Wei and Jin Cooks

  Chapter 686 Come, pay a tax

  Zhang Xie and Xia Houyan are enjoying flowers and drinking in the garden.

In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, wine was the most common drink. Of course, only the nobles and wealthy businessmen could afford it. A bowl of boiled water is the most common in the homes of ordinary people. If you can add some salt or sugar to the water, that is Quite a high standard of hospitality.

  Unfortunately, Fu Tinghan doesn't like to drink, he prefers to drink tea, if not, boiled water is also fine.

   It is his rule not to drink alcohol during working hours.

  So after sitting down in front of Zhang Xie, he declined Xia Houyan who offered to pour him wine.

  Xia Houyan sneered, took back the jug and said, "If you don't drink, I don't want to pour it for you."

  He said: "Zhao Hanzhang is very strict. He forbids the private brewing and selling of alcoholic beverages, saying that it is a waste of food, which doubles the amount of alcoholic beverages in Luoyang in just three months."

  He snorted and said: "But I know that half of the wine that comes out of restaurants and restaurants now comes from the Zhao family in Xiping and the Luoyang county government."

  Fu Tinghan said: "The county government brews wine to control the wine trade, and to make money to support the people and the army in Luoyang."

  He said: "Now the county government is still taking in refugees who pass by, and with the consumption of the army, her treasury is not sufficient."

Xia Houyan said disdainfully: "What about the Zhao family in Xiping? Don't think I don't know, that person is her uncle Zhao Hanzhang, who is said to be the seventh grandfather of the Zhao family in Xiping. He took over the wine business as soon as he arrived in Luoyang and opened a The restaurant directly supports the entire Luoyang, and there are also 20% of the wine transactions in several nearby counties."

   "That's the qualification he bought with money," Fu Tinghan said: "One hundred thousand dollars, three years' qualification."

  Xia Houyan choked suddenly, but he doubted whether Zhao Hanzhang really took the money.

   Zhang Xie waited for them to finish playing, and quickly said: "Forget about it, anyway, we can brew the wine we drink at home, so don't be angry about it."

  Xia Houyan sneered and asked him, "When did you become so soft-tempered?"

  Zhang Xie ignored him and asked Fu Tinghan: "Mr. Fu has only been in Luoyang for two days, why did he come to my door?"

  Fu Tinghan took a sip of water from the bowl and choked, only to realize that wine was poured into the bowl at some point.

   It was Zhang Xie who poured it when the two of them were talking. He explained: "Forgive me, Mr. Fu, I really don't have boiled water here. This wine is very refreshing, so it can be drunk as water."

  Fu Tinghan put down the bowl, his face flushed, and he said, "I came here today to urge taxes."

   Not only Xia Houyan, but also Zhang Xie was stunned, "What?"

  Fu Tinghan turned to look at Fu An.

  Fu An immediately took out an account book from his pocket and respectfully handed it over.

  Fu Tinghan opened it, didn't even look at it, and handed it over directly: "This is the tax owed by your family this year. Now that winter is coming, it's time to pay it off."

   Zhang Xie and Xia Houyan lowered their heads to look with stiff necks.

  Fu Tinghan had already read the accounts before coming, and the accounts were not complicated, and he could write them down at a glance. He said, "Can the two of you pay it today?"

  Xia Houyan's face turned red, and he was speechless for a moment.

  Although Zhang Xie and Xia Houyan hid in the mountains, they called it seclusion to recuperate.

   But their family members are still down the mountain, in Luoyang.

  They have properties in Luoyang, and even several nearby counties.

  Zhang Xie had three sons in total. The second and youngest sons left Luoyang with their younger brother and fled for their lives. Zhang Xie received the news and went to the south.

  The eldest son stayed behind to take care of him and the unsold land.

  Now in the household registration book, Zhang Xie is the head of the household, so if you want to collect taxes, you really have to find Zhang Xie.

