Li Yu searched the classics in the Hanlin Academy and reviewed the official systems of all dynasties. Fortunately, he had the ability to remember everything he saw. Otherwise, if it were someone else, he would never have completed such a huge project within three years.

But after Li Yu looked at everything, he found the problem.

The difficulties encountered by the Great Zhou are unique in all dynasties. In other words, don’t think about finding too much inspiration from the experience of the ancients.

"The greed and ink in the court cannot be blamed on all the officials!" Li Yu made Chai Rong's face dark as soon as he opened his mouth, "Li Shidu, are you pleading for those corrupt officials?"

Li Yu said: "I have no such intention... I have always been a good student and I am not able to support a scholar without some family property. Even if I am a poor family, my family will not be poor after entering the career. To a greater or lesser extent, there are some industries. Even if I don't have industries, I know some friends, and businessmen will try every means to get closer... A group of such people gathered around the officials and gave them power, it does not mean that a group of mice will be invited to take care of the granary. How can I not eat anything if I don't steal it!"

Chai Rong pondered and said, "I have known this principle for a long time. Therefore, I have rectified censors and set up embroidered envoys to supervise all officials and prevent greed. Haven't I done enough?"

Li Yu smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry for your frankness, not just not enough, but far from enough!"

Chai Rong took a breath of air conditioning and looked at Ye Hua beside him, "Ye Qing, what do you think?"

Ye Hua said: "Your Majesty, business is becoming more and more prosperous, and factory workshops are becoming more and more prosperous. The amount of coins in the Dazhou last year was more than ten times that of the peak of the prosperous Tang Dynasty! Even so, there is still a shortage of money from time to time. The world is changing and developing, and the speed is getting faster and faster. The reform of the official system has always failed to keep up with the progress. To put it too much, our way of collecting taxes and purchasing has not improved much compared to the Han and Tang Dynasties. The disadvantages are numerous and it is difficult to avoid."

Listening to Ye Hua's words, Li Yu's eyes lit up. It turns out that he deserves to be the champion Hou. The conclusion he came to after working so long was pointed out by him in a few words. It's amazing!

"Your Majesty is the true story of the Champion Hou. For example, taxation is required. In addition to Kaifeng's ability to tax large-scale commercial transactions, other states and governments generally adopt the tax-packing system."

"Tax-covering system? How did they do it?"

"Your Majesty, it was originally the responsible department of the Ministry of Revenue. Later, it was handed over to the Du Branch. The Du Branch will set a tax target for this year based on the tax amount of the previous year, and then issue it to the local government. The local officials are limited and cannot collect a lot of taxes. Usually, local officials will find several strong merchants and ask them to advance taxes first, and then allow merchants to collect taxes!"

"Absurd!" Chai Rong was furious, "Just merchants are also worthy of enforcing the laws of the court and collecting taxes from the merchants and the public? The officials below are dereliction of duty and incompetence, and they deserve to die!"

Ye Hua grinned, not having anything to say.

The so-called tax-inclusive system appeared in the Tang Dynasty, and in the original history, the Song Dynasty was at its peak.

For example, salt, tea, copper, iron, porcelain, wine and music, all of which are in the form of buying puns, that is, merchants take money in exchange for franchise rights, and then make profits by selling goods. In short, it is also a tax-encapsulated system.

There are more direct things, such as in a certain market, I find some rascals and ask them to be responsible for collecting taxes. Every time I can pay the specified amount, all the overcharges flow into the pockets of these people. Of course, if they can't collect them, they will bleed themselves and fill them...

Thinking with your toes can also see the disadvantages.

But this rough method is endless, and in the final analysis, it is just four words: simple and easy to use!

To put it bluntly, the tax-inclusive system equates collection of commercial taxes with collection of land rent, and regards commercial behavior as cutting crops.

But the problem is that commercial operations occur every day, and crops are only ripe for two or three a year. Can the same method be used? What should be done is to tax each business transaction, turnover and profits.

The problem arises again. Business behaviors are going on every day, and there are so many things to do. Where did the imperial court come from so many tax officials...

"I heard from Your Majesty that when His Majesty ascended the throne, he proposed to pay grain and pay taxes and serve as a whole... As far as I know, over the years, I have basically achieved the grain payment and service, but I have paid taxes. After leaving Kaifeng, no one cared about it. And I also know that some people deliberately chose to trade outside Beijing to avoid taxation."

Li Yu said: "With the current prosperity of the Great Zhou merchants, if they can levy 70% of the commercial tax, the annual annual income will exceed 200 million taels, which is enough to support Your Majesty's use of troops to the outside world."

When Chai Rong heard this, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken. He clenched his fists secretly. Li Yu said again: "This is just one aspect of the matter. The tax that the court should collect cannot be collected, but the money that should not be spent was spent!"

Chai Rong said curiously: "At present, the imperial court purchases goods in the form of buying puns, with high quality and low price, so that they can be selected. Will it waste a lot?"

Li Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, how to define the so-called quality and low price is not the final decision of the government. They can use some strange requirements to exclude other merchants, and then sign a contract with the merchant they want. It seems that everything is fine and complies with the rules, but in fact it is a lot of disadvantages!"

