Zhu Yijun looked at the two sets of figures handed over by Wang Zhiyuan and was a little silent for a moment.
The household registration, Dingkou, Wang Zhiyuan mentioned, of course refers to the number of households. After all, the imperial court collects taxes based on households.
There are now three types of official taxes in the imperial court - field taxes, household taxes and miscellaneous taxes.
If you only look at the household tax of Shuntian Prefecture, you can see that the tax base has been basically eroded.
If things are like this, how can we not stop the sun from falling?
Zhu Yijun sighed: "Where is the land?"
Wang Zhiyuan knew it clearly and blurted out: "Your Majesty, in the fifteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, the land in Shuntian Prefecture totaled 68,720 hectares, 13 acres and 50 cents."
"Last year's Yellow Book of Shuntian Prefecture totaled ninety-nine thousand, five hundred and eighty-two hectares, ninety-nine acres, nine cents and zero."
Zhu Yijun was stunned when he heard this.
He looked puzzled: "With only 20% of the population left, the farmland is so 'normal'?"
To say it's normal doesn't mean it's not hidden at all.
Instead, the population was reduced by 80%. The stable and promising farmland was a little too gentle.
After all, Wang Zhiyuan was an official who was sent to the local prefecture in the first year of Wanli. When faced with the emperor's questions, he seemed to have expected it.
"Your Majesty, the situation in each state capital is the same as in each state capital. When I went to the state, there were many people and few fields in the yellow book; but when I arrived in Jinan Prefecture, there were few people and few fields."
Wang Zhiyuan has a very official appearance, and his voice is loud and eloquent.
Within a few words, Zhu Yijun had a good impression.
Zhu Yijun asked Wang Zhiyuan seriously: "Wang Qing, why is this?"
He could understand the decrease in the number of people, it was nothing more than an upgraded version of Xu Jie's contribution.
Without household registration, there was naturally no need to pay poll taxes or perform corvee labor. In order to avoid taxes, the common people donated money one after another, and the wealthy families naturally accepted it happily.
In addition to losing the core of the tax base, it is a two-way rush.
The same is true for acres of land. The fewer acres are registered, the more wealth is hidden among the people.
But the actual situation in the various state capitals is different. He, the emperor in the deep palace, naturally does not know as well as the local officials who work in the state capitals.
Wang Zhiyuan heard this, thought about it for a moment and then replied: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Household Affairs has sent out eight items to pay for land this time, and one of them is one."
"When it comes to the amount of the Fuzu faction, it means that there are officials and civilians in the fields, the number of villages, etc., and the number of grains is high, middle and low. It is advisable to check them one by one to avoid confusion."
"The official land, civilian land, and farmland are for upper grain, medium grain, and lower grain; and household registration includes official status, prison status, military status, civilian status, etc."
“The weight of land taxes and household taxes levied cannot be generalized across states.”
"There is another law, which is the law of severe bullying and concealment."
"It is also necessary to see whether the Yamen is the main deception, or whether it is the right-wing power that hides it."
"The former only focuses on hiding the fields, while the latter also takes into account the hiding of the mouth. There are also differences."
"As for Shuntian Mansion..."
Wang Zhiyuan suddenly paused.
He glanced at Shen Shixing behind the emperor, and then bowed respectfully to the emperor: "Your Majesty, please forgive me first."
With this look, it was obvious that he was about to say something inappropriate.
Zhu Yijun glanced at Wang Zhiyuan unexpectedly, and then nodded magnanimously: "Just tell me the truth."
After Wang Zhiyuan stood up, he pondered for a long time before finally speaking: "Most of the fields in Shuntian Mansion are imperial estates and official fields. They don't charge taxes, so they are naturally less hidden."
"The population of Shuntian Prefecture is due to the capture of Gengxu."
"Secondly, there are too many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital who can take refuge, chariot bosses, nobles, eunuchs, and famous temples."
Wang Zhiyuan sighed: "Otherwise, where did the groups of adopted sons, adopted daughters, servants, and tenants from various wealthy families come from?"
Shen Shixing couldn't help but look away.
Although he did not do this, many of his relatives, friends and disciples in Nanzhili bought properties in the capital - just like the Confucian scholars of the Song Dynasty who "lived in the capital as extravagantly as nobles and had more than ten concubines."
As the leader of the Southern Zhili Township Party, Mr. Shen Ge is still somewhat ashamed.
Wang Zhiyuan didn't care whether his words offended anyone or not, and continued: "Your Majesty, this is also the most difficult part of this time to clear out the land and clear the household."
After saying that, he bowed once more and apologized for his words just now.
Zhu Yijun naturally understood what Wang Zhiyuan meant.
