"What do you mean by telling me about this today?"

Mo Zhengan pondered for a while and replied, "The army under his command of Bo Ye has already had a large army of 70,000. If it were Hangzhou, Jiaxing's two prefectures might have been barely under the burden before, but at this time the two prefectures had just been restored, especially Jiaxing's prefecture, which is very difficult to raise 70,000 military pay and food for 70,000 people. I am so arrogant that I should share my worries with you."

This is true. According to the rule, the two governments have a total population of four or five million, and it is not difficult to support an army of more than 70,000, but now it is a joke. Of course, Wu Zheng can still go to Jiaxing Prefecture to use the same trick again, and make another one like Hangzhou City.

But this is not a long-term solution. Besides, even if there are a hundred thousand silver taels, for a large army, it will only take a year or two to provide food and salary for an emergency, but it is a bad idea to hold on to the past for a long time.

"After saying so much, you must have a solution?"

"Yes, I did think of a solution, but... I may not be able to do so."

"Speak and listen."

"This... has my uncle heard of Shen Fu, the man from Hongwu Dynasty?"

Wu Zheng thought for a while and said, "No."

Mo Nian said strangely: "There are few people from Jiangnan who don't hear about this person."

Wu Zheng frowned and said, "What is this person's ability? Do you have to make it familiar?"

Mo Zhinian replied: "This person has no other ability, only one ability is enough to make him a legend."

"What ability?"

"The ability to make money."

"Uh... does he have a lot of money?"

Mo Guaninian narrowed his eyes and looked up and sighed, "I don't know how much money he has. It is said that he has at least 20 million taels of property. But I know that it is far more than this. Since Master does not know this person, should he know that part of Nanjing City is required to donate to build it?"

When Wu Zheng heard the first few words, his heart was already moved. By the last words, Wu Zheng was already scared, "Are you talking about Shen Wansan?"

Mo Zhinian sighed, "Sure enough, I have heard of this person?"

Wu Zheng asked anxiously: "Hasn't Shen Wansan been exiled by Taizu to southern Yunnan? Why did Mr. Mo know where his descendants are?"

Mo Zunian shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Wu Zheng was very disappointed. What's the old man playing tricks?

Talk to make people feel happy.

"Then why do you talk about him?"

"What I want to tell my uncle is that in addition to agricultural taxes, there are also commercial taxes."

Wu Zheng nodded after hearing this, "That's right, commercial tax should be the most important thing in the court's annual income."

Basically, people in later generations know that the agricultural tax was almost all reduced and most of the country's taxes came from commercial taxes.

But to Mo Zhinian's ears almost popped out, "My uncle is indeed a genius!"

Wu Zheng was a little embarrassed now, "Mo Lao praised me, I praised me."

"My uncle is too humble. Although many people in the world can know this, it is probably rare to see what is so true as Mr. Wang said."

"Oh? What does this mean?"

"Your Majesty knows how much is the commercial tax in the 16th year of Chongzhen, and the imperial court's annual income?"

Wu Zheng didn't know, so he shook his head.

Mo Zunian sighed: "The salt tax is 2.5 million taels, tea tax is more than 100,000 taels, and wine tax is less than 10,000 taels."

Wu Zheng was shocked. Isn’t this a joke? In such a huge Ming Dynasty, the combined commercial tax was less than three million taels?

"You... are you talking nonsense?" Wu Zheng asked in confusion, "I'm afraid that the whole mansion in Hangzhou is not just like this, right?"

According to Wu Zheng's memory, Hangzhou's tax revenue in only one place in later generations was also worth billions.

It is worth more than tens of millions of taels in silver?

But the annual income of commercial tax in the Ming Dynasty was less than three million?

This has indeed refreshed Wu Zheng's perception.

It also made him wonder whether Mo Zhongnian really knew or fooled him.

Mo Zunian sighed slightly, "Don't say that Mr. Unbelieves, people in the world probably don't believe it. But that's the truth. Mr. Unbelieves can go to Shaoxing Prefecture to ask the court officials who once served in the Chongzhen Dynasty, which can prove that what I said is true."

Wu Zheng said half-believingly: "According to your statement, isn't the commercial tax in the Ming Dynasty as empty? But where does this world's rumor that the heavy taxes come from?"

Mo Zhennian smiled bitterly and said, "It seems that Bo Ye really doesn't know. Since the reign of Emperor Taizu Hongwu, he has clearly stipulated that any commercial tax should be taken one at thirty, and those who are wrong will be considered as violation of orders. I gave an example to Bo Ye to know the reason. In the ninth year of Hongwu, Cheng Le, the chief clerk of Pingyao, Shanxi, had his term as an official. The prefecture's assessment result praised him for going to Beijing to meet the emperor on the grounds that he could resume commercial taxes. As a result, he was scolded by the emperor. The tax quota was fixed. If it was to be restored, it would be exploiting the people and losing their official positions. The state examination was not the case. Instead, he ordered the Ministry of Personnel to transfer documents to inform him.

In the eighth year of Hongwu, merchants from Nanxiong entered the capital with goods and arrived at Changhuai Pass. The officials kept them and taxed them. After reading the month, the goods were not sold. The merchant said that the officials should be punished by the officials. The Ministry of Justice discussed the crimes of officials. The emperor said that merchants traveled far away to the rivers and lakes, and they were going to seek profits. They each had their own interests and held them. It was not human nature. They also took the lectures to officials and listened to each other. After staying for the month and day, they did not sell their goods. The crime of officials was the one who was guilty of being punished by the officials. They secretly stole the officials and pursued their salary to pay the merchants."

Wu Zheng opened his mouth wide after hearing this. He had never heard of such a thing.

Isn’t it a glorious obligation to pay taxes by citizens?

Mo Ming continued: "During the Yongle period, taxes were further reduced, and gifts were weaved during weddings, funerals, food, and purchase taxable items, and carriages transported their own goods, fish, vegetables, fruits and non-market traffickers were all exempted from taxes. In the second year of Yongle, the Huitong Tax Bureau of Linqing County, Shandong reported that the people were all moved by the city and towns, and the locust droughts were droughts for years. The business travelers were not allowed to arrive, so please reduce the old amount. The Ministry of Revenue reported to the emperor, saying, "Don't be taxable if the military droughts are still available! They exempted them all, and the people who returned to business and traveled for a year, and then collected them."

"Our dynasty's protection and kindness to merchants has reached a terrifying level. Books, pens, ink, farm tools, boats, silk cloth, etc., all the things that we want are exempted from taxes. Even if there are levies, such as salt, tea, wine, etc., they will still be thirty, and those who exceed them will be punished as illegal."

Wu Zheng was already stupid by Mo Zhinian's words. Regarding the demise of the Ming Dynasty, what he heard was that eunuchs interfered in politics, eunuchs' autocratic party struggles, political corruption, land annexation, corruption in government, etc.

Even the saying that Emperor Wanli did not attend court for thirty years was once circulated in later generations.

There are also food production cuts caused by the Little Ice Age, as well as large-scale plagues, etc.

In Wu Zheng's concept, the demise of the Ming Dynasty has always been the end of his life.

But now, Wu Zheng was confused. From this point of view, he was obviously wrong in consciousness.

"Boss Mo, then, is Dameiji very kind?"

Mo Zhinian asked back, "My uncle is also an important official in the court, what do you think?"
Chapter completed!