My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 358 Unexpected Result: Trial Implementation of Whip Technique
Gu Xiancheng rose, bowed, and addressed the crowd:
"The railway construction costs listed by the Ministry of Works of the Imperial Court did not take the Fangshan Railway as a model? Is this a case of favoring the north and neglecting the south?"

"Yesterday, we investigated the steel market prices in the suburbs of Beijing, and the Ministry of Industry's calculations for the price of railway tracks were several times higher than the market price! Why is that?"

"The steel used in the Jiangnan Railway should be priced according to the market price in the capital!"

When Gu Xiancheng spoke, he completely changed from Xu Kun's cautious demeanor and directly addressed the North-South issue.

All the officials present frowned.

This young man is too hot-blooded!

But can a young person be considered young if they aren't hot-blooded?

Su Ze looked at Gu Xiancheng with a playful expression. As expected of Mr. Gu Xiancheng of Donglin, he had already set the pace from the very beginning.

In response to Gu Xiancheng's question, Wan Jing, who was in charge of the steel plant in the suburbs of Beijing, stood up and said:

"Scholar Gu is mistaken! The cost of the railway was calculated by the Ministry of Works and the Construction Bureau, which already included all costs such as transportation, mining, and labor."

"The price of steel in the capital does not represent the price of steel transported to Jiangnan!"

"The reason why the price of steel for Fangshan Railway is low is because the steel plant is located in the suburbs of Beijing. The steel used for the railway can be laid as soon as it is produced, which saves a lot of transportation costs."

"The journey to Jiangnan is long and difficult, especially the land route from the capital to Zhigu, where the cost of transportation is almost half the price of steel!"

"The Wusong Railway is in its initial construction phase, so the cost is naturally high. But how dare the imperial court arbitrarily set an inflated price? The Ministry of Revenue also participated in the estimation. Why doesn't Director Ge explain this?"

Wan Jing pulled Ge Ye, the chief accountant of the Ministry of Revenue, aside, and Ge Ye naturally opened his account book and said:

"The low price of steel in Beijing is due to the high capacity of the Beijing-run steel mills. If the railway tracks were transported from Beijing to Songjiang, the transportation cost might be higher than the cost of the steel itself. Wouldn't it be more economical to produce them locally in Jiangnan?"

This topic has been brought back to the Jiangnan negotiation team.

Steel plant?
In fact, this topic has been discussed in Jiangnan before.

There are also coal and iron producing areas near Jiangnan, and the area itself has well-developed transportation, so it is not impossible to build a steel plant.

Wasn't Baosteel in the original timeline located in Shanghai? It was also one of the first super-large steel plants in New China.

But the problem was that even the gentry of Jiangnan couldn't reach an agreement on building the steel plant.

Steel mills are different from railways. Where will this steel mill be built? Whose land will be requisitioned?

Steel mills are highly technological industries, and once built, they cannot be moved.

All seven prefectures in Jiangnan wanted to build steel mills on their own territory, but no single prefecture had the capacity to do so.

In response to the topic raised by Ge Ye, Gu Xiancheng sneered:
"Ge Si's words seem reasonable, but he has forgotten the precedent of grain tribute in Jiangnan! When the imperial court collects tribute rice, the grain households in Jiangnan send it to the capital. It is estimated that only 200 shi (a unit of dry measure) can be exchanged for 100 shi to be actually stored in the granary. Today, for road construction, the price of steel should be calculated according to the same method as grain tribute: based on the price of steel in the capital, only then will it be fair!"

After he said this, even the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial frowned.

Why are these scholars from Jiangnan acting like mad dogs, even dragging the imperial court's taxes into it?

But after he said that, the officials present all fell silent.

Gu Xiancheng is right.

Just then, Su Ze spoke up:
"In my opinion, Scholar Gu's words are reasonable."

"?"

Everyone present looked at Su Ze, and no one expected that Su Ze would speak up for the negotiation team.
Su Ze said, "The tribute from Jiangnan has to be sent to the capital, which is a waste of manpower and resources. Many tribute items are sent to the Imperial Treasury but are never used, and end up being wasted in the warehouse, which is really inconvenient."

"Therefore, I believe that all in-kind taxes from Jiangnan, whether they go into the national treasury or the imperial treasury, should be converted into silver based on the prices in the capital at the beginning of the year. In the future, all localities need to do is hand over the silver dollars to the government, and then the government will approve their transport to the capital."

"Firstly, it can alleviate the congestion of the canal; secondly, it can relieve the people from the suffering of difficult roads; and thirdly, His Majesty can directly purchase whatever his private treasury needs with silver dollars, making expenditures flexible."

Everyone present was dumbfounded.

The eunuch Hu, sent by the Directorate of Ceremonial to record the events, turned pale and hurriedly said:
"Su Hanlin, today's discussion concerns the Wusong Railway. What does it have to do with tax law?"

Su Ze said:
"His Majesty's edict only said that he would discuss various matters with the Jiangnan delegation, but it didn't say that he couldn't discuss tax matters?"

