Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 1886 Report the situation
The fleet sailed into the naval port, and the people and porters gradually dispersed with excitement, but the merchants did not leave.

These merchants traveling north and south have the most discerning eyes, and they clearly saw the last cargo ships following the fleet... Why did the navy bring cargo ships with them when they went out?There is only one answer, a large number of seized materials were obtained during this trip!

This is big fat!
Since ancient times, the materials seized by the army have nourished many luxurious and wealthy merchants in the world. Under normal circumstances, these seized materials will be sold at a price lower than the market price. After all, the army is not a merchant, and it is impossible and timeless to haggle over every detail with merchants Bargaining, if you have contacts in the military, then congratulations, countless money is waiting for you!
When Li Jing led the army to attack the Turks in the north and won a complete victory, they captured hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep and captives. How many merchants in Guanzhong became rich overnight and accumulated wealth for ten families?
Therefore, the seizure by the army has always been the fattest meat in the eyes of merchants, not one of them!

It's just that after all the ships entered the military port, no officials from Huating Town came forward to sell the seized supplies...

Fang Jun naturally saw groups of merchants. These people were like flies staring at flesh and blood, with the words "I want to get rich" hanging brightly on their greedy faces.

However, this time, there was really nothing captured...

The gold brought back from the Japanese kingdom has already been transported to Chang'an, but the Silla royal city has never been set foot. After all, they not only want to be attached, but also want to abdicate the throne, so they have to leave some property for them, right?Furthermore, if in the future, if the prince is really appointed as the king of Silla, and when he arrives at the ground, he finds that the Silla Mansion is empty and looted by him, it will be regarded as a feud...

Therefore, the seizures during this trip were basically zero. As for the cargo ships behind the fleet, they were all loaded with Japanese slaves trafficked by Suga Mingtai.

However, he does not intend to sell these slaves. Right now, all parts of the Tang Dynasty are starting to construct infrastructure vigorously, building water conservancy ditches, building roads and cities, can't let the people of Datang do it all?Some dangerous areas can be filled by slaves with their lives...

Therefore, he will take these slaves to Chang'an and hand them over to the Ministry of Industry and the Shaofu for specific arrangements.

*****
Returning to the long-lost government office, soaking in the scalding hot water, the exhaustion brought about by the sea voyage was completely dispelled.

Fang Jun felt that the original owner's physical fitness was surprisingly good. Not only was he physically strong enough to lift a tripod, but his recovery ability was also top-notch. No matter how tired he was, as long as he took a short rest, he would be able to recover immediately and be alive and well.

So he understood a truth, some things don't just need to be done violently and deeply, and blindly rushing and rushing will be counterproductive.

Sometimes, some ostentation can make people more happy...

I took a hot bath, changed into a clean and dry uniform, and after a simple meal, I made a pot of tea and sipped it slowly, waiting for the navy to rectify and dispatch a few warships Escort those efforts while escorting him back to Chang'an.

Footsteps came from outside the door, and they stopped abruptly at the door, and then I remembered Pei Xingjian's voice: "I have something to tell me about my humble job."

"Oh, come in."

Fang Jun put down his teacup and watched Pei Xingjian walk in from the door.

At this time, Pei Xingjian has long faded from his original youthfulness. The dandy who is arrogant across the river and the long street of the horse is long gone. Instead, he has a handsome, calm and capable face, with slow and slow steps, and shrewd eyes. .

There are quite a few future appearances...

Fang Jun was very pleased. There was nothing more pleasing than a famous minister in history, step by step, blooming his brilliance under his own guidance.

"Keep the appointment, sit down and drink tea."

Fang Jun poured tea for Pei Xingjian himself, smiling all over his face.

Pei Xingjian was so flattered that he hurried forward and sat sideways opposite Fang Jun, taking the teacup with both hands: "Thank you, Lord Hou..."

Then he took a light sip.

Fang Jun sat there comfortably, and asked with a smile: "How is the development of the Shibo Department recently?"

Pei Xingjian said respectfully: "Everything is going well. The merchants from the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River all complained about the heavy business tax. They said that the city ship department competed with the people for profit, which is a state of chaos. The world is in turmoil... As a result, His Majesty issued an edict to levy commercial taxes all over the world, and those guys who usually jump around are silent, and they are very obedient. Lord Gein attacked Japan and Silla, It has opened up a vast channel for the goods of the Tang Dynasty. It only needs to sell the common goods of the Tang Dynasty to Japan, Silla, and even the countries of Nanyang, and the profits obtained are several times or even ten times that of the past. Under the circumstances, if anyone dares to be restless, once his maritime trade license is revoked by the Shibo Department, the loss will inevitably be tens of millions, who dares to be disobedient?"

The maritime trade license is like a knife hanging over the heads of merchants all over the world. Whoever has the license revoked will no longer have the right to maritime trade, and no one can bear such losses.

The merchants supported by the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River are the most wealthy and powerful group in the world. As long as they keep themselves safe, the rest are nothing to worry about...

