In the blink of an eye, the 15-day holiday ended.
The first court meeting of the second year of Hongzhi began in Fengtian Hall.
In a year, Zhu Youtang had become familiar with the Emperor of Ming Dynasty with the help of the system.
"Minister Li." Zhu Youtang said.
"I'm here." Li Min, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward.”
"Tell me about the financial situation in the first year of Hongzhi.”
"Yes!"
Li Min said loudly,"By the end of the first year of Hongzhi, there were more than 5.2 million households in the world."”
"This year, the new law was established, and the total amount of silver in the treasury was 9,600,064 catties and five taels and three coins.”
After the whip method was established, the originally exorbitant taxes on silk, cotton, silk, salt, tea, cloth, and other physical goods were converted into silver and were no longer within the scope of the national treasury.
A small portion of the goods were directly given to the palace by the local governments, not through the national treasury.
Li Min talked about the financial situation in the first year of Hongzhi.
In the end, he concluded," Since the establishment of the new law, the accumulated tax revenue of the country has increased by 2.13 million silver compared to the last years of Chenghua.”
After the comparison.
There was an uproar in the Hall of Heaven's Tribute.
Everyone couldn't empathize with the data.
However, when Li Min compared them, the officials of the Heaven Tribute Hall were shocked and submitted!
At the beginning, there were people who opposed Zhu Youtang's new law, believing that the new law would not only bring huge profits to the country, but would also touch the interests of bureaucrats and gentry.
It was not worth it.
However, when the two million taels of silver were placed in front of them, everyone fell silent.
"My Emperor is wise!"
All the officials cheered in unison.
Zhu Youtang pressed his hands together and asked Li Min,"Let's talk about the expenses."
"In the first year of Hongzhi, the Ministry of War had a budget of nine million taels, and the actual expenditure was eleven million six hundred thousand taels (including the military expenses owed to the nine sides over the years)," Li Min replied respectfully.
"The Ministry of Works had a budget of three million taels for the repairs of the imperial palace, palaces, ancestral temples, etc. The actual expenditure was 2.31 million taels.”
"Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel…"
"The total budget of the country is 16 million taels of silver, and the actual expenditure is 19 million taels of silver…"
The shocking data was placed in front of them, and everyone gasped.
This time, the military expenses owed by the previous dynasty were settled, and the budget of the six ministries was also filled.
However, the national treasury had very little surplus.
Zhu Youtang nodded." Go to the warm pavilion and vote. Retreat."”
The officials retreated.
The cabinet and the six ministers walked towards the West Garden after Zhu Youtang left.
……
It was still snowing in Northern Zhili.
The sixth minister of the three pavilions arrived early in the warm pavilion and waited for Zhu Youtang.
After a while.
Zhu Youtang had already changed into his usual clothes and was accompanied by Zhang Min, the ceremonial supervisor, to the warm pavilion.
"There's no need to bow."
Zhu Youtang waved his hand and walked to the dragon's seat.
"Dear ministers, please take a seat."
"The budget and expenditure for the second year of Hongzhi that was decided at the court meeting just now was drafted by the cabinet and handed over to Zhang Min for approval.”
"Yes!"
The budget reports were drafted by Liu Jian and the other two and handed over to Zhang Min for approval.
Then, it would be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue for sealing.
Just like that, the state machinery of the Hongzhi Dynasty began to operate.
Everything was over.
Zhu Youtang asked Liu Jian,"Elder Liu, I asked you to draft a business tax plan before the new year. Read it to me."”
Reforming the business tax?
For a moment, the hall officials of the six departments could not react.
The thoughts in his mind were the same as the cabinet. How much fear must the country have before they could compete with the merchants for profits?
"Your Majesty!"
The six ministers were about to speak, but Zhu Youtang looked at them indifferently. The six officials could only shut up obediently.
Liu Jian braced himself and stood up." Other than salt, iron, and machinery, I plan to collect taxes on tea, cloth, firewood, porcelain, and silk.”
" Before the dynasty, it was stipulated that the merchant tax would be one in thirty. According to the standards of each trade, the tea tax would be one in fifteen, the cloth tax would be one in eighteen, and the porcelain and silk tax would be one in ten..."
Zhu Youtang listened casually and took a sip of tea.
"How do you intend to deal with the water transport?”
Liu Jian was stunned and hurriedly said,"Water transport docks, inland provinces, all transport by official ships, all collect one-tenth of the business tax."”
"Yes," Zhu Youtang nodded.
"Zhang Min will hand it over to the cabinet after approving it and issue it to the various tax departments to execute it according to the commercial law.”
Zhu Youtang made the final decision.
"What about overseas?" Zhu Youtang lowered his head and slowly blew the hot steam of the tea.
He had already tried the clash between the imperial power and the ancestral system before, and now it was time to draw his sword.
As soon as he finished speaking.
The six departments of the cabinet were shocked.
Liu Jian hurriedly said,"Your Majesty, you can't. Emperor Taizu has repeatedly ordered that no piece of wood is allowed to enter the sea."”
Xie Qian also quickly stood up." There are often Japanese pirates harassing the southeast coast. Since Hongxi closed the trading company, the country has not opened another trading company for a hundred years. Your Majesty, please reconsider."”
Reforming the business tax and issuing the business tax was already a concession to the imperial power.
Now, His Majesty wants to reopen the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The cabinet and the six departments could not give in anymore.
"We can discuss this matter later."
Zhu Youtang was only testing the attitude of the cabinet and the six departments. After all, he still counted on them to govern the Ming Dynasty.
Of course, Zhu Youtang was not considering the cabinet or the six departments, but the resistance of the coastal families and gentry.
"Minister Liu, how is the progress of the firearms developed by the Ministry of War?”
Liu Daxia stood up and replied," Your Majesty, the firearms of the guards, the water bandits, and the border guards have all been repaired and returned to the authorities."”
"Other than that, Great Ming has also developed new types of heavy firearms such as the Divine Fire Flying Crow and the Eight-sided Divine Wind Cannon.”
"There are also three-eyed muskets, four-eyed muskets, and hundred-tiger charging rockets.”
Zhu Youtang nodded in satisfaction." I will give you an additional three million taels of silver to build a few warships for me. Each warship must be equipped with a number of heavy firearms."”
"Also, send this new firearm to Jiubian and give it to Yang Yiqing. Tell Yang Yiqing that I want to see the Northern Yuan Prairies filled with Ming flags this year. I want the King of Tartar alive.”
"Don't mistreat Ma Wensheng. Your Bureau of Military Personnel transferred 10,000 warhorses from the nine sides to Ma Wensheng. Aren't Aheima's subordinates known for their mobility in the grasslands? Let the Turpan people see the cavalry of our Ming Dynasty.”
Without waiting for Liu Daxia to agree, the Minister of Revenue, Li Min, braced himself and stood up.""Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue…has exceeded their budget.”
Zhu Youtang said,"I won't overspend. Aren't the business taxes confiscated?" Your Ministry of Revenue budget last year didn't take into account the business tax.”
"But…"
Zhu Youtang said,"There's no but, funding."”
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