Ming politicians

() After entering the backyard, Su Tiancheng just looked around, didn't clean it up, and he didn't need to clean it up, the county government had already arranged for someone to clean it up, and as for the interior decoration of the mansion, he didn't even know it Concern, when Wang Furong and others come, it will naturally be arranged. The former county magistrate moved everything away, and his family members also left, leaving an empty courtyard.

The county government is worthy of being a county government. Even the place to feed the horses is ready-made. On the left side of the back garden, there is a large open space, which is somewhat similar to a racecourse. This place is very happy, but they are still a little worried. If there is no place to feed the horses in the mansion, they don't know what to do.

The Four Seas Restaurant is not far from the county government office, just walk there, Su Tiancheng and Qu Qingze, with Wang Dazhi, went to the banquet together.

Su Jun didn't dare to leave for the time being, the official seal was on his body, and he would not leave the county office until he found a safe place to store it. Su Tiancheng also knew the importance of the official seal, so he let Su Jun go.

Su Ertong and many nursing homes accompanied Su Jun.

Before Lu Tianming had time to go to Four Seas Restaurant to make arrangements in person, he saw Su Tiancheng and Qu Qingze coming out. He originally thought that Su Tiancheng would bring most of the people who came with him to the restaurant, but unexpectedly there were three of them.

Seeing such a situation, Lu Tianming thought to himself, don't have too many people. It seems that the new magistrate likes to be quiet, so he can inform the six-room official to go with him.

A group of people walked slowly towards Sihai Restaurant, Su Tiancheng and Lu Tianming were talking, and Qu Qingze was talking with Zheng Keyou.

"Lord Lu, tell me about the basic situation in Jiangning County."

Lu Tianming was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Su Tiancheng wanted to know the basic situation of Jiangning County just after he took office.

"My lord, there are a total of 25 households in Jiangning County. Last year, the population was 65, with [-] hectares of arable land..."

Su Tiancheng frowned. Jiangning County is Jingji County, the largest county under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture. Why is there only 60 hectares of arable land, or about [-] mu, which is less than one mu of arable land per capita. It should be more than this, according to his imagination , There are at least one million mu of arable land. Could it be said that land annexation in Gyeonggi County is so serious.

"The annual tax of Jiangning County is 13 taels of silver, of which 11 taels of land tax, the rest of the salt tax, customs tax, commercial tax, inland tariff, tea tax, mining silver, forestry output tax, etc., total It's 2 taels."

Su Tiancheng almost thought he had heard wrong.

The land tax in the Ming Dynasty was not very heavy, but the land tax in Jiangning County was already extraordinary. Based on the calculation of 60 mu of cultivated land, the average tax per mu of cultivated land was 1.8 coins, and the yield per mu of cultivated land in the south was about 2.5 shi , equivalent to the harvest, about seven cents and five per cent of silver. Calculated in this way, the tax has reached more than 20% of the total income, which is unlikely.

Under normal circumstances, the land tax should not exceed 10% of the yield per mu.

This can only explain one situation, that is, the situation of land annexation in Jiangning County is already very serious. Most of the land is in the hands of bureaucrats and gentry. These burdens are naturally transferred to the farmers.

If there is a famine, farmers will definitely have no way to survive.

"My lord, Jiangning County has been very difficult in the past few years. It has not been able to pay taxes in a row. Every year, it has to apply for a reduction or exemption from the Tianfu government."

Su Tiancheng could only smile wryly.

The huge Jiangning County occupies more than half of Nanjing City, including some surrounding villages and towns. The annual tax revenue is only 13 taels of silver. Thinking of the situation of many merchants in Nanjing City, he thought he was dreaming. The other one is a brothel in Qinhuai River, whose monthly income probably exceeds the annual tax of Jiangning County.

He vaguely knew that most of the officials in the imperial court were from the south, mostly from Nanzhili and Zhejiang. After the famine in the north, these southern officials still wanted to protect their own interests and opposed the use of southern financial resources to To support the north, the three rates proposed by Zhu Youjian encountered fierce opposition, resulting in the court having no money and being unable to do things.

It seems that the problem is indeed not that simple, but no matter how you say it, you can't do without money. Economic interests determine the superstructure. Without money, even if you talk about breaking the sky, no one will listen to you.

"Lord Lu, Jiangning County's taxes, except for the land tax, what is the specific amount of each item?"

"The specific amount, I have to go back and look it up. I can probably remember it. The salt tax is 8000 taels, the commercial tax is 1000 taels, the customs tax is 4000 taels, and the rest of the taxes add up to 7000 taels."

Probably seeing something wrong with Su Tiancheng's expression, Lu Tianming hastily added an explanation.

"My lord, the situation in Jiangning County is special. Ying Tianfu is aware of it, and the Ministry of Household Affairs is also aware of it. Over the past few years, there has been no reminder to pay taxes, so there is no need for your lord to worry."