"Anyway, we're just having a discussion. The final result will still be reported to His Majesty and the Cabinet. What can't we say?"

Upon hearing Su Ze's words, the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial dared not speak further.

As an official of the inner court, he naturally opposed Su Ze's suggestion.

As we all know, the more complex something is, the easier it is to tamper with it.

The eunuchs in the Imperial Treasury were all extremely wealthy, and this collection of taxes in kind was an important power they held.

If the tribute you sent all the way to the capital is deemed unqualified by the eunuch in charge of inspection, do you expect to have to transport it all back from your hometown?

At this point, the only option was to bribe the eunuch in charge of the inspection with a large sum of money.

In addition, these goods and taxes stored in the inner transport warehouse, such as silk, brocade, tea, tribute rice, and lacquerware, are subject to daily wear and tear.

Every year, the inner transport warehouse would "report" some items as damaged. Whether these items were truly damaged or were secretly taken out and sold by the eunuch in charge, only heaven knows.

Furthermore, with so much stuff in the internal transport warehouse, a significant amount is stolen every year, making it a truly murky situation.

If all the silver dollars were converted to silver, there would be no loss of silver dollars, and it would be very convenient to count them, which would greatly damage the interests of the inner transport warehouse.

However, the eunuch sent by the Directorate of Ceremonial was of low rank and dared not meet Su Ze's gaze.

Su Ze looked at the official in charge of records at the Ministry of Works and said:
"This passage has also been recorded. Your Majesty and the Grand Secretaries are requested to make their judgment."

The officials from the Ministry of Works hurriedly began writing, and now even the eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had no choice but to follow suit.

Both the Ministry of Works and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs should report on the results of today's negotiations; the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs can't be missing a section, can it?

Su Ze looked at the representative of the Jiangnan negotiation group and continued:

"Similarly, the imperial court cannot afford to lose money."

"The price of steel for the Wusong Railway should be based on the local steel price in Wusong, not the price in Beijing."

Su Ze's words left Gu Xiancheng speechless and dejected.

Now Su Ze acknowledges the issue of collecting taxes in kind in Jiangnan and proposes to collect them in silver.

Gu Xiancheng's point of view has just lost its foundation.

Gu Xiancheng wondered if Su Ze had planned this all along.

Taxation in silver was something that Hai Rui, the governor of Yingtian, had always supported.

I'd heard that Su Ze and Hai Rui had a special relationship, was Su Ze using this opportunity to bring up the topic?

Since Gu Xiancheng was an enthusiast of political commentary, he naturally studied Su Ze's memorials frequently.

That's so typical of Su Ze!
The thought that his arrival in the capital had become the pretext for Su Ze to promote the collection of taxes in silver made Gu Xiancheng feel powerless, as if he were completely under Su Ze's control.

The Jiangnan negotiation group was already lacking in confidence, and now Su Ze's words left them speechless.

The only saving grace was that the issue of converting in-kind taxes into silver was brought to the forefront for discussion. If all tribute taxes from Jiangnan could be converted into silver, it would be a great benefit to the gentry and common people of Jiangnan. At this moment, Su Ze added:
"Actually, I also have a solution: the court and the gentry of Jiangnan can each take a step back."

"As Wan Langzhong and Ge Langzhong just mentioned, the most expensive leg of steel transportation is from the capital to Zhigu."

“Once you reach Zhigu, you can load the cargo onto a seagoing vessel and go directly to Wusongkou. Since the railway in Jiangnan starts construction from Wusongkou, the only remaining cost is the loading and unloading at the dock.”

"The canal from the capital to Zhigu was clogged with water, and the land route was also very congested."

"so."

Su Ze looked at the Jiangnan negotiation group and made a suggestion:
"If Jiangnan funds the construction of the railway from the capital to Zhigu, the imperial court can also make some concessions on the construction cost of the Wusong Railway."

After Su Ze finished speaking, everyone present was in an uproar.

How did the discussion about the cost of the Wusong Railway turn into a question of converting the tribute taxes from Jiangnan into silver, and now into asking Jiangnan to fund the construction of the Zhigu Railway?

However, Gu Xiancheng reacted quickly, instantly grasping the crux of the problem and immediately asking in return:

How will the Zhigu Railway be funded? Who will construct it? And who will have the operating rights after completion?

Su Ze smiled and said:

"Scholar Gu just said that the officials in the court are meticulous about every little thing, so why are you getting so calculating when it comes to yourself?"

Laughter erupted in the hall, but Gu Xiancheng ignored the jarring sound and stared at Su Ze, awaiting his reply.

Su Ze said calmly:

"Naturally, the shares will be raised in the capital's bulk trading market, but gentry and merchants from Jiangnan can also subscribe."

"The Zhigu Railway also followed the old example of the Fangshan Railway, and a board of directors was established to operate it. Its profits, after offsetting the Ministry of Works' investment, were jointly discussed and allocated by the shareholders."

Gu Xiancheng reacted quickly; he immediately asked:

"Does Su Hanlin mean that the Wusong Railway should follow the same example and raise shares in the capital's bulk trading market? Allowing gentry and wealthy merchants in the capital region to invest?"

