The little guy looked at the big crab and smiled and became happy again.
Li Min kept up his efforts and caught a lot of crabs, and the little ones were also very happy.
After getting tired of playing, Li Min directly ordered the guards to bring up the barbecue grill, took out the food he brought, and started to barbecue outdoors.
The family had a great time.
It wasn't until evening that the family went home happily.
Then on the way home, I met the Minister of the Ministry of Finance.
When the Minister of Hubu saw Li Min, he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Master, I wonder if you have recovered?"
At this time, Li Min is still taking sick leave!
Hearing the question from the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
After a long while, he yawned and said: "Haha, what, it's still the same as before, I guess it still needs some time to practice!"
"Really? But Shangshu Ling looks good!"
Oh, if you can't speak, don't speak.
If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb.
…
Soon, taxes collected from various places were sent to the Ministry of Revenue one after another.
Nowadays, the transportation in Datang is very fast, with trains and trucks, and the waterways are also very smooth.
Originally, it would take several months or even half a year to deliver the farthest corner to the capital.
The losses incurred while delivering food along the way were frightening and astonishing.
But now, these problems have been solved.
Relying on the railway, the taxes can be delivered to Chang'an in no more than a month at the latest.
However, after the taxes were totaled this time, something happened that made Shangshu Ling very embarrassed.
What’s more, this year’s taxes are actually 30% less than last year!
After accounting, the main reason is still due to the abolition of corvee.
Originally, people in the Tang Dynasty had to perform corvee service.
If you don't want to do corvee service, there's no problem. As long as you provide money, the government can use the money to hire people to serve on your behalf.
Of course, the money paid is still quite large.
But now, because of the reform, corvee has been abolished.
As a result, this year's taxes were reduced by 30% compared to last year.
For this reason, the Minister of the Ministry of Finance quit his job and wrote directly to the Emperor, expressing his bitterness.
Although there is still a balance in the Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue.
But such a small amount of tax revenue per year is simply not enough to support the operation of the entire court.
Moreover, if there are some natural or man-made disasters and disaster relief is needed, then the treasury will not be enough.
If this continues, within a few years, the treasury will be even more stretched.
The tax revenue could not make ends meet, so the Minister of Household Affairs submitted a memorial, requesting that the changes be abolished and the original system be restored.
Immediately after the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, almost all civil officials wrote to request the abolition of the changes and the restoration of the system.
Even many censors began to impeach the king of Shu.
Because this change was proposed by the King of Shu.
Now Emperor Li Ke is also in a dilemma.
Unexpectedly, after the reform, instead of increasing taxes, there was a significant decrease.
Now the annual tax payment is completely beyond our means.
Originally, the family fortune Li Shimin left behind was quite generous.
But if this continues, within a few years, all these families will be ruined.
And when the time comes, it will still be worse than the year before. What will we do then?
Is it really necessary to abolish this change now?
If the reform is really to be abolished, then the king of Shu, Li Min, who proposed the reform, will inevitably be impeached by all officials.
At that time, the King of Shu must be punished to a certain extent.
This is what Li Ke doesn't want to see.
Finally, Li Ke invited Li Min, the king of Shu, to the palace to discuss countermeasures together.
After entering the palace, the two brothers first had a meal with Concubine Yang, and then went to the imperial study.
"Sixth brother, I didn't expect that after the reform, the taxes collected this year were actually 30% less than last year. Now, what should we do?"
The tax bill will actually be less than last year?
And it will be 30% less?
It seems that this is the result of the Four Surnames and Liuwang!
No wonder the reform proposal passed so smoothly when it was proposed, and his co-author is waiting for him here.
After the reform, national tax revenue not only did not increase, but actually decreased.
This proves that this reform is wrong and outdated.
As the proposer of reform, he will also be severely punished.
What a good calculation!
But, what they thought was too naive, right?
A sneer appeared on Li Min's face.
Commercial taxes were raised three times, but in the end, the tax revenue was actually reduced by 30%? How is this possible?
It must be the officials at all levels below who are causing trouble.
However, from this we can also see the horror of the Four Surnames and Six Prosperities.
The reason why tax revenue cannot be collected must not be the case in one state or county, but in most of the Tang Dynasty.
There may be some cases of corruption among the officials themselves, but the four surnames and six prosperous people must have contributed a lot.
Their strength is still unfathomable.
However, do you think that there is nothing I can do about your little actions?
Thinking of this, Li Min couldn't help but said to Li Ke: "Brother Emperor, how much more is this year's commercial tax than last year?"
Hearing Li Min's question, Li Ke really didn't pay attention.
After being stunned, Li Ke couldn't help but said: "I didn't pay attention to this. Well, I'll send someone to the Ministry of Household Affairs to ask about it."
