Now that a compromise has been reached, Fang Chongyong has naturally changed from a "prisoner" to a "guest". His parents in his previous life taught him that he must be a "useful" person in the future. This moment is magical and unparalleled in persuasion.<
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Fang Chongyong was invited into a special tea room, where a beautiful maid dressed in gauze came to make tea with skillful techniques and a quiet smile.
It is surrounded by foldable wooden screens. The azaleas and larks on the screen are painted so vividly that they seem to be running out of the painting. It is obvious that they were painted by famous artists.
This is the luxurious taste from Chang'an! Even when Zheng Shuqing took office in Kuizhou, he brought this precious screen with him.
The white porcelain teapot is boiling on the tea stove. The light-colored cracks on the teapot are white and mysterious.
Then light the fine charcoal, which smells like incense. The three-legged copper tea stand holds the teapot, which is indescribably noble and elegant. Next to it are two small white jade teacups, decorated with lotus flowers and gold rims.
On the silver plate, there is no concealment of publicity and exaggeration.
The maid's delicate and white hands broke the tea cake into pieces and gently put it into the tea cauldron. Its shape and shape are pleasing to the eye.
Fang Chongyong watched fascinated until the other party added snow-white...salt to the tea pot.
Add salt to tea?
This scene made him stunned for a while.
Zheng Shuqing thought that Fang Chongyong was shocked by the luxury of the tea set, so he proudly introduced: "This tea is Kuizhou tribute tea Xiangshan. Xiangshan tea is produced in Shexiangshan. The tea sticks are tight, smooth and straight, with seedlings showing on the front, silvery green."
It is both green and green, with a rich and long-lasting internal aroma and a fresh and sweet taste.
Shexiang Mountain is located thirty miles southeast of Kuizhou City. It is not very far. What is even more amazing is that there is a mountain spring on the mountain. The water is sweet and clear, which is different from the river water and mud.
This tea comes from the spring of Xiangshan. It is really wonderful to cook Xiangshan fragrant tea with the spring water of Xiangshan.
We also have Jiannan Mengding Stone Flower, Dongchuan Shenquan, Shaanzhou Bijian, Changzhou Yixing Purple Bamboo Shoot and other good teas here. If the local tribute tea from Kuizhou does not suit your taste, you can try the tribute tea from other prefectures and counties.
Interesting, hahahahahaha."
Zheng Shuqing touched the long beard on his chin and laughed, almost making Fang Chongyong sick enough to vomit blood.
Fang Zhongyong was speechless for such a show off of wealth, because the other person said it so naturally, just like a rich man in his previous life who said that he would spend hundreds of thousands to stay in a hotel.
But thinking about it, he felt relieved. Considering Governor Zheng's family background, drinking tea from a certain bowl has been ingrained in him since childhood and has become a part of life.
Even if he is watching a vulgar dance, if the dancer does not dance for an hour or two, he is too lazy to watch.
A luxurious meal that ordinary people cannot afford in their lifetime may even be pig food that cannot be eaten in the eyes of these people.
People are different from each other. Your end point may not even reach the starting point of others. Is the meaning of life just that you have been there before?
Fang Chongyong, who wanted to say "the rich family smells of wine and meat", restrained himself from using the foul language.
People are under the eaves, low-key and not shabby.
After a while, the tea was cooked. Zheng Shuqing poured tea for Fang Chongyong himself. After waving his hand, several maids in the tea room quietly exited and closed the door.
"Go ahead, say whatever you want, whatever you want."
Zheng Shuqing said calmly, having already put away the smile on his face.
"Zheng Shijun, no matter what, the huge amount of customs money can only be obtained from Kuizhou itself, which may be detrimental to your reputation..."
After the polite remarks, it was time to get down to business, Fang Chongyong said hesitantly.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Shuqing waved his hands impatiently and said: "There is no need to talk about such nonsense. How can we make up for the shortfall without making money from Kuizhou? Obviously this is the only way. What I want to know is how to make up for the loss of thirty people."
Make up for Wan Guan's shortfall."
His patience is limited, and so is his time!
"Someone saw the scenery of Kuizhou and wrote a poem:
Spring grass grows at the top of Baidi City,
The Shujiang River is clear at the foot of Baiyan Mountain.
Southerners come up and sing a song,
Northerners should not be moved by nostalgia.
Your Majesty, please open a salt class in Kuizhou. With the White Salt Mountain, you won’t be afraid of not being able to collect the salt tax."
