"Risk for salary?" Emperor Jiajing said in a daze: "Even the salary is barely distributed now, and the salary is increased for officials?"

"Your Majesty!" Luo Xin said seriously: "The salary of Ming officials is too low, so low that it is not enough to support their families. Not to mention high salaries, the court cannot force officials to survive, and to embezzle them, right?"

Seeing that Emperor Jiajing was about to speak, Luo Xin spoke first: "If they had increased their salary, although it would not be possible to eliminate corruption and bribery, it should be better than before. Your Majesty can get the support of many officials because of this. Your Majesty should not worry about the Ming Dynasty's finances. Once the commercial tax can be collected smoothly, the Ming Dynasty will no longer have financial problems.

Your Majesty, agricultural tax and commercial tax are the two legs of the Ming Dynasty's finance, and now the leg of commercial tax is basically abolished, and the Ming Dynasty is walking on one leg. So we must build the leg of commercial tax. What Your Majesty wants to do now is to win the support of most officials, even if these officials are not very officials, so the court will be free from chaos.

In fact, governing the world is not based on a few cabinet officials, but on the small officials in the world, especially those county magistrates. As long as they are not in chaos and are grateful to Your Majesty, the world will not be in chaos. Your Majesty now has to do two things."

"Those two things?"

"The first thing is to stop rebuilding Yuxi Palace."

Seeing Emperor Jiajing's face looked ugly, Luo Xin hurriedly said, "Your Majesty has finished listening to me."

"You said!" Emperor Jiajing said angrily.

"The second thing is to increase the salary of officials, and the salary will be doubled directly.

In this way, Your Majesty will win widespread support. Then, Your Majesty will form a royal company.”

"Royal...company?"

"It is a department similar to the Maritime Trade Bureau, but unlike the Maritime Trade Bureau, the Maritime Trade Bureau only collects taxes, while this royal company monopolizes the entire Northern Exchange. In other words, only our Royal Company can do business with various tribes in the grassland. In the future, anyone who trades with the North will be smuggled and beheaded."

"This..." Emperor Jiajing's eyes lit up, then shook his head and said, "If it doesn't work, they will say that I compete with the people for profit."

“We didn’t want to actually do it either.”

"Oh?" Emperor Jiajing was stunned for a moment, then reacted and said, "What do you mean by commercial tax?"

"Not bad!" Luo Xin nodded and said, "Your Majesty first showed the momentum of monopolizing the entire northern mutual trading transaction, and then made concessions to give up the mutual trading business. Everyone can do it. The court only charges a tax of one for fifteen, and this tax is only in the northern mutual trading. In other places in the Ming Dynasty, it is still unchanged.

In this way, first, Your Majesty has stopped building Yuxi Palace before, which has allowed all officials and the people of the world to see your wiseness. Second, Your Majesty uses the money to stop building Yuxi Palace, and would rather live in a side hall than increase your salary to all officials, so that all officials can see your mercy.

Third, Your Majesty first proposed to monopolize the northern mutual market, and then completely opened the mutual market, allowing them to see His Majesty's concessions.

Fourth, Your Majesty’s increase in commercial tax is limited to the northern border trading, which makes it difficult for all officials to oppose after Your Majesty stops the construction of Yuxi Palace first, then raises the salaries of all officials, and makes concessions. The commercial tax of fifteen is planting seeds.”

"Then what?"

Luo Xin Zhanyan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it's good to have the beginning. This is boiling frogs in warm water. With the beginning of the north, it can be implemented slowly throughout the north."

"What about the south?"

Luo Xin smiled and said, "Isn't there a Maritime Department in the South?"

"You want to?" Jiajing's eyes flashed and his eyes burst into flames.

"Not bad!" Luo Xin nodded and said, "I will go to talk to the wealthy families in the southeast. If I want to destroy the Japanese pirates and open up the road to maritime trade again, it will require a lot of funds, and it will be opened up. Who knows if there will be pirates again in the future? Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the sea, which requires a lot of money. In this way, it is normal to increase the commercial tax of the Maritime Commission to 15th to 15th. Moreover, now the initiative is in our hands. If they do not agree, we will not pacify the Japanese pirates. Even if they have goods, they cannot trade with the vassal states. If they want to make money, they must agree to the tax of 15th to 15th to 1. The most important thing is that even if they agree to 15th to 1, there will be a lot of money to make, so they will definitely agree.

When they agreed, the hole was opened. One can be implemented in the south at 15th. There are places for implementation in the north and south, so the increase in commercial taxes in the entire Ming Dynasty will be no problem.

Your Majesty, in fact, many things are at the beginning. As long as you start, the rest will come naturally, and the difference is only a matter of time.”

"Okay!" Emperor Jiajing's eyes shone.

"In this way, the first thing Your Majesty has to do is to stop building Yuxi Palace and increase salaries to officials. Of course, on this basis, integrity should continue. It is absolutely unforgiving to catch corrupt officials."

Emperor Jiajing nodded and pondered for a while and said, "Luo Xin, who do you think is more appropriate to be responsible for the North's mutual market?"

"Your Majesty, I think I am the most suitable. However, I have to go to the Southern Maritime Bureau, so the Northern Market needs a talent who understands commercial trade. I cannot send an outsider who only goes to the Four Books and Five Classics, otherwise I will suffer a loss and maybe even mess up the matter."

Emperor Jiajing nodded and said, "You are right, but it is difficult to find people with trade experience. Well, you can find people who have experience in Southeast Maritime. Now, there are only three people except you, one is Zhang Juzheng, the other is Xu Shixing, and the other is Zhang Shijie.

Zhang Shijie is a corrupt official and can never be re-activated. This leaves Zhang Juzheng and Xu Shixing."

Speaking of this, Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but sigh: "These two people are also defeated generals. Xu Shixing almost closed the Maritime Warehouse because of Xu Jie's family. However, Zhang Juzheng directly closed the Maritime Warehouse because of the Japanese pirates."

Emperor Jiajing looked at Luo Xin with a smile and said, "Who do you think is more suitable for these two people to go to the north to manage the mutual market? This position not only involves the finances of the Ming Dynasty, but also involves the issue of commercial taxes. It is very important. By the way, do you think it is better to open a mutual market there?"

"Xuanfu."

Emperor Jiajing pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Well, I will grant an official the title of the magistrate of Xuanfu and serve as the promotion of the mutual market. This is a fourth-rank official. Luo Xin, do you think Zhang Juzheng is suitable or Xu Shixing is suitable?"

"Xu Shixing!" Luo Xin said without hesitation.

"Haha..." Emperor Jiajing smiled lightly and said, "Is it because Zhang Juzheng is Xu Jie's person, and Xu Shixing is your person?"

“There is this reason, but not all.”

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Chapter completed!