Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 95: Isn't the emperor so powerful? He dares to touch the taxes paid by officials and gentry?

“Sir, my Ming Dynasty has a huge problem with local taxation.

The reason why such a big problem arose this time was not only because the Ming Dynasty was established too recently, but also because we had many important things to do and had no time to take care of other things.

Besides the fact that the bad habits left over from the Yuan Dynasty were too strong in the officialdom, many officials deliberately followed old rules, deceived their superiors and subordinates, and engaged in corruption and abuse of power, there were other reasons as well.

Liu Bowen tried to calm himself down, looked at the emperor and spoke again, talking about business.

Zhu Yuanzhang also collected his thoughts, nodded, and signaled Liu Bowen to continue.

His attitude was very serious and he showed enough respect to Liu Bowen.

Liu Bowen noticed these subtle changes in his position and felt very pleased.

“I feel that another major problem is that the tax transshipment system is not very rational.

After taxes are collected from various places, they are first distributed to local government offices and other places that need money and grain.

Then the rest will be transported to the capital.

This method is good, and it is convenient and saves trouble in many things.

Money and grain don't have to be transported back and forth, which can save a lot of manpower.

But at the same time, there are also many disadvantages.

For example, this method of collecting and spending money at will can easily lead to confusion in accounts in various places.

In addition, there are people with ulterior motives who deliberately make trouble in secret, which makes it easy for them to take advantage of loopholes.

Taking the opportunity to embezzle a large amount of money and grain.

Local governments also have a say in how money and grain are used.

This way, it is better to deal with emergencies, but it should be done quickly.

But it also gave local officials too much power.

Besides being prone to corruption, it is also easy to disobey the imperial court..."

Liu Bowen carefully considered his words and spoke about something he had thought about a long time ago and wanted to tell the emperor, but had never said it.

The reason why it has never been mentioned is because the system of collecting and spending taxes at will is a practice that the emperor highly approves of.

I think this is convenient and saves trouble.

He who rises step by step from the bottom is an absolute strong person.

It has been a journey of overcoming many obstacles along the way.

Such talented and ambitious people are often firm in their beliefs, indomitable and fearless.

But this kind of personality will also have some not-so-good effects.

For example, once you make up your mind about something, it is difficult to change it and you tend to become stubborn and self-willed.

Liu Bowen knew that even if he told these to his superiors, they would not listen.

Add to that the fact that the superiors themselves have a complicated attitude towards me, and I am in a bad situation.

In this situation, telling these things to your superiors will not only be of no help, but will also make your situation more difficult.

Telling the emperor about such things is tantamount to singing against the emperor's tune.

Not only will those in higher positions be dissatisfied with you, but a large number of local officials will also hold a grudge against you.

Because once this system of receiving and spending money is stopped, I don’t know how many people’s financial resources will be cut off.

Cutting off someone's source of income is like killing his parents.

Once you do this, you will be in a difficult situation.

He originally planned to leave a will after his death and have his son present it to the new emperor after he ascended the throne.

But Liu Bowen changed his mind again.

Liu Bowen finally said these words at this time.

On the one hand, it was because he felt that the people in power were using the Empty Seal Case to severely punish those in charge of taxation in various places.

A large number of insects left over from the Yuan Dynasty were cleaned out.

Many people who sought to profit were eliminated, which greatly deterred the evildoers.

At this time, taking advantage of the flexible tax transfer system is the best and easiest to accomplish.

Otherwise, we have to wait three to five years before doing this, so that the newly added tax officials can become familiar with this system, and the interests between them and the local people will become more and more involved.

If I want to do these things again, I don’t know how many twists and turns I will encounter.

How much more effort it takes.

On the other hand, he clearly felt the changes in his superiors, especially the changes in their attitude towards him.

The increasingly deep invisible barrier between the ruler and his subjects has disappeared, and the ruler is more willing to listen to advice than before.

Moreover, through this empty seal case, the higher-ups will probably have a deeper understanding of the huge harm of sitting back and collecting money.

