I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 727 Our Ming Dynasty is rich!

"In the first year of the Wanli reign, non-agricultural tax revenue totaled 112,940,000 yuan. Customs duties totaled 30,493,800 yuan, accounting for 27% of the total non-agricultural tax revenue.

The industrial and commercial transaction tax, also known as value-added tax and business tax, totaled 41,223,100 yuan, accounting for 36.5%; the salt, sugar, tea and wine monopoly tax totaled 34,446,700 yuan, accounting for 30.5%; other miscellaneous taxes totaled 1,694,100 yuan, accounting for 1.5%.

Zhang Xueyan looked up and added, "The silver dollar minted by the Baoquan Bureau is equal to 6.7 cents of silver per dollar, which is the non-agricultural tax revenue in the first year of the Wanli reign, equivalent to 75.67 million taels of Taicang official silver.*"

Upon hearing this number, the officials present could not help but feel surprised and delighted, even though they had heard about it before and had some idea of ​​it.

112,940,000 Yuan, a total of 75,670,000 taels of silver.

My goodness, this is the first time since the founding of the Ming Dynasty that non-agricultural taxes have far exceeded agricultural grain taxes.

In the first year of the Wanli reign, 44,980,000 dan of tax grain were collected. Based on the market price of seven cents of silver per dan of grain, the total amount was 30,924,600 taels of silver.

It's less than half of non-farm tax revenue.

The two together amount to more than 106 million taels of silver!

Such political achievements have never been seen in the present dynasty, let alone the present one, even since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

It is true as the emperor said, this is really a major change in a thousand years. I can't feel how other things have changed, but I have indeed felt that the court has become very rich.

Zhang Juzheng said: "It is already the middle of August today, and we are still discussing the income and expenditure of the first year of Wanli. It seems ridiculous, but there is no other way.

On the 26th day of the 12th lunar month, the central government and local government offices sealed the documents and did not open them until the 16th day of the 1st lunar month in the second year of the Wanli reign. Data from local counties, prefectures, and provincial governments were reported to higher authorities. Data from the various taxation bureaus of the Ministry of Revenue, the Maritime Customs Bureau, and the Inter-trade Bureau were also reported to higher authorities.

The journey was long, and some of them were not reported to the Ministry of Revenue until March. Then the audit and verification, if there were any problems in the middle, they had to go back and forth, and the report was not released until July.

To be cautious, I also asked the people from the Audit Bureau of the Ministry of Finance to help audit all the reports. Here, on behalf of the Cabinet, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Finance, Eunuch Yang, and my colleagues in the Audit Bureau once again. "

Yang Jinshui cupped his hands and laughed, "Prime Minister Zhang, you are too polite. We are all working for the court and for the emperor, there is no distinction between you and me."

Zhang Juzheng nodded with a smile, turned to the crowd and continued: "In the first year of the Wanli reign, non-agricultural tax revenue and customs duties totaled 30,493,800 yuan, accounting for 27% of the total non-agricultural tax revenue.

The tariffs included the import and export taxes collected by the Customs of the Maritime Customs Bureau and the Border Customs of the Inter-trade Bureau. Exports accounted for the largest share, totaling 24,087,100 yuan, accounting for 79%. The top commodities were silk, cotton cloth, sugar and wine, glass, and porcelain.

Imports amounted to 6,429,000 yen, with rice, cotton, iron ingots and copper ingots ranking at the top. Spices, which were previously imported in large quantities, no longer needed to be imported because the Yandong Island area became a direct-controlled area.

The rest, such as frankincense and ambergris, are luxury items that are used in small quantities and imported in small quantities, so they are ranked very low in the miscellaneous items. "

Zhang Juzheng picked up the teacup and took two sips. "The import and export tariffs are only 27%. Isn't that a little unexpected?"

Everyone looked at each other and smiled.

Pan Sheng said loudly: "That's right. Seeing how prosperous the maritime trade is, we thought it would account for more than 50%!"

"Fifty percent. Yes, that's what I originally thought." Zhang Juzheng glanced at Yang Jinshui, and their eyes exchanged in the air. Yang Jinshui smiled faintly, and Zhang Juzheng nodded slightly.

"It's just that the truth has been taught. If import and export tariffs account for 50% of non-agricultural tax revenue, it's not normal. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, and a country's tax revenue can't be hung on one tree."

Everyone was secretly wondering, who could teach Zhang Xiang?

It can only be the emperor of Xiyuan.

"I held a closed-door meeting at the Ministry of Revenue to analyze import and export tariffs in detail. In the first year of the Wanli reign, the number one export destination for our dynasty was India, followed by the Arabs, and then Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and East Japan.

India has a strong purchasing power. The largest exports to India are cotton, silk and tea, and some are re-exports.

Our export statistics are calculated based on the first destination country after leaving the country, so many goods that are re-exported to Persia, Afghanistan, Egypt and other places are counted as India.

According to preliminary statistics, in the first year of the Wanli reign, merchants from various countries purchased cotton cloth, porcelain, silk, tea, sugar and wine and other goods at various trading ports in our dynasty, with a total inflow of gold and silver equivalent to 163,817,200 yuan.

