Chapter 190 City Redemption Fee
Although Li Fengjie thought it was feasible, when he thought about owing such a huge sum of money, he couldn't help but shake his head: "If you borrow it, you have to pay it back, plus interest, this is a lot of money."
"In a few days, it will be the day to start the autumn tax collection. [Read full text] If you collect a little more per acre, it will be smoothed out." He Chengzong said, "If the thief Kun doesn't leave, I'm afraid there will be a big impact on the autumn tax." trouble……"
This last sentence touched Li Fengjie somewhat. Everything in the local government should focus on taxation, the issue that the court was most concerned about. The Kun thieves are staying on Henan Island and are sending troops every day to collect grain and silver. How can they collect the autumn tax that starts in November? He Chengzong is right, as long as the autumn grain is collected, the hole of 300,000 taels of silver can still be filled.
However, these three hundred thousand taels are not a small number after all. Li Fengjie felt very unhappy at the thought of having to bear this debt for no reason.
Why should such a thing that has no benefit at all fall on him? This group of Australians also have a huge appetite. Thinking of this, he decided to bargain with the Australians, and at least he would have to cut off a hundred or eighty thousand. .
At the moment, he was noncommittal to He Chengzong's suggestion. Just let him retreat first.
He Chengzong felt puzzled. The next day, Gao Ju came to visit and asked the governor how he made the final decision. He then continued to send Yan Xiaomao across the river to hold talks with the Australians at night.
"Your Excellency has no comment." He Chengzong said, "Your Excellency has neither said yes nor said no."
"I guess you have to think carefully about it." Gao Zhi said haha. Since it doesn’t say “can”, it actually means “can’t”. Most of the governors still want to bargain. He sneered secretly: This is called being punished by drinking wine without eating.
Sure enough, in the next few days, Li Fengjie gathered troops in Guangzhou City, recruited strong people, placed artillery, and pretended to be a "fight to the death", which made everyone confused. He Chengzong thought that his employer was really going to "live or die with the city", so he couldn't help but feel anxious. He tried to persuade him several times, but was blocked by Li Fengjie, who was neither salty nor indifferent.
But Gao Ji knew that the governor was just showing off to the thieves outside the city, to make them feel timid so that they could relent on the issue of city redemption fees.
Sure enough, one day later, Li Fengjie had to go to Lianhuajingshe to continue the peace talks.
"Sir, if we don't have an explanation for the city redemption fee, I'm afraid I won't be able to make any difference if I go down here."
"You are a businessman, how can you buy it at whatever price others ask?" Li Fengjie was very dissatisfied with Gao Ji's attitude.
Gao Zhi said respectfully: "Sir, it depends on what kind of goods it is. If it is a rare item, of course I will buy as much as he wants."
"Okay, okay. Go and tell the thieves that three hundred thousand silver is too much and the city can't get it. Ask them to reduce it."
"How much do you think it can be reduced to..."
"This, doesn't it all depend on your ability?" Li Fengjie sneered.
"Yes, yes, I will do my best."
This attitude certainly aroused dissatisfaction among the top brass of the task force. Originally, some among the elders demanded large-scale rocket attacks on Guangzhou to greatly enhance the prestige of killing Guangdong bureaucrats. However, a group of elders, including Wen Desi, strongly opposed it. This was of course not for the purpose of "protecting cultural monuments", but Guangzhou, like all Chinese cities at that time, was a city dominated by brick and wood structures. The indiscriminate bombardment of a large number of Hale rockets was bound to cause massive damage. scale fire. It might spread to the whole city.
Guangzhou is one of the richest cities in China. You can imagine how much wealth and useful human resources a city-wide fire will destroy. Many wealthy business associations went bankrupt as a result, and the consequences were disastrous. Travelers could no longer use the city for several years after the war.
Now, Li Fengjie's attitude made the idea of bombarding Guangzhou resurface. Several veterans accompanying the team requested this "show of force."
Wen Desi probably also felt the need to demonstrate their military power - the saying is that seeing is believing, lest the bureaucrats hiding in the city lack an intuitive impression of the force of the travelers. The plan to bombard the southern city of Guangzhou was immediately approved. In order to avoid large-scale losses of life and property, the main targets of the shelling were the city defense facilities in Nancheng and the post stations, reception halls, docks and other facilities near the due south gate.
