Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 251 Let's make it exciting!
Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang uttered a sentence that immediately stunned Zhu Biao.

One reason is that the land survey and the establishment of the Yellow Register were carried out almost a year earlier than the emperor had originally planned.

On the other hand, the issue of merging land tax with poll tax was even more stirring than the simple surveying of land and the establishment of the Yellow Register.

This is a poll tax, and it's been collected for over a thousand years.

The Emperor wants to incorporate it into the land tax, which is not a bad thing, but a good thing in itself. If it is done, countless people will benefit from it.

Instead, the obstacles to making it happen are too great.

The very act of surveying and registering land and establishing the Yellow Register would likely provoke countless people to oppose it, both openly and covertly.

After all, from the Yuan Dynasty to the present, every place has been in chaos.

Needless to say, the Yuan Dynasty directly implemented a tax farming system. They only wanted money, and the local gentry responsible for collecting taxes could collect them however they wanted.

They don't care how much they collect, or how many people there are, or how much land each person owns.

All you need to do is have those people below, who are responsible for collecting taxes, pay the taxes they are required to in full.

This is the mess that my father inherited.

A few years ago, in order to have a basis for tax collection and to reduce resistance, the lower-level people were only required to report their household registration and a household registration system was established.

Given the Yuan Dynasty's rule, which was even more extensive than herding sheep, the concealment of population was bound to happen.

As for local areas, the practice of concealing farmland is even more prevalent.

There's no need to ask how serious it is.

Therefore, the land survey and the establishment of the Yellow Register involved the vital interests of many landlords and gentry in the surrounding areas.

They will uncover the fields they have hidden through various means.

From now on, everyone will have to pay taxes, which is like cutting flesh from their bodies for many people.

Even before anything was done, he could anticipate how intense the confrontation would be.

He also made the corresponding mental preparations.

This is something that absolutely must be done.

This is a matter of fundamental importance to the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty wants to last, it must understand its fundamental situation.

Taxes must be collected; only with money in hand can we do things better.

It can also uncover those who have been hidden and find those fields that have been concealed by surveying the land.

It can effectively crack down on the power of local gentry and other forces, and clean up the mess in the area.

It can also give hope to many people who have become unregistered, allowing them to start over and live with dignity.

In officialdom, the emperor purged many corrupt officials.

Scholars have also compiled a lot of information.

Now, it is indeed necessary to thoroughly sort out the local situation!

However, the "equalization of land tax and poll tax" was not easy to implement.

Over the course of a year, the poll tax collected nationwide amounted to a significant amount of revenue.

After the original land survey was completed and the Yellow Register was established, those who concealed their land holdings would have to pay more money.

Many people were already dissatisfied.

If the poll tax is also included, wouldn't these people cause an uproar?

The resistance is just too great!
Not only Zhu Biao, but anyone who heard the rest would be startled!
"Does Father have something to consider?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, then looked at his father and began to ask questions.

He felt that his father, the emperor, had done many things quite prudently at the beginning.

For example, in establishing household subsidies, we are proceeding step by step.

When they first started doing this, they said they were going to survey the land, which startled people from all over the country.

Later, instead of surveying the land, they said all that was needed was to establish household registration systems.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief and became much more obedient when cooperating with the government in establishing household registration.

He wondered if his father was resorting to the same old tricks again.

The issue of merging the poll tax into the land tax was only mentioned in the early stages to make people nervous.

After that, we will not do this thing anymore, but only take stock of the land and establish the Yellow Register.

In this way, the resistance during the land survey process is greatly reduced.

This also aligns with his father's style of doing things.

"Biao'er, the land survey, the establishment of the Yellow Register, and the matter of merging the poll tax into the land tax must all be done together."

We've been thinking about this for a long time, and we can't wait any longer.

The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can understand the resources of our Great Ming Dynasty, so that our Great Ming Dynasty can truly establish its rule over the local areas.

We think the poll tax shouldn't have been levied a long time ago.

Firstly, it's easy to hide the population; secondly, not every family is wealthy or owns land.

For those who are relatively wealthy, collecting a household tax will not affect their lives.

But for those who were already living in poverty, collecting taxes on their household registration would be a death sentence.

Therefore, it would be better to distribute the poll tax among the fields.

