You must know that Zhang Hanqing has done a lot of work in order to win the trust of this old Zhou. As an old smoker in his previous life, he knew that the profits on cigarettes were black, but there was no way, who let him smoke this kind of uncomfortable thing that he didn't smoke for a day? In this life, his own stand-in is not a good bird, not only smoking, but also used big smoke (opium) when he became addicted, and he couldn't even control the 918 incident when he was addicted to opium! Of course, this cigarette is not another cigarette, but it just shows that it is not easy to quit smoking.

Since tobacco was "introduced" to China, the management of this industry has not been easy. The Ming Dynasty people Tan Qian also had an earlier text recording tobacco in the "Zaolin Miscellaneous": "Golden silk tobacco, out of overseas countries, called Tabacco, flowing into Fujian and Austria, called golden silk tobacco." Sexual dryness is toxic and can kill. In the second year of the Apocalypse (1622), Guizhou Dao Terrier, borrowed the path of Guangxi, and began to move its species. The leaves are like shallots, long stems, picked and dried, and the blades are like silk, in this world and in the north and south of the river. In the sixteenth year of Chongzhen (1643), it was banned, and the smugglers died until they died, and they could not be reformed. ”

Look, death is not easy, and by the Qing Dynasty, smoking became more and more fashionable. In order to collect money from the people, there were many ignorant people in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China who moved this idea, suggesting that the state should change from blocking to sparse and use it as a resource, so there was a proposal for a tobacco tax.

Later, Xiong Xiling, who became the first democratically elected prime minister of the Republic of China and was known as the first-rate talent of the Republic of China, in order to solve the problem of increasing government revenue, around the 33rd year of Guangxu (1907), successively wrote to Zhang Baixi, the secretary of the household department, and Zaize the secretary of the Du branch, calling on the Qing government to implement the tobacco system as soon as possible. Xiong Xiling said in a letter to Zaize: "The ** of cigarettes, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan and other countries, and all of them are a large amount of income for the country, although it is not suspected of encroaching on the people's interests, it is also a paper cigarette, and it is also a big leak today, if you don't try it at present, it will be difficult to ......return in the future" He believes that China's annual tax revenue is very small, and cigarettes are luxury goods, and the increase in tobacco taxes not only has no impact on the interests of most people, but also can increase national revenue, so we should follow the example of foreign countries and implement a ** system for tobacco.

However, due to the internal and external difficulties of the Qing government, there was no time to take care of tobacco, although the minister of Zaize and other branches had consulted Sheng Xuanhuai, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, about tobacco **, Xiong Xiling's suggestion still did not attract enough attention.

Yuan Shikai was the first person to see this benefit and implement it. In the second year of his tenure as the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang, he added a tax on tobacco and alcohol in Zhili, and suggested to Guangxu that it be promoted throughout the country: "Tobacco and alcohol are needed for people's hobbies, and have nothing to do with health maintenance, and there is no obstacle to releving them." After a few months of trial implementation, the tax revenue "has been tens of thousands."

In 1912, after the establishment of the Republic of China, Xiong Xiling served as the chief financial officer of the cabinet. In the following year, he formed a cabinet with Liang Qichao and Zhang Jian, and served as prime minister and chief financial officer. At that time, there were many people in the society who called for tobacco, first of all, Qian Baojun, Chen Qichang and other parliamentarians proposed paper cigarettes to the government of the Republic of China; Subsequently, Liu Shusen, general manager of Shanghai Samsung Cigarette Company, suggested to Xiong Xiling: discuss with the British American Tobacco Company to monopolize and buy all kinds of paper cigarettes under the exclusive control of the government, and the government will increase taxes and sell them to the people; The government and British American Tobacco Company jointly established a cigarette factory; If the British American Tobacco Company does not agree to the above proposal, the government will set up a ** bureau in the mainland and raise 5 million yuan to set up cigarette factories in Tianjin, Pukou and Hankou to boycott it. Xiong Xiling agreed to Liu Shusen's suggestion and sent staff to Shanghai for consultations.

In order to implement the tobacco system, Xiong Xiling once sent personnel to Japan for inspection. In view of the distribution of tobacco and alcohol in China, it was decided to introduce a tobacco and alcohol license tax before the implementation of the tobacco ** system.

In February 1914, Xiong Xiling petitioned Yuan Shikai to explain the necessity of implementing the tobacco system, and proposed the establishment of a tobacco preparatory department, saying: "Set up a tobacco ** preparatory department in the Ministry of Finance, the director of which is responsible for studying the tobacco laws of various countries, investigating domestic tobacco production areas and tobacco types, tobacco production methods, and sales markets, and preparing to implement the ** policy by the ministry to raise capital, set up a factory, accept private tobacco leaves, and return to the field to manufacture... Foreign cigarettes are modeled after the Japanese method and are freely purchased by the government. Xiong Xiling's suggestion was approved by Yuan Shikai, and he instructed: "Maintaining domestic products is the most important plan at present." The so-called establishment of a tobacco ** preparatory office is feasible. Immediately adopt the rules, draw up appropriate methods, and submit them for approval. ”

Yuan Shikai tasted the sweetness from the tobacco tax, and of course he sang and responded. After some preparations, in May 1915, the "Interim Brief on the Public Sales of Tobacco and Liquor in the Country" was issued, and the National Public Sales Bureau of Tobacco and Alcohol was established, which was the first tobacco in China. Of course, the so-called public sale at this time was only for the purpose of increasing and rectifying the tobacco tax, and did not manage the market.

