Ma Ziqiang nodded after hearing this, and then asked: "So, Runlian also does not support the increase in commercial tax?" ”

The king shook it up and said solemnly: "Please forgive me for making it next time!" ”

Then, Wang Yongji replied: "Because the old man of the pavilion asked, he also dared to say bluntly, I don't know if this additional commercial tax is appropriate in other places, but if it is in Fujian, I am afraid that there will be chaos!" ”

"What do you mean by that?"

Ma Ziqiang hurriedly asked.

Wang Yongji said: "Because the additional business tax can only be levied on the ordinary businessmen, and the income of the small people in Fujian can only go to the lake, and the rich can only be used for one person to study." ”

"The imperial court is now setting up a moon port to collect taxes, which is already unbearable for the small people, and there are more smugglers;"

"It's just because the Yin Jian of the Japanese rebellion is not far away, especially because many old people know that it is necessary to let the imperial court have the money to maintain the combat strength of the naval division and ensure the tranquility of the maritime frontier, that many villagers are willing to give in favor of the imperial court and take the initiative to go to sea from Yuegang, so that the local treasury can get tens of thousands of taels of silver every year to maintain the military needs of the naval division;"

"Otherwise, it will be difficult for the imperial court to receive the taxes in Yuegang now;"

"After all, the Fujian people do get too little from going to sea!"

"The real Hailey is still for the big families;"

"Ge Lao didn't know that they monopolized the price of goods, and colluded with Fanyi to impose heavy taxes on the Han people who came to trade in the land where Fanyi was based, or lowered the wages of the Han people who went to work in Fanyi, so that the total annual income of the small people was far less than the Haili of the big households and the Panyi people in a year."

"Therefore, many Fujian people are still proud to be large tenant farmers."

"Rao is hundreds of acres of fertile land in the lower clan, and there is not a single tenant farmer who has fled to do business, because they know that it is better to go to sea to do business or work, it is better to be a tenant farmer for my Wang family."

After hearing this, Ma Ziqiang said with a calm expression: "In this way, it is absolutely impossible to increase the commercial tax. ”

Then, Ma Ziqiang suddenly brought up other topics, and said: "I came all the way and found that whether it is Nanzhi or Fujian and Zhejiang, the style of reading is flourishing, Mr. Gangfeng also mentioned that although the people of Nanzhi are hard, most of the hard work is taken by the officials and gentry and used for their children's education, and there are very few people who keep it for their own use, which shows that the style of learning is very prosperous." ”

"What Elder Ge said is right."

Wang Yongji replied, and said: "If you learn literature and martial arts, you can sell it in the emperor's house, but in general, it is easier to learn literature." ”

"And only by being an emperor can he avoid being exploited, and only then can he have dignity, whether he is doing business or farming, he can be guaranteed."

"If you don't let your hard work go to waste, you will be bullied by the arrogant right at will, and you will not be taken seriously by the government."

"Therefore, all those in the world who have financial resources want fame and power; This is said to be inferior, only reading is high! ”

Ma Ziqiang nodded: "So no matter how hard it is, the common people have to let their children study." ”

"It is precisely because of this, especially since His Majesty's edict to increase the number of places for the common people, so that the opportunities for the children of the common people to gain fame and fame have increased, and because of this, more and more commoners are more willing to send their children to study, and even more diligent in both business and farming, and there are those who go to the streets before dawn to sell goods, and there are also those who do not have to rest all year round and have to run more side jobs, so that the trend of reading among the people is more prosperous, and agriculture and commerce are more developed."

The king used the Ji Dao.

Hai Rui also followed: "The edict of the Son of Heaven is indeed a good government that encourages the people to be diligent, and has the effect of winning the hearts of the people all over the world. ”

"The Son of Heaven knows what the people are anxious about, and he can really be described as a holy monarch!"

Ma Ziqiang couldn't help but look north and worship, and then put forward his real purpose, saying:

"This time, the servant and Shen Changzhou inspected the place, and Yuan Fu gave me three policies to do, so that I would talk after inspecting the place, in addition to increasing the commercial tax, it is to pay the grain to the mu and the official gentry."

Speaking of this, Ma Ziqiang said undoubtedly: "It is absolutely not feasible to spread the land into the mu!" ”

Then, Ma Ziqiang said: "The servant was originally intended to increase the commercial tax, but now it seems that only the officials and gentry can pay the grain and errands in one piece, or there is a possibility of discussion." ”

After Ma Ziqiang said, Wang Yongji glanced at Hai Rui in surprise.

Hai Rui was not surprised by this, because in the past, in front of the emperor, Zhao Zhenji mentioned in front of the Son of Heaven that he wanted the officials and gentry to pay food as an errand boy, and he was also present at the time.

"Is it really time for the imperial court to cancel the preferential exemption of officials and gentry?"

Wang Yongji smiled helplessly at this time.

Ma Ziqiang sighed and said: "You have to understand Yuanfu's thoughts, he wants to solve the hidden dangers in the future for His Majesty, so that His Majesty can really be a prosperous and virtuous monarch!" ”

"The so-called to Jun Yao Shun is to let His Majesty not continue to reform the system in the future because he wants to continue the national fortune, and then be scolded by the rentier in the world, but to remove all the thorns in front of him for the Son of Heaven, so that the Son of Heaven can really become the Son of Heaven who can only be gracious, and he can really get the name of Yao Shun to reappear."

"In short, it is better to carry the infamy of eternity, but also to achieve a holy monarch!"

