The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 731: The All-Rounded Heshen Discusses the Silver System for Crimes

Chapter 731: The All-Rounded Heshen: The Silver System for Criminal Justice
【Donation. It was implemented during the Shunzhi and Kangxi periods, but it was temporary. After the Yongzheng period, it became a regular practice. Whenever there was a financial shortage, donation became a common means of emergency response. The proceeds from donations were also used as a regular income for the Ministry of Revenue.】

【The scope of donations also began to expand. The country's annual income from this was as much as 14 million taels.】

[In the fifteenth year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1754), the amount of donations reached 39.06 taels of silver, accounting for about % of the Ministry of Revenue's annual income ( taels) at that time]

[Merchants who contributed to the government were mainly salt merchants. The practice of contributing to the government began during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng. Whenever there were military supplies, river works, or disaster relief, the government encouraged salt merchants to contribute to the government, which provided an additional source of fiscal revenue.]

[For example, Lianghuai salt merchants provided huge sums of money to the government in the name of donations. For military supplies alone, there were eight major donations from the 1795th to the th year of Qianlong's reign (), totaling million taels of silver.]

……

Song Dynasty: Zhezong Period
Zhao Xu looked at the sky, and his throat moved up and down unconsciously.

A lot of money!
This……

Sima Guang, who came to report that Prince Duan had been executed for treason, saw at a glance that the emperor was moved.

Indeed, it is impossible not to be moved.

but……

"Your Majesty, the donation can temporarily make up for the fiscal deficit and help with emergency military needs."

"But those who gain office through bribery will become even more harsh on the people!"

"This exacerbates the corruption of the bureaucracy and the prevalence of corruption."

"For the Qing Dynasty, this move is like drinking poison to quench thirst."

Although Sima Guang's hair was white, his eyes were as stubborn as when he was young. He looked at Zhao Xu, bowed, and said in a deep voice:
"As for the so-called contribution of the salt merchants, although they donated a huge sum of money temporarily, it helped the Qing Dynasty to temporarily solve its urgent needs."

"But if salt merchants default on tax payments for this reason, it will still be a loss economically."

Zhao Xu looked at Sima Guang, who was being criticized, and sighed:

"It makes sense."

"But...what else can I do?"

"Drinking poison to quench thirst is also a way to quench your thirst."

Sima Guang lowered his head, listening to the sound of wind blowing through the bamboo forest. He once again thought of Mr. Fan and Wang Anshi...

“Introduce new laws.”

Sima Guang raised his head and looked at Zhao Xu.

The long-extinguished spark of fire in his eyes rekindled.

"This time, it's the old minister who will do it."

Zhao Xu understood.

"I understand."

The emperor stood up from the table and saluted:

"You and I will join hands to form the Xiran Alliance!"

Sima Guang hurried forward and held him up, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a while.

Zhao Xu held Sima Guang's arm and said solemnly:
"I will not call it a new law..."

"Without a man, the government will cease to exist!"

Sima Guang felt a sore sensation on his nose and tears flowed down his cheeks.

Weeping.

……

On the canopy.

Inside the fresh and elegant warm room.

Although his hair had turned white, Qianlong, who looked increasingly vigorous, looked kindly at the minister kneeling on the ground.

"He Shen, I see that your son Fengshen Yinde has a handsome face and is smart."

"I will appoint him as the Tenth Princess's husband, and grant him the double-eyed peacock feather. When the princess grows up, she will marry him on a chosen date."

The official kowtowed with joy:

"Slave! Thank you for your grace!"

"Your Majesty's love for my son is so great that even if I were to die, I would never be able to repay you!"

Qianlong twisted the beads in his hand and said with a smile:
"Why do you want to be torn to pieces?"

"Heshen, since you took charge of the Imperial Household Department, the royal finances have improved. I have always trusted you."

"Now that I am also appointing you as the Minister of Revenue, you should do something good and share my worries."

He Shen's eyes flashed, and he kowtowed again and said loudly:

"I will devote all my energy to helping you share your worries!"

……

[In the 1775th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), Emperor Qianlong went on a tour.]

