Chapter 105 The Difficulty of Raising Money

In the third month of late spring, after the rain, the countryside was fresh and fragrant with the scent of earth. The mountains were adorned with lingering red and new green. Even the cities had a dust-free appearance after the rain.

But a city is, after all, a city. Moreover, the current Dongjing, though it had never fully recovered to its peak, was still likely the largest city in the world.

Therefore, after the rain, Dongjing quickly returned to its hustle and bustle.

And this hustle and bustle became even more pronounced with the arrival of April. While the entire city was discussing the expansion of the army, Zhao Guan Jia received two pieces of bad news, one overt and one covert.

The overt one was actually expected, so it was not worth feeling sentimental about. The covert one, though somewhat unexpected, was precisely the kind that couldn't be openly discussed.

To be more specific, the overt bad news was that Lin Jingmo, the Minister of Revenue, had finally submitted a rough financial memorial to Zhao Guan Jia. The Ministry of Revenue, comparing the population and referring to the tax data from the Shenzong era, with the various data from the prosperous and abundant times as the theoretical upper limit, and based on the central government's financial recovery speed in recent years, gave a detailed but ultimately simple conclusion: assuming a three-year period, that is, starting from the Jianyan tenth year for the Northern Expedition, the imperial court would have a shortage of at least thirty million strings of cash for military expenses and several million *shi* (unit of dry measure) of grain.

If it were five years, then theoretically, sufficient preparations for the Northern Expedition could be completed.

This memorial, hundreds of thousands of words long, using many tables that had become popular in recent years, was very convincing, but also very cruel.

Because it really did try to calculate everything possible.

For example, Qianzhou in Jiangnan West Road, due to its mines and porcelain, and with many Miao villages acting as potential consumers, had always been recognized as a major commercial tax prefecture. From the Shenzong era until before the Jingkang Incident, it had consistently provided the imperial court with nearly 50,000 strings of cash in commercial taxes each year. But after the Jingkang turmoil, the Qian rebels rose up, and this direct income of 50,000 strings naturally vanished.

When Yue Fei pacified Qianzhou, the commercial tax revenue quickly recovered to more than 20,000 strings in the previous year.

In response, the Ministry of Revenue believed that Qianzhou's commercial tax revenue would likely recover to more than 30,000 strings in the next year and reach 40,000 strings in the year after that.

But that would be all.

In the short term, Qianzhou's commercial tax revenue would remain stuck at the level of 40,000 strings and would no longer increase, and it would be impossible to stably supply the 50,000 strings as it had done in the previous decades.

The reason was simple. Based on the corresponding land tax, the Ministry of Revenue deduced that a portion of the consumer population had been lost in Qianzhou. Moreover, there was a Qilizhen (Seven Mile Town) east of Qianzhou city, where there was a porcelain kiln that was a top-tier famous kiln... This Qilizhen could directly pay several thousand strings of tax each year, so the imperial court had specially set up an agency similar to a tax office here!

But now, after years of havoc caused by the Qian rebels, Qilizhen still existed, but the porcelain kiln had been interrupted for several years. Even though it had begun to be re-fired, the recovery speed was extremely slow due to the collapse of trade routes and the shrinking of the luxury goods market... In the coming years, Qilizhen would probably only be able to provide a few hundred strings of income.

Therefore, the final conclusion of the Ministry of Revenue was that the total commercial tax revenue of Qianzhou in the next three years would be between 100,000 and 110,000 strings.

In fact, from the commercial tax of Qianzhou alone, one could understand the financial problems of the current Song Dynasty—the foundation was still there, but the upper limit was greatly reduced due to the decrease in population and the occupation of the Two Rivers area. At the same time, the war had caused serious damage to the economic system, and it would take time to recover to the theoretical upper limit.

There were many similar details in this memorial from the Ministry of Revenue.

For example, a certain silver mine in Shaowu Army in Fujian Road was gradually drying up, and the annual revenue should be calculated by decreasing 300 strings each year.

