The most unlucky crossing in history

There were nearly a hundred years of war before the founding of the Daqing Dynasty. During that time, the people were destitute and destitute. In the 30 to [-] years after the founding of the Dynasty, the people still could not have enough to eat. In addition, the sea was not calm in those years, and the people on the coast were beaten by several huge waves. They were displaced, and several bandit raids made them complain more and more. In his later years, Emperor Gaozu had to issue an order to move the people along the coast to leave the coast.

In the following decades, the East China Sea and other sea areas were very peaceful, and the people gradually lost their fear of the sea, and some fishermen migrated to the seaside little by little.

Therefore, before the Zhong family, apart from some thieves, there were only some fishermen who went to the sea to catch some seafood. The quantity was too small and difficult to manage. Daqing had always ignored the taxation of sea business.

But now with the rise of the Zhong family's fleet, many people have seen the huge profits at sea in the past six months, so they traveled with them and built a fleet.

And Xie Wenyuan now mentions maritime tax...

Does anyone in the hall know who is the biggest maritime merchant in the country today?Isn't it Zhong Qiyun from the Zhong family?Xie Wenyuan suddenly mentioned tax collection, which is equivalent to calling Zhong Qiyun to take out the money.

Xie Wenyuan had such an enmity with Zhong Qiyun that he was going to be attacked like this.

In an instant, the ministers in the palace sighed and began to discuss in whispers.

Tan Yuanyong squinted at Xie Wenyuan for a long time, his thoughts changed, but he still said: "The prime minister proposed the maritime tax, there should be a reason for it, let the prime minister talk about it first."

Xie Wenyuan nodded in response and said: "Maritime fleets have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, but there is no government to manage the fleet business, control, or taxation, etc., whether it is the business threshold. , sailing, business, etc. are completely out of the control of the government, allowing maritime merchants to do whatever they want, there are at least three dangers." Xie Wenyuan paused, and continued: "One, everyone knows Maritime merchants made huge profits, but they forgot that sailing in the sea is full of dangers and difficulties. Now the imperial court does not control it and allows the people to drive a small boat into the sea. In recent months, there have been 320 people missing at sea, all of whom are able-bodied adults from various households. This is nearly [-] times the number of last year. If things go on like this, no matter how good a trip is, it will turn into a disaster. .”

After hearing this, Tan Yuanyong frowned and said, "They are all middle-aged men, so what kind of things are there?"

The 320 households are afraid that food and clothing will not be guaranteed, so the prime minister will continue to talk. "

After hearing this, Xie Wenyuan said: "Secondly, maritime merchants are expanding rapidly. If local governments don't know the situation of shipping merchants, the sea will definitely become a hotbed for some illegal shipping merchants to seek wealth and kill. In the long run, they will lose the control of the imperial court. Forming a knot will not only make the business out of order, but also leave a hidden danger for the imperial court that is difficult to reconcile."

"Thirdly, it is unreasonable for maritime merchants to make huge profits but have no taxation. It is unreasonable to bring them into taxation control, whether it is for the country, the people or for the public and righteousness. It is inevitable that the taxation will fill the treasury, and it will be able to use it to buy rice. Help the world."

After Xie Wenyuan finished speaking, no one spoke in the hall.

Tan Yuanyong glanced at all the ministers in the hall, and frowned when he saw Linghu, and said, "Does the Minister of Zhongshu have something important to say?"

Linghu heard the words and took a step forward, and replied: "Back to the emperor, I just want to ask the prime minister about something."

Xie Wenyuan: "Master Linghu, please tell me."

Linghu cupped his hands slightly to Xie Wenyuan, and said: "During the Daqing Dynasty, there were nearly [-] percent of the peasant households, merchants only accounted for [-] percent, and among them, maritime merchants were even less. Can it be worth the taxes lowered by tens of millions of farmers in the country?"

After Linghu finished speaking, many ministers in the palace whispered among themselves: "Yes, there is only one household in the sea merchants, how can it be possible to offset so much agricultural tax by relying on him alone."