[He started chatting with a new guard who was riding beside him.]

【Because the young man spoke fluently and appropriately, and his attitude was respectful and calm, Qianlong began to be interested in him and asked about his academic achievements and background.】

[The young man said that he had taken part in the provincial examination when he was eighteen, but failed.]

【Qianlong asked how many sentences from the test paper he could still remember?】

[The young man then recited the entire test paper from eight years ago as he walked.]

[This young man is Heshen, a member of the Zhenghong Banner, a member of the Niuhulu clan, with the courtesy name Zhizhai, and a student.]

[In the first month of the 1776st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), the -year-old Heshen was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, becoming a second-rank official.]

[In March, he became the Minister of Military Affairs, and in April, he was concurrently the Prime Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and was awarded the first-rank imperial crown.]

[From then on, he has been firmly at the highest political level, from baron to duke, from right vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue to minister of the Ministry of Personnel, minister of Wenhua Palace, and grand tutor of the crown prince. His rapid promotion, numerous tasks, and great overall control are unprecedented in the Qing Dynasty.]

……

{What is riding a rocket? This is riding a rocket!}
{So, flattery is the ladder to progress.}
{Haha... Heshen's advancement was not through flattery, and Qianlong was not as stupid as Li Longji.}
……

Li Longji: ...

"If you're talking about Qianlong, then just talk about Qianlong!"

……

｛He Shen was proficient in Manchu, Han, Mongolian and Tibetan languages, and had extensive knowledge of classics and historical texts. He was an excellent writer, and also had a good foundation in martial arts, horse riding and archery.｝
{He was proficient in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and was famous for his poetry during the Qianlong period.}
{Historical records state that this handsome man "behaved frivolously, was not pretentious, was quick to speak, liked to be humorous, but was quick-witted and could memorize everything he read."}
{She is good-looking, sweet-spoken, and considerate. She never wastes time on the emperor.}
{He was efficient and capable, and Jiaqing had to admit that he was "smart and agile" and could handle all kinds of emergencies with ease.}
{Whenever there were complicated and difficult government affairs, Qianlong often sent Heshen to handle them, and Heshen was repeatedly praised for his acumen and decisiveness.}
{He edited the large series of books such as "Sikuquanshu", "Daqing Yitongzhi" and "Santong". It is said that he made a great contribution to the popularity of "Dream of Red Mansions".}
｛Being proficient in many languages, Heshen actually served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time and was responsible for receiving envoys from Korea, Britain and other countries on many occasions.｝
{British envoy Macartney once commented on Heshen, saying that Heshen "maintained his dignified status" during the negotiations, "had a amiable attitude, and had a sharp and profound understanding of the issues, worthy of being a mature politician"}
{These talents alone were enough to make Qianlong dependent on him.}
｛What’s more, Heshen had another talent that the emperor needed urgently: financial management.｝
｛Heshen was truly Qianlong’s God of Wealth.｝
……

The period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty
Liu Che felt a little itchy after seeing this.

“This is a versatile person…”

I am a bookworm, have a wide range of interests, focus on interpersonal communication skills, and am also good at financial management!
"This kind of person is the emperor's favorite."

Xiao Liuju added a sentence on the side.

“It is also a great evil for the country!”

"Grandfather Zeng once said that the five flavors make the mouth refreshing, the five sounds make the ears deaf, and the five colors make the eyes blind."

"The Son of Heaven is the source of the world and the hub of all things."

"The source is filthy and the hub is rotten, the disaster will be great!"

Wei Zifu was terrified after hearing these words, while Liu Che had a complicated expression.

……

Tang Xuanzong Period
Li Longji was angry, looking at Qianlong, who was no longer as high-spirited as he was in his youth, and sighed:
"The more one has tasted the joys of youth, the more difficult it is for one to endure the pain of decline in old age."

"When you are young, your mind is as clear as a mirror. You can remember everything you read and manage things with great care."

"I can retrieve all the information from the classic historical books, ancestral teachings, and ministers' memorials in my mind, and quickly integrate, compare, process, and refine them, and come to accurate and brilliant conclusions in the first place."

