I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 299 Early People! Later Officials! Officials Afterwards! Grand Secretary Shen's Pie-in-the-Sky in the Court

Disciple of Huangji.

When Shen Yiguan heard Shen Nian say that his proposed method of "turning the fire tax into public funds and replacing the usual practice with a generous reward" was a terrible solution.

He couldn't help but twitch his lips, his face full of disbelief.

He believed that this plan was a good idea to "relieve the worries of the court and reduce the burden on the people and bring them well-being," and he really couldn't think of any reason why Shen Nian would object to it.

Shen Nian strode out.

He first glanced at Shen Yiguan, then bowed and cupped his hands towards the young Wanli Emperor on the throne.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the proposed 30% tax on land taxes, as advocated by Attendant Shen, is an oppressive tax, and the practice of replacing the usual practice with generous rewards is a harsh policy that is completely unacceptable!"

As soon as Shen Nian opened his mouth, he defined the fire tax as an oppressive tax and the practice of replacing the usual practice with generous rewards as an oppressive policy.

"The loss caused by the fire tax is not the fault of the common people. A 30% tax increase may be a drop in the ocean for the gentry, but for the old farmers in the countryside, it is like a boulder from Mount Tai crushing an egg. At best, they have to pawn their clothes and oxen; at worst, they have to sell their children, lose their land and their homes, and cause the village to go hungry. Such extra exploitation adds to the suffering of the common people. It is absolutely unacceptable outside of the Single Whip Law!"

"As for the method of rewarding the common practice with generous rewards, it is a strategy of driving away tigers and inviting wolves. If the amount of reward silver is determined by the efficiency of tax payment, then it will be easy for rich counties to collect taxes and difficult for poor counties to collect taxes. The clerks in rich counties will become richer and the clerks in poor counties will become poorer. The difficulty in collecting land taxes from the common people is not due to resistance to taxes, but because they have no money to pay."

"If the income of local officials is determined by the efficiency of tax collection, then these officials will inevitably try every means to collect taxes. They might start collecting taxes as early as the seedling harvest season, or even a season earlier, and might even resort to violent means such as demolishing houses and seizing cattle to gain a large reward for themselves. If this continues, the country will inevitably descend into chaos, and land will once again be subject to land annexation. The Single Whip Law will be regarded by the people as a monstrous and harmful law, and the new reforms will be destroyed!"

"Throughout history, only those who govern with benevolence have won the hearts of the people. If we treat national and civil affairs as business transactions to pursue personal gain, it is undoubtedly a perverse act that will lose the support of the people..."

After Shen Nian explained the dangers of "replacing routine practices with generous rewards," Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and others nodded in agreement.

This method is actually a short-sighted and opportunistic approach.

It is efficient in the short term, but once it becomes a standard practice, lower-level officials, in order to earn generous rewards, can absolutely exploit the common people to the point of ruin and death.

Little Wanli frowned slightly.

The negative impacts that Shen Nian mentioned do exist, but Shen Yiguan's strategy is still the most beneficial plan he has heard of for the court.

If Shen Nian has no better plan, he still tends to implement this plan.

After listening to Shen Nian's rebuttal, Shen Yiguan couldn't help but ask, "According to what you just said, Grand Secretary Shen, the fire loss tax should be borne by the imperial court, and the regular land tax should be abolished unconditionally. If that's the case, how will the livelihood of the local officials be solved? They won't just listen to the saying 'the people are the most important' and then neglect their food and drink and the lives of their families to do their best for the imperial court!"

Shen Yiguan, that old fox, was well-versed in the ways of court debate.

Shen Nian rejected his plan. Knowing that arguing would be a poor choice, he directly asked Shen Nian how to solve the existing problem.

