After leaving Taixue, Chen Qing came to Xinshi Washi again, which is one of the four major Washi in Jingzhao City. Xinshi Washi is also called Chengnan Washi. It is located in Jishanfang in the south of the city, close to the newly opened Nancheng.
The four major tile houses are actually one in the southeast and northwest. Of course, Jingzhao City has more than four tile houses, there are 17 large and small tile houses.
The so-called Washi is a complex in later generations, which integrates eating, drinking and entertainment. It has various dense shops and numerous stages, large and small, and various performances that the people love to see, such as small singing, pur singing, puppets, dramas, and novels.
, telling history, playing music, shadow play, playing with insects and ants, playing tunes of various palaces, telling jokes, solving riddles, calling fruit, etc.
The family came over to play at dawn and didn't go home until midnight.
The shops in Washi are very small, with small profits but quick turnover. You can eat for just ten cents. If you think the quality is low, there are many large restaurants and teahouses on the streets on both sides of the gate of Washi. These restaurants and teahouses are only
Can be considered mid-range.
The real high-end restaurants are not in the neighborhoods, but on famous commercial streets, such as East Street, West Street, etc.
Both Chen Qing and Jiang Yanxian were wearing casual clothes. He was already prepared. He took out two pieces of beard and put them on his lips, darkened his skin a little, and walked into the gate of the Washi with a folding fan.
It is still morning, and most shops have just opened their doors. Since there is no curfew in Jingzhao and the city gates are not closed, most snack shops do not close until the third watch. After going back to sleep for a few hours, they will open again the next morning.
, it’s very difficult, most of them are mom-and-pop shops.
Chen Qing spent 30 yuan at a Chenji snack stall and ordered two bowls of minced meat wontons. He and Jiang Yanxian ate while appreciating the hard work of the people.
"How long will my sister-in-law be working for a living every day?" Chen Qingxiao asked.
The female shopkeeper wiped the tables and chairs quickly and said with a smile: "The shop will not close until the third watch!"
"Is it like this every day?" Jiang Yan first asked from the side.
"Absolutely! Otherwise, how can we feed our family?"
"The rent in a small shop is very expensive, isn't it?" Chen Qing asked quietly.
The female shopkeeper sighed and said: "Now that the land in the south is sold, the housing prices in the city have skyrocketed, and the rent has also risen sharply. The two rooms I rented nearby used to cost 500 cash each, but now they have risen to 800 cash.
, the rent of this small shop is three guan per month, and now it has increased to 5 guan. I work hard every day, and can only make less than three guan in a month. A family of five can only make ends meet. Fortunately, the government does not charge
Tax, if we collect more taxes, we won’t even be able to afford food.”
Jiang Yanxian was sweating profusely, but it was not spicy. He knew what King Yong meant by bringing him here to eat wontons. The land prices in the south had risen so sharply, and the housing prices and rents in the city had also risen sharply. The people at the bottom could no longer bear it.
While the female shopkeeper was carrying the bowl inside, Jiang Yanxian said quickly: "I understand, I will go back and discuss it with everyone."
"No need to discuss!"
Chen Qing rapped the table with his knuckles and said coldly: "The houses in the tiles and houses are owned by the government. The rents will be restored immediately. The rents of government rental houses will also be reduced immediately. It is strictly forbidden to follow the trend and increase prices. Next time, from now on."
From top to bottom, get out of here!"
This time Chen Qing was really angry. There was nothing he could do about the private price increase, but the government, the largest landlord in the city, also increased the price, and it was a huge increase, with no regard for the life and death of the people at the bottom. It was even worse than the Lin'an government.
"Also, who decided to increase the rent this time? Please take the blame and resign immediately today. I will immediately send the internal security to investigate. I found out that there is corruption and perversion of the law. Watch out for his head!"
Jiang Yanxian nodded in agreement. He couldn't sit still anymore, so he simply called a bullock cart and went back to the official residence. Chen Qing sent two personal soldiers to escort him back.
Chen Qing returned to his official room. As soon as he sat down, Jiang Yan came over first and handed a resignation letter to Chen Qing, "Your Highness, this is the resignation letter from Gao Kun, the director of the Mining and Field Residence Department. He decided to increase the rent of the official room. He
I have ordered that all prices be restored to their original prices, and then I will take the blame and resign."
“Does the Land and Housing Department have the authority to increase prices by issuing an order?”
Jiang Yanxian said helplessly: "If this matter continues to be pursued, even the counselors in the Internal Affairs Hall will have to resign!"
Sure enough, my guess was correct. It was the decision of the Internal Affairs Bureau to let Gao Kun take the blame.
