A Millennium Aristocratic Family Starting from the Shang Dynasty

Chapter 532 Change (2)

The royal family wanted reform, and even many people in the court wanted reform. Many people believe that reform is the panacea to solve all shortcomings and contradictions.

They believe that reform can succeed.

But in fact, in the large amount of materials collected by the royal family, there are a lot of experiences and lessons from national reforms, some of which were successful and some of which were unsuccessful.

A successful reform is very difficult, and the direction of reform is not always correct.

The Shenbulai Reform was successfully promoted in South Korea. It seemed to be successful and made South Korea temporarily strong. However, the negative consequences of the reform soon appeared. Its officials were proficient in skills and overemphasized skills, causing the king and ministers to become incompetent. In the struggle for power.

If the reform is in the wrong direction, then persisting in it will only make more mistakes.

These are the most basic, and they also require great perseverance and perseverance between the monarch and his ministers, an indomitable spirit, and an unswerving attitude in the face of obstacles and difficulties.

The correct direction of reform requires the king and ministers to have extremely high wisdom and be able to make timely adjustments according to the actual situation.

It sounds very simple. Isn't it very simple to even think that the reform is in the right direction? Those of us who come later find it simple, because we are standing in the present and looking at the past.

How do you do it when you don't know the standard answer? Should we keep moving forward, or should we make timely changes and adjustments? Keep moving forward, how do you judge is correct. How do you know that if you make timely changes and adjustments, you won't shake the king's will to reform?

This is why even though many ministers know the benefits of reform, very few are actually willing to do it.

Wang Yi knew that he was neither the first emperor nor Taizong, a man of great talent and strategy, and he did not have the confidence to successfully reform. He is self-aware of himself and knows that he is the master of preservation. Understand that haphazard changes to laws and changes to laws at night will do far more harm to the country than unchanged laws.

In this case, Prime Minister Chao Cuo wrote a letter proposing reforms.

As the prime minister, Chao Cuo was very aware of the difficulties of reform, and because he had served in prefectures and counties, he knew the local situation well. After seeing the current situation of Daqian, Chao Cuo decided to write to the emperor and request reforms after several studies.

Now that Dagan is powerful, the court still has absolute control and abundant force. Even if there are some mistakes, they can be corrected in time. The current Daqian still has the opportunity to try and make mistakes. If we continue to wait, Daqian will continue to decline. Without the opportunity for trial and error, Daqian may no longer be able to reform.

At this time, Daqian was like a strong man who had some physical problems. It was better to heal a sick person than to watch him gradually become seriously ill and die.

Chao Cuo's petition aroused fierce debate in the royal family. There were as many people who supported the reform as those who did not.

Some people think that what if the four hundred years of destiny become shorter due to political reforms? Some people also believe that destiny is impermanent, and if it is not changed, it will only become weaker and weaker. If the destiny of four hundred years is like the mascot destiny of Bangzhou for the next three hundred years, it is better to fight now.

If it were like Bangzhou, the Wang family's descendants would just find a way out and retreat.

In the end, it was Wang Yi who convinced the others: "My ancestors worked hard to open up the world and redefine the world. Naturally, we don't want our descendants to become the governor of Luoyang like Bang Zhou. If so, I will never have the face to see my ancestors again."

"Brothers, if you are willing to do this, then go ahead!"

Because of Wang Yi's persistence, the royal family finally decided to agree. However, the royal family also made two preparations. If the reform failed, it would be changed in time.

After the royal family unified their opinions, the next step was the court. Although Chao Cuo was the prime minister, he still needed the consent of the officials below if he wanted to change the law. Every reform is actually a re-division of interests.

This was the case for several successful reforms during the Xian-Huai period. Sun Shuao was like this, Guan Zhong was like that, Li Kui, Wu Qi, and Shang Yang were like that too.

If the court cannot reach an agreement, the next reform will cause a bloody storm. In the Qianyuan Hall, the important officials of the imperial court were having a meeting.

Zuo Chengchao Cuo said loudly: "One of the shortcomings of the imperial court is that it cannot make ends meet. During the Zhaowu era, they accumulated savings every year. In today's world, the imperial court cannot make ends meet, so it needs to consume the money and food accumulated during the Zhaowu era. The imperial court has provided disaster relief over the years, and many of them have rats.

There was severe drought in the north and floods in the south. The court needed disaster relief, but the food supply did not increase. If there are several more disasters and the imperial court continues to bleed, one day it will be unable to bear the burden. "

"If you want your treasury to be full, there are only two things to do: increase revenue and reduce expenditure."

"Nowadays, the imperial court's annual expenditures are increasing, but taxes are decreasing. The imperial court has not increased taxes, but the people are becoming more and more miserable. Why is this?"

"If cattle and sheep are raised but not fat, there must be worms in their bellies. If people work hard but are not rich, there must be blood-sucking worms!" Wang Zhuo, the internal minister, said.

"Do you know those insects?"

"The nobles of the imperial court occupy the land, the subordinate officials are cunning and greedy, and the powerful officials annex the land. These are all insects lying on the body of Da Gan to suck blood."

"The imperial court does not pay enough taxes and the trade routes in the Western Regions are not smooth. This is one reason. There are many tax evaders in the world, and this is the other reason."

"Prime Minister, we all know this, but it's just a big problem. How can we prevent it?" said an official next to him.

"The first is to re-open the Western Regions, and the second is to strictly inspect taxes and the number of inspection censors is not enough. From now on, every place will send inspection censors to stagger the inspections."

"The imperial court's commercial tax collection will be rectified and tax evasion will be prohibited. If tax evasion is discovered, the whistleblower will receive 30% of the offender's wealth!"

"Prime Minister, these can only relieve temporary worries."

"Kuanyuan, I heard that King Zhenhai discovered silver mines in Fusang. The amount of silver mines far exceeds that of Daqian. The court can send a large number of people to mine and mint silver coins to increase income."

"At the same time, moving the population of Daqian Junior High School overseas can not only expand overseas, but also reduce domestic burdens."

"Prime Minister, the people don't want to go, what can I do?"

"Incentive them with benefits. You can give them land, gold and silver. If the people are willing to go there, if they are not enough, you can use prisoners to make up for it!"

"If there are overseas silver mines, Daqian's finances may be abundant." In fact, among these methods of Prime Minister Zuo, only this silver mine has immediate results. Although several other methods are also effective, they are time-consuming and tax collection is not so easy. of.

Even if there are rewards for reporting, those businessmen who are hesitant are not so easy to be reported.

"If no one is willing to go, your majesty can ask the nobles of the country to bid for the silver mines and let the nobles go to mine the silver mines. The court will collect the silver in proportion." Wang Yi was also tempted after hearing this. If so, the court does not need to invest. You can make huge profits.

At the same time, after the silver mines are mined, they must be handed over to the court to make silver coins, so there is no fear that the nobles will not obey.

(End of this chapter)