The new Salt Law has been promulgated, and the next discussion is the new Cotton Law.
Wenyuan Pavilion.
Mao Ji put his hands in his sleeves and muttered: "This is the ancestral system. If any changes are made, will it need to be discussed by the court?"
Wang Yuan said: "At the time of Taizu, how did we know that there would be more cotton fields than grain fields? The court can discuss it, but I will change my words without saying a word."
"Then change it." Yang Tinghe followed suit.
The cotton textile industry is developing too fast, and the big bosses in the DPRK and China have not yet been deeply involved. And the biggest vested interest is Wang Yuan. Wang Yuan himself said it should be changed, so how could others object?
As for the "ancestral system" mentioned by Mao Ji, it was Zhu Yuanzhang himself who made the laws to encourage mulberry, cotton and hemp.
In order to promote cash crops, Zhu Yuanzhang once personally formulated the following regulations: If farmers have five to ten acres of land, they must plant half an acres each of mulberry, hemp, and cotton. The amount will be doubled for more than ten acres, and the amount will be accumulated accordingly for more than twenty acres.
If the land is replanted with these three types of cash crops, no tax will be collected for the first three years. If you do not plant mulberry trees, you will be fined with a bolt of silk; if you do not plant linen, you will be fined with a bolt of linen cloth; if you do not plant cotton, you will be fined with a bolt of cotton cloth."
This regulation directly caused landlords and farmers to frantically convert grain fields into cotton fields after the introduction of the steam engine. Because according to Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestral system, fields converted to cotton (with a time limit and cannot be changed back and forth) can be openly and tax-free for four years!
The new cotton law will first cancel the cotton field policy preferences!
Yang Yiqing said: "How to increase the land tax on cotton fields, how to increase the taxes on cotton, cotton yarn and cotton cloth, these are the key points that should be discussed."
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "There is no need to add these."
"Why are you talking about the new cotton law if you don't add cotton?" Jiang Mian was a little unhappy.
Wang Yuan explained: "With the land tax on cotton fields, the gentry and powerful right people can escape, but the small farmers cannot escape. If the land tax on cotton fields is added, the big landowners will have no scruples and will all be paid on the heads of the small farmers. The new cotton law will
It has become a method that harms the people!"
Wang Qiong nodded and said: "That's the truth. The land tax in cotton fields cannot be changed. We only need to cancel the four-year ancestral system of tax exemption for newly planted cotton fields."
Wang Yuan continued to explain: "The taxes on cotton, cotton yarn and cotton cloth cannot be increased arbitrarily. This will lead to an increase in domestic cotton prices, which will ultimately be borne by the people who buy cloth. It is better to directly increase the export tariff of cotton cloth."
"Why should Wang Shangshu show favoritism?" Mao Ji sneered.
"Why am I showing favoritism?" Wang Yuan sneered, "The factories in Tianjin and Jiangyin are very close to the ports. They can be shipped directly without going through the inland banknote customs. It doesn't matter to me if we don't raise taxes.
Why? Even if the price of cotton increases because of this, my cotton cloth will increase in price, and I still won’t worry about any sales. On the contrary, raising the export tax will really harm me. Is my suggestion of raising the export tax still showing favoritism? "
Mao Ji was speechless, because Wang Yuan was indeed attacking himself, but he was just protecting merchants in other links.
Yang Tinghe said: "Wang Shangshu, the price of domestic cotton is too low, and it is difficult for weavers from small households to survive. The tax should be doubled."
"Then let's double it." Wang Yuan immediately agreed. He was just asking for a high price and then paying back the money.
Cotton cloth is a daily consumer product. This kind of goods has the lowest tax rate in the Ming Dynasty, which is the standard thirty-one tax. Books, pens and ink, farm tools, fruits and vegetables, livestock, wedding and funeral items are more interesting, and they are directly tax-free - the above mentioned are all banknotes.
Tolls are included, and business taxes for shops and warehouses are not included.
