Chapter 292: Another Move

After setting this strategy, Shi Bin always felt that something was missing, but he couldn't remember it for a while, so he had to tell the brothers who were about to take up the post to be cautious, be careful, and never leave it to others.

They were all good people, and Shi Bin's advice naturally agreed, saying that he would never use his power to bully others.

After everyone left Dingzhou, Shi Bin returned to his original boring life, facing mountains of official documents and endless small meetings every day.

However, now that he has resigned from the post of Jinghu South Road transfer envoy, the most annoying thing for him is that he can't find him, as for the firewood, rice, oil and salt in Sichuan, he has Yu Yu to worry about him, and he just hangs a vacant post, so it is actually a lot easier.

Easy to easy but not slack, Shi Bin naturally thought of how to expand his own power, he has always been sailing against the current, and if he doesn't advance, he will retreat, if he dares to slack off, I'm afraid that he will lose his head at that time, and I don't know why.

So he called Wang San, Li Chao and Jia Ling to the study, and as for Zhao Gang, he asked him and Li Yuxi to train together.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Shi Bin opened his mouth and said, "Now our foundation in Jinghu South Road is more stable, and our influence has also expanded to Sichuan civil affairs, but this Sichuan transfer envoy actually doesn't have much practical significance to me, just a signboard." Fortunately, our main source of income has been transferred to the Chamber of Commerce and the salt store, and we are not afraid of running out of money, but do you feel that something is wrong? ”

Inappropriate? This question made Wang San feel a little nonsensical, everything was developing in a good direction, and there were no obvious flaws, how could it be inappropriate?

They are all safe people, and they don't talk nonsense in shock, Li Chao muttered: "May I ask where the inappropriateness you said came from, big brother?" Brother is stupid, I really don't want to be in this situation, what's wrong. ”

After listening to Li Chao's words, Wang San and Jia Ling both agreed and agreed.

"Before, we asked Sai Zilong to find evidence of Zheng Qingzhi, Ding Daquan and Uncle Xie Fang, and then said that we would use the imperial historian to defeat them, which is all right. But isn't that too simple? Shi Bin said as he looked up at a piece of writing on the wall.

Wang San and the others also looked at the words that said 'make the best use of things'.

"Big brother, but you want to take advantage of Zheng Qingzhi's three horsemen to praise you this time and the emperor's appreciation of you, and then what to get from the imperial court?" Wang San asked.

"Yes, but I really didn't think about it so carefully before you said it, Brother Wang, I just felt that they punched me back and it didn't seem exciting enough."

"Not exciting enough?" Jia Ling said with a smile, "I said Master Shi, you really know how to say it, but you actually said that this is not exciting enough." ”

"Of course not enough."

"It seems that what Wang San said is right, the eldest brother still wants something from the imperial court, but we have to discuss carefully what we want to get and what we can get." Li Chao groaned.

"This is natural, but you can't think that I, Shi Bin, am an insatiable villain."

"Hmm." The three of them chimed in.

"Now the eldest brother is the pacification envoy of Jinghu South Road and the Sichuan transit envoy, and the military salary allocated by the imperial court over the years is insufficient, and there is a deficit every year, how about we ask the imperial court for some food?" Li Chao said.

When it comes to food, almost no one present is so angry that they are angry. The salary for all the way is less than one million taels of silver a year, but the Song court only allocated 800,000 taels, plus less than 500,000 taels in Shi Bin's hands. What's even more infuriating is that the quality of this silver is not enough, saying that it is 500,000 taels, but it can only be worth 400,000 taels.

Because of this matter, Shi Bin also specifically asked Jia Nidao, who knew that Jia Nidao actually said that it was because of him that Shi Bin could get so much, if other generals could get 250,000 taels, they would burn high incense.

"Yes, I want food!" As soon as Shi Bin heard this, he immediately slapped the coffee table angrily and shouted.

"How much does that cost? The actual arrival is forty percent, and it is impossible to get all of them, that is, eighty percent is difficult..." Jia Ling said with some embarrassment.

"Then don't expect it, how about 20% more silver in good condition, 60%?"

