After talking with Wang Anshi, Zhang Fei called Fan Li and others to deal with the aftermath, while he went home with Xu Zhiqian.
Ten thousand strings of cash?
For Fan Li, this was the biggest deal he had ever made in his life. Based on the commission, the firm could earn a profit of 3,000 strings of cash.
He couldn’t make so much money in a year before!
But for him, Zhang Fei's business is always a mixture of pain and happiness.
More than one hundred people were prosecuted at one time, and all of them were well-known figures in Kaifeng County and Xiangfu County.
this.
Will this really work?
Inside the carriage.
"what's on your mind?"
...
...
Seeing Zhang Fei's serious expression and silence, Xu Zhiqian couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Fei tilted his head to look at her and said with a smile: "I know what you are thinking, but what I think is definitely different from yours."
Xu Zhiqian asked: "How do you know?"
Zhang Fei said, "You must be thinking about the tenant farmers, right?"
Xu Zhiqian nodded slightly.
Zhang Fei said: "This is actually the least worrying thing in this case. If we can really convict those big landlords, we will have the qualifications to negotiate with them.
According to the laws of our dynasty, those who evade taxes and commit serious offenses may be punished with up to eighty strokes of the cane. If we spare them the physical pain in exchange for them paying a small amount of taxes for the tenant farmers, they will definitely agree.
Because even if they don’t agree, they will still have to bear almost all the taxes and penalties.”
Yes! We can use punishment to trade with them. Xu Zhiqian was delighted, but then she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Zhang Fei smiled bitterly and said, "I was thinking that it's really not easy for Grand Secretary Wang!"
Xu Zhiqian pouted, "Who said it wasn't true?"
After a pause, she asked again: "If it really goes to court, can we win this case?"
“Tax lawsuits are actually the most cumbersome.”
Zhang Fei glanced at the books. "One hundred and eight. With just this little amount of information, I'm afraid it can only meet the standard for prosecution. If you want to win for sure, that may not be enough."
As he spoke, he frowned and began to think again.
After seeing this, Xu Zhiqian did not bother him any more.
When the carriage stopped, Xu Zhiqian saw that Zhang Fei was still thinking, so she couldn't help but say, "Zhang San, we're here."
"ah?"
Zhang Fei was startled and looked at Xu Zhiqian, "What did you say?"
Xu Zhiqian blinked and said, "We're home."
"oh."
"Get out of the car."
When we got off the carriage, it was already completely dark.
A lantern was raised at the door.
Xu Zhiqian was just about to ask what Zhang Fei was thinking about when she suddenly saw someone standing at the door. She was stunned and looked at Zhang Fei again.
Zhang Fei happened to look at her and said, "Let's go to your house first!"
When we arrived at Xu's house, we saw Xu Zun sitting in the hall and talking with a young man.
This young man was none other than Emperor Shenzong.
After Zhang Fei came back, Xu Zun and his daughter left very tactfully. They knew that the emperor came here for only one reason, and that was to see Zhang Fei.
There's no need to come here to find Xu Zun.
"Did Scholar Wang come to see you just now?" Zhao Xu asked directly.
Zhang Fei nodded, and looked at Zhao Xu in confusion, "Why did your majesty lend money to Wang Daxueshi?"
What this means is that we have already discussed a countermeasure, using tabloids to use moral blackmail to force those scholars and officials to come forward and make those landlords compromise.
Zhao Xu did not answer but asked: "Did you accept it?"
Zhang Fei smiled awkwardly and said, "I opened the door to do business, so I can't refuse!"
Zhao Xu asked again: "Are you sure?"
Zhang Fei pondered for a moment, "I'm not sure at the moment."
Zhao Xu asked: "Why?"
Zhang Fei said: "Because the accounts provided by Grand Secretary Wang are very limited and not detailed enough, if we hand them over directly to the government and the government sends people to search, it may be useful, but it is not enough for a lawsuit. Because the court requires evidence, and it must be complete. Once the other party finds a loophole, we will be in a very passive position."
Zhao Xu asked: "What if we can find more evidence?"
Zhang Fei said: "Of course we can win. But can this really be brought to court?"
Zhao Xu showed hesitation, and after a moment, he sighed: "When Wang Xueshi came to me to borrow money, I was actually very conflicted, after all, we have already thought of a solution.
But a word from Wang Xueshi made me change my mind."
Zhang Fei asked: "What?"
Zhao Xu said: "If we can't even collect legal tax revenue, what's the point of reforming the law? Therefore, Wang Xueshi believed that this matter was God's help. If we can't get over this hurdle, the new law will be meaningless even if it is promulgated, because they can still find a way to transfer the tax burden to the common people."
This is actually an important reason why the new law failed. Zhang Fei nodded slightly.
Zhao Xu added: "In fact, I have been thinking about this problem these days. There are complicated reasons why legal tax revenue cannot be collected. The relationship between local gentry, local officials, court officials, royal relatives, monks, and Taoists is complicated and intertwined. Even if I personally come forward, I will encounter great resistance, but if I can appeal to the court, I can cut it off with one stroke."
In the feudal era, tax collection was all about power games. Faced with the entrenched landlord class, the emperor was powerless despite his willingness, and if he was not careful, chaos might arise.
That's why they decided to play tricks.
But that was only a temporary solution, and moral kidnapping was only temporary. After a few months, everyone would dance and sing as usual. At that time, Zhao Xu thought that he would get through this stage first.
But the situation has changed a bit now. There is an additional option of prosecution. This did not exist before. Ordinary people did not dare to sue, and they could not sue. Officials could only report to the emperor, but reporting to the emperor was also a political game, and the other party’s people could also report to the emperor.
