Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 991 Appeal
Compared with the previous Ming Dynasty, the number of officials in the Shaowu Dynasty nearly tripled.

Many of them were included in the directory, received salaries, and were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Officials.

The holding of the provincial examination also allowed many scholars and recruits to participate in the yamen, which cut off the hereditary subordinate officials at once.

At the same time, the subordinate staff were promoted by the provincial examination. Although some scholars who did not understand grassroots work were produced, their quality was improved, which was more conducive to the local officials' control over the local area.

In addition, the subordinate officials are employed locally, and the officials after the provincial examination are randomly assigned by the government, and they are officials in different counties, which can well prevent them from forming cliques for personal gain.

Therefore, folk opinion: officials are like officials, and there are more officials than in the previous dynasty!
This also laid the foundation for the implementation of the Shaowu Dynasty's New Deal.

Rent reduction and interest rate reduction, old people from the three villages, judges and officials, direct collection of taxes, promotion of crops...

All these piles, one by one, have created this prosperous world.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Officials, the average number of officials in each county has expanded from a few hundred in the Ming Dynasty to more than two hundred, or nearly three hundred.

Among them, there are inspectors, clerks, monks and yin and yang officials, etc., as well as Liufang Book Office, officials, and folk elders.

The number of government and provincial government offices has also gradually expanded in order to govern such a large bureaucracy.

As a result, there are about 40 civil and military officials in the central government, and more than [-] local officials.

In fact, the official government also hired a large number of white servants to work, and the number was three to five times that of the total number of officials.

Generally speaking, there were 300 million people in the Ming Dynasty, and the number of people who ate imperial food was about [-] million, including the army, hundreds of officials, officials, and white servants.

The ratio of officials to citizens is about seventy to one.

And you must know that in the pre-Ming Dynasty, only 20 yuan of imperial food was eaten, so it was criticized by the literati, and the financial burden was too heavy.

The total salary of these people exceeds 6000 million a year.

Among them, the army includes the Beijing camp, the frontier army, and the patrol battalion. The total number is about 70, and it takes 3000 million to support them.

Thinking of this, Yan Chongxin, who has always been with Qian Liang, couldn't help but shiver:
"The number of officials in our dynasty is far greater than that of previous dynasties. For thousands of years, only our dynasty has the most officials!"

"The annual expenditure is 6000 million, which is unprecedented!"

Zhao Langxing, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, also sighed after hearing the words: "What Zhongtang said is very true."

"In recent years, many gentry among the people have talked about abolishing officials, increasing income and reducing expenditure. There are too many officials in the court, which makes people feel uncomfortable!"

"But speaking of it, so many officials can still be placed safely in Zhongtang's hands, and their salaries have never been in arrears, which is really rare!"

When Yan Chongxin heard the words, he expressed a little bit of satisfaction and said: "There are many officials, and a certain one is often uneasy in the cabinet. After thinking about it, he got something."

"This great Ming is maintained entirely by commercial taxes."

Last year's autumn tax gradually arrived in the capital, and the amount was in line with the cabinet's estimate.

What is more phenomenal is that Shaowu Eighteen's commercial tax exceeded the agricultural tax for the first time, which was extremely shocking to the cabinet.

The local government paid 9000 million silver dollars, but the grain tax was only about 4000 million. If converted into grain, eight silver cents per shi, that is 5000 million shi.

Compared with the pre-Ming period, it has almost doubled.

After careful research by the cabinet, in addition to more thorough tax collection, most of the growth points lie in the development of Taiwan and the Northeast, especially the Liaodong area, which is sparsely populated and more than half of the food that the capital eats comes from the local area.

In the commercial tax, the four items of wine, tea, iron, and salt are miscellaneous taxes. Only relying on salt, 2000 million yuan is paid a year, which is really outrageous.

The rest of the tariffs and taxes shared with the localities have also been handed over 2000 million yuan.

Plus some scattered ones, it reached 300 million silver dollars.

Therefore, in Yan Chongxin's eyes, Suiyuan and Chahar paid more taxes, while Annan had nothing but food. If he had to choose between Annan and Suiyuan, he would rather choose Suiyuan.

Yan Chongxin explained the key points of taxation to several people, and he was deeply moved.

If the commercial tax is removed, then just looking at the 4000 million grain tax, it is simply impossible to support such a huge army and bureaucracy.

In this way, the bureaucracy is dependent on commercial taxation.

"Emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business is absolutely impossible." Su Ziweng, the servant of the household department, echoed, and then said indignantly:

"A lot of people who don't know the depth say that the court prioritizes agriculture and business, and competes with the people for profit. If there is no dispute, how can the court survive?"

"Are you going to seek alms from hundreds of officials to support the army like Emperor Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty?"

"Okay!" Yan Chongxin reassured: "They are all young and inert. The imperial court puts taxes on them, so naturally they are in a difficult mood."