On the evening of November 7, the ambush troops fired more than 200 Hale rockets from preset positions and artillery boats, completely burning down many defense facilities near the due south gate, as well as the post station, reception hall, etc. The officers, soldiers and brave men guarding the southern gate were in great trouble. The rockets fired from the artillery boats also focused on the majestic three-story tower on the south gate. Under the concentrated bombardment of nearly 40 Hale rockets, this three-story brick and wood structure quickly fell into a raging fire and burned all night.
According to Chen Haiyang's order, several rockets were also fired at the deep government districts in Guangzhou City to show their power.
Li Fengjie spent a nightmarish night. When dense rockets began to bombard the south city, the reception hall and the inn were on fire, and finally even the city tower was burned, he thought that the Kun bandits were about to attack the city. He quickly took some of his staff to Nancheng Men. However, before they got there, the officers, soldiers and brave men who had fled from the south city gate blocked the road. Their faces were all darkened by the fireworks, and they were panicking, rolling and crawling through the streets without any regard for the officers who were intercepting them in front. After finally waiting for the crowd to pass, he no longer dared to look forward - those terrifying Australian bolides were constantly falling from the sky, and it would be over if they were hit on the head.
"Let's go back to the office," Li Fengjie quickly ordered. The soldiers and family members of his subordinates, surrounded by others, hurried back to the governor's office, and another 200 Fubiao soldiers were transferred to standby. Li Fengjie climbed up to the turret and looked towards the south gate - the fire was blazing, turning half of the sky red, and he looked very frightened. An idea flashed through his mind. If the thieves took the opportunity to break into the city, he would commit suicide immediately in the Yamen.
At this moment, more than a dozen rockets pierced the night sky like meteors, flying straight towards the deep areas of the city. From time to time they landed in the streets and government offices, and burst into flames with a loud bang.
The gongs of water were beating one after another on the street, and the brave men and water society personnel rushed in all directions to put out the fire. Fortunately, there were very few rockets fired here, and the fire started to attack without causing greater damage. But such attacks caused greater panic.
Li Fengjie is neither in the house nor outside. The god of death falling from the sky made him feel a huge fear that he had never experienced before. In the past, as long as he hid behind the thick city wall, no matter what kind of armor or bloody storm outside, he could not get into his head. The thick city wall cannot protect his life as it did in the past.
Fortunately, the Kun thieves showed no signs of attacking. After more than half an hour, the rocket attack stopped. The officials, officers and soldiers who had fled bravely returned to Nancheng Gate to put out the fire.
On the second day of the attack, Gao Ju left the city and agreed to all Wen Desi's demands.
As for raising money, Li Fengjie had no idea, so he had to adopt He Chengzong's "borrowing" plan-we would wait until the immediate difficulties were over.
The next day, He Chengzong went to Gao Ju's house and explained this method to Gao Ju. Gao Ju is a leading figure among foreign businessmen in this city, and his attitude can influence many people.
Hold high and noncommittal. He raised his eyelids slightly, not expecting that He Chengzong could think of such a way. The method originally prepared by Gao Zhi for Li Fengjie also started from "borrowing". However, Gao Ji's loan was stipulated in the regulations. How to borrow, how to repay, and how much the interest would be, he had already calculated it in his mind. Yesterday, he didn't want to say it right away in person because he wanted to avoid suspicion - in the eyes of businessmen, the government's reputation has never been very good. If one day the loan was repudiated, his colleagues would inevitably call him "flattery". ”, giving him a bad reputation.
Gao Ju had been thinking about how to propose this suggestion to Li Fengjie, and now that he had given it to him, of course it was no better.
"This is three hundred thousand taels." He raised his hand and slowly tapped the sides of the coffee table with his fan, "No one has ever let go of such a large sum of money."
"Of course, so we have to ask Duke Gao to help us, and ask all the merchants to work together. It will be easy if each household shares it."
Gao Ju smiled slightly, He Chengzong's idea was still the same as the government's "apportionment" and "encouragement". In fact, as long as the interest is large enough, you can borrow any amount of money. This Mr. He has not yet understood this truth. He deliberately adjusted his attitude and said, "I'm afraid this matter will be difficult."