And a certain trading market outside Hangzhou city had completely disappeared in the previous military chaos, and there were no signs of reconstruction... all kinds of records were varied, which broadened Zhao Guan Jia's horizons.

Zhao Jiu even learned some other strange and strange knowledge from this memorial—for example, the tax revenue of Suzhou was much lower than that of Hangzhou this year, because there were many swamps around Suzhou, which limited the development of towns, and the tax revenue had not increased much in recent decades, but the population and number of markets in Hangzhou were constantly climbing.

In short, this memorial was so detailed and so persuasive that everyone understood that Lin Jingmo had definitely come prepared, that the suggestion of building wealth most likely came from him, and that he had probably been preparing for this major project since he returned from the winter last year.

Zhao Guan Jia had to admire him. But having to admire him also meant that Zhao Jiu had to face the huge hole of at least 30 million strings of cash.

Of course, it was at least, because this memorial from the Ministry of Revenue was ultimately an idealized model, all calculated according to the theoretical sustainable recovery. It did not consider any extra expenditures caused by disasters or the consumption of small-scale battles that might break out in the middle.

Therefore, if Zhao Guan Jia wanted to launch the Northern Expedition in three years, he had to obtain an additional 30 million strings of cash within three years, in addition to the normal national finance!

No less.

Speaking of this, one has to mention the other piece of bad news. Zhang Jun sent a secret note to Zhao Guan Jia—his fleet, after going to Japan first and then to Goryeo, returned to Dengzhou after much wandering, but only sold a quarter of its goods.

The reason was simple. The fleet was too large, and there was also an obvious armed ship, which backfired and made the Japanese feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Especially after the fleet sold two ships of goods in Hakata Port in Kyushu, and tried to move further east, the Japanese were obviously stimulated. They sent a large number of inland sea ships to follow and monitor, and all ports no longer traded with the fleet, but cautiously provided normal supplies in deference to the Zhao Song royal flag.

As for forced buying and selling?

Don't be ridiculous. Although the fleet was large and had an armed ship, it couldn't withstand the fact that it also carried the capital of the Jiangdong and Lianghuai merchants, the capital of Zhang Jun, and even Zhao Guan Jia's capital... Who was crazy enough to dare to go to war with so many silks and porcelain?!

Finally, in Bingo in the Seto Inland Sea, a daring Japanese official brought an imperial edict from the Japanese court to negotiate. After much persuasion, and seeing the official documents and flags given by Zhao Guan Jia in Dengzhou, they relaxed slightly and believed it to some extent, and allowed local Japanese Saigoku merchants to board the ship and buy two more ships of goods. They also negotiated slightly, and had the Japanese court buy almost all the copper coins used for ballast with silver and gold... The Japanese did like Song copper coins. From this perspective, conducting some precious metal trade might be feasible.

After all, although the Song Dynasty also lacked copper, it lacked silver and gold even more... During the Jingkang period, the Jin people plundered huge amounts of gold and silver, but did not plunder copper coins, which made this transaction very profitable for both sides.

But that was all.

Next, the Japanese refused to allow the ships to continue to the heartland of Japan, and refused to buy goods beyond normal demand.

The entire trip to Japan could only be said that Zhang Jun's words about the Japanese court being on its last legs were pure nonsense! The Japanese court obviously still had enough prestige and ability to act. Otherwise, how could the ports along the way act in unison?

And Zhao Guan Jia's words about burning down the ports if they didn't buy were also nonsense! Thousands of miles away, across the sea, if a fire was set, who would be responsible if one's own silk was burned?

The value of all the ports in Japan, combined, was not as much as the silk in these ships' bellies!

Finally, the fleet, carrying the Japanese envoy who had come to inquire about the matter, the Bingo-no-kami who had been promoted to Nakatsukasa-taifu for properly handling the matter, prepared to return directly. However, Zhang Jun's family members, who were leading the fleet, really felt that it was too embarrassing to have thirty ships going there and only selling four ships of goods... so they simply persuaded the others to go north, departing from Hakata Port, and then went to Goryeo, arriving at the famous Yeseong Port (Incheon Port) near Gaegyeong.

