The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun: "You don't have to do this to me. Lord Cao invited me here, so please speak directly. As you said, whether it's people or goods, they have to go through the Maritime Customs before they go out to sea. Even if I don't need them now, my nephew will need them in the future. I don't want to ruin my relationship with Lord Cao, but I, Pan Yun, will not let anyone bully me."

She looked Cao Jixiang up and down and said, "Fortunately, I have met Lord Cao and know what kind of person he is. In terms of character, you are much better than Wang Zhen. That's why I am willing to bring my disciples here to talk to you."

Cao Jixiang hesitated for a moment and then said, "I heard that Taoist Priest Pan's three ships are about to set off for Japan. How many people will the Navy Office and the Prefectural Office send this time?"

Pan Yun smiled and said, "Lord Cao also wants me to bring your people over?"

Cao Jixiang said in a deep voice: "The Maritime Customs Office cannot raise any ships for the time being. Master Pan, it is still unknown whether the silver mountain in Japan will be mined by the Navy Office, or by the Maritime Customs Office, or by another department. Isn't it too early to take sides now?"

"I don't care about that," Pan Yun said, "I'll open the silver mountain to all the people of the Ming Dynasty. I don't care if they are from any government office in the imperial court, or if they are from the underworld, or are gentry or merchants, or even pirates. As long as they have the ability to take it, they can take it."

Cao Jixiang didn't expect her to have such a plan. His eyes widened for a moment: "You! Didn't you present the silver mountain to the court?"

"Yes, I have already offered it, so you have to send people to guard it yourself," Pan Yun said, spreading his hands. "Master Cao, I am alone. I have already offered the silver mountain, and you still want me to guard it. Isn't that too much?"

Cao Jixiang opened his mouth but could not say anything.

Pan Yun asked with a smile: "How many people does Lord Cao want me to send over? I just counted carefully. Because there are so many people from all parties, there are still 60 places left. If there are more, my boat will not be able to accommodate them."

Cao Jixiang lowered his eyes and thought, "Please ask Taoist Pan to take fifty people over for me."

"Okay, okay." Pan Yun said with a smile, "No tolls, but you have to pay for your own food and water."

Cao Jixiang nodded, turned around and called his apprentice, asking him to go down and bring up the selected person.

Most of the people he selected were Jinyiwei from the Northern Pacification Division, five eunuchs, and five officials and craftsmen selected from the Ministry of Works.

Forty Jinyiwei were responsible for protecting them and guarding the silver mountain on behalf of the emperor, competing for territory.

Seeing Cao Jixiang's worried face, Pan Yun comforted him: "Don't worry, Lord Cao. Most people in this world come and go for profit. Your Majesty can't even unify the people in the Ming Dynasty, let alone in Japan, which is separated by a sea."

She said, "As long as we can dig up some silver and make some money, it's fine. Why do we have to take all of it? A win-win situation is also a win."

Cao Jixiang snorted coldly: "The whole world belongs to the king, Japan is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty; all the people in the world are subjects of the king, not to mention that those who leave are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty."

Pan Yun: "We are all His Majesty's subjects. The parents have already eaten the meat, so we must leave some soup for the children."

Cao Jixiang looked at her strangely: "I remember that when we met last time, Taoist Pan didn't think like this."

"Hey, how can that be the same? The profits of the Ming Dynasty belong to the people of the world. If those people fight over them, the common people will have nothing," Pan Yun said. "The silver mountain of Japan is like a meat pie that fell from the sky. Naturally, those who can afford it will grab it and send it back. The common people who can't afford it can also have a taste of the meat."

Cao Jixiang shook his head: "I told you to say all the good and bad things."

Pan Yun: "Sir, if you want the common people to eat more meat soup, lifting the maritime ban is the most direct way. Your Majesty, please reopen the Quanzhou Maritime Customs. Does that mean you should lift the maritime ban?" This is a secret, so Cao Jixiang remained silent.

Seeing this, Pan Yun sighed and asked, "Your Majesty is reluctant to lift the maritime ban, but is he reluctant to give up the tribute that comes in from the sea every year?"

"How dare you!" Cao Jixiang stood up and shouted, "Pan Yun, don't make random guesses based on your merits. Your Majesty is rich, why would he care about such a small profit?"

Xue Shao nodded when he saw Pan Yun being yelled at, "It should be so. Your Majesty's inner treasury is rich, and this is known to all the civil and military officials in the court. Not to mention other things, the cost of repairing the imperial mausoleum and palace reported to the Ministry of Works after the death of the Empress Dowager was huge. I heard that 70% of it was paid by the national treasury and 30% was paid by Your Majesty's inner treasury. The 70% has not been paid by the national treasury yet, all because the national treasury was empty after the Luchuan War, but the 30% of the money from the inner treasury was paid very generously."

Cao Jixiang's face turned dark. How could he forget that Xue Shao once served the emperor and he might have checked all these accounts.

He explained for the emperor: "Your Majesty has also been frugal, otherwise, why would he often say that the treasury is empty? Moreover, the silver shortage in the Ming Dynasty has been long-standing..."

Pan Yun interrupted him: "So we have to lift the ban on sea trade."

Pan Yun stood up and walked to the door, pointing in the direction of the street and said, "Master Cao, go out and take a look. Just the rumor of lifting the maritime ban has attracted so many merchants to Quanzhou City. Do you know how much tax the Maritime Customs can collect every year if the maritime ban is lifted?"

Cao Jixiang: "The Maritime Customs Office has been closed for a long time. I don't know how much tax can be collected, but looking through the old accounts, it's not much."

"That's because the court controlled the maritime ban. Even during the reign of Emperor Taizong, when maritime trade was at its most prosperous, 80% of the ships on the sea were official ships, and only about 20% were civilian ships," Pan Yun said. "These official ships were controlled by members of the royal family and the rich and powerful. They didn't pay taxes when they entered or left. The Maritime Customs Office was in name only and naturally lost money.

But if the sea ban is lifted, whether it is private ships or official ships, all entering and leaving the country will pay taxes according to the law. I believe that the Maritime Customs will be able to achieve great things! "

Cao Jixiang glared: "Are you going to collect taxes from your Majesty's ship as well?"

Pan Yun said: "It is just a transfer from the left hand to the right hand, from the inner treasury to the national treasury. The whole world belongs to your Majesty. Your Majesty can also set a good example. Isn't it more convenient and faster than the local customs officials who go through so much trouble to publicize tariffs?
Besides, no matter how much you pay, your Majesty's inner treasury still makes money."

Cao Jixiang said quietly: "You are so bold."

"The emperor is far away, I am also trying to prevent someone from stealing customs duties under the guise of paying tribute," Pan Yun winked at him, "Sir Cao should be very familiar with this kind of thing. Your Majesty has always wanted to reform the military farming system, isn't it because..."

Cao Jixiang shuddered, and wanted to cover Pan Yun's mouth: "Shut up, don't talk nonsense just because this is Quanzhou. Most of the people in this house are Jinyiwei!"

Pan Yun raised his head and puffed out his chest: "I am honest and straightforward. Please report these words to your majesty truthfully from the officials of the Northern Pacification Office."

Cao Jixiang: ...

I kind of want to hit her.

She was a commoner, and the emperor couldn't punish her even if he had nothing to do, otherwise it would make him look petty if it got out.

But he is not~~
He is still a eunuch. The emperor can crush him with just a flick of his finger. Can you please consider him? (End of this chapter)