"Master, how can you accept this kind of bet?! Then Zhu Heyu is clearly plotting against you to make two hundred thousand taels of silver in a month! It must be done by legitimate means. Where can we get it?"
After hearing Zhao Junchen recount what happened in the morning, Xu Qingyan was filled with anxiety and couldn't help shouting. //.//
Xu Qingyan has always been very confident about Zhao Junchen's means of making money, but Xu Qingyan is not so confident about Zhao Junchen's ability to use "legitimate means" to make money.
"Don't worry." Zhao Junchen smiled and comforted: "I once read an ancient book, which recorded many ingenious things. The manufacturing process is not difficult, but each one can easily make a lot of money, but it's just It’s just two hundred thousand taels of silver, it’s nothing difficult, but I’m in a bit of a dilemma now, I don’t know which one to use.”
"Is there such an ancient book?"
Xu Qingyan didn't like reading the most, so he naturally didn't believe it.
Of course, it was precisely because Xu Qingyan didn't like reading that Zhao Junchen used this reason to fool him.
Seeing that Xu Qingyan didn't believe it, Zhao Junchen smiled softly and said: "The book has its own golden house, its own beauty is like jade, its own book has thousands of bells of millet, its own book has as many chariots and horses as clusters, even Song Zhenzong said so, could it be that Will there be any holidays?"
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Xu Qingyan could only believe it, but he still had doubts and asked: "But even if these ingenious things can be made, how many will they have to sell to earn two hundred thousand taels? It takes a month to make enough." It’s not enough, what’s more, Master, your bet this time is to increase the income of the Household Department by 200,000 taels. No matter how much you earn from that clever thing, how can you increase the income of the Household Department?"
After Zhao Junchen took a sip of tea, he slowly explained: "Even if I make those clever things, I won't sell them. Although the clever things are good, if you want to make two hundred thousand taels of silver in a short period of time, But it is simply impossible. However, although we are not in a hurry to sell these crafts, we can sell them in advance due to the supply of these crafts."
Seeing the confusion on Xu Qingyan's face, Zhao Junchen explained: "In the capital, whether it is Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants or Zhejiang merchants, there are agents stationed there. These crafts I mentioned are not intended to be sold by myself, but It is made and then handed over to them for resale. This not only saves time, but also saves cost and energy. Within a month, as long as we can make a sample and show it to them, they will naturally understand the business opportunities contained in it. However, , in the next period of time, we will not be able to create many ingenious things, because the supply of goods is limited. If private merchants want to get more supply of goods, they not only need to order in advance and pay money, but also need to bid and raise prices. First of all, it’s only a mere two hundred thousand taels of silver, so it’s easy to get it.”
After a pause, Zhao Junchen continued: "As for how to increase revenue for the Ministry of Household Affairs, that would be easier. As long as this industry is attributed to the Ministry of Household Affairs or the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that's it."
Hearing Zhao Junchen's last words, Xu Qingyan had an unacceptable look on his face, and his voice was even louder than before: "Master, if those crafts you mentioned are really valuable, wouldn't this be a benefit to the Ministry of Finance? We are too Suffered a loss."
Zhao Junchen sighed: "Qingyan, we have to take a long-term view. Our current family wealth is no less than three million taels, and we have no shortage of food and clothing. No matter how much money we have, it is just a number. What's more, that clever thing Although it can allow us to earn more money, if we don’t have the corresponding strength, more money will be troublesome. It will not only make people jealous and jealous, but also make people feel scrupulous. Even today’s His Majesty, I am afraid that he will not be immune to this. Back then, I don’t need to tell you what fate Shen Wansan met, right? In that case, it’s better to hand over this piece of fat to the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so that I can win this bet and increase His Majesty’s favor for me. , why not?"
At this point, Zhao Junchen's voice also became meaningful: "As long as we have power and status, and our holy family will not fade in front of His Majesty, there will be no need to worry about not having money in the future? What's more, among the ancient books, those who can make money There are a lot of clever things, and we will have plenty of opportunities in the future, so why bother worrying about the gains and losses in front of us?"
Zhao Junchen explained the truth very clearly, but when Xu Qingyan heard it, he obviously misunderstood.
"The young master is still smart!" Xu Qingyan said with a look of surprise on his face: "As long as the household department and the inner treasury are still in the hands of the young master, it doesn't matter whether the money earned with that clever thing will be deposited in our Zhao Mansion or the inner treasury and the household department. There is no difference. Instead of putting it in our own hands and depositing it in the household department and internal treasury, the benefits will be greater. The young master is still thinking long-term."
Seeing Xu Qingyan's mind full of corrupt officials, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head.
Although, these "truths" mentioned by Xu Qingyan are not wrong.
After Xu Qingyan was persuaded by Zhao Junchen, he finally became curious and asked: "Master, what exactly is the clever thing you mentioned?"
Zhao Junchen shook his head and said, "I haven't thought about it yet."
………
In fact, Zhao Junchen has many ways to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Household Affairs, among which the most obvious one is undoubtedly the reform of the tax system.
Later generations commented on the Ming Dynasty and bluntly stated that one of the fundamental reasons for its defeat was the proliferation of private smuggling.
Private smuggling not only created a group of smugglers who were extremely wealthy, but also put the Ming Dynasty's treasury in extreme embarrassment.
However, in the final analysis, the reason why smuggling was rampant in the Ming Dynasty was because its tax system-especially the commercial tax system-was too confusing.