The most difficult part of clearing land and households is not finding people and land and registering them.
It’s about everyone who confronts the imperial court in this process.
This includes not only the powerful squires, but also the common people who are slaves and tenants!
Once the hundreds of thousands of people are cleared out, what to do with them will be a huge problem - they are barely making ends meet, and then there will be a household tax on their heads, and I don't know how many people will starve to death for it.
When Xu Jie of Songjiang Prefecture returned to his fields, it was because there was real land allocated to settle the people, so there was no trouble.
What about Shuntian Mansion?
Should we allocate the land of high-ranking officials, nobles, chariot bosses, eunuchs, nobles, and famous temples to the common people?
Why? Are they legally exempt from tax?
That's why Wang Zhiyuan apologized - the largest hidden population in Shuntian Mansion was the mainstay of the imperial court.
At this moment, Shen Shixing, who was standing aside, finally couldn't hold himself back and said: "After Wang Jingzhao took office yesterday, he still hasn't had time to see the six items of Du Tian from the cabinet, right?"
Wang Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment, then said calmly: "Not yet."
It has only been less than a day since he took office, so it is naturally impossible to cover everything. He has not even finished reading the files of his yamen.
Seeing that the emperor had no intention of speaking, Shen Shixing organized his words to explain: "Your Majesty and the cabinet have already thought about Wang Jingzhao's concerns just now."
“After the land is transferred to the countryside, the current tax system will also have to implement new policies, and during this period... the household registration tax will be temporarily exempted.”
Land transfer is not the end, it is just the beginning of tax reform.
After the tax base is improved, the tax collection method will naturally follow up.
Not only will a whip law follow, but also land tax, household tax, miscellaneous tax, and corvee will also undergo a huge change.
The exemption from household registration tax is a preferential treatment given to the people during this turbulent cycle - from the perspective of the cabinet, in this new policy of clearing out the land and clearing households, it is first-class to prevent the people from adding burdens and rebelling.
major events.
However, Wang Zhiyuan was stunned when he heard Shen Shixing's first words.
Tax-free for now!?
This is no small amount!
As one of the three major taxes, even if it is only for three to five years, the warehouse will be emptied!
He looked at Shen Shixing in astonishment and then at the emperor.
Seeing both of them acting as if they were taking it for granted, Wang Zhiyuan couldn't help but asked in surprise: "The household tax is exempted for the time being? What about the imperial court's annual income!?"
Of course, tax exemption is not a bad thing.
The emperor who is exempt from tax will be memorialized by the people at any time.
Especially at this pass for land transfer, the hundreds of thousands of people who were cleared out could still continue their previous work without being forced to die in poverty due to an extra tax.
But the question is, is the imperial court so wealthy?
At the beginning, Emperor Taizu made a nice statement of thirty taxes per one, but in the end exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes were imposed.
Don't say it nice again and end up in a mess.
Shen Shixing coughed lightly: "In the next few years, the household tax will be added to the acres. How the tax reform will change in the future will depend on how many acres and acres can be cleared this time."
Wang Zhiyuan fell into deep thought after hearing this.
The household tax is spread among the acres...
He could clearly feel that this was adding the household registration tax of the common people to the large landlords' households.
But I always feel like there is a layer of veil between me and I can't think clearly.
I couldn't figure out the reason for a while.
In the end, Wang Zhiyuan nodded hesitantly: "This can leave a way for the landless people to survive. Even the big landlords, the reaction will probably be even more intense."
Acquiring land is a tax increase, and bearing an additional head tax is also a tax increase.
It depends on how fiercely you can resist.
However, it is at least consistent with his ambition to restrain the tyrants and restore the prosperity of the Yuanyuan people in Chi County.
Shen Shixing and the emperor looked at each other, and the former replied sternly: "Let's suppress it for a few years first. Then the household registration tax will be collected again, and then the land tax allocated this time will be reduced or exempted."
Zhu Yijun couldn't help but touch his nose as he watched Shen Shixing deceive Wang Zhiyuan.
It is impossible to collect the household registration tax again. The household registration tax will be exempted from now on.
Don’t even think about reducing the land tax.
This is the desensitization test, for the purpose of spreading the wealth!
Historical products must have their historical mission.
The feudal system is like this, the promotion of filial piety and integrity is like this, and the poll tax is like this.
In Chinese history, the head tax has had positive effects for a long time.
But circumstances change.
At this time, the head tax is already a tax system that affects the development of productivity.
Together with the backward household registration system of the Ming Dynasty, it used the people as fuel and locked them firmly in one village and one county.
The heavy burden prevents people from farming forever. The power of the government prevents people from moving.
