Chapter four hundred and fiftieth chapters talk on paper
"Sir! Maybe when it is first implemented, it will be hindered by the tea merchants. After a few days, they will die out! Tea is a huge profit, and those merchants naturally know how to choose. After all, their arms can't hold back their thighs."
Gu Chengyu sneered in his heart, if he waited and watched or asked someone to find connections to resist, it would be in vain.
In a few days, those people will accept the reality. The government has many means to make them surrender, and wasting a day is a waste of money. Tea merchants are not stupid.
However, what he was sneering at was not whether the tea merchants knew how to bn.
But when these officials collected the salt tax and capitation tax, they didn't think of it. Isn't it mandatory?
After all, isn’t it because it has violated their interests?
The reason why these people are so opposed is not because tea merchants and tea farmers are motivated by their own selfish interests.
Li Wei smiled and said, "Although Gu Xiuzhan has only been in the officialdom for a few months, he is very familiar with the bullying methods of these powerful people."
After Gu Chengyu heard this, his expression remained unchanged, and he secretly scolded the other party for being shameless.
"Xiaoguan just said that there is no need to worry about those tea merchants not selling tea! As for bullying, I don't know where to start. Isn't this just to fill the national treasury?"
Gu Chengyu glanced at Li Wei out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was an official uniform of the third rank.
He glanced at Xia Qing again, turned his eyes, and then continued: "I dare to ask, sir! If the tea tax is not implemented, how will the treasury be filled? The lower officials have heard about the fact that the imperial court owes border wages. The soldiers guarding the border are suffering from hunger.
How can we defend our territory if we are starving? If we do not provide border wages, it will even lead to the morale of the army being scattered. If it is exploited by someone with ulterior motives and triggers a riot, wouldn't that give Daxing an opportunity to take advantage of it?"
"Most of the people who lose profits from the tea tax are wealthy businessmen. Let them lose a little profit, not hurt their muscles and bones, and can contribute to the border payment. Why not? Besides, tea merchants have no profit at all.
No, at least my life is guaranteed."
Gu Chengyu silenced Li Wei. If he said that Gu Chengyu's method was not good, then the emperor might ask him to think of a method. Then wouldn't he be shooting himself in the foot?
Besides, when it comes to the issue of border wages, the courtiers all know that the emperor is very anxious about this matter, and they dare not stroke the tiger's beard.
"For the record, Your Majesty, I still have a few points to add."
Gu Chengyu did not write all these in the memorial. After all, if he had written it comprehensively, then if the emperor didn't summon him, wouldn't he be waiting outside the palace in vain?
The emperor was watching these people arguing, but Gu Chengyu didn't lose the battle, and he didn't bother to speak.
After all, he already had an idea in mind as to whether the tea tax would be implemented.
Seeing that Gu Chengyu had something to add at this moment, how could he not agree to it?
Jiang Mingyuan never expected that Gu Chengyu would come here just for this matter. He, Gu Chengyu, could do what all the officials in the dynasty could not do.
He has already seen the emperor's attitude. The emperor is definitely tempted and may want to implement it immediately.
Didn't you see that those old foxes stopped talking? Even Xia Qing was silent, as if he was asleep.
"Your Majesty, there are not enough horses in this dynasty, and the horses in Daxing are fat and strong, and there are more horses than us. It is better to open a mutual market at the border. This tea can also be used as one of the exchange items to exchange for Daxing's horses or other items.
, it can be called a tea-horse trade!"
Gu Chengyu did not just mention the issue of tea tax this time, but a major issue of mutual trade between the two countries.
As soon as he said this, he was strongly opposed by Dai Yuanji, Minister of War, and other officials.
"Your Majesty! No! It's not like our dynasty didn't open mutual trade before, but the Daxing people were brave and good at fighting, and they all fought fiercely, disturbing the peace at the border. Our merchants went to the border, and those people took the opportunity to rob. During that time
The merchants of Japan and our dynasty went to the border and suffered heavy losses."
What Dai Yuanji said was exactly what the other courtiers were about to say.
The people of Daxing are all ambitious. They don't spend money. It is their nature to like to rob, and it has become a habit. This is absolutely impossible.
It will not have any effect on the stability of the border and will instead cause huge hidden dangers.
The emperor shook his hand. He wanted to hear Gu Chengyu's unique insights and hoped not to disappoint him.
Gu Chengyu had thought of this before, and it is impossible for everyone in Daxing to be like this.
The previous robbery was because they were short of food and clothing. If mutual markets could be opened, the problem of food and clothing could be solved.
However, there are indeed many people who want to take advantage without spending money.
However, Gu Chengyu was very surprised by what the Minister of War just said.
The number of soldiers guarding the border of this dynasty was hundreds of thousands, sometimes as many as 500,000.
Even if these soldiers and generals are scattered guards, they will be too useless against those scattered people from Daxing who come together to rob, right?
Could it be that so many soldiers from Dayan could not defeat those scattered Daxing people? Those who robbed were not soldiers, but ordinary people from Daxing.
How was he going to reply to this? Could it be that those soldiers were so incompetent that they couldn't even defeat the people of Daxing?
He didn't know much about the border strategy and the capabilities of the soldiers. In this case, he could only find another way.
"Your Majesty! The minister thought that we could specially set aside a place at the border for mutual trade, move the residences of the surrounding people to other places, and then send heavy troops to guard it. This place should be strictly controlled and we should be able to take precautions."
When Dai Yuanji heard Gu Chengyu's words, he sneered.
"Gu Xiuzuan has never been to the border, and everything he said is just talk. I ask you, in this case, why do the people and merchants of Daxing believe us? Will they put their lives and property in our hands?"
Gu Chengyu thought for a moment and realized that what Dai Yuanji said was true. Our people are afraid that Daxing will rob the people, but will the people of Daxing trust us?
"Then let Daxing allocate some troops and jointly govern this place with Dayan. The two countries will sign an alliance and cooperate with each other."
Before Gu Chengyu finished speaking, Dai Yuanji couldn't help it.
He shook his sleeves, snorted coldly, and shouted: "Don't talk nonsense, if there are troops stationed on both sides, how can there be peace in the border over there?"
Even the emperor frowned. After all, Gu Chengyu was a frail scholar who was sitting at his desk writing ink, and knew very little about border issues. He coughed slightly, intending to stop the conversation between the two.
In any case, tea tax is inevitable.
"Sir! There is no benefit in Daxing. Their government will naturally cause trouble and let them do whatever they want. But if the government in Daxing has received enough benefits, then how can they cause trouble again?"
After hearing this, the officials present all became thoughtful. Even Dai Yuanji, who was originally angry, calmed down. They are all people with big ambitions, otherwise they would not be able to sit in this seat. 11