Chapter 94

"Invite me?"

Yueyang was very surprised.

"Didn't I meet Governor Zheng this morning? Why is he inviting me over again after such a short time? Could something have happened?"

Thinking this, Yueyang did not dare to delay and hurriedly brought over a dozen guards to rush to the governor's office. However, when he arrived at the study and saw Zheng Fakui, he realized that the situation might be more complicated than he had imagined, because in addition to Zheng Fakui, he also saw Tang Xueying, the secretary of Xu Dingchen.

Seeing Yueyang's arrival, Tang Xueying stood up first and greeted him with a smile, "Magistrate Yue, I didn't expect that a few months ago, we were both scholars, but today I have to address you as 'Magistrate.' Truly, life is unpredictable."

Faced with the teasing from this trusted confidant of the governor, Yueyang did not dare to be arrogant and replied with a bitter smile, "Secretary Tang, please don't mock me. If possible, I would really like to switch places with you. I didn't realize it before, but now I understand that being a magistrate is not an easy job."

"Ha ha ha..." Tang Xueying couldn't help but laugh, pointing at Yueyang and saying, "Magistrate Yue, you're badmouthing the position of magistrate in front of Governor Zheng. Aren't you afraid he'll make things difficult for you?"

Yueyang looked at Zheng Fakui and saw that the governor of Yingzhou was just sipping tea, seemingly ignoring their conversation. Yueyang then nodded and said, "Well... that would be great. I'd rather be dismissed and go back to farming!"

"You guys..." Zheng Fakui put down his teacup and pointed at Yueyang and Tang Xueying, scolding them with a helpless smile, "You never say anything true!"

"Ha ha..." Yueyang and Tang Xueying both laughed, and for a moment, the atmosphere in the study became unusually harmonious.

After a while, Yueyang stopped laughing, looked up at Tang Xueying, and said, "Secretary Tang, let's get to the point. You didn't come to Yingzhou just to attend my wedding in ten days, did you? I really don't know what could be important enough for you, a favorite of the governor, to come here in person."

Seeing Yueyang directly addressing the issue, Tang Xueying no longer beat around the bush. He pondered for a moment and then looked at Zheng Fakui, saying softly, "Governor Zheng, you should be the one to speak."

"Well... okay!" Zheng Fakui hesitated for a moment and then looked at Yueyang, saying, "Magistrate Yue, there are some things I shouldn't say, but since the Emperor has issued an edict, we as subjects should follow it. So, I have to tell you."

"Governor, please speak freely!" Seeing Zheng Fakui's hesitation, Yueyang became impatient. This guy was becoming less straightforward.

Seeing the impatience in Yueyang's eyes, Zheng Fakui sighed and said, "Magistrate Yue, the court has just issued an edict, ordering all regions to tally the salt permits sold and report and pay the taxes owed. So..."

As Zheng Fakui spoke, Yueyang finally understood. It seemed he was being asked to pay taxes. This matter needed to be explained from the beginning.

As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest problems of the Ming Dynasty was its tax system. The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, due to his deep childhood trauma, had a particular hatred for merchants. He not only redefined the four social classes of "scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants" but also imposed numerous restrictions on the merchants, who were at the bottom of the hierarchy. In the fourteenth year of the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered: "Farmers may wear silk, gauze, and fine cloth, but merchants may only wear coarse cloth and silk. If a farmer has a family member who is a merchant, they may not wear silk or gauze."

This order was quite interesting. Zhu Yuanzhang intended to elevate the status of farmers, allowing them to wear expensive fabrics like silk and gauze, while merchants could only wear coarse cloth and silk. Zhu Yuanzhang's intentions were good, but this order was both laughable and contradictory.

Wealthy merchants were not qualified to wear silk and gauze, while farmers who were qualified to wear them could not afford to buy them. It must be said that the ideas of this Ming ruler were quite peculiar. Even more peculiar was the tax rate set by Zhu Yuanzhang, which was incredibly low, at a ratio of thirty to one. If this tax rate were applied in modern times, it would make all merchants laugh in their sleep. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue largely depended on the monopoly of salt and iron. However, by the late Ming Dynasty, with the increasing population, salt tax revenue was decreasing, and the term "insufficient to cover expenses" was no longer sufficient to describe the financial difficulties of the court.

In April of the sixth year of the Chongzhen era, Emperor Chongzhen ordered a tally of the salt taxes owed by various regions and found that the accumulated salt tax arrears in the provinces amounted to over 3.2 million taels of silver. Unable to tolerate this any longer, Emperor Chongzhen issued an edict, ordering all regions to pay the full amount of salt taxes owed, or face severe punishment.

This edict caused panic among the local officials. Salt tax arrears were a taboo topic in every region, involving too many interests and a very murky situation. One misstep could lead to a disastrous outcome.