If it were not for this tax transfer system, local officials would actually have control over a large part of the financial power.

It was not easy for Li Shanchang to command all the government in the world and fight against the superiors.

After saying these words, Liu Bowen sat up straighter, and his butt unconsciously moved from half of the chair to one-third.

My heart was also hanging in the air.

Although he knew that according to the changes in his superiors' attitude towards him and the changes in the way they handled many things, he would not be punished by his superiors for talking about these things at this time.

There is a high possibility that the higher-ups will agree to change these things.

However, given the superior's temper and his previous attitude towards sitting back and taking the money, it is still very likely that this will bring bad luck to the superior and make him dissatisfied with himself again.

To be honest, it is best not to talk about these things when trying to make a living, so as not to cause yourself unnecessary trouble.

But Liu Bowen still chose to speak it out at this time.

He really didn't want to miss this great opportunity.

I also really want the Ming Dynasty to become better.

He also did not forget what the emperor said to him on the day he came to power, nor did he forget the important task entrusted to him by the emperor to find the common ideal of the Ming Dynasty.

So at this moment, how can we always care about personal gains and losses and turn a blind eye to this opportunity to make Ming Dynasty better?
If he really did that, he would really not be able to get over it.

Some things, after all, need someone to do them.

Instead of thinking about letting others take the lead and let others work hard, it is better to think about why it can't be you?
"Mr. Liu, you are absolutely right. This approach of just sitting back and collecting money is definitely not going to work.

Our idea is good, but there are too many corrupt officials.

Many people don’t have opportunities, so they have to work hard to find them and put money into their pockets.

This system of sitting back and collecting money is convenient, but it also makes it easy for those bastards to make money.

These must be changed!"

As soon as Liu Bowen finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang's answer came with decisiveness.

He could see that Liu Bowen was under great psychological pressure when he said this.

If he had encountered such a situation in his previous life, even if he agreed with Liu Bowen's suggestions, he would definitely take the opportunity to make Liu Bowen worry for a while longer.

But he would never do that in this life.

Knowing that saying such words might offend himself, for the sake of the interests of his family and country, he still said it to himself in person.

Such a person is trustworthy, and we should find ways to reassure him and let him feel at ease as soon as possible.

What Liu Bowen said hits the nail on the head and is exactly what he wants to do.

In my previous life, I didn’t have enough knowledge about economics, so I was often confused when it came to economics.

The practice of sitting back and collecting money while paying it back is a typical example.

Now that we have to start over again, we naturally need to solve it.

When Liu Bowen heard this, his heart, which had been lifted up in his throat, suddenly settled back down in his stomach.

Being in power is really different!
“I think we should change the system from collecting taxes and spending taxes to collecting taxes and transporting them to Taicang.

It would be more appropriate for the imperial court to allocate resources based on the needs of each region.”

Liu Bowen talked about the solution.

The Song Dynasty is an example of this.

When talking about the Song Dynasty, you can curse it in all kinds of ways, saying that it was too cowardly, that it had a broken spine, that it lost its troops and humiliated the country, and that it brought disgrace upon itself.

But one thing cannot be denied, the Song Dynasty had a very strong ability to collect taxes.

If the Ming Dynasty had been able to collect 50% of the taxes that the Song Dynasty did, it would not have become so poor in the end.

Many things may have some new changes.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Okay."

Liu Bowen said, "I will submit a memorial tomorrow detailing this matter."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said: "No need to submit a memorial, we can just issue it here and implement it."

Even though I have already severely cut the local tax system, once I do this, it will still be a very offensive job.

Liu Bowen submitted a memorial to the emperor to report this matter, intending to bear all the infamy.

Let all this go to him.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not intend to do so.

As an emperor, the leader of a country, he has to take charge of many things himself when it is his turn.

You must take on the responsibilities that you should take on.

You must support your subjects when it is necessary.

We cannot, for the sake of reputation or the so-called avoiding damaging the emperor's virtue, hide our heads when encountering problems and let the ministers who dare to act come to the front and do the work while bearing enormous pressure.

