To put it bluntly, calling Wang Yue and Yu Zijun over today was not only a request before leaving, but also to test their abilities again. Since it is a test, it must be fair and cannot favor one over the other.
Just now, Wang Yue answered first, which actually gave Yu Zijun more time to organize his thoughts. If he then commented on Wang Yue's answer and then let Yu Zijun say what he said, then it would be too much to let the latter take advantage.
So of course, the emperor said nothing to Wang Yue's answer, but continued to wait for Yu Zijun's answer.
It should be said that Wang Yue's performance did relieve Yu Zijun's pressure. When he spoke again, he was obviously not as nervous as before.
"Your Majesty, I believe that carrying out sea trade will not only provide a safe place for the people along the coast, but also open up financial resources for the imperial court!"
This is a simple but straightforward statement, and it is very consistent with Yu Zijun's experience of staying in the Ministry of Household Affairs since he became an official.
It should be said that there is a precedent for mutual trade. Many people in the imperial court can guess that sea trade, or more bluntly speaking, opening up the sea is to expand the financial resources of the imperial court.
However, not many people dare to speak out openly, but it is precisely this point that is the most important in Kaihai.
As the conversation began, Yu Zijun's nervousness eased slightly and he continued to speak.
"Nowadays, when it comes to maritime trade, the DPRK and China take Zheng He's voyages as a lesson. They feel that if they want to build wharves and posthouses, and if envoys from other countries need to be rewarded, they will not be able to make ends meet."
"However, in my opinion, the maritime trade should correspond to the maritime trade in the former Song Dynasty. I was in the Ministry of Household Affairs and had consulted many classics. During the Northern Song Dynasty, only Quanzhou and Guangzhou had exchanges with shipping companies. Commercial tax can account for about 10% of its tax revenue, which does not include the profits from official trade."
"If sea trade can be opened up, the financial distress of the imperial court will inevitably be greatly alleviated. In recent years, disasters have been severe everywhere, and the imperial court has been stretched thin. If this continues, it will inevitably increase the burden on the people. Therefore, compared with increasing taxes, if it can be opened Maritime trade is more beneficial to both the people and the court."
This expression was considered clear. However, compared to the more relaxed atmosphere in the palace after Wang Yue finished speaking, the atmosphere in the palace after Yu Zijun finished speaking was a bit strange.
I have to say that there is still a gap between Yu Zijun and Wang Yue. Just based on the two statements just now, Wang Yue is obviously more mature and understands the rules of officialdom better.
In comparison, Yu Zijun seems a little green and speaks more straightforwardly, but many times in official circles, what is needed is not straightforwardness, but tact and pretense.
In terms of content alone, what the two of them said, although each has its own emphasis, is actually not much different. Wang Yue prefers to believe that the purpose of opening the sea is to eliminate the hidden dangers of Japanese pirates and bring profits through trade. , so that the people can truly live and work in peace and contentment, Yu Zijun is more able to consider the overall situation, believing that opening up the sea can expand financial resources, alleviate the financial difficulties of the court, and then be more able to deal with various disaster relief matters.
Both of these views are correct, the problem lies in their expression.
When Wang Yue narrated his views, he talked about the current situation along the coast in the first half, and most of the second half praised the emperor's efforts to solve the problem. Only the last sentence briefly pointed out his own views. The core point of view not only achieves what is said, but also cleverly avoids many possible problems.
On the other hand, Yu Zijun, this young man is a bit too sincere. He has basically torn off the layer of skin that the imperial court has put on Kaihai. Half of the entire article is describing specific points of view, although in the end it is not It comes back to the people of the country, but in the officialdom, if you speak too straightforwardly, you will easily be attacked by others.
It can be seen from this that Yu Zijun is still not experienced enough. Therefore, after listening to his words, many ministers looked at Shen Yi aside. However, what is surprising is that Shen Yi's expression did not change. What a change, it seemed that he didn't care at all about the mistakes Yu Zijun made.
However, Shen Yi was able to hold his own, but Yu Zijun was a novice in the court after all, and sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead. Although he had just entered the court for the first time, he still had some ability to observe people's emotions. Looking at the expressions of these old men, He realized that he might have said the wrong thing, and immediately looked at Shen Yi for help. When the latter gave him a reassuring look, he calmed down a little.
Fortunately, the emperor did not get angry as expected. Instead, he smiled and nodded.
