Jiangsu, Suzhou, Governor's Department.

Qianliang Master Tang Shengkui hurriedly walked into the signing room, glanced at Xu Jishe who was writing at the desk, and bowed, "Dongweng--."

Xu Jishe put his pen and stood up, reached out and gave up his seat, and ordered the tea to serve, then said warmly: "Have the summer grain been fully discharged?"

As a master of money and grain, Tang Shengkui naturally knew that the court used telegrams to urge the provinces to pay summer grain. He nodded immediately and said, "The summer grain has been fully resolved." After a pause, he continued, "Now the grain is on the railway, and Jiangning is quite busy crossing the river to transport it. There should be some of them that have not yet left the province."

Before leaving the province, Yuan Qi could intercept it with a telegram. After all, the Beijing-Hangzhou Railway was under Yuan Qi's control. Xu Jishe glanced at him and waved his hand with a smile, "Sir, don't understand Yiguocheng. If he wanted to intercept it, he would have done it long ago."

"There will be autumn grain after summer grain." Tang Shengkui said slowly: "Now the separatist situation in the southeast has been established, so Dongweng should try it."

This is not without reason. Nowadays, most officials in the southeast provinces are from Yuanqi. Yi Zhizuo used the abolition of the Lijin system to test it. The intention of separating the Southeast was already known to Sima Zhao. However, with Xu Jishe's understanding of Yi Zhizuo, even if he had a southeastern structure, he would not openly turn against the court.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Tang Shengkui continued, "Even if Mr. Yi is unintentional, Dongweng should try it."

Xu Jiyu nodded. Whether to test it or not is a question of attitude, but how to test it? Should I go to Shanghai in person? Or send a telegram?

Seeing him nodding but not saying anything, Tang Shengkui couldn't help laughing in his heart. He knew his Dongweng's nature and his relationship with Yishizu. He immediately said slowly: "Dongweng might as well report directly, the summer grain has been fully resolved."

"As far as the teacher said," Xu Jishe said first. This is both a report and a test, and he wins in a calm voice.

Shanghai, Zhenhai Gongfu, Changle Bookstore.

Cao Gensheng quickly walked to the door with three telegrams, glanced at the room, and saw Bao Shichen, Wu Changqing and Yan Shikuan present, and then reported softly: "The big shopkeeper, Suzhou, Fuzhou, and Anqing call."

Yi Zhizu took the telegram and looked through it, and handed it to Bao Shichen. The three telegrams were all very concise, and they all talked about the same thing - Xialiang.

"This is a test of the Lord's attitude towards the court's taxes." Bao Shichen said as he looked at Cao Gensheng, "The telegrams from the governors of various provinces are available."

"Yes." Cao Gensheng bowed slightly and walked away quickly.

Yi Zhizu lit a cigarette casually, and the court called the governors of various provinces to urge summer grain. This was to test whether the southeastern provinces paid taxes normally. Bao Shichen continued to test the reactions of the governors of various provinces based on this matter. In fact, in his opinion, it was no longer necessary. There is no suspense in separating the southeast now. Whoever is disobedient will be taken away directly.

After reading the telegram, Yan Shikuan asked directly: "The southeastern provinces pay tens of millions of taxes a year. What are the big shopkeeper's plans?"

Yi Zhizu did not answer, but looked at Bao Shichen, "What do you think sir?"

"Pay normally." Bao Shichen said without hesitation: "If the lord intercepts taxes from the southeastern provinces, the court will inevitably turn against him."

He nodded slightly, Yi Zhizu said: "Can you talk about taxes in detail?"

Could it be that he really intends to intercept it? Bao Shichen pondered for a while before he said slowly: "The main agricultural taxes paid by local provinces can be divided into land taxes, allowances and donations.

Land resident is the official tax of the court, and allowances and donations are surcharges derived from land resident, so it is also called grain allowances and donations according to grain."

As expected, Yi Jingshi's understanding of taxes may be very vague, Bao Shichen explained in detail: "The land, that is, the land tax, is the tax of the Ding. Men aged 16 to 60 are resident, and all residents must be employed in labor service or pay resident tax.

For land ditches, the silver is distributed to the land acres, and the tax and land tax are combined into one and collected. The court customized it, and each acre of land is paid one tael of silver and two cents of silver are distributed.

This liang and two coins are the positive amount. In addition, each liang of silver is charged one or five additional surcharges, including flat, dumping, serial tickets, public expenses, book service meals, paper, sheaths, ropes, foot fees, protection and other surcharges, which vary from place to place.

The land tax is collected, and the summer grain and autumn grain are collected every year. The summer grain is collected in February. Half of the tax this year is paid before June. The autumn grain is collected in August and the full amount is collected in November.

