Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 376: Year-end Military and Political Conference (V) (asking for monthly votes)

Lu Jin looked carefully and found that those who raised their hands were Wang Guangyang, Tao An and Chen Yu. He still remembered the backgrounds of these three people. Tao An was the principal of Jiankang Official Academy of the Yuan Dynasty. Coincidentally, Chen Yu, who was hired by Lu Jin to compile the general history of China, was also the principal, but he was a professor in Wenzhou. Could it be that people who have been school principals have read more?

Although Wang Guangyang has never been a principal, he is a student of a famous teacher. However, his famous teacher is now Lu Jin's enemy.
Seeing this, Lu Jin immediately said, "Since you three have read Guan Zhong, why don't you comment on this book? After all, Guan Zhong was the prime minister of Qi. Is his theory of governing a country right or wrong? Mr. Zhu Jing, please speak first."

When Tao An was called, he immediately said, "I have read Guanzi roughly, but I dare not say that I am proficient in it. However, many people say that this book was written by scholars from the Jixia Academy of Qi State, collectively under the name of Tuo Zhong. Judging from the examples given in the content, it is indeed not from the time of Guan Zhong.

"As for the theories of governing the country in this book, although it is not a Confucian classic, it has long been learned by Confucianists without knowing it. For example, the methods of governing the country that the Lord and Mr. Baishi just mentioned, such as 'replacing relief with work', 'Changping warehouse, buying in good years and selling in bad years', 'official mountains and seas', and 'salt and iron monopoly', are all from the book Guanzi and have been used for more than 2,000 years."

Some people who have never read Guanzi were stunned when they heard this. Wow, it turns out that these policies used by successive dynasties were proposed by Guanzhong? !

Tao An continued, "The governing philosophy in this book is centered on enriching the country and strengthening the military, mixed with the kingly way and the hegemonic way, and advocates the coexistence of rule of law and rule of virtue. This seems to coincide with the contemporary governing philosophy. Since the Han, Tang and Song dynasties, they have all been kings on the outside and laws on the inside. The Han Dynasty had the 'Han Six Codes', the Tang Dynasty had the 'Tang Six Codes', and the Song Dynasty had the 'Song Criminal Code'. Even the current violent Yuan Dynasty has legal books such as the 'Zhi Zheng Tiao Ge', all of which advocate governing the country according to law, while at the same time advising the people to abide by morality.

"In terms of ideology, the book Guanzi combines the rule of law of the Legalists, the 'tranquility and inaction' of the Taoists and Huang-Lao, the 'propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame' of the Confucianists, and the military strategy, advocating the use of merchants to wage war against the enemy.

“Even the sayings ‘Rites are not extended to common people’ and ‘When the granaries are full, people will know etiquette’ were derived from this book.

"If you want me to evaluate this book, I personally think that this book is worth learning. Many of the state governance strategies in it are feasible, but there are also some viewpoints that I think should not be advocated. For example, the book says that we should encourage the people to buy more goods to promote production. Isn't this a waste? Isn't it contrary to the virtue of 'diligence and thrift'?"

Hearing this, Lu Jin shook his head and said, "I think you have misunderstood, sir. I have also read this book in the past few days. It encourages consumption, expands domestic demand, and promotes production. It does not mean to encourage extravagance and waste, but it says that people should buy what they want.

"Ordinary people can buy farm tools, iron pots, cloth, and food, which are all practical things, but silk and other things should be bought by wealthy families and nobles. If ordinary people don't buy them, and nobles and wealthy families don't buy them, then who should the silk produced be sold to? Wouldn't the people who raise silkworms and reel silk make no money?

"Then, how should we understand the word 'thrifty'? I think that when I buy something, it doesn't matter if it's expensive or cheap. As long as I have money and I like it, I will buy it. As long as I use it up, it's not considered a waste. For example, if I buy an ink stick and it doesn't smell good but it's still usable for writing, I will use it up instead of throwing it away after using it twice. This is not considered a waste.