Zhang Juzheng pointed at Yang Jinshui and said, "This figure was provided by Huijin Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and ICBC Bank. It is true and reliable."

Everyone couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.

One hundred and sixty-three million yen, this figure exceeds the country's annual non-agricultural tax revenue.

After such a long training, everyone here understands basic economic knowledge.

Tariffs were kickbacks collected by the imperial court, and the remaining money went into the pockets of manufacturers, transportation companies, and cotton, silk, tea, and sugarcane farmers.

The reason why the economy of the Ming Dynasty is so booming is because of the influx of tens of millions of yuan in gold and silver.

"From the export data of various ports and trade bureaus compiled by the Taxation Department, we still have great export potential. Everyone, let me ask you, what do you think is the largest export quantity and value of our country?"

"silk!"

"tea!"

"porcelain!"

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "Those are all old things. Yes, before the second year of Longqing, silk was the largest export item of our dynasty, but it is not anymore."

Pan Sheng laughed at the side and said, "Prime Minister Zhang, please stop beating around the bush for us."

Is there anyone here who knows the answer to the riddle?
there must be.

But no one was so ignorant. They all joined in the atmosphere, laughing and looking forward to Zhang Juzheng's explanation.

"It's cotton cloth. Starting from the 45th year of Jiajing, cotton cloth surpassed silk, the largest export item, in terms of export volume. However, due to its low unit price, it still lags behind silk in terms of total export value.

However, cotton cloth grew rapidly year by year, and finally in the second year of Longqing, it surpassed silk in both quantity and value, becoming the largest export item of our dynasty. "Everyone was amazed.

Zhang Juzheng pressed his right hand downward in the air, and the conference room soon returned to silence.

"The rapid export of cotton cloth has several reasons. First, the two major cotton spinning centers of Shanghai and Tianjin have successively exerted their strength. Shanghai relies on the cotton fields of the Farm Reclamation Bureau in Taizhou, Taixing, Tongzhou, Rugao and other counties in Jiangbei, and Tianjin relies on the cotton fields of the Farm Reclamation Bureau in the coastal areas of Hejian and Jinan, and has sufficient cotton supply.

China Merchants Group also purchased large quantities of cotton from India, Daqin and other places to make up for the shortage.

The most important thing is that the cotton mills, cotton cloth mills, and printing and dyeing mills of the Qing Dynasty continued to carry out technological innovation and process innovation. New spinning machines, looms, printing and dyeing materials, and processes continued to emerge.

Coupled with the widespread use of water power and steam engines, especially the large-scale application of steam engines, the output of spinning and weaving has increased year by year, and the patterns and colors have increased year by year.

In addition to the above points, I think there is another very important point, which is to promote economic cotton planting in Northwest China, Huguang and Sichuan, and to open cotton yarn and cotton cloth factories. "

After speaking for such a long time, Zhang Juzheng's voice was still clear.

"Especially in Northwest China, Gansu, Shaanxi and other places, new agriculture has been promoted in recent years, and cash crops have been vigorously developed, of which cotton is an important one.

In recent years, the cotton planting area in Shaanxi and Gansu has been equal to that in the eastern part of Yangzhou County. Lanzhou Agricultural Science Institute has cultivated a variety of cotton suitable for the local area. In addition to the local climate, the quality of northwest cotton is better than that of Jiangbei cotton, and the yield is also higher.

Now Lanzhou and Xi'an have become the third and fourth largest cotton spinning centers in China after Shanghai and Tianjin. Cotton cloth covers the Northwest, Sichuan, Henan and Shanxi, and is also transported in large quantities to Qinghai, U-Tsang, and the south and north of the desert.

The formation of local cotton spinning industries in the northwest and southwest will allow local people to enjoy cheap and high-quality cotton cloth, which is a good thing. Everyone knows what is going on with transportation now.

The freight for shipping cotton cloth from Shanghai and Tianjin to Sichuan and Northwest China is very high, so how can it be cheap?
Another advantage is that cotton cloth from Shanghai and Tianjin does not need to be transported to the northwest and southwest at great expense, but can be sold locally and earn money. "

Zhang Juzheng said word by word: "We develop the economy to make the country strong and the people rich. The first step is to let the people have enough food and warm clothes. If there is spare capacity, we can export to make money.

We cannot put the cart before the horse and ignore the livelihood of our own people just for the sake of exporting money."

Seeing that everyone was listening seriously, Zhang Juzheng continued: "Imports and exports are very important for revitalizing the economy and increasing tax revenue. Next, the cabinet will conduct a regulatory overhaul of the tariff department.

The Taxation Department directly governs the seven Maritime Customs Offices in Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Quanzhou, Guangzhou and Longkou, and has jurisdiction over several Maritime Customs Offices located in trading ports.

At this point, Zhang Juzheng shook his head. "It's a great thing that we have incorporated the southern and northern deserts and Qinghai into our territory. But for the Mutual Trade Bureau, it's a bolt from the blue!"

Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter, even the head of the Inter-country Trade Bureau, Mr. Yang Wei, was laughing.

