Early in the morning, people gathered outside the Qin Coin Store originally set up. Many people stood here waiting for the news.
They had heard from various channels in advance that there were new tax policies for merchants coming out today.
Shentu Xingwu, Zhai Xi and others are also waiting here.
Zhai Xi looked around and said thoughtfully: "This place is close to the Municipal Property Department, and the surrounding area is empty. It seems to be preparing for something."
Shentu Xingwu didn't see anything and shook his head: "The most important thing now is to hear about our tax policy."
He said with some emotion: "Although it has been expected that the new tax policy will be released together with the new currency, when this day comes, I am still afraid."
"Fear of the unknown, fear that tax policies for businessmen will become more severe."
Zhai Xi and Shentu Xingwu had different opinions. At this time, he was not worried at all. Even if Shentu Xingwu hadn't forced him to come here today, he might not have come.
Because he knows that the new tax policy must be a good thing for merchants.
At least to some extent it is.
Before he could speak, several officials stood out at the door of Qin Coin Store, looking very serious.
Xiao He, the Shaofu, one of the Nine Qings, Luan Fuping, the acting director of the City Property Department, the "president" of Qin Coin Bank, and several officials related to property all came.
There was another official standing next to them, who looked very strange.
Xiao He took a step forward with a solemn expression: "Everyone, I believe you all knew the news in advance and came here to wait."
"I won't say much more. I will only talk about three important points. It will be a huge change for you."
"First, the previous taxation methods are no longer applicable to you merchants. The merchants adopt another set of taxation methods."
“It’s called tax laddering.”
"Calculate on a monthly and yearly basis;"
He looked at everyone's confused eyes and explained simply: "What is the ladder tax law? The more you earn, the more taxes you pay."
"Take the year as an example. If you earn 100,000 gold a year, then one thousand gold, five thousand gold, ten thousand gold, and more than 50,000 gold are each a tax stage, and you will pay a certain percentage of the total amount."
"The tax law will be posted directly outside later, and you can view it by yourself."
After Xiao He finished speaking, he said meaningfully: "Everyone, most of the taxes you pay need to be handed over to Xianyang City, but part of them will be retained in various counties and counties to fund the development of various counties and counties."
"I think you all will make a decision."
"I have important matters to attend to, so I won't say any more."
After saying that, he left.
After Xiao He left, the crowd that had been silent just now burst into endless enthusiasm, and all the merchants were extremely excited.
Although they did not get a clear statement about the future status of merchants, Xiao He's words had left enough room for their imagination.
Especially a big businessman like Zhai Xi.
The light bursting out of Zhai Xi's eyes almost blinded him. Shentu Xingwu beside him held him tightly, fearing that Zhai Xi would accidentally knock him to the ground.
"Brother Zhai Xi, why are you so happy?"
"The more we earn, the more taxes we pay. Isn't this a bad thing for us?"
"All the hard-earned money was used to make wedding clothes for the court."
Zhai Xi watched Shentu wake up, shook his head and said with a smile: "Brother Shentu, you don't know something now."
"Now Da Qin is carrying out reforms under the auspices of Prime Minister Chen Ke."
"I heard someone say a few days ago that officials from all over the country now have to undergo "passing exams" and "assessments" if they want to return to the court or Xianyang City, or if they want to continue to serve. "
"Three years is the assessment period, and six years is the "passing examination" period. "
"The criteria for assessment and success are local people's livelihood development, facility development, and living conditions in Guizhou."
"If a person is rated as poor after passing the assessment, people from Black Ice Terrace and Black Bird Guards will go to the place where the official works to inspect and find out what is going on that makes the people's lives miserable."
Zhai Xi said with a smile: "Now, although we earn more and pay more taxes, our status is different from before."
"If we do trade and set up commercial firms in the local area, we will pay taxes locally, and part of the tax money can be kept in various counties and counties."
He smiled and said: "The world is huge, and not all counties are as prosperous as Xianyang."
"In this way, for a relatively poor county that does not have the money to develop, we go there to conduct trade, pay taxes, and give the officials in that place a chance to develop."