"What the two Qing family members said makes sense, especially what Yu Qing family said is quite insightful."
Um? !
As soon as these words came out, all the ministers present looked at each other in shock.
Did they hear it correctly?
What the emperor means by this is that between Wang Yue and Yu Zijun, he is more satisfied with Yu Zijun's statement?
Looking at Shen Yi aside, the latter still looked calm, which made Zhongzhi present even more confused.
However, at this time, the emperor changed his direction again. Instead of continuing to talk about Yu Zijun, he asked Wang Yue.
"Wang Yue, you just said that opening up sea trade will benefit the people from doing business and allow them to live and work in peace and contentment. However, if I remember correctly, the memorial issued by the Ministry of Household Affairs is to imitate the mutual market, with Huangzhuang acting as the agent for sea trade, and at the same time, Countries are communicating with each other, so where do the benefits of doing business come from? Is it possible that you plan to violate the maritime ban and open private trade? "
This question was so sharp that it even caught Wang Yue by surprise.
Strictly speaking, the answer can only be negative, because the sea ban cannot be violated, even if it is only on the surface, the sea ban must continue to be maintained. After all, it is the law of the ancestors, so this sentence is a rhetorical question, not a question.
But if there is no private trade, then the benefits of doing business for the people will not be established. At this time, Wang Yue cannot say that he made a mistake...
Therefore, when the ministers heard this, they felt a cold sweat for Wang Yue.
Wang Yue himself, on the other hand, remained calm and showed no sign of panic. Since he had made preparations before coming to the audience, naturally, this most critical answer was well known and was not spoken casually, nor was it a gaffe.
Facing the emperor's question, Wang Yue thought for a moment and then said.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that I have no intention of changing the maritime ban. The benefits of doing business to the people are not intended to allow them to go out to sea for trade. What I mean is that if sea trade is allowed, in addition to the merchant ships of Huangzhuang going to sea, envoys from various countries and Merchants will inevitably flock to our Daming Port. If the goods they bring are transported back to the imperial court after trading, it will not be free of time and effort. They can build a local market for the local people to buy. In this way, the people will not Going to the sea is not hindered by the sea ban, and it can also give people another way to make a living."
What he said was as thoughtful as ever.
The main way the court banned the sea was to prohibit people from going to the sea. However, land trade was not prohibited. Of course, there was a gray area in between, that is, if businessmen from other countries came to the Ming Dynasty and traded with the people, should they do it? prohibit.
This kind of behavior is theoretically not allowed, but anyone with a discerning eye knows that it is simply uncontrollable.
Once the coastal ports are restored, in less than a year and a half, merchants from other countries will definitely come to the ports to trade. Once the number of people is large, who can control whether ordinary people are involved.
For the imperial court, this kind of behavior is actually just turning a blind eye. After all, the imperial court's ban on the sea is really to prevent collusion between big businessmen and Japanese pirates. Ordinary people, as long as they do not go to the sea, It's not much of a hindrance.
Not to mention, although the meaning of Wang Yue's words is very clear, he still cautiously added the link of Huangzhuang in the expression. Although in actual operation, Huangzhuang certainly cannot control it, at least on the surface, it is still That’s what you have to say.
"Not bad, very thoughtful."
The emperor was obviously very satisfied with Wang Yue's words, nodded and praised.
But then, he turned his gaze to Yu Zijun aside and asked.
"Tell me what you think?"
Seeing Wang Yue being praised, the pressure on Yu Zijun suddenly increased. After pondering for a moment, he spoke.
"Your Majesty, I believe that since we want to open up sea trade, we should be clear about the pros and cons of this matter."
"The advantage is just like what Mr. Wang said just now. It allows the people to benefit from trade and live and work in peace and contentment. However, the disadvantage is that the people along the coast will inevitably abandon their roots and start doing business for profit. This will further destabilize the agricultural foundation and let the Imperial Village manage it from the center. Although it can curb the trend, it is still a temporary solution."
Ah this...
All the ministers present looked at each other in astonishment. This Yu Zijun was really...dare you say it!
It should be said that this is indeed the crux of the opening of the sea. The opening of the sea will not only shake the ancestral system, but also shake the policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business.
Once the maritime ban is lifted, along with private trade, a large number of merchants will inevitably appear. These merchants will buy and sell to make profits, which will draw away a large amount of labor force, thereby affecting local agricultural production.
