Hengdao Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 404: Tax Reduction
As soon as October passes, the weather quickly turns cold, and the north wind howls all day long.

The Black Cloud Army took turns to rest for two months and then began a new round of winter hunting.

Li Yue also brought the yellow mutton, green onions, chives and mushrooms newly hunted by the soldiers to Wang Meng's mansion to make soup.

The antique soup pot is a hot pot. It is named after the "dong" sound it makes when food is put into boiling water. This thing has been around since the Warring States Period.

Shihu built a large area of ​​Yecheng and built a large area of ​​Taiguan Garden for greenhouse cultivation. The long acres were covered with houses, and warm fires were lit day and night. When the temperature was warm, vegetables were grown.

Li Yue reduced the scale and planted [-] to [-] acres so that he could eat some vegetables in winter.

"Since the harvest is good this year, Your Highness will reduce the taxes, and the people will work hard to cultivate the land next year." Wang Meng picked up a chopstick of thinly sliced ​​mutton, scalded it in the cauldron, and put it into his mouth.

"Does Jinglue want to do light corvee and receive little wealth?" Li Yue looked at the boiling mutton oil in the cauldron. Unfortunately, there was no pepper. In this era, pepper was a super luxury product and had to be transported from the Western Regions.

But soy sauce has already appeared, sprinkle with pepper, ginger, fennel, chopped green onions, pure natural lamb and vegetables, dip it in, it is extremely delicious.

"If you want to rest with the people and increase the population, you must do less corvee and less tax. Today, the country has a population of more than 730 and [-]. The imperial equipment is sufficient and the treasury is full. We must focus on winning the hearts of the people. Reducing the tax in the Central Plains will surely attract Yan and Qin. , Jin people, Daliang will become stronger and stronger day by day!" Wang Meng wiped the oil from his mouth.

The Liang State has one advantage far beyond its other countries - it does not need to support a clan.

The Murong family, the Fu family, and the Sima family all have a large number of clans, which seriously consumes national power and increases the burden on the people.

However, many clans are definitely not satisfied with just receiving the salary from the state, and they also want to fight for power and profit.

Liang Guo had no burden in this regard at all.

Li Yue gave birth to four more sons and two daughters this year, but unfortunately one of them died in infancy. The older one is babbling, the younger one is still in his infancy, and there is not much money in the palace.
In the past 20 years, wars, famines, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters have alternated, and the whole country has been frugal.

Today's meal is not a luxury.

Ordinary soldiers' homes can also have a meal from time to time. When it comes to luxury, it can only be these greenhouse vegetables.

"How much is appropriate?" Li Yue also agreed to reduce the tax.

When the pressure on the people is reduced, the population will increase. As the population increases, the number of people paying taxes will also increase, and a lot of barren land can be reclaimed.

Even though the Central Plains has developed over the years, there are still many places that are no man's land.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, the scene of thousands of miles of uninhabited people and hundreds of miles without roosters has not been fundamentally relieved.

The main population was insufficient, so starting from the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Qiang, Di, Xiongnu and other ethnic groups moved inward. Liangzhou, Yongzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou, these beautiful places, gradually became barren lands, and it was inevitable that the Five Barbarians would invade China.

A simple truth, the more people you have, the more territory you can occupy.

There is no doubt that increasing population is a long-term national policy, and fertility has been encouraged in all dynasties.

"I think it is appropriate for soldiers and subjects to pay a tax of one out of ten, a common people's tax of two, a child's tax of three, and a slave's tax of six." Wang Meng swallowed a big mouthful of mushrooms, which were probably a little hot, and quickly took a sip of wine.

"Yes!" Li Yue nodded. This matter will have to be discussed with Chang Wei, and then it will be implemented by Shangshutai.

When Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty was at his most powerful, land taxes were exempted throughout the country. Taxes in the Han Dynasty were generally around one for fifteen and one for twenty.

Liang State had a large number of official slaves and official farms, so the ten taxes had little impact on national strength.

In this era, it is not only taxes but also labor that weighs on the people.

Whenever the imperial court carried out large-scale construction projects or launched a war, it would recruit civilians on a large scale.