As the governor of Shanxi, Xu Dingchen also felt his head grow larger upon receiving the edict from Emperor Chongzhen. Although Shanxi was not a major salt tax province, the annual salt tax for the province was nearly 200,000 taels of silver, and 160,000 taels were still owed this year. This amount of silver was a major concern for Xu Dingchen.

With no other choice, Xu Dingchen had to consult with Tang Xueying. After several days of discussion, they could only come up with a not-so-good solution: to find the local salt merchants and make them pay the silver. There were many threats in their words, implying that the merchants had caused this problem and should clean it up themselves, or else neither side would be happy.

At this point, the salt merchants also realized the seriousness of the situation. However, some of them pointed out that recently, a large portion of the salt business in Shanxi had been taken over by a man named Yueyang. They were willing to pay the silver, but Yueyang should pay the largest share; otherwise, they would not contribute.

Well... At this point, there was nothing left to say, so Xu Dingchen directly sent Tang Xueying to work on Yueyang's mindset.

At this point, Yueyang understood everything. It turned out he owed the court a significant amount of salt tax.

After some thought, Yueyang asked, "Secretary Tang, how much salt tax should I pay?"

Tang Xueying straightforwardly held up one finger, "100,000 taels of silver!"

"Damn!"

Even though Yueyang had been mentally prepared, he still felt a sharp pain. "100,000 taels of silver, that's over 10 million RMB! Wait, do I even have that much silver?"

Seeing Yueyang's pained expression, Tang Xueying was also quite worried. Although he appeared calm, he was very nervous inside. He had seen the faces of merchants too many times in recent days. Everything else was fine, but getting silver from them was like cutting flesh from his own body. Would Yueyang also be as stingy as those merchants?

Fortunately, the thing Tang Xueying feared did not happen. Yueyang slowly nodded and said, "Alright, if that's the case, I'll pay. I'll send someone to deliver the silver to the governor's office tomorrow, and I won't make things difficult for Governor Xu and Secretary Tang."

"Good!"

As soon as Yueyang spoke, the stone in Tang Xueying's heart finally fell. He had been afraid that Yueyang would come up with a bunch of excuses and refuse to pay the tax. If that happened, he would be in trouble. After all, Yueyang was now a powerful magistrate with thousands of elite troops. He didn't dare to anger him too much, or things could get very bad.

"Magistrate Yue truly lives up to being a pillar of the Ming Dynasty. Your loyalty to the Emperor and the court is beyond question. Rest assured, I will certainly persuade Governor Xu to recommend you to the court for your service!" Overjoyed, Tang Xueying immediately showered Yueyang with praise.

However, Yueyang's surprises were not over. He continued, "Also, I know that Governor Xu works tirelessly for the country and is under a lot of financial pressure. So... I will also contribute an additional 30,000 taels of silver. 20,000 taels will go to the governor's office, and 10,000 taels will be at the disposal of Governor Zheng for the office's expenses. What do you think, Governor Zheng and Secretary Tang?"

"Ah..."

As soon as Yueyang spoke, a flurry of activity was heard. It turned out that Zheng Fakui, who was standing nearby, was so shocked that he knocked over a teacup.

"Magistrate Yue, are you serious?" Zheng Fakui's voice was trembling.

Facing the excited Zheng Fakui, Yueyang said solemnly, "Of course, I never joke about money."

"Good... good!" Zheng Fakui turned to look at Tang Xueying, and said with some excitement, "Magistrate Yue truly sets an example of loyalty and dedication to the country. I will certainly report this to the court and recommend you for commendation!"

"No... no... please don't." Yueyang waved his hands frantically, "Governor Zheng, I have no grudge against you. You don't have to harm me like this!"

Seeing Yueyang's anxious expression, Zheng Fakui realized that reporting this to the court would be a disaster for Yueyang. After all, everyone else was trying to avoid paying taxes, but Yueyang not only paid the full amount but also contributed extra to the local government. This would clearly signal to the Emperor and the court officials that he was a wealthy and easy target. Such matters should be done quietly, not with such fanfare. Wouldn't this just invite trouble?

Thinking this, Zheng Fakui regretfully patted his forehead and said, somewhat embarrassed, "Ah... I was indeed too hasty and impulsive. Zheng Hong's approach is more thoughtful!"

With the unexpected silver, Zheng Fakui now looked at Yueyang more favorably. It seemed that his subordinate, the magistrate, not only knew how to make money but also had a generous spirit, making him worth befriending.

Seeing the satisfied expressions on Zheng Fakui and Tang Xueying's faces, Yueyang nodded inwardly. No wonder people say that throughout history, using money to pave the way is always the most effective. Today's experience certainly proved that... (To be continued. Please search for Piaowen.com for faster updates and better reading experience!)

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