"Also, don't take more than you need. If I only have one of this thing, I won't buy a second one. I'll just leave it there unused. Not wasting and not taking more than you need is thriftiness. But if you have a fortune but you're reluctant to give away this or that, that's not thriftiness, that's stinginess, isn't it?"

Tao An nodded, "Yes, my lord, what you said makes sense."

Then Lu Jin looked at the other two and asked Wang and Chen, "Mr. Chaozong and Mr. Zhonghang, do you have anything to add?"

Wang Guangyang said immediately, "I would like to say a few words. Although Guanzi advocates ruling the country according to law, he opposes harsh laws and punishments. He believes that too harsh laws will lead to tyranny and harm the people. Therefore, this book emphasizes that before making laws, one should first 'observe the country's politics and observe the customs of the people', and then make laws. I think there is indeed a good way here. Legislation should indeed be adapted to local conditions and the times."

Lu Jin nodded, "Well said, where is Mr. Zhonghang?"

Chen Yu, who was named, said immediately, "The Marshal and the two gentlemen have said very comprehensively. I have nothing to add. If I must say something, I can talk about Guanzi's book on 'governing people'. Guanzi believes that it is human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm. Therefore, governing the people should follow human nature. He advocates using benefits to induce people to do things, rather than forcing them to do things with torture.

"Rewards and punishments are the reins and stalks for controlling subordinates. Guanzi emphasized rewards and reduced punishments, which is a benevolent policy. Mencius also advocated 'reducing punishments and lightening taxes', so there is something to be said for this as well."

Lu Jin nodded, "Well said, this book does have many good points, but do you think it has any shortcomings?"

The three of them were stunned when they heard this, looked at each other, and shook their heads.

Seeing this, Lu Jin said, "Then let me tell you my opinion. Many of the policies in this book are still useful in today's era, but after all, it was written two thousand years ago, and some of its theories have long been out of date with the changes of the times.

"Let's not talk about anything else. In Guan Zhong's time, there was definitely no such thing as paper money. However, both the Song and Yuan dynasties were destroyed because of this thing. The country urgently needs a new theory to guide the rulers in managing currency. However, after searching through the classics of the ancients, no applicable national policy can be found. Can't people today learn from the lessons of the Song and Yuan dynasties and study the management of paper money?
"Also, Guanzi advocated encouraging consumption and expanding domestic demand to promote production. Why? Because in Guanzi's time, there was neither access to the Western Regions nor maritime trade. Today, it is different. The Han and Tang dynasties were connected to the Western Regions. China wove silk. If it could not be sold domestically, it could be sold through the Western Regions to the West. It also did not affect domestic production. The country could also collect taxes on the Silk Road and earn money from foreign countries. This was a matter that benefited the country and the people.

"During the Song and Yuan dynasties, silk and porcelain were exported to India, Persia, and the West. Domestic porcelain kilns and weaving workshops did not affect production, and they could also earn gold and silver from overseas. The country could also collect taxes from the market and port offices, which also benefited the country and the people.

“Therefore, not only domestic demand, but also foreign trade can promote domestic production, open more factories, provide more high-income job opportunities for the unemployed, and the country can also earn more wealth.

"Although most of the wealth earned is in the hands of merchants, they also need to buy goods for consumption in China. If one person buys ten things, it is equivalent to ten people also earning the money from overseas. Only then can the people be more prosperous, and the country can also receive more taxes from merchants. Some things that are overproduced in China and cannot be sold can also be 'exported abroad' and exchanged for corresponding wealth."

Industry has never been a panacea or advanced technology. If industry is compared to a person, then his left hand holds the raw materials and his right hand holds the "market" for dumping. There is no market, only technology. The more you produce, the faster the domestic economy will explode. Capitalism needs to continuously expand market profits to survive, otherwise it will explode immediately. This is how cyclical economic crises come about.

