Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 237 Duke of Qi, why don't you dare to go against Grand Secretary Jiang!

The 18th day of the fifth month in the second year of the Xifeng era.

Several decrees issued by the cabinet, each emblazoned with red, were subsequently promulgated.

Land surveys, the establishment of banks, the promotion of industry and commerce, and the dismissal of over four hundred people—all these were policies that caused great turmoil.

In particular, the land survey and the dismissal of four hundred people, one concerning the foundation of the clan and the other concerning officials and scholars, attracted much attention.

In an instant, everyone, from the highest levels of society to the lowest levels of government, was shocked!
Outside Donghua Gate, at Suiyu Pavilion.

Soft music and gentle whispers, a little tune sung softly.

"Since spring arrived, the green and red hues have turned somber, and my heart is filled with sorrow. The sun rises above the flower tips, and orioles flit through the willow branches."

A soft, low chant has its own unique flavor, stirring the heartstrings.

A small wooden table, about ten feet long, with a few dishes of side dishes, was set up. Three or five officials gathered there, all of them dressed in long, crisp silk robes.

"Old Zhao, what do you think?" A man picked up some side dishes and stared at the old man facing east.

The others, some thin and some fat, all looked over.

The man facing east appeared to be around fifty years old, with a short beard, a standard square face, and an air of official authority.

The old man gently put down his cup and pondered, "If we judge it by good or bad, the land survey and the dismissal of four hundred people were bad, the emphasis on industry and commerce was good, and opening a bank was neither good nor bad."

“That’s right,” one person chimed in. “The land survey was definitely a bad policy.”

Anyone with a name or surname owns some land, more or less.

Land surveying meant that some previously hidden fields would be registered and subject to future taxation.

Land surveying, to put it bluntly, means redistributing taxes.

These taxes are all money!
“However, with so many fields, it’s not necessarily possible to really investigate them all,” another person countered.

Currently, the tax system implemented by the Great Zhou Dynasty is the "Two-Tax System," along with various other tax methods such as the tax on the number of people and miscellaneous taxes.

At its core, it is the amount of assets held by the landowner.

The more assets one has, the more heavily one pays.

Conversely, the less assets one has, the less one has to pay; those with no assets may even be exempt from taxes.

In addition, some officials, nobles, temples, and Taoist temples have certain tax exemption allowances.

This led to the widespread use of "hidden fields" and the emergence of two main approaches to dealing with them:
One method was to hide farmland under the names of officials, nobles, temples, and Taoist monasteries who enjoyed tax-exempt privileges.

Of course, this method is not very practical.

The main reason is that the tax exemption quota for temples and Taoist temples is not high, and there are strict restrictions on the "purchase" of farmland by temples and Taoist temples, making it difficult to hide the land in their names. The same applies to officials and nobles, whose tax exemption quotas are not very high, so they cannot hide much land.

Secondly, the land distribution method.

This is the most popular method of storing land.

The more assets one has, the more ruthless one is in paying taxes, and then one tries to reduce the amount of land one owns.

With the land redistribution method, large landowners divided their vast tracts of land into small plots, which were then hidden under the names of tenants who had almost no assets.

Tenants who previously had no land suddenly had land, so naturally they paid very low taxes.

Every few years, the land would be transferred to other tenants, who would still pay very low taxes.

In this way, back and forth, alternating again and again, the taxes paid for a hundred acres of land may not be as much as those for twenty or thirty acres of land.

In addition, there are methods such as lowering the land grade and reclaiming new land.

The Two Tax Law itself also has many loopholes.

It's said that the more assets people have, the more they have to hand over to the government, but how do you know how much wealth ordinary people have?
There are many loopholes that can be exploited in every aspect, and it is not easy to investigate the land area.

"I don't know," the old man shook his head.

People can come up with solutions, but who knows if the investigation will be successful?

"Do you want it or not?" One person raised his chin slightly and gave a meaningful look.

In the past, whenever land surveys were conducted, many people would cause trouble, forcing the court to abandon the surveys.

