The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"Mr. Wei Ge, you know the situation in the household department. Even if we have control, there are so many expenses going up and down, and the money in the warehouse cannot be retained.

What's more, there are wars going on in several places right now, including Luzon. The Ministry of War's credit book has been verified, but there is no money to spend.

Previously, the cabinet said that we should increase revenue and reduce expenditure, but there is no hope of reducing expenditure now, which means we can only increase revenue.

I heard that Old Port has always been an important trading port in Nanyang. Now that the imperial jurisdiction has been restored, taxation here should be started immediately to avoid the loss of tax money from the treasury. "

Wang Guoguang began to talk eloquently, talking about the old port.

"I remember that when the cabinet was discussing the old port affairs, I said that the tax revenue from the old port was collected by the Nanhai Navy and used as investment by the court to build new ships and military expenditures. Why would the Ministry of Household Affairs want to collect taxes there?"

Knowing that he knew it, Wei Guangde was pretending to be confused now, as if he was completely unaware of the long-standing discussion of the Ministry of Revenue and raised his objection.

"Well, Mr. Wei Ge, this matter was my fault at the time. Later, when I went back to the Ministry of Household Affairs to talk about it, I felt that the handling was wrong.

After all, it is the land of the Ming Dynasty. How can it not tax the court?

As for whether the Nanhai navy should be rewarded for recovering the territory, it cannot be confused.

What's more, if the Nanhai Navy is given the right to collect taxes, wouldn't Mr. Wei Ge be worried about causing disaster to the feudal town? "

Wang Guoguang just hesitated for a moment and then started talking immediately.

Today's Ming Dynasty implements the strategy of decentralizing military and political power, which is why there are governors and governors.

The governor was half a rank higher than the governor and was mainly based on military priorities, but the purpose of the appointment would definitely indicate their actual rights.

That is, the governor is in charge of military affairs, and the governor is in charge of civil affairs, each performing his own duties.

Of course, the imperial court set the rules in this way, but the actual implementation process is another matter.

Governors and governors have higher official positions and higher-level relations between the DPRK and China, so they have more say. With their presence, if the lawsuit reaches the capital, the three local bureaus will only suffer.

Over time, the actual powers of governors and governors began to overlap. The governors and governors were in charge of both military and civil affairs, and they became de facto frontier officials.

However, the imperial court did not think so. Because his powers and responsibilities were clear, they believed that there would be no disaster in the feudal town, because if they were worried, they only needed to mobilize officials.

The governor is responsible for local civil affairs and needs to go through the chief envoy. He only needs to mobilize the chief envoy, which will defeat the governor's possible small thoughts, because the governor cannot directly issue orders to local jurisdictions.

The governor's situation is similar. If you want to intervene in the military, you have to go through the general soldier. If the general soldier doesn't buy it, it's useless.

In addition, the censors from various places rotate as patrol supervisors every year, so naturally there is no need to worry about the local areas being connected together to form a vassal town.

Finally, Wang Guoguang said earnestly: "In any case, most of the navy is overseas, and the risks of going to sea are unpredictable. It is really difficult for the court to control it, so we have to take precautions.

It would be better for the imperial court to bear all the expenses of the navy to avoid any trouble. "

"Please tell me in detail what the Ministry of Household Affairs considers. I also want to hear what the regulations of the Ministry of Household Affairs are."

Wei Guangde said.

"Mr. Wei Ge, the Ministry of Revenue believes that in recent years, the Nanhai Navy has successively captured Dongfan Island and northern Luzon for the imperial court, and restored the old port. Naturally, it is a tribute to the hard work. How should the Ministry of War discuss merit and reward, the imperial court should also support.

As for Dongfan Island and Luzon, the population of Dongfan Island is too small, so it is better to wait for the garrison to move there and temporarily implement military control, like Liaodong.

When there are more people in the future, we can then consider whether to open a government or establish a county and appoint officials to manage it.

Luzon is different. It is isolated overseas and adjacent to the Spanish. It is actually more military-focused.

In addition, the local people are newly naturalized, so the Ministry of Household Affairs will send people to guide the preparation of the yellow book.

But since they are alone overseas, there is no need to send the taxes and services to the capital anymore. According to the yellow book, the taxes and services can be directly offset against the military pay, and the navy can collect it for its own expenses.

It's just that this old port has a special status. It has been successfully developed for a long time. It has always been an important port in Nanyang. Its location is even more superior than that of Yuegang.

With the Ming Dynasty's influence in Nanyang, it is only a matter of time before the old port becomes a port for all goods from Nanyang to be exported to the West.

When Western goods entering Southeast Asia are expected to be transferred from Malacca to Old Port, the local cargo throughput will be extraordinary, and it will definitely become a financial and taxation center for the imperial court, so the Ministry of Revenue plans to build Old Port Banknotes in Old Port to collect customs duties."

"Stop, stop, stop."

At this time, Wei Guangde waved his hand to interrupt Wang Guangguang's words and said, "I know what Brother Ru Guan means, but this is just wishful thinking of Hu Bu.

