Thousands of miles away, Zuo Zongtang, who learned from the court that the court had approved his fold, imagined Shen Baozhen's expression after getting the news, and his mood finally became happy......

On this day, when Lin Yizhe came to the Harbour Administration Office early, he found that Shen Baozhen, Wu Zhongxiang, Xia Xianlun, Wu Dating and others were all there, as if they were discussing something. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"Kunyu is here." Seeing Lin Yizhe come in, Shen Baozhen nodded, "You can take a look at these first." As he spoke, he handed him a scroll of official documents.

Lin Yizhe stepped forward to take it with both hands, and he noticed that Shen Baozhen's eyebrows were tightly locked, as if he was full of worries, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy in his heart.

Lin Yizhe opened the official document and looked at it, the top is a court mail, and the bottom is an official letter from the Fujian Customs, and the content of the two documents is basically the same meaning, that is, the "salary draw" for the shipyard mentioned in Zuo Zongtang's letter to Shen Baozhen a few days ago has been implemented on paper.

The official letter from the Fujian Customs said that according to the imperial decree, because of the "huge military needs of the Western Expedition", from next month onwards, the operating expenses of the shipping administration will no longer be fully paid 50,000 taels of silver, but will be paid at 20,000 taels, and 30,000 taels will be transferred to Zuo Zongtang's Western Expedition military salary.

"If he needs money for the army to the west, he won't be able to pay for it! 30,000 taels of silver a month, for the Western Expedition, it is a drop in the bucket, but for my shipmaster, it is tantamount to a salary drawn from the bottom of the kettle! Xia Xianlun said with some indignation, "This shipmaster also has his Zuo Jigao's hard work in it, how can he suppress the shipmaster so much?" Just for the sake of the shipyard not to build a dual-purpose ship? ”

"The last time he Zuo Jigao participated in the impeachment of the shipmaster, he made it very clear, just because we didn't listen to his Zuo Jigao." Wu Zhongxiang sighed, "He is too narrow-minded and domineering, even if he is a person who has great kindness to him, such as Zeng Gong, if he does not go his way, he will be regarded as a grudge." This is true for Zeng Gongshang, let alone us? ”

"Alright, Wei Yun, now is not the time to say these angry words." Shen Baozhen waved his hand at Wu Zhongxiang and said, "What we have to think about now is how to raise funds to tide over the difficulties." ”

"Didn't your Excellency discuss it with Lord Ying and Lord Bian the day before yesterday for the cost of raising the boat?" Wu Dating seemed to remember something and asked, "How is it?" Are there any results? ”

Listening to Wu Dating's question, Shen Baozhen just nodded, shook his head again, sighed, and did not speak.

"What do you say about Lord Ying and Lord Bian?" Wu Zhongxiang noticed that Shen Baozhen seemed to have something unspeakable, and couldn't help but ask.

"I have discussed with them for a long time, and the cost of raising the boat can only be above the revenue of Fujian Province."

Shen Baozhen took a breath and was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Fujian Province has a limited income, and there are not many items that can be balanced, so I'm afraid it won't help us much." Wu Dating said happily, "But something is always better than nothing, but I don't know which one is out of." ”

Hearing Wu Dating's words, everyone's eyes were focused on Shen Baozhen again, but Shen Baozhen lowered his head, let out a heavy sigh, and said no more.

Xia Xianlun and Wu Zhongxiang glanced at each other with some surprise, and after a long time, they still didn't see Shen Baozhen speak, Wu Zhongxiang couldn't help but say: "My lord, which one is it on?" ”

Shen Baozhen raised his head, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes, his lips moved, and he spat out three words in a hoarse voice: "Foreign medicine tax." ”

Hearing Shen Baozhen's answer, several shipping officials were shocked.

When Lin Yizhe saw Shen Baozhen's heartbroken appearance, he immediately understood, and couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart.

The foreign medicine tax is the opium tax!

As we all know, the two wars between the Qing Dynasty and Britain were caused by opium. China's humiliating and tragic history in modern times also began with opium.

After the Second Opium War, as the opium trade and opium poppy cultivation were legalized, taxes from opium appeared and increased, and in fact, the Qing government's dependence on opium grew like that of addicts. After the opium trade was legalized, some people in China advocated the use of land to reach the sea, and the widespread cultivation of opium poppies throughout China, and the "opium war" with Britain was carried out. As a result, the cultivation area of "local medicine" has expanded dramatically, and by now, the total output of "local medicine" has exceeded the number of imported "foreign medicine", which of course has led to a sharp increase in the number of opium addicts in China.

Nevertheless, the benefits that opium brought to the Qing government were clear. The annual tax revenue of imported "foreign medicines" is about 6 million taels of silver, and the various taxes of domestic "local medicines" are about more than 2,000 taels. Such huge gains make it difficult for any government to make up its mind to cut it off. Just this year, Zuo Zongtang proposed an opium tax increase, which he meant to achieve the purpose of banning smoking by suppressing demand through tax increases, which was "banning and levying", but in the process of discussion, the government focused on fundraising, rather than curbing demand. Some people went to the court to ask for a ban on smoking, but local officials firmly opposed it, saying that such a suggestion would never work. Some people even cited the example of Guangdong, saying that the customs department collects about one million cents of foreign medicine tax every year, and there is no reason why the tax is collected after the smoking ban. This huge amount of money is for all the needs of the local government, so how can we try to fill the gaps? As a result, the proposal to ban smoking was put to rest.