"This opportunity can even affect their completion and assessment."
"Do you think our status will still be so low?"
Shentu woke up and listened to Zhai Xi's analysis, and swallowed subconsciously: "Doesn't that mean we can even influence the officialdom?"
Zhai Xi shook his head. He looked at Qin Coin Bank standing there with a faint light in his expression.
"Brother Shentu, listen to my advice and never get involved in politics."
"We are merchants, and what we should do is to make money and do business. We must not have any thoughts about the rare goods of the past."
Zhai Xi said earnestly, "Do you remember Mr. Lu?"
These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly hitting Shentu's head, and he suddenly woke up.
At that time, Lu Buwei also started to get involved in politics after his business became big. In the end, his whole family died and no descendants were alive.
This can be regarded as a dead end.
Although sometimes people are greedy, if they are told that the consequence of greed is to cut off their incense, they will restrain themselves.
Maybe this is what I have been thinking about since my bones.
...........
At the same time, the same question occurred in Zhangtai Palace
Although he knew that his father hated the original Lu Buwei, Fusu still asked this question.
"Father, aren't you afraid that Lu Buwei will appear again?"
Ying Zheng just smiled and took a sip of tea, watching the tea leaves floating in the cup like fragments of a small boat.
"Afraid?"
"When have I ever been afraid?"
He clasped his hands together and said with a depressed expression: "Besides, today's merchants don't have that status."
"I seem to have improved the status of merchants, but at the same time I have restricted their development."
"The more they earn and the more taxes they pay, the faster the country develops. Their strength will never catch up with the country's strength. This is one of them."
"Secondly..."
At this point, Ying Zheng suddenly laughed: "Do you think your petty teacher would be so happy if he cared about something or someone?"
"I think your teacher's memorial will be coming soon."
"It's about how to restrict merchants from paying taxes."
He squinted his eyes: "A person like Chen Ke is like a stubborn donkey or a rabbit."
"A stubborn donkey is determined by how many times you whip him. As long as he admits it, things will never change."
"The rabbit may look gentle, but it is powerful enough to fly like an eagle."
"If you want to control a person like Chen Ke, you have to know how to prioritize things. He won't take hard or soft advice and stays out of things. You can only use emotion as a guide and let him see some things that he is not used to."
"Only then will he do what you want him to do."
Hearing this, Fusu was stunned, and then said: "Father, what you mean is..."
He raised his head and said with some incredulity: "Did my father want to reform the taxes on merchants and punish those merchants, but there is no other way?"
"Is that why?"
Ying Zheng nodded casually and drank all the tea in the cup. He replaced it with a glass of wine next to him without leaving any trace: "Not bad, but I didn't think deeply enough."
"I don't want to disturb the merchants, I want to revive Daqin's economy."
"Chen Ke is too lazy to reform the economic system, but he can't stand businessmen."
"Therefore, if there is a policy to improve the status of merchants, he must use it to deal with merchants. If he comes up with a policy to deal with merchants, there will be new troubles later."
"Isn't that what people are like?"
"Before you get involved in something, your body will always be clean. But once you get involved in something, you won't be able to get out for a short time."
"Because everything will be like a spider web, wrapped around you in thousands of ways."
Ying Zheng's expression was a little sad. He looked at Fusu and said: "Fusu, although I have contacted your teacher to teach me Tai Chi in the past two years and often practice according to his methods, I can still feel arrive."
"My body has been damaged beyond repair."
He said softly: "I don't know how many years I can live."
Ying Zheng smiled bitterly: "Even though Wuji and Chen Ke have told me many times that I can still live for another twenty or thirty years, I am always worried."
"Chen Ke's loyalty can be seen from the sun and the moon. He has absolutely no second thoughts about Da Qin."
"The problem is, he's too lazy."
Ying Zheng put his hands behind his back and said, "Now when I am here, he doesn't want to pay attention to many things, let alone when you are in office?"
He smiled hoarsely: "I'm afraid that Chen Ke will just find a hill to hide in, or stay in his mansion all day without going out, right?"
