Just as everyone was seated, the door of the box was pushed open, and one by one the men rushed in with the dishes, and soon the whole table was filled, and after pouring the wine for everyone, they withdrew lightly.

Xu Jie raised his glass and said: "You are all students who have read poetry and books, and you are the future pillars of the Ming Dynasty. ”

"Shousuke-sama is polite."

"Teacher, please."

"Your Excellency, please."

Xu Jie raised his glass, and everyone hurriedly raised their glasses in response, and they simply drank the cup in one gulp.

It's just that the status and relationship are not the same, and it doesn't seem neat enough.

After everyone finished drinking, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng were also invited to drink a cup respectively, which was nothing more than an incentive to work hard and work hard, and Yu Jin and others should naturally allow it one by one.

Three glasses of wine, the scene is familiar with a lot, Zhang Juzheng is an eight-sided delicate character, good at creating topics, driving the atmosphere, under his drive, Yu Jin and others also slowly relaxed, laughter and laughter during the banquet, the atmosphere seems to be very harmonious.

During which Liu An, Cui Jingtang and others tried their best to attract the attention of the three examiners present, Yu Jin was not exempt from vulgarity, and said two funny jokes during the banquet, contributing to the harmonious atmosphere.

After three rounds of wine and five tastes, seeing that everyone ate about the same, Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng exchanged a look, and Zhang Juzheng coughed dryly in understanding.

This dry cough was a signal, Yu Jin and the others had been waiting for his signal for a long time, and they were silent one by one.

After seeing that everyone was quiet, Zhang Juzheng turned his head to Xu Jie and said, "Teacher, I heard your old sigh just now, I don't know why you sighed?"

Xu Jie gently put the wine glass in his hand on the table, and said with a smile: "Uncle is really observant, that's right, just now the old man was moved and sighed, mainly for the government affairs of the imperial court, you also know that in recent years, the political situation has been turbulent, not only the people are panicked, and the treasury is overwhelmed by the use of soldiers for many years. ”

Speaking of the back, Xu Jie's face was sad, this is really not pretending.

"The teacher's words are too right, the treasury is empty, the court can't send silver, and many officials' salaries are replaced by sundries, although the value is the same, it is also for the country's worries, but in the long run, the impact will not be good."

Zhang Juzheng is still worried about those wood, it seems that the impact of selling it is not good, keeping it is hindering the place, and it can't be eaten as food, these high-quality wood materials are transported back to his hometown to build a house, but the value is not as high as the freight, and he will get back a bunch of wood in a month, so it's strange to be happy?

Although it is not high, no matter how small the mosquito is, it is still meat.

Gao Gong said on the side: "The head of the family, he is still worried about firewood, rice, oil and salt, and Lord Shoufu has worked hard for the expenses of a country, and he is really a model for the subjects of the Ming Dynasty." ”

"Master Gao is serious, and Xu is just doing a little bit." Xu Jie said, turned his head and said to Yu Jin and the others: "The four are all wise men of my Ming Dynasty, I don't know if there is any way to relieve the current difficulties of the imperial court?" ”

Gao Jin, Liu An, Yang Shuangzhi and Cui Jingtang had a chill in their hearts: the assessment has begun.

Yuwang's accompanying scholar is really different, other scholars are literate and compose poems, while Yuwang's scholar has the ability to contribute to the country.

In fact, the selection of scholars for Yuwang and the imperial examination are also completely different standards, the imperial examination is also called the eight-share scholar, as long as the article is done well, and to the Yuwang scholar, the main test is to test intelligence, the overall situation, and the eight-share text has no half-dime relationship.

"My lord, the students have a plan." As soon as the words fell, Cui Jingtang was the first to stand up.

Shandong since ancient times, there have been many prominent families, when the Jiupin Zhongzheng system was in power, seven clans and five surnames, how brilliant it was, and Qinghe Cui's family is also not to be underestimated, horses, prime ministers, high-ranking officials do not know how much, Yu Jin just listened to him introduce during the banquet, it was the descendants of Qinghe Cui's family.

A child like him, although his family is broken, his background is not comparable to that of a poor family.

Seeing that someone stood up so soon, Xu Jieyi was overjoyed, nodded and said, "What's the best plan, just come through the pipeline." ”

Cui Jingtang said: "Compared with the taxes of the Ming Dynasty and the previous dynasties, it can be said that they are very low, but even if the taxes are so low, there are still many people who do not pay them, year after year, as far as the students know, many places have bad habits of arrears, as long as they send people to collect these arrears of taxes, they will immediately solve the difficulties of the imperial court." ”

"And Daming also has a lot of nameless mountains, lakes, beaches, wasteland, these are all royal land, as long as the emperor sends someone to re-measure these lands, and then rent them to the people to cultivate, it is naturally another income."

