Li Mu originally wanted to explain that there was really nothing between him and Wei Yingluo. At least so far, there has been no overstepping the etiquette between them, but after thinking about it, Li Mu felt that he couldn't guarantee what would happen in the future, and if he said too much, he would be lost, and if he couldn't prepare for any sentence he said too much, he would be caught, which was really unnecessary.

There was nothing to say all night, and the next day, when Li Mu got up, Zhang Tianai was gone. She now has to go to the yali early every morning, and she is very conscientious. From this point of view, Zhang Tianai is obviously a typical career-oriented woman, while Jin Chen is diametrically opposed, she likes acting very much, but after Bai Qiaoqiao became heavier, she asked her to accompany her at home, and she never mentioned that she wanted to act.

This made Li Mu more satisfied with her and treated her better and better. Every time I go out, I will secretly bring her some small things, which is a little secret between the two. Of course Bai Qiaoqiao knew, but she never expressed her dissatisfaction, since Li Zhien left, Jin Chen has been by her side for the most days, and the relationship between the two has become better and better. Jin Chen's temperament is very inclusive, not as strong as Zhang Tianai or Li Zhien, and it is naturally easier to integrate.

The locust plague has basically come to an end. The project of Chidao has also been restored to normal, and even with the help of the monk Deyan of the White Horse Temple, the good men and women near Luoyang City, the lay pilgrims, have been put into the construction, and some people have contributed people, powerful contributions, and rich donations, and started construction together with the section of the road, which is more efficient. Gongsun Kang calculated the construction period, before the snowfall, the lot in charge of Luoyang should not be a problem to be completed, as for the lot in charge of Chang'an, because it was not affected by the locust plague, if there is no accident, it should be completed on time, or even ahead of schedule.

Before the snow falls, the gallop is closed, and the coal transportation plan will not be delayed. Li Mu's plan is to use coal to solve the heating problems in Chang'an and Luoyang this year. In the vicinity of Chang'an and Luoyang, naturally there is not so much coal used, and due to the monopoly of Datang Mining, Chang'an and Luoyang are not allowed to open mines, and open-pit coal mines are mainly concentrated in Taiyuan, Shuozhou and other places. Therefore, how to balance coal mining and transportation before the snow falls is also an issue that must be put on the agenda.

Before the river was closed, it was necessary to transport coal to Chang'an and Luoyang by water. How to do this transportation link needs to be solved urgently.

If you want to transport a large amount of coal, you need a ship, and the ship can transport coal to Luoyang, but not to Chang'an. Then from Luoyang to Chang'an, you can still make a fortune. Which link has to invest money, which link can make money, and which link will make money, Li Mu has already arranged it in his heart.

The establishment of Datang Mining was already last year. In the past year, although Li Mu has not asked about Datang Mining, he has also heard some news from the side. Compared with Datang Salt Industry, which has encountered 'difficult birth', the development of Datang Mining can be described as smooth, especially the mining of coal, which is not too simple. There is too much coal near Shuozhou and Taiyuan, and almost a layer of soil has been dug up, and there is all coal underneath. Therefore, the so-called mining is just the word 'digging'.

The Taiyuan Wang family wants money and money, and there are people who want it, and there has been no delay in mining, and there are already a lot of stocks. Li Mu has received the news that Taiyuan is ready to transport coal to Chang'an, but in this matter, the 'Datang Mining', which is dominated by the Taiyuan Wang family, has not greeted Li Mu, and it is also true that he has not taken him seriously.

According to the rules, this is understandable, who made you Li Mu give up his shares. But in terms of facts, this is a bit not authentic enough, after all, without Li Mu, there would be no Datang Mining, and this money would not be earned.

Li Mu's personality is also a bit strange, if the people of Datang Mining have to give him money, he will ask for it if he doesn't see it. But if he is ignored, he will be a little unhappy, who are you looking down on? Therefore, when the coal was to be transported in Taiyuan, Li Mu issued a notice that in order to make up for the huge investment in the construction of the Chi Road, the goods would be transported differently and the weight would be different, and taxes and fees would be levied on the goods.

As soon as the notice was posted, it immediately caused an uproar.