Shen Nian straightened his chest and said loudly, "The fire loss tax should have been borne by the imperial court, the land tax should have been abolished unconditionally, and the livelihood of the local officials should be solved by the local government."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yiguan couldn't help but show excitement, having found a reason to refute Shen Nian.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Shen is truly a sage! In the past, his idea was 'It's better to make the officials suffer than the common people suffer,' but now that he has entered the cabinet, his idea has changed to 'It's better to make the lower-level clerks suffer, the local officials suffer, and the court suffer than the common people suffer!'"

"However, I wonder if Grand Secretary Shen understands that without the imperial court, where would the people of the Ming Dynasty come from? Without the government, where would the people's well-being and prosperity come from?"

Shen Yiguan suddenly raised his voice.

"If we follow Grand Secretary Shen's suggestion that the court should bear the cost of the fire tax and that the regular land tax be abolished unconditionally, how will the national treasury maintain the court's daily expenses? How will local officials be able to perform their duties diligently? Grand Secretary Shen's words seem to be for the sake of the people, but in reality, they are for his own career and reputation!"

"Grand Secretary Shen is well-versed in the art of governing the people. If his words today reach the common people, many will praise him for caring about the people and be grateful to him. Those who oppose his words will be deeply hated by the people."

"But if the court follows his advice, it will be a hardship for local officials, for all officials in the country, and even for Your Majesty. If in the future, the national treasury is empty, military expenses are difficult to cover, and disaster victims are difficult to rescue, whose responsibility will it be? And who can bear this responsibility?"

"Grand Secretary Shen spared no expense in draining the court to treat the people well; this was his way of getting promoted."

"However, if the people are rich but the country is poor, the Ming Dynasty will surely collapse. Since entering officialdom, Grand Secretary Shen has been adept at seeking fame and reputation. In order to win the hearts of the people, he has long harmed the court, the scholars and officials of the country, and the gentry of the country. If we do as he says today, the Ming Dynasty will surely perish!"

……

"Your Majesty, the treacherous minister has already revealed himself!" Shen Yiguan shouted at the top of his lungs, then knelt on the ground and pressed his head to the ground.

……

At this moment, the area beneath the Huangji Gate was extremely quiet.

Neither the civil nor military officials expected that discussing the usual land tax regulations would uncover a deeply hidden treacherous minister.

Some officials who disapproved of Shen Nian's rapid promotion felt quite pleased, thinking that Shen Nian was about to fall this time.

Some officials who were usually just figureheads at court were instantly wide awake, their eyes shining as they hoped the upcoming events would be even more exciting.

The young Wanli Emperor was also somewhat stunned.

He felt that Shen Yiguan's words were too extreme, but upon closer reflection, he realized that Shen Nian valued the people more than the imperial court, and even more than him.

Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Wang Xijue stood upright and motionless.

They were waiting for Shen Nian's explanation.

Seeing the eerily quiet surroundings, Shen Shixing couldn't help but turn to Shen Yiguan and say, "It can't be that bad! It can't be that bad!"

When it comes to mediating disputes, Shen Shixing is always a professional.

At this time, Shen Nian took a step forward.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
All the officials' eyes were focused on Shen Nian.

Everyone knows that since Shen Nian entered officialdom, he has never suffered a loss in the imperial court.

Shen Yiguan directly defined him as a "traitorous minister who seeks fame and fortune and harms the country," which he would certainly refute.

With a faint smile on her face, Shen Nian bowed slightly to the young Wanli Emperor.

"Your Majesty, whether I am virtuous or wicked, I feel there is no need for me to defend myself. Anyone with doubts can go to the Ministry of Personnel and look through my performance evaluation records to find out."

As soon as these words came out.

Many officials who were hoping Shen Nian would suffer a major setback felt that their wishes were about to be dashed.

Shen Nian valued the people above all else, and it is true that "it is better to make officials suffer than the common people suffer." However, his contributions to the court far exceeded those of most officials.

He could be called a fame-seeker, or an enemy of the scholar-official class in order to win the hearts of the people, but calling him a treacherous minister is clearly an overstatement.

