Wang Bei read them one by one. Most of the time, he was looking at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. Every time he read something he was proud of, he would shake his head.
In this regard, the civil and military officials in the court understood him. As the Minister of Revenue, Wang Bei was truly responsible. Every time he did something, he was worried about making mistakes. He was afraid of being picked on. As long as he made a mistake, the first thing people would think of was what would happen if Xiao Bao and Cuckoo were here.
Wang Bei was under too much pressure. If he did his job well, he would not be praised. Even if he did things perfectly, the glory would still go to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. On the other hand, if he made a mistake, he had to bear the responsibility.
He had been suppressing it for a long time. Today, when he saw Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan appear, he felt that it was time to show his face. He wanted to show the two that even without them, he could do it himself. He was the Minister of Revenue. When it came to money, he was not worse than anyone, especially not the two of them.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan listened quietly and nodded from time to time. They did not want to suppress anyone. Everyone could do their job well, so why should they worry? It was tiring.
The two of them did not care, but Wang Bei was competing in his heart. Seeing that the two of them only listened and did not speak, he became more and more proud. He turned a page in the book in his hand and read, "Jiangnan East Road, Suzhou Prefecture, Haiyan County, expansion of the docks requires 90,000 and 3,000 strings of coins. However, due to the cooperation with Kunshan Flawless Mining, only 76,000 strings of coins is allocated. Reporting the facts, no mistakes, and …"
"Minister Wang, please wait a moment." Finally, Zhang Xiaobao frowned and interrupted Wang Bei.
"Oh? Commander Zhang, what can you teach me? " Wang Bei was excited. The opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. The opportunity to counterattack and prove that he was stronger than Zhang Xiaobao had arrived.
Zhang Xiaobao thought for a moment and asked, "How big is the docks to be expanded in Haiyan County? Do they need to take out 76,000 strings of coins? Reporting the facts? "
"Before the expansion, the annual throughput was 1.25 million tons. After the expansion, the annual throughput will be 1.75 million tons." Wang Bei didn't even look at the notebook this time.
Zhang Xiaobao was very satisfied with the increase of 50,000 tons. He could not expect the current Great Tang's docks to handle as much as they would in the future. Besides, Sea Salt's small docks were not big, and they were usually used for short-distance operations. Large quantities of goods were unloaded at other docks, such as Lu Zhou's Port and Quanzhou's Port.
But there was a problem. How could the expansion of fifty thousand tons of sea salt require seventy-six thousand strings of coins, which is equivalent to one thousand five hundred and twenty copper coins per ton? Although the specific design was different, it was obviously larger than the other ports.
He asked, "How is the original calculated?"
Wang Ke replied, "Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company is located in Kunshan. The transportation costs for the port are higher than other places. Sea salt is mainly used for farming, farming, sea salt production, and manufacturing. Mining resources are insufficient."
Wang Bei was standing closer to Li Longji, while Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were standing at the bottom. They weren't wearing their official robes, so they ran to the bottom. He looked down as if he was looking down on them.
Zhang Xiaobao did not care about the other party's attitude at all. He smiled and said, "Does Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company have to mine from Kunshan to expand Sea Salt County's port?"
"Of course. Is there a better place around here?" Wang Bei asked.
"Sea Salt is across Hangzhou Bay. Opposite Hangzhou Bay is Yuyao, which is rich in granite and kaolin. One is directly used for construction, and the other is used for cement firing. The distance between Hangzhou Bay and Hangzhou Bay is very short. Sea Salt is building a cement factory there, and instead of using Yuyao's resources, they went to Kunshan to transport raw materials. Minister Wang, do you believe it? Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company is a classic example of making false claims or colluding with the local government. Where did the extra money go? "
Zhang Xiaobao did not need to look at the map at all. Hangzhou was so famous. As a swindler, how could he not know about the resources of various places?
