The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin said calmly: "Your Majesty has also been to Liangxiang, and you know that many merchants gather in Liangxiang. They pay silver, so there is naturally so much silver. Liangxiang is still very poor."

"How can so much silver be collected from commercial taxes?" Emperor Hongzhi looked surprised, even though he knew that Liangxiang gathered many merchants.

But how could so much silver be collected in just one month?

Of course, the land was sold. How could there be so much silver if it was not sold?

"Maybe it's because I am honest."

Every penny of tax collected in Liangxiang was handed over to the Liangxiang treasury. He was reluctant to embezzle even a tael of silver. This is another reason.

"Merchants are willing to pay silver because the commercial tax collected in Liangxiang is fixed, not a penny more, and there are no other derivative taxes.

Unlike the canal transport, from the south to the north, silver is collected for each local tariff.

Some tax collectors also charge some benefits.

Before reaching the destination, merchants lose silver, which makes many merchants dare not transport goods to other places and only operate locally, greatly limiting the prosperity of business." Yan Chengjin deduced the law from Liangxiang.

To make Liangxiang different from the Ming Dynasty and become a free place, it is necessary to strictly control it in the law.

Liangxiang is a small place, and it is easier to govern than the world.

Li Dongyang and others heard the hidden meaning and said that the tax collectors were greedy for silver.

Emperor Hongzhi did not do business, so he naturally could not hear it. He did not know that the tax collectors had to collect a "benefit fee" in addition to taxes.

At first, I let this kid try in Liangxiang, but I didn't expect to collect so much silver.

Emperor Hongzhi was moved.

"What do you think, gentlemen, is the implementation of this commercial law throughout the country?"

Liu Jian thought for a moment and asked: "How is the Liangxiang commercial tax specifically collected?"

"It is still one in thirty, but it is collected in silver." Yan Chengjin said.

Han Wen shook his head: "If you collect silver according to the tax of one in thirty, the price of goods is not stable, how can you collect silver? Just like the price of grain, it is different in drought years and bumper years, brown rice and polished rice are different, and the price of rice in different places is also different. How can you ensure the fairness of the commercial law? If you take goods, no matter what the price of the goods is, whether it is a drought year or a bumper year, you will take one bag, which is fair and just."

This is the benefit of paying taxes with goods.

No matter when, no matter where, it is right to take one in thirty.

But this is meaningless to the court.

Yan Chengjin hopes that the court will implement the decree of taking one in thirty.

"The silver of taking one in thirty is a little less, but it can really collect silver. This is the benefit of the new tax."

This can stimulate the circulation of silver. Many merchants and gentry buried silver at home and would not take it out for ten thousand years.

This caused a lot of silver to "disappear" in the Ming Dynasty.

The new commercial law forced the gentry to pay taxes with silver.

The commercial law of the Ming Dynasty restricted the commercial prosperity of Liangxiang and prevented it from becoming a truly free trade place.

The number of merchants coming to Liangxiang was very limited.

When transporting from the south to the north, in addition to the possibility of encountering bandits, they also had to suffer layers of exploitation at tax gates along the way.

Merchants from Guangdong, Fujian, and the northwest would not come to Liangxiang.

Nowadays, most of the merchants active in Liangxiang are merchants from the capital and Jiangnan.

If Liangxiang wants to revitalize the business network of the Ming Dynasty and become a righteous bird of the Ming Dynasty, it must also involve merchants from Guangdong and Fujian.

Li Dongyang thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, what the Ministry of Revenue said is very true, but I think it is feasible. This move can collect silver, so why not promote it throughout the country?"

Lord Liu opposed, Lord Li agreed.

Xie Qian was determined, and then His Majesty would ask him.

"What do you think, Lord Xie?" Emperor Hongzhi looked at him.

Xie Qian bowed and said, "I think, since it is being implemented in Liangxiang, Yan Chengjin must know more than anyone else, so let Yan Chengjin speak."

"I have never thought of implementing it throughout the country."

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and looked at him deeply: "Then think about it now."

