"But fifth brother, if the tax is collected like this, how should we implement it?" Zhu Biao was more prudent after all. Although he understood that the light commercial tax only benefited large households, he also considered more practical issues.
"If it's as you say, every time a business tax is levied, wouldn't it be necessary to approve and clear the account books under each merchant's name?"
"It's just one family or two families. If every family is like this, how much energy does the court need to invest? How much manpower and material resources will it cost?"
Zhu Biao shook his head slightly. "If this is really going to be the case, not to mention the household department, I'm afraid that all the officials in the imperial court will not be able to use it."
"And the amount of money and food consumed for carriages and horses must be huge. Maybe even if we collect business taxes, we will still be unable to make ends meet."
Zhu Su was stunned. After thinking for a while, he realized that as Zhu Biao said, there were indeed many problems in raising commercial taxes like this.
After all, the proposal to levy a commercial tax was just an idea that came to his mind at this time, because he wanted to get money so he naturally thought of taxing the knife. After all, the tax problems of the Ming Dynasty were well known to everyone even in later generations.
But he still thought too simply and underestimated the difficulty of collecting commercial taxes. Agricultural taxes only need to be collected in summer and autumn, but commercial taxes are collected all year round. Every summer and autumn, the Ministry of Household Affairs is extremely busy. So what if every household has to calculate business taxes based on income?
In this era, there were not many technological means that later generations would use to help with supervision and calculation, nor were there all kinds of powerful government execution capabilities. There will be so much tax evasion in later generations, let alone the Ming Dynasty at this time.
Is it possible that the imperial court has stopped doing other things from now on and concentrates on fighting with these profiteers and merchants?
Zhu Biao saw through it at a glance, but he was still complacent... It can only be said that if you take away the far-sightedness brought by his identity as a time traveler, his political ability is really not that good...
"It's certainly impossible to roll it out immediately." Lao Zhu also has his own plan. "But such a big loophole in the tax system must not be left to our descendants."
"Lao Wu's method is very good. Even if there is no way to repair the problem immediately, as long as there is a profit or two, it can help the court survive this period."
"In our opinion, it is better to record this method into the Ming Law first and let go of this loophole first, so as to prevent future generations of bureaucrats from using our ancestral system to suppress future generations of kings."
"Then, start on a small scale to test the new tax system. Didn't your science, Lao Wu, also say that you can't just look at theory, but start from reality, and do more experiments to know what is going on?"
"Perhaps this new tax system will actually be implemented? If it is collected, it will solve the current urgent need."
"We have to pick out the soft fruits first. Fully rolling out the new tax system is a tough nut to crack. As a quick fix, we still have to look to the Japanese country in the east."
"As long as we can get those gold and silver mines, we can issue treasure banknotes and establish a treasure banknote withdrawal bank..."
Lao Zhu's realm was even higher than that of Zhu Biao. He had no intention of achieving success overnight. He just wanted to use the name of changing the tax system to collect enough money to tide over the difficulties and conquer the Japanese.
By the way, make up for the mistakes of your own bad government, so as not to harm your descendants...
"Chongba, where do you want to start?" Queen Ma asked.
"My sister is naturally asking the officials in the court!" Lao Zhu smiled coldly. "Those officials fooled us into creating a business tax of thirty to one. Their own families have probably accumulated countless wealth!"
"They have worked so hard to create such a big leak, so how can they not stay under it and steal the oil?"
"Since they have swallowed our money, we must make them spit it out!"
…
To the west of the city, the Korean government.
"Mr. Li, please take good care of me!" In the study room of the mansion, a certain servant from the Household Department, dressed in casual clothes, saluted Li Shanchang. He bowed his head to the bottom and looked extremely humble.
"Haha, easy to say, easy to say." Li Shanchang smiled slightly and sat on the chair, but straightened his back and accepted the gift without moving. The two of them exchanged a few polite words, and when the servant saw Li Shanchang picking up the tea, he took his leave and left the mansion through the back door under the leadership of the servants of the Li family.
"... Counting this person, he is the seventh one today." Beside Li Shanchang, the eldest son Li Qi, who had been waiting quietly by his side, looked worried.
