People in Hongwu, from heavenly master to emperor master

Robbing the rich to help the poor?

Liu Bowen instantly felt enlightened.

Not to mention whether he agrees with Zhang Yi or not, but Zhang Yi's point of view was something he had never imagined.

"Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor?"

He couldn't help repeating, Zhang Yi nodded.

Liu Bowen was thoughtful, but he still couldn't accept it.

Zhang Yi smiled and said nothing, it would be strange if Liu Bowen could accept it.

No matter how smart a person is, he cannot escape the shackles of the times.

"The so-called robbing the rich and helping the poor is actually determined by the nature of taxation. The purpose of taxation is actually to regulate...

The imperial court raised tax revenues to maintain the operation of the country.

A country is like an institution, it needs to take care of all aspects, if something goes wrong in one link, it will affect the operation of other links...

For example, if the Yellow River bursts its embankment, the imperial court needs to provide relief and appease the people.

If not, it may provoke a civil uprising!
The reason why the previous dynasty was unsustainable is because the state machinery of the previous dynasty could not continue to operate.

But what is the root cause of its inability to work? "

"tax!"

"That's right, it's because the tax is not coming up. But why can't it be collected?
Because the common people, who are the main taxpayers, have no money to scrape, and if the common people cannot survive, they will naturally rebel.

This is the fundamental reason for the change of dynasties in the past.

But where did the money go? "

Zhang Yi asked again, but Liu Ji was silent.

It's not that I don't know, but that I don't want to answer.

With Liu Ji's wisdom, he seems to have understood that what Zhang Yihou wants to say a hundred years ago is a challenge to his cognition.

"All the money goes to the bureaucrats, the sages, and the landlords!
The defeat of every dynasty almost always started from the failure to collect taxes.

For whatever reason, these people have disappeared from the country's tax list...

The world is so big. When a court starts its reign, it is assumed that it can get tax revenue from 1000 million hectares of land. If the dynasty has a tacit understanding, it may not even have 300 million hectares!
Those seven hundred hectares of taxes were swallowed up by all kinds of people.

The common people in the world still have to guard 300 million hectares of land to support the imperial court.

Leaving aside whether the people can support them, even if the imperial court can barely survive on the tax revenue of these 300 million hectares of land?
But the machinery of the state must still function.

For example, if the Huaihe River breaks its embankment again, it is time for the imperial court to provide disaster relief...

There was not much money and food from the imperial court. After distributing it to the people, he himself had a hard time.

Then he discovered that because of the flood, many people continued to annex land, and the tax source of the imperial court did not even have 300 million mu, only 100 million mu remained...

How could such a court not perish? "

Zhang Yi's words reminded Liu Bowen of the public case of monks and Taoists paying taxes that had been raging a while ago.

The so-called idea that everyone in the world pays taxes is exactly the topic of discussion between him and Zhang Yi.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not allow scholars to increase their privileges, but instead cut off the titles that the clan should have had.

Liu Ji seems to have understood the painstaking efforts of the emperor.

"Our previous taxation method was essentially robbing the poor and giving to the rich. The group of people with the most wealth in the world can be exempted from taxation with peace of mind!

Just like Mr. Liu wants to increase privileges for scholars all over the world, the most important point is tax relief, right? "

Liu Bowen nodded upon hearing this.

Zhang Yi said:
"Our Ming Dynasty has not yet opened Enke. If Enke is opened next year, the number of people in the world will increase by more than 300 people. Over the past 300 years, they have disappeared from the court's tax list.

If I were an ordinary citizen, I would definitely ask those Juren lords to put the land under his name!
Then, the land of him and some of them will disappear from the tax source of the imperial court, and the imperial examination will be held every three years...

In the six years of Hongwu, there were six or seven hundred people, and in nine years, over a thousand...

In such a cycle, through several emperors, does Mr. Liu know how many people have legally annexed the imperial court and how much land?

These people and these resources are the tax sources of the imperial court.

They disappeared, but taxation will not disappear for nothing, it will only be on the people.

1000 people is not enough, what about 1 people?
Scholars can be exempted from tax, monks and Taoists, clan relatives...

What kind of world can stand this kind of toss.

So His Majesty saw this problem, and he didn't want these people to disappear from the court's tax sources!
No one in the world should pay taxes, this is the first principle in His Majesty's heart!

But taxing only the rich doesn't seem to be enough..."

Why not enough?
Liu Ji looked up, he knew, but he didn't seem to know, or he didn't want to know.