Fang Zhongyong said with certainty.
Baiyan Mountain is located in the east of Kuizhou City. There is this salt well. Are you still worried that there will be no salt? If you have salt, are you worried that you will not be able to get the money?
Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing was stunned. He didn't expect that Fang Chongyong didn't even know such a common sense question.
Zheng Shuqing sighed helplessly: "Your talent lies only in poetry. Don't underestimate the people of the world. Don't you hear the saying of the children in Kuizhou: There is no salt on the Baiyan Mountain?
Not only does Kuizhou have no salt mountains, but most of the salt that the people eat is imported from Wu (Jiangnan). Besides, even if the Baiyan Mountain next to it is made of salt, the salt tax is a central policy. How can it be left to us and other places?
Officials make their own decisions?
Even if they want to harvest, it's not our turn to do it! Is this what the so-called prodigy is capable of?"
Zheng Shuqing looked at Fang Chongyong with evil intentions, deeply doubting whether he was seriously ill and had to seek medical treatment.
There are many kinds of child prodigies. It can be seen that Fang Zhongyong is good at writing poems, but whether he can make money is still a question.
The salt policy in Kuizhou is so complicated that it is difficult to describe it in one sentence. It actually has imports and exports, and it is also used as a logistics distribution center to be transported to other places. These three states exist at the same time. It is extremely difficult to make money from it, and it affects the whole body. p>
"Please take me to the accounting office to find out what's going on. If you don't look at local income, I can't do anything."
Fang Chongyong raised his hands and begged. He had to admit that he did underestimate Zheng Shuqing.
"Don't you want to drink tea? Tea is not expensive, but the water from Xiangshan Spring is under the jurisdiction of the government and ordinary people cannot drink it."
Zheng Shuqing teased, implying that Fang Chongyong was a local idiot.
Fang Chongyong quickly took a sip of the local Xiangshan tribute tea and didn't feel embarrassed at all.
The fragrant tea tastes sweet when you enter it. The addition of salt actually enhances the sweetness and freshness of the tea, which is very pleasant. It must be said that although the knowledge about the circulation of the human body was very lacking in ancient times, people did not know that eating too much salt would cause serious illness.
But the pursuit of delicious food is endless, and the tricks are endless.
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Tea with salt added is delicious, but you should not drink too much. You can buy a few kilograms of this tea in the future and taste it. There is no need to add salt.
Fang Chongyong secretly complained in his heart, his face calm.
As for the fact that people in the Tang Dynasty added salt to tea to remove the bitter taste, he only found out later.
"That's okay. Now that we've come to this point, then you can come with me."
Zheng Shuqing had some hesitation on his face, but he still nodded slightly and did not refuse.
It’s not that you can’t tell anyone about the secrets in the government office, but it’s just not very suitable for Fang Chongyong, the son of the former supervisory censor.
The current situation is already very tense. Li Linfu's handwritten letter was only delivered to Zheng Shuqing yesterday, asking him to settle the Kuizhou Jiangguan tariff issue before the Lantern Festival next year.
That's 300,000 guan, not 30 guan or 300 guan!
Li Linfu completely ignored Zheng Shuqing's plea for defense in his letter last time. His attitude was very tough and he did not mention pursuing the murderer to recover the tax money!
Li Linfu's meaning is very clear: it doesn't matter whether Zheng Shuqing steals, levies and expropriates, or even lets local soldiers pretend to be water bandits to rob merchant ships! As long as the money is secured, everything will no longer be a problem.
Moreover, no more censors like Fang Youde will come to Kuizhou to cause trouble. I hope Zheng Shuqing will take good care of himself and not make mistakes!
As Li Linfu's party member, Zheng Shuqing knows the other party's temper very well. If Li Linfu doesn't give him a "chance" at all, it means there is still room for change and bargaining. But since the other party has already spoken, there will be no chance until the Lantern Festival next year.
If it really takes more than half a year to make up for the shortfall, Li Linfu's methods are not simple!
The opportunity has been given to you, but if you can't grasp it, then don't worry about me ruthlessly cleaning up the house!
Li Linfu is best at using rules to kill his colleagues or subordinates "within the system".
Compared with Li Linfu's sharp tactics, Zheng Shuqing felt that Fang Chongyong, a child with a yellow mouth, was nothing to fear.