"Uh!" Wang Bei was stunned by the question. He blinked and thought that it made sense. According to the map, Kunshan was closer to Sea Salt than Yuyao. However, considering the speed and convenience of transportation, as well as the mineral content, Yuyao was worried about Kunshan in all aspects.
Zhang Xiaobao said, "The most important thing is that Yuyao has a lot of skilled workers. Did they not borrow workers from Yuyao to build the docks, hire manpower, and process the stones?"
"This … this …" Wang Bei was stumped. The civil and military officials looked at him together. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Haha." Li Longji laughed. He did not care about this small problem. How could the people under him be so clean?
Hearing the emperor's words, Wang Bei gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Damn it, you lied to me, and you want to transport by land? Investigate! "
Wang Bei did not refute that the people from Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company did not know about the situation. If they did not know, then the local government in Sea Salt also did not know. They were clearly setting up a trap to gain more profits. This was how the national treasury's money flowed out. If one looked at the government's accounts, they would not find any problems. They had to look at Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company and the local Kunshan's accounts.
Wang Bei knew how to look. Didn't Flawless Mining Company mine from Kunshan? Then the local revenue tax would include this. If they could not take it out, then it would be a problem. If they could take it out, then the local government would have to pay the tax themselves.
There was also the logistics account. Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company did not have logistics, so they could not afford it. This would increase the cost, unless they built a logistics company to not only transport their own goods, but also take on other people's work.
Finally, they had to investigate the revenue of Yuyao's yamen. They also needed political achievements. Could it be that Kunshan's Flawless Mining Company had bribed all the officials in three places? How much would it cost to bribe officials across the state?
Wang Bei was angry. He was angry at himself for not finding the problem. He was angry at the local government in Sea Salt. They tricked him. Finally, he was angry at himself for not being able to compete with Zhang Xiaobao. What was Zhang Xiaobao doing all day? Wasn't he keeping an eye on the new medicine research and industrial research?
Looking at Wang Bei's awkward expression, Zhang Zhong could not bear it. He felt that Wang Bei was very unlucky. Why did he always run into his son? His spirit was praiseworthy, but his behavior could not be encouraged. If he kept losing, it would affect his work.
"Xiao Bao, since you know, then what about the money?" Zhang Zhong helped Wang Bei ask.
"How would I know?" Zhang Xiaobao spread his hands and answered.
Yu Wenrong asked, "You have always been in charge of the Great Tang Bank. The government's accounts all go through the Great Tang Bank. How could you not know?"
"The Great Tang Bank covers a lot of areas and has a lot of business. The daily entry and exit quota is more than 100 million strings of coins. I can't keep an eye on a small place like Sea Salt, right? Besides, the 70,000 strings of coins was not a one-time expenditure. According to the progress of the project, I estimate that most of the money is still in the Sea Salt County government's account. "
Zhang Xiaobao spoke the truth. 70,000 strings of coins was indeed very small. He also didn't try to trip Wang Bei up by saying that the money was gone.
Wang Bei clapped his hands vigorously and said, "Good, right, according to the progress of the project, most of the money is still in the account. Seal, seal their accounts for me, including that Kunshan Flawless Mining Company. Seal their accounts for me as well. I want to see the data and see who they gave the money to."
Zhang Xiaobao said indifferently, "Send the documents. Once the documents are sent, the bank will be sealed. If there is a problem, the person who sent the documents will bear the responsibility. As for checking the Kunshan Flawless Mining Company's accounts, he won't be able to find anything by just checking. He can give the money to a logistics company, or he can give the money to some mine in Kunshan. When the time comes, he can just transfer the money. As for the logistics company, it depends on which government office they are registered with and how big their network is. If it is big enough, they will settle the accounts. "
"Then give me a seal too. I will send people … Xiao Bao, the Ministry of Revenue will send people again, wasting money and manpower. In the end, you know. You can do something, okay? "
Wang Bei's attitude changed. He realized that it was too difficult to send people directly from the capital. Not only was the journey long, but the local people would also resist. If he really wanted to find something, he didn't know how long it would take.
