Ming Dynasty man

Chapter 682
As for corvee food, it can also be calculated, because the places where the country employs workers every year must be determined in advance. For example, where to build water conservancy projects next year, they are all planned in advance, and the required labor and construction period are also planned in advance. calculated.Based on these, we can calculate how much food is needed for corvee service each year. Of course, we also need to prepare for emergencies, such as sudden disasters that require temporary mobilization of manpower. This part also needs to be prepared.

The only thing that needs to be carefully considered is the preparation for famine. If there is little preparation, once a catastrophe occurs, the court will be very passive, so we should prepare as much as possible.

Let’s take this year’s locust plagues in Shandong and Henan provinces as an example. You must have a good idea of ​​how much food was mobilized for disaster relief. Just in case, let’s double it, which should be enough.

After calculating these items, we will know how much food the country needs in a year.

Then let’s calculate other expenditures. The state’s money is mainly military pay for the army, officials’ salaries, project expenses, etc. The imperial court presumably has an account.

Your Excellency said just now that the commercial tax of Daming last year was 1000 million taels. If the 1000 million taels were not enough, the rest would be allocated to the land tax.

Then we calculate how much land the country has, what the state of the land is like, and what the harvest is like, so that we can calculate how much food the country can produce in a year, and we can formulate an appropriate tax rate without disasters and production reduction. . "

Li Jingwen nodded silently, and said after a while: "Chisheng, have you ever thought that according to your calculations, the imperial court is at most in balance with no surplus every year, but if the country has no surplus, once there is a sudden How to deal with the situation?"

Huang Zongxi hurriedly said: "Your Excellency is right. If you calculate this way, the country's annual income is indeed not surplus, but the student's calculation is how to formulate a reasonable land tax in order to reduce the burden on the common people. If you want to get more money from the common people Surplus, it can be done according to the current tax rate, and there is no need to adjust it."

Li Jing smiled and nodded: "Very well, you are always considerate of the common people, which shows that you really put your heart into this matter."

After waving his hand, Li Jing continued, "Chisheng, continue."

Huang Zongxi cupped his hands: "Yes, before formulating the land tax standard, the students suggested to re-survey the land conditions. The students thought that the land could be divided into five grades, that is, the upper and upper fields, the upper and lower fields, the middle and lower fields, and the lower and lower fields." According to the status of the land, different tax rates are formulated.

In fact, in the eyes of the students, there is basically no need to collect taxes on the lower fields and the lower-class fields, because ordinary people farming on such land can imagine what their families are like. Why does the imperial court collect taxes from such people?
So where does this part of the tax come from? The students think that the method formulated by the adults is very good, and the court can distribute this part of the tax to Tian Duo's people. "

Li Jing shook his head: "If taxes are collected according to the level of the field, then the previous standard can no longer be used. That would be unfair to the people in Tianduo."

Sighing lightly, Li Jing continued: "The imperial government must make a system as fair as possible. We can sympathize with those poor farmers, but we can't pass all the burdens of the poor farmers on to the landlords. If the burden of the landlords If they are too heavy, they will become poor one day. The purpose of our tax adjustment is to reduce the burden on the common people, not to make the rich poor.”

"Your Excellency said so." Huang Zongxi said.

Li Jing smiled: "What you said just now is the solution to the harm of the lack of grades in the land. There is also a harm of not paying taxes. I don't know how you think it should be solved."

Huang Zongxi hurriedly said: "Students think that they should be publicized by the soil. Those who produce a hundred grains should be paid a hundred grains, those who produced mulberry and hemp should be given cloth and silk, and even miscellaneous things should be paid. That is, farmers should pay what they produce, and they don't insist on consistency. .”

Li Jing wondered, "In this case, wouldn't it be a return to the taxation method before Wen Zhenggong's reform? There are many problems involved, especially the fact that officials can use their hands to enrich their own pockets."

Huang Zongxi smiled and said: "This problem is actually not difficult to solve. The key depends on whether you want to carry out comprehensive reforms in Daming."

Li Jingqi said: "How do you say that?"

Huang Zongxi said seriously: "This involves how the imperial court views the fundamentals of the country."

"What's the matter of the country?" Li Jing couldn't help thinking when he heard this.

After a while, Li Jing asked, "Then what do you think is the root and what is the end?"

Huang Zongxi said: "Students think that agriculture, industry and commerce should be the foundation, and those who are Buddhas, witches, advocates, and those who are not suitable for civilian use should be the last."

Hearing this, Li Jing's energy couldn't help but he was about to ask Huang Zongxi to explain in more detail, when he saw that Huang Zongxi's mouth was dry at this moment, Li Jing immediately stopped talking, turned around and ordered someone to bring tea.

After a while, someone brought the tea, and Li Jing personally handed the teacup to Huang Zongxi and said, "Chisheng, drink the tea first, moisten your throat before talking."

Seeing this, Huang Zongxi hurriedly got up: "Thank you, my lord, what is the student's virtue and ability, how dare you ask your lord to serve tea for the students."

Li Jing smiled: "My master said, three people must have my teacher. Chi Sheng will explain my doubts for me today. What's the point if I bring you a cup of tea?"

"My lord!" Huang Zongxi took the teacup, feeling inexplicable for a moment.

