Xinshun 1730

Chapter 171 Germination
What the emperor is determined to do must be clearly implemented.

A half-way emperor like Chongzhen killed ministers like killing a dog, but when it comes to Li Gan, it is impossible to use such drastic means unless it is a last resort.

The people in the Tianyou Temple are similar to the cabinet of the previous dynasty, that is, the emperor's secretary.The emperor also served as the prime minister. Unless the emperor hid in the palace and didn't care about his affairs, these people in the Tianyou Temple were also the secretary team of the real prime minister.

Implementing it on the surface does not mean that it can be implemented at the grassroots level. There are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom.

Now seeing that the emperor is so determined to carry out such reforms as distributing the land to the mu, Li Zhiyuan also talked about the disadvantages of it, and the rest is to discuss the follow-up policies.

The British public Zhang Muzhi, who had been silent all this time, was not a Confucian scholar, and he didn't have that kind of sadness about being in a desperate situation. Seeing that the atmosphere in Tianyou Temple was not right, he brought the topic back to specific policies.

"Your Majesty, I think it is possible to try it out in Wendeng Prefecture. But if it will be effective in the future and spread throughout the country, it needs to be carefully considered. It's not just the problems that Lord Li said."

"For example, in Jiaoliao, the population of Jiaodong is different from that of southern Liaoning. For example, Wendeng, assuming there are 10 people and a million mu of land, the tax of these 10 people is added to the million mu of land, and the average is ten mu. The land only adds a small tax for one person."

"In southern Liaoning, there may be only 5 people and a million mu of land. On average, only [-] mu of land will be taxed for one person."

"If this is the case in Jiaoliao province, isn't there a greater difference between Henan and Yunnan, and between Huguang and Shaanxi and Gansu? So, how to divide the land into acres?"

"Is it distributed according to the state and county? Is it the average of the whole province? Or the national average? If the national average is used, the difference between the north and the south, three crops a year, three crops every two years, and two crops a year must also be considered, and a national census must also be carried out. .”

"Equally distributed across the province, the differences in population and acres of land in each state and county must also be considered. If it is not cut across the board, some places will benefit and some places will lose profits. It will definitely not work."

His meaning is very clear, the population and the number of acres are unbalanced, and the tax standards of each province are fixed values.

Or, decentralize power and let local officials adapt to local conditions.

Or, centralize power and let the imperial court in the capital introduce a national fair policy.

Compared with what Li Zhiyuan said, the British public felt that since it must be implemented, it should not consider whether it is good or bad, but how to implement it.

Centralization is a very difficult job for a regime.

Especially for matters such as the allocation of land into acres, in terms of the organizational capabilities of the Dashun court, a better choice is to decentralize power, let the local governors adjust measures to local conditions, and adjust within the province with the province as the unit.

Or... just like what Liu Yu said, train a group of young people directly under the emperor to serve as airborne subordinates and conduct a nationwide farm inventory.

Li Gan deliberately avoided this question. Seeing the situation in Wendeng Prefecture, he already knew it in his mind, so he avoided it and said only one sentence: "Your words are very true, Tianyou Palace has to consider these things."

Then, the specific problems were quietly turned into large and general content.

"What I think, is it a benevolent government? Of course it is not a benevolent government."

"As he said, most of the per-mu tax and silver are still added to those who have no land rent. If it is said to benefit, it is only those self-cultivating farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and hired labor who have a little land. The rich do not benefit, and the tenants Nor benefit."

"Besides, most of the taxpayers come from rich households. If tenants don't pay rent, how can rich households pay taxes? Rent must include poll tax. Li Qing's words are indeed reasonable."

"However, the imperial court can add several million taels of tax silver a year. This tax silver is too much to support soldiers and provide disaster relief. The imperial court cannot be without silver."

"If you don't want to talk about benevolent government, you can only say that it is the benevolent government of self-cultivating farmers and industry and commerce. At least artisans and merchants don't have to pay their small silver. In the world, there should be no benevolent government that is praised by people from all over the world. It can only be partly benevolent and partly evil. "

"As far as I can see, don't consider checking the acres of land first, but first summarize the tax bank, land bank, and small bank of each province, and consider it on this basis."

"The Temple of Heavenly Blessing has to think about it these days. Should it be adjusted to local conditions? Or should it be distributed uniformly across the country? Or should the total amount of tax and silver in each state and county remain unchanged?"

