The meaning of Zhang Qian's words is not difficult to appreciate.
The reason why the officialdom is corrupt today is because of this emperor Zhu Yunxi.
~~
"The emperor's new policy cancels the Ding tax, but it also cancels the fixed tax of the Ming Dynasty. The field tax is levied according to the number of acres of land, and the tax is paid according to the number of fields!"
Zhang Qian continued to smile and said, "The land tax alone has a lot to do at the local level. Every year, the government organizes civilians to reclaim fields. Take Huguang Province as an example. Last year, up to two million acres of land were reclaimed.
."
"Just for this piece of land, one silver dollar per acre, the court will receive an additional two million in land tax every year in the future. However, how much land is reclaimed is one thing, and how much is actually repaid is another!"
"The local government only needs to underreport by 10% or 20%, and the amount intercepted every year is an astronomical figure! Can all the intercepted money be used for official expenses? The money bag is held in the hands of the parents and officials, isn't it their wallet?
?”
Everyone in the hall was furious, but Zhu Yunxi just sneered, "Okay, keep talking!"
"Let's talk about commercial tax!" Zhang Qian said again, "When Emperor Taizu Gao was emperor, the commercial tax was thirty tax and one. When the emperor was the grandson of the Eastern Palace, the commercial tax was twenty tax and three. But now after the New Deal, the commercial tax is ten and two.
"
As he spoke, Zhang Qian gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, have there been such heavy taxes in all dynasties?"
"Keep talking!" Zhu Yunxi's expression remained unchanged.
"The emperor likes to collect taxes!" Zhang Qian shook his head and smiled bitterly, "The workshops have to pay taxes, the goods entering the city have to collect taxes, and there are also various postal stations..."
"You like to collect taxes, so the people below naturally put tax collection first. It's like if I hand the emperor a piece of fat meat, even if I don't eat it, my hands are stained with oil!"
"Officials all over the world also rely on tax collection. State governments no longer collect fixed taxes. If you want to achieve political success, you must find ways to tax!"
"What is good above will be effective below! What is good above will be effective below! In this way, the government will have money! There will be more places for officials to make money!"
"Money can communicate with the gods, let alone people? The government is making money every day, but we still expect officials to uphold their ethics? Your Majesty, is this... hard to justify?"
Hearing this, Chang Sen couldn't bear it anymore and said ferociously, "Your Majesty, please kill this treacherous man who has no king and no father!"
Zhu Yunxi waved his hand and stared at Zhang Qian, "Do you have anything else to say?"
"The emperor wants the treasury to be filled, various innovations to be made, and business to be opened up. In the hands of officials, corruption is inevitable!" Zhang Qian kowtowed, "From the perspective of all the guilty officials, the crime of corruption is not all due to the greed of the guilty officials and others.
Making trouble. But really, just going with the flow!"
"Okay!" Zhu Yunxi nodded and smiled, "I understand what you mean! I like to ask for money, so officials all over the world have begun to make money! It is my emphasis on business and taxation that makes officials lose their integrity!"
"Okay, okay!" Zhu Yunxi nodded again and said with a smile, "I have been on the throne for so long, and no one has ever confused right and wrong in front of me like this!"
"You are a dying person, and I will let you die clearly!"
Zhu Yunxi changed his posture and sat in a different position, "Why did Emperor Taizu and Emperor Gao have a fixed tax? No tax was collected if it exceeded the quota? That's because the country is in dire need and needs to rest with the people. We must first make the people rich and then make the country strong!"
"Nothing can remain unchanged. How can the laws of the past be applied today? It has been nearly 40 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. How can it remain unchanged?"
"In the past forty years, all industries have prospered. If there are no new policies and new taxes, we will still only collect a fixed amount. In less than twenty years, the rich will get richer, and the poor will get poorer."
"You are looking at the present, but I am looking at the hundred years of our Ming Dynasty!"
"As for what you said, my business tax is too heavy. During the time of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Gao, the world's trade was naturally declining. But now, take Wuchang Prefecture as an example, the merchant ships on the Yangtze River can't be seen at a glance...
China’s products sell well and are in short supply throughout the country!”
"And because the Ding tax has been abolished, landless people can go to the city to work and make a living. As a result, there are many workshops in various places, and there is more labor. The goods sold by merchants are cheaper than when Emperor Taizu was high!"
"God has given me the Ming Dynasty and the way to make the country rich. Even if I don't take it, you officials will probably take it privately, right?"
"Before there was commercial tax, didn't anyone line their own pockets? Without commercial tax, the officials and gentry would monopolize and enrich you, but what about the country?"
"The so-called heavy taxes in your mouth are nothing more than salt, iron, tea and silk set by the imperial court. When have heavy taxes been imposed on things that are important to the people's livelihood?"