"Don't listen to his nonsense."

On the other hand, Zhao Langxing was speechless.

He finally understood that these two came to sing the oboe and perform for himself.

A few days ago, his family was fined 2000 yuan in silver dollars for failing to pay customs duties. These days, the Ministry of Household Affairs has been putting on face and is not pleasing to the eye.

Yan Chongxin glanced at Zhao Langxing, seeing that he pursed his lips and said nothing, he smiled inwardly, and nodded slightly to Su Ziweng.

Su Ziweng also cooperated: "For me, the imperial court has about ten million yuan left each year. Just in case, the business tax should be collected more."

"Zhongtang, how about following the example of the former Song Dynasty and implementing official camp?"

"Official wine, official salt, official vinegar, official tea, official cloth, as far as I am concerned, the business tax can be increased by at least 5000 million. If this breaks through [-] million taels, it will be considered a real prosperous age! "

"No." Zhao Langxing couldn't sit still any longer: "Zhao Song has redundant officials and soldiers, and they have to provide for the barbarians. Naturally, they are harsh on the people. Now that my emperor is in charge of the government and loves the people, it is absolutely impossible to do this."

"I'm afraid that once it is implemented, the people will be unstable."

His family runs a large number of vinegar farms and wine farms. If these are nationalized and the imperial court manages the monopoly, it will be a fart.

"Sit down!" Yan Chongxin smiled and asked unhurriedly:
"Why is the business tax twice that of the previous dynasty, but the people don't oppose it?"

"I don't know." Zhao Langxing calmed down.

"I also had doubts. His Majesty personally explained that this is a direct tax and an indirect tax."

Yan Chongxin shook his head, stood up and cupped his hands in the direction of the Forbidden City, expressing his admiration for the emperor:
"The so-called direct tax, the so-called agricultural tax, is taken from the hands of the farmers in person, and naturally everyone hates it."

"The indirect tax is not the case. For example, the price of cloth is higher, and the clothes will be worn for a few more days. When they can't wear them, they will stamp their feet and buy them again. At that time, they will only scold profiteers. Why blame the court?"

"Besides, if you can afford it, you always have some money in your pocket, and if you can't afford it, you don't buy it."

"Therefore, the commercial tax must not only be collected, but must be continuously collected. The agricultural tax is the opposite. The tax should be as light as possible. Only when the people have money in their pockets can the commercial tax be collected."

Zhao Langxing was stunned.

He was silent for a while, then said, "I understand."

Yan Chongxin nodded slightly, showing a sincere smile.

Afterwards, he hurried to the capital to report the matter to the emperor.

After listening to his explanation, Zhu Yixi sighed: "After all, I have read the book and know how to measure it. Just explain it clearly."

"Some scholars, who have been officials for many years, have forgotten the principles in the sages' books, and are only blinded by money. They really need to study."

Yan Chongxin flattered him: "Your Majesty is merciful, let him change his ways, and he is indeed a sage king through the ages."

In this regard, Zhu Yixi shook his head and continued to cut a flower tree in front of him.

The scissors in his hand were fast, and the whole tree was pruned in a short while, like a dog gnawing on it, which was extremely ugly.

When Yan Chongxin saw it, his eyelids trembled and he pretended not to see it.

Zhu Yixi, on the other hand, looked at it seriously and seemed extremely satisfied.

Seeing that his face remained unchanged, he said: "Pruning trees is not about the present, but the future."

"Subtract those branches and leaves, leaving space for new branches, so as to make it more beautiful and moving. The beauty and ugliness of the moment are nothing, the most important thing is the future."

When Yan Chongxin heard the words, his expression changed, as if he had realized something.

In fact, Zhu Yixi's mood was not very calm, he just calmed himself down by pruning flower trees.

If it was back then, if an official shouted a few words to fight for the interests of the people, he would have slapped him in the face and demoted him to the end to vent his anger.

But now that he has been on the throne for a long time, he has matured and knows how to be stable.

Zhao Langxing, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, appeared to be alone, but in fact, there was a large group of civil and military officials standing behind him, and it would be ineffective to deal with him.

This group of people can be referred to as a vested interest group.

They are also different from the gentry in the late Ming Dynasty. This group of people is composed of officials and businessmen.

The family promotes people to become officials, and then the clan members do business, link up with each other, and support each other, resulting in huge power.

After all, in addition to brains, money plays a big role in the imperial examination.

The most typical representative is Shanxi Merchants Group.

The Anhui merchants were poor and had to come out to do business, while the Shanxi merchants benefited from the border trade, and the main talents were placed on doing business.

This kind of person reminds Zhu Yixi of the new British aristocracy.

The so-called new aristocracy refers to the aristocrats who no longer rely on the land, but rely on business to make a fortune, with a broader thinking.

