Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 178 Bi Ziyan is about to stand up!

Guo Yunhou, the white-haired Minister of Revenue, slowly stood up, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting.

His movements were somewhat slow, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings of anxiety and unease.

Unlike other ministries, the Ministry of Revenue faced the harshest reality.

People's hearts can be reshaped, and talents can be selected through examination.

Money... if you don't have it, you don't have it.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; this truth remains unchanged throughout history.

I can only hope that this decisive new emperor will be more patient with matters of money and provisions.

Zhu Youjian quietly looked at Guo Yunhou below the steps, at his gray hair and slightly disheveled official robe, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

The Minister of Revenue in the Ming Dynasty was truly a position that shortened one's lifespan.

Two weeks ago, he asked the Directorate of Ceremonial to compile the history of the Taicang (Imperial Granary) in order to see where to start with fiscal reform.

Incidentally, he also had the Directorate of Ceremonial compile a list of past Ministers of Revenue, intending to have the Hanlin Academy follow the list, categorize their memorials, and then give him a lesson.

But what he discovered was the unfortunate position of Minister of Revenue.

The Ming Dynasty has only been established for 259 years, yet the Minister of Revenue has been replaced 110 times!
Zhu Youjian really wanted to call the police...

On average, they replace them every two years or so.

The pressure to meet these KPIs is even greater than that of future Fortune 500 CEOs.

The most shocking of all was the Hongwu reign.

From the first year of the Hongwu reign to the twelfth year, in just twelve years, thirty Ministers of Revenue took office, and then... nothing more.

Without a doubt, Zhu Youjian knew what his ancestors had done with these "money bags".

It's nothing more than frying, stir-frying, cooking, and deep-frying.

Guo Yunhou, who is standing before us, has only been in office for a little over a year, and his hair has already turned from black to white. It's truly a tragic sight.

Hopefully, he can hold on for a while.

Zhu Youjian snapped out of his reverie, his sigh turning into a gentle inquiry:

"Minister Guo, finance and taxation are the lifeblood of the nation and the foundation of the country."

"The reason I'm talking about it last is because it's a very important matter, and a single move can have far-reaching consequences. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Without waiting for Guo Yunhou to exchange pleasantries, he continued:

"Before issuing the order, I would like to hear Guo Qing's opinion first."

"What do you think is the source of the current difficulties in the nation's finances and taxation?"

Upon hearing this, a complex emotion flashed in Guo Yunhou's cloudy eyes.

There was emotion, there was bitterness, but more than anything, there was a heavy feeling of pent-up emotions.

He hesitated for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then began to speak:

“Since taking office, I have been thinking about the two words finance and taxation day and night. Today, Your Majesty has asked me, and I dare not not speak out.”

"In my opinion, the primary problem with the nation's finances and taxation lies in the collapse of the tax base."

"The population of the dynasty is growing, but the Yellow Register has not been updated for a long time. As a result, many fields in the country are donated or fraudulently entrusted to the families of gentry in order to avoid the imperial grain and national taxes."

"As time goes on, the amount of land available for taxation is decreasing day by day, and the tax base of the nation is as fragile as an ant hole in a dike."

"Secondly, the collection of taxes is difficult."

“Taxes in various provinces were either exempted or waived due to natural disasters, such as in Shandong and Henan; or claimed to be paid but the money and grain had not been touched, such as in Zhejiang; or the amount paid was insufficient, such as in Huguang and other places.”

"Very few people can actually complete the task according to the quota. The amount on the books is far from the amount collected in Taicang."

"Thirdly, the burden of military pay is heavy."

"The old salary is 3.3 million taels, the new salary for Liaodong is 4.1 million taels, the salary for Dengzhou, Laizhou and the islands is 630,000 taels, and the new salary for Jizhou, Miyun and Yongjin is 950,000 taels. So the annual new salary is already close to 5.7 million taels. The total of the old and new salaries exceeds 9 million taels. However, the old salary for Taicang is not arriving, the new salary is not in full, there is no way to increase revenue, and the demands are frequent. I... really do not know how to continue."

"Fourthly, the people are becoming increasingly exhausted."

"Since the Liaodong Incident, the taxes have been increased three times and the people have been extorted from all sides, and the people of the country are already overburdened."

"When taxes are imposed on them, those who cannot bear them have no choice but to flee. After people flee, the tax burden is then spread among their neighbors, causing even more people to flee."

