"Is there a good way?" Zeng Gongliang asked. The case of the tea merchant in Huzhou will be solved, and the harsh taxes paid along the way will be refunded, and the small people will be happy. But the problem is that you can't let Zhongshu handle these small cases all day long. During this time, not only Zheng Lang was busy, but Zhongshu was also so busy that he was almost out of breath.

"Yes, I said before that the way of government is the golden mean, but it is too difficult to grasp it, and I think of another word, Jane! Simplification of government decrees, such as commercial taxes, and new measures to levy no taxes, only taxes and current taxes. The tax is levied by the business at the place of origin, according to the distance of the distance, the proportion of the tax is formulated, the merchant takes the goods by the local business verification, pays the tax, and the goods arrive at the place of the transaction, and then the business accounts for the distance, and the proportion approved by the imperial court, the tax is levied, and the goods can be traded. Businesses along the way only have the right to check whether the types and quantities of goods are the same as those on the tax statement, without any right to levy taxes, and the inventory time shall not exceed half a day, and the bulk transaction shall not exceed one day. If this period is exceeded, the merchant has the right to freely carry the goods through the customs. Prevent greedy officials from deliberately seizing goods for extortion. In addition, in order to prevent tax evasion after arriving at the place of exchange, the merchant needs to bring back the tax list and hand it over to the tax issuing business for archiving. If an accident occurs halfway, the local official must be asked to prove it. Only local transactions can be taxed once, and the tax is paid together with the current tax. Then all the drawbacks will be weakened. ”

It is weakened, and there can be no perfect policy.

The more cumbersome the policy, the easier it is for the officials below to exploit the loopholes and set up clever names.

There are also many defects, such as the tax is not paid in proportion to the goods in the place where the tax is issued and the place where the tax is paid, but the tax is paid after the sale price. In the process of selling, there will be a hole drill. It is impossible not to sell the price, such as the fish in the market, can you weigh how many fish there are, 100 catties, and the officials levy 2 catties. Take it out and sell it again? Even if you levy two catties. There is also the difference between big fish and small fish.

But the disadvantages are certainly much smaller than the original.

First of all, local commerce cannot be taxed and overtaxed. The establishment of some businesses does not make much sense, and will spontaneously reduce one by one, reducing the number of businessmen, which also reduces the number of petty officials.

Faster circulation time. Commercial taxes have become taxes and taxes, and if we want to increase regional revenues, we can only encourage local businesses to expand and make contributions. In order to have revenue, or to encourage the increase of local trading volume, only by increasing the trading volume, can we get the tax, which will further facilitate business development.

There are still many unfairness, but if the formalities are reduced, the unfairness will be further reduced. In order to make a long-term plan and make some land, some far-sighted officials will take the initiative to restrain the officials below to produce more unfairness, so as to lure businessmen to come to invest or come to trade.

This is the way to simplify governance.

Zheng Lang still has some edification effects over the years. Many officials bowed their heads in contemplation, thinking of many benefits in a row.

The benefits are not limited to these. After the simplification, it has become easier for the Supervision Department to check, and there are loopholes in the prices of imported and exported commodities, but it is impossible for a pound of gold to be worth only a penny, and in the same way, today a pound of rice and five pennies have been levied on the A family, and it is impossible to levy B with a catty of rice and a penny tomorrow. Although there is a gap, the gap is not big.

The filing system also reduces the opportunity for bullying by the powerful.

There are a series of other toilets along with it.

Fu Bi first bowed, then confused, and asked: "Xingzhi, is there no good way to check this time?" ”

Now it is not your Zheng Xingzhi's style to make the world turbulent.

"Complex is simple, the way of heaven is distant and ruthless, but if you have a heart, you can still pursue one or two, you will look again," Zheng Lang finished speaking, handed over a handscroll, and handed it to Zhao Ji first. In ancient times, there was no record of the specific temperature of the meteorology, if you have the heart to find it, you can still find it, for example, there is no snow this year, it must be a warm winter.

