"Mr. Li, you have been in the Three Divisions for a long time. The most important thing in governing the country is to manage finances. I came to you here just to talk about how to clean up financial and taxes... You just say whatever you want, and I will listen carefully."

In order to make Li Gu feel at ease, Chai Rong specially ordered the daily neighbours beside him to retreat and not be allowed to record. The emperor tried hard to create a gentle atmosphere of conversation, but the more this happened, the more he felt cold in his heart and cold sweat broke out on his back.

Those memorials impeached him were all in the palace. Did Your Majesty read it or didn’t read it? Did he take it seriously or used it to relieve his boredom?

Li Gu was very messy. He felt that the Emperor in front of him was becoming more and more unpredictable and elusive. He smiled at you, but in his smile, there was a strangeness that could not be said. I don’t know whether it was joy or sorrow... Maybe this is the power of heaven, right?

Li Gu couldn't understand the emperor's thoughts, but he didn't dare to remain silent for too long. He cleared his throat, "Your Majesty, the current annual income of the Ministry of Revenue is more than 65% of the land tax, the other 35% are salt and iron monopoly, and there are commercial taxes in Kaifeng and other places. The old minister will start with the land tax."

Chai Rong nodded happily, Li Gu clarified his thoughts and talked freely... There are two types of arable land in the Great Zhou Dynasty, one is the land of civil land and the other is the land of official land.

Mintian refers to private lands of landlords and self-cultivated farmers, while official fields are land owned by the state or emperor. Official fields include military farming, camping farming, vocational farming, school farming farming, guabaya, public farming farming, etc.

Among the total arable land in the Great Zhou Dynasty, official land accounts for about one tenth, and civil land accounts for about nine tenth.

Due to the different nature of the land, the difference in land taxes is generally divided into five types. One is the tax of public land, that is, the rent levied on official fields such as Guanzhuang, military farmland, and Xuetian. Official fields are generally farmed by farmers, and the state collects official rent, and the rent accounts for about one-third of the harvest. In addition to tenant rent, general land tax is also required. Total of the two, the tax of official fields is about half.

Second, the tax on the land of the people, that is, the tax on land of the people's private land. The tax on the land of the Great Zhou is generally based on tithes as the regular tax. Third, the tax on the city walls is a tax on houses and land tax on urban residents. Fourth, the tax on the complex is a tax on local specialties collected from various places, which is a harsh tax on other than the regular tax. Fifth, the tax on the Dingkou is a tax on the Ding body money and rice collected by Ding Nan.

When Chai Rong heard this, he couldn't help but cough, interrupted Li Gu's words, and pondered: "Mr. Li, the so-called tax must be fair. The burden of official land is much higher than that of civil land. In this way, will the people escape and run to serve as tenant farmers for the landlord's family?"

Li Gu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is wise. This is true. It's just that this practice has been passed down for a long time and the conventions have been made, so it is difficult to change easily..."

"No!"

Chai Rong said sternly: "Since it is a bad policy, no matter how many years it lasts, it must be changed! There is no conservative here! Let's abolish all the official land! Leave it to the farming people, and then all the land will be paid according to the people's land in the future."

What else could Li Gu say? He could only bow down and kneel down and thank the people for their kindness.

"Your Majesty is kind. In the future, all the people who farm in public fields will be grateful to the great virtues of the emperor and praise the wise and wisdom of our emperor."

Chai Rong's expression was normal and continued, "Mr. Li, you said just now that the court will also collect local products from all over the country. This is also a bad policy, and it is exempted! In the future, the harem and the court need it, so spend money to buy it and don't disturb the people."

Li Guchi was stunned for a while and said, "Your Majesty, the people pay tribute to the court is filial piety and it is not easy to abolish it. Moreover, if you purchase local products, it will definitely cost countless things and increase the burden on the court. The old ministers think that should we reduce it as appropriate first, rather than abolish it all at once."

"No!"

Chai Rong said sternly: "Mr. Li, if you want the people to pay, the court will not have to bear it. Then I ask you, what is the burden of the people? Isn't it still the burden of the court? As long as the people can get benefits, the court will get benefits. The so-called local products must be exempted. Starting this year, all regions will dare to collect them privately and will be severely punished!"

"Yes!" Li Gu couldn't withstand the pressure from the emperor and nodded obediently.

Chai Rong seemed very satisfied and smiled slightly, "Good Lord Li, let's talk about Ding's poems, I have thought about this, it seems that something is inappropriate, and it should also..."

"Does Your Majesty also be exempted?"

Li Gu asked in disbelief.

Chai Rong nodded, "I do have this idea. Mr. Li, the people in the world do not cultivate fields, and everyone has land... How can those who do not have land pay the Divine Fu? So I think they should be exempted from Divine Fu!"

"No! Absolutely no!"

Li Gu shivered all over. If the abolition of official fields and the suspension of local products in the previous period was to reduce the burden on the people and could barely accept it, then the abolition of Ding Fu would be like a collapse of heaven and earth, and something big will happen!

Li Gu knelt on the ground again and said to Chai Rong: "Your Majesty's love for the people is admired by the old minister. I want to reduce the burden on the people. The old minister also understands Your Majesty's painstaking efforts... But everything is too much. Now, 65% of the annual income of the court comes from land taxes. Among these land taxes, 60% are Dingkou's taxes. If Your Majesty is exempted, the annual income of the court will be reduced by nearly 40%!"