"What's more, grain and rice are only three Wen per catty. Although the quantity is large, the price is low."

"But that is [-]% of the world's grain and rice. Although one household is small, tens of millions of households cannot be measured."

"Master Zhang's words are wrong. The prime minister said it was tax reduction, not tax exemption!"

"Even so, that's impossible. If we really act like this, we can't say that the treasury is not only short of rice, but also short of money."

There was endless quarreling in the main hall.

Xie Wenyuan was not in a hurry, he just listened to their quarrel like this, and when Tan Yuanyong, who was sitting in the seat, patted the armrest of the imperial couch and dragon chair angrily, Xie Wenyuan smiled and said: "When I thought of this method the day before yesterday , I was just as skeptical as the other lords, so I asked Lord Feng, Minister of the Household Department, to make a deduction."

As he spoke, he looked at Tan Yuanyong and said, "Your Majesty, can I ask Mr. Feng to inform you of the results of the deduction?"

Tan Yuanyong looked at Xie Wenyuan, and even finished the deduction, how could it be that what he just mentioned was not mature enough?

way?Xie Wenyuan has already prepared a comprehensive strategy and will definitely make a change in taxation.

Tan Yuanyong remained calm, he just said: "Then let the Minister of the Household Department talk about it."

Hearing the sound, Feng Ping walked to the middle of the hall and said: "The minister was entrusted by the prime minister to make a deduction based on the taxation of the middle school last year. In the 24th year of the heavy flood, my annual income was 5000 million taels of silver, but the agricultural tax It only accounts for two or three tenths of it. The conversion of grain and rice into silver is more than 230. Two, a reduction of about two hundred and one hundred and fifty thousand taels, and an average of 33 taels of silver per month."

Feng Ping said that he stopped here, and Zhou Tingyang, the servant of Shangshu Province who had been following Tan Yuanyong, said: "18 taels... Can the small piece of tax from Zhongjia Xinghai exceed 18 taels?"

Xie Wenyuan glanced at him, and then said: "I'm afraid there is one thing that my lords don't know very well. Although the largest maritime merchant right now is the Zhong family, it is not true that the Zhong family is the only one. My lords know that since After the seaports of the Zhong family opened to navigation, how many merchants sailed in the past month? Do you know that merchants from foreign countries have appeared in Maojiang, Hangzhou, Songjiang and other places to do business and sell?"

"Gentiles?!"

Xie Wenyuan glanced at the astonished minister, and nodded: "Exactly."

After finishing speaking, he didn't wait for the others to think too much, Xie Wenyuan said directly: "Even if we only use the largest ship merchant Zhong's family to deduce..." Xie Wenyuan shook his head and smiled, "Masters, don't you think that the Zhong family The Chengfeng Station and Chengfeng Pavilion in the court are more profitable than Xinghai, right?"

Feng Ping went on to say: "Although it is not accurate, I have also made the most conservative estimation and deduction based on the profit of the sea trip mentioned by other sea merchants, combined with the number of times the Zhong family went to sea last month. …”

Afterwards, Feng Ping listed the numbers bit by bit, and made an estimate on the spot, and obtained the minimum silver taels that the Zhong family could have earned by sailing the sea last month. The conclusion is: "...If there are taxes on the sea, the Zhong family can pay at least 35 taels of silver last month."

After the words fell, everyone in the room was shocked, and everyone was dumbfounded and unable to speak.Even Tan Yuanyong was surprised.

Xie Wenyuan bowed to Tan Yuanyong at this time and said: "If you want to have a prosperous business in Daqing, it is necessary to do business through the sea. The current situation is just one

It's just a simple start. If another year is to pass, not only the powerful fleets of the court and China will go to sea for business, but also many foreigners will go to the coast to do business and increase their wealth. "

Speaking of this, Xie Wenyuan took a step forward, with a serious face, and said in a loud voice: "I beg you to lower the agricultural tax and reduce the farmer tax rate! Establish a sea commercial law, and increase maritime business matters, business taxes, foreign entry customs duties, etc. Enter the law! To uphold the fairness of taxation and taxation, and when tens of millions of farmers are rich, the people of the world will live in peace!"

