Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 761 Intercepting Summer Taxes
Zhao Shi, holding the imperial edict in his hand, bypassed the main hall and easily arrived at the reception room of the second hall.

The door to the reception room was wide open, and Zhao Shiyong attracted the attention of everyone inside even before he got close.

His sudden appearance interrupted the polite greetings that were taking place in the hall. All eyes turned to him, their faces showing surprise. The most astonished of all was Gao Shiming, who had just parted ways with him in the front courtyard of the Ministry of Revenue.

Gao Shiming's brows furrowed subconsciously, a hint of displeasure and wariness flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself: This Zhao censor is too tactless, isn't he? The imperial edict has already been delivered, why did he still come here?
Although Minister of Revenue Wang Yingjiao, who was in charge, was equally surprised, he still took the initiative to greet him and asked with a smile, "May I ask who you are?" Yesterday, a censor from the Ministry of Revenue also came to the ministry to deliver a copy of the document, but that person was not Zhao Shiyong.

This was Zhao Shiyong's first meeting with Wang Yingjiao, but the crimson robe with pheasant embroidery, typical of a second-rank civil official, immediately confirmed his identity. He quickly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and respectfully replied, "My apologies. I am Zhao Shiyong, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, paying my respects to Minister Wang. I apologize for the intrusion and hope for your understanding."

"So it's Zhao, the Censor." Zhao Shiyong deliberately suppressed his Jianghuai accent when he spoke, but Wang Yingjiao still caught it immediately and couldn't help but ask, "Judging from your accent, is Zhao, the Censor, from Southern Zhili?"

"Minister Wang has excellent hearing." Zhao Shiyong put on a smile and replied in a Yangzhou accent, "This humble official is indeed from 'Nanjing Yangzhou'."

"It really is Yangzhou." Wang Yingjiao nodded, considering the pleasantries over. He blinked and asked, "Why is Censor Zhao here? Isn't Vice Minister Wang in the main hall?"

"Returning to the Ministry, Vice Minister Wang is in the hall." Zhao Shiyong replied with a cupped hand: "It is he who always has me deliver the official documents directly to you."

Wang Yingjiao thought something serious had happened, and his brows immediately furrowed. "What is it?" he asked, looking at the official documents in Zhao Shishou's hand, his tone turning serious.

Zhao Shi stepped forward, presented the official document with both hands, and glanced at Shen Guangzuo, the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, who was standing behind Wang Yingjiao. He said, "This is a disaster report from Shuntian Prefecture. It's from Miyun County. His Majesty has already approved it."

Shen Guangzuo was taken aback upon hearing this, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face. He clearly hadn't expected the emperor's reply to be so swift.

Wang Yingjiao was also taken aback, glancing instinctively at Shen Guangzuo before taking the memorial from Zhao Shiyong and quickly reading it. "Seventy-two civilians drowned, two hundred and thirty-seven went missing, and over three hundred hectares of farmland were flooded." Wang Yingjiao's gaze swept quickly across the memorial, then he reviewed the emperor's reply copied by the Ministry of Revenue. After finishing, Wang Yingjiao looked up at Shen Guangzuo with a mixture of confusion and inquiry: "Yanfu, why didn't you tell me about such a big thing earlier?"

A bitter smile crossed Shen Guangzuo's face. He quickly took out a prepared document from his pocket and explained, "Your Excellency, please forgive me. I originally intended to finish explaining the bank's situation before reporting the disaster in detail to Your Excellency." As he spoke, he handed over the document. "This is the official document from Shuntian Prefecture requesting the Ministry of Revenue to provide assistance. Please take a look."

Wang Yingjiao closed the official document, took the dispatch, and quickly glanced through it. The content was almost identical to the memorial, differing only in wording and some specific requests. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "How much money and grain do you, the Shuntian Prefecture, estimate are needed for this disaster relief?"

After a brief recollection, Shen Guangzuo replied, "According to the preliminary petition submitted by Changping Prefecture, it is estimated that 3,000 shi of grain and 2,000 taels of silver are needed, mainly for the relief of famine victims and the repair of roads and river embankments destroyed by floods."

Repairing roads and repairing river embankments were matters for the Ministry of Works, even if the imperial court wanted to handle them. So Wang Yingjiao simply asked, "Approximately how many households were affected by the disaster?"

Shen Guangzu shook his head with a solemn expression: "The incident just happened, and Changping Prefecture hasn't had time to conduct a detailed investigation and report yet. But based on the estimate that more than 300 hectares of paddy fields have been flooded, the number of affected households is at least over 1,000."

"Three thousand shi of grain," Wang Yingjiao silently calculated in his mind, muttering, "that's only enough for a few thousand or ten thousand people for a month. There are still at least two months until the autumn harvest. Is this amount of grain enough for relief?"