Li Gu was about to cry. His three stewards were equivalent to the butler. Who could maintain his expenses by cutting 40% at once?

The huge court had to use troops everywhere and support officials. There were so many things to do. How could it be without money? Li Gu was full of grievances, like a young wife. "Your Majesty, I dared to make a fuss. The people are unlucky. They should not be indulged in them all. Dingfu and landfu are the rules for thousands of years. Imperial grain and national taxes are natural. Since they are the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, they have to pay the grain. How can they be exempted? The old minister thinks that ordinary people will also understand the difficulties of the court and are willing to pay Dingfu. Please ask Your Majesty to take a clear look!"

"If Your Majesty insists on this, the old minister can only ask to resign from the three envoys, and ask Your Majesty to choose other capable people."

After saying that, he took off his black hat, put it beside him, and then lay on the ground, protruding himself into the ground, which means that if you don’t agree, I will stop doing it.

Want to resign?

A trace of displeasure flashed in Chai Rong's eyes. He really dismissed Li Gu directly, but Chai Rong knew that this old man was still useful for the time being and needed to be kept!

It wouldn't be too late to kick it away after he finished the most important thing!

"Hahaha, Mr. Li, you say that you are loyal to the country. I can have no tea for a day, but I can't have no cup of Mr. Li for a day." Chai Rong said, bent down and picked up the black hat and put it on Li Gu.

Mr. Li trembled and his official uniform was soaked on his back. He was really afraid that Chai Rong would let him go with one word. There was nothing that the emperor could not do.

Unexpectedly, the emperor actually valued himself so much that Li Gu became relieved again, as if he was reborn, and was so happy that he had no idea how to thank him, but Chai Rong's next words dragged Li Gu from heaven to hell.

"Mr. Li, you are opposed to the abolition of Ding Fu. The key is that you are worried about the reduction of taxes. If you do not need to reduce taxes, you can even increase taxes. Will Mr. Li support this proposal?"

"ah!"

Li Gu opened his mouth wide, "Your Majesty, old minister really doesn't know how to increase the annual income without levying Ding Fu?"

Chai Rong laughed, "Go and invite the Champion Hou to tell him about Xianggong Li!"

It’s Ye Hua again!

Li Gu's heart kept falling. He felt like he had fallen into a pit, an extremely huge pit, full of murderous intent, and the situation was not good!

After Ye Hua arrived, he first gave Chai Rong a gift, and then talked freely, without any concealment.

"The so-called Dingfu cannot be exempted, but it can be converted into property tax... In other words, the more land, the more payment, the higher the income, the higher the payment. I think this should be done. In the countryside, dividing Dingfu into the land acres is called land diligence money, and levying with land tax. In cities, personal income tax is levied, whether it is work, business, or opening a workshop, as long as the income reaches a certain level, you have to pay taxes!"

Ye Hua smiled and looked at Li Gu, "Mr. Li, just like an official like you and me, you also have to pay taxes. Are you willing to do so?"

Li Gu was so stupid that he didn't care how much income tax he paid. After all, a country can still be hungry! What made him shudder was the money for land taxes!

Ye Hua, Ye Hua, do you want to do the right thing with the gentry in the world?

Li Gu's eyes widened, but he soon found that he was angry too early because the more exciting one was still behind!

"Your Majesty, I have another suggestion." Ye Hua smiled and said, "My land tax in the Great Zhou still follows the two tax laws, which are divided into summer and autumn. The summer tax is levied on June 1st, and the tax amount is calculated in money. The autumn tax is levied on October 1st, and it is calculated in rice. At the beginning of the founding of the Great Zhou Kingdom, the land tax was levied on the middle and lower levels. The summer tax was levied on four cents and four cents of the summer tax, and eight cents of the autumn rice. The summer tax was levied on three cents of the summer tax, and seven cents of the autumn rice were levied on seven cents of the autumn rice. There are fixed varieties of land tax, such as the summer tax was mainly levied on silk, which was used for the needs of military clothing and official clothing and materials; the autumn tax was mainly levied on grain and grain, which was used for the needs of military food and civilian food; therefore, the autumn tax was also called autumn seedlings, which indicated that the collection of goods was levied on autumn grain. Li Xianggong, am I right?"

Li Gu nodded subconsciously, "That's right, champion Hou Bowen is a strong memory, I admire him."

"Haha." Ye Hua turned to Chai Rong and said, "Your Majesty, although there are specified tax collection varieties, the government can change the collection varieties according to the needs of the time. This is the so-called "change" method. According to regulations, when changing varieties, their weight, that is, their value must be equal, but in actual operation, the change has become a means for the government to use price fluctuations to search for people's wealth. In addition, the government often uses the reason of "making up for the shortcomings" to allow the people to export the conscription from here to that place, from near to far. This is the so-called "transfer" method.

’. The cost of transfer is entirely borne by the taxpayer. Those who do not want to transfer can pay the money, which is called the ‘Daoli Foot Price’. Local officials often exploit the people in the name of transfer. The tax grain that could have been put into the warehouse nearby also forces the people to pay the ‘Daoli Foot Price’ until the price of transfer is included in the regular tax collection. In addition, there are various other surcharges, such as the head money of the nature of handling fees, the charity warehouse tax called the grain storage and preparation for shortage, and the agricultural instrument money that followed the previous dynasty, the cattle and leather horn tax, etc.... In short, officials are trying their best to exploit the people."
Chapter completed!