Chapter 249 Set rules for the world!
Wenhua Pavilion.
During this period, Zhu Yuanzhang was here reviewing memorials.
On the table in front of him now, there is a thick stack of memorials on the right side, while there are only a few on the left side. The memorials on the right side were submitted by courtiers such as Li Shanchang and Xu Ben. On the other hand, Xia Zhibai, Tian Jing and others submitted it.
He has been deliberately suppressing it recently.
The two sides have completely different views and even directly criticize each other.
Among them, Tian Jing is the worst.
Tian Jing did not know whether he had guessed something or something, but he was extremely radical in the salt policy. He was like a mad dog that would bite anyone he caught. Whenever there were officials who blocked the reform of the salt policy during the court meeting, he After going down, he immediately impeached me.
Wei Heng and other salt officials did not choose to go to Shu at first, but only chose to go to Shu in the past few days, maintaining the same view as Tian Jing.
Just slightly different.
Their words are relatively calm and always leave a certain amount of leeway.
Obviously he didn’t want to break up with other officials.
Zhu Yuanzhang had no intention of reading these memorials in which courtiers criticized each other on the salt policy. They were all insignificant nonsense. Reading these memorials was a complete waste of time. There were only two memorials that he really cared about.
One copy belongs to Xu Ben.
The other one is naturally Xia Zhibai’s.
The two memorials have opposite views, but they are both in line with the truth.
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent.
Zhu Biao waited respectfully aside, looking at the memorials on both sides, and said softly: "Father, the salt government has been controversial for a long time. I think a decision should be made as soon as possible, otherwise the court will always be in trouble. Criticizing one thing will really damage the image of the court."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded silently.
The father and son were silent for a while. Zhu Yuanzhang's turbid eyes no longer showed the slightest hint of confusion, and even became sharper. Perhaps the emotions he had thought about for a long time were completely stimulated, and his whole person was completely Cheer up.
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, with a serious expression, and said, "You have read both Xia Zhibai and Xu Ben's memorials."
"Yes." Zhu Biao nodded: "I think both are right. It's just that the emphasis is different. Xu Ben's memorials are more focused on form, while Xia Zhibai's memorials are more focused on potential. Xu Ben's memorials focus on local stability, while Xia Zhibai's memorials are more focused on future economic power."< br>
"It's just that I don't have a clear understanding of world affairs, so I don't dare to judge easily."
"I hope my father will forgive me."
Zhu Yuanzhang touched his chin for breath, He looked up at the sky slightly, and finally fixed his gaze on the golden dragon hanging on the beam. After thinking for a moment, he said: "You are right, but you just ignored one thing. The situation can be transformed into each other."
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"In our opinion, the situation is like the situation when we were conquering the world. How many enemies there are, how many troops they have, at a glance, how much territory they occupy, and how strong and weak they are. We can basically make a rough judgment. This is the situation. , and momentum means calculating what to do next, and even anticipating the opponent's actions, so as to truly and accurately capture the opponent's territory step by step."
"Xu Ben's Memorial. , we have read it no less than five times."
"He focuses on stability."
"He believes that the South is the most economically developed place in the world and cannot easily cause chaos in the South, otherwise it will affect the DPRK. The taxation of the court will also disrupt the court's subsequent plans. The salt administration can be slowed down, but it cannot be rushed."
Zhu Yuanzhang paused briefly and then said: "But Xia Zhibai is different."< br>
"He focuses more on the future."
"And the views given by Xia Zhibai are actually very novel."
"He does not think that the officials and gentry in the south will block the new salt policy, or even I believe that the chaos in the south was not caused by the salt policy itself, but by the confusion over the ownership of interests under the new productivity provided by the steam engine."
Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Xia Zhibai's words are not untrue. That’s right.”
“The reason why the Kyoto Salt Industry was established was mainly to resettle the victims and to collect extra money.”
"The Kyoto Salt Industry is indeed owned by Xia Zhibai now."
"But according to the original agreement, the Kyoto Salt Industry will be converted into a state-owned enterprise in the future and will be the factory of my Ming Dynasty. In addition to daily expenses, the rest of the profits , will directly belong to the national treasury, but it is different in the south. When the local salt factory was established, the imperial court provided a lot of help. "
"Not only did it provide enough pig iron support to the local area, but it also provided little support. There were substantial restrictions on the opening of the salt factory. "
"The court really gained little benefit from it."
"It could only levy a small amount of salt tax."
"That's why."
"Once the imperial court wanted to change the salt policy, those who profited from steam-powered salt would not want to hand over these interests. And the imperial court did not expect at the time that local salt The factory meetings were opened so quickly and so many officials were involved that the power these people gathered had considerable influence in the court. "
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao. After taking one look, he nodded happily and said: "If it only involved salt, we wouldn't have such a headache."
"Because the common people have indeed received real benefits."
"We collected it from all over the country. Information, after the local salt factory was opened, the price of salt has indeed dropped. Although many kitchen households have lost their jobs, compared to the fact that more people in the world have benefited, sacrificing some kitchen households is nothing. It’s a sparsely populated area, so you’re afraid there won’t be any place to employ people?”
