Traveling through history leaving a name

Chapter 333 Shocked
Just after Zhang Qingfeng's Daming University of Technology started.

In the south of the Yangtze River, the textile factory recommended by Zhang Qingfeng to Wang Bin was also established.

At the same time, countless steam engines were also transported from the canal to the south of the Yangtze River.

These steam engines are only the first batch, and there will be countless batches of steam engines shipped to Jiangnan in the future.

Except for the steam engines used by eunuch Wang to open a weaving factory, the others were purchased by textile merchants and mining merchants in the south of the Yangtze River.

Zhang Qingfeng has already released the restriction on buying and selling steam engines.

Through this action, Zhang Qingfeng and Jiangnan's business community finally eased some relations.

In order to obtain the manufacturing technology of the steam engine, many officials criticized Zhang Qingfeng in court.

Said that he should not compete with the people for profit, said that the business of the royal businessman was disgraceful, and so on.

Emperor Wanli ignored all these remarks. As long as they didn't prevent him from making money, he didn't bother to care.

The only thing that hindered him from making money, for example, when Zhang Qingfeng was arrested by Jin Yiwei, he intervened directly, because Emperor Wanli knew that if Zhang Qingfeng died, no one would help him make money.

For Zhang Qingfeng, Emperor Wanli now values ​​it very much, because Zhang Qingfeng is the one who can make him the most money.

According to historical records, Ma Tang, the tax supervisor sent by Emperor Wanli, levied violently in Shandong. After seven years of searching, he only collected 130 million taels of silver, and what he handed over to Emperor Wanli was only a fraction.

But Zhang Qingfeng is different here, Zhang Qingfeng handed over most of the money he earned to Emperor Wanli.

It can be said that Zhang Qingfeng has made more money for Emperor Wanli in one year than all tax supervisors have given to Emperor Wanli.

Moreover, more than 200 million taels of silver is half of the current annual income of the national treasury.

At present, the annual treasury revenue of the entire Ming Dynasty is only 400 million taels of silver, and Zhang Qingfeng's annual income alone can cover half a year's income of the treasury. How could this not be valued by the emperor.

Just when Zhang Qingfeng was able to earn 10,000+ taels of silver for Emperor Wanli every month, the Korean and Chinese officials once again collectively asked Emperor Wanli to abolish the tax supervision.

The reason is that Zhang Qingfeng's Machine Manufacturing Bureau earned enough money to support Emperor Wanli's construction of Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace.

Regarding this matter, Emperor Wanli didn't want to pay attention to it, but the officials were very determined this time, with an attitude of not giving up until they achieved their goals.

Faced with the turbulent civil servants, Emperor Wanli decided to compromise a part.

So, he called Zhang Qingfeng to him.

"Zhou Aiqing, what do you think of this matter?" Emperor Wanli asked Zhang Qingfeng.

The reason why he asked Zhang Qingfeng was mainly to see Zhang Qingfeng's attitude. After all, the civil servant's excuse this time was that Zhang Qingfeng made a lot of money for Wanli, enough for Wanli to rebuild the Qianqing Palace.

Zhang Qingfeng had considered this matter when he came here. He knew that he must not stand on the side of the civil servants in this matter.

He said to Emperor Wanli: "Long live, do you think the tax supervisor should not be abolished?"

"Oh? Why?" Emperor Wanli became interested.

"Back to Long Live, the reason why I said that the tax supervisor cannot be withdrawn is from the current position of my Ming Dynasty."

Zhang Qingfeng said: "Nowadays, land mergers are serious in our Ming Dynasty. Most of the land is in the hands of gentry who do not pay taxes, and the industrial and commercial tax is too low. If we want to maintain all the expenses of Ming Dynasty, we must increase the agricultural tax from the people. intensity."

"But in this way, the people will be overwhelmed, and it is very likely that they will rise up in the end. This matter is very serious."

"And the increase of commercial tax will be opposed by civil and military officials and powerful gentry, so even if you issue a decree, it will be difficult to implement it in the local area."

"So at present, the tax supervisor is undoubtedly the only way to bypass the policy and receive the industrial and commercial tax. Long live, you have seen this many years ago. It can be said to be farsighted, so I support the tax supervisor's policy of the long live." Zhang Qingfeng Finally, he said to Emperor Wanli.