After reading the handscroll, Zheng Lang said: "Compared with the previous dynasty, the temperature in my dynasty has been relatively warm in the past few decades, and it is quite abnormally warm. If you look at the records in the notebook, whether it is too warm or too cold, there will be a catastrophe. In recent years, it has been prominent, there has been no snow in the capital many times in winter, and then look at disasters, which also occur frequently, and this year it seems that it is another warm winter. There are far more warm winters than any recorded year in history, and I fear even greater disasters in the future. Not only is there a flood, but if the flood comes, although the river workers spend a lot of money, they can offset one or two. I fear that a greater drought will come, and a greater drought will come upon my land. ”

Zheng Lang's statement was not strange in the Song Dynasty.

And it seems that he has a little bit of authority on the weather, and has become a prophet many times.

Just one sentence, let's be right together.

The finances were not healthy, and if there was an unprecedented drought as Zheng Lang said, how much impact would it have on the Song Dynasty.

"Whether we can survive the future is all about the present. This time, the waves below are turbulent, you don't want to, and I don't want to. But without this turmoil, the country will not be able to get rid of all kinds of shortcomings and enter the great rule of Chenguang. I suggest that the diversion of officials is due to the professionalization of officials, which is not prone to mistakes, and it is also a constraint on the number of officials to reduce more contradictions. If you look at the Beijing officials, there were 4,000 Beijing officials in the past, and the government affairs were redundant. Now that it is an eventful season, there are only 1,500 officials in Beijing, and there is a redundancy in government affairs? ”

When asked, no one answered.

It was also Zheng Lang who deliberately did this, using it for comparison, since 1,500 officials and Beijing officials have done a good job in political affairs, why raise 4,000 officials? Raising an extra 2,500 Beijing officials, how much more money does the country spend a year?

"But it is involved, this time to revitalize the true family law of the ancestors, the decree will become smoother, because there is less overlap, the division of labor is clear, redundant government will be reduced, redundant government will be reduced, there will be a lot of unnecessary floating expenses and waste, far more than the reduction of officials. In severe condition, he had to use the medicine of the tiger and wolf. For three years, as long as you support me for three years, if it is not effective, without your objections, I will automatically resign and go home to punish His Majesty's high hopes for the ministers. ”

In fact, it took more than three years, four or five years of quarrelling, and it gradually subsided.

Two years later, though, the quarrel became quieter.

And he said, "And I am also a believer in the way of the middle." ”

Everyone was skeptical.

The disadvantages are admitted, but this time Zheng Lang's style of doing things is very different, the way of the middle is also a way of balance and harmony, most people like it, but is Zheng Lang the way of the middle this time? There are smart people who see more ways of intrigue and lure. The Way of Magic. The way of Legalism. The way of miscellaneous families, but I can't see this way.

Zheng Lang shook his head and said, "I haven't broken it, but all the princes are against it." As the two governments, two systems, three divisions, and three yatai are important ministers, if you oppose it, the opposition below will be even louder. But I hope that what I'm saying today is best not leaked out. There are two ways to heal the disease. One is to slowly recuperate with warm medicine, there are too many drawbacks, and Xixia, I am also worried that there will be a serious disaster, and the country is embarrassed, if you use a gentle way of adjustment, not to say ten years, thirty years may not solve the crisis. On the contrary, old crises remain unresolved, and new ones may arise. The second is the forcible healing of the medicine of the tiger and wolf. Although it hurts, it hurts. The effect is fast. Time can't wait, I can only use the medicine of the tiger and wolf. However, I do not like this method in the end, although in the end it will put the various national policies back on track, simplify and smooth the government, and the implementation process will inevitably cause strong opposition. Therefore, before I left Zhengzhou, I published an article in the newspaper, so that His Majesty and the subjects of the world could prepare for this pain. ”

It's true.

"But in the process of implementation, I don't want to argue too much. Therefore, it is presided over by Fan Chunren, who has a good attitude and a gentle and peaceful personality. If you don't dare to do it, if you have a fierce personality, although you are loyal to the country and Your Majesty, it will inevitably cause more incidents. How was the dispute handed over below handled in the hands of Fan Chunren? Or what to do with it when it comes to me? ”

That's the point!

