At noon on the third day, King Li Min of Shu led his army to the outside of Qinghe County.
Cui He, the governor of Qinghe County, led the officials of Qinghe County out of the city to meet the inspecting envoy Shu King Li Min.
"I will serve as the governor of Qinghe County and lead the officials of Qinghe County to welcome the Holy Envoy."
Li Min laughed and said: "There is no need to be polite, Governor Cui. I have received the emperor's order and it is just a routine inspection. I hope Governor Cui will cooperate."
Cui He said respectfully: "Holy Envoy, please rest assured that I will fully cooperate with the Holy Envoy."
"The Holy Envoy worked tirelessly to come from afar. The lower official led the officials from Qinghe County to prepare a banquet specially for the Holy Envoy to receive the wind and wash away the dust. Holy Envoy please!"
Li Min laughed and said, "I'm always troubled by this king, so I'll invite you, Governor Cui!"
"Where, where, the Holy Envoy is here to make my Qinghe County Pengpi shine brightly, Holy Envoy please!"
Not long after, the group of people moved Li Min to Zuixianlou, the best restaurant in Qinghe County.
Qinghe County is the headquarters of the Cui family in Qinghe, where commerce is developed and there are many shops.
This Zuixian Restaurant is extremely high-end. Even if it were placed in the entire Tang Dynasty, it would be ranked among the top restaurants.
Today, because Governor Cui wanted to entertain the inspector, he booked the entire restaurant.
The banquet was held in a single room on the third floor of Zuixian Building.
Leaning by the window, you can see the patches of autumn flowers under the window.
Looking far away, you can see the rushing river.
Looking far into the distance, you can also see distant mountains and the beautiful red leaves all over the mountains.
Although the chrysanthemums under the window have long since withered and dried up, they still stand proudly. All the flowers are tightly clinging to the branches and have never fallen off.
It seems that you can still smell the faint fragrance of flowers by the window.
The beautiful scenery outside the window is naturally beautiful.
As for the inspection envoy Li Min, he was naturally assigned to the window seat at the top.
Li Yuanfang and five bodyguards stood quietly behind Li Min.
On these three floors, there are a hundred soldiers from the Huya Special Forces guarding the various strategic points.
Downstairs, four hundred Huya Special Forces soldiers surrounded Zuixian Tower.
Unless there are thousands of troops coming, it is impossible for outsiders to approach Zuixian Tower.
Although it was impossible for the Cui family of Qinghe to betray Li Min and take action brazenly when he first arrived.
But Li Yuanfang was not willing to leave any omissions.
The remaining 500 soldiers of the Huya Special Forces changed their clothes and quietly got out of the car as early as five miles away from Qinghe County.
At this time, I am afraid that he has sneaked into Qinghe City silently.
They all have secret missions and are responsible for keeping an eye on all officials, big and small, who are responsible for commercial taxation.
In Zuixian Building, because the preparations were thorough in advance, the food and wine service was served.
Cui He, the governor of Qinghe County, raised his wine glass and said: "I will lead all the officials in Qinghe County to have a glass of wine with the inspector!"
Li Min smiled and raised his glass and said, "Drink together!"
After drinking this glass of wine, officials from Qinghe County, big and small, came forward to toast one after another according to their rank.
However, in the next toast, Li Min only took a small sip for each person and did not give them any face.
After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.
Cui He, the governor of Qinghe County, couldn't help but said: "How can there be wine without singing and dancing? I have invited the most famous Sai Xian'er from Qinghe County to entertain His Highness."
This Sai Xianer is a film and television actor.
He was also a famous actor who spent a lot of money with the Four Surnames and Liu Wang. At this time, his reputation in the Tang Dynasty could rank among the top ranks.
Cui He clapped his hands twice, and suddenly a woman dressed in red walked in with two maids.
This Sai Xian'er has a face like a silver basin, eyes like spring apricots, and skin that is as frosty as snow.