Su Ze nodded and said:

"It's hard to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent private equity funds. What if someone uses railway fundraising to swindle and deceive people? Wouldn't that damage the reputation of the imperial court and the railway board of directors?"

"The Beijing Commodity Exchange has issued shares of Fangshan Railway and Woyin Company. As long as there is some publicity in the newspaper, no one will be fooled."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and their gazes fell on Gu Xiancheng.

Su Ze also looked at Gu Xiancheng.

This Mr. Donglin is indeed remarkable; his talent in political struggle is off the charts.

He immediately understood his own intention.

The proposal to raise funds to buy the Zhigu Railway was precisely for the sake of future "custom" that the Wusong Railway should not be controlled solely by the gentry and wealthy merchants of Jiangnan.

Su Ze's goal was to break up the vested interests in Jiangnan; he couldn't let them continue to stick together using the railway, could he?

Of course, Su Ze also disliked the formation of similarly closed interest groups in the North, and the introduction of funds from the South to dilute these groups was also for the sake of future integration.

Gu Xiancheng immediately saw the key point.

Su Ze nodded in agreement, but Gu Xiancheng did not continue speaking and instead lowered his head and sat down.

With things having come to this point, the Jiangnan negotiation team could not offer any more comprehensive suggestions than Su Ze's, and the negotiation was coming to an end.

Thus, this consultation meeting concerning the Wusong Railway eventually veered into the topic of in-kind tribute taxes in Jiangnan and the Zhigu Railway, and then inexplicably ended the meeting.

Finally, everyone signed their names on the meeting minutes. After reading them, Su Ze asked Eunuch Hu, who was in charge of recording at the Directorate of Ceremonial, "..."
"Eunuch Hu, could you allow me to make a copy and include it in the collection of memorials?"

Eunuch Hu quickly said:
"Of course, please have Hanlin Su transcribe it here."

The Ministry of Works tactfully offered paper and pen, which Su Ze quickly copied down, thus concluding the discussion on the Wusong Railway.
-
When Su Ze returned to his office in the Imperial Household Department, he took out the minutes of the negotiation meeting that he had copied.

In a sense, this negotiation was also submitted to the emperor and the cabinet, essentially the same as a memorial to the throne.

The function of the "Handheld Ming Dynasty Court" is to propose effective national policies. Can this be considered a national policy proposal?
This is also why Su Ze wanted to attend the consultation meeting.

If this can be considered a national policy proposal, then proposals submitted through consultative conferences are certainly much easier to pass than individual memorials.

This is Su Ze's way of sharing the prestige consumption.

I stuffed the copied meeting minutes into the [Portable Ming Dynasty] device, and sure enough, the system started working.

It worked!
Wusong Railway Negotiation Record

——[Simulation Start]——

The "Records of Negotiations on the Wusong Railway" were delivered to the Imperial Palace and the Cabinet.

Zhang Juzheng, the Second Grand Secretary, highly agrees with your proposal to collect taxes in kind in Jiangnan in exchange for silver.

The Minister of Railways and Water Affairs, Lei Li, strongly agreed with your suggestion to build the Zhigu Railway and recommended that the Emperor agree to Su Ze's proposal that if the gentry and wealthy merchants of Jiangnan were willing to contribute funds to build the Zhigu Railway, they could support the construction of the Wusong Railway at a more favorable price.

The Longqing Emperor agreed to your proposal for the Zhigu Railway, but due to interference from the inner court, he shelved the proposal regarding the conversion of in-kind taxes in Jiangnan into silver.

——[Simulation End]——

[Remaining Prestige: 1230.]

[To fully approve your negotiation proposal, you need to pay 400 reputation points. Do you wish to pay?]

Sure enough!

In other words, the system can not only receive official memorials, but also any negotiation proposals in which the system has participated.
What if I could be in charge of a department and handle official documents in the department's name?

Wouldn't that allow one to bestow the prestige of the entire department upon oneself?
Su Ze chose "yes" without hesitation.

[Prestige points have been deducted, leaving 830. The negotiation proposal has been sent to the palace and is awaiting approval.]

To some extent, Su Ze's ultimate goal was to convert the in-kind tax revenue from Jiangnan into silver.

This is actually Zhang Juzheng's Single Whip Law.

The Jiangnan region has a developed commodity economy, and with the circulation of silver dollars and brass coins in recent years, it has met the conditions for implementing the Single Whip Law.

Moreover, the Jiangnan region already had a portion of its taxes collected in silver, known as "Golden Flower Silver," so implementing the Single Whip Law there would be beneficial to the people.

The main reason for this was opposition from the inner court.

However, the fact that only 400 prestige points are required indicates that these objections come from low- to mid-level eunuchs.

The three top officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs probably wouldn't care about such petty gains. They wouldn't get involved in these small-scale corruption cases and risk affecting their image in the emperor's eyes.

Su Ze closed the [Portable Ming Dynasty] app and waited for the system to kick in.

(End of this chapter)