Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 450
"Then what?" Old Zhu was quite impatient.

"In my opinion, since this failed, it is necessary to have a perfect plan to make this matter a custom, so that future generations can have a precedent to follow..." Zhu Su said. "This can be regarded as the first case of tax evasion since the Ming Dynasty opened. How to deal with it should not be ignored."

He thought for a while, and felt that he didn't have any good plans for the time being, so he suggested: "...How about asking Mr. Chengyi to discuss it?"

Liu Bowen had planned to set up a tax department before. At that time, he and Lao Zhu agreed that the tax department would be difficult to prepare for a while, so it would be better to wait until the tax collection this time before setting it up.But he didn't want the Ministry of Households to collect taxes, so he collected a very insulting 10 taels...

It can be seen from this that Liu Bowen had long expected that tax collection by the Ministry of Household Affairs would not work.Maybe, he already has a way to deal with it in his mind.

"It makes sense. It's just that the old man doesn't know whether he is willing to come or not." Lao Zhu's eyes lit up, and he turned his head to see Yan Xizhe still kneeling there stupidly, and couldn't help cursing: "What are you still doing here? Get off!"

"Go, let someone invite Mr. Bowen to come, and you also go and check for us, whether there are any mistakes or omissions in the tax collection accounts of the household department."

"If it turns out that there is a problem with the accounts, we only ask you!"

"Yes, yes..." Yan Xizhen stepped forward, even he knew that he must be involved in the battle between the courtiers and the emperor.I couldn't help but feel resentment in my heart: those old guys, I usually respect you and do everything, but you want to push me out to be this scapegoat.

If there is no Fifth Highness today, I am afraid that I, Yan, will have been peeled day lilies...

Holding back his strength, he went back to the account department to check the accounts.

After a while, Liu Bowen came down at the invitation of the palace servants.Seeing him coming so quickly, Old Zhu couldn't help but snorted and said, "Once we had invitations before, Mr. always refused. How did you come so quickly this time?"

"Your Majesty, before, the old minister was ignorant of practical affairs and only knew how to be lazy." Facing the sarcasm, Liu Bowen looked as usual and knelt down in front of Lao Zhu. "I hope Your Majesty will forgive me for being rude! I am willing to do my best for the future safety of my Ming Dynasty, and I am so heartbroken!"

Old Zhu was taken aback, he didn't expect Liu Bowen to be uncharacteristically, and to admit it so openly in the face of reprimands that were almost sarcasm.He and Zhu Su looked at each other, and in the end they didn't bother with this matter any more, and let the left and right give Liu Bowen a seat as before, and then asked about the policy of collecting business taxes.

"Your Majesty, this must have been manipulated by others." Liu Bowen just heard the number of 10 taels, and he also concluded firmly. "The matter of tax collection must no longer be handled by the household department."

"The top priority is to find out the concealment immediately and discuss the crime with the Ministry of Household Affairs."

"Afterwards, we can take advantage of the situation to split the account department, and use the newly established tax department to calculate the amount of entry and exit."

"What we mean is to ask Jin Yiwei to investigate. The fifth brother thinks it's inappropriate." Old Zhu said.

"His Highness Fifth's concern is very reasonable." Liu Bowen nodded to Zhu Su who was beside him.Then he turned his head and said to Old Zhu: "However, this matter involves officials, except for Jin Yiwei, I'm afraid no one can do it."

"Do you think Jin Yiwei should be sent?" Lao Zhu was a little surprised.Liu Bowen's advice has always been Zhongzheng and peace, so why would he come up with such a scheme to offend the officials of the court.

Could it be that he really wants to be a lonely minister and help us achieve the great cause of Daming forever?
"Yes. Jin Yiwei can assist the supervisor. On the surface, Yushitai will be in charge of this case." Liu Bowen said.

"The Yushitai's job is to play rumors and inspect all the officials. It is hosted by him, and the name is justified."

"And Jin Yiwei's reputation is great, it can be used as a deterrent, and it can also make the censors know that they are always under His Majesty's eyes and ears, and dare not show favoritism." Speaking of this, Liu Bowen smiled. "Furthermore, the Second Highness and the Fourth Highness just happened to share the official positions in Yushitai and Jinyiwei..."

