Northern Song Dynasty Justice

Chapter 628

Chapter 628

The poem goes: Horizontally, it looks like a ridge and a side becomes a peak, and the distance and height are different.

Based on the different structures and interests, what everyone sees is different.

Whether it is the officials of the Hezhong Mansion, or the scholar-bureaucrats and big landlords, they all think that the tax department is the murder weapon, because what the court expects is to improve finances, and that is all.

This understanding is of course very accurate.

But they ignored a crucial plan, which is the salt debt and salt money they are holding in their hands now.

Although the reform of the taxation department may also increase tax revenue, in any case, it only maintains the basic market, because the basic finance of the country is tax revenue, which should have been collected, but the new tax law has become more balanced. Instead of squeezing the poor to death, we need to collect more subsidies from the rich.

What those big landlords saw was that their illegal activities might be discovered, so they tried to resist.

But they should have paid taxes according to the law.

This is nothing more than normal.

But Wang Anshi came here for open source, and he needed economic growth.

Salt debt and salt money are catalysts for economic growth.

In addition, salt debt and salt money can also make up for the shortcomings of the limited development of the public security law. Now the public security law has been struggling for a year in Hezhong Prefecture before slowly gaining a foothold. It is impossible to expand to the entire Shaanxi Road at once. Other state capitals It is impossible to increase tax revenue, and the financial contribution that a single government can make is very limited.

But the salt debt and salt banknotes cover the entire northwest region.

Because a large number of salt debts and salt banknotes were issued to the Bianjun Prefecture area, and then those merchants took the salt debts and salt banknotes to Hezhong Mansion to exchange salt.

This breaks through the limitations of the Public Prosecution Law, and the Public Procurement Law controls Xiezhou, the core salt-producing area, and guarantees salt debts and salt money.

It's just that those big landlords only care about their own interests. He saw that it was the tax department, but he didn't realize it at all. In fact, the government has recently stepped up efforts to distribute salt notes.

Salaries are all changed to salt money, and the water conservancy and prison construction there are also paid in salt money.

And those salt merchants came to Hezhong Mansion with salt notes and found that they could buy anything with salt notes in their hands, and they were also using salt notes.

A large amount of salt bills poured into the market, but at the same time, the tax department and the public security bureau endorsed the salt bills. Many people have already used the salt bills to pay the deed tax, and this credit has become very strong. Taxable.

However, the entire Shaanxi region lacks currency, which is also one of the reasons for the local economic sluggishness, because bartering is always difficult, so the monetization of salt money is a great stimulus to economic development.

In addition to the madness of business, there is also crazy harvesting in the farmland, and women account for the vast majority, because their husbands are working for the government to earn rations during this period. Although it is very, very difficult, they are full of Enthusiasm, even if they are tired enough, because they think that better days are ahead, as long as they get through this difficulty.

They are already thinking about next year.

They won't need to pay too much tax next year. If they don't have any debts, they will have enough money to spend the shortfall. They can go to the city to work in their spare time, and their life will get better and better.

In fact, for most people, they are not afraid of suffering or tiredness, let alone 996, it is 997, it doesn’t matter, they are afraid of despair, once they are given hope, no matter how hard or tired they are, they will be able to endure it.

During this period, the Taxation Department was also making arrangements for tax collection. The law school students were all dispatched, and at the same time, the Hezhong Prefecture Law Firm and various bookstores sent many people to help for free.

Those bookstores sent people to help, not to do good deeds, nor to curry favor with the tax department. They all knew that the tax department couldn’t curry favor. They did this purely for their own business, because they all knew that there would definitely be When a dispute arises, they all want to get more detailed information as soon as possible.

Autumn has come, and many literati have come to the suburbs one after another during the high and crisp autumn, but this year they have no time to pay attention to the autumn scenery, and most of them focus on the tax collection points of the tax department.

Fan Zhen and Su Zhe also came to a tax collection point in the suburbs together.

