Changsun Wuji said angrily: "How can I, the dignified head of the Sun family, be a despicable businessman?"
This old dog is simply cursing!
Wei Zheng still looked calm and relaxed, but he was really low-spirited. He drooped his eyelids and sneered: "The Changsun Iron Factory monopolized seventy-eight percent of the iron used in the army, and the profits it made were greater than those of the merchants in Guanzhong. He! You are not a merchant, who is a merchant? You, Duke Zhao, are the largest merchant in the Tang Dynasty! In turn, you keep belittling merchants and classify yourself as a noble class... I have lived for so long, and I have seen too many shameless people. But I have never seen such a shameless person in my life!"
Fang Xuanling felt so happy in her heart. It was indeed Wei Zheng. His ability to curse was unparalleled in the world! His Majesty the Emperor was so worried about him that he often had to retreat. Who is your grandson Wuji?
Ma Zhou almost applauded Wei Zheng's words!
He was born in a poor family, and he was most disgusted by the shamelessness of the gentry class, who said he had to build a memorial arch even after being a bitch! He kept belittling merchants, but looking at the world, which gentry did not rely on business to accumulate a large amount of family property and live a life full of bells and whistles? While living a luxurious life of food, you also have to spend a lot of money to make alliances and win over all parties?
While flaunting and being proud of their pure gentry bloodline, where are the gentry who truly “farm, study and inherit the family”?
Wei Zheng is Wei Zheng, and his face was slapped!
Changsun Wuji was furious, banged the table, and said angrily: "Old man, how dare you insult me?"
When Wei Zheng faced the furious Changsun Wuji, he remained unmoved and just sneered: "Listen, Mr. Zhao, what did I say that insulted you? It makes sense. I will kneel down and kowtow to apologize to you."
"you……!"
Changsun Wuji was so angry that his blood pressure soared, his face turned red, and he glared at Wei Zheng's old face full of sneers, wishing he could pounce on him and bite the old immortal to death!
Changsun Wuji, who has always been ridiculed with hatred as "the Yin man of Changsun", has always been feared by the civil and military officials of the court because of his deep city, but he can't withstand Wei Zheng's face-breaking humiliation!
His Majesty Li Er put his hand on his forehead and felt a headache.
Sure enough, it was still the same Wei Zheng. Fortunately, I thought he was going to die, so I changed my habit of biting people. Only then did I realize that this old guy's target today was not me at all, but Changsun Wuji...
However, Wei Zheng's words were based on Changsun Wuji's words, and he was right.
Isn’t that nobleman a businessman?
Without doing business, would the entire family really live on just a few acres of land and official salary?
But such people do exist!
Wei Zheng is...
Otherwise, why could Wei Zheng mock Changsun Wuji so stubbornly? Why could Changsun Wuji be so angry but unable to refute? Because Wei Zheng is such a person who only relies on a few acres of land and a salary to live.
Therefore, at Changsun Wuji's house, the bells and cauldrons ate brocade silk, while Wei Zheng ate chaffy vegetables at home...
Business can bring huge profits, which is the core meaning of Fang Jun's memorial.
All the gentry are doing business, and they are all merchants, but they still tell lies in order to maintain their superior status. While they monopolize domestic commerce, they also shout that "merchants are humble", "merchants are profit-rich", "gentlemen, farmers, industry and commerce" "The social structure is the cornerstone of the empire's stability...
In fact, commerce has long become an industry not much inferior to agriculture, but the huge profits from it have all gone into the treasury of the nobles and have nothing to do with the empire.
Therefore, Fang Jun wanted to leverage this benefit, snatch it from the mouths of the nobles, and put it into the empire's treasury.
At this moment, the interests of His Majesty Li Er and Changsun Wuji, who represents the interests of the gentry class, are naturally at odds with each other. His deep friendship and close relationship with Changsun Wuji, as well as the fact that Changsun Wuji used to be the empire, and for him, His Majesty Li Er
His majesty, Li Er, could tolerate almost everything Changsun Wuji had done.
But the premise must be that it does not harm the interests of the empire...
The emperor is the empire, and the empire is the emperor.
As an emperor, it is natural to safeguard the interests of the empire. This is a natural attribute.
His Majesty Li Er looked on coldly and did not reprimand the two for their quarrel. He just said slowly: "The benevolent has a different opinion. Whether to mobilize the power of the empire to encourage merchants and support commerce requires a long and rigorous research process. It is the responsibility of all prime ministers.
