"Your Majesty, since the Municipal Shipping Department has such important stakes, it should be even more cautious in appointing candidates. I am still young and inexperienced. It is difficult for me to take on such an important position!"
In the Manlu Hall, Li Zexuan was silent for a long time before he refused.
This is not because he is not "patriotic", but because he feels that this matter does not require him to do it himself! With Li Xiaogong in charge of the Shipping Department, it can basically ensure that no major corruption incidents will occur. Apart from helping to improve Datang's "customs" system, he really can't think of anything else to do.
Furthermore, he always felt that Lao Li was tricking him. The current border situation in the Tang Dynasty had not yet reached the point where war was imminent. According to the normal historical development process, Li Er would only send Li Jing and others to attack the Turks in August of the third year of Zhenguan. Now It’s too early, because there will be a locust plague in Datang next year, which is a big hurdle to overcome!
Li Er's eyes suddenly sank, and his face suddenly lost its composure. Logically speaking, as an emperor, he personally did ideological work for his ministers, which had already given him a great deal of face. However, Li Zexuan still looked like he was indifferent. The dead pig was not afraid of boiling water, which made him feel annoyed.
"Hmph! Still young? Inexperienced? You have done so many things, but which one can you do at such a young age? According to you, should I also remove you, the Marquis? Throughout the ages, there has never been anyone who was granted the title of Marquis at the age of fifteen? Back then, Huo Qubing made great achievements in battle, and he was also granted the title of Champion Marquis at the age of twenty!"
Li Er walked down from above, stepped five steps in front of Li Zexuan, stamped his feet and said.
When Li Zexuan heard this, he suddenly became anxious. It was okay not to be an official, but he had to get the title. This thing was the basis for settling down and not being bullied in the ancient feudal society. "Ahem, your Majesty is the Nine-Five Supreme Being, so he speaks naturally. Yan Jiuding, how can I take back the title that was awarded to me?"
Li Zexuan said with a shy face and an embarrassed smile.
"Hmph~!"
Li Er brushed his sleeves angrily. If he hadn't considered the emperor's majesty, he would have really wanted to remove Li Zexuan's title.
"Tell me, how can you be willing to work in the Shipping Department? As long as the request is not too excessive, I can consider it at my discretion!"
From ancient times to the present, ministers have begged the emperor to become officials, but now, as the emperor, he actually "begged" his ministers to become officials, which made Li Er feel angry.
However, in his view, if the Municipal Shipping Department, an organization that has never existed before, is to be established quickly from scratch and quickly perform its due functions, it must find a long-term vision and thoughtful person. Advanced people who really understand maritime trade should be managed. Although Li Xiaogong has personally gone to sea, he is more than one step behind Li Zexuan in terms of ideas and ideas.
Let Li Xiaogong be the first person in charge of the Municipal Shipping Department and take charge of the overall situation, and then let Li Zexuan be the second person in charge of the Municipal Shipping Department and be responsible for formulating specific systems. In Li Er's opinion, this is the most perfect staffing arrangement.
"Well, Your Majesty, I am deeply favored by the country. As long as the court needs it, I will do my part even if I go through fire and water. I will definitely not be able to do something like asking for credit before it is done... ....”
Li Zexuan said "righteously".
Li Er sneered and said: "You kid, don't get the advantage and act like a good boy. If you keep complaining, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Your Majesty, I want some mines!"
As soon as Li Er finished speaking, Li Zexuan shouted quickly.
"Ore? You want iron ore?"
Li Er's face suddenly became serious. For feudal emperors, iron ore was a very sensitive thing.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Guan Zhong of Qi State proposed the policy of "salt and iron monopoly" in theory, which made Qi State become rich quickly and became the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period. However, although Guan Zhong was highly praised by later generations, in the hundreds of years after his death, except for Shang Yang, who was determined to reform, few people followed his strategy of strengthening the country.
It was not until the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the central government's finances became increasingly empty due to the successive campaigns against the Xiongnu, and the wealthy merchants among the people "smelted, minted and boiled salt, which may have accumulated tens of millions of gold, but did not help the public needs and the people were in dire straits." The extreme importance of salt to national taxation gave rise to the "salt and iron monopoly" policy that has been implemented on and off for more than two thousand years in Chinese history.
The so-called "salt and iron franchise" means that all the management rights of iron smelting and salt boiling are returned to the central government. However, it should be noted that "salt and iron franchise" is not "salt and iron official operation". As far as the iron smelting industry is concerned, It is state-owned and privately operated. The state generally implements a monopoly policy on all mining resources. As soon as mineral seedlings are discovered by the private sector, they must be protected and sealed by the state.
After that, the rulers controlled the pricing power of ironware and carried out unified purchasing and marketing of the produced ironware. Under these premises, the imperial court opened up the iron smelting workshop industry and allowed private merchants to operate independently. For the value-added part, private merchants received 70% and the rulers received 30%, which was equivalent to a 30% income tax.
However, due to the inevitable shortcomings of the bureaucracy, there are also some serious problems in the Yantie official camp. In order to complete the prescribed tasks, the official ironware only focused on output, and most of the ironware produced were large agricultural tools with little use, which were not suitable for farmers at all. Not only that, government-operated ironware also had problems such as high cost, low quality, no selection, inconvenient purchase, forced buying and selling, and forcing farmers to serve. What's more, the price of government-run salt and iron is so high that many poor people cannot afford it.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the rulers abolished the salt and iron monopoly policy and implemented a taxation system. The Three Kingdoms and Two Jin Dynasties focused on exclusive purchases, and the taxation system was revived in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. From the Sui Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty, the special taxes on salt and iron were abolished and the market taxes were collected like other commodities. After the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, financial difficulties arose, and the salt and iron monopoly was resumed.
Since then, successive dynasties have strengthened the salt monopoly and implemented a tax system on iron, which is no longer treated in the same way as salt. The salt and iron monopoly brought considerable profits to the feudal country. Salt, in particular, has always been the most important monopoly commodity firmly controlled by feudal governments of all dynasties, and its income has been an important financial source for governments of all dynasties.
"Well, I not only want iron mines, but also several sulfur mines. I hope your majesty will grant you permission!"
Seeing Li Er's suddenly serious look, Li Zexuan suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart, but he still said it bravely.
When he was in the workshop before, he took it for granted that he could just rely on the memory in his mind to find the iron ore and it would be his own. Later, when he went back and told his father, he realized that his pattern was broken, which was rare today. I have such a good opportunity to negotiate terms with Li Er. If I don’t negotiate, I’d be sorry for myself!
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