When the news that the court will collect the maritime tax reached Hangzhou City, it was already the end of June, and Hangzhou City happened to be in the rainy season, with heavy rain, strong winds and dreary every day, but even with such bad weather, Zhong Qiyun also waited. It's terrible, he must hurry up and go to Sichuan to visit the old gentleman of the Li family. After finishing the task assigned by Emperor Shengning, he can leave and go north to Jingzhao immediately to meet his beloved whom he hasn't seen in half a year man of.

It was originally said to be half a year, but because of the complicated business in foreign countries, he had to stay for a longer period of time. It is already the end of June, and counting the time, he has not seen Xie Wenyuan for nearly eight months.In the past eight months, he has lost count of how many times he has dreamed of that person at night, and every time he is struck by the charm and miss in the dream, but he can't touch it when he wakes up from the dream, which really makes him worse , emptiness to the extreme.

God knows that the word 'Yuan' on that jade pendant will almost be smoothed by his hands. If Xie Wenyuan is never seen again... Zhong Qiyun thought, he would really go crazy.

However, he was so eager to arrange the matters of the caravan that the Housekeeper Zhao of the Hangzhou Zhaizi hurried to him in Hangzhou Chengfeng Station to look for him.

"Boss, master Zhang and young master Zhang Zhenfeng, master Zhou and others are here to pay a visit!"

Master Zhang? "Are you talking about Zhang Sixue and Zhouquan?"

Butler Zhao quickly nodded in response, "Exactly!"

Zhong Qiyun frowned: "Why did they come suddenly?"

Housekeeper Zhao said: "Master Zhang and the others don't know how they learned that your birthday is the second day of the seventh lunar month, and they said that this incident is to celebrate your birthday... birthday..."

Zhong Qiyun's face darkened, he was only 26 and wished his mother Xipi's birthday.His birthday is just the first time he arrived in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice. Zhang Hong, Xie Wenyuan's subordinate, said that he would give him a different household registration from Chen Ya'er, and asked him to report the date of birth. Zhong Qiyun said that It is the modern lunar calendar birthday, but he has never celebrated his birthday in so many years since he came to Dajin.

The Patriarchs of the Zhou and Patriarchs came here in person, Zhong Qiyun would not be so foolish as to really think that they were just here to celebrate his birthday.

Zhong Qiyun closed his eyes, thought for a while, and said, "How about this, Steward Zhao, you go back and tell these masters that I have already left for Sichuan and Sichuan to do business, and you don't know when I will come back."

Just after Zhong Qiyun finished speaking, Zhang Zhenfeng's laughter came from outside the door: "Brother Qiyun is so ruthless, my old father wants to pay a personal visit to you, the legendary Boss Zhong, every year, but you don't even Are we all gone?"

Zhong Qiyun looked back in response to the sound, and saw that the people Steward Zhao had mentioned just now were standing in front of the gate of Chengfeng Inn, and Zhang Zhenfeng on one side was shaking a flower-painting folding fan and bending a pair of phoenix eyes with a smile.

Zhong Qiyun cursed inwardly, but greeted him with a smile on his face, saying hello to Zhang Sixue and Zhou Quan one by one and apologizing: "I don't know that Master Zhang and Master Zhou are coming, I'm really sorry for the disappointment of the younger generation, but it's my birthday. That’s all, I’m sorry for bothering you two to visit in person.”

Zhang Sixue smiled like a spring breeze after hearing this: "Where is it? Boss Zhong is so busy. I didn't ask first and delayed Boss Zhong's time by coming here. I just heard that Boss Zhong is going to work in Sichuan and Sichuan? If you're busy, then don't worry about me waiting, if it's urgent."

