In addition to Bianliang Kaifeng Mansion as the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, there were three other capitals, namely Beijing Daimyo Mansion, Nanjing Yingtian Mansion, and Xijing Henan Mansion.

The three places are Hebei Daming County, Henan Shangqiu City, and Henan Luoyang City.

As the accompanying capital, the Daimyo Mansion, Yingtianfu and Henan Prefecture enjoyed greater power than other prefectures, such as various transit envoys, Xingjiao envoys, and Changping envoys (the envoys were not permanent), which were basically in these places.

Yingtianfu is connected to Huai and Zhejiang in the south, Qing and Xu in the east, and Bianliang in the west, and the transportation and trade are extremely developed, which has also given birth to more prosperous commerce and trade than other cities.

But with commerce comes oppression.

Yingtianfu set up a local commercial tax institute, in Ningling, Yingtianfu, Gushu three Bianhe along the road card card, intercept the coming and going ships, collect high taxes, just from Yingtianfu to pay six points.

And the king of Hades is better than the little ghost is difficult, all the tax and field affairs have to be dealt with, and all kinds of things come down, after layers of exploitation, basically out of Huainan, and when he returns to Zhejiang, the tax along the way is afraid that it can reach more than 20 points, and the exploitation is quite serious.

Tian Chang poured bitter water on taxes along the way.

Fortunately, these top businessmen can bring more goods at one time, and even occasionally hide some contraband in the goods, and then make a lot of money by making small profits and quick turnover.

But those small and medium-sized businessmen suffered, they had nothing to do with it, and they didn't have big capital. 500 pieces of goods, counting the dots along the way, there are more than 100 pieces of spending.

In addition to at least 20% or more of the large tax, there are also many small taxes such as tolls, bridge tolls, docking tolls, and ship size fees.

In this way, if you add in the cost of chartering a ship and hiring people, sometimes your 500 yuan of stuff must rise to 1,000 yuan to barely keep your capital when you reach the destination.

In this way, it is the end consumer who will eventually be harmed, and it is no wonder that the tea collected by Zhejiang Tea Farm in twenty or thirty Wen will rise by two or three times in Bianliang.

In addition to serious tax exploitation, Ying Tianfu's business environment is not very good.

Like Bianliang, the wind of association has led to the rampant underworld forces. In addition to dealing with the official favors, businessmen have to go to Yingtianfu to do business, and they will inevitably be plundered by the underworld forces.

In addition, there are indeed a lot of corrupt officials and corrupt officials, mainly entrenched in the ferries of Caoyun, asking for bribes, but these people are really doing things, as long as you give money, they are not less than your taxes and silver, which can be regarded as a sense of mutual benefit.

The ships slowly drifted on the canal, and the caravan ships in front had already left the port of the Ningling Canal and headed towards Ying Tianfu.

Tian Chang was talking about tax issues along the way, but Zhao Jun just listened and didn't say anything.

In the end, he said almost completely, and he still didn't finish his words: "Zhiyuan, this is what I learned about all the taxes along the way, and the total amount of taxes is close to thirty percent." ”

"Hmm."

Zhao Jun nodded slightly and said, "This tax is indeed heavier." ”

"Who's to say it isn't?"

Tian Chang added: "So many people bypass by small roads or tributary harbors, or borrow roads to pass through places with few tax cards, so as to avoid taxes. ”

"Oh."

Zhao Jun replied noncommittally.

Tian Chang wondered, but seeing that Zhao Jun was silent, he had no choice but not to speak.

When there were still about five or six miles away from Ying Tianfu, and a large number of villages and farmlands in the northwest of Ying Tianfu City could already be seen from a distance, Zhao Jun asked Tian Changdao: "Boss, I plan to go outside the city to see, do you want to follow?" ”

He meant that if Tian Chang had something to do, then he could send someone to send him back to his merchant ship, anyway, the merchant ship was moving slowly, just ahead.

Tian Chang held some words in his heart, and couldn't help but say: "Zhiyuan, the little old man has a question." ”

"You say."

