About half an hour later, Xu Beiyou personally sent Li Zhang out of the door. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

I don't know what's going on lately, the heavy rain and light rain have not stopped, and occasionally when it doesn't rain, the sky is also gloomy and refuses to show a little sunshine.

Approaching dusk, the rainy day for half a month was finally willing to open a gap in the layers of dark clouds, so that some residual sunset light could shine through this gap.

Xu Beiyou stood in front of the door and looked up at the slanting sun above his head, beckoned to Zhang An who was not far away, and said: "Senior Sister Zhang, the Sword Sect has many large and small industries in Jiangdu City, if I remember correctly, there are more than a dozen kinds of pawnshops, money houses, printing bureaus, gambling houses, medicine shops, porcelain shops, antique shops, bookstores, courtyards, grain stores, restaurants, blacksmith shops, etc., can you tell me the exact number of them?"

Zhang An pondered for a moment and replied: "Returning to the young master, my Sword Sect's current industry in Jiangdu and even the entire Jiangnan is roughly seventeen pawnshops, three money houses, two printing bureaus, thirty-two gambling houses, eight pharmacy shops, five porcelain shops, three antique shops, one bookstore, nine courtyards, fifteen grain stores, twenty restaurants, forty blacksmith shops, nine inns, and twenty weaving workshops, and the principal silver alone amounts to 10 million taels of silver. In addition, there are three mansions in the city, two courtyards outside the city, a total of more than 600 houses, more than 7,000 acres of fields, eight granges, more than 900 tenants, more than 300 large and small ships, and two docks. ”

Speaking of this, Zhang An hesitated for a moment and said: "There is also a pirate group specializing in sea raiding, including more than 30 ships, more than 200 outlaws, and three island water villages, equipped with various bows and crossbows, firearms and disciples in the sect. ”

Xu Beiyou sighed: "It's really a big industry, just the principal and silver are such a terrifying amount, I really don't know how big the benefits should be?

Zhang An shook his head and smiled: "We haven't been able to meddle in the salt and iron business, if we don't count the sea business, there is still a big gap from the rich and rival countries, now the business is developed, the imperial court can pay a maximum of 50 million taels a year, the Daomen industry is all over the world, and the annual income is probably more than 20 million taels, compared with these two, our Sword Sect is undoubtedly a small thing, far from each other." ”

Xu Beiyou nodded and smiled: "It's true that they are far apart, but these two can't be judged by common sense, we can't compare with them, and even if they can really be compared, it is still standing on the cusp of the Lang family, the blessings and disasters are unpredictable, and the gains outweigh the losses." ”

Zhang An said in a low voice: "In fact, the reason why my aunt let the young master take over is not completely a test of the young master, everyone knows that the young master's adoptive father Han Ge Lao has returned to the temple, and now you are a scholar of the Huagai Palace, as the second assistant of the dynasty, and also in charge of the household department, now Han Ge Lao intends to rectify the household deficit, Jiangnan is the top priority, our Sword Sect is here by the young master, it is reasonable, Han Ge Lao has to open the net." ”

Xu Beiyou smiled bitterly when he heard this.

Two old men, one gave him a good foundation, and the other gave him a good background.

If it weren't for these two old people, there would never be today's Xu Beiyou.

Xu Beiyou suddenly missed Mr. a little, and he didn't know how he was doing in the imperial capital, after all, in the face of a Lan Xiangye who sat in the court for nearly a month, even if he had the emperor's support behind him, he would not be too comfortable, and he also provoked Duanmu Ruisheng, a potential enemy, but he was a real "pit father".

Xu Beiyou silently recited Lan Xiangye and Han Ge Lao, and said softly: "Rectifying the deficit is a matter of later thought, and the top priority now is to deal with His Royal Highness the King of Qi who has traveled thousands of miles from the imperial capital to Jiangdu to raise money and grain, this highness is not good." ”

Zhang An also frowned when he heard this, obviously very helpless about His Royal Highness King Qi.

The King of Qi, the first person of all the kings after the King of Wei, is the most promising successor, if he has a grudge with him at the moment, wouldn't he have to settle accounts with him when he ascends the throne in the future? But if you want to completely follow him, but you don't know how much flesh and blood will be bitten off by this highness, it is really a dilemma.

