The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin came to the inn, and Emperor Hongzhi said coldly: "Is the prince also in Liangxiang?"

"Yes!"

"Call the prince here too!"

After a while, Mou Bin came back: "I heard from my subordinates that the prince returned to the palace right after I left."

"..."Yan Chengjin.

Knowing that His Majesty would summon him, Zhu Houzhao is really a thief...

I'll settle accounts with him when I return to the palace. Emperor Hongzhi's brows relaxed a little: "Tell me what the tax distribution is about."

Yan Chengjin said honestly: "It is to abolish all kinds of taxes imposed on farmers in the past, especially the taxes collected based on the number of people. The refugees have less land but a large population. According to the old system, refugees have to pay a lot of taxes. If it is calculated based on the tax distribution, no matter how many people there are in a household, the taxes collected will not change, and refugees will really have surplus food to save."

The tax distribution was vigorously promoted by the Qing Dynasty, which led to a significant increase in population.

The amount of tax paid depends on how much land a family has, regardless of the number of people in the family.

The Ming Dynasty implemented the Lijia system, which could make the vague population statistics clear.

"Population and taxes are directly linked. Families with a large population cannot afford taxes and can only leave their families and abandon their fields. This is the current situation of the Ming Dynasty." Yan Chengjin deduced secretly.

He removed the tax supervisor, and now he is completely supervised by Zhang Xian. As long as Zhang Xian is an upright person and does not embezzle tax silver, it is feasible to distribute the tax to each mu in Liangxiang.

This method also has flaws, that is, concealing the land can avoid taxes, but Liangxiang County does not have such a problem. The land is measured before it is distributed to the refugees.

Before the implementation, it is a good thing that Emperor Hongzhi asked about it, so as to avoid the officials he impeached a few days ago from making a fuss.

Emperor Hongzhi fell into deep thought. The reason is not difficult to understand. If the taxes of refugees are reduced, there will be more food, and refugees are willing to take root in Liangxiang.

After thinking about it, Liu Jian asked, "If the tax is distributed evenly by acre, wouldn't it be easy to avoid tax by concealing it?"

Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang looked at Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin said, "Mr. Liu is right, but the government knows the number of acres of land very well. Liangxiang is a small place, it is easy to measure, and the law is strict. If there is anyone who conceals it, one acre of land will be confiscated at a time, and if it is less than the amount, all will be confiscated."

This can eliminate most of the opportunistic behavior.

There are always people who test the law, which is inevitable.

Yan Chengjin glanced at Emperor Hongzhi, and said everything he should say, just waiting for him to nod.

In a small place like Liangxiang, I don't expect to collect money.

Especially after seeing those refugees, Emperor Hongzhi felt sympathy and wanted to be more lenient with them. Emperor Hongzhi subconsciously asked, "How sure are you?"

Uh?

"Your Majesty, what do you mean?"

"Apply this law to the whole country."

Li Dongyang, Liu Jian and others were so shocked that they trembled all over. Xiao Jing and Mou Bin raised their heads slightly.

Yan Chengjin was also quite surprised.

Emperor Hongzhi stared at him with his eyes fixed: "Don't tell me that you don't have this plan. What do you mean? I know what you mean."

Your Majesty is indeed not as stupid as described in historical records...

He saw his thoughts at a glance.

He planned to implement the new law in Liangxiang throughout the country. Yan Chengjin said calmly: "No, I don't want to implement it at all."

Emperor Hongzhi was angry for lying with his eyes open: "How dare you deceive the emperor!"

Yan Chengjin thought about turning around.

There are many prerequisites for the land tax distribution.

The land obtained by refugees for free, and this law is good for the people. Whatever the court says is what it is, and there will be no resistance.

In addition, there are few acres of land in Liangxiang, so it is convenient to check.

If it is implemented throughout the country, the Ming Dynasty will be shaken.

I don't know how many gentry and ministers in the court will be hurt.

There may be ministers bribed by Prince Ning in the court, who have turned against him. If Prince Ning rebels, he will surely be supported by all.

If the news is released, he will be hostile to all ministers in the court in terms of interests, and I don’t know how much firepower he will have to bear.

... Be cautious, Yan Chengjin's acting skills are online again: "Whatever your majesty says is what it is, I dare not defend it."

Suddenly I realized that when I was cautious and nonsense, it was for the people of the world.

The atmosphere became silent.

"Just tell the truth, this place is not the court."

"I really don't want to."

Emperor Hongzhi stood up, "Then let's try it in Liangxiang."

Changing the system is an extremely difficult thing. No one has ever been able to do it.

Li Dongyang and the other two gradually relaxed their expressions. If your majesty really insists on changing the tax system, I don't know how many people will impeach him.

Some ministers have tens of thousands of hectares of land. If they are distributed according to the land, I don't know how much silver they will have to pay.

Yan Chengjin and Zhang Xian bowed quickly: "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell."

Shuntian Prefecture sent clerks and yamen runners to Liangxiang. Although there were many people, the work of statistics, measurement, and drawing fish scales would not be completed in a month.

The refugees still couldn't believe that there was such a good thing in the world.

It was fine to get the land.

The most important thing was...

The land they got was full of grain, waiting for them to harvest.

They were glad that they didn't flee to Jingxiang at that time, but came to Liangxiang.

"Before winter comes, take the refugees to build a new river channel and reclaim those abandoned fields. Your Majesty agreed to implement the land tax system in Liangxiang. This is a blessing for Liangxiang." Yan Chengjin was afraid that he would miss the season.

There were also abandoned fields in Liangxiang, and no one cultivated them.

It was not a good land, so the scholars and officials were too lazy to occupy it.

These lands may not be considered top-quality fertile fields, but Liangxiang can earn as much as it can be reclaimed.

"Liangxiang still has extra manpower. The able-bodied men have entered the workshops, and there are tens of thousands of them. Old men and women like Liangzhong's family are willing to work hard for themselves when the land is allocated to them."

In the Ming Dynasty, men farming and women weaving only existed in fairy tales, and women also had to work in the fields.

Zhang Xian knelt on the ground: "I thank you on behalf of the people of Liangxiang!"

"The silver for purchasing iron tools can be paid from the treasury of the government office, the oxen can be borrowed from Shuntian Prefecture, and the waterwheel can be made by craftsmen and Song Jing together. These are not a problem."

A checkpoint was set up on the official road from Liangxiang to the county, and the caravans coming and going had to pay silver according to the new law of Liangxiang.

Almost all the workshops in Liangxiang belonged to Yan Chengjin, and he was a good citizen who abided by the law and gave silver every time he passed the checkpoint.

Zhang Xian immediately ordered people to do it, distribute farm tools to refugees, and deduct them from the land tax in the future, and strive to dredge all the canals in Liangxiang before the beginning of next spring.

On the way back to the capital,

Emperor Hongzhi seemed to have something to say, and Li Dongyang and Liu Jian followed behind.

"What do you think of the implementation of the land tax system?"

Liu Jian was straightforward and shook his head: "I don't want to."

Xie Qian hesitated for a moment and said bluntly: "I don't want to either."

Li Dongyang did not speak.

"Why?"

Liu Jian said: "I have a lot of land at home. If we follow the old system, we don't need to pay too much tax. If we follow the new system, the tax may increase several times."

He and Xie Qian's family are gentry, and your majesty is not asking them, but the gentry of the world.

Emperor Hongzhi seemed to turn a deaf ear to it and looked at the passing caravans: "Let Shuntian Prefecture set up additional patrol roads on the official road to prevent bandits from taking advantage of the loopholes."