Zhu Yuanzhang disdained to do such things.

I want to unite people and gather a large number of people who dare to do things and are able to do things.

As an emperor and a leader, you have to take responsibility when it is time to do so.

Try to create a good working environment for them.

Only in this way can we better pool our strength to accomplish great things.

Among them, Chongzhen is a typical negative example.

This descendant has good intentions and wants to do something to save the Ming Dynasty.

But it is true that due to lack of ability, many of the things I did were wrong.

Not to mention anything else, the properties of this non-stick pan alone are enough to leave people speechless.

At the beginning of the Chongzhen Dynasty, there were still officials who were capable and dared to do things.

But unfortunately, during the Chongzhen period, the more such officials there were, the faster they died.

The more you do, the more you make mistakes.

For the sake of his so-called reputation, Chongzhen did not dare and was unwilling to take on many responsibilities that should have been borne by the emperor.

When something goes wrong, those officials who dare to take action will be punished.

In this case, the harm is extremely serious.

Seeing that those who dared to act ended up in such a miserable state, some people who originally wanted to work for the country would naturally shut up and shrink back.

Follow those despicable people and go with the flow.

Chongzhen was able to handle some difficulties and was willing to take the blame for losing the capital.

It would not be the case that when Li Zicheng's troops were about to attack, none of the many officials in the capital proposed to abandon the capital and move south.

Not to mention abandoning the capital and moving south, there was not even a suggestion to arrange for the prince to leave the capital and go south.

So when Li Zicheng's troops arrived, both the emperor and the crown prince were gone.

If Crown Prince Zhu Cilang could have been sent south earlier, the situation would not have been so chaotic after the capital was captured.

Those small courts of the Southern Ming Dynasty might not have had so many blood-spitting operations...

You can't think about these things, as thinking about them will easily make you angry.

"Your Majesty, I have come to you to discuss this matter. I will submit the memorial to your majesty."

Liu Bowen understood the emperor's good intentions, but he also had his own persistence.

"Forget it, Mr. Liu, just focus on your work and let me handle all the ups and downs.

We may not have other abilities, but we do have the ability to withstand the wind and waves. Mr. Liu is frail, so the most important thing is to take good care of yourself and contribute more to our Ming Dynasty for a few more years.

After the empty seal case broke out, Mr. Liu stayed indoors and did not go out, which caused countless people to speak coldly to him.

If this memorial were submitted again, I'm afraid many people would throw feces on Mr. Liu's front door.

Let us handle this matter."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, making his point clear.

Those who carry firewood for the public should not be allowed to freeze to death in the wind and snow.

Since Liu Bowen wanted to do things for the country, do practical things, and do good things, then as the emperor, he should protect him.

Liu Bowen's face was no longer calm, and his eye sockets were a little hot.

What is a wise ruler? This is a wise ruler!

This feeling is really good.

With such a high position, who wouldn't want to work for him, even risk their life for him?

In the past, Liu Bowen thought that he had only three or two years to live at most, and that death would be death, with nothing to regret or miss. But now, he suddenly didn't want to die anymore, and wanted to live for five, ten, or twenty years!
He felt that by that time, the Ming Dynasty would definitely have changed a lot.

He really wanted to see what the Ming Dynasty would look like at that time.

Will there be a prosperous Hongwu era?
I contributed to the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, and it would be a wonderful thing if I could have a presence in the prosperous Hongwu era.

"Mr. Liu, we want to change the tax law in the future..."

Liu Bowen did not come to see him today. In the past few days, Zhu Yuanzhang was also planning to call Liu Bowen to discuss some things.

The world of Jianghu is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom. This statement can be applied to governing the world, and it can barely make sense.

The Ming Dynasty today has passed the stage of conquering the world.

The main task now is to find ways to govern this chaotic world.

It is necessary to use strong measures to eliminate the insects and kill those who do not believe in evil.

But it is not the only means.

