised his eyelids and became interested.
"Your Highness, history can be used as a guide to determine the rise and fall. As the old saying goes, Shu will be in chaos before the world is in chaos. This is a wise saying. It is nothing more than the terrain of Sichuan Province. The imperial court has many constraints."
"Although Hanzhong is divided into Shaanxi, Sichuan Province still cannot be underestimated. Confining its money can better weaken Sichuan Province; besides, the shogunate is now short of wealth, so it just happens to absorb Sichuan money to enrich itself."
"Furthermore, judging from Huguang's forwarding department, the commercial tax in Sichuan Province is still over one million taels a year."
One is considerate of the people's sentiments, and the other emphasizes the interests of the shogunate.
If it were the Nanjing court or the Manchu Qing Dynasty, they would definitely choose the latter, just like the Song Dynasty before them, which suffered from Sichuan for three hundred years and was forced to use iron money.
I finally managed to use Jiaozi, but later I was spoiled and completely fell into a money shortage.
However, Zhu Yixi is a time traveler after all. He understands from the long history that the will of the people is the king.
Furthermore, Huguang is directly connected to Guangdong, and there is no shortage of gold and silver in maritime trade. It is not worth sacrificing Sichuan's interests.
"The people of Shu have been short of money for a long time!"
King Yu suddenly spoke, with a strong political flavor, the kind that would be recorded in history books.
As he spoke, a kingly aura burst out from his chest:
"For the sake of the people, so what if we suffer a little?"
"Commercial taxes are also divided into 30% and 70%, but the salary and monthly salary of the Transportation Department are also paid by the local government."
"Your Highness, Holy Ming!"
Zhao Shu cupped his hands and said with a smile on his lips. A monarch who only exploits the people cannot unify the world.
Even Zhang Shenyan showed a hint of relief, and his evaluation of Prince Yu was even higher.
"correct!"
At this time, Zhu Yixi suddenly remembered something and said: "The exchange of silver and copper in the inland is different from that in Jiangnan and other places. Silver coins are rare in Sichuan Province. I am afraid that someone will take advantage of the opportunity to make profits, causing the people of Sichuan Province to lose money in vain."
"We have to guard against it!"
To put it bluntly, one silver in Huguang is equal to 500 coppers, while in Sichuan it may be 600 or 550. Some people will profit from the information difference.
Troubled times are not as good as peacetime, and the price of silver can be unstable.