As a result, the reaction of the Goryeo people was even more intense, even more as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

However, this was not to say that the Goryeo people were afraid of these dozens of sea ships. Unlike Japan, which had been relatively closed, conservative, and sensitive since the cessation of the Tang envoys, the Korean Peninsula had been in close communication with the Central Plains dynasties for hundreds of years, and had a tradition of maritime trade. For example, during the Silla period at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Bogo, a Silla person who had served in the army in Huaidong and obtained a green card, actually contracted the East Asian maritime trade after the Tang Dynasty fell into civil strife.

At its peak, the number of Zhang Bogo's ships that sank at the reefs in front of Mingzhou (now Ningbo) port each year was on the scale of a dozen or dozens... Of course, the ships sailing along the shallow sea were definitely not as large as Zhang Jun's ships now.

In other words, the Goryeo people had considerable short-range combat capabilities near the coast.

The truth of the matter was actually very simple. After all, unlike Japan, Goryeo, as a neighboring country of the Jurchens and a vassal state of the Song and Liao dynasties, was deeply involved in the twenty-year war between the Liao-Jin and Song-Jin dynasties from the very beginning, but had not yet entered the fray. Therefore, for the Goryeo people, a mishandling could mean that the country would directly enter a state of full-scale war.

And after Jeong Chi-sang brought back news of the Jin River pact and Zhao Guan Jia's destruction of Western Xia, fierce disputes arose within Goryeo, and they became even more sensitive and cautious in diplomatic terms.

And don't forget that the envoys sent by Zhao Guan Jia to form an 'alliance' also happened to arrive in the Goryeo capital at this time.

Therefore, when they saw these thirty large ships coming over, Goryeo naturally felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They thought that this fleet, like the Honglu Temple envoys, represented some kind of attitude from the Zhao Guan Jia who had been rumored to be almost godlike in Goryeo.

However, fortunately there was the international friend Jeong Chi-sang, whose face was the most valuable. After he personally boarded the ship to inquire, clarified the situation, and dispelled the misunderstanding, the Goryeo people, with half belief and half doubt, chose the same cautious attitude as Japan—they purchased three ships of goods in a share slightly larger than the normal trade demand.

Moreover, this transaction was concentrated and delayed.

It was an official transaction conducted under the encirclement of countless coastal ships, including fire ships, and after a careful and fierce political struggle within the Goryeo court, which determined the timing and selection of people to visit Zhao Guan Jia.

After the transaction, the fleet was clearly informed that they would not be received at any port other than Yeseong Port, and were advised to return quickly.

Helplessly, the fleet could only carry the Honglu Temple officials going to Goryeo, as well as Kim Bu-sik, the Goryeo's Chusu, Jeong Chi-sang's political enemy, and a half-old friend of the Song people, who was this time's envoy for a return visit to the Song Dynasty, back to Dengzhou.

The old man was already in his sixties this year and had to run around for national affairs every day, which was also hard work.

In any case, only seven or eight of the thirty ships of goods were sold. Although there was a surplus, even earning hundreds of thousands of strings of cash back, from Zhao Guan Jia's point of view, it was undoubtedly a failure—because the cautious attitude of Japan and Goryeo was there, and it seemed that a trade beyond normal trade demand really needed to be done with weapons. But at this time, the Song Dynasty could not carry out long-range operations as Zhao Guan Jia had imagined before.

It was not that it could not be done, but that it was not worth it.

Not to mention anything else, there was still a hole of 30 million strings in front. How much would it cost to carry out a long-range surprise operation?

Even if it was successful, how much more could be earned in three to five years under market saturation? Could it be recovered? What's more, there was the possibility of defeat and many factors beyond human control.

It must be known that military spending is all the people's hard-earned money! It was exchanged for by the Qianzhou kiln workers and the Shaowu Army miners with their blood and sweat! Zhao Jiu would only choose to use force against Japan and Goryeo at this time if he was out of his mind.

