Zhang Dai, Ruan Dacheng people love to play in the mountains and waters, but also just use the evening boat rest time to enjoy the nearby scenic spots, anyway, you can sleep a lot when the boat is in the day, and will not delay the big event of entering Beijing to catch the exam - cross the river in the early morning of the fifth day of the first month of winter, enter the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal waterway, although it is a cold winter season, but this golden waterway that communicates Beijing and Jiangnan is still the south to the north and the north, here is already the boundary of Yangzhou, the waist is wrapped around 100,000 runs, riding a crane down Yangzhou, Yangzhou is a place where the gods also yearn for.

Zhang Yuan said that in the morning and Jinnige translated the "Aesop's Fables" 20, in the afternoon Ruan Dacheng on the boat to invite everyone, called "Travel Guangling Poetry Drinking Party", to chant Yangzhou poems, drink Yangzhou wine, taste the 24 bridges of Fengyue, Zhang Yuan went to Ruan Dacheng's boat, the new translation of 40 "Aesop's Fables" also bring, Wen Zhenmeng, Jiao Runsheng and others after reading all praised, said that Westerners also have this great wisdom of people, and listened to Zhang Yuan introduced that Aesop and his people are about the same time as Lao Tzu and Confucius, and everyone knows that Western civilization also has a long history. He had a strong interest in Western studies, Wen Zhenmeng expressed his willingness to help Zhang Yuan translate this "Aesop's Fables", Zhang Yuan couldn't ask for it, Wen Zhenmeng was knowledgeable, his writing was elegant, and he was fully competent to translate this "Aesop's Fables", as for other astronomical almanacs, only he could cooperate with Jinnige to translate, it was easy to make mistakes when translated by others, and the translator was not so easy to do - it was already the ninth weather, and it was even colder on the boat, and it was really the most pleasant thing to drink hot wine around the fire at this time. Ruan Dacheng prepared a variety of Yangzhou famous wine guests, there are Yangzhou snow wine, bergamot wine, five plus skin wine, pearl wine, agreed that each person present recited a poem related to Yangzhou, if you can make your own it is better, lively, the boat goes down to Yangzhou, in the afternoon when Shen is approaching Yangzhou banknote, I suddenly heard someone in the neighboring boat ask loudly: "Dare to ask your ship is the master who went to Beijing to take the exam?" ”

Ruan Dacheng's boatman responded: "What's the matter? ”

As soon as the middle-aged man who looked like a businessman in the neighboring boat heard this, he knew that he was asking the right person, and immediately accompanied him with a smile and said: "In the lower Gaoyou people's clan, do some salted duck egg trading, I am afraid that the front banknote will collect taxes fiercely, and I want to invite a man to come on the ship to sit in town, and I am willing to offer two taels of silver to make the wine money of the masters." ”

The boatman said: "Two taels of silver, when is it so worthless to raise people's fame!" ”

The neighboring merchant said with a smile: "A small business, how much money can you earn from salted duck eggs, it is a banknote in front, please sympathize with the lord." ”

Zhang Yuan and they from Hangzhou to Yangzhou, the waterway has passed five banknote customs, the banknote customs is the toll station where the government collects the ship tax and the excise tax, the general ship tax is ten cents for small boats, thirty cents for medium ships, and fifty cents for large ships, and the merchant ships have to pay commodity tax in addition to the ship tax, and the goods tax depends on the number of goods to be determined, but officials, eunuchs and people do not need to pay money in the past, so some civilian ships carrying passengers or goods hire a person to escort, the distance is long, and the money can save a lot of money. What kind of "Chief Minister's Hall" and "According to the Judge's Hall" sign are hung by more daring merchant ships to evade taxes - Ruan Dacheng heard it in the cabin and asked everyone present with a smile: "Gaoyou salted duck eggs are delicious, who will earn some salted duck eggs to drink?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Merchant ships should also pay taxes, and we will buy them ourselves if we want to eat salted duck eggs." ”