"Father, by proposing the issuance of banknotes to His Majesty, you have generously extended favors to the officials in the court... Is this too risky? What if it arouses His Majesty's suspicion..."
"Prime Minister Hu has learned from the past. You have already retired to the official position... wouldn't you like to spend your remaining years in your mansion? Why do you need to step into the muddy waters of the court again?"
Yes, Li Shanchang did have his own selfish motives when he proposed issuing banknotes.
You must know that since ancient times, minting coins has been a promising thing for officials in the DPRK and China. The benefits are enough to make people flock to it. In the past dynasties, there were even bloody battles between various yamen for the right to mint coins in a mere area.
This is even true when expensive copper mines are needed to mint coins, let alone when just printing a few pieces of paper can be used as treasure notes.
All the officials in the court are human beings, how can anyone not smell the oily fragrance among them? Li Shanchang was the former top leader in the court, a figure who once controlled the world's money and food for General Zhu, and was also the person who first advocated the issuance of banknotes. If His Majesty really opened a banknote promotion department, how could he not listen to Li Shanchang's opinion?
It is not unusual to entrust all the power and treasure to him. You know, Li Shanchang is praised as the "Xiao He" of the Ming Dynasty.
With the help of treasure money, this Korean prince, who was getting further and further away from the center of power because he became an official, his disciple Hu Weiyong was imprisoned, and all civil servants in Huaixi were arrested, unexpectedly became more and more popular among the "Qingliu" officials who were originally at odds with him. Get hot.
"Children's opinion." Faced with his son's worries, Li Shanchang looked dismissive.
"Now Qingliu has become a general trend. Instead of sitting back and waiting for death, it is better to take advantage of the situation. My father used the treasure banknote to seduce the officials. It is clear that he is actually gathering the hearts of the officials for the superior."
"Most of these Qingliu officials are ministers of the Yuan Dynasty. If there is no one to lead them, how can they do good things for our Ming Dynasty?"
"Even if I am in front of a superior, I still have a clear conscience."
Seeing that the eldest son did not listen, but gradually showed doubts, Li Shan sighed.
"Speaking of which, at my father's age, he is still so diligent in his work, and it's not just for you, his descendants."
"You, your talents are mediocre and cannot be used in a big way. You still have some friendship between being a father and being in a higher position, and the iron bond may still be able to be exchanged. But if you become the prince or even the next generation, how can the Zhu family care about my past contributions?"
"When you become officials, if you are dissatisfied with one or two things, the descendants of the Zhu family will dig up Hu Weiyong's old accounts... My Li family will be destroyed in just a moment!"
"If we cannot control the power of the government..."
"Son, I don't want to think about it. My family is already the home of the prince, and we are extremely favored. As long as we don't embezzle, don't seize power, and work conscientiously, we won't offend the royal family. On the contrary, if you, father, win over the courtiers, you will not be able to protect yourself..." Li Qi retorted.
"Confused!" Li Shanchang suddenly changed his expression and scolded: "If you don't offend others, they will offend you. How can you keep your family business?"
"Needless to say, I have made up my mind to be a father. I have known the superior since we were young, and I know his character best. Nothing will happen."
"...Yes." Father is the guide for son, and Li Qi couldn't say anything else. He just looked at his father's back that had straightened up again in the past few days, but he still had deep worries in his heart.
You and Your Majesty have known each other since childhood, so why not Hu Weiyong? Everyone says that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger, how can one allow others to sleep soundly while lying down and chatting... But you are dedicated to passing on the phase to your disciple Hu Weiyong, and giving and receiving the power of the court privately, so that you can continue to control the power of the court behind the scenes.
Your Majesty's arrest of Hu Weiyong, deposing the prime minister, and destroying the Huaixi Civil Service Party are enough to show that he is very afraid of someone in the court trying to gain power. You have become the Duke of South Korea, ranking first among the founding ministers of the country, but why can't you let go of the power in your hands and want to step into this lucrative position?
Your Majesty praises you as Xiao He, but I am afraid that you yourself are not willing to be Prime Minister Xiao of the Ming Dynasty.
But he only wants to go one step further and become Huo Guang and Changsun Wuji of the Ming Dynasty!
(End of chapter)