After killing, corresponding means are needed to govern the world.

Replace the original unreasonable system with a better and more reasonable system.

This is the right way.

Otherwise, if we just kill people blindly without making corresponding adjustments to the system, it will only be effective temporarily.

It won't be long before old habits return.

The harder the suppression is at this time, the stronger the rebound will be in the future.

Now, what Zhu Yuanzhang did was to build the system after killing people.

Liu Bowen was feeling deeply moved and hoping to live to a ripe old age so that he could have a good look at the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. When he heard what the emperor said, he was suddenly startled.

All the beautiful feelings and expectations in my heart disappeared without a trace in an instant.

For a moment, I felt like my hair was standing on end.

It's nothing, it's just that when the higher-ups are involved in matters related to finance and taxation, they often do some surprising things.

"Master, the tax rate of one in thirty is already low enough, it really can't be any lower!"

As he said this, Liu Bowen's heart was trembling.

He came from a humble background, but he did not forget the people even after becoming emperor.

When the regular tax was first formulated, he ignored the opposition and insisted on setting a tax rate of one thirty percent.

This tax rate is really low enough.

Every now and then, the emperor would grant tax exemptions for one year here or two years there.

The original intention of the superiors in doing so was naturally good. Their purpose was to collect less taxes and leave more for the people.

We will resolutely not exploit and plunder the people like the Yuan Dynasty did.

But this tax does not mean the lower the better.

If it is too low, various problems will arise.

The tax rate of thirty percent is really low enough, and can only meet the normal expenses of the court. If it is lower, the operation of the court will be in trouble!
Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked by Liu Bowen's reaction, which was like a cat whose tail was suddenly stepped on.

After a moment of silence, I realized why Liu Bowen had such a big reaction.

The blame lies with me.

Thinking about his previous actions, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, he has been a monk for several years and has to make a living for several years. The thick skin he developed back then is still there, and his basic skills are extremely solid.

So others can’t see it either.

“It’s not a tax cut, it’s a tax increase.”

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang said this, Liu Bowen's tense nerves relaxed.

It turns out that the tax is not going to be reduced, but increased.

I was worrying for nothing!
This feeling is good!

Tax adjustments are long overdue.

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed these changes in Liu Bowen, and thinking about his previous overly idealistic actions, he felt more and more that he had been too naive in finance.

Taxation is the economic foundation of the government machinery. The tax revenue obtained by the state needs to be within a reasonable range. It is not good to be too low or too high.

If it is too low, the court will have no money, which will affect its normal operation.

This resulted in the court being unable to complete many of its functions.

For example, national defense, infrastructure construction, disaster relief...which then leads to even greater disasters.

Without talking about these macro perspectives, let’s just talk about the people who are closely related to paying taxes. If the regular taxes are too low, they will also directly suffer pain and losses.

The imperial court and local governments require a minimum amount of money.

It doesn't mean that you can solve this problem by setting taxes low.

If the regular tax is too low, then various exorbitant taxes and levies will appear at the local level.

There are too many types of exorbitant taxes and fees, and they are very confusing. Local governments are ruthless in collecting them.

After all, most of the exorbitant taxes and fees collected were used by them themselves.

In other words, setting a low tax rate does not mean that the burden on the people will be reduced.

It may even make you heavier.

Throughout history, the exploitation of the people, and what caused them the most suffering, was not the regular taxes, but the endless variety of exorbitant levies and taxes.

Since he had already realized the unreasonableness of this, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally had to find a way to adjust it.

Increase regular taxes, reduce or completely cancel various exorbitant taxes and levies.

Make taxation reasonable and in line with the actual situation of the Ming Dynasty.

Now that the Ming Dynasty has just been founded, it is a good time to lay the foundation and formulate various reasonable policies.

Many of the policies established at the founding of the country will be passed down and have far-reaching impacts.

Even though many necessary changes will occur later based on the actual situation.

But the root cause is not so easy to change.

Therefore, if he had the chance to do it all over again, Zhu Yuanzhang would do his best to do these things well.

