A day later, in the palace room of Cao Guo, a high platform towers over the banks of the Jishui River, and you can watch the sailless wooden boats of the merchants shuttling on the gently flowing water.

Cao Boyang sat here in court clothes, holding the high crown on his head with some impatience, he was waiting for the exiled Zhao gentleman to meet without shirts.

Although he felt that he and Zhao Wuxian were "like-minded" during the hunt, whether it was Qi Shang with Chen's background or Zheng Shang who was personally supported by Zheng Guo's officials, Cao Bo did not want to offend. Therefore, Cao Bo simply adopted an attitude of procrastination and support, and only hoped that Zhao Wuxian and others would be impatient to go north and leave Cao Jing as soon as possible, so that everyone could be safe.

However, after Zhao Wuxian promised to give him Zhao's horse and a unique four-** car as gifts, Cao Bo was soft and could only reluctantly meet him again.

At this moment, Youji led Zhao Wuxian, who was wearing a white coat with a Xuanguan, to come up, and Zigong who was wearing a soap-colored dark coat behind him and walked in small steps.

Zhao Wuxian stood and bowed for a long time, while Zigong, who had a lower status, bowed his head.

"Foreign Minister Zhao Zi has no mercy to visit Uncle Cao."

"Duanmuci, the contemptible person of Wei, pays a visit to Uncle Cao."

Cao Bo waved his wide sleeves and said, "Please get up, give the table." ”

The temple people placed a pu mat ten steps away, which was a medium size for receiving foreign ministers, and the mat was given to Zhao Wuxian, Zigong had no identity, so he could only stand behind Wuxian.

Cao Bo looked at Zhao Wuxian and the businessman who was once imprisoned by him, and was thinking about how to perfunctory the past, but it was Zhao Wuxian who spoke first.

"Uncle Cao, the foreign minister came to disturb today, but he wanted to talk about the colonization of goods, but he didn't know ......."

Uncle Cao stroked the short beard on his lips and said with a haha: "As the so-called chicken night, raccoon hunting rats, the monarch and his subordinates have their own duties, and the widow just sits in the court, hunting and sacrificing, and doesn't ask about the market." It's all handed over to Sicheng and Master Chu to manage. Today I wanted to talk to Zitai about the fun of autumn hunting, but who knew that you wanted to talk to me about this mundane matter, although Lone is the king, it is not easy to interfere. Zitai should go to Sicheng. ”

Zhao Wuxian secretly said in his heart that Zigong was not bad, and this Cao Jun really accepted bribes from Qi and Zheng merchants, so he smiled and said: "If the foreign minister says that this matter is related to the abundance of Cao Guo's treasury; It is related to the number of riders during autumn hunting and winter hunting; It's about the strength of the bow and the speed of the dog. Cooking the beauty of Jiarou, doesn't Uncle Cao still care? ”

Cao Boyang was very puzzled: "What does Zitai mean by this, can you elaborate?" ”

After smiling, he asked Zigong, who was standing behind him, to answer.

Zigong saluted respectfully and said, "Uncle Cao, when I passed through the Rong Customs two months ago, I noticed that the tariff of Cao was only two percent. When visiting Tao City, I saw that the market was all over the place, and the merchants gathered, which was better than Xinjiang, Puyang, and Linzi, but the city tax collected by the city officials was very small. Only 5 percent, compared to the Jin, Song, and Wei each charged one-tenth of the tax on the city, it is simply benevolent and righteous. It's no wonder that the merchants praised Cao Bo and were willing to come to Taoyi to farm goods, but they didn't know how much else could be left after the city tax revenue was collected from the treasury? ”

"This ......"

Zigong's words seemed to be flattering, but they directly hit the point of Cao Bo.

He turned his head to look at Jishui, which was dyed red by the morning sun, and remembered that when his father was critically ill, he had dragged him here to count the number of wooden boats.

Cao Jinggong's last words are still in his ears: "Yang." As long as there are merchant ships sailing in Jishui, the treasury of Cao State will not be empty! ”

Although Guan Yiwu once advocated: "Shut down but not collect, and the market does not tax." However, it was difficult for the princes and doctors of various countries to resist the fat sheep in transit, and in the following hundred years, they increased the customs and city taxes, if it were not for the fact that those merchants all had a background of climbing. He has already sent troops to loot.