"Chunren and I both used the method of persuasion, but we can't publicize it, once it is publicized, the inspection officials below don't want to do it, this dose of tiger and wolf medicine has caused a lot of commotion, and it can't cure the disease. Therefore, the following deliberately made them tight, and Fan Chunren and I were loose on the top. This is the way of the middle. Good intentions, who knows? ”

What else can be said?

Here, Zheng Lang made another cautious eye and warned these people not to say it, really not to say it? But after the warning, I dare not say it publicly. can only lead to a rumor that is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and what should be implemented will be implemented, because there is expectation, and a person will inevitably go to the court. After a long delay, the months came down, the inspection was over, and it was done.

"For the sake of the country, for the sake of the people, and for the sake of future generations, let's suffer a little more, no more, stay up for three or two years." Zheng Lang bowed deeply to the big guys. is not strong, there are too many strongmen, even if Zheng Lang is strong, it will cause more rebounds, and five or six times out of ten there will be a sad end like Wang Anshi again. Move with affection, know with reason.

One by one, they finally fell silent.

Zhao Ji breathed a sigh of relief, all kinds of stakes, Zheng Lang took advantage of the waiter to speak, and told him everything, the most difficult thing is not the next three or two years, but the next half a year. If you get through it, the sea and the sky are wide, and if you can't get through, no one will be able to stop the entire Song Dynasty from going downhill.

But it was still not enough, Zheng Lang said again: "In this case, you might as well wait a while." ”

As he spoke, he asked the eunuch to go to Zheng's house to fetch some things.

That is, some steel products, including production tools and weapons and armor.

As for how much steel was produced in the Song Dynasty, it is a mystery in the eyes of later generations. Japanese scholars say that between 5,000 tons and 40,000 tons, there are only 5,000 tons? The annual copper and lead production of the Song Dynasty was more than 5,000 tons!

American scholars overestimate that 75,000 to 150,000 tons is equivalent to the iron production of the whole of Europe in the 18th century.

Some scholars in China believe that it is between 35,000 tons and 70,000 tons.

Zheng Lang didn't know how many there were. But knowing the tax situation, Taizong's tax was 145,000 taels of silver a year, only a little more than 10,000 taels of gold, more than 4 million catties of copper, 790,000 catties of lead, and 200,000 catties of tin.

It does not refer to the output, there is a twenty-eight or three-seven draw, and some of them cannot be counted, so the actual output should be multiplied by at least ten.

During the Zhiping period, the domestic gold was shrinking, only 5,000 taels or a few hundred taels, silver was 310,000 taels, copper was 6.9 million catties, lead was 2.1 million catties, tin was 1.33 million catties, and iron was 8.24 million catties.

That is, at this time, the domestic iron output fluctuated around 40,000 or 50,000 tons, and the specific statistics could not be counted even in the Song Dynasty.

This is the real iron production of the Song Dynasty.

Some people say that the railway was built in the Song Dynasty, Zheng Lang also wanted to, but he just wanted to, never worked hard to do it, without him, a variety of technical problems could not be overcome, and the second was this iron output. In later generations, the country produced seven or eight billion tons of steel a year. That's 10,000 times the way it is now.

A Beijing-Shanghai Expressway uses 5 million tons of iron. If you open up the cross railway from Cangzhou to Lingnan or Mizhou to Weizhou. It will have an incomparable effect on the Song Dynasty, but in that case, how much steel will have to be used, 10 million tons or 20 million tons?

The entire Song Dynasty did not use iron. Wait slowly, wait for a hundred or two hundred years, and then there will be enough iron before you will build the railway.

This refers only to the exploitation of the domestic prison because of the safety prison. Unlike in China, there are mostly poor iron ore mines in China, and there are many rich iron ores overseas. Overseas statistics can be calculated, last year to the Song Dynasty to provide 50 million catties of iron, and the output has been rising. Otherwise, the banknote bank would not have speculated the deed shares of Ping An Jian at such a high price.