Li Jing smiled, took another cup of tea and handed it to Fang Yizhi, "Drink tea too, and listen to Chi Sheng's opinion with me."

"Thank you, Marshal." Fang Yizhi hurriedly took the teacup and said.

Li Jing smiled and waved his hands, motioning for the two to sit down.

After Huang Zongxi drank the tea in the cup, Li Jingfang asked: "Can Chisheng explain in detail why agriculture, industry and commerce should be the foundation of the country?"

Huang Zongxi put down his teacup, cupped his hands at Li Jing and said, "Needless to say about agriculture, food is the most important thing for the people, so what is food without agriculture? Therefore, without agriculture, there is no country.

And the workers make the things that come out of the field into usable things, such as clothes, salt, tea, utensils and so on.

Merchants trade the materials produced by the fields and those produced by the workers, and communicate with each other.

These three are indispensable, but it is a pity that Confucianism in the world does not observe them, and regards business and industry as the end, and discusses them indiscriminately. "

Hearing this, Li Jing clapped his hands and praised: "Well said! Well said! It's a pity that the world's Confucianism doesn't pay attention to it, and puts business and commerce as the end, and discusses it arbitrarily."

After a pause, Li Jing continued with a smile: "Chisheng, you should know that when I was in Pingyang Mansion, I vigorously developed industry and commerce, and worked hard to improve the status of craftsmen and merchants. I ordered the development of industry and commerce throughout the country and the improvement of the status of craftsmen and merchants, but I attach great importance to industry and commerce.

In the next few years, the country will try its best to reduce foreign wars and fully develop agriculture, industry and commerce.So you don't have to worry, I know very well what the foundation of the country is. "

Huang Zongxi said with a smile: "Since your lord understands the importance of industry and commerce to the country, and is ready to vigorously develop industry and commerce, it will be easy to handle. It seems that there are many disadvantages for farmers to pay taxes with the output of the fields, but as long as the imperial court vigorously opens factories in various places, Making these materials into finished products and then selling them to merchants will earn far more than taxes. The only problem is that the court had to spend a lot of money to build factories in the early stage, and the court may not be able to spend so much money now. "

Li Jingwen thought for a while, then nodded silently.

Through a chat with Huang Zongxi, Li Jing knew that Huang Zongxi was indeed a talent, but he obviously didn't understand the way of politics, so how to arrange it had to be carefully considered.

After thinking for a while, Li Jing looked up at Huang Zongxi and said, "Chisheng, your suggestion is very reasonable, and I will seriously consider how to deal with these problems. You are a talent, and the country will not let a talent like you be buried. What do you think? Tell me which yamen you are suitable for, and I will ask someone to arrange it for you."

Huang Zongxi hurriedly said: "Thank you for your praise, but the student's character is not suitable for being an official, and I don't want to be an official. The student just wants to concentrate on studying knowledge."

"Chisheng, although the country has a system for appointing officials, what I said just now was not a joke. If you want to become an official, I can make someone break the rules and make it easier for you." Li Jing said.

Huang Zongxi said with a smile: "Your Excellency is the Chief Minister of the Ming Dynasty, who is in charge of the Ming Dynasty's government. He is also the Duke of Xingguo of the Ming Dynasty. He has a lot of promises. How can he joke with the students? It is because the students have self-knowledge and know that they cannot be officials. "

Li Jing stared at Huang Zongxi for a while, saw that Huang Zongxi's eyes were clear and did not avoid his own gaze, and knew that Huang Zongxi was not pretending.

With a smile, Li Jing said: "Since Chisheng doesn't want to be an official, then I won't force you. But Daming needs a talent like you, so I can't let you leave like this. Chisheng, my I don’t know if Chisheng is willing to give me advice? Of course, I don’t want to tie you by my side. If you want to study knowledge, go ahead and study. I can arrange a position for you in the Academy of Sciences. What do you want to study? It's up to you."

"My lord, the students have little talent and learning, how dare they act as your lord's assistant?" Huang Zongxi hurriedly said.

Huang Zongxi was not stupid, he knew exactly what Li Jing wanted him to do as a guest.

Li Jing asked him to be a staff member not because he wanted him to be a tutor, let alone as a teacher. Li Jing had more than ten people in the book office, so why should he hire a teacher?To put it bluntly, this guest is a military adviser, and he specially advises Li Jing. Although he is not an official official of the imperial court, his words are more effective than many officials.

How dare Huang Zongxi agree to such a position?

Hearing Huang Zongxi's refusal, Li Jing smiled: "Chisheng doesn't need to be humble. If you have little talent and learning, how can I let you be my guest? Doesn't that mean that I don't know people too well? Li Jingbie doesn't have any skills." , but I still have a little confidence in knowing people.”

"My lord's ability to know people is unmatched in Daming." Huang Zongxi said hastily.

Li Jing said with a smile: "Since you say that, you admit that I am right, and you agree to be Li's aide."

In terms of eloquence, Li Jing is not inferior to anyone, besides, Li Jing has a noble status, how many people dare to argue with him?No matter how rebellious Huang Zongxi was, he would not dare to argue back in front of Li Jing.

　Sorry, the hard drive of the computer was broken yesterday, and it was repaired just today. Fortunately, the manuscript was not lost, and it is updated now.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)