Under this tax system and household registration system, the Ming Dynasty could never hope to spawn industry.
Atomization is the result of industry and is also an oxytocin.
At the same time, the handicraft industry in Jiangnan is waiting for support. Zhu Yunhua in Huguang has built iron smelting plants one after another. The local state capitals are eagerly waiting for the commercial taxes from the people. The dignitaries involved in shipping between the two capitals can’t wait to send ship after ship of goods back and forth.
transportation.
Light industry needs landless refugees; heavy industry needs craftsmen with free-flowing household registrations; businessmen who have a lot of money but can only wear coarse linen clothes also need to abolish the household registration status that restricts their status.
Exempting household registration tax is the first step in tax reform and registration reform - the central government secretly added warm water to the frog in the pot by using the excuse of farming.
With thousands of years of inertia in collecting poll taxes, most landowners and tycoons will take a chance and think it is a "temporary" thing.
Just like Wang Zhiyuan's reaction - the landowners will definitely have opinions, and they can only temporarily suppress it in the past few years.
But actually.
Once the land transfer is completed and the tax base is complete, why should we reinstate the head tax?
The burden on landowners has increased? So what?
The yellow book is the biggest symbol of actual rule. As long as the yellow book is in hand, there is no security war that can destroy the empire.
People who can be killed with wild boar skin can also be killed if the Ming Dynasty killed them more carefully.
Of course, it is best to be able to transition smoothly.
Therefore, it is not advisable to explain things too thoroughly. Mr. Shen Ge can deceive the little Jiuqing in front of him as much as he can.
Wang Zhiyuan has never entered the center, so naturally he cannot see this level.
He nodded thoughtfully.
When Shen Shixing saw Wang Zhiyuan nodding in conviction, he continued: "Then Wang Jing Zhao said that all Shuntian Mansion is tax-free official land."
"Jingzhao, your majesty and the cabinet have just agreed that from next year, starting from the promotion of Jinshi in this subject, after becoming an official, only three and a half acres of land tax will be exempted."
When Wang Zhiyuan heard this, he was not too surprised.
This matter started to spread in the department in the second year of Wanli, saying that new people have new methods and old people have old methods.
It's just that one of them didn't start, which made everyone in these two sessions very nervous.
It seems that the wind has blown enough and next year will finally begin.
The tax amount of three and a half acres can support a family without starving to death.
The emperor and his cabinet had somewhat of a reputation as being mean and unkind.
Otherwise, I would be sorry for the Jinshi scholars who have studied hard all these years.
Of course, he was a Jinshi after the eighth year of Wanli. He belongs to the future opposition and is still in his infancy - anyway, it has nothing to do with old people like them.
Thinking of this, Wang Zhiyuan asked curiously: "When was the edict issued, but you didn't hear it?"
If there was an explicit edict from the Central Committee, Shilin would have to argue a bit, so it's not like he hadn't heard of it.
Shen Shixing stroked his beard and said vaguely: "We will inform you later when you register for the imperial examination in the twelfth lunar month."
This is a conspiracy. If you don’t want to be an official, others will!
Retirement benefits? Today I am not even satisfied with three and a half acres of tax-free income. I dare not think of anything I can do after becoming an official!
Wang Zhiyuan couldn't help but glance at Shen Shixing.
This proud man who entered the cabinet at the age of only forty-three has gradually acquired a hint of cunning and cunning over the past two years.
The cabinet's situation seems not to be very good.
Wang Zhiyuan shook his head, shook the unnecessary thoughts out of his mind, and returned to the topic: "In this case, the most difficult part of getting the land now is probably the birth in the temple."
"Now there are hundreds of new temples in Beizhili, and there are nearly a hundred in Shuntian Prefecture!"
The difficulty lies not in the strength but also in the trouble.
Any matter involving a large number of common people is always troublesome - especially when the common people are treated as human beings.
The Taoist sect is better, but the Buddhist sect is really difficult to get along with. Even if they are cut down and the temple is destroyed, they will not stop.
Shen Shixing was about to speak when he heard the emperor clearing his throat.
Shenge Lao Shiqu shut up.
Zhu Yijun took over the conversation, looked at Wang Zhiyuan, and said seriously: "In addition to caring about Wang Qing, I am here to inform Wang Qing that I want to visit the 24 prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Mansion."
"I just happened to see the high-ranking officials, chariot bosses, eunuchs and noble relatives you mentioned just now. I can see how well-off their families are."
"As for Buddhism and Taoism, I don't hesitate to pay you a visit."
Wang Zhiyuan suddenly coughed.
It took a long while before he slowly recovered while stroking his chest.
After he and Chang Chunqiao looked at each other, they both looked embarrassed.
