mtl008 Chapter 200 Tax Concession
Chapter 200 Tax Concession
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Liu Ye pretended to only then learn about the situation in Chengmai, and exaggeratedly exclaimed, "What? Chengmai has actually been occupied by thieves, and they're even looting it? Those thieves are really bold; do they even respect the Prefect?"
Seeing the other party's exaggerated acting skills, Zhao Yue suppressed the urge to punch him and said as calmly as possible, "The bandits are extremely fierce, and only General Liu's men can subdue them."
Liu Ye replied in surprise, "Your Excellency, have you forgotten? At the banquet that day, Magistrate Liu slammed his fist on the table and angrily rebuked me for meddling too much. I swore then and there that I would not concern myself with anything in Chengmai County. So, whether he is robbed or not is none of my business."
Zhao Yue slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing that the foreshadowing he had laid back then was all for this day. But wasn't this a fallacy? Military interference in politics was indeed like a dog catching a mouse, but wasn't it his duty to send troops to suppress bandits? But he could only think these words in his heart, not daring to say them aloud.
He thought for a moment and decided to try a different approach: "General Liu, the Qiongzhou garrison is a military unit, and the prefectural government has no authority to mobilize them. But surely the governor and military governor of Guangdong can mobilize them? If we obtain a military order, could General Liu put aside past grievances and lend a helping hand?"
Liu Ye shook his head: "When the governor and magistrate tried to recruit me, they made it clear that the decision on whether the Qiongzhou garrison should go to war rested with me. Although you two are high-ranking officials, you should still keep your word."
Zhao Yue was speechless for a moment. This was indeed the case. He had also heard that the condition for accepting the pacification of Qiongzhou Camp was that they would accept the title but not the command. For a moment, he did not know how to proceed.
However, he firmly believed that the other party's elaborate scheme was not so simple, and that refusal was merely an attitude to increase leverage in later negotiations.
Zhao Yue had no cards to play, and the initiative was entirely in Liu Ye's hands, so he had no choice but to humble himself. He leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "There's no one else here right now, so General Liu, why don't you be frank and ask what it takes for you to let Chengmai County go?"
Liu Ye remained unyielding, chuckling, "Lord Zhao is joking. It's not about what I want, it's about what the thieves want. Why don't you go and ask them?"
Zhao Yue was furious, but he didn't dare show it on his face. He continued, "General Liu, you might as well state your conditions. As long as the prefectural government can do it, we will definitely agree."
"Well..." Liu Tiannan pretended to consider for a moment, then held up one finger: "As long as the governor agrees to one condition, I will send troops."
"It's good that you're willing to state your conditions," Zhao Yue was overjoyed and urged, "What conditions? Tell me quickly."
"I want to take over the tax revenue of Lingao, Chengmai, and Danzhou counties."
Taking on all the taxes, and from three counties at that? Zhao Yue was instantly dumbfounded. What was going on? Although he didn't know the exact amount of taxes from the three counties, he knew that the combined taxes would amount to at least 30,000 to 40,000 shi of grain and 20,000 to 30,000 jin of Liaodong military pay. If anyone else had said this, Zhao Yue would have thought they were delusional.
Could it be that they're using this opportunity to exploit the people, handing over less than the required amount to the court and profiting from the difference? For example, they might only hand over half the full amount to the court, while charging the people an extra 20-30%, easily pocketing 10,000-20,000 shi of grain and 10,000 taels of silver. Apart from this, Zhao Yue sees no benefit in monopolizing tax collection.
He asked incredulously, "Is it really all the taxes from the three counties?"
“Exactly.” Liu Ye nodded.
Zhao Yue hesitated. Liu Ye was definitely going to make a profit from the difference. In this way, not only would the taxes not be collected in full, but Qiongzhou would also be unable to deliver on its promises to the court. The prefect would also be blamed for exploiting the people. Who told you to allow a military man to monopolize the tax collection?
He tried to scare the other party away with difficulties: "The matters of grain tax and Liaodong military pay are numerous and complicated, with many tricks and schemes. In addition, there are cunning clerks in various counties who try to take advantage of the situation. Collecting taxes has always been the most difficult task..."
"This is none of the concern of the Prefect and Lord Zhao. I guarantee that the regular grain and Liaodong military pay will be paid in full, and I will not cause the Prefect any trouble."
Zhao Yue was stunned. Pay the full amount? Was this some kind of scheme to exploit the people until they were bankrupt? He hesitated, saying, "This is a serious matter. I need to report to the prefect and consider it carefully..."
Liu Ye stared intently into his eyes: "The summer taxes will be collected a few months after the New Year. Taxes are a major issue for the local government, and the Prefect and Lord Zhao surely understand this. If we can't collect them smoothly..."
These words implied a threat: if I wasn't allowed to take on the responsibility, then the taxes for these three counties wouldn't need to be collected.
"Moreover, as long as the prefectural governor's predicament remains unresolved, his life will be difficult." Liu Ye added this crucial factor.
Zhao Yue wiped the sweat from his forehead, weighed the options for a long time, gritted his teeth, and thought, "Damn it, there's no turning back, this is what I'll do."
"As General Liu said, I, on behalf of the Prefect, agree to take over the tax revenue of the three counties. What about Chengmai?"
"I am going to war today!"
Upon receiving a positive reply, Zhao Yue immediately set off back to Qiongshan. The matter of monopolizing tax revenue was of great importance and unprecedented; he had to report to Qin Bingyan as soon as possible. As for the Chengmai matter, he was no longer worried; as long as Liu Ye agreed, it was just a matter of a word.
The prefectural government office of Qiongzhou.
"What? The Qiongzhou Camp is going to take over the taxes of three counties?" Qin Bingyan was very surprised.
"That's right. But Liu Ye promised to pay the full amount."
"Pay in full?" Qin Bingyan pondered deeply, wondering what exactly the Qiongzhou Camp's purpose was.
Master Qin interjected, "If the full amount can be paid, it will actually be a good thing for the master. Every year, the summer tax and autumn grain tax are troublesome matters. Now that someone has taken on all the taxes from the three counties, the master will be much more at ease."
In this dynasty, collecting grain taxes was an extremely complex matter. The Ministry of Revenue, as the chief administrator, only inquired about the total amount, not the details. How much land each person owned, where it was located, and the starting tax were all known only to the clerks in the county government's household registration office. They relied on a secret register passed down through generations, known as the "Fish Scale Register." Without this register, even the most capable person could not collect the taxes.
The Yulin Register was public property, drawn and revised under the government's supervision. However, over the years, the county's archives were either lost or destroyed, and their whereabouts are now unknown. The "public register" revised by the government has become the private property of the clerk. Whether it is the county magistrate or the tax clerk, they are often held hostage by the clerk in order to smoothly handle the annual summer and autumn tax collection.
Generally, after the county magistrate takes office, the tax clerks would negotiate terms with the clerks of the household registration office, forming a tacit agreement to mutually benefit. However, Qiongzhou was a remote place, far from the reach of the emperor, so the clerks were less wary of officials, and each county had to expend more effort to collect grain taxes smoothly.