Han Shizu

The emperor was about to go on a tour, which was a big event. People like Zheng Yuan immediately considered the travel records and routes, and asked for instructions on the number of people accompanying him. But as soon as he started talking, he was decisively rejected by Liu Yang. If the ceremonial guards were displayed and there was a big fanfare, what would he see?

  Therefore, according to Liu Yang's idea, he only brought two or three close ministers with him for the visit. Of course, the safety of the royal chariot must be taken into consideration, and he also brought a hundred lightly armed guards as escorts.

  Just like that, a private visit that was careless but sudden enough began. With Emperor Liu Yang as the center, a group of hundreds of people rode out and headed north, with almost no stops except for a brief supply of water. He ran for nearly a hundred miles and stopped only at the bank of the Yellow River.

  Such a high-intensity sprint made even the strong guards gasp, not to mention Liu Yang, who had been pampered for many years. However, after such a horse race, his tense spirit was somewhat relieved.

  The chamberlain Zheng Yuan was also out of breath. Although he was over fifty years old, he was still able to hold on. He was in good spirits and had sufficient physical strength, which are the basic business qualities for serving people, especially the emperor.

  Seeing that the emperor was sweating and could not care about anything else, Zheng Yuan immediately took out a red cloak and helped him put it on. Liu Yang did not refuse. It was autumn and he was crossing a big river, so he easily caught cold.

  From a high position, overlooking the ferry not far away, the sun sets in the west, colorful clouds spread on the river, and the mottled brilliance is reflected in everyone's pupils. The desolate autumn wind does not affect the lively scene in the ferry.

  This is Heqingdu, ancient Xiaopingjin, the Yellow River ferry closest to Luoyang. Since ancient times, it has been an important pass to defend Luoyang. Of course, in today's Han Dynasty, in addition to the basic military role, it also plays more economic and transportation roles.

  In the context of the great development of the commodity economy in the Kaibao era, it is natural that the goods circulation channels have prospered. Waterway transportation has undergone a major development, and the development of inland shipping on the Yellow River is also expected, especially the development of inland shipping. Gyeonggi plays an important role in transporting resources.

  For example, the Qingdu River is responsible for a large number of transshipment tasks every year. Cars and boats gather here to go south to north. Salt in the river, coal from the east of the river, cattle and sheep from outside the Great Wall, and other goods all use this place as a landing place. Just relying on the transfer of supplies to the capital, Heqingdu developed into a large town. Heyin Town on the south bank alone has a population of more than [-].

  The Qingdu River under the autumn wind is also showing its prosperity and busyness to the emperor. The north and south sides are large areas of open land that have been leveled and hardened. There are docks and warehouses everywhere, and merchants, dentists, cargo owners and ordinary people from the north and south are mingling among them. Of course, the ferry The most numerous and busiest figures on the boat are the boatmen reversing the boats and the coolies loading and unloading the cargo.

  The closer the evening comes, the more nervous and busy everyone becomes, as if everyone wants to unload one more piece of cargo and run one more ship before the night falls and the port closes. The current of the Yellow River is already turbulent, and it is the autumn flood. Liu Yang's heart is unavoidably tugged when he looks at the dark-colored canal boats struggling with the wind and waves on the Yellow River from a distance. However, it’s hard to say much. Without the hard work and sweat of these ordinary people, how could the country develop?

  Compared with the poignant scene on the ferry, the town not far from the north and south, which has not been around for too long, looks more "prosperous".

  In fact, the towns on both sides of the north and south banks of the Heqingdu River have long existed and have been developing in the past few decades. However, the real expansion to the current scale began when the imperial court established a commodity exchange here.

  After all, Luoyang's overcrowding is inevitable, and the supply of supplies carried by small businessmen and merchants on small carts is increasingly unable to meet the daily needs of millions of people in Xijing, especially there are so many powerful people.

  Under such circumstances, some bulk cargo distribution businesses that had been started for a long time were considered by the Financial Secretary. After petitioning for approval, the imperial court established eight major ports around Luoyang for centralized transshipment, centralized tax collection, and centralized management. Haqingdu is not the largest port yet, but like other ports, it enjoys the benefits radiating from Gyeonggi in the process of relocation of bulk commodity trading.

  Since then, merchants from all over the world no longer need to carry their goods all the way to the outskirts of Luoyang or even within the city for sale. They can unload and barter goods at ports like Heqingdu. If you want to experience Appreciating the splendor of the capital, you can travel lightly.

  Similarly, goods produced by factories of all sizes in Gyeonggi are also transported and distributed through this road. These ports with distribution functions also play an increasingly obvious and important role in benefiting the country, benefiting the people and facilitating trade.

  Naturally, this is not Liu Yang’s first visit to Heqingdu, but every time he comes, he can make new discoveries and see some new changes. Similarly, only by seeing the busy but orderly scenes at the port can Liu Yang have more confidence in the empire he now rules and face the overt and covert challenges.

  "The ship is sinking!"

  "Hurry up and save people!"

