Emperor Wende loves money very much.
Poor and crazy people value money more.
Gu Jiu was not sure whether Emperor Wende knew about the existence of this account.
Better not know.
In this way, dividends can be quietly distributed and accounts can be balanced.
Of course, Gu Jiu didn't want to be greedy for the dividend of the 300,000 principal.
She wanted to hand over the dividends directly to the Shaofu without alarming Emperor Wende.
If you want to do this, you must obtain the cooperation of the Shaofu family order.
Shaofu Jialing stroked his beard with a peaceful expression.
In the signing room, no one spoke. Only the charcoal fire is burning, exuding heat and warmth.
The tea gradually lost its temperature and was no longer suitable for drinking.
Gu Jiu still picked up the teacup and took a sip of the residual tea.
The charcoal fire was almost extinguished, and the Shaofu family order said: "This matter is difficult."
"Could it be that His Majesty has already set his sights on this money?" Gu Jiu asked curiously.
The Shaofu family order shook his head, "It's not as serious as you said. The old man remembers that His Majesty knew about the investment made by the late emperor. If His Majesty didn't ask about it today, it doesn't mean that His Majesty won't ask about it someday. Even if His Majesty forgot After this matter, the people around His Majesty will also remind you. After all, this is not a small sum."
After a pause, the Shaofu's family order said again: "Your Majesty will spend a lot of money to open up the harem."
Raising a woman costs money.
It was more expensive for the emperor to raise a woman.
Gu Jiu smiled, "The Shaofu's bank is getting more and more money every day. Now the Shaofu is not short of money, and the little expenses in the harem are just a small problem for the Shaofu."
The Shaofu's family order blew his beard and stared, "It's true that everyone in the Shaofu is living on air, so they don't need to get a salary? The Shaofu manages so many properties, and there are tens of thousands of people who pay their salaries every month. They can support so many people. People need a lot of money. Near the end of the year, those in the royal family who can't live on, all go to the Shaofu to fight the autumn breeze. The Shaofu can't ask people to go back empty-handed."
Shaofu's family order also followed Gu Jiu's example and began to cry poorly.
Gu Jiu twitched her eyebrows and eyes, this is the rhythm of the disciples of the church and the master starving to death.
"Don't cry about being poor, old ancestors. The younger generation is even poorer than you, and you won't be able to get rid of it this year."
The Shaofu's family order was full of heartache, "If you say this, can anyone believe it?"
Gu Jiu asked back: "The old ancestor kept saying that the Shaofu has no money, will anyone believe this?"
The Shaofu family order looked tangled.
The two said in unison with a tacit understanding: "We are all poor!"
Finally an agreement was reached.
Gu Jiu then sighed, "I will first distribute the dividends of the 300,000 principal of the late emperor, and the 50,000 principal dividends of the palace to the ancestors. If His Majesty asks, I will ask the ancestors to deal with it for me. Your majesty's 50,000 principal and dividends should be transferred to your majesty by the ancestors. I will not enter the palace."
Since he couldn't hide it, Gu Jiu didn't do unnecessary things. Everything is done according to the program.
But the family order of the Shaofu said: "I can accept the two dividends from the late emperor and the Wangfu first. But I don't dare to do it for your Majesty's 50,000 principal dividend. You should go to Chang En for this matter. The old guy doesn't care about it." Have you invested money? Tell him to help you clean up."
"Eunuch Chang is on errand for the past few days, and it takes five days before he can leave the palace to rest. That's all, that's all, I'll wait for him for five days."
Gu Jiu looked aggrieved, and the house orders of the Shaofu refused to help.
The Shaofu's family order was cheerful, "You don't have to wait five days. I guess the palace has already got the news. It won't be long before that old thing Chang En will take the initiative to find you."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows, feeling a little guilty for no reason, "To tell my ancestors, I'm most afraid of talking about money with His Majesty now. Talking about money hurts feelings."
Shaofu's family ordered his beard to shake, "You don't have to be afraid, you have money anyway."
Gu Jiu sighed, "I really don't have any money. All the money is invested in workshops and cement roads. There are only tens of thousands of miles left on hand for food."
"You eat better than the old man, and the old man doesn't even have tens of thousands of taels to eat."
Gu Jiu supported his forehead, "The old ancestor really won't help me?"
"The old man can't help. What should come will always come, so don't be nervous. Your Majesty will not eat people."
Gu Jiu had a hurt expression on her face.
The Shaofu Jialing laughed cheerfully.
…
Xingqing Palace. This
Chang En is working beside Emperor Wende.
Emperor Wende had been busy for two hours and was about to take a break, so he asked, "What day is it today?"
"Report to Your Majesty, today is the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, the day when the Four Seas Trading Company pays dividends."
"Dividends?"
"Exactly. The project outside the South City Gate has been in operation for so many years, and I finally saw money."
Emperor Wende immediately said: "If I remember correctly, I also invested tens of thousands of taels in the beginning. You old slave, you also invested money."
Chang En laughed, "Don't dare to lie to Your Majesty, the old slave invested five thousand taels, including the entire coffin."
This is not true, and Emperor Wende did not expose him.
