Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 158 Do you know how to govern the country? If not, please leave. I will do it.

When you ask "Do you want to rebel?", it is actually the same as asking "Do you not love me anymore?"

It doesn’t matter how the other party answers.

The fact that the questioner asks this question itself is important.

This is actually an expression of distrust.

Of course Li Shimin understood this principle.

He deliberately expressed this meaning to Li Ming.

Replace him with anyone else, even a super powerful official like Yi Yin or Huo Guang.

After the master expressed his distrust, he must have trembled and knelt on the ground to defend himself.

Even if you are pretending, you have to pretend to give the emperor some face, right?

But Li Ming doesn't.

There is only Li Ming in the world who can blink his big innocent and pure eyes and say casually "I don't have it".

It was as if it was just a small misunderstanding with my friends.

Although Li Ming was not the naive little brat he seemed, this "little misunderstanding" was about dividing the land for rebellion, and this "little friend" was an emperor who could destroy a country and a tribe and make people feel like they were living with a tiger.

However, Li Ming's frank attitude made Li Shimin lack confidence.

No matter what, he probably does love me, right?

This brat is quite interesting.

On the one hand, he kept shouting "I'm afraid of death, I'm afraid of death" all day long, as if the whole world wanted to harm him.

On the other hand, I am not afraid of anything, especially not of me, the emperor.

Deep down, this kid feels that he is equal to everyone.

He could sit cross-legged on the sand without a care in the world and chat with the workers and the poor as if nothing had happened.

He could also sit cross-legged in the Liangyi Hall and lecture the emperor.

Li Shimin had the same strange feeling as before again.

It was as if he had not given birth to a son, but an old friend who was on equal footing with him.

"…So it's because the fate of Hou Junji and Wei Daijia is unknown that we dare not contact them rashly?"

In the study of Lizheng Palace, Li Shimin continued to listen to Li Ming's description of the details of the Liaodong incident and listened to his personal explanation of the doubts.

"exactly.

"And as Chang Sunyan said, all the policies I implemented in Pingzhou were stopgap measures. They all went in reverse later... I have changed my mind now."

Li Ming continued to speak eloquently and offered slanderous words to deceive the emperor.

Li Shimin glanced at the Liaodong pamphleteer and stroked his mustache:
"So, your use of clerks to replace officials, your use of 'administrative ability tests' to replace the imperial examinations, and other things like 'unified allocation of land' are also stopgap measures?
"Let me guess, Fang Xuanling taught you?"

Li Ming's face froze.

Shit, my scheme of backdoor listing was exposed by my father!
Yes, after all, Li Er was the pinnacle of power in the feudal era, and he always maintained a natural sensitivity to personnel and land.

He could not be fooled by this little trick of the bureaucracy.

However, the shameless Li Ming immediately returned to normal and rubbed his hands together:
"Oh my god, oh my god, what's the point of that? What's the point of that? I don't understand what you are talking about.

"I am complying with the requirements of the development of advanced productive forces, the direction of development of advanced culture, and the wishes of the vast majority of the people..."

"No need to explain." Li Shimin waved his hand lightly, interrupting Li Ming's chanting:

"Liaodong is remote and the situation is complicated, so it is necessary to adopt some new policies based on local conditions.

"If you can bring places like Goguryeo, which are more remote than Liaodong, into Kaihua, do the same."

"Yes, yes, yes...Huh?!" Li Ming was stunned.

Listen to what Li Shimin said...

Is this raising high and putting down gently?

Are you not going to investigate his shameless act of "putting new wine in old bottles"?

Does that mean he is selling Ming Dynasty dog ​​meat under the guise of Tang Dynasty sheep in Liaodong?

Isn't this equivalent to...

In essence, he agreed to Li Ming's original request, acknowledging that Liaodong and the entire Northeast were his sphere of influence, and that the court would not interfere too much?

Li Ming's eyes suddenly became hot.

The emperor actually gave up power so readily, it's really unfortunate.

If all future sunrises are like this, then my father will be the only sun in my heart.

