The ruthless emperor in the late Ming Dynasty forced Chongzhen to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 185

The other state capitals in Nanzhili are similar to the situation in Changzhou. The landlords and gentry waited and watched at first, and then as the day approached, some small landlords took the lead in paying taxes, which attracted everyone to rush to pay taxes. Crowded together, most fail to pay their taxes.

On the contrary, ordinary people and small landlords who don't have much land, and small traders have paid taxes long ago.

Bank tellers everywhere also strictly followed the rules of the head office, closing their doors for settlement as soon as the time came.

Then it took two days to sort it out, and sent the two sorted lists to the sub-branch in Fucheng Zhoucheng. The original tax payment data was stored in the bank's files.

The sub-branches in Fucheng and Zhoucheng were not sorting out, and immediately sent these lists to the head office in Nanjing. The head office only counted the total amount of taxes paid by each state and county, and then directly handed over the list to the household department. Transfer to the account of the Ministry of Finance.

Due to the convenient water and land in Nanzhili, it only took five days for the bank to complete its work.

As for the silver and copper coins received by the banks, they can be transported slowly.

The Ministry of Household Affairs began to get busy, and it took five days to check who did not pay taxes and who did not pay taxes in each state and county.

"how?"

"Gege, the situation is not optimistic. The commercial tax is fine, and the amount paid has reached [-]%, but the agricultural tax is less than [-]%." The Minister of the Household Department smiled wryly.

Although the prefects, prefectures and counties from all over the country have already reported the tax payment situation, and Ma Shiying knew what was going on, but he still frowned when he heard that the agricultural tax was less than [-]%.

"Mr. Ge, if this is directly fined twice, the subways will definitely fall out, or just make up for it. After all, this is the first time. Everyone is not used to it, and it is understandable!"

Hubu Shangshu suggested cautiously.

The other ministers also nodded in agreement.

After all, it's not that the gentry and landlords everywhere didn't pay taxes, but they didn't have time to pay.

Ma Shiying actually wanted to give another chance, but the tax collection system was set by the emperor, and the cabinet had no right to change it, so he had to wave his hands and said, "This matter still needs to be decided by His Majesty, and the cabinet cannot make decisions without authorization."

After finishing speaking, he took the data compiled by the household department and hurried to the imperial study room to ask for a report.

In the imperial study room, Zhang Yan and Princess Kunxing were both there, and they were obviously very concerned about the situation of the first tax collection.

Ma Shiying first reported the statistics from the Ministry of Household Affairs, and then carefully suggested: "Your Majesty Qizuo, according to the reports of officials from various places, the reason why the agricultural tax payment is not satisfactory this time is not because the gentry and landlords in various places resisted the tax. Not handing in, but there is a wait-and-see attitude in the early stage, and if you want to hand it in later, it is too late to hand it in.

Thinking of the first time, the old minister suggested that this time, he can be merciful outside the law, and pay directly without fines, so as to show His Majesty's generosity and benevolence! "

After Ma Shiying finished speaking, Zhang Yan and Princess Kunxing also nodded in agreement, but who would have thought that Zhu Cihong waved his hands directly and said: "No, it is precisely because it is the first time that we must strictly enforce it, and let everyone in the world All the gentry and landlords understood that the government's decrees cannot be questioned, nor can they be discounted.

The Ministry of Household Affairs immediately sent the list of unpaid taxes and underpaid taxes to each state and county, and paid twice within ten days. Those who failed to pay after the deadline would be fined five times! "

"The minister obeys the order."

Ma Shiying smiled wryly, but he had no choice but to hasten to answer, and then took his leave. He knew that with His Majesty's uncompromising temperament, he would never make an exception.

"Lang'er, if the fine is really doubled, the tax money collected in the end may exceed 5000 to [-] million taels. I'm afraid those big landlords will not compromise easily?"

After Ma Shiying left, Zhang Yan said worriedly.

"The ones who were fined were some very wealthy landowners, and it didn't matter to them to pay twice as much. As for whether to compromise or not, it's their business.

If they fail to pay after the deadline, they will be fined five times, and if they fail to pay, the land will be confiscated directly. If they dare to violently resist the law, they will be sent to ransack their homes. I want to see if they are willing to ruin their families or pay taxes honestly. "

Zhu Cihong waved his hand and said indifferently.