"Oh, I still remember this! You said I want to collect taxes, but have I ever told you that farmers also charge taxes when selling vegetables? When did I tell you that people carrying pots and selling pulp also have to pay taxes?
Collect taxes?”
"You said the source is me? The source is you, who are motivated by wealth and greedy for profit... thinking that the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and they have the power to do whatever they want!"
"Taxes are taken from the people, and I also use them for the people. Haha!" When he said this, Zhu Yunxi sneered repeatedly, "Building official roads, dredging waterways, and expanding docks, how much profit did you make from it?"
"What you said just now is like saying that the money is too much! You were very happy when you shared the money! If something goes wrong, you want to keep it clean!"
"What you say is really hard to justify! I collect taxes and use them to enrich the country and strengthen the people and expand the territory. But in the name of tax, I actually line my own pockets!"
"The fact that the government is rich is not the reason why officials are corrupt! The people's livelihood is prosperous, and it is not the result of individual officials like you!"
"But you are right about one thing. The officialdom is corrupt, and I am also guilty of it! But this sin is because I gave you too many rights, and at the same time, there was too little supervision."
Having said this, Zhu Yunxi seemed to be tired, "I would like to thank you very much today. Your words made me feel enlightened!"
Zhang Qian raised his head in surprise, "Your Majesty...?"
"However, you have no chance or qualification to know what happened so suddenly!" Zhu Yunxi sneered, "Even now, you still have no intention of repenting!"
"In the case of the Xu family, more than 20 lives were lost, but you didn't mention a word about it, but what kind of corruption are you telling me? Humph...it's really rare to see someone as heartless and crazy as you in the world!"
"Your Majesty!" Li Jinglong said from the side, "Why do you talk so much about people who are inferior to pigs and dogs?" As he said that, he looked at Zhang Qian, "It is not a pity for such people to die!"
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, Zhang Qian, who was kneeling on his knees, laughed maniacally.
"It is not a pity to die for a guilty minister, it is not a pity to die for a guilty minister... There are thousands of officials in the world who do not regret their death!" Zhang Qian gritted his teeth fiercely, "Your Majesty, I... I am really just following the crowd!
"
As he spoke, his shoulders suddenly slumped and his eyes drooped, "In life... in this world, if you don't go with the flow, you may be overturned in an instant..."
His eyes gradually became dull, and his voice became low, "Now that the matter has come to this, there is only one dead ear! It is better for the guilty minister to die alone and bear the blame alone... than to have others accompany him..."
"not good!"
He Guangyi exclaimed and stepped forward quickly, grabbed Zhang Qian's jaw, and then opened his teeth with a click.
But he was a step too late after all, and dark red blood flowed from Zhang Qian's mouth, dripping down He Guangyi's wrist and onto the ground.
"This guy..." Zhu Yunxi was furious.
"Your Majesty!" He Guangyi turned around, "He...hid the wax pills in his mouth in advance, and the wax pills contained poison..."
Boom!
Zhang Qian's body fell limply and remained motionless.
But his eyes were still open unwillingly, not closed.
"It's an advantage for him!" Zhu Yunxi sneered, "Does he want to die and everything will be over? Does he want that once he dies, many secrets will never be revealed?"
"What Guangyi?" Zhu Yunxi said coldly.
"I'm here!"
"Huaiyuan Hou Changsen!"
"I'm here!"
"Huaiyuan Hou Changsen is on an imperial mission and is in charge of the military and civilian affairs of Huguang. He Guangyi stays here to thoroughly investigate the major corruption case of Huguang Dusi!"
"According to the order!"
Beside him, Yan Zheng's body shook violently again.
"The emperor is talking about a thorough investigation of Huguang Dusi..." He closed his eyes in despair.
At this moment, he really wanted to ask Zhang Qian, "Where did you buy the poison?"
"In another order, Tie Xuan, the chief secretary of Zhejiang, was transferred to the chief secretary of Huguang." Zhu Yunxi said again, "Jing Qing, the chief secretary of Zhejiang, temporarily takes over the post of chief secretary."
Speaking of this, Zhu Yunxi gave Yan Zheng a hard look and said, "Han Kezhong, the Supervisory Censor of Zhejiang Province, was transferred to Huguang as the Inspector-General!"
"Wang Lun, the chief secretary of Huguang, strictly enforces the strict supervision of the censor, supervises the censor, inspects the censor, and other officials of the third rank and above, and dismisses Dai Sin Ting Shen!"
"I hope you and others will cooperate to return a bright future to Huguang as soon as possible! No matter who is involved in this case, we will investigate it to the end!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yunxi gritted his teeth and said, "Kill me!"