Opening up sea routes, dumping goods, and engaging in economic colonialism were not impossible, but there had to be methods and timing.

However, as far as the Northern Expedition was concerned, if the sea could not be used as a plug-in for the time being, how should money be earned?

About ten days later, in mid-April, escorted by the imperial army, the Goryeo envoy Kim Bu-sik, the Japanese envoy Taira no Tadamori, and Xu Jing, the Honglu Temple official who had been sent to Goryeo and returned, as well as the team Zhang Jun had specially sent to Zhao Guan Jia to deliver the 'maritime trade tribute', arrived in Dongjing together.

Immediately, things went wrong. First, a group of people from the east were required to go specifically to the Nanxun Gate in the south. At first, the Goryeo and Japanese missions thought this was a sign of importance, because the Nanxun Gate faced the Imperial Street. However, when they arrived at the Nanxun Gate, Yang Yizhong, a confidant among Zhao Guan Jia's confidants, led hundreds of Yiqian Banzhi to welcome them, but they were only there to welcome the 'maritime trade tribute'.

The Goryeo people, the Japanese, and even Xu Jing, the Honglu Temple official, could only watch as those Japanese and Goryeo specialties, plus hundreds of thousands of strings of silver, walked all the way up the Imperial Street, directly to the Xuande Building under the escort of the Yiqian Banzhi, while their group was driven to the Libin Courtyard under the Honglu Temple along the way, and then no one paid any attention to them at all.

At this time, the Goryeo and Japanese people realized completely that they were just an add-on.

"Duke Leicheon (Kim Bu-sik's hao)."

Arriving at the Libin Courtyard at noon, only an hour later, in the afternoon, Xu Jing, the Zhubu of the Honglu Temple and the envoy to Goryeo, returned. It was estimated that he had hurriedly gone to the Honglu Temple to make a handover before returning. After returning, this Honglu Temple Zhubu came directly to Kim Bu-sik's residence, wiped away sweat, and could not help but show a look of shame. "I was negligent to Duke Leicheon today. I didn't expect the court to only value the official's private purse and not value diplomatic relations!"

Kim Bu-sik, who was reading the Dibao in the courtyard, slowly raised his head. This Goryeo Chusu, who was nearly sixty years old, carefully looked at Xu Jing, who was twenty-six years younger than him, before sighing: "Ming Shu (Xu Jing's zi), how many years have we known each other?"

Xu Jing, who had just passed his thirties, was slightly stunned, but still blurted out: "More than ten years."

"Not bad." Kim Bu-sik pressed the Dibao on his lap and said with emotion. "When the Supreme Daoist Emperor was in power before, I was mostly responsible for the Goryeo mission to Song, and there was only one Song mission to Goryeo, which was ten years ago, when you were responsible. At that time, you first studied the Goryeo language with me in Dongjing, and then went to Gaegyeong together, and then returned together, eating and living together for two or three years, and became close friends in a foreign country... Later, there was the great chaos of Jingkang, and I thought that you and I would never have the chance to meet again in this life, but I never expected that we would be able to travel back and forth on the same ship again... Ming Shu, I cherish our friendship very much, and I can see that you have always been sincere to me."

Xu Jing was slightly stunned when he heard this, almost losing his composure.

It is said that Xu Jing, as the official envoy of the Song Dynasty to Goryeo ten years ago, watched as Wang Lun, a maritime merchant at that time, was promoted to one of the Nine Ministers through a relative by marriage, and he was only temporarily promoted to be an envoy at this time when the court needed diplomatic professionals. The reason was that Xu Jing himself was a wealthy son who was good at calligraphy, painting, and poetry. His greatest achievement before was to be an envoy to Goryeo, but his father, Xu Hongzhong, was a high-ranking official who became the Lianghuai Transportation Envoy during the Xuanhe period!

And people who could sit in this position during the Xuanhe period were likely to be from the prosperous and abundant party.

