Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 610 Begging for mercy
Xue Bai didn't expect that the area Yan Zhenqing was most worried about regarding his tax reforms would be Hebei.

Upon asking, I found out that it was Yan Gaoqing who mentioned in his letter home that he asked Yan Zhenqing to persuade him to slow down the matter.

"The situation in Hebei is complicated, with Hu and Han people living together and border invasions constantly occurring. During the Tianbao period, the Jiedushi was entrusted with overall military, political and financial power. In addition, people were uneasy after the rebellion. Under such circumstances, the court wanted to change the tax law, and the purpose was to equalize the rich and the poor and suppress annexation, which could easily cause unrest."

Xue Bai said: "I think Hebei is vast and sparsely populated now, so it is convenient for reform."

Yan Zhenqing asked in return: "Take this household tax as an example. If the people of Hebei pay it, will Your Majesty ask the Hu tribes that have surrendered to the state to pay it as well? Your Majesty has decided to change slaves into hired servants so that the big families cannot hide the runaways. However, the biggest business of the Hebei generals is the trafficking of prisoners of war. If the business of Silla slaves fails one day, I am afraid that some of the Lulong troops who rely on them for their livelihood will be forced to revolt."

Xue Bai was silent for a long time, then spoke slowly.

"The Tang Dynasty will develop faster and faster, and the gap between the rich and the poor will become wider and wider. This is inevitable for you and me, but it must be curbed, otherwise there will be a big mess under the current system. Let me give you an example. We have invented gunpowder. In the future, we may be able to attack the West and attack the Arabs, but basic resources such as land and taxes are distributed unfairly, and power must be unfair. The powerful and wealthy can register in the army at will, and the poor have no land to farm and can only fight for their future with their lives. In this case, is the distribution of war power fair? We can maintain it while we are here, but what about after we die of old age? The rebellion will definitely happen again. The more powerful the gunpowder is, the more likely it is to blow the Tang Dynasty to pieces."

What he said was just a possibility, but he would have to bear the greatest responsibility for this possibility.

He had been thinking recently that the An-Shi Rebellion might not be entirely Xuanzong's fault. During the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras of the Tang Dynasty, productivity had reached a new stage, but the rent-labor system had collapsed, and the backward production relations could not adapt to the development of productivity, so chaos broke out. If he used supernatural methods to push productivity forward by leaps and bounds, and then chaos broke out again, he would probably not be able to deal with the situation.

"If so, I will be the eternal sinner of the Tang Dynasty."

Yan Zhenqing understood Xue Bai's worries and said, "Governing a country is not easy. Let's think of another way."

The two then began to study the proposed tax system.

This thick stack of papers contains the policies that were drafted by many capable officials after visiting and investigating and discussing with each other, and then organized and copied down word by word by Yan Zhenqing.

The whole article is written in small regular script, neatly and clearly. It can be seen that Yan Zhenqing was thinking while writing this.

Xue Bai read it carefully and could feel the painstaking effort between the lines.

He knew how hard everyone worked, but there was something stuck in his throat, so after hesitating for a long time, Xue Bai finally said it out loud.

"I have a more long-term idea. If the imperial court takes back all the land in the world and makes it public, then landlords and farmers will only have the right to cultivate the land, not the ownership. This may eliminate the hidden danger of land annexation and ensure long-term peace and stability in the Tang Dynasty..."

"His Majesty."

Yan Zhenqing interrupted Xue Bai, his face showing a serious expression that he had never seen before, and said: "Don't mention this again, don't you know Wang Mang?"

Xue Bai nodded, knowing that Yan Zhenqing had the same attitude and that this matter would definitely not be accomplished at the moment.

But he must at least make his changes more advanced and more thorough than those in history.

So he picked up the pen and added some content under Yan Zhenqing's jade-like handwriting.

He restricted the amount of land that landowners could own, and required agricultural promotion officials to survey the land, check the population, and uncover hidden land throughout the country, including land that had been annexed at unreasonable prices.

Simply put, since "public land" could not be achieved, he hoped to alleviate the situation of land annexation in the Tang Dynasty through a certain degree of "equal distribution of land" and return to the level at the beginning of the country where everyone had land to farm.

Unexpectedly, Yan Zhenqing did not object this time, but remained thoughtful...

