I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 721 Boy, you must pay taxes according to the law!
"In reply to the young marquis, Xiu Qiguang and Zhao Junhai were arrested by the Beijing Taxation Inspection Bureau."

"Tax Inspection Bureau?"

"Yes, they said that the two were suspected of tax evasion. Also arrested were the man who had been gambling with Xiu Qiguang at the amusement park, the owners of seven shops, and the twelve people who were traveling with Zhao Junhai."

The young marquis and Master Yang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The collection of unpaid taxes was a false alarm.

"Okay, I understand, go down."

"Yes, little Marquis."

There were only two people left at the table. After more than ten seconds of silence, Young Master Yang couldn't help but speak.

"Brother Jiansui, I think you still filtered it."

"Brother Yang is right. I was a little too suspicious." The young marquis replied with a smile, and then he said, "It's just that these jackals and minions, in order to win the emperor's favor, first searched and arrested people indiscriminately in the local area, fabricated charges, and even imprisoned the gentry on trumped-up charges and tortured them.

Now, because of the excessive military spending and extravagant spending, the government has imposed heavy taxes and levied heavy fines, sucking the blood out of the good people. If this continues, the people will suffer!

If Lord Jiaoshan saw this, he would be so angry that he would write a petition to clear up the confusion and restore order to the world!"

Young Master Yang said proudly, "That's right, my father will definitely write a petition in anger, pointing out the mistakes and rectifying the government. I just regret that I am in the underworld, and I have the will but not the strength.

But I will definitely speak out loudly in the newspapers, abolish the chaotic and tyrannical government, trace the source, and restore the social order.”

Young Master Yang was so distressed that he wanted to beat his chest and stamp his feet, “Nowadays, villains who only care about fame and fortune are everywhere in the court, causing chaos and ruining the country, levying heavy taxes and making life miserable for the people.

Moral gentlemen despise the underworld, and discard the teachings of the saints and sages like worn-out shoes. The world that my father and other sages and patriots exchanged their lives and blood for is now filthy like this. How can we not be sad and angry! "

"Good! Young Master Yang has inherited the legacy of Lord Jiaoshan. If there were more people like you in the Ming Dynasty, there wouldn't be such a chaotic political situation that would harm the country!"

"Brother Jiansui, you are too polite. I am only trying my best. If I can contribute a little to the righteous cause and add a little righteousness to the world, I will be satisfied.

By the way, when can Brother Jiansui calculate Chu Yuexuan's mid-year dividend for his students?"

The sudden turn in the last sentence caught the young marquis off guard.

"Mr. Yang, I am negligent. I will calculate the mid-year dividend within three days. I will ask you to review it. Once you confirm that it is correct, I will send you the bank draft immediately."

"Okay! Brother Jiansui, you are quick to speak. I am relieved that the 120,000 yuan is enough. It is not that I am anxious, but I really need it urgently. Miss Wanxiang from Elulou admires my talent and we are in love. We have already decided to spend our lives together.

Miss Wanxiang is affectionate, and I cannot be disloyal, so I thought of using this money to redeem her. I hope Brother Jiansui will forgive me for any rudeness."

"Oh, this is a beautiful story of a beautiful lady with red sleeves. When Mr. Yang welcomes his beautiful lady home, he will treat me to a few drinks. I must congratulate Brother Yang."

“Okay, okay!” Young Master Yang was so happy that his pale face looked like a blooming white chrysanthemum.

Young Master Yang was very satisfied and walked away staggeringly.

The young marquis also stood up and left. When he left the Maowu mutton offal shop, his trusted followers couldn't help but say, "Young marquis, this young master Yang is extremely greedy and is of no use to our mansion. Why should you be so polite to him? It really makes us angry."

"This Yang Yingjie is just a man seeking fame and reputation. He is still useful to our mansion. Just throw a few bones to him and he will be like a dog."

"Young Lord is wise."

The young marquis looked at Young Master Yang's back, which was about to fall in the wind, and sneered, "Talking about friendship with a bitch, how childish and ridiculous!"

The young marquis got on the carriage and returned to the Yongkang Marquis Mansion.