"Since it's the day of dividends, why didn't I see the money? Could it be that Gu Jiu was greedy for my money."
"Madam Zhao is greedy for anyone's money, and dare not be greedy for His Majesty's money. I am afraid that it is inconvenient to go to the palace, so the money was not sent to the palace in time."
Emperor Wende thought for a while, "Go find her. No, ask Gu Jiu to enter the palace. I have something to ask her face to face. In addition, first invite the Shaofu family order to the palace and ask him to bring the account book."
"The old slave obeys the order!"
The Shaofu family order was called into the palace first, and he brought the account book with him.
Emperor Wende first called his uncle politely, but he didn't dare to respond to the family order of the Shaofu, and said directly: "The emperor is the emperor, and the minister is the minister."
Emperor Wende didn't force him, and directly asked about Shaofu's income this year.
The Shaofu's family order flipped through the account books and reimbursed everything.
From salt and iron, Yaoshaofu Bank, to Huangzhuang, to mining, to various industries.
After reporting the general ledger, Emperor Wende had a bottom line on his income for this year.
"I didn't expect that Shaofu Bank's annual income would exceed the salt and iron tax. No wonder private private banks are blooming everywhere, because this business is huge profits, money begets money, and money comes in easily and quickly."
Emperor Wende thought about it again, "Now it seems that the bank has a lot to do. We must spread the Shaofu bank to every prefecture and county in Dazhou as soon as possible. Use thunder to suppress private banks and balance the interest rates of private loans. You can't call my people, He was forced into bankruptcy by a private bank and sold himself as a slave."
The tax revenue of the imperial court comes from ordinary people and self-cultivating farmers, and the official corvee is also borne by these people. Conscription is also collected from these people.
These people are all good people.
Once good people are forced to go bankrupt because of loan sharks, they sell themselves into slavery. Every additional slave and maidservant means that the imperial court loses a share of tax revenue, one less source of soldiers for conscription, and one less person serving corvee.
And the big families who buy slaves can squeeze those serfs, mining slaves, weaving slaves, and all kinds of slaves.
All the wealth created by these slaves fell into the hands of big households, and the imperial court did not get a penny.
The imperial court suffered heavy losses, but the big households created more wealth and became richer because of holding slaves. They use their increased wealth to lend usury and buy the land and houses of bankrupt good people.
Turn the land of the yeoman into farms.
Turn the land deeds of good people's houses into shops, forming a real monopoly of land and real estate.
In the final analysis, private usury is digging the corner of the imperial court, creating more and more poor peasants, bankrupt small people, refugees, and disorderly people.
To solve the problems of poor farmers, bankrupt people, refugees and disorderly people, it all depends on the imperial court to contribute money and efforts.
This creates a vicious cycle.
The court tax revenue is getting less and less, but there are more and more places to spend money.
The big family is always rich, and the imperial court is always poor.
If things go on like this, sooner or later there will be big troubles.
Fortunately, in the past two years, the commercial taxation of the imperial court has improved. There is no need to count on agricultural tax all year round.
The reliance on agricultural taxes is reduced, which means that when the court is short of money, it does not need to raise taxes on farmers again and again.
As long as the imperial court does not raise taxes, the burden on farmers will not increase.
It can be said that the commercial tax has slowed down the bankruptcy of farmers to a certain extent.
This is also the fundamental reason why, in recent years, there have been frequent natural disasters everywhere, but no major disturbances have occurred.
The increase in commercial taxes solved a lot of social contradictions and allowed farmers to breathe in the famine years.
Many courtiers, with limited vision, did not realize this.
But the top talents of the imperial court, such as Li Shizhong and the others, realized this a few years ago.
Emperor Wende also clearly realized the important role of business tax in balancing social contradictions.
Not to mention the family order of the Shaofu, he personally participated in it and had a deeper understanding.
He couldn't help but recall, when did the increase in business tax start
It seems that the cooperation between Shaofu and Gu Jiu started.
Since Shaofu opened the bank, Shaofu's income has increased year by year, and it has been able to easily support the household department and reduce the pressure on the household department.
What is even more commendable is that there are no usury in the entire Gyeonggi area.
All private banks lend money at the Shaofu Bank's interest rate of 1 cent and 5% per month, and no compound interest is allowed.
The income of private banks is naturally much lower than that of usury, but they still make money. And there is no need to bear the responsibility of forcing people to die.
The monthly interest is one cent and five per cent, grit your teeth, do more work, or ask relatives and friends to borrow some, you can always pay it back.
In the Gyeonggi region, the atmosphere of the lending industry has become very fresh.
Compared with the usury rampant in the south, the private banks in the Gyeonggi area are like a little fresh.
But even so, there are still many southern banks running to the capital to open branches.
Why
Because since Mrs. Zhao began to build the south gate, the business in the capital has become more and more active.
All walks of life, food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all driven by a project outside the South City Gate to prosper.
Those who burn bricks, burn tiles, and make wood... The money they make in a year now is comparable to the money they made in the past few years.
Merchants are active, and the lending market is also active.
Even if the maximum monthly interest rate cannot exceed one cent and five percent, it still attracts a large number of private banks from the south and the north, and from all over the country to rush into the capital to seize the market.