"I also know it's difficult. But is there any other way to raise these three hundred thousand taels now?" He Chengzong smiled bitterly, "The warships of the Kun thieves are sailing in the provincial river every day, and it is clear that if they don't pay, they will attack Guangzhou. This It’s also for the common people of this city.”
Gao Zhang nodded: "I can save it." He added: "If there is a solution, there must be a repayment. There must be a regulation: how to borrow, how to repay; how much interest to pay, how much time period to set? Let's talk it out first and see if it works. ?”
"Borrow 400,000 yuan - in addition to the city redemption fee, you also have to compensate for the loss of the Australian Herringbone House, starting with 20,000 to 30,000 silver. The bandits killed a lot of people along the way and looted a lot, and they also had to spend some money to support the place - and finally Jingli In the palace, it is inevitable to have some expenses to avoid trouble." He Chengzong sighed, "If we win a battle, it is nothing more than a reward to the three armies, and there will be some expenses for the aftermath on the ground. If we lose a battle, the expenses will be endless."
Since the fall of Humen, 60,000 taels of silver have been spent from the feudal treasury and the county treasury of each county alone. But the money that was taken away included not only the allocations from the vassal treasury, but also the "salaries" from the merchants, the civilians and materials collected by various prefectures and counties, and the money rewarded by the villagers for expenses...
How much money was spent on this "Guangzhou Defense War" is already a confusing account. And in the end, there was a "city redemption fee" of 300,000 yuan
Although He Chengzong does not know the famous saying "victory is always cheaper", he has a full understanding of failure as more money is spent. The more firmly he became a "peace advocate" or a "capitulationist" criticized by some Ming emperors in the future.
Gao Ju thought, of course the extra 100,000 from the 400,000 miles could be used for various purposes, but a large part of it must be "empty" and a benefit for officials at all levels to share their profits. The money has not been borrowed yet, but the benefit account has been done. He couldn't help but feel contempt when he thought of this.
However, as long as it is profitable and he can ensure repayment of principal and interest when the time comes, he doesn't bother to care how these officials make money - if they are all as clear as water and as bright as a mirror, he can't do business even if they are as clear as water and as bright as a mirror. .
"Four hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, let's not talk about it for now. It's just that there needs to be a clear explanation about the interest on this money, how long it will last, how to pay the interest, and how to repay the principal. Only then can I explain this matter to everyone."
He Chengzong has already thought about this problem: "The annual interest is one-third. It lasts for one year. The principal and interest will be repaid in one go at maturity."
Gao Zhi said slowly: "Mr. He's charter, Gao can't say it."
He Chengzong secretly scolded him as a "little man who forgets his loyalty when he sees profit", but he had something to ask for at this time, so he had to be patient and asked: "What do you think of Gao Gong?"
"I don't have any 'knowledge'," Gao Li said, "borrowing money does not mean that the government has collected taxes and paid taxes. It has to be done as it says. Borrowing money must be done with the intention of both you and me." He coughed. , cleared her throat, and a beautiful maid who was standing by quickly stepped forward and knelt down, and both parties handed over an enamel spit box.
He held it up and spit, then took the Australian colorful striped towel from another maid, wiped his mouth, and took a sip of hot tea.
"...The annual interest rate is one-third. If there is such an interest rate of 300,000 taels that can be borrowed, Gao himself would like to borrow it."
He Chengzong knew that this interest rate was too low, so he was secretly alert and asked cautiously: "How much annual interest rate does Mr. Gao think is appropriate?"
"I'll be honest with you, brother," Gao Ju said, "In the off-season, our colleagues in the industry have to pay an annual interest rate of two to two and four points. Now, since it is Mr. Fujun's favor, one and eight points is indispensable."
Gao Ju went on to explain his requirements: the term was one year, and only interest would be repaid in the first half of the year; in the second half of the year, the loan would be repaid in six monthly installments. Pay off by the 12th month.
It is said that it is a one-year loan, but in fact, starting from the seventh month, the principal and interest must be repaid in installments. The actual interest is much higher than the one-time payment of principal and interest upon maturity.