Li Longji was muttering in a trance.

He is actually the person who can understand Qianlong the most.

"But in old age, this mirror has become foggy, and can only show vague outlines of things."

"The mountains of information that used to pile up in my mind have now lost their indexes, like a scattered warehouse. If I want to find something, I can only trudge through it with difficulty, one step deep and one step shallow."

“Even if you occasionally find one or two things by chance, more often than not, it takes a lot of effort and time.”

"It's still the same: the sky is blue and the underworld is dark, and there is nothing to be seen in either place."

Li Longji lowered his head, looked at the food on the table, and said with a wry smile:
"In the past, I could illuminate the past and present, and travel thousands of miles."

"When you get old, you can only remember memorials within three to five days and some particularly important events."

"At this moment, I suddenly met someone who looked just like myself when I was young..."

Yang Yuhuan was not old yet, so she could not understand the mentality of Li Longji, who was old. But no matter what the mentality was.

She didn't believe anything the emperor said.

……

[In the 1776st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), Heshen was appointed Minister of the Imperial Household Department. Prior to this, this institution responsible for the royal finances often spent more than it earned.]

[Soon after he took office, the economy was in a completely new shape, not only making up for the previous deficit, but also generating a surplus.]

In the 1778rd year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), Emperor Qianlong appointed him as the tax supervisor of Chongwenmen. Under his management, the revenue of this customs suddenly jumped to the top of the more than customs in the country.

[After the two artillery fire, Qianlong became more and more impressed with Heshen, so-called "he became more and more attached to him in his later years." ]

[All financial-related departments were gradually put under the control of Heshen alone. He successively served as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Manager of the Three Treasurys of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Minister of the Imperial Household Department.]

[The emperor who grew up in a sea of gold and silver was generous by nature, had a big budget, and a high vision. He was always striving for perfection and perfection in everything. His daily expenses increased exponentially compared to the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties.]

【However, the ancestral system stipulates that the emperor's personal expenses must not increase the burden on the people, so the emperor's various expenses do not come from the national treasury, but must be raised by the Imperial Household Department, and the financial resources of the Imperial Household Department are really limited.】

[In order to open up a new source of income, Qianlong once sent officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to Kyakhta to purchase Russian furs and resell them inland, hoping to make a fortune. However, due to the incompetence of the officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the profit was not much, and some furs could not be sold at a high price, so they had to be distributed to weaving factories in various places, which made the emperor very angry.]

[In addition, Qianlong also allowed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to lend money at high interest rates to merchants and sell the operating rights of some franchised products in order to make huge profits.]

[However, due to the lack of financial management experts, the income of the Ministry of Internal Affairs still increased very slowly despite the greatest convenience of power-money transactions.]

[In his later years, Qianlong's desire for wealth became more and more intense, and he also felt more and more pain from lack of money. ]

[In Qianlong's eyes, Heshen was simply a god of wealth, always able to create new sources of income unexpectedly.]

[It was in this context that Heshen planned the system of negotiating the punishment by paying silver.]

……

On the canopy.

Wearing a black silk jacket, Heshen stood in front of a large cabinet inlaid with copper leaves.

The floor, tables, and chairs were piled high with documents and books.

Each one is marked with a yellow sticker.

He flipped through the book in his hand, shook his head, put it back on the table, and took out another one from the cabinet.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and the corners of his mouth turned up.

……

[He Shen knew that he could not increase income by rigid means, as any change would affect the national system, so he could only look for flexible income sources.]

【Then he saw the words "fine silver" in the financial items.】

[Silver fines, also known as salary fines, were a system that existed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.]

[Before the Qing Dynasty entered the Shanhai Pass, it also had a policy of fines. ]

[Refers to officials who have committed faults, who are usually fined together with their salary.]

[This is a common method of punishing minor offenses. There are clear regulations on the punishment. According to the severity of the crime, it is divided into seven levels, including a salary fine of one month, two months, three months, six months, nine months, one year, and two years.]

[Of course, the deduction of officials’ salaries was carried out by the Ministry of Revenue, and the confiscated funds were sealed by the Ministry of Revenue and turned over to the national treasury.]