Li Mu's move is very lacking in morality. Although when he proposed to build the road, he also mentioned that he could collect 'tolls', but it was a fee, not a tax. It is a fee, there is a fixed standard, and Li Mu, on behalf of the imperial court, signed a very low fee standard with the various families who built the road, and it will take a few years to return to the cost at the earliest.

But Li Mu cultivated his own way, and he set the 'tax', and the tax and the fee are very different. The tax is not paid, and the tax represents the official, there is no constraint, Li Mu is the Marquis of Luoyang, Luoyang is his fiefdom, if he wants, he can set the price at will, unless Li Shimin decrees, no one can control him.

With this premise, although Li Mu has not 'charged indiscriminately', anyone who is familiar with his temperament will feel that his statement at this time is already a signal that he will do so. This is a threat on the surface, if you don't give me benefits, if you want to transport goods to Chang'an through the gallop road in winter, you will definitely have to bleed.

The impeachment twists and turns flew into the palace like snowflakes. Li Shimin's will was sent to Luoyang in an expedited manner for 800 miles, asking him to explain the matter of taxation.

Li Mu quickly gave an explanation, and his words were very concise. A lot of money was spent on building roads, and someone must pay for it? The two methods in front of him now, either the imperial court allocates funds, or collects taxes to fill in the matter, whatever you do, Your Majesty's Sacred Heart is arbitrary, and he has no opinion.

Where is Li Shimin going to get him money? The treasury was empty, and the money in the treasury - it was his own, and he was not willing to take it out.

After thinking about it for several days, Li Shimin finally expressed his support for Li Mu's tax collection. was strongly resisted by the Yushitai, and they took out Li Mu's previous sale of treasury bonds, to the effect that Li Mu had raised hundreds of thousands of funds by selling bonds and other means, according to Li Mu's statement at the time, the money was enough to build Chidao, and now it is not enough, where did the money go? Is it corruption? An explanation has to be given!

Li Shimin was also curious about where the money went, so he hurried up to 800 miles and asked Li Mu: Where did the money go?

Li Mu's words also replied quickly: The disaster relief was used, there are accounts, and every payment can be checked, but there is really no money.

Others don't know the details, but Li Shimin does. Although this locust plague looks serious, it actually didn't cost much, and Li Mu's statement is untenable. There must still be money, and Li Mu will not be corrupt, he just wants to collect taxes.

Li Shimin really wanted to ask, Li Mu himself said that he wanted to pay a light tax, why did he still mention the matter of collecting taxes. But in Luoyang, it is inconvenient for him to ask, and in the court, the opposition is getting louder and louder, and he really can't bear the pressure.

Just when he was thinking about whether to call Li Mu back to inquire, news came out from Luoyang again.

The stick of tax collection has fallen from shouting to the ground. The Marquis of Luoyang posted a notice that all merchants in Luoyang City must report their accounts within a limited time, and all transactions are taxed according to 30 taxes, whether they are shops or markets. If you take the initiative to pay commercial tax, you can enjoy reductions, tax refunds, and even subsidies according to different situations. However, those who refuse to pay commercial taxes will be immediately imprisoned, fined, confiscated, and distributed, and will not be tolerated.

When the news came back to Chang'an, not only the Manchu Dynasty was stunned, but Li Shimin himself was also stunned.

Li Mu: What are you doing here? Is he declaring war?

Commercial taxes have existed since ancient times, but they are only there. Because of the actual tax collection, it is very difficult to achieve. For ordinary people, many of their transactions are bartered or replaced by work. And the so-called businessmen are rarely their own business. Most of the merchants in Luoyang, Chang'an, are big families, slaves of the gate lords, and they are in charge of business for the forces behind them.

In short, those who can afford to buy and sell and make a little scale in this era are basically the privileged class. For example, the five surnames and seven sects, such as the nobles of all walks of life, the gate valve, etc., you have to collect taxes, in the final analysis, you are paying money in their pockets. Luoyang is the throat of Chang'an, you Li Mu is stuck at the throat, collecting taxes and fees, what is the difference between this and blackmailing the world?

What's more, if this is the case. The imperial court will benefit from standardizing commercial taxes, but for the privileged classes such as nobles and gate lords, how much should they lose? Li Mu demanded thirty taxes and one one, and their loss was one-thirtieth. Can they accept such a loss?