Under the escort of two entourages, Zheng Shuqing led Fang Chongyong out of the official residence, entered Kuizhou Fucheng directly from the north gate, and came to the government office's accounting room. There were stacks and stacks of Kuizhou household registrations and account books on the cabinet.
Maps, official correspondence.
They are all arranged in categories, not as disorganized as imagined.
This made Fang Chongyong look at Zheng Shuqing again. Even if he was an official with no food, he might not be as incompetent as he thought, and his daily affairs could still be handled well.
Holding a stack of account books in front of the desk, Fang Chongyong quickly noticed something was wrong.
The accounts have been done very well, and there are no outstanding payments! You must know that farmers, especially homesteaders under the equal-field system, have seasonal and regular changes in their household goods. They often default on rent due to natural and man-made disasters. In addition, the standards for rent and rent in the Tang Dynasty were based on ordinary families when the land was plentiful at the founding of the People's Republic of China. After a hundred years of development, land annexation has become extremely serious. It is common for ordinary families to default on paying taxes, and it is impossible to collect rent from rent.
So neatly.
After all, the "tax farming system" was not used in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. As long as every household did not have a black household registration and had a mediocre rent, it would be handed over to the government.
Big local businesses may use dirty tricks to deal with the common people, but the government would not dare to do so casually. If things get too big, it will be difficult to deal with.
"Read it slowly. If you can't finish it, continue tomorrow. Don't rush for a day or two."
Zheng Shuqing yawned and said.
Huangkou child, what can you tell? Zheng Shuqing feels that he may have to explain to the other party.
He felt more and more that he was seriously ill and had to seek medical treatment.
"This account book looks weird, very much like... fake."
Fang Chongyong put down the account book in his hand and said with a wry smile. He looked at Zheng Shuqing and stopped talking.
Huh?
Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but sit up straight and squinted his eyes to look at the unattractive young boy in front of him!
It is not difficult for an old official who has been working in the government office for many years to see something fishy in the account books. But it is not easy for a child with a yellow mouth to see it, and to see it after turning a few pages.
"Why do you see it?"
Zheng Shuqing pinched his beard and asked.
Although he did not admit it directly, it was equivalent to acquiescence, and he just hoped that Fang Chongyong would tell him the reason.
"There are all kinds of things in the world, including birth, old age, illness and death. People are not good for a hundred days, and flowers are not red for a hundred days. Every family will have troubles. According to your account book, there are too many people paying taxes, and the rent paid is mediocre and more mediocre than usual.
How can we have nothing if we have more?"
Fang Chongyong could tell at a glance that the average tax amount in this account book was too high.
During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, rules were set: each person should pay "rent" of two stones of chestnuts every year, and "tune" according to the local produce. Every year, he should pay two feet of silk (or damask, drag), three liang of cotton, or two feet and five feet of cloth, and hemp.
Three pounds.
The current standard is obviously more than one-tenth of the fixed amount, but every township has paid very neatly, and there is no default.
Fang Chongyong had so many tax evaders in his previous life, how could there be none here! Not only did he pay in full on time, but he also charged more than the quota, so he thought he was a fool!
"You don't understand this. How many people and households are there in Kuizhou? Do the officials in the court know how many people there are? Do they know if there are more people or fewer people? Does anyone know how often they check household registrations?"
Zheng Shuqing touched his long beard and asked proudly.
Fang Chongyong was speechless, how could he know these routines!
"Let me tell you, the imperial court doesn't know at all, nor does it expect to know, nor is it possible to send people to verify every year. People from the imperial court will only ask if this year's taxes have been paid, and how it compares with last year.
If there are more than last year, then the evaluation will naturally not be bad. Who will care whether these account books are real or fake?
Now I use the excuse that the border towns in Shu are unstable and need military supplies, so I charge 10% more in the book. There will be natural and man-made disasters in the future, and there is still room for decline. You know what the heck.
Let me tell you, I only collected 90% of the actual tax, and I can still raise it higher in the future!"
Zheng Shuqing showed off proudly.
He is not an old coin, but he is definitely an old bureaucrat, and he is very familiar with the routines of the imperial court. Zheng Shuqing actually collected less, but in the book he collected more. There was a 20% fluctuation from time to time, which was enough for him to cope with various emergencies.
.
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As for why this is possible, it is because the entire account book is a black box, and the court does not know the specific situation.
"So... these are all fake?"
Fang Chongyong asked calmly. He had already seen something fishy and just hoped that Zheng Shuqing could confirm it.
