Chapter 58 Mining Taxes

Yang Pu and Zhang Fu have been gone for a long time.

Zhu Qizhen was still sitting on the dragon chair, staring silently ahead. It's been a long time since I came back to my senses.

Isn't it right to mine gold and silver mines?

From the perspective of decision-making, Zhu Qizhen does not think that he is wrong.

Since the imperial court used silver taels as the main circulating currency, how could it be wrong to increase the circulating weight of silver taels and increase the financial revenue of the imperial court.

But Zhu Qizhen never expected that the words below would be like this, or that the words "mine supervisor" were clean, and there was underneath.

The mining tax caused anger and resentment during the Wanli period, not without reason, because this system is fundamentally problematic.

It's a big problem.

First of all, the opening of mines by the imperial court is impermanent servitude to make the people, and as mentioned earlier, the impermanence of the people to work for the official family belongs to forced labor, which is a very common policy.

On top of mining, the performance is particularly problematic.

Because according to the Taizu system, the service is rotated every ten years, that is, there is a time limit. But if you open a mine for the official family, this work is endless. I want to go home after serving my conscription, and dream.

When Emperor Taizu was there, he used things to open mines, and if he had nothing to do, he just had nothing to do.

Of course, there is Emperor Taizu's small peasant thoughts, but fundamentally, Emperor Taizu cherishes the people's power.

But after Taizu, the rule of the Ming Dynasty was far worse than at the beginning.

Since the mines have been opened for a long time, this system cannot be operated, and it is natural that there are policies and countermeasures. The fixed amount compensation system came into being.

If you give the people who undertake it, some profit margins, it may not be impossible.

But the officials who supervise the mine may not be willing to share the profits, why should they share the money they are greedy for by their ability.

At most, give some food so that they don't starve.

However, mining itself is a technical thing, and in such a case, it is difficult to maintain the original technical level, not to mention technological reform.

Not to mention the mining itself, but also the risk. In the event of a mining disaster, even if there is no mining disaster, if you are not careful, you will die.

In such a cruel situation, where are the people willing to stay in the mines?

Either find a way to go through the relationship, stuff a large sum of money, and avoid this matter. This is another extra bargain from the mine officials, or they will find a way to escape. In this way, it was brutally suppressed by officials, and countless people were hammered to death.

Of course, they also know the silver ore they need, and they still need to dig out these hardships, as long as they are obedient, they can still give a way to live.

After a long time, they also gave up the fields in their hometown and could only live in the mines.

This is the origin of Ye Liuzong's group. They can also be regarded as the beneficiaries of the Empress Dowager's dismissal of the mine supervisors.

or

Some people came to ask, what are the many evils here, and why are there no officials to take care of them?

There is no other, because the mining tax goes directly into the Ouchi.

All issues involving the emperor should be thought about by the officials outside. And they don't care, the way they manage is to remove the mine supervisor.

If you want to reform the system, you have to touch the Ming ancestral system, but you don't need to strike the mine supervisor, anyway, Emperor Taizu often strikes the mine supervisor at that time.

Zhu Qizhen also figured out at this moment why the Empress Dowager had to withdraw the mine supervisor.

The empress dowager also knows the disadvantages of this.

The only thing that Zhu Qizhen is fortunate about is that after he ascended the throne, he also reformed the mining tax, except for precious metals such as gold and silver, he allowed the people to open mines, and taxed them with two systems: license and tax.

At least there is a government office, and it has become a private official class. In this way, the burden on the people is greatly reduced, and at least there is no need to bear unpaid labor.

Does it work well?

The answer is no.

This is the problem of the administrative power at the bottom.

The license is issued for the opening of the mine, and the officials are sent to collect the mining tax, which is levied according to the total amount of minerals produced, and the specific amount is between 0.0 percent and 7 percent.

The iron class is two out of thirty, which remains largely the same. As for some rare minerals, the tax will only be lower.

But there are too many places to get up and down.

So, there isn't much of this tax at all. In Zhu Qizhen's view, it is more symbolic. Except for the iron class to be handed in, it was a physical object before. Under Zhou Chen's strong leadership, it was folded into silver, but it was only a few hundred thousand taels.