At present, the iron production of the entire Song Dynasty, including that of Ping'anjian, is about 70,000 tons.

Then there is the price and use of iron, the price is not so stable, and it is normally equivalent to one-fifteenth to one-twentieth of the price of copper. There are several uses, which were originally used to make iron money, which were cheap, but now they are scrapped one by one. It is also used as a raw material for the production of copper gall.

The amount of iron used for two purposes is relatively small, and the largest one is used to make weapons and armor. Iron, in particular, is susceptible to oxidation and rust, so it must be produced continuously. In the end, it was reserved for private use. Therefore, there are not many iron products supplied to Tibet or other foreign countries.

Even with overseas iron ore subsidies, iron was still in short supply in the Song Dynasty.

The price of a tonne of copper is only between 600 and 800 catties, and a tonne of iron is even less, which is only between 300 and 500 catties. That is to say, the price of iron produced in the entire Song Dynasty in a year is only two million to four million yuan.

Iron is worthless, but iron is valuable. Fifty pounds of iron for a pair of armor, including the wear and tear of tempering, is only the cost of three yuan, but the actual cost is forty yuan.

That's where the profits of the steel supervisor lie.

Once it is developed on a large scale, because of the constraints of iron production, it will definitely not be as good as the profit of the bank supervisor, but it can at least reach half of the profit of the safety supervisor.

The eunuch brought some deliberately crafted weapons and armor and placed them in the court, and Zheng Lang called a few guards to compare them with the original Song Dynasty armor and weapons.

It only takes a moment to see the results.

Even if Zheng Lang deliberately selected the products from Zhengzhou, the quality is definitely not as good as the local method of 100 steel. But how many people extravagantly use 100 steel, and how expensive is that 100 steel?

The weapons and armor used by the palace guards are good, and in comparison, the hardness is similar, and it may look slightly weaker, but the toughness is far greater than the weapons and armor worn by the guards themselves. This steel will also rust, but it will rust more slowly than iron weapons, that is, it will last longer.

For the time being, everyone didn't think of anything else, Li Duan was in the army for a long time, familiar with weapons, looked at them and asked, "Zheng Gong, can it be mass-produced?" ”

Once the energy is generated, this sharper weapon and tougher armor can not only further effectively protect the soldiers, but also kill and injure the enemy more effectively, increasing the combat effectiveness of the army. And Zheng Lang also said an important thing, if all this kind of steel armor is used, the weight will be reduced by about ten catties. This will reduce the burden on the soldiers, both infantry and cavalry, and further increase their speed.

"Brought, definitely energy production, not only energy production, such as this armor, if it is produced on a large scale, the cost will only be between twenty-five and thirty yuan. Other weapons would not cost half as much as they could be produced using new methods, but they would save about one-third to one-quarter. ”

Just one sentence, let's understand its meaning together, not to mention civilian use, that is, the production of weapons in the Song Dynasty in a year, if you save a quarter of the cost, it is also an astonishing figure.

Zhao Ji affectionately stroked these armors and said, "These were originally seen by my father. ”

Zheng Lang is silent, if your father lives for five years, he can't see it for five years, he can't see it for ten years, he can't see it for ten years.

However, some Zheng Lang did not say that if you want to realize Zheng Lang, you must accelerate the acceleration of steelmaking technology to the middle of the Qing Dynasty before it can be realized. For the time being, there are still some difficulties to be overcome, but there is no hurry, from the launch, to large-scale production, at least a few years away. A few years of aggressive R&D investment, or the experience gained from previous production sprees, is enough to overcome these technical hurdles one by one.

Zeng Gongliang said: "Xingzhi, let this news out." ”

Good news, let it out, can ease the current pressure and controversy.

Zheng Lang's forehead.

Zhao Ji immediately ordered Wang Ju to draft two edicts, the first of which was the re-restructuring of commercial taxes. The second is the steel supervisor. Zheng Lang's opinion was adopted, and the first steel mill was built on the bank of the Caishui River next to Zhengjiazhuang, and after the success, the second and third steel mills were built in Huazhou and Hangzhou. The imperial court contributed resources, technology, and manpower, and the merchants only contributed the cost of building steel mills, which was not big compared to the benefits. As for the purchase and sale of iron ore, it is a current cost and has nothing to do with fixed costs.

