Ministry of Revenue.
Liang Chu, the Minister of Revenue, was stunned when he checked the tax situation in the second year of Zhengde.
In the first year of Zhengde, when Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne and issued an edict to adjust taxes, Liang Chu, the Minister of Revenue, once advised His Majesty,"The taxes of the empire cannot be touched lightly.”
However, Zhu Houzhao still issued an edict to reform the tax law. He also asked the cabinet's chief assistant, Liu Jian, and the cabinet's second assistant, Li Dongyang, to work together with the Minister of War, Xie Qian, to promote the reform of measuring the world's fertile land.
In the beginning, the cabinet was met with heavy resistance.
However, after Zhu Houzhao went on a killing spree and killed the Eight Tigers, as well as a large number of corrupt officials, the progress of surveying the fertile land in the world began to accelerate.
The aristocratic families still avoided the imperial power.
It was only when they were investigating the fertile fields of the vassal kings that the vassal kings relied on the royal family and dared to reject the government.
When Zhu Houzhao destroyed the White Lotus Society and implicated 180,000 people, the vassal kings took the initiative to go to the government and inform the government of the land deeds of their families.
The speed at which the fertile fields in the world were being investigated was advancing by leaps and bounds!
Only when they saw the cruelty and ruthlessness of the imperial power would people choose to submit!
The Empire had changed the tax from one stone per household to three buckets per mu.
Although it was only adjusted from household to mu, it made it impossible for the aristocratic families to avoid taxes.
The more fertile land they had, the more mu they had to pay taxes!
In the first month of the 2nd year of Zhengde, he collected 2,000,000 dan of agricultural taxes!
And in the first year of Zhengde, the year Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne, the annual tax was only six million dan.
On average, he would only get 500,000 dans every month.
Zhu Houzhao's reform had increased the taxes of the Empire by four times!
The taxes of the citizens of the empire were greatly reduced, but the taxes of the empire skyrocketed!
……
When Liang Chu, the Minister of Revenue, saw the huge increase in agricultural taxes, he was extremely excited. This was because this successful reform meant that the Empire would no longer lack food!
The Minister of Revenue thought back to what he had said to the Emperor and felt deeply ashamed.
At that time, he thought that the Emperor was young and did not know the importance of taxes to the country, so he reported,""The taxes of the empire cannot be touched lightly.”
Now it seemed that not only did His Majesty know how important taxes were to the country, but he also knew how to reform taxes.
……
However, what shocked the Minister of Revenue the most was not the agricultural tax, but the business tax.
The seemingly inconspicuous business tax was everywhere in the empire.
In the first month of the second year of Zhengde, the Ministry of Revenue actually collected five million taels of silver!
The merchants in the capital were constantly complaining. The heavy business tax was difficult for them to bear.
When tea leaves from the south were sold to the north, each sale was worth a thousand taels of silver, and a business tax of a hundred taels was levied.
Shu Brocade was sold to every state capital in the empire, selling a hundred thousand taels of silver in one go and collecting a business tax of ten thousand taels of silver…
In the eyes of merchants, business taxes were as heavy as a mountain.
The Minister of Revenue, Liang Chu, had already calculated that if the business tax was so heavy, by the end of the year, the Empire could collect 60 million taels of silver!
It was more than ten years of tax revenue for the Empire.
The Minister of Revenue, Liang Chu, had investigated the prices of goods in the capital.
Within a month, the price of tea leaves in the empire had risen from one tael of silver to three taels.
The Empire's grain stores had also raised the price of grain, from 30 wen to 100 wen per bushel of rice. If the business tax was not adjusted, the prices of all kinds of goods would skyrocket.
Such heavy taxes would certainly crush all the industries in the Imperium!
The people also felt the rise in prices.
Liang Chu, the Minister of Revenue, had cold sweat on his forehead. The business tax was so heavy that it was difficult for merchants to bear it!
