Chapter 447 448 Taxes,
Seeing Li Yu's sleepy eyes, Zhou Jia said softly: "Then let Xiaojiu pay attention. If anything goes wrong, let us know. Yu'er, you are tired too. You should go to bed first. I have official business to deal with."
Li Yu opened his eyes and looked at Zhou Jia, "It's so late, is it some urgent business?"
Zhou Jia frowned and said, "Your Majesty originally wanted to use troops against Da Qi, but recently he discovered that Jing State, which is adjacent to Liangzhou, has another change. The court is worried that Da Qi and Jing State will join forces, and Dayong will be attacked from both sides.
Yu'er, the past two years have been good and the people have been able to breathe again. Once a war breaks out, money will be burned. Swords, guns, bows and crossbows must be prepared in advance. The wounded and killed soldiers need compensation and money.
I heard from Shen Zhong that His Majesty often handles government affairs until the rooster crows, and then goes to court. The ministers all propose to increase taxes on the people. Your Majesty is unwilling to increase the burden on the people. Those powerful people from aristocratic families always only focus on their own interests and do not care about the lives of the people. . "
After hearing this, Li Yu thought for a while and said to Zhou Jia: "How much tax can be levied on ordinary people's families? Too much tax will only force the people to have no way of living. People who have land will take their land to those who are responsible for the work, officials, and wealthy families." , by then the land will be annexed into the hands of these people, and it will be more difficult for the court to collect taxes.
I think that if you want to collect taxes, you should start with merchants. The court should not control tea, wine, and silk like it controls salt and iron. It should relax the ban on business so that all merchants can participate, and it should also issue laws to restrict it. Local officials and merchants have no clear evidence of illegal activities. The government is not allowed to harass merchants at will. The court only cares about the same thing, collecting taxes, or heavy taxes. In this way, they are no longer a tool for wealthy families and moths to line their own pockets. "
Zhou Jia thought for a long time after hearing this, and felt that what Li Yu said was not unreasonable, but these things were in the hands of those powerful people from aristocratic families and those worms, and their interests were affected. Will those people agree?
"Yu'er, you don't know that the largest gambling house in Kyoto belongs to the eldest princess's consort's family, let alone these things. Once the interests of these people are touched, we will be attacked by groups. I can't let you In trouble."
"That's true! The Zhou family has no roots and cannot bear the anger of these people." Li Yu thought for a moment, "Xiao Xi, you can go to the palace and mention to His Majesty the consequences of increasing taxes on the people. See if he is Let’s talk about what you think.”
Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head, "Your Majesty has thought of it a long time ago. We don't need to remind you. You go to bed first and I'll take a rest after I finish processing the official documents."
"Well!" Li Yu watched Zhou Jia go out, and after lying down, he thought to himself, being an official is not easy, and being an emperor is not easy either. It would be better to find a mountain top and become the king of the mountain.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Yu went to Li Qing's house to see if there was anything she could do to help. When he arrived at Li Qing's house, he saw Mrs. Gong and a woman with a kind smile on her face, discussing what to prepare for the banquet.
Li Yu stepped forward and saluted with a smile: "Auntie, thank you for your hard work."
"Why are you being so polite to your aunt?" Mrs. Gong stepped forward and held her hand, smiling angrily, "Ah Yu, come, this is the aunt of Ah Qing's wife, here to help arrange Ah Qing's marriage."
"Thank you for your trouble, aunt." Li Yu smiled and bowed to Mrs. Wu.
Mrs. Wu smiled and supported Li Yu, "Mrs. Li, you are inconvenienced. We are all a family and there is no need for such courtesy. Besides, we should come to help with A Qing and Huan Huan's happy event."
Li Yu smiled politely: "Thank you, aunt. I'm young and don't know anything. It's all up to you and aunt to take care of it. Thank you for your hard work."
The three of them chatted politely for a while, then entered the house and took a look at the newly painted new house. Gong and Wu told Li Yu about the guests invited to the wedding banquet and what should be prepared. A wedding banquet is so complicated, and it takes a lot of effort to host a wedding banquet. I gratefully thank the two of them again.
In the end, Gong and Wu sent Li Yu away with a smile. After Li Yu returned home, he thought about it and realized that there was still one month left before Li Qing's wedding, so he started to pack his things and prepare to return to Wangjia'ao.
Zhaocai came back and reported: "Madam, there is a banquet at Shangshu Mansion tonight. The master is going to the banquet, so you don't have to wait for him."
"Okay, prepare some hangover pills made by the old lady for me," Li Yu said.
After Zhaocai left, Li Yu got up after a while and remembered that he had not seen Mr. Wen yet. He called Xinghua and asked, "Where has the old man gone? I haven't seen him today."
Xinghua smiled and said, "Madam, the old lady went to the old house early in the morning with Steward Xiang to pick up the old lady Zhou to sell flowers."
After hearing this, Li Yu remembered that he had never visited the Flower and Bird Market before, so he smiled and said, "Let's go! Let's go to the Flower and Bird Market too."
When Xinghua heard that she was going to visit the flower and bird market, she jumped for joy and said, "Hey! Madam, I'll go get Han's car right now."
Aunt Yang watched Xinghua run away briskly, and said with a smile: "Madam, the children in our house are still alive. These little girls in other houses are like wooden stakes, and they all have the same expression of being cautious when doing things. .”
Li Yu thought that he had been in Zhuangzi for so long, and that Aunt Yang had managed the family properly and all the relationships were safe. He felt relieved a lot. He smiled and said to her: "Mommy, you will stay in the Zhou family from now on." Don’t leave!”
During these days in the Zhou family, Aunt Yang had long liked the days when the Zhou family lived in harmony without intrigues. After hearing Li Yu’s words, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Li Yu, “Thank you, Madam, I like Zhou. Home, this old slave will stay in the house from now on, and I won’t leave even if you kick me out.”
Li Yu smiled and helped her up, "Don't worry, as long as the Zhou family is stable, you will belong to the Zhou family."
"Yes, ma'am." Nanny Yang responded with a smile.
Han San set up his car, and Li Yu took Xinghua to the Flower and Bird Market. The Flower and Bird Market in Nancheng is on a remote street. When they arrived at the Flower and Bird Market, Han San parked the car and put down the wooden bench, "Madam, the Flower and Bird Market is here."
"Okay." Li Yu and Xinghua got off the car and saw that the street was filled with all kinds of flowers. After walking in, they felt that the market was filled with all kinds of fresh and rich floral fragrances. Flowers and plants of different shapes, Bonsai plants, some as delicate as fire, or in bud, warm and pleasant, are all neatly arranged by vendors, and many vendors have people bargaining in front of them.
Li Yu and Xinghua strolled slowly. When they reached the middle of the market, they saw Mr. Zhou with his sleeves rolled up and holding a pot of orchids. He was talking to the customers with great joy. Li Yu saw him and the flowers and plants in the shop and thought he was real. I love these flowers and plants, I am doing this seriously, and I walked over with confidence.
Walking around the corner, she saw Mr. Wen squatting and looking at a pot of green plants. Xinghua smiled and stepped forward to salute, "Old man, what flower are you looking at?"
Mr. Wen looked up and saw Li Yu and Xinghua. He smiled and said, "You are here too! I saw that the shopkeeper of this shop said that some of his flowers and plants come from foreign lands. I am here to take a look at this pot of herbs."