The deed shares do not need to pay the purchase money to the imperial court, but there is a premise, it must be a good household, have had many good deeds before, or cooperate with the imperial court to investigate, and take the initiative to hand over the hidden land tax evasion of large households, in order to participate.

He also sent a small official to invite some powerful and wealthy people to Xiangguo Temple to personally display some steel weapons and products.

Before the merger of the Song Dynasty deteriorated and collapsed, there were very few top-level large households with more than 100,000 mu of cultivated land and tens of thousands of acres of cultivated land. However, if you don't have a better way to run your own business, and hand it all over to the tenant farmers, the annual rental income will only be six or seven hundred, like the wheat and millet in the north, and the income will be even less.

When the news spread, the controversy was a little quieter.

It will deteriorate again next spring, then Zheng Lang will throw out the second prison.

Tired and half-dead, Zheng Lang still secretly called it a fluke in his heart, if he didn't bring a hard drive to wear it, and get out a lot of industries to pull it in, with wisdom, Zheng Lang doubted whether there was really a way to resolve the predicament of the Song Dynasty.

Winter is deep.

Just as he was taking a deep breath, the news of the great victory arrived.

He defeated the Western Xia army and began to rebuild the city of Suizhou with the local people.

When Lu Shu learned about it, he was so angry that he wanted to send someone to arrest him and punish him. These are the words written on Lu Xu's fold, but whether he has the courage is doubtful. This time Lu Shu was very hard, and the merit was there, and he got Suizhou and hundreds of thousands of people. But for such a big matter, there is no edict, and the seed is good at acting on his own, and the fault is even greater, and even he is at fault. However, at this time, Guo Kui came to hand over, came a little late, inexplicably ascended to the top, and inexplicably went down, and then ascended, and then went down, first demoted to Yunzhou. Just arrived in Yunzhou and had not yet handed over, and was relegated to Yanzhou.

Guo Kui held his breath in his heart, and he didn't leave in the capital, Zheng Lang knew that he couldn't be distracted by him at this time, and he didn't know what Guo Kui really thought in his heart, Zheng Lang was a little jealous and unhappy. After dragging on for a while, Guo Kui saw that there was no hope, so he had to go to Yanzhou. So he came to Yanzhou a little late, and when he saw Guo Kui's arrival, Lu Shu didn't know what the imperial court was doing to send troops to Chongge, so he immediately handed over to Guo Kui, and then wrote a letter about the matter, handed it to the imperial court, and went to Qinzhou to take up his post.

It doesn't matter if he does right or wrong, but it is definitely not in line with the Song Dynasty system.

When Zhu Yanchen heard this, his eyes turned red.

Zhao Ji glanced at Zheng Lang with his eyes, and he did ...... Thinking of what Zheng Lang said, the Song Dynasty did not lack scholars, what was lacking was good generals, and some good generals were trained in the Qingli War, all of which withered one after another, and now the good generals are all green and yellow, and they can't take it.

It seems that the seed is very good, there are only a few thousand soldiers of Qingjian City, and they actually defeated 40,000 Western Xia iron cavalry. Thinking of this, Zhao Ji said: "This is my secret decree to Chongqing. ”

Seed seed protection.

But do you believe it or not?

Even if you make a secret decree, it is not right for you and Zheng Lang to take the lead in the restructuring, it doesn't matter if it is a royal private affair or some small things. This is a major national matter, and political affairs must be submitted to the Zhongshu for deliberation, and then by the two edicts, and the military must be reviewed by the Xifu, and the edicts of the two systems can be called holy decrees. Even if it is a secret decree, it is related to the war between the two countries, and the minimum procedures are learned by the first and second prime ministers of Xifu, and the two systems and one or two Hanlin have approved it. Otherwise, even you, as the emperor, have made a serious mistake! (To be continued.) )