Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 813 Improvement
Generally speaking, the founding emperor drew more from the previous dynasties in the design of the national system, so as to avoid some bad habits.

The system design of the Ming Dynasty was mostly in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

Needless to say, the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols were defeated by their overly lenient governance, which belonged to extensive management. As long as they collected enough money, all private affairs, big or small, were handed over to the local tyrants and evil gentry, and even implemented a tax package system.

In this case, the poor have no place to stand, the rich are connected with each other, and the people have no means of living.

Therefore, the Ming Dynasty ruled it strictly and returned to the feudal management of the Song Dynasty.

In terms of the Song Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty came to the conclusion that the people of the Song Dynasty were too soft-boned.

Therefore, the backbone has been taken seriously.

The performance is that the civil servants are proud of the court staff, the harder the bones, the more they are valued by the officialdom, which is equivalent to meritorious deeds.

In the Tumubao change, even if the emperor was captured, he refused to negotiate a peace; in the Chongzhen Dynasty at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Xinjia, who negotiated a peace, was killed.

Blindly hard, losing softness, superficially relieved, but in fact missed a good opportunity.

One piece and one relaxation is the kingly way.

In order to cultivate the arrogance of scholars and also to buy people's hearts, the Ming Dynasty implemented a national policy of preferential treatment of scholars.

Emperor Taizu Gao exempted all incumbent officials from corvee; in the 24th year of Jiajing's "Exemption Regulations", it was stipulated that the first-grade premium exempted grain for Beijing officials was [-] shi, and the number of people was [-] ding, and the following were reduced to the ninth rank. Six stones, six dings for a person; half for foreign officials; two stones and two dings for officials, supervisors, and students; seven tenths of this product for officials.

In the 38th year of Wanli's "New Regulations on Preferential Exemption", it was stipulated that the current Jiake Jing officials were exempted from land tax of 350 mu for the first rank, and then decreased gradually, and the eighth rank was exempted from [-] mu of land; foreign officials were halved; [-]. Non-official Jinshi preferential exemption up to [-] mu of land, non-official candidates preferential exemption of [-] mu of land; students and supervisors exempt from land tax of [-] mu.

That is to say, before the 38th year of Wanli, ordinary scholars and scholars could not be exempted from taxes without restrictions at all in law, but only two stones from taxes.

Later, we made progress step by step, and then expanded the scope of preferential treatment and exemption.

After all, ordinary people, who would watch "The Law of the Ming Dynasty"?
Occupy more, eat more, is the kingly way.

The local yamen servants did not dare to offend the talented scholars, so they could only allow them to be exempted from taxes and distribute the remaining taxes to other common people. It became a consensus to bully the honest people.

In the period of Zhang Juzheng, a whip method came.

To collect taxes strictly in accordance with the law of the Ming Dynasty, and to pick food from the mouths of the gentry, has offended many people.

Therefore, it is inevitable that people will die and the government will die.

Didn't Emperor Wanli know the benefits of a whip?
Of course he knew, but he also understood that after Zhang Juzheng's death, there was no such executor in the Ming court.

In other words, the civil and military men of the Wanli Dynasty were already decayed. No matter how good the law was, it was just law to them and could not be enforced at all.

For the stability of the country and the country, just like Cao Pi's nine-rank Zhongzheng system back then, a compromise had to be made, so as to quench thirst with poison.

It's a pity, but everyone knows that the more indulgent this thing is, the faster it will die.

After the promulgation of the regulations in the 38th year of Wanli, the gentry had no scruples. Instead, land annexation intensified, and the style of dedication became the mainstream.

Of course, it’s no wonder that Emperor Wanli, no matter from the Han and Tang Dynasties, or the Song and Yuan Dynasties, whether they were powerful or gentry, as part of the emperor’s share of the world, their rights and interests of tax exemption and corvee have been practiced for thousands of years.

In the early Ming Dynasty, there were too many controls, and the tighter the restraint, the easier it would be to break apart later.

Just like the Qing Dynasty, the gentry paid food for errands as a whole. It was implemented during the Yongzheng period and was abolished during the Qianlong period.

The reason is generally the same, there are no cruel officials to implement, and it is not good for the stability of the country.

Just like a live broadcast, the money harvested is ordinary people's money. Do you still want to take money from guilds and big brothers?Don't die?
Of course, the system design of the Ming Dynasty also had many advantages, such as decentralization and centralization of power, without the disaster of foreign relatives, vassal towns, and eunuchs, and there were very few patches that needed to be patched.

Zhu Yixi came from a later generation, so he naturally understood that the Qing inherited the Ming system, and there were not many changes, which is rare in all dynasties.

Between Song and Tang, and between Yuan and Song, there are vast differences in system.

"The biggest fixes are finance, taxation, and the military system."