Outside the hall, the light snow fell gradually and turned into heavy snow. When the snow stopped, it was already the first month of the fifth year of Zhengxing.

The fifth year of Zhengxing was the Year of the Dragon.

At the beginning, the first major thing the court did was to promulgate a new tax law. It sent agricultural promotion envoys to various parts of the country to survey the land and check the population while also supervising the implementation of the new tax law.

Xue Bai knew that things would not go smoothly. After the decree was issued, he would wake up naturally very early every day, open his eyes and wait for bad news. This feeling was actually very bad.

Half a month later, officials from various states and counties submitted memorials to the emperor, all saying that the people were excited about the new policy.

This kind of blind praise made Xue Bai even more uneasy. He felt that the calmer the situation was now, the greater the resistance he faced. It was obvious that there would be no resistance only if the new law was not implemented.

He could not help but continue to put pressure on the prime ministers to urge them to implement the new laws.

Gradually, he began to sense resistance.

The first was an impeachment memorial, but it was against Yan Gaoqing, who was in charge of the overall situation in Hebei, accusing him of corruption and allowing his son to commit crimes.

Specifically, it was said that Yan Gaoqing, who was in charge of military settlements in Hebei, had occupied the land cultivated by the soldiers and also collected more of their grain. The soldiers were not happy and started a riot, so Yan Jiming killed four of them on the spot.

Xue Bai certainly believed Yan Gaoqing and thought that this was a counterattack by some people against the new policy.

However, the signature on this memorial was not a warlord or landlord in Hebei, but a court official with a difficult-to-recognize name called Pei Xie.

Pei Xie was originally a subordinate of Lai Zhen. He had made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion in Yingchuan. He was an official with both civil and military talents. The court rewarded him based on his merits and transferred him to Fanyang to serve as the military commander.

Xue Bai couldn't think of any conflict of interest between such a person and the new policy. If he was instructed by someone, there was no "big villain" in the court at the moment.

In the past, Xue Bai regarded An Lushan, Li Heng and Li Longji as his opponents, but since he ascended the throne, there were no such opponents anymore. He thought that doing things this way would make things easier, but later he realized that others were just passers-by and he had to fight against fate all the time.

Cui Youfu suggested sending an imperial censor to Fanyang to investigate Yan Gaoqing's case.

Xue Bai never agreed. Instead, after thinking about it for many days, he proposed to the court officials that he wanted to inspect Hebei in person.

He planned to go out of Yanmen from Hedong, to Fanyang, and then go south to Lianghuai to complete his first tour. The purpose was to see with his own eyes the implementation of the new policies in various places and to appease the people's hearts.

The court officials naturally opposed this and took Qin Shihuang as an example.

Xue Bai always waved his hand calmly and said, "I am not as good as Qin Shi Huang."

Since all the officials knew they could not stop it, they had no choice but to keep silent.

In private, Yan Zhenqing had a heart-to-heart talk with Xue Bai about this matter.

"Your Majesty, have you not noticed that people in the court have been uneasy since the implementation of the new policy? If Your Majesty leaves the capital at this time, I'm afraid people's minds may change."

"That's why I want to go on tour." Xue Bai said, "The court is still full of those people. How can people's minds change? It's nothing more than those dog-skinned and dog-skinned things. If the reform is really likely to cause another rebellion, it must start from Hebei."

"In this case, it shows that Your Majesty values ​​Hebei, which is good."

Yan Zhenqing actually stopped trying to persuade Xue Bai and asked, "When Emperor Xuanzong visited Mount Li Palace, Li Linfu stayed in the court to handle state affairs. Can the Political Affairs Hall accompany Your Majesty on this tour?"

Xue Bai said: "Then please let me be Li Linfu for once."

Yan Zhenqing smiled bitterly.

Ever since he became prime minister, he has been busy with this and that, and always has this haggard expression on his face.

Xue Bai saw it and said, "Let me tell you something else that is worth celebrating. Two years ago, I said I wanted to build a large ocean ship and send envoys on a long voyage to look for new products, but my father-in-law refused to approve it. I had no choice but to do it in the name of Fenghui Commercial Bank. Now, the ship is built."

"You, if you want to do something, I will never stop you. That's why I told you not to cause trouble."

"I'm not going to cause trouble this time. I will prove to my father-in-law that all the expenses are worth it." Xue Bai smiled and said, "In ten or twenty years, my father-in-law will probably regret stopping me back then."