Chen Qing restrained his anger and said: "Then tell me, why do you want to increase the rent?"
Jiang Yanxian smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, His Highness also knows the reason. In the final analysis, it is insufficient taxation and too much pressure on military expenditures."
Chen Qing put Gao Kun's resignation aside and said to Jiang Yan: "Let Gao Kun handle the price increase of the official office first, and we will talk about his resignation later. In addition, please invite several counselors to my official office and let's discuss it!
"
Jiang Yanxian breathed a sigh of relief. Gao Kun would not be dismissed from his post. This was obviously decided by the Internal Affairs Bureau. He felt really guilty for letting Gao Kun take the blame.
"I'll make arrangements right now!"
Not long after, five internal affairs counselors arrived in the meeting hall, including Jiang Yanxian, Zhao Kai, Guan Shigu, Zhou Kuan and Zhang Miao.
"I just came back yesterday. It's my first day here today. I should talk to everyone about happy things. But everyone must already know that the sharp increase in rent has made it unbearable for the people at the bottom. I guess the people who welcomed the army into the city yesterday did not
How many people at the bottom are calling me Chen Peipei behind my back!"
Zhao Kai sighed and said: "This is my responsibility and my suggestion. I want to make up for the shortcomings in taxation. I never thought it would affect His Highness's reputation. I am willing to bear all responsibilities."
Chen Qing waved his hand, "I'm not calling you here to hold you accountable. I won't even hold Gao Kun accountable for the time being. I want to solve the problem. Everyone, I want to make one thing clear to you. My tax exemption is to reduce the burden on the people.
I won the hearts and minds of the people, but I won’t bring down my own regime just to get tax exemption, so I cannot avoid the salt tax and wine tax. Counselor Zhao should know how much of the total tax revenue the salt tax and wine tax account for?”
Zhao Kai nodded, "About 80%!"
"That's right. We have indeed exempted household taxes, land taxes, commercial taxes and other harsh and miscellaneous taxes. The people have benefited, but our tax revenue has not been reduced much. On the contrary, adding various government incomes, the total income
It is even higher than before. Are we exempt from tax? In fact, we are not exempt. We have only abolished all kinds of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes that oppress the people, greatly reducing the degree of oppression of the people, that's all.
So in the future, don’t always talk about tax exemption. Salt tax and liquor tax are not exempt, so there is no real tax exemption. It only reduces the burden on the people, rather than eliminating it. Do you understand what I mean?”
Everyone nodded silently, how could they not understand? He always blamed the financial shortfall on the tax exemption, which meant that everything was the responsibility of King Yong, which made King Yong unhappy.
Seeing everyone nodding, Chen Qing added: "Let's talk about the house. I went to see the new land in the south of the city today. 30% of the house land was sold, but I request that 30% of the land must be left as a source of official rental housing.
, rented out to the common people by the shop and housekeepers, everyone, now that the land in the south of the city has increased greatly, everyone has made a fortune. My, Chen Qing's land is worth two million yuan. Of course I am happy, but although money is important, our political power is more important.
I don’t care how the housing land increases, but the rental price must be brought down, and then the housing supply must be increased from the source.”
Zhou Kuan knocked on the table and said slowly: "Your Highness is right. The land prices have risen so crazily recently. Two shabby thatched houses cost several thousand guan. It is very abnormal. The servants and wives in my family have great opinions. I have also recently been
I'm thinking about this, let me give you my opinion!
We not only increase the housing supply for the lower class people, but also increase the rental demand of the middle class people, greatly increase the number of one-acre and two-acre yards, and sign a long-term lease agreement. For example, the rent will not change for ten years. If the tenant wants to sublet,
The increased rent belongs to the government."
Zhang Miao said with a smile: "Once you introduce this method, I am afraid that the price of residential land with more than two acres will rise sharply, and the price of other small houses will not rise as much. But will someone buy a few small houses and put them together into a large piece of land to sell and earn money?"
What about huge profits?”
Zhou Kuan shook his head, "Others are not fools, will they let him take advantage of this?"
Chen Qing waved his hands and everyone calmed down. Chen Qing said slowly: "Let the Land and Housing Department figure out how to do it specifically. We only have requirements. First, increase the number of official rental housing. There is no need to increase the number of shops, but at least the number of housing units must be increased."
Double the current price; secondly, rents, whether for shops or houses, are not allowed to increase within ten years; thirdly, second landlords are not allowed to exist, renting low-priced government houses and then subletting them out at higher prices.
Circumstances will never allow it. If the lease term is too long, you can change it and cancel it, but you can't sublet it. Fourth, convenience. Renting and checking out should be as convenient as buying food in the market."