Not long after, the warriors sent by Li Ke brought back two years of commercial tax figures, as well as detailed tax details of each local commercial tax.
After seeing this number, Li Ke's face immediately showed a thoughtful look.
This year’s commercial tax revenue is basically the same as last year’s.
When looking at the local commercial tax revenue, in Qinghe, the commercial tax was actually 30% less than last year.
The commercial tax rate has been increased by three times, but the tax revenue is 30% less than last year. It is really ridiculous.
In some places, commercial taxes have been increased compared to last year.
But there are still many places where commercial taxes are the same as last year, or even lower than last year.
The trick here can be seen at a glance.
Li Ke said angrily: "These murderers are acting in secret, deceiving the superiors and concealing the inferiors. Are they deceiving my steel sword to do something bad? I will immediately send an imperial envoy to investigate the taxation matter!"
Li Min said to Li Ke: "Your Majesty, the civil servants are now opposed to change. I'm afraid these things have something to do with them. If they are sent there, I'm afraid they may not be able to find out anything."
Hearing Li Min's words, Li Ke was a little discouraged.
Yes, now the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty feel that the emperor has actually raised the commercial tax by twice as much. This is to compete with the people for profit!
This is definitely not what Mingjun did!
Presumably, their secret support is indispensable for this result.
There are certainly four surnames and six prosperous people working here, but without their support, I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible to achieve this level.
If we send people like them as imperial envoys, I'm afraid nothing will be found out in the end.
So, Li Ke couldn't help but look at Li Min deeply.
Li Min smiled bitterly, and then said: "Brother Emperor, why don't you leave this errand to my younger brother!"
Li Ke stood up, stood on Li Min's shoulders and said, "Sixth brother, thank you for your hard work! But in this matter, you are the only one willing to help the emperor, and you are the only person I trust most!"
Li Ke really wanted to do something, to make the Tang Dynasty more prosperous, and to have his great achievements surpass those of his father.
But there were too many people holding him back, and his brother was the only one who was sincerely helping him.
…
Soon, the imperial edict was issued, and the emperor appointed Li Ke, the king of Shu, as the inspection envoy to investigate the various sects of the Tang Dynasty.
The inspection envoy is not a permanent official position, but an imperial envoy appointed by the emperor.
In addition to having no military power, they can investigate the administration of various provinces and officials' political achievements and other matters.
Of course, everyone knows it.
The appointment of the inspector this time was for the purpose of tax collection.
This also made many officials in the imperial court, as well as the four surnames Liuwang, feel anxious.
This time, King Shu, the visitor is not kind.
However, since they dared to play this game, they had made sufficient preparations in advance.
As long as the King of Shu cannot find out their evidence, there will be nothing the King of Shu can do against them.
Moreover, they are even prepared to take desperate risks.
If the time is right, they can even find an opportunity to secretly deal with the King of Shu.
And as long as the king of Shu is captured, the emperor's foundation and opportunity will be completely cut off.
Even if the imperial power will change, it is not impossible.
And Li Ke obviously knew this.
If something unexpected happens to the King of Shu, his throne will also be in danger.
Therefore, the emperor directly granted the golden talisman, giving the king of Shu the right to mobilize local armies.
Moreover, the King of Shu was ordered to directly lead 10,000 soldiers to protect the safety of the King of Shu.
Li Min himself, of course, would not be careless in the slightest.
For these 10,000 soldiers, Li Min not only mobilized Li Yuanfang and 1,000 members of the Huya Special Forces, but also asked Xue Rengui to lead 9,000 elite soldiers and follow with 1,000 steel chariots.
These ten thousand people can even withstand an ordinary army of one hundred thousand.
Before leaving, Emperor Li Ke personally saw Li Min off.
Li Ke took Li Min's hand and warned carefully: "Sixth brother, be careful during this trip. I would rather not find out anything, but I must ensure your safety."
Li Min smiled slightly and said: "Brother, please rest assured, with these ten thousand troops following you, I will ensure that my brother is safe!"
"That's good. Brother Huang is here to wish my sixth brother all the best!"
"Brother, please take care of yourself."
…
This time, the emperor is serious about it!
Countless people's eyes were focused on King Shu.
They originally thought that the King of Shu would investigate all the way out from Chang'an.
Unexpectedly, the King of Shu did not stop at all, but went directly to Qinghe County.
The first stop for the King of Shu was to perform surgery on Cui of Qinghe.
Catch the thief first and capture the king first. As long as the tax revenue of Qinghe can be clearly investigated, it will put huge pressure on the officials of all states and counties in the world.
Qinghe is the headquarters of Cui family in Qinghe.