The Qingli New Deal conducted three rounds of investigations, but found absolutely nothing.

This time, continuing in the same manner is not necessarily a bad thing.

"No."

The old man was taken aback, and quickly said, "The government's attitude is so firm, how could it back down because of some protests?"

"Furthermore," the old man reminded him, "you should know this: the imperial court not only surveyed the land, but also opened up industry and commerce!"

"What do you mean?" The man was taken aback.

"Salt, wine, and tea—these are all top-notch businesses."

The old man said in a deep voice, "In my opinion, the three major policies of land survey, establishment of banks, and development of heavy industry and commerce should be considered together, especially land survey and development of heavy industry and commerce."

"Who hoards the most fields?" the old man asked.

“County-level families, prefecture-level families, some local powerful families, or newly emerging powerful families that have produced high-ranking officials,” the man replied thoughtfully.

Taking a county as an example, the major clans that have been cultivating the land for decades own at least half of the county's land, while the remaining half belongs to the common people. This is why county magistrates are often constrained by the powerful clans in the county.

The abundance of farmland also means the abundance of tenant farmers.

It can be said that whenever the major aristocratic families unite to oppose the county magistrate, the magistrate will not be able to collect a single penny of tax. It is also common for the people to be incited to rebel on a small scale or for bandits to run rampant.

After several reckless actions, the county magistrate's position is far from secure.

If this is the case for prominent families in a county, then it is even more so for prominent families in a prefecture.

Most prominent families in the prefecture have connections in the imperial court.

Besides farmland, the prestige of a county also involved the monopoly of daily necessities. Almost all the major households in the county were "downlines" of the prestige, which allowed their industries to spread to all aspects of people's lives.

Some powerful clans could even achieve a situation where six or seven tenths of a region belonged to one clan.

If these people are willing to cooperate with the land survey, then the land survey will definitely not be a problem.

"Who is qualified to engage in state-run businesses like salt, wine, and tea?" the old man continued to ask.

“County ancestral home, prefecture ancestral home.” The man was startled, then realized, “as well as some local prominent families, or newly emerging prominent families that have acquired high-ranking officials.”

At those words, everyone fell silent.

At a closed tea stall, several people gathered together, all dressed in fine silk.

However, he was not an official, but a businessman.

Several businessmen, each holding a newspaper, looked at each other with furrowed brows, but none of them spoke.

Its core focus, however, is on the few words below "heavy industry and commerce"—

Abolish the Securities Exchange Act and implement the Securities Act!

After a long pause, a thin man with a solemn expression said in a deep voice, "How can we so easily cancel the intercourse ritual that has been practiced for decades?"

In an instant, some people nodded in agreement: "How can the rules established by our ancestors be changed so easily?"

"We tea merchants are the ones who lost money!" one of them sighed.

The remaining people all frowned.

The imperial court's policy of deregulating state-run businesses was a great boon for the vast majority of merchants.

The only exception is the tea merchants!

Simply put, tea merchants operate on a different profit-making logic than other businesses.

Almost all of their other businesses make money off ordinary people.

Tea merchants make money off the imperial court!
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, many essential consumer goods have been designated as "monopolies" by the imperial court, including salt, wine, tea, alum, iron, coal, spices, and vinegar.
Among them, salt and tea are the most unique.

Merchants involved in salt and tea had to obtain salt permits and tea permits as a qualification to trade in these goods.

This also led to a special kind of corruption, namely, using salt and tea permits to embezzle money from the imperial court.

Since the implementation of the "exchange system," there have been two main methods to obtain the qualification to sell salt and tea: the entry method and the compromise method.

The method of transporting grain to the border involves the border troops issuing a corresponding amount of exchange certificates. For example, if a merchant transports one million strings of cash worth of grain, the border troops will issue a salt certificate or tea certificate that can be exchanged for one million strings of cash.

The compromise method involved merchants giving money or goods in exchange for salt or tea certificates of equivalent value.

However, this is only true in theory.

