Just as Su Song expected, after the sale ended, farm tools accounted for nearly 60% of the proceeds from the sale... All the so-called gentry who cultivated and studied heirlooms knew how vast the market for farm tools was.
It was also during various celebration banquets that the news published in "Shi Lun" also spread among the courtiers.
"Once the agricultural tools sold this time are put on the market, I'm afraid that some customers will need to be reduced by 30%, right? How to arrange these customers will be another problem for the court."
"What's the problem? There's no shortage of hired workers in that state now? There's still not enough foreign slaves."
"The imperial court won't ban the slave trade, right?"
"It's hard to say... This is troublesome. Once foreign slaves are banned..."
“Can’t we just use customers?”
"Can this be compared? The client is a citizen of the Song Dynasty. He is a good citizen registered in the government office. He is protected by the laws of the Song Dynasty. This is not the case for foreign slaves. Besides, how can the salary used by the client be comparable to that of a foreign slave?
"
Discussions at various banquets may differ, but they basically focus on the issue of the decrease in customers, that is, the number of tenants, and also on whether the imperial court will prohibit the sale of foreign slaves.
Fellow pavilion elders, you have also seen the content published in "Shi Lun".
"Does the rich prime minister know the effectiveness of selling those farm tools this time?"
Han Qi came to visit. After seeing the content published in "Shi Lun", he ignored the celebration with his shopkeeper and hurried to Fu Bi's house for consultation.
"I do know."
"What do the officials mean?"
"I have already said that the government intends to ban the trading of Dingkou. This is tenable and the ministers have no reason to object."
Han Qi understood. Not only did he understand the issues of agricultural tax reduction and foreign slave trade, but he also understood the purpose of the officials to let Gongfangcheng sell farm tools... This was to save the official's face.
"Brother Yan Guo, Han Qi believes that the reduction of agricultural taxes is conducive to the long-term stability of the country and is the cornerstone of the great achievements of the Song Dynasty. We need our cabinet to agree on a perfect plan..."
That's it. If there hadn't been today's sale of innovative farm tools, I'm afraid Han Zhigui...forget it, didn't Fu Bi know about the innovation of farm tools? Didn't Fu Bi also let the officials delay the complete elimination of agricultural taxes?
?
Not all people are saints, they all have selfish motives.
"Ms. Sir, Mr. Zhang Ge wants to see you..."
The housekeeper at home spread the word, and Zhang Fangping also came to the door...
Fu Bi left his office until he fell asleep. He received all the cabinet ministers except Wang Anshi and Lu Gongzhu. Such a scene made Fu Bi have only one feeling: the cabinet should really be replaced.
The next day, no one expected that the article on agricultural tax reduction would have such a big response, and "Shi Lun" had to supplement its issue to publish too many signed commentaries.
When the elders of the cabinet consulted Fu Bi in confusion, all the young and important ministers began to speak out and signed articles to support the imperial court's reduction and exemption of agricultural taxes.
As for the so-called ban on the trade of foreign slaves by the imperial court, no one seems to have noticed it, and there is no sound at all...
They are all experts! Even Zhao Xi had to sigh with emotion.
Anyone who is not blinded by profit will understand Zhao Xi's purpose in this operation. Agricultural taxes, tenants, farmland, hired workers, foreign slaves, farm equipment sales, all the affairs are connected, and it is not difficult to understand.
real purpose.
"Shameless!"
What Han Qi said. It feels bad for a cabinet to be stabbed like this when the curtain is about to come to an end. It feels very bad.
But who can be blamed? This is Fu Bi's emotion. If the discussion was not so entangled in the status difference between ordinary people and nobles, and they were not so concerned about the entanglement of interests, how could there be such a result?
It could have been a perfect ending.
This cabinet fought against Hedong, pacified Xixia, and conquered Dali, expanding the territory of the Song Dynasty by thousands of miles. Not to mention the internal affairs, in the 21st year of Zhenghe, the court's tax revenue tripled compared to the first year of Zhenghe.
The military is strong and famous, business and trade connects the east and west, the market is extremely rich in materials, and the people's lives are quite prosperous. There is a real trend of ZTE, the country is truly peaceful and the people are safe, and the government is harmonious and harmonious.
Originally, they could have successfully concluded this term. However, due to an agricultural tax reduction and exemption that benefited tens of millions of people in the Song Dynasty, the entire cabinet was in doubt.
Don't expect that no one will know about it. The moment it was published in "Shi Lun", it meant that the imperial court did not keep the matter a secret, and it gave the ministers and even the people the right to discuss it.
"Our era is coming to an end, and we should have the awareness to serve as a ladder for others."
Han Jiang was not happy either, but it was already like this. What's the use of staying in Qinzheng Hall and scolding her? It's better to accept it calmly.
"I don't mind being a human ladder, but you can't be so shameless as a human being, right?"
Even the good old man Wang Gui complained for the first time. As a cabinet that cares about reputation and the opinions of officials, it really does not want to leave such a reputation for officials and people in the end.
"Everyone, don't think too much. There is one thing that you must not ignore. To what extent the agricultural tax is reduced and how the court operates, this matter will ultimately depend on our cabinet."
"It is useless to talk more, only to be convinced by doing it. Whether it is an article in "Shi Lun" or a discussion in the market, it is not as convincing as the imperial court's policies to benefit the people."
"All the complaints come from the prediction of the "Shi Lun" article, not the facts. The only way to change the facts is to wait for this cabinet to formulate agricultural tax reduction and exemption policies to the extent that it will benefit the people of the Song Dynasty.
"
After Fu Bi said these words, Wang Anshi knew that the result he envisioned did not appear. After all, it would be completed in this cabinet, and the prime minister of this cabinet is Fu Bi and Fu Yanguo, not Wang Anshi and Wang Jiefu.
After all, the officials still have to give this cabinet a perfect ending...
Zhao Xi really had no intention of cheating this cabinet, and it would be a lie to say that he did not expect Lu Huiqing and others to write the article. For Zhao Xi, promoting this matter is the purpose.
As for the damage to the reputation of this cabinet elder in the end, in Zhao Xi's view, it is also a good thing and will help the next cabinet take over government affairs smoothly.
"Maybe you can understand?"
Zhao Xi has given birth to a child again.
"Dad, I think the policy of agricultural tax reduction and exemption should be handed over to the court meeting, that is, when the cabinet is discussing politics and participating in the political change..."
Children can be taught. The prince not only understood it, but also thought of the most appropriate way to deal with it. Zhao Xi was very pleased.
"When cabinets change, such disputes are necessary. Generally speaking, the next cabinet is related to the current cabinet, whether it is students, old friends, teachers, or township parties."
"Setting up a cabinet for my father is also to prepare for the final balance. Only when the two cabinets are not completely harmonious can the role of the king be fully reflected."
"There are no hidden dangers in this change of office, because there are many old ministers who have joined the cabinet. When you come to power, such operations are necessary during the change of office."
To a certain extent, this agricultural tax dispute was deliberately brought to light by Zhao Xi for his son.