Since he admitted that it is not a benevolent government for the tenants who account for the vast majority of the population, the dispute over benevolence and violence has not been discussed any longer. It's pointless.If the emperor becomes a hooligan, who can control him?

The term "benevolent government" has changed its flavor a few days ago.

A month ago, Jiangsu weavers and craftsmen broke out the "Let's go and call for a rest" movement.

Xie Zhe, in Wu dialect, means to stop or quit.Together, it is the entire industry.This meaning is already very clear.

On the one hand, this proves that as Dashun pursued the switch trade policy, it led to the further development of capitalism in the south of the Yangtze River.

Light a candle and always cast a shadow.

Germination is not just about wealth. Without resistance, a large-scale movement of workers fighting for their interests will inevitably appear.

The weavers and artisans put forward demands for increased wages, piece-rate wages, increased work rights, and so on.

If you don't agree, you won't resume work.

The means of struggle have obviously improved a lot, and they took advantage of the opportunity when Western merchants purchased on a large scale and were about to deliver goods.

A leadership group was also organized to suppress weavers who were disobedient and insisted on going to work; and to help workers who had difficulty in food and clothing because of calling for rest.

This incident was so vigorous that the local government had to report it to the imperial court.

During the court meeting, Li Gan dug a big hole, asked the ministers, and asked, "Isn't it benevolent government if you agree to the craftsman's request?"

However, during the court meeting, there was a Jiangnan minister who told the emperor righteously: The existence of the imperial court is not for the name of benevolent government.

Now it's a car, saying that it's not a benevolent government at all, it's just for money, it will be very interesting to think about it during court discussions.

In Tianyou Hall, even if everyone has their own thoughts and the emperor said so, they can only obey orders and consider formulating a specific policy.

As for the objection, that is the characteristic of the court, not the characteristic of Tianyou Hall.

…………

In Weihai, Liu Yu took eight confidants of naval cadets to prepare for this trip to Japan and do a big job.

Bai Yunhang didn't know that Liu Yu was going to Japan, but he heard that Liu Yu was going to leave Weihai for a while, so he waited for Liu Yu in Weihai early, blocking the only way Liu Yu had to go.

Looking at the houses being built in Weihai, the recruited hungry people are willing to work without any salary every month after they are full.

It seems that this kindness of life can last for a year or two without giving money.

The strange building complex named "Northern Chamber of Commerce" has already grown to a certain scale, and now it can produce some simple wooden utensils, and Bai Yunhang doesn't know what it will produce in the future.

In Liaohe River, Yalu River and other places, the large and thick oak trees in the deep mountains and old forests in the northeast have also begun to be transported, piled up, and dried here.It looks like it is going to build a ship.

He didn't understand either, he was just waiting for Liu Yu.

After stopping Liu Yu, Bai Yunhang said directly: "Master Liu, if you can implement this time, you will get great benefits. At least, the workers under your hands will not have to pay the labor tax." .”

Liu Yu got off the horse, smiled and cupped his hands at Bai Yunhang, and signaled for Mantou and others who were following him to disperse first.

"What, Lord Bai, are you here to see him off? Or are you here to claim credit?"

"Hey, Mr. Liu was joking. I'm not here to see you off, nor to ask for credit. I'm just telling the truth. Mr. Liu doesn't have any farmland, but instead runs workshops and does business. It's of great benefit to Mr. Liu. Isn't it?"

Liu Yu smiled, and said in his heart that this method of encroaching on the land is just a way to treat the symptoms but not the root cause, and it is not aimed at the landlord class.

What Bai Yunhang said is indeed correct. For him, the biggest benefit is to help the development of industry and commerce.

Not to mention anything else, I calculated it with my conscience. If there is a poll tax for Dingyin, then I have to pay more poll tax when I pay wages.

It is true that the cost of labor is reduced due to the reduction of poll tax.

Bai Yunhang is smart, he probably saw that he had recruited more than ten thousand people to burn bricks and dig soil to build houses here, so he thought of how much these ten thousand people would have to pay if they had to pay taxes, they were all young and strong.

"Master Bai, let's not go around in circles anymore. Please speak directly, Mr. Bai. We don't say we are grasshoppers on the same rope now, but I hope to achieve this policy of sharing every man's land. If you have something to do , but say so."

