The customs management system in the Song Dynasty was very chaotic. The Municipal Shipping Department was initially under the jurisdiction of the prefect or prefect, and then it was changed to the transshipment envoy.
Later, the central government directly sent officials to promote them, then dismissed them and then re-established them.
Generally speaking, the tax amount and tax rate of various customs are determined based on the actual financial situation of the imperial court.
The less money the court has, the more tariffs it collects.
The more customs and taxes were collected, the more the court paid attention to the shipping department.
The new Ming Dynasty became very formal, and six major shipping departments were established in Hangzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and Dengzhou. The city shipping department was promoted to the fifth rank, only one level lower than the prefect.
In addition to the six major shipping companies, there are also shipping yards and shipping offices in various ports.
Now a vertical management system has been formed, with a Zuo Shilang from the Ministry of Revenue in charge of the national customs. The six major municipal shipping departments are under the jurisdiction of this Zuo Shilang, and the remaining markets and shipping offices are under the jurisdiction of the six major municipal shipping departments.
Zuo Shilang of the Household Department, who was in charge of customs, was nicknamed "Shibo Shangshu" and "Shibo Xianggong".
At the same time, there was also Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Revenue who was in charge of the national treasury, and was jokingly called "Cangchang Shangshu" and "Cangchang Xianggong".
The two left ministers of the Ministry of Revenue are one level lower than the minister and one level higher than the other left ministers (can be understood as full-time deputy ministers). They are not only under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, but also directly connected with the cabinet.
…
Fuzhou Shipping Division.
The scale of sea trade here is actually slightly smaller than that of Quanzhou because its location is very awkward.
Merchant ships for Sino-Japanese trade can go to Ningbo or Hangzhou.
Merchant ships coming from Southeast Asia can dock in the closer Guangzhou and Quanzhou.
Fuzhou Port is positioned more like a transit point, or to absorb overflow cargo from other ports, as well as to accept the fleets on the southern route of Sino-Japanese trade.
However, the provincial capital of Fujian is here after all!
Dai Chengsi lived a comfortable life in the past two years. His family used to be the largest grain merchant in Jinzhou. Before the Zhu family captured Hanzhong, the Dai family chose to join the family and made a lot of money before the Ming Dynasty was officially founded.
At that time, the Zhu family's regime was besieged, and after the expansion of the army, there was a serious shortage of food. The food on the southwestern road of Beijing was smuggled in by Song Dynasty officials, and about one third of it needed to be transported by the Dai family.
Ju Ming then resettled refugees in Xiangyang and Nanyang, and the Dai family also helped transport a large number of supplies, and thus obtained franchise rights for some commodities.
Dai Chengsi was a scholar and knew how to run a business. He assisted Qian Chen in managing finances very early on.
If it hadn't been for the three years since his parents died in Ding You, Dai Chengsi would have been a Minister of Household Affairs at least now.
People are so unlucky. My father passed away when I was on the rise in my career.
Dai Chengsi took care of the funeral arrangements and observed his mourning for three months as a symbol of mourning. The emperor issued an edict to seize his love and asked him to return to Beijing as an official as soon as possible. Just halfway through, his biological mother died again, and he rushed home again.
This time it was really hard for him to accept his love, so he could only keep the filial piety of his parents.
When Ding You's term expired, Dai Chengsi was sent to Fuzhou just as the city's shipping department was being reorganized.
He will be able to return to Beijing at the end of this year to report on his duties, and he will probably be promoted several levels because his qualifications and political achievements are already sufficient.
When Dai Chengsi left the capital, Prince Zhu specifically asked him to reserve the position of "Mr. Shibo" (the top leader of the General Administration of Customs) for him so that he could familiarize himself with customs business in the next three years.
"Where's Liu Yongqian? Why aren't you here yet?"
Dai Chengsi walked around the Shibosi Yamen, as anxious as an ant on a hot pot.
A month ago, he received a letter from Beijing, saying that it was possible to investigate Fuzhou.
So he frantically settled his accounts and even borrowed debt to settle his accounts.
Those maritime merchants are not very clean. If they don't lend him money to settle the accounts, Dai Chengsi will drag everyone to death.
Nowadays, there are still a few sums of money that have not been accounted for, and those are the accounts that deputy director Liu Yongqian is responsible for settling.
Today is the agreed deadline!
Dai Chengsi walked quickly to Liu Yongqian's office and found that this guy hadn't come to work yet, so he took a boat and went straight to the Liu family's private residence.
"Is Liu Yongqian at home?" Dai Chengsi asked his disciple, and he was so anxious that he called him by his first name.
Menzi replied: "My husband, my wife, my husband and my wife went to Nanshan to worship Buddha as a family."