"The cycle repeats itself, leaving the people unable to catch their breath, while their burdens grow ever heavier."

With each statement Guo Yunhou made, the candlelight in the hall seemed to dim a little more.

The expressions on the faces of the officials grew increasingly solemn.

Finally, he sighed deeply and bowed deeply to the throne.

"Your Majesty, if you wish to clarify the finances and taxes, you must first allow the people to recuperate. However, the border affairs are extremely urgent, and our Great Ming Dynasty cannot afford to have a chance to breathe."

"The affairs of the world are like a taut string, and it is unknown when it will break."

At this point, he cupped his hands and said:
"Fortunately, a wise ruler has been appointed to implement new policies. I believe that if we proceed slowly, we will eventually be able to solve these problems."

This compliment sounded weak and listless, even Guo Yunhou himself felt it was dry and unconvincing.

Zhu Youjian raised his eyebrows, finding it amusing.

No wonder you ended up becoming the Minister of Revenue, Guo Qing.

Your flattery skills are far inferior to Huo Weihua's.

He remained silent for a moment; the entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight.

Just when Guo Yunhou thought the emperor would offer some words of comfort or issue a specific order, Zhu Youjian slowly spoke.

"What Guo Qing said about the tax base, the government's policies, the military pay, and the people's exhaustion is all true."

Guo Yunhou had just breathed a sigh of relief when the emperor suddenly changed the subject.

"However, it still remains superficial."

Upon hearing this, Guo Yunhou abruptly raised his head, his face filled with astonishment.

The courtiers in the hall were in an uproar, and a buzzing sound of whispering filled the air.

In their view, Guo Yunhou's words were already a mature and insightful discussion on governing the country, and he had thoroughly analyzed the financial difficulties of the Ming Dynasty. How could they still be considered "superficial"?
Zhu Youjian ignored the reactions of the crowd and calmly said:

The Great Learning states, “Things have their roots and branches, affairs have their beginnings and ends. If one knows what comes first and what comes last, then one is close to the Way.”

"What Guo Qing said shows that he knows what is, but not why it is."

"In this way, it's like a doctor who knows the symptoms but not the root cause, ultimately treating only the symptoms, not the root cause." The cold words echoed in the Fengtian Hall.

Guo Yunhou opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He felt that this young emperor seemed somewhat too idealistic, even... arrogant.

Finance and taxation are matters that affect the whole system. The four points mentioned earlier are already fundamental. How can they be more fundamental?
But he still bowed and said, "Your subject is foolish and dull, but I will listen attentively to Your Majesty's instructions."

Zhu Youjian slightly adjusted his posture, the dim candlelight casting deep shadows on his young face, making his eyes appear exceptionally profound.

"Has the tax revenue of our dynasty increased significantly in the past two hundred years?"

Guo Yunhou was stunned for a moment before realizing that the question was directed at him.

He composed himself and replied:

"The taxes of the dynasty are roughly 27 million shi of summer grain and 1 million taels of autumn grain, 1 million taels of salt tax, and 1 million taels of other taxes."

"Since the Liaodong tax was first levied during the Wanli era, it has been accumulated over time, with a fixed amount of 9 li per mu and a fixed amount of 5.2 million taels."

"Then, due to the misappropriation of quotas from Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces for the southwestern border affairs, as well as the reduction and exemption of taxes for disasters in various places, the actual amount of land tax collected was no more than 3.6 million."

"Subsequently, additional taxes, salt tax, and customs duties totaling 1.84 million taels of silver were levied."

"To date, the actual amount collected is 5.44 million."

"But as I said before, the amount of tax levied is such, but the actual amount levied and the amount paid out are another matter. In the end, the income is insufficient to cover the expenditure."

Zhu Youjian nodded and then asked, "If there were no Liaodong conflict and the world were at peace, how much surplus would the national treasury have each year?"

Guo Yunhou quickly calculated in his mind, then shook his head bitterly:
"Your Majesty, if there were no Liaodong affairs, the annual income of the Taicang would be 3.3 million taels, which would be just enough to cover the old military pay for the border garrisons. The idea of ​​a surplus has not existed since the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns."

"Alright." Zhu Youjian nodded slightly.

"If the Yellow River breaches its banks in Henan next summer or autumn, flooding more than ten prefectures and counties, requiring one million taels of silver for disaster relief and to plug the breach, where will this silver come from?"

