Chapter 31: The Benefits of the Duties! The forbidden sea was not desirable!
Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied with Tidas's method of dealing with merchants.
He stroked his beard and nodded.
"Those merchants are cunning.”
"They don't do anything productive."
"He's always thinking about how to make money from the people and the country.”
"They ought to raise their taxes."
"My dear minister, what is the 'tax' you mentioned just now?”
Tidas was speechless.
He had already mentioned the merchant's contribution.
It meant that merchants were also useful.
It was not to earn money from the people or the country.
Political power and business could actually be mutually beneficial.
However, it was obvious that Zhu Yuanzhang's stubborn thinking was deeply rooted.
He did not correct it.
Instead, he explained the customs duties to Zhu Yuanzhang.
The import and export duties were one of the most important financial income for most countries. The Ming Dynasty had not opened up global trade in goods, so they had not set up import and export duties.
The earliest customs duty was in the oasis city of Palmyra.
The customs duty at that time was engraved on the wall of the customs office.
It recorded the tax rates of sesame oil, dyed wool, goods, food, etc. when entering and leaving the border.
This was the first time in human history that different tax rates were set according to the type of goods.
China was ridiculed by Mencius for not collecting taxes on the customs and markets. In other words, merchants did not have to pay taxes when entering and leaving the country's customs and markets. They only needed to inspect the merchants and goods.
Under the influence of this idea, the customs duty did not become one of the main sources of the country's financial revenue.
Since the Spring and Autumn Period, China had had the shadow of a tax.
For example, the Spring and Autumn Zuo Zhuan Notes also recorded that the Spring and Autumn Song Dynasty imposed customs duties on Shangqiu.
The Western Zhou Dynasty also had customs duties.
With the development of the economy and the exchanges between the neighboring vassal states.
Western Zhou set up a special staff to manage it.
History records: "The Department of customs is in charge of the festival of national goods to connect the market. The Department of goods and bribes is in charge of the prohibition and collection of goods." Later, it was called "the collection of customs and markets."
Without a doubt.
The customs duty was one of the most important sources of revenue for the country.
It was one of the important means to maintain trade order.
It was an inevitable product of the country's economic and trade development.
Tidas used some examples from ancient times to explain to Zhu Yuanzhang the importance of import and export taxes after the ban on the sea was lifted.
"Emperor, the most important thing is that the customs duties can be turned into one of Ming's financial income.”
he reminded.
If the ban on the sea was lifted, it meant that the royal family could no longer monopolize the sea trade business.
He had thrown away such a large piece of meat.
Zhu Yuanzhang refused.
If he explained the importance of the customs duties and told them that even if the royal family did not monopolize the sea trade, they could still make money, Zhu Yuanzhang would definitely be more relaxed.
Zhu Yuanzhang pondered.
"Is the tax really as good as you say?”
"Of course."
"Emperor, think about it. We don't need to organize a fleet, and we don't need to take the risk of sailing on the sea. As long as we set up checkpoints, we can collect taxes from the merchant ships.”
"This is a profitable transaction.”
"And the risk of sailing on the sea is all borne by those merchants.”
"In addition, if Your Majesty wants to prohibit certain goods from entering our Great Ming, you can set up a clause to prohibit them, or raise the tax to 50% or even higher to prohibit such goods from entering our country.”
Tidas knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was moved and quickly said.
"But lifting the sea ban still has risks and hidden dangers."
Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated.
Tidas knew what Zhu Yuanzhang was hesitating about.
The Japanese pirates harassed the coastal people.
Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen's remaining party attempted to collude with foreign forces.
Tidas had a headache.
These problems were difficult to solve.
For example, the Japanese pirates harassed the coastal people.
There were only 20 - 30% of the Japanese pirates here, and most of them were people from the coastal areas.
Therefore, it was probably fine to ban these people from causing trouble.
After all, it was an internal rebellion.
If you forbid the sea, you can only forbid the outside.
How can you ban the one inside?
Tidas could only tactfully remind him.
"Emperor, the pirates are causing trouble along the coast.”
"Could it be that those pirates came to our Ming Dynasty from afar just to kill and rob?”
"That's true, but their navigation skills are average. I'm afraid they took a huge risk to come, but there are so many pirates along the coast. Don't you find it strange?”
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about Tidas's words.
He felt that there was a hidden meaning in Tidas's words.
Gradually, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened.
Mud horse.
Tidas was tactfully telling him that those Japanese pirates were probably not real Japanese pirates, but mountain bandits and thieves.
The local officials felt that the matter had blown up.
So he pushed the matter to the Japanese pirates.
It was so that he could get rid of the responsibility of governing the people.
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was gloomy like a dark cloud.
The temperature in the royal study suddenly dropped.
"Emperor, this official has already said that everything has its pros and cons. Lifting the ban on the sea has its pros and cons. Some problems are unavoidable, but we have to look at some things in the long run.”
Tidas pretended not to see Zhu Yuanzhang's low pressure and continued.
He knew that there would definitely be officials who would lose their heads.
But-
What did this have to do with a mere fifth-grade official like him?
He wasn't the one who beheaded her.
"Lifting the ban on the sea will allow Great Ming to connect with other countries. Closing off the country is not desirable. Although the ban on the sea can allow Great Ming to recuperate in a short period of time, if it is too long, it will be detrimental to our Great Ming.”
"This subject also said it before."
"It's not advisable to monopolize the sea trade.”
" Moreover, sea trade is risky."
"By setting up import and export duties, there is almost no risk of shipping.”
"Big Ming's financial income can also increase.”
"Right now, although our Great Ming's navigation technology, technological level, and so on are ahead of other foreign countries, the world is vast. We have always been closed off from the outside world and are not in line with other countries. It is difficult for us to understand the development of other countries.”
" This is a huge risk."
"In addition, the ban on the sea has made our Great Ming's navigation technology stagnate. If the ban on the sea is lifted, the Great Ming's navigation industry will definitely develop at a high speed.”
"Moreover, the ban on the sea may cause Great Ming to lose the initiative in foreign trade.”
"Instead of being passive."
"Why don't we take the initiative?"
"Lifting the ban on the sea, while allowing Great Ming to develop foreign trade, it can also allow the domestic commodity economy to develop.”
"Only then will the lives of the people become better and better.”
Tidas said.
Zhu Yuanzhang was bewildered.
There were actually so many drawbacks to the Sea Restriction, and it was actually so good to remove it?
import and export duties.
If the import and export duties can make up for the loss of the royal family's monopoly on sea trade,
In addition, according to Tidas, merchants were not very abominable. They were only a bridge for the exchange of goods and did not oppress the people. The people could also choose not to buy.
As for the Japanese pirates,
This matter needed to be investigated clearly.
Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen's remaining party needed to be dealt with.
If the ban on the sea was lifted, there would be many problems. However, the ban on the sea was only a way to avoid the problem, not a solution.
Zhu Yuanzhang pondered.
Tidas was still speaking frankly.
After a long time, Tidas stopped and drank the tea in front of him with a dry mouth.
"Emperor, what do you think?"
"Let's think about it again."
"Minister Ye, you've worked hard this time. Go back and rest first.”
Zhu Yuanzhang was tempted.
However, it was not stated.
Finished work?
Tidas had long wanted to leave.
Hearing this, he left the palace with the eunuch.
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