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Chapter 245 Your Majesty, you must not!

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Zhou Chen frowned as he looked at the land survey and statistics presented by Xun Yu.

The powerful landowners had annexed so much land and possessed the right not to pay additional taxes, which led to a year-on-year decline in the tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Of course, the taxes of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not limited to land taxes, but also included taxes from other sources.

However, land accounts for the majority of the cost.

The only way to solve the land tax problem is to abolish the right of aristocratic landowners not to pay taxes.

If Zhou Chen abolishes the tax exemption privileges of aristocratic landowners and levies taxes based on acreage, then the amount of tax paid will be equal to the amount of land owned…

In this way, even if powerful landowners annexed more land, they could not evade taxes and could only pay taxes in accordance with the regulations of the imperial court.

In this way, the imperial court's tax revenue will be restored.

Zhou Chen put down the memorial in his hand and looked at Xun Yu; "Wenruo, you are the one who measured and surveyed the land in various places, so you should have the deepest understanding of this."

"What are some good solutions for the land tax issue?"

Zhou Chen looked at Xun Yu and asked.

"Your Majesty, land consolidation is rampant. The common people own less than 20% of the land, while powerful families control 80% and have the right to avoid paying taxes."

"Therefore, the only way to solve the problem of land tax is to abolish the tax exemption privilege of aristocratic landowners."

Xun Yu's words caused Zhou Chen's eyes to flicker inexplicably.

This coincided with Zhou Chen's own thoughts.

However, as the emperor, Zhou Chen could not easily abolish such rules passed down from his ancestors.

Xun Yu, however, spoke exactly what Zhou Chen was thinking.

Zhou Chen hesitated for a moment, not revealing his thoughts, but looked at Cao Zhengchun who was standing beside him; "Cao Zhengchun, immediately summon Xiao He, Fang Xuanling and other ministers to the palace."

Land annexation and taxation were major issues for the imperial court.

Previously, Zhou Chen had already asked Xiao He and the others to discuss the issue of land taxation.

Now that Xun Yu has returned, Zhou Chen should summon Xiao He and other important court officials to discuss the matter.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Zhengchun bowed and immediately turned and walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, sending someone to summon Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others to the palace.

After Cao Zhengchun left, Zhou Chen asked Xun Yu about some other things in the local area.

It should be noted that Xun Yu's mission to survey the land of the entire country was not simply a matter of measuring and counting land in various places.

Xun Yu also served as Emperor Zhou Chen's temporary eyes and ears, taking a look at the situation of the people in various regions on behalf of the emperor.

Xun Yu recounted the situation in various places, and Zhou Chen listened attentively.

Zhou Chen doesn't have time to go to the countryside to understand the people's conditions, so he can only learn about their hardships through this method.

……

Half an hour later.

Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and other important officials of the court all entered the palace.

"I have met His Majesty."

Upon entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao He and his companions bowed respectfully to Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

"Everyone is free of charge!"

Zhou Chen waved his hand, looked up at Xiao He and the others and said, "Because of the declining tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I had Xun Yu lead the Ministry of Revenue to measure and count the land throughout the country."

"Now, the Ministry of Revenue has completed my decree."

"This is the land survey and statistics of Minister Xun in various places. Please take a look!"

Zhou Chen, expressionless, handed the memorial on the dragon table to Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him.

Cao Zhengchun presented the thick memorial, which recorded the conditions of the land, to Xiao He and the others.

Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others took turns looking at the local land situation in the memorials.

After reading it, everyone couldn't help but raise their eyebrows.

The Minister of Justice, the Minister of War, and Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, in particular, felt a sense of unease.

They all knew that land annexation was a serious problem in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but they never imagined it would be this serious.

The powerful landlord families actually control 80% of the land in the Great Zhou Dynasty. This number is quite shocking!

After seeing that Xiao He and the others had taken turns reading Xun Yu's memorial, Zhou Chen said, "You have all seen the situation of the land in various parts of the country."

"I never imagined that the land annexation in the Great Zhou Dynasty had reached such a severe level."

"Eighty percent of the land was in the hands of powerful landlord families, and less than twenty percent was in the hands of ordinary people."

"No wonder the tax revenue of my Great Zhou has been declining every year."

Zhou Chen glanced at the six ministers and Xiao He and the others; "I summoned you to the palace to discuss this matter."

“Eighty percent of the land was in the hands of powerful landlord families, who also enjoyed the right to not pay taxes.”