This time, it is a head-to-head confrontation between the King of Shu and the Cui family of Qinghe. I wonder who will have the last laugh this time?
In the motorcade, Li Min was sitting in a steel chariot in the middle.
By his side were Li Yuanfang, Xue Rengui, and Xu Hui.
Taking Xu Hui with him is not the same as Li Min taking a family member with him.
It's because Xu Hui is in charge of the Dream Weaver Organization.
With Xu Hui here, Li Min can better control all the information.
Li Min couldn't help but ask Xu Hui: "Hui'er, how is the investigation going on over there in Qinghe?"
Xu Hui pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Your Highness, Qinghe is the headquarters of the Cui family in Qinghe. The Cui family has strong control over Qinghe, and it is extremely difficult for our organization to develop."
"However, we still investigated a lot of situations in Qinghe."
"The governor of Qinghe County is called Cui He, and he is a direct descendant of the Cui family in Qinghe."
"The officials in Qinghe County are basically all under the control of the Qinghe Cui family."
"The various large-scale shops in Qinghe County are all opened by the Cui family of Qinghe. They have various means to avoid taxes, so commercial taxes cannot be collected from them."
"In the past, their shops would also pay a symbolic amount of business tax."
"But this year, there is not even a symbolic payment."
"Moreover, Cui He took advantage of the opportunity of this commercial tax reform to impose excessive taxes. Many shops that were not controlled by Cui were forced into bankruptcy by them."
"Now the entire shops in Qinghe County are basically controlled by the Cui family. As a result, it is even more difficult to collect commercial taxes in Qinghe County."
Hearing Xu Hui's report, Li Min couldn't help but sneer at the corner of his mouth.
In fact, Li Min already knew about these situations.
The reason why I still ask this kind of question now is actually to explain it to Xue Rengui and Li Yuanfang, so that they can further understand the situation in Qinghe County.
After Xu Hui finished her report, Li Min asked in a playful manner: "Yuanfang, what do you think?"
His Highness has asked him this question more than once.
And every time he asked, Li Yuanfang always felt that the expression on His Highness's face was intriguing.
That expression on His Highness’ face?
Li Yuanfang was a little confused, but he had to answer His Highness's inquiry.
Li Yuanfang couldn't help but frown and said: "Your Highness, if this is the case, I think it will be difficult to break through Qinghe County's breach."
"The entire Qinghe County is controlled by the Cui family of Qinghe. They work together and will definitely screw up all the accounts. How can we find out the evidence of their crimes?"
Hearing Li Yuanfang's answer, Li Min couldn't help but nodded.
Then he smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, since they have done it, there will always be flaws. This time, I will bring over all the audit talents I have trained."
"With them here, I believe they will be able to find out the clues about the Cui family in Qinghe."
After listening to His Highness's explanation, Li Yuanfang and Xue Rengui both made up their minds.
Qinghe County is their first stop.
This is a start that must be made well.
Now it seems that His Highness is completely prepared.
However, what Li Yuanfang couldn't figure out was that since His Highness had already made all arrangements, why did he still come to ask me?
It is really difficult for Li Yuanfang to understand His Highness's bad taste.
Of course, the reason why Li Min asked Li Yuanfang was this.
It's not entirely out of bad taste.
The first is to let them understand the situation of the Cui family in Qinghe, and the second is to let them understand how to cooperate when the time comes.
Li Min couldn't help but said to Xue Rengui: "Rengui, after arriving at the Cui family in Qinghe, your army will directly take over the city defense of Qinghe County. You must make sure there are no mistakes."
Xue Rengui said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Your Highness, this matter will be left to the general. I dare to guarantee with my head that Qinghe County will not cause any trouble."
Li Min nodded, and then said to Li Yuanfang: "Yuanfang, after arriving in Qinghe County, you will send out all the members of the Huya Special Forces to carefully keep an eye on the officials in charge of commercial tax in Qinghe County."
"If they do anything strange, report it to me immediately!"
In Qinghe County, there are people from the Dream Weaver Organization secretly monitoring every move of these officials.
But after all, they are subject to identity restrictions, and it is impossible to fully monitor them.
But the members of the Huya Special Forces are different. With their skills and abilities, they can easily monitor every move of all officials.
After hearing Li Min's order, Li Yuanfang did not immediately agree.
Instead, he scratched his head and said, "Your Highness, before leaving, the Emperor repeatedly told the Prime Minister that protecting the safety of His Highness should be his top priority."
"Therefore, my subordinates cannot send all the men, but at most half the men."
Hearing this, Li Min couldn't help but laugh.
Although Qinghe County is the headquarters of the Qinghe Cui family, Li Min doesn't think they have the courage to openly rebel.
Furthermore, even if they wanted to rebel openly, it would not be enough when Xue Rengui's nine thousand troops were pressing down on the border.