"The world is too big and involves too many things. I may have to think about it for three days and three nights." Yan Chengjin looked a little uneasy.

The higher the level of people, the more shameless they are. The more shameless they are, the more exciting they live.

"Just say it briefly, don't be so cautious." Emperor Hongzhi saw that this guy had ideas, but he didn't have a perfect plan and would not say it easily.

"I am afraid of displeasing your majesty."

"You have two gold medals of immunity from death and a royal sword in your hand. What are you afraid of? I am not a person who likes to kill."

"Then I will say it."

Li Dongyang and others looked at Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin did not hesitate: "I beg your majesty to increase the salaries of officials in the world!"

Suddenly, the topic changed.

How come we are discussing new business taxes and talking about salary increase? Emperor Hongzhi and his ministers were obviously a little behind.

Li Dongyang looked solemn. He noticed two key words in Yan Chengjin's words. "Tianxia, ​​do you know how many officials there are in the world? How much silver is needed to increase the salary of officials in the world?"

Officials in the world should be grateful to me.

It was the first time in the Ming Dynasty that the imperial censor gave a salary increase for officials in the world.

If he really changed the salary of the Ming Dynasty, he might be written into the history books and praised by the storytellers of later generations: the salary of officials in the Ming Dynasty was the lowest in history, but there was a person who changed the salary of the Ming Dynasty. His name was Yan Chengjin, and his courtesy name was Lao Gao...

Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath and said with a smile: "Why?"

"The sixth and seventh-rank officials in the court have a monthly salary of about eight stone of rice. The monthly grain issued is less than the amount, and it is even less after the discount. The annual salary is only twelve taels of silver.

The minister's salary is the lowest in history. "

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, the salary was based on the combination of lumi and salary silver.

Li Dongyang and other high-ranking officials in the imperial court had a monthly salary of eighty-seven dan, and their families had thousands of acres or even ten thousand hectares of fertile land.

For them, salary is just a formality, and they do not expect salary to support their families.

The clerks below are different.

Yan Chengjin continued: "Regardless of the past dynasties, salary is a matter of concern to everyone. The salary in the Ming Dynasty is far lower than that in the Song Dynasty. I sincerely ask your Majesty to increase the salary by one."

If the salary paid by the court is not enough to support a family, the officials will become resentful of the court and start to engage in side jobs to make money.

If you and your family's lives are not saved, who will care if you lose your head?

Put aside the official uniform.

The relationship between the court and officials is that of the boss and the boss.

“There have been restructurings in the past dynasties, but few people care about the salaries of officials.

Even the most basic survival cannot be guaranteed, and the officials will not flee, but will intensify their efforts to plunder the people's wealth.

From the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Ming Dynasty, wages remained unchanged for thousands of years.

However, the purchasing power of money is constantly changing. If it is not black, I will be sorry for the family and young people. If it is too black, I will be sorry for the people of Li. Yan Chengjin thought to himself.

Emperor Hongzhi was a little unhappy: "The imperial court is frugal and wasteful, and now it is discussing the implementation of the new commercial law. The Yan Qing family has returned to the topic."

Yan Chengjin said: "To implement the new business law, we must first raise salaries!"

"What does this move have to do with the new law?" Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, wondered.

“What I’m worried about is that changing to silver will lead to corruption and harm businessmen.

If the salary paid by the court is too low, officials will find ways to make a living, which I call a side job.

In particular, tax collectors, after asking for goods from merchants, would also ask for extra silver coins to hide dirt.

If the court wants to implement the new law, it must first increase the salaries of officials. "

Emperor Hongzhi frowned, and there were such things.

Han Wen shook his head: "Even so, there is no guarantee that tax collectors and tax supervisors will not be ignorant of money."

Li Dongyang and others fell into deep thought and nodded slightly.

"What Mr. Han said is true, but if the salary is not changed, it will force the originally incorruptible people to become corrupt.

Dare I ask how much fertile land Mr. Han has in his home? If the salary is not enough to support his family, will Mr. Han have evil thoughts? If salaries are not changed, the court will still be unable to collect money and will increase taxes on merchants. Yan Chengjin asked.