After entering the side door, the young marquis couldn't wait to ask, "Is father at home?"

"In reply to the young marquis, the marquis is in the study in the backyard."

"take me."

"Yes."

A steward led the way, followed closely by the young marquis, and two servants behind him, all the way to the study.

"My Lord, the Second Young Master is here."

"Come in."

The young marquis walked into the study and bowed to Xu Qiaosong, the Marquis of Yongkang, who was sitting behind the desk: "Your son greets you, father."

"Shuo'er is here, sit down, sit down quickly!" Xu Qiaosong stroked his beard and answered kindly.

The young marquis who came in was his second son Xu Wenshuo.

"Shuo'er, I heard that you left the mansion early in the morning. What happened?"

"In reply to my father, Yang Yingjie saved his son's lunch and had a meal at Maowu's mutton offal restaurant."

Xu Qiaosong's eyes flashed, "Yang Yingjie! It's really sad that Lord Jiaoshan has such a son. This son uses his father's name to cheat people everywhere, not being a good son. This time he came to the capital just to take advantage of Lord Jiaoshan's legacy and seek a lucrative official position.

Ridiculous, he got drunk in the brothel and didn't sober up! "

"Father is right. This boy has no idea of ​​the changing situation in the court. He came to the capital under the banner of Jiaoshan Gong and tried to curry favor with people, hoping to get them to submit a few memorials to commemorate Jiaoshan Gong's deeds, and then get some help from Jiaoshan Gong's old friends so that he can be given an official position.

The son heard him talking nonsense at the banquet, saying that the court should give generous rewards and preferential treatment to the descendants of loyal and brave people. He not only carried his father's name, but also had great talent. He would not go unless he was appointed as a real official in the Salt Administration! "

Xu Qiaosong was so angry that he laughed, "You ignorant boy, you think the imperial court is owned by his Yang family! You are such an ignorant, pedantic child who doesn't know how to appreciate the world and what's good for you!"

"Father is right to scold! This boy is dull and ignorant. Lord Jiaoshan is upright and loyal, and is well-known throughout the world, but what does that have to do with him? Even if he inherits the Yang family, he still has two elder brothers ahead of him, so it won't be his turn.

Moreover, Jiaoshan Gong's insistence on his death-defying admonitions was suspected of forcing the emperor to seek fame. He was refutation of the face of Emperor Sejong, while the current emperor was the good grandson appointed by Emperor Sejong himself! The love between grandfather and grandson is deep.

The emperor posthumously conferred a title on Duke Jiaoshan, but in reality he was warm in public but cold in private.

Moreover, under the Wanli New Deal, the inheritance of civil and military officials, apart from the conferment of titles and hereditary military posts, only provided preferential treatment in examinations and official recruitment. The inheritance of officials existed in name only. Yang Yingjie's daydreaming would probably have to continue!"

Xu Qiaosong waved his hand and said, "Let him do it. This kind of person is a ghost who died in vain, and he is a shield used to block arrows for others. Let's just coax him for now.

Shuo'er, Zhao Junhai and Xiu Qiguang were arrested. Do you know about this?"

"Manager Xu Jiu has already informed his son."

Xu Qiaosong narrowed his cunning eyes and asked loudly, "What do you think about this?"

"Father, I think we should be careful about this matter, but we don't need to take it too seriously."

"Shuo'er, the government office that arrested Zhao Junhai and Xiu Qiguang is the Beijing Taxation Inspection Bureau, which is under the Ministry of Revenue's Taxation Department and is directly managed by Yang Wei, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Yang Boqian was a Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing, but his career was bumpy and full of ups and downs. He served as the military governor of Yanmen, guarded the western route of Xuanfu with Lanxi Hou (Ma Fang), and killed the northern barbarians.

During the Guihai Rebellion, he led troops with the Governor-General of Xuanda to defend the country and was commended by Emperor Shizong. Later, he was sent to govern Shaanxi, Henan, and Anhui. Zhang Shuda served as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and rectified the six ministries, especially the Ministry of Revenue. He established the Taxation Department to manage the taxation of the Ming Dynasty, but there were no capable officials to take charge.