"What's that look in your eyes? Do you think I'm narrow-minded?"

Li Shimin chuckled and said:

"I can tolerate Murong Yan being a local emperor in Pingzhou, and I can let Li Simo go back to occupy the north of the Great Wall, so why can't I tolerate you dividing the territory?"

In fact, Li Shimin was not so averse to decentralization.

After becoming the head of state, the vast territory and burgeoning population had already made this classical monarch a little too busy to handle.

Precisely because of his limited energy and limited technological means to remotely control distant territories, he came up with such great jobs as "hereditary governor" and "prince who concurrently serves as governor and commander-in-chief".

If this operation had happened in any dynasty after the Tang Dynasty (except the Yuan Dynasty), it would have been enough to make later emperors scream in surprise.

As for why Li Shimin had been holding on to Liaodong so tightly before, it was because he was really afraid that Li Ming would be restless.

After his death, in order to save his life and resist the purge of the new emperor, this guy was willing to leave the royal family and live a life of abstraction by occupying the mountains and becoming a king.

And now, when Li Ming really becomes the king of the mountain.

Li Shimin could only stop the loss in time and not force Li Mingzhen out of the royal family, so as not to let Liaodong completely break away from the Tang Dynasty.

He didn't even dare to transfer Li Ming to another place and forcibly "correct" the trend in Liaodong.

Because what this guy did in that damn place was really effective, and it achieved great success and high popularity among the people.

Any blind interference by the imperial court would only intensify the conflict and force Liaodong to rebel.

So, it is better to compromise completely——

The entire area of ​​Liaodong and the north of it was completely handed over to Li Ming.

Of course, this is only the superficial reason why Li Shimin took this step.

The deeper reason is.

After witnessing Li Ming's governance ability and Li Chengqian's ability to commit suicide, his arrangements for the crown prince underwent subtle changes.

The system of primogeniture is no longer upheld.

Everyone should do their best and only the talented ones will be promoted.

Since it is a competitive job, we naturally need to create an environment that is as fair as possible for new contestants.

Li Ming had the lowest starting point, so his father had to give him a hand.

The two remote and inferior states in Liaodong will serve as his starting point. How much he can gain in the north in the future will depend on his ability.

Moreover, analyzing from the emperor's point of view, Li Shimin felt that this arrangement for the successor would not have any impact on the country.

Because the Northeast is too far away.

Even if there is chaos there, it will not interfere with the normal operation of the court, nor will it bring any impact to the main base of the Tang Dynasty.

Besides, Li Ming at least knew to pull up the waistband of his "Tang-style" trousers to cover it up, so the court officials and people all over the world couldn't say anything to him.

Even if we take a step back, the imperial court would not be able to directly rule that remote and cold land even if it was not "enfeoffed" to Li Ming.

We still need to build an "Andong Protectorate" or something like that to allow the natives to govern themselves.

Just like giving the grasslands and deserts north of the Great Wall to Ashina Simo's tribe for grazing.

Compared to giving power to Murong Xianbei or the remnants of the Turks, isn't his precious son much more reliable than them?
At least it's still part of the Tang Dynasty, and the surname is Li...

"Grandpa... I didn't expect you to be so generous..."

Li Ming was overwhelmed by his father's sudden generosity and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"Don't go too far. Remember, the land under your rule will always be part of the Tang Dynasty."

Li Shimin walked over to Li Ming, squatted down, looked him straight in the eyes and said:

"Like you'll always be my son."

Li Ming moved his throat and nodded.

Li Shimin looked at the fat boy, smiled relaxedly, touched his head, and said in a serious tone:

"If you govern Liaodong worse than Murong Yan, I will not forgive you!"

"You should at least make a higher request." Li Ming smiled helplessly.

At this moment, the eunuch came to report:
"Ma Zhou wants to see you."

"Then I'll leave first if you have something to do. Bye~"

Li Ming was about to run away when Li Shimin grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him back:
"You stay."

"Why? I want to find my mother."