"It's finally coming!" Fan Zhen seemed a little uneasy.

Su Zhe glanced at him, and couldn't help laughing: "It seems that our public prosecutors still have a long way to go!"

Fan Zhen looked at him suspiciously, "Why did Ziyou say that?"

Su Zhe said with a smile: "Now it's not about robbing houses or increasing miscellaneous taxes. It's just collecting taxes according to the law. But even so, it still makes Xueshi Fan so uneasy. It shows that our public security law still needs to be improved in many aspects!"

Legal things, you are so disturbed, this must be a problem with law enforcement.

Fan Zhen stroked his beard with a smile, "The road is long and far away, and I will search up and down."

After all, seeing that Su Zhe didn't respond, he glanced at him again, and saw him staring into the distance, so he couldn't help following his gaze, "Huh? Why are there so many people over there?"

Su Zhe said, "Could it be paying taxes?"

Fan Zhen shook his head and said, "Impossible. This is for ordinary self-cultivated farmers, and a lot of grain has not been harvested yet. How can anyone come to pay taxes? The tax department also stipulates that half a month later, the formal declaration will be made. tax."

Having said that, he frowned, "It must be something wrong."

After all, many young students have been arranged to work here this time, but they don't have much experience.

So the two walked over quickly.

When I came to the door of the warehouse, I found barefoot farmers standing on the open space, tiptoeing, looking forward, seeming very anxious.

Seeing some of them holding salt money in their hands, Su Zhe couldn't help asking, "Uncle, are you paying taxes?"

"Ah."

The uncle didn't even look at Su Zhe, his eyes were fixed on the front.

Su Zhe and Fan Zhen looked at each other, then went to the front of the line, and saw two young people sitting at a long table, surrounded by three or five royal policemen patrolling to maintain law and order.

These two young people, Fan Zhen, knew each other. They were law students Huang Zhibo and Wang Zongrui.

"Bachelor Fan, Attorney General Su."

When they saw Fan Zhen and Su Zhe, they were about to stand up and salute.

Fan Zhen hurriedly pressed his hand, indicating that they don't need to salute, and asked, "Isn't it still in the preparation stage now? Why did you start collecting taxes?"

Wang Zongrui replied: "Originally we were preparing, but the villagers around here always came to pay taxes, and then the tax department asked us to start collecting taxes."

Su Zhe looked at the farmers again, "The food hasn't been harvested yet, why are you rushing to pay the tax?"

The farmer hurriedly said: "Anyway, I have to pay it. It's better to pay it early. I feel more at ease."

Fan Zhen asked curiously, "But the food is still in the fields, where do you get the money from?"

"This is what I earned from my work recently. I didn't steal it or snatch it." The farmer protected the salt money in his hands with both hands.

Suddenly, I heard a discussion from behind, "What's going on in front? Why is it not moving?"

"What are you doing ahead?"

"Hurry up, I'm still in a hurry to get back to work."

Seeing that the people behind were very anxious, Fan Zhen said, "Sorry for bothering you."

After speaking, he and Su Zhe stepped aside.

The farmer hurried forward and handed over the land deed, household registration and a few salt bills.

Because they were illiterate, they probably didn't hire Er Bi, otherwise, they didn't need to come in person.

Huang Zhibo looked at the land deed for a while, and asked, "Do you have any other income?"

The farmer said: "I just recently helped the government build river channels and earned some money."

Huang Zhibo asked, "Apart from this, is there any other income?"

The farmer asked, "Does the chicken you raise at home count?"

"How many do you have?"

"Five!"

"That doesn't count. Any more?"

"My wife also sews and mends to make some money."

"any left?"

"Gone!"

While they were asking questions, Wang Zongrui was helping to fill out the form, and it was really X all the way to the end.

"All right!"

Huang Zhibo accepted the two salt bills, added the remaining two between the land deed and the household registration, and returned them to the farmer, before shouting: "Next one."