"Good! What you said is very good." Hearing Zhang Qingfeng's words, Emperor Wanli was very happy.

"You are the first person to understand my good intentions." Emperor Wanli was moved when he heard what Zhang Qingfeng said.

In fact, he sent the tax supervisor to collect taxes, simply because he saw that the money in the internal treasury was gradually decreasing, and he was told that the tax supervisor was a way to make money, that's all.

But when Zhang Qingfeng said these words, he undoubtedly found a very noble reason for him, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Wanli looked at Zhang Qingfeng and said with emotion: "Since I registered, the national treasury has become increasingly empty. If we don't find ways to increase income, the frontiers of Ming Dynasty will be unstable, but the civil and military officials only know about fighting for power and profit. I am very disappointed in them. "

Hearing Emperor Wanli's words, Zhang Qingfeng's liver trembled a little. What he said was a little too shallow.

It seems that what Zhang Qingfeng just said touched the hearts of some Emperor Wanli.

"You are very good. You are a rare talent. Although you are a eunuch, in my opinion, you are more talented than all the officials in the court." Emperor Wanli said to Zhang Qingfeng.

"Long live the prize, I just did my duty." Zhang Qingfeng hurriedly said modestly.

"You don't have to be humble, I see everything you do."

Emperor Wanli asked Zhang Qingfeng: "Nowadays, there are voices in the court asking me to abolish the tax supervisor. What can you do about this?"

"Long live, I don't know whether to say something or not." Zhang Qingfeng said to Emperor Wanli after thinking about it.

"Say, even if I'm wrong, I won't blame you." Emperor Wanli assured Zhang Qingfeng.

"Long live, please back away from the left and right sides." Zhang Qingfeng whispered to Wanli.

"Go down." Emperor Wanli said loudly to the other court ladies and eunuchs in the palace.

Seeing that Emperor Wanli had dismissed the others, Zhang Qingfeng said to Emperor Wanli: "First of all, I am very supportive of the tax inspectors you sent to collect taxes, but, as far as I know, some of the tax inspectors you sent out, Long live People really...have failed you, Long Live, to trust them."

Zhang Qingfeng said: "For example, Ma Tang, I heard that he received more than 130 million taels of silver during his seven years in Tianjin and Shandong, but what he gave to you was less than a fraction..."

"What? Is this serious?" After hearing Zhang Qingfeng's words, Emperor Wanli stood up from his seat in shock.

He was completely shocked by the news Zhang Qingfeng said.

"This matter is absolutely true." Zhang Qingfeng nodded, and then said to Emperor Wanli: "Long Live Lord, the reason why you don't know about this matter is because the tax inspectors outside will bribe the eunuchs in the palace, and the eunuchs take bribes. After being bribed, the real situation will not be reported to you, which is already tacitly understood by everyone."

"Going out to be a tax inspector has become the main means for many eunuchs to earn money. Whether it is a tax inspector or a big eunuch who dispatched tax inspectors, they can make a lot of money."

"Moreover, in order to go out and make money, many people will report to the local government that there are mines. In fact, there are no mines at all, just so that you can send them to collect taxes and make money locally."

Seeing the increasingly ugly face of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Qingfeng continued: "Many people in the palace know about this matter, even some young eunuchs are no exception, but the little eunuchs who know the inside story are out of reach. You yourself, Long live, have no chance to tell Long live.

Secondly, even if there are people who can come into contact with you, most of them are arranged by the eunuchs in the palace. They don't dare to speak nonsense. The rules in the palace are very strict. If you speak casually, they will be beaten to death, and their relatives will be implicated. . "

Finally, Zhang Qingfeng said to Emperor Wanli: "The reason why I told you this is because I don't want you to be deceived by Long Live. Moreover, I am an orphan. Even if they want to take revenge, they can only take revenge on me. What I said If the eunuchs in the palace know, the minister’s life may not be guaranteed. They will find ways to find evidence of the minister’s crime, frame the minister, and finally let the Lord Long Live kill the minister. Therefore, please don’t tell the minister today. Tell your story."

After finishing speaking, Zhang Qingfeng knelt down and kowtowed three times to Emperor Wanli.

"This……"

Emperor Wanli was really shocked when he heard Zhang Qingfeng's words.

(End of this chapter)