Whether Old Port can develop into that state at the same time, who can say for sure what will happen in the future. "

"Mr. Wei Ge, don't belittle yourself. In fact, the Old Port has always been an important channel for goods to enter the West. According to Jin Yiwei's report, most of the specialties from Java, Borneo and other islands are transported to the Old Port first, and part of it is sold directly to Arab merchants. The rest The ones were sold to Malacca City.

Most of the returning merchant ships purchased Western goods in Malacca City and then distributed them to various places in Southeast Asia.

The imperial court only needs to strengthen this, and there is nothing else that can be done. Moreover, the Navy can also transport some Ming products directly from Yuegang to Old Port. The freight alone is also a considerable amount of income.

We have exquisite products from the Ming Dynasty, specialties from various parts of Nanyang, and a large navy stationed in Nanyang. Are we still worried about what kind of accident will happen, and those foreign countries still dare to stab us? "

Wang Guoguang immediately refuted Wei Guangde's words.

"Wait a minute, if we use the South China Sea Navy to transport goods to the Moon Harbor, how will the taxes be calculated at the Moon Harbor?"

Wei Guangde suddenly asked.

You can’t do it without asking clearly. Yuegang is taxed based on export trade, and the tax rate is no longer low after the tax increase.

If the tax-increased goods are shipped to Old Port, then the competitiveness is not necessarily that strong.

Western merchants can directly sail to the Yue Port to do transactions. There is no need to purchase in the Old Port if it is safe.

"Old Port is our land of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, it does not count as foreign trade, and it should not be levied such a high tax."

Wang Guoguang stroked his beard before saying, "In this way, the Ming Dynasty products in Old Port are no less attractive than those in Yuegang.

I heard that many Yi merchants doing business in Yuegang purchased goods from Yuegang to return to Nanyang, but after going to sea, they went north to Japan to continue trading.

Many Ming products were transported to Japan as a result.

And those Yi merchants returned to sell Japanese goods in Yuegang, and then purchased Ming goods back to Nanyang. Such repeated violence was unimaginable.

The imperial court prohibited trade with Japan, so those maritime merchants who really wanted to purchase Ming Dynasty goods and return them to the West could do business in the old port and return directly, thus not touching the interests of the imperial court. "

Wei Guangde nodded slightly, but he nodded not because Wang Guangguang's proposal was good, but because he understood the true plan of Wang Guangguang and the ministers.

“How are tariffs distributed in the Old Port?”

Wei Guangde didn't want to hear anything else and asked directly.

"70% of the household department, 20% of the inner court, and the remaining 10% will be returned to Nanhai Navy."

Wang Guoguang didn't hide anything and said it bluntly.

"Haha, did Wang Shangshu and Zhang Ge Lao talk about this?"

Wei Guangde was happy when he heard this. He could only say that the Ministry of Revenue had a very clear plan, but it only considered himself and nothing else.

It is an old rule that the local government should share 10% of the taxes. The Fujian government will take 10% of Yuegang's tax revenue.

But here, Wang Guoguang mixed the Xuanwei Department of Jiugang and the Nanhai Navy together, and naturally changed the pillars.

As for the most important inner court, its share of Yuegang was directly reduced from 60% to 20%. When you think about what he said about transporting Western goods to the Old Port for trading, the meaning is self-evident.

Well, in the past two months, Hubu has seen Yuegang's white money flowing into the inner court, and Hubu has only received a pitiful amount of silver, so he is naturally jealous.

Using the old port and sharing the benefits was kept in mind by Wang Guoguang and several adults in the household department, and they never forgot to take a piece of the pie.

"Master Shouxian has already said it."

Wang Guoguang was shocked when he heard what Wei Guangde said, but he still answered calmly.

He said that he really said it, but in terms of the sharing ratio, he only said that he was still considering it, but he didn't dare to explain it clearly.

Wang Guoguang knew the relationship between Zhang Juzheng and the inner court Feng Bao.

As for why he still wanted to take action, it was because there was too much money involved.

As long as a banknote checkpoint is set up in the old port, no less than one million taels of banknotes will be passed through every year. As long as it is run well, the profits will be quite substantial.

As long as you have a lucrative official position, you may be snatched away. Even overseas, people are still flocking to you.

Anyway, the officials travel back and forth on the Nanhai Navy's warships, so what are they afraid of?

"You, don't talk about me. Even if the cabinet agrees, do you think the Chief of Ceremonies will approve it if you enter the inner court? Haha."

Wei Guangde sneered, even if Feng Bao was an official, a minister would still be qualified.

If you can figure it out, Feng Bao can figure it out as well. Who can you hide it from?

If Zhang Juzheng knew about it, he would probably scold Wang Guoguang half to death.

By the way, maybe I won't scold him, after all, we are actually on the same level, both have the title of minister.

Cabinet ministers do not have the grades they should have. Although they have a transcendent status, their grades are there.