However, this condition was very suitable for the government's financial situation. He Chengzong knew very well that it was simply impossible for the Guangdong government to come up with 470,000 taels of silver at one time when it was due. It's easier to do it piecemeal.
"This is the envoy." He Chengzong nodded, "But this matter depends on Fujun's consent."
"Of course." Gao Zhang nodded and asked, "What will I get in return?"
"Of course I made up my mind in the Qiu Fu. A few cents per acre of land tax will make it even. As long as Gao Gong goes to tell the merchants like this, can they still not trust the province's land tax as a guarantee?"
Gao Ju sighed: "Brother He, you are really a scholar. To borrow money, firstly, there must be proof of writing in black and white, and secondly, there must be a mortgage as security. As you say, how can people be willing to take out money?"
He Chengzong was confused for a moment. In his opinion, the governor's words were not enough? In Guangdong Province, there are not many people whose words are worth ten thousand words.
"Isn't the credibility of the governor's office not enough?"
"Of course, but where's the proof?" Gao Ju saw that he didn't understand at all, so he had to get straight to the point, "Master Li has benefited the common people of the province and is busy with everything. If there are many things going on, he forgets about this - ―You said that all of us who borrow money should hang ourselves?”
He Chengzong was speechless. It is not uncommon for an official to default on his word and keep his word.
"... Even if you have an IOU, you still have to pay some debt." Gao Ju said with a smile, "One day Mr. Li was promoted, but before the money was paid back, another adult was promoted. The old man said: This I can't borrow the money, so I don't care. Everyone has to hang himself again."
He Chengzong knew that what Gao Ju said was true, but the IOU was mortgaged. He was very embarrassed. It was unheard of for the governor's office to issue IOUs. If one or two of them leaked out and were obtained by some imperial censor, Governor Li would definitely have to carry them around.
Gao Ju knew that he might not be able to get the IOU, but fortunately he had other plans.
"There is an IOU from the governor's office, which is of course the best guarantee. But as long as there are items of guarantee, it is enough."
The mortgage raised by Gao Ji is Shiobei. According to the total amount of principal and interest, and if appropriate, add some salt figures as shipping expenses, and pay them in one lump sum to the borrowing merchant as collateral. Yanyin is the most reputable security in the hands of the government, and merchants will never refuse to use it as a guarantee.
"You can use the salt as soon as you get it, or you can resell it immediately. What if an unscrupulous dealer takes the opportunity to resell it?"
"This is not difficult. Just put a stamp on the salt and mark it: it can only be used after a certain day of a certain month of a certain year - this day is the day when the final repayment is due." Gao Ju said, "When repaying, let everyone Just bring salt to exchange."
"This method is very good." He Chengzong was sincerely convinced. There is indeed some solution to this exaltation. He Chengzong was not a corrupt scholar who was obsessed with studying - otherwise he wouldn't be able to serve as a close aide to the governor. He just knew very little about business. Just a little bit of practice can draw inferences. The two sides talked in secret for several hours and finally reached an agreement.
This agreement has not been made into a draft, nor has it been written down, but both parties have promised that they will never regret the oral agreement. The agreed methods and conditions are:
First, the total number of loans was 400,000 taels of Kuping silver; Gao Zhi took the lead and recruited businessmen to undertake the loans.
Second, the annual interest rate is 1.8%. Only interest is paid in the first six months, and the principal is paid back monthly in the next six months. The principal and interest are repaid after one year.
Third, the loan shall be pledged by an equal amount of salt issued by the governor's office as collateral. Plus 3% discount. The salt lead is stamped with an expiration date. Pay the monthly principal and interest repayment amount to the governor's office every month.
These three methods were reported to Li Fengjie by He Chengzong after he returned. When Li Fengjie heard that Yan Yin was being used as a mortgage, he thought that this high-profile offer was really a weird idea, so he immediately agreed.
It would take some time to raise money. Li Fengjie was afraid of being bombarded by Australian rockets again, so he ordered a temporary payment of 100,000 taels from Fan Kuli, which would be delivered by a dedicated person and sent to the Australian camp at night. Yan Xiaomao also went with him and asked Wen and Chen for three more days to prepare for raising all the remaining money.
