Seeing a group of officials making a fuss about the retention of local public funds, Zhang Penghie couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He was well aware of Zhenwu's emphasis on the New Deal and his determination to implement it. When he first proposed the New Deal, he had different opinions in the study room. , the debate continued. Although Zhenwu was noncommittal, he turned around and tried it in the entire province of Shanxi. He even sent two ministers to study, plus a close confidant who he valued very much, Fang Bao, to be in charge of Shanxi. This shows that there is no way around this matter. However, it was unwise for the Han members to vigorously oppose it.
Not only has he been in charge of the local government for many years, but he has also been in charge of the Ministry of Accounts for many years. He is very familiar with the local situation and the changes in the local public funds retention. He is fully aware that the issue of local public funds retention is a bad debt left over. It's unclear, but Zhenwu didn't name names, and he was constrained by his identity, so he couldn't say much.
Although Zhenwu does not know the specific situation of the retention of local public funds, he is well aware of the importance of local public funds. This is not only related to the operation of local yamen, but also related to the quality of local public utilities and public welfare, and has a great impact on the local economy. , this expenditure must be guaranteed.
After a little thought, he thought of the reform of industrial and commercial miscellaneous taxes, which could temporarily use the increased miscellaneous tax revenue to make up for the lack of local public funds. To be honest, the Qing Dynasty paid little attention to the collection of miscellaneous taxes. The tax rates were too low, including pawn tax, tooth tax, and liquor tax. , slaughter tax, and business tax are low, it is the same as no tax. For a pawnshop with high profits and a large number of people, the annual tax payment is actually two to five taels of silver. Once the reform of industrial and commercial miscellaneous taxes is fully implemented, The income will definitely be able to make up for the lack of local public funds, and it can also be regarded as a kind of compensation for the abolition of consumption.
Seeing that Zhenwu was silent, all the officials secretly rejoiced. Zhang Zhidong, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, came out boldly and said: "Your Majesty, now the world is at peace, the literary style is flourishing, and the number of scholars is increasing day by day, but the imperial examination career is becoming increasingly difficult. If the privilege of exempting scholars from labor and miscellaneous work is abolished, it will definitely severely dampen the tendency to pursue learning.
As soon as someone began to attack the article that officials and gentry should pay food and serve as errands together, an official immediately came out and echoed: "Wei Chen seconded the suggestion. There were hundreds of thousands of gentry in the Qing Dynasty. After all, the lawless gentry were a minority. How can we generalize? I sincerely pray The emperor issued an order to supervise the academic and political officials in various places to severely punish the officials and gentry families who disrupted the local areas, so as to set the record straight.
It goes against the original intention of the country to raise scholars, and the money paid is also extremely limited. There is no need to lose big because of small things. I sincerely pray for you to be careful at the banquet. "
Seeing that a group of Han members were refuting the New Deal one by one, Zhenwu knew that he could not remain silent. Today, these Han members were more open-minded. It seems that they were affected by the debate in Beijing and Ningbao, or maybe they were strongly dissatisfied with the New Deal. No matter For whatever reason, this trend should be affirmed. Seeing that there were officials preparing to come out and speak, he couldn't help but cough lightly.
Hearing this light cough, the officials who were about to come out to second the proposal stopped their steps in a hurry. All the officials waited with bated breath. Zhenwu slowly glanced at the ministers and then said calmly: "Dear ministers, can you I am very pleased that you are so enthusiastic in admonishing people and have the courage to speak out."
After a slight pause, he continued to talk: "From ancient times to the present, laws have never changed, momentum has accumulated, things have always changed, and trends have changed. The Qing Dynasty followed the Ming system, and it was necessary to get rid of the bad while keeping the good, and get rid of its shortcomings. Can you stick to the old ways and stay the same?
Nowadays, although the economy is prosperous, the business is prosperous, the duct is full of daily, the national strength is prosperous, and there is a prosperous scene, but it must also be in danger. You must see the huge crisis hidden behind this prosperity.
I often say that everything has advantages and disadvantages. Prosperous trade can be said to benefit the country and the people, but it also has its disadvantages. The most direct consequence is the food crisis. The most obvious one is Jiangnan. Jiangnan, which was originally a fertile land and a land of plenty, is the main one. The grain-producing area of ????Dingkou has now become a place of food shortage. Every year, millions of stones of grain must be purchased from Jiangxi, Huguang and other places. On the other hand, the disadvantage of the increasing number of Dingkou is the pressure on the land. The Qing Dynasty itself has now There is almost no cultivated wasteland.
Although the Qing Dynasty is prosperous today, the trend of land annexation has become more and more intense, the court's annual income is also worried about making ends meet, and the opposition between the officials and the gentry and the poor is becoming increasingly serious. These are all factors that lead to the demise of the Ming Dynasty. We can learn from the past. How could the Qing Dynasty repeat the same mistakes?
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? The government and gentry all pay for the grain and serve as errands?
I know clearly that the New Deal infringes on the interests of officials and gentry. I know even more clearly that vigorously promoting the New Deal will attract numerous criticisms and will damage my reputation. But I am not afraid. As the king of a country, I cannot only care about my own reputation. Honor, national affairs should be given top priority in everything!
Not only do I not care about reputation, I also don¡¯t care about money. The "Four Dahengs" only provide low-interest loans and interest-free loans for disaster relief. I have invested 20 million.Two silver dollars, and more will be added continuously. I will invest a total of 50 million for Australian immigration.