As for other classes, the mining tax has become one of the sources of local office expenses.

Zhu Qizhen didn't want to, and found a way to collect a wave.

But he specifically weighed the tax cost and administrative cost, and acquiesced to such a situation.

In order to collect this kind of tax, which is similar to business tax, from the grassroots level, Zhu Qizhen believes that he must want to change the administrative capacity of the entire Ming Dynasty. It is necessary to maintain a huge tax collection system.

Even if he ordered and urged, it only turned this policy into a policy that harmed the people.

This is also the reason why Zhu Qizhen later chose the salt tax, because the administrative cost of salt tax collection is the lowest. This was also the common choice of quite a few politicians in ancient times.

It is precisely because the effect of this policy is not ideal that Zhu Qizhen has to hold the gold and silver mine in his hands.

This interest does not want to be outflowed.

But looking at this situation now, Zhu Qizhen feels that he values the lives of the people more than the interests of gold and silver mines. No matter how much the gold and silver mines can bring him in the future. If you want to exchange the lives of the people. Zhu Qizhen was unwilling.

Yang Pu's strike tax on mining is a plan for today's rights.

The mining tax system must be reformed, but how? Zhu Qizhen had no clue for a while. But it doesn't matter, Cai

In political affairs, Zhu Qizhen has always asked Zhou Chen about everything.

And Zhou Chen can also solve it for him very well.

Zhu Qizhen immediately summoned Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen was also relieved to know that Zhu Qizhen had summoned him.

Ye Liuzong's rebellion spread, and Zhou Chen was anxious like an ant on a hot pot for a while.

Zhou Chen was responsible for the fire in the granary of the household department last year, and now the cause of the Yeliuzong rebellion is because of the mining tax. Zhou Chen bore the brunt again.

Even Zhou Chen has already heard about it, and there are already many officials who are ready to impeach Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen has been nailed with a crime, that is, the minister of accumulation.

All the fiscal policies since Zhou Chen came to power have been beaten into the rampant expropriation, and they hold high the wealth of the world with their right hand, and they are not in the people, but they are in the officials. With his left hand held high, Emperor Taizu hid the wealth of the people's fiscal policy.

Single-mindedly nailed Zhou Chen to death.

The reason is very simple, in the Lianghuai Salt Case and the subsequent salt tax reform, although Zhou Chen is good at dancing with long sleeves, but after a long time, many details of the year cannot be hidden.

Only then did everyone know that it was Zhou Chen who first told the emperor about the salt tax, and then there were two Huai salt cases.

I thought you were a great loyalty, but I didn't expect that you were a traitor in my heart.

You must know that whether it is the Lianghuai Salt Case or the subsequent salt tax reform, there are I don't know how many people have lost their status as salt merchants.

On the Xungui side, the emperor intended to compensate and take care of them, although most of the nobles had losses, but they did not completely lose the profits in the salt industry, but in a different way.

But many more have been left behind in this reshuffle.

They have been staring at Zhou Chen's mistakes, and now that the opportunity has come, how can they not make a move.

Zhou Chen has been thinking of a way in the face of this situation, he has been thinking about it, and only the emperor can save him. But his request to see was repeatedly rebuffed.

The reason is very simple, the first time Zhu Qizhen got the news, he was paying attention to this matter and had no time to pay attention to him.

The household department is generally abundant, and the financial situation of the southern provinces of the Ming Dynasty is good.

The central government doesn't have to pay much.

Zhu Qizhen naturally won't ask about the situation of the household.

And Zhou Chen arrived in the palace full of thoughts, but Zhu Qizhen didn't have the heart to take care of Zhou Chen's thoughts, but asked directly: "Ye Liuzong's matter, have you heard about it?" ”

Zhou Chen said: "Your Majesty, please plead guilty. ”

"What are your sins?" Zhu Qizhen said: "It's just that I'm blinded by the place." It's just that the local mine supervisors have such feelings and disadvantages, and Qing is my financial minister, what do you think about this matter? ”

Zhou Chen chewed every word Zhu Qizhen said, secretly figuring out what Zhu Qizhen meant, and couldn't help but cry bitterly in his heart.