"The prefect wants to hear about Caoyun taxation, and also wants to hear about corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and the little old man said it, isn't the prefect resentful that the exploitation is so serious along the way?"

He didn't say this like a cautious businessman asking about it, and Tian Chang definitely didn't dare to ask it before.

But there is another thing in his heart, and he must grit his teeth and ask.

Zhao Jun sighed, shook his head and said, "Resentment does lead to resentment, but there are some things that cannot be moved for the time being." ”

"Why?"

Tian Chang asked.

"Because the exploitation is so strict, it is not the local officials who are making a lot of money, but the court that is making a lot of money."

Zhao Jun explained: "The salaries of local lower-level officials are not high, and even many officials are not paid, and if they want to get money, they have to go up and down, so they can only set up clever names and collect taxes. The transit envoys and the commercial tax institute would take most of the taxes they collected and hand them over to the imperial court, and the lower-level officials would intercept a small amount, forming such a relationship. ”

Tian Chang frowned and thought.

He is a businessman, but he can't actually think about the problem at the national level, so he can only look at it from the perspective of the victims, and feel that the government is exploiting them layer by layer, making them miserable.

But the problem is that Zhao Jun looks at the problem from the national level, and knows that the reason for the layers of exploitation is not only the local government, but also the problem of the government decree above.

In the Song Dynasty, the commercial tax was very strict, and all roads and checkpoints had tax payment yards, and there were also high penalties for those merchants who evaded taxes.

In addition, the tax collectors and the officials of the Commercial Tax Office are also happy to find various reasons to collect taxes.

It is not because these taxes go into their own pockets, but because after these taxes are paid, the imperial court will distribute the money according to a certain percentage.

In other words, the tax officials and tax collectors of the Commercial Tax Institute are not paid, and their income depends on how much tax you collect this year. If there is a lot of tax, the salary will be high, and if the tax is less, the salary will be low.

It is recorded in the "History of the Song Dynasty": "The three divisions of the commercial tax office all use civil servants, and there is no fixed amount, and each official receives 300 taels of silver." ”

So to sum it up.

Tax exploitation is so serious, or the above policy problem. This is not something that can be solved by cracking down on a few corrupt officials, but requires tax law reform at the national level.

Zhao Jun has actually always known about this, and this time he went to the grassroots level, first, to take a look at the situation in Huainan first, to see if there was any inside story in the drought in Huainan.

The second is to inspect the local agricultural situation and understand how heavy the burden of the grassroots peasants in the Great Song Dynasty is.

The third is to personally look at the business tax situation and see if we can seek change.

As for punishing corrupt officials and corrupt officials, it is easy to do it when you see it, and it is not the main problem to be solved.

The problem Tian Chang said is serious, but he needs to understand it deeply and slowly change this drawback.

"In fact, to put it bluntly, the imperial court needs to collect such high taxes, and it needs to maintain the country by oppressing the people and merchants."

Zhao Jun did not hide it, and said bluntly: "If you want to solve this problem, you need to change the way of tax collection through the decree of the imperial court." But if you want to change the way you collect taxes, at least not now, because the imperial court will need money to maintain a large army to cope with the borders. ”

That's the root of the problem.

Tian Chang only understood the reason at this time, but he was not disappointed, but said with a wry smile: "I see, that little old man understands." ”

Zhao Jun said with a smile: "This is also something that cannot be helped, the country must maintain stability." ”

Tian Chang nodded slightly.

At this moment, the boat turned a corner five or six miles from Yingtianfu, slowly sailed towards a tributary, and then stopped at a small wharf ferry for fishing boats in the tributary.

As soon as the boat stopped, a group of wolf-like tax collectors rushed out from the low slope of the riverbank next to them, shouting at them: "Another group of tax avoiders has come, and all the brethren have come out and surrounded them." ”

Zhao Jun frowned.

Thinking about it, in order to prevent people from bringing goods into Yingtianfu from the small road for sale, the people of the commercial tax office sent a large number of tax collectors to ambush in the surrounding rivers and paths, no wonder the Song Dynasty was able to receive commercial taxes.