In fact, this was indeed the case. Xu Jing's father, Xu Hongzhong, not only attached himself to Cai Jing, but also attached himself to Zheng Juzhong. Therefore, at the beginning of Jingkang, he was implicated by his father and went to Chizhou to be in charge of a certain tax supervisor. He stayed there for four or five years, and then his biological father died, and he finished mourning, and then he was idle for almost a year before being summoned.

In other words, this Ambassador Xu, Zhubu Xu, was simply a mixture of Lu Benzhong brothers, Zheng Yinian brothers, and Gao Yanei brothers. In terms of bad luck and the degree of bad deeds of his ancestors, he was definitely not as good as the Gao brothers and Zheng brothers, and his whole family had escaped the great change of Jingkang. In terms of good luck, he was definitely not as good as the Lu Benzhong brothers. The legendary experience of Lu Gongxiang after Jingkang was probably unique in the Song Dynasty... Of course, his poetry was not as good, but it was said that his painting level was very high.

But all of this did not matter. The key was that this person had accidentally mixed up a foreign language specialty in order to flatter the Supreme Daoist Emperor... It can be seen that understanding a foreign language is still relatively important.

"Ming Shu."

Seeing this, Kim Bu-sik became even more emotional. "Although we are close friends, I am almost thirty years older than you. If you don't mind, I will tell you some things today that should not be said in a friendship between gentlemen."

Xu Jing had always been convinced by Kim Bu-sik. When he heard this, he naturally suppressed all kinds of emotions, stepped forward to the courtyard, and sat opposite each other under the shade of a tree.

"Ming Shu." Kim Bu-sik pressed the Dibao in his hand and said seriously. "Tell me the truth first, do you have any resentment towards your current Zhao Guan Jia because of the ups and downs of your career?"

"How could I?" Xu Jing smiled awkwardly and turned his head to answer. "My family's downfall was during the Jingkang period. If I resent anyone, I only resent Emperor Yuan Sheng, at most implicating the retired Lu Prime Minister and Xu Prime Minister, and even Li Guang and Li Zhongcheng. The Guan Jia only has the grace to reinstate me."

Kim Bu-sik did not say a word, just stared at him.

Xu Jing was silent for a moment, looked around, and then said in a low voice: "Actually, I am still a little dissatisfied with people like Wang Lun who were promoted by fortune. A maritime merchant became one of the Nine Ministers and ranked among the Secret Pavilion just because he took the path of a relative by marriage..."

"Just Wang Lun?" Kim Bu-sik finally opened his mouth, but still stared at him.

"Naturally, it is not just Wang Lun alone." Xu Jing hesitated for a moment, but finally sighed in a low voice. "When I returned to Beijing this time, although I became a seventh-rank Beijing official again, none of my old acquaintances were there, and I still felt a little sad... Moreover, all the officials in the court were small officials and low-ranking officials in the past. Although I know that this is a time of great chaos and that the situation is forcing them, I still find it difficult to let go... I always think, I always think of taking it a step further and not shaming my ancestors."

At the end, Xu Jing was actually a little flushed, and then directly lowered his head.

"I understand." Kim Bu-sik nodded slightly and continued. "Then you have a vague sense of resistance to the entire court and to your Guan Jia... This is actually a matter of human nature. Even I in Goryeo, because I lead the two classes of Gaegyeong (Seoul), am not at odds with the two classes of Seogyeong (Pyongyang)? But Ming Shu, the Song Dynasty is not the same as Goryeo..."

"Yes." Xu Jing reluctantly raised his head, his face still a little embarrassed.

"In Goryeo, I always have a 30% chance of cleaning up those people." Seeing that the other party's expression was uneasy, Kim Bu-sik softened his tone and smiled slightly. "But here in the Song Dynasty, it is Zhao Guan Jia's own way! But this is something that cannot be helped. Your Zhao Guan Jia rose up in the midst of great chaos, appeased the people, built the Imperial Army, and has brought the country to this situation in seven or eight years. Even if there are one or two people who are dissatisfied, what can be done? Who can truly oppose him? Li Gang, what kind of person is Li Boji? He submitted such a fierce memorial, but did it shake him in the slightest? And you, a mere seventh-rank Beijing official, if you really harbor resentment, can you find anything good?"

