Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 253 After becoming a father, Jiajing promulgated new good policies!
The day after Yang Tinghe and Mao Ji left, the capital welcomed the first snow of the twelfth month of the third year of Jiajing.

Snowflakes as beautiful as spring flowers danced wildly in the even more majestic capital city, making the streets sparsely populated.

Although Zhu Houcong, who was already a father, would temporarily stop the imperial lectures and daily lectures after the winter solstice, he still chose to get up early on the day when the imperial lectures were supposed to take place.

Now that he had a royal heir, he became more motivated to run his own empire.

Therefore, he issued an edict last night to add Fei Hong, Yang Yiqing and Wang Qiong as ministers of the Imperial Study, and asked them, Zhang Cong and Wang Yangming to come to the Imperial Study this morning.

Zhu Houcong nominally asked them to come to the Imperial Study for consultation, but in fact he was discussing specific matters of governance with them.

Since Wang Chunjing was already pregnant and was conferred the title of noble lady and granted the residence in Renjing Hall, Zhu Houcong first came to Renjing Hall, saw Wang Chunjing, asked about her current condition, and then went to the imperial study.

"sit down!"

"Let them add more fuel to the fire!"

"How is the Cabinet's National Taxation Department preparing for the increase in currency tariffs?"

After these ministers arrived at the imperial study, Zhu Houcong gave an order and then directly asked about imposing additional customs duties on banknotes to avoid taking a share of the bamboo and wood taxes and the craftsmen's silver.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Xueshi and I have already calculated that in the past ten years, the total annual income from bamboo and wood tax and craftsman's silver is about 140,000 taels of silver, and the total annual tax revenue from the eight major banknote customs is about 340,000 taels."

"Therefore, the National Taxation Bureau's suggestion is that the total cash tariff should be increased by 40%, and the tax rates of specific imported and exported goods should be adjusted according to the actual situation."

"The tax rates on grain, cloth, coal and other goods that are essential to the people should be appropriately lowered, but the tax rates on luxury goods such as silk, porcelain, and glass should be raised."

Wang Qiongxian, the Grand Secretary in charge of the National Taxation Bureau, reported the relevant situation first.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong secretly sighed that the Ming Dynasty's currency tariff was indeed too low, and thought that there was a reason why Zhang Cong was targeting the currency tariff.

Because he clearly remembered that the Qing Dynasty's banknote customs duties generally brought in about 1.4 million taels per year.

The Ming Dynasty’s currency customs duty was only more than 300,000 taels a year.

then.

Zhu Houcong asked Wang Qiong: "If this is the case, it will make it more difficult to collect taxes. After all, those who buy and sell luxury goods are not ordinary merchants."

"Your Majesty is right, but this is what we should do for the country and the people!"

“We can’t ignore the national economy and people’s livelihood just because it’s difficult!”

"Besides, if we don't do this, the bamboo and wood tax and the craftsman's salary will be waived, and the relief of the common people's hardship will be in vain."

Wang Qiong replied.

Zhu Houcong clapped his hands and said, "Well said!"

"Your Majesty is so complimentary!"

Wang Qiong hurriedly bowed.

He also knew that Zhu Houcong was a wise and benevolent ruler who truly cared about the interests of the people and the court, so he catered to his wishes and took the initiative to put the interests of the court and the people first. He took the opportunity of adjusting the currency tariff to lower the currency tariff on people's necessities.

The thing about people like Wang Qiong is that they are very malleable. They will automatically become the kind of ministers that the emperor is.

If the emperor wants to love the people, they will take the initiative to adjust their position to the side of the people.

of course.

Their adjustments will not be in vain, as what they pursue is higher and higher power and status, until they can get rich by eating the rich.

Zhu Houcong then asked: "Have you discussed the official system of the eight major banknotes with the Ministry of Personnel? How do you plan to change it?"

There are eight major money checkpoints in the Ming Dynasty.

They are Chongwenmen (the capital), Hexiwu, Linqing, Huai'an, Yangzhou, Hushu (north of Suzhou), Beixin (Hangzhou) and Jiujiang.

Among them, except Jiujiang which is the Yangtze River customs, the rest are important thoroughfares of the canal.

Chongwenmen is the first of the eight major checkpoints.

"Your Majesty, the Cabinet has discussed with the Ministry of Personnel and decided to add a censor to the eight major banknote offices as a tax supervisor, and another tax supervisor, who will lead 300 soldiers and be responsible for forcing those who refuse to pay taxes to pay. The original members of the department, the tax ambassadors, and the assistants will be responsible for the specific tax collection."

The Cabinet Chief Minister Fei Hong replied at this time.

Zhu Houcong nodded and said, "Instruct the Ministry of War to draw all the soldiers from the best-disciplined guards and regiments each year, so as to prevent the tax supervision from becoming excessive extortion."

Fei Hong nodded in agreement.

then.

Zhu Houcong asked again: "Have the censors and tax supervisors of the eight major banknote offices been determined?"

Wang Yangming then replied: "The tax inspector has been determined, and the tax supervisor will be selected by the Ministry of War."

then.

Wang Yangming handed the list of tax inspectors to Zhu Houcong.

Zhang Cong looked up at this time.

Because the tax inspectors Wang Yangming submitted were all officials recommended by him, all of whom were known for their harshness and strict implementation of reforms.

Zhu Houcong took a look at the list and then asked, "Why are there only seven?"

"Your Majesty, according to regulations, the customs duties collected by the Chongwenmen Customs should be directly paid into the Imperial Treasury. This matter involves the Imperial Treasury's revenue. I request Your Majesty to directly appoint officials as tax supervisors!" Wang Yangming replied.

