The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 422 Great Harmony and Great Zhou

If no large-scale war occurs, Datong's military expenditure will be about 1.26 million taels per year.

This year's battles include the Battle of Daizhou and the Battle of Daning.

The former was closer, right at their doorstep, while the latter was smaller in scale, with only 1,000 men in the personal guard battalion and the remaining 3,000 men stationed in Daning.

Both battles were very short, with the actual fighting lasting no more than four days.

Therefore, the cost was far lower than normal combat expenses, but it still amounted to nearly 300,000 taels of silver.

"The military expenditure for Datong is 1.4 million taels, with a regular budget of 980,000 taels. In the past, we received over 300,000 taels on good days and over 100,000 taels on bad days, but it looks like we can forget about it this year."

Wang Xin returned to Datong and brought back news from the capital.

The imperial court collects approximately 16 million taels of tax revenue annually, but this year it has only collected less than half of that amount.

Shandong, Shaanxi, Henan, Shanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and the capital region were all affected by the disaster, and southern provinces were also impacted. Not to mention that Shandong had just suffered a popular uprising, the aftereffects of which are still lingering, and the popular uprising in Shaanxi is escalating.

"The country is about to cease to be a country."

Zhang Yuncheng couldn't help but sigh. Having served in the Ministry of War for many years, he was ultimately in the central government, with a broad perspective and a deeper understanding of the Great Zhou. "If the Emperor Emeritus were still alive, with his many years of prestige, he could still suppress many things, instead of things coming to this."

No one objected.

Taxes are rising in all regions, and people are not pedantic bookworms.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly low taxes set by the imperial court; it can't stop local authorities from levying them arbitrarily.

To create pretexts.

Road construction, bridge building, thief catching—there's nothing they can't come up with, nothing they wouldn't dare to name. Exorbitant taxes and levies are the deadly ropes that drive ordinary people to their deaths, and these taxes and levies are not in the law, nor in the history books, or are only mentioned briefly.

In the early Ming Dynasty, there were few exorbitant taxes and levies, but they gradually increased in the middle and later periods.

The Qing Dynasty had the most exorbitant taxes and levies.

Because the Qing Dynasty had a more institutionalized tax farming system than the Yuan Dynasty.

Officials of different ranks need to pay correspondingly high fees, and then they are responsible for the expenses of the entire government office. Thus, the officials' interests come from squeezing money from the people to the greatest extent possible.

Therefore, the people of the Qing Dynasty were in a hellish state, only slightly better off than during other chaotic periods such as the Five Barbarian Invasions.

These exorbitant taxes and levies, though the government could not provide any legal regulations, were still impossible for ordinary people to avoid paying.

“The local governments take the lion’s share, and the imperial court can’t collect taxes. This situation has become increasingly severe in recent years. People’s ambitions are out of control. Now that the retired emperor is gone, many places are losing control of the situation. I’m afraid the emperor won’t be able to stabilize the situation quickly. Let alone half, I’m afraid we won’t be able to collect even 30% next year.”

"We can't concern ourselves with the court's troubles; we need to find a way to solve our own problems." Zeng Zhicai didn't care about the court.

Everyone looked at Wang Xin.

Wang Xin took out the booklet he had prepared.

Individuals with an annual income exceeding eighteen taels of silver were required to report taxes to the Jiedushi government every year. Eighteen taels was the minimum tax threshold, and the tax was collected at three percent annually, which was five mace and four fen of silver.

This new tax will likely bring in over 80,000 taels of silver.

Then there are tariffs.

Customs duties for crossing the border between the interior and exterior of the pass constitute the main source of income for Datong Prefecture. Initially, it amounted to 30,000 to 50,000 taels of silver per year, and in the previous two years it was more than 100,000 taels. This year, despite the disaster, the amount has increased to more than 200,000 taels.

Juzhongchang's annual dividends amount to 90,000 taels of silver.

The Xue family's annual allowance was 70,000 taels.

There was also 140,000 taels for renting military equipment and horses, and 290,000 taels for hiring soldiers. Although this sum was earmarked for specific purposes, it solved the military pay and expenses for more than 12,000 soldiers.