The farmer seemed relieved and secretly pleased.

Su Zhe nodded slightly, understanding why these farmers were in a hurry to pay taxes, but they were still worried that the tax department would not recognize the money.

Fan Zhen stepped forward, glanced at the form, and asked, "Don't you need to pay taxes on the money you earn from building rivers?"

Su Zhe whispered: "Master Fan may not know that helping the government build rivers is a relief from the government, so the tax department decided to exempt this part of the income from tax."

Fan Zhen nodded and said, "I see." Then he smiled at Su Zhe and said, "It seems that the tax department is not as unkind as the rumors say."

Su Zhe smiled and said, "Maybe they don't have that ambition."

Fan Zhen was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed out loud.

Another farmer came forward and said timidly, "I don't have a household registration."

Huang Zhibo immediately said: "Go inside first to apply for household registration."

"Yes."

In a blink of an eye, the team was reduced by more than half, and every farmer who had paid the tax was secretly happy with his household registration, and he was full of praise for the salt money and the tax department.

This really stunned Fan Zhen and Su Zhe. They have been officials for many years, and they have never seen such a generous farmer. In the past, when they paid taxes, they didn't cry and shout. How could they be so proactive.

In the western suburbs, I saw a carriage driving fast on the road.

"Impossible! It's impossible!"

Liang Youyi repeatedly waved his hands and said: "Collecting taxes is not an easy task. Now without the help of our squires, they have to prepare longer. At least every family should be informed. How could someone take the initiative to pay taxes now? How long has the old man lived?" In ten years, I haven’t seen such people.”

Wei Yingfang said: "But some people have seen with their own eyes that some tax collection points have begun to collect taxes."

Liang Youyi said: "Could it be an illusion created by them on purpose?"

Cao Yi said: "This is also possible, let's go and have a look first."

After a while, the carriage stopped slowly, and the three of them hurriedly got out of the carriage.

He looked up, but saw that the warehouse door was empty.

Liang Youyi immediately said: "Look! The old man is right! There is no one at all."

Wei Yingfang said: "Could it be that they are wrong?"

The three walked over again, and saw two students put the thick wad of salt money into the cash box.

Wei Yingfang walked over immediately and asked, "Where did you get this salt money?"

The two students recognized the three of them, first saluted, and then replied: "This is the tax paid by the nearby farmers."

Liang Youyi asked anxiously, "Has someone come to pay the tax already?"

"The two nearby villages have already paid. I'm about to collect taxes elsewhere."

".?"

Liang Youyi couldn't help opening his mouth wide.

squire?

By the time your squire comes to collect it, I'm afraid the day lily will be cold.

Some time ago, the common people were desperately trying to get the salt bills. They would rather go hungry for two meals than keep the salt bills to pay taxes. Although the tax department has stipulated the price comparison between salt bills and grain, is there still loss?You have to carry food on your back, how tiring it is!

They either go to earn salt money for government projects, or sell their chickens and vegetables in exchange for salt money to pay taxes.

Even third-class households and second-class households are eager to buy some surplus grain in exchange for salt money.

This coincides with the consumption of government officials.

Only then has the previous market prosperity.

The salt banknotes were obtained, but they were worried that the government would repent, so the grain was still in the field, so they came to pay the tax.

Salt bills are convenient and don’t need to be weighed. Farmers’ income is very simple, and they didn’t ask much, and it was settled quickly.

A village is half a day.

The government also saves trouble. Originally, this is the busiest time for the government, but this year the government doesn't need to take care of anything, and there is no need to send people to transport food back and forth.

This even caused all Kuraji officials to feel very disappointed.

The power is falling aside!

However, neither Yuan Jiang nor Cai Yanqing was idle. The emergence of salt bills also completely changed the government's financial operations. They had to redeploy, such as how to deal with the collected salt bills?

They decided that the transshipment department would take back part, and the other part would be left to the government for local loss expenses.