The former said helplessly: "Your Majesty..."
Zhu Yijun interrupted him directly and continued: "This is a matter agreed upon by the Chang Dynasty. You just need to prepare it quickly. No need to say more."
He understood Wai Chao's fear of trouble.
But no real emperor stayed in the palace his whole life.
If you don't go out to investigate, it would be bad if your eyes darken like Zhang Juzheng did in history.
Wang Zhiyuan was about to say more, but Zhu Yijun suddenly turned his head and looked at him: "If Wang Qing feels that you are in a hurry, I will stay at Shuntian Mansion tonight and let a group of ministers and people from Shushe help me, so that we can make the trip earlier, okay?"
Wangfu Yin was startled when he heard this, and almost jumped up: "Your Majesty, your majesty of ten thousand chariots, how can you stay in Shuntian Mansion!"
Zhu Yijun stared at Wang Zhiyuan, smiling and saying nothing.
Seeing the emperor's appearance, the latter finally came to his senses.
I have long heard that the emperor often resorted to such rogue tactics, and I finally saw it today.
Wang Zhiyuan bowed helplessly: "Can you allow me to prepare the files for a few days, so that I will not be ignorant when your Majesty is confused."
Zhu Yijun nodded happily: "Then it will be October 28th, early patrol and early return."
After saying that, he ignored Wang Zhiyuan's bitter look, nodded to Shen Shixing, turned around and left.
Shen Shixing quickly followed.
Wang Zhiyuan and Chang Chunqiao coincidentally bowed down and bowed down, giving each other a great gift.
At this moment, Zhu Yijun suddenly remembered something, turned around and asked curiously: "I don't seem to have seen Fu Cheng?"
There are not many officials in Shuntian Mansion who are qualified to appear in front of the emperor, but in addition to the two in front of them, there should be a Fu Cheng who is above the fifth rank.
When Wang Zhiyuan heard this, he was a little confused for a moment and didn't know how to answer.
Chang Chunqiao, who was standing next to him, saw this and suddenly said: "Your Majesty, after the governor took office yesterday, the governor Guo Tingwu used his connections to transfer to Taichang Temple."
Zhu Yijun was startled when he heard this and immediately understood what was going on.
He immediately nodded calmly and said with a smile: "When I met Chang Qing twice, I heard Chang Qing complain. If I get top marks in the examination again, I am afraid that the position in the Metropolitan Procuratorate will be empty."
Chang Chunqiao didn't know whether the emperor was teasing or taunting him, so he just bowed down and confessed his guilt.
When he looked up again, he only saw the emperor's back surrounded by a group of ministers.
After the group of people left the Shuntian Mansion Office, Zhu Yijun suddenly grimaced.
He looked at Jiang Keqian and said in a stiff tone: "Go and ransack the house of Fu Cheng Guo Tingwu. Let's see how many tribes can be punished for the crime."
Jiang Keqian immediately responded and left.
Shen Shixing was originally an old god who was following the emperor, but he was shocked when he heard this.
He hurriedly grabbed Jiang Keqian and warned the emperor: "Your Majesty! It is human nature to retreat when in danger, why do you do this!"
Zhu Yijun shook his head expressionlessly: "He is a fourth-grade official. Back then, Nanjiao expressed his support to me for the New Deal, but now he is retreating in distress. Is it unreasonable?"
Shen Shixing had no choice but to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, that cannot be punished without guilt."
Zhu Yijun looked at Shen Shixing and asked seriously: "How many courtiers who do not support the New Deal and do not serve in office can withstand investigation?"
Shen Shixing was speechless.
Zhu Yijun nodded to Jiang Keqian, and the latter led the guard away.
The emperor kept walking and preached to Shen Shixing: "I will never let down people like Wang Zhiyuan and Chang Chunqiao; I can get together with people like Lu Guangzu and Shi Yaochen; but for people like Guo Tingwu, don't blame me for being ruthless.
Already."
"Party struggle must look like party struggle. Identifying comrades is indispensable."
Shen Shixing sighed.
He replied helplessly: "I'm afraid the foreign court will say that His Majesty is cruel again."
Zhu Yijun shook his head and stopped talking about it.
"Qing, go and tell Seng Lu Si not to send out the Seng disc yet."
Shen Shixing had not yet gotten over the image of Emperor Cai who frequently confiscated homes and exterminated clans, so he asked cautiously: "Your Majesty, do you want to...?"
Zhu Yijun walked in front and said in a very soft voice: "Since cutting down mountains and destroying temples is not honest, I will go on patrol this time to reason with them."
(please ask for monthly votes, the eighth one fell off, sad.)
Chapter completed!