The total amount is over 730,000 taels.

The annual revenue from commercial taxes and profits from investments made by the Jiedushi government alone amounted to over 700,000 taels, plus other miscellaneous income, totaling nearly 800,000 taels.

In the past, if someone said that Datong's tax revenue could reach 800,000 taels, everyone would probably have thought it was a pipe dream.

That's the power of business.

"Farmers will have to pay taxes, and herders will also have to pay taxes, but in the future, taxes will only be collected from the trade process. For example, if each herder household does not trade, but trades livestock, they will be charged 5% of the transaction fee, and farmers will be charged 3%."

"Whether they are farmers or herders, the tax standard is the same: eighteen taels of silver per year."

As everyone looked through the pages, Wang Xin offered to explain.

Wang Xin was in a superior position, and he was responsible for answering questions for his subordinates. Such a undignified task would never have been possible in other government offices, but it was commonplace in the military governor's office, which maintained extremely high efficiency.

“If the annual income is set at eighteen taels of silver, I’m afraid most farmers in the interior will not be able to collect taxes.” Zeng Zhi hesitated, “Isn’t the standard set too high?”

Wang Xin shook his head.

Any issue should be approached with a practical perspective.

The tax issue is: where does the money come from?
Meanwhile, the problems that Da Ming encountered were actually quite interesting.

Every year, countless amounts of silver from the Americas were traded to Ming Dynasty merchants through the Spanish.

Merchants in the southeastern coastal areas earn their money not from internal sources, but from external ones. Therefore, they focus on external profits, while their internal workers are more like slaves to them.

Therefore, what happened in Jiangnan was a slave revolt.

What does that mean?

Many factories are hiring workers, but because they don't need workers to consume, they want to exploit workers to the maximum extent, turning them into de facto slaves. Not only do they have to do the hardest and most tiring work, but they can't even support their families.

What's the cost?
Gresham's Law applies here: when Spain ran into trouble, silver could no longer be transported into the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty, which had been thriving for the first thirty years, was the ideal country described by Western missionaries, but thirty years later it fell into extreme poverty.

This is due to a major regression in the relations of production.

The production relations of Datong are people-oriented.

Everyone is a consumer, so they need money. A poor person cannot generate consumption; they can only maintain basic food and clothing, and their economic marginal value tends to zero.

Just as Zhu Di wanted to achieve a well-off life for the people and ensure that every family had enough to eat, he had to put people first.

If we don't put people first, then all of these are just empty slogans.

From the perspective of one's own interests.

This road is a dead end.

No matter how strong the foundation, as long as it follows the Ming Dynasty's Jiangnan model, the internal market will completely collapse within one or two generations, forming the worst vicious cycle. In the end, it will become a ridiculous situation where a country with a population a hundred times that of the enemy cannot even outnumber its army.

“We have to take responsibility, otherwise the people will think, why should they pay taxes to us?”

"The taxes levied by the Jiedushi Prefecture are different from those of the previous dynasty. In the previous dynasty, the government, together with wealthy households, managed the people to pay taxes. In our case, the people pay taxes voluntarily. Only the inspection team is responsible for spot checks to prevent tax evasion."

"This is the biggest change, so our approach must also change. Otherwise, people will think that paying taxes is not worthwhile, and even if the inspection team has three heads and six arms, they will not be able to prevent it."

The people paid voluntarily.

Although many people evaded taxes, directly abolishing the government and intermediaries resolved more than 90% of the direct conflicts between the court and the people, and also allowed the people to gain greater equality and freedom.

Such a utopian society could undergo earth-shattering changes in less than a generation.

"The interests of the military governor's office are highly aligned with the interests of the people."

"The more money the people spend on trade, the more taxes the Jiedushi government can collect. If the people's income decreases and affects commercial interests, the Jiedushi government must face this major problem."

Datong will become true Datong.

Without shared interests, talking about a world of great harmony is nothing but deception.

All grand principles are just deception if they don't actually bring real benefits to the people.

What if it doesn't meet expectations?