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and didn't care about Zaohu's affairs at all.
Zhu Biao nodded.
Of course he knows this.
If the local people really benefited, and the salt tax collected by the court was not small, the court could turn a blind eye, and even the father would pretend not to see it, but there would be a problem Now, Xia Zhibai brought up another thing, which is the productivity improvement brought by steam engines. It affects not only the salt industry, but also involves other industries. For example, mining, textiles, and even farming and military.
Once the steam engine has really developed so much, will the court continue to give in? Continue to collect only the inherent tax amount?
The imperial court ignores so many industries? Where does the imperial court control the world?
Eventually.
Everything is back to where it started.
The so-called salt policy reform is actually confusing the public.
The real problem in the salt industry now is who owns the new productivity.
There are also some dignitaries in the local government who deliberately blur the concept and blame all the things in the south on the salt administration, trying to confuse Zhu Yuanzhang and make him mistakenly think that it is really a problem of the salt administration, thus leaving out the problems. The real point.
However, Xia Zhibai pointed it out in the memorial.
The so-called chaos is an illusion.
In the final analysis, it was the local officials and gentry who saw the massive productivity provided by the steam engine and the huge benefits it could bring. They did not want to hand over this new productivity to the court, but only wanted to take it as their own. What you have is to enrich your own family.
Once the imperial court loses ownership of the new productive forces, it is easy for local officials and gentry to become powerful.
Powerful people have been severely suppressed by all dynasties.
Zhu Yuanzhang is no exception.
However, even so, people are still flocking to it.
Xia Zhibai’s suggestion to the imperial court was to bring new productive forces back to the imperial court. Local governments only had the right to use them, but no ownership rights. If local governments wanted to use these new productive forces, they would have to pay a large amount of ‘usage fees’ every year.
Xia Zhibai also made a bold point of view.
Once ownership is determined, local resistance is actually very small.
Because only the landlords are really affected, but under Zhu Yuanzhang's various suppressions, the landlords have long been unable to raise their heads and have no say at all. And the gentry who are attached to the government, judging from the current situation in the south, they have no say at all. Not rejecting it, even willing to accept it.
Because annexing land is too risky at the moment.
Through new productivity and opening factories to make profits, the income will be more substantial.
Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated because he was too aggressive.
Zhu Biao thought for a while and said in a deep voice: "I am also a little worried, but I chose to stick to Xia Zhibai's point of view. The steam engine has appeared and has begun to be promoted all over the world. Unless The imperial court spent a lot of effort to lift the steam engine from the ground, but the effect would not be good."
"It is better to let go."
"But the imperial court would not do so. Control must be strengthened. "
"Otherwise, there will be a situation where 'low prices hurt farmers and high prices hurt people.' As for steam engines, Xia Zhibai's suggestions will be followed. "
"Two points."
"One side supports it in the form of state-owned enterprises."
"The other side supports local establishment, but the court will impose heavy taxes!"
"But Xia Zhi The ownership of the 'new productive forces' that Bai said must be controlled by the court."
"Otherwise, the court will lose too much."
"To sound the drum, use a heavy hammer."
"If the imperial court wants to take back the ownership rights of the local area, the local government will definitely block it in every possible way, and there will be many kinds of chaos. However, the imperial court must remain tough, so the ministers suggested that the imperial court be tightened. When they were given the right of ownership, they would be severely punished for some local 'chaos' and 'local chaos'."
"The court allowed them to make money while lying down."
"But since the money came. It’s so easy, don’t even think about becoming fat in one bite.”
“If the Kyoto Salt Industry and the imperial court are like this, how can they, the imitators, stay out of it?”
Zhu Biao looked determined.
He actually wanted to take over the local salt factory directly.
However, considering that there were too many officials involved and the overt and covert pressure was too great, I chose to take a step back, but it could only take one step back. It was impossible for the court to relax its control over the 'steam engine', especially if it only It only takes a few workers to earn the kind of money that only tens of thousands of households could earn in the past. Money is so easy to come by.
But if there is someone who is really short-sighted and dares to obstruct it, he will not be polite either.
Father knows how to kill people.
He will also show no mercy.
And according to Xia Zhibai's estimation, steam engine-related industries will be the focus of Ming Dynasty's tax revenue in the future, and will also become the main tax source of Ming Dynasty's finance in the future. This strengthens Zhu Biao's ruthless tactics will.
Now that the Ming Dynasty has just been founded, the people are attached to it, the national power is strong, and the local organizational strength is sufficient.
If we don’t take advantage of this moment to gather more financial resources, won’t we be unable to collect more money when the court becomes weak in the future?
How can this be done?
this time.
He will set rules for the world!
Tell the people of the world plainly that they can earn money for them, but don’t miss even a penny of the money that should be given to the court!
Seeing Zhu Biao being so determined, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction.
This is the heir he wants!
(End of this chapter)