Guo Yunhou's face turned pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Zhu Youjian pressed on without waiting for his answer:

"If the disaster-stricken people of Shandong riot next year, and the border troops of Shaanxi mutiny due to lack of pay, just like the White Lotus Rebellion in the second year of the Tianqi reign, which devastated the entire province, how should we deal with it? Where will the funds for suppressing the rebellion come from?"

"If the rebellion in the southwest is not quelled and the rebels flee to Huguang, destroying the province's tax base, what will happen then?"

"What if the barbarians and Portuguese invade the South China Sea and harass the coastal areas of Jiangnan and Fujian?"

A series of probing questions struck Guo Yunhou and all the ministers in the hall like heavy hammer blows.

They never thought about, or rather, dared not think about, the terrible scenario of all these "what ifs" happening at the same time.

Guo Yunhou stared wide-eyed, speechless, unable to utter a single word.

Zhu Youjian looked at his deathly pale face, sighed deeply, and spoke with a cold and resolute tone.

"A nation without surplus wealth is like a person without surplus strength; even a slight cold can turn into a serious illness. The affairs of the world often fail because of a mistake in one corner, and then collapse over a thousand miles!"

"When one place is in turmoil, the whole country is taxed more. When one place is not yet pacified, another place will be in turmoil. Taxes are increased again and again, and the people's strength is exhausted again and again. In the end, even the most prosperous and peaceful provinces will be in turmoil! This has been the case in every dynasty!"

His voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a chilling quality that seemed to penetrate the depths of history.

Guo Yunhou swallowed hard, a very ominous premonition flashing through his mind.

As expected, Zhu Youjian slowly uttered his conclusion, each word carrying immense weight:
"Therefore, from this day forward, the nation's finances and taxes can no longer aim at just enough to cover the annual revenue, but must instead aim solely at 'revenue exceeding expenditure and annual reserves'!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Guo Yunhou's face was bitter, his lips moved slightly, and he subconsciously looked around, only to see his colleagues either frowning, bowing their heads in silence, or staring blankly at the ground in front of them.

Not a single person stepped forward to agree, nor did anyone utter a word of rebuttal.

He could only face the gaze of the throne-bound emperor alone, cupped his hands in greeting, and was about to explain how unrealistic this goal was.

But Zhu Youjian waved his hand and a smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if the overwhelming aura he had just displayed had never existed.

"Minister Guo, there is no need to panic. I do not expect you to conjure up silver out of thin air, nor do I expect you to achieve this within this year. I understand all the principles of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and rectifying official corruption."

He paused, his tone softening but remaining firm:

"However, preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. This fundamental principle must be established first. Do you agree with my goal, Minister Guo?"

Having said all that, what else could Guo Yunhou say?
All his words were blocked, and he could only bow deeply, his figure seemingly even more hunched: "Your subject... what you say is indeed reasonable."

Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction.

That's the attitude he wants.

Then he posed another question, one that was even more pointed than all the previous questions combined.

"So, is it truly true that there are no taxes left to collect in this world? And where will these taxes come from?"

"Guo Qing just said that this year's expenditure is more than nine million taels, but the people of the country are exhausted."

"But I would like to ask you all, is it really possible for the Liaodong tax to increase by nine copper coins per mu of land, causing a farmer's family to be ruined and their homeless to be displaced?"

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Guo Yunhou's forehead.

This question is incredibly malicious!
Zhu Youjian looked around at his ministers and slowly said:

"This question concerns the essence of the new policies of my Great Ming Dynasty. Whoever can answer this question for me, even if it is not a specific achievement, I am willing to make an exception and promote them to a higher rank!"

Having said that, he looked at the people below the throne with a hint of anticipation.

My beloved Hai Rui, where are you?

Inside the main hall, all was still deathly silent.

After manipulating people's hearts for so long, can't we even win over a Hai Rui?

Just as Zhu Youjian's eyes were about to shift from expectation to disappointment.

There was a soft "clang" sound.

Bi Ziyan, who was sitting in the front row, pushed the table in front of him! He was about to stand up!
Before Zhu Youjian could even smile.

“Your Majesty, I…” Ni Yuanlu and Qi Xinxiao also stood up!

However, none of them succeeded.

A burst of hearty laughter suddenly erupted.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for this red embellishment. I am truly unworthy of such recognition!"

(End of this chapter)