Xu Jing sat opposite Kim Bu-sik, pressed his hands on his knees, and couldn't help but take a long breath, as if he had let go of some burden: "Who says it isn't?"

"Moreover, what you said before actually makes sense." Kim Bu-sik continued to persuade him. "You are the so-called remnants of Cai Jing, and you are the enemy of those Jiangnan gradualists and the old officials of Emperor Yuan Sheng who have been eliminated by this Guan Jia. If it were not for this Guan Jia and the Prime Minister from a small official background, where would you have the opportunity to return to officialdom? Even you and I, where would we have the opportunity to dissect our hearts and dig out our guts here? We should cherish the present."

Xu Jing sighed, finally stood up, cupped his hands, and lowered his head: "Duke Leicheon is right, I was wrong."

"It's good that Ming Shu understands this principle." Seeing that the other party admitted his mistake, Kim Bu-sik was relieved and immediately nodded. "Now the Song Dynasty's politics are clear, and the Guan Jia is enterprising. You are so young. As long as you put on the right posture and work hard, you may not be able to surpass your ancestors in the future... Please sit down."

Xu Jing sat back in his seat, nodding repeatedly, increasingly relieved.

But Kim Bu-sik leaned over and said earnestly: "Now let's look back at what you said. Even if there is no resentment revealed, what you said is not right! Think about your Guan Jia, there are only two concubines in the harem, and only a few hundred eunuchs, most of whom are old people from Jingkang. The palace is used as a fish pond, and the fish pond is used as a Cuju field... When I saw him in the palace three or four years ago, I knew that this Son of Heaven had great ambitions and was wholeheartedly determined to avenge the shame of Jingkang... How could such a Son of Heaven, who has not cared about his private purse for seven or eight years, care about his private purse today? According to me, the so-called private purse is probably also a public purse. The maritime trade tribute sent by Zhang Jun will most likely be saved up for national use."

Xu Jing was silent for a moment, but still raised his eyebrows slightly and shook his head: "Even so, valuing dead objects and ignoring diplomatic relations is still penny-wise and pound-foolish..."

"That's not necessarily true." Kim Bu-sik suddenly smiled bitterly. "I think your Guan Jia is reminding me and those Japanese people next door... Ming Shu, have you not read the latest issue of the Dibao?"

Xu Jing was slightly stunned: "What does Duke Leicheon mean? What's in the Dibao?"

"Ming Shu, please be more careful!" Kim Bu-sik smiled even more bitterly, but folded the Dibao on his lap and stuffed it to the other party. "Take it, I just asked someone to buy it. I just finished reading the headline on the front page, and you should also finish reading this headline before speaking!"

After speaking, Kim Bu-sik put his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in the courtyard where he was staying.

And Xu Jing opened the Dibao in his arms, and as soon as he saw it, he stood up in shock, and then turned to look at Kim Bu-sik: "The court actually came up with such an absurd plan? What kind of system is this?!"

"The Jingkang Incident was even more of a system breakdown!" Kim Bu-sik didn't turn his head back, but just paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, sighing. "The country is short of 30 million strings for the Northern Expedition. How can openly asking the world for wealth-gathering plans be considered a system breakdown? Moreover, isn't this move in accordance with your Zhang Chusu's plan to build wealth? It can also be regarded as showing sincerity to the people."

"But..."

Xu Jing hesitated, obviously thinking of something. "This move is somewhat similar to the taste of Wang Anshi's Reform during the Xining period. Wang Shu sought new methods, and he saw everyone... It's just that there was no such powerful Dibao at that time... And our Guan Jia does admire Wang Shu."

"Not bad." Kim Bu-sik continued to pace back and forth in the courtyard. "The current situation is indeed like Wang Anshi's Reform. And I have always admired Wang Shu's learning, but I have a lot of disapproval of the Xining Reform... Because everyone knows that the Reform ultimately failed, Xixia was not taken down, and instead the people were resentful."

