The emperor flipped through the account book and frowned.
"Why is it only 2.85 million taels?"
The emperor is dissatisfied. Could it be that someone is so bold as to embezzle the money from the bidding conference?
Chen Dachang reacted instantly and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, according to the agreement, Madam Zhao will take half of the money as hard work fee."
The emperor was stunned for a moment, then thought about it carefully and realized that this was the case.
"She's not polite at all. She took her share before the money even entered the treasury. Humph!"
The emperor felt a little unhappy when he thought about Gu Jiu taking away more than 100,000 taels of silver in one breath.
Of course, he is a man of his word.
He had promised Gu Jiu to let her take half of the profit as hard work fee, and he would definitely not go back on his word.
The emperor pondered the matter carefully and felt that he had fallen into Gu Jiu's trap.
Half of the hard work fee may not seem like much.
But when the total amount reached three million taels, half of it was 150,000 taels.
That's a lot.
The emperor snorted coldly, "She is quite clever and cunning, and has plotted everything against me."
Chen Dachang didn't dare to respond.
Then the emperor said, "I heard that the work in Yuhua Lane is over and the money will be distributed soon."
"Exactly."
"Who invested money in Gu Jiu in the beginning?"
Chen Dachang was well prepared. He took out a list from his sleeve and placed it in front of the emperor.
Who invested how much money in Gu Jiu? These are no secrets. With a little effort, you can find out.
The emperor looked at the long list, which was basically Gu Jiu's relatives, friends, associates, etc.
Ouyang Fu was the only one in the palace.
The emperor laughed and said, "It seems that Gu Jiu is not very popular in the palace!"
Chen Dachang smiled and said, "I have heard that Madam Zhao has a rather stubborn personality and is not very tolerant."
The emperor chuckled twice, "No wonder she's still not pregnant, and Liu Zhao doesn't dare take a concubine. My grandson is completely dominated by Gu Jiu. It's a shame for a husband to lose his authority."
Chen Dachang laughed. Indeed, Liu Zhao was a typical example of a husband with weak authority.
"Your Majesty, would you like to grant two beauties to Young Master Zhao?"
The emperor waved his hand, "No, let them deal with it on their own. I'm still counting on Gu Jiu to make money for me."
Because he was counting on Gu Jiu to make money, he didn't want to cause trouble for Gu Jiu. It was obvious that the emperor loved money more than his grandson.
In the face of money, Liu Zhao has to stand aside.
Chen Dachang smiled and said, "I heard that Madam Zhao bought all the land outside the South City Gate. This alone brought the Shaofu tens of thousands of taels of silver."
"Such a large piece of land outside the South City Gate, and you only earned tens of thousands of taels? That's a bargain."
The emperor was not happy.
How could the land be sold at such a low price? And it was sold to Gu Jiu at a low price.
Gu Jiu is a boy who brings fortune.
Tens of thousands of taels of land, if it falls into her hands, can be turned into hundreds of thousands of taels at least.
"Your Majesty, you may not know that outside the South City Gate live tens of thousands of refugees. It's a place no one wants to set foot in. Madam Zhao bought that place, and many people are saying that this time Madam Zhao might lose money."
Tianzi frowned, "Can she lose money?"
The emperor didn't believe it.
"Go, call the Shaofu's steward. I want to question him."
For the emperor, paying attention to Gu Jiu's business activities has become a form of entertainment.
When I feel tired of dealing with government affairs, I can always find pleasure in asking Gu Jiu about his recent situation and feel relaxed both physically and mentally.
Gu Jiu has become a spice in the emperor's life.
The Shaofu household steward hurried into the palace and went to Xingqing Palace to meet the emperor.
He carefully observed the emperor's expression and saw that he was in a good mood. The Minister of the Imperial Household secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The emperor asked loudly, "I heard that Gu Jiu bought the land outside the South City Gate from the Shaofu. Is this true?"
"It is true." The Shaofu Household Manager bowed and replied.
The emperor asked, "As far as I know, there are tens of thousands of refugees living outside the South City Gate. How did Gu Jiu make money by buying the land outside the South City Gate?"