And the warlords and government leaders in various places regard tobacco as a cash cow under their command, and of course they want to grasp the tobacco and alcohol sales bureaus in various provinces. This newly established bureau was originally intended to help the central government's finances, but it did not want to become a local government's ban. For example, Zhang Zuolin collected tobacco from Fengtian Province and sold it at a high price to foreign officers and soldiers who were fighting on the front line of the trenches in Europe under the name of "monopoly" selling tobacco and alcohol, and the commanders and governors of Rehe, Yunnan, Guizhou and other places also mainly relied on tobacco income to support the army in their own provinces, and the money from local tobacco and alcohol could not enter the central government at all.

In this turbulent autumn, in order to gain widespread support, Lao Yuan did not have the heart to put pressure on the local government on these matters.

Zhang Hanqing's tobacco **, Zhou Xuexi, as the Minister of Finance at the time, also contributed and actively participated. It's just that this "Brief" has only been launched for a short time, and everyone's efforts at this time have been politically involved, resulting in regulations in place, but the implementation is seriously not in place. All kinds of pros and cons, Zhou Xuexi is clear. Zhang Hanqing wants to get an axe in front of him, and he can't help but say that he is smiling and generous.

Zhou Xuexi sneered and said: "It's hard to bother Han Qing, but the tax of this tobacco ** is also directly at the disposal of the state finance, and the local government has no right to use it, and the mortgage is naturally not allowed." ”

But Zhang Hanqing prefers to get an axe. In order to persuade Zhou Xuexi, he had to spend all his blood: "Zhou Lao only knows that tobacco is state-owned, and the special funds are collected, and he doesn't know Xueliang's plan." Tobacco tax is a tax attached to tobacco, and there must be a tax when you buy it; However, it is not enough to collect taxes from buyers alone, and Xueliang will also advise his father to set up a separate tobacco ** license, with which tobacco can be sold legally. Of course, this license needs to be purchased with money, and whether it is renewed once a year is still under consideration by Hanqing. The central government cannot interfere with this revenue. ”

This is the tobacco licensing system of later generations. In fact, there is nothing unusual, the salt and iron ** system that began to be implemented in the Song Dynasty and the salt introduction that was developed to the limit by the Ming and Qing dynasties are the pioneers of this practice. Tobacco is a heavy profit, and fools know it, so whoever holds the power of the tobacco trade can make a lot of money. But after all, tobacco is for the public, and it is not enough to rely on the tobacco public sales bureau alone, and it is necessary to work hard in the circulation channels. In this way, there is a lot of room for black-box operation.

Although Zhang Hanqing has never been an official in later generations, he has been looking at the history books and is still very clear about the routines. He once heard a relative who owned a small shop say, "A month's income from groceries is not worth the income from selling cigarettes." "As long as the government strictly controls the illegal sale of tobacco and holds the right to issue licenses for legal transactions, the money will roll in."

It was originally the right of the central government, but now he has become a local financial road, and he has to use the tobacco tax as collateral, and there is no heavenly reason! However, this is the way of the world, and it is not surprising that in the future, China will be a golden age when local governments dare to call out to the central government in the next ten years, which is known as the era of warlords.

Zhang Hanqing is not afraid that Zhou Xuexi will not be moved, and he believes that if he follows his ideas, without Zhou Xuexi, Fengtian can still get a start-up bonus. It's just that the name of the human shadow tree, with him, will serve as an example for Mukden's economic plan, and that's the point.

"And Zhou Lao also needs to know that Fengtian is a province, for the sake of the people of a province, it is possible to legally and reasonably withhold taxes---- anyway, these taxes still need to be partially returned to the province in the future, and the taxes are used to increase the income of the provincial people. It is a fact that there is coal in Fushun, as long as the equipment, funds, and manpower are complete, and the coal is expected to be produced immediately, these should not be afraid. I'm afraid that Zhou Lao thinks that the Fengtian Provincial Government is deceiving in the name of building a mine, and this early investment will be a meat bun and a dog---- will there be no return? ”

Zhou Xuexi was told the central matter, and his face turned red rarely, and he replied with a straight face: "The old man has no such intention." It's just that the matter is too big for me not to think twice. ”

Just think twice, it shows that you are still tempted, but you are just hesitating how to protect the income. There is a way that the wine is exciting, the wealth is moving, and the most reliable in the business field is the visible benefits.

For people like Zhou Xuexi, although impressing him from an economic perspective alone can make him move, it can't strengthen his beliefs. Zhang Hanqing is not going to make a one-shot deal, Fengtian's future economic development will be a long-term strategy, and it needs a steady stream of help from the outside world. Is there any way to bind his decision?

Righteousness and Lear.

"I believe that after the establishment of Fushun Coal Mine, with low-cost mining and with the help of land and sea transportation, it will squeeze out the Northeast and North China and even East China markets. Moreover, Xueliang has a grand idea, which is to use these advantages to monopolize the coal market in the north and squeeze foreign capital large and small out of the north! Luanmei Coal and Kaiping Coal Mine will be the object of our struggle! ”

These words are very good for Zhou Xuexi's appetite. Thinking that he was fighting to pull down the British businessman back then, a scene from a few years ago came to mind again. Luanzhou Coal Mine is the pain point of his life, if he really succeeds in investing in a large coal mine in Fushun, he has the ambition of Lao and Xiao Zhang, and it is very likely that he will fight back. On this basis, he also has to take the initiative to join in.

As if to inject him with a booster, Zhang Hanqing said slowly: "What needs to be revealed to Mr. Zhou is that before visiting Mr. Zhou, former Prime Minister Xiong Xiling and Vice Minister Liang Shiyi have decided to be one of the co-sponsors to accept the shares issued by the Fushun Coal Mine Construction Plant. ”