If you don't understand the production relationship and just climb the technology tree and say you want to develop industry, that is pure wishful thinking. The two world wars were caused by the competition for the dumping ground of goods.

People in later generations envied the great powers, thinking that their industrialization could enrich the country and strengthen the military, but they did not see how they fought each other for the dumping grounds. They hated the great powers and did not want their motherland to be bullied, so everyone wanted to develop industry in ancient times. However, if you do not cultivate the consumer market and straighten out the production relations, and only dream of climbing the technology tree but not thinking about expanding the market, then industry will not be able to be developed at all.

Once the steam textile mill in London was put into operation, the output of one factory in one month could equal the annual cloth output of Songjiang Prefecture. Productivity grew explosively. If you opened a hundred or eighty such factories in China and kept producing all year round, it would be a problem to find someone to sell so much cloth to.

Therefore, Lu Jin said these words. He must propose a new economic theory to let everyone sort out the production relationship, and have a set of theoretical support to create an environment suitable for industrialization in China. Otherwise, even if he came up with something while he was alive, his politics would surely cease to exist in the future.
When everyone heard Lu Jin's comments on paper money and foreign trade, they either thought about it or nodded frequently. Lu Jin concluded.

"In the final analysis, it is still Han Feizi's words, 'Times change and the world is different'. The times are changing. We can't sit back and wait for opportunities, or look for swords on the boats. We can't stick to the old ways. Guanzi, who lived 2,000 years ago, can no longer adapt to the current era.

"Therefore, I am going to write a book and add a new book to the Gongshu Secret Book. The title is called Economics, which is taken from the meaning of governing the world and benefiting the people. Here it specifically refers to the general term for 'all production, circulation, exchange, distribution, and consumption of all material and spiritual materials in the world'. It will be based on the Guanzi, check for omissions and compile a new book." Especially the issuance, circulation and control of currency; the relationship between production, trade and distribution, and taxation, how to guide the people to produce, manage and get rich, how to guide the country to manage merchants, guide production, and collect taxes, so as to enrich the country and strengthen the army.

"Would you three gentlemen be willing to help me, write for me, and discuss this together?"

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this, and Chen Yu was particularly interested. He immediately bowed and said, "I am already writing a 'General History of China', but after hearing the content of the 'Economics' book that the Marshal mentioned, I think it will become a classic if it can be completed!

"It is my wish to discuss academic matters with a master like you who has written many books. I dare not ask you to do so. Even if it means writing one more book, I can write it."

Tao An is now the head of the Etiquette Department, and his title is Minister of Rites, but Lu Jin does not attach much importance to the Ministry of Rites. Other departments have practical things to do, but he, the Minister of Rites, is just slacking off, and is bored every day. So he immediately bowed and said, "I am also willing to write for my lord, and discuss economics together."

Wang Guangyang is now a secretary in the Secretariat, which is equivalent to a consultant. Apart from answering questions and making some suggestions, he has nothing to do, so he agreed. "It is what I want, but I dare not ask."

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble the three gentlemen." Lu Jin immediately nodded with satisfaction.

Anyway, it is impossible for him to write a book by himself. At most, he can just talk and let three people help him record the manuscript, and finally compile it into a book, and then sign his name.
After seeing Lu Jin finish talking about writing a book, Li Shanchang spoke.

"Since the Lord just mentioned taxes, let's also decide on the taxes. If this is left undecided, there will always be a lot of confusion when we collect taxes after the summer grain harvest next year."

Lu Jin nodded when he heard this, and then asked everyone, "What do you think of the former Song Dynasty's five-class household tax system?"

Among all the people present, Chen Yu was in a rare mood today and became talkative. Upon hearing this, he immediately replied, "I would like to try to say a few words."

"Mr. Zhonghang, please speak."