However, although the successive monarchs of Cao State were unbearable, they have always adhered to one rule that has remained unchanged for generations: the tariff and city tax must be lower than that of neighboring countries, and future generations must not increase it arbitrarily.

Because between the four desecrations, there is not only one place that can be used as "in the world", and the reason why this place can make merchants and goods from all over the world flock to it is because the tariff and commercial tax are extremely low.

Therefore, although Cao Bo bought more hunting equipment and breeding beasts in order to make money. Depriving the people of the right to use the mountains and forests, he also increased the land tax to one-half. even reduced the income of the small officials in the country, so that the soap officials sang one after another: "Graceful, Ji Nusi is hungry." ”

However, Cao Bo knew that Tao City was the foundation of Cao State, and he had always strictly followed Cao Jinggong's orders, and did not open a knife on the merchants, peddlers and women who accounted for one-third of the population of the capital.

Having said that, seeing that the gold money earned by Qi merchant Zheng Jia every year can be taken away in a car, and as the owner of Tao City, he can only pick up their scraps and barely survive, Cao Bo is also very unwilling.

But in addition to the fear of Zu Xun, he also knew that if the merchants made a detour to other countries, the Cao State would inevitably decline, and even the slightest commercial tax could not be collected, and the people had no clothes or brown, and they could not afford to raise soldiers, maybe they would be killed by the Song State tomorrow!

Cao Boyang ended his thoughts, and became angry in his heart, although he was very dissatisfied with the income of the treasury, but this is what you, a foreign minister, and a small businessman who defended the country, can you ask?

He turned his head fiercely, and was about to end the conversation in anger, but saw that Wei Shang bowed again and said, "Give me a plan, so that Uncle Cao can use the country without raising taxes." ”

"The country spends enough without raising taxes!?" Cao Bo's indignation was gone, and the only thing left was how to get this strategy out of Zigong's mouth.

He leaned forward with an eager attitude, "Say it quickly, please say it quickly!" ”

Zigong stroked his legs in embarrassment, and pretended to be melancholy: "The foreign minister has been going back and forth for many years, and the wind and rain have come and gone, and he has rheumatism at a young age, so he has stood for a while, and his legs are numb......"

Where did Uncle Cao still care about Zigong's identity, and hurriedly said in a loud voice: "Sit!" Sit down! ”

The temple people hurriedly put on the pu mat, Zigong Shi Shiran saluted and thanked him, and slowly knelt down, he also unhurriedly sorted out the crown and belt appearance, waiting for Cao Bo to be anxious, but it was not easy to ask.

After Zigong sat down, he and Zhao Wuxian glanced at each other, the two of them nodded slightly, and secretly said that Uncle Cao really cared about the treasury and the country, so that today's strategy would be half of it.

He continued: "The kingdom of the king of the sea, by virtue of the power of merchants and merchants, the industry of mountains and seas, so that currency, taxation, and wealth accumulation, can enrich the country. ”

"According to the current situation of Cao Guo, if the tax rate set a hundred years ago is maintained, it will not be enough to meet Cao Bo's expenses on hunting, palaces, and beautiful weapons. However, if the tax is rashly raised, the merchants will take a detour, the trade will decrease, and the Cao State will establish the country with Tao City. If there is no pottery, there is no Cao, and if the pottery city declines, the treasury is empty, which is tantamount to killing chickens and taking eggs. ”

Subsequently, Zigong told the fable that Zhao Wuxian said and listened to him.

So the minister thinks. The best way is not to slaughter the merchants directly, but to take them invisibly, so that the people will not be angry and the chickens will not die. ”

Hearing this, Cao Boyang shook his head again and again, and looked at him fixedly. Just wait for Zigong to say the method.

Speaking of this, Zigong stopped again, with a hesitant face, and stopped talking.

Zigong's narration had already touched Cao Boyang's itch, and when he saw that he didn't say anything, he was so anxious that he jumped to his feet, what's the matter?

Zigong sighed and said: "I'm ashamed that when I was young, I followed my elders to sell in Lilu, and I hurt my throat, but now I am only talking ten steps away. I felt that my mouth was dry and I couldn't speak. ”

Cao Boyang took the case and beckoned to the temple people: "Move the table for Zitai and Zigong, go to five steps, no!" Within three steps, a few feasts were quickly put on the table, and the elixir vegetables and fruits were served. ”

After a while, Zhao Wuxian and Zigong, who were snickering, sat three steps away from Cao Bo and enjoyed the treatment of guests of a large country.

