"Joint venture? But my Daming government has no money in the account now, do you want to spend a penny, and directly let the large and small private wineries hand over their equity? Chongzhen hesitated.

With such an empty glove white wolf, I am afraid that not only will the scholars and doctors discourage "competing with the people", but the people will also have complaints about the imperial court.

When he was in Zhongzhou, he heard that some people even used "heavy taxation" to satirize their multiple taxes.

In the event that the people's grievances worsen and any of the liquor dealers who have always been known for their prestige take the opportunity to revolt, it is better not to engage in this kind of thing.

Han Yi also nodded and said, "I can't help but make wine among the people, there are so many wineries in the world, and to promote them one by one to join forces will cost a huge amount of manpower, and it is likely that the gains outweigh the losses." ”

Bi Ziyan shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, although the imperial court does not give silver, if the joint venture is realized, it can give huge benefits to the winery, so that they have to follow!" ”

"What's the benefit?" Chongzhen hurriedly asked.

"This advantage is that after the imperial court announced the joint venture of selling wine, it strictly ordered the restaurants, inns, and Goolan singing places in the major prefectures and counties to restrict them from only taking wine from the wineries jointly operated by the government, and not to buy private wine."

"Bad wine in the countryside, a few pennies a bowl, even if this kind of small wine shop collects it, it will not have much income. The minister thought that it was better to follow the old system of Taizu, and still allowed him not to pay taxes. ”

"But it's not the same with the big wineries that are located near the bustling metropolis and employ hundreds of people. They produce dozens or hundreds of jars of wine every day, and only those big restaurants and big green buildings can eat their goods. ”

Han Yi stroked his beard, "Good idea! These restaurants and green buildings are completely under the control of the government. We will not levy any more money from them, but we will restrict their access to wine. If you don't comply, you will smash the wine jars in those uncooperative stores. ”

Chongzhen also understood, "I see, if you don't have a joint venture with the government, the wine can't be sold, and it will deteriorate into sour vinegar after a long time." ”

"And the winery that is jointly operated with the government can take the opportunity to become bigger. In this way, it is not the imperial court begging for a joint venture with the winery, but the winery begging for a joint venture with the imperial court! ”

Bi Ziyan bowed, "That's exactly the truth." ”

Chongzhen and Han Yi glanced at each other, and they both felt that this method was indeed feasible, and it worked quickly, and it did not increase the burden on ordinary people.

After all, it was impossible for the poor in the Ming Dynasty to go to the Qinglou, a restaurant in the city, to drink.

Han Yi asked again, "After the joint venture, how much can I pay per catty of wine, and how much silver will my annual income increase?" ”

Bi Ziyan said, "The price of liquor in this dynasty is different according to the materials, processes, and sales volume. ”

"The account books of the Wanli period show that each bottle of soju is 5 cents of silver, each bottle of rice wine is 2 cents of silver, each jar of soybean wine is 2 cents of silver, and Huaiqu is one cent of silver per catty (one tael of silver is equal to ten cents is equal to 100 cents)."

"The minister thinks that the joint venture fee from the winery must be charged according to the price of the wine it sells, and it can be added to the original price by one percent, although the tax rate is much lower than that of the Song Dynasty, but it can also increase the income by three million taels of silver a year."

Only three million taels of silver? Chongzhen frowned.

Seeing this, Bi Ziyan hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, this additional joint venture fee is not as high as possible. If the price gap between official liquor and moonshine is too large, then the restaurant Qinglou is likely to take the risk of selling moonshine as official liquor. ”

Han Yi also agreed, "Yes, if the bootleggers bribe the local servants at that time, this liquor joint venture will be like the current salt administration, the official salt is unsalable, and the illegal salt is popular, and no one can control it." ”

Chongzhen just understood.

Bi Ziyan said, "The joint venture of the wine industry is aimed at the big wineries in the city, and it is relatively easy to centralize management. ”

"But if the tea is to be a joint venture, the target is the tea farmers scattered in the major tea-producing areas of the country, and the minister has no clue yet."

