In Yangzhou, the secret guards were also busy.
However, Yangzhou chose the salt merchants and corrupt officials in the Yandao Yamen to kill the chickens to scare the monkeys.
The so-called salt merchants were a group of people who made a fortune by buying salt with the imperial court as their backing.
If you want to sell salt in Daming, you must have a salt guide.
China has been a relational society since ancient times.
Those salt merchants who are well-connected have a close relationship with the Salt Road Yamen.
Yandao Yamen is a fat and watery yamen. To be honest, from top to bottom in Yandao Yamen, from ancient times to the present, there are definitely only a handful of honest officials.
Human nature pursues profit and wants to maintain mutual "friendship": this cannot be solved by one or two drinks. That requires a lot of money.
Of course, this silver is just drizzle to these salt merchants.
But this would damage the interests of the court. Otherwise, with the tens of millions of people in the Ming Dynasty, why would the salt tax not be more than a few million taels?
But what about reality? Last year, the salt tax collected only 200,000 taels.
In the final analysis, it lies with these salt merchants.
These people are rich and live extremely luxuriously.
Not to mention the size of the mansion and the number of servants.
It is normal to have a small feast every day and a big feast every three days.
Yangzhou is a romantic place and its thin horse is famous all over the world. Why? It's because there are many rich people here.
Not to mention other things, the human trafficking involved in "raising thin horses" has already violated the laws of the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty strictly prohibited the sale of people, but in Yangzhou, this became a norm, and it became famous in Yangzhou and throughout the world.
Don’t the officials know that the “thin horses” here are girls from poor families? Don’t you know that buying and selling people is illegal?
Of course they know, of course they know.
But why does no one dare to mention it? No one dares to check?
Without him, only interests.
The relevant officials have long been fed by these salt merchants. How could he make the God of Wealth unhappy?
Moreover, how many of the concubines you usually buy and the Goulan you shop for are not obtained by "raising thin horses"?
. . . .
But the secret guard at this moment came for the salt merchant.
These things are just another piece of evidence for the salt merchants.
"Trading illegal salt, illegally armed, tax evasion, bribing officials" which one is not a serious crime to lose one's head?
And these salt merchants are still living a life of luxury. Why? Money can be like ghosts and gods.
Everyone in the court was so happy with their money, how could anyone investigate?
Yangzhou salt merchants made too many mistakes.
Really, not killing is not enough to make the people angry. Not killing is not enough to uphold the law.
In fact, these salt merchants have long been on the secret guard's kill list, but these salt merchants almost control the salt distribution channels of the Ming Dynasty, and there are too many protective umbrellas behind these salt merchants.
Even after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he did not dare to directly attack these salt merchants.
But things are different now. The Qiming Chamber of Commerce has spread all over the country, and the transportation lines have long been completed.
Even if salt dealers are banned, there will be no shortage of salt in the short term.
Moreover, banning salt dealers, reorganizing the salt channel yamen, and forcibly promoting the sun-dried salt method in Lianghuai can greatly increase the production of salt and reduce the cost of salt. Let the common people eat salt.
....
Suzhou, Changshu. Qian Qianyi's heart was broken as items of gold, silver and jewelry were seized from Qian's house.
"You bunch of robbers." Qian Qianyi kept cursing in his heart.
At the same time, the ordinary people who were watching were all stunned, and at the same time they also had a doubt in their hearts, is this "Qian Qianyi really a corrupt official?"
After all, the salaries of officials in the Ming Dynasty were not very high, and it was really a joke to make so much money from their salaries.
"My lord, I have verified clearly that the Qian Mansion has a total of 5,000 taels of gold, 800,000 taels of silver, and 307 paintings and calligraphy..."
There is an account book that clearly records the Qian Mansion's annual income. "
The secret guard's search ability was mediocre, and in just one hour, they searched Qian's Mansion thoroughly.
"The Ming Dynasty treated scholars favorably and gave them the right to be exempted from paying land taxes, but Mr. Qian, you are so ignorant.
With your status, you can only exempt up to 500 acres of farmland from taxes, but you have not paid taxes on the 100,000 acres under your name. "
Calculated based on the output of 2 taels per mu of land, you have embezzled at least 200,000 taels over the years.
Taizu ordered: "If you are greedy for 60 taels, peel off the skin and use it as grass. You don't need to tell me what to do with the 200,000 taels."
At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the intensity of anti-corruption efforts was absolutely unprecedented.
The Great Edict promulgated by Taizu of the Ming Dynasty stipulates that anyone who dares to commit corruption, no matter how much, will have their faces tattooed and their kneecaps dug out. And it is clearly stipulated that if the number of stolen goods reaches 80 guan, an official will be hanged.
In the late Hongwu period, the anti-corruption laws became even more stringent. Anyone who was found guilty of corruption would be put to death immediately, no matter if he was less than sixty taels.
Moreover, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty also stipulated that every government office must build a temple of earth. Of course, this temple was not used to enshrine the land. Instead, the corrupt officials were executed, and then their skins were skinned and stuffed with grass and hung in front of the earth temple. Used to warn subsequent officials.
According to rumors, during the thirty years of Hongwu, more than 100,000 corrupt officials were killed. On average, there are more than 3,300 people per year.
But over time these regulations have long since become formalities.
During the seven years Emperor Tianqi was in power, less than ten corrupt officials were killed. And most of them are caused by other reasons. Corruption is just an excuse.
The knife to kill corrupt officials is held in the hands of corrupt officials, so why do you expect them to kill corrupt officials?
If it weren't for Zhu Youjian's system in hand.
The advance layout allowed Su Polu to contain Jiannu and stabilize the situation around the Ming Dynasty.
And he took control of the army by openly building plank roads and secretly tricking Chen Cang, and formed a secret guard that could monitor the world's dynamics. Zhu Youjian did not dare to pick up the knife to kill corrupt officials again.
After all, there were too many strange things happening in the Ming Dynasty royal family, and Zhu Youjian didn't want to become the next victim.
...
The tax collection work in South Zhili came to a successful end with the unity of the landowners and wealthy people in South Zhili.
Countless amounts of grain and a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry directly filled the government warehouse in Nanjing.
Large amounts of supplies were continuously transported to the capital under the escort of the army.
Gold and silver were registered and stored in the warehouse, and grain was continuously sent to Jiubian.
9. The horses came out in unison.
The army also practices once a month instead of once every half a month.
Border transactions are restricted. Businessmen coming and going were closely interrogated.
The entire Ming Dynasty was ready for war.
....
At this time, Wei Zhongxian entered Guangdong Province with nearly 10,000 factory guards.
After all, it's not just Nanzhili who are in arrears with wages.
We can learn from the mistakes of South Zhili. In addition, the Qiming Chamber of Commerce and the secret guards continued to send messages.
The wealthy households in Guangdong Province consciously paid the taxes they owed without waiting for Wei Zhongxian to take action.
. . . . . .