Fusu lowered his head and listened to what Ying Zheng said.
As he listened, he felt something was wrong. He subconsciously glanced at the wine glass in Ying Zheng's hand: "Father, why have you started drinking again?"
He held his forehead: "Didn't the teacher say that your current body should not drink alcohol, otherwise it will affect your life span?"
Ying Zheng snorted softly: "If he doesn't let me drink it, I won't drink it?"
"How can we manage the affairs of the world without wine in the cup?"
Although he said this, Ying Zheng really didn't drink anymore and just said: "So I hope to do more things while I'm still here."
"This way you can do less in the future."
"Now that I am in charge, who in the world dares to question my decision? Who in the world dares to oppose me?"
"The so-called ancestral laws and the so-called rituals are nothing in front of me."
"I am the First Emperor, and what I say is the law of my ancestors. I am the First Emperor, and what I say is the instruction of my ancestors."
"What I say is etiquette."
"Fusu, do you understand?"
Fusu bent down and said softly: "Father, I understand."
He sighed, knowing in his heart that his father was not worried about his son, but his teacher.
Ying Zheng, who was getting older, did not doubt the loyalty of his ministers like other kings.
He just began to worry uncontrollably about what would happen to his ministers after he left, and worried about what would happen if his ministers and his son had different political opinions.
For a moment, Fusu didn't know whether to be happy for the teacher or to mourn for himself.
.........
Kuaiji County
Zhang Han and Zhao Tuo had already entered the city of Kuaiji County, while Zheng Taidong and others had already been arrested and imprisoned, waiting to be punished.
Yang Tianyi looked at the two generals with a smile and said: "Two generals, some are not welcome from a distance, and some are not welcome from afar."
Zhang Han quickly walked up to Yang Tianyi. Yang Tianyi was born in Baijia Palace and was a disciple of Prime Minister Chen Ke. He was now the governor of Kuaiji County and the general magistrate of Kuaiji County. His status was higher than his general.
After all, the current Zhang Han is not the Zhang Han who fought against Xiang Yu as a prisoner in Guanzhong in later generations.
At this time, Zhang Han was still more than ten years away from that time, and he was still just a young man full of enthusiasm.
"Why is Governor Yang doing this?"
He said impatiently: "I wonder if there is a letter from the court stating when General Wang will come?"
Yang Tianyi didn't care and just smiled: "There is news from Xianyang that General Wang will set off next month and will arrive in Kuaiji County in June."
Having said this, Yang Tianyi looked slightly serious.
"Zhang Han and Zhao Tuo accepted the order."
Accept the order?
The two of them bowed down and saluted.
Yang Tianyi said softly: "Your Majesty ordered the two generals to temporarily station outside the forest around Baiyue according to the plan, waiting for the arrival of General Wang."
"Nothing should be done rashly before General Wang arrives."
The two people immediately said: "Here."
.........
The land of Baiyue is full of miasma
Most of the people living here are barbarians, and the barbarians still live a life of consuming hair and drinking blood, and there are even sacrifices to living people from time to time.
Of course, this kind of thing happens occasionally in the Central Plains.
The belief in the land of Baiyue is Lei Po. They believe that the thunder in the sky, peacocks and other animals on the ground are all the messengers of Lei Po, and they obey their guidance.
But now, in the Land of Baiyue, the people of the Baiyue tribe, which is close to Da Qin and next to the ocean, are gradually feeling worse.
Because they found a problem.
"King, we don't have enough salt."
"That cunning Central Plains businessman did not come again as we agreed."
The witch looked worried: "If this continues, our tribe may gradually weaken and then be unable to hunt."
"The amount of sacrificial supplies offered to Lei Po will decrease."
"I'm afraid Lei Po will unleash even more terrifying wrath to punish unfaithful believers."
The king of Dongyue looked thoughtful in his eyes. After a moment, he looked at the witch and said, "If the people from the Central Plains don't come, what about the people from Bashu?"
"Is there any news there?"