"Show you how to play the game with the court officials, and learn the essence of governing a country."

"Is there anything I need to learn from these insects?"

"Ma Zhou was just promoted this year. He is proficient in administration and is a leader among mid-level bureaucrats. I want you, a farmer from Liaodong, to open your eyes and experience the true abilities of a court official."

The eunuch stared at the little brat without blinking his eyes, who was disobeying the imperial order and defying the court.

Being personally brought by His Majesty to meet court officials and learn how to govern the country, don’t you know what this means...

The young eunuch naturally didn't dare to say anything more and quietly retreated.

After a while, Ma Zhou, the Imperial Censor and the Chief Remonstrator of the Secretariat, was ordered to enter.

This young and middle-aged bureaucrat exudes an air of professionalism and impartiality.

He originally served as an aide to Chang He, the founding general in the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Once, Li Er had a sudden idea to give court officials an essay test.

Chang He could not read a single word, so Ma Zhou asked him to write for him. He was then discovered and entered the officialdom.

It can be said that compared with a "minister" who entered the government through family connections or imperial examinations, Ma Zhou was more of a "civil servant", a professional bureaucrat engaged in administrative matters.

As soon as Ma Zhou entered the study, he found a child sitting unruly next to the emperor. He subconsciously stopped where he was and said nothing.

Li Shimin waved his hand:

"It doesn't matter if you say so."

Actually allowing a prince other than the crown prince to sit in on government affairs, this...

Ma Zhou's heart suddenly started beating fast.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset and reported calmly:

“I believe that the national tax system should be reformed.

"Today, rent, labor service and tax are collected annually. The people pay the grain and cloth that they should pay for the whole year in one lump sum. Not only do they have to spend time storing them, but they also have to bear the loss of grain due to rat and insect infestation.

"Moreover, the state collects taxes once a year, and the revenue fluctuates greatly, while the expenditure is monthly, so it is difficult for the state to keep within its means."

Li Shimin listened and nodded slightly.

The current tax system does have the suspicion of forcing the people to store grain on behalf of the government.

The storage conditions of the common people were certainly not as good as those of the government’s granaries, which led to rampant rat infestation and serious waste.

Moreover, from the perspective of national finance and taxation, uneven tax revenue is indeed a pain point in the national finances of agricultural societies.

"Therefore, I think that the one tax should be changed to two taxes, and the collection time should be after the two harvests of grain each year."

Ma Zhou suggested:
"In this way, the people will not have to worry about storing extra food, and the government's tax revenue will be smoother, which is especially beneficial for the distribution of rice for officials."

Li Shimin nodded in agreement:

"Good." After receiving the leader's affirmative reply, Ma Zhou's face flashed with pride, and he respectfully sealed the memorial:

"I have already recorded the specific implementation strategies on it. These are just some of my humble opinions, which are not worth mentioning."

After saying that, he stood up and left.

As he retreated, his eyes unconsciously swept over His Highness Li Ming.

There was an inexplicable hint of pity in the little prince's smile.

In the blink of an eye, everything was back to normal, and the little prince's smiling eyes were calm.

Well, my Lord, it's calm and peaceful...

Ma Zhou always felt a sense of disharmony and retreated with some trepidation in his heart.

After the father and son were the only ones left in the study, Li Shimin no longer had to put on airs and looked at Li Ming with a little pride:

"This is roughly what the central government proposed.

"How does it compare with Liaodong? Does the memorial offer any insight? Does it inspire you?

“I heard that your tax system in Liaodong is quite brutal, collecting 30% of the farmers’ land in one go each year.

“Compared to yours, are the courtiers’ proposals more sophisticated and more considerate of the people?”

You may be able to govern a corner of Liaodong, but what about the whole country?

That is not about governing a "bigger" Liaodong.

In fact, as the territory expands and the population increases, the difficulty of management increases exponentially.

Therefore, the level of court officials who are qualified to participate in politics is also quite high.

Let me show you that there are mountains beyond mountains and there are heavens beyond heavens, so just keep your feet on the ground and learn well... A gentle smile appeared on Li Shimin's face, as if he was teaching his baby son to walk.

