Ming Dynasty: Teaching The Prince Dragon-Slaying Skills At The Beginning

Chapter 191: The Real Tax Amount Of The Ming Dynasty That No One Knows [Please Subscribe, Please Sub

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent again. Originally, according to his estimation, the official salary of a first-rank minister in the imperial court was equivalent to fifty people supporting one person.

In addition, the imperial court gave various preferential policies to high-ranking ministers, such as tax exemption for these officials' own fields, exemption from corvee for their family members, etc.

If all these miscellaneous things are added up, then it is not an exaggeration to say that a hundred people can support one person!!!

It takes a hundred people to support a first-class minister in the imperial court, coupled with the power they hold, so Zhu Yuanzhang never felt that the salary he set for imperial officials was too low.

But now Yan Changqing pointed out a very practical problem, which is that the number of wives, concubines, children, maids, servants, bearers, etc. in the home of a first-grade minister is more than a hundred in all likelihood.

If we also count the normal human exchanges that Yan Changqing mentioned, Tian Ci’s eight times throughout the year.

Then the cost of a genuine first-class minister, or a family, even exceeds the cost of hundreds of people.

In other words, it means that the court uses a hundred people to support a first-class minister.

"One-forty-one" and the first-grade minister himself has to support a family with one person, which is equivalent to the expenses of hundreds of people, or even more!!!

As a result, the salary of a first-grade official is relatively insufficient.

However, in the face of this situation, Tayu said, is there a problem with the expenses of the first-class officials?!!

Although he hates corrupt officials, he also doesn't like extravagance.

But he can also understand the money and expenditures that officials normally need. At least he can understand the money and expenditures of those first-class ministers that Yan Changqing just mentioned.

And the most important point is that he personally formulated the highest treatment that officials at all levels can enjoy.

For example, the different colors of court uniforms worn by officials of different levels, and the maximum number of maids and servants that officials of each level can have, etc.

In order to prevent those officials from going overboard in terms of appearance, or the number of servants in their residence, etc.!

But the so-called highest treatment, sometimes in the eyes of those officials, is the pomp and treatment they should have!!!

Therefore, those wealthy officials will definitely increase the ostentatious treatment they can enjoy to the highest limit mentioned by Zhu Yuanzhang.

And those officials who don't have money, often for the sake of face, will forcibly increase their splendid treatment to the highest limit mentioned by Zhu Yuanzhang.

As a result, those official families who were not already wealthy naturally became even worse.

Therefore, if we look at these aspects alone, Zhu Yuanzhang now reluctantly admits that the official salaries he set may be a bit low.

But it is only possible. If those officials do not pay attention to pomp and treatment, and attend fewer wedding banquets throughout the year, then naturally it will be enough for their family.

Yan Changqing looked at the silent Zhu Yuanzhang and continued:

"Because it is impossible for the court to pay for their private life expenses, then those officials must find ways to increase themselves some extra income.

"Those officials usually find ways to transport and transfer money and food."

"For example, if the quota for collecting grain taxes given by the service is twelve thousand dan."

"Then when the county begins to actually collect grain taxes, the tax of 12,000 dan, which is called the 'qiyun' collection, will be transported out.

"But in addition to this, there is also an additional retention 'levy!!!"

"As the name suggests, this 'retention' collection is a collection that remains and is saved."

"And this 'retention' collection does not only stay within the county, but also includes the amount that needs to be retained at the state or prefectural level."

"If the collection for 'starting' is based on the court's quota, then the collection for retention depends entirely on how much the county, state, and prefecture needs!!!"

"The total sum of these two is the total grain tax amount they tell the people they will eventually collect from the people.

"So on the surface, the imperial court only collects a fixed grain tax from the people every year."

"But in essence, the imperial court has no idea how much taxes are actually collected from the people in various places every year."

"No one or department knows this number, or can control the total amount, let alone determine its increase or decrease."

