A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 222 Equal Wealth
meager?

Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing twitched their lips in disbelief.

Currently, the tax on wealthy merchants has gradually increased to five-tenths of the total tax, which is ten times higher than during Your Majesty's reign and the reigns of previous emperors.

All three knew that this was not the limit; the sovereign's intention was to impose an unprecedented level of taxation, with nine out of ten taxes being levied.

If the emperor were to impose a "poll tax" on the powerful and wealthy classes of the Han Dynasty, the so-called meager amount would probably be no less than the commercial tax, and might even be higher.

What exactly did the emperor want to achieve in the imperial era?
The truth behind the relocation of the mausoleum was that a soft "forced demolition" method was used to relocate the entire families of local tycoons who were extravagant, wealthy, and powerful.

Nowadays, wealth is mostly in the form of land and real estate. The wealthy households, such as princes, officials, powerful merchants, gentry and wandering knights who were ordered to relocate had no choice but to sell their land and real estate at a low price.

But if all the wealthy households in the country have to relocate, who will buy the land?
At this time, local government offices would step in to buy up millions of acres of fertile land at low prices and then distribute it to displaced landless commoners, with the imperial court only collecting one-tenth of the tax revenue.

The common people didn't even have oxen, farming tools, or seeds, but the imperial court thoughtfully provided them with assistance: the court provided loans to farmers, which were converted into silver after three years, with only a 10% interest rate added to repay the court.

In this way, the poor were able to live and work in peace, the imperial court's grain tax revenue increased dramatically, and the huge wealth of powerful families was forcibly "equalized" during the relocation of the imperial tombs.

However, the imperial court's expropriation of the wealthy households' property was not a bloody plunder, but rather a highly attractive soft migration policy.

The emperors of the Han Dynasty rewarded wealthy and powerful families who moved their imperial tombs. The court paid each household a high "relocation compensation" of 200,000 coins and also awarded them political honors, allowing them to shed their merchant status and join the ranks of noble families.

The sons of the imperial tombs who had lost their land due to family migration no longer hoarded wealth, but instead spent lavishly, thus giving rise to the "Five Tombs Sons".

During the reigns of the Han emperors, the wealthy households relocated to the imperial tombs suffered enough. Now, the emperor has prepared 18,000 mansions in exchange for 5.4 million gold coins to further plunder the wealthy households relocated to the imperial tombs. But this is not the end of it. Although they do not know the standard for the wealthy households in the emperor's "wealth tax" or what percentage of the taxes they will pay, they are certain that the emperor is aiming to squeeze every last drop of wealth from them.

If Your Majesty's reign was characterized by the equal plundering of everyone's wealth and the brutal system of decrees that further widened the gap between the rich and the poor, then Your Majesty's ruling style is to specifically target the powerful and wealthy, with a series of interconnected decrees that will cause the powerful and wealthy to disappear entirely, thus reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.
Who in the world dares to claim wealth?
Such a society is definitely not a "universal society," but it is possible to have "a place to be born and a place to be buried after death," and I believe that the vast majority of people would be satisfied, except for "the vanished wealthy and powerful families."

Even sitting around the stove, Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing felt no warmth at all; on the contrary, they felt rather cold.

Even Gongsun Hong himself felt that the way the ruler used force was too extreme, and if it was not handled properly, it could lead to a nationwide boycott.

"Brother, why are you sweating?"

"hot."

Huo Qubing felt a bit hot despite feeling cold, which is a strange statement, but his body did indeed give him that feedback. The Creator is truly wondrous.

"Elder brother, you must take care of your health. Whether it's moving the imperial tombs or increasing taxes, the specific implementation will be handled by Zhang Tang and the Embroidered-Robe Censor. However, if necessary, elder brother will still need to take action," Liu Ju nodded and smiled.

The three men grew even colder. Behind these words lay the implication of "power." If wealthy households in the Han Dynasty resisted, the local government would first suppress them. If that failed, Zhang Tang and the Embroidered-Robed Man would be sent directly to the Imperial Censor. If that still failed, then they were no longer ordinary subjects, but rebels and traitors, and naturally, the army would have to suppress them.

Throughout history, we have heard of impoverished people rebelling because they could not bear the heavy taxes, but we have never heard of wealthy and powerful families rebelling because they could not bear the forced collection of taxes.

Perhaps, we will see it today.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Huo Qubing solemnly said, "I am willing to die for my lord!"

"Brother cannot die!"

Liu Ju shook his head and said earnestly, "Elder brother, you must kill those who deserve to die for me." "Yes!" Huo Qubing readily agreed.

"Old Prime Minister, please continue."

Liu Ju looked at Gongsun Hong, who suddenly realized what was going on and said again, "The fourth of the twenty-four matters is to persuade the people."

"Previously, His Majesty advised officials to formulate the twelve-character edict of seeking truth from facts, putting the people first, and storing wealth among the people, which changed the officialdom of the world. Those who govern the people have edicts, and the people should also have edicts. Please give your instructions, His Majesty!"

Officials have their own style, and the people have their own style; each should perform their duties without interfering with the other—this is the essence of a good relationship between officials and the people.

This was also the path that Gongsun Hong sought for the court and the people, a path that always maintained integrity, diligence, and courage, where officials were ashamed to seek fame and fortune, the people were ashamed to sing praises, the whole country followed the law, and everyone was vigilant and self-respecting.

When the people have urgent matters to attend to, they should not be disturbed by officials.

Liu Ju fell into deep thought.

Time flies, and the sun shines through the window.

Jiang Bo pushed open the palace door and walked in quietly, followed by four eunuchs who carried four exquisite pottery basins with lids, which they placed on a long table.

Jiang Bo opened the lids one by one, revealing bowls of steaming stewed lamb legs, a bowl of agastache, a bowl of cold bitter greens that are a favorite of the people of Guanzhong, and a bowl of hot white flour flatbread.

Although the food in the palace was simple, every dish was prepared with exquisite care and cleanliness, with snow-white and green hues and a delightful aroma.

Jiang Bo set out chopsticks, garlic, and rice vinegar, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the old Prime Minister, Lord Qin, Lord Wan, it's past dawn, time to eat something."

Liu Ju nodded slightly and instructed, "Jiang Bo, before any imperial edict is issued, do not see anyone. You may go as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jiang Bo left the main hall, closed the door again, and stood guard outside with a frown.

"Let's talk while we eat! Let's talk while we eat!"

Liu Ju distributed white flour cakes to Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing, and greeted them.

The three of them also felt a little hungry and silently began to eat the biscuits in their hands.

Taking a bite, the aroma of wheat filled the air. In that instant, as if struck by a thought, Liu Ju looked up excitedly and said, "Our ancient ancestors observed the seasons, examined the land's advantages, and worked in accordance with the four seasons and the eight solar terms. They sowed in spring, weeded in summer, harvested in autumn, and stored in winter."

Therefore, the four seasons and four tasks for the people—spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvesting, and winter storage—are the most important agricultural matters and should not be disturbed by other matters. They are fundamental to the people's well-being. What do you think, Your Excellency, Uncle, and Elder Brother?

Advising officials requires three sentences in twelve characters, while advising the people requires four sentences in eight characters.

There are no grand principles, just directness and simplicity. The four seasons and four events are of great importance to the people, and the court and officials must not disturb the people in the course of these events.

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing instinctively looked at Gongsun Hong, and seeing the old prime minister's delighted expression, they exclaimed in unison, "Even the wisest ruler is no more enlightened than Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)