In fact, in order to encourage merchants to transport grain to the frontier, the imperial court might tacitly allow the issuance of salt and tea permits for one million strings of cash worth of grain, with a permit for 110 strings of cash.

Crucially, merchants and border officers often had some connections.

This meant that one million strings of cash worth of grain could be used to issue salt and tea permits worth one and a half million strings of cash, which had become a way for salt and tea merchants to make money.

However, with the issuance of a decree, the imperial court abolished the Exchange Law and implemented the so-called Certificate of Money Law!
The process wasn't difficult: merchants transported grain to the frontier, the border troops would assess its value and give the merchants cash.
In addition to cash, for every 100 bushels of grain, a so-called "grain sales certificate" would be given, along with a sales document.

Compared to the referral method, it only adds one more step, changing from one transaction to two.

Originally, merchants would exchange grain for salt and tea permits, and then collect the salt and tea from designated places.

Nowadays, merchants have to sell grain to the border troops and then buy tea and salt from the departments that manage tea and salt.

On the surface, they seem to be no different, but in reality, the differences are enormous.

In the past, trading certificates were valuable "currency." A single grain transport might issue hundreds of trading certificates, each worth tens of shi of salt. Essentially, they were both a trading qualification and a form of currency.

However, this time the "grain selling coupon" had no monetary value; it was merely a qualification to sell. Only by having a "grain selling coupon" could a merchant be qualified to buy a certain weight of salt or tea.

However, when it comes to buying salt or tea, you have to pay separately.

It was this very process that made the group frown repeatedly.

This means that the "corrupt profits" of the previous tea-selling system have completely disappeared.

In the past, the buyer and seller were the same group of people in trade.

The border troops were the ones buying the grain, and they were also essentially the ones selling the salt and tea.

Nowadays, the border troops are responsible for buying grain, while the relevant government departments are responsible for selling salt and tea.

In the past, if 10,000 shi of grain were transported to the frontier, the border troops might generously issue a certificate for 5,000 shi of salt, which the merchant could then use to collect 5,000 shi of salt.

Nowadays, 10,000 shi of grain might sell for 10,000 guan to the border troops, but with the increase in salt prices at the relevant government offices, 10,000 guan can only buy 4,000 shi of salt!

One process completely transformed bartering into "free trade".

"Sigh!" one man gritted his teeth and asked, "The salt merchants also lost money, what did they say?"

The skinny man shook his head and said, "The salt merchants didn't lose money."

"They're overjoyed; they won't lose out at all."

In recent years, with rising grain prices, people have gradually reduced their tea consumption, which has led to significant fluctuations in tea prices.

In terms of selling tea alone, tea merchants could even lose money. The main reason they didn't lose money overall was because they could obtain funds from the imperial court as "subsidies".

This time, with the abolition of government monopoly, the market for tea sales has expanded considerably, but this does not mean that tea merchants can profit from it.

Ultimately, tea has never been an indispensable part of life.

Tea can also be damaged or become damp.

Salt is different; people need to eat salt to live.

With the abolition of government-mandated salt production, the market for salt merchants truly expanded considerably.

Compared to the profits brought by market expansion, the losses caused by the abolition of the cross-reference method are insignificant.

This is why tea merchants are considered the only victims.

With the abolition of the tea exchange system and the loss of government subsidies, tea merchants suffered truly heavy losses!
"What can we do then?" a tea merchant asked gravely. "Once the imperial court's policy is finalized, we won't have any good days for the next few decades!"

"Then what do you mean?" another tea merchant chimed in. "Could it be that you intend to defy the imperial court?"

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, instinctively looking at the thin man who had spoken first.

About ten breaths.

The skinny man said slowly with a stern face, "Let's try to ask the officials at the Salt and Iron Bureau."

"We absolutely cannot let this go!"

"Such a wicked policy must be abolished!"

Ministry of Revenue, Salt and Iron Bureau.

About ten people, some scholars and some warriors, gathered in the courtroom.

"despair!"

