jdhmnovel Chapter 456 Making Money, Isn't That Shameful?
Chapter 456 Making Money, Isn't That Shameful?
Emperor Zhu couldn't help but start cursing.
"A 30/70 split?"
"Damn it, they dare to embezzle 70%!"
Emperor Zhu did not suspect that the officials were embezzling 30%.
After all, Emperor Zhu had also been exploited and knew the nature of officials.
Emperor Zhu never expected that Yang Shaofeng would say in a sarcastic tone, "Seventy percent?"
Emperor Zhu was slightly taken aback and asked, "Is it more than 70%?"
Yang Shaofeng pondered for a moment and said, "I am just speaking presumptuously, and I hope my father-in-law will listen to me."
Emperor Zhu immediately became interested, "Go on, I'm listening."
Yang Shaofeng snorted coldly and said, "Father-in-law, do you know what the first thing the new magistrate did after taking office was?"
Emperor Zhu said, "The first priority is to pacify the people, the second is to encourage agriculture and sericulture, and the third is to settle disputes."
Yang Shaofeng curled his lips, "Not everyone is like me. When I took office, there were no local gentry in the county, and I had a dozen or so soldiers sent over by the Duke of E to serve as yamen runners."
“Under normal circumstances, the first thing a new official does upon taking office is to build good relationships with the local gentry and elders.”
"Only by cultivating good relationships with the local gentry and gentry can a county magistrate secure his position."
"Only by establishing a firm foothold can we find ways to create pretexts to entice local gentry and elders to pay taxes and make donations."
"Only when they pay can the people follow suit."
“Once the money is collected, the money from the local gentry and gentry must be returned in full.”
"The people's money is split 30/70."
Emperor Zhu was stunned again and asked, "You mean they tampered with the money donated by the people?"
Yang Shaofeng pursed his lips and said, "Otherwise what?"
"Taxes are fixed amounts. Not only do we have to go to the Ministry of Revenue to check the accounts every year, but there are also censors who will suddenly appear to check the accounts. It would be too risky to tamper with taxes."
“It’s different when we call on the people to donate money.”
"Whether it's building a bridge or paving a road, it doesn't matter."
"Or any random, random title will do."
“The local gentry and gentry took the lead in donating, and they donated more, first to establish themselves as great philanthropists.”
"Ordinary people donate less, but little by little, the amount can be quite considerable."
"Never mind how the bridge is built, and never mind how the road is paved."
"Anyway, the officials and local gentry have definitely received their share of the money they were entitled to."
"In the end, as long as we can at least give a satisfactory account, that's fine."
At this point, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but purse his lips again.
"Of course, this is only if it's a good time."
"If it were during the later period of the Yuan Dynasty, it wouldn't matter whether this bridge was repaired or not."
Emperor Zhu quietly clenched his fist.
No wonder.
No wonder back then, so many kind-hearted people kept donating money to Hu Yuan, and even if the money they had just donated didn't accomplish anything, they would still eagerly donate again the next time.
It's no wonder that despite so many philanthropists donating money, ordinary people still live in poverty.
Seeing that Emperor Zhu's face was ashen, Yang Shaofeng continued to provoke him: "Father-in-law, why don't you guess how much the officials will get?"
Emperor Zhu said with a dark face, "Of course it should be 70%. After all, he is a county magistrate who has ruined his family and risked being skinned alive. It would be unreasonable not to give him 70%."
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "Seventy percent? Seventy percent belongs to the local gentry and gentry. Even getting thirty percent depends on their attitude."
Emperor Zhu's eyes widened in surprise: "Thirty percent? Does that mean we're begging on our knees?"
Yang Shaofeng said, "That's right. If officials want to join forces with local gentry to make money, they're practically begging on their knees. Even so, officials can't find a way to do so."
What the hell?
Emperor Zhu felt that his worldview had completely collapsed.
"Do officials have to be mindful of the local gentry and elders if they want to make money?"