Zeng Zhi looked worried and was hesitant to accept the Jiedushi's idea. The shortfall in military expenses alone was as high as 500,000 taels of silver, not to mention the large number of people in the Jiedushi's office. If it were done in the form of taxes, the current wealth of the people in Datong would be able to collect the money.

It sounds wonderful to follow the military governor's ideas, but what if we fail to do so?

Without money, how can we support the army?

Ideals can't put food on the table.

"Then the Jiedushi's office should find a way to solve the problem wherever it arises, instead of sitting idly by and waiting for death, and only thinking about how to squeeze money out of the people like a bandit king."

Wang Xin said firmly.

After all, the people in front of us are not from ordinary backgrounds, and even if they were, their interests are not aligned with those of ordinary people.

Can we rely on so-called Confucian moral principles? We've already lost badly.

"The emperor is going to send censors to Datong. Datong will soon face more and more troubles. We are not mountain bandits. Our way of solving problems is always violence. Although we eliminate the problem, we do not solve it. Problems will continue to emerge and will become more intractable in new ways."

Although Zeng Zhi and others were already very outstanding, they still could not escape traditional thinking.

Wang Xin had no choice but to bite the bullet and push forward.

Taiyuan, Shanxi.

A caravan transporting cattle and sheep from the north passed through Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province and one of its largest markets, so the caravan would sell some goods there.

They didn't sell much, not because there was no market in Taiyuan, but because Taiyuan was close to Datong, and many local merchants would go directly to Datong to trade, so the profit was very low. Their caravan's destination was Sichuan.

The caravan was small in size and carried relatively simple goods.

There are several warehouses near the city gates that specifically serve caravans, catering to passing caravans or those entering or leaving the city.

An official, accompanied by several constables, came to their door, demanding a toll.

"what?"

"Why are they collecting again?"

The owner, who was personally leading the team, became anxious and boldly asked, "Something just happened in Daizhou, and you still dare to take them on?"

The official was furious. "Who do you think you are, daring to question me? Believe me, I'll make sure you never leave Taiyuan!"

The merchant was frightened, and although he was resentful, he dared not argue with him.

"Don't get angry with him, sir."

An older bailiff tried to persuade him, but the official continued to yell and curse, "Given the master's usual temper, he would have crushed you long ago for your attitude today."

The landlord dared not say a word and obediently paid the toll.

"Old Liu, your temper has changed."

The official was not a proper censor, but merely a minor official, glancing sideways at the old bailiff beside him.

The old constable sighed.

"My lord, Datong is powerful. Who can say what will happen in the future? What if Datong really comes down one day? If we cause a death, won't we end up with our heads?"

The old constable, though he had been involved in corruption all these years, had never actually taken a life. After hearing about the deeds in Datong and Daizhou, he dared not cause any more trouble.

Actually, he couldn't bear to hurt people.

Now that things have changed, he feels better and speaks with more confidence.

The official frowned upon hearing this, but said nothing more. He quickened his pace, wondering if he should prepare to flee at any moment, or if he fell into the hands of Datong and was beheaded.
The officials were somewhat uneasy and fearful.

The caravan was forced to pay a tax for no reason, which made everyone unhappy. As a result, after leaving Taiyuan City, they encountered another checkpoint on the main road, which hadn't existed when they came.

"I have already paid the toll."

"Anyone passing through here needs to pay a toll." The general in charge of the checkpoint showed no mercy.

Someone told me, "Don't go into the city anymore; you only need to pay a toll."

The owner was both amused and exasperated.

Although the profits from Taiyuan City were small, it was still a business opportunity. Could they really just give it up for nothing? He couldn't help but curse, "Damn government officials!"

"The Datong Military Governor's Office is quite good."

The steward below offered a reminder.

When it comes to Datong, everyone gives it a thumbs up.

The landlord's heart skipped a beat.

He wondered whether he should buy property in Datong, but decided to wait and see. Wang Xin was only the governor of Datong, not the prince of Datong, so he gave up the idea, but kept the thought in mind.

The governor's office was deathly still.

Governor Tao Yi sat behind his desk looking at official documents. Although he was over fifty years old, he was still full of energy.