"You don't need to know that, you just need to find a way to help me make money."
Zheng Shuqing gave up and said, his inner satisfaction already written on his face.
Then the two fell into an awkward silence.
"Your Majesty, actually, this method is simple and simple."
Fang Chongyong paused and continued: "Kuizhou is next to the Yangtze River and has developed water transportation, so copper coins are easy to get. You can collect copper coins in Kuizhou for rent, and then use the money in the treasury to buy Jingxiang and Jiangnan during the autumn harvest.
grain, and encouraged the use of copper coins to redeem corvées.
However, the price of grain in Jingxiang and Jiangnan is low, and after the autumn harvest, large households in various places have to sell old grain.
If the government purchases it on a large scale, it will be sold at a low price. If you go back and forth like this, I am afraid you can save a lot of money. You can use these grains for rent, and then use the copper coins to go to Shu to buy Shu brocade, and transport it to Luoyang in exchange for ordinary brocade.
Silk is the tone.
As for Yong, he collected all the copper coins and allowed prisoners to participate in the name of opening up mountains and fields, leaving a sum of money left.
If we take a multi-pronged approach, won’t wealth come slowly?”
Fang Chongyong folded his sleeves with his hands and bowed deeply to Zheng Shuqing very formally.
Haha, it’s not easy to make money. Refer to the method of making profits in the market for pension funds in previous lives. If the government participates in the monopoly business, won’t it make a lot of money?
Fang Chongyong is very confident about this.
However, he saw Zheng Shuqing staring at him with disdain, his expression seemed to be extremely contemptuous.
"The child prodigy is really just a little smart!"
Zheng Shuqing couldn't help sighing and sighing, his disappointment was beyond words.
"What did the envoy say?"
Fang Chongyong asked with confusion. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his method. After all, he had used it in his previous life. This was wisdom accumulated over thousands of years.
"I don't know whether I should praise you for your ability as Prime Minister Li (Li Linfu), or scold you for not overestimating your abilities."
Zheng Shuqing sighed and said: "Kuizhou has a small land and a large population. From very early on, the mediocrity theory of renting has been in vain, and the falsification of government accounts has become common. When I first arrived in Kuizhou, I wanted to change this situation, but after a while, my official
I found out that I was very wrong."
It turned out that there was such a thing, Fang Chongyong nodded slightly and said: "I would like to hear the details."
"Kuizhou is the throat of Shu and Jingxiang, guarding the Yangtze River. In addition to being a battleground for military strategists, it is also a place for merchants to stay and store goods. This is the reason why the imperial court established Kuimen Jiangguan in Kuizhou.
One."
Fang Chongyong continued to nod, waiting for the next step.
"The people here live on boats, sell goods and fish, and their wealth is several times better than farming. The people are impetuous, money is their life, and they are shameless. There are many people who risk their lives in order to make big money. Even if
If there is land, most of them grow hemp to weave expensive linen cloth. This is a specialty of Kuizhou and sells well in Shu.
How can such people pay the rent honestly and farm with peace of mind? It is much more cost-effective for them to buy the cloth shipped from Shu for the same foot of cloth than to work hard to weave the specialty linen and pay the rent.
How can these people enforce the government’s tax order?
Furthermore, Kuizhou is also specializing in white apes, tigers, black ghosts and other animals. Should these mountain people be allowed to go to the mountains to catch tigers for labor?"
Zheng Shuqing said helplessly. He was full of bitterness, but now he had to talk to a young man. It was really difficult for him. Not to mention that he had to deal with a stubborn person like Fang Youde, the supervisory censor.
The idiot who goes to work under orders from death appears to be as incorruptible as water. Even his son has only one servant and is not well fed or clothed.
But his harmfulness is no less than that of great corruption. If Fang Youde is allowed to govern Kuizhou, the people of Kuizhou will definitely attack the government office and beat him to death!
"So, the envoy asked the people of Kuizhou to pay money, and then used the money to purchase cloth from Shu and grain from Jingxiang?"
Fang Chongyong asked with a shocked look on his face.
"Otherwise, what do you think? This is Prime Minister Li's policy. You, a child with a yellow mouth, can imagine it and feel a little proud."
Zheng Shuqing said angrily.
Fang Chongyong was not satisfied at all, his heart was full of bitterness.
He found that not only had he failed to find a shortcut, but he had become a clown.