Ruan Dacheng was a little embarrassed, laughed to hide it, and asked the servant to buy a basket of salted duck eggs from the neighboring boat, and the merchant in the neighboring boat heard that the old man refused to condescend to escort him, so he hurriedly said: "The villain is willing to pay three taels of silver for wine, and give another basket of salted duck eggs, please move the jade toe to help." ”

At this time, it is close to Yangzhou banknote customs, because the front checkpoint stops the boat to collect taxes, the boats on the river are slow, the front boat is crowded with the back boat, the three oars of the Gaoyou merchant are close to Ruan Dacheng's boat, the salted duck egg merchant begged bitterly, Zhang Yuan walked to the bow of the boat, and said to the salted duck egg merchant: "You cross the river from the Gaoyou duck egg seller, it must have been sold out, and then the banknote customs is nothing more than dozens of dollars to pass the ship tax, why plead with me?" ”

The salted duck egg merchant forked his hand and said: "Don't dare to hide it from the master, the villain sells salted duck eggs to Zhenjiang, and the duck eggs have been basically sold, but the businessman has no reason to return to his hometown by empty boat for profit, so he bought more than 100 altars of Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar and returned to Gaoyou, asking for some small profits." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Then how much tax and silver do you estimate to be charged from the banknote in front of you?" ”

The salted duck egg merchant said with certainty: "It will not be less than five taels, and if you meet a ruthless tax collector, you will dare to collect ten taels of silver." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The value of a hundred jars of balsamic vinegar is geometric, if a banknote will be charged five taels of silver tax, then the price of vinegar transported from Zhenjiang to the capital will not be doubled, doesn't it say that thirty taxes are one?" ”

The salted duck egg merchant laughed and said: "The lord is reading the book of sages, and he doesn't know about these humble livelihoods of the small people, the thirty tax refers to the commercial tax paid by each shop to the local government, this tax is indeed not high, but when the goods are transported, it is also thirty taxes for each banknote, if it can really be according to the thirty taxes and one is enough, but the real tax is collected, the tax collectors are greedy and cruel, overestimate the value of things, and often collect taxes doubled, or even several times, and the villains are not profitable at all. ”

Huang Zunsu, who followed Zhang Yuan, said: "The banknote tariff is heavy, the businessman will never lose, the expensive one will never sell cheaply, the businessman will increase the selling price, and the ordinary people will be trapped in the end." ”

The salted duck egg merchant shouted: "Two masters, the villain's price has always been fair, besides, if the salted duck eggs are too expensive, no one will buy the villain's eggs, the eggs are not better than others, they will be bad, and the villain will not lose money." ”

Zhang Yuan nodded and said: "The tax is heavy, and business travel is not good, which eventually leads to the high cost of private goods." ”

Huang Zunsu said: "Some large businessmen who have a close relationship with the government can make a lot of profits from it. ”

The salted duck egg merchant nodded again and again: "The two masters are very right, this is the truth, the big businessman makes a fortune, and the bitter one is the villain, a small businessman who begs for a bite to eat." When he said this, his eyes looked eagerly at Zhang Yuan and Huang Zunsu, eager to escort.

Zhang Yuan ignored the longing eyes of the salted duck egg merchant and refused: "We won't get on your boat, and you still have to pay the taxes that should be paid." ”

The Gaoyou merchant suddenly wilted, cried with a sad face, and went back to the cabin to prepare to be inspected and collected by the tax collector, but then he brought out a basket of salted duck eggs and handed it over from the boat: "This is the authentic Gaoyou salted duck eggs, some of them have not been sold, this basket is for the old men to taste, no money, no money, it is also a blessing for the villain to meet a few old men, this is the villain's filial piety." ”

The boatman on Ruan Dacheng's side said with bare eyes: "How can I accept you." Seeing that Zhang Yuan had no intention of refusing, he stretched out his penny and took the bamboo basket.

Seeing that Zhang Yuan still didn't say anything, the salted duck egg merchant sighed, this time he was really going to check and pay taxes.

