Follow Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country

Chapter 34 Zhang Cheng asks Zhu Yuanzhang to brake
  Zhu Yuanzhang was a little disappointed because Zhang Cheng did not respond immediately to his suggestion.

Zhang Cheng was urged by Zhu Yuanzhang here, so he asked him: "But do you know how much loss it is to ask the villagers to transport grain to the warehouse?"

"We know this."

"So, we don't plan to let poor households become grain chiefs, but we plan to let rich households become grain chiefs."

"Of course, we don't plan to do this now. Mr. Zhang, you are right. Now the heroes of the world are rising together. If we do this, I am afraid that many Confucian scholars will no longer support us. More importantly, the world is not at peace. , it is not safe for the villagers to transport taxes and grain."

"What we mean is that after the world is settled in the future, if we really have a chance to resolve this matter, we can implement this grain-general method. If we want to compromise now, we can naturally compromise."

"However, this is just my current thinking, and I don't dare to tell others. Now that I am speaking out, I just want to have a chat with you and discuss it."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said.

Zhang Cheng sighed again: "My superior, you really trust the villagers!"

"If we don't trust the villagers, why do you want us to trust the officials and gentry in the world?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked rhetorically.

After hearing this, Zhang Cheng couldn't refute and just thought for a moment.

He decided to shake people!
  then.

Zhang Cheng poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said, "In that case, I will introduce someone to you."

"Who to recommend?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhang Cheng said: "You will know when the time comes."

With that said, Zhang Cheng took Zhu Yuanzhang to Yang's house, woke up Yang Yuangao, and sat around the table facing the moon in the atrium of Yang's house.

"This man is Yang Yuangao, a Confucian scholar from Chuzhou, with a well-written character. He is my new friend."

"This is our superior, Zhu Yuanzhang, the general manager under Marshal Guo, whose courtesy name is Guorui."

for a while.

Zhang Cheng first introduced the two to each other.

The two also bowed their hands to each other.

then.

Zhang Cheng said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, this friend Yang is different from other Confucian scholars. After seeing that I asked three hundred nominal army brothers to refuse the gentry's reward for the army, he did not mean to be disappointed. Instead, he took the initiative to make friends with me, and He expressed his support for the return of etiquette to etiquette and the return of law to law, but he also expressed concern about my behavior and worried that this matter would be difficult."

"Yes."

"But Zhang Jianjun said, 'A single spark can start a prairie fire', leaving me speechless."

“Because for some things, we really shouldn’t ask whether it’s possible, but rather whether we should do it or not.”

Yang Yuangao said.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard what Yang Yuangao said, he was very touched. He bowed to Yang Yuangao and said, "Since you are Mr. Zhang's friend, you are our friend. As you said, in this world, you should ask whether it should be done, not what is possible."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang complained a little about Zhang Cheng and said, "Mr. Zhang has told others his true insights. Is it possible that he thinks that I am a commoner, stupid and rude, and he doesn't want to enlighten me?"

"After all, we spent a lot of money on you, Mr. Zhang!"

Hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Zhang Cheng just smiled slightly: "In the eyes of superiors, every one of my words may not be true insight, because the truth that everyone thinks is not necessarily the truth, but only the truth that he is willing to believe. If it is true, To gain true insights, you have to be sensible enough.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded as if he had some understanding.

Subsequently.

Zhang Cheng looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said: "So, superior, I will now comment on your proposal of the grain chief system. I think your grain chief system is more whimsical than my idea of ​​returning etiquette to etiquette and law to law!"

"Fantasy?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhang Cheng with great disappointment and astonishment, and asked, "Why is this so whimsical?"

Zhang Cheng pointed at Yang Yuangao: "The superior might as well tell this friend Yang about his idea of ​​the grain chief system. Since he can accept the gift and return the law, he must also be able to put forward a pertinent proposal for the superior's idea of ​​the grain chief system. commented."

Zhu Yuanzhang informed Yang Yuangao of his thoughts. Yang Yuangao also sighed slightly after hearing this.

"how to say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Yang Yuangao bowed his hands to Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "This is an act that harms the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.

Yang Yuangao said: "The general has a clear vision, whether it is the chief of grain, or the official, if they tax taxes, they will definitely create clever names, and the former will only be even worse!"

"Yes."

Zhang Cheng replied and said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "I know you trust the villagers, superior, but do you really think the villagers are worthy of trust?"

"Why isn't it worth it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked unconvinced.

Zhang Cheng said: "They can be tolerant and loving towards Zhu Chongba, who is from the same village! But it does not mean that they are tolerant and loving towards the country, the nation, and people from other prefectures and counties. They are not even tolerant and friendly towards people in the next village. The superior position comes from Haven't you seen the fighting over water in the countryside? So, superiors, do you really think they will pay taxes honestly and according to regulations?"

"Furthermore, the reason why the villagers are willing to help each other is because they have no power to benefit the villagers. Once they have the power to benefit the villagers, they will not be merciful. The superiors should know the situation of depriving the entire household."

"Know!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and argued: "But it is only an occasional situation that people are exterminated. Occasionally, there are unkind and unjust people."

Zhang Cheng said: "Eating households is an occasional phenomenon. That's because there are not many cases of households being exterminated. But if you have the power, then not only would you dare to exterminate households, but normal farmers would also dare to do so!"

"Then what do you mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhang Cheng said: "The people have not even opened their minds. Most of the villagers have no idea what the country is and what the world is. If they are allowed to collect taxes by themselves, then they will only try their best to collect money!"

"Instead of doing this, let the officials be held accountable!"

"At least the officials are exiles and have no intention of protecting foreigners from other lands. In addition, the officials have some knowledge and know that the foundation of long-term peace and stability in the world lies in the peace of the country and the people, and the peace and security of the country and the people need to be properly managed in terms of taxation and the country's overall plan, so as not to harm the people's displacement. , so we have to restrain ourselves.”

"What's more, after a period of peace in the world, the number of gentry in the world will inevitably increase. At that time, the people who will be the grain chiefs will be gentry, not ordinary villagers. The so-called grain chief system is equivalent to giving the gentry the right to tax, which is different from now What’s the difference between tax packages?”

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything for a long time after hearing this.

Sudden.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhang Cheng again: "Since Mr. Zhang believes that the people are not enlightened and can only rely on officials, why do you still have three hundred rebel brothers who will not make peace with the gentry and refuse their offer of military rewards?"

"Because these three hundred rebel brothers are just seeds."

Zhang Cheng replied, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and continued:

"These people will either be princes or generals in the future, so deliberately keeping them at a distance from the gentry can prevent them from joining the gentry prematurely, which is a good thing."

"And in this way, because the person in charge of the army has not formed an alliance with the gentry in a short period of time, we can open up the people's wisdom and cultivate talents while reforming."

"No one in power would be so anxious. You want to use twenty years of continuous reform to eradicate thousands of years of chronic diseases just when the world is at peace."

"is it possible?"

"This is impossible!"

"Just like this tax policy, even if the people are required to pay their own taxes and file their own taxes, we have to wait until the people are wiser and their skills are greatly innovated. It is not appropriate to do this until it is not too costly and inconvenient to pay by themselves."

"For a long time, we will still have to rely on officials and our own trained tax bureaucrats to collect taxes."

After Zhang Cheng said this, Zhu Yuanzhang felt quite disappointed and frustrated. He just nodded and said, "That's right! Mr. Zhang's words woke up the dreamer."

then.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhang Cheng again: "But how long will it take to open up the people's wisdom? Can our generation achieve it?"

(End of this chapter)