Chapter 46 Customs Silver

This number of one million taels scared Zhu Qizhen.

One million taels is not a small amount.

Many poor provinces pay less than this amount in taxes a year.

Zhu Qizhen didn't know that Li Shimian's pen was so big that it could be said that all ships that could go to sea had already been recruited. Maritime trade between Xin'an and the countries of the South Seas was interrupted for a time.

All the ships were called up.

Li Shimian announced that any ship that does not participate in the transportation of grain will not be qualified to do business in Xin'an in the future. In the same way, some ships that have problems with the ownership of ships, as long as they are willing to work for the Ming Dynasty, will be unimpeded in Xin'an in the future. Then the bounty was issued, and this is how such a large fleet was mobilized.

Zhu Qizhen may not know what Li Shimian has done, but he doesn't think it's more than one million taels. Because now there are more than 20 million taels of silver lying in his inner treasury, and if it can be exchanged for grain, even if it is one or two stones, more than 20 million stones, all problems can be solved.

But where is there such a large supply of food.

Now, counting all kinds of consumption, the average price of four million stone of grain is also below one or two stones.

As for whether Li Shimian is corrupt or not, Zhu Qizhen doesn't care.

Because as long as he can do things, even if there are some disadvantages, Zhu Qizhen will be invisible. Of course, Li Shimian has a good character, and he will never be greedy for this money.

It's just that people seem to be able to share weal and woe, but not prosperity and prosperity.

It's really pushed to the extreme, Zhu Qizhen and Yang Shiqi's previous attitude can be regarded as getting through the difficulties together and cooperating sincerely. But with the arrival of these four million stone grains.

The crisis in Beijing has been solved, and even though Zhu Qizhen has money in his hands, his first feeling is still: this money can't let the inner treasury come out. Even if the inner treasury pays money, there must be concessions from the cabinet.

So Zhu Qizhen said slightly: "It's not too late to talk about this matter after the cabinet scholars come later." ”

Actually, you don't have to wait for the cabinet people.

Because the cabinet people have been waiting in the Mandarin Hall for a long time.

It's just that Zhu Qizhen summoned Li Shimian before the meeting in order to show his closeness to Li Shimian and grasp the initiative.

Immediately, Zhu Qizhen and Li Shimian joined forces in Wenhua Palace.

At the moment, there are seven cabinet members and six books. The people from the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies are all there.

Zhu Qizhen asked Li Shimian to explain the situation again. When he mentioned one million taels again, Zhu Qizhen said casually: "This matter is reasonable, let the household department allocate one million taels." ”

Before others could speak, Liu Zhongfu couldn't bear it. He came out and said: "Your Majesty, if the household department wants money, there is an old minister." ”

"Since last year, the household department has spent money like flowing water, and now the household department has only more than three million taels of silver, and at that time these silver were to be paid for hundreds of officials. It is impossible to move

Use. ”

"The minister thinks that this amount should be opened in the inner treasury."

Others don't know, can Liu Zhongfu not know?

Others only have the concept that the inner treasury is rich, but Liu Zhongfu knows that the inner treasury is rich, and the reason is very simple, Liu Zhongfu is the person of the empress dowager.

Money is transferred from the household department to the inner treasury for various reasons.

Without the support of him, the head of the household, it would never have been possible. Therefore he had a certain number of silver in the inner treasury.

So it can be said that he shouted this voice with confidence.

Before the household had a balance, most of them entered the palace.

Otherwise, the imperial court would not be so stretched.

Zhu Qizhen said: "The inner library has already spent 1.5 million taels, so you can't all come internally." ”

Liu Zhongfu said: "Your Majesty, this matter, the ministers originally had objections, the Son of Heaven is rich all over the world, why bother to compete with the court for profit, the court pays taxes, should be taken from the people, used for the people." ”

"And Xin'an Customs, nearly one million taels a year, is already the largest income in addition to the imperial court field tax, salt tax, and tea tax, and the minister thinks that he will not wait to enter the inner carrier warehouse anyway."

"Your Majesty, please."

Wang Zhi also came out and said, "Please Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Qizhen looked at the two of them, and his eyes fell on Yang Shiqi.

Seeing this, Yang Shiqi said, "Your Majesty, this matter should also be discussed." ”

Zhu Qizhen sneered in his heart, and said secretly: "Old fox, the emotional crisis has just passed, and you will give me a surprise attack?" Zhu Qizhen completely forgot that in fact, he also wanted to take out some benefits from the cabinet just now.