Li Ming glanced at the memorial that Ma Zhou had written all night, and his smile gradually faded. He even looked a little sad:
"That's it, is it considered outstanding?"

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows:
"You don't think highly of Ma Zhou? Do you think this proposal is a bad one?"

Li Ming sighed:

“The two-tax law is good in theory, but a little naive.

"Has Ma Zhou ever been to the grassroots and done grassroots work?"

"Ma Zhou started out as a retainer of Chang He. Isn't that a low enough starting point?" Li Shimin frowned slightly.

"Judging from this proposal, it's not low enough." Li Ming shook his head in disappointment, as if he was angry at the lack of efforts:

"He has no experience as a low-level clerk, nor has he ever dealt with clerks from the perspective of a peasant."

Li Shimin's eyebrows tightened:
"You might as well put it more clearly."

"The biggest problem with collecting taxes twice a year is that it increases the burden on grassroots officials and clerks," Li Ming said pointedly:
"It takes a lot of manpower to determine the tax amount and collect taxes in kind. Collecting taxes twice a year is equivalent to doubling the workload of tax collection."

There was no Golden Tax System IV or Kingdee system in that era, not even Excel.

Thinking from the perspective of grassroots civil servants, if they really want to "collect taxes according to the law", the increased workload will be enormous.

Well, if taxes are collected “according to the law”.

"hiss……"

Li Ming's idea hit Li Shimin's blind spot.

He came from a family of officials who had made many military achievements, and he really lacked some experience in grassroots administration.

He didn't even have direct communication with the low-level clerks.

however……

“You mean, in order not to trouble the officials, we have to trouble the people?
“Isn’t this just mediocre and lazy governance?”

Li Shimin retorted.

Officials are supported by the country, so what's wrong with being a little busy?
Li Ming glanced at his naive father:
“It seems that you really don’t understand the actual situation of grassroots administration.

“The more pressure officials feel, who will they vent their anger on?”

Li Shimin was startled.

The conclusion is self-evident—the people.

The common people are the ultimate scapegoats for everything.

“If the tax system is simple, officials at all levels will have less room to manipulate the system, and the financial accounts will be easier to calculate. Even if there is corruption, it will be easier to detect clues.

"When there are too many types of taxes, officials at all levels will have more room to add more taxes and exploit the people."

Li Ming changed his playful smile and said seriously:

"The Two Tax Law is such an evil law. On the one hand, it increases the work pressure of officials, and on the other hand, it allows them to travel back and forth to the countryside more often, giving them another opportunity to exploit the people.

"What do you think the outcome will be?"

It roughly means:
The court's original intention was good, but the execution below would definitely be distorted.

Li Shimin was speechless for a while, and muttered for a long time:

"I think you're...too cynical."

Are all the officials in my Zhenguan Dynasty corrupt?

"Even if it was the clerks that I selected and hired at high salaries in Liaodong, I would not dare to test their conscience."

Li Ming said word by word:
"The court's decision of a few pages can determine the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. We must use the most basic thinking to take precautions and consider them."

Li Shimin pointed at the table and fell into deep thought.

After weighing the two options, he tapped the table vigorously:
"I have made up my mind, I will do as Ma Zhou says!
"Being afraid of this or that is no excuse to stop moving forward!

"If officials take this opportunity to embarrass the people, then let Wei Ting strengthen the inspection of officials!"

Seeing that the emperor was so decisive, Li Ming did not want to say anything more. He took a step back and said:

"The issue of finance and taxation is a big deal. Before we promote it nationwide, why not first find a poor guy... a county to pilot it?"

This made sense, and Li Shimin began to think about it.

Li Ming continued:
"Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. If the effect is good, it won't be too late to gradually promote it. It won't take a year or two, right?"

Li Shimin's mouth twitched.

Originally, I was the one teaching you how to govern a big country, how come it became the other way around and you were teaching me?
"Okay, let's pick a county and give it a try." Li Shimin looked at the map:
"Which place should I choose?"

