The taxes of the Ming Dynasty can be divided into three categories.
The first is the regular tax, which is 5 liters, 3 in 5 scoops per mu for official land, and 3 liters, 3 in 5 scoops per mu for private land.
Even if calculated based on the grain yield of 1 stone per mu, the tax rate is only 5.35% for official land and 3.35% for private land respectively. It has to be said that this tax rate is really low.
Because the actual yield per mu in the Ming Dynasty was around 2 shi.
Therefore, Zhu Yuanjing is truly considerate of the common people.
However, regardless of whether it is official land, private land, or land owned by noble families, regular taxes must be paid, and no penny should be paid.
In addition to the regular tax, the second item is the Ding tax, which is the poll tax. Every adult has to pay the tax. It is precisely because of this that some aristocratic families and wealthy clans try every means to hide the Ding tax.
Therefore, the population of the Ming Dynasty is a confused account.
In addition to regular taxes and small taxes, the third major item is corvee.
According to regulations, adult men need to take a period of time every year to serve in land and water docks, inns, yamen and other institutions, including miscellaneous services and even military service.
After Zhang Juzheng implemented a whipping method, in view of the fact that some aristocratic families and local clans concealed the Ding population and used it to get their own personal affairs, the Ding tax and corvee were spread to the fields, and the tax was changed to Zhese.
Zhezhese means collecting money directly instead of in kind. Cheng Ding no longer has to bear all kinds of corvee labor and only needs to pay taxes.
These two taxes are preferential and exempt for officials and gentry. Officials of different grades can be exempted from the number of people, and the people can be exempted from the number of acres. This refers to the tax and the apportionment of corvee, which are non-regular taxes.
In addition to these three major taxes, there are three additional rates.
The additional amount of the three-rate tax even exceeds the regular tax itself. However, due to tax evasion by officials and gentry, coupled with the large number of people fleeing, the three-rate tax can only be allocated to the few people who have not fled and whose families are relatively well-off. This has even occurred in Henan.
The absurd phenomenon of one family bearing the entire village's three wages eventually led to the entire village fleeing.
Therefore, it is said that Zhu Yuanzhang did something wrong with good intentions and shot himself in the foot.
Closer to home, according to the request of Huang Shu, the imperial censor, Huguang Xun exempted and exempted Huguang’s Ding tax, corvee service, and three wages. This was actually a measure that truly considered the people, because it could directly reduce the burden on the common people.
Because the main audience for additional taxes and assessments is the common people.
If Huang Peng asks for tax reduction or exemption, he is reducing the burden on the officials and gentry.
"No!" Gao Hongtu said flatly, "Taxation cannot be less!"
"I think it must be paid in full," Jiang Yueguang said, stroking his beard. "Right now, the Holy Emperor is leading twenty-eight border troops to guard the border in Xuzhou. The country is in urgent need of money, and Huguang is a major tax province.
, how can it be reduced or reduced?”
Gao Hongtu added: "Besides, the disaster in Hubei is just Huang Shu's statement. I have already sent people to Hubei to investigate. There was indeed a flood in the Yangtze River a few months ago, but the disaster was not as serious as Huang Shu said."
This time Xie Xuelong also stood on the side of Gao Hongtu and Jiang Yueguang and said: "Huguang has suffered a flood, so why not Nanzhi also suffered a flood? If it is reduced, it must be reduced for Nanzhi and Huguang."
"Then let's vote according to this opinion. However, since the matter is so big that it won't be possible to hand it over to King Yong for approval, we should send it by express delivery to Xuzhou and hand it over to the Holy Emperor for approval." Shi Kefa finally came up with a compromise opinion.
Gao Hongtu and the four of them did not object.
…
Caowan Town, Huai'an Prefecture, Yiding Camp.
Chongzhen filled a bowl of hot soup with a bag, took out a handful of food from the dry food bag and sprinkled it into the hot soup, then picked up a small piece of hard salt and a small handful of black beans and threw them into the food to stir.
After mixing evenly, grab and eat directly.
Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong also followed suit.
Sun Fanzhi, Fu Shan and other four great scholars looked sad.
This is basically dried rice soaked in hot water, and then sprinkled with some salt and black beans. How can you eat it? But if you can't eat it, you can only bite the bullet and eat it. After all, this is what the Holy Father ate.
They can't be more valuable than the Holy One.
While they were eating, Li Ruolian, commander of the Jinyiwei and his colleague, returned to the military camp.
"Your Majesty." Li Ruolian reported to Chongzhen, "The situation has been basically investigated. What Fan Zhongjie, the prefect of Huai'an, said is basically true. The price agreed between Lu Zhenfei and the grain dealer is indeed 1 tael and 5 yuan per stone, which is 50% higher than the market price."
Chongzhen took a mouthful of rice soaked in water and asked, "Did Lu Zhenfei benefit from it?"
"This minister has not found out yet." Li Ruolian shook his head and then said, "But one thing is certain. Lu Zhenfei has a close relationship with Kang Wanwan, the largest salt merchant in Yangzhou, and he came to Huai'an this time.
Among the grain merchants, Kang Wanwan has the largest amount of grain, a full 500,000 shi!"
"Kang Baiwan?" Chongzhen's brows knitted into knots.
Li Ruolian said: "Kang Wanwan's real name is Kang Shaojing. His ancestral home is Huaiqing Prefecture, Henan. During the Hongwu period, he made a fortune by transporting grain to Yulinbian Town in Kaifa. He moved to Yangzhou and has been passed down for six generations."
"That's not what I want to ask." Chongzhen's face fell instantly.
"I'm asking you, is there any benefit transfer between Kang Wanwan and Lu Zhenfei?"
