"Your Majesty! Wei Chen thinks that if we add new tax laws, it is better to increase the previous taxes. There is no difference between the two."
In fact, Zhang Shuo was not entirely because his teacher disliked Gu Chengyu, but because behind this, he also lost the interests of many officials, including him.
"Your Majesty, it is very difficult to implement the tea tax. The most important thing is that the court cannot take care of every tea merchant and tea farmer. How can the court know about private transactions?"
Li Wei, the minister of Taichang Temple, hit the nail on the head.
What he said was reasonable and well-founded. There was no personal emotion mixed into it, he just stated the facts objectively.
Xia Qing couldn't help but feel very satisfied. Li Wei was indeed his trusted confidant. This was a clever question.
"Moreover, the tea tax consumes a lot of manpower. If by that time, the tea tax revenue is not as much as the money consumed by the court for this matter, wouldn't it be ridiculous?"
The emperor frowned. These issues have been mentioned in the memorial, but these people still insist on it. It seems that there is something behind this.
When the second prince heard that it was Gu Chengyu who suggested it, he couldn't help but feel moved in his heart.
This person had been recommended by an aide before, and he also sent someone to check this person's deeds. It is said that his literary talent is good, and the policies he wrote can be considered pragmatic.
However, he really didn't pay much attention to this person before. Because he knew that there was someone behind the staff, and his death was a bit strange in the end.
But by the time he realized it and wanted to investigate, the staff member was already dead, so he didn't know who was behind it.
The second prince didn't pay much attention to Gu Chengyu. After all, Gu Chengyu was not the number one scholar at that time and could not attract his special attention.
However, the tea tax proposed by Gu Chengyu today made him somewhat interested in Gu Chengyu.
"Father, I think this matter has great potential. Tea was popular in the Dayan Dynasty, and even ordinary people with a little extra money would buy some tea to entertain guests. Therefore, the implementation of the tea tax will definitely alleviate the crisis in the national treasury."
Maybe it will fall under the salt tax!"
The second prince had seriously considered it just now. The majority of tax payers were tea merchants and tea farmers, and there were very few ordinary people.
Those people whose families are not well-off are reluctant to buy good tea, let alone buy too much. Therefore, even if the tea merchants increase the price of tea, the people will only pay a little more than before. Besides, if it is too expensive, they don't want to buy it.
Those who can buy more and at a more expensive price are naturally those whose families are wealthy, and these people are not short of this little money.
Therefore, he believes that the tea tax is much better than increasing other taxes. Those taxes must be paid and cannot be avoided.
The third prince thought this was not feasible, as the tea merchants paid him a large sum of money every year.
If this law is implemented and those tea merchants lose their interests, wouldn't it lead to chaos?
The Cha Yin mentioned just now has a lot of secrets in it. If a special yamen is established, the benefits he can reap will definitely be much less.
All the benefits here have been shared, which he doesn't agree with.
Gu Chengyu couldn't help feeling a little resentful as he climbed up the long stairs. The stairs were long enough. When the emperor summoned people, he didn't know whether he was in a hurry or not.
When he entered the palace, Gu Chengyu didn't even look around. He stepped forward and knelt on the ground, shouting: "Gu Chengyu, compiled by the Hanlin Academy, is here to see the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
He knew without looking that the courtiers standing on both sides must have all looked at him.
A sixth-grade official wearing a blue official uniform must be very conspicuous among these people.
The emperor immediately called out in a friendly voice, "Gu Aiqing is safe!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Gu Chengyu then stood up and stood still in the center of the hall.
"Gu Aiqing, we were discussing the tea tax earlier. Please tell us about the specific matters regarding the implementation of the tea tax."
The emperor's attitude towards Gu Chengyu was seen by all the court officials. Unexpectedly, such a low-ranking official from the sixth rank was quite valued by the emperor.
"I obey the decree!"
Gu Chengyu paused for a moment before speaking: "Everyone here must already know the contents of the memorial written by the official."
"I will first tell you the difference between the tea tax and other tax laws. The people who implement the tea tax are tea merchants and tea farmers. I believe all your lords have no objection to this, right?"
Gu Chengyu planned to solve them one by one first. Since the emperor said so, it means that some officials did not agree.
"Gu Xiuzhan, do you think the implementation of the tea tax only targets tea merchants and tea farmers? As we all know, merchants value profits. If they increase the selling price, then the people will suffer a loss? This is one point, or they will
It’s all on the tea farmers and the prices are being driven down to death, so how can the interests of the tea farmers be guaranteed?”
Now that Zhang Shuo has seen his true master, he will certainly not let him go.
Gu Chengyu smiled and said, "Sir! The tea tax is different from the salt tax. You said that the people suffered a loss, which is indeed true. But if the people can't afford it, they can choose not to buy it, and those who suffer more are of course the rich and powerful.
Come on, these people shouldn’t care too much.”
Those fat-minded merchants and court officials, will their families be short of money to buy tea?
This coincided with what the second prince said, and even the second prince nodded secretly.
"Then I would like to ask you, what if the tea merchant does not come to the government to buy tea, but trades privately?" The eldest prince turned around and asked Gu Chengyu.
Gu Chengyu heard the eldest prince's question and quickly replied: "Back to Your Highness, this memorial has already cited several points. One is to set up tax cards in prefectures and counties that produce tea, and the other is to set up cargo services for tea farms that produce large amounts of tea.
, specifically dealing with tea politics. Third, of course, relevant penalties must be formulated."
Gu Chengyu thought of the salt tax and took it as an example.
"Take the salt tax as an example. The salt tax is the most important tax in this dynasty. The most important reason is that salt is the daily needs of the people. Secondly, it is also because of the strict implementation of the salt tax. Commitment of salt smuggling is a serious crime.
, although there are still people who take desperate risks, but after all, there are very few such people."
"Similarly, if every tea merchant or tea farmer does not trade privately, it depends on how the local government implements it. Weichen believes that such a phenomenon will always be rare. Catching a few to scare the monkeys can also make people
These people are more honest."
The third prince looked Gu Chengyu up and down. He did not expect that there was such a talent among the newly promoted officials in the court. He had not noticed it before.
"Gu Xiuzhuan, according to what you said, the place of purchase, weight, sales period, tax payable and tax status along the way, etc. are written on the tea guide, which is really convenient. However, those tea merchants were used to being free.
, How can those tea merchants be willing to control things so strictly under the imperial court’s control?”
In fact, Li Wei also knew the thorns they could pick, and Gu Chengyu had already written it very clearly in the memorial.
But if they don't raise any objections, wouldn't it look like they are too incompetent?
Besides, Xia Shoufu would also be unhappy, and he would always have to express his attitude.