I opened a tavern in Datang/Datang: My peerless talent was exposed

Chapter 38

As an ambitious monarch, Li Shimin has truly inherited and carried forward the fine traditions of Li Yuan's reign.

One of the most important points is the extremely simple taxation.

In addition to renting and regulating, there are basically no other taxes, and the Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty were the only periods in China that did not engage in salt and iron monopoly and collected miscellaneous taxes for industry and commerce.

This is not only a policy of lightly corvee and lightly endowed, but also a kind of great self-confidence.

Why did so many dynasties want to monopolize salt and iron? On the one hand, the treasury needs to make money, and on the other hand, it is to control the manufacture and circulation of weapons.

But at this time, whether it was Li Yuan who founded the country or Li Shimin at this time, they obviously trusted their own wrists and Datang's force to the extreme.

Both father and son believed that salt and iron were the things that the common people used in their daily lives, and they should serve the people first. That's why Changsun Wuji's family became the largest iron dealer in Chang'an City.

Zhang Nuo was also talking now, stood up and walked with his hands behind his back, saying,

"Old Li, you and I are both businessmen. The profit we earn in a day may be the income of a farmer for a year."

"But in fact, what we need to pay to Guochao is only two shi of corn per person, sixty feet of silk and a little grain, which is less than half of the money!"

"Why does the state look down on merchants? Isn't it because merchants don't do production, but they can afford fine clothes and fine food, and farmers work all day long but have poor food and drink?"

"So, collecting business taxes from merchants is the best way to solve the emptiness of the national treasury!"

Li Shimin frowned and thought about what Zhang Nuo said, and he agreed with it in his heart. After all, he knew that merchants were richer than farmers.

He didn't feel sorry for the little money for the merchants, but wondered if this matter would bring about some chain reactions.

"Brother, you said that if the merchant tax is collected, our great cause will not be affected much. The big deal is to pay more money every year, but will those farmers suffer in the end?"

"After all, apart from their own use and tax payment, their hard earned income for a year is usually sold to merchants!"

Zhang Nuo looked at Li Shimin strangely, as if he had known him for the first day,

"Okay, Lao Li, I didn't expect you to be concerned about the country and the people. I thought you would jump up when you heard about the business tax!"

"But you're wrong. As long as there are more and more workshops like ours, the farmers will only benefit and not suffer!"

Zhang Nuo picked up a glass of wine with a smile, drank it down and continued,

"Take our distillery as an example. We need a lot of grain, so if there is less grain on the market, do we have to increase the price to buy it? Then, can farmers earn more money every year?"

"After all, there is only so much grain on the market. We want it, and the grain merchants want it too. It depends on who pays the highest price!"

"At the same time, because we are a workshop, both brewing and selling require a lot of manpower, so as long as the farmers are diligent, can they earn more income during slack?"

"This is the wonderful function of business tax. If the state government collects my tax, it will naturally ensure the smooth progress of my business. Then I can also recruit people and produce in large quantities. If he doesn't charge me tax, I still worry about it. The dynasty sold the wine business to a monopoly!"

Li Shimin nodded approvingly. Indeed, in many dynasties, the court monopolized salt and iron wine.

"Brother Zhang, do you think the imperial court will take over the wine business because they are greedy for our profit from selling wine?"

Zhang Nuo shook his head and said firmly,

"I don't know about other emperors. As far as the current emperor is concerned, he will never go back on his word and get fat. If he says he won't accept it, he won't accept it. What's more, if the people are encouraged to sell alcohol, if the country only collects commercial taxes, it will be even more advantageous. Why should the country want to monopolize it? ?”

"You are not an official of the imperial court, let alone the current sage. Naturally, you can only see our own business, but if you are the current sage, who can see the whole country and rule the people, it will be different."

Li Shimin actually wanted to slap the table very much at this moment, and shouted that I am the emperor, but after thinking about it, he held back.

In the future, he still expects to continue to do business in partnership with shopkeeper Xiao Zhang to earn money, eat delicious food, and drink fine wine. How can he have a showdown at this moment? He must endure it.

So Li Shimin approached Zhang Nuo with a smile and said,

"Brother, you know that I am a businessman, so my vision is naturally not as good as yours, but tell me, let me gradually follow your footsteps!"

Zhang Nuo looked at Li Shimin with satisfaction and nodded. Old Li has made progress. He can not only see his own advantages, but also work hard to improve himself. It seems that he will teach Lao Li more in the future, and he does not want to be as good as himself. , but more or less can get some edification is not.

Empress Changsun also looked at all this with a smile. She didn't care about the closeness of the two in front of her. What she cared about was that His Majesty seemed to be extremely relaxed at the moment. Even in the Lizheng Palace where she lived, she had never seen such a relaxed and comfortable Majesty.

Hongyu stared at the two with dumbfounded eyes. Zhang Nuo didn't know, but she knew. The one who came up to Zhang Nuo to pour wine with a flattering expression was not a small businessman in Chang'an. Ninety-five supreme ah.