The opening in the front is very low, revealing a piece of snow-white delicacy and a deep ravine, which seems to have inexplicable magic power.
Once someone catches their gaze, it will be difficult to escape.
Sai Xian'er has a plump figure and is full of charm in every gesture.
This figure is exactly in line with the Tang Dynasty's aesthetic concept of beauty as fat.
Of course, this Sai Xian'er cannot be said to be fat, it can only be said to be extremely plump.
He walked forward, bowed to Li Min Yingying and said, "Young lady Sai Xian'er has met the prince!"
Li Min smiled slightly and said: "I have admired the name of Miss Sai Xian'er for a long time. When I saw her today, I suddenly felt that she was even more famous after meeting her! I am really looking forward to Miss Sai Xian'er's performance!"
Sai Xian'er pursed her lips and smiled, and said charmingly: "I am afraid that the little girl's beauty will disappoint the prince! In this way, the little girl has shown her embarrassment!"
After saying that, Sai Xian'er took a step back, and the two maids immediately set up the piano and flute and started playing.
This prelude actually felt a bit familiar to Li Min, which was actually a bit beyond his expectation.
Which classic songs from later generations does Li Min like more?
To be honest, I can't appreciate these slow songs of the Tang Dynasty.
Unexpectedly, this piece of music actually gave him a familiar feeling, but it made him feel quite strange.
Not long after, Sai Xianer sang: "When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine..."
Only then did Li Min suddenly realize that the song he just played was the prelude to the time when the moon would come out.
However, Sai Xianer made some changes, which are somewhat different from the arrangement he gave Ouyang Ruoshui.
It gave him a familiar feeling, but he didn't recognize it for a while.
Sai Xian'er's voice is melodious and melodious, which is somewhat different from Ouyang Ruoshui's voice, which is like a clear spring on a stone.
However, this piece of music, performed by Sai Xianer, has a unique flavor and is not inferior to Ouyang Ruoshui.
After playing a song, the lingering sound lingers in your ears.
Li Min couldn't help but applaud and said: "This song can only be heard in heaven, how many times do you have to hear it in the human world? Today is really a feast for my ears!"
Upon hearing Li Min's praise, Sai Xianer's eyes couldn't help but light up.
He kept murmuring: "This song can only be heard in heaven, not in the human world."
After a while, Sai Xian'er bowed to Li Min Yingying.
"It is a great honor for this little girl to be praised so much by the prince. It has been a long time since the little girl heard the prince's new work. Today, the scenery is beautiful and pleasing to the eye. I wonder if the prince can write a poem for us to admire it?
"
"That's right, your prince's literary talent is as good as Cao Zhi's, surpassing that of Cao Zhi. Every poem and essay he writes will be sung all over the world and will be remembered for generations to come!"
"However, over the years, no poems have been published by the prince. It is really a pity!"
"Otherwise, the prince wrote a poem a few months ago! I urge you to drink another glass of wine, leaving Yangguan in the west without any old friends! It is very popular! But what? It is really not enough!"
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty will compose a poem tonight, which will surely be passed down through the ages!"
"We are truly blessed to be able to attend such a grand event!"
The surrounding Qinghe County officials praised Li Min as being rare in the sky and unparalleled on earth.
But to be fair, Li Min's previous poems are indeed worthy of such praise.
Hearing what everyone said, Li Min couldn't help but smile and said: "Poems are just for self-entertainment in leisure time, Xiao Dao'er!"
"My poetry is mediocre, and I really don't deserve your praise! But I am really happy today, so I will compose a poem!"
After hearing the King of Shu's agreement, the scene suddenly became silent.
Li Min stood up, looked at the river outside the window, and chanted slowly:
"The sun sets over the mountains and the Yellow River flows into the sea. If you want to see a thousand miles away, go to the next level!"
"Wonderful! So wonderful!"
“A good sentence takes it to the next level!”
"This Zui Chun Tower will definitely be remembered forever because of a poem by the prince!"