[From this, He Shen felt that the fine silver system could be expanded, that is, more silver could be used to offset greater faults, and in this way, the silver would increase exponentially.]

[In order to avoid the suspicion of "paying off sin with silver". ]

[It is stipulated that if an official commits a crime, it does not matter if he is a high-ranking local official such as a governor-general or a provincial governor who holds real power.]

[There are still salt administration, textile and internal affairs officials who have money, and even wealthy salt merchants, traveling merchants, and ginseng merchants. If they can "confess their guilt" and pay a sum of money first, they can atone for their crimes.]

[He Shen named this idea "Silver for Discussing Crimes".]

……

Great Qin.

Ying Zheng was confused.

He looked at the four people in front of him in confusion.

as predicted.

The four of them also looked at Ying Zheng in confusion.

The five people reached a certain consensus...

Is the language spoken in the sky curtain human?
No one in their right mind would agree to such an outrageous proposal!
To put it simply, the wool comes from the sheep.

After all, it is the people who pay for this money.

Xiao He pursed his lips and said softly:
"If an official commits a minor crime or a major deficit, he can pay for the crime with a fine of negotiable silver."

"Then in order to solve the difficulties of Qianlong's private treasury, many officials will take the initiative to ask for compensation and resettlement money."

"Yi Zui Yin directly admitted the correctness of corruption..."

Feng Quji stroked his beard and sighed:

"The result is that the more corrupt officials commit, the more money they have to pay to discuss their crimes, and the more money they pay to discuss their crimes, the more corrupt officials commit."

“The bureaucracy is completely corrupt.”

"Qianlong...ah..."

The decline of the Qing Dynasty began with Emperor Qianlong.

Heshen was a man who stepped on the wind created by Emperor Qianlong.

……

[The process of paying the silver for discussing crimes is to first set up a "Secret Record Office" within the Military Affairs Office. The Secret Record Office is responsible for the details of the specific implementation of the discussion of crimes. The collected money is kept by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the use of the royal family. ]

【He Shen submitted the memorial to Emperor Qianlong.】

【Qianlong thought this was a good way to increase revenue, but would his ministers object to "using silver to pay off sins"?】

He Shen comforted them by saying: This is completely different from paying off a crime with silver. The silver is only for minor crimes and officials who confess their crimes. This can both warn them and give them a chance to reform. 】

【Besides, the fine silver system has existed since ancient times, and there is nothing wrong with it. 】

[Handing the silver directly to the Ministry of Internal Affairs also shows that this matter has nothing to do with the state system and the ministers do not need to discuss it. ]

【Qianlong was delighted.】

[He approved the institutionalization of fines for crimes and greatly expanded the scope of fines, from major mistakes such as fiscal deficits to a few typos in memorials.]

[Before the 1780th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), the Qing Dynasty was at its peak.]

[The country is stable, the politics is clear, and the official system is extremely efficient. ]

[However, since the 45th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, the political situation of the Qing Dynasty has changed dramatically and is no longer what it used to be.]

……

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period
"I am happy with your ancestors!!!"

Kangxi was so angry that he almost threw the golden lotus in his hand away.

The decision on salary deduction lies with the Ministry of Personnel!
The funds will be recovered by the Ministry of Revenue!
The silver should also be handed over to the national treasury!
The process is open and transparent!
What about the criminal silver?
It is not a national custom, so the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue can be bypassed and the Grand Council can be responsible for it!
It is not included in the national finances, but is put into the emperor’s private treasury!

And the process and amount can be kept secret!

the most important is……

Kangxi sat down on the dragon throne.

Unable to hold the forehead.

"Once this is done, flies and mosquitoes will gather around..."

……

Qing Dynasty Yongzheng Period
"Bring it here! Bring it here!"

Yongzheng paced back and forth on the ground anxiously, clenching and unclenching his hands over and over again.

"Silver for negotiating crimes? Silver for negotiating crimes! What a silver for negotiating crimes!"

"You old bastard who refuses to die and is a thief!"

"My efforts are in vain!"

"Asshole! Asshole!!"