Han Yi nodded, "Your Majesty, most of these tea farmers are southern mountain people, with strong temperaments, and most of them live according to clans, not as easy to handle as wineries." If the government misunderstands them in the process of contact, it is likely to lead to popular uncontrol. ”

"The system of this dynasty has always been to let the Jiangnan tea farmers pay the tribute tea, and after the Sichuan tea farmers pay enough taxes for the exchange of tea and horses, they will let them go to roast tea and sell it on their own, so it is better to continue to inherit this policy."

Chongzhen pondered for a moment, but he was unwilling to give up this financial path.

"Let's see how this goes, we don't directly merge and control these tea farmers, but we go and negotiate with them."

"Buying and selling?" Bi Ziyan and Han Yi were both a little confused.

"Yes, buy and sell." Chongzhen told them about his own ideas, which were more similar to the supply and marketing cooperatives of later generations.

The government will purchase tea from those areas where tea is planted more intensively, and then hand it over to those tea merchants who have distribution channels for distribution and sale.

Of course, the government's supply and marketing cooperatives have to charge the price difference in the middle of the tea that has been transferred.

This is equivalent to a joint venture between the supply and marketing cooperatives and tea merchants, that is, the tea tax is levied in it.

Bi Ziyan was still a little puzzled, "Your Majesty, if the tea we sell to tea merchants is more expensive than that of tea farmers, then why do they still buy from us?" ”

Chongzhen said confidently, "Because of the cooperation with the supply and marketing cooperatives, they can plant the imperial flag and be exempted from tariffs!" ”

The tariff is the flow tax in the Ming commercial tax, which is simply the tax on the value of the goods on the main water and land routes.

The biggest problem with this tax is that it can be avoided, if a merchant wants to save money, he can hire some convoys to take detours to bypass the tax gate, and for some commodities that must be transported by water, it will be repeatedly taxed, interfering with business development.

The reform of the Yuguan can also save the finances of the Ming Dynasty, but this is more difficult and can only be ranked later.

In terms of the tea tax alone, tea is a commodity that can be marketed throughout the country because it is different from wine, but due to the existence of tariffs, merchants cannot sell it to the wider national market.

If we cooperate with the supply and marketing cooperatives, the tea in Sichuan, Fujian and other places can enter the large markets with strong consumer demand in Nanzhili and Jingshi at a more competitive price.

It doesn't take much, as long as a few big tea merchants in these places see the business opportunities, and this thing is done.

Bi Ziyan chewed on Chongzhen's explanation, "Wonderful, Your Majesty, although the imperial court taxes tea through supply and marketing cooperatives, tea farmers and tea merchants have not suffered losses, but can all benefit from it, this is simply a win-win!" ”

Han Yi also appreciated the mystery of Chongzhen's idea, "The old minister thinks that the emperor's idea of supply and marketing cooperatives can not only be used for tea!" ”

He said uncharacteristically, "Dry goods from the north and south, wood, bamboo, bricks and tiles, these commodities that can be circulated throughout the country can be represented by supply and marketing cooperatives." In this way, not only did it not violate the ancestral system and did not levy taxes on the small people, but it also promoted the country's production and development and increased the source of taxes. ”

Chongzhen's head promised.

In fact, the organization of the supply and marketing cooperatives was run by himself in his previous life.

Not only can it be used to buy agricultural products, but it can also sell the industrial goods of the city to the peasants, from which an indirect excise tax is collected, which greatly expands the tax base.

However, the interests of setting up such a giant style of supply and marketing cooperatives are too great, and if the quality of the personnel is even worse, it is easy for the local tyrants and inferior gentry at the grassroots level to look down on them and turn them into a tool for them to exploit the peasants.

Therefore, Chongzhen's consideration of the supply and marketing cooperatives is still to go step by step, at least starting from tea, and doing a good job in the initial stage.

After instructing Han Yi and Bi Ziyan to go back, they improved the follow-up specific plan for the implementation of the liquor joint venture and the tea supply and marketing cooperatives throughout the country, and Chongzhen went back to the palace to rest.

Lying on the chair, Chongzhen took the Liaodong information handed over by Wang Chengen, and was about to read it slowly.

Suddenly, he jumped out of his chair barefoot.

"What, Huang Taiji actually annexed Horqin?"