Lin Xuan thought for a while and said: "The five million yuan must be transported to Chang'an before the end of the year. If it cannot be done, I can only ask your Majesty for arbitration."
There is still more than a month left before the Chinese New Year, which is enough time.
"Okay, it's no problem at all." Cui Hao said.
After talking about this, Lin Xuan said goodbye, and Cui Yuxiu personally sent Lin Xuan out.
"Master Hou, you really dug a big hole for me." Cui Yuxiu said.
She was the one who contacted Lin Xuan in the first place, and now that the family has lost so much money, many people in the Cui family already have opinions about her.
Although Cui Lingdao made the final decision, who dares to blame Cui Lingdao?
"Miss Cui is joking. The Cui family broke the contract themselves. How can you say that I dug a hole for you? Besides, although five million yuan is a lot, it is nothing to the Cui family, right?" Lin Xuan said lightly.
.
He did go to the Cui family with the intention of scheming, but he didn't feel any guilt towards Cui Yuxiu.
It has been so long since the incident happened. If the Cui family wanted to hold Cui Yuxiu accountable, she would have been recalled to the family long ago.
"Miss Cui, I have something else to do. I'll leave first. Thank you for seeing me off." Lin Xuan didn't want to talk nonsense with her, so he got on his horse and left under the protection of his own soldiers.
Cui Yuxiu watched Lin Xuan leave with a somewhat resentful expression.
"Master Hou, I feel that Miss Cui is interested in you. She is a girl with the fifth surname. It is better for Master Hou to let her go." Cao Hu said.
After following Lin Xuan for a while, they already understood Lin Xuan's temper. They were not as restrained as they were at the beginning, and even dared to joke with Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan was speechless when he heard this. You are still a bachelor yourself, but you are pretending to be a lover.
Zhang Dayong said: "Don't talk nonsense, the Marquis will be the consort in a short time. If the news reaches the ears of the princess, do you still want to marry the princess's maid?"
Marry the princess's maid?
Lin Xuan was stunned and asked: "What do you mean?"
Cao Hu winked at Zhang Dayong hurriedly, but Zhang Dayong didn't look at him at all and said: "Back to the Marquis, Cao Hu told me before that after the Marquis marries the princess, he wants to ask for a favor from the Marquis. Can he provide the princess with the attendant?
Betroth one to him."
Cao Hu said quickly: "Master Hou, I am just talking about ordinary maids, not the princess's personal maids."
Personal maids are usually maids who live in the same house, and he was afraid that Lin Xuan would misunderstand him.
Lin Xuan waved his hand and asked in surprise: "Why did you think of marrying the princess's maid?"
Li Lizhi will definitely marry many maids and slaves when she gets married, so it won't be a big deal if she betroths one to Cao Hu.
It's not that Lin Xuan arranged the marriage, but that the slaves were all prostitutes, and the master's family had the obligation to arrange marriages for them.
Normally, it's all slaves matching each other.
The children they gave birth to were still slaves of the Lin family, which was why those wealthy families had many loyal slaves.
Everything about those slaves is in the hands of their master, so they are naturally loyal.
Cao Hu chuckled and said with some embarrassment: "I heard that the maids in the palace, both in appearance and education, are no worse than some young ladies from wealthy families."
This is true. The maids in the palace are all carefully selected. Not all of them are stunningly beautiful, but there are certainly no ugly ones.
They usually serve noble people, and their etiquette is impeccable in all aspects.
"You are really smart. I will ask the princess to choose a beautiful one for you." Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis." Cao Hu thanked him.
Zhang Dayong said with some embarrassment: "Master Hou, can you give me one?"
"It's okay to betroth to you, but I remember that Guo Lanhua intends to marry his granddaughter to one of you. Guo Caiyue seems to be good, right? You don't like it?" Lin Xuan asked.
Zhang Dayong said: "My master also told me this, but I don't like Guo Caiyue like that."
Guo Caiyue is very beautiful, but she lacks a ladylike temperament.
Both Zhang Dayong and Cao Hu like women who have a ladylike temperament.
With their status, those with status would naturally not marry their daughters to them, so they paid attention to the maid who was married to Li Lizhi.
Lin Xuan looked at Cao Hu, and Cao Hu quickly said: "Master Hou, I am the same as Dayong."
Lin Xuan didn't know what to say. Guo Caiyue had a good figure and looked like a royal sister, but neither of them liked her.
Is it possible that Sister Yu was not popular in ancient times?
But he knew that the melon that was forced was not sweet, and he had no intention of forcing it.
"Okay, I understand. After I get married to the princess, I will tell her to help you choose." Lin Xuan said.
…
imperial palace, tai chi hall, morning dynasty
In the past, when the New Year was approaching, there would have been a lot of things.
In fact, it’s all about having no money. When the new year comes, money is needed for this and that, so there are naturally a lot of things going on.
But because the national treasury is full this year and all the places that need money have been allocated, there will naturally be fewer things to do.
But when Ma Zhou, the newly appointed Minister of Commerce, came out to present the memorial, the originally peaceful court became agitated.
"Your Majesty, when businessmen pay taxes, tax evasion often occurs, but commercial taxes are not as easy to detect as other taxes. After thinking hard, I came up with a way to effectively prevent this situation." Ma Zhou said.
The people pay taxes, and one person needs to pay two dan of grain every year. They only need to collect it according to their head.
However, business tax is based on the profits earned by businessmen, so businessmen naturally have various ways to evade tax.
"What can we do?" Li Shimin asked.
Ma Zhou said: "The status of businessmen is low. As long as businessmen who pay taxes normally can enjoy the treatment of ordinary people, those businessmen will naturally not resist paying taxes."
"I wonder what kind of treatment Ma Shangshu means when he talks about enjoying the treatment of ordinary people?" someone asked aloud.
Ma Zhou said calmly: "As long as ordinary people can do it, they can do it."
Because of the low grain output in ancient times, the Central Plains dynasties have always been dominated by agriculture. Like previous imperial dynasties, in view of the fact that the development of private industry and commerce can most impact the order and stability of dynastic society, the Tang Dynasty also regarded discrimination and suppression of private industry and commerce as a basic national policy.
During the Zhenguan period, official orders were initially established, with a total of 643 civil and military officials. Taizong told his important minister Fang Xuanling: "I set up this official to treat wise men. The motley businessmen and businessmen, who pretend to be more skilled in order than their peers, can only be generous."
When you give money or property, you must not exceed the official rank you are given, and you must not stand shoulder to shoulder with the virtuous gentlemen of the court, sit and eat with them."
Non-governmental industrial and commercial workers are regarded as "motley people" and discriminated against based on their identity. They are also excluded from political service and excluded from politics.
During the Emperor Gaozong's reign, this restriction became even stricter: "Industry and businessmen are not allowed to ride horses", "Subordinate officials and merchants' wives are not allowed to ride in carriages and eaves", preventing private industry and commerce from relying on their wealth to improve their social status. In clothing and clothing
Regarding funerals, there are also clear and restrictive regulations on discrimination.
What Ma Zhou meant was that as long as merchants paid taxes normally, their children would be allowed to take part in the imperial examinations. In other respects, they would be treated the same as ordinary people.
"Your Majesty, this move is inappropriate. Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants have already made a decision. How can we change it?"
"Yes, businessmen are not engaged in production and are only interested in profit. If they were the same as ordinary people, there would be a large number of people engaged in business. Who would cultivate the fields?"
"Businessmen are profit-oriented and greedy. If a businessman's son becomes an official, he will definitely prey on the people."
…
As soon as Ma Zhou finished speaking, the entire court burst out in opposition.