Of course, as for the river outside, it is not the Yellow River at all, and it does not flow into the sea. No one reminded the King of Shu face to face.
…
After a long drink, the inspection envoy Li Min moved into the courtyard prepared for him by Cui He, the governor of Qinghe.
After drinking, Cui He, the governor of Qinghe County, held a meeting with more than a dozen leaders in charge of commercial taxation.
"Captain, this King of Shu is not as mysterious as the legend says! He seems to be quite easy to get along with. Do you think he is really here for business tax?"
"That's right, at the banquet, this King of Shu was affable and didn't seem to have any intention of dealing with us! Do you think he would turn a blind eye if we gave him heavy gifts?
Eyes?"
"Is this really feasible? If it is really feasible, I should prepare a good gift!"
Hearing what his subordinates said, Cui He couldn't help but sneered: "Stop daydreaming!"
"Who is this King of Shu? He is ruthless and scheming. Can you see his thoughts?"
"Furthermore, this commercial tax reform plan was proposed by him. And our Qinghe County's commercial tax this year has actually been reduced by 30% compared to last year. Do you think he will let us go?"
"You are actually stupid enough to want to give him a gift? Are they afraid that others haven't figured it out yet? Is there something fishy here?"
Cui He's words made a group of subordinates blush and couldn't hold their heads up.
In fact, the name of the King of Shu shocked the Tang Dynasty, but how many people did not know his reputation?
It's not that they don't know how powerful the King of Shu is, but they have an instinctive fear in their hearts.
What I said just now is just a manifestation of self-deception.
"Captain, what do you think we should do?"
Cui He said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, our accounts have been done perfectly."
"As long as he doesn't find any flaws, he won't be able to punish us. What you have to do now is to stay calm and don't show any signs of weakness."
Yes, they had already discussed it well, and they thought they had done it perfectly in terms of the accounts.
However, can it really be hidden from the King of Shu?
The king of Shu descended to earth, and Wenquxing was reincarnated. He was as resourceful as the sea, strategizing, and winning thousands of miles!
Various magical legends made the image of the omnipotent King of Shu deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the Tang Dynasty.
The King of Shu is the Dinghai Shenzhen of the Tang Dynasty.
They really have no bottom in their hearts.
But at this time, Cui He didn't have much worry in his heart.
In fact, facts have proven that the reason why the King of Shu is so powerful is not that he is really that powerful.
It's just that he has mastered leading technology.
Take a few paintings by the former King of Shu, for example. The paintings are so lifelike that it makes people feel that they cannot be painted by ordinary people.
How many people were astonished!
But now it seems that it is just a developed photo!
Therefore, all the magics of King Shu are actually supported by technology.
If that's the case, is King Shu still so scary?
Cui He chuckled and said: "We have not gained anything from today's banquet. The King of Shu has given us another clue!"
After hearing Cui He's words, several officials below thought carefully, but they couldn't figure out what the so-called handle was.
"You mean the governor?"
Cui He smiled slightly and said: "Today, the King of Shu composed another poem as a gift. If you want to see a thousand miles away, go to the next level! What a good poem! Haha!"
"Yes, it is indeed a good poem. This poem will definitely be remembered throughout the ages!"
"Yes, King Shu's literary talent is truly unparalleled!"
"Maybe we will also be honored by this poem, and we can leave our names in the history of literature!"
Hearing the stupid words of these idiots, Cui He felt angry.
"Hmph! Don't you think there's something wrong with these two lines of poetry?"
"Go to the next level! Go to the next level! He now holds the post of Jiedushi of Jiannan Road and also serves as Shangshu Ling."
"This is definitely one person below ten thousand people. This official position has reached its peak!"
"Go to the next level! Humph! Where is he going? What is his intention?"
After Cui He finished speaking, several officials couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.
"Hiss! Huh? This is really the case!"
"The Governor is really full of bad ideas - ah! He is so resourceful and resourceful!"
"If we use this reason to impeach the King of Shu, will the emperor punish him?"