Fang Jun snorted coldly, and said: "These people are used to eating, and they don't want to spit out the meat in their mouths. Everyone is equal throughout the empire. Farming needs tax, boat raising needs tax, and animal husbandry needs tax. Why? You can’t pay taxes if you do business? Isn’t it because those aristocratic families, high-ranking officials and dignitaries are behind the support, and seventy-eight out of ten of the business income of the world’s merchants end up in the pockets of those people. I don’t believe that they dare to provoke a rebellion just for the mere business tax? "

Commercial tax has been a difficult point for the court to collect since ancient times.

Don’t look at the fact that since Guan Zhong collected the profits from fish and salt and started his business in mountains and seas, commercial taxes have become the fat meat that the rulers covet. Gein, although merchants are lowly, but they are all supported by high-ranking officials and powerful families. If the imperial court wants to collect business taxes, it is to compete with these people for food, so they fiddled with "competing with the people for profit". "Such rhetoric incites the world, as if as long as the imperial court collects commercial taxes, it is against the people of the world...

360 lines, paying taxes according to the regulations, that is the obligation of every citizen, why can you be an exception as a businessman?

Right now, the merchants and their supporters have no choice but to cut their flesh because they are greedy for sea trade, but Fang Jun believes that as long as the opportunity arises, these greedy people will definitely jump up here and jointly boycott the merchant tax.

This is a social problem, a legal problem, and a system problem, and Fang Jun can't solve it for a while.

Let's take one step at a time, at least the current surging commercial tide can temporarily attract the eyes of the aristocratic families away from the land, suspend the pressure brought by land mergers, and give the general public a chance to breathe.

When the handicraft industry really flourishes and most of the wealth in the world is no longer produced in the land, then the working people can be truly liberated...

Pei Xingjian continued: "The income of the people in Huating Town is very good this year. Although the surrounding area is mostly saline-alkali tidal flats and the rice planting area is only more than [-] mu, the yield per mu has reached more than three stones, which can be regarded as a bumper harvest. And the farmers are at home. The income of weaving woolen cloth is more than five times that of the field! Nowadays, the woolen cloth in Huating Town is not only exported to neighboring countries, but also sold to both sides of the canal, especially the merchants in the Northland. The oil is flowing!"

Hearing this, Fang Jun was very happy.

The development of the handicraft industry is a necessary means to free the peasants from the bondage of the land.

As long as the handicraft industry develops, even if farmers lose their land, they can already have a way of making a living, which is even better than farming!If things go on like this, the peasants who lost their land simply turned to the cities to engage in handicrafts, and the population of the countryside decreased greatly. In the past, the greedy and demanding landlords and old riches had to be forced to do so—there were thousands of hectares of fertile land, but no one to cultivate for him...

The land must not be left idle, so what should we do?

The only way to reduce the rent is to attract farmers to cultivate the land for him.

This has formed a virtuous circle. One day, the old rich local owners will find that the profits of farming the land are far less than that of handicrafts, animal husbandry, etc., and they will look away from the land that their ancestors have been nailed to for generations.

When they no longer persecute and squeeze farmers for land, a new era will come...

Of course, to achieve this goal, the imperial court's persistent policies are required, as well as Datang's continued coercion on neighboring countries, making it a dumping ground for Datang's products and gaining huge profits.This process may take 20 years, it may be 50 years, or even 100 years or 200 years...

But as long as the seeds are planted today, the fruits will be reaped one day.

Pei Xingjian stopped suddenly, remembering the purpose of coming here, and said: "Master Hou, when the navy returned to the voyage earlier, there was a fight with the river embankment. All the parties involved were detained by the government office. After interrogation, it was because the victim spoke rudely. , slandering you, Lord Marquis, the people around you were so angry that they knocked him to the ground and beat him up, but there was only a little nosebleed, and the injury was not serious, but the man refused to leave, and he had to let a few people Compensation for soup and medicine... The humble official saw that those people were all farmers, acquaintances, and their families were not rich, and they heard someone slandering Lord Hou, so they acted out of righteousness. Such situations should be encouraged, so it is convenient The town office will pay for the compensation.”

Fang Jun nodded.

Although it can be heard from Pei Xingjian's words that he is partial, but on the one hand, he is an insider, and on the other hand, he is an outsider, and it is not a serious consequence. There is nothing wrong with handling it like this.

Legal principles are nothing more than human feelings, so who can truly enforce the law impartially and without favoritism?
Just looking at Pei Xingjian's strange expression, Fang Jun couldn't help being curious, and asked, "Is there a follow-up?"

Pei Xingjian smiled wryly and said: "Master Hou is wise... the person who was beaten still refused to leave after receiving compensation, and he declared that he was a descendant of Jiang Gu's family. He came to Huating Town this time to find Hou Lord, to avenge you for stealing love!"

Fang Jun's eyes widened in an instant!
Jiang Gu?
This is the ancient race!

However... where did the talk of seizing love with a sword come from?

(End of this chapter)