With a startled slap, Chen Xiang, the Salt and Iron Commissioner, flashed a hint of anger in his eyes: "Salt, wine, and tea are matters of vital importance to people's livelihoods. How can we allow them to be given to merchants?"

"Humph!"

Chen Xiang shouted sternly, "Jiang Zichuan, your talent has run dry!"

"My lord, let's submit a petition!"

"Why not submit a joint memorial to impeach him!"

"A corrupt regime that undermines the nation should be abolished!"

"Some of my tea merchants are getting restless; the bad policies must be revoked!"

"This is targeting the Salt and Iron Bureau, targeting you, sir!"

More than ten people echoed this sentiment, all with angry expressions.

When a decree was issued to promote "heavy handicrafts," the people of the Salt and Iron Bureau were undoubtedly the most affected.

From top to bottom, without exception, everyone was a victim.

Firstly, the government abolished state-owned enterprises, meaning that there were only monopolies and private enterprises, and no more state-owned enterprises.

Originally, the main source of income for officials in the Salt and Iron Bureau was collusion between officials and merchants to line their own pockets.

Minor officials and clerks would occasionally steal the best salt and tea from the government reserves and resell them to merchants, thus making a long-term profit.

High-ranking officials, on the other hand, falsified accounts, approved bribes, and engaged in rampant corruption.

Who would have thought that the imperial court would simply abolish government-run businesses?
How can anyone be corrupt under these circumstances?

Secondly, the abolition of government-run enterprises meant a weakening of the Salt and Iron Commission's power.

Originally, the Salt and Iron Bureau was both the referee and the player, thus acting as a monopolistic regulator.

This reduction turned him into a supervisor, and his authority was significantly diminished.

The weakening of authority also means a weakening of the right to speak.

Originally, the Salt and Iron Bureau was a separate government office, with a rank of three.

With this reform, the Salt and Iron Bureau became one of the six bureaus under the Ministry of Revenue.

The main officials of the Salt and Iron Bureau all held honorary official ranks, holding high positions while holding lower-level duties.

Even the chief official Chen Xiang was no exception; the Ministry of Personnel appointed him as a concurrent official in the Ministry of Revenue with the title of Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Purple Ribbon.

Isn't this targeting us?

Isn't this a bad policy?

More than ten people, many of whom also held the rank of fourth or fifth grade official, although their actual positions had been reduced to the sixth or seventh grade, they still wore red robes and were qualified to enter the palace for court discussions.

Having already suffered losses and harboring resentment, they naturally became restless once provoked and intended to submit a memorial to the emperor.

Only one person was an exception!
"Duke of Qi, what is your intention?"

The loud shout came from Wang Ji, an assistant director of the Salt and Iron Bureau.

In an instant, the entire courtroom fell silent, all eyes fixed on the Duke of Qi, who sat upright in his wooden chair, trying to minimize his presence.

"this--"

Suddenly called out by name, the Duke of Qi was at a loss for words, stammering and unsure of what to say.

Under the watchful eyes of more than ten people, after about ten breaths, the Duke of Qi said with difficulty, "That is Grand Secretary Jiang!"

"He has served in office for thirteen years and has never suffered a defeat."

"A man who entered the cabinet and became prime minister at the age of thirty!"

"His teacher, Han Zhang, was the head of all officials, and the Emperor trusted and respected him greatly."

The Duke of Qi sighed and said helplessly, "Why must we make a fuss by submitting a memorial?"

As someone who "lives off his wife," Duke Qi relied on his wife, Princess Pingning, to get a job in the Salt and Iron Bureau, but he did not want to cause any trouble.

Firstly, it's just my nature.

Secondly, his son Qi Heng seems to be highly valued by Grand Secretary Jiang, and he must not be allowed to hold him back.

"So you mean to be a coward and swallow your anger?"

Wang Ji, the Assistant Minister, angrily rebuked, "Duke of Qi, don't you dare to fight Jiang Zichuan?"

After saying several sentences, the Duke of Qi simply meant one thing—he wouldn't do it!
The Duke of Qi nodded silently, bowed respectfully, and slowly retreated.