"We are going to raise the main tax and abolish many of the local exorbitant taxes and levies."

Zhu Yuanzhang told Liu Bowen about his plan.

Liu Bowen's mind began to work rapidly, thinking about what the emperor said.

After a moment, he spoke: “The decision to take the throne is a wise one.

If a reasonable amount can be worked out and implemented everywhere, it will bring many benefits to both the court and the people under it.

However, when it really starts to be implemented, many aspects need to be paid attention to.

The most important thing is to prevent those who continue to collect excessive taxes and levies under false pretenses after raising the regular taxes and abolishing the excessive taxes and levies in various places."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and agreed with Liu Bowen's statement.

For him now, raising taxes and exempting miscellaneous taxes are not too difficult to do.

As long as we find a more reasonable positive tax rate, we can increase or decrease it according to the actual situation in each place when it is implemented in the future, or we can first collect it according to the standard tax rate, and then start to refund or supplement the excess and the shortfall, and basically it will be about the same.

The most difficult thing is how to implement these in practice.

It also prevents local governments from collecting excessive levies and taxes under different names after the regular taxes have been levied.

If this problem can't be solved, it will be too much trouble.

The burden on the people will not only not be reduced, but will be increased, which will go against the original intention.

Matters concerning the people's wallets and stomachs must be handled with extreme caution.

For many things, what I say is just a casual word, but when it falls on the heads of many people, it is like a mountain.

The kind that can crush a person to pieces.

Things like good intentions leading to bad results must never happen to you again.

"Mr. Liu, this matter is fine now. Please give it more thought and try to find a more reasonable collection standard.

All matters have been thought out as thoroughly as possible, and we will find a place to implement them here.

At the beginning, we will try it out in one prefecture to identify and solve problems and gain valuable experience.

Once there are no major problems in all areas, we will begin rolling it out nationwide.”

The pilot project is a good idea, and Zhu Yuanzhang will naturally use it.

These are all precious wisdom for future generations.

These valuable wisdoms are his greatest gains in the past fifteen years in modern times.

Liu Bowen's eyes lit up and he began to think quickly. The more he thought, the brighter his eyes became.

It was just a simple sentence, but it made him savor it endlessly, as if he had been enlightened.

"This is a great way to get to the top! Great!"

He slapped his leg suddenly and praised loudly, which was in stark contrast to his usual elegant demeanor.

“But we can’t be too hasty about getting promoted.

There is a prerequisite for increasing the main tax and canceling miscellaneous taxes, which is to clear the accounts of land and eliminate hidden households.

I need to know how many people there are in my Ming Dynasty, how much land each person has, and whether the land is good or barren.

What are the main crops grown in different places and how much is the output?

You should sort out your accounts and get a clear picture of your financial situation before you can do this."

After a moment, Liu Bowen calmed down and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and gave his advice.

Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. Some things are suitable for being cooked over a high fire, but some things can only be simmered over a low fire.

The degree here and the order of doing things need to be mastered.

Otherwise, big problems can easily arise.

The majority of people are the most vulnerable. If we are not careful, countless people will fall into dire straits.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and Liu Bowen said that it was a mature and prudent remark.

It is imperative to survey the land.

Next, a large number of students were admitted to the Imperial Academy as an exception, majoring in arithmetic, and cultivating a large number of students with professional knowledge.

To prepare for clearing the land accounts in the future.

The students in the Imperial College today are actually the ones he prepared for surveying the land.

But it has to be used for taxes first.

Fortunately, with the introduction of arithmetic, it is not too difficult to train some students who can calculate the area of ​​​​fields.

Seeing that his superior had a plan in mind, Liu Bowen was about to get up and say goodbye. All the questions he wanted to ask his superior today had been answered, and he could be said to have received enough unexpected surprises.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang said something shocking to him again.

"Mr. Liu, what do you think of the unified taxation system for officials and gentry?"

Liu Bowen:? ? ? ! ! !
(End of this chapter)