Now that salt bills are so popular, officials are also in love with salt bills. After all, you distribute food and salt.

The most leisurely thing at the moment is the imperial court. While Ye Zuqia was also going to other places to enforce the law, Zhang Fei actually had time to sit under the big tree in front of the Big Dog Restaurant and drink tea.

Of course, he didn't come to drink tea, but to listen to the report.

"According to the news from East Jingdong Road, the Green Crop Law has been very successful in the local area. Only a few counties have not lent all the young crop money, and the rest have been borrowed."

"is it?"

Zhang Fei asked: "Is it so smooth?"

Big Dog said: "But our people think there are hidden dangers in it."

Zhang Fei frowned and asked, "What hidden danger?"

The big dog replied: "A lot of people are quite blind. They see that others are borrowing, so they also go to borrow, thinking that they are taking advantage of it, but they forget that the local tax exemption will be increased this year. Most of these people have not yet The money was paid, and at the same time, part of the money for young crops was directly shared by the local big landlords.

And those big landlords also observed that many common people might not pay the government money, so they planned to wait until the common people did not pay the government money, and then they would lend the young crop money they got from the government to the people at an interest rate of more than two cents, so that they could borrow new money and pay back the money. As the old days go on, those owner farmers will become their sharecroppers sooner or later. "

Zhang Fei said thoughtfully: "However, this can avoid direct conflicts between the government and the people."

Big Dog nodded, "Yes. And it's not just third-class and fourth-class households that are affected, but also first- and second-class households, and fifth-class households."

Zhang Fei asked: "How do you say that?"

The big dog said: "Because those big landlords took the initiative to help the government to share the money, this also forced those first- and second-class households to also share some young crop money, but they are not like those big landlords, who can easily lend money and at the same time be sure to recover it. If they owe debts, they can only pay interest to the government.

Even some big landlords have taken aim at their first- and second-class households. They have land in their hands. Once they don't pay the young crop money, or they don't have enough coins in their hands, they have to borrow money from them.As for those fifth-class households, they can't borrow money for young crops at all. They will still mortgage some of their land to those big landlords as before, and thus become their tenant farmers. "

Zhang Fei said: "When the money they owed to the landlord is due, the government just happens to issue another round of money for young crops, which just happens to be able to borrow new ones to pay back the old ones."

The big dog nodded and said, "Yes."

"It seems that they are better at playing than I thought."

Zhang Fei nodded slightly.

But Zhang Fei was not surprised by this.

Historically, the reformists and local forces had a hostile relationship, so the new law caused great problems in the local area, but this time is different, the relationship between the government and the landlords has become very close, because they have a common enemy, that is, the public security law and taxation If they are in the company, they will cover each other and become very cautious.

Zhang Fei said: "Then do they think that these things can be hidden from the court?"

The big dog said: "This is impossible, because many local officials are not facing Wang Xianggong, and there will definitely be people who will impeach the matter. But those self-cultivating farmers will definitely borrow money from the landlords to pay back the debts of the court. And those landlords are also prepared, this hidden danger can be covered up for the time being, and it will not cause public resentment."

Zhang Fei asked, "Then when do you think public grievances will erupt?"

The big dog immediately said: "I dare not say this. If there is a natural or man-made disaster, there will inevitably be a large number of people who will not pay the money. This will definitely not be covered up."

yes!It is indeed very difficult to control this breaking point, unless I am the biggest creditor.Zhang Fei pondered for a while, then suddenly asked: "Does the official know about this?"

The big dog hesitated for a moment, "If you send a message from Jingdong East Road, you must pass through Bianliang, and the officials should know."

Zhang Fei nodded.

The big dog said again: "Actually, Jingzhao Mansion is more likely to have problems than Jingdong East Road?"

Zhang Fei was slightly taken aback, "What do you say?"