He just wants to use this incident to let the gentry and landlords in the world know that the world has changed and the court is no longer the original court.

The policies and decisions of the imperial court are no longer literati and gentry, and can be influenced by public opinion.

"By the way, sister, what happened to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry? Has no one applied to join yet?"

"Hey, except for Chen Yuanyuan, a gold member, there is no one who has applied to become an associate member so far."

Princess Kunxing sighed, and then tried to say: "Brother Huang, do you think our conditions are too harsh? Should we relax some more and reduce the membership fee?"

"No, those real big businessmen are not short of that little money. The main reason is that everyone has concerns in their hearts. But don't worry, Queen, everything is difficult at the beginning. As long as one takes the initiative to join, there will naturally be a steady stream of businessmen joining in the future."

Zhu Cilang said with a smile.

The establishment of the Royal Chamber of Commerce and Industry is to support a group of new capitals attached to the royal family, and guide them to develop industry and commerce together in the future.

At the same time, it is also a kind of protection for these new types of capital, and then it is a disguised collection of industrial and commercial taxes.

It can be said to kill three birds with one stone.

"Okay, I'll just listen to Brother Huang. Sister Chen should focus on the establishment of branches in other provinces first."

Princess Kunxing could only nod her head.

Ever since she became the president of the Royal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, her enthusiasm has been very high, and she has to go to the former Duke Wei's mansion to sit in charge almost every day.

Who would have thought that in the past two months, there were countless businessmen who came to inquire about the excitement, but none of them actually applied to join.

As for Chen Yuanyuan's gold member, it doesn't count at all, and everyone understands what's going on, so they can't take the lead at all.

"Lang'er, I'm done with the political affairs. The selection of the showgirls has reached the final round. We just wait for you to pick the queen yourself. Why don't we go and see now?"

"Okay, let's go and have a look."

"Brother Huang, I will go too."

Zhang Yan was also overjoyed to see that Zhu Cihong finally agreed to choose the show girl, and immediately ordered people to make preparations.

After the three of them came to the gazebo in the imperial garden, the ten beautiful women who had passed five stages and killed six generals had finished dressing and were brought over by the maids of honor.

After being brought into the gazebo, the ten beautiful girls in palace attire all lowered their heads slightly, looking very nervous.

This time Zhang Yan assisted Zhu Cihong in the draft, although it was only selected for the southern provinces, there were as many as hundreds of thousands of school-age girls who could sign up for the draft, which was the most registered draft in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

Almost as long as there are girls of the right age in the family, those who are fairly handsome will sign up, and even if there is a marriage contract, they will temporarily reject it.

If one or two turned them down, it would definitely cause dissatisfaction, but when everyone did this, the man didn't care much, which also led to no marriages in the entire south this year.

The reason why they are so active is that Zhu Cihuang asked Zhang Yan to relax the policy of the draft. All school-age girls can participate, and it is not necessary to be a commoner.

Secondly, because the Son of Heaven was young, he made great achievements, martial arts and martial arts, and he was not inferior to the sages of the past dynasties, and his love for noble concubines and red ladies was well known, and he was almost every woman's dream lover.

Being able to stand out among hundreds of thousands of women, the top ten finalists, no matter in terms of body shape, appearance or temperament, can be said to be unique in ten thousand.

So looking at these ten beautiful girls at this moment, Zhu Cihong's eyes lit up, and he straightened up immediately.

Secretly thought, the ancients did not deceive me, Jiangnan has produced beauties since ancient times, and these ten beautiful women all have peerless looks that are not inferior to Chen Yuanyuan and Zhang Yan.

"All look up, let me take a good look."

"It's Your Majesty!"

The voices of the ten beautiful girls are like mosquitoes, and the voices alone can make people's bones shudder, obviously they have been strictly selected.

The ten beautiful girls slowly raised their heads and exchanged glances with Zhu Cihong, their cheeks were dizzy.

And as Zhu Cihong got up and approached them, carefully looking around them, the palms of the ten beautiful girls became even more nervous and sweaty.

