Jinling City, Xipu.
After the afternoon session ended today, Zhu Cihong did not return to Yongchun Pavilion to read the memorial. Instead, he took his three daughters-in-law, the fat-bellied silly sweet Wu Sanmei, the little vixen Fei Zhen'e with whom Wu Sanmei had a "deep sisterly love", and the eldest sister Ning Xiangyu, who grew taller and nobler, to go to Xipu where Emperor Chongzhen lived. . Not to greet him (Zhu Cixiang would go to Xipu to greet Chongzhen and Empress Zhou every day before noon), but to meet his new wife, Zheng Chagu, with Chongzhen and Empress Zhou.
Judging from Zheng Zhilong's appearance, Zheng Chagu is probably a thick and black girl... But an ugly daughter-in-law must also meet her parents-in-law! Besides, she only entered the palace after being given a dowry land of 1 million acres!
After paying such a price, not to mention being darker, even if he was a sow, Zhu Cixiang had to sacrifice his appearance!
The place where Zhu Cixiang went on a blind date was very formally placed in the lobby of Xipu, which is now called the Hall of Qinzheng. The name of the Hall of Qinzheng was given by Chongzhen. Although he has no political power to be diligent now, he always has a heart in his heart. I still have some thoughts of fighting for the country for another few decades.
While waiting for Zheng Zhilong, Chongzhen also asked about political affairs intentionally or unintentionally.
"Brother Chun, during this time, have any people complained that the court's taxes are too heavy?"
Zhu Cixi smiled: "Father is confused. The imperial court has forgiven the arrears of the Southeast and exempted it from taxes for five years... The people in the Southeast are cheering for the emperor's grace, so how can they say that the taxes are too heavy?"
"Not all are exempted," Chongzhen asked. "The military villages and official fields are not exempted, right?"
Zhu Cixi smiled: "The military villages and official fields do not collect taxes, they collect rent! The fields belong to the court, shouldn't the farmers who rent the fields pay rent? Tax exemption is one thing, but rent exemption is another. It's the same thing...those who are gossiping in the ears of the emperor, they won't give rent exemptions to tenants, right?"
The person who gossiped in Chongzhen's ear was, of course, Zhu Cixiang's grandfather Zhou Kui. Zhou Kui is from Suzhou and owns 300,000 acres of land in Suzhou! He is one of the few dignitaries from the south who has great talents in the southeast.
But there are problems with the origin of these lands! Only a few were given by Emperor Chongzhen, and most of them were official fields, hidden fields, and lands in his name.
Now, because he has been exempted from taxes for five years, he cannot collect rent from the properties sent in under Zhou Kui's name. And the official fields that he had invaded were also facing being taken back by the military garrison! Even Yin Tian might be found out...
Zhou Guozhang's money hidden in Beijing was distributed by Zhu Cixiang, and the 300,000 acres of land in Jiangnan were also being deprived by Zhu Cixiang in various ways. Can the old man not get angry in a hurry?
But apart from gossiping in front of his son-in-law, who had long since lost his power, the head of state didn't know what to do?
Emperor Chongzhen was not angry after being scolded by Zhu Cixiang. He was already used to being scolded... So he smiled and continued to inquire: "There are many military camps and official fields in the southeast, right?"
Zhu Cixiang said: "There are many! Only a part has been cleared now. If all are cleared, there will be at least 70 to 80 million acres! If you include hidden fields, there may be hundreds of millions of acres!"
"More than 100 million acres will be returned to military garrison?" Chongzhen asked.
"That's natural!" Zhu Cihong said, "Currently, civilian land has been exempted from tax for five years. If official land and military land are not properly cleaned up, how will the imperial court maintain it?"
"What about... commercial tax?" Chongzhen asked again.
"Business tax?" Zhu Cixiang smiled, "Haha..."
there is none left? Chongzhen looked at his son and said in his heart: I don't know what you are thinking? The salt merchants will be rectified first, then the nobles will be rectified, and then the official fields, military villages, and hidden fields will be inspected. Finally, it will definitely be the turn of the merchant tax! You have to take back all the benefits that our ancestors gave to the great Ming Dynasty scholar-bureaucrats.
You really don’t know how powerful those people are! Your second brother died inexplicably because I wanted to confiscate the property of Wu Qinghou's family... What you, the prince, are doing now is much more powerful than what I did back then! Aren't you afraid of getting people killed?
But then again, why hasn’t anyone tried to kill you until now? Are those people still plotting secretly to seize the door?
"Brother Chun," Queen Zhou said with a frown at this time, "You have to be lenient and merciful... The southeast is our territory after all, and we can't offend those local snakes too much."