He knew that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan controlled spies all over the country, not only in the country, but also abroad. They were practically everywhere. If the other party was willing to help, all he had to do was say something.
Zhang Xiaobao shook his head and refused, "No, where can I go?"
Just as Wang Bei was getting angry, Zhang Xiaobao said, "Minister Wang can report this matter to the Tang Dynasty's nine patrolling inspectors. They have the responsibility of patrolling the area."
Wang Bei was happy. Yes, he couldn't just let Zhang Xiaobao do it. Even if he knew that his family's spy system was powerful, he would be roasting him on the fire. Without a name or status, who would dare to directly have a spy? The other party was a business person who only collected business intelligence for his family and supervised his own industry. He didn't target the government or the bank.
If it was Xiaobei and the others, it would be different. Xiaobei and the others were working for the Imperial Court, so it was legitimate for them to use the spy system.
"Many thanks!" Wang Bei clasped his hands toward Zhang Xiaobao.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaobao took out a large stack of papers from his bag. He didn't hand it over to the eunuch and walked up to Li Longji's side. He placed the papers on the table and said,
"With the rapid development of Great Tang's economy, all sorts of things will happen. In the past few days, Cuckoo and I have checked the laws of Great Tang. It's pretty good, and we've added in quite a few regulations. However, there are still some lacking. The two of us took some time to come up with a few outlines for the current situation. We'll have to trouble our colleagues in the Bureau of Rites.
Apart from that, there are also some administrative regulations. This is especially so for the government's investment in construction and procurement. In order to be more transparent, there are also requirements for one's aptitude and funding. However, this will also increase the authority of the Great Tang Bank. We also need to strengthen the manpower of the bank's supervision department, as well as its administrative supervision.
The things that Cuckoo and I have provided aren't perfect, so we can only manage the current situation. As production technology and productivity increase, the economic development model will become more diverse, so we'll have to continue to supplement it. "
After saying this, Zhang Xiaobao strolled off.
Li Longji wasn't looking at the papers on the table, but at Zhang Xiaobao's back. He knew that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were doing their best not to participate in the affairs of the Imperial Court, but when they saw a problem and didn't want the officials of the Imperial Court to take the wrong path, they had no choice but to take action.
The original plan was to make them princes and give them a piece of land, but the two of them didn't agree. They said that in the future, the Great Tang would be a single entity, including the overseas territories. In the future, everything would be part of the Great Tang's territory and not just in name.
At the same time, they would take back all the fiefs, both in name and in reality. Only this way could they reduce the potential for division in the future.
So how should they be rewarded? There was nothing to be rewarded. According to the history books, if there was nothing to be rewarded, they should be killed. The problem was that they couldn't be killed, unless the Great Tang was thrown into turmoil, causing the people to lose their support and the flames of war to rise.
So be it. They could do whatever they wanted. In any case, they didn't want the throne.
Li Longji watched as Zhang Xiaobao left. He didn't mention the matter of reward, much less praise.
The officials also silently watched as Zhang Xiaobao left. They understood history and knew that the current situation was very complicated. Of course, it was also very simple. There had never been an existence like these two in history. They could clearly command the world, but they were concerned with other matters. Their achievements intimidated the emperor, but the emperor wasn't willing to kill them, nor could he kill them.
Even those officials who had been stripped of their status as nobles and great clans knew that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan weren't just useful to the Imperial Court. They were also a sort of faith for the people. Just look at how the people of all regions had to offer incense to the tablets of these two people every day. This was even better than the worship of that so-called religion that was about to enter the Great Tang.
If something were to happen to the two of them, the sky would collapse for the people. Thus, the current situation was very good. The two of them were still young and could maintain this state for many years. Let's talk about the future in the future.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan didn't stay for long. After delivering the items, they turned around and left. First, they had to go to the research base of the Ministry of Works to see the progress of the various research areas.