Li Shimin dreamed of collecting business taxes, but he himself felt that he might not be able to do this. But Li Mu did it abruptly. Although Li Shimin admired his courage, he also felt that Li Mu was talking nonsense, why did he think he could do this?

……

Ma Zhou also has the same doubts. When he got the news, Ma Zhou was still collecting public grain, and as soon as he received the news, he quickly returned to Luoyang City, and found Li Mu, who was using [tailor] skills to make clothes for his unborn child.

“…… What does Hou Ye rely on? Don't you know that this is to provoke the wrath of the people? ”

"Don't be impatient," Li Mu looked at the 'open crotch pants' he made, nodded with satisfaction, and put it aside. After the skill is upgraded, the effect is really much better. He put aside all the clothes he had made in the morning, turned to look at Ma Zhou, and said, "What is the basis?" Just take Luoyang as a basis? On the basis of the gallop that is about to be repaired? What else can be relied upon? ”

"Master Hou, do you think they will pay their taxes obediently?" Ma Zhou wanted to say something, you are too naïve, but seeing Li Mu's appearance of smiling but not smiling, somehow, he didn't dare to say it.

"They have to pay taxes." Li Mu chuckled, as if to say something very normal: "Winter is about to begin, there is a shortage of food and clothing in Chang'an City, people are sick, and there is also a shortage of medicinal materials. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has signed a lot of orders, and they must be delivered before the winter, otherwise it will be a breach of contract. Default is to lose money, and it's not a small amount of money, it's a lot of money, you know? ”

Of course Ma Zhou knew, but what he didn't know was what the connection was.

"You've disappointed me." Li Mu sighed, shook his head, and said, "I thought you were a smart person, but I didn't expect your knowledge to be shallow...... Chi Dao, I repaired it, Luoyang City, under my control. They didn't pay their taxes, so I blocked the road and didn't let them cross. Just a businessman, dare to pull the flag and rebel? They don't have to pay taxes, and I don't force them? But if you miss the time limit of the order, you can't blame me for losing money. You can pay your taxes without delay, right? Of course, they can also go to His Majesty to complain, but after all, I am in Luoyang, and Your Majesty can't ask me in person, the messenger is 800 miles urgent, and it takes two days to come and go. Ben Hou has time, let's talk together? Anyway, if you don't pay taxes, I'll close the road and see who loses more. ”

Li Mu sneered and said, "After three or two months, even if Your Majesty recalls Ben Hou back to Chang'an, it doesn't matter." Ben Hou doesn't lose money! ”

The corners of Ma Zhou's mouth twitched, and the sentence 'shameless' almost blurted out. Dare to love this is still a serial set, he finally understands why Li Mu added a breach of contract clause when he presided over the Internal Affairs Office, it turned out to be a pit! A few days ago, weren't the grain merchants in Luoyang afraid of breach of contract, so they were pinched to death by Li Mu? Who would have thought that with such a play, one trick can be used twice, and it is so easy to use!

Ma Zhou suddenly thought of something and asked: "Master Hou, isn't it, I remember that there seems to be a 'Datang Insurance', isn't it just this kind of insurance?" You suddenly collect taxes, this is one of the 'force majeure', if it is delayed, Datang Insurance will have to lose money! ”

"Huh!" Li Mu smiled even more happily, took out a piece of paper from his arms, handed it to Ma Zhou, Ma Zhou took it and took a closer look, it turned out to be an insurance policy issued by Datang Insurance, only to see the third article of the agreed clause above, it was written that the goods insured by Datang Insurance are only applicable to legal goods within the scope of Datang Law, and the owner must bear the obligation to inform, if the goods are found to be illegal, the insurance policy is not valid, and Datang Insurance can refuse to pay.

Ma Zhou immediately understood where the pit was.

According to the law of the Tang Dynasty, the first thirty taxes are legal. If you don't pay taxes, then your goods are not legal, and if the goods are not legal, I will not pay. You deserve to lose as much as you want, and the default clause of the order does not say that your goods are judged to be illegal, and the order does not need to be delivered. This article seems to be no problem, but it is to pick yourself cleanly, with this article, Datang Insurance will not lose a penny.

Ma Zhou looked at the insurance policy for a long time, and finally bowed to the end: "Master Hou has no last resort, Ma Zhou is served!" ”