Author: Dongchen Yuanxiu

In the Yangxin Hall, Dai Quan's voice continued to report;

"Your Majesty, it's just a lot more. The sum borrowed by each family is a lot. Last year, Dawu's annual income was 58 million taels of silver. The huge expenses were the salaries of court officials, including the military expenditures of the imperial army, Beijing camp, frontier army and local garrisons.

After a few floods and droughts every year, the money from the household department is almost gone."

Hearing this, Zhou Shihong became even more angry. Dawu put so much money into the treasury every year and didn't know how to spend it. By the end of the year, there was not much left.

How can finance raise taxes? Emperor Wu thought for a while and shook his head. The annual income of Dawu is mainly land tax, business tax, redemption of corvees, and capitation tax, as well as the revenue from the Salt Administration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The pressure from the people of Dawu is huge.

It's already very onerous.

Especially the land tax. The land tax is 10 taels and the tax is 3 taels. It is the main source of Dawu's income. If the father and the emperor were not dead, the noble family would also have to pay the tax. Now, let alone 58 million taels, even half is enough. But those guys can't evade taxes now.

No need.

The head tax is not much, but the base is large. The commercial tax is already 10 tax and 2 tax. Those wealthy businessmen from aristocratic families are crying like their dead mothers.

Salt administration, we can find a solution for this. Now because of the increase in population, the salt tax is increasing, but the court is getting less and less. It has sent its confidant Lin Ruhai to Yangzhou to rectify the salt affairs. Thinking of Lin Ruhai,

I don't know what happened.

Zhou Shihong thought about the territory of Dawu again. The ancient trade routes in the northwest were firmly controlled by the Xianbei people, and the countries in the western regions could not communicate with each other. Many small countries in the southeast were fighting endlessly, and they could not operate the trade routes. After thinking about it, they could not open up the country.

Zhang Jinyu, the Marquis of Luoyun outside the Pass, can't do it either. Outside the Pass, it looks huge, but the land is sparsely populated and the taxes are pitifully low. Moreover, the military and political power has been given to that boy. He can't go back on his word. He still needs to be relied on to resist foreigners. Besides, we have to rely on him to resist foreigners.

If it weren't for the imperial court's payment of salary, I don't know how many days Zhang Jinyu would be able to hold on.

Thinking of this, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong knew that Dawu's current annual income had almost reached its limit, and military expenses and salaries were indispensable. In the end, there was only one way, and that was to reduce expenditures.

Let's start with the cost reduction of various cabinet ministries, and keep up with the collection of officials' arrears, and the interest must be included. Emperor Wu was determined to collect the money.

"Understood, the next decree is to halve the expenses on the public accounts of the central and local ministries of the imperial court. It is said that natural disasters have occurred in Dawu in recent years, and it is necessary to save expenses and set an example."

After hearing this, Dai Quan felt his head grow bigger. It seemed that the emperor had decided to intervene in the finance. Thinking that so many people from the Ministry of Revenue had been arrested, Dai Quan couldn't help but whisper softly with a tangled look on his face;

"Your Majesty, please take it easy."

"Well, why."

"Back to Your Majesty, first of all, it's almost time to change the year, and secondly, it will give the Ministry of Household Affairs some time to prepare."

"Hubu, how are those moths doing with Liang Yun and Song Zhencha from the Hubu?"

Emperor Wu then remembered to arrange for people to conduct a strict inspection of the borers in the household department. He didn’t know how the inspection went.

"Your Majesty, there is no progress yet. We are just temporarily detaining people from the Ministry of Revenue."

"Oh, I just don't want to investigate. You call the people from the Imperial City Department to keep an eye on the officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs. I'll see who is eating Dawu's flesh and blood. I will issue the order now."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong had a stern look on his face and had been enduring this for a long time.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do it now."

Dai Quan wiped the sweat from his forehead and was about to leave when he came back and asked;

"Your Majesty, do you still want to borrow Mrs. Yang's money from Luoyun Marquis Mansion?"

"I'm so angry that I almost forgot about this. Borrow, borrow generously, and the momentum will be built up. The court does not refuse to borrow money, but regulates the way of borrowing and repaying money. Please reveal a little bit and make a game with Yang Shuren to put this drama behind you.

If you sing it to the end, all the property of the Ministry of Internal Affairs given to her this year will be considered as her dowry, so don’t call me stingy."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong smiled heartily and wiped away his previous anger. He had to think about this matter carefully. Dai Quan was a little at a loss. Didn't he want to recover the loan before?

"Your Majesty, this servant is a little unclear. How should this be regulated?"

"It's better for you, Dai Quan, to ask. There is a guarantee for this loan. It needs to be signed and pledged, and there must be interest, a loan limit and a repayment period."

