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Chang Dachun, as the Minister of Household Affairs, knew the treasury best. Seeing that Meng Shengsheng was blocking the Southern Expedition on the grounds that the treasury was empty, he retorted: "Although the treasury is only about three million taels, it is more than enough to support the Southern Expedition. Meng

How can your lord not say enough?"

Meng Shengsheng continued calmly: "Mr. Chang is joking. We don't need money for the Northern Expedition or the Western Expedition. Besides, we have to keep the money to pay officials' salaries."

Humph! I discussed it with Si Di in the middle of the night, and all aspects were considered thoroughly. You can't object with even a word! Meng Shengchun was speechless and complacent when he saw Chang Dachun.

'Pah!' Li Yunzhong slapped the desk angrily and said angrily: "How outrageous! I'm asking the Ministry of Revenue if there is any way to replenish the national treasury, not asking you to deny each other!"

Meng Shengsheng and Chang Dachun were frightened when they saw the King of Han being angry. They bowed their heads and thought of countermeasures quickly in their minds. The King of Han was not someone who could easily be fooled. If he made Long Yan angry with his nonsense, he might lose his position!

In terms of experience in handling state affairs, Chang Dachun was obviously better than him. He came up with a countermeasure after a while, raised his head and said: "Your Highness, commercial activities are rampant in southern Jiangsu now, and unscrupulous businessmen are tempting people to plant tea gardens, mulberry trees, etc.

People's fields are even purchased to build factories. If things go on like this, where will the people eat? I ask Your Highness to increase commercial taxes, which will not only enrich the national treasury but also inhibit businessmen from wasting fertile land!"

Meng Shengsheng almost laughed out loud after hearing these words. Chang Dachun was really confused and didn't ask who was behind the businessman. The King of Han was the biggest unscrupulous businessman as you said. He was involved in raw silk, tea, railways, and factories.

With the presence of the King of Han, wouldn’t it be difficult for the King of Han to do so if you raise taxes like this?

He immediately objected: "No! When the King of Han took over Nanjing, he issued an official document exempting the people from taxes for three years. This increase in business taxes will definitely disturb the people's hearts. The enemy will take the opportunity to confuse the people. The peaceful and peaceful situation of the Han Dynasty will never return!

Once an example is made, the consequences will be endless.”

As the Minister of the Ministry of War, Lin Daji knew best where the military expenditures in recent years came from. The first was to break into the city and seize the inventory of the Qing army. The second was donations from merchants.

"Lord Chang, you don't know. Businessmen under the rule of the Han Dynasty were law-abiding and patriotic, and rushed to donate. Shanghai alone donated two million taels of silver and three million dan of grain last year. The King of Han originally promised to discuss business taxes every three years. If he rashly

If you impose additional business taxes, wouldn't it make His Highness lose his trust in the world?"

Chang Dachun laughed at these reckless men in his heart for actually giving credit to businessmen. Since ancient times, which dynasty has not valued agriculture and business, and when the national treasury cannot make ends meet, it has forced businessmen to pay donations to solve urgent needs! But he said: "Businessmen are the most useless.

Good, profit-oriented, gullible, wanton harm to farmland, this kind of culture should be banned!"

Say it! Say it! Say it hard! Meng Shengsheng couldn't stop snickering. This poor scholar actually slandered you in front of His Highness. Isn't he pointing at the monk and scolding the bald donkey?

Zuo Zongtang saw that the face of the King of Han sitting on it was getting darker and darker, and he secretly thought something was wrong. He quickly added: "Since His Highness has made a promise to the merchant, he should abide by it. I think he should find another way to replenish the treasury!"

"Yes, what Mr. Zuo said is absolutely true. If a person has no faith, he cannot stand, let alone the king of a country! It is really not advisable to increase business taxes!" Zhao Liewen also stepped forward to remedy the situation.

When Wang Qinglu saw that Chang Dachun wanted to refute, he also walked out of the queue and said with a pun: "Since the Han Dynasty exempts the people from taxes, the state treasury can only operate with the support of businessmen. From this, it seems that businessmen are not all trustless and cunning people.

Under the inspiration of the King of Han, they will definitely obey the law and be loyal to the emperor and patriotism!"

Chang Da Chunmeng shuddered and realized that all the money recently shipped to the treasury was earned by the King of Han from business! These warriors set a trap for me to jump into, and now not only have they lost it,

His Highness was the most favored in terms of face. He really lost his wife and lost his troops, so he silently returned to the queue.

Li Yunzhong also didn't want the matter to be exposed to the world, otherwise the stupid youths would publicize everywhere that he was fighting for profits with the people, imitating the foolish emperor and doing business to make money, which would make generosity laughable.

He concluded: "The Ministry of Household Affairs has quickly come up with a feasible idea for this matter. Also, I heard that the people are exempted from taxes, but their lives are still very poor. From today on, landlords cannot collect more than 30% of the rent from tenant farmers. The Ministry of Household Affairs can set up a grain bank department."