"I don't know." The Shaofu household official trembled with fear.
The emperor was unhappy, "She bought the land from you, and you didn't ask a single question?"
The Shaofu Household Officer's forehead was covered with sweat. "I asked her, but she didn't tell me. She also told me to wait and see."
Tianzi snorted, "Did she tell me how to deal with the refugees outside the city?"
"No."
The emperor was furious because he knew nothing about anything.
"Tell me, what did she say to you that made you agree to sell her the land outside the South City Gate?"
The Shaofu Housekeeper pondered for a moment before saying, "Madam Zhao said she has her own way of dealing with the refugees outside the South City Gate."
"No more?"
"She also said that she may not be able to do other things, but she has never lost money in business."
"Ha ha……"
The emperor laughed out loud, "She's quite arrogant."
Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, the Minister of the Imperial Household took the opportunity to bring up another matter. "Your Majesty, there is a matter concerning Madam Zhao that requires your decision."
The emperor said in a good mood: "Tell me about it."
"Madam Zhao wants to purchase people from Beirong and Xiliang through the Ministry of Personnel, with prisoners being given priority."
Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned, "Why is she buying people?"
The Shaofu Household Supervisor didn't dare to hide the truth. "Some time ago, Madam Zhao bought a large amount of unowned land and mines in the south, which required a large number of laborers. Since there wasn't enough labor locally, she thought of buying people from Beirong and Xiliang.
"I have considered this and believe it will benefit both the country and the people. Beirong and Xiliang have small populations, and buying one of them would be equivalent to weakening their power. This matter is of great importance, and I dare not make the final decision, so I ask Your Majesty to make the decision."
The emperor said, "She's quite the pushover. She's quietly gone south to buy land and mines. Has she paid taxes on the businesses under her name?"
The Minister of the Imperial Household nodded and said, "Every business transaction must be fully taxed. This is the tax list of Madam Zhao's properties that I have compiled. Please review it, Your Majesty."
Chen Dachang took the list and placed it in front of the emperor.
The emperor flipped through the pages one by one, reading them very carefully.
The Shaofu family commander felt relieved.
The reason why he prepared the tax payment list in advance was not because he guessed what the emperor would ask, but because Gu Jiu reminded him in advance.
Gu Jiu privately mentioned two things: The emperor is suspicious and obsessed with profit. The Shaofu manages the emperor's private treasury. Only by laying out every income and expenditure clearly before the emperor can one gain his trust.
The Shaofu household official took these words to heart.
From then on, every entry in the Shaofu's accounts was clear and could withstand inspection at any time.
Considering that he and Gu Jiu had a lot of financial dealings and the emperor was more concerned about Gu Jiu's situation, he also made a list of Gu Jiu's taxes.
According to unwritten tradition, businesses of officials and royal families do not pay taxes.
Although there is no explicit legal provision, everyone does it.
The Shaofu and the Ministry of Revenue will not pursue the collection.
Gu Jiu is different, she does the opposite.
She pays her taxes duly.
She paid exactly the amount of tax required by the law, not a penny less.
She is determined to become a rich woman and create a business empire.
If she didn't pay taxes from the beginning, when the business under her name became large enough to attract attention, the whole world would regard her as an enemy, and everyone in the court would want her to be killed.
By then, every penny in her hand will be filled with original sin.
Perhaps the emperor would use the excuse that she didn't pay taxes and was competing with the people for profits to confiscate her property with a single imperial edict.
By then she will have no place to cry.
Judging from the situation, the real crisis arrived earlier than Gu Jiu expected.
Her business, by her standards, was not large-scale, but just a small-scale operation, a complete mess.
But even so, it has attracted the attention of so many people and even attracted the special attention of the emperor.
She said MMP but didn't know whether she should say it or not.
Fortunately, she took precautions and, from the beginning of her small pearl flower business, she had always paid taxes in full in accordance with the law.
The Shaofu household official came to her aid and specially prepared a tax payment list for her.
The tax payment list, the tax officer of the Ministry of Revenue has the original record of every item, which cannot be forged.
The emperor flipped through the tax list of Gu Jiu's properties and became more and more shocked.