Due to the Qing government's increasing reliance on opium taxes. Although there were constant calls for a ban on opium, the Qing government would think of the opium tax whenever its finances were stretched. At the time of the implementation of the unified donation of soil plaster, some local officials also thought of the opium monopoly, that is, the state should monopolize opium, monopolize the price, and implement a monopoly like salt, and for this reason the Qing court also sent people to India and other places to inspect the opium monopoly system and its effects. The Americans, who had always been a strong critic of the British opium trade, put forward proposals for the opium monopoly, arguing that the purpose of the monopoly should be to control rather than to enrich themselves; There should be a three-year gradual opium ban policy, after three years of banning, and so on. Some people believe that the monopoly income of imported foreign drugs alone can reach 30 million taels per year. The output of local medicine is more than ten times that of foreign medicine, and the monopoly benefit is unlimited. The French once hoped to arrange a Chinese opium monopoly at a cost of 20 million taels; The Germans also had the idea of contracting an opium monopoly. The local government of the Qing Dynasty was enthusiastic about monopoly, but in the end it was not implemented due to strong opposition from the people and contradictions between the great powers. But it can also be seen that the Qing government's dependence on the opium tax can be seen.

Lin Yizhe, who is familiar with history, knows that the most important revenue of the Qing Dynasty is land rent, salt tax, centigold, customs duty, inland tariff, and opium tax. The situation in the provinces is similar, even if he is the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, if he wants to solve the financial difficulties of the shipping administration, there is basically no room for consideration in the first five items, and only the opium tax still has potential to be tapped. Therefore, for the current governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Yinggui, and the governor of Fujian, Bian Baodi, increasing the tax on soil medicine has become the best choice to solve the financial crisis of the shipyard.

For Shen Baozhen, such a result is difficult for him to accept.

"Back then, Lin Wenzhong sold cigarettes in Humen, so that I would be free from the poison of opium, but today I have fallen to the point of smoking opium taxes to raise boats, under the nine springs, what kind of face do I have to see Lin Wenzhong!" Shen Baozhen muttered, shedding tears.

"Adults must never think like that." Xia Xianlun shook his head and said, "It has not been a day since the foreign medicine tax was levied, and this matter is not the fault of adults, nor is it the fault of Lin Wenzhong, it is not the fault of the public, it is difficult to reach a conclusion after a thousand years, and adults must not blame themselves for this, so that they have missed a major event." ”

"Yes! My lord, whether it is used by the shipmaster or not, the foreign medicine tax is there! Wu Dating also persuaded, "This is an expedient measure, and when there is a fixed source of salary in the future, it is not too late to stop using it!" ”

"It's okay to use foreign medicine taxes to alleviate emergencies first." Wu Zhongxiang saw that Shen Baozhen still didn't speak, so he also persuaded, "If you don't use it, there will be no other taxes to be drawn in Fujian Province, and I'm afraid that the shipping administration will be abandoned. ”

Hearing Wu Zhongxiang say this, Shen Baozhen was silent for a long time, but still did not speak.

"This matter, Lord Shen is embarrassed, I'll go and talk to Lord Ying and Lord Bian." Wu Dating said when he saw this.

On the same day, Wu Dating, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Yinggui, and Bian Baodi, the governor of Fujian, decided to raise funds for the shipping administration from the financial revenue of Fujian Province, and decided to withdraw 30 percent from the opium tax as the funds for the maintenance of ships.

Relying on this income to maintain, the "Wannian Qing" and several warships built by the shipmaster will be left behind the shipmaster, and Shen Baozhen later went to the imperial court, suggesting that these ships be organized into a fleet for training, and Li Chengmou, the commander of the Fujian Navy Division, should concurrently serve as the commander of the shipmaster's steamship, that is, the commander of the shipmaster's fleet.

However, Lin Yizhe understands that this opium tax is not a long-term solution for the shipmaster, and in the future, with the increasing number of self-built ships, the opium tax alone will not be able to maintain the daily expenses of warships, and another way needs to be found.

In order to solve the urgent need of the shipkeeper to maintain ships, the Qing Dynasty government also extended a helping hand, and issued an edict to the coastal provinces to allocate the ships built by the shipmaster in the future, "instead of borrowing money from foreign countries and increasing the cost, if the ships of the Fujian factory are allocated, it can not only save the cost of local purchase, but also save the needs of the Fujian bureau for salaries and grain, and will not put useful ships in useless places." According to this unique system of the Qing government, each coastal province would apply for the allocation of ships according to its own needs, and the allocated ships would be mainly used for official business at the treaty ports of the province to perform the tasks of defense, communications, and transportation at the ports. The provinces do not need to spend a penny when allocating these warships, as long as they bear the expenses for the maintenance of these warships after they are transferred, but what the provinces have is only the temporary right to use these ships, and once there is an incident in the maritime frontier, the shipping master can recall all these ships and integrate them into the shipping fleet for unified use.

――――Dividing Line――――

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