Chapter 154 The spring breeze of reform blows everywhere
Chapter 154 The spring breeze of reform blows everywhere
How do these descendants of honorable ministers know anything about business?
The person who asked the question was the steward of Chengguo Palace.
Wei Bin actually doesn’t understand business either: why does he need to understand this?
However, Wei Bin had already made a rough outline of the regulations of Emperor Mingji.
But he first emphasized: "Things cannot be decided by you in a hurry. His Majesty gave me three months, and it has been two days now. Therefore, after I tell you the regulations of Huang Mingji today, I will return to Beijing as soon as possible."
The government is negotiating with the government. If you are not in Beijing, you can send a horse with a secret message and can only discuss with the head of the household. Do you understand?"
After receiving a while of replies, Wei Bin nodded, and the two eunuchs each held a plate and walked to both sides.
"Take one volume each." Wei Bin said calmly, "Just read it in the palace, you can't take it back."
After saying that, he sat down and drank tea by himself.
When I glanced over, I saw that most of them were stewards looking carefully, and some of them were looked after by the descendants of these lords themselves. Of course, there were also a few young masters who seemed illiterate and looked very boring for a while.
Wei Bin kept all these situations in mind, including the different expressions of the stewards.
After a long time, people began to finish reading, and then there was a small discussion in the hall.
Wei Bin didn't stop him, but encouraged him: "If you have any doubts, you can go through the details first, so that you won't have no clue when you ask again later."
As a result, the discussion became louder.
The more people there are, the more courage there will be. After all, most of the Dukes and Princes' families in the Ming Dynasty are here.
"How can such a huge company be sorted out in the future?"
"What kind of regulations is this review of accounts? Mr. Qi, have you heard of it?"
"Sea Trade House...doesn't it mean building a fleet of ships? Then the companies along the coast..."
"..."
Wei Bin saw that no one was reading the brochure carefully anymore, but only opened it to confirm when they reached a certain point in the discussion, so he put down the tea cup: "I will explain the important points one by one, and then you can ask again."
The palace became quiet, and Wei Bin also stood up, saluted in the direction of Qianqing Palace, and then said: "Your Majesty has said that a gentleman loves money and acquires it in a proper way. Your lords' homes are of high status and rank. If you have something to do, you can only do it."
The emperor has decreed that business is not allowed according to the ancestral instructions. However, as the family proliferates, there are many heirs, and the expenses are increasing day by day, it is not a long-term solution for you to just hold on to your salary."
After what he said, many people nodded, as if the emperor was particularly considerate of his situation.
But Wei Bin then straightened his face: "However, relying on national law cannot be easily sanctioned. Relying on the honor of the Lord, you all know how many illegal things the Lord's family has committed. Lord Zu Xun is not allowed to do business, and how many people are there now?
Are you still complying?"
The stewards in the palace became uneasy: the traditional method was to let the servants come forward to do the job. If he was really impeached, he would always deal with the servants.
"Your Majesty thought over and over before deciding on the regulations of the Emperor Mingji." Wei Bin emphasized, "With the Emperor Mingji, it is not to change the ancestral precepts so that your family can do business. It is to allow you to do business.
We will act within our capabilities and each contribute capital. From now on, if you participate in the affairs of Huangmingji, you will be doing things for His Majesty, and you will no longer violate the ancestral precepts. When you work in Huangmingji, you are bound by the company's articles of association, and you will not break the law.
People’s concerns.”
He paused and looked around, again taking note of the reactions of many families, and then said: "Of course, this is not as unrestricted as you running your own business. You don't even know how much profit you can make every year. We want to warn you.
, I want you to go back and tell the lord at home, the most important thing is: The purpose of setting up the Emperor Mingji is to reiterate the ancestral teaching that the lord is not allowed to do business!"
Wei Bin knew that this matter was difficult to handle, so the emperor asked him to come forward. What Wei Bin, the former Eight Tigers, wanted to do was to offend others.
This sentence was not explicitly stated in the charter, but the emperor mentioned it. Since that sentence could not be spread outside, the emperor still had room for change.
But Wei Bin must first clarify this meaning.
Everyone in the palace had complicated expressions.
Those two meanings are very accurate: when your family is doing business, you can naturally have a lot of room for maneuver due to your status as a lord, and you can do it without any restrictions. With this kind of freedom, the annual income is very worth looking forward to.
After participating in Huang Ming Ji, there are still some re-accounting methods that I still don’t understand, and it is under the supervision of the ministers appointed by the emperor. Even how to run the business should have someone else responsible for it, right? I’m afraid the Lords’ Houses can
Just send a few people to be small shopkeepers.
I don’t know how much money can be distributed every year. They are all old accountants. Don’t they know how to do accounts and are knowledgeable?
But Wei Gonggong Ming said: The purpose of setting up Huang Ming Ji is to reiterate the ancestral precepts.
The Lord's House is not allowed to do business, so will the Lord who is not participating now face a thorough investigation in the future?
Of course, there will be a compromise. After participating, you can secretly find another servant to do other business as before. Or, you can cooperate with Huang Mingji for the business of your in-laws.