The big dog said: "Now the people of Jingzhao Mansion are already making trouble. They demand to pay the same tax as the people of Hezhong Mansion, but the local landlords and gentry are strongly opposed. Unless the public security law leaves Hezhong Mansion now, otherwise, Sooner or later, something will go wrong.”

Zhang Fei nodded and said: "Prefect Lu really has the foresight. It seems that we have to go if we don't go next year. Let the people over there increase the publicity and let them know how happy the people of Hezhong Mansion are to pay their taxes."

"Yes."

"By the way! Now is the critical moment of tax collection, is there no news for me? At least I need to know how many lawsuits I will have to file next year?"

"It's not clear yet because most landowners haven't started paying taxes yet."

"I really don't want to die without seeing the Yellow River!"

Zhang Fei shook his head and sighed, and stood up, "Go and make arrangements, I will send a secret letter to the official within two days."

"Yes."

That night, Zhang Fei sat alone in the study, with the records of the halls sent by Cai Bian and Shangguanjun on the desk, but he didn't seem to pay attention to them.

Feeling warm all over his body, he subconsciously raised his hand to cover the soft and slender hand on his shoulder, "Thank you Ma'am."

But when she heard a soft hum, she looked back and was startled, "Zhiqian?"

Xu Zhiqian said sourly: "Only sister Gao will add clothes to you?"

Zhang Fei asked back: "Did you say that?"

Xu Zhiqian blinked in embarrassment, and suddenly glanced at Zhang Fei holding her hand from the corner of her eye, and said, "Can't you tell the difference between my hand and Sister Gao's?"

"Uh!"

Zhang Fei said: "Well, of course we can tell the difference. Her hands are softer, and yours are smoother. It's really because there was another letter from Jingdong East Road today, which made me feel uneasy."

As soon as this matter was mentioned, Xu Zhiqian immediately put other matters behind her and asked, "What did you say in the letter?"

Zhang Fei secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and informed Xu Zhiqian of the situation on Jingdong East Road.

Xu Zhiqian was so angry that she stomped her feet, "They are acting like a gangster. They are no different from animals. This will not only harm the people, but also harm Wang Xueshi's New Deal."

Having said that, she paused for a while, and looked at Zhang Fei suspiciously, "Is this what you expected?"

This issue was discussed last time, but Zhang Fei deliberately avoided it. Xu Zhiqian has always been very skeptical about it. At present, everyone knows that the two laws are in competition, and Zhang Fei must stand for the public prosecutor's law.

"If it's just that simple, then I don't have to worry about it."

Zhang Fei said: "This is adding fuel to the fire, don't be too simple."

Xu Zhiqian asked: "Then you want to help Bachelor Wang?"

Zhang Fei nodded.

Xu Zhiqian's face brightened, but she still had a heart for the reformers, "Then have you thought of a way?"

Zhang Fei said: "At present, there is only one way to save everything."

"any solution?"

"Find a way to spend money to buy out most of the debt contracts in the hands of those big landowners, so as to stabilize the situation."

"what?"

Xu Zhiqian was dumbfounded, it was the first time she heard such an operation, "Can this work?"

Zhang Fei said: "If the debt is transferred to us, it can be controlled by us."

Xu Zhiqian said: "But. But how can we have so much money to buy those debts?"

Zhang Fei said: "This requires a person to help."

"Who?"

"Officials."

"Official?"

Xu Zhiqian was stunned for a moment, shaking her head like a rattle, "No! No! The government adopted the new law in the hope of improving finances. If the government took on the debt again, wouldn't it be a waste of work? Might agree."

Zhang Fei stood up suddenly.

"what?"

Xu Zhiqian said in surprise.

Zhang Fei stood up, stretched his hand towards the seat, and said with a smile, "So we have to write a letter to persuade the officials."

In the morning of the next day, a fast horse set out from the imperial court and galloped eastward.

On the slope, Zhang Fei looked at the fast horse, scratched his head, and complained: "It's really a skill to eat three meals!"

(End of this chapter)