  Along with the exclamations, there was a commotion on the river where the orderly traffic was flowing. Fortunately, the officials responsible for maintaining order were responsible and took measures immediately to rescue the boatman who capsized.

  The boats running on the river include official boats, caravan boats, boat gangs, and of course private boats.

  The boat that sank at this time was obviously the work of a single person. After being rescued ashore, he knelt on the trestle and faced the roaring river, crying and shouting "my boat". , "my goods".

  Although it is worthy of sympathy, such things are not uncommon at this busy ferry. The official in charge also waited for the person to vent his anger before taking the person to the town office for questioning and investigation. At the same time, he also dealt with the follow-up processing, at least waiting for the owner of the cargo. People can't run away until they come to the door.
  Upon noticing the movement, Liu Yang asked Xu Shilian to investigate, and Xu Shilian soon reported back the situation.

  Things are not complicated. Winter is just over a month away. People in the capital, especially wealthy families, have begun to store charcoal. Charcoal merchants from Hedong have also begun to transport charcoal to Luoyang. As one of the two major ports going south to Luoyang, Heqingdu naturally bears the huge transshipment demand.

  The private ship that capsized was transporting coal. Because it was overweight (double the load capacity), it was capsized by the wind and waves.
  Hearing this, Liu Yang thought for a while and asked, "How do you usually solve situations like this?"

  Xu Shilian replied: "It also depends on the specific situation. Like this private ship, the ship capsized and the cargo was destroyed. The only thing we can do is compensate the owner of the cargo!"

  Liu Yang frowned slightly and said: "A shipload of coal is worth a lot. This ferry transfer only earns some hard-earned money. How can we afford compensation?"

  Xu Shilian said: "I understand that your Majesty is considerate of the people. However, it is indeed the boatman's fault that the ship capsized and the cargo was destroyed. It is not easy for the owner of the cargo to transport the coal from the east of the river to here. Therefore, he should be compensated."

  "As for how to compensate." Xu Shilian glanced at the emperor and continued: "It would be best if the boat owner has enough wealth. If it is not enough, he or she can borrow a loan. After the boat is salvaged and repaired, he can continue to run the boat to pay off the debt. If it doesn't work, you can also If you join a boat gang and fight alone, your ability to withstand such risks is ultimately insufficient."

  Xu Shilian said this, but he couldn't help but sigh secretly in his heart. Of course, he understood that none of the solutions he proposed were easy. If the family was in a tight financial situation, if one was not careful, the boatman would be trapped in this situation for one person, one boat, or even for the rest of his life. It's done.

  However, Xu Shilian couldn't say much about this, at least he couldn't ruin the entire market order just because he pitied one person. In fact, Xu Shilian also knew that he was not afraid of not being able to afford the compensation at all. Except for one person and one boat, his family must have land and children. Anyone who can buy a boat to sell goods has some confidence.

  No matter how much we pity the difficulties, we can only lament the hardships faced by the small people!

  "Loan!" Liu Yang seemed to grasp the key point all of a sudden. He murmured and frowned: "I heard that loan sharking has become a common practice among the people. Countless people have been forced to lose their families and their families!" Xu Shilian nodded and said, "Back to Your Majesty. , it is true that although the court has strict restrictions on private loan interest, it is inevitable that some lawless people will be tempted by huge profits and try their own methods. Although the government has severely cracked down, there are still some shortcomings."

  "The most worrying thing is the collusion between the government and private parties to make profits together!" Liu Yang said coldly, a sharp light flashed in his eyes: "During the tax reform process, some people used loans to divide the land. Is it moisturized?

  Even though the land is not in his name, he still earns his share of the income, or even more. On the side of the imperial government, if there is still one person who cooperates with the reform, is active and loyal, the imperial court still needs to reward and encourage him!

  Some people! So smart indeed! Not only did he abuse his subordinates, but he also treated the court like a blind and deaf person! "

  "Your Majesty is aware of everything!" Feeling Liu Yang's uneasy mood, Xu Shilian opened his mouth and said this.

  Glancing at Xu Shilian, Liu Yang took a deep breath and said, "In such a situation, can the government provide loans to help the people tide over the difficulties at low interest rates?"

  After hearing the question, Xu Shilian thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, the government's loans are mostly targeted at rural households, farming, mulberry, fishery and animal husbandry, mostly using grain, seeds, and farm tools as loans, or in the year of a major disaster, to provide relief to the victims. Food relief.

  It seems that when business operations encounter unexpected difficulties, they often seek private loans. The government also supports this and shows great disdain for providing relief.

  It’s just that some profiteers and evil gentry were excessively greedy and abused small farmers, causing poverty for the people. However, local governments neglected to supervise this, resulting in repeated tragedies, and countless people went bankrupt and destroyed their families.”

  After listening to Xu Shilian's analysis, Liu Yang's expression changed a little, and he said sadly: "If you monitor and monitor, if you do not monitor, the people will suffer, and all living beings will suffer. In the final analysis, the government is still ineffective in governance!"

