ask sword 2

Chapter 204 Taxation
In the attic of the restaurant, Li Ang was leaning against the window, frowning slightly, looking at the closed Suzaku door below, tapping the table back and forth with five fingers.

Inexplicably, there is a sense of déjà vu that the wife is giving birth in the delivery room and the husband is waiting anxiously outside the house.

In the same room, Li Leling, He Fanshuang, You Xiao and others chatted about the newly launched rouge powder—in fact, it was mainly Li Leling who was chatting,
After all, their identities are different, You Xiao responded cautiously, kindly and respectfully beside him,

On the other hand, He Fanshuang was drinking tea and nibbling sunflower seeds calmly.

As if noticing Li Ang's restlessness, Li Leling coughed lightly, and said, "A few days ago, I heard Aye and the ministers discussing that those Hu merchants used spices, borneols, rhino horns, ivory, etc. The goods were brought to Chang'an, and the sales made a profit.

Then transport the porcelain and silk from the Central Plains back to the far west, and you can earn tens of thousands of guan, or even more than [-] guan, which can be called huge profits, even if heavy taxes are charged. "

"Ok?"

Li Ang's attention was slightly attracted, and he asked in doubt: "Is the imperial court going to attack Hu Shang?"

In the 300 years of Yu State, the atmosphere of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business has not been eliminated. Scholars and nobles still disdain to manage business by themselves, and prefer to find agents to collect money for them.

Foreign Hu merchants who have no foundation and can be replaced at any time have become the best agent group.

As a result, the Hu merchants in the two cities of Chang'an have become one of the highest-income groups in Yu State on the bright side, and they have always been the targets of Chang'an people's "hating the rich"-the people of Chang'an can't wait for the court to charge Hu merchants even more The heavy tax to subsidize the finances.

However, there are nobles on the heads of Hu merchants, big and small. Asking the important officials of the court to propose raising the tax rate is tantamount to "I punish myself", which is difficult to implement. . .

And the tax on Hu merchants is already high enough.

"I don't have any plans yet."

Li Leling shook his head and said: "But spices, borneols, ivory, etc. are the luxury playthings of the nobles of the rich family, which are of no benefit to the country or the people, but what the Yu country loses are copper coins, gold and silver.

So now we have to find a way to earn back the gold and silver. "

Li Ang raised his eyebrows,
The land of Yu State is too large and the population is too large. The gold, silver and copper mines have just mined minerals and made them into coins, and they will be absorbed by the country in a blink of an eye. As a result, the coins in circulation will never be enough, which has become a financial problem.

There are only a few ways to make up for the money shortage.

Imported gold, silver and copper ore.

Promoting banknotes and flying money - this requires further improvement of anti-counterfeiting technology, papermaking technology, and printing technology.

Let the gentry take out and spend the money hidden at home-this must provide a more stable financial management method than land acquisition, that is, investing in setting up factories.

But what's the point of earning gold and silver from the Far West?
"The simplest thing is to prohibit Hu merchants from carrying coins from the Yu Kingdom when they return to the Far West, but that will shake the credibility of the coins, so it is not feasible."

Li Leling said: "So we can only find other ways to develop new products that will interest the countries in the Far West."

"Is it a book?"

You Xiao thought for a while and said, "I see that in Chang'an's public library, there are often barbarians to read books."

"Uh, no."

Li Leling shook his head, "Those Hu merchants are indeed very interested in the publications of Yu State, especially the Neo-Confucian publications of Xuegong, and are willing to collect publications at ten or a hundred times the price, and sneak them to the Far West.

The kings of the Far West will reward them heavily.

There are too many benefits in it, even if the imperial court strictly prohibits the outflow of books, it can't stop Hu merchants and even Yu people from smuggling books, so they have to give up.

After all, the academy prints too many publications every year. "

Li Ang glanced at You Xiao out of the corner of his eye. You Duzhi's EQ is so much higher than Song Shaoyuan's. He must have known for a long time that it would not be about smuggling books. Just asking this question was just to please Li Leling.

