Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 119 The court’s goal should be to abolish agricultural taxes!

"iron ore?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little surprised.

He thought Xia Zhibai would ask for a huge sum, but it turned out that he only wanted the mining rights for the iron ore?

Currently, iron ore mining in the Ming Dynasty is both state-owned and privately operated.

Moreover, he did not like state-owned iron smelting factories, although he issued a decree in the seventh year of Hongwu: "There will be 13 iron smelting factories, each with an ambassador of the eighth rank and a deputy ambassador of the ninth rank."

For these 13 state-owned iron smelters, the Ming Dynasty had clear regulations on the amount of iron they should produce each year.

The total amount is more than 805 million kilograms.

Of course, this is not the actual amount of iron produced by the Ming Dynasty in one year.

In addition to state-owned iron smelters, a lot of Ming Dynasty's iron production came from private enterprises, and the court collected taxes through iron taxes.

Of course, in order to avoid damaging the environment, the Ming Dynasty designated specific iron ore mining areas throughout the country at the beginning of its founding. At the time of the founding of the country, the Ming Dynasty had little iron in stock and was in urgent need of iron, so it was forced to open thirteen state-owned iron smelting plants. However, with the continuous smelting of furnaces over the years, the amount of iron in stock was sufficient for the whole country to use.

In the past two years, he has continuously issued decrees to suspend and close government-run iron smelting operations.

In the past, there was a shortage of iron in the world, and the court needed a large amount of iron, so an official iron smelter had to be set up. But now there is enough iron in the world, and the people's iron production is constantly increasing, and the quality of the iron they mined is better than that of the government-run ones. He had long been shaken and wanted to close down the thirteen iron smelting factories one after another and leave it to the people nearby to mine and smelt. The court would levy an iron tax at a rate of one-fifteenth to maintain the court's iron needs.

This is also what Zhu Yuanzhang considered a benevolent policy.

In a well-governed country, there is no waste of talent, and there is no waste of profit.

Moreover, if the benefit does not belong to the government, it belongs to the people. If the people benefit, the source of benefit will be open and beneficial to the government; if the government monopolizes the benefit, the source of benefit will be blocked and the people will suffer. Nowadays, there are still many iron smelters in various parts of the country, the military needs are not lacking, and the people's livelihood is already stable. The court does not need to compete with the people for benefits.

Xia Zhibai's face was calm.

He was being too cautious.

The Ming Dynasty did not ban private mining of iron ore, but rather encouraged it, but only within the areas designated by the government.

But if you really think you can mine at will, you are wrong. The iron production in the world depends entirely on the needs of the court. When needed, if the government-run iron production is insufficient, then the court will encourage private iron production and smelting. If the iron production is sufficient, then the court will immediately announce a halt.

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to shut down the state-owned ironworks.

On the one hand, it was based on concerns about official corruption, and on the other hand, the efficiency of state-run iron smelting was declining and gradually becoming disused. The iron tax originally collected in the form of compensation from the state-run enterprises was increasing, and the quality was getting better and better. Zhu Yuanzhang came up with the idea of ​​abolishing the state-run enterprises and promoting the iron tax.

In Xia Zhibai's view, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a "planned economy."

It's just different from the "planned economy" that many people expected. According to common sense, the "planned economy" is due to insufficient productivity, and can only plan and make reasonable resource allocation. Zhu Yuanzhang is just the opposite. The Ming Dynasty clearly has considerable productivity, but Zhu Yuanzhang must strictly restrict it so that the world is always restricted within the scenario set by himself.

Xia Zhibai's purpose is simple.

Break through this category.

By mining iron ore themselves, improving smelting technology, forging more advanced steam engines or other industrial equipment, and using the consumption of steam engines to explain the huge consumption of iron ore they mined.

Iron is extremely important for improving productivity.

Having to rely on Zhu Yuanzhang's charity was not what Xia Zhibai wanted to see.

He wants to take the initiative himself.

There was an iron mine, which was of great convenience to him.

Not only can it produce more efficient agricultural tools, but it can also manufacture more sophisticated weapons.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Xia Zhibai for a few seconds and said, "If you only want iron ore, we can agree, but only iron ore."

Xia Zhibai frowned, as if he was not satisfied with the result, and said in a deep voice: "Iron ore is only the most basic means of production. It also needs a certain number of miners. Moreover, in order to realize profits faster, I hope that the court will open the post stations in the north, at least some of the less busy ones, to iron companies, so as to collect costs as soon as possible and realize revenue generation."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

It is unrealistic to let go completely.

But if it was just about transporting salt, he didn't mind too much, and what Xia Zhibai said was not wrong. Establishing a salt company requires too much manpower, material resources and financial resources. It would be impossible for Xia Zhibai to complete it in the north in less than ten years.

The imperial court has to open some convenient doors.

Xia Zhibai's face lit up with joy, and he said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, his face showing some displeasure, and said: "Don't be too happy too soon. I have promised you some things, but other than that, I will not give you any help. I will not believe in the 'business official' you mentioned."

"Officials are officials, and businessmen are businessmen. How can they be confused?"

"How can they be confused?"