Timber is terrible, 10% toll.
The toll on firewood and thatch is as high as 33%. This may be to limit foreign transportation, because firewood is related to local people's livelihood, and thatch is a strategic material.
The tolls on cotton, cotton yarn, and cotton cloth have doubled, which is only 2 out of 30, and traders can barely afford it.
Why do you say you can barely hold it?
Because the banknotes collect taxes arbitrarily, they often pay two taxes on one thing, one part is handed over to the treasury, and the other part is kept in the small treasury.
There are also nobles, clans and eunuchs who often set up private checkpoints to trap merchants to death. This phenomenon was very serious in the Hongzhi and Zhengde dynasties, but it was much better in the Jiajing dynasty, and it worsened sharply in the Wanli dynasty.
The Wanli Dynasty was a businessman's nightmare.
Wang Yuan added: "The customs duties in various places, and the sea tax on cotton yarn and cotton cloth, can be raised to six cents per cent. It cannot be higher, otherwise smuggling will be rampant and the court will not even be able to collect the tax."
"Can this reduce the number of cotton fields?" Mao Ji questioned.
"No, everyone in the world is pursuing profit. Unless steam engines are banned, cotton fields will not decrease," Wang Yuan said. "The overtax has doubled, and the sea tax has been levied at 6% of the added value, which has greatly reduced the profits of cotton cloth. At least, farmers will not swarm.
If you grow cotton, the number of grain fields will not decrease rapidly. If you really want to benefit the people, it is better to divide it into acres."
"The overtax will be doubled, and the customs tax will be 10% per 60%." Yang Tinghe did not dare to discuss it further, for fear that he would be confused and transferred to the tenants.
The new Cotton Law was just negotiated in this way, canceling the preferential treatment and raising the tax rate. It was countless times simpler than the New Salt Law.
Wang Yuan walked out of Wenyuan Pavilion and had to go back home in a big circle when he came out of Donghua Gate.
Passing by the Liubu Yamen, officials along the way bowed to Wang Yuan and saluted him one after another, and most of them were sincere.
A three-level salary increase buys off officials without increasing the financial burden. It can also increase central and local taxes. It will not even harm the common people. It just takes away money from the moths. This reform plan is so amazing that it has already made hundreds of thousands of people happy.
The official is convinced. Except for those whose interests have been harmed, who doesn't admire Wang Erlang's methods?
Especially young officials, they are likely to be sent abroad in the future. Wang Yuan's reforms this time are to increase their disposable income in local government and, more directly, to increase their wages.
Those reformists and hard-working officials even looked forward to Wang Yuan joining the cabinet as soon as possible and Yang Tinghe to return home as soon as possible.
If the emptiness cannot come out, why should we be like ordinary people?
Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival holiday, and lanterns have been hung on the streets. There are also many lanterns inside and outside Wang Yuan's house.
The whole family is having a Lantern Festival feast. Huang E even distributed rewards before the New Year. The maids and servants in the family, as well as the tenants in the farmland, can all live happily this year.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, Wang Yuan took his wife, concubines and children and the whole family went to the city to watch the lanterns.
The eldest son Wang Ce is fifteen years old, a handsome young man, already half a head taller than his mother Song Ling'er. His skin is a bit dark, but he looks very similar to Wang Yuan when he was a boy. There are many matchmakers coming to visit, but Song Ling'er is already spoiled for choice and doesn't know which one to choose.
Which family has the best girl?
The adopted daughter, Wang Hui, is eleven years old. She has her hair combed and follows Xiangxiang all the way. She was brought up by Xiangxiang and she looks pretty, but she is still far from being a natural beauty.
The second son, Wang Su, is also eleven years old. His skin is much fairer than that of his eldest brother. He looks more like his mother, Huang E, and has a scholarly temperament.
The third son, Wang Che, has just turned seven years old and is a little kid, also born to Song Ling'er. He is not very close to his eldest brother, after all, the age difference is too big, but he prefers his second half brother.