For example, the steam engine used on ships, as well as multiple sets of diesel engines for ships. The two of them didn't want to change the development model of ships. From human power to sail power, sail power to steam power, diesel power, steam power, and finally nuclear power.
"Xiao Bao, we still have to increase taxes," Wang Juan said as she looked at the pedestrians on the street.
"Increasing property tax and inheritance tax won't do. It doesn't match the current cultural traditions of the people," Zhang Xiaobao said.
He knew that the faster the economy developed, the more obvious the trend of the flow of money would be. Even with free medical care, free education, and free job training, the polarization would increase. Thus, they could only continue to narrow the gap through administrative and legal means.
Since the first tax increase, there had been three tax rate adjustments. However, the people who had paid for the tax increase still accepted it and didn't show any strong opposition. This showed that this was the golden period of their industry's development. They knew how easy it was to earn money.
After the golden period of some industries passed, new support and compensation plans would be needed.
"Yes, many people like to buy houses now. After buying them, they just leave them there. When other people come over and don't have a house to live in, they can only expand. Many economic crises start with housing. We can't wait until we can't control it and then regret it."
Wang Juan followed. She knew what had happened in that era too well. It seemed that in those hundred years, all economic development and economic crises revolved around real estate. Who asked it to be able to drive all industries?
"When the weather is warm, let's go traveling." Zhang Xiaobao didn't want to consider so many problems now and changed the topic.
"When Xiaobei and the rest come back, let's go overseas. There are warm places outside. Enjoy life and don't always stay in Beijing. When we come back, we'll ask Li Longji to go around the country. He's quite pitiful. "
Wang Juan's eyes lit up when she heard that they were going to travel. Many places still had their original scenery. They formed a fleet and went to America for a stroll or to Australia. Some businessmen had already gone to Australia and brought back koalas to raise them.
When they were outside, they could see the scenery, see the animals, eat good food, and bring back some gemstones. Africa was a good place.
There was also the Nile River and the Rhine River. She believed that they had their own unique scenery.
"We also have to go to the Mediterranean Sea to experience the climate there." Zhang Xiaobao was also filled with yearning. He didn't want to play around in Great Tang. The world was so big, and he wanted to see the world.
The two talked as they walked, comparing their knowledge from time to time.
*****
Xiaobei's side finally set off. The snow had stopped, and the road wasn't easy to walk on. However, they couldn't stay here forever and wait for the snow to melt.
The speed of the group was very slow, but they were also very determined.
Time quietly passed while everyone was busy with various things.
In many places where the weather wasn't very cold and there was no frozen ground, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Family were building an airport, a simple airport.
The performance of the plane was not good, and its endurance was poor. They also needed the plane to fly to various places in a timely manner. Thus, there was only one way left. They had to build more airports, train maintenance personnel, and transport parts and fuel.
When there was a need, no matter where the plane took off, it would be able to quickly reach the destination after a transfer.
Now, there was a shortage of workers. Great Tang urgently needed more people. Besides giving birth and slowly raising them, the only way was to bring people from other places.
An urgent order was passed down, requesting that the fleet carrying out ocean trade bring back more people. They had to work hard in places where there was conflict. There were those who knew that the locals knew how powerful you were and wouldn't fight you. They could only tempt you with money and benefits.
But sometimes, there were people who liked to cause trouble. Even if they knew that they couldn't stop Great Tang's development, they still insisted on causing trouble for Great Tang in various aspects.
When they couldn't attack Great Tang or attack the Great Tang fleet or merchants in other places, they would lobby the locals, especially those who had formed a religion or a country. They liked to target such people.
The method of lobbying was simple. They would constantly tell the other party how good Great Tang was, how happy the people there were, what things were cheap to buy, and what they usually ate.
After saying all this, when the locals were full of ambition, they would tell the locals how expensive the local things were in Great Tang, and how the Great Tang merchants would lower the price. In this way, the locals would feel that they were losing out when trading with each other.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