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? off out The picture is for the long-term peace and stability of the Qing Dynasty, the picture is for the people of the Qing Dynasty to live and work in peace and contentment, and the picture is for the Qing Dynasty to develop steadily and continue to prosper!
"It is the duty of a minister to share the worries of the king and to be loyal to the country. I work hard day and night to think about the people's phlegm and feel the sufferings of the people. How can you remain indifferent?" "
After hearing Zhenwu's last words, all the Han soldiers dared to stand with their backs straight. They knelt down immediately. Their faces were full of bitterness and their stomachs were full of slander. Zhenwu was clearly using his power to suppress others. He didn't give you a chance to argue. What's more, he even pretended to praise two fashionable and enthusiastic words of advice and spoke nonsense.
¡°Besides, as the emperor, the whole world belongs to you, what do you want money for? We have studied hard for ten years and finally become an official. If we don¡¯t earn money to support our family and become an official to provide for our retirement, what else do we want? Make a statement? Morality? Or leave a name in history? Since ancient times, how many people have stood up for their good deeds and left their names in history?
Zhang Penghie knelt down and said: "The emperor is worried about his ministers' labor, and the emperor has humiliated his ministers to death. The emperor is planning for the safety of the Qing Dynasty, and does not care about slander. How can the humble ministers dare to cherish feathers? If you are greedy for extraneous things and implement the new policy, the humble ministers and others will definitely support it."
Zhenwu glanced at him and said calmly: "Since it is a special support, it is necessary to take action. I ordered you to write an article for the Beijing News to explain the necessity of the new policy, but most of them were perfunctory words. I have ordered Yin to bring disaster tomorrow." Send your articles to the palace one by one, and I will read them carefully one by one."
Read it? Zhenliu actually used the word "baidu"? It can be seen how cruel he is in his heart! All the officials suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. They all immediately thought of going to the Beijing News Office to steal their articles and replace them. The smart ones secretly complained that Zhenwu's hands were too dark. This was to force them to sign their real names in Beijing. Publishing articles in newspapers supporting the New Deal is the same thing as thieves trading names!
After giving everyone a slap in the face, Zhenwu turned around, naturally wanting to give some benefits. Zhenwu glanced at the officials who looked a little pale, and then said after thinking slightly: "The amount of local public funds is directly related to the normal operation of the local government and the normal operation of the local government. I also attach great importance to local public welfare undertakings and the quality of the local economy.
The abolition of consumption tax is imperative and cannot be changed. We plan to carry out the reform of industrial and commercial miscellaneous taxes to make up for the lack of local public funds. The reform of industrial and commercial miscellaneous taxes has been tried out in Jiangning and the capital for several years, and the response has been very good. I have already formulated a new one. Miscellaneous tax collection standards can be implemented after they are published in the Beijing News. "
Industrial and commercial miscellaneous tax reform! Replace consumption with industrial and commercial miscellaneous tax reform? Isn¡¯t this what is lost and what is gained? All the officials were secretly happy when they heard this. The industrial and commercial miscellaneous tax reform in Jingshi and Jiangning has been going on for several years. They are not very clear about the specific situation in Jingshi, but they have vaguely heard about the situation in Jiangning. It is just a Qinhuai River. The makeup tax is equivalent to the official tax of a medium-sized province!
Zhang Pengrong frowned upon hearing this. This master has always attached great importance to business. Will this seriously suppress the development of local business? After these local officials abolished the consumption system, they would most likely use chicken feathers as arrows to plunder local merchants.
After a slight pause, Zhenwu continued: "The salaries of local officials are low, not enough to maintain dignity at the top, and not enough to support their families at the bottom. I also know that we are gradually considering increasing the salaries and benefits of officials to change this situation. In this case, after increasing the salary this year, I will gradually increase the salary of officials and the welfare subsidies for the estates in Borneo. I will invest a large number of slaves this year and next, which will benefit you soon.
In addition, I am also considering paying the full salary and benefits of officials during their resignation period and after they become official according to the original grade. In the next few years, we will formulate a complete system so that you can enjoy your old age even if you return home. I hope that through a sound system The system ensures that officials can live a dignified and honorable life after leaving office. I hope this will prevent officials from taking bribes, taking bribes, and exploiting the people. "
After hearing these words, the officials were immediately happy and sad. Those with low positions and poor living conditions were naturally very happy. In this way, being an official finally had some flavor. Once you enter the officialdom, as long as you don't commit any crimes, you will be happy. Even if their lives are guaranteed, officials with high positions and abundant wealth are naturally worried. The court seems to be making great efforts to combat corruption. So how can salary, welfare and filial piety be compared?
Many officials who are quick to settle accounts are quite surprised. If the official salary is paid in full according to the original grade during the period of resignation and after taking office, this is a big expense. The little money added by the implementation of the New Deal may not be enough to pay for this. If there are only a few expenses, then the suggestion that the imperial court¡¯s annual income cannot make ends meet is pure nonsense.
Zhang Penghie also frowned with dissatisfaction. How could this master remember that one thing was coming out after another? According to his endless innovations, no amount of money was enough. He was still worried about money some time ago. Could it be that he was worried about money in the blink of an eye? There is money to be madegood idea? (To be continued)