Zhu Houcong thought about it and picked up the red brush, added Xiong Jia's name on it, and noted the three words "Chongwenmen" and said: "Let Xiong Jia transfer to the Ministry of Households and be responsible for the customs duties of Chongwenmen!"

Fei Hong and Wang Yangming nodded in agreement.

"In addition to currency and customs duties, we must also not slack off in shipbuilding and the management of the Fujian Naval Academy."

"After the New Year, Zhang Fujing will inspect various shipyards, recruit shipbuilders, and select shipyards; Yang Ge Lao will personally go to Fujian to supervise the establishment of the Naval Academy. This year, we will work with the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War to formulate the corresponding regulations for the establishment of the Naval Academy, and then select a group of civil and military officials with experience in sailing to serve as school officials."

Zhu Houcong also gave instructions on shipbuilding and the Fujian Naval Academy.

Zhang Cong and Yang Yiqing both quickly bowed and said yes.

In the current Jiajing reign, the focus of new policies is on these three.

That is, to reform the currency and customs duties, build a large number of warships, and open the Fujian Naval Academy.

Among these, the reform of banknote customs duties is to exempt the taxes on bamboo and wood and craftsmen's silver, and to reform the distribution of benefits.

After all, the bamboo and wood tax and the craftsman's silver were miscellaneous taxes levied on ordinary merchants and craftsmen. It was because of these two miscellaneous taxes that a large number of craftsmen fled and ordinary merchants gave up their bamboo and wood businesses.

The purpose of reforming customs duties is to impose additional taxes on wealthy businessmen who have the support of powerful and wealthy people.

"The cabinet will first issue an imperial decree to permanently exempt bamboo and wood from tax and carpenters' wages."

"Let the people be happy and have a good New Year!"

"In addition, the promulgation of such a good policy can also be regarded as a good ending for the third year of Jiajing."

Zhu Houcong smiled and gave an instruction at this time.

Fei Hong bowed and said yes, and also smiled: "If this decree is promulgated, the whole world will certainly praise your majesty's saintly virtue as high as the sky!"

"I second the proposal!"

"The people of the world are lucky to have met a sage and benevolent ruler and to be blessed by him again!"

All the ministers in the Imperial Study followed suit and praised him.

Zhu Houcong smiled and said, "Okay, get to work. The country and the people need not only my benevolence, but also the benevolence of you ministers. The world is not really just the world of my Zhu family. Since you are the ministers of my Ming Dynasty, if you want the world to prosper, you should also perform your duties conscientiously!"

"Your Majesty is right. We will keep your teachings in mind!"

Therefore, the cabinet then officially issued an edict to permanently exempt bamboo and wood taxes and craftsmen’s wages.

After receiving the imperial edict, Tong Rui, the Minister of Works, could not help but sigh and said to the officials of the Ministry of Works, "This is also because the bamboo and wood cuts and the silver for craftsmen reported by our Ministry of Works are too small, so Your Majesty has no regrets in exempting this income!"

"Everyone is taking bribes, even if we want to report more, we can't!"

Chen Yongyan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, said.

Tong Rui added: "So the current situation has occurred. The court does not want this income, so people from all walks of life who rely on the bamboo and wood commissions and the craftsman's silver for a living have no food to eat!"

"If we had known earlier, our Ministry of Industry should have taken the initiative to reform and increase the bamboo and wood commission and the craftsman's silver several times."

Chen Yong said.

Tong Rui smiled bitterly and said, "It's too late to say this! There is no chance to reform it. They will just abolish your title!"

After saying this, Tong Rui carried out the order and began to issue decrees, asking the officials and servants of each branch office and branch factory to return to their posts and accept the new arrangements.

The same thing happened to the Censorate, which also withdrew the censors who were sent to the branch offices and factories.

The Ministry of Personnel also issued a document asking the prefectural governors of each branch bureau and factory to return to their prefectures.

For a time, people in all the branch offices and factories were in great distress.

Although they had already heard the news that the court was going to withdraw the branch offices and factories, and had cursed Yang Yiqing and Zhang Cong thousands of times in their hearts and cursed their ancestors for eighteen generations, after receiving the official order, they could not help but curse Yang Yiqing and Zhang Cong's ancestors again in their hearts.

After all, there is a lot of money to be made here, and they have become accustomed to making a lot of money easily by relying on this money. Now that they are suddenly asked to do other things, they will naturally resist in every way.

The reason why people from various lottery bureaus and lottery factories still had to greet Yang Yiqing's ancestors was because Yang Yiqing was the first to propose exemption from bamboo and wood lottery and craftsman's silver.

"Change your mother's system. I've been in Tongzhou for less than three months to supervise the bamboo and wood lottery, and I haven't even made a hundred thousand silver dollars. The gifts I give to the Imperial Household Department, the Cabinet, and the ministries are not enough!"

"Yang Yiqing, Zhang Fujing, I want to see how long you two traitors can keep running around! If I push you to the limit, I will present the gift you, Yang Yiqing, are giving me, and see how you end up!"

"It's a pity that Zhang Fujing doesn't accept money!"

For example, Ji Ben, the censor of the Tongzhou Bamboo and Wood Extraction Bureau, had a gloomy face. He cursed in his heart while watching his servants organizing the recruited laborers to transport his money and goods out of the extraction bureau.

Lin Mingheng, the director of the Ministry of Industry who also worked in the bureau, also reluctantly left the gate of the draw branch office. After seeing Ji Ben, he walked over to Ji Ben and said, "Is it really over?"

"Do you still need to ask?"

Ji Ben chuckled.

"Ugh!"

Lin Mingheng sighed.

At that time, Zhu Yiqing, the deputy governor, was even saying to the inspectors, clerks, and accountants from the government office, "Why are you still here? Didn't you hear what the imperial edict said? We won't serve dinner here!"

(End of this chapter)