Cui He shook his head and said: "If he is impeached, the emperor's trust in him will definitely not shake the status of the King of Shu."
"And with the treachery of the King of Shu, he will definitely be able to figure out a way to crack it."
"Whatever, we can't use this poem to impeach him!"
"But what? We can spread rumors secretly. Sooner or later, these words will fall into the ears of the emperor."
"Do you think the Emperor can have no suspicion in his heart? Perhaps this suspicion was just a small seed at the beginning!"
"But as time goes by, it will definitely grow into a towering tree!"
After listening to Cui He's words, several officials couldn't help but look thoughtful on their faces.
…
On the second day, Li Min came to the Commercial Tax Office.
In order to cooperate with this reform, various prefectures and counties have established specialized commercial and tax yamen.
Passing merchants and local merchants all need to pay business tax.
This year's commercial tax rate was raised, but the commercial tax rate paid by Qinghe County this year was actually 30% lower than last year.
Of course Li Min had to come to the Yamen here to check.
Not long after, Li Min came to the tax yamen with a hundred guards.
The chief here is Sicang Junjun Zhao Yi.
Seeing the arrival of the inspection envoy, Sicang joined the army, Zhao Yi, and all the officials from the taxation department greeted him with fear and fear.
"The lower official didn't know that the patrol envoy was coming, but he failed to welcome him from afar, so he went to the patrol envoy to atone for his sins!"
Li Min laughed and said: "I didn't inform you in advance, so what's your crime? Everyone, get up!"
"It's like this. This year's commercial tax has been increased three times, but Qinghe County's commercial tax revenue this year is 30% less than last year. I just came here to see what is going on?"
After hearing the inspection envoy's inquiry, Zhao Yi, who joined the army in Sicang, breathed a sigh of relief.
The inspector came here in a friendly manner, and even asked me questions when he came. It didn't look like he was here to show off.
Although their accounts were flawless, he still felt unsure.
It's best not to break your skin.
Zhao Yi, who joined the army in Sicang, couldn't help but bend down and said with a smile: "Inspector, this is not the place to talk. Why don't you go inside, the subordinates serve tea, and then slowly tell the story to the superiors?"
Li Min laughed and said, "Yes, this is not the place to talk. Let's talk inside before it's too late."
Not long after, Li Min came to the official office and took charge of it.
Which low-level officials were driven away by Zhao Yi.
Not long after, a servant brought tea.
"This is the new green tea this year. Please try it, Shangguan, and see if it suits your taste?"
As early as seven or eight years ago, the technique of tea frying had been developed by Liuwang of the Four Surnames.
Nowadays, fried tea is no longer a monopoly business of Chinese commercial houses.
But when it comes to word-of-mouth, China Commercial Bank is naturally the best.
And because the Chinese Commercial Bank started early, the best origins were already in the hands of the Chinese Commercial Bank.
There are also other Ade merchants in Si Xing Liu Wang. At this point, it is difficult to compete with Zhonghua Commercial Bank.
The new tea that Li Min drank was roasted by Liuwang of the fourth surname.
After tasting it carefully, I found that it was indeed a good new tea.
However, Li Min drank tea just to taste it.
He can't tell the difference between good and bad taste very clearly.
When it comes to good tea, I'm afraid that in the entire Tang Dynasty, including the imperial palace, there is no better tea than the tea drunk in the Prince of Shu's palace.
Li Min just took a sip of tea, complimented him casually, then put down his tea bowl and raised his eyes to look at Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi smiled slightly and said: "Inspector, the thing is like this. Because the commercial tax system has just been restructured this year, there are many shops, and their profits are not much."
"And the commercial tax has been raised to three times. They have no profit left, and they will even repay the tax."
"These businesses, before collecting taxes, cashed out their shops. Or they simply closed their shops and asked them to find other ways out."
"The more shops are closed, the lower the commercial tax will be."