"Let the second child host it?" Old Zhu frowned, remembering Zhu Xi's usual inconspicuous appearance. "Let him investigate, how can he find out?"

"It doesn't matter whether it is detected or not," Liu Bowen said.

"Court officials use various methods to collect money. Even if they can find out a little, it's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Since this is the case, it is better to knock the mountains and shake the tigers and let them leak their own feet. Yichen infers that it has only been more than a month since His Majesty promulgated the new tax law. Even if you directly disperse the family wealth, there must be some leftovers."

"Thinking about it, they originally wanted to pay some silver taels for a while, so that they can take care of the rest."

"Let the Second Highness and the Fourth Highness go down, just to increase the prestige, and if the prestige is great, they will panic and rush to deal with the loopholes in their hands."

"If you are anxious, you will make mistakes. Only in this way can you follow the clues and wipe out all the ghosts and demons."

"It's reasonable!" This plan took care of all aspects, and Lao Zhu thought about it for a while, and he was overjoyed.

"Come on!"

"Pass our will! There is a difference in the amount of commercial tax in the household department, let the second child take charge, and inquire about the commercial tax case of the household department!"

"The old fourth leader's subordinate Jinyiwei Town Fusi is assisting, and within half a month, I will make sure that the business and tax matters come to light!"

……

"Li Xiang, what should I do now, please help me!" In the dark room of Li Shanchang's mansion, several court officials who were the mastermind gathered here in casual clothes. He grabbed Li Shanchang's sleeve.

"You...you!" Li Shanchang had white beard and hair, and there was a lingering anger in his brows.Seeing that this group of court officials were still brazenly tugging and crying like women, they couldn't help shaking their robe sleeves fiercely and shouting: "Enough!"

"Didn't the old man say that I want you to scrape together a few hundred thousand taels first? Your Majesty doesn't know the way of economics. When you see this number, even if you have doubts in your heart, you will think it's because this time it is only collected. It’s because the property of the children of bureaucrats in the middle of the capital has not been fully collected.”

"In this way, you can take advantage of this time to transfer the property to the servants and believers in a hurry. You don't need to name yourself. This is called 'there is no name'. It is enough to make your majesty think that the tax administration has failed, and focus on the treasure. Things."

"But I don't want to, you are so obsessed with money, and when you see money, you only collected 10 taels for your majesty... Do you think your majesty is a fool? Or are you all fools? Even if your majesty doesn't understand the way of economics, how can you not see it?" Such a big gap?"

"Short-sighted, waste food because of choking, rotten wood is hard to carve, insufficiency and strategy!"

Lao Li uttered a bunch of insulting idioms in one breath, and then, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he began to pant heavily while leaning on his crutches.Behind him, although the dutiful son Li Qi was delighted by the plan of this group of people to go bankrupt, but seeing his father like this, he had no choice but to greet him, stroking Li Shanchang's back to comfort his father.

Li Shanchang really knew Lao Zhu very well. If the tax collection this time could only raise hundreds of thousands, Lao Zhu would not doubt it, he would only think that the commercial tax was really not profitable.After all, Lao Zhu's family has been digging food in the land for three generations, so why did they ever do any business?Even after the founding of the country, they still wanted to get a lot of food from the fields. They didn't realize that business could produce gold and silver-like benefits, and they always neglected to control business.

It is also because of this that in the end of the Ming Dynasty, the merchants in the south of the Yangtze River could not lose their tails, but the great prosperity of the merchants was always sucking blood on the foundation of the country.Shanxi merchants even dared to capitalize on the enemy and betray the country, and helped the Qing Tartars stab the Ming Dynasty with a fatal knife.

However, Li Shanchang also missed one point, that is the greed of human nature.He fully thought that these officials were all human sperm, so they would naturally know what was more important, and pay taxes enough to confuse Lao Zhu's sight... but unexpectedly, it was harder than cutting flesh for these people to pay.

A group of people with big families and great careers, who has accumulated wealth since the Yuan Dynasty, which family has less than a million dollars?Putting everything together, he was only willing to take out 10 taels!
It can be said that the helplessness and indignation of Emperor Chongzhen when he collected money from courtiers, now, Li Shanchang has experienced it more than 300 years in advance.

　Thank you Qingyu layman and book friend 20221005015754879 for your reward!Thanks!

　
(End of this chapter)