In just a few years, the fixed properties under Gu Jiu's name, such as cloth shops, farms, pharmacies, jewelry shops, etc., had paid tens of thousands of taels of taxes.
Naturally, jewelry stores pay the highest taxes.
In just over a year, a jewelry shop alone paid 30,000 to 40,000 taels of tax.
These are just the beginning.
Yuhuaxiang Wharf had paid 50,000 taels of tax in just half a year.
The Yuhua Lane real estate project paid a total of 80,000 taels of tax.
A rough calculation shows that in just two or three years, the properties under Gu Jiu's name had already paid two hundred thousand taels of tax.
The emperor was shocked.
He is so active in paying taxes, and he pays them in full. How can anyone have the nerve to blackmail Gu Jiu again?
The emperor asked uncertainly, "Did she really pay so much tax?"
The Minister of the Imperial Household confirmed, "Every item on the list is on file in the Ministry of Revenue. All taxes have been paid in full. Your Majesty may summon the tax officer of the Ministry of Revenue to inquire about this matter. As far as I know, Madam Zhao is the highest annual tax payer in the capital region."
The emperor frowned. "I looked through the tax list. Her business isn't that big, so how come she's the one paying the most taxes?"
The Minister of the Imperial Household considered this for a moment. "Many merchants either don't pay taxes or pay too little. Madam Zhao's properties all pay taxes in full. So, naturally, those merchants don't pay as much as Madam Zhao."
The emperor's heart leaped with rage, "Why are some merchants allowed to pay no taxes, or even pay less? What's the job of the tax officer in the Ministry of Revenue?"
The Shaofu's forehead was covered with sweat, and he realized that he had stirred up a hornet's nest.
He hurriedly tried to remedy the situation, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Most of the merchants who don't pay taxes, or pay too little, are run by servants. It's the tradition of our dynasty not to collect taxes from them."
The "various families" mentioned by the Shaofu Jialing are naturally those official families, wealthy families, and royal relatives.
Bang!
The emperor slammed his hand on the table, seething with anger.
Looking at Gu Jiu's tax payment list, one can estimate that in the capital area alone, the amount of tax evasion and tax avoidance is at least one million taels every year.
Calculating across the whole country, at least tens of millions of taels of tax revenue go into private pockets every year.
The Ministry of Revenue runs into deficit every year, complaining of poverty every year. Whenever they run out of money, they raise taxes. But where do the taxes go? They're all levied on the common people.
The common people lived a hard life and had to bear heavy taxes.
But the wealthy people don’t have to pay a penny of tax. How ridiculous!
"As the wife of the emperor's grandson, Gu Jiu has been paying taxes honestly. What right do other merchants have to not pay taxes? My kingdom has been hollowed out by these parasites. Damn it, all of them deserve to die."
The emperor was furious and was determined to collect all the unpaid taxes in the world.
The Shaofu's steward saw this and immediately became anxious, "Your Majesty, calm down. If the whole country is required to pay taxes, will the Shaofu pay taxes first? Will the imperial estate pay taxes? Will the various royal palaces pay taxes?"
Chen Dachang was also very anxious. "Your Majesty, please think twice! The current situation did not form overnight, and naturally it cannot be changed overnight. The salaries of officials in this dynasty are too low, less than one-tenth of the previous dynasty. If officials do not establish some property, I am afraid they will not even be able to support their families. If the officials' families are starving, who will be willing to study hard and serve as an official?"
The Grand Housekeeper continued, "Your Majesty, the money house under the Grand Household's name has earned hundreds of thousands of taels of interest this year alone. By next year, when the scale is expanded, it will be at least a million taels. If Your Majesty agrees to the trade of people from Beirong and Xiliang, the Grand Household will have another income. The border troops will also have more income."
"Your Majesty, commercial taxes cannot be collected hastily!"
The Shaofu Household Director and Chen Dachang were trying to persuade the emperor.
Don’t be impulsive!
Impulse is the devil!
They are all interest groups, can they be moved at will?
If anything moves, it might shake the foundation of the Great Zhou, and the whole world would be in turmoil!
The emperor looked grim, and with a flick of his sleeves, he swept all the documents on the desk to the ground.