Bai Yunhang took a deep breath, cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll just say it straight. Mr. Liu is smart and knowledgeable, and he should be able to know that if the tax policy for the taxation of each person is changed, more money will definitely be collected, but if you say this It's a benevolent government, but I'm afraid it may not be."

"I have one more thing to do. I need Master Liu's help. Once this policy comes out, even though I have a reputation for disaster relief, people will love me, but there will definitely be people who will stir up dissatisfaction. For example, some people will definitely increase the land rent, and then say that I have a bad policy. , They also had to increase the rent, and the blame and dissatisfaction will be put on the head of the official."

"That's why... Please ask Mr. Liu for help in this matter, so that I can do it beautifully. Otherwise, all previous efforts will be wasted, and I don't care about it. However, Mr. Liu wants to start a business, and if the business hires workers, he has to pay Ding Yin, which is very bad. .”

Liu Yu laughed loudly, shaking his head, thinking that this guy's shameless appearance is somewhat interesting.However, this person is indeed a capable official. There is no doubt about his ability to think of this step.

"Since Mr. Bai has said so, what else can I say? What do you think, just say it."

"Yes, my ancestral home is Gannan..."

Bai Yunhang just said his own thoughts, and this idea is not shocking.

After careful consideration, what Bai Yunhang wanted to say was also closely related to the national uprising in the late Ming Dynasty more than [-] years ago.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Jiangnan seemed to be peaceful through singing and dancing, but in fact it was extremely corrupt. The Ming Dynasty allowed the existence of slaves, so that the big landlords in Jiangnan and other places came up with new tricks.

[Nu Duo has no food in the belly, no skirts at the knees and ankles, and no skin on the hips and backs. 】

[Slave daughters who are not married to husbands, cut their melons early; women who have not married sons, cut their fresh first]

[The name of the tenant should not be the same as that of the deceased owner, this is a taboo]

[The tenant wants to marry a daughter, and he will give money to the landlord first, called "He Li"]

Not only is it very oppressive, but even such tricks as "True Chu, Yequan"; taboo; false Chu, Yequan tax;

In the Jiashen year, the 17th year of Chongzhen, and the first year of Yongchang, the capital was captured, the old emperor hanged himself, and the new emperor was a "rogue", which greatly encouraged the tenants and servants in the south of the Yangtze River.

It can only be said that the word "tradition" is very magical.

In the Jiashen year, Jiangxi, where Bai Yunhang's ancestral home was located, Jinggangshan, Ji'an, Luling and other places, the vigorous King Pingping uprising broke out.

Splitting clothes into banners and cutting hoes into blades, he chanted the slogan "shoveling masters and servants, high and low, rich and poor are equal", calling himself King of Shoveling, occupying Jinggangshan, confiscating landlords' property, and burning slave bonds.

Yellow and hemp riots also broke out in Huang'an and Macheng in Hubei. The servants gathered in Macheng, posted a "betrayer" message, embroidered a big red flag, and wrote four big characters "All people are one heart".

In Ruijin at the junction of Jiangxi and Fujian, He Zhiyuan, Shen Zhichang, Zhang Sheng and others launched an uprising in Ruijin and put forward the slogan of "dividing tenants in eight townships, reducing rent and interest".

Occupying the countryside made government orders not leave the county office, forcing landlords to come forward to sign rent reduction and permanent tenancy contracts with them, and simply put forward the "natural law school" point of view, believing that tenants should get corresponding rewards for improving the land and paying labor. sole ownership of land.

Changting in western Fujian and Ningdu in Ganzhou even established political power in the countryside, allowing the county government to only control the county seat, and finally forced the county lord to come forward, erected an inscription, reduced land rent, and reduced or exempted New Year's Day as an example.

After the "upturned heaven and earth" in the Jiashen year, the magical uprising at the end of the Ming Dynasty made Liu Yu call out experts: Mizhi Yan'an in Shaanxi, Gansu, Yulin, Huangma in Hubei, Jinggangshan in Jiangxi, Ruijin and Ningdu in western Fujian and southern Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Jintan and Maoshan in Anhui Province... the place where the red flags were flying 200 years later, was also the same place 200 years ago, and even the places are exactly the same.

The Jiangnan slave change and tenancy change in the Jiashen year vigorously gave birth to a new leasing system.

Although it has existed for a long time, it was this slave change and tenant change that quickly popularized it in the south of the Yangtze River.

This is exactly what Bai Yunhang wanted to talk to Liu Yu about: permanent tenancy rights.

(End of this chapter)