After more than a month of preparation, the Datang Merchants Association officially opened on the sixth day of November.The world's big businessmen gathered in Chang'an.Because of the convening of the investment conference, Chang'an City has also become very lively.It's a joy to the businessmen of Chang'an City.The people who came were all rich masters, and their spending power was not comparable to ordinary people.In the beginning, most of the businessmen came with the idea of joining in the fun.But when they saw the glass products displayed by the imperial court, they changed their minds one by one and participated in the investment promotion with the mentality of being determined to win.There are three phases of investment promotion.The first is to sign up, and those who participate in the investment promotion need to provide their identity information and business qualifications to the imperial court.The imperial court should also verify the information provided by the applicants to prevent confusion among people.In addition, applicants also need to pay a large deposit to prevent some businessmen from competing for marketing rights and then regretting it.This deposit alone has kept some weak businessmen out of the bidding process.However, these businessmen can still be watched as spectators.The second stage is to bid for the production and marketing rights of movable type printing and glass.This is also the most important stage.In the third stage, the imperial court entered into a contract with the winning bidder and awarded the winning bidder movable type printing and the technology of producing glass.The first phase of work was completed over three days.In fact, those who can pay the deposit are all well-known businessmen, and these people will pay a large amount of business taxes every year, and they have already registered in the imperial court, so they don't have to make too much effort to verify the information they provide.Some dignitaries in the DPRK and China also signed up to participate in the bidding, and their identity information did not need to be verified.The second stage of the bidding meeting was held on November 11 at the Xiande Hall of the East Palace.Double 11, a day of online shopping carnival in later generations, held a bidding meeting on this day, but also has a common meaning of ancient and modern.Previously, when Li Shimin announced that a bidding meeting would be held in the Xiande Hall in the early court, there were still many ministers in the court who opposed it.In particular, Kong Yingda's opposition is the strongest.Kong Yingda and others believe that the Xiande Hall is a solemn place, and it is a desecration of the Xiande Hall to let a group of merchants with a strong copper smell enter it.Li Shimin didn't make a difference, just smiled slightly, and asked Zhao Yunze, who participated in the early dynasty that day, "How does Zhao Aiqing think about this matter?"
In fact, it was Zhao Yunze's idea to hold a bidding meeting in the Xiande Palace.Li Shimin was also a little hesitant at first, but Zhao Yunze finally convinced him.At this time, Li Shimin obviously wanted Zhao Yunze to come forward to debate with Kong Yingda and others.As soon as Zhao Yunze stood up, Kong Yingda felt a little weak.He clearly remembered that when Cheng was silently apprenticed to the teacher last year, Zhao Yunze debated with him about the new furniture.For Zhao Yunze's eloquence and insight, Kong Yingda deeply admired.Zhao Yunze asked Kong Yingda: "Master Kong, why do you look down on businessmen" Kong Yingda said: "Merchants have been the end of the four people since ancient times.Gentlemen value righteousness, businessmen value profits, they don't produce, they only buy cheaply and sell for profit, a group of immoral people. ”Zhao Yunze didn't argue with Kong Yingda, he walked directly to Pei Ju, the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and asked: "Pei Lao, the kid took the liberty to ask, what was the income of the treasury of my dynasty last year" Pei Ju is eighty years old this year, and Li Shimin specially gave him a seat to participate in the court meeting.For such an old person, Zhao Yunze is really worried that he has a bad memory.Pei Ju didn't get up either, and said directly: "Last year, I put 43 million 1682 yuan into the treasury. ”Note: 缗, originally meant to wear the rope of money, and later used to measure the amount of money, a 缗 for ten times, that is, 10,000 money.This old man can, remember clearly.No wonder he is so old, Li Shimin still asked him to be an official and steward, "Pei Lao, is this amount you are talking about, is it a simple coin income or an income converted into all taxes" Zhao Yunze asked knowingly.The feudal court in ancient China never once reached more than 40 million yuan in coin income alone.The figure quoted by Pei Ju is very watery, and it is a converted figure after integrating grain and rice, cloth, tea tribute, silk tribute and other physical objects, as well as labor and labor.In particular, the price of grain and rice, which accounts for the majority of taxes in kind, has been very expensive in recent years, so the moisture of this figure is even greater."