Dai Chengsi was startled and asked, "When did you go?"
Menzi said: "It was noon yesterday."
Yesterday morning, Liu Yongqian claimed that he was going to collect money and even went to discuss it with Dai Chengsi.
Dai Chengsi didn't doubt his presence, but it wasn't until noon today that he finally felt something was wrong.
Dai Chengsi hurried all the way to the temple and searched all the temples but could not find anyone there. Dai Chengsi then went to other temples to look for him.
It was getting dark, and Dai Chengsi returned to the Shipping Department. He was convinced that Liu Yongqian had run away.
"Were there any fleets going to sea yesterday and today?" Dai Chengsi called the officials in charge of the port.
The official said: "The trade winds and waters have come in these days, and merchant ships go to sea every day. Which fleet is your husband asking about?"
"It's nothing, just a casual question." Dai Chengsi waved the person away.
After sitting alone in the hall for a long time, Dai Chengsi couldn't help but sigh: "The man surnamed Liu is so cruel. All his parents have given up on him, and he only took his wife and children away overseas."
In the next few days, Dai Chengsi forced the maritime merchants to take money and forcibly closed the accounts of the Shipping Department.
Then, wait to be caught!
He hates the fact that Fuzhou is a miserable place with hot and humid summers. Moreover, the businessmen here are also bastards. They actually lured him into corruption, and even managed to get involved in a major case.
He is a meritorious official from Conglong, and his family has also worked hard and made great achievements. Maybe the prince can be more generous.
maybe……
An official ship docked, and more than twenty officials landed with the garrison borrowed from Hangzhou.
These people acted separately, some went straight to the shipping department, and some went to several large merchants.
This winter, the Fuzhou anti-smuggling fleet, which will go to the Penghu Islands with the navy, is directly controlled by several warships from the north.
Fuzhou anti-smuggling fleet is suspected of colluding with maritime smuggling!
"Brother Chaozong, long time no see." Dai Chengsi took the initiative to greet the censor.
Jiang Han looked contemptuous: "You have gained a lot of weight. Your Dai family is already the richest man in the state. Are you short of money?"
"Alas!" Dai Chengsi sighed dejectedly.
"How much was stolen?" Jiang Han asked again.
Dai Chengsi said: "I have received tens of thousands of dollars, and they also want to share the profit. The account has been paid up a few days ago."
"Totally confused!"
Jiang Han was angry that he wouldn't argue: "If I don't come, the Ministry of Revenue won't send someone to check the accounts?"
"There are several kinds of account books, which are difficult to find out. The purpose of settling the accounts this time is to make up for the money, and I hope to get a lighter punishment." Dai Chengsi had a strong desire to survive, "I can make the Shipping Company fake the accounts."
Methods for patrolling fleets for smuggling, as well as methods for preventing and eradicating these, write them down in detail and present them to the court, and then give confessions to all those involved in the case. Can this be regarded as surrendering to meritorious service?"
Jiang Han thought: "Perhaps, but you must ask the prince for instructions. How about promoting Liu Yongqian to the deputy position?"
Dai Chengsi said: "This bastard ran away with his wife and children. In the two days when his family disappeared, more than 20 Champa, Dashi, Indian and Srivijaya merchant ships went to sea. This person may have gone to Champa, or
Maybe I went to Sriwijaya."
"Fleeing a foreign country, even if the Buyi clan is gone, the Liu clan will be gone!" Jiang Han said through gritted teeth.
The Fuzhou Shipping Department is also a den of crimes. It was cleaned up more than two years ago. Now there is widespread corruption among the officials of the City Shipping Department. Since the customs tax system is more stringent, this time they simply used the anti-smuggling fleet to engage in smuggling and directly stopped the business.
Follow the normal accounts of customs.
Dai Chengsi's account was so bad that he couldn't tell how much he smuggled.
In Fuzhou City's Ship Division alone, six high-grade officials, four non-grade officials, and twenty-nine regular officials were arrested. There was also a deputy who had his entire family run away!
After following the clues and interrogating them, the Ship Market and Ship Office under the jurisdiction of the Fuzhou Shipping Department uncovered a large number of corrupt and smuggling officials.
…
Tokyo, Imperial Palace.
Ju Ming took the information compiled from various places and said with great emotion: "One case has led to several cases, one person has led to several people, and the number of people involved in the case has increased exponentially. It has only been less than three months since the investigation, and only two officials have been sentenced to death."
More than a hundred people and more than a hundred officials were also sentenced to death. Not to mention those who were imprisoned, there were more than 400 officials who were sentenced to confiscation of their homes and exiled! Including the family members who were imprisoned, the number has exceeded 2,000.
To be continued...