In the end, the Emperor personally appointed Master Yang to be the Minister of the Taxation Department of the Ministry of Revenue."

Xu Wenshuo listened quietly. He knew that his father was telling him about the history of the court and the origins and development of various factions.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue generally refers to the Right Vice Minister.

During the Wanli New Deal, the six ministers gradually became assistants to the prime minister, holding high positions and great power. The left vice ministers of each ministry were actually the first deputies of the ministers. If the minister was absent for some reason, the left vice minister would temporarily take over.

The Right Vice Minister is in charge of various departments of the ministry.

Different departments have different numbers of sub-divisions.

The Ministry of Revenue had a lot of responsibilities, including the Treasury Department, which was responsible for collecting taxes and disbursements; the Revenue Department, which was responsible for budget accounting; the Taxation Department, which was responsible for collecting taxes; the Salt Administration and Monopoly Bureau, which was also a department; and the Experience Hall, which was headed by the head of the Ministry of Revenue.
"Father, Mr. Yang Wei, I have heard of his name. He is upright and honest, steady but not pedantic, and quite resourceful. He was ordered by the cabinet to rectify the taxation, and he has already taken action in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Now this trend has also reached Shuntian Prefecture.

Although we don't know whether Pan Yinglong wanted to show off in front of the emperor or other reasons prompted him to do this, we should all remain unchanged in the face of all changes!

Let him investigate for now, and just keep an eye on the situation."

Xu Qiaosong looked at his favorite son and sighed softly.

Still too young.

"Shuo'er, things in the Ming Dynasty have always been like this. If they don't investigate, it means no one cares. If they investigate, it means someone is watching them. Many things are not investigated."

Xu Wenshuo still disagreed, "Father, it is precisely because someone is investigating that if we act without authorization, it will be easy to expose our tracks."

"My son, the master of the Western Garden can be said to be tied to Emperor Taizu and Emperor Shizong. He is deep-minded and dares to act ruthlessly. The royal family, civil officials, and scholars are all trembling in fear under his tyranny and living in shame! Count the forces in the court and the country, the royal family, civil officials, and scholars. Only we, the nobles passed down by the second ancestor, have not been pruned."

Xu Wenshuo disagreed with his father's statement, "Father, we nobles were the first to be pruned in the Western Garden. When checking Huai salt, from Yangzhou salt merchants to Nanjing, seven nobles in Nanjing were suddenly gone.

Isn’t this called pruning?”

Xu Qiaosong smiled bitterly, "You are still not very knowledgeable. What kind of pruning is this? It's just pulling weeds and hunting rabbits at best.

Real pruning will result in the deaths of many people.

The royal family was pruned, nearly half of the princes were expelled, and tens of thousands of royal family members became commoners. The civil service was pruned, and the aristocratic families in Jiangnan were wiped out. Xu Shaohu, who was once the prime minister, was destroyed and his family was wiped out, leaving only a grandson.

He, who once held great power, died quietly in the Xu family ancestral temple at the beginning of this year.

Cold, desolate and sad.

There was also a major case involving the Hunan provincial examination, which had wiped out all the gentry in Hunan. Such a case could not even be ranked.

Shuo'er, to prune the branches and leaves, you need a knife or an axe."

Xu Wenshuo felt that his father was being too cautious, but he didn't dare to reveal his thoughts. He spoke first and agreed, "Father, you are right. Father is working hard for the Yongkang Marquisate and the nobles. I understand your painstaking efforts."

Xu Qiaosong glanced at him and sighed, "My son, I wish you could understand. If you could understand, you wouldn't have gotten involved with Yang Yingjie.

They were useful before, but now they are all stinky and have become a stench in the streets! People stay away from them, but you are trying to get close to them. "

Xu Wenshuo spread his hands and said, "Father, I'm looking for help, but who should I ask for help?