But this tax is too frequent, just called in Ningling, and now it has to be paid, the beast leaves the skin, and the goose plucks the feathers.

I'm afraid that the dogs in the village will have to pay two cents tax before they can leave.

Zhao Jun waved his hand.

Jiang Dalang went up to negotiate.

It's still the same rhetoric.

It is said that the forbidden soldiers who went to Huainan to change the guard have the approval of the imperial court and the waist card to deal with it.

It's just that although it is a forbidden army, it is inevitable that it still has to pay taxes.

Another two times the money was spent.

They couldn't stop their ships here, and they were ordered to stop at Yingtianfu Wharf under the command of the tax collectors.

As a last resort, they were finally asked to return to Yingtianfu.

When I arrived at Yingtianfu, it was already more than six o'clock in the afternoon, which was more than an hour later than the original five o'clock, the sky was not dark, and there were many fewer people in the downtown of the wharf outside the city.

A large number of ships coming from south to north stopped at the wharf outside Yingtianfu City, which were passing, and if it was a merchant ship entering the city to do business, it would enter the city along the Caoyun Canal and stop at the wharf in the city.

Zhao Jun and the others did not enter the city, if they had not been intercepted by the tax collector twice in the middle, and Tian Chang's fleet had not stopped him, I am afraid that he would have appeared in the villages on the outskirts of Ying Tianfu more than two hours ago and went to the grassroots level to investigate.

The main thing is also the situation on Gyeonggi Road and the surrounding areas Zhao Jun actually knew that he had gone out of the city many times to investigate the farmland outside the city, and after taking charge of the Imperial City Division, the Imperial City Division began to expand in Gyeonggi Road, and its authority was all over Gyeonggi Road, and the investigation report had been handed over to his desk.

And he also knows a little bit about the situation in Tianfu, but he still has to take a look at it.

It's just that it's getting late today, and it's obviously not the time.

Zhao Jun asked Tian Changdao: "Tian Dongjia, it's getting late today, we plan to spend the night on the boat, and we will stay in Yingtianfu tomorrow, and I don't know how many days to stay, if you have something to do, you can leave first." ”

Tian Chang hurriedly said: "Xiao Lao'er is willing to follow the prefect, and he happened to come to Ying Tianfu to have some business to do, but I have a son on the boat, just let him do it." ”

Zhao Jun thought about it and guessed that Tian Chang might have something to say to himself, so he said, "That's okay, you can live on the boat with me today." ”

As he spoke, he looked ahead, the merchant ship of the Tian family in the distance, and wondered a little: "Tian Dongjia, I have some doubts. ”

"Yes."

Tian Chang responded.

Zhao Jun asked: "I have also learned that this large merchant ship can carry more than 100,000 catties, and the tea that goes to Bianliang can only carry 120,000 catties, do you need so many ships?" ”

Tian Chang laughed and said: "The prefect doesn't know, this boat to Bianliang can only carry 120,000 catties, but it can also go to other places, such as Yingtianfu, which can also carry 100,000 catties." In addition, in addition to tea, it is necessary to carry grain to Bianliang, and the price of grain collected from the south is lower, and then hire people from Bianliang to enter the middle school, and you can get tea introduction. ”

"I see."

Only then did Zhao Jun know why the Tian family actually had so many big ships, and it seemed that the business was really big.

Tian Chang said again: "In addition to this tea and grain, there are copper coins, in fact, we don't make much profit every trip, only tens of thousands, and the profit in a year does not exceed 150,000." However, to do business from south to north, it is necessary to prepare a large amount of copper coins, and there are 90,000 yuan on the ship in front, weighing more than 500,000 catties. ”

"Okay."

Zhao Jun smiled bitterly: "It seems that it will be convenient for you to open the affairs of the south as soon as possible." ”

Tian Chang smiled bitterly.

Don't look at the Tian family's business so big, but this is already the limit.