"Apart from silk, porcelain, and pure wine, what the Hu merchants are most interested in is actually Yu's luxury goods."

Li Leling didn't hold back any more, and said, "Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Da Lang.

Soap and absorbent cotton have now become bulk commodities purchased by Hu merchants, and the most profitable is perfume. "

"Oh, this one."

Li Ang suddenly realized that the plant essential oil extracted by condensation technology has surpassed the previous aromatherapy in terms of aroma, and has become the crown of luxury goods in one fell swoop.

Now in the market of Yu country, the price of a small bottle of aromatherapy that is one finger high ranges from a hundred to a thousand, and often there is no market for the price - only the general supervisor is qualified to produce the condenser.

For example, Jinxiutang and other old stores, faced with the reality of shortage, even learned without a teacher, and developed a "member reservation system",
You have to become a member of Jinxiutang before you are eligible to shake the number. Only after you get the number can you be eligible to pay for the purchase.

When Li Ang heard the news for the first time, he had to admire the business thinking of these people.It can only be said that interest is indeed the best tool to stimulate subjective initiative.

"The imperial court originally wanted to ban perfume. After all, perfume was originally used as an anti-mosquito product, and it also occupied the share of condensing equipment.
It can be regarded as a 'strange skill and obscenity'.

But it really earns money, more money than spices, ivory, or pearls. "

Li Leling said with emotion: "Those companies that are qualified to produce perfume, their daily profit has reached an enviable level. Even my seven, ahem, sister, have to find someone to set up a company. Their names are already It's ready."

"what is it call?"

You Xiao's eyes lit up, and he asked softly.

Li Leling is the most favored Princess Guanghua, a word she casually said is the most valuable information for Chang'an and the closest to the power center of Yu State.

It can be said that if you become good friends with Li Leling, even if you close your eyes and invest in the eastern and western cities, you can make a lot of money.

"Gucci."

Li Leling said solemnly: "Ancient, long time.

Chi, well-known also.

It means long-term operation. "

puff.

Li Ang almost spit out a mouthful of tea, Gucci.
Why not called Chanel, Dior, Hermes?
"Gucci, Gucci is a good name."

You Xiao got useful information, and he boasted fiercely for a while, and his mind changed sharply.

Even the imperial court of Yu Kingdom silently relaxed the restrictions due to the huge interests in the perfume industry, and even the princess of Yu Kingdom wanted to invest in a company to take the opportunity to make a fortune.

Even if You Xiao is a small family, he is not qualified to have a relationship with the princess, participate in investment firms, and get a share of the pie.

At least they can find a way to invest in those new companies that will be established in the future and have the qualifications for perfume production.

"I don't know much about these either. In short, it would be best if the business can be established."

Li Leling stuck out her tongue. Except for a few princes and daughters who are particularly favored in the palace, the status and wealth of the rest of the imperial heirs largely depends on the power of the mother clan.

The greater the power of the mother clan, the more luxurious the prince's future palace will be, and the prince's daughter will be able to find a good husband in the future instead of just marrying an innocent official.

As for the princes and daughters who are not favored and whose mother clan is weak, they can only find their own way and rely on themselves.While still in Chang'an, fish if you can.

Li Leling has never been troubled by money, and sincerely hopes that her sisters and brothers can earn more money.

"Having said that, for this year's final exam, I don't know if the candidates can have lunch."

Li Leling suddenly remembered that it was lunch time, and Chai Chai in the examination room didn't know if there was anything to eat.

"There should be... right?"

Just as Li Ang was about to say something, he heard creaking noises from the Suzaku Gate below.

Someone already came out?
He immediately got up and looked into the distance, and the parents of the candidates who were anxiously waiting on the street also tiptoed to look to see if it was his own child.

wow——

The Suzaku door slowly opened, and a familiar figure stepped out from inside.

"Um?!"

Li Ang subconsciously turned up the volume.

(End of this chapter)