Wanli 1592

Chapter 539 Don't forget Chao Cuo, who is the emperor's confidant

As far as these big Shanxi merchant families are concerned, they may not be well-known in modern times, but during the more than 400 years from the middle of the Ming Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty, they were all well-known Chinese wealthy families, and even once dominated the trend of history.

At the turn of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, among the forces that pushed the Manchus into the Central Plains, the Shanxi merchants who contributed money, food, weapons and manpower were an extremely important one.

They started to make a fortune in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and then started a long journey to help students. The heads of these big Shanxi merchant families understood the root of Chinese political games with their unique vicious eyes, and realized that in the era of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business, If you want to ensure that your wealth will not be easily taken away by the government, you must have your own political spokesperson.

There is no umbrella above, how can we live in peace below?
The wind and rain can't stop it, only the family is ruined. In order to ensure the long-term prosperity of the family and control the wealth for a long time, the big Shanxi merchant families have joined together to start a school aid operation, donating to poor scholars to study and study, and then marrying Juren and Jinshi.

In this way, in a hundred years, the Jinshang Group has become a behemoth that spans the four fields of military, government, business, and academia. No matter which field has its own spokesperson for its interests, it is not afraid of anyone, and it is almost undefeated. body.

At the most powerful time, Zhang Siwei, the chief assistant of the cabinet, was a son of Shanxi merchants, and Wang Chonggu, the governor of Xuanda, was also a descendant of Jin merchants. In the most terrifying group of mad dog officials in the court, there were quite a few mouthpieces belonging to them, speaking for them.

These Shanxi merchants have a very good family tradition, that is, before the prosperity, the family pays and provides food to take care of you, and also helps you marry a wife and take care of the children. After you become prosperous, you must use your power to repay the family.

They definitely got more than what they paid for.

Of course, they were not invincible later on, because business gangs in other regions also learned this trick, and began to help students in their own territories, crowding out businessmen from the Jin dynasty, and gradually formed a group of business gangs in all regions working together to donate to local poor families. Scholars, and then get their rewards, form a local faction of political and business alliances with a community of interests.

The Jin faction was later united by major local factions and parties, and gradually lost their original advantages. In order to develop and survive, they gradually hooked up with Nurhachi, who has become increasingly powerful in Liaodong, and began their glorious journey.
After the Manchus entered the customs, the eight imperial merchants were all Shanxi merchants, which shows how much the Shanxi merchants helped the Manchus enter the customs.

No one knows how rich they are, and even if they know, they will not leave much information for future generations to refer to, but with the existence of these four or five years or even older grains, Xiao Ruxun can probably estimate these guys How much food is there and how much wealth is there.

It is a very interesting topic that the Ming government could not collect commercial tax. It can be discussed for a long time. The current consensus is that officials obstructed it. Why officials obstructed it, because collecting commercial tax is collecting their money. Why collect commercial tax It is to collect their money, because only they can use their power to collude with businessmen to make money.

If the emperor collects business tax, isn't it equivalent to taking money from the pocket of the scholar master?How about that?
Poor self-cultivating farmers, tens of millions of self-cultivating farmers alone bear 2% of the tax revenue of a large empire with a population of more than 70.00 million people, while the rich and rich government and business class only need to bear about [-]% of the tax revenue.

Zhu Yijun is really not confused, he also knows how to send eunuchs to the localities to rob these scholars and lords of wealth, but Chongzhen has been crippled by flickering, not to mention crippling his left and right arms, and he has to pay more for self-cultivators. The poorer the poorer, the richer Fu, the Ming Empire finally collapsed under the combined blow of such internal causes and Li Zicheng Dorgon's external causes.

The Shanxi Merchants Group is an important group that hollowed out the foundation of the Ming Empire.

In fact, not only Chai Guozhu had heard of Shanxi merchants smuggling ironware and daily necessities to Mongolia to earn high profits, but even generals like Xiao Ruxun, who had been guarding the south all year round, had heard of it. It can be seen that this is an open secret at all.

Their so-called smuggling is actually doing business aboveboard, as long as they give a little money to the border guards, they can smuggle safely.

Is this still called smuggling?

Shanxi merchant groups have accumulated massive wealth through this kind of smuggling business and salt and iron business, and these wealth are not taxed, and the imperial court has no way to deduct even a tael of silver from them. Clutching his purse tightly, he would rather give it to Man Qing and throw it to Li Zicheng than hand it over to the Ming government.

They are not cancerous tumors, they are cancer cells. Xiao Ruxun can no longer imagine the extent of Daming's cancer.

He even felt that saving Daming had become a delusion, because there were several groups like Shanxi merchants in Daming. Shanxi merchants occupied the north, and there were more and more powerful interest groups in the more economically developed south.

What kind of means should be used to defeat them?
This is a decisive battle with the entire civil service class!
Thinking of this, Xiao Ruxun's complexion became very ugly. Looking at those old grains, Xiao Ruxun couldn't help but pulled out his saber and stabbed them fiercely.

"The officers and soldiers of the common people are cold and hungry, and these profiteers who are rich and unkind are still hoarding them, refusing to even give out a grain of food to help the army! Now they dare to use it to help the northern captives! It is an act of treason! This is solid evidence, my governor Be sure to play them a book in front of His Majesty! These rats!"

Before Xiao Ruxun said any harsh words, Chai Guozhu was taken aback.

"Admiral, although the general is very angry in his heart, but the general has to say that the admiral cannot do this."

Xiao Ruxun glared at Chai Guozhu, and said angrily, "Why?"

"Admiral, let's not talk about the admiral, you should know that Zhang Siwei, the former chief assistant, and Wang Chonggu, the former governor of Xuanda, were all from Shanxi merchants. Although they have passed away, their families are still there, and their power is still there. The power is still there, even the last general knows that the power of the Jin Dynasty is huge.

Among other things, the imperial court forbade the sale of salt and iron to the northern captives, but why did the northern captives ever lack salt and iron?In addition to what they robbed themselves, most of them were bought from Shanxi merchants. It has not been a year or two since they have been so unscrupulous, but has anyone mentioned it in the court?

Admiral, even civil servants can't resist it, and we generals who speak lightly, can't even participate in major government affairs. If you reveal this kind of thing, so what if His Majesty knows about it?The admiral should be clearer than the general about the principle of mutual protection between officials and officials. At that time, His Majesty will be unable to do anything, but the admiral offends the Shanxi merchants to death, so what should we do? "

Chai Guozhu's words are quite pertinent and very reasonable.

The emperor has no power, and the subordinates are protected by officials and officials. Basically, the emperor can't do anything related to the economy. If you offend some big interest groups for the emperor, who are you?Do you think you are invincible because you are honorable?The two dukes of the Xu Da family have to keep their heads down now, let alone you, a Marquis.

Do you think you will be invincible when you climb up to the emperor?The emperor is the undefeated golden body?
At that time, it is not impossible for the emperor to depose you directly in order to calm the anger of the public. Don't forget Chao Cuo, who is the emperor's confidant, this is a life-saving talisman!

(End of this chapter)