"A coward, utterly lacking in the backbone of a scholar, truly a military fool!" Wang Ji shouted angrily, waving his sleeve.

However, there was no echo of agreement.

Wang Ji was taken aback and quickly turned around.

However, in the courtroom, more than ten people frowned, all showing some hesitation.

Even Chen Xiang, the official in charge of the Salt and Iron Bureau, was no exception.

There's no way around it; the name "Jiang Zichuan" itself is a deterrent!
How many people throughout history have achieved such feats—expanding territories and becoming prime minister at the age of thirty?
Occasionally, when the mood strikes, it's perfectly acceptable to vent one's anger, and if it comes to impeachment, everyone will chime in.

But once that anger dissipates, who would dare to truly face Elder Jiang?
He was truly the "number one minister," a virtuous, capable, and loyal minister appointed by the emperor!
Wang Ji felt a chill in his heart and quickly rebuked, "Since March 11th, you've all been embezzling quite a bit, haven't you?"

"Your tea merchants and salt merchants must have complained a lot, right?"

"Could it be that there's still a way out?"

With just one word, more than ten people who had hesitated all left.

People who are accustomed to corruption are destined to find ways to embezzle.

Since March 11, in the nearly eighty days since then, the amount of money embezzled by each person must be at least more than one thousand strings of cash.

Furthermore, the officials and merchants of the Salt and Iron Bureau colluded extensively to embezzle funds from the imperial court.

If the collusion between officials and businessmen ceases, some businessmen will surely file complaints with the Censorate.

Then
If they were to be convicted, it would be a serious crime.

More than ten people, all with a hint of regret in their eyes.

I should have known better than to be greedy.

“But that’s Grand Secretary Jiang,” one person sighed.

Given the emperor's trust in him, it was impossible for him to be impeached.

"Perhaps we can start with the banks."

Chen Xiang, the official in charge of the Salt and Iron Bureau, squinted and pondered, "If the bank runs into serious problems and affects people's livelihoods and the imperial court, Jiang Zichuan will certainly be held responsible. Some government orders can also be revoked in due course."

With more than ten people watching, Chen Xiang instructed, "You all reassure the people below and tell them that we are already trying to resolve the issue."

"Yes."

More than ten people nodded in agreement.

The only course of action now is to appease the merchants who are involved in this scheme.

As for the specifics of the disturbance, we still need to plan it out in detail.

The sky was dark and gloomy; a tea stall.

A few people quietly gathered together and drank tea in silence.

"I have a plan that can solve this urgent problem," a man said calmly.

Judging from his physique, he was Chen Xiang, a senior official in the Salt and Iron Bureau.

"Please speak, sir," a prominent tea merchant said hastily.

The abolition of the inter-tea lending method has truly made tea merchants uneasy.

"Recently, Jiang Zichuan has appointed Zhang Heng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to concurrently serve as the bank's president, overseeing all matters related to the bank's construction."

Chen Xiang said in a deep voice: "You can gather all the tea merchants, big and small, to raise money, raise tens of millions of strings of cash, deposit half of it in the bank, and use the other half to buy grain and drive up grain prices."

"Once the time is right, we'll all go to the bank to withdraw money and cause a bank run."

"With the national treasury in deficit, the imperial court will definitely divert money from the banks to cover the shortfall. At that time, it will certainly be impossible to withdraw the money."

"When banks lose their credibility, it is the same as when the imperial court loses its credibility. When banks lose their credibility, those who have deposited money will definitely panic and cause trouble. Rising grain prices are an even greater crime."

Chen Xiang analyzed, "In this way, the imperial court will definitely be forced to back down, and the relevant decrees will certainly be withdrawn at the same time."

It was not uncommon for scholars and merchants to pressure the imperial court.

It is not uncommon for the imperial court to back down.

If we could make the imperial court back down in the past, we can certainly make it back down now!
The men were startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Excellency is wise!"

This move, cutting off their lifeline, is incredibly ruthless!
(End of this chapter)