Feudal scholar-bureaucrats reborn: marrying a husband and marrying a virtuous

The autumn tiger had already passed away, and the weather had turned cold long ago. At this time, the Qianqing Palace was a little stuffy. Mr. Yang was impassioned. After he finished speaking at the risk of death, the emperor did not respond for a long time. His eyes were slightly closed, as if he was Thinking about something, he was playing with a jade ruyi in his hand, knocking on the imperial case one after another, just like knocking on the hearts of everyone in the palace.

When the hearts of the people were about to be knocked out, the emperor opened his eyes and said in surprise: "Why don't you continue? Or did you discuss a solution? Now that you have a solution, then Kong Ge will talk about it." , what are we going to do?"

Seeing that Yang Yan, who was kneeling in the middle, was completely ignored by the Holy One, the elders Kong and Dong breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts, and finally found out the attitude of the Holy One. Fortunately, the Holy One did not have a plan to completely eliminate it, so everything will be easy.

Kong Ge was named by the Holy Master. Even though they did not discuss any feasible results, he still had to conclude by himself: "In the previous dynasty, Emperor Yang was extravagant, the treasury was empty, and the slaves committed crimes again. Taxes and corvees increased rapidly, and the common people were overwhelmed. Most of them donated their land to officials and rich families, and the whole family became tenants. By the time of the beginning of the Wei Dynasty, it had become a large scale. When the late emperor was still alive, he had also planned for this matter. But thinking that after all, it was the evil cause planted by the previous dynasty that caused today's evil results, the late emperor couldn't bear it, so he dragged it on till now."

Lin Fangxu felt that Kong Ge would really avoid the important and ignore the less important. Could it be that the heavy taxes of the previous dynasty became the reason for the land annexation? The rent paid by the people who took refuge in those rich officials and rich families may not be much lower than the tax.

Apparently, this argument did not convince the emperor. Even the crown prince Zhu Xianzong couldn't help retorting: "The evil cause of Mr. Kong Ge seems to be too high-sounding, right? Besides, if it is really only because of the heavy taxes of the previous dynasty, There are so many hermits in the fields, the Great Wei Dynasty has been established for so many years, the taxation is less than one-tenth of the previous dynasty, and the hermits in the fields have not decreased, but they will increase a lot every year, what is the reason for this?"

Kong Ge was stunned by the future heir, and he still looked wrong, as if he was waiting for someone to say this, and continued after His Royal Highness said: "Indeed, as His Royal Highness said, the number of hidden fields in Hongwu in the past few years is not large. It didn't have much impact, but later those greedy people became unscrupulous after seeing the benevolence of the former emperor, which led to the current situation! So I think that the hidden fields and hidden households should be investigated!..., but there is still a need for a standard."

After Lin Fangxu listened, he gave a thumbs up in his heart, high! ...It's really high!

Having said so much, the last standard is the most important. In the old saying, to put it bluntly, it is hoped that the emperor will set a standard.He agrees to cut the flesh from the Jiangnan family, but you have to make it clear how much to cut and how much to keep. He also used the reason of excessive taxes from the previous dynasty to set a bottom line for the emperor, which means the land occupied by the previous dynasty. Don't delve into it any further, or I'm afraid it will cause a backlash.

Indeed, after Mr. Kong Ge finished speaking, Zhao Songtao and others felt relieved for a while, which showed that the land they had already occupied before moving forward was their bottom line.

It's a pity that Kong Ge guessed the emperor's attitude correctly this time, but he didn't guess his bottom line correctly.Emperor Jianwen thought of the days when the previous dynasty was a hostage in the capital, and the former emperor who had no ambitions but was cowardly and deceitful.

He also wanted to defend against Mengnu, but unfortunately the national treasury was empty and he couldn't even make up the military expenses, so no one listened to him.I still remember that even the supplies for the army led by my father at that time were "borrowed" directly from those rich and noble families. At that time, the money, food and grass borrowed by a random family was worth half of the national treasury.

When Emperor Jianwen thought of this, he sneered in his heart, heh..., the previous dynasty was evacuated by you, so it couldn't withstand a little wind and rain, and now you want to dig the foundation of the Great Wei Dynasty?

Seeing that the emperor did not answer for a long time, everyone started to feel up and down again. Among them, Dong Ge's old officials were the most worried. After all, it was related to their own interests, and it was naturally best to cut less points.In fact, the invasion of land was serious, it should be the years when the first emperor was seriously ill, if the Holy Majesty could check it according to the fish scale book in the first year of Jianwen, it would be great.

The officials in the south of the Yangtze River knew it well, and Emperor Jianwen naturally knew it better. He said to Yang Yan who was still kneeling: "Master Yang, please calm down first. Since everyone

Everyone thinks that it is necessary to investigate Yintian, so let Master Yang take full responsibility for this matter. "

With a happy face, Yang Yan clasped his hands and promised: "Yes, I will do my best and live up to my holy order."

The old Emperor Jianwen said calmly: "Well..., in the last years of the previous dynasty, there were wars and natural disasters, and many books and classics were lost. Lord Yang will use the fish scale book in the third year of Hongwu as a reference."