My future husband just laughed and played with His Majesty, and His Majesty was not only not angry, but even laughed happily?

Hongyu knew that since she agreed to come and take a look, she had already been Mrs. Zhang Nuo's favorite wife.

How can you allow others to violate the golden words?

It is already a fluke to be brought by the emperor and empress to talk about matchmaking, unless there is a big problem.Otherwise, this matter is a certainty, and there is no room for her to pick and choose.

It's just that looking at it now, it seems that this future husband is a top choice except for his knowledge of people, which is a bit ridiculous.

Maybe I have to thank His Majesty and the Queen for giving her a good marriage?

Zhang Nuo's taste was enough, and he finally said,

"Actually, in the eyes of the Holy Majesty and the officials of the imperial court, it is not the gains and losses of one city or one place that are considered."

"The liquor monopoly seems to have been made by the court, but in fact, because no one dares to compete, the monopoly business naturally does not want to make progress, and the wine will naturally become worse and worse."

"Anyway, ordinary people have no other place to buy it. They have to drink both the good and the bad. But if things go on like this, will some people secretly brew their own wine and drink it? Will they just stop drinking it?"

"But if it is open for everyone to operate, and your family has good wine and I don't have it, then I have to rush to develop one?"

"In this way, there will be more and more types of wine, and the quality will get better and better, so more and more food will be used, more people will be invited, and the commercial tax of the court will also increase. The more, is it better than selling wine yourself?"

Zhang Nuo looked proudly at Lao Li's stunned expression. It seemed that what he just said was perfect!

Chapter 39

Li Shimin's heart is full of shame at this moment, it turns out that from another perspective, there are so many benefits.

I was a generation of emperors in vain, but I didn't realize the intricacies of it, and I was still staring at the little money for selling wine.

It seems that I really have to learn from shopkeeper Xiao Zhang in the future.

At the same time, he also began to extend to the policies he promulgated on weekdays. The shopkeeper Zhang's move is actually not seeking the gains and losses of one city or one place, looking at the world, accepting all rivers, and treating the entire country as a game of chess.

And the most wonderful thing is, take one step and see three steps, interlocking and step by step.

Li Shimin was thinking about it now, if the imperial court advocated the private wine business, it would be represented by his own business with Xiao Zhang's shopkeeper, and when this fine wine was released, it would naturally attract people to loot it.

But aren't other businessmen jealous?

With their own members, some pickling methods can't be used naturally, but they can follow suit. Even if they don't have the magic skills like Xiao Zhang's shopkeeper, they can probably sell some ordinary wine with high quality and low price.

At that time, it is not necessary to purchase a large amount of grain?Why don't you hire a lot of people?Wouldn't the national treasury be able to collect a lot of business taxes?

Zhang Nuo saw that Li Shimin's face was full of smiles, and added leisurely,

"There is another benefit of commercial taxation. I can't say it clearly, but it is very useful for His Majesty's imperial power!"

"That is, the rich and famous families are now exempt from agricultural tax by relying on the official status of the sons and daughters of the clan. If things go on like this, these wealthy and famous families will definitely annex a large number of farmers or even seize land from farmers."

"Over time, a large number of farmers had no land to grow, so they could only sell themselves into slavery and even revolted."

"But the business tax is different. This is a new tax. The Holy Majesty can issue a decree from the very beginning stating that even the royal relatives are not exempt from the tax. In this way, as the business tax increases in the future, these wealthy families can only Pay your taxes slowly."

Li Shimin almost jumped at the table, tall, really tall!

Li Shimin has always been wary of those five surnames and seven surnames who either waited and watched or supported their old Li family.

After all, if these rich and famous families can support his old Li family, they will also be able to support the old Wang family and the old Zhang family one day in the future. For these big families who value the family more than the state.

They really didn't pay much attention to the imperial power, otherwise there wouldn't be such a sentence as a century-old dynasty and a thousand-year-old family.

Therefore, after Zhang Nuo's analysis just now, Li Shimin keenly discovered that the business tax is simply the best opportunity to take the knife from the rich and famous.

After all, my relatives and relatives in the Tang Dynasty have all paid business tax, so why don't you pay it?Could it be that you want to rebel?

Then it's no wonder that the tiger and wolf master of Datang came to drink tea with you!

Thinking of his pride, Li Shimin patted Zhang Nuo's shoulder excitedly and said,

"It's still your little brother Zhang who is amazing. I really didn't expect that there are so many twists and turns in it. It seems that I have to learn more from you in the future."

This person is like this, the more he is praised, the more he wants to show off.

To be honest, for these political and economical things, Zhang Nuo is showing off with some knowledge of political economy that he learned in middle school.

But in fact, if he is allowed to continue talking, he will have to cheat, after all, the cheating has not yet been fully credited.

However, even the various news, jokes, and web articles he saw on the Internet in later generations are enough for him to come up with countless applauded ideas.

"Lao Li, you have to know that although commercial taxation can fill the national treasury, it is not the kind that can take effect immediately. 20 guan, do you want to listen to it?"

