"Uncle, do you think there are other ways to increase tax revenue? Have you already considered this?" Zhu Houzhao asked loudly.
Zhang Yanling said: "Your Majesty, I am not an official of the Ministry of Revenue, and I have no special research on matters such as money, food and taxes. Your Majesty must ask the relevant officials about this issue. Let them come up with a feasible solution."
Zhu Houzhao looked a little disappointed.
"However...I can also express my own thoughts for reference. But I want to explain one thing first. These are my personal opinions and are not a memorial to the emperor. If there is anything inappropriate, please let me know.
To blame." Zhang Yanling continued.
Zhu Houzhao said happily: "Uncle, I just said it's okay. Why should I be so cautious? This is not like my uncle's behavior."
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "There is nothing I can do. I don't want to be criticized by others. I am not an official of the foreign court, and this kind of thing is not within the scope of my responsibilities. If I say something on my behalf, there is no guarantee that I will be criticized.
People think he is acting beyond his authority. It would be better if he is right, but if he is wrong, he will be accused and reviled as a joke."
Zhu Houzhao sighed: "I didn't expect that people like my uncle would be so cautious now. This shows how cautious the officials in the imperial court must be. This is not a good thing. Uncle, tell me, it's just you and me chatting today, we won't
Someone criticized you."
Zhang Yanling nodded and said in a deep voice: "As I know, our fiscal share in the Ming Dynasty is now more than 70% of the agricultural tax, 10% of the salt tax, and more than 10% of the tea tax, commercial tax, boat traffic lights, and other miscellaneous items. It can be seen from this that,
Our Ming Dynasty's finance and taxation is very simple. If no tax revenue is collected from the land, the tax revenue of the entire imperial court will be greatly affected."
Zhu Houzhao nodded and said: "Yes, otherwise why would I be so eager to reform the land issue? I really rely too much on agricultural taxes. There is nothing we can do about it."
Zhang Yanling said: "I have heard this saying, 'No farming, no stability, no business, no wealth'. I think it makes sense. In any prosperous dynasty, commerce is developed and trade is smooth. Commercial taxation should be an important part of the court's tax revenue.
The source is the source. And the proportion of commercial tax in our Ming Dynasty’s tax revenue is staggeringly low.
Even half of Chengdu is occupied, which is extremely rare. During the Zhao and Song Dynasties, commerce was developed. Commercial tax once accounted for 30% of the tax revenue, with an annual income of four to five million taels. Although our Ming Dynasty cannot match it, if merchants
Taxes also account for 30%, and the annual tax income is one to two million taels. The benefits here are self-evident."
Zhu Houzhao frowned and said: "This... I'm afraid it's a little difficult."
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "Let me speak for the emperor. It's just that the business in our Ming Dynasty was monopolized by princes, nobles and officials. The biggest merchants in our Ming Dynasty were basically these people. Just like the manor land tax, the court wanted
They have to agree to levy a business tax. And the small businessmen and hawkers in the private sector can't raise much tax money. In addition, our Ming Dynasty focused on agriculture and suppressed business from the beginning, so this tax is better than nothing. Isn't it?"
Zhu Houzhao sighed: "In the final analysis, we still can't make people angry."
Zhang Yanling said: "But why not vigorously encourage the people to do business? When the people do business, private merchants rise, and the market becomes bigger, won't the tax revenue be considerable? This will also have a huge effect on the stability of the court and the people's livelihood. The land is not enough for farming.
But they also tied the people to the land. The land could not support people, so the people fled and fled, which even caused public security concerns. In the final analysis, it was still a matter of employment and livelihood. If the court valued commerce and encouraged commerce, it would be a multi-purpose move.
"
Zhu Houzhao said: "What my uncle said makes sense, but I'm afraid the truth is not that simple. How can encouraging business be so simple? There are many things involved here."
Zhang Yanling said: "Of course things are very complicated, but they can be easier first and then more difficult. For example, what is the best product of our Ming Dynasty? It is nothing but tea, silk, porcelain. Taking tea as an example, every year our Ming Tea Horse Company
Trading tea leaves with various tribes in the northwest for horses is an excellent example of success. Tea is a necessity for nomadic tribes.
Products, and our Ming Dynasty needs horses, killing two birds with one stone. In this way, the form and scale can be further expanded. There are many places suitable for growing tea, and there are many people without land. We can reclaim wasteland slopes to plant tea, and the court will purchase and sell it uniformly. Isn't it possible to resettle the people?
, allowing people to change from farming and growing grain to becoming full-time tea farmers. The income can still support their families and live in peace."
Zhu Houzhao frowned and said: "But, if this is the case, wouldn't the imperial court receive too much tea? The number of tea-horse transactions is limited, and I, the Ming Dynasty, cannot consume too much tea. If the imperial court accepts all the tea according to the order, wouldn't it be lost in the end?"
Zhang Yanling said with a smile: "This is something for later, let me continue to tell the emperor. Let's take silkworms as an example. The silk produced in our Ming Dynasty is all high-end products, and the breeding and weaving technology is very mature. It is just limited by the limited consumption capacity, so we can't
Expand the scale. But who doesn’t love the exquisiteness of silk? This kind of thing is the treasure of my Ming Dynasty. And pottery
Porcelain is the national quintessence of our Ming Dynasty. There are countless official and private kilns in various places. The porcelain is exquisite and cheap, and the skills are exquisite and skillful. Silk and porcelain are unique products of our Ming Dynasty. Develop sericulture, silk weaving, and the firing of porcelain.