Those with more land pay more, and those with less land pay less.

Those without land don't have to pay, which can be considered a form of compensation from those with surplus to those with deficiency.

Is Father really going to do this for real, instead of just trying to scare us? Is he not going to proceed gradually?
Zhu Biao paused for a moment.

“Father, this is indeed a good matter, and it must be done.”

But...wouldn't doing it that way make it more difficult?

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Biao'er, we've thought about this matter again and again. Whether we stick our necks out or not, we'll all be in the same boat."

When the land is surveyed, there will inevitably be a great uproar in the lower levels.

As for the "equalization of land tax and poll tax," it will certainly cause distress and unrest among many people.

Rather than letting them cause trouble twice, it's better to do it all at once to save ourselves the trouble.

Things are different now than they were a few years ago.

At that time, our Great Ming Dynasty had just been established, and there were many hidden dangers in all aspects, as well as many things that needed to be done.

I don't have enough energy to do this or deal with those people causing trouble.

But now, we have enough strength to fight them.

Let us see just how many damned people live in that place!

When Zhu Yuanzhang said these words, a murderous aura emanated from his body.

The land survey and the establishment of the Yellow Register, including the integration of land tax and poll tax, were all like snatching food from a tiger's mouth.

This isn't a dinner party; it's a battle that requires bloodshed!
He is already prepared.

"The Northern Yuan royal court is becoming increasingly unsustainable, and has been forced into a corner by the Emperor."

The war to destroy the Northern Plains is not far off. If we were to implement the land tax reform and land survey, causing a huge uproar, wouldn't it be... difficult to manage, and impossible to balance everything?

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "The Northern Yuan at this time is different from the Northern Yuan a few years ago."

Without Wang Baobao to hold things up, and with all the methods we've employed, the Northern Yuan royal court is already a cornered beast fighting for its life.

Its strength will only get weaker and weaker.

Let's not rush this; let's give them some time to think things through.

Use economic means to weaken them further before taking action.

Let the grasslands descend into chaos first, and make them utterly bewildered.

Now, we're not in a hurry about things on the grasslands.

Time is on our side. The longer we wait, the more advantageous it will be for us. The initiative is now entirely in our hands. When to fight and how to fight are not up to others; only we decide.

The Northern Yuan no longer has the strength to turn the tide.

Let's wait a little longer and bleed them properly.

It would be much safer to take action at that point.

Now is the perfect time for us to get things done in our Great Ming Dynasty.

This boil needs to be punctured, the pus inside needs to be squeezed out, and the rotten flesh needs to be removed.

"Once this is done, fighting the Northern Yuan will be much easier."

Having heard that his father had already made a plan, Zhu Biao said no more.

"Biao'er, the resistance to the merging of land tax and poll tax isn't actually that great."

It could even garner applause and praise from many, who would feel grateful for the imperial court's benevolence.

Ah!
Zhu Biao was taken aback when he heard his father say that he was also a member of the imperial family.

For a moment, they all wondered if their father had said something wrong.

How could it possibly garner so much praise?
That would only make people resistant, right?
Seeing the expression on his son Biao'er's face, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

Great, now I can subtly show off my skills in front of my own son again.

"Biao'er, this is called 'integrating the poll tax into the land tax,' but when we publicize it, we don't need to go into such detail. We can simply say it's 'integrating the poll tax into the land tax.'"

It could easily be said that the poll tax was abolished!

Huh?! Zhu Biao was taken aback again upon hearing this.

Then his eyes shone with a brilliant light!

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my father was absolutely right!
If the policy of "incorporating land tax into poll tax" were stated directly, many people would immediately understand what it meant and would spontaneously resist it.

Especially those who own a lot of land.

Even setting aside the issue of merging the poll tax into the land tax, simply abolishing the poll tax would immediately become a remarkably benevolent policy.

It's simple and clear, making it easy for people to understand what the court intends to do.

This will prevent those with ulterior motives from making a fuss about this and from arbitrarily distorting the government's policies.

The power of such slogans, once shouted out, is almost like a rebellion in a chaotic world, where some people shout for land redistribution and wealth.

It will definitely attract a large number of people and win their hearts.

In reality, abolishing the poll tax and merging the poll tax into the land tax are exactly the same thing.