After the collection is completed, the stored copper coins are mixed into silver and cast ten taels of silver ingots according to the color of the Kupingku. After acceptance and sealing, a seal is posted and an official seal is stamped. The matters of land requisition and the amount of money are written into official documents. A competent official is appointed to escort the provincial capital governor's treasury to pay."

After a pause, he continued: "The eight provinces of Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Anhui and Shandong pay grain, and collect 4 million stones of grain per year. If the southeastern provinces pay taxes abnormally, it means that the supply of grain is cut off, which is also the reason why the imperial court is eager to generate electricity to urge summer grain."

Yi Zhizu, Wu Changqing and Yan Shikuan all had a slight understanding of the tax situation, but they still knew the importance of grain. The capital was referring to living on grain. Yan Shikuan couldn't help but ask: "What's the matter with allowances and donations?"

"Subsidies and donations are also called grain allowances and grain donations." Bao Shichen said slowly: "Let's talk about allowances first, also known as grain allowances and grain military allowances. In the first year of Jiaqing, the White Lotus Sect caused chaos in Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces, and the military expenditure was huge. The first time to collect grain military allowances in Sichuan.

Sichuan's grain allowances were 1 tael of silver for each land acquisition, and one tael of silver was levied, and each year was entrusted with land acquisition and paid. Later, it was gradually promoted in various provinces. Even if there was no war, it was still entrusted as usual, and now it has become a kind of regular vocation."

"This is equivalent to paying two pieces of land silver in disguise?" Yan Shikuan couldn't help but be shocked.

"In some provinces, this is two or three times the allowance for grain to be given to the local silver." Bao Shichen sighed lightly and then said, "Another donation, this is based on donation. The donation is originally an admonishment to wealthy gentry and noble merchants, and it has nothing to do with small and medium-sized households.

However, since Xianfeng ascended the throne, the Taiping Army has been invested in huge expenses, and the military pay is insufficient. The provinces have sent a large amount of joint funds. Sichuan collected 2 million taels of silver every year, and it was difficult to make enough money for normal donations. It was then merged into the land silver. It was stipulated that one tael of silver in each land, and two or three taels of silver are often donated, and the provinces also rushed to follow suit.

Nowadays, each province has one tael of silver in the central bank, and a subsidy of one tael of liang is collected. Two or three taels are often donated. In addition, various miscellaneous branches such as fire consumption, balance surplus, and relief expenses are totaled five or six taels.

There are also husband and horse levies, three fees for prison, charity levies, city defense team training fees, etc., just like allowances and donations, they are all levied on the people according to the grain, levies are levied and robbed, and they are not added."

Wu Changqing was shocked and said in disbelief: "Why is the court so tight to pay for such a heavy tax?"

Bao Shichen said coldly: "Three years of Qing magistrate, 100,000 snowflakes. It would be good if the court could earn half of these additional taxes!"

"These officials are too dark! I used to know that they were greedy, but I didn't know that they were so greedy!" Yan Shikuan said angrily: "The big shopkeeper, the southeastern provinces cannot let them do whatever they want!"

"The water is clear and there are no fish, and the southeastern provinces are not Nanyang." Bao Shichen said slowly: "The officials of both Nanyang provinces were selected by the lords from the scholars."

Seeing Bao Shichen looking over, Yi Zhizu pondered for a moment and said, "The administration of officials is a big article. If the southeast wants to have a new look, he has to start with administration. However, the war has not stopped now, so we cannot hurry up and touch it first."

After a pause, he continued: "The Southeast tax will be paid normally for the time being. You cannot force the court to be impatient. Everything must be done step by step."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Gensheng walked in with an excited look on his face and reported: "The big shopkeeper, the submarine cable from Qiongzhou to Luzon has been connected! The two provinces in Nanyang can directly send and receive telegrams!"

"Congratulations to the Lord." Bao Shichen bowed with a smile.

Yi Zhizu was also very excited. Connecting the telegram from Nanyang means that the news of the Crimean War can be obtained more quickly. With the telegram, he can remotely control the two provinces of Nanyang anytime and anywhere, "Reward!" He said happily: "Send a message to congratulate them, and reward three thousand silver dollars."

In just one day, the governors of the Southeast provinces called to test Yi Zhizu's reaction to summer grain. Yi Zhizu's reply was simple, "Everything will be the same."

Everything is the same! Xianfeng put down the telegram and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the southeastern provinces still pay taxes, there is nothing to worry about. If you want to take it, you must give it first, and let Yi Zhizuo be arrogant for a few years. Wait for the Taiping Army, wait for the Citibanks to build Minnie guns and ammunition machinery and equipment, wait for the Eight Banners New Army to grow rapidly, and then slowly deal with it.