Zhu Yixi shook his head and shook his head: "The military system has been changed, and the finance has changed. Only taxes have been added, and commercial taxes have only been increased. The original agricultural tax collection has not changed much."

He knocked on the table with his index finger unconsciously, his brain was running fast.

Before ascension to the throne, and in the years after his ascension to the throne, he was acquiescing to the land annexation in the late Ming Dynasty, as well as the concealment, underreporting, and contribution of the gentry class.

There is no way, the primary goal is to expel the slaves and unite all the forces that can be united, and other places can endure it.

Reduce the resistance to establishing a dynasty, so as to rule the world faster.

If, like the protagonists in those novels, reforms are carried out from the very beginning, and the gentry pays all the food, it is no less than pushing scholars out of the ruling system.

At that time, one will ebb and flow, and the enemy will immediately embrace the gentry and powerful, and you will be finished.

Conquering the world is nothing more than having many friends and few enemies. People from the four major classes of scholars, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen must be actively included.

Don't you feel comfortable doing things like settling accounts after autumn?

On the emperor's desktop, the supervisory censors who patrolled the nine northern provinces gave him a satisfactory answer sheet.

In one year, more than a hundred magistrates, magistrates and other palm seal officials were taken down, and there were thousands of secondary officials and officials.

The prisons of the Ministry of Criminal Justice are already overcrowded.

In the past few months, Dali Temple and the Ministry of Criminal Justice have been the busiest, working overtime every day to carry out trials and convictions.

Those who are too corrupt will have their homes ransacked, beheaded, exiled, and the frontiers will be enriched.

It can be said that such brutal methods have greatly deterred the officialdom, and the northern provinces were wiped out.
Coupled with the provincial examination, Jinshi and other newcomers took office, they flooded into the officialdom like running water, washing away the old atmosphere.

At this time, Zhu Yixi felt that the foundation for implementing benevolent governance had been solidified.

After all, the promulgation and implementation of policies are two different things, and support from the grassroots, especially the county level, is extremely important.

If the old bureaucratic system continues to be used, all reforms will be just another patch after all, or the change from a benevolent coup to a tyrannical one will become a gluttonous feast for the gentry and bureaucrats.

"Since the time is right, let's start from Hebei, then spread throughout the north, and go to the south at the right time!"

First north and then south, first easy and then difficult, this is the idea in the emperor's mind, and it is also a strategy that is gradually being implemented.

And this benevolent government is to reduce rent and interest.

That is, the policy of double reduction is aimed at local tyrants and evil gentry.

For interest rate reduction, regarding private loans, the annual interest rate shall not exceed [-]%, if it is higher than [-]%, the transaction will not be established, and the borrower can choose not to repay the money.

Rent reduction is aimed at the landlord class.

For land leased to tenants, the rent should not exceed [-]% of the harvest a year. If it exceeds [-]%, the landlord will pay ten times the profit. I will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examination.

Predictably, the policy was no less than a whip, only a little more toned down.

After all, one whip method is digging meat, while double reduction is to put a spell on it to restrict land mergers and ease social conflicts.

It is also easier to be accepted by the enlightened gentry class.

This is equivalent to that you can increase the deed tax, but you cannot directly confiscate my real estate.

To be honest, this policy is nothing more than an improvement within the feudal society, which can only ease the contradictions, but cannot resolve them.

But there is no way, it is impossible to dig one's own foundation and help others, right?

Zhu Yixi is not as noble as those so-called selfless saints who travel through time. He has never married or had children all his life, and he has devoted his whole life to ordinary people who have nothing to do with him.

He couldn't do this even with brothers and sisters, let alone strangers.

"Snapped--"

Putting down the double reduction policy, Zhu Yixi turned his head and said, "Let the elders come over."

Soon, the cabinet ministers gathered.

A small-scale imperial meeting began.

Zhu Yixi directly passed on the memorial of the double reduction, picked up the tea at hand, and drank it slowly.

It is he who observes the reaction of the people.

Among the four members of the cabinet, the performance is different.

Chief Assistant Zhao Shu nodded slightly; deep Zhang Shenyan seldom smiled; Yan Chongxin showed astonishment; Lu Daqi clapped his hands and laughed.

"Your Majesty..."

Halfway through the speech, Lu Daqi saw the expressions on everyone's faces, and immediately reacted, and immediately put aside the words here.

"How does the chief assistant feel?"

the emperor asked.

"Report to Your Majesty, this is a benevolent government." Zhao Shu burst into tears instantly, and he naturally knew that it was the emperor's handwriting.

But it was precisely because of this that he felt that he was worthy of being the emperor today, thinking that others could not think.

"It benefits the people without compromising the interests of the gentry, the people rejoice, and the people worship."

This sentence of admiration profoundly expresses the root of the double reduction policy - not to harm the interests of the gentry.

Compared with cutting flesh with a knife, the curse is easier to accept.

Anyone can see that this policy is more conducive to social stability, and it is easier to win the support of the four people.