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "Mother, isn't the biggest local snake in the southeast the Zheng family in Fujian? Zheng Zhilong is going to give birth to a daughter for his son today, and he also has 1 million acres of dowry land! Just for the rent of these 100 acres, one year Three to five million dan, if used to raise troops, can support at least two divisions!"
Chongzhen thought to himself: Zheng Zhilong’s daughter must be extremely ugly, that’s why she paid so much dowry to give it to your rebellious son!
While Zhu Cixiang was speaking, Huang Dabao, the eunuch of the Chief of Ceremonies, walked over quickly: "Your Majesty, your Majesty, your Majesty, the Fujian Commander-in-Chief Zheng Zhilong has arrived."
Zhu Cixiang smiled and said, "Dabao, from now on I will be called 'Zheng Huangqin'."
"This slave knows."
Zhu Cixiang waved his hand: "Go and invite him in."
"Here."
Huang Dabao turned around and left, and soon led three people into the Qinzheng Hall. The first person to walk in was a dark burly man, it was Zheng Zhilong. Following Zheng Zhilong was a young man with fair skin, medium build, and slightly thin body, it was Zheng Sen. Behind Zheng Sen, there is a girl in white, with a slender figure, almost as tall as Wu Sanmei, but not as rough as a general. Look at her picturesque features, with a hint of the elegance of a Jiangnan woman in her gracefulness, and her skin is as white as jade.
This is obviously a rare beauty! This time you can make a profit...
Zhu Cihong thought to himself: What a good Zheng Zhilong, you are as dark as a coal head, but the daughter you gave birth to is as beautiful as a flower... She is still smiling, and her smile is really pretty!
It turned out that the beautiful Zheng Chagu was also looking at Zhu Cihong - there were only four people sitting in the hall, Chongzhen, Zhou Hou, Zhu Cihong and Wu Sanmei. Tea Girl is so smart. Of course she found the handsome boy Zhu Cixiang at a glance. When a beautiful woman looks at a handsome guy, of course she likes him more and more the more she looks at him... Besides, this handsome guy is also a wise and powerful leader of a feudal country!
"Tea girl, kneel down!" Zheng Sen, who was already half shorter, found his sister standing there stupidly and quickly reminded her in a low voice.
Only then did Zheng Chagu realize that she was a little lost her temper. She quickly took two steps forward and knelt down in front of Zhu Cihong. She kowtowed three times and said, "Concubine Zheng Chagu, please pay homage to the Emperor, the Empress, and the thousand-year-old Lord Wanfu Jin'an!" "
Emperor Chongzhen frowned when he looked at this girl, why is she so beautiful? The traitor is so cheap... Moreover, why do you kowtow to the traitor? You should bow down to me! I am still the emperor now!
After Zheng Chagu paid her respects, she did not lie still according to the etiquette. Instead, she straightened up and looked at Zhu Cihong in front of her with a smile.
This style is somewhat similar to that of Wu Sanmei, who is also a girl with few rules - her family is a pirate, and her etiquette is not as good as that of the Wu family! Moreover, Lao Zheng had never thought of sending his daughter to the palace before. Later, I came up with this idea and spent some time training my daughter, but now when I meet my parents-in-law, there are still not many rules. But it also suited Zhu Cixiang's appetite.
"Okay," Zhu Cixiang smiled, "get up, everyone, please sit down! We are all members of our family, you don't have to be polite...Prince Zheng, senior brother, you all sit down. Tea girl, you also sit down, sit down with me. Come around."
Zheng Zhilong and Zheng Sen both stood up and sat down, and Zheng Chagu was called to her side by Zhu Cixiang - looking at this posture, she might be going to bed tonight, right?
Seeing Zheng Chagu blushing and sitting on an embroidered bed next to him, Zhu Cihong turned his head and looked at Zheng Zhilong with a smile: "Chagu is indeed a rare beauty. I want her to come in immediately. Palace, please learn some etiquette first, I wonder what the emperor’s wishes are?”
Even though they are called "imperial relatives", what else can Zheng Zhilong do? Of course he agreed - besides, his daughter-in-law, Tea Girl, was not a princess, but a chosen attendant and a concubine!
Seeing Zheng Zhilong nodding, the smile on Zhu Cixiang's face could no longer be kept! He smiled and said: "Prince Zheng, since we are a family, I can ask you for advice on something from this palace."
consult? What's going on?
Zheng Zhilong frowned slightly, something seemed wrong!
"Prince Zheng," Zhu Cixiang smiled, "I just want to ask, how should the commercial taxes and customs duties in the southeast be collected? How much should be collected?"
