Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"First of all, what is meant by the gentry receiving food from one body?"

The silver coins were spinning on Jiang Xinghuo's fingertips.

“Then we’ll decide whether it’s feasible or not.”

"The so-called gentry's unified payment of grain refers to the contradiction between the court, the gentry and the common people over taxes and grain, which mainly lies with the 'illegal gentry'. The focus of the reform of the unified gentry's grain payment is to deprive the 'lawless gentry' of their power and force them to They work as errands and pay food just like ordinary people."

After hearing this, Xia Yuanji, who was still a little worried, twirled three strands of his long beard, and his expression suddenly became strange.

What do you mean by "illegal gentry"?

What do you mean by "legal gentry"?

Isn’t this thing all in the court’s mind?

"The measures for the gentry to pay food as one body have several main points."

"First, it is strictly forbidden for unscrupulous gentry to collect money and grain from others and take the lead in grain resistance."

Baolan, also known as lanna, means soliciting and paying taxes on behalf of the people. Generally speaking, the gentry collects interest after paying taxes for the common people.

Sounds good?

But in actual operation, not only was the interest rate extremely high, it was so high that one had to sell one's children and lose one's entire fortune to repay it.

Moreover, if they encounter unscrupulous gentry, they will often collude with local officials and deceive the people into saying they have paid, but in fact the people who owe taxes are still unpaid in the government's account books.

This is equivalent to eating from both ends. When the matter can no longer be concealed, the black-hearted gentry who have been depriving themselves of the interest and even the fields and cattle for several years can continue to fight against them and refuse to admit their debts. They will send the people and their families into the army or exile them. The only thing left for the people is A little property belongs to the gentry.

The phenomenon of inclusion appeared in the late Tang Dynasty and was still very active in the Ming Dynasty.

It is also the most common and troublesome phenomenon during the payment of money and grain.

"How to prohibit it?" Zhu Gaoxu asked.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled slightly.

"Any distinguished gentry who has taken over the money and grain but defaulted on it, as well as those who have taken the lead in resisting grain, no matter how much, will have their titles removed and will be included in the list of 'illegal gentry' from now on, and their direct descendants will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examination. And those who are in arrears for more than the number of grain mongers will be He will be punished for the crime of corruption and perverting the law, and his arrears and interest rates based on the time of arrears must be fully paid."

After hearing this first measure, Xia Yuanji couldn't help but tremble.

This is too cruel.

In fact, this is the Ming Dynasty’s version of the “list of dishonest persons subject to execution.”

Taking all the money and food, right? Immediately change your title!

Moreover, if you are included in the imperial court's blacklist, your direct descendants will no longer have to take the imperial examination in the future.

Before Xia Yuanji came to his senses, Jiang Xinghuo continued.

"The second point is that officials and gentry are strictly prohibited from colluding in lawsuits."

Feudal society was a society ruled by men, not a society ruled by law.

The county magistrates are all exiled officials, so the actual power situation in the local area must of course be taken into consideration when deciding cases.

Otherwise, if you offend the local gentry too much, you will easily be regarded as a puppet county magistrate who cannot give orders outside the yamen. You may also be accused by the local gentry and the forces in the government.

In feudal society, among classmates, fellow villagers, fellow clan members, and local gentry and wealthy families, who could not find a censor with whom they were related?

And I want to successfully finish my job as the county magistrate in the past few years, and then get some insignificant benefits for myself.

Naturally, power rent-seeking begins.

What power does the county magistrate have the easiest chance of rent-seeking and the lowest probability of making mistakes?

Let's decide the case.

For this kind of thing, the outcome of the judgment depends entirely on the mood of the county magistrate and whether he accepts payment.

Then, a simple benefit delivery chain is created.

There was a dispute over the two-foot-long corridor between the houses built on the homestead. A and B went to the Yamen to lodge a complaint. Both of them were civilians.

A wants the county magistrate to award the aisle to him, but A doesn’t know the county magistrate. What should he do?

Find Ding, a well-known local gentleman, who will help you contact the county magistrate and receive a small benefit from it.

Thus.

A - D - County Grand Master, the profit delivery chain is taking shape.

The county magistrate awards the corridor to A, and rent-seeking with power is completed.