"What should we say about the county magistrate who ruined his family and the prefect who wiped out his entire clan?"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and asked in return, "Father-in-law, do you really not know where those local gentry and gentry came from?"
"The so-called county magistrate who ruins a family and the prefect who exterminates an entire family, they are just ordinary people who ruin a family and exterminate an entire family."
“Those local gentry and gentry who could make them kneel and beg for food were people that a county magistrate or prefect could not afford to offend.”
The Emperor Zhu's face grew increasingly dark, and finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he roared, "Shameful! Utterly shameful!"
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Emperor Zhu and laughed, "Making money is nothing shameful."
Emperor Zhu said with a dark face, "So, you're messing around with these workshops just to make money without lifting a finger?"
Yang Shaofeng immediately shook his head like a rattle drum: "Then you've wronged your son-in-law."
"My son-in-law started the workshop simply because he couldn't bear to see ordinary people suffer from poverty."
"Besides, it's all about making money. How much can you squeeze out of those poor people?"
"I'll just trick the Koreans once..."
Yang Shaofeng's voice grew softer and softer.
No, wait a minute. I said this quote about applying for World Heritage status to annoy Lao Deng, and also to give Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen a headache.
How did we end up circling back to this old man?
Forget it, we can deal with how to annoy Lao Deng later. Right now, the most important thing is to take this opportunity to get things done with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Emperor Zhu chuckled coldly and said, "Tell me, how much can you get out of ripping off the Koreans?"
Yang Shaofeng said, "It's not time to take advantage of the Koreans yet; it will have to wait at least two more years."
Emperor Zhu did not press the matter further, but instead snorted coldly again and asked, "Then tell me, are those officials really no match for those local gentry and gentry?"
Yang Shaofeng said, "Who said we can't win?"
"If an official wants to use the local gentry to make money, how could he possibly fight against them?"
"If you don't intend to use the local gentry and gentry to make money, then it doesn't matter at all."
"As long as the official can figure out the personnel in the county government, what kind of local gentry and gentry can fight against the official?"
Have you not heard that the people's will is as firm as iron, and the law as stoker as a furnace?
As Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Emperor Zhu fell silent.
My own son-in-law...
That bastard is incredibly audacious.
They dare to say all sorts of nonsense.
After a long silence, Emperor Zhu sighed helplessly and said, "Speak, you scoundrel, what do you want to do now?"
After a slight pause, Emperor Zhu added, "Just tell us directly what you want to do, or what kind of infamy you want us to bear for you. There's no need for all that pretense."
Yang Shaofeng's eyes darted around, and he chuckled, saying, "Father-in-law is wise."
"Actually, the matter I'm thinking of is of great importance, and I really don't have the courage to write it down as a memorial."
Important note: Unless under special circumstances, memorials were not directly handed to the emperor. Instead, they were first sent to the Office of Transmission, where they would review them. If there were no violations or errors, they would make a copy and keep a copy. Then, the original would be handed over to the Imperial Archives, where the eunuchs would then deliver the memorial to the emperor.
As for special circumstances, this refers to "the Five Armies, Six Ministries, Censorate, and other government offices, when dealing with matters of great confidentiality, still using their own official seals when submitting memorials. All official documents and verification certificates from various offices shall be numbered and annotated if verified, with official documents using the 'Record of Sunlight' and verification certificates using the 'Record of Verification' for sealing."
In other words, Yang Shaofeng wanted to reveal the Jinyiwei's idea to Emperor Zhu, but if he did so by submitting a public memorial, the officials of the Tongzhengsi (Office of Transmission) would see and copy it.
Even if a confidential memorial is used, the Office of Transmission will still keep a record of it.
No sooner had a confidential memorial been submitted than Emperor Zhu established the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Isn't this just like trying to hide something obvious?
Emperor Zhu chuckled and said, "Then tell me, let's see just how important this matter is that even you dare not touch it."