Li Shimin's hands and feet began to tremble, how much? 20 guan?Or is it available right away?There are too many things he can do with this money.

Not enough armaments?add on!

Building water conservancy?Arrange!

Official subsidy?agreed!

As long as you have money, what do you want to do? Unexpectedly, shopkeeper Xiao Zhang still has goods in his belly. I thought the commercial tax was a big move, but it seems that shopkeeper Xiao Zhang still has reservations. This must be dug out. Just come out.

There is no way, the treasury is really empty right now.

And Li Shimin, who is a close relative of Zhang Nuo himself, completely put down his airs at this moment, and took the initiative to move to Zhang Nuo's side, hooked his shoulders and said with a hippie smile,

"Brother, as the saying goes, help people to the end, send Buddha to the west, you have already spoken, so help brother again!"

"My relative will definitely write your name on the memorial when the time comes, and the Holy Majesty will definitely remember you as a great talent, and will definitely reward you at that time!"

Seeing Lao Li's mischievous appearance, Zhang Nuo thought to himself that Lao Li really put his heart into helping his relatives.

It's rare to have such an opportunity, how can I not tease him?

So Zhang Nuo shook the hem of the clothes he wore for the first time today, leaned back in the chair, pretended to be neither salty nor dull, and said,

"Let's talk about the credit or something. I'm not in a hurry anyway. After all, I've already made arrangements. I can get a title from His Majesty next year!"

"But your relative will rely on my suggestion to be promoted to a noble, and you will definitely benefit. Or, you can spend another thousand pennies from your private money as consulting fees?"

"You know, although the idea of ​​commercial taxation is useful, it's not particularly clever. If you want to come to the high-ranking officials in the court, even if you don't think of it for the time being, you will think of it in the future."

"But my idea is different. I'm sure that if I don't say it, no one will come up with it, and no one will come up with it in another 1000 years!"

"Besides, I don't just leave after making a fortune. Not only can I make a fortune this year, but I can also get more and more in the future! Do you want to pay a consulting fee quickly? It's definitely worth it!"

Li Shimin's face was wrinkled into a bun. If Zhang Nuo asked for an official position, title or something, as long as Zhang Nuo's idea really worked as he said, then it would be absolutely fine.

But money is the only thing that he really can't bear to part with, and the shopkeeper Xiao Zhang has thousands of pens as soon as he opens his mouth. You must know that he doesn't have much money in his wallet right now.

It has to be said that Li Shimin is also a smart person. He knows that Zhang Nuo is making fun of him, and it is also a disguised proof that the suggestion that the shopkeeper Zhang is about to say is definitely an unbelievable good idea.

But how to get this idea out?

Just as Li Shimin was scratching his ears and cheeks, he found Empress Changsun pouted at Hongyu beside her. Li Shimin's eyes lit up immediately, he hugged Zhang Nuo and pointed at Hongyu and said,

"Shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, I know that you are eighteen this year and haven't married yet. Although my sister-in-law is not a direct relative, she grew up in my house. My daughter-in-law looks like a younger sister. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also educated and reasonable. How about I promise you to be Mrs. Ru today? Is it enough for you to take that good idea as a bride price?"

Chapter 40

Zhang Nuo was stunned!

What do you mean?Give yourself a girl?Let yourself make up your mind as a bride price?

Although the girl on the opposite side looks quite beautiful, especially the one who is as beautiful as a flower, tall and has long legs, like a ripe apple, she is also a proper goddess level in future generations.

Such a girl actually treats herself as a wife?

What is Mrs. Ru?In fact, it’s just another way of saying a concubine. If you marry a concubine, according to the current rules, there is no such thing as a marriage ceremony, and you just enter the house directly.

Old Li, do you think highly of me, or do you take your wife and sister too seriously?

Li Shimin saw that the shopkeeper Zhang was staring at Hongyu in a daze, thinking that Zhang Nuo was fascinated by Hongyu's beauty, and thought to himself that Guanyin's maidservant was smart.

How wonderful this is, originally he was going to promise the red jade to Xiao Zhang's shopkeeper, but now he has become a wonderful person in exchange for a clever plan, and it is a good talk to say!

"Okay, since shopkeeper Xiao Zhang also agrees, then this matter is settled like this. It is better to hit the sun than to choose a date. Later, Hongyu and I will go back to the house to pack things, and then let your sister-in-law dress up and turn around. I will send it to you, and you can enter the bridal chamber tonight!"

"Brother, you see, our two brothers have already kissed each other, and I can call you brother-in-law in the future. Can you tell me your idea?"

Zhang Nuo looked at Lao Li's smiling face and remained silent for a long time!

Lao Li, you are really good, I just didn't say anything for a while, so you just decided for me!

However, from the time when Zhang Xiaomei was booked, Zhang Nuo figured it out. Datang is like this, and what he pays attention to is everyone's great career and a full family of children and grandchildren.

If you have to stick to one thing in Datang, you will be looked down upon instead. Since the younger sister can marry, why can't Hongyu marry?