Shen Nian's confidence stemmed from his verifiable achievements. Apart from Zhang Juzheng, anyone else who investigated him would feel ashamed of their own shortcomings, while others would be filled with envy and jealousy.

Emperor Wanli quickly interjected, "I am most aware of Minister Shen's merits; Minister Shen is by no means a treacherous minister!"

In the eyes of the young Wanli Emperor, a hundred Shen Yiguans were not as good as one Shen Nian. In addition, after he took power, he would still need to rely on Shen Nian, so he would naturally speak up for Shen Nian.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty!" Shen Nian bowed deeply.

Shen Yiguan originally intended to continue attacking Shen Nian, but seeing that Xiao Wanli was so sympathetic to him, he did not speak again.

immediately.

Shen Nian said, "Your Majesty, my colleagues, let's focus our attention on the fire tax and the regular land tax."

"Let me reiterate my solution."

"I believe that the fire loss tax should be borne by the imperial court, the regular land tax should be abolished unconditionally, and the livelihood of local officials should be solved by the local prefectures. I temporarily suggest that while abolishing the regular land tax, the wages and food allowances of local officials be directly doubled!"

"Double it? Do you know..."

"Let me finish!" Shen Yiguan had just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by Shen Nian's serious voice.

Shen Nian looked at Shen Yiguan and glared at him, saying, "Shen Shidu, after so many years in office, haven't you learned that subordinates shouldn't interrupt when superiors are speaking? Why don't you speak first, and then I'll speak!"

"This humble official dares not!" Shen Yiguan quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

At this point, many officials realized that Shen Nian was now a cabinet minister, no longer the Hanlin scholar who could be impeached at will.

Although Shen Nian is young, his presence as a cabinet minister is far more imposing than that of Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue.

After pausing for a moment, Shen Nian continued, "My reason for this proposition stems from two pieces of data."

"Firstly, the imperial court will bear the cost of the fire loss. How much silver will the imperial court actually lose?"

"Based on last year's national land tax converted into silver, it amounted to about six million taels. If the fire loss silver is increased by 30%, it would be one million eight hundred thousand taels. However, the court did not actually lose one million eight hundred thousand taels of silver. Seventy percent of the fire loss silver was misappropriated by local officials or used as a routine practice for officials. The national treasury's loss was at most five hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Secondly, how much extra silver will each prefecture have to spend if the wages and salaries of local officials are doubled?"

"The clerks and officials of a county, including the three shifts and six offices, gatekeepers, storehousemen, sedan chair carriers, etc., number around one hundred. Their wages and food allowances average three to six taels per person per year. If we calculate it at five taels, that's five hundred taels a year. Apart from directly governed prefectures, each prefecture has about five to ten counties. Even if there are ten counties, the total wages and food allowances would only be five thousand taels. That is, if we double that, each prefecture would need to spend an extra two thousand five hundred taels of silver per year on average."

"All of you can do the math in your minds. The fire loss silver is borne by the imperial court, which loses 500,000 taels of silver every year. However, the imperial court requires the prefectures and counties to provide silver to help the local officials and clerks. The amount of silver provided is definitely higher than 500,000 taels of silver."

"It seems that the local prefectures are the ones who are losing the most, but they have many regular expenses. It is not difficult for them to come up with 2,500 taels of silver every year. If they have difficulty, they can apply to the provincial administration. If the provincial administration has no money, they can apply to the imperial court. Of course, I believe that the local governments can come up with the money, because they do not want the imperial court to thoroughly investigate their income!"

"These two figures are sufficient to demonstrate that the imperial court can fully bear the loss of the fire loss silver, and local prefectures are fully capable of helping local officials and clerks increase their salaries, thus doubling their wages and food allowances!"

As an official in the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Nian naturally excels at using data to support his arguments.

"Once I've confirmed that the imperial court has the funds to do this, I'll then explain the benefits it would bring and whether it's truly worthwhile."