Yang Yan obeyed with a smile. In the third year of Hongwu, the north and the south had just been unified, and the gang of Zinan people were honest. If this standard is followed, it is very good, very good...!

When Yang Yan was gearing up for a big fight, Dong Gelao and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.Fortunately, the Holy Majesty did not really catch them all, at least it proved that he still had some scruples. It is really rare for the game between the cabinet and the emperor to end with the emperor's concession and compromise.

Just when everyone thought that this should be the end, and hurried to leave, Haodi took out a scroll from a drawer on one side of the table in private, and said to Lin Fangxu who was sitting first in the back row: "Dongsheng, come here."

He opened the scroll, took a look in his hand, and continued: "During the palace examination, I asked you, 'Is there any way to make the top good for funds, and the bottom is not harmful to self-cultivation?' Do you remember that you are How did you answer?"

It finally came... Lin Fangxu collected himself and replied, "I will certainly remember."

Emperor Jianwen leaned on the back of his chair and said casually: "From the first year of Jianwen to now, the Ministry of Households has been crying for poverty every year, and the treasury has always been front footed and back foot out. The Ministry of War has always said that the border gates must be repaired when the first emperor was there. Yes, it hasn’t been completed yet.”

When Emperor Jianwen said this, he looked at Zhu Xuan, the eldest brother of the emperor, and said, "Speaking of which, it has been five years since my nephew went to the border. I don't know how they fought against Mengnu behind some dilapidated city."

Zhu Xuan only said, "This year is the sixth year." Then he stopped talking.

Emperor Jianwen didn't ask any more questions, but sighed: "In the end, it's all caused by the lack of money in the court. I ask the cabinet and the six ministers to find a way every year, but it doesn't work every year. I just think that maybe you young people have a way. , Sure enough, young people sometimes need to be more flexible! Dong Sheng, please tell the adults your opinion first, and let these seniors give you a detailed reference."

Lin Fangxu stood in the middle after answering "yes", and didn't look too much at the expressions of the people. After clasping his hands to the left and right, he said slowly: "The sage asked, and the lower officials have little knowledge. Please give me some advice."

Kong Ge said with a smile at this time: "Dongsheng is a learned man, so there is no need to be so humble. I am getting old, and sometimes I feel a little rigid in my thinking. Listen to your young people's opinions. If you can suddenly understand, I have to thank you Woolen cloth."

Lin Fangxu even said that he didn't dare, and then bowed his hands to Kong Ge, and then continued: "As we all know, the source of funds for the imperial court is mainly the agricultural tax in summer and autumn, but let's not talk about hidden fields and hidden households. developed to the limit."

When Lin Fangxu said this, the others were still expressionless, but Kong Ge and Dong Ge gave him complicated looks, probably guessing what he was going to say next.

I only heard Lin Fangxu take a breath, and said sincerely: "I have been farming with my parents since I was a child, and I know that it is not easy for farmers to rush to plant in spring and rush to harvest in autumn. In the meantime, I am worried about pests and natural disasters. I think we should start with agricultural taxes, unless Regardless of the life and death of the people, otherwise there will not be much gain."

Others were confused. If this is the case, then why did we discuss it before? Could it be that the young people that the Holy One is optimistic about are not good enough at this level?

These are naturally not what Lin Fangxu mainly wanted to express. He continued: "During the reign of Emperor Yangdi in the previous dynasty, there was no land in the whole country, and it was not serious. He hired his confidant eunuch to go to Zhejiang Ningbo Mansion to open a city ship department. With such a local government office every year, Emperor Yang could live an extremely luxurious life. Not to mention the construction of the palace, he even helped the imperial court from time to time. This shows that the business is a business. Huge profits. During the reign of the first emperor, he encouraged farming in the first few years. After the people gradually recovered their vitality, they never said that they wanted to suppress business and control business. Nowadays, coastal provinces such as Zhejiang and Fujian are taking advantage of the benefits of sea ships.

Silk and porcelain were bought overseas, but at the time when the business was booming, the imperial commercial tax was lower than the agricultural tax, and even received less than one-third of the amount received each year, not to mention the prevalence of smuggling and tax evasion. , and eventually led to the fact that the commercial tax has existed in name only. "

By this time, the young people including Shang Tan and Kong Jie had already guessed what he was going to say, and Shang Tan broke out in cold sweat, "Dong Sheng, Dong Sheng, you are the biggest stabbing hornet!Jiangnan Yintian only offended the scholars in the south, you are trying to offend the scholars of the whole Wei Dynasty!Well-known Zhejiang merchants, Shanxi merchants, Huizhou merchants, etc., which one is not with the court officials, you have me, and I have you.Dongsheng..., stop talking!'

Shang Tan's worry did not pass to his good brother's heart through his thoughts, but he continued: "I believe that reorganizing business taxes and severely punishing smuggling and tax evasion are the most effective means to solve the court's funds!"

What Lin Fangxu said was not impassioned, let alone heartbroken, and even so flat that it seemed to be expressing some humble opinions, and he was humbly waiting for the advice of his seniors.

However, just such a remark made Li Ge, who is usually amiable and kind, reprimanded with a dark face: "Lin Liushou has read so many sage books, why doesn't he have the strength of a scholar at all, and he is actually a man with the people. Little treacherous minister who fights for profit!"