"Okay, let me tell you my opinion. It is simply not feasible for you to discuss the Ministry of Revenue's plan on your own."

Wei Guangde did not wait for Wang Guangguang to speak, and continued: "The taxes and levies in the old port are divided in half between the Xuanwei Division and the Nanhai Navy, and the Nanhai Division's share can be deducted from the military pay.

As for the establishment of the old port banknote customs, I have no objection, but for this customs duty, the old port Xuanwei Department and the Nanhai Navy are two different yamen and cannot be confused.

In this way, the Xuanwei Department of Jiugang should receive 10% as usual, leaving the Nanhai Navy, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Inner Court, with each of the three parties receiving 30%.

The share allocated to the Nanhai Navy is naturally used for shipbuilding.

You said earlier that the coastal provinces should reduce the amount of money they pay to the navy. I have no objection here.

However, rules must be established for the reduction of this amount of money, which is to be divided into five years and reduced by 20% each year.

I remember that the 20% was shared between the Ministry of Household Affairs and local governments, so half of it would flow back to the Ministry of Household Affairs every year. "

Regarding the funding of the Nanhai Navy, Wei Guangde actually heard complaints from the following people more than once, thinking that too much money was allocated to the Nanhai Navy every year.

In fact, not only the Ministry of Household Affairs, but also the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry also have opinions.

When the Nanhai Navy was first built, it naturally required a large amount of money.

But now that the navy has become established, there is no need for the court to invest a large amount of money. The main thing is to find a channel for the navy to continue to inflow money.

If the Nanhai Navy had not taken over Dongfan Island and acquired the land in northern Luzon during this period, they would just huddle along the coast of the Ming Dynasty.

After the Japanese pirates are completely wiped out, local governments will cut off these expenditures, compress the provincial navy to the extreme, and maybe even sell those warships to maritime merchants.

To make Nanhai Navy independent, it is also imperative to cut off its previous involvement with the local area.

After all, the Nanhai Navy is actually the confluence of the navies of the four provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi.

If we don't separate, it will be troublesome for the provinces to transfer their naval forces back in the future.

Think about the fact that the Qing Dynasty had four major fleets, namely the Beiyang, Nanyang, Fujian and Guangdong navies, but they fought independently.

During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, the entire Beiyang Fleet was wiped out, while the other three naval forces were watching the show as if they had nothing to do with it.

Naturally, Wei Guangde would not let such a thing happen in the Ming Dynasty, so he directly took away the navy from each province to form a new navy, which was commanded by the imperial court, and he stopped thinking about local interference.

"In addition, the Ministry of Household Affairs must also allocate the full amount of military salary that the Ministry of War should give, and the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of War should also participate in setting a permanent rule for the annual naval funding."

Wei Guangde continued, "In this way, the navy's military pay is fixed, and there is a fixed amount of money every year to replace new ships, so that the navy can ensure its military strength in Southeast Asia.

The status of the old port is stable so that the imperial court can continue to derive benefits from this place. "

"No, not 30%."

When Wei Guangde finished speaking, Wang Guoguang, who couldn't bear it for a long time, immediately answered, "Thirty percent of the share is given to the Nanhai Navy. It's too much. The Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War have to allocate money every year. What does the Nanhai Navy need so much money for?" ?”

Wang Guoguang had already calculated in his mind. Excluding the allocation from the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of War, the money returned by the Ministry of Revenue was too small, and the Nanhai Navy seemed to have taken the lion's share.

However, Wei Guangde's next words made Wang Guangguang a little uneasy again.

"There are mountains of gold and silver overseas. Without navy, no one can get them back."

"hiss"

After hearing Wei Guangde's words, Wang Guangguang naturally guessed the meaning of Wei Guangde's words.

"Mr. Wei Ge, what do you mean?"

“It’s not my intention, it’s just to see if they can give me an excuse.

Our Ming Dynasty is a country of etiquette, so naturally we will not use weapons without permission. However, if a foreign country is disobedient, it is still okay to give it a proper lesson.

It's a pity that those overseas countries are too far away from our Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible to reach them without navy.

Just talking about the Japanese country, a small country dared to send Japanese pirates to run rampant in China. The court should teach them a lesson. "

Wei Guangde said calmly.

"Yes, yes, I heard that the Japanese king calls himself the emperor, which is really hateful."

Next, Wang Guoguang verbally criticized the Japanese country.

Wang Guoguang collected information about Yuegang and naturally heard about the Japanese gold and silver ratio.

Others may not notice it, but the Minister of Hubu, who has been dealing with gold and silver all year round, is very sensitive to something, although Wang Guangguang did not catch it at the time.

However, when the news spread to the court that the Japanese had gold and silver mountains, he thought of what he had overlooked.

"The Ministry of Revenue has not considered this matter well. I will recruit people to discuss it when I get back."

Wang Guoguang quickly said goodbye and left. There was no rush. Mining was a matter for the Ministry of Revenue.

However, when Wei Guangde saw Wang Guoguang's leaving figure, a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

If you are too greedy, some people will not tolerate you.