...

Chai Rong kept asking questions, Li Yu kept answering... Ye Hua basically didn't interrupt, but just listened carefully. In fact, there were many questions that had been raised before, but with the unification of the world and economic development, it became more prominent.

In other words, it turned out to be a minor problem, but now it has become a major problem and must be solved.

What really surprised Ye Hua was Li Yu's changes. He talked freely without hesitation. He could not only talk about the macro, but also talk about some cases. He spoke with facts. He had already had the style of a famous minister.

Ye Hua once said that Li Yu might be able to become a virtuous prime minister. Now it seems that this person's progress is faster than he imagined!

The king and his ministers talked until the afternoon, but Chai Rong was still unsatisfied. "Li Shidu, you have told me everything, and I understand it, but where is the prescription? Is there any good way for you?"

"have!"

Li Yu immediately said: "I asked Your Majesty. I think the yamen that should be divided into the branch of the Ministry to collect commercial taxes, and from top to bottom, select capable officials and recruit professional talents, and impose unified taxes on all commercial transactions throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Chai Rong subconsciously glanced at Ye Hua.

Ye Hua immediately said: "I think this is OK. The branch has already come out of the household registration part, so there is nothing wrong with it! As for the talent selection, there is one in front of me!"

Chai Rong grabbed his beard and smiled, "Ye Qing, are you talking about Shidu Li?"

"Well, he is the best choice!"

As soon as the king and his ministers sang and reconciled, he handed over the glorious task to Li Yu. Li Yu was calm and composed. "Your Majesty favors you, the champion Hou is praised, I will take good care of you, but I still have half of my words but I can't finish my words!"

"speak!"

"I think in addition to the tax-related taxation, we must also conduct management and review of various procurements for the expenses of all branches!"

"I want to add another yamen?"

"That's right!" Li Yu said: "Since I have proposed it, I am not afraid of offending others. If Your Majesty is willing to agree, I will ask me to be responsible for reviewing the officials and supervising the expenses. I am sure that within the year, the waste of each department will be reduced by more than 20%!"

Li Yu turned out to be the embroiderer of the clothes. It is indeed more appropriate for him to do the task of keeping people in check, but the question is who will collect the tax?

Li Yu smiled, "Your Majesty, I am brave enough to recommend the champion Hou, no one knows finance better than him!"

Chai Rong thought about it and laughed, "Sure enough, you two should take care of my wallet!"

Ye Hua was still a little hesitant. He was used to being idle and finally came back from the expedition. He wanted to spend time with his relatives at home, but he didn't want to go out to work, especially if he didn't want to offend him, but Chai Rong didn't allow him to refuse.

"Ye Qing, in times of crisis, the national treasury is empty, so you must take action yourself!"

Ye Hua could only smile bitterly, "Since that's the case, I will make it difficult for me... but what should I do with the stock market? I would like to ask Your Majesty for the imperial edict."

Chai Rong pondered for a moment and said, "I won't bother the two masters in one matter. Leave them all to Ye Qing. It's not too late to recommend them to me when there is a suitable candidate."

...

After the monarch and ministers talked, Chai Rong successively issued decrees, adding the Grand Secretary of the Huagai Palace, the Grand Secretary of the Champion Hou, and the governor of the Xiong'an Army, Ye Hua, was the Grand Secretary of the Jixian Palace, and also served as the Minister of Commerce and Taxation, in charge of all financial and tax matters. An audit temple was also added, and Li Yu, a bachelor of the school, was the Minister of Audit Temple, responsible for supervising the procurement expenses of the imperial court.

After the two decrees continued, countless people could not sleep immediately. Among them, the worst situation was Xu Xuan, the secretary of the branch several times. Not only did he have the power that belonged to him, he was cut off two pieces, in addition to that, there was an additional emperor!

That's the champion Hou Yehua!

How powerful he is? As a surrendered minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty, can Xu Xuan not know?

Now let him be responsible for finance and taxation, and he works under him, and he will be dead!

Xu Xuan became more and more afraid and became restless. But tomorrow it was a cabinet meeting and he was going to face Ye Hua directly. What should he do? What would he ask, how should he answer... Xu Xuan thought over and over again, and was so worried that he kept pulling his hair. Seeing that the third day passed, Xu Xuan still couldn't sleep.

At this moment, there was suddenly a movement outside. He was about to go and see when the door was pushed open.

Li Yu walked in with a few people with a smile, "Shangshu Xu, I know you can't sleep, let's go to the Audit Temple to have a good chat!"

When Xu Xuan saw that Li Yu was not kind, he became angry. As a surrendered minister in the Southern Tang Dynasty, Xu Xuan was very reluctant to face the former royal family, for fear of misunderstanding. He was still attached to the previous dynasty, so Xu Xuan glared at him, "Mr. Li, I am the Minister of the current dynasty, so you deserve to arrest me?"

"Hahaha, I have no right, so what do you think of this?" As he said that, Li Yu took out a shaky imperial edict from his sleeve. In an instant, there seemed to be a golden light shining on Li Yu's body, making him look solemn and even his voice became thicker and more terrifying!
Chapter completed!