"If this continues, the Great Zhou may one day be unable to collect even half a percent of its taxes."

"What do you all think is the best way to resolve this matter?"

At this point, Zhou Chen looked at Xiao He.

"Prime Minister Xiao, I previously asked you to discuss the land issue with Fang Xuanling and the others. Have you reached a conclusion?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, land annexation is a serious problem, and tax revenue is declining year by year. The reason for this is that powerful landowners enjoy the right not to pay additional taxes."

"I, along with Minister Fang and several other ministers, believe that the first thing to do to solve the land tax problem is to abolish the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners."

Xiao He's words caused the expressions of the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, the Minister of War, and the Minister of Justice to change.

The tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners were abolished.

This is no small matter.

It should be noted that this privilege enjoyed by aristocratic landlord families was a rule passed down from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

To abolish it would be to break the rules that have been in place for thousands of years in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This could cause a major upheaval.

Zhou Chen's eyes flickered.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He and Xun Yu had the same idea: to abolish the privileges of powerful and wealthy families.

"That's right, Your Majesty."

“Abolishing the tax exemption rights of aristocratic and wealthy families can not only restore tax revenue, but also curb land consolidation.”

"The reason why powerful and wealthy families can acquire land so recklessly is simply because they feel that they have too much land and do not need to pay taxes."

“As long as His Majesty abolishes the tax exemption rights of aristocratic families, their land will also be subject to taxation.”

"Furthermore, the more land one owns, the more taxes one must pay."

"In that case, wealthy and powerful families who want to continue acquiring land will have to think about how much tax they need to pay."

Fang Xuanling also stepped forward and spoke.

Fang Xuanling's words caused the three of them—Eighth Prince Zhou Xian, the Minister of War, and the Minister of Justice—to gasp in shock.

If Xiao He's words were about weakening the power of aristocratic families, then Fang Xuanling's words were about shaking the very foundation of those families.

Not only do wealthy and powerful families have to pay taxes, but their income also increases exponentially with the amount of land they own.

Isn't this undermining the strong foundation of powerful families?
It should be noted that powerful and wealthy families now occupy 80% of the land in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If Fang Xuanling's idea is followed, the taxes paid will double with the amount of land owned.

Some wealthy landowners could probably empty their entire fortune.

"Your Majesty, it's not just that."

"Your Majesty should also issue an edict to punish those powerful landlords who forcibly seize and annex the land of the people, according to the severity of their crimes." "Those with minor crimes should be ordered to pay double the taxes owed for the land they seized and return the land to the people."

"Those with serious crimes will have their homes confiscated and their entire families exterminated, as a warning to others."

Du Ruhui and Liu Ye also stepped forward and spoke.

The issue of land taxation is a persistent problem.

Strong medicine is needed to treat it.

They must both kill and appease.

A balance of firmness and gentleness is necessary.

Zhou Chen nodded silently to himself. Xiao He and Fang Xuanling had conveyed about 70-80% of what Zhou Chen was thinking for the time being.

As an emperor with memories of two lifetimes, Zhou Chen may not be an expert in state affairs, but he has insights and ideas about land taxation that transcend historical limitations.

"Your Majesty, you must not do this."

Upon hearing what Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others said, Li Yuan, the Minister of War, immediately stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, land consolidation is a serious problem, and there is no issue with investigating the land."

"But it is absolutely unacceptable to abolish the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners."

"Since the founding of our Great Zhou Dynasty, the founding emperor issued such a decree, granting aristocratic landowners the right to be exempt from taxes."

"Furthermore, the right of aristocratic landowners to be exempt from taxes has been passed down to this day and has become a regulation."

"If Your Majesty rashly abolishes the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners, it will be opposed by all aristocratic landowners in the world."

The Minister of War said urgently.

He didn't want to see the Great Zhou Dynasty, which had finally achieved its current status, completely destroyed in a single day.

Abolishing the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners is not just a matter for one or a few aristocratic families, but for all aristocratic landowners and wealthy families in the world.

The Minister of War admitted that the Great Zhou Dynasty was no longer the same as it had been.

Even when facing the four powerful clans, the Great Zhou Dynasty was fearless.

However, the combined power of the powerful families, landlords, and wealthy clans of the land is far beyond what the four major clans can match.

If all the powerful families and landlords in the land were to unite, they could potentially overthrow the entire Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

“Abolishing the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landlords would break the long-standing etiquette and laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and is absolutely unacceptable.”

"Regarding the issue of land annexation, the imperial court can order an investigation into powerful landlord families."