There is a crossbar barrage at the banknote, and the boat will be cocked on both sides after paying the ship tax, and let the boat pass, and the boats of Fan Wenruo, Weng Yuansheng, and Zhang Dai in front of them showed the official documents for the examination of the people entering Beijing, and they all passed quickly, Zhang Yuan signaled that Ruan Dacheng's boatmen were backward, and let the Gaoyou merchant pass first, and he and Huang Zunsu and Ruan Dacheng stood on the bow of the boat to watch - I saw two tax collectors wearing soap-colored plate-collared shirts and tin cards tied around their waists jumped on the three-oar boat of the Gaoyou merchants, asked a few words, and went to the bottom cabin to see, and came out after a while, saying: "Tax silver eight taels and six dollars." ”

"Eight, two, six money!" The salted duck egg merchant shouted: "The total price of my half a boat of balsamic vinegar is only sixty taels, but I will be charged eight taels and six dollars in tariffs, which makes me how to do business!" ”

The two tax collectors, one with a yellow face and the other with a black face, were expressionless, and the yellow-faced tax collector said coldly: "Don't worry, hurry up and pay the tax, don't stop the boat behind." ”

The salted duck egg merchant yelled and refused to pay, eight taels and six dollars, seven taxes and one, which was too ruthless, he couldn't afford it, and he saw Zhang Yuan standing at the bow of the boat and watching, counting on Zhang Yuan to intercede for him - the two tax collectors were originally with straight faces, looking like they were doing business, and they had gone down to the cabin to see the goods before, and the high postal merchants did not give them benefits, and at this time they dared to sprinkle and refused to pay taxes, and they were angry all of a sudden, and the black-faced tax collector roared: "I only ask you, whether to pay or not, whether you want to resist taxes?" ”

The salted duck egg merchant suddenly softened and said: "Of course I have to pay, but eight taels or six dollars is too much, I can't afford to pay it, two poor masters, can you collect less?" ”

Another yellow-faced tax collector sneered, pouted, and said, "What do you have to do with this blind fool, detain the boat, fork it to the yamen and beat it." ”

Seeing that Zhang Yuan was indifferent, the salted duck egg merchant couldn't bear it, and said in a loud voice: "The villain will be handed over, and this will be handed over." "When you go out, you can destroy your wealth and eliminate disasters.

Unexpectedly, the yellow-faced tax collector said: "You resisted taxes, disrupted the order of the banknotes, caused the canal to be blocked, and fined five taels of silver." "The punishment is to be ruthless and set an example, otherwise the merchant ships behind are so verbose, then they will not be very tired of collecting taxes.

When the salted duck egg merchant heard this, his face turned pale, and his hands trembled uncontrollably, and he wanted to speak, but his throat was blocked and he couldn't speak.

The yellow-faced tax collector said in a vicious voice: "It seems that he is determined to resist taxes." Turning around, he was about to ask someone to fork this high-ranking merchant to the yamen of the banknote gate - Zhang Yuan raised his hand and said: "Wait a minute, may I ask the two tax differences, how did he pay taxes for this balsamic vinegar, and why did he have to pay eight taels or six yuan?" ”

The two tax collectors turned their heads to look at Zhang Yuan together, and saw that Zhang Yuan was a young scholar, wearing a straight shirt, not a square scarf and shirt, neither a showman, nor did he believe that there would be such a young man, the yellow-faced tax collector who was shouting to arrest the Gaoyou merchant sneered at Zhang Yuan: "What's the matter with you, do you have any goods on this ship?" ”

Ruan Dacheng's servant Ruan Zhengchun shouted: "Look clearly, these people are all masters who have entered Beijing to take the exam, pay taxes, what taxes to pay!" "The servants of the Nguyen clan in Tongcheng have always been arrogant.

The yellow-faced tax collector looked at Ruan Dacheng and Huang Zunsu and said, "Then please show me the official receipt." ”

Ruan Dacheng sneered, and ordered the waiter to take out the official certificate, the two tax collectors looked across the boat, and the black-faced tax collector waved his hand and said, "Then please go through the customs." ”

The yellow-faced tax collector said in a low voice: "Today, there have been many boats that lift people, are there so many people?" This means unbelieving.