Therefore, Li Min did not worry about his safety at all.
But as the commander of his bodyguards, what Li Yuanfang said was right.
There are not many people in the commercial tax department of Qinghe County.
It can be said that sending five hundred members of the Huya Special Forces is completely sufficient.
Therefore, Li Min couldn't help but said to Li Yuanfang: "Okay, just send half of the manpower."
Li Yuanfang couldn't help but said with great joy: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
After more than ten years of development, Datang’s national highways have basically run through all states and counties.
The roads between states and counties in wealthy places also extend in all directions and are smooth.
This time, Li Min brought out a thousand steel chariots, which can be said to be a completely mechanized march.
Their speed is very fast.
The straight-line distance between Chang'an and Qinghe County is about 800 kilometers.
And the route they take is much longer than the straight-line distance, at least a thousand kilometers away.
Now Li Min is not in a hurry. He just travels during the day and rests at night.
There are about eight hours a day spent traveling.
A day's journey is less than a thousand miles.
It takes about three days to get to Qinghe.
That night, Li Min sent troops and horses to the local government to ask for military rations.
Before leaving, Emperor Li Ke had already issued a decree.
All government offices along the route were ordered to fully cooperate with the inspection envoy's actions.
The military rations they provided can be deducted from the tax as long as they have a receipt issued by the King of Shu.
After the King of Shu arrived, the local governor did not dare to neglect and not only sent the full amount of food and grass.
They also sent ten fat pigs, dozens of sheep, and thousands of slaughtered chickens and ducks.
He also came to greet the King of Shu in person and held a banquet to welcome the King of Shu.
Li Min had long known that the commercial tax paid by the state where the governor was located had doubled compared to last year.
Although it has not reached three times the level required by Li Min, it is already one of the few and the best among all the states and counties.
Therefore, Li Min really encouraged the governor and then politely declined his invitation.
Being encouraged and valued by the King of Shu, the governor left happily.
The governor also said that he had found a resting place for the 10,000 troops and invited them to rest.
However, Li Min was afraid that the army would disturb the people, so he did not go there.
Instead, he directly ordered the army to camp in the wild.
And with the chicken, duck and fish sent by the governor, the 10,000 troops had a very rich meal that night.
The meat was so fragrant that all the soldiers had their mouths full of oil.
Originally, they thought that this trip must be a chore.
I didn’t expect the food to be so good. It looks like this trip was a good one!
After eating and drinking enough, the tents were set up. Except for the soldiers who left enough to be on guard, the other soldiers quickly fell asleep.
Li Min was still uneasy, so he made a personal inspection and found that the soldiers in charge of the guards were very serious, so he felt relieved.
After returning to his coach's tent, Li Min found that Xu Hui had made a bed, prepared hot water, and was waiting for him to come back.
Li Min's commander's tent is larger than the tents of ordinary soldiers.
However, it is not too special. Apart from some simple furniture, there is no overly luxurious decoration inside.
Under Xu Hui's service, Li Min had his feet scalded with hot water.
Then Xu Hui was going to help Li Min sleep first, and then go wash up herself.
Li Min looked at her with a smile and said: "Hui'er, my husband is not sleepy yet, so let's wait for you to fall asleep together!"
Xu Hui nodded shyly, then poured out Li Min's foot-washing water and asked the soldiers to bring hot water. Xu Hui began to wash up.
Although I have been married to Li Min for many years, I even have a child now.
But Xu Hui is still quite conservative at heart.
She saw her husband standing next to her, watching her wash with burning eyes.
Xu Hui felt hot and limp all over, almost unable to stand up.
After finally washing up, Xu Hui felt as if she had done a heavy job.
"Madam, it's getting late, let's take a rest early, right?"
"Um!"
Because we are not at home, but camping in the wild.
It actually gave the two of them a different kind of stimulation.
This night, the night was very dark.
Even the moon shyly hid in the clouds, not daring to look at the scenery below.
It is already late autumn, the night is as cold as water, and the chill is chilling.
The situation inside the coach's tent was filled with excitement.
…
When she woke up early the next morning, Xu Hui was lying in Li Min's arms, like an octopus, wrapped around Li Min so refreshed that she was reluctant to get up.
After washing, the army lit a fire to cook.
After dinner, the tents were put away, and then the army set off.
If you have one more day today, you can enter Qinghe County tomorrow.
That night, the army camped again.
However, this place is already close to Qinghe County.
The territory here is already inextricably linked to the Cui family of Qinghe.
Therefore, although the local governor did not dare to deduct military rations, the supply from suppliers was not as abundant as yesterday.
However, they still had a lot of meat left over from yesterday, so today's meal was not too bad.
