flstandardbreds Chapter 179
Chapter 179
Feng Lan searched for a long time and finally decided to use the Tang Dynasty as a reference.
During the early and most prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, the annual tax revenue, including tea, iron, wine, salt, etc., added up to an annual national tax revenue of 3400 million strings of cash. By the middle and late stages, when the dynasty declined due to various events, the annual revenue was around 1200 million strings of cash.
Because the weights and measures would change in each dynasty, in the Tang Dynasty, one guan was equal to one tael of silver, which was also equal to one thousand copper coins. Compared with modern times, in the book Feng Lan read, the author talked a lot and finally felt that the value of one guan was 6000 yuan. Feng Lan used a computer to calculate for a long time and figured out that the annual income of the Tang Dynasty was about 204 billion yuan!
If the silver tax collected by the Tang Dynasty was converted into gold, it would be 340 million gold.
From this point of view, Feng Lan felt that his task of ten thousand taels of gold was still easy to complete. Compared with the annual income of the national treasury, it was only one three hundred and forty-one. For the emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty, it was just a drop in the bucket!
Even if there was a slight difference in the financial situation between the two dynasties, it would definitely not be too big.
The Great Yan Dynasty hadn't fought a war in recent years, and many countries came to pay tribute to it every year. Perhaps the Great Yan Dynasty even had foreign trade! In this case, the annual tax revenue should be more than Feng Lan imagined. After all, the Song Dynasty relied on offshore trade to collect more than two million guan in tax revenue each year.
Feng Lan got information from Huahua that the Cui family in Rongcheng started their business by sailing, and after more than ten years, they have expanded their business to Persia. Their property may be worth tens of thousands of taels of gold.
Of course, this definitely includes a lot of real estate. Feng Lan also visited the warehouse of the Cui Mansion. There were indeed many priceless things, but unfortunately, the cash that Feng Lan needed, that is, gold, silver and the like, did not dominate among them.
To avoid alerting the enemy, she only took two pieces of gold, really only two!, and left Cui's house.
The Cui Mansion's treasury was filled with treasures, but the man in the Cui Mansion was kindhearted. At least Huahua hadn't heard him do anything bad. A few years ago, when disaster struck, the Cui Mansion even provided porridge! Even if Feng Lan wanted to rob, he would rob the kind-hearted merchants who were rich and unkind, seizing ill-gotten gains.
Feng Lan was thinking, if she were to ask Lord Liu for money, how much would be appropriate?
After all, the national treasury belongs to the national treasury, and Lord Liu himself is definitely not that rich.
The common people would not know how much money Lord Liu had in private. Feng Lan wandered around the Liu Mansion several times but did not find any extra private treasury of Liu Juyi. He was not sure whether he really did not accept bribes or whether the collected silver was hidden in a more hidden place.
But Feng Lan’s bottom line is five thousand taels of silver and corn seeds.
The specific amount of corn seeds to be provided will be determined during detailed negotiations.
……
After Liu Juyi returned home yesterday, he gave the Liu Mansion a thorough cleaning. He wouldn't say how clean the house was, but the front yard, which might have been seen by the layman, was tidied up to look brand new! Every corner inside and outside was scrubbed clean, and even the windows were wiped clean by the servants, leaving no dust behind.
The bluestone floor had been washed several times with water, and it was mirror-clear. Even the vermilion door at the entrance had been swept. If Liu Juyi hadn't felt that Mr. Feng didn't seem like the kind of person who liked to be high-profile, he would have wanted to hang red silk on the stone lions at the door.
Knowing that Feng Lan's whereabouts were erratic, Liu Juyi did not send anyone to wait at the city gate. He only instructed the servants at the gate of the Liu Mansion that at the time of Si, no matter who came to visit, they must welcome him in!
If the layman suddenly changed his attire and was driven away by the servants who were too picky and incompetent, Liu Juyi would skin these servants alive!