"Your Excellency is wise," Shen Guangzuo replied. "The summer taxes for Miyun this year have been largely collected and deposited into the treasury. They have not yet been transported. If we can rely on His Majesty's grace to grant exemptions and allow the grain to be used for local disaster relief, along with the grain stored in the Miyun County granary and the Changping Prefecture granary, it should be enough to last until the autumn harvest."

"Hmm," Wang Yingjiao nodded and handed the copied memorial to Shen Guangzuo: "Your Majesty is wise. This year's summer tax from Miyun County does not need to be sent to the capital."

Shen Guangzuo accepted the memorial with both hands and immediately noticed the comment that had turned from red to black after being copied. A look of gratitude instantly appeared on his face. He took a step back, facing north towards the Forbidden City, solemnly straightened his robes, knelt down, and respectfully kowtowed, proclaiming loudly, "Your Majesty is wise! On behalf of the countless disaster victims of Miyun County, I kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"

Wang Yingjiao stood silently to the side, and only after Shen Guangzuo finished bowing and stood up did he continue to ask, "Yanfu, how much summer tax has been collected in Changping Prefecture this year so far?"

Shen Guangzuo straightened up, thought for a moment, and replied, "Reporting to the Minister. The tax silver from various prefectures and counties has not yet been transported to the capital, so we do not yet know the specific amount. However, based on last year's revenue, even after deducting the summer tax for the entire Miyun County, collecting around four thousand taels should still be no problem."

“In that case,” Wang Yingjiao said after a moment of contemplation, then nodded. “Then the Ministry of Revenue’s relief efforts will be drawn from the summer taxes already collected but not yet paid in Changping Prefecture. Grain should be purchased where necessary, and laborers should be hired where needed. The amount used should be verified clearly and allowed to be deducted from the taxes due. Any surplus should then be transferred to the Ministry. If it is still insufficient, Shuntian Prefecture can draw on the summer taxes from surrounding prefectures and counties to make up for the shortfall. In this way, we can use the funds locally and save the cost of transportation.”

Shen Guangzuo naturally had no objection to this arrangement, but he still cautiously reminded him: "Your Excellency is wise. Withholding tax revenue destined for the capital should be reported to the emperor first. Even if the matter pertains to disaster relief, it should still be decided by imperial decree."

“You don’t need to worry about that. The Ministry of Revenue will submit a formal report explaining the situation. Your Shuntian Prefecture only needs to accurately record all expenses and report them to the Ministry for filing.” Wang Yingjiao waved his hand, signaling Shen Guangzuo to return the copy of the document sent to the Ministry of Revenue to him. “The disaster is urgent. Since His Majesty has already approved the exemption and relief, he will surely not refuse this alternative method.” “Yes.” Shen Guangzuo felt somewhat relieved and returned the copy of the document to Wang Yingjiao: “After I return, I will immediately send a letter to Hua Gun, the prefect of Changping, and Yao, the prefectural assistant, instructing them to handle the matter in accordance with the Ministry’s decision.”

Wang Yingjiao took the document from the Ministry of Revenue, put it away along with the official document from Shuntian Prefecture, and placed it on the tea table next to the main seat. Then he turned to Zhao Shiyong, who had been standing quietly to the side, and asked, "Zhao Shiyong, does the Ministry of Revenue have any objections to the Ministry of Revenue's handling of this matter?"

Zhao Shiyong cupped his hands in response, saying, "Minister Wang is decisive and insightful, thoughtful and thorough, and his handling of the matter is appropriate. He is both compassionate towards the people's suffering and considerate of the national interests. The Ministry of Revenue has no objections."

"That's good." Wang Yingjiao nodded in satisfaction, seemingly relieved. He turned and sat down, took a sip of tea, and a faint smile returned to his face. Shen Guangzuo also returned to his previous seat, adopting a pensive posture. Only Gao Shiming remained standing—when Zhao Shilai arrived, Wang Yingjiao and Shen Guangzuo were exchanging pleasantries with him and had not yet invited him to sit down.

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Zhao Shiyong naturally understood the situation; Wang Yingjiao had sat down to drink tea without speaking, clearly waiting for him to take his leave. But Zhao Shiyong did not do as he wished. Instead of leaving, he turned his gaze to Gao Shiming standing to the side and asked, "Eunuch Gao, just now in the front courtyard, you said that you had been summoned by Minister Wang today, presumably to discuss the 'circulation of banknotes and the reform of tax collection.' Is that correct?"

Gao Shiming frowned instinctively, inwardly cursing this censor for being so difficult to deal with. However, he did not directly answer Zhao Shiyong's question. Instead, after a moment's thought, he turned his gaze to Wang Yingjiao, who was sitting in the main seat, and respectfully asked, "Minister Wang, did you summon me here today to discuss this matter?"