After hearing this, Zhong Qiyun shook his head and smiled: "Where, no matter how important things are, it's better not to wait for the two elders to visit. Since Master Zhang and Master Zhou have come to Hangzhou, I have to let go of important things. Then I'm not leaving now!"

Zhang Sixue Zhou Quan smiled slightly, "It's really Boss Zhong's business."

Zhong Qiyun smiled and replied, "Really!"

"Then I'll just wait and bother you!"

Zhong Qiyun laughed: "I'm not very honored!"

After that, at exactly noon, Zhong Qiyun invited the three of them to Huangyuelou for lunch, and then asked Steward Zhao to settle the two masters in his newly purchased mansion, and then he returned to Chengfengyi.

But when he was leaving, the pillow was really boring, and he had to follow him to Chengfeng Station to wait and see, Zhong Qiyun couldn't get rid of it, so he could only let him follow.

"Speaking of which, I recently heard some bad news. I don't know Qiyun, but I know it."

Zhong Qiyun lowered his eyes and squinted at Zhang Zhenfeng with a smile on his face: "I've heard a lot of bad news here, Mr. Zhang can't understand what he said, how do I know which one you are talking about?"

被钟

Qi Yun was stunned, but then he smiled nonchalantly and said, "Brother Qi Yun has heard that the court wants to increase the maritime tax?"

During this period of time, Zhong Qiyun was too busy, so he really didn't have time to deal with the rumors. Hearing Zhang Zhenfeng talk about it at this time, although he didn't want to chat with this person, Zhong Qiyun still asked: "Maritime tax?"

"Yes, the imperial court wants to increase taxes on maritime merchants. I heard that Prime Minister Xie proposed this matter." Zhang Zhenfeng fanned his fan while looking at Zhong Qiyun with a smile, "Xinghai has never collected taxes. No one is better than Brother Qiyun." I understand the benefits of it better, but our prime minister... tsk tsk tsk, I thought that during the Shendu trip, the prime minister was personally involved in saving Brother Qiyun from danger, and it was considered a life-and-death friend after all, but where? Knowing that he actually brought up this matter, hey..." Zhang Zhenfeng shook his head and sighed: "It's really cruel, you forgot the friendship between Brother Qiyun in a blink of an eye, didn't you?"

Zhong Qiyun only glanced at Zhang Zhenfeng and sneered when he heard the words, and then walked straight forward.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhenfeng thought he didn't believe him, so he rushed up and said, "Hey, Brother Qi Yun, don't believe me, my news is pretty close, it's true!"

But after he spoke, Zhong Qiyun still ignored him, Zhang Zhenfeng smiled and shook his folding fan, looked at Zhong Qiyun's back, stopped following him, and said straight up, "Brother Zhong, you must believe me!" But There was no trace of worry in his eyes, it was clearly full of optimism.

At night, when Zhong Qiyun returned to his small house, Liu Wangcai rushed to look for him, yelling that something was wrong.

Zhong Qiyun asked him what was the matter, and Liu Wangcai hurriedly passed the news from Jingzhao to Zhong Qiyun.

The matter mentioned above is the maritime tax that Zhang Zhenfeng mentioned in the daytime.

Seeing Liu Wangcai crying, Zhong Qiyun said it was not good. He patted Liu Wangcai on the head and said angrily, "It's just that you have to pay taxes in the future. Why are you crying?"

"It's tax time, how can I not cry?"

"Isn't it natural for businesses to pay taxes?" Zhong Qiyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "On the contrary, we didn't pay a penny a few years ago, which is different. In the past, there were few people in the middle of the country, and the laborious management was not worth the loss. Now the ship merchants are surging, and the huge profits are emerging. , such a huge amount of money, it is impossible not to pay taxes, how come you have been with me for so long, and you can't even think about these things?"

"..."

Zhong Qiyun put the letter in Liu Wangcai's hands, and said indifferently: "Sooner or later, when maritime merchants pay taxes, there is no need to panic. Whoever raises the issue first will be the one who takes the initiative and sees the most far-reaching."