"Qizhou in Henan Province is good." Li Ming almost blurted out.

Li Shimin stroked his beard in confusion:

"why?"

"Because that place is not too far from Guanzhong, it can represent the average level of administration in the country. And the wheat there is almost ripe, so we will see the effect soon."

Li Ming said, and finally added:
"Besides, that place is close to the canal, so it is convenient for shipping, and it is also close to the Weizhou Governor's Office. If something happens, at least people won't starve to death, and if there is a disturbance, it can be easily suppressed."

The corner of Li Shimin's mouth twitched.

The tax reform is doomed to fail, right?

…………

While the imperial court was planning the reform of the Two-Tax System of "two levies a year", the winter wheat harvest in the north was also in full swing.

When the imperial court's "pilot" decree for the Two-Tax System reached Qizhou, Qizhou had a bumper winter wheat harvest and the grain was being bagged and stored.

It can be said that the timing was just right.

On the first day, nothing happened.

The next day, nothing happened.

On the third day, the report from Qizhou arrived a little late.

A few days later...

"Qizhou Civil Rebellion."

At the court meeting, Li Shimin had a blank expression on his face.

The officials were in an uproar.

Didn’t Qizhou have a bumper harvest? Why did the people suddenly revolt?

"The mob beat up the tax collectors and village heads, destroyed government warehouses, and burned the tax collectors' homes in the city.

"But Qi Wang Li You remained indifferent and continued his hunting."

Li Shimin was calm and read the report of the governor of Qizhou in public. Without even taking a breath, he issued the decree for post-war settlement in an orderly manner:

"The law does not punish the masses, and the main approach to dealing with the mob is to appease them. The two-tax system was completely suspended, and warehouses were opened to provide relief to the people. The Weizhou Governor's Office dispatched 500 soldiers to maintain local order.

"Wei Ting."

Wei Ting was still wandering around, thinking that this matter had nothing to do with him, but was suddenly reminded by His Majesty and stood up hurriedly:

"His Majesty?"

"You go to Qizhou in person and investigate the officials and clerks who are extorting money, making up excuses, and exploiting the people, and punish them severely."

What does a mob riot have to do with officials? Although Wei Ting was grumbling in his heart, he did not dare to neglect it and answered immediately:
"According to the order."

The ministers in the palace were discussing the matter.

His Majesty's reaction seemed very abnormal to the ministers.

Civil unrest can be a big or small matter, but Your Majesty is too indifferent.

And it was handled too quickly.

It was as if he had anticipated the changes in Qizhou.

But Qizhou had just experienced a bumper harvest, and even if Guanzhong and Yongzhou rebelled, Qizhou would not rebel!
Your Majesty is still Your Majesty after all, and you can predict the future.

Among all the ministers, Ma Zhou was the most confused.

When a civil uprising occurs, whether to appease it or suppress it is the job of the yamen runners and the army.

What does it have to do with the tax system?
Why should his two-tax system be stopped?
"Ma Zhou."

Li Shimin called his name again.

Ma Zhou, who was muttering to himself, was shocked and stood up immediately:

"The minister is here."

"You go to Qizhou."

"Yes."

"Go to the county below and be a county magistrate. Gain some experience at the grassroots level."

Ma Zhou: ???
Looking at Niu Ma Ma Zhou who was demoted without knowing why, the ministers' eyes were filled with undisguised pity.

Alas... After making a series of arrangements, Li Shimin couldn't help but sigh.

Then, a wry smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"I wanted to teach him a lesson, but I didn't expect that he would teach me a lesson instead..."

He didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

The bad news is that Li Mingquan was right.

Qizhou, where the pilot project was carried out, is really in chaos.

The extra pressure added to the grassroots will indeed be found by them and backfire on them in the end.

The lower-level officials are really a group that cannot be separated from us, but is extremely difficult to control and must be treated with caution.

The good news is that Li Mingquan is right.

"This guy is really capable...

“We can go a step further.”

(End of this chapter)