plumnovel Chapter 88: How much of the profits should be given to Ma Wenxiang?
Chapter 88: How much of the profits should be given to Ma Wenxiang?
Zhu Yuanzhang asked with an innocent expression, but in reality, he had already decided to kill him.
In his eyes, if Ma Wenxiang alone could change his sister's mind, then that person was already courting death.
Isn't this person in danger if he can influence the current empress?
On a small scale, it only affects the small interests of today; on a larger scale, it affects the entire Ming Dynasty and the foundation of the Zhu family's empire.
Therefore, we must take precautions; we would rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free.
"Does Your Majesty know Ma Jin? He is a distant relative of my Ma family."
Ma Xiuying said.
Zhu Yuanzhang recalled for a moment and then nodded.
The other party now lives in the capital. Although he has not been granted any title, he has been given some leisurely positions because of his status as a member of the Empress's family. He has no power, but he will not suffer any hardship.
At the very least, a life of abundance and carefree existence is certainly attainable.
"Ma Jin has a daughter whom I intend to marry to Wen. Wouldn't he then become a member of the Ma family?"
"Moreover, it is very good that my family has such a lineage to continue. It is a way of not letting down my deceased father and allowing my Ma family to have some more reputation."
"The matter of the maternal relatives..."
Zhu Yuanzhang asked cautiously.
Ma Xiuying immediately rolled her eyes at him: "Could it be that in Your Majesty's heart, I am that kind of person?"
"No, of course not. My sister speaks the truth, how could we not believe her?"
"I believe, I absolutely believe."
Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly tried to make up for it.
In fact, he wasn't as wary of the matter of the maternal relatives as one might imagine.
After all, in every dynasty, while the maternal relatives were a great scourge, they were also the last line of defense for imperial power at crucial moments.
Take the reign of Emperor Jing of Han as an example. If it weren't for the fact that the imperial relatives controlled the government, the country would have been in great chaos. It's uncertain whether Emperor Jing would have been able to regain control of the Han Dynasty and become the master of the Liu family's dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang was always worried, but it was all because of his sister's feelings. He was weighing the pros and cons, and that was the key issue.
The matter of maternal relatives has its advantages and disadvantages; it's a matter of personal opinion, nothing more.
"How much will be allocated?"
Seeing that he had achieved his goal by changing the subject, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to ask questions about the previous topic.
In any case, he saw this matter as a matter of life and death, and since he couldn't avoid it anyway, he naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it.
However, at this moment, he was inwardly complaining about his son, saying that he really didn't know the value of daily necessities when he wasn't in charge of the household.
He, as a father, was trying to save some money for the family, but a little traitor had appeared.
As for my own sister, whatever she says is right, of course. Even if she's wrong, it can never be her fault; it must be someone else's fault, and a huge one at that.
"One-tenth."
Ma Xiuying said slowly.
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately revealed a pained expression.
"Thirty percent?"
Upon seeing this, Ma Xiuying suppressed a smile, which not only didn't diminish but actually lifted slightly, and when she opened her mouth, it was a full 20%.
Zhu Yuanzhang leaned back, his mask of anguish transforming into one of utter despair. He roared in the hall, "Sister, steam me up and see how much my body is worth! Cut and scrape off the flesh, then boil it into soup and give it to that scoundrel. Thirty percent!"
"Wouldn't this kill us?"
At this moment, he had lost all trace of the aura of an emperor; he was nothing more than a peasant arguing with his wife.
"This won't do, that won't do, so Your Majesty, what percentage do you want?"
"Ten thousand taels per year."
Zhu Yuanzhang observed his sister's expression and then cautiously suggested a number.
After saying that, he didn't even look at Ma Xiuying's face, and started fiddling with things in front of him. "Ten thousand is not a small amount, really not a small amount of girls. That's a full ten thousand taels. If Zhu Chongba could have ten thousand taels back then, why would he have rebelled?"
Being a simple, honest farmer is enough; you'll be perfectly content. Just ask Biao'er if you don't believe me.
Zhu Yuanzhang was so anxious that he could utter incoherent words, which was quite remarkable.
"How about this, give His Majesty ten million taels, and the rest all go to that young scholar. Ten million taels, that's a thousand times more, His Majesty should be satisfied."
Ma Xiuying squinted her eyes and spoke slowly.
Do you really think she didn't calculate this cost on her way here?
Nowadays, refined salt on the market costs about 20 to 40 wen per jin (500 grams). Although it may be cheaper in the salt-producing areas of Lianghuai, the price should be estimated according to the market price.
Even after deducting the manpower and resources of salt merchants, government officials, and other parties involved, the salt profits collected by the imperial court last year amounted to nearly eight million taels.
Even if there are slight increases or decreases, it would still be between five million and ten million taels.
What if we switch to snowflake salt?
If the price is increased three to five times from the original price, even if only wealthy families buy it, and the price is only increased by a minimum of three times, it would still directly raise the price from eight million taels last year to twenty-four million taels in one go.
They only gave that young scholar ten thousand taels of silver, not to mention any odd change, it became the unit of measurement.
That is indeed going too far.
Even if Zhu Yuanzhang only gave her 10%, Ma Xiuying might very well have agreed to anything for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhu family's empire, and her son.
We can compensate Ma Wenxiang in other ways if necessary.
For example, official positions and titles, as well as building closer relationships with the Ma family, gaining the emperor's favor in the court, and the protection of the empress—all of these are possible.
But Zhu Chongba could actually offer ten thousand taels of silver.
Ma Xiuying was unable to say anything.
As the empress, she still had some sense of shame.
"Isn't ten million taels a bit too little? If the annual net profit is really strong, it could easily reach thirty million taels."
Zhu Yuanzhang calculated the pure silver amount based on the maximum estimate, or at least a middle value. He would never have used Ma Xiuying's lowest estimate.
Upon hearing his words, Ma Xiuying's narrowed eyes became even more elongated than before, and she smiled lightly: "He only gave that young scholar ten thousand taels, but now he's giving His Majesty ten million taels. Why does His Majesty still feel it's not enough?"
"Isn't Your Majesty being a little too greedy?"
"Sister, you're innocent! We're truly innocent. That money was for our Great Ming Dynasty, for the country. This money was all used for frontline military supplies, public welfare, and various other matters, including the repair of local government offices."
Then there's the enfeoffment ceremony for the second and third princes, the artisans and their families they bring when they go to their fiefdoms, the construction of people's livelihoods within their fiefdoms, and the rise of culture and education in the Central Plains... Which of these things doesn't require the court to pay money?
If we really get the wealthy families in various regions to spend their money, will the hearts of the people be with them, or with our Zhu family, or with our Great Ming Dynasty?