, collect grain at a fixed price every year!”

…………

Lu Jianying stepped forward and said: "Your Highness, the British Minister Bao Ling came to Nanjing yesterday and wants to visit His Highness and discuss with Him the date for the construction of the railway from Nanjing to Suzhou."

Li Yunzhong said "Huh" and thought to himself: Isn't the British minister Wen Han? Why was he replaced by that guy named Bao Ling again! "After the dynasty is dismissed, you take him to the Han Palace and I will talk to him personally!"

Lu Jianying did not agree with the construction of the railway and continued: "I ask your highness to think twice. The foreigners have sinister intentions in building the railway. They not only make money, but also explore the dangerous terrain of China. The foreigners have strong ships and powerful guns! It is only because they are afraid of China's vast land and rich resources that they dare not rush forward.

Use troops! Your Highness must not agree to the conditions of foreigners for building a railway. Even the railway from Shanghai to Suzhou must be redeemed and demolished, so that we can rely on the natural dangers of mountains and rivers to resist foreign invasion."

The civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty all nodded in praise. Even Meng Sheng, Hu Yihuang and others did not agree with the construction of the railway. It would do more harm than good. It not only wastes people and money, but also facilitates foreigners to make profits!

Seeing that no one came forward to refute Lu Jianying's point of view, Li Yunzhong had no choice but to go into battle personally and said with a smile: "Master Lu's point of view is indeed refreshing, but the foreigners are greedy and greedy. If we don't build railways, how can we catch up with them?"

Lu Jianying had long felt that the entire Han Dynasty was afraid of foreigners and flattered foreigners, because he still retained a trace of hatred for Li Yunzhong in his heart, so he boldly mocked: "Is it possible that His Highness is just afraid of foreigners, so he agreed to their unreasonable demands and allowed foreigners to bully the people?"

, plundering their hard-earned money! It can be seen that His Highness’s love and care for the people are just deceiving the world and stealing his reputation...!"

"Bold! Mr. Lu, do you want to die?" Ling Shiba interrupted Lu Jianying angrily, wanting to step forward and teach him a lesson.

Lu Jianying still had some psychological shadows about Ling Shiba. He thought that when he persuaded Houxiang to surrender in the inner city, he was kicked several times by Ling Shiba for no reason. Now that he saw him approaching in a menacing manner, he hurriedly backed away as if by reflex.

Seeing Ling Shiba chasing after him relentlessly, he quickly trotted around the crowd, trying to get rid of Ling Shiba.

‘Pa’… Li Yunzhong slapped the table, and said to Meng Sheng, who was stunned on the spot, Hu Yihuang: “Why don’t you pull them apart quickly? How can it be appropriate to chase and fight like this?”

Hu Yihuang and others hurriedly stepped forward to hold Ling Shiba, Zuo Zongtang, Zhao Liewen and others also helped Lu Jianying up, and each returned to stand in line.

Only Lu Jianying made a sound of inhalation from time to time, secretly cursing himself for being stupid. How could he say what was in his heart on impulse? In the past during the Daoguang period, he would not have been immediately dismissed from office and thrown into the sky prison! In his heart, he felt sorry for Li Yunzhong.

His views have changed a bit, and it seems that he is not an unreasonable person.

Li Yunzhong looked at Lu Jianying with a bruised nose and face in a funny way, then turned to scold Ling Shiba: "If your injury is not healed yet, if you can behave like this, I will punish you to apologize to Lu Shangshu after you go to court!"

Chang Dachun continued the topic just now, intending to strike while the iron was hot to persuade the King of Han to give up building the railway. "Although Mr. Lu was a little angry just now, what he said is indeed reasonable. Please His Highness redeem the railway from Shanghai to Suzhou! And refuse the foreigners to build the railway."

Build other railways within China.”

It seems that we have to completely convince them today, so that they can completely open their eyes to the world! Otherwise, if they have such an attitude towards the railway, why not be passive and slow down the work? Li Yunzhong calmed himself down and said with a smile: "You answer me a question? You all know that foreigners

The ships are strong and the guns are powerful, so how can they build foreign guns and cannons?”

Chang Dachun had already studied these things and immediately replied: "Foreigners are greedy for money and naturally study strange silver techniques. Is it not surprising that they invented these guns?"

Seeing that the ministers were all nodding in agreement, Li Yunzhong asked: "Qiyin skills? Foreigners can easily defeat us with guns and cannons. If we don't learn from them in building guns and cannons, how can we resist invasion and protect the people?"

Chang Dachun is not a pedantic person, and he is not opposed to building guns and cannons to defend against foreigners. "Foreigners rely on their sharp weapons, and we can also make ships, guns, and artillery! As long as China is united, how can we be afraid of them!"

"Master Chang is right. How can foreigners across the ocean attack with all their strength?"

…………

"Yes, China has a vast territory and abundant resources, so we can definitely suppress the foreigners."

"Yeah! I think the Han army is enough to defeat the foreigners."

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Chapter completed!