He glanced at Mu Zhang'er kneeling below and asked slowly, "Is there any news about Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi?"

"Return to the Emperor." Mu Zhang'a hurriedly said: "Because Hunan and Guangxi were occupied by bandits before, no telegram lines were laid, and Yunnan and Guizhou also did not open telegrams, so they could not know the situation of the front line in time."

After hearing this, Xianfeng was speechless for a while. He had never noticed it before. After tasting the speed of the telegram, he realized that it was really inconvenient to not have a telegram. After pondering for a moment, he said: "The military information of encirclement and suppression of bandits will be reported as soon as possible."

"Slave obeys the order." Mu Zhang'a hurriedly bowed.

There is no telegram in Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi, and it is easy to be content. However, he is full of confidence in the Marine Corps and is not too worried. After all, the weapons, equipment and military qualities of both sides are not at the same level. In his opinion, it is only a matter of time before the extermination of the Taiping Army. What he is most concerned about at the moment is the Crimean War.

In his opinion, the Crimean War was crucial to the Qing Dynasty. This was not only related to his plan to expand northwest, but also to East and West Siberia. The British and French joint fleet came to the Far East to encircle and suppress the Russian Pacific Fleet in the Far East. This was really beyond his expectations. If the Russian Pacific Fleet in the Far East could be removed in one fell swoop, it would be an opportunity that would not be seen in a century!

Whether it is Alaska or East Siberia, it seems to be a barren land at present, but no one knows that the underground of these two places contains rich and coveted resources. In the era when resources were kings in later generations, Russia, who sold Alaska at a low price, regretted it even its intestines turned blue.

Sold Alaska's vast 1.7 million square kilometers at a low price for $7.2 million. This is the most famous trade in history. He naturally cannot miss this kind of good thing that a pie falls from the sky!

However, for the current Qing Dynasty, Alaska is like an enclave. If the Kamchatka Peninsula and East Siberia can be obtained, then Alaska can be connected! The Qing Dynasty will also become an empire spanning two continents!

However, Russia will sell Alaska, but it may not necessarily sell Kamchatka Peninsula and East Siberia. For Tsarist Russia, who has been pursuing estuaries for hundreds of years, it is almost impossible to sell Kamchatka Peninsula. Even if it is short of money, it is impossible. It is only possible to fight!

He was not afraid of fighting. After the defeat of the Crimean War, Russia was completely a dog who fell into the water. It could not be overwhelmed within at least ten years. He had to wait for the British and French joint fleet to withdraw from the Kamchatka Peninsula, and he could send a fleet to forcibly capture the Kamchatka Peninsula. Only by occupying the Kamchatka Peninsula would the Qing Dynasty have the opportunity to embezzle the deserted East Siberia!

For the Qing Dynasty, this was an extremely rare opportunity to expand. Even in his opinion, the expansion of the Northeast is far more meaningful than the expansion of the Northwest! After all, Central Asia and West Asia have too much resistance. Even if they can take the opportunity to occupy it, they may be forced to spit it out in the end. After all, European countries definitely do not want to see the Qing Dynasty interfere with West Asia!

The expansion of Northeast China is different, it is possible to occupy permanently. European powers such as Britain and France are not interested in East Siberia, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and Alaska. Even if the United States is interested in Alaska, it will not be interested in East Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula.

There is only one enemy - Tsarist Russia! Moreover, there is no impact on the national liberation movement. After all, the Kamchatka Peninsula and East Siberia are deserted and not many people live in it.

From later generations, the most successful expansion in the 19th century was Russia and the United States. The most popular British Empire, which claimed to be the "Empire of the Sun" and had almost nothing overseas.

The reason is very simple. The national liberation movement in later generations was surging, and almost all British colonies were out. Even if Tsarist Russia disintegrated, it still firmly controlled East and West Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula!

However, the situation of this Crimean War, which seemed crucial to Yi Zhisu, was very bad. Russia not only retreated on the battlefield, but also was sprinkled with salt on the wounds by its allies. When Russia needed the help of its allies the most, Austria and Prussia, the two allies, as the Holy Alliance, announced that they remained neutral and secretly formed a defensive alliance.

In this regard, not only Russia was frustrated and angry, but Yi Shizuo was also very indignant. Tsarist Russia fought alone, greatly limiting the scale, scope and time of the war! He was not only happy to see Russia defeated, but also happy to see the entire Europe involved in this war. This wishful thinking was obviously failed!
Chapter completed!