"Okay." Yan Zhenqing also laughed, "When that day comes, it won't be too late for me to regret it."

In fact, after the initial adjustment, Yan Zhenqing had become very cooperative with Xue Bai.

Including this reform, even though he knew that it would be very troublesome to change the tax system, abolish slavery, and equalize land distribution at the same time, he still faced the challenge.

Two months later, after the spring ploughing work was over and all court affairs were arranged, Xue Bai set out on a tour to Hedong and Hebei.

He took all his wives and children with him, leaving only Crown Prince Li Zuo in Luoyang to supervise the country.

Actually, Li Zuo was young and could not play any practical role as regent. But Xue Bai hoped that he would become independent as soon as possible, and also deliberately gave Yan Zhenqing the opportunity to "absolutely rule by relatives of the emperor".

~~
The team crossed the Yellow River and in the distance, the Taihang Mountains were hidden behind clouds.

Yan Yan tidied up her hair that was blown by the wind, and her mood became much brighter. She turned her head to look towards the Yellow River and asked Xue Bai a question.

"Aren't you worried?"

"worry about what?"

"In your absence, leaving the powerful ministers and the young lord in the court, aren't you afraid of losing the throne?"

Xue Bai held up his cloak to shield her from the wind and asked with a smile, "Are you saying that my father-in-law sent someone to kill me and help our son ascend the throne?"

"It may not be my grandfather, but what if someone has a plan? If your reforms irritate them, they will kill you. Anyway, there is a young master who will take over the throne."

"Intentional." Xue Bai said, "The most feared thing about reform is not opposition, but shirking of responsibility, deceiving superiors and subordinates, and even changing the meaning at the local level, turning a policy that benefits the people into a policy that harms the people. So, I went to the local level to see what the situation is there, and also to see what changes will occur when I am not at the center."

Yan Yan was too lazy to listen to his complicated things. She looked at the scenery in the distance and said excitedly, "It's great to go on tour. Staying in the palace every day is boring. You said that the emperor controls the world, but since you ascended the throne, you can go wherever you want."

"Yes, power does not necessarily mean freedom, it may also lead to self-destruction."

~~
Yan Zhenqing also advocated the politics of a figurehead monarch, but unlike Li Linfu's idea of ​​undermining the emperor's power, he advocated the Zhou rituals.

In short, when the emperor was away, there were not many changes in the daily operation of the court, except for a few extremely important matters that had to be reported by express horses.

But not long after the imperial carriage left, some subtle changes occurred in Yan Zhenqing's life.

He had just returned home from office that day when he heard that his uncle had arrived.

He lost his father at the age of three and was raised by his mother, Mrs. Yin, and also received a lot of favors from the Yin family.

Since it was an elder who came to visit, Yan Zhenqing hurriedly invited him in. The person who came was Mrs. Yin's youngest brother, named Yin Luheng, who had always lived in Suzhou. Although he did not hold an official post, he was well-known in the local area.

"Why is Uncle here?"

"I sent my grandson to Luoyang to study, and came to see you." Yin Luheng sat down and said, "You are now the father-in-law of the emperor, and you are a prime minister. I feel uneasy when I hear you call me 'uncle'."

Yan Zhenqing said: "Even if I am seventy or eighty years old, I still have to call you uncle."

"Time flies." Yin Luheng said, "My brother-in-law passed away that year, and you were only this old when you returned to the Yin family with my elder sister. I still remember that when you were seven years old, you were naughty and rode on my neck to pick dates. You fell and broke your head, and my elder sister beat you up."

Yan Zhenqing smiled. He was genuinely happy to see Yin Luheng.

But then, Yin Luheng sighed and said, "It's been almost thirty years since my sister passed away, right?"

"Yes." Yan Zhenqing also said sadly, "Twenty-six years."

"As people live in this world, they have fewer and fewer relatives."

"There are fewer and fewer old friends." Yan Zhenqing also sighed, but when he thought of his grandson, he still felt relieved and said, "Fortunately, there are children and grandchildren."

The two of them sighed and talked about the past, and they were rarely happy.

But later, Yin Luheng still brought up one thing.

"I came here this time to ask you something else. The court has issued a new policy and is measuring the land. There is indeed a part of the family's land that is hidden and will be taxed. There is also a part that will be confiscated, not much, about 500 hectares, and my brother wants me to ask you about it."