  "Your Majesty is so concerned about the country and the people, so why worry about the country being unruly and the people being uneasy!" Hearing what Liu Yang said, Xu Shilian clasped his fists sincerely and said: "It's just that there is still some time left. In time, the big man will be He Qing Haiyan. All peoples will be prosperous and healthy!"

  "I don't need your comfort!" Liu Yang waved his hand and was silent for a while. Fang Youyou said: "Actually, I also know in my heart that even if such government loans are introduced to target ordinary people's business difficulties, they will be affected by the arbitrariness of some corrupt officials. If misinterpreted, it may become a bad policy that abuses the common people!

  However, in such a huge country, with tens of thousands of officials, are they all treacherous, greedy and cruel officials who have no moral character?

  There are some things that you do even if you know you can't do them, let alone something with mixed benefits and disadvantages? I will not do anything about giving up food due to choking. It is the right policy to make the most of your strengths and avoid your weaknesses! "

  "Your Majesty is wise!"

  There was still a bit of bitterness in the corner of his mouth. Although his words were beautiful, Liu Yang himself was not necessarily so convinced. He could only explain to Xu Shilian: "Please record this matter and discuss it with your secretary after returning to the palace." , first try it on a small scale, observe and summarize.

  Regarding the loan matters, the court should pay attention to them, especially those private loans with high interest rates. I can't help but feel numb when I hear about it. I can't feel at ease. I must crack down severely! "

  "Yes!"

  Standing in the wind and looking at the ferry, Liu Yang's thoughts couldn't help but start to wander again, and he began to think about the relief system of the Han Dynasty.

  As an agricultural-based empire, the small farmers and peasants of the Han Dynasty had very poor ability to withstand risks in land and family management matters. Not to mention major disasters, even in ordinary years, it was inevitable every farming season. There are shortages of grain, cattle, and farming tools.

  Based on this, the imperial court also introduced a fairly complete relief system. Not to mention disasters, in order to appease the people and stabilize public order, the imperial court usually provides free relief. For farmers who have difficulties in agricultural operations, they often take interest-free and low-interest loans, so that the people can "repay the official with a low price."

  These measures were not initiated by the Han Dynasty. They were simply summed up experiences based on previous dynasties and then put them into practice. As a result, Changpingcang and Yicang were built across the country as a treasure trove for the empire to combat risks and maintain public security.

  However, the disadvantages of this system are also obvious. Although in the early days it brought great convenience to the Han Dynasty in administrative, military, disaster relief and other matters, decades later, the disadvantages have become increasingly prominent.

  As for the problem, in the final analysis, it is still poor management and difficult management. Many things cannot be done relying on the integrity of powerful bureaucrats, and once they are relaxed, they will inevitably accumulate disadvantages.

  As for the imperial court, in addition to taking good care of a few "national-level" warehouses, it was unable to effectively supervise the large and small free warehouses and Changping warehouses spread throughout the prefectures and counties.

  Although the regulations are clearly formulated, there are fewer and fewer cases where they are truly effective. On the contrary, they have become a hotbed for profit-making by unscrupulous bureaucrats and local tyrants and evil gentry.

  Misappropriating food from two warehouses is only a relatively minor case, but there are even more ugly cases. There was a case in the past few years. Huangzhou magistrate Zhang Yan, together with his subordinates, stole 4.5 shi of grain stored in two warehouses in the state, and then falsely reported floods. After several "relief" and "loan relief" activities, the account was wiped out. , and then applied to the court for exemption due to the disaster situation, tens of thousands of dan of grain were naturally pocketed.
  Of course, if this kind of thing goes too far, it will inevitably be discovered. After reporting it, the Huangzhou criminals knew that all the Huangzhou criminals, including Zhang Xian and others, were beheaded. And that incident once again made Liu Yang see the ugly image of some bureaucrats who have no lower limits.

  And all problems, as far as Liu Yang is concerned, seem to be explained by insufficient supervision and supervision. And there is a big question mark about how effective the seemingly perfect supervision system of the imperial court is, at least for Liu Yang. Just staring at some corrupt officials is obviously not enough. It's time to take a closer look at the big man's surveillance system. Suddenly, Liu Yang had this thought in his mind.

  Thinking about the past and the present, Liu Yang couldn't help but feel heavy again. Looking up at the river outside the ferry, the twilight is getting darker, the autumn wind is strong, the waves are roaring, and the large and small boats moored at the dock are shaking.

  Pointing to the front, Liu Yang ordered: "Stay in the town tonight, find a boat, and cross the river tomorrow. Before crossing the river, let me explain to the town officials that the autumn flood has started, and we must monitor changes in water conditions at any time to ensure that this town, The lives and property of Dutou merchants are safe!”

  "Yes!" Xu Shilian responded immediately.

  "Let's go to Heqing County tomorrow!" Looking far away again, across the Yellow River is Heqing County, which is also Liu Yang's first destination for this tour.

  The reason is also very simple. This county can be regarded as a "pioneer county" and "model county" in Dahan's tax reform. However, Liu Yang also heard some not-so-good rumors. He wanted to see and hear it with his own eyes. What exactly did this "reform model" do?