It should be noted that although the gentry class has all kinds of bad habits and shortcomings, there are no minority of enlightened people.

The double reduction policy is to divide and woo the gentry, let the enlightened gentry fight against the local tyrants and evil gentry, and gain the support of a group of gentry, the implementation of the policy will be smoother.

At that time, not only will there be support from the officialdom, but also a large number of folks will agree.

This is the real national policy.

Zhang Shenyan also stroked his beard and sighed: "The people's livelihood is so difficult, with such a benevolent government, the people will be happy, and the veterans have to agree. If you risk this old life, you must support it."

What else could Yan Chongxin and Lu Daqi say?
They could only swarm in their approval and support, and exaggerate the emperor by the way.

"This policy can be extended to the northern provinces. After the southern officialdom is clean, it will be implemented everywhere in the world."

The emperor made a final decision, and his voice was extremely loud: "When the time comes, why is the world not peaceful?"

For a time, the cabinet ministers all obeyed.

It can be expected that if this policy is implemented, it will be extremely effective for the stability of the country.

"Gansu's soldiers and horses gathered, and the Moxi Mongolian tribes surrendered, and there were many cavalry, and now they are with the Raksha Kingdom, just taking time out."

Lu Daqi finally got the chance to speak, and immediately said: "Through the battle of Turpan, Yaerqiang was vulnerable to a single blow. He was afraid of my king's teacher like a tiger, and the imperial court could attack him, so the journey will be smooth."

Zhao Shu also agreed: "I heard that the desert area is full of oases, and you can't live without oases."

"The Yarkand people can't escape at all. They can only sit in the oasis and wait for the king's army. However, the Mongolian tribes in Moxi have a lot of cavalry. Once the battle is unfavorable, galloping horses and galloping will not have much effect in vain harvesting some land."

"It's better to fight Yarkand."

"Okay!" Although the emperor also supported Yarkand in his heart, he couldn't say it outright, and had to be raised by the people below.

And he came to act as the referee, in a detached position.

Just like the double reduction policy, it was proposed by others, not the emperor himself, so leaving some room for relaxation is beneficial to both the ministers and the emperor.

So, at the end of the year before closing the Yamen, in addition to the double reduction, there was also a decision on the Northwest Raiders.

Everyone understands that the imperial court has only two choices, the Oirat Meng in the ancient tribes, and the Yaerqiang Kingdom.

Oirat Mongolia, that is, the northern Xinjiang region, near the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, is a nomadic Moxi Mongolia, that is, the Tatars who made the civil fort change back then.

As for the Yarkand Khanate, as the name suggests, the Hui people who believed in the Peace Religion were Uighurs.

The goal of the Oirat Mongolian Raiders has always been the Kazakh Khanate and the Yenisei River Basin; Yarkand is heading south, towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It can be said without hesitation that in terms of wealth, Oirat Mongolia, which occupies the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and the Ili River Valley, is definitely the first.

After all, apart from deserts in southern Xinjiang, there are deserts, and the biggest specialty is Hetian jade. If it weren't for controlling the Silk Road in southern Xinjiang, Yarkand would have been impoverished long ago.

In the Northwest, one is weak and the other is strong, and the officials have different tendencies.

In the end, when it was learned that the cabinet had decided to focus on the easy before the difficult, and aimed at Yarkand, there was an uproar inside and outside the court.

However, contrary to the opinions of the civil servants, the nobles agreed with the decision of the cabinet.

Compared with Oirat Mongolia, which has been in contact with firearms and has tens of thousands of cavalry, the Yarkand Kingdom, which has always been intoxicated with grape wine and luminous cups, is easier to conquer.

Furthermore, the Turpan area has already offended him, and now it is perfectly appropriate to completely eliminate hidden dangers.

As long as Yarkand is captured, the northern Xinjiang region will not be far away.

Although Moxi Mongolia has made more meritorious deeds, it is not as stable as Yeerqiang's meritorious deeds, and it is easy to capture.

At this time Anle City.

"It seems that the court has made a decision."

Gao Yigong raised his head and looked ahead.

At this time, there were [-] Ming troops stationed in the Turpan area.

Among them, there are [-] cavalry, [-] infantry and firearm battalions, which can be described as the essence of the entire Northwest.

"Chief soldier, where are you?" Everyone asked one after another.

"To the south, the Yarkand Khanate."

Pointing the sword to the southwest, Gao Yigong's face showed color.

"Brothers, the opportunity to make contributions lies ahead."

Gao Yigong raised his sword and said: "The imperial court has brought in an edict, promising four points of merit (foundation). As long as this country is conquered, there will be no fewer people who will be named Marquis and Boss this time."

"The imperial court will never be stingy with title rewards."

"Kill, kill, kill—"

Amidst the murderous shouts, the army headed west.

(End of this chapter)