On the third day of February in the 48th year of Wanli, the emperor decreed that Xu Guangqi, the young Zhan Shi, was appointed as the daily speaker of His Royal Highness Taisun. This made many ministers breathe a sigh of relief, because it would make His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's position more secure. For Zhu Xiaoqi, this was an important step in realizing his ideals, because he felt that Xu Guangqi, as a scientist, should be able to easily understand some of his ideas, whether in the natural sciences or social sciences.

Early in the morning of the fourth day of the second lunar month, Xu Guangqi came to the East Palace. He first met Zhu Changluo, and then Zhu Changluo sent someone to take him to Zhu Xiaoqi's study. Zhu Xiaoqi saluted him first, Xu Guangqi returned the salute, and everyone sat down separately.

Xu Guangqi said: "The emperor's decree is to let Guangqi serve as a lecturer on the day, Guangqi knows that he is not a shallow learner, and he is afraid that he will be entrusted by the emperor and miss the study of His Royal Highness the grandson." ”

Zhu Xiaoqi smiled: "Shao Zhan is too modest. The students used to read and write with the attendants, but because they were young and naughty, although they knew some words and read some books, they did not know the meaning of the books and did not understand the principles of the sages, so the language was vulgar and there were a lot of slang. "This must be vaccinated first, and if you accidentally pop up a modern term, you can also shirk it. Besides, he can't speak Chinese, although he has Zhu Youxiao's background, but after all, he is tired, and he may not be right.

"Your Highness is young, and it's normal for him to like to speak slang. Guangqi actually likes to speak slang, and if slang can make people understand its meaning, it is better than not being able to say it. ”

Shao Zhan's words have a deep meaning, and students often think about it. Ancient books cherish words such as gold only because the words were not easy at that time, but now there is no such concern, people often speak obscurely, it seems unfathomable, but it makes people feel that the clouds and mountains are covered with fog, students are shallow, and they feel that they are not enough to take it, so please use simple words to explain the confusion of students. ”

Xu Guangqi nodded yes, and his heart was even more fond of His Royal Highness Taisun. Although he was a serious Jinshi and had been a Shujishi, he did not approve of the practice of some people who must have a classic. He often worked with old farmers, artisans, and missionaries, and felt that rural slang was actually better expressed, and that it was easier for people to accept and understand. At a young age, Taisun can understand the simple reasons recorded in the books of the ancients, which shows that he has really thought about it, and he really deserves the word smart.

"I don't know what Shao Zhan can do to guide the students in the battle with Jiannu."

"Jiannu, the barbarian of the anti-judgment, the disease of scabies, is not enough to suffer."

Zhu Xiaoqi couldn't help but be surprised, after the Jin Dynasty last came to Ming, Xu Guangqi actually thought that it was just a disease of scabies, it seems that scientists are really unreliable in politics and military. In fact, he misunderstood Xu Guangqi, in fact, even Jiannu at this time did not dare to want to destroy the Ming Dynasty at all, because the two are not an order of magnitude in all aspects of national strength. Of course, the people of the Ming Dynasty would not think so, at most they felt that it was just a more troublesome rebel army, and it would be swept away by the imperial army in the end.

"Then how do you think Shao Zhan should deal with Jiannu?"

"In fact, it is not difficult to exterminate Jiannu, it is nothing more than training combatable soldiers, creating suitable firearms and armor, and choosing one or two good generals, which can be leveled. The difficulty is that silver must be used everywhere, and where the silver comes from is the most important question. ”

"Then Shao Zhan Shi thinks why I am short of money?"

"Guangqi thinks that the more acres of land are concealed in the world, the more tax arrears are serious, which makes the state insufficient."

"The students felt that there should be other reasons."

"I don't know what else Your Highness said?"

"Mining taxes are illegal." The mining tax was created by his emperor's grandfather, although it is collectively called the mining tax, in fact, it is far from being limited to mining, there are salt supervisors in Lianghuai, and there are pearl supervisors in Guangdong, and the internal officials are stationed in one place to collect taxes, and many people oppose it at that time. But Zhu Xiaoqi's generation generally recognized that taxes were necessary.