Zhang Yi didn't get used to him, and said to himself:

"Because, even if everyone in the world pays taxes, the resources that everyone can enjoy are different. The common people are more likely to take risks than the rich, bureaucrats and clans, and the court will help if they need it!

According to normal tax conditions, the rich enjoy more resources than ordinary people, but pay a relatively small price!
The taxes collected by the imperial court will gradually be unable to cover the cost of ruling, and problems will gradually appear...

Therefore, adjusting the gap between the rich and the poor is the way to long-term stability.

Stealing from the rich and helping the poor is not benevolent by the imperial court, but as a state machine, it has to do it to save its life...

only……"

Zhang Yi glanced at Liu Bowen:
"People have their own standpoints. The change of dynasties in the world has nothing to do with scholar-bureaucrats and rich households. In many places, the historical changes of hundreds of years and hundreds of years, and the change of courts do not affect their wealth!

No matter who becomes the emperor in the world, it will not affect the scholar-bureaucrats to continue to serve the court!

Therefore, the imperial court wants to save their lives, but the scholar-bureaucrats and wealthy households may not be of one mind with the imperial court! "

Liu Bowen frowned, and Zhang Yi's words were straightforward enough, pointing directly to the public case of monks and Taoists paying taxes.

What he and Li Shanchang represent are the scholar-bureaucrats wanting to ask for privileges from the imperial court, which is the best explanation for this sentence...

Monarchs and ministers may not be able to stand on the same side.

The emperor's desire for the continuation of the dynasty may not be the same as that of the civil servants.

Zhang Yi slowly picked up the boiling water and took a sip.

The so-called concept of robbing the rich and helping the poor is very difficult for an old friend to accept.

Moreover, the desire to rob the rich and help the poor, even in later generations, is a luxury in the practice of taxation.

But establishing this principle, as well as the principle that no one in the world cannot pay taxes, is actually establishing a status.

Let's not talk about whether we can do it or not. If the seeds of "fairness" are planted, there will always be a subtle influence on the world.

Today's world is strictly hierarchical, and there is no absolutely fair soil.

But in the hearts of the Chinese people, there are princes and generals, rather there is a kind of culture, and the pursuit of fairness is also engraved in the genes.

Zhang Yi doesn't expect to have much impact on the world, as long as he can get a little more, a little more, it will be a huge profit.

The only question now is whether Liu Ji, a legendary official, can accept his rebellious idea!
Liu Ji finally looked up at Zhang Yi, and said:
"Although you have a lot of eyes, you kid, but you will never forget the people!
Although the Taoists don’t talk about saving sentient beings, you are more merciful than many monks..."

Liu Bowen didn't seem to be bothered with these questions anymore, pointing to the manuscript and asking:
"You can continue talking!"

"Xiao Dao can't understand the specific tax regulations, but since Mr. Liu wants Xiao Dao to talk, then Xiao Dao can continue to talk about it!"

"After knowing the thoughts in His Majesty's heart, the principles of taxation can actually be understood!
First of all, the trail's first piece of advice is to pay taxes in steps!
Regarding landowners, except for the land that is exempted from taxation due to the reduction of the emperor's gift, all other lands are taxed. This tax has different tax rates according to different people.

Fifty taxes for meritorious relatives and one...

But the taxes of these people will gradually increase with the increase of their land until they are equal to the taxes of ordinary people!

The formulation of this tax law not only reflects the court's preferential treatment for scholars, but also prevents them from disappearing from the world's tax sources!

Everyone in the world pays taxes, but there are differences, this is one.

When the land owned by the wealthy households under their names exceeds a certain value, the tax rate for the wealthy households will be increased, which can effectively restrain the wealthy households from annexing the land!This is the second.

Third, Xiaodao thinks that the poll tax can be abolished, and the poll tax can be included in the field, and divided into acres, so as to reduce the cost of tax collection and the burden on the people!This method is conducive to the growth of the population in recuperation.

Fourth, with regard to industrial and commercial taxes, they should be treated differently.A one-size-fits-all tax is not in line with the situation of industry and commerce. Xiaodao suggested that different taxes should be added according to the value of commodities...

For example, if a small vendor sells some handicrafts, [-]% tax is fine!

But if you buy silk or sell glass mirrors like Xiaodao, you can increase the heavy tax appropriately!

Your Majesty puts emphasis on agriculture and suppresses commerce, isn't he always afraid that the people will admire the profits of merchants and refuse to bind them to the land?
In fact, the imperial court can restrict businessmen through tax adjustments, and the initiative is also in the imperial court's hands! "

Zhang Yi doesn't know how to govern the world, but it doesn't prevent him from telling Liu Bowen the taxation principles of later generations.