The Maritime Customs Bureau is the "customs" of the maritime trading port, and the Inter-country Trade Bureau is the "customs" of the land trading port.

These trading ports had previously conducted trade with the areas south and north of the desert, U-Tsang in Qinghai and other places. The Mutual Trade Bureau maintained normal trade order and collected "import and export tariffs".

Now, the Ming Dynasty's border has suddenly moved thousands of miles outward, the previous import and export trade has become domestic trade, and the mutual trade bureau has come to a halt.

"The Taxation Department now directly manages the three trade bureaus in Datong, Ningxia, and Lanzhou, which is better than nothing. When the Western Expedition Army recovers the Western Regions, we will plan to move the trade bureaus there."

Everyone laughed softly.

"The business transaction tax is 41,223,100 yen, accounting for 36.5%. Some people in the market call it value-added tax, and some call it business tax, both of which are correct, but one-sided. In fact, according to the emperor, it should be called corporate tax.

Commercial enterprises pay transaction taxes; industrial and mining enterprises pay value-added taxes; other enterprises, such as transport agencies, restaurants, hotels, and post stations, pay ordinary business taxes; banks, insurance companies, pawnshops, licensed gambling houses, and the Jiaofang Bureau pay special business taxes.
Both transaction tax and business tax are difficult to collect.

The enterprises under the names of Shaofujian and Taifujian, including banks, insurance companies, businesses, transportation companies, agricultural reclamation companies, etc., and also the Northern Post Station Service Group Company, Southern Post Station Service Group Company and Northwest Post Station Service Group Company under the name of the Ministry of War, have clear accounts and business taxes are very easy to collect.

The rest of the business."

Zhang Juzheng waved his hand with a bitter face, "He fought wits and courage with the people from the Taxation Inspection Bureau. The people below cursed one after another, saying that he was more cunning than the northern pirates.

Minister Yang loses his temper every day, and his signing room is the most popular place in the Ministry of Revenue. "

Yang Wei, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently in charge of the Taxation Bureau, raised his head and laughed.

He is the happiest today because he has made the greatest contribution.

"The General Administration of Taxation often conducts joint operations with local governments to investigate and crack down on tax evasion and tax avoidance. First, it was Jiangsu and Huzhou, then Zhejiang and Luanzhou, and now Shuntian Prefecture. It's earth-shaking, like a war.

Many people are full of sarcasm about this, saying that for a little bit of profit, they are using knives and guns; they are exploiting people and levying heavy taxes. It's a bunch of nonsense!

Without this tiny profit, how could the Ming Dynasty government be maintained? How could hundreds of thousands of officials and millions of border troops, camp guards, security forces and police be supported?
Extorting blood from the bones, levying heavy taxes, these are all the same bullshit as the previous exploitation of the gentry. They only want to enjoy privileges and do not want to bear obligations. The Ming Dynasty does not need these bastards!
"Your Majesty, I thought your words were a bit harsh before, but now it seems that you were too kind!"

Zhang Juzheng had a long and beautiful beard, and now his eyes were wide open, his hair and beard were all standing up, like the top of Mount Tai, overlooking everything, with an imposing manner.

The meeting room was so quiet that the only sounds could be heard: everyone's breathing and Zhang Juzheng's panting.

Zhang Juzheng slowly recovered his breath, stroked his beard and said: "Okay, let's not talk about these idiots. The value-added tax of industrial and mining enterprises is very easy to collect, which must be praised.

The country is built on agriculture, strengthened by industry, and enriched by commerce. Your Majesty is wise, these three sentences are the truth!
In recent years, our tax revenue has been soaring like a rocket, and the first is industry. Yes, the emperor called it the Industrial Revolution!
Revolution, to change fate, to replace the old era with a new one. If you listen to the following figures, you will know what revolution means. "

Everyone looked at Zhang Juzheng.

“In the first year of the Wanli reign, our dynasty had 179 cotton yarn and cotton cloth factories, with 4.3 million mechanical spindles, consuming 118.04 million kilograms of cotton, or 118,000 tons.

The total output of cotton cloth was 36.57 million meters, and the printing and dyeing production was 31.79 million meters.

Twenty-one coal mines produced 17 million tons of coal; four steel companies had 125 blast furnaces that produced 190,000 tons of iron, and 16 steelmaking furnaces that produced 51,000 tons of steel.

62 cement plants, producing 26 million tons of cement
In the first year of the Wanli reign, the Beijing Tiangong Machinery Factory under the Imperial Astronomical Observatory produced 467 steam engines with a power below 10 horsepower, 51 steam engines with a power below 20 horsepower, and 12 steam engines with a power below 30 horsepower, with a total value of 6.7 million yuan.

The Luanzhou First Machinery Factory of Kaiping Industrial Group produced 8,900 spinning machines, silk reeling machines, looms, pumps and other large and small machines; the Kaiping First Machine Tool Factory produced 3,400 lathes, boring machines, planers, milling machines and other large and small machine tools; and the Luanzhou Tool Factory
In terms of shipbuilding, Wusong Shipbuilding Group
(End of this chapter)