Zhu Youtang leaned against the Hall of Heart Cultivation.
Concubine Ning was massaging Zhu Youtang's shoulders carefully behind him.
From time to time, he could hear Zhu Youtang grunt and continue to frown in deep thought.
Zhu Youtang did not speak, and Ning Yan did not dare to speak either.
She knew that Zhu Youtang summoned her tonight not to enjoy himself, but because he was tired.
"Call Governor Cao over."
After an unknown period of time, Zhu Youtang instructed the eunuch outside the hall.
Not long after.
Huai 'en walked over and knelt down." This servant greets the Emperor and Concubine Ning.”
"Go to Longyou and summon Ma Wensheng to the capital.”
"Yes."
After Huai 'en left, Zhu Youtang said to Zhang Min, the ceremonial supervisor,"Tell the outer court that there will be no morning court session tomorrow. Let the cabinet and the six ministries go to warm up the cabinet.”
"Yes."
After giving out the two instructions, Zhu Youtang gradually closed his eyes.
Recently, when the Embroidered Uniform Guards were supervising the officials, they had submitted secret reports one after another, all of which were placed on the files of Yangxin Hall.
Zhu Youtang casually flipped through a few.
The content is that the officials of the relevant departments request Zhu Youtang to think twice about the matter of opening the sea.
It seemed to be a hundred times more difficult than anything else to open the sea ban.
"Consort Ning is from a merchant family, right?"
Zhu Youtang asked suddenly.
Ning Yan was neither servile nor overbearing." Your Majesty, my ancestral home is in Jinling. We have been transporting goods for generations."”
Zhu Youtang said,"Zhejiang Province is trying to open water transport. What do you think?"”
"I don't understand," Ning Yan said in fear.”
Zhu Youtang said," Don't panic. I just want to hear your opinions. Tell me everything. I will pardon you."”
Ning Yan thought for a moment and said softly,""Your Majesty, before the water transport system opened, the cost of transporting goods on land was extremely high.”
"If the water transport is really opened, the circulation of goods in the Ming Dynasty will be more efficient, and the merchants should be happy.”
"Yes."
Zhu Youtang nodded and said to the outside,"Leave."”
This meant that Ning Yan was going to serve him.
……
The next morning.
The servant helped her up, but she was powerless. It was the time to receive new grace
Ning Yan left Yangxin Palace Hall with the help of the maidservant.
No matter how reluctant she was, she knew that Zhu Youtang belonged to the Ming Dynasty during the day.
Ning Yan looked at her belly and sighed. She said in a low voice,""Work hard and give birth to a dragon son for the emperor.”
……
Warm Pavilion.
Zhu Youtang was wearing his usual clothes and sitting on the couch.
The three cabinet elders and the six ministers gathered.
Yesterday morning, Zhu Youtang had decided to extend the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. However, the process, how much funds would be needed, and how far the construction would go still required specific suggestions from the cabinet and the emperor.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has drafted a plan to extend the Great Wall west of the Jiayu Pass.”
Minister Jia Jun stood up, holding a draft in his hand.
Zhu Youtang waved his hand and said,"I won't look at it anymore. I'll read it directly."”
"Yes."
Jia Jun said,"The Great Wall of the current dynasty starts from Shanhaiguan in Liaodong in the east and ends at Jiayu Pass in Longyou in the west.”
"If we continue to build the Ming Great Wall westward from the Jiayu Pass until it reaches Shazhou, it will require 30,000 men and a year's worth of time, and 2.1 million taels of silver.”
Zhu Youtang nodded.”
If the Wala wanted to enter the pass, they had to break through the defense line of the Nine Great Walls.
Or they could take a detour from Hami and Turpan.
Once the Ming Great Wall was built to Hami, the Great Wall that stretched for more than ten thousand miles would be a natural moat. Wala would no longer have the possibility of entering the pass.
Unless the Ming court itself opened the switch and let the bandits in.
Minister Jia was stunned for a moment before he replied," If we were to build it to Hami, we would need 100,000 people. It would take a year and a half and six million taels of silver.”
Zhu Youtang waved his hand." One and a half years is too long. I'll give you one year. Hurry up and start work. I'll give you six million silver."”
"This way, the captured Turpan and Tartars will have to work day and night.”
Zhu Youtang stared at him expressionlessly."And then?"
Jia Jun was stunned. Feeling Zhu Youtang's burning gaze and pressure, it was like a flood pouring into his head. Jia Jun did not dare to say anything more. He lowered his head and said,"This subject obeys the decree!"
"One year later, this official will give the emperor an impregnable defense line at the Great Wall!”
Jia Jun's life was full of ups and downs. In the fifth year of Chenghua, he entered the imperial examination as a juren and finally became the head of the six departments. During this period, he was dismissed and transferred.
If not for the Emperor punishing the Ministry of Works for corruption, Jia Jun would not have been promoted to Minister of Works.
At this moment, Minister Jia puffed out his chest and his gaze was firm. Once again, he was put in an important position by the emperor. He was bound to make achievements to repay the emperor.
The discussion of the Ministry of Works was over.
Liu Jian stood up, his eyes filled with pride. He looked at the Emperor as if he was a god.
The six ministers were curious, but they did not know why Liu Jian was so excited.
"Reporting to the Emperor!"
Liu Jian shouted loudly, his voice shaking the rubble.
"Half a year ago, the business tax was tested in Zhejiang Province.”
The six ministers looked at Liu Jian, the suspicion in their hearts deepening.
It's just business tax, why is Grand Secretary Liu acting like he's on steroids?
In their eyes, merchants ignored production and were like rootless duckweed. They swindled money and destroyed the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
Back then, none of the officials were optimistic about the reform of the business tax.
Actually, the cabinet was not optimistic either.
However, the Emperor was arbitrary and they did not dare to go against Zhu Youtang's will.
Even now, the six ministers still felt that the reform of the business tax was unnecessary and would even lead some people who were farming to abandon farming and go into business.
If the people stopped farming, where would the food come from?
However, before they could think further, Liu Jian spoke again in a clear voice,"In the second year of Hongzhi, the first half of the year, the water transport tax was 700,000 taels, and the silk, cotton, linen, porcelain, and other taxes were 500,000 taels!”
He finished speaking.
Silence!
The six ministers widened their eyes in horror, as if they thought they had heard wrongly.
1.2 million taels?
Half a year?
And only in Zhejiang Province?
No, this was only the trial operation stage!
To be honest, if it wasn't for the solemn Liu Jian speaking up today, they would have thought that the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Revenue was deceiving the emperor!
How terrifying!
When these numbers were read out, even the Minister of Revenue, Li Min, who was well versed in finance, was stunned on the spot and did not dare to speak for a long time!
One had to know that last year, the total tax revenue of the two capitals and thirteen provinces was only 10 million taels.
And now?
In just one Zhejiang province, one million taels in half a year was two million taels a year. What about the two capitals and thirteen provinces?
In this way, the ratio of business tax was actually directly compared to agricultural tax!
This…was too subversive!
The six tribes trembled!
Everyone swallowed their saliva and looked at the wise and indifferent Tian Zi.
At this moment, he was willing to submit!
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