None of this is a problem for me, Daming. These commodities contain huge value and wealth."
Zhu Houzhao smacked his lips and said, "Uncle, I understand everything you said. But..."
Zhang Yanling said: "Your Majesty, I know what you are going to say. It is nothing more than a question of who to sell these goods to. Our Ming Dynasty has limited consumption capacity and cannot sell a large amount of output. That is indeed a big problem. So,
To solve this problem, we need to open up trade routes. This is the crux of the problem. On land, the trade routes of the countries in the Western Regions are smooth. Beyond the border of Gansu is the Yilibali Khanate of the Western Regions, which is currently threatening us.
The Ming Dynasty pays tribute and is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Most of the tea and horse business of the Ming Dynasty is done with them. However, there are Kazakhstan, Timurid State, Yue Jibie and many other countries in the Western Regions to the west of Yili.
, establishing trade with them, whether it is bartering or selling tea, silk and pottery, is a big business. The imperial court can just send envoys to open up business routes. This kind of thing that is beneficial to both parties will definitely happen in a short time
It’s effective.”
Zhu Houzhao nodded slightly, touched the down on his chin and thought deeply.
"The trade routes on the road are only a small part. After all, the countries in the Western Region are not rich, and the roads are rugged, long and difficult. The benefits will not be too considerable. But the other trade route is the top priority. That is the sea
Business channels must be opened up," Zhang Yanling said.
Zhu Houzhao was startled and frowned: "Opening maritime trade routes? But... our Ming Dynasty implemented a policy of maritime ban. Pirates were rampant at sea. During the Hongwu period, a strict maritime ban was implemented, prohibiting people from going to sea. You want to open a maritime trade route.
, don’t you mean to impose a sea ban? No, absolutely not.”
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Why did the emperor say that it is absolutely impossible to establish a sea ban?"
Zhu Houzhao said: "I know, my father and I have told each other. In view of the rampant Japanese pirates along the coast and the collusion with the people in coastal areas, Emperor Taizu implemented a sea ban policy that prohibited people from entering the sea. This is to ensure the Ming Dynasty.
This is a policy to stabilize the maritime territory. If the maritime ban is lifted, wouldn’t it mean that Japanese invasion will arise again?”
Zhang Yanling laughed, looked at Zhu Houzhao and said, "Does your Majesty think this reason is valid?"
Zhu Houzhao rubbed his hands and said: "This...this...the will of Emperor Taizu Gao should be correct."
Zhang Yanling said: "If the emperor is determined to become a wise king, he must think deeply about some things and judge the pros and cons. I boldly analyze for the emperor why Taizu issued the sea ban. I believe that when the Ming Dynasty was first established, both internal and external
The enemy forces are very powerful. Emperor Taizu Gao must not only deal with the counterattack of the remaining enemies of the Northern Yuan Dynasty with all his strength, but also
Eliminate the harassment of the remaining internal enemies such as Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng. In this case, it is impossible to distract from coastal defense. The southeastern coastal areas where Japanese pirates are rampant collude with local powerful forces to cause chaos, which is another major danger. In view of this, the policy of sea ban is
It was the right move at the time. The purpose was to consolidate the foundation of the Ming Dynasty and make every effort to solve the difficult internal and external enemies."
Zhu Houzhao lowered his head and thought without saying a word. However, there was a hint of surprise in his expression.
"Times have changed, and it has been more than a hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. It is no longer the same situation as before. Whether this maritime ban is still necessary is actually open to question. The emperor should make a judgment based on the current situation. This can be
It’s not a violation of the ancestor’s decision, it’s an adjustment of policy according to the situation. I think the emperor will understand this.”
Zhu Houzhao nodded. He didn't have any psychological barriers at this point. After all, if he was a stickler for rules, how could he go against his father's decision? Soon after he ascended the throne, he killed Liu Jian, Xie Qian and other ministers who were in charge of his orders. It was just that Tai
Emperor Zu Gao was his idol, so he felt guilty if he wanted to change Taizu's policy.
"Your Majesty, please don't forget that Emperor Yongle had already sent the Three Treasures eunuchs out to sea seven times. It can be said that the maritime ban was broken during the Yongle period. Although it was a royal order, it was also broken.
That's right, isn't it?
?In fact, for so many years, this sea ban policy has actually existed in name only, and has become a reason for big merchants from all over the coast to monopolize the maritime trade. The imperial court talks about sea bans, but I don’t know where so many sea goods in the Ming Dynasty came from?
Emperor's stove
The ambergris in the room, the red coral tree on the table, the ivory boards used by the officials in the court, the ivory Buddha at home, and various foreign spices. Wait, wait, where did these come from?
Come? I have a few Siamese red gauze tents at my house.
It is a thing of the country of Fan. Sea ban. Where do these things come from? It just makes it easier for the merchants who trade privately with the country. They make a lot of money, but they don’t pay a tael of tax. Your Majesty, this sea ban is really effective.
Is it necessary to exist?”
Zhang Yanling looked into Zhu Houzhao's eyes and said in a deep voice.