Chen Yu immediately said, "The household classification system first appeared during the reign of Emperor Taizu of Song Dynasty. At that time, households were divided into nine levels according to the amount of assets, and only the top four levels were taxed, while the poor households in the bottom five levels were not taxed.

"Later, during the reign of Emperor Renzong, due to the shortage of state finances and the difficulty in collecting taxes from the nine classes of households, a reform was carried out to simplify the original nine classes of households into five classes. All five classes had to pay taxes, but the taxes were levied differently according to the level of wealth.

"As for how to divide the rich and poor households, local officials regularly check the people's land, houses and other assets to assess the rich and poor.

"The original intention of this policy is good. The purpose is to 'tax according to ability'. Rich households are extravagant, so they will be taxed more. Poor households are struggling to make ends meet, so they will enjoy preferential treatment such as tax reduction or exemption.

"However, there were many corrupt officials, and the policy went awry when it was implemented. Rich households colluded with corrupt officials and forcibly classified themselves as poor households, paying less tax and being exempted from tax. Poor households were then forcibly classified as rich households. Corrupt officials would randomly point to a gravel beach and say it was good farmland for poor households, forcing them to pay more taxes. As a result, poor households had no choice but to abandon their homes and go into exile, or even rebel."

Lu Jin frowned and thought about it, then asked, "Do you think this policy is good or bad? If we implement graded taxation, how can we avoid this kind of thing from happening?"

"This..." Everyone started thinking after hearing this.

Qin Conglong thought for a while and said, "There is no problem with taxing according to ability. This is a benevolent policy. It can reduce taxes for poor people while ensuring that the country does not lack finances. The key to this policy is how to divide households so that officials below can take advantage of loopholes less often or not at all."

Everyone present naturally understood this principle, but if the households were divided, someone would need to check. So what was the standard for dividing the rich and the poor? And how often should the check be repeated?
If the inventory is not rechecked regularly, then if some people sell their land or buy new land, but the records in the government do not change, wouldn’t the tax be collected incorrectly? However, if the inventory is checked frequently, it will create opportunities for corrupt officials to make money, so the frequency of asset inventory should be as low as possible.

Seeing that no one could come up with an idea for a while, Lu Jin was well prepared. He immediately took out a form he had written and handed it out, then spoke.

"I have an idea. Why not simply collect taxes based on the amount of land? The amount of land will be based on the government's land deeds. The amount of tax will be based on the amount of land on the deeds. If someone changes the land deeds, or buys or sells it, they must go to the government to notarize the change of the land deeds, and they must also pay a 3% land transfer stamp tax. Otherwise, the government will not recognize private land transactions.

“In this way, even if there are corrupt officials pointing to the gravel riverbed and saying it is the land of the poor, the people can deny it and everything will be based on the land deed.

"The rich have a lot of land. If they forcibly hide their land, the land deeds will be used as the basis, and all the excess land will be confiscated. After all, they don't want it.
"So, the simpler the classification standard is, the harder it will be for people below to take advantage of loopholes. However, it is not divided into five levels, but like Emperor Taizu of Song, it is divided into nine levels of households. You can take a look at it."

When everyone took the paper and looked at it, they all gasped. This tax is too harsh.
It was written on it: 5% tax on less than 30 acres, 50% tax; 7.14% tax on to acres, % tax;

50到100亩的十税一，征税10%；100到300亩的七税一，征税14.2%；

300 to 500 mu of land is taxed at 16.6%; 20 to mu of land is taxed at %;

For land between 25 and 33.3 mu, the tax rate is %; for land above mu, the tax rate is %;

For those with more than 50 mu, the tax is % at one and two times the rate!

Oh my god, now those big landowners who own hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land are doomed.

If you don't agree, you can rebel. Anyway, the main force of our Shengwu Army has not withdrawn yet. Those tax-farming landlords raised by the Yuan Dynasty can just wait for the street lamps to be hung.——
PS: Two chapters with 10,000 words, please give me your monthly votes, guys.
(End of this chapter)