In fact, Wanli was also very anxious, because he was now in power, and it was difficult for the ministers of the court to stop his decision, but he didn't expect to be out of the court, and his heavy punches seemed to hit a ball of cotton, and he always felt powerless.

This freezing three feet is not a day's cold!

Cao Ke actually saw this problem, although this punch seems to be very fierce, but the people and interests involved are too wide, and everyone shares a little, then it is like a spring breeze, and the effect is not visible at all.

That's why he suggested starting with salt, tea, and wine, so that if you have a clear target, you can get to the meat.

Salt officials and salt merchants are mainly concentrated in Lianghuai, although the power is strong, but it is only that part, the imperial power plus Guo Dan's financial resources, can be in the pocket of salt profits.

Although Guo Dan did not adopt Cao Ke's strategy, the general direction of his strategy was similar to Cao Ke's, that is, to concentrate on leveling Shandong first.

Everyone's ideas are not good, first, tax cuts. Second, concentrate superior forces and break them one by one.

The difference between the two is that Cao Ke's strategy was ultimately to popularize the New Deal throughout the country, and if the tax revenue of salt, tea, and wine taxes could be greatly increased, the imperial court would have enough confidence to reduce the burden on the peasants.

Guo Dan's strategy is mainly to focus on the extension of imperial power, is not popular, Shandong tax reduction of one million taels, he can directly use the money to make up, then again, spending money to buy food, is cheaper than collecting taxes, the loss of taxes is too great, but if there are two more state capitals, he can't afford it.

After Wanli decided to adopt Guo Dan's suggestion, he immediately convened a cabinet meeting, saying that he would fully implement the new policy in six prefectures and 15 prefectures in Shandong, including Dongchang, Jinan, Qingzhou, Dengzhou, Yanzhou, and Laizhou.

And when the cabinet minister heard that he was going to reduce half of Shandong's tax grain this year, he was so frightened that his soul was not possessed.

You're.

The purpose of reform is to improve the country's finances, and it is better for you to implement a new policy at the expense of tax cuts, and then anyone can go up, which has no technical content.

But then Wanli said that the tax revenue of the treasury would not be less, and the 1.4 million stone grain would be filled by me.

The ministers were dumbfounded.

The iron rooster fat house, which has always been a dime, actually wants to help the people pay taxes.

We're having a nightmare!

If Wanli really wants to take out the money to fill it out by himself, then they have nothing to say, the emperor wants to help the people pay taxes, and it is your business, and there is no penny less than you.

However, Shen Shixing and they still repeatedly advised the emperor to think clearly, let you fill in every year, you may not persevere, although your reputation is not very good, but last year's two battles made your prestige rise a lot, and if you lose your words to the people, the consequences can be big or small.

You're going to make the world laugh.

Although they are very reasonable, in terms of money, Wanli prefers to believe Guo Dan and still insists on his own opinions.

The cabinet can only obey its orders.

After the meeting, the ministers came out of the main hall, all of them with a blank face.

Incredible!

"To put it mildly, I really don't believe that Your Majesty will use the money to make up for this shortcoming."

Xu Guo shook his head and said.

Wealth and goods are already deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

"Not necessarily."

Wang Xijue said suddenly.

Xu Guo looked at Wang Xijue suspiciously.

Wang Xijue smiled slightly: "Don't you think this trick is familiar? ”

Shen Shixing nodded and said, "Yes, this is similar to when Guo Dan took out one million taels to supplement Wei Huifu." ”

Wang Xijue said: "But if there was no such struggle, there would be no Fengchi Group today." But what I don't understand is that it is obvious that Ke'er and their plan should be more reasonable, and use the rectification of the salt, tea, and liquor taxes to replenish the national treasury, so as to reduce the burden of the New Deal. ”

Shen Shixing shook his head and sighed: "Guo Dan's tricks are really incomprehensible! ”

This is purely a game of capital, taking money in exchange for power, and power will give them back money, although Wang Xijue and they are all very smart, but it is also difficult to understand, this is completely different from the previous routine, it is another political road.

In fact, even in the original subsidy battle, they still haven't figured out how Guo Dan won the battle.

However, Cao Ke, who was waiting in the East Pavilion, thought that he was discussing the salt tax today, but the result surprised him.

Guo Dan didn't even take his suggestion, and this suggestion was obviously not as good as his suggestion.

His suggestion is to make up for it first, while Guo Dan's suggestion is to make up for it.

It's not cost-effective from an economic point of view!

He didn't feel lost, but confused, he had studied Weihui Mansion for so many years, and this plan was completely formulated according to Guo Dan's style of acting, and it had nothing to do with him, he was completely sure, but Guo Dan didn't need it, and he also adopted a method that seemed even more stupid.

He was puzzled by this.

So he immediately went to Yinuoya and asked Guo Dan for an explanation.

"Dean Cao's suggestion is indeed very good, but Dean Cao ignored one point."