As they thought about it, their minds became more alive.
Wei Bin waited for them to digest it, and then said with a smile: "Everyone's current business, take this opportunity to report to His Majesty and estimate the price. In addition, if you think this is feasible, use some of your savings to invest in shares. This will
All is fine. Once Huang Ming Ji is established, your lords will no longer have to worry about impeachment. After all, Huang Ming Ji is a royal company."
A steward couldn't help but ask: "Eunuch Wei, won't the court officials advise your majesty not to compete with the people for profit?"
"Your Majesty has his own plans." Wei Bin looked at him lightly, "How much kindness is it for His Majesty to protect the Lords from the wind and rain? We have made our meaning clear. When you go back to report, you will make your interests clear. This investment
The law is divided into three levels. The first is the general number. Dividends are distributed according to shares. Your Majesty decides how to arrange the operation of each branch. The second is the bank number. The general number accounts for 70% of the shares, and the remaining 30% is for your honor to recognize.
If you send a steward to be the accountant, you can know the money coming in and out. The third is the store number, and the bank number also accounts for 70% of the shares. You can send a steward to be the shopkeeper to handle daily operations."
"When it was first established, there were currently seven businesses. The grain store, the salt store, the cloth store, the department store, the maritime trade store, the shipping store, and the labor service store. You are familiar with the first four, and we will explain them in detail for the last three.
.”
Seeing that they were all attentive, Wei Bin said slowly: "The Sea Trade Company starts from Guangdong. The tributary countries in Southeast Asia want to buy good goods from our Ming Dynasty. The Sea Trade Company can supply and sell them; the Sea Trade Company can also make goods."
Set up a fleet, go to sea to purchase, and then sell to department stores and other trading houses after returning to Hong Kong."
"In the transfer of transportation, we will use fleets of chariots, horses, and ships to transport goods within the Ming Dynasty, which will gradually become safer, faster, and with less consumption."
"The labor service agency hires people who have no land and no industry." Wei Bin looked at them deeply, "This labor service agency was also piloted in Guangdong. There are a lot of local corvee labor, and in the future, all labor service agencies will probably do it for them.
, so that many local projects will disturb the people as little as possible."
After carefully studying the articles of association, Wei Bin understood why this Huang Mingji was closely related to Guangdong's new law.
What is entangled with the land tax is corvee from beginning to end.
Why are there so many contributions? In fact, for many ordinary people, the rent is not small, but being able to avoid corvee is the main reason.
The focus of the sea trade company is firstly on trading in the Guangdong Shipping Department, and secondly on laying the groundwork for future affairs in the southeast. The prospect of transfer operation is quite conceivable, but in the early stage it will only be responsible for the internal transfer of Huangmingji.
Only this labor service company is extremely important, and I am afraid it will affect the success or failure of the new law.
The weak corvee has been a big problem throughout the ages.
How much local work requires manpower? But people only have so much power.
The pain of corvee service was the biggest motivation that forced many common people to surrender to the officials and gentry.
Wei Bin could not imagine how much manpower this labor service company would have to amass to meet the needs of large-scale local projects.
Where do people come from?
Wei Bin would later study this issue and ask the emperor for advice.
Now when these stewards ask questions, he will answer those he can answer first, and those he cannot answer will be written down first.
Today was just a briefing. Wei Bin decided to wait for a month and a half before hearing their accurate reply. Many fast horses started from the capital and rushed to Nanzhili and some local dignitaries.
On the Guangdong side, Zhang Fujing is still waiting for a decision from Beijing on what Guangdong can do next.
But first he met someone.
"I have met Mr. Futai."
Gui E raised her head after saluting, and her little eyes looked at Zhang Fuking curiously and directly.
As soon as he was in high school, he was ordered to go south with his sword and kill high-ranking officials angrily. Zhang Zilin said: I recommend you to go to Guangdong.
So Gui E came to Guangdong and took up the post of magistrate of Huizhou.
From the county magistrate to the magistrate, this speed is also very good. But in front of Zhang Fuking, it is really not worth mentioning.
So Gui E was very curious about Zhang Fujing.
"...I heard that Brother Gui has a bad temper and often offends Shangguan?" Zhang Fujing asked.
"If the superior officer is good, why should the inferior officer offend him?" Gui E said straightforwardly and continued to look at Zhang Fujing.
The way he looked, the way he said this in this tone, and the way he looked at the reaction after saying it, Zhang Fujing felt that this guy really deserved a beating.
"I heard that Brother Gui also has insights into the new law?" This is what Zhang Zilin said in the letter to him.
But Gui E asked back: "I heard that Futai brought power to the Qing Dynasty to conquer the land, so the powerful people in Guangdong didn't dare to obstruct it?"
"...Brother Gui, what do you think?" Zhang Fujing felt like he wanted to clench his fists.
Gui E shook his head and sighed: "The damage to the fields is even worse in the north; in the south, the key points are the disciplines and the chaos. Futai should also have clarified it, right? Although the fields and soil are the same, the disciplines in each prefecture and county are very different. There are dozens or hundreds of disciplines.