"First, he won the hearts of the people, including the local officials and clerks."

"Since ancient times, the fire tax has always been borne by the common people. Now, the imperial court has taken over this responsibility and has also banned the collection of land taxes, which is enough to double the annual income of the common people. How can the people not be grateful to the imperial court and the new policies!"

"As for the clerks, their income is usually something they can't show off. Now the court is doubling their wages and allowances, partly to thank them for their contributions during the land survey across the country, and partly to make them feel that they deserve higher pay for serving the court, and that it will be even higher in the future!"

"Secondly, in the long run, this move is in the style of Yao and Shun."

"My colleagues have surely realized that my proposal prioritizes the interests of the common people, followed by the local officials, while temporarily sacrificing the interests of the court and local officials. Which dynasty could achieve such a balance? This truly embodies the sage's words: 'The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important!'"

"For the new policy reforms to succeed, they must be implemented from the bottom up and involve the entire population. If these measures are included in the next issue of 'The People's Mirror' and publicized throughout the country, how will the people view them? What will the educated people of the world think? Will they be willing to contribute their efforts to the new policy and to make their future lives better?"

"A hundred years from now, will future generations praise the Ming Dynasty for its wise rulers, virtuous ministers, efficient governance, and harmonious society?"

The phrase "a wise ruler and virtuous ministers" made the young Wanli Emperor and many officials raise their heads in admiration.

"The reason I call this a temporary sacrifice of the interests of the court and local officials is because I believe that for the Ming Dynasty to prosper and realize the ideal of ensuring everyone has enough to eat, development must proceed from the bottom up, starting with the people, then the officials, and finally the government. The reason I'm having local prefectures fund the assistance of their clerks is because they have too many customary practices, and they should curb them. What I hope for is that one day in the future, the salaries of all Ming Dynasty officials will double, and all customary practices will disappear. Only in this way can many talented officials be freed from poverty, and only then can governance be clean and efficient, with everyone capable of serving as a competent minister!"

Shen Nian finally revealed his long-cherished goal: to raise the salaries of officials and abolish all official practices.

Many officials were displeased upon hearing this.

Because they feel that even a tenfold increase in salary wouldn't be as good as the regular salary they currently receive.

But they dared not refute it.

Shen Nian's goal was to eliminate officials like them who used routine practices to corrupt the bureaucracy.

In short, Shen Nian's words can be summarized as: first, let the common people live well; then let the lower-level officials live well; and finally, let all the officials in the court live well.

That is: first the people, then the officials, and finally the government officials.

These six words are enough to summarize the direction of Shen Nian's current policy reforms.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor looked excited.

What moved him about Shen Nian was not the words of a sage, but the feeling that he had the potential to become a "mini Yao and Shun".

This was a fatal temptation for an emperor.

Many officials who had been eager to make their mark were also very excited.

Their career aspirations were: although they could not become Zhang Juzheng or Shen Nian, they hoped that years later, when future historians evaluated this dynasty, they would be able to say four words: "A court full of virtuous ministers."

Shen Nian gave them hope.

Shen Nian paused for a moment, then continued, "Just now, Attendant Shen said that my proposals have caused hardship for the court and the local governments, and have damaged the country's finances. If military funds are insufficient and natural disasters occur, it will lead to a depleted treasury and the collapse of the nation!"

"What I want to say is that the Ming Dynasty of today is no longer the Ming Dynasty of the past!"

"With the implementation of the Single Whip Law, the continuous growth of national treasury revenue will be inevitable, and private commerce will also flourish. At the same time, once maritime trade is on track, a steady stream of silver will flow into the national treasury and the people. Now is our best opportunity to create a prosperous era, our best opportunity to create an era of wise rulers and virtuous ministers! To create an unprecedented prosperous era, we cannot rely on one or two people; we must rely on a group of people, a large group of people!"

This is Shen Nian's vision: only through common prosperity can we achieve a golden age.

(End of this chapter)