"Li Chao is right, I'm afraid it can only be like this, in two days I will go up to the fold and ask the emperor to allocate 600,000 taels of silver for the future annual salary, even if it can't be every year, it should be okay to give it for three consecutive years." Shi Bin said.

After discussing a problem, Shi Bin naturally thought of another problem: taxation. In today's troubled times, the world is declining, the officialdom has long been decayed, and there are countless excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes, so Shi Bin wants to reduce taxes a little.

While still thinking about what to say, Jia Ling smiled and said: "Is the husband thinking about how to reduce the taxes in Dingzhou, Tanzhou, Hengzhou, Daozhou and Sichuan, so that we and the people can live more comfortably?" ”

Shi Bin was no longer surprised that Jia Ling could guess what he was thinking, but this time he smiled and said: "This is natural, but I am still thinking about another thing, I don't know if Mrs. has thought of it." ”

It was nonsense, but he just wanted to save face, but he didn't expect Jia Ling to be more serious, and his brows were tightly worried about Shi Bin's 'another thing'.

If it was ordinary, Shi Bin would have told Jia Ling that it was a joke, but in front of several people, not to mention that he really thought about it as carefully as possible, he simply kept silent and waited for Jia Ling to 'think' of his other question.

After a while, Jia Ling grinned and said, "Are you thinking of how to get the emperor's approval?" ”

"Yes." Shi Bin naturally wouldn't repeatedly brush Jia Ling's face, and simply affirmed her.

"It's a bit troublesome, I really haven't figured it out, but with Wang San, Li Chao and me, it won't take long to definitely come up with a way, and it's definitely a foolproof way..."

Before Jia Ling could say anything, Xu Feng walked in from outside the door and reported loudly: "My lord, the official document of the imperial court has arrived." ”

After checking the fire paint seal letter, Shi Bin opened the official document and read it. To Wang San's surprise, Shi Bin looked at his face becoming more and more gloomy, and his face was like the bottom of a pot, and he smashed his fist on the coffee table despite the pain, and the coffee table collapsed in response, and the tea flowed all over the ground.

understood that this official document must have touched Shi Bin's scales, otherwise he would not be so angry.

Jia Ling still dared to speak in the room, and she said softly, "Show me." Without looking back, Shi Bin just stuffed the official document into Jia Ling's hand.

After taking a closer look, Jia Ling also looked like the bottom of the pot, and scolded: "Bastard! It must be a good thing done by Zheng Qingzhi's old horsemen again! ”

Shi Bin and Jia Ling sulked and scolded without saying anything, but Wang San and Li Chao still didn't know why they were so angry, so they had to remind them softly.

After reminding Jia Ling to calm down first, she gritted her teeth and said, "Didn't we just say that we wanted to ask the imperial court for more food and pay less taxes?" Zheng Qingzhi's puppets said in front of the emperor that Shi Bin's subordinates were all elite soldiers, so there was no need for so many soldiers, and they had to cut Shi Bin by one percent and reduce the allocation of military spending by one percent; He also said that Shi Bin is very good at governing the local area, so he has to levy taxes in Dingzhou, Tanzhou, Hengzhou, Daozhou and Sichuan every year. ”

As soon as the words fell, Wang San and Li Chao were also like the bottom of the pot.

Before, he was still planning how to reduce the burden and strengthen his strength, but now it is good, the plan has not yet been decided, and the official document of the Song Dynasty to reduce the appropriation and increase taxes has already arrived. No wonder Shi Bin and Jia Ling reacted like this.

"It's amazing, it's really spicy, and it actually gave us a salary from the bottom of the kettle." Shi Bin whispered angrily.

"Big brother, it's useless to be angry, we have to hurry up and find a way to deal with it, if we really do it according to the will of the imperial court, then the little money we have accumulated with great difficulty will be gone." Li Chao said anxiously.

"It's just that if you can't think of a way, you have to sacrifice our reputation instead of sacrificing our family, in short, there will be no good result!" Wang San said anxiously.

