Chapter 67: Ministry of Revenue tax the Ministry of Revenue…

Zhu Yunwen, through a family banquet, changed the fiefdom of the King of Liao to Songjiang Prefecture and the fiefdom of the King of Min to Ningbo Prefecture. However, the two princes never actually went to govern their respective territories in Songjiang and Ningbo, so their actual presence remained in Guangning Prefecture and Yunnan Prefecture.

The dispute over land ownership in the court has reached its end. Some officials from the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice argue that if the imperial family also occupies land and does not address the land disputes within the imperial family, how can they set an example in resolving disputes among the gentry?

Then let’s have you see how the imperial family handles it!

Disempowering the kings and reclaiming their land holdings, including the land of tenant farmers and self-cultivating farmers, let’s see what you all have to say.

Xie Jin was well aware that Zhu Yunwen’s gaze had been fixed on the land, on the land disputes.

Since the Emperor intended to use the “King of Liao and King of Min” as sacrificial offerings and was preparing to make a move to warn those stubborn monkeys, as a loyal subject, the most appropriate thing to do was to hand the Emperor the sharpest knife.

Zhu Yunwen’s expression grew serious, and the noise in the court gradually subsided.

“I oppose!”

Ru Chang quickly stepped forward and exclaimed, “The medical gauze and alcohol researched by the King of Liao and King of Min have greatly benefited the soldiers and the state. It should not be excessively criticized in the name of ancestral tradition!”

“I concur with the opinion of Secretary Xie.” Yu Xin spoke up.

Zhang Dan followed suit and said, “I also concur with Secretary Xie’s opinion. Engaging in commerce with the status of vassal kings goes against ancestral tradition. Moreover, as vassal kings they have esteemed status, and merchants would definitely curry their favor, leading to corruption and greed. It would be difficult to avoid such negative influences. If the vassal kings amass great wealth, wouldn’t it harm the foundation of the country?”

Ru Chang grew anxious. What if these people are disempowered, wouldn’t they be concerned about the potential retaliation from the King of Liao and King of Min? If they choose better to die than life in disgrace, and refuse to cooperate, where will the Ministry of War find medical gauzes and alcohol?

They are now entering February, and it’s only five months away from autumn in July.

Not to mention the time needed for procurement, even transporting the supplies to the frontiers would take two to three months. At most, the Ministry of War and the frontiers would have two months left.

If, during the peak of the enemy’s strength, these medical gauzes and alcohol fail to reach the frontline, it would render this year’s procurement efforts practically worthless.

After all, the northern frontier is where the highest number of injuries and illnesses occur, and it’s the place that most desperately needs this batch of military supplies!

Ru Chang looked worried and shouted, “I believe that while ancestral tradition is important, the well-being of the nation, and the lives of soldiers, are also crucial! I earnestly request Your Majesty to show mercy to the two princes for the sake of the two million soldiers of Great Ming!”

Zhu Yunwen looked troubled as he gazed at the officials and sighed, “This matter is difficult to handle.”

Xie Jin smiled and said, “Your Majesty, I believe that while the King of Liao and King of Min have violated ancestral tradition, their title should be revoked but due to their contributions to the state, their titles, salaries, and allowances should remain unchanged, but their fiefdoms can be reclaimed as a form of punishment.”

The ministers couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

Jing Qing was particularly shocked. The usually amiable Xie Jin turned out to be an executioner. With a smile on his face, he was ready to wield the knife against the two kings. He spoke eloquently, mentioning the retention of their titles and unchanged allowances, but without their fiefdoms, could they still be called as vassal king?

A fiefdom is a territorial possession, a symbol of being a vassal state. If you take away their lands, these two kings would become nothing more than idle kings.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng and asked, “What do the two uncles have to say?”

Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng exchanged a glance. Zhu Zhi solemnly said, “Your Majesty, I and King of Min are willing to contribute to the soldiers of Great Ming. Currently, being in the capital, we are unable to manage the affairs of our fiefdoms. I am willing to surrender my fiefdom and ask for Your Majesty’s permission to engage in commerce for the nation.”

“I am also willing to surrender my fiefdom!”

Zhu Geng quickly added.

Zhu Yunwen calmly looked at the two kings and advised, “The fiefdoms were established by Emperor Taizu. How can I take them back…”

Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng shouted in unison, “Our minds are made up.”