  Xia Houyan is different. He loves freedom all his life. Although he had wives and concubines, he never married again after his wife passed away. He has no children, and he is not in a hurry to have children.

  Currently, he is the only one in Luoyang's household registration book, but there are still slaves under his name, and the land property at home is all handed over to the slaves.

   What's more, domestic slaves also have taxes, and the master's family pays.

Xia Houyan was stunned for a while, then went to look at Fu Tinghan's face carefully, and saw that his face was red, and even his earlobes were red, so he asked: "You can't drink so much, so you're drunk? No, you're drunk It's also a matter now, why do you still bring the account book in advance?"

  Fu Tinghan looked puzzled, "I'm here to collect taxes, what do I bring without an account book?"

  Xia Houyan: "Aren't you and Zhao Hanzhang trying to recruit us?"

  Fu Tinghan said: "There is no conflict between recruiting you and paying taxes."

  He said: "If Mister is really willing to go down the mountain to assist Hanzhang, I think she will sweep the couch to welcome her and give Mister the best conditions, but this has nothing to do with taxes?"

   Zhang Xie's eyes flashed, and he asked: "If we ask Mr. Zhao to exempt us from taxes?"

   "No," Xia Houyan said, "I still need to pay taxes for the gentry?"

  When Emperor Jin was here, no one asked them for taxes.

  Fu Tinghan said: "Now Luoyang is managed by Mr. Zhao. As early as March, she issued decrees and announcements. People under the rule, regardless of status, need to pay taxes in line with their status and property."

  Slaves have their own taxes, farmers have their own standards, and merchants and scholars naturally have their own standards.

  Xia Houyan was very displeased, but Zhang Xie burst out laughing and said: "Okay! I accept it!"

   "Jingyang!" Xia Houyan looked at him disapprovingly.

  Zhang Xie raised his hand to stop him, and asked his supervisor to call to prepare money and food according to the amount in the account book.

  Fu Tinghan looked at Xia Houyan.

  Xia Houyan pursed her lips and remained silent.

   There was a system in the Jin Dynasty called the system of rank officials occupying fields and shady households.

  What does it mean, that is, high-ranking officials occupy a large amount of land without paying taxes, and can hide their relatives from serving in the military, and the diners under the door are not controlled by the court.

  There are too many maneuverability here.

  For example, Zhao Changyu, when he was in Caibo, except for the large tracts of land under his own name, he did not have to pay taxes. Zhao Hu, Zhao Song and others would also record some fields under his name, which also avoided taxes.

  As for a diner like Ji Yuan, he only obeys Zhao Changyu, and will not listen to the imperial court.

   Now it’s Zhao Hanzhang, she is even more powerful. Since she took control of Yuzhou, the imperial court has urged her to pay taxes every year, but she has never paid it once, and in turn asked the imperial court for support.

  She didn't even pay the state's taxes, let alone her own taxes.

   After seeing the emperor in Luoyang, after being officially canonized, she was willing to support the imperial court with some money and food every time. The last time she sent to Yuncheng was the new money minted by qualifications.

  She did this to the imperial court, but she changed the law under her rule.

  Yuzhou was replaced by her a long time ago, but there are not many high-ranking officials there, and there are not many officials who are lucky enough to be exempted from taxation. The rest were either killed by her or replaced by her.

  The people who are replaced are all her people, so naturally they must obey her laws.

  Her decree is that she can give money, houses, and fields to her subordinates, but everyone has to pay taxes like ordinary citizens.

  Luoyang is…

  Although many people escaped, there are too many descendants of aristocratic families and gentry families, and they were all tax-exempted before.

  For example, Zhang Xie and Xia Houyan, one of them has not been an official for many years, and the other has never been an official, but they and their land properties are exempt from tax.

  This is the first time someone has collected taxes on them.

   Today’s two chapters are 2,000 words, continue to work hard tomorrow

Good night

  (end of this chapter)