Everyone understands this truth, but it is difficult to think of a solution. The emperor's will has already come down, and if he wants to complain again, it will be easy to settle down, and Zheng Qingzhi will not obey the will. Although Li Zong will definitely not think that he is disobedient, but the favor of the Holy Grace that he has won so hard is probably gone.

"I have a solution to the urgent need to raise taxes." Jia Ling muttered, "But it's only a temporary solution, and there are other ways to solve it from the root." ”

"Say it quickly, say it quickly, I have to pay taxes in less than two months, and I don't have time to listen to you!" Shi Bin hurriedly urged Jia Lingdao.

"Really, they are all feudal officials and they are still so impatient." Jia Ling lightly accused Shi Bin and then said: "Do you remember the nearly 80,000 stone grain and grass that we secretly robbed last time we went to Longnan, how about we use it?" ”

Thinking of these 80,000 stone grains and grass, Shi Bin breathed a sigh of relief and put his heart down, although these 80,000 stones of grain and grass are a lot, but the key is that this is a windfall, so it will not be so unpleasant to use, and it is appropriate to use it to solve this urgent need.

"But there is another question, how do we use the 80,000 stone grain and grass? After all, only the four prefectures of Ding, Tan, Heng and Dao are really our territory, and Sichuan is not. Li Chao said unwillingly.

"Of course it can't be, you can help if you want us, but you have to exchange things, there is no free lunch in the world." Jia Ling said immediately.

"How about we exchange salt with them? I heard that the well salt in Sichuan is good, but the eldest brother is a Sichuan transfer envoy after all, what if Yu Jue plays tricks and pushes the matter to 625? We can't help it. Wang San said with a bitter face.

"This shouldn't be enough, although Yu Jue likes Mingzhe to protect himself, but now he and I are grasshoppers on the same rope, one is prosperous and one is lost. Besides, he is the commander of Sichuan, and it is impossible to stand by and watch, but he just has to talk to him. Shi Bin said with certainty.

"Then the eldest brother will choose a day to go to Chengdu and talk carefully with this old fritter, hoping to have a satisfactory result."

"Brother Li Chao is right." Wang San agreed.

It can be regarded as a temporary countermeasure to the matter of the Song court's increase in taxes, and then Shi Bin asked: "What should I do after the 80,000 grains and grass are used up?" ”

"Let's get something out of the way we can't pay the full tax."

"Wang San, what excuse do you make? If it's too obvious, it's the same as sending meat to the cutting board. Shi Bin said with some concern.

"Big brother, don't worry, how can I, Wang San, let you be that piece of meat on the chopping board? It has always been natural and man-made disasters that the imperial court will reduce taxes, so let's make a fuss about this. ”

"A move is a good move, but where are there natural disasters and where are there human disasters? You should have a way, let's talk about it. Jia Ling said with curiosity on her face.

"Hmm. If there are no natural or man-made disasters, we will create natural and man-made disasters. Let's send people to rob those bullies by pretending to be bandits and bandits, they all have backgrounds, which will naturally allow Song Ting to reduce our taxes, and there is also a year when our farmland will not suffer from natural disasters, how much, then we will report the famine more. On the other hand, they were taxed and the gentry were paid in one piece. And if anyone dares to evade taxes, they will be punished by ten times, so that we will not be afraid of paying taxes by one percent. ”

"Wang San, you are powerful enough. In this way, Shi Bin will only receive a few reprimands at most, and the saint's favor will not be lost, but the foundation is thicker, that is, the imperial court has really reduced military spending, and we can still afford to raise so many soldiers and horses. It will also make Zheng Qingzhi and them relax their vigilance. Jia Ling praised very happily.

"According to Wang San's method, we can indeed afford to raise so many soldiers and horses, but I don't want to suffer this nest of losses. We'd better think of a way to force Song Ting to pay back so much food. Shi Bin said gloomily.

"It's also simple, as long as there are frequent wars, the imperial court will not be able to disarm and reduce military spending."

"It makes sense, then Wang San, how do you provoke this battle? Who to fight with and how big is the right fight? Don't hurt ourselves. ”

"Big brother, don't worry." Wang San said with a smile, "Wouldn't it be better if the thief shouted to catch the thief?" ”