The two were silent for a while, feeling sad.

After all, this is the first time. If something goes wrong, I really don’t know how to solve it.

Seeing the atmosphere a little silent for a moment, Fang Zheng said, "Your Highness, aren't you here just to give gifts? Aren't you usually sent it directly by the palace people?"

Li Yuanzhao raised his head and said a few words, and slapped his head: "If you don't say it, I almost forgot. You haven't attended court today. I heard that news came from the border town that Beirong moved the new capital and changed it.

They also sent a special person to hand over the letter of the country."

"Hey, such a big deal. What country name?"

"Well... the country is called Jin, Jin Kingdom, which is interesting. But this is nothing, there are strange things. I heard that in the past two years, except for the common supplies used by Beirong people in the border towns, the most

It turned out to be a book!"

Jin Guo...it sounds really familiar...

Fang Zhengyi sighed in his heart, and asked in confusion: "Do they still love to buy books? What books?"

Why did Beirong buy so many books? It doesn’t serve as food or weapons.

"Ha, it's interesting to say that, it's the books we scholars often read. In addition, they have inexplicably changed the country name. Do you think... are they learning from us?" Li Yuanzhao asked.

After he mentioned this, Fang Zheng was happy.

It is not impossible. He remembered that Ripaba was very ghostly, open-minded, and was very concerned about many things in Dajing.

If he had been giving advice in front of the Jin emperor, this matter would not be surprising.

"Who knows, if they like to learn, they will be stupid sooner or later." Fang Zheng smiled.

Li Yuanzhao also smiled: "That's right, the people of Beirong don't know that we have cannons and firearms on the ground now, and there are heavenly soldiers and generals in the sky. In a few years, the weapons and equipment of the entire army will be equipped, and the cavalry they are proud of are not enough.

For concern.”

"However, muskets and cannons are too expensive. I heard that the Shenji Camp was half equipped, and the Ministry of War had already begun to call my father poor. I don't know when the cost will be reduced."

"What would it be if the entire army could equip two muskets and two short guns per person?"

Fang Zhengyi nodded silently.

It's far from being equipped with the entire army. However, the Shenji Battalion was only half equipped, and the Ministry of War began to call it poor and was shameless.

However, cost reduction cannot be solved in a short period of time. Many links, including raw material output, need to be supported by private forces.

"Your Highness, if you want to solve the cost problem, the best way is to let go of merchants and allow private resources to circulate naturally."

"There was a shortage of food in the world before, and such conditions were not met, but now there is no such problem at all. I am also planning to find an opportunity to write a letter to Your Majesty."

Li Yuanzhao frowned and said, "This matter is not easy to deal with. Although I support you, the constraints on merchants have been like this from ancient times to the present. I am afraid that neither the father nor the civil and military officials will support it."

Fang Zheng nodded: "I think so too, but as long as it is the right thing, I have to do it no matter what."

Without mentioning the cost issue, the Age of Discovery is coming soon! When will it not be possible to cultivate excellent merchants from the public?

But he was busy taking care of his wife during this period and was not in the mood to do this.

"Your Highness thinks, why does the court restrict merchants?"

"The merchants are profitable, have no place to live, and are fond of leisure and labor. However, this palace does not agree with the fond of leisure and labor. The merchants in Banshanfang are extremely diligent."

Fang Zhengyi said: "Your Highness is right, but in my opinion, this is just a superficial statement and an excuse. There is only one problem in restricting merchants."

“What’s the problem?”

"The court cannot collect taxes, or it is difficult to collect taxes."

Li Yuanzhao pondered: "Hiss...what you said makes sense, but do you have a way to collect taxes from merchants?"

"cannot."

“…”

Fang Zhengyi continued: "Your Highness, in my opinion, tax collection is actually only a small part of the problem. The grain yield is high and manpower will be released. At this time, the area of ​​tax collection will be expanded. Even if it cannot be fully charged, it will be better than before.

The situation is much better.”

"But the key problem is that the people are not doing well in business. The court has many restrictions. In the big picture, it cannot move freely. In the small picture, the people below use their positions to blackmail and rob. The people cannot bypass these restrictions, and the court cannot avoid these restrictions.

The officials in the country can use their identities to make money at will, which is tantamount to competing for profit with the country and the people.”

