After Gu Chengyu finished speaking, he took out the booklet in his arms. He had only written a rough outline of the tea tax regulations until the third update yesterday.
"Oh! Is there anything else that you can't make up your mind about?" Liang Zhirui smiled.
Although I had some doubts in my heart, I still took the booklet and read it carefully.
However, when he first started reading, the smile on his face faded, and his expression became more solemn as he read. After half a stick of incense, he finished reading the book and placed it on the desk in front of him.
Liang Zhirui stared at Gu Chengyu with disappointment evident in his eyes.
"You proposed this?"
He knew it was Gu Chengyu's idea at a glance. Every detail, every detail, was listed very clearly.
This disciple was very smart and never bothered him. They also respected him and the eldest disciple. He was not said to be loyal, but he was always very measured in his actions and his heart was kind.
He had high hopes for this disciple. As long as Gu Chengyu worked hard, it would not be difficult for him to become a first-class official in the future.
But what does he see now? The tea tax? If the court wants to impose a new tax, it has to extract it from the people. Could it be that in order to get promoted, his disciple would persuade the emperor to impose a new tax?
Gu Chengyu saw that the teacher's face was very serious, and he knew what the teacher was thinking. He knew the teacher's character, and the teacher must have misunderstood his meaning, thinking that he wanted to make a contribution for his own selfish desires, so he took this strategy.
Gu Chengyu stood up quickly and replied seriously: "Teacher, don't be angry yet, please listen to the students slowly."
Liang Zhirui waved his hand and wanted to say that he had read the brochure. But he had watched Gu Chengyu grow up, and he would naturally understand what his conduct was like. If he had bad conduct, he would not have accepted Gu Chengyu as his disciple in the first place.
Because he had suffered a loss from He Jisheng before, when Liang Zhirui accepted Gu Chengyu as his disciple, he had observed him for a long time and tested him many times before finally making up his mind.
He thought about it and decided to give Gu Chengyu a chance.
"I want to ask you, do you know that once this tea tax is implemented, it will be the tea farmers who will suffer?"
The businessmen are cunning and will only put this tax on the tea farmers. They will definitely be reluctant to pay the money themselves.
"This student naturally knows that, so the student thinks that the annual field tax on tea farmers can be reduced. With less field tax, the income of tea farmers will increase, and this part can make up for the losses of tea farmers."
He didn't mention this in the booklet, because the officials in the court didn't care about it. So he had to give the officials a big deal before he raised the matter. When he finally raised it, it was not so unacceptable.
But if it were written here from the beginning, those officials would pay close attention to this point.
Liang Zhirui shook his head, feeling that this method was ineffective, "Then isn't this still the same as the original land tax? It's just a different way of saying it."
"Of course it is only a partial reduction, and it cannot be completely exempted. This requires careful calculation of the profits, which is a matter for the Ministry of Household Affairs. Of course, the tea merchants must also bear a part of it, and it is impossible to let the tea farmers pay for it. Tea farmers are not stupid."
In fact, Gu Chengyu was very kind and righteous, taking into account the interests of tea farmers, because the land taxes paid by tea farmers were no less than these before.
"Students mentioned in it that asking the government to set up tax cards along the way has greatly ensured the safety of tea merchants. There will definitely be more tea merchants, large and small, than before. With more tea merchants, tea farmers have more choices.
Yes, the price will naturally not be pushed down too low.”
Gu Chengyu's analysis made Liang Zhirui feel that there was some truth to it, but he still didn't agree with it.
"According to what you said, if the interests of those tea merchants are reduced, will they be willing? If not, who will be a tea merchant?"
Liang Zhirui didn't feel sorry for the merchants who were plundering money from them. He used to care about the profits of the tea farmers.
Gu Chengyu smiled when he heard this, "Why don't you want to? The profits of tea merchants are huge. With the tea tax, they only lose a little profit. The tax I have set here is not heavy. Such a small tax is nothing to them.
It’s a drop in the bucket.”
"Are they willing to give up such a huge profit? As for whether they are willing, it is not up to them. The court's land tax, capitation tax and salt tax are not imposed by force?"
He was not worried at all about how the court would implement it. This was an imperial society, but there was no sense of democracy like in the previous life. The biggest obstacle to this tax was the officials behind the tea merchants.
Liang Zhirui looked at Gu Chengyu's nonchalant look and was speechless for a long time. He couldn't see through this disciple. He said it so lightly, as if he was used to the superior giving orders and became a little cold.
Alas! People's hearts are always fickle in official circles. I hope this disciple will not change his original intention.
"Teacher, have you ever thought about it? The imperial court has reached a difficult moment, and the taxes of this dynasty are not heavy. The people have been recuperating and recuperating for decades. Here we only collect part of the tax money from merchants, which is not excessive."
Gu Chengyu knew that the teacher was stubborn because he was afraid that the new tax law would bring a burden to the people. But after all, merchants contributed more to the tea tax. If it could solve the urgent needs of the court, why not do it?
"Then how do you know that the tea tax will not increase in the future? As long as there is one more tax, there is one more way to harm the people."
In fact, Liang Zhirui was worried that the court would go against its original intention in the future. If taxes were increased in the future, merchants would certainly suffer losses, but the unlucky ones would still be the tea farmers.
Gu Chengyu was moved by the fact that the teacher really cared about the people, but that was all a matter later. He could only take it one step at a time, and no one could predict it, right?
"Who can tell what will happen next? Take the salt tax for example! This dynasty has not increased the salt tax. Whether or not to increase the tax depends on whether those in power are greedy. Even if there is no tea tax, wouldn't other taxes be the same?
Will it get worse?"
Although Gu Chengyu is also a little worried about this, it only determines whether the king is incompetent and stupid. Besides, if the court reaches a critical moment, it is inevitable to increase taxes.
"Teacher, the emperor is worried about the treasury every day. The soldiers guarding the border have not been paid for several months. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to war. By then, the imperial court will be in danger, who will take care of the people?"
"The imperial court is already in such a difficult situation. If I don't raise the tea tax, it will be inevitable to increase the tax in the future. There are only a few types of taxes in this dynasty. Shouldn't they be counted on the heads of the poor people?"
Here we only lose part of the interests of tea merchants and tea farmers, and the other is the loss of the interests of poor people. Which is more serious, I believe the teacher will naturally know how to choose.
Liang Zhirui couldn't help being shocked after hearing Gu Chengyu's words, and looked at Gu Chengyu from top to bottom again.
"I'm just confused. I haven't thought it through as well as you."