"Well, that's a good idea, please take a seat." Xu Jie nodded, which was regarded as a sign of approval.

Yang Shuangzhi waited for Cui Jingtang to sit down, and immediately stood up and said, "My lord, students also have a plan. ”

"Oh, please."

"The population of the Ming Dynasty is 10,000,000 people, and there is little food, clothing, housing and transportation every day," Yang Shuangzhi said with confidence: "As long as the imperial court tightens the right to operate and transfer rice, oil, salt, tea and other materials, it is best to set up a department to be responsible and have the right to operate alone, which can not only prevent the grain from hurting the peasants, but also prevent unscrupulous businessmen from hoarding and disrupting the people's livelihood, and can also increase the national treasury and benefit the country and the people." ”

The people who appeared here were not fuel-efficient lamps, and they had done their homework, Yang Shuangzhi was right, and the people present couldn't stop nodding.

There is only one exception, and it is Liu An.

"Adults, students don't dare to be harsh." Liu An stood up all of a sudden and said angrily.

Xu Jie's cultivation is very good, and when he heard this, he first motioned for Yang Shuangzhi to sit down, and then said to Liu An with a smile: "You are Liu An in Shuzhong, right, what do you propose, but it doesn't hurt to say it." ”

"Yes, sir."

Liu An bowed, and then glanced at Cui Jingtang and Yang Shuangzhi with his eyes, his eyes were a little disdainful, and then said loudly: "Forcing the people to collect taxes, confiscating rice and salt and other goods monopolies, these are all competing with the people for profit, contrary to Taizu's legacy, it is really a policy, especially the confiscation of rice, salt and other patents, so that the imperial court cadres and businessmen Jia Na's obscene deeds, it is even more damaging to the reputation of the imperial court, this move must not be." ”

Cui Jingtang was suddenly unhappy when he heard the words, and asked rhetorically: "Oh, since you can't collect tax arrears, and you can't collect patents to increase the national treasury, I don't know what Brother Liu can do to solve the current dilemma?" ”

This is a very strong question, this is not a simple banquet, but a competition, Liu An wants to step on others to take the position, which naturally causes others to be unhappy.

Although there is competition, the front has been relatively calm, and Liu An has pierced this thin layer of paper.

In the face of the dispute between the two, Xu Jie and the others had to laugh and say nothing, without expressing any opinions, obviously letting them distinguish between high and low.

Seeing that several adults present did not say anything to stop them, and even had some smiles on their faces, thinking that they were talking about the minds of the adults, their hearts were settled, and they said: "Liu Mou is not talented, he just has a small idea. ”

"Then please ask Brother Liu for advice." Yang Shuangzhi was obviously a little unconvinced, urging Liu An to tell his clever plan.

Look at what kind of strategy he has to make him so confident.

Liu An smiled indifferently, and said confidently: "Shinong industry and commerce, this is the status quo of my Ming Dynasty, but please see, the businessmen who are now at the bottom of the list, but live the most nourishing, they are gorgeously dressed, wear gold and silver, live in mansions, three wives and four concubines, spend 100 gold on a meal, hug before and out, build extremely luxurious gardens in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and spend a lot of money on the green floor without changing color. ”

"These people don't do production, they will only be opportunistic, they are called merchants, but they are actually moths, these merchants, some of them also collude with officials, fish and flesh the common people, some ignore the law, sell contraband to foreigners, and even worse, go to sea shamelessly, export the wealth of our Ming Dynasty to the East for profit, as long as the imperial court issues a decree to raise the taxes of merchants, severely crack down on the illegal acts of merchants, and formulate stricter policies for merchants, so as to supplement the emptiness of the treasury with the wealth of businessmen, and benefit the country and the people."

As a scholar, Liu An has seen too many phenomena that make him quite unhappy, whenever he sees those businessmen with big bellies and no ink, who are pompous, generous, and hugging left and right, he is very unhappy, and his heart is particularly unbalanced.

I remember that once when I was in a hurry to use the money, I borrowed a little money from the merchant, and the profit made him almost unable to turn over, and he was punched a few times by the evil slave in vain, which made him very hostile to the merchant.

Merchants are so rich that they don't pay more taxes?

Death! Yu Jin keenly caught the fierce color that flashed in Xu Jie's eyes, and he had an epiphany in his heart.

"Brother Liu's idea is good, but it's too extreme, and Yu doesn't dare to agree." Yu Jin slowly stood up and said with a straight face.