Yan Zhenqing sighed slightly in his heart, thinking that he could not escape these things after all.

At his age, he had actually expected relatives to visit him.

It has been a long time since he had a relationship where they could just reminisce about the past without discussing interests.

"Uncle, are you here for these hundreds of hectares of land?"

Yin Luheng shook his head and said, "It's not like the Yin family won't support you even for this matter, but you also know that my family has many relatives and friends in Suzhou, and we have received a lot of favors in the past."

He traveled to Dongdu not for his own benefit alone. There were other concerns behind it, such as his wife's family, his mother's family, his mentor, his disciples, and his lifelong friends.

"This is not about money, but too many people have come to you for help. If you don't agree to help them, I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to stay in Suzhou in the future."

Yan Zhenqing asked, "Since so many people's fields have been affected, surely everyone should have united and put pressure on the county officials, right?"

Yin Luheng said, "I won't hide it from you. It is true. But Liu Zhan, the newly appointed deputy pacification envoy of Jiangnan East Road, is a ruthless man. He personally went to Suzhou to urge that all hidden fields be registered and taxed this autumn. The excess fields will not be confiscated within two years."

Yan Zhenqing said: "According to the new law of the court, the land tax in the past two years is only one tenth, which is not high. And once the land tax is collected, the court will prohibit local officials from collecting rent and labor service."

"These fields were originally exempt from rent and labor service." Yin Luheng said, "Even so, life has not been easy for everyone these years. During the Tianbao years, tribute was paid twice a year, and we collected treasures and gave them to the state officials. The one we sent to Chang'an cost one hundred strings of cash, and Suzhou had to spend one hundred strings of cash. In the years of war that followed, we had to pay donations, miscellaneous taxes, supplementary salaries, salt and tea taxes, and money to the military leaders to keep them safe. They said we were hiding our fields and hiding our households, but the warehouses of the wealthy families were all empty."

Yan Zhenqing said: "The problem is that the national treasury and the poor peasants' homes are even emptier."

"Let's not talk about these reasons." Yin Luheng said: "The Yin family must have a foothold in Suzhou. Uncle doesn't ask you for anything else, just write a letter to say hello to Liu Zhan. I will take it back, and it can be regarded as an explanation to relatives and friends."

Yan Zhenqing shook his head and said, "If I open this loophole today, I won't have to preside over the reform in the future."

"My grandson is ten years old this year. He was originally studying at home, but a few days ago, the school caught fire at night and all the books were burned." Yin Luheng said, "When you were young, you also studied and learned calligraphy there. How could you bear to see the Yin family not be tolerated in the local area?"

Yan Zhenqing said: "If this is a human act, then my uncle should go find Liu Zhan and ask him to find out who is behind this."

Yin Luheng tried to persuade Yan Zhenqing for a while, but seeing that Yan Zhenqing was determined, he had no choice but to say goodbye and leave.

Yan Zhenqing saw him out the door and saw that it was almost dark. He stopped and looked at the fiery red clouds in the distance, knowing that the voices of opposition had just begun.

Two days later, Yin Liang came to visit.

Yin Liang was a member of the Yin family. When Yan Zhenqing was the magistrate of Liquan County, he hired him as his aide. Later, he followed Xue Bai to Yanshi.

Now Yin Liang was already an important official in the court, in charge of the Ministry of Industry and managing various new technologies, and was a popular figure in the court. But in front of Yan Zhenqing, he was still very polite.

"Mr. Yan."

"You used to be busy with the Ministry of Works, but you suddenly came to visit me today. Could it be about Suzhou?" Yan Zhenqing asked, "My uncle came to see you?"

Yin Liang nodded.

He didn't say anything, and Yan Zhenqing didn't say anything either. It just depended on his attitude.

After a while, Yin Liang said, "I can't refuse, so I have to come to see Mr. Yan."

"You shouldn't have come."

"But I'm afraid Mr. Yan doesn't know." Yin Liang said, "In recent years, many technologies such as smelting, casting, water conservancy, and gunpowder have made rapid progress. The world is stable now, and we just need to wait for a breakthrough. In the future, we will be able to expand our territory, and each acre of land will be able to feed more people. The reform may not need to be too harsh."