If you look up a little here, you can see the Jishui River.

Uncle Cao smiled shyly. Chao Wuxian and Zigong bowed separately and said: "Take it from the invisible, is there really such a trick?" The widow is stupid, and I ask Zigong to teach me. ”

After teasing Cao Bo twice, Zigong's anger after being placed under house arrest for a month can be regarded as revenge. At this time, he pointed to the river under the Taixie, and said faster: "Uncle Cao, please see, this water flowing through Taoyi, just like Qi Shang and Zheng Jia who came here to trade, brought a lot of water, but left a small amount of water. Dare to ask how to retain more water than using ditches to divert water to irrigate the fields? ”

Cao Boyang scratched his head and thought about it for a long time, and then he suddenly remembered the water pavilion he had built in the spring, and suddenly woke up: "Didn't you dig a pond or a small lake by the river?" ”

Zigong clapped his hands and said: "Yes, the ditch is like a tax, everyone can see that the water has been taken away, and the pond is just filled with river water, which seems to flow unchanged, but in fact, it retains more water. If it can be imitated, because of the power of Tao City to produce the wealth of Cao State, it can be profitable without raising taxes. ”

Uncle Cao was so excited that he brushed his beard again and again, he looked at Zhao Wuxian and Zigong, and his eyes were earnest: "Although the truth is like this, how to implement it?" ”

Zigong said word by word: "Four words, encourage extravagance!" ”

Cao Bo's body was shocked, a little incredible, he knew that he was a luxurious monarch, and he was not less persuaded by some old ministers on weekdays, saying that hunting and the beauty of the palace would only make the treasury empty and the people weak, or be simpler, although he had been perfunctory and bored, but the Wei Shang in front of him said that encouraging extravagance can increase income?

How is this possible!

Cao Bo had never heard of such a strange thing, so he opened his mouth slightly and looked at Zhao Wuxian, who had been listening silently.

"Zitai, aren't you a businessman Jia Mo with hysteria? Specially made a trip to entertain the widows? ”

Zhao Wuxian laughed and said: "So that Uncle Cao knows that after the foreign minister was expelled from the country, he still had money to raise six or seven hundred soldiers, so that they could have enough food and clothing, and they all relied on Zigong to help me with the goods." He has a talent out of nothing, Uncle Cao don't worry, and listen to him. ”

Seeing that Cao Bo was patient, Zigong began to confidently talk about the "extravagant" theory he discussed with Zhao Wuxian.

"Qi Shang and Zheng Shang earn a lot of money in Taoyi every year, most of which are exchanged for special products from other places to take away, or return to China to buy farms and houses. The merchants of Qi and Zheng left Cao with the goods of 100 yi, and the pass could only accept two yi, how little. ”

"Yes, that's too little!" This is also where Cao Bo is most indignant.

Zigong said with a smile: "But what if Taoyi has a lot of extravagant entertainment? Those who eat, those who enjoy pleasure, and those who wish are also what people want. Assuming that the tax rate of this industry is 10 percent, Qi and Zheng merchants can collect 10 Yi in Taoyi, and Cao Bo can collect 10 Yi, so that not only the merchants will not decrease, but even many foreign ministers and doctors will make a special trip to Taoyi to have fun. Isn't this like digging a big pond by the river, the top is extravagant and the bottom is extravagant, then the wealth is not hidden, so the way to accumulate wealth and the country, is not good at extravagance! ”

Cao Boyang was completely stunned, Zigong's magical theory sounded like a matter of fact, and it was very operational, but he was worried again.

"What kind of fun and fun does it take to lure businessmen and doctors to come here and spend extravagantly."

This time, it was Zhao Wuxian who took over the conversation: "Don't worry about Uncle Cao, the foreign minister has already asked Zigong to do similar things when he was in Shangqiu, which can completely meet the wishes of Shang Jia and Doctor Qing." As long as Cao Bo ordered, let Sicheng and Chu Shi not embarrass us, and then give a special trip to preferential tax rates and protection, Zigong can open a wine shop and all kinds of extravagant businesses in Taoyi, and make money for Cao Bo! ”

PS: This theory is taken from "Tube. (To be continued.) )

PS: Thank you book friends Jiutian Yanyu, Xunlang, New World QWE, Chillonzhou, Xiaoqi Civilization Miracle, not anyone's fantasy, Meng Xiaosuo's reward!

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