Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 1178 Weeds have their own ways of being removed, and chives have their own ways of being har

Just like Li Wenzhong's efforts to improve the per capita means of production on the grassland, to the point that even Chang Yuchun couldn't stand it anymore.

Yang Shaofeng's methods of taxing wealthy merchants had reached a point where even the Zhu Emperor could not tolerate them.

Yes, our old Zhu is a bit ruthless; he loves to skin those corrupt officials alive.

But Old Zhu didn't say he wanted to target merchants like this—collecting 95 wen of a hundred strings of cash, then another 4.8 wen the next day, half of the remaining 200 wen, and then 50 wen of the last 100 wen, with interest… This… This…

You're talking about those aristocratic families and those wealthy merchants, who invented these little gadgets?

With the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Inspector General of Taxation at their disposal...

The Emperor Zhu's thoughts went further and further as he pondered the matter. It was Li Shanchang who suddenly spoke up and said, "I believe the Prince Consort when he says he will collect ninety-five. I also believe the Prince Consort when he says he will collect another four strings and eight guan the next day."

Li Shanchang stroked his beard and looked at Yang Shaofeng with a forced smile, saying, "However, the way the Prince Consort is collecting taxes is ultimately not as good as the current method of tax collection—the method of confiscating property and exterminating clans. It collects not only taxes, nor just a few more laborers, but more importantly, it can eliminate a group of powerful families and maritime merchants."

"Just like farming, no matter how you manage it, new weeds will always sprout up."

"The only way to deal with these weeds is to remove them one by one."

"Is the Prince Consort thinking of drawing a line on the weeds, wanting them to grow according to your wishes?"

Li Shanchang smiled and shook his head, "I'm afraid it won't be easy."

Emperor Zhu suddenly realized what was going on.

This bastard's method is certainly good, but the problem is that the method of collecting taxes by confiscating property and exterminating entire families is also quite effective.

Most importantly, with the series of major cases stirred up by a certain scoundrel, the entire aristocratic families and wealthy merchants of the Ming Dynasty were wiped out.

Even if we were to harden our hearts now and follow that scoundrel's method to harvest another crop, we would still face the problem of having no leeks left to harvest.

Just as Emperor Zhu was about to ask his son-in-law if he could find a few more acres of new leeks, Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "The Duke of Han is right. Those weeds will not grow according to the court's wishes."

"However, weeds have their own way of being removed, and leeks have their own way of being harvested. Those aristocratic families and wealthy merchants are the weeds that need to be removed, while ordinary merchants and gentry who have gained some influence and are developing into aristocratic families and wealthy merchants are the leeks that need to be harvested regularly."

"As I said before, merchants pose a risk of getting out of control, but the imperial court cannot do without them, nor can the people."

"Without their existence, goods cannot circulate."

"If all commerce is handed over to the imperial court and government, it will create a de facto system of official merchants, which will breed a large number of corrupt officials."

"So, the only option is to plant the chives in a patch of land with few weeds and harvest them from time to time."

"In this way, the chives can actually grow more vigorously."

After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng continued, "Actually, the Liu family has also used this method before—the milder method is to relocate wealthy households to be near the imperial tombs, artificially concentrating wealth in large quantities, thereby accelerating the devaluation of wealth in specific areas and narrowing the wealth gap in other areas."

"Those who used more drastic methods, like Emperor Xiaowu, would directly use white deer hides as money and snatch money directly from powerful families and local magnates."

"In the end, all of this is just to cut down those unruly weeds."

As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Emperor Zhu couldn't help but show a look of joy, and Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen also nodded unconsciously.

Zhu Biao spoke up at that moment, asking, "What about our Ming Dynasty's paper money? According to what my brother-in-law is saying, isn't our Ming Dynasty's paper money also equivalent to robbing money from powerful families and local magnates?"

Yang Shaofeng shook his head and said, "Not entirely, and there are two other reasons involved."

"The first reason is that the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note was specifically designed to replace the monetary attributes of metals such as gold, silver, and copper, thereby allowing these metals to flow to other places where they were needed."

"For example, making cannons and steam engines requires a lot of copper."

"If copper coins are still used as currency, the amount of copper available for manufacturing steam engines will decrease."

"The second reason is to take advantage of the fact that the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note has monetary attributes but no monetary value, in order to harvest the wealth and resources of the world and transfer the risks to other vassal states."

"The essence of this game is actually very similar to the White Deer Coin that Emperor Xiaowu played with."

"It only has value if the imperial court recognizes it as currency."

"If the imperial court doesn't recognize it, this thing is just a piece of waste paper."

"The only problem is that there is only one chance to transfer the risk."

"Because the value of the paper money is only superficially anchored to land and grain, but in reality it is supported by the credit of the imperial court."

"It's best to avoid using such methods unless absolutely necessary."

The eyes of Emperor Zhu and Zhu Biao immediately brightened.

Can it be used once?

Once is enough!

To put it bluntly, having a method that could drag the whole world down with the Ming Dynasty, or not having it at all, are two completely different concepts.

Emperor Zhu couldn't help but rub his hands together and said with a smile, "Well... my dear son-in-law, you are, after all, a cabinet advisor. You should give Yang Siyi more advice on matters of taxation and paper money."

Before Yang Shaofeng could figure out how to deflect the blame and refuse, Emperor Zhu chuckled twice and said, "Look, you want us to establish an ancestral rule that will last for ten thousand generations, and we agreed without hesitation."

"Now that we're asking you to help Yang Siyi improve our tax system and paper money, you certainly won't refuse, right?"

"Moreover, both of these matters involve millions of ordinary people around the world."

"We know that you, my dear son-in-law, value the people. How can you bear to watch them suffer?"

So?

Since I value the people, does that mean I deserve to be bossed around by you?

Yang Shaofeng was displeased and was about to say something sarcastic when Li Shanchang suddenly spoke up: "Does the Prince Consort still remember King Jeon of Goryeo?"

Yang Shaofeng paused for a moment, then asked, "What's wrong with him now?"

No, why does your statement sound like the melancholy of "Xia Yuhe by the Daming Lake"?

Seeing that Yang Shaofeng's train of thought had been successfully swayed, Li Shanchang immediately decided to strike while the iron was hot. He stroked his beard and said, "The Prince Consort promised to arrange for someone to return to Goryeo with Wang Zhuan, but things in Yangzhou and Fujian kept delaying it."

"Now look what's happened. That scoundrel Wang Zhuan is still in the capital and refuses to return to Goryeo no matter what."

"It's not easy for someone in power to directly issue an edict to expel them."

"look……"