"The reason why this year's commercial tax was able to receive 70% of last year's was mostly due to the fact that Cui's business in Qinghe received twice as much. Otherwise, this year's commercial tax would probably be even less.
Woolen cloth!"
"Of course, I am definitely not saying that the commercial tax reform is unreasonable."
"But it has just been implemented this year. I am afraid that it will be difficult for so many businesses to adapt to it for a while, which is why this situation has occurred."
"Xiaguan believes that in three to five years, commercial tax revenue will gradually improve."
Hearing Zhao Yi's words, Li Min couldn't help but sneered in his heart.
Will things gradually get better in another three to five years?
I'm afraid that by then, the commercial taxes collected will only become less and less, right?
But on the surface, Li Min was still smiling and didn't show any signs of it.
Li Min couldn't help but said to Zhao Yi: "Zhao Shenjun, please show your accounts to me."
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, Zhao Yi quickly ordered people to send all the accounts for this year.
The business in Qinghe County is relatively developed.
However, because so many shops have closed down this year, there are not many account books, only a dozen or so.
Li Min picked up the account book and looked through it one by one.
These ledgers, along with the spread of Arabic numerals.
Of course, here, the official name is not Arabic numerals, but Tang Dynasty numerals.
With the dissemination of numbers in the Tang Dynasty, it now extends from the Ministry of Household Affairs to local prefectures and counties.
All accounts used are Datang numbers.
Even most of the restaurants and shops began to use Datang numerals for counting.
Because Tang numerals are much more convenient than Han Chinese numerals.
Of course, Datang numbers also have flaws.
The disadvantage is that it is easily tampered with.
For example, if 1 is changed to 4 or 6, it is not easy to distinguish.
Therefore, under the summary figures of each day, they will be marked with Hanzi.
In this way, comparing the two, it will not be so easy to make false claims.
Use Arabic numerals to count and make the accounts clear at a glance.
Li Min didn't look at it carefully. He looked through the dozen or so ledgers and threw them aside.
Zhao Yi was beside him, seemingly as if nothing had happened.
But I was extremely nervous.
He held the tea bowl and took a sip from time to time.
The corner of his eyes was closely watching Li Min's every move.
After Li Min read all the ledgers and threw them aside, Zhao Yi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Min sighed softly and said: "Well, I thought that the commercial tax reform would be a great thing that benefits the country and the people. Unexpectedly, it actually wastes the people and hurts money. What a disaster! I want to make a self-examination!"
After Li Min finished speaking, Zhao Yi hurriedly said: "Why did Shangguan say this? Shangguan carried out commercial and tax reforms with sincerity and loyalty. You can learn from the sun and the moon!"
"And all reforms are like crossing the river by feeling the stones. How can anything be accomplished overnight? Some mistakes are inevitable and can only be corrected afterwards."
Li Min sighed and said, "You're right. I didn't expect that Qinghe County would have an official like you."
"In this position, your talents have been wronged! After returning, I will definitely recommend you to the emperor and give you a bigger stage to show your ambitions!"
Hearing Li Min's words, Zhao Yi couldn't help but be overjoyed and said: "I would like to thank Your Highness for your kindness! From now on, Your Highness will be my benefactor. As long as Your Highness orders me, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Li Min laughed and said: "This is all my duty, so why do you need to thank me? If you want to thank me, just thank the emperor."
…
After Li Min left, the joy on Zhao Yi's face completely disappeared.
Naturally, the King of Shu's lies were just heard, and they were definitely not taken seriously.
However, the performance of King Shu today was beyond Zhao Yi's expectation.
Duan Ran didn't expect that the King of Shu just browsed it casually, and didn't even let his staff check the account book, so he just let it go.
But this time, the King of Shu clearly came here for business tax purposes. Why is this happening?
After thinking about it, Zhao Yi still couldn't figure it out clearly.
He couldn't help but shook his head and went to find Cui He, the governor.
If you can't tell the truth of this kind of thing yourself, you should leave it to the governor to handle it.