"If you don't talk about it far away, let's talk about the capital. Before the Jinyiwei was established, the few minor officials at the city gate would easily let the carriages of high-ranking officials and nobles go. If you encounter trucks from ordinary merchants, you must exploit them.

In the city, there are no easy access to any of the relevant yamen in various places. After layers of progress, there is almost no profit left."

"And what about those people with backgrounds? They are naturally doing a prosperous life. How many big businesses are run by the people in the Banshanfang? Your Highness should know better than me."

The strong control of merchants by the court will inevitably bring about such problems. Any control must include rent-seeking, and rent-seeking corruption will inevitably follow.

Fang Zhengyi had no idea about this, so he didn't need to mention the difficulties in his early years.

The caravans going out in Taoyuan County are still using fake certificates now, so the amount of money for tea is enough...

Li Yuanzhao nodded.

He knew best from Banshanfang that although it is very prosperous now, his real frontiers and big businesses have more or less backgrounds.

"So, we must loosen the merchants, give them respect, and give them peace of mind. Then they develop resources and compete with each other. Not only firearms, but people in the world will benefit from it, and all costs may be reduced."

"Not only that, many new commodities and ideas will be born in the competition, which are all the help of the country. At present, only if the court retreats can the people make progress."

Li Yuanzhao looked solemn: "You said it well, but how can you let the court loosen your ties? It's impossible."

"Oh, I'm not sure. But if I start from the Ministry of Revenue, I might have a chance of victory. Since I took over as the commander of the Jinyiwei, I have been cracking down on illegal exploitation. Officials and businessmen are using their power to suppress others. There are probably many in the court.

People are already dissatisfied with me.”

"But the Ministry of Revenue's harvest in the capital should have increased. After all, the government and businessmen have all kinds of tax avoidance methods, and the common people are more honest!"

"If the Ministry of Revenue is willing to cooperate, then I am ready to ask Your Majesty for a complaint, one is to loosen the merchants, and the other is to expand the Jinyiwei outward and supervise illegally."

The Jinyiwei today is very different from the Jinyiwei whom he remembers in history.

Not to mention the scope of functions, the sphere of influence is limited to the capital. Although the capital is a hub of the world, there are still few things that can be done after all.

Li Yuanzhao sighed: "Of course, I support you with all my strength, but I still feel that hope is slim. Tax evasion is a trend and corrupts morality. This alone can deny everything."

"That's right, but you have to eat one bite at a time. I will first find a way to ask Your Majesty to choose a place to start a pilot. As long as the pilot is successful, the follow-up will be easier."

"After all, it is because the colleagues in the court are too short-sighted. The cake can be made bigger and bigger. They have huge advantages. One day they will find that the people who gain the most are not the people but them!"

Li Yuanzhao raised his head, thought for a while, and hesitated: "Well... Yes, but you said... If the merchants are not restricted, will there be a merchant with a huge impact in the future, monopolizing a industry and affecting the court.

ah?"

Fang Zhengyi was solemn and respected that the prince was so sensitive!

"Your Highness, it's not that he is not restricted, but that he just relaxes some restrictions. And as long as the merchants monopolize the entire industry with their serious skills, the court has no reason to suppress him, unless he uses his position to viciously oppress his peers. Otherwise,

They will take advantage of their scale, keep reducing prices, and exclude all competitors, which is the real monopoly."

"And there are really such huge merchants, it's convenient for us to collect taxes, and he can't even escape!"

Li Yuanzhao said curiously: "Oh, you said that the price should be increased if you say it is reversed, right? If you are invincible after monopoly, shouldn't you make huge profits by raising the price?"

Fang Zheng smiled and said, "Of course, but raising prices is tantamount to cultivating opponents for yourself! Your Highness forgot, what businessmen are most afraid of, most afraid of the world, we have newspapers and public opinion. Under the surveillance of the court, we cannot use it.

If your own advantage maliciously attacks your peers, another competitor will soon take the opportunity to enter, so it is smart to use your advantage to reduce prices."

"Of course, it is not impossible to raise prices after monopoly. Unless... you have the power to support you, you can be unscrupulous."

Speaking of this, Fang Zhengyi smiled and leaned into Li Yuanzhao's ear: "Besides, I haven't heard of any businessman since ancient times that he can make a fuss."

"If the business is small, it is theirs, but if it becomes big, it is the court's..."

.....
Chapter completed!