Ruan Dacheng was furious and shouted: "Get over here, polish your dog's eyes to see clearly, whether this official document is forged or not!" ”

The yellow-faced tax collector listened to Ruan Dacheng's scolding, and he was also angry and rushed up, just waiting for the attack, the black-faced tax collector on the side quickly pulled the sleeve of the yellow-faced tax officer, don't fight with the officials, because a few months ago there was a merchant ship pretending to be the ship of the General Administration, when the banknote customs officer let it go, and then I heard people talk about it and realized that they were fooled, and they were very angry, and they also nodded at the boat, last month they saw a boat hanging with the brand of Zhejiang according to the Yamen of the Inspectorate, they saw that the boat was suspicious, and stopped and searched, but it was really the ship of Zhang Qilian, the envoy of Zhejiang. Jiang Yanshou, the head of the household department in Nanjing, who supervised the collection of banknotes, had to apologize in person, and scolded the banknote customs officials on the spot, so the banknote customs officials did not dare to check those ships with official brands without conclusive evidence, although the people were not officials, but they were not their little tax collectors could afford to provoke, looking at the young man with the official certificate in his hand was menacing, and the boat was also very gorgeous, this public tax certificate must not be fake - the yellow-faced tax collector reluctantly held his breath, took a step back, and the black-faced tax collector said: "Hurry up, don't block the boat behind and prevent us from collecting taxes." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I asked how the balsamic vinegar of this Gaoyou merchant is taxed, and why do you have to pay eight taels or six yuan?" ”

The yellow-faced tax collector thought to himself, "You kid can't be a lifter, right?" He said in a bad voice: "I said that eight taels and six coins are eight taels and six coins, and now I have to add five taels of fines." ”

Zhang Yuan said to the Gaoyou merchant: "You go with them to the Yamen, and we will arrive later." ”

The yellow-faced tax collector glared and said, "What do you mean by that?" ”

Ruan Zhengchun, a servant of the Ruan family, glared at the tax collector and sneered: "That means that you are going to be unlucky, and the sixteen people in this boat will trample you to death." ”

At this time, Zhou Monong, Zhang Dai, and Wen Zhenmeng, who were drinking in the cabin, all came out and asked what was going on, Ruan Zhengchun said 1510, and Wen Zhenmeng said: "Director Jiang of the Nanjing Household Department is the same year as my township test, and Yangzhou Banknote Customs is in charge of Director Jiang, let's go to see Director Jiang, and we will severely punish these two tax sticks." Wen Zhenmeng was already a lifter twenty years ago, and many of the lifters in the same department as him were already in high positions - the black-faced tax collector saw that the situation was not good, hurriedly nodded and apologized, and grabbed the yellow-faced tax collector again, and the yellow-faced tax collector also bowed his head and accused - Zhang Yuan said: "The two tax collectors haven't answered my question yet? ”

The black-faced tax collector replied: "This three-oar boat has one hundred and sixty jars of Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar, and the market price of each jar is six and a half cents of silver, one hundred and sixty jars is one hundred taels of silver, and fifteen taxes are one, plus the ship tax, it is almost eight taels and six cents." The conversation changed: "The villains don't know that these balsamic vinegars belong to a few masters, and they misunderstood." He glanced at the yellow-faced tax collector, and as soon as the two of them bowed together, they were about to leave the three-oared boat of the Gaoyou merchant - Zhang Yuan said: "What's the matter, these balsamic vinegar taxes are not collected at all?" ”

The yellow-faced tax collector was annoyed: "They all said that they would not collect taxes on balsamic vinegar ships, what do you want, it is too much to deceive people." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Calculate it clearly, how much tax you have to pay." ”

The Gaoyou merchant was bold and said: "A few people are gentle, the Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar on the villain's boat is only one hundred and twenty jars, and when you buy it from Zhenjiang, each altar is four dollars and eight cents of silver, and there is a transaction deed to support it." ”

(To be continued)