"So on the surface, the court says that there is a tax of thirty to one, but in fact, the amount of taxes collected by various places is really thirty tax and three?!!

"Or twenty-eight taxes─?!!"

"Or twenty-five tax─?!!!"

“Or even twenty-one tax?!!”

"I don't know, and your Majesty doesn't know either. Even those responsible for collection in various places don't necessarily know it completely. It can be said that no one knows.'

At this moment, Xian Yuanzhang's face was as gloomy as water.

After Yan Changqing told the truth, he was basically sure that such a thing was true.

The reason is also very simple, because Zhu Yuanzhang once served as a commoner, and he also faced those subordinate officials who collected taxes, and basically knew the various tricks those subordinate officials used to collect taxes.

Even if Zhu Yuanzhang had not experienced it personally, he had basically seen it all.

So as long as he combines what Yan Changqing said with his own experience when he was young, Zhu Yuanzhang is sure that the tax subordinates under him must be doing this!!!

The King of Chu, Zhu Zhen, was even more vicious. Earthly Dao:

"These dog officials, who have enriched their own pockets, actually want to blame the imperial court, saying that the imperial court wants to collect grain taxes from the people that they have added to the tax!!!"

"Isn't this his mother-in-law trying to harm the imperial court and consume the imperial court's credibility?!!"

"You really deserve to be killed!!!"

After being taught by Yan Changqing, Zhu Zhen now has a clear and clear understanding of the importance of credibility…………

So after hearing what Yan Changqing said, his tenth reaction was that the court's already hard-to-establish credibility was being wasted by these dogs!!!

Prince Zhu Biao frowned and said with some confusion:

"Hasn't the imperial court already announced the land tax decree that levies thirty-one taxes on the common people to all the people in the world?!"

"So the people of the Ming Dynasty should know exactly how much tax and grain the imperial court will collect from them."

"If those county officials and subordinates increase their taxes step by step, the taxes collected from the people will eventually exceed thirty taxes per one."

"Won't those people question or even reject the tax quota that is exceeded?!!"

Yan Changqing shook his head slightly and said:

"The imperial court has indeed announced the land tax decree of levying thirty-one taxes to all the people in the world."

"However, if the county magistrate and subordinates responsible for collecting land tax told them that the court later changed the land tax amount, changing the land tax amount of thirty taxes per one to twenty-five taxes per one,

Even twenty-one tax. "

"Then what does His Highness the Prince think those people can do?!!"

"After all, there is no way for the common people to verify the authenticity of what those county magistrates and subordinates said."

"So they have only two choices left, either to swallow their anger, grit their teeth, and pay the land tax amount according to the county magistrate's subordinates' instructions.

"Either they don't believe the words of the county magistrate who represents the imperial court and is responsible for governing them, and directly choose to refuse to pay the excess taxes."

"The former will make their lives more difficult, but they will still be able to survive."

"But if it's the latter, the county magistrate's subordinates only need to find a few random reasons on May 4th to arrest those who refuse to pay excessive taxes and put them in jail to sober up for a few days."

"If you're lucky, you might just get a beating and realize the reality, and then you'll pay more taxes.

"If you are unlucky, it is not impossible to refuse to pay taxes and die directly in prison."

"Even if we can get them out of prison alive, we will only have to keep an eye on this common person who refuses to pay excessive taxes, stir up trouble for him every day, and even instigate scoundrels to interfere with this common person's business."

"It won't take long for this common people to pay more taxes than the previous excessive taxes and settle the matter."

"Either you are forced to commit suicide!!!"

"The king of hell is easy to deal with, but the devil is difficult to deal with, that's what I'm talking about.

PS1: New books are on the shelves, and we are in urgent need of all the handsome guys, beauties, and big guys to order and customize them! I wish all the big guys who have full orders and customized books to get rich overnight, good health, and all the best.

Good luck! Thank you all! I kneel down to all the bosses!