"This is Motosuke's ambition in this life!"

"Zhao Wensu Gong (Zhao Zhenji) said that there will be more and more gentry, and then there will be more people who enjoy preferential exemption, and in the future, there may be no people to serve, and there will be no tax land, and the only way to solve this problem is to cancel preferential exemption."

Hai Rui immediately said after hearing this.

"It's just that the world's scholars are willing to be willing?"

Wang Yongji asked.

Hai Rui said: "To gain fame, what I care more about is that I don't have to be bullied by officials, I am not easy to be exploited at will, I can be decent, I can be respected, and I am not regarded as the same as cattle and horses!" ”

"Not to mention the cancellation of preferential exemptions, it is to make people need to pay silver every year to get a good reputation, and then they can be respected by the government and the gentry, and they can be mastered, and people in the world are only afraid and willing, especially scholars!"

Wang Yongji nodded, then took a deep breath and said: "A gentleman should emphasize righteousness and ignore profit, so that it can indeed avoid the increase of the number of gentry and the decrease of the national treasury in the future, so that the society can be stable for a long time." ”

"At least, the Xia Wang clan is willing to accept this policy, but they also ask the imperial court to allow the official gentry to pay silver for service, after all, as a scholar, it is really degrading to let him serve and be driven by the officials."

"It's nature."

Ma Ziqiang nodded, and then said: "This policy is indeed only to avoid too many gentry in the future and affect the income of the national treasury, not to prevent Tian Shelang from having the opportunity to ascend to the Heavenly Prince's Hall, so it is not hindered in the overall situation; And it does not damage the foundation of the powerful and the right! ”

"After all, it's not like imposing a commercial tax, which is to make them spit out the huge profits, and he just asks them to pay for grain as errands, and they can completely pass on the payment of grain as errands to the tenant farmers, and this can curb contributions."

"And today, there is no shortage of farmers, and the tenants will not flee because of this. Even in the north, it must be able to endure it. It's just that those who are regarded as officials are willing to damage the interests of the gentry and ensure the taxes of the imperial court. ”

"Bureaucrats have no problem, after all, most of the officials of any local parents are foreign officials, and they have nothing to do with the local gentry, so the bureaucrats may be willing to do this for the sake of political achievements, and it is not for the benefit of their own clan anyway;"

"If the imperial court can at the same time, as it did when the Qingzhang fields were implemented, give heavy rewards to the officials who implement the integration of the officials and gentry, so that they can buy the officials and make up for the losses of their own clans, they will be more active in their personal careers."

"And the number of officials is still not equal to the number of officials and gentry, not to mention that there are many officials and gentry in the world and are not unified, then the court can take advantage of the reality that there are many officials and gentry and there are not many officials, and use heavy rewards to raise incorruptible silver and greater power, and attract enterprising officials to fight against the gentry in the world!"

"Let the nobles who are willing to obey the decrees of the imperial court have the opportunity to become a greater nobleman, then they will inevitably be willing to suppress the disobedient gentry for the imperial court, and then force the officials and gentry of the world to obey the government of the imperial court and the gentry to pay food and serve as errands."

Hai Rui said.

Wang Yongji also nodded and said: "There are too many officials and gentry in the world, as long as they do not hurt the common foundation, most of them are tilted against each other. ”

"But it's not feasible, we have to think about it."

Hai Rui suddenly added at this time.

Ma Ziqiang and Wang Yongji both looked at him: "What do you mean by this?" ”

Hai Rui said with a smile: "I have been the governor of Yingtian, and I have also been the governor of other provinces, so I know better." ”

"Except for Nanzhi, the landlords in other places are more common people than the gentry, and the gentry are scattered, so the court can reduce the favor of the gentry, and as long as they continue to live above the common people;"

"But Nanzhi is different, among the landowners in Nanzhi, there are more officials and gentry than ordinary people, and the officials and gentry are also more concentrated, so that the officials and gentry can pay food and errands in one piece, which is undoubtedly equivalent to eliminating the fame of the entire Nanzhi subordinate landowners, so that there is no difference in status!"

"Shangshu Shilang and the whole life have to pay silver on behalf of the servant, how can Shangshu Shilang be willing?"

"And the official gentry of Nanzhi are concentrated, there are many people with the same surname, many in-laws with different surnames, and there are many officials in the two capitals, so once the official gentry pay grain on an errand, Jiangnan will be in chaos again!"

"Jiangnan chaos is better than chaos in the world!"

"It's only chaotic in Jiangnan, and the imperial court can still hold it down."

"What's more, the imperial court only ordered the officials and gentry to pay grain as an errand instead of increasing the commercial tax, which did not harm the interests of the common people in Jiangnan, and he and the official gentry in the south could not mobilize the common people, and he really wanted to pay for the common people to rebel, so what is the difference between paying grain and paying errands? But at least the latter doesn't have to bear the scourge of the Nine Clans! ”

Ma Ziqiang replied, and said: "Listening to the words of the two, the servant thinks that it is really necessary to choose one of the three strategies, and this strategy is feasible, I don't know what the two think?" ”

Hai Rui nodded: "What the elder said is reasonable. ”

Wang Yongji nodded, sighed, and said, "Now it seems that this is the only way!" I hope that there will be more loyal ministers in the world and understand the difficulties of the imperial court! ”

Ma Ziqiang said: "If you want to make Jun Yaoshun, you can only suffer the gentry of the world, so the servant decided to only approve of this policy and wait for Yuan Fu to consider!" ”