"Then..." Xu Jing asked instinctively.

"I know what you want to ask, or what you want to say, but today, the Song Guan Jia's actions have made me dare not easily criticize." Kim Bu-sik continued to pace with his hands behind his back. "Because I really don't know if he will be able to succeed in the future... Ten years ago, who knew that the Jurchens would suddenly cause the Jingkang Incident? Seven years ago, who knew that your Guan Jia would be able to recover the old capital, sweep the Northwest, and even subjugate the Khitans and Mongols?"

"But..." Xu Jing looked at the other party's back, his forehead sweating, and even swallowed a mouthful of saliva before nervously asking, "But I still want to ask Duke Leicheon... Can this matter ultimately succeed?"

"Ming Shu, if you ask me today if this matter is appropriate, it is equivalent to asking if the Northern Expedition can succeed. How dare I know about this matter?" Kim Bu-sik sighed quietly, turning his back to Xu Jing. "It must be known that whether this matter can succeed not only concerns your Great Song and your Guan Jia, but also concerns the life and death of us Goryeo people! The reason I came here this time is to try to seek a 'dare not know' only."

Xu Jing hesitated for a moment, still holding the Dibao and asked, "Duke Leicheon, just based on our private friendship, asking you privately, do you think it can succeed?"

Kim Bu-sik finally stopped, then turned around, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and his eyes stared at his foreign friend like lightning.

Xu Jing was frightened for a moment, and didn't know how to respond.

After looking at the other party for a while, Kim Bu-sik finally closed his eyes and sighed, "Ming Shu... I approximately feel in my heart that it can succeed, but I still dare not say it, cannot say it!"

Xu Jing was flustered for a moment, hurriedly nodded, and then actually fled away with that Dibao. Kim Bu-sik looked at the back of his young friend, standing sadly and solemnly in the courtyard of flowers and willows.

Leaving aside how Kim Bu-sik was feeling, on the other side, Xu Jing escaped from the heavily guarded courtyard where the Goryeo mission resided, but did not go far. Instead, he crossed the equally heavily guarded courtyard of the Japanese mission and entered another heavily guarded courtyard of the guest house.

After entering this courtyard, Xu Jing followed the Yiqian Banzhi all over the courtyard, quickly turned into a small courtyard, and then bowed his head without raising it, and then without raising his head, he revealed everything he had talked about before without reservation.

"That's what he said?" Zhao Jiu, who was sitting in the courtyard sunning himself, was thoughtful.

"Yes." Xu Jing pinched the Dibao, not daring to raise his head.

"You were seen through by him." After thinking for a while, Zhao Jiu suddenly laughed in his seat. "This old man is much stronger than Zheng Zhi-sang, not in the same grade at all. He came here this time mainly to show goodwill and hold on to his position without expressing his attitude, so as to avoid Goryeo facing the Jurchens alone... Believing that I can succeed in the Northern Expedition, but daring not to say it, unable to say it... That is precisely what he wants to say to me and the Song Dynasty court. He is open and aboveboard, but it makes us seem a little stingy to treat him with cunning."

Xu Jing raised his head, covered in sweat, panicked for a moment.

Wang Lun, the Qing of Honglu Temple who was standing beside him, hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Guan Jia, Zhubu Xu has merit and no fault. Not to mention this matter, even this time's mission to Goryeo, bringing Kim Bu-sik, the real person who can do things and manage affairs, instead of Zheng Zhi-sang, can itself be regarded as not disgracing his mission."

Zhao Jiu continued to sneer: "I didn't say he had a fault, and even this trip is not considered a failure... I just understood that although Kim Bu-sik has some ability, he is still restricted by a small country and by the Goryeo party strife... Those words of his were both what he originally prepared to say to me, and in fact he was forced to say them."

Wang Lun and Xu Jing breathed a sigh of relief together, and the latter even grabbed the Dibao in his hand and raised his head slightly.