Lu Tianming thought that Su Tiancheng was intimidated by the amount of taxes in Jiangning County. If he wanted to talk about his feelings, he also thought that the taxes were very high. Looking at many other counties, the taxes were not high in the first place, and they always said they couldn't collect them. .

After the Liao payment was added, the total taxation of the Ming Dynasty was only about 3000 million taels, and the average amount to more than 1000 counties was only about 3 taels. Calculated in this way, the taxation of Jiangning County is indeed a bit high.

Su Tiancheng sighed secretly, Zhu Youjian, Zhu Youjian, if you continue to develop in this way, you will not be able to subjugate the country. Although the land tax is not high, it supports most of the financial revenue. These burdens are all On the heads of the peasants, and those merchants who were so rich that they did not pay much tax at all. In addition, the land annexation was serious, and it was concentrated in the hands of bureaucrats and gentry. It was passed on to the peasants at the bottom, and it would be unreasonable for them not to rebel.

Besides, other taxes are simply a joke. There are so many big merchants in Jiangning County, and the business tax of only 1000 taels is different from no tax.

The salt class is directly controlled by the imperial court, and the profit from selling salt is astonishingly high, which is almost the same as real estate in later generations. The tax is 8000 taels, which is estimated to be less than a day's income of a big salt merchant.

As for the customs tax, Zheng Chenggong once relied on controlling the customs tax, and he was as rich as an enemy, with an annual income of more than 2000 million taels of silver, while Jiangning County only had 4000 taels.

Those who have money to pay taxes do not have to pay, and farmers who cannot pay taxes bear the greatest burden. This is a great irony.

Su Tiancheng suddenly felt that the first thing he had to do was to collect taxes, and he had to think of an excellent way to withhold money from the big landlords and gentry, without violating the rules of the court too much, and not causing a sensation, otherwise, those court officials would The speech officials, especially those who give things, are about to bite like mad dogs again.

As for the method, it is complicated to say, but it is actually simple. Big merchants are afraid of death. I have already done it once with Qu Qingze, and it doesn't matter if I do it a few more times to bring down Lei Wentong.

Su Tiancheng secretly made up his mind that as long as he stays in Jiangning County for a day, some rules must be established. If he can't receive more than one million taels of silver in taxes, he should not even think about being the county magistrate. Reduction of land tax.

"My lord, there are 206 clerks in the county government, including 117 clerks registered in Yingtian Mansion and the Ministry of Officials, and the remaining 89 people are all responsible for the salary of the county government. There are 1057 clerks in total."

"Oh, how many people are there in the inspection department?"

"There are not many sergeants in the inspection department. Now there are more than 30 people. The relevant defense is mainly in charge of the five cities in Nanjing, including many customs defenses in Jiangning County. The county government gives the Wucheng soldiers and horses every year Relatively speaking, there are not many things for the inspection department for some bankers, and several county magistrates are planning to abolish the inspection department."

"The defense of Jiangning County, why should the Wucheng Bingma Division be in charge?"

"This, this is also the arrangement from above."

Su Tiancheng narrowed his eyes, how could this happen.

The main local armed forces are the inspection department and government servants. The inspection department used to be directly under the management of the above. Later, the imperial court couldn't afford the expenses, so it was handed over to the local government.

For example, in Shanxi, due to the invasion of rogue bandits, the inspection department has become the main force of the local armed forces. The soldiers recruited have all entered the inspection department. There are many, some county government offices, sergeants in the inspection department, there are more than a thousand people, and it is not a big problem to deal with small groups of rogues.

The most important thing is that this is an armed force that the magistrate can directly control. It is justifiable and no one can speak.

The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty could never mobilize the army without the imperial court's order.

Could it be said that the management method of Nanjing is the same as that of Beijing, because with the Beijing camp and the five city soldiers and horses, no redundant local armed forces are allowed.

But this is not justified, Jiangning County has more than 1000 yamen servants, which shows that the task of maintaining local law and order is still undertaken by the county government, and the Wucheng Bingma Division has not played much role.

"Master Lu, has the Inspection Department always only had so many sergeants?"

"No, the main reason is that the county government can't afford it."

"Oh, that is to say, Ying Tianfu won't have any objections to expanding the sergeants of the inspection department."

"Well, for several years in a row, the county government has not been able to pay the full amount of taxes. If the sergeant of the inspection department is expanded, Ying Tianfu may have a problem."

"So, the county government may also give some money to Tokyo Daying and Xijing Daying every year."

"Yes, it is so."

Su Tiancheng nodded and didn't ask any more questions. I'm afraid it's not just about the money, there are other factors. Wucheng Bingmasi and Nanjing's Jingying all see their own interests. To maintain the law and order in Jiangning County is just a joke, money is needed, and things will not be done.