"It's not clear yet," Li Ruolian said hurriedly, "but the 500,000 shi of grain that Kang Baiwan brought to Huai'an Mansion were the ones that Lu Zhenfei sold to Kang Wanwan at the time, at a discount of 9 yuan per shi."
"Is there such a thing?" Zhu Cixiang said angrily, "Doesn't this mean that by changing hands, Kang Baiwan made a profit of 6 yuan in vain? 500,000 shi of grain is 300,000 taels of silver! It's a good business!"
Zhu Cijiong was even more furious: "Father, does this count as collusion between government and businessmen? Does it count as breaking the law? If so, we sent troops to arrest Kang Wanwan and confiscated his 500,000 stone grain, which is not considered sabotage.
Rules, right?"
The anger of brothers Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong was inflamed, but Chongzhen remained unmoved at all.
Chongzhen stared at Li Ruolian with cold eyes and remained silent for a long time, but Li Ruolian's complexion became worse and worse, and there were even large beads of sweat on his forehead.
Suddenly, Li Ruolian had the illusion that a mountain was weighing on him!
When facing Chongzhen before, Li Ruolian didn't feel like this, but today, Li Ruolian really felt like there was a big mountain pressing on him and he couldn't breathe.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! After a long while, Chongzhen asked quietly: "Li Ruolian, did anyone say hello to you?"
"Your Majesty!" After hearing these words, Li Ruolian could no longer bear the tremendous pressure and knelt down on the ground.
"Go, tell them!" Chongzhen pointed in the direction of Shanyang City and said sternly, "Tell them not to mislead me, let alone to teach me how to do things!"
"I am the emperor, Qian Gang is arbitrary, and I am the only one who is supreme!"
"No one should try to deceive me, take advantage of me, or fool me!"
Seeing Chongzhen's anger, Wang Cheng'en, Gao Qiqian and other eunuchs were so frightened that they quickly knelt down.
Zhu Cihong, Zhu Cijiong, Fu Shan and other scholars looked confused. What's going on?
Only Hu Guozhu and the eight hundred Yiding were eating by themselves, as if nothing happened.
As the person involved, Li Ruolian was fighting with his head, kowtowing repeatedly, and his whole body was soaked with sweat. Only at this moment did he finally understand what it means to be aware of everything. There are some people in this world who can really discern everything.
"Tell them to abide by the rules!" Chongzhen said solemnly.
"I accept the decree." Li Ruolian kowtowed three times, got up and ran away.
After watching Li Ruolian stand up and leave, Chongzhen said again: "Everyone, please step back. I have something to say to the Crown Prince, King Ding."
Sun Fanzhi, Fu Shan and others, as well as Gao Qiqian and several other Tai retreats, quickly retreated. Wang Chengen also retreated ten steps away, and guarded not to let anyone get closer than ten steps.
Chongzhen said: "Hong'er, Jiong'er, have you all seen it? Now you know how powerful the civil service group is? Their people are everywhere and pervasive!"
Zhu Cihong said: "Father, has Li Ruolian been bribed?"
Chongzhen said: "Li Ruolian should not have been bribed, but was held in pain."
Zhu Cijiong said: "Father, do you want to arrest the people behind Li Ruolian? Find out who is instigating it?"
Chongzhen smiled and said: "Who else can you ask to investigate? Li Ruolian is not reliable, who can you count on?"
"This?" Zhu Cijiong was speechless. Then he realized the seriousness of the problem and that no one was available.
Chongzhen added: "Besides, even if Li Ruolian is reliable, and even if the Jin Yiwei is effective, it is impossible to find out this kind of thing. At most, we can catch a few small fish and shrimps. The civil servant group is much stronger than you think."
"Then this is too tiring." Zhu Cijiong said, "Who else's words are worthy of belief?"
"Everyone's words can be trusted, and no one's words can be trusted." Chongzhen said like a Buddhist verse, "As an emperor, whose words are trustworthy and whose words are not trustworthy, you can only decide for yourself. If If you can't see clearly for yourself, don't make a decision in a hurry, wait and see before making any decisions."
Zhu Cixiang thought thoughtfully: "Just like just now, Lu Zhenfei can't be convicted just because of Li Ruolian's words?"
"Yes." Chongzhen said, "If you had just believed Li Ruolian's words and ordered Lu Zhenfei to be investigated and punished, you would have fallen into the trap of the civil service group and been murdered by them."
"This is too complicated." Zhu Cijiong said happily.
"Fortunately, I'm not the prince. This will give my brother a headache."
"You have to learn a little bit." Chongzhen frowned and said, "Although Xun'er is the first heir to the throne, but Jiong'er you are the second heir to the throne. If Xun'er is in good health, there will be no accidents on the battlefield. The throne
Although there is nothing wrong with you, I am not afraid of ten thousand in everything, I am afraid of the unexpected. If anything happens to Xun'er, then you will be the crown prince."
"Ah, this?" Zhu Cijiong was a little surprised, thinking that his father was too direct.
"Father is right, the third brother also needs to learn the way of a king." Zhu Cixiang breathed a sigh of relief. If he was secretly worried before, he is not worried at all now.
Zhu Cihong asked again: "How did your father find out that there was something wrong with Li Ruolian?"
"Yes, father, how did you find out?" Zhu Cijiong was also curious.
Chongzhen said: "Because Li Ruolian was too deliberate. He deliberately put two things that were more than three months apart together and talked about them together. In the end, his fox's tail was exposed."
"Father, I still don't understand."
"Are Lu Zhenfei and Kang Wanwan really okay?"
Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong asked almost at the same time.