"Is the mine tax illegal? Is His Highness in favor of collecting a mining tax? Xu Guangqi said in surprise.

"Of course, under the whole world, it is not the king's land, and of course the mining tax should be collected."

"What does it mean to be unlawful?"

"The mining tax should be collected, but it should not be collected by the internal officials, nor should it be collected as it is now. The role of taxation is to serve the various expenses of the imperial court, such as official salaries and military salaries, such as disaster relief, such as repairs and construction, and so on. However, there is an inequality between the rich and the poor, and if the poor and the rich pay the same taxes, the rich will not suffer, and the poor will become poorer. ”

"As the students think, the people who open the mines have a lot of money, and the mines increase their wealth, and of course they should be taxed to the treasury. However, now the internal government collects mining tax, not only collecting the tax of the miners, but also disturbing the people's homes, if they want to collect a certain mining tax, it means that their house is said to have a mine under it, and if they pay the tax, they can protect their house, and if they do not pay, their house will be ruined. And how much taxes are collected, what are the sources, and how much are collected, there is no evidence at all, and there is no way to rely on it, and one of the CD of the imperial court's income may not be there. Most of the people in the world hate the mining tax, and most of them do this, and there are also rich families who open mines and do not want to pay taxes, which is also evil, so everyone in the world says that the mining tax can be abolished, and the students do not think so. ”

Xu Guangqi fell into deep thought, and he has always been against the mining tax, because many mine supervisors have indeed gone too far, and too many people have suffered from it. But listening to Zhu Xiaoqi's words, I found that if the tax collection method is changed, the mining tax is actually a good thing. Although he is a scholar, he is not pedantic, on the contrary, he is quick in thinking, and it is easy to understand that what Zhu Xiaoqi said makes sense. The imperial court has been suffering from silver money for a long time, and now it collects mining taxes, which can have more than 500,000 taels of silver and more than 1,000 taels of gold every year, and it can also help the imperial court's finances a little. If Zhu Xiaoqi's method is followed, the mining tax may be increased if it is not reduced, and it can remove the disturbance to the people, which is really the best way. It's just that he is nearly sixty years old, and he has to wait until His Royal Highness Taisun takes power, but I am afraid that there is little hope. However, he is a person who cares about the world, and he is still very pleased to think that as long as His Royal Highness Taisun is in power, he can increase the state by removing the cover of mining taxes, and the Ming Dynasty can be expected to be rich and strong.

"Your Highness's words are very good, if you can follow Your Highness's law, you will get the advantages and remove the disadvantages, although Guangqi may not be able to see it in person, but also thank Your Highness for the people in the world."

Zhu Xiaoqi was proud, of course you didn't know that I was going to take the stage this year, but I knew it, so I would let you see it, and I would ask you to help me do this.

"Shao Zhan is serious. But how to collect taxes, I don't understand this, I want to ask less Zhan to do more trouble, gather the world's talented people, draw up a detailed charter, mining tax and other taxes, there are regulations to follow, then you can benefit from the cover, one to let the people know their own tax number, the small officials dare not embezzle, the other is to make the court know the number of taxes in various places, by the division one by one, so that the money flow to a reasonable and less wasteful. This fact is related to the well-being of the people in the world, and there must be Mr. Lao. But Mr. doesn't need to be in a hurry, just for a year, how about it? ”

Xu Guangqi didn't even dare to say it, Zhu Xiaoqi called him Mr., of course he had no way to refuse. What's more, he feels that he can do his part in the things that are beneficial to the world, which is his own ambition and his own glory. I'm worried that it might take a long time to use it after I make a charter, but as long as I can use it, it's better than not using it. Ponder who you are going to find to do this? Is there anyone among the Franc machine missionaries who knows how to collect taxes, and Tessie's method should be a stone for other mountains, Bi Ziyan seems to be more proficient in these, should you write to him to discuss?