"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"Simple, you need to add annual interest when you borrow as much as you want to repay. The amount of borrowing depends on the position and title of the court official. How much each family can borrow will not exceed 2 million taels at most. The repayment period shall not exceed 5 years. After five years, no

We still need the imperial court, no, we will have the Imperial City Secretary come to collect the debts, and if we don’t pay back the property, we will mortgage it, or if we can’t, we will directly dismiss him from office and reduce his title.”

Dai Quan broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this. This was tampering with the interests of a distinguished family member. This move sealed the possibility of not repaying the loan.

"Your Majesty, how much is the interest rate and how much is appropriate for the title?"

Of course Emperor Wu heard Dai Quan's worries, and Zhou Shihong also considered how much those people could contribute. This must not be too high, otherwise there would be another turmoil.

"The interest must be less, and the court is not a bully. The annual interest is 30%, and the interest is calculated every year. The interest for the next year will not be included in the principal. Your Excellency, the prince can borrow 2 million taels, the duke and the marquis can borrow 1.1 million taels.

You can borrow 1,000,000 taels in descending order. Civil servants can borrow 1.1 million taels according to their grade. The first-grade civil servants can borrow 1,000,000 taels, and the second-grade officials can borrow 1,000,000 taels. It also decreases from top to bottom. You can decide for yourself."

Hearing this, Dai Quan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the interest rate was not high and it was affordable for each family.

"Your Majesty is wise, this servant understands."

"You write three copies of Mrs. Yang's IOU, one for the Ministry of Accounts, one for her, and one for the Imperial City Department. List the loan conditions one by one, sign and pledge them, and lend her 1 million taels. As long as there are stamps from both parties.

With the IOU, I can get the silver from the Nenghubu Treasury and carry it to the Marquis Mansion with great fanfare, so that all the nobles and noble families can see it."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will definitely do it beautifully."

"Remember, this thing must be performed completely. As for the dowry, all the properties are given to her. The money must be borrowed from her and returned after the event is completed. The purpose is that she is a lead."

"I understand, I will resign."

Emperor Wu nodded and said nothing more, but when he saw the writing brush in Zhou Shihong's hand scratching the fine rice paper, it showed that he was not at peace in his heart.

Not long after, in the Changle Palace, the Supreme Emperor Zhou Shengzhuo heard what Xia Shouzhong reported to the Emperor of the Yangxin Palace. The Supreme Emperor did not expect that those nobles from noble families were so greedy. It was painful for them to borrow so much money and not repay it.

This is also my own money, he said;

"I know, let the emperor handle this matter. Don't ask, those people are going too far. Luo Yunhou Zhang Jinyu should ask the emperor to take it easy and give him more benefits to win his heart."

"This is the Supreme Emperor. I obey your orders."

At the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,

Dai Quan also rushed to the Yamen in a hurry. The stewards and eunuchs on the way into the Yamen all greeted Prime Minister Dai respectfully. Dai Quan had no time to pay attention to them. When he came to the Yamen, he saw Steward Wang and the three men from the Marquis of Xiangyang Mansion.

The boy talks.

When the two saw it was Prime Minister Dai Nei coming in, they immediately stood up to say hello;

"See the inner phase, what is the inner phase?"

"Well, you hurry up and go to Luoyunhou's house and tell Mrs. Yang that your majesty agreed to borrow 1 million taels of silver. This time, all the properties sold by the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be given to her. However, the court's loan conditions have changed now. Not only is there interest, but also

Borrowing limit and repayment period

There is a limit, and you must also sign, draw, and stamp the seal. Her palace can borrow 1 million taels of silver according to her title, with an interest rate of 1% of 30, and the maximum loan can be five years. If it is not exchanged at the end, she will have to use her family property and official position as a mortgage. If she agrees, she will sign.

Make a pledge and take the silver."

The eunuch in charge of the House of Internal Affairs and the third master of the Xiangyang Marquis Mansion were shocked when they heard this. When did the court impose upper limits and interest conditions on borrowing money? Especially the third master of the Xiangyang Marquis Mansion. He remembered the past decades of his own house.

I have borrowed almost 1.5 million taels of silver.

How much is the interest? We can't figure it out. We are breaking out in a cold sweat. Why are we using our family property and official position to pay for it? If we can't pay it, go back and tell your elder brother!

Thinking of this, I couldn't sit still, and then I said "Ouch", pretending to have a stomachache, and said pitifully;

"I'm sorry, Minister, but I feel sick in my stomach. I want to go home and see the doctor. Please take a look."

"Go ahead, we can't delay this."

"Thank you, Prime Minister, I have resigned."

Before he finished speaking, he ran out of the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His speed definitely did not look like he was sick. When the eunuch in charge saw the three boys running away, he hurriedly said:

"Interior Minister, why don't you stop him? Otherwise, if this news spreads, most of the nobles and officials will know about it overnight. This is a big deal."

Dai Quan smiled at the door and didn't care at all. He knew that Bai Shaofeng, the third son of the Marquis of Xiangyang Mansion, was just pretending. He didn't even pretend to be like that, so he just wanted to let him know.
Chapter completed!