It can be seen that the hero sees the same thing.

Yang Shiqi found a problem, the financial resources of the imperial court were too weak.

First of all, this is because the financial problems designed by Emperor Taizu are not all in the hands of the household department, and the central finance is quite limited in terms of system design.

Secondly, it is the empress dowager's money-saving behavior for several years.

The Empress Dowager is actually very measured. If the imperial court is short of money, she will not transfer silver from the household department into the inner treasury. But in the past ten years of Xuande, all unurgent affairs, recuperation, and real big expenses, that is, the funeral of Xuanzong, as well as the Northwest War, and then there is the Battle of Luchuan. There is also the catastrophe that stretches from the four years of Orthodoxy to the five years of Orthodoxy.

Before the four years of orthodoxy, the financial flow of the imperial court had been positive.

Whenever there is a surplus in the imperial court, the Empress Dowager will set aside a part. This is the most simple love of an old woman for her grandson. It is also her restriction on the imperial court.

As a result, the inner treasury was full, and the household department was in a rather passive situation in response to this catastrophe.

Yang Shiqi doesn't think this is normal.

So, he wants to take back some of the financial power from the emperor, but how can he regain the financial power?

After entering the inner treasury, he still wanted to take it out, Yang Shiqi knew that this was completely impossible, so he thought of pulling out part of the financial resources of the inner treasury.

The financial resources of the inner treasury, in addition to the eunuchs from all over the country, have gold and silver.

In order to avoid the pain of transportation, in the first year of orthodoxy, the grain that should have been supplied to the imperial palace was converted into silver, that is, gold and silver. 250,000 taels per quarter, 1 million taels a year.

This is a major item of income in the palace.

This is not the case today, because customs revenues are now surpassing the trend of gold and silver.

Yang Shiqi didn't want the cabinet emperor to have no money, but he didn't want the household department to be in such a passive situation. It is only at this time that the matter of customs silver should be re-discussed.

Zhu Qizhen said: "What do you mean? ”

Yang Shiqi said: "The minister thought that His Majesty was a genius, and at the beginning of his accession to the throne, he decided to open the sea, which was really a wise move, and it was clearly seen thousands of miles away, and now Xin'an Customs does not disturb the people, and can collect millions of cashiers a year. ”

Zhu Qizhen listened to Yang Shiqi's rainbow fart, and was suddenly a little excited. But he also mixed up in the court for a few years, and immediately calmed down, so he didn't believe it, Yang Shiqi said this just to praise him.

Zhu Qizhen said: "Mr. has too much reputation, and I dare not be ashamed." ”

Yang Shiqi said: "The minister thinks that Li Shimian is transporting grain from Guangzhou to Tianjin at this moment, which shows the necessity of shipping. Therefore, the minister thought that the opening of the sea was the right time. ”

Zhu Qizhen heard that Yang Shiqi was in favor of opening the sea, and while he was happy in his heart, he felt more and more suspicious.

With Yang Shiqi's prestige in the court, he nodded on this matter, and there would be no obstacle to the implementation of the policy of opening the sea. But would Yang Shiqi be so kind?

Sure enough, Yang Shiqi was poor and dagger. Yang Shiqi said: "It's just that in this way, it is a little inappropriate for the customs to be thrown back into the palace." ”

Zhu Qizhen immediately understood.

Yang Shiqi made a condition.

It is to support the opening of the sea for Zhu Qizhen to return the management of the customs from the inner court to the household department, and at the same time, there will be future customs inputs, which are likely to be millions of taels a year.

How should Zhu Qizhen choose?

In fact, at the beginning of Yang Shiqi's words, Zhu Qizhen had made a decision.

As Yang Shiqi said, the Son of Heaven is rich all over the world, what does Zhu Qizhen want so much money for? In fact, it is just a bargaining chip for controlling the imperial court and implementing various policies.

The emperor himself does not need money, and no matter how poor the court is, he will not starve to death the emperor.

However, the emperor wants to turn his opinions into the national policy of the imperial court and implement the world, and finance is an important bargaining chip.

And opening the sea is the national policy that Zhu Qizhen has always wanted to implement. How to choose? Is it necessary to say anything else?