.Now, I just want to ask, what do you think about the advice Fang Jun mentioned at the end of the memorial?"
As the Prime Minister and Fang Jun's father, Fang Xuanling naturally had to be the first to express his stance.
He nodded and said solemnly: "Wei Chen thinks it can be implemented."
Cen Wenwen pondered for a while and said slowly: "You can give it a try."
Wei Zhengguang was busy "scorching" Changsun Wuji. He hadn't read the memorial yet, so he extended his hand to Changsun Wuji and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Zhao, show me the memorial."
Changsun Wuji was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that he was just aware of Fang Jun's intention and had to stop it. He hadn't finished reading the memorial yet...
In Wei Zheng's angry eyes, Shi Shiran picked up the memorial, turned it to the end, and read it carefully.
Wait until you finish reading!
Changsun Wuji threw the memorial on the table and said loudly: "Wei ministers object!"
At this moment, all Changsun Wuji's reserve, all his palace, and all his forbearance were all gone.
All he knew was that he had to stop it!
Please establish a municipal shipping department?
In charge of world sea trade?
Cancel customs tax and only charge customs tax?
Improve the sales tax of all states, prefectures and counties in the world?
You are already in charge of the affairs of the Canghai Road. You can be called a frontier official in a single town. Now you have to be in charge of the world's maritime trade? And you also have to be in charge of customs duties?
You are going to heaven!
Wei Zheng said displeasedly: "Mr. Zhao, please trouble me!"
The old man had been holding out his hands for a long time, so Changsun Wuji had no choice but to pick up the memorial and angrily handed it to Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng flipped through the memorial and watched. Changsun Wuji and his Majesty Li Er bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Fang Jun's move is really a move that shakes the foundation of the country! The customs tax in the world has been around for a long time, and various places collect taxes from merchants.
Taxation not only has to serve the court, but also has a large number of tax collectors to support. If it is abolished hastily, it will inevitably lead to turmoil in various places and is detrimental to national defense. Moreover, commerce is a free activity. Maritime merchants come to Datang to trade, and Datang will take responsibility for it.
If you give it, you will give it. How can you draw a line and stipulate that it must land at a certain port for transactions? I am afraid that this will cause confusion among maritime merchants from various countries and greatly reduce commercial transactions. It is really random and I don’t know what to say. Please think again, Your Majesty!"
His Majesty Li Er looked at the gloomy Changsun Wuji and remained silent.
He could see that Changsun Wuji was opposing for the sake of opposition...
It is not a secret that the Changsun family not only owns the most powerful iron factory in the Tang Dynasty, but also has a very large fleet of ships engaged in overseas trade.
It is conceivable that once Fang Jun's advice is passed, the Changsun family will inevitably suffer heavy losses.
The turmoil in Guanjin, the unstable national defense, the fear of maritime merchants, and the reduction of transactions, in the final analysis, are all just for the benefit of the Changsun family.
With Changsun Wuji’s wisdom, couldn’t he see that this move would bring a huge amount of tax revenue to the national treasury?
Of course it's impossible.
It's not that he can't see it, but he has to object.
The prosperity of the Changsun family relies not only on the favor of the emperor, but also on the obedience and obedience of countless noble families. It is these noble families who have raised the Changsun family to an incredible height.
His Majesty Li Er is aware of all this, but he has always ignored it.
Without the Changsun family, there will inevitably be the Dugu family and the Yuwen family. This is the normal way for the noble families to survive. They unite to double their strength, and then occupy resources and gain their own benefits. They will use marriage, cooperation and other means to get closer
They are connected together, they are connected with each other, and they are both prosperous.
As long as there are noble families, this situation cannot disappear.
Since it is inevitable, why not let these noble clans unite around the eldest grandson family who is loyal to them? At least this way they will not be out of their control.
Changsun Wuji must oppose Fang Jun's strategy of almost draining the family's salary, otherwise how can he lead the noble families who are attached to the Changsun family?
Moreover, fundamentally speaking, Changsun Wuji looked down on Fang Jun and any advice he put forward...
This was within His Majesty Li Er's expectation.
But at the same time, His Majesty Li Er was also deeply disappointed...
With this breath, he swept his dagger-like gaze across the Prime Minister's face, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, express your stance."