"There is no such truth in the world. It never existed in the past, it doesn't exist now, and it won't exist in the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked grim.

Even though Xia Zhibai said so much.

He still insists on his opinion that businessmen are a disaster to the country and the people.

They are also a group of unproductive termites.

Xia Zhibai smiled.

He did not think that he could change Zhu Yuanzhang's view this time. Zhu Yuanzhang's contempt for commercial economy was deeply rooted, and he could not be persuaded by just a few words. The reason why he said so much was, on the one hand, to tell Zhu Yuanzhang that he really did not understand economics and let Zhu Yuanzhang think about it, and on the other hand, he was adhering to the "window theory".

If Zhu Yuanzhang was asked to develop commercial economy, he would definitely not agree.

But in this case, Zhu Yuanzhang was willing to ask for certain "privileges".

He had gotten what he wanted.

With iron ore, he can manufacture a large number of advanced production tools, which will then lead to a major technological breakthrough related to handicrafts. However, in terms of agriculture, Xia Zhibai did not have high expectations. Nitrogen fertilizer is something that cannot be produced in a short time, and it cannot even be produced with the combined strength of the entire Ming Dynasty.

That almost requires maxing out the technology tree.

With the science and technology of the Ming Dynasty, it is simply impossible to do this.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought that his dynasty was eternal and his system was everlasting, and that as long as the world followed his ideas, he could ensure that the Zhu family would rule from generation to generation. However, he did not know that with the explosion of productivity, the system he created would collapse one after another. Even when Zhu Yuanzhang was alive, the system he was proud of would begin to collapse.

Xia Zhibai said: "I don't think so."

"I think that the world is constantly changing and developing, and it cannot be stopped by human power. When the world develops to a certain stage, it will naturally change. If it does not follow the trend, it will inevitably be abandoned by the general trend of the world."

"I will prove your majesty wrong."

"It will also prove to Your Majesty that the commercial economy is the future."

"In fact, the real direction of the Ming Dynasty is not to collect taxes from farmers, but to reduce taxes on farmers, or even completely abolish agricultural taxes. When that time comes, the eternal foundation that Your Majesty wants to build will have a rough shape."

"And this has been my goal for a long time."

Xia Zhibai is in high spirits and full of expectations for the future.

Zhu Biao looked slightly stunned.

How is it possible to abolish agricultural tax?

Nearly 60% to 70% of the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue now comes from agricultural taxes. If the tax on agriculture is abolished, the few million taels collected from business alone will not be enough to maintain the operation of the government, let alone manage the country? This is simply empty talk and unrealistic.

Zhu Biao shook his head.

He was calmed by these words.

But he soon woke up.

He also had to admire Xia Zhibai's madness and arrogance.

Before, they were clamoring to abolish the "scholar" class, and now they are clamoring to abolish "taxation from farmers". Any one of these words could cause an uproar in the world and make Xia Zhibai the target of public criticism, but Xia Zhibai remained fearless, as if he had already put life and death aside.

Only in my eyes
Persistence!

He really didn't know whether people like Xia Zhibai were good or bad for the world.

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered.

Xia Zhibai knew nothing about governing a country.

Whether they were officials, clerks, soldiers, or ordinary people, their daily food, clothing, and shoes all depended on money and food. However, no matter how the court paid, it would eventually be converted into physical goods such as food and clothing.

In order to maintain the normal operation of a national system, there must be a huge demand for food and cloth. Agriculture depends on the weather, and the court must have a surplus in revenue and expenditure to reserve in case of famine.

It is based on this.

From ancient times to the present, all dynasties have emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce.

If agriculture is not prosperous, it will not be able to feed so many people and cannot support the basic food and clothing of a country, which will inevitably lead to chaos in the world.

Abolish taxes on farmers?

Where does the imperial court’s income come from?

Merchant?

Or is it government business?

Merchants are profit-driven by nature, and there is no businessman in the world who is not dishonest. Most of them will hide their assets. How easy is it to collect so much commercial tax from these cunning merchants?
Do you really think these businessmen are fools?

If the government engages in business and its profit source is blocked, it will inevitably harm the people. He has experienced collusion between officials and businessmen and has deeply felt the darkness involved. How could he repeat the same mistake again?
Xia Zhibai is too imaginative.

Xia Zhibai naturally saw Zhu Yuanzhang's contemptuous attitude.

He didn't think anything of it.

In this era of low productivity and production efficiency, agricultural tax is the bulk of the government's fiscal revenue. Who dares to touch this hole? However, as long as productivity and production efficiency are really improved, the benefits brought by agricultural tax will only become lower and lower.

Eventually, the expenses became insufficient to cover the income.

Xia Zhibai bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

Just quit.

Walking out of the Fengtian Hall, looking at the word "Fengtian" on it, Xia Zhibai muttered softly: "The Son of Heaven, inheriting the way of Heaven, and controlling the world, but there are not so many "Sons of Heaven" in the world, they are just mortals, just clay sculptures with an extra layer of power."

"The people are the ones who truly lead the course of the world."

"The world will eventually return to normal."

Xia Zhibai pulled himself together and strode out of the palace.

He is about to enter a new stage.

(End of this chapter)