Liu Bowen nodded frequently, simply took out a hard pen from his cuff, and recorded carefully.

I want this little old man to come prepared.

"The formulation of taxes is one thing, and the implementation of taxes is another.

An audit department with means of collecting huge profits is actually very important.

But auditing is an organization that needs very professional bureaucrats. Whether the world can make up these things is still unknown...

Also, regarding the cost of tax collection and natural depletion..."

Zhang Yi's mouth was parched, and he finally explained what he had to say.

Liu Bowen silently put away his pen and nodded in satisfaction with Zhang Yi.

He may not agree with all of Zhang Yi's proposals, but chatting with this kid, he found his own direction to revise this tax law.

Especially with regard to commercial tax, Liu Bowen was very pleased.

Scholars, farmers, businessmen, China has been an agricultural society since ancient times, and the land tax will cause the bureaucrats and gentry to rebound, but the industrial and commercial tax will not provoke opposition from most people.

Although the merchants in the Jiangnan area may have complaints, they are only a small part of the world.

"Okay, thanks a lot!

I owe you a favor! "

Liu Ji stood up and saluted Zhang Yi, who quickly returned the salute.

He didn't talk nonsense, after asking Zhang Yi, he turned around and left.

"If the emperor can agree to some conditions, it will be regarded as a great merit..."

Zhang Yi watched Liu Bowen leave, talking to himself.

He knew that many of the things he proposed might not be handed in at all after being screened by Liu Bowen.

Especially the land tax reform plan, which directly affects the interests of many people, is the part that is most likely to cause opposition.

But to play tricks, the most he can do is drink a few more sips of water, what if he agrees?

He quickly put the matter aside and went back to his own business.

As time went by, Zhang Yi sowed early rice.It has started to bloom...

Next, is the tedious pollination work...

Many things, I have to teach myself.

Whether Champa rice, an early-maturing rice variety, can bring about changes in the world depends on these few months.

He quickly put aside the taxation matter, but Zhu Yuanzhang kept staring at it.

Liu Ji just left Qingxin Guan, and after walking not far, Jin Yiwei stopped his carriage again.

"Why, why are you bothering me again this time?"

Liu Bowen hated Jin Yiwei very much, so naturally he didn't have a few good words.

The person who stopped Liu Bowen was Mao Xiang.

He heard the words and said with a smile:

"Returning to Lord Liu, it's not that I want to stop Lord Liu, but His Majesty wants Lord Liu to enter the palace now to have an audience!"

Liu Ji frowned slightly, he also knew that he had dragged the emperor for too long.

Originally, he wanted to take back what Zhang Yi had said and sort it out, and then spend ten days and a half months sorting out the new tax law.

But since the emperor was impatient, he could only follow Mao Xiang back to the palace.

In the imperial study room, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head.

Liu Bowen was kneeling on the ground.

"Why, Mr. Liu, if I don't look for you, are you going to look for me?

Wang Guangyang is a lazy politician, are you still like him? "

Liu Ji has long been used to Lao Zhu's harshness, but his face was calm, and he handed over the tax law he had prepared to Zhu Yuanzhang:

"Your Majesty, during this month, I made three manuscripts, but none of them were satisfactory, so there was a delay.

Today I wanted to hand over this manuscript to His Majesty, but I was walking on the road, but I was not reconciled, so I went to Qingxin Temple to chat with the little real person..."

Liu Bowen didn't hide anything, and directly recounted the conversation with Zhang Yi.

He wanted to hide something, but thinking of Jin Yiwei, he hesitated for a moment, and handed the note he copied to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Rob the rich and help the poor!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was moved when he saw these four words.

Immediately, he laughed loudly: "What a steal from the rich and give to the poor..."

Everyone's position is different, and the understanding of this sentence is also different.

But in Old Zhu's place, these words are all eyes on him.

Raise the hearts of the people with the taxation of the rich.

What the people are grateful for is the kindness of the emperor and the imperial court, which is a lucrative business for the imperial court.

But for the scholar-officials and local gentry, this is not a friendly proposal. There is a lot of pressure to implement this matter...

Zhu Yuanzhang heard a lot of Zhang Yi's statement that the dynasty's death was due to land annexation. The four words Zhang Yi really helped the court limit and relieve this hidden danger.

Regarding the reform of land tax, Lao Zhu seems to be very happy. The step-by-step tax collection method not only gives enough [privileges] to the scholar-officials, but also limits their upper limit.

But this is not what surprised Lao Zhu the most.

Because, he saw the words "everything is worth every penny". (end of this chapter)