This is the most critical issue, and it is precisely the issue that not many people mentioned in the court.
Of course, the reason why it was not mentioned is not that no one thought of it, but because, as Yu Zijun said, sea trade is still under the cover of Huangzhuang. In theory, private trade is still prohibited, so it is not easy to directly Turning to the bright side, in addition to this, most people still tend to think that the impact of sea trade may be more on the coastal area, and that area, because of the barren land, is not the main focus of the imperial court. The area where the tax comes from, and the situation during the court meeting changed too quickly, so the court meeting was over before this reason could appear.
However, Yu Zijun said it so bluntly, wasn't he afraid of offending the emperor? After all, the essence of this matter is still that the emperor is behind it. Yu Zijun's attitude at this moment is very much like that of an opposition. He looks like he is going to say the next moment, "Your Majesty cannot shake the foundation of the country..." …
"So, what do you think is the fundamental solution?"
Looking calmly at Yu Zijun in front of him, the emperor's voice became serious, but he didn't mean to get angry yet.
Seeing this situation, Yu Zijun spoke decisively.
"Business tax!"
"Your Majesty, in our tax system, the commercial tax is 10% per 30%. It can be seen from the mutual market that such a tax rate is too low. If sea trade is allowed, merchants will inevitably flock to it. If we want to control the number of merchants, the only way is to increase the commercial tax. , I believe that we can imitate the mutual market system and increase the tax rate to one tax per ten, or even one tax per eight."
"In this way, merchants will be unprofitable, so naturally not many people will abandon their roots for the bottom. By using business taxes, the court can also expand its financial resources and relieve financial pressure."
As soon as these words came out, the palace suddenly became quiet. Even the emperor narrowed his eyes and did not speak immediately.
Several other ministers on the side could not sit still immediately. Zhang Min was the first to speak.
"Your Majesty, this matter is not trivial. Please think twice!"
Immediately after, Yu Shiyue also said.
"Your Majesty, although the mutual trade and sea trade are both undertaken by the Imperial Village, they are different after all. If we want to increase commercial taxes, I am afraid we need to think carefully."
We can't blame them for having such a big reaction. If the previous memorials were the emperor's examination of Yu Zijun and Wang Yue, then when it comes to business tax, things become complicated. Newcomers who have just entered the officialdom can consider things carefully.
The problem of commercial tax has been around for a long time. The Ming Dynasty’s strategy of low commercial tax was essentially a part of a series of policies that emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce. If you look at the commercial tax of thirty to one tax alone, it is indeed very low. But the problem is that the collection of commercial taxes involves issues at the specific implementation level.
The Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce. However, this suppression of commerce suppressed the number of merchants who specialized in commerce. When it came to the specific implementation, if commercial tax was to be collected, there was a question: should it be collected based on transactions or based on transactions? The profession of businessman comes to collect.
The former is obviously unrealistic because the procedures are cumbersome, and it is impossible for the court to control all trade activities, and the cost is too high.
So in fact, the Ming Dynasty’s current plan for collecting commercial taxes is to collect them based on a combination of tariffs and merchant status. The first thing that needs to be clear is that, for example, the behavior of ordinary people growing vegetables and raising pigs, and then selling them, although it is trade, is not , are not included in the category of merchants, because they are still engaged in production, and the court suppresses business, suppressing large merchants who specialize in buying low and selling high.
On this basis, the first step is to control the number of business registrations. The conditions for transferring registrations between different household registrations are very strict. Only by obtaining the status of business registration can cross-regional trade be carried out. Then there is the issue of tax collection. , the specific form of commercial tax, usually tariff.
The imperial court would set up currency checkpoints at city gates or main roads. If they were not merchants, they would be detained at the currency customs and repatriated. Merchants with merchant status would pay commercial taxes based on the value of the goods being transported when passing through the currency customs. .
In this way, the number of big businessmen will be effectively controlled, and business registration is the shackles that block the number of big businessmen. On this basis, business registration is based on scientific examinations, and there are many restrictions on uniforms. Under the circumstances, for the imperial court, whether it was one tax for thirty or one tax for ten, there was not much difference.
On the contrary, if the tax rate is too heavy, then it is too much and not enough. Now, Yu Zijun proposes to increase the commercial tax. This is not a matter of touching the upper and lower lips. It involves all aspects of the issue. Therefore, all the ministers present, Naturally, we can no longer remain silent...
(End of chapter)