In fact, from Zhang Anxin's point of view, she still hopes that the young master can use the affection of Her Royal Highness the Princess, after all, Her Royal Highness the Princess Jiuwen is the most intimate with this brother, and her young master has some unclear relationship with Her Royal Highness the Princess, if she makes peace from Her Royal Highness the Princess, maybe Her Royal Highness the King of Qi will be able to raise her noble hand, but she is not good at saying this kind of thing directly, so she can only wait for Xu Beiyou to take the initiative to do it.

In fact, Xu Beiyou also thought about this, but he didn't know the bottom in his heart, after all, it was a matter of eight words, if he rashly went to Xiao Zhinan, maybe it would be counterproductive. Take 10,000 steps back, even if there is a skimming of the eight characters, then His Royal Highness the King of Qi is his rightful uncle, and he took the initiative to step forward, no matter how you look at it, he will be taught by this eldest brother.

"Difficult. Xu Beiyou couldn't help but sigh, "It's difficult." ”

——

Like his sister, Xiao Bai, the king of Qi who had just arrived in Jiangdu, also chose to settle in the Xie family in Jiangzhou. Nearly 1,000 guards and pro-soldiers camped outside Xie Garden, and Xiao Bai only brought a few dozen people to stay in Xie Yuan.

Although Xie Yuan belongs to the boundary of Jiangzhou, it is not far from Jiangdu, if it only takes two hours to ride a horse, Xiao Bai is not afraid of missing something if he lives here.

On this rare half-minute sunny day, Xiao Bai and Xie Suqing walked side by side along the lake embankment after the rain.

Xie Suqing faced this His Royal Highness the King of Qi, he did not have the casualness when he got along with Xiao Zhinan, and the number of courtesies was very sufficient, but Xiao Bai did not take the vassal king's shelf, and said calmly: "What is the matter with this king's visit to Jiangnan this time, I think Lord Xie already knows that it is the danger of the country, and he shares the worries and labor for his father." However, in the eyes of this king, this is only a symptom rather than a cure, and it is okay to get some silver money from the major families and salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, once it is okay, twice it is okay, and three times or four times? But how can natural and man-made disasters be more than a green river? In addition to floods, there are also droughts, locust plagues, and plagues, and how can this be done once and for all with only ten million taels of silver? ”

Xie Suqing nodded and said: "What His Royal Highness said is extremely true, the foundation of the country lies in taxation, but now the tax is decreasing year by year, the Daomen do not need to pay taxes, and the land is annexed on a large scale, many people are unbearable to be taxed in various names, and they sell the land cheaply to become tenants of the Daomen, and do not pay taxes to the imperial court, but to support the Daomen, but the taxes of these various names are deducted layer by layer, and there is very little silver money that can enter the treasury of the imperial court. ”

Xiao Bai sighed and said: "How can my father not know this, in order to report the kindness of the sect, the first emperor specially issued a decree to allow the land under the jurisdiction of the Daomen not to pay taxes, but today it has become a major drawback of our dynasty." After his father ascended the throne, he implemented a new policy of whip law, the fire was returned to the public, the land was apportioned into the mu, and the treasury was abundant, but the paving into the mu subjugated several major families but could not surrender to the Daomen who held the will of the first emperor, and the father and emperor wanted to curb the Daomen several times and return the land, but they were constrained everywhere, which led to the current situation. ”

The two walked into a pavilion, and Xie Suqing suddenly said, "Your Highness, there is a sentence that I don't know whether to say or not." ”

Xiao Bai was silent for a moment and said, "But it's okay to talk about it. ”

Xie Suqing lowered his voice and said: "Your Highness has just said that since Your Majesty implemented a new whip law, the treasury is abundant, and although it is a disaster on the Daomen side, it is not yet endangered, but why is the deficit in the treasury as high as nine million taels of silver last year? ”

Xiao Bai was suddenly taken aback when he heard this, and said, "What does Master Xie mean...... Father knows about the treasury?"

"I'm afraid it's not just about knowing. Xie Suqing tapped his fingers lightly on the table top of the stone table in the pavilion, "Maybe Your Majesty used this money." ”

Xiao Bai's eyes suddenly froze, and he whispered to himself: "According to Han Xuan, last year's budget was 39 million taels, but the actual expenditure was 51.9 million taels, and the overrun was 12.9 million taels, which is not a small amount, even if it is to repair the tomb, it will not cost so much money." ”

Xie Suqing pointed out: "The major affairs of the country are in worship and Rong. ”

Xiao Bai suddenly remembered that Zhang Wuxian, the new governor of the Northwest Army, who was reinstated with Han Xuan, couldn't help but say in horror: "Father wants to use soldiers!?"