Paying off commercial taxes will affect everyone's interests.
Those with vested interests will certainly hinder and oppose us in various ways. If they get angry, they might even turn the table and turn against us.
The emperor is fully aware of the risks involved.
Therefore, in the past, the emperor knew the truth but never mentioned it.
The reason I brought this up today was all because of Gu Jiu’s tax payment list.
Gu Jiu alone paid 200,000 taels of tax in just two or three years.
This year marks the 36th anniversary of Kaiyao.
It has been thirty-six years since the Son of Heaven ascended the throne.
How much tax revenue did the imperial court lose in the past thirty-six years?
It's a completely astronomical figure.
The accounts don't stand up to careful calculation.
Once you do the math, the emperor's heart bleeds.
With such a small amount of property and business under Gu Jiu's name, he was able to pay 200,000 taels of tax.
How much tax did those wealthy merchants, those high-ranking families, and aristocratic families evade?
I’m afraid it’s no less than one million taels.
It’s all money!
When the emperor thought about how the money that should have belonged to the Ministry of Revenue and the Minister of the Imperial Household was embezzled by those bastards, he wanted to kill them all.
The emperor was about to be kidnapped by a group of vampires. Not only was he kidnapped, but he couldn't even resist. How could the emperor not be furious?
Furious, the emperor drew his sword and chopped at the table.
Bang bang bang!
The knife chopped the table top again and again, leaving a gap in the nanmu desk.
Inside the hall, everyone was terrified, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly.
No one dared to speak.
Even the Shaofu household steward, Chen Dachang, didn't dare to speak.
Whoever speaks at this time will be cannon fodder.
Chen Dachang secretly glanced at the Shaofu's housekeeper: Look at what you have done, you have been bringing up all the issues, now you feel guilty.
The Imperial Household Supervisor frowned and bared his teeth. "How could I have known Your Majesty would be so irritated by a mere tax list? This unspoken rule has been in place for decades, centuries, not just today. Your Majesty clearly knows the truth, so why is he so angry now? It's completely unreasonable."
What is the emperor angry about?
He was angry at his own powerlessness.
He was the Son of Heaven, rich as the world, but he could not pry open the vested interests. He watched helplessly as the officials, wealthy families, and royal relatives evaded taxes. He watched helplessly as these bastards sucked blood from the Great Zhou.
The emperor was furious.
He hated his old age and frailty, as he was no longer able to fight against this huge group of interest groups that covered the entire world.
It’s not that I don’t want to, but that I can’t.
If he dares to move, the throne under him will probably be overturned and someone else will sit on it.
Is the emperor senile and confused?
No!
The older the emperor gets, the more sober he becomes, and because he is sober, he is fearful.
Because of fear, I want to grasp even a glimmer of hope.
So the emperor summoned the alchemist into the palace and asked him to take elixirs.
Therefore, the emperor doted on the little prince, seemingly placing his hopes on him.
He just wanted to live a few more years, preferably until the little prince reached adulthood.
The emperor chopped his weapons wildly and finally vented his anger.
Bang!
Throwing away his sword, the emperor picked up the tax list again.
"Gu Jiu did a great job and deserves praise. However, this matter involves too much, so I will pretend I don't know anything about it. Whoever dares to reveal a single word about what happened in the hall today, I will kill all his nine clans. Uncle..."
"Your Majesty, please treat me with such humility." The Shaofu's household official was terrified.
According to seniority, the Shaofu Household Director is indeed the emperor's uncle, but how could he dare to agree?
So every time the emperor called him uncle, he felt particularly frightened.
The emperor smiled, his face as warm as a spring breeze.
The previous storm seemed like a dream, and everything was an illusion after waking up.
The emperor said, "Gu Jiu is loyal to the emperor and the country. People like her should be given more support by the Shaofu. I have agreed to the trafficking of people from Beirong and Xiliang. Tell her to do her job well and I will not treat her unfairly."
Instead of giving the benefits to those bastards who only suck blood and don't pay taxes, the emperor decided to give the benefits to Gu Jiu.
At least Gu Jiu paid the taxes in full.
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