"Setting up checkpoints in various places this year is a last resort, but it's a pity they were set up a little too late. I'm afraid we'll have a tough year ahead." Li Hao, an advisor and a member of the wealthy Li family in Taiyuan, sat on a rosewood bench below, his face somewhat gloomy.

"I'm being transferred next year."

Tao Yi closed the official document and looked at the staff who had served him for many years. Although it was also for his own benefit, he had indeed done a lot for him, and Tao Yi did not hide it.

Li Hao was shocked.

"How could the Governor simply leave like that?"

"I cannot handle the situation in Taiyuan." Tao Yi said firmly and without room for doubt, "Wang Xin's connections in the court are too strong. I cannot change his mind. The court will regret it later."

"In that case, Your Excellency should not leave."

Li Hao pleaded desperately.

“Wang Xin is a perverse and oppressive man who coerces and exploits wealthy households. Although Zhou Wen has secretly sided with Wang Xin, we have already impeached Zhou Wen, and the court will not keep him around.”

Li Hao offered a suggestion: "The generals below have all expressed their support for the governor. If we each contribute money or effort, and unite as one, the court will ultimately trust us more. Why should the governor retreat before the battle even begins?"

Tao Yi then stopped talking.

If we don't push them, these big spenders won't give us a single penny.

Even on the verge of death, he couldn't bear to take out the shadow he had hidden in his cellar. Was he really waiting for Wang Xin to distribute it to the peasants?

Li Hao vaguely guessed that he had fallen into a trap, and he was dissatisfied, but he endured it for the sake of the overall situation.

Tao Yi, unwilling to offend any personal confidant, sighed and revealed, "Brother Wei Zhao is about to take office as the Governor and Censor of Datong. He can't carry the burden alone, so we in Shanxi must give him our full support."

Li Hao suddenly realized.

Shanxi has a large population and vast territory, ten times that of Datong.

The defeat at Taiyuan was not due to a lack of skill.

As long as Zhou Wen is eliminated and Taiyuan Town is regrouped, if a new Censor of Datong tries to implicate Wang Xin, Wang Xin will have no choice but to accept it unless he breaks with the court and kills the Censor of Datong.

They gradually eroded his power, eventually leaving Wang Xin with no way to retaliate.

The key lies with the Taiyuan Army.

Even if the Taiyuan army cannot defeat the Datong army, it should at least be able to hold Taiyuan. The Taiyuan army is not much smaller than the Datong army, and there are militias available in various places. This is the proper course of action.

Li Hao was convinced and bowed respectfully.

He raised his head and laughed loudly, "Wang Xin doesn't dare to break ties with the imperial court, does he? Let's make a scene right here and let him suffer the pain."

Tao Yi was not smug.

The Datong army is indeed a formidable force and should not be underestimated.

"We must get enough money and food to feed the Taiyuan army. As long as the Taiyuan army recovers its fighting strength and the soldiers dare to fight, then what can the Datong army do, no matter how capable they are?"

Tao Yi knew the prestige of the Li family in Taiyuan. "If we kill a thousand enemies, we will lose eight hundred of our own. If the Datong army rebels and marches south, even if they defeat the Taiyuan army, their own casualties will not be small. With only tens of thousands of troops, how can they swallow up Taiyuan?"

Taiyuan city alone has a population of several hundred thousand.

Wang Xin only had 55,000 men, and he also had to leave the desert and other places to his own devices. His biggest weakness was the lack of troops.

Elite troops consume more money and supplies.

Under the moonlight.

I woke up in bed in the middle of the night.

Tao Yi pondered whether he had overlooked anything, and finally smiled. Once he dealt with Wang Xin, he could return to the capital. He would be loyal to the emperor and earn fame both before and after his death.

He's qualified to join the cabinet; it's a sure thing.

Zhu Ge Lao said that one should be moderate when it is time to be moderate, and one should be courageous when it is time to be courageous.

The Awakening of Insects has been over for many years.

If the new dynasty cannot rise to prominence, I cannot afford to wait another twenty years.

(End of this chapter)