Although the Cao Yun of the Song Dynasty itself was developed, in the era when there were no Jiaozi and silver tickets, if you want to do bulk commodity trading, you must go out and bring so much money and things, 100,000 yuan, equivalent to 640,000 catties, 320 tons, at least four large Cao ships have to be transported.

Then, if the value of a trip can reach 300,000 yuan, you have to pay 50,000 or 60,000 yuan for the tolls along the way. After deducting all kinds of costs, they really don't make much money.

Therefore, the trade of the Song Dynasty was prosperous and declining, and it was entirely the imperial court that squeezed the people, small and medium-sized landlords and merchants to death, so that there could be such a high tax every year. Otherwise, the Southern Song Dynasty would not have relied on half of the country and received more than 100 million yuan in taxes, which was more than five times higher than the annual tax of about 20 million taels in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhao Jun saw everything in his eyes, so he didn't say anything. At least for now, he has nothing to do about these things, and if he wants to find a way to change the deformed finances of the Great Song Dynasty, he still has to wait for Lao Fan's side to solve the invasion of Western Xia and Liao, so that he can reform it slowly, rather than rushing for a while.

The boat docked on the shore, and soon the night passed, and the next morning, Zhao Jun and the others got off the boat, and did not enter Yingtianfu, but went to the countryside outside Yingtianfu to see the situation of the fields there.

They walked for a day and went to many villages, similar to the situation in Bianliang, where there were yeoman farmers, but the number of landlords was already half to half.

That is, in a certain village, or simply in the surrounding villages combined, thousands of acres of land are occupied by one landlord or two or three landlords. Then there was a certain kulak class, and below that there was about half of the yeoman farmers.

This is obviously not a good thing for agriculture.

Moreover, Zhao Jun inspected and found that many landlords had a large number of tenants, long-term workers and short-term workers, and only after asking someone to inquire did he know that the Huainan East Road, which was close at hand, was hit by the drought the year before last, and since the beginning of the previous two years, many people have fled from the famine.

Some wanted to go to Bianliang, and some stayed in Yingtianfu, but after all, the handicraft manufacturing industry had limited capacity, and there were still many people who could not find jobs, so they could only work for the landlord.

There are black-hearted landlords, and there are also good-hearted landlords, this kind of thing can hide from the emperor who is high, and hide from the hundred officials who are vegetarian in the corpse, but they can't hide it from those people.

Even if many peasants don't dare to cause trouble and don't dare to say anything, there are some who dare to say it, anyway, it's just a few outsiders who have never met, what can they do?

Zhao Jun didn't say anything, just recorded it.

These things are the tip of the iceberg, he can't immediately expose his identity to punish the landlord, write a sword and send it back to Bianliang, let Lu Yijian and them deal with it, he has to hide his identity and go to other places to continue to investigate the grassroots situation.

In this way, for four or five days, Zhao Jun wandered around the countryside and county seat around Yingtianfu, and the transfer envoy of Jingxi Road and Yingtianfu Yin didn't know that there was a big daddy on the ground.

Until the sixth day, Zhao Jun was about the same as the research around Tianfu, and he was about to leave in the early morning, and when he got on the boat, he suddenly turned his head and asked Tian Chang: "Tian Dongjia, these days you have been following me before and after the saddle, and you haven't even done business, I'm afraid it's not just to slap me." ”

Tian Chang was stunned for a moment, and then as if he had made up some kind of determination, he knelt on the ground suddenly, and said to Zhao Jun: "Please also ask the prefect to make the decision for my brother Zhang Xian, Guo Chengyou, the governor of Bozhou, in order to seize the ancestral things of the Zhang family, designed to destroy the Zhang family, and even my virtuous brother was killed by him on fabricated charges!" ”

Zhao Jun's eyes instantly turned cold.

The update is unstable.,It's not ideal.,It's not Kavin.,There's no need to write too detailed and lengthy about the protagonist's research process.,Basically, it's over even if it's cut along the line.,But I'm really not in good health.,My lungs are about to cough out.,I always thought that Yang was over.,I didn't expect it to be there all the time.,There are all kinds of variants.,Everyone should pay attention to the body.。

(End of chapter)