Zhu Yunwen reluctantly nodded and said, “The King of Liao and King of Min wish to engage in commerce for the nation. Their loyalty is commendable. Although it goes against ancestral tradition, the surrendering of their fiefdoms offsets this. Since the two kings are determined to engage in commerce for the nation, I will set a precedent for you. I only hope that you remember your initial intentions and engage in commerce for the nation, not for personal gain!”

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace! We will never forget.”

Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng bowed down in gratitude.

Left Censor in Chief Jing Qing and the other ministers, hadn’t reacted yet. In just a few words, the fiefdoms of the King of Liao and King of Min were taken back? And they were even allowed to become imperial merchants?

Looking at Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng, they didn’t utter a word of complaint. So those over 20,000 acres of land aren’t their land?

Zhu Yunwen solemnly said, “Vassal kings engaging in commerce is a precedent in Great Ming. However, we cannot view this situation through ordinary commercial laws. Here’s the proposal: we will temporarily set the tax rate at 1/15, and the tax collected will supplement the national treasury. Furthermore, the medical gauze and alcohol will be used for military needs. I hope the two kings, along with the Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, and the Grand Secretariat, will renegotiate the prices, avoiding greed.”

Huang Zicheng, the Minister of Revenue, felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth. A 1/15 tax rate meant doubling the commercial tax. In theory, the Ministry of Revenue could collect more tax revenue, which should be a reason to be happy. However, the problem was that the Ministry of Revenue wasn’t only responsible for tax collection but also for the transactions…

The Ministry of Revenue would use the money to purchase goods from the two kings. On the surface, it appeared that the kings were paying taxes, but in reality, the tax burden would be distributed among the medical gauze and alcohol supplies. In the end, it would still be the Ministry of Revenue bearing the burden of the tax.

What kind of situation was this?

The Ministry of Revenue taxing itself?

“I humbly request, Your Majesty, to be present during the negotiation of this pricing.”

Huang Zicheng was worried that the two kings would raise prices recklessly. Moreover, the price of one tael of silver for a wooden box was already high. The Ministry of War wanted to make a large-scale purchase, but the Ministry of Revenue might not have enough funds to allocate.

The only viable solution was to negotiate the terms of the trade.

Zhu Yunwen nodded and agreed, “This matter is of great importance. In that case, I will personally be present for the negotiation. Let’s hold it in the Jinshen Hall.”

At this point, it was meaningless for court officials to impeach the two kings any further. They no longer wanted their fiefdoms. Now they only had a bare title of a vassal king. You couldn’t just take away their allowances as well. Besides, they had made contributions. Who knows, their households would also have a supply of medical gauze and alcohol in the future. After all, whose children hadn’t suffered from injuries?

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War had no objections. Everyone respectfully bid farewell to the Emperor, chanting “Long live, long live!”

Jinshen Hall.

Grand Secretariat’s Xie Jin, Minister of Revenue Huang Zicheng, Minister of War Ru Chang, and Liu Jun, the four sat on the east side while Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng sat on the west. Zhu Yunwen sat to the north, sipping tea as he listened attentively.

Ru Chang frowned as he looked at the two kings pretending to be impoverished while holding their cold bun. He said, “Two kings, the purchase by the court has been settled, and the difficulties of the two mansions are no longer a problem. However, in terms of the pricing, please offer some concessions. One tael of silver for one wooden box is an exorbitant price and is not conducive to the purchase, nor can it benefit the entire army.”

Zhu Zhi took a bite of the bun, feeling the hardness, but still pretended to enjoy it. After washing it down with wine, he said, “official Ru, it’s not that we don’t want to lower the price. In the presence of His Majesty, I will be frank with everyone. The cost of producing one box is only seven maces of silver, with two maces of silver allocated for the daily needs of the two mansions. The profit is only one maces. Isn’t one tael already the minimum?”

“If one wooden box earns one mace of profit, then with one hundred thousand boxes, it’s ten thousand taels of profit. Isn’t that enough?” Liu Jun asked.

Zhu Zhi shook his head and sighed, “Leaving aside whether the Ministry of War wants to purchase one hundred thousand boxes, just in terms of production, with the current manpower of the two mansions, it would take one year. One year equals ten thousand taels. Split equally between me and Prince Min, it would be less than five hundred taels per person per month. That’s not enough to cover the cost of inviting a performance from the Art Troupe, let alone going to the Qingyan Tower. Vice Minister Liu, would you handle this business?”

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