In the next moment, Zhao Guan Jia suddenly stood up, and the surrounding soldiers also started to move together under Yang Yi-zhong's leadership, but after walking only three or four steps, this Guan Jia turned back again: "Zhubu Xu seems to have something else to say?"

"Yes... Your Majesty, Guan Jia!" Xu Jing, who had just turned around, hurriedly spread out the Dibao in his hand and hurriedly found the headline on the front page.

Zhao Jiu turned his head completely, smiling even more brightly: "You have a good way to gather wealth for the country?"

"I have a plan." Xu Jing swallowed and tried his best to answer. "Guan Jia can increase taxes! Increase commercial taxes!"

As soon as these words came out, Wang Lun immediately shook his head, and even Yang Yi-zhong rarely frowned slightly.

As for Zhao Jiu, he didn't have any hope from the beginning... Since he was forced by reality to publicly ask for help, the memorials and suggestions he and the Dusheng had received these days were simply varied, but most of them did not exceed the predetermined plans of professional bureaucrats.

For example, increasing commercial taxes was of course also under consideration... It was not impossible to drain the pond to get all the fish when necessary, but that was when necessary. It had to wait until the country really had no other way to go before it would do so.

Therefore, Zhao Guan Jia directly labeled this person in his heart as a second-generation ancestor who was eager for quick success and could only be used in Goryeo affairs. At the same time, he smiled and prepared to perfunctorily pass with a word, and then hurry back to update the Water Margin, which had become a weekly update.

However, this second-generation ancestor with foreign language expertise seemed to see through Zhao Guan Jia's mind, or perhaps he had finally organized his words, and hurriedly explained: "Guan Jia, the commercial tax that I am talking about is not those old taxes, but a new tax. I understood it from Zhang Taiwei's Japanese experience this time... I just saw the Dibao and had an idea."

Zhao Jiu finally stabilized his mind and seriously asked again: "How do you say it specifically?"

"Guan Jia... so that Guan Jia can know." Knowing that it was the key, and knowing that the opportunity was rare, Xu Jing quickly said, "This time the fleet went to Japan and Goryeo, the flags and documents that Guan Jia bestowed in Dengzhou were of great use... So on the way back, the old maritime merchant on the ship said that he was willing to pay 10,000 strings a year to buy a flag from Guan Jia!"

As soon as these words came out, Wang Lun, the Qing of Honglu Temple who was a maritime merchant, could not help but "tsk" and seemed to have realized something... This was simply selling the qualification of "Zhengdian" to maritime merchants.

How did the name of Zhengdian come about? Isn't it because there is an official qualification to brew wine? That also requires paying money to the court.

In other words, there was a precedent for this, and having a precedent meant that there was no resistance or the resistance was relatively small... Xu Jing's suggestion was really a good way to open up financial resources.

But at the same time, Zhao Jiu, who was still smiling just now, had a sudden shock in his mind and was stunned on the spot... It was not that he was shocked by the other party's idea of selling flags, but that he was stimulated by the other party's idea, and then recalled that there seemed to be a similar method of collecting money in later generations, which seemed to be a tax, and was also an idea of selling national and royal credibility, so not only would it not accumulate public resentment, but it would also be called a good tax.

But for a moment, he couldn't remember the specific content.

"And then?" Zhao Guan Jia came back to his senses, while trying hard to think, while frowning and asking, "Is it just selling flags to maritime merchants?"

"Of course, it's not just selling flags..." Xu Jing quickly said, "Guan Jia, we can also issue similar things to various industries... It may not be a flag, but more often, it is a document with an official seal..."

"Stamp duty! It's stamp duty!" Zhao Jiu bypassed Xu Jing, slowly sat back in the chair under the tree in the courtyard, and then looked up and sighed. "And the Northern Expedition Fund lottery, plus the royal qualification auction, sea flags, company system, the rise of a great power... I've only been Guan Jia for a few years, and I've really forgotten everything... Despite all the difficulties, there is always a way... Xu Qing, I have always