It's just a matter of changing the wording, but it can make a completely different difference!
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. His father was truly amazing!
To think that someone could even come up with something like this is truly worthy of someone who runs the Da Ming Daily and had Luo Guanzhong as the chief editor.

If it were my father, the Emperor, who were to write and manage the Ming Daily, he might be even more brilliant than Luo Guanzhong.

Father Emperor is truly brilliant. With just one sentence, he can save countless soldiers, reduce anger and conflict, and win the hearts of countless ordinary people for the Ming Dynasty!
How much national fortune did this bring to the Ming Dynasty!
Father Emperor truly lives up to his name; with just one concise sentence, he can break the deadlock!

Moreover, after the emperor announced the abolition of the poll tax...

Then, when conducting land surveys and establishing the Yellow Register, the resistance will be much less.

After all, the imperial court had already made concessions and was going to exempt you from the poll tax.

How many people will benefit from this?

After giving such sweet dates, wouldn't it be reasonable to then take stock of the land?

This is the art of speaking and the way to get things done!
The same thing, said in a different way, can have a completely different effect.

My father is truly amazing!

What does it mean to be farsighted and shrewd? What does it mean to be cunning and shrewd? My own father is exactly that!
"Father, you are truly a god!"

Zhu Biao looked excited and gave his father, the emperor, a thumbs up.

With Father Emperor's strategy, the subsequent land survey and the establishment of the Yellow Register will proceed very smoothly!

"Haha, Biao'er, just average, third in the world!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, quite pleased with his son Biao'er's praise.

Nowadays, Zhu Yuanzhang most enjoys being praised by a few people and seeing them amazed by him.

First is his own sister, second is his own son, third is his fourth son, and fourth is Liu Bowen, the person who made him feel inferior in his previous life because of his high level of knowledge.

It's wonderful to see someone perform miracles in front of you and hear them praise you.

"Father, are you planning to implement this nationwide all at once, or will you start by implementing it in one or two places?"

"Biao'er, what do you think?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer, but instead asked his eldest son a question.

Zhu Biao said, "I think this matter is of great importance and will cause a lot of trouble."

It's not feasible to implement this across the entire country at once. It's better to start by implementing it in one province or one prefecture.

Firstly, even if there is some resistance at the local level, the whole country won't descend into chaos.

It's much easier to handle things if you only deal with the issues in one place.

On the other hand, it's also true that those of us here, including those who went down to survey the fields, were doing this for the first time and had no experience.

It's better to let a small group of people try it out in some places first, and after they've figured out some practical and effective experiences, and then summarize the lessons learned, before promoting it on a large scale nationwide. This is a safer approach and will reduce the chances of making mistakes.

This matter concerns the fate of our Great Ming Dynasty and the vital interests of many people in the region.

Even the slightest mistake can be a matter of life and death for an ordinary person, a catastrophic disaster.

We must be careful and cautious.

"Hahaha……"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily upon hearing this.

"Biao'er is right, that's exactly what we think."

"Our Biao'er is considering things more and more comprehensively!"

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Isn't this all thanks to your excellent teaching, Father?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed even more heartily.

"Biao'er, where do you think we should start?"

"Let's start by targeting the prefectures and counties near the capital."

These places are close to the capital, right under our noses, so things are easier to handle.

Even if many people are dissatisfied, they have to keep their tails between their legs and dare not resist.

Moreover, as the capital city, Beijing naturally attracts people's attention.

Even the capital city has started doing this, so people in the local areas will certainly be more accepting of it and understand that this is national policy and cannot be avoided.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and then gave his opinion.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Biao'er, your consideration is quite good."

However, I think it would be better to go somewhere else.

"Where does Father Emperor plan to implement this first?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and slowly said, "Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commission."

Ok? !

Zhu Biao's expression changed.

The reason is simple: Jiangxi is definitely a tough nut to crack.

Besides the fierce local customs, the abundance of mountains and the scarcity of farmland, which made it easy for people to cause trouble, there was another, more important reason for people to set up camps in the mountains, raise flags, and rebel.

Longhu Mountain is there!

The Zhang family was a behemoth; they were the biggest landlords in Jiangxi!

(End of this chapter)