The royal family and relatives by marriage are like sheep now, just wanting to live a quiet life behind closed doors. The civil officials are too busy to take care of themselves. The sons can only choose the tallest one among the short ones, and the few rotten beans among a pile of rotten beans. "

Xu Qiaosong nodded with deep feeling, "Yes, it is difficult, you do have difficulties. We all have difficulties. But no matter how difficult it is, we must face it head-on. Otherwise, in a few years, the iron certificate bestowed by Emperor Chengzu in our mansion will probably rust and become useless.

I am not willing to accept this, I really am not willing to accept this!"

Xu Wenshuo said with high spirits: "Father, if you don't want to give up, you have to give it a try! This time, we are united as father and son, and we have joined forces with other families to set up this perfect plan. As long as we can allow father to enter the military government and share the responsibility of military administration, it will be a great victory!"

"Okay, my son should have such ambition! But you need to think carefully about the matter between Zhao Junhai and Xiu Qiguang."

"My son knows."

Xu Wenshuo left in a proud and heroic manner. Xu Qiaosong stood at the door of the study, watching his second son's agile figure going away. He couldn't help but let out a long sigh and turned back to the study.

When the father and son disappeared, a figure flashed in the corner of the yard. It was Xu Qiaosong's eldest son Xu Wenwei.

Xu Wenwei is the eldest son, the son of Yongkang Hou. However, he was born to Xu Qiaosong's ex-wife, while Xu Wenshuo was born to Xu Qiaosong's second wife. Xu Qiaosong doted on both mother and son.

Xu Wenwei sneered a few times, lifted his collar, took a few quick steps, and soon disappeared in the yard.

In the interrogation room of the Beijing Taxation Inspection Bureau, Xiu Qiguang said dissatisfiedly: "Which government office are you from? Why are you arresting me?"

Ren Boan said calmly, "I am the deputy director of the Beijing Taxation Inspection Bureau. This is my colleague, Liu Dongyang, the chief of the Investigation Section of the Inspection Bureau, and this is Yang Guian, the deputy chief of the Investigation Section.

We asked you to come here to ask a few questions.”

Xiu Qiguang raised his head, a hint of rebellion flashed across his lips: "Ask."

Liu Dongyang asked, "You are the head shopkeeper of Anliang Bank."

"Yes."

"Are you also the licensee of On Leung Hong?"

Xiu Qiguang was stunned, "What license holder?"

"When Anlianghao was registered at the Shuntianfu Registration Bureau, was your name written as the representative on the business license issued?"

"It's me, yes, it's me."

"During the Dragon Boat Festival, Shuntian Prefecture held a celebration party in Nanyuan, a dragon boat race and a football championship cup. Anlianghang was the banker and issued illegal lottery tickets."

Xiu Qi Guang's eyes flickered and he hesitated to answer.

Liu Dongyang continued calmly, "You don't have to answer, but we have already received answers from other people in Anliangxing, and we have also found the corresponding account books. It's the same whether you answer or not."

Xiu Qi Guang turned the matter over in his mind. It seemed that setting up illegal gambling and lottery was not a big sin and the noble person behind him could just breathe a sigh of relief to get him out.

"Yes, it was the banker who opened the gambling and issued the lottery."

Xiu Qi Guang agreed without hesitation.

"The total profit is 16,543 yen. Is this number correct?"

After hearing Liu Dongyang read out the number, Xiu Qiguang was a little dazed. After thinking for a while, he replied, "The accountant read it to me, but I didn't remember it. It seems to be this number."

"According to the Detailed Rules of the Taxation Regulations in the First Year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, lottery is classified as a special industry of gambling, and a gambling tax of 35% of the profit is levied. Anliang Business must pay 5,790 yuan and 5 cents in taxes within three months.

Three months have passed, why doesn't Anliang pay taxes? "

Xiu Qiguang was so angry that he sneered repeatedly: "You said it was an illegal lottery. If it's illegal, you still have to pay taxes? You are crazy."

Liu Dongyang said calmly, "Whether Anlianghang is illegal in setting up gambling and issuing lottery tickets is determined by the National Police Agency according to the law. Our Tax Inspection Bureau has no power or obligation to identify it. We are only responsible for collecting taxes."

Xiu Qi Guang's eyes were round, and he looked extremely shocked, even though I didn't quite understand what was going on!
(End of this chapter)