Stone Tiger killed the Chinese people by this method. There are countless dead bones buried under Yecheng.

However, this was not a big problem in Liang State. The corvee was basically borne by slaves.

Li Yue had no interest in the palace. He only conscripted people to transport grain and grass during wars.

"I wonder how the battle between the Yao family and the Fu family is going?" After talking about political affairs for such a long time, Wang Meng felt a little tired and changed the topic.Li Yue smiled bitterly, "What else can we do? Yao Xiang couldn't attack for a long time. Fu Jian became braver as he fought, and Fu Sheng transferred three supporting troops from the country."

Now it seems that Yao's decline is not unreasonable.

The opportunity is there and the troops are there. As long as they cross the Yellow River and enter Guanzhong, they will be able to respond to a hundred responses.

But he was blocked in Puban and couldn't move forward.

"Yao Xiang has no chance. This battle will be lost. His Highness can prepare for the funeral." Wang Meng spoke frankly and raised his wine bottle in salute.

Li Yue picked up the wine bottle, a little dumbfounded, but he understood what he meant, "Gao Yun is in Baibo Valley, and he can collect from Hedong. Xu Cheng is in Zhi County, and he can collect from Hongnong."

Yao Xiang was not good at fighting, but his reputation was surprisingly great. When he raised his arms in Hedong, the responders gathered, and his subordinates numbered more than [-], and he had grown into a fat man.

Wang Meng laughed, "Haha, it turns out that His Highness doesn't think highly of Yao Xiang either."

"Gu Gu persuaded him many times and asked him to endure for a year or two, but he couldn't wait any longer. This battle actually made Fu Jian rise."

Although the trajectory of history has changed, the inertia remains.

Even without Fu Jian, the powerful chiefs in Guanzhong would support another Fu family.

Li Yue was too lazy to worry about the west side. As long as he annexed the Murong family, the Fu family would not be able to fly out of his palm.

After eating, drinking, and talking about state affairs and strange news, time passed by and Li Yue stood up and left.

The court was extremely efficient, and the tax reduction was quickly approved by the Chancellor.

It will be officially implemented next year.

After the edict was issued, Yecheng was filled with joy. Sitting in the bronze bird platform, Li Yue could still hear the faint voice of "Long live the King of Liang".

In the past 30 years, apart from Shi Le, the only people in the Northern Kingdom who were frivolous and underpaid were Liang Guo.

Chang Wei smiled and said: "His Highness's actions of frivolous corvee and low endowment have won the hearts of the people. After today, Jiangdong's orthodoxy will be greatly weakened!"

People are all realistic. At that time, Shi Le did little corvee and paid little tax, and the people of the Northern Kingdom joined him one after another.

If you want to keep people's hearts, you must show sincerity.

Li Yue thought of the two Song Dynasties in history. The people in the north would rather live under the rule of the Liao and Jin Dynasties than submit to the Song Dynasty. In the final analysis, it was still an issue of taxation.

"Jiangdong is not that strong, but it is not that weak either. After Huan Wen took control of the power, didn't he also implement the Gengxu Earth Break?"

The heroes saw the same thing, Liang Guo reformed, and other forces followed suit.

In Yan State there were Murong Ke and Yue Wan, and in Jiangdong there was Huan Wen, who was quite powerful.

The counties and counties established by overseas Chinese began to be cancelled, and their household registrations were checked, so that overseas Chinese could be classified into local household registrations and bear taxes and corvee.

In Kuaiji County alone, more than [-] people died and returned.

At the same time, Huan Wen was selfless and severely punished the nobles of the aristocratic family for occupying the population. Sima Xuan, the king of Pengcheng, was accused by Huan Wen of hiding five families of refugees in violation of the ban.

For a time, the Jiangdong gentry clan was shocked.

It can be said that Jiangdong, in the hands of Huan Wen, has swept away the turbulent atmosphere since Wang Xun and Yin, and is quite revitalized.

The Jin army also expanded, recruiting a large number of "Beijing" and using brave and good warriors as generals.

(End of this chapter)