"But we cannot break the rules and abolish the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners."

The Minister of Justice also stood up to object.

The Minister of Justice came from a prominent family, but he was still very dedicated to the Great Zhou.

According to the Minister of Justice, abolishing the tax exemption right of aristocratic landlords is not feasible, either for the aristocratic landlords or for the current court.

Therefore, the Minister of Justice followed the Minister of War in opposing the abolition of the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landlord families.

"Your Majesty, I also object."

The Eighth Prince, Zhou Xian, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the right of aristocratic families to be exempt from taxes has always been a rule of our Great Zhou."

"If Your Majesty were to abolish this policy rashly, it would be breaking the rules that have been in place in our Great Zhou for many years."

"This rule was set by the founding emperor, and if it is broken, it will have a significant impact on our royal family."

"Your Majesty, please think again."

King Zhou Xian didn't say much, believing that Zhou Chen understood his meaning.

This regulation has existed since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

It was also established by the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

If the descendants rashly abolish the rules and regulations established by the founding emperor, it would have a significant impact on the imperial family.

Zhou Chen heard the objections from the Minister of War and the other two, but his expression remained unchanged.

Zhou Chen knew that not everyone would agree to abolish the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners.

However, to Zhou Chen's surprise, the Eighth Prince Zhou Xian also opposed the matter.

Zhou Chen looked at the three ministers, including the Minister of War, and calmly said, "I will only ask you one question: Is abolishing the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners more beneficial or detrimental to the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

The Minister of War, the Minister of Justice, and Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.

It is clear.

Abolishing the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners is more beneficial than harmful to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"It seems you all already know the answer, so I won't say anything more."

Zhou Chen glanced at the three men, including the Minister of War, and said.

"I don't care about any regulations, nor do I care about any ancestral etiquette, and I don't care about the opposition of the powerful families and landlords."

"I will do anything that benefits the Great Zhou."

"Previously, Minister Xun had also suggested to me that the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landlord families be abolished."

"I think the suggestion to abolish the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners is excellent."

Zhou Chen's single sentence sealed the deal.

No amount of opposition will change anything.

Because the emperor's will is the will of the court, and opposition is futile.

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, Xiao He and Fang Xuanling both glanced at Xun Yu.

They didn't expect that Xun Yu had already suggested to Zhou Chen the abolition of the rights of aristocratic landlord families before they did.

The Minister of War, Prince Zhou Xian, and the Minister of Justice, upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.

Although the three of them still opposed the matter, they knew that once Zhou Chen made a decision, their opposition would be meaningless.

"However, the abolition of the tax exemption rights of aristocratic landowners cannot be completely eliminated."

“Those who have rendered meritorious service to the Great Zhou Dynasty, and who have not forcibly seized or occupied other people’s land, can be given some preferential treatment.”

"Furthermore, there are other taxes to be addressed, such as salt tax and customs duties."

At this point, Zhou Chen picked up a memorial from the imperial desk and handed it to Cao Zhengchun, who was standing beside him. "These are my thoughts on land and taxation. You may all take a look."

“You are all highly talented individuals. I do not possess your abilities, but you may consider some of my ideas.”

These are some thoughts that Zhou Chen wrote down in advance regarding land and taxation, combining his memories from both lifetimes.

Zhou Chen knew that these ideas could not be fully applied to the current Zhou Dynasty.

Therefore, Zhou Chen wanted Xiao He and Fang Xuanling to take a look.

Xiao He and Fang Xuanling are all outstanding individuals. Zhou Chen believes that with their talents and after considering some of his ideas, they will definitely be able to come up with a strategy suitable for the current state of the Great Zhou.

Cao Zhengchun took the memorial from Zhou Chen and handed it to Xiao He and the others.

Xiao He and Fang Xuanling also curiously opened the memorial and began to read it.

They were eager to see what Emperor Zhou Chen's thoughts were on land and taxation.
When Xiao He, Fang Xuanling, and the others saw the ideas Zhou Chen had written in the memorial, they all frowned deeply.

Zhou Chen's ideas on land and taxation are quite novel and fascinating.

Most importantly, some of their ideas were so unbelievable that even Xiao He and Fang Xuanling found them incredible.

For example, tariffs were abolished, businesses were encouraged, and commercial taxes were introduced.

There was also a land tax system based on the mu (unit of land area), which reformed the land tax.

This was beyond Xiao He and Fang Xuanling's imagination.

(End of this chapter)