How chaotic was commercial taxation in the Ming Dynasty?
Let's put it this way, in today's Ming Dynasty, there are county tax collection stations, state tax collection stations, prefecture tax collection stations, province toll collection stations, guarding eunuchs and guarding eunuch tax collection stations. Even the royal estates had private tax collection stations.
In addition, there are countless temporary tax collection stations. Although they are called "temporary", in fact, the so-called "temporary" period is often counted as ten years!
More importantly, the randomness of tax collection at various tax collection stations is also very random. What items need to be taxed and how the tax should be collected are completely decided by the tax collection officials. If you meet a taxing official who is easy to talk to, he will only tax the goods. If you meet a taxing official who is evil-minded, he will tax even the food you bring, the carriage that transports the goods, and the clothes you wear!
As a result, goods priced at only one hundred taels of silver often have to pay a tax of three to five hundred taels of silver when transported from the departure station to the destination. How can ordinary people or businessmen afford it? What else can be done without smuggling? People have to survive.
In fact, due to chaotic taxation and rampant smuggling, the commercial taxes collected by the Ming Dynasty each year were only 350,000 taels of silver!
Three hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver seems like a lot, but Zhao Junchen estimated based on various data that in recent years, the total value of cotton smuggled every year on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal alone is no less than 700,000 taels. silver! If taxes were imposed on these smuggled cotton cloths, the tax revenue would be nearly 100,000 taels of silver from just the four items: excise tax, ship notes, points, and cargo stacking license tax!
This is just a waterway like the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal! This is just talking about cotton cloth!
In this era, how much should the commercial tax really be? For Zhao Junchen, it is still a mystery, but what is certain is that it will be an astronomical number.
It can be said that if Zhao Junchen was allowed to preside over the rectification of commercial taxation and strictly rectify the smuggling situation, Emperor Deqing would not have to worry about the cost of three and a half million taels for the southern tour.
However, the idea of rectifying commercial taxation was only given up by Zhao Junchen in a flash.
This kind of reform takes too long and cannot be effective within a month. Not to mention that it involves too many aspects - local officials of all sizes, smugglers all over the world, people receiving money every year. A large number of central officials who have paid filial piety are all the beneficiaries of the current tax chaos, but Zhao Junchen is not so hot-headed that he wants to be the enemy of the world.
Putting aside the commercial tax reform, the rectification of Sichuan's salt affairs and the introduction of merchants from Shanxi to Sichuan can also bring a large amount of money to the Ministry of Household Affairs.
However, since Zhao Junchen has made a bet with Prince Zhu Heyu, the matter of rectifying the salt affairs in Sichuan must not be mentioned now.
If there had not been a bet, Sichuan's salt affairs rectification would have been highly likely to succeed with the joint efforts of Zhao Junchen and the Shanxi Merchant Group. However, now that the bet had been established, not only the prince had raised the issue of salt affairs rectification at this time. The party strongly opposed it in order to win the bet, and the chief minister of the cabinet, Zhou Shangjing, also opposed it in order to hinder Emperor Deqing's southern tour. Even other senior cabinet ministers, who were jealous of the power of the Ministry of Finance, also opposed it in order to suppress Zhao Junchen.
As a result, things that were originally stable will have countless variables.
………
In fact, during this era, the Ministry of Household's money turnover, tax collection, and methods were all very primitive. Only Zhao Junchen made some slight improvements, and there were many ways to increase revenue.
However, just like the rectification of commercial taxation and the rectification of Sichuan salt affairs, it may involve too many aspects, or it may cause a backlash from the major forces in North Korea and China. Although the results are obvious and the achievements will last for a long time, they were all abandoned by Zhao Junchen .
Therefore, Zhao Junchen thought about it and found that the safest and most convenient way now may be "invention and creation".
In fact, Zhao Junchen knew something about the production methods of glass, perfume, soap, and spinning jenny. When Zhao Junchen was a student in the previous life, he had learned more or less about them. The level of craftsmanship is not difficult to achieve, and it's all very profitable.
However, what makes Zhao Junchen hesitate now is, which one should he choose?
Finally, after careful consideration, Zhao Junchen gave up on Glass and the Spinning Jenny.
Without him, the profits that these two things can create are too great.
It's not that Zhao Junchen is reluctant to part with these profits, but that Zhao Junchen intends to use these two things in the future to establish some business houses and win over some important officials of the court to become shareholders. By sharing interests, he can "be a party without party".
These two things are really overkill for winning bets.
Thinking like this, Zhao Junchen finally made a decision and told Xu Qingyan: "Qingyan, within three days, I don't care what method you use, whether it is poaching or forcing, you must take the famous Rouge near the capital." The craftsmen and saponin craftsmen are all here. I need their help if I have something to do. In addition, I want to get the best rouge workshop and saponin workshop in the capital."
Hearing what Zhao Junchen said, Xu Qingyan knew that Zhao Junchen was going to make a "clever thing". Although he was curious, he did not dare to neglect it. He agreed and turned around.
Zhao Junchen decided to do both soap and perfume. According to the method in his memory, as long as the craftsmen can produce one of them within a month, Zhao Junchen will win the bet!
………
Note: Saponaria is a very primitive decontamination product, but in fact, it is not much different from the process of making pandan. It just changes a few raw materials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ps: Something happened at work in the past two days, so there are few updates, sorry for that. Normal updates will resume tomorrow!
c