It was complicated, and taxes and services varied from place to place. When he was the magistrate of Wukang County, Xiaguan tried to establish one system for official fields and another for civilian fields, and many service items were combined into one. In the 13th year of Zhengde, Xiaguan once wrote "Please restore the old system to meet the needs of the people."
"Guoan Min Shu", I wonder if Futai has ever read this book?"
Where did Zhang Fuking, who only passed the imperial examination in the 16th year of Zhengde's reign, read the memorial written by a small magistrate in the 13th year of Zhengde's reign?
But knowing that this guy had indeed tried the new method when he was the magistrate, Zhang Fu bowed humbly: "Ask me for advice."
Gui E no longer asked for help. After returning the gift, he said: "Compile and examine the corvee, unify the rules, and the common people can farm with peace of mind only if they have a clear understanding of the land tax and the corvee. The superiors will not miss the right time, and the subordinates will not be afraid of exploitation by officials. It can be done by the court or the local government.
When managing the land, the discipline is based on a whip, and the officials are urged to implement it according to the regulations. They can no longer create clever names to disturb the people and seek personal gain. This is a humble official."
Zhang Fujing thought silently.
Once you clear the land, you know how big the tax base is.
However, the specific amount of tax that can be collected depends on the tax rate for various outputs. Taizu stipulated that the tax on thirty acres of land in the world was one, but this was only a land tax.
And to this day, farmers produce rice, wheat, silk, silk, cotton... there are too many kinds of real products.
Taxes are levied in fixed amounts in various places and people live within their means. The actual tax rates in different places are quite different. Summer wheat and autumn grains, strips of materials, and corvee fees are apportioned. In fact, the tax rates and tax content are different in different places. This is called the code.
These subjects also include salt tax, commercial tax, storefront courses, liquor and vinegar courses, deed tax and deed book work and ink courses, house voucher courses, courtyard courses, stove courses, frying courses,
Fishing reed class, silver fine for stolen goods, atonement money...
This is what Gui E said. There may be dozens or hundreds of local tax types, and most of them are formulated locally based on local conditions. There is too much room for local maneuverability.
In these laws, the showdown of corvee fees is even more confusing. Lijia, Junyao, and Zafan are the three major types of corvee formed after the Zhengtong period. Combined with them, there are three types of corvee: Suiban, Zuoban, and Zafan.
Large types. The annual office is to pay tribute and materials to the royal family and the central government, the sitting office is to make additional contributions from time to time and in varying amounts, and the miscellaneous office is to collect labor and materials decided by the local government.
Gui E smiled sarcastically: "For the places where I have served before, the annual office was actually less than 10%, the sitting office was nearly 40%, and the miscellaneous office accounted for more than 60%. The suffering of the people is not due to exploitation by your Majesty, but to
It is the exploitation of local officials. Mr. Futai, even if the powerful do not fear the power and block it, how can it be compared to the local officials resisting with all their strength? Without touching the local laws, the new law will not be effective. If it touches the local laws, then that is
The public sentiment is boiling, making it difficult for officials to do their jobs."
He observed Zhang Fujing's reaction.
A few high-ranking officials are easy to kill. Is there a shortage of officials in the world?
But if there are thousands of petty officials and larger-scale unworthy officials and soldiers, if they all are killed, is it possible?
How easy is it to pressure them to take back the benefits they exploited?
To put it bluntly, even if we only take out half of the money that is currently plundered from the pockets of local low-level officials, if this can be established as a rule, local taxes will increase a lot, and the burden on the people will be reduced a lot.
Zhang Fujing thought for a long time before he said: "Brother Gui, since you have tried it and thought a lot, you might as well discuss it with Magistrate Yang and draft a memorial using Huizhou and Guangzhou as examples. I will jointly submit the memorial with you. Please
The imperial court will discuss the matter and implement it on a trial basis. Although it is difficult to govern officials and officials, we must try to do something about it."
After listening to Liang Chu's words, he also knew that he was indeed a soldier crossing the river.
If the new law in Guangdong is ineffective and does not cause chaos, then there is no talk of its implementation in other provinces.
If the people's burden cannot be reduced, then the trend of donation cannot be stopped.
Is it possible to easily change the exemption and exemption of taxes and corvee for officials and gentry?
Zhang Fujing knew very well that it would really shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
After hearing what Zhang Fuking said, Gui E narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a long time, then saluted and said: "I accept the order. I just heard that Magistrate Yang is famous for his outstanding talents, so I'm afraid I can't get along with him."
Zhang Fujing smiled: "Since Magistrate Yang came to Guangdong, he also wanted to make meritorious deeds. Brother Gui and he are both magistrates, so are you still worried about offending him? I think Brother Gui is not a person who is afraid of getting into trouble."
Gui E rolled his eyes: "His father is the chief assistant."
"I am following the emperor's orders."
Gui E stared at him for a while, then grinned under his messy beard: "Futai is so powerful!"