Summoning the Mythical Eternal Emperor

Chapter 95 What's Wrong (2)

After the Battle of Jizhou was pacified, Zhao Yuankai left Chang'an City for two days and one night.

And what happened in these two days and one night and the changes in the situation of the big man can be compared to the past two, three, or even ten years!
If it weren't for the strategic significance of Jizhou, it would be no small matter.

It is impossible for Zhao Yuankai to leave Weiyang Palace easily, leaving the head of the imperial city vacant.

Zhang Juzheng and the six ministers bowed into the commander's mansion, and the others waited outside the military tent and were not allowed to enter.

"My dear friends, tell me about the time when I'm not here. What new changes have occurred in the situation of the country?" Zhao Yuankai didn't say a word of nonsense.

This sentence directly touched Zhang Juzheng's heart.

His eyes lit up suddenly, as if he had something to tell.

On the other hand, Liubu Shangshu's face was normal, and he didn't seem to be busy or worried.

Zhao Yuankai shook his head slightly, remembering it in his heart.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, in the past two days there have been great changes in the country, and the counties of Zhongzhou have reported that many officials have fled to the south in the county offices under their rule, which has caused the entire government to fall into a semi-paralyzed state. " Zhang Juzheng reported.

At the time of Bingzhou Dongping, Zhou Shili, the governor of Yuzhou, also reflected this problem.

And when Zhao Yuankai decided to send an edict to the thirteen prefectures of the Han Dynasty to kill the nine clans of the Chen family in western Shu, he had already considered this result.

"Well, I remember this, what else?" Zhao Yuankai asked again.

"Your Majesty, the old minister has counted the taxation situation of the country and court in recent years. At the same time, he has also deeply investigated the people's livelihood and food production in various states and places, and found many problems!" Zhang Juzheng said again.

The six ministers bowed aside and looked at each other in blank dismay, both shocked and embarrassed.

They didn't expect that the new prime minister, from commoner to prime minister, not only set up Jinyiwei and the Military Industry Department one after another in just a few days, but also thoroughly investigated so many problems!
As expected of the Prime Minister appointed by His Majesty!
"I know there are many problems, so let's talk about the key points and the root cause!" Zhao Yuan said.

It was originally a backward feudal system.

Coupled with the desolation of imperial power, powerful ministers in power, and princes standing on their own... Naturally, there are a lot of problems.

Zhang Juzheng's face was shocked when he heard what Zhao Yuankai said.

As a minister, what I hope most is to see the Emperor's face-to-face and straight-forward approach to the root problem!

"I report to Your Majesty, the veteran believes that the root cause of people's livelihood problems lies in the unreasonable land system!" Zhang Juzheng said seriously.

After Zhao Yuankai heard this, his smile grew stronger.

It really was Zhang Juzheng.

The paranoia about the land system is really extraordinary!

"It is indeed unreasonable. The current land system of the Han Dynasty is still the well field system, which is divided into public land and private land. With the decline of the imperial power, the public land has been scraped off, and more than [-]% of the land in the Han Dynasty is in the hands of the nobles! "Zhao Yuan nodded and said.

The land became the private property of the enfeoffed, and the poor Limin could only rent fields from the nobles and big landlords. In addition to paying extremely heavy rents, they also had to endure heavy taxes.
Those aristocratic and big landowners don't have to do anything, they all rely on exploitation to squeeze the poor farmers.

It made the whole countryside of the Han Dynasty full of rich men, wine and meat, and the roads were frozen to death!
If the people don't talk about their lives, it also makes the people's hearts slack!
Under this kind of pressure, it has greatly dampened the enthusiasm of the people at the bottom to cultivate, so that the grain production has not been able to increase!

In the agricultural society in the era of cold weapons, food production is the first indicator of national strength!

Although the people in the southern border of the Kyushu continent can practice martial arts, the principle of being poor and rich in martial arts is applicable everywhere. The stronger the martial arts, the more people will eat!

Zhang Juzheng did not expect that Zhao Yuankai would directly point out the root cause of the problem, so he couldn't help being surprised and even more delighted.

Since the Son of Heaven pointed out a problem, he must solve it.

"It turns out that His Majesty already knew it, I admire you." Zhang Juzheng said with a bow.

"Heh... So you, Zhang Juzheng, are also flattering."

Zhao Yuan laughed, making a half-hearted joke.

Zhang Juzheng's face was red.

The six ministers relieved a bit of tension.

but!
Zhao Yuankai stood up suddenly at this time, his face was cold, and his words were imperial edicts, saying:

"Zhang Juzheng, I'm going to solve the two problems you mentioned now, listen carefully!"

"With regard to the land system, the first step is to clear up the acres of land. All private land and public land will be collected as state-owned, and then directly distributed to the bottom farmers."

"The second step is to change and reduce taxes. Here I will point you in a direction, directly sharing the income into the mu!"

Zhang Juzheng should have already planned the clearing of the land and the change of taxes.

But because Zhang Ju was a competent minister of the Ming Dynasty, the historical limitations on taxation reform still exist. If there is no accident, the "one whip method" will be implemented.

In the history of China, Emperor Yongzheng made further reforms on top of the one-whip method, and introduced the idea of ​​sharing the income of a person into the mu, which completely made up for the shortcomings of the one-whip method.

So Zhao Yuankai got it right in one step.

Zhang Juzheng was shocked once again when he heard this!
For the past few days, he has been thinking day and night how to simplify taxation items and collection procedures while paying taxes on an average basis after clearing the land.

His initial idea was to activate a whip method, but he still felt that it was not so streamlined.

But right now, Zhang Juzheng suddenly sees the light of day when the words "Ban Ding Ru Mu" come out!

"Your Majesty! The direction Your Majesty is pointing at really hits the nail on the head. Your Majesty's vision is so impressive to the veteran!"

Excited, Zhang Juzheng kowtowed and shouted.

The six ministers were in a fog, and they couldn't understand what was spread into the mu.

But they understand one thing, that is, His Majesty wants to clear the land and take all the land into national ownership.

This... how can this work?

In the 800 years of the Han Dynasty, countless lands were divided and distributed, forming an inestimable number of nobles and landlords!

Doesn't taking back the land mean turning against those people directly?
"Your Majesty, I have something to say, I'm afraid it's inappropriate to take the land into state ownership!"

"Senior, Your Majesty!"

"The minister also agrees!"

The six ministers hurriedly comforted with trembling voices.

Zhao Yuan sneered, looking at the six ministers, disappointed.

Then, Long Yan was furious and scolded:

"Not right? What's wrong?"

"Has the fundamental interests of noble families and princes and dukes been affected? Huh! What I have affected is their fundamental interests!"

"Not only will I take back the land from them, but I will also confiscate their property, and even their lives if necessary!"

"What is the purpose of promoting Jizhou? What is the purpose of establishing the Ministry of Military Industry?"

"The purpose is to suppress everything by force!"

"Under the rule of my great man, anyone who disobeys or seeks wrong will be killed as soon as possible!!"

(End of this chapter)