"I hope Advisor Guo will give advice."

Cao Ke very humbly gave his hand to ask for advice.

Guo smiled lightly: "It's a matter of time cost." Let me tell you a story. There was a rich man who dropped a tael of silver on the road, and when the silver landed, he already knew it, but he didn't even look at it, so he walked away, and the passer-by reminded him that he had dropped the money, but he smiled and said, "The time I bent down to pick up the money was enough to earn a hundred taels." ”

Cao Ke was stunned and said, "How is this possible?" ”

"The story is a bit exaggerated, but that's the truth." Guo smiled lightly.

Cao Kewu was puzzled and said: "Please forgive me for being stupid, I still don't understand it very well." ”

Guo Dan said: "I have carefully studied Dean Cao's suggestion, as far as the salt tax is concerned, if I want to integrate the salt merchants of the two Huai, I need to take at least one million taels out, and it will take at least two years, but what is the profit, at most more than two million taels."

But in two years, the cost of one million taels, and all my energy, is enough for me to earn millions of taels, I free up this time, and take out 500,000 taels of profits, so that the New Deal can be popularized in Shandong, so why should I waste this energy. ”

Still... Can it still be counted like this?

Cao Ke was dumbfounded when he heard this.

Guo smiled lightly: "Dean Cao, if you want to study me now, you need to consider my income at all times, there are more profitable transactions in the world, so if you want to convince me, you must accurately tell me that this purchase of ** and any other transaction will make money." ”

Cao Ke said: "But the same method will definitely not be implemented in Jiangsu and Huguang. ”

Your method is to bully Shandong, and you don't dare to try Henan, let alone Jiangsu, the country's granary.

Guo Dan said: "Everything is difficult at the beginning, I have solved the most difficult part, I don't think I can expect to do too much." ”

Cao Ke said very directly: "But without the support of Consultant Guo, everything is very difficult." ”

"Thank you Dean Cao for the compliment, but I can't afford it." Guo Dan shook his head and said: "But there is a good saying, the boat will naturally go straight to the bridge, if you don't take the first step, you will always live in your own plan, and in the end it will be just an empty place, and many things will only know how to go in the future only by taking the first step." ”

Cao Ke pondered a little, and arched his hand: "Listening to your words is better than reading for ten years, thank you Advisor Guo for your advice." ”

"Don't dare, don't dare."

......

Not long after Cao Ke left, Kou Zhuansha came to the office with a document.

"This is information about Linqing."

Kou Zhuansha handed the information to Guo Dan and said: "Although this Linqing is only a county, but at present, in the whole country, in addition to Weihui Mansion, Linqing has the most businessmen, and there were many before, and in recent years, with the rise of Weihui Mansion, Linqing has also reached a higher level."

There are only more than 60,000 urban citizens in Linqing, but there are more than 60,000 businessmen stationed in the local area, and our forces in Shandong are mainly concentrated in Linqing, so the construction of the three courtyards in Linqing is also the fastest, and we can provide a lot of help to implement the new policy in Dongchang Mansion, which is subordinate to Linqing.

The most difficult may be in Jinan Prefecture, because in order to fight against the Japanese invaders, there were many local guards, and the military force was very large in the local area. ”

Guo Dan said: "Your Majesty also mentioned to me about this matter, Your Majesty will send people to take charge of the local guards, but in view of the fact that our sea power has been formed, there will be no need for so many guards in the future, and there will be a large-scale reduction at that time, and those soldiers will also be called into our pirate army." As for the Wakos? Hehe, if they can go ashore in the future, they will win. ”

After a pause, he said again: "We don't need to pay too much attention to this matter, leave it to the Senate to do it, we are the ones who spend the money, and we are the ones who do the work, so what do you want them to do, after I have dealt with the matter at hand in the past two days, I have to go to Weihui Mansion to implement some post-war affairs." ”

......

And after Cao Ke went back, he told Shen Shixing what Guo Dan meant.

"Bend over... The effort of bending down to pick up money is enough to earn a hundredfold profit? ”

Shen Shixing looked at Cao Ke in shock.

Cao Ke nodded and said, "That's probably what he means, he thinks my plan is too time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it is better to give money directly." ”

Shen Shixing said incredulously: "If you don't care about 500,000 taels a year, he can't earn millions of taels a year, which has already exceeded the silver tax of the national treasury." ”

Cao Ke said: "If you count the profits of shares, his annual income may not be less than the national treasury." ”

Shen Shixing suddenly woke up.

Times may have really changed.

When a private person has such a large financial resource, what can he do?

None of them could have imagined it.

Since he couldn't imagine it, he still didn't think about it, and Shen Shixing asked Cao Ke again: "What do you think of it yourself?" ”

Cao Ke said: "We can only rely on Guo Dan, otherwise, it is impossible to succeed." ”

Facts have proven that political means cannot promote reform of this scale, and can only rely on Guo Dan, a newly rising force.