According to common sense, there was a rebellion in Scotland, and Charles II wanted to increase taxes to solve the problem of military expenditures. This is normal thinking.

But the new aristocracy refused and demanded that the right to levy taxes be restricted. If they disagreed, they immediately rebelled.

The so-called Catholic faith issue is just an excuse, mainly interests.

What is this act of Daming?
Gentlemen in Jiangnan who don't pay taxes.

The salt tax is one million a year, and the tea tax is hundreds of thousands. They are simply fooling ghosts.

But now, the agricultural tax has been reduced, and the centralization of power in the Shaowu Dynasty has increased, and the gentry have to surrender, and most of them pay land taxes.

At this time, the tax-heavy merchant group was not happy.

Especially the rich and powerful officials and businessmen, who could have earned 100% of the profits, now have to pay [-]% to the court, who can bear it?

With the continuous development of the commodity economy, the court's top-down mercantile thinking has made the status of merchants rise in a curve, and their appeals have naturally come out:
"Tax reduction!!!"

In terms of ideology, they used the slogan of governing the country to demand that the court pay attention to commercial development and reduce the burden on businessmen.

In terms of behavior, they asked the court to pay attention to the interests of merchants, such as reducing taxes and reducing checkpoints...

On the surface, this seems like a normal request.

But this conflicted with the interests of the court.

Because since the shogunate era, commercial taxes have been levied aggressively.

For example, Sichuan salt enters Chu, and Chu grain enters Wu. Relying on the golden commercial route of the Yangtze River, the shogunate continued to collect commercial taxes to support an army of [-].

Otherwise, relying solely on the ravaged Hubei region would be as difficult as climbing the sky.

In order to appease businessmen, Zhu Yixi continued to introduce policies to create a good business environment and eliminate officials.

For example, when Nanjing ascended the throne, he abolished humble households and miscellaneous households, which were collectively referred to as civilian households.

On the surface, it seems that lowly households have benefited, but in fact, a large number of businessmen have obtained substantial benefits.

Because in the pre-Ming period, except for a small number of merchants in the Jiangnan area, it was difficult for a large number of merchants to pass the imperial examination.

The policy introduced by the emperor cleared the obstacles for his sons to take the imperial examination.

The economic base determines the superstructure, which is no longer the case.

Every policy of the central court has deep meaning.

At the same time, changing from a lowly household to a civilian household means that it no longer enjoys the tax-free policy, and everything must be taxed.

In other words, from now on, brothels will also have to pay taxes.

Officials hate lowly households. Apart from their low status, another reason is that they do not pay taxes, do not serve corvee, and have no profit.

The deep-rooted reason for the abolition of humble households during the Yongzheng period was to expand tax sources and collect taxes.

Dan households drifting along the coast, idlers and beggar households in the Jiangnan area are also included in the population household registration and pay taxes.

Otherwise, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty and the nobles of the Eight Banners would not be able to take care of them. How could they think of the lowly households for hundreds of thousands of years?
Regardless of the past dynasties, it also shows that it is not profitable.

For things like taxation, if the agricultural tax is light, the commercial tax will be heavy. Either one or the other, there is no balance at all.

But now, Emperor Shaowu chooses to lighten the land tax and emphasize the business tax, which makes a group of merchants who are used to a relaxed life and whose strength is gradually expanding feel uncomfortable.

Officials demand re-business, but behind them are a group of businessmen supporting them, or doing business themselves.

In the face of these people, it is not worthwhile to deal with these people regardless, but to forcefully suppress the contradiction and make the contradiction more intensified.

"The former Ming Dynasty relied on land tax, so be careful with the gentry. We rely on commercial tax in the past, so we have to pay attention to this group of merchants."

It is precisely because of thinking so deeply that Zhu Yixi is angry.

Cut taxes today, fight for power tomorrow, and overthrow the emperor the day after.

There are traces of this in Western history.

In the East, due to the long-term autocratic monarchy, the monarchy will die if the monarch compromises.

For Zhu Yixi, if the so-called sprout of capital is to seize his power and overthrow his family rule, then this sprout is not worth mentioning.

Power is like poison, once it is in it, it cannot be shaken off.

"However, there are advantages and disadvantages."

Zhu Yixi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

The country relies on commercial taxation to live, so it will not give up commercial taxation, and will continue to increase the amount to maintain financial health.

At the same time, since ancient times, farmers in China have occupied the majority, which means that most of the scholars come from the landlord group. This group of people may focus on business, but they will definitely not get rid of Confucianism.

After all, Confucianism to the present Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism is the product of the transformation of the landlord class.

"Suppression and development are not contradictory."

The emperor muttered to himself, and then said, "You've done a good job."

Yan Chongxin was overjoyed: "This is what I should do."

"Business tax is so important that the country looks up to it, how can it be lightly moved?"

(End of this chapter)