If the empire's business was damaged, the empire might collapse…
Liang Chu quickly wrote a memorial. After he finished writing, he suddenly stood up and said,"Men, prepare the palanquin!"
"Where are you going, sir?" asked the sedan chair bearer.”
"Enter the palace to meet the Saint!"
The Minister of Revenue was already prepared to face the Emperor's wrath.
The Minister of Revenue didn't want to anger Long Wei, but the business tax had already reached an unbearable level. Such a heavy tax had to be suppressed.
Even if he angered His Majesty and was beheaded by His Majesty, he would risk his life to persuade him. He could collect the business tax, but he had to reduce it to a hundred coins and three wen, or even a hundred coins and one wen. Otherwise, such a heavy tax was simply drinking poison to quench thirst!
The Empire did not need so much silver now. They could not drain the pond and fish for everything!
Compared to the officials of other dynasties, the officials of the Empire had the toughest bones…
The officials of the empire were also known for their outspoken remonstrance.
……
Forbidden City.
In the Cining Palace, Zhu Houzhao was chatting with his cousin Zhang Suying. Zhang Suying was expressing her admiration for Zhu Houzhao.
The Empress Dowager, Second Mother, and Third Mother left the Cining Palace to admire the plum blossoms in the imperial garden in order to set up a good match.
Just as Zhu Houzhao was about to find an excuse to leave, a eunuch rushed into Cining Palace.""Your Majesty, the Minister of Revenue, Liang Chu, requests an audience!”
"Oh, why is he here?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Minister Liang of the Ministry of Revenue said that he came for the matter of taxes.”
"Summon him to the Palace of Heavenly Purity!"
"Yes!"
After Zhu Houzhao left the Cining Palace, Zhang Suying knew that her brother had to deal with national affairs, so she didn't dare to follow Zhu Houzhao.
There were some things that she would not listen to her second aunt.
Her Imperial Brother had worked hard for the Empire, and it was already hard enough for him. She couldn't make things difficult for her Imperial Brother anymore.
When Zhu Houzhao arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Minister of Revenue, Liang Chu, was already waiting for him.
"Liang Zhu greets Your Majesty!"
"No need for formalities. Lord Liang entered the palace in such a hurry, is there something urgent? Bring a chair for Lord Liang…"
As Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Liang Chu said,""Your Majesty, there's no need. I'm not in the mood to sit down. I'll just stand and report.”
After Liang Chu finished speaking, he took out the memorial from his pocket and handed it to Zhu Houzhao.""Your Majesty, please take a look. This is the tax situation for January of the second year of Zhengde, as well as the increase in the price of goods in the capital in January…"
After Zhu Houzhao opened the memorial, he saw the agricultural tax. The agricultural tax had indeed increased. From now on, the Empire would no longer lack food.
However…
Five million taels…
When Zhu Houzhao saw the business tax, he was also shocked. He originally thought that it would be good to have a tax of five million taels a year. Who would have thought that the business activities of the Empire would be so active? This meant that the Empire had fifty million taels of silver flowing every month.
When Zhu Houzhao saw the skyrocketing prices in the capital, he smiled.
At the same time, he knew why the Minister of Revenue had come to the palace.
Zhu Houzhao looked at Liang Chu and said,"Minister of Revenue, do you think I want to store this silver in the national treasury?"”
The Minister of Revenue revealed a curious expression and asked,"Don't you want to store the silver in the national treasury?”
"Hahaha…"
"Lord Liang, do you think I'm a fatuous ruler who practices tyranny and extorts money?" Zhu Houzhao laughed loudly.”
"Lord Liang, business tax is different from agricultural tax. After the agricultural tax is collected, it has to be deposited into the national treasury. However, after the business tax is collected, it has to be returned to the people…If we only collect it and not return it, wouldn't the price of goods soar?”
Liang Chu's expression became even more confused. At the same time, Zhu Houzhao's words also aroused Liang Chu's desire to learn. He actually humbly cupped his hands and said,""Your Majesty, this subject is stupid. Please enlighten this subject.”
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