The fourth son, Wang Qi, will be five years old in two months and will be born to his concubine Xia Chan.
The fifth son, Wang Ji, was four and a half years old, born to his concubine Xiang Xiang.
The sixth son, Wang Zheng, was eight months old and was born to Huang E.
Second Queen Bin, her only biological daughter, was born to her concubine Qiyun just half a year old. She has blue eyes and slightly curly hair, and is loved by everyone.
None of the children under one year old went out tonight.
Two boys, Wang Qi and Wang Ji, ran and played all the way, frightening the servants to follow them closely.
Huang E took his son Wang Su to guess lantern riddles, and Song Ling'er also brought his two sons to join in the fun, but Wang Ce had no interest in lantern riddles.
Not long after, they bumped into Yang Yiqing's family, and both parties bowed and greeted each other.
Yang Yiqing continued his strings, pulled Huang E and Song Ling'er to talk, and watched the lanterns and chatted for a long time before leaving.
Wang Yuan asked: "What did you say?"
Song Ling'er said: "I didn't say anything, just rambled a lot, and I got impatient."
Huang E covered her mouth and said with a smile: "Silly sister, that Mrs. Yang wants to marry her granddaughter to your son."
"Is there any?" Song Ling'er was a little confused and muttered, "Just say it clearly if you want to get married, and go around in a big circle."
Huang E smiled and said: "How can we explain this kind of thing clearly? It would be shameful if we were rejected."
Wang Yuan shook his head: "Yang Yingning (Yang Yiqing) himself is good, but his sons are not in trouble. Two of his sons were impeached by the censor for corruption and perverting the law. His granddaughter,
I’m afraid tutoring is hard to say, so don’t teach your grandchildren badly by marrying into the family.”
Huang E said: "That being said, Ce'er is already fifteen years old, so it's really time to get married."
Wang Yuan waved to Wang Ce: "Cer, come here!"
"What did father call me for?" Wang Ce still held a lamp in his hand.
Wang Yuan asked: "Do you have a girl you like?"
Wang Ce suddenly blushed: "This... this... really doesn't happen."
Huang E spat: "How can you be such a father? You treat your sons as mere disciples."
But Song Ling'er said: "What's the point? Ce'er, if you have someone you like, just tell my grandma and she will help you propose marriage."
Wang Ce blushed even more: "Mom, really not."
The younger brothers and sisters covered their mouths and snickered, but the eldest brother had never been so embarrassed.
Song Ling'er pointed towards the street: "Today is the Lantern Festival, and all the girls in the boudoir have gone out to enjoy the lanterns. Please pay attention along the way. If you are interested, follow me and see where I live. My mother will send a matchmaker to visit tomorrow."
"Um... my son is in a hurry, so let's go first for convenience." Wang Ce didn't want to get involved with his mother.
Wang Ce ran all the way, turning his head to look around from time to time, and knocked people away at the corner of the street.
It really flew out and was knocked into the crowd. Fortunately, there were passers-by who were watching the lanterns, otherwise it would have been a serious fall.
"Ouch!"
The girl grabbed the hem of a passerby's clothes and managed to regain her balance. However, she sprained her ankle while balancing her body and the veil fell off her face.
Her maid quickly supported her: "Is Miss okay?"
A young man next to him got angry and grabbed Wang Ce's collar: "How do you walk?"
"Sorry, sorry." Wang Ce knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't resist and let the other party hold him.
The young man suddenly felt weak and asked carefully: "But...Classmate Wang?"
"I'm Wang Ce." Wang Ce's academic record was sent to Shuntianfu School, and he obviously met his classmates.
The boy raised his eyes and looked over, and by the light of the lanterns, he saw the girl frowning in pain, with a very touching look on her face.
Love at first sight, bloody love.
I guess the princess will be very sad when she finds out. Zhu Xuanzhen has been fond of her elder brother since she was a child.