Hehe, of course, all taxes are converted into income at the end of last year.If my Chaoguang coin income can reach more than 40 million, then the old decay of the Ministry of Civil Affairs will not have to worry. ”Pei Ju said with a smile.Hearing Pei Ju's words, the minister laughed knowingly.Nowadays, the national strength is weak and weak, and it is difficult for Pei Ju, the secretary of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.There is a shortage of money everywhere, and officials often quarrel with the officials of the household department over the allocation of money.If it weren't for the fact that Old Man Pei was too old, I am afraid that his old man would inevitably be sprayed with a face."
Then what is the simple coin income of the treasury last year," Zhao Yunze asked Pei Ju again."
Alas, only one hundred and twenty-three thousand two hundred seventy-four wields."
Pei Ju sighed."
What percentage of the commercial tax is that," Zhao Yunze asked again."
At least eighty percent."
Pei Ju replied."
Thank you Pei Lao for your advice" Zhao Yunze arched his hand towards Pei Ju, walked back to Kong Yingda's side, and said to Kong Yingda: "Master Kong, you have also heard that the monetary income of the national treasury last year, commercial taxes accounted for the majority.That is to say, eighty percent of the money received by all officials of the Tang Dynasty every quarter and the coins are contributed by merchants.Eighty percent of the coins used in the construction of the imperial court came from commercial taxes.Master Kong, you eat the merchant's, use the merchant's, pick up the bowl to eat, put down the chopsticks and scold your mother, this is not a gentleman's style of doing things" Zhao Yunze's words made the ministers laugh.Kong Yingda was really self-contained, but he was not annoyed by Zhao Yunze's words, and said with a smile: "Peng Yu's words are biased.A certain and your colleagues have some coins, but this is a small part after all.More often than not, it is the income in kind and in the field. ”Zhao Yunze said again: "Then ask Master Kong again."
Are you and your family eating the grain produced in your job field and title field?"
”Kong Yingda said."
If there are no merchants, won't all the surplus grain in your house be rotten," Zhao Yunze said again."
This," Kong Yingda said.Zhao Yunze turned around at this time, bowed his hand to the ministers, and said: "Everyone, let's take grain as an analogy, the surplus grain of my rich and noble family in the Tang Dynasty is to be sold to merchants, and then resold by merchants to the people who need food.Without merchants, food would not be circulating, and many people who did not farm would go hungry.If there were no merchants, the silk in the south of the Yangtze River would not have been transported to Chang'an, and the medicinal materials produced in the deep mountains and old forests could only be dug up by the locals to feed pigs and sheep.It is precisely because of the trafficking of merchants that the local specialties can be turned into money, and the local people also benefit.The gentry from all over the country can also buy specialties from other places nearby.What's more, the merchants also provided taxes for the imperial court. ”After Zhao Yunze said this, all the ministers, including Kong Yingda, thought about it.Zhao Yunze said: "The people of the world look down on businessmen, all because of the understanding that Confucius sage and gentleman value righteousness and villains value profit, and think that businessmen value profit, so they classify businessmen into the ranks of villains.But don't forget that among Confucius's students, Zigong was a businessman.If the Confucian saints also discriminated against merchants, why did it take great profits to accept tribute as apprentices, but their small profits gathered together were the great interests of the country.The great benefit of the country, can't it still be called righteousness?"
After a pause, Zhao Yunze summed up his statement: "I think that the country is not governed without government, there is no stability without agriculture, there is no stability without soldiers, and if there is no business, it is not rich."
If the Tang Dynasty is compared to a person, the education of the saint is its soul, agriculture is the viscera, the army is the muscles and bones, and the business is the blood.If people are separated from blood, how can they surviveOnly when commerce is developed, the circulation of goods in the country will be more convenient, the people will be richer, and the country's tax revenue will be increased.The Qi State of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was rich in industrial and commercial development, which is a ready-made example in history.Your Majesty let the businessmen enter the Xiande Palace, which is to show the importance that my Tang Dynasty attaches to commerce, why don't you agree" Zhao Yunze's words made those ministers who were initially opposed to holding a bidding meeting in the Xiande Hall silent.Kong Yingda was silent for a while, and then said to Zhao Yunze: "Peng Yu's words have opened someone's eyes."
Before, it was a certain dullness. ”"Master Kong is polite."
Kong Yingda bowed to Li Shimin again: "Your Majesty, I was persuaded by Zhao Pengyu to no longer object to Shang Jia entering the Hall of Xiande." ”Kong Yingda turned off the fire, and the rest of the ministers who opposed this matter did not come forward.In this way, the matter of holding a bidding meeting in the Hall of Virtue was decided
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