"You have been following His Majesty for such a long time, yet you say such things." Yan Zhenqing said, "When An Lushan rebelled, so many people in Hebei followed him. Did they not have enough food to eat?"

Yin Liang shook his head.

Yan Zhenqing said: "What worries us most in the world is not the scarcity of wealth but the inequality of wealth."

"Yes, but my uncle..."

"If we just implement the two-tax system mentioned a few years ago, it would be nothing more than collecting taxes once in summer and autumn, and no one would come to beg for mercy. But in that case, the root problem is not solved. I originally advocated taking it slow, but do you know why I support Your Majesty's drastic land survey and equal distribution of land?"

"Mr. Yan is doing this for the good of the Tang Dynasty."

"It is said that things will turn out well if you take your time," Yan Zhenqing said, "but if we don't do it now, and put it off until later, the annexation will become more serious and the accumulated problems will become more serious. Could it be that the Tang Dynasty will have a more determined king than your majesty? It is really rare to have an enterprising king who can overcome all difficulties and clear up old problems against all odds."

Yin Liang said, "I understand now. Since Your Majesty and Lord Yan have made up their minds, I should not seek personal gain for one family or one clan."

"Let us lay the foundation for the country and leave a long-lasting prosperity for those who come after us."

After saying this, Yan Zhenqing's thoughts drifted away again.

He remembered what Xue Bai had said some time ago. If all the land in the world was publicly owned, there would be no annexation. Would it be possible to avoid the rise and fall of dynasties?
If this is something that is too far in the future, then we shouldn’t even think about it now. But if this is our goal for the rest of our lives, then this reform is only the first step.

No wonder Your Majesty is always worried that it will be too late. People living in this world always have endless pursuits.

~~
A month passed, and Yan Zhenqing knew that Yin Luheng had not given up looking for help in the court to suppress Liu Zhan.

He paid close attention to this matter and sent people to keep an eye on it secretly. Every time he found out that Yin Luheng was using his relationship to visit an official, he would send someone to remind the other party not to show favoritism.

Such ruthless and impartial behavior finally made Yin Luheng give up. He came to say goodbye to him and prepared to return to Suzhou.

"The Qing officials are too stubborn. They hurt people's feelings for no reason and the reform may not be accomplished. Why bother?"

"If you consider future generations, you should support the imperial court's reforms."

Yin Luheng shook his head and said, "It's fine if you don't care about our old friendship. I won't ask you to do anything, but before we part, I have a few words to remind you."

He glanced outside the room, approached Yan Zhenqing, lowered his voice, and said, "You have done a great job in supporting your son-in-law, and everyone has seen it. But if you offend people like this, it will bring disaster to the Yan family in the future."

Yan Zhenqing's face gradually darkened, and he asked, "What do you mean by 'supporting the son-in-law'?"

"Others dare not say it, but I, your uncle, must say it, even if it is unpleasant to the ear. This is for your own good." Yin Luheng said, "You have already won the position of father-in-law of the emperor, and your grandson will ascend the throne in the future. If you want to maintain this hard-earned power, you can't rely on the merits of reform, but the support of the people."

"I am not changing the law for selfish reasons."

"No matter why, Shang Yang was torn to pieces by chariots. You have more flaws than Shang Yang. You should be careful."

"Uncle, you can tell me what my flaws are."

"Do I have to tell you?" Yin Luheng asked, "Who doesn't know?"

Yan Zhenqing looked up and glanced at him.

This look inexplicably frightened Yin Luheng, and he asked in shock, "You're not going to silence my uncle too, are you?"

"Quiet?"

"These things are not allowed to be mentioned in Chang'an and Dongbu, but who doesn't know about them in Suzhou? It's no use trying to silence them... I'm your uncle, you can't really kill me, can you?"

Yin Luheng was about to say something else, but he was finally scared, shook his head, and sighed, "Ah, you'd better take care of yourself. My uncle is going back to Suzhou. I'm afraid it will be difficult for my brother if he returns empty-handed."

Yan Zhenqing understood what he was saying.

Some things had been gradually being forgotten, but with the reform, they began to be mentioned frequently again.

Because it is almost the only flaw of the current emperor.

Yan Zhenqing thought about it and finally called Yan Quanming.

He looked at his favorite nephew, thought for a long time, and asked, "Tell me honestly, have you ever killed someone to silence him for something?"

(End of this chapter)