It is different from prosecuting. If you prosecute, both parties have to present evidence.
The power game has changed from whether to pay taxes to whether the lawsuit can be accepted.
It would certainly be more beneficial for them to argue the latter.
Because the essence of the former is not a legal issue, but a money issue, that is, arguing whether the court should collect the money. Even if it is a legal tax, they can refute it on the grounds of benevolent governance. If the people cannot pay, are you forcing them to rebel?
Moreover, the scope of the crackdown is wider. As long as you give the order, all of them will be investigated.
The latter is not a question of money, but a judicial issue. I just sued them for breaking the law, and I didn't ask for their money.
The judge can rule that they don't have to pay taxes.
Moreover, the scope of the crackdown was very narrow, just 108 or 109. Even if it was tax evasion, he did not break the law because no one prosecuted him and the court did not issue an order to investigate.
One is a government decree and the other is a judgment, which are completely different things.
After he finished speaking, Zhao Xu saw that Zhang Fei remained silent, so he continued, "You also said at the beginning that only the legal system can enrich the people and strengthen the country. If the tax law is difficult to enforce, there is no point talking about other things."
If you don't have money, don't talk about anything.
Wang Anshi's reforms were also intended to make money for the country.
Zhang Fei was startled and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, I was thinking about this question on my way back."
Zhao Xu asked, "What do you think?"
Zhang Fei said: "It is not impossible to do so, but governing the country must first govern the officials."
Zhao Xu wanted to cry but had no tears: "I can't wait any longer."
Zhang Fei said: "As far as tax audits are concerned, they can actually be completed quickly."
Zhao Xu perked up and asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Fei said: "Just now I said that I was not completely sure about this lawsuit because the accounts provided by Wang Daxueshi were limited. The reason why Wang Daxueshi could not provide more complete accounts was because there was no powerful tax inspection office."
Zhao Xu was startled: "The tax inspection office?"
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "If we want to bring the case to court and make tax law a judicial system, evidence is the most important thing. Therefore, Your Majesty must set up a very powerful tax inspection department. Otherwise, this will just be an individual case and will not last long."
Zhao Xu said hurriedly: "The court has a special tax inspection office, and there are many of them. The three departments have one, the transport commissioner has one, and the local governments have one. They all have the power to investigate taxes."
Zhang Fei chuckled, "Your Majesty, can that be called a tax inspection? At best, they are just a bunch of cowards who only know how to be strong and weak, with no technical skills. If we rely on them to inspect taxes, we will be poor."
The corners of Zhao Xu's mouth twitched a few times. You look down on the government with a pen. Who gives you the confidence? He asked with a little displeasure: "Then tell me, what does it take to be called a tax inspection?"
Zhang Fei said: "I think the minimum standard should be to collect taxes from those bandits."
"?"
Zhao Xu was stunned for a long time, and asked dully: "How can bandits pay taxes?"
Zhang Fei asked in return: "Why don't the bandits pay taxes?"
Zhao Xu said: "Bandits are doing illegal things. If we catch them, it will be a criminal case. Who cares whether they pay taxes or not?"
Zhang Fei said: "Your Majesty, it is very unprofessional to think like this."
Zhao Xu looked displeased, "Unprofessional?"
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "These are two different things. Although it is illegal, taxes still need to be paid. Bandits who build houses on the mountain also have to pay deed taxes. Bandits who go down the mountain to buy wine and meat also have to pay taxes. This has nothing to do with whether it is illegal or not."
Zhao Xu
He said angrily and amusedly: "You are talking nonsense. They have already become bandits. Will they still pay the deed tax?"
Zhang Fei said: "It depends on whether the tax inspectorate is strong enough. As long as it is strong enough, the bandits will have to pay taxes obediently."
Zhao Xu said: "Some bandits are so powerful that even the soldiers can't do anything about them. Could it be that the tax inspectors are more powerful than the soldiers?"
"It's a must!"
Zhang Fei said: "If the officers and soldiers are not strong enough, then what is there to investigate. The most difficult thing in the world is not fighting a war, but collecting taxes. No matter how powerful the Han and Tang dynasties were, they could not collect taxes legally."
Zhao Xu blinked and asked, "Then can we do it?"
Zhang Fei said: "As long as Your Majesty is determined enough, you can do it. I can also provide Your Majesty with some methods."
"No need."
Zhao Xu waved his hand and said, "I'll leave it to you."
"ah?"
Zhang Fei said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, I am Erbi. I am good at talking and can give advice, but it is a bit difficult for you to ask me to execute it. Take my servant Xiaotao for example. In the spring, every morning, I sit in the yard to bask in the sun and eat candied fruits."
Zhao Xu snorted, "You just made it sound so easy. You called my officials rogues and my soldiers worthless. I want to see how powerful you are."
Zhang Fei cried, "Your Majesty, I will tell you."
"Tell me?"
Zhao Xu snorted, "Only you can say that. Wang Jiefu and Sima Junshi don't dare to say that. You are not the only one who can do it. Think about how to increase the tax revenue of the bandits. I will fully cooperate with you."
Without waiting for Zhang Fei to speak, he immediately continued, "As for the tabloid issue, I am not going to give up. I will keep this in case of emergency. I will leave it to you to arrange it."
"?"
Zhang Fei coughed a few times and said, "Your Majesty, let's talk about this later. Let's do the current work first. If we really want to sue, this account is not perfect enough. Your Majesty must secretly send people to search for more evidence first."
Zhao Xu snorted, "I will send someone to contact you tomorrow. You can make your own arrangements. I am not as capable as you and cannot collect taxes from the bandits."
It's over! This bragging seems to be a bit exaggerated.
[Please do not transcode the reading (similar to Baidu) or the content will be lost]
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