Seeing Zhu Cihong with his hands behind his back, Zhang Yan looked carefully one by one from the front for a while, and then went around the back to look up and down, as if picking something, and gave him a hard look.

Princess Kunxing stood aside and couldn't help laughing, watching the good show.

"What's your name?"

In the end, Zhu Cihong stopped in front of a beautiful woman with the tallest figure, who was also quite tall from front to back, and asked.

"Back, back to Your Majesty, minister, concubine Zhou, Zhou..."

After being carefully scrutinized by Zhu Cihong for so long, the minds of the ten beautiful girls collapsed to the extreme. Facing Zhu Cihong's questioning, this beautiful girl lost her voice in a nervous state. one red.

"Don't be nervous, tell me how old is this year?"

Seeing that she was frightened like this, Zhu Cihong could only comfort her for a while, and then asked again.

"Back, back to Your Majesty, fifteen..."

"Let's be old!"

"What about you? How old are you?"

Zhu Cihong looked at the other nine people, and the result was as he had guessed, they were all fourteen, and the false age was probably only thirteen.

"Lang'er, do you have someone you like?" After Zhu Cihong returned to his seat, Zhang Yan asked impatiently.

"Take them down to rest first!" Zhu Cihong waved his hand, and after all the beautiful girls were taken away, he said: "Auntie, these ten beautiful girls are all dignified and beautiful, but they are too young. None of these have grown yet!"

The looks and auras of the ten beautiful girls are indeed all worth mentioning. According to the standards of this era, almost all of them can be queens.

"This... How is this young? The daughter of the Zhou family you just asked about is fifteen years old. She is slim and beautiful. How could she not grow? Auntie looks good, and she will be able to be the mother of the world in the future and be the master of the harem."

"Anyway, it's too young, let's raise it for a few more years, and the baby doesn't plan to become a queen, so let these ten beautiful girls be named talents for the time being!"

Zhu Cilang waved his hand.

All of them have not yet grown up, no matter how good-looking they are, it is meaningless, so they plan to raise them again, at least until they are sixteen years old.

"Hong'er, what nonsense are you talking about? How can you not become a queen? If you are not satisfied, Auntie will be re-elected. How about relaxing the age this time?"

Zhang Yan suddenly became anxious.

"Auntie, I won't hide it from you. Originally, I planned to make the noble concubine the empress, but my mother disagreed with her life and death. In addition, the noble concubine herself didn't want to, and the boy couldn't force it. Therefore, from now on, the noble concubine of the Shenwu Dynasty will be the emperor's official wife. The most honorable woman in the world, at most, she can confer some concubines."

After Zhu Cihong finished speaking, both Zhang Yan and Princess Kunxing were stunned, their little mouths couldn't close their mouths in shock.

"Sigh! I don't know that the blessings that Ying'er has cultivated in several lifetimes allow you to treat her like this!"

It took a long time for Zhang Yan to recover from the shock, and sighed leisurely, with a trace of envy and jealousy in his tone and demeanor.

Princess Kunxing on the side also felt a little jealous of the red lady.

"These are all things she deserves. If it wasn't for her help back then, let alone Zhongxing Daming, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to pass the test of the Tartars."

Zhu Cihong said slowly.

"Then you still let my aunt do the draft? Make my aunt busy for nothing?"

For such absurd thing, this time Zhang Yan unexpectedly did not dissuade him, but said angrily.

"How can this be a waste of time? The boy didn't say that the draft must be a queen. It was my aunt who misunderstood.

But there is no need to choose this year, we should wait until next year, and the age can be relaxed to eighteen..."

Zhu Cihong chuckled, satisfied with Zhang Yan's gaze, and then ordered again.

"You are no longer the queen, why do you want to re-elect? You have to choose yourself, Auntie is too lazy to help you choose." Zhang Yan got up and left without saying a word.

"Brother Huang, my aunt didn't choose for you, why don't my sisters choose for you?" Princess Kunxing was eager to try.

"You? Forget it!"

Zhu Cihong cast a glance at her, said the same thing, got up and left.

"Brother Huang, don't you believe my younger sister's vision?" Princess Kunxing hurriedly chased after her.

(End of this chapter)