Wang Yingjiao was taken aback by this sudden question. Although he had indeed only decided to send someone to invite Gao Shiming to the Ministry of Revenue to discuss policy details after he had basically reached an agreement with Shen Guangzuo, he had made it very clear when he sent the messenger that the invitation was to discuss the reform of the Beijing tax into invoices. Gao Shiming's seemingly obvious question was...
Wang Yingjiao, being a seasoned official, understood Gao Shiming's intention in the blink of an eye—Gao Shiming was wary of Zhao Shiyong but didn't want to act on his own, so he passed the buck on whether to reveal anything and how much to reveal to Wang Yingjiao.

Wang Yingjiao's eyes darted around, and he quickly weighed the options in his mind: Although the matter was not yet finalized, the general strategy had been discussed with Shen Guangzuo. The matter of changing tax receipts to invoices would eventually be known and even reviewed by the censors. If they were to forcibly conceal or evade it now, it might cause unnecessary suspicion and trouble. Moreover, even if the Ministry of Revenue chose to oppose the implementation of the tax receipt reform, it would have no direct relation to the Ministry of Revenue or the Shuntian Prefecture.
Having made up his mind, Wang Yingjiao no longer hesitated. He put down his teacup, nodded frankly, and glanced at Zhao Shiyong and Shen Guangzuo before finally settling on Gao Shiming. Following up on what Gao Shiming had just said, "What Eunuch Gao said is correct. I have troubled you to take time out of your busy schedule to come to the Ministry today precisely to discuss how to implement the 'tax reform to invoices' policy in the capital." Wang Yingjiao then raised his hand, gesturing to the empty seat opposite Shen Guangzuo, "Eunuch Gao, please sit down and let's discuss this further."

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiming's slightly tense expression eased. He bowed slightly to Wang Yingjiao and said, "Thank you, Minister."

Gao Shiming stopped looking at Zhao Shiyong, and as instructed, walked to the empty chair opposite Shen Guangzuo, lifted the corner of his robe, and sat down calmly.

Just then, a yamen runner from the Ministry of Revenue entered carrying freshly brewed hot tea, intending to serve it to the newly arrived guest. He noticed the unexpected guest in the hall and paused, a hint of hesitation on his face. But he quickly recovered, his gaze locking onto the newly seated Gao Shiming. He hurried over with the tea tray and carefully placed a steaming cup of tea on the tea table beside Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming slightly turned his head, gave the constable a perfunctory smile, and nodded. The constable quickly responded with a flattered smile.

After putting down his teacup, the yamen runner did not leave immediately. Instead, he took the empty tray and looked somewhat helplessly at Wang Yingjiao, who was in the main seat, and then deliberately glanced at Zhao Shiyong, who was still standing in the hall.

Wang Yingjiao knew he probably wouldn't be able to get rid of this shameless fellow today, so he simply took the opportunity to order, "Serve tea to Zhao Gejian as well."

"Yes, Your Excellency." The yamen runner bowed and quickly left the reception room with the empty tea tray.

“Since Zhao Shiyong has come at this opportune moment,” Wang Yingjiao turned his gaze back to Zhao Shiyong, and pointed to the empty seat next to Shen Guangzuo: “Why don’t you sit down and discuss this with him as well?”

Zhao Shiyong wanted to hear those words. He was secretly delighted, but maintained a respectful demeanor. He immediately clasped his hands in greeting and first bowed deeply to Wang Yingjiao, who was in the main seat, saying, "Thank you, Minister." Then he turned to Shen Guangzuo and Gao Shiming, who were already seated, and bowed to them respectively, saying, "Prefect Shen, Eunuch Gao."

Wang Yingjiao accepted the greeting with composure and nodded slightly. Although Shen Guangzuo felt somewhat uncomfortable about the sudden appearance of a censor, since Wang Yingjiao had already made his decision, he also stood up and politely returned a half-bow. Gao Shiming, on the other hand, simply remained seated, turned to face Zhao Shiyong, and nodded slightly with that unchanging, slightly aloof, faint smile on his face.

Zhao Shiyong straightened up, straightened his robes, walked to the empty chair below Shen Guangzuo, and sat down properly. He secretly glanced at Shen Guangzuo beside him a few times, only then noticing that Shen Guangzuo looked exhausted, as if he was barely holding on.

"Eunuch Gao." Wang Yingjiao's voice quickly drifted down from the main seat and reached Gao Shiming.

"What are your orders, Minister?" Gao Shiming stared intently, his fist clenching slightly beneath his sleeve.

"Shuntian Prefecture has decided to officially start collecting silver notes in the capital next month." Wang Yingjiao smiled and waved to Shen Guangzuo. "We hope that the major branches in the capital can prepare enough silver notes for merchants to exchange."

Gao Shiming was somewhat surprised, not expecting Wang Yingjiao to say so immediately that the matter was already settled. He subconsciously glanced at Shen Guangzuo, eager to know how Wang Yingjiao had persuaded the Shuntian Prefect, who had long maintained a passive resistance. However, he suppressed this urge to find out and excitedly replied, "Minister Wang, Prefect Shen need not worry! As for silver notes, there's plenty to go around!"

(End of this chapter)