Civilian B, who is also here to complain, what can he say?

Nothing can be said.

Let’s not talk about the difficulty and the time, energy, money, connections and other resources required for ordinary people to file a complaint beyond the level. Let’s just talk about one thing. Even if you file a complaint beyond the level, you can single out the county magistrate, right?

This is still the simplest problem. The county magistrate can't charge much money for helping people judge the passage. The most likely possibility is that the county magistrate sells favors to the gentry.

If the county magistrate confiscates a penny, how will the court investigate?

Xia Yuanji couldn't help but ask: "This kind of thing happened every day in thousands of counties in the Ming Dynasty. If the Ming Dynasty court has no evidence, can it be investigated?"

"There is no need to check every day." Jiang Xinghuo said with a smile, "When collecting taxes in the fall, just open a venue for people to complain. Of course, there are some people who really can't get evidence, and it's useless to complain, but if If there is evidence, it can always be found out. No matter whether all unjust, false and wrong cases can be found out, it is better to have such a way to report back to the court legitimately than not. In addition, if it can be confirmed that a certain gentry acts as a lawyer Or middlemen, who collude with the government and oppress the people, just be included in the list of 'illegal gentry'."

After hearing Jiang Xinghuo's explanation, Zhu Gaoxu also understood.

Co-authoring does not mean waiting for people to complain every day.

It's just that during the autumn harvest, we make an opening together.

In this way, you may not know how effective it is.

But at the very least, this unhealthy trend can at least be contained under the table, unlike the transactions between gentry and county magistrates that are openly put on the table now.

In a human-governed society where manufacturing capacity and communication conditions are underdeveloped, ironically speaking, just opening such a small opening seems to reveal a ray of light in the darkness of thousands of years, and it can be said that "the government is clear and the sea is clear and the river is clear." Yan".

"The third point is to nip problems in the bud, strictly supervise students, and strictly prohibit students from going on strike from exams or school."

Well, what I want to say here is that the students are actually the most vulnerable part of the gentry group.

Because students are the same as ordinary people in terms of status, but they are different.

The difference is that they have a bright future.

And because the students were generally not very old, and they could easily be dragged into the ditch if they studied hard, the people around them were mostly teachers and classmates, most of whom were from the gentry class.

Therefore, it is easy to be induced by others to act as a spearman and to be the vanguard.

And once these reading seeds cause trouble, the impact is usually quite bad.

"Once the gentry are really promoted to receive food as one, then it is almost inevitable that students will go on strike and hold demonstrations, because it will further harm their interests. More strictly speaking, it will harm the interests of those lawless students. So they organized together to protest.”

"The solution to this kind of behavior is very simple. Just include it in the list of 'illegal students' and permanently suspend your qualifications for examinations."

Second blacklist!

"Unlawful gentry" and "illegal members", once these two blacklists are released, they are really big killers.

"In addition to the above three points, the imperial court also issued decrees to regulate the relationship between tenants and landowners. It also prohibited the gentry from giving gifts such as umbrellas to local officials and requesting to retain local officials. Of course, the most important thing is Measures such as the strict supervision of the gentry's own grain and tax payments are also aimed at the behavior of the 'unlawful gentry'."

Jiang Xinghuo emphasized the words ‘illegal gentry’ and then said.

"Of course we cannot do things one size fits all. While we must focus on attacking the enemy, we must also win over as many friends as we can, and we cannot push everyone to the opposite side."

"Contrary to the measures against 'illegal gentry', the court needs to commend and affirm those gentry who pay taxes and serve in accordance with the court's policies. In the initial stage of reforming the tax system, the court is opposed to those who go beyond the court It stipulates that gentry who affect social order and stability and infringe on the interests of the court and the common people. Protection and support must be given to law-abiding gentry."

After Zhu Gaoxu heard this, he immediately clapped his hands and applauded.

"Mr. Jiang is still smart. In this way, the problem can be solved easily."

Xia Yuanji, however, remained silent and did not speak.

Xia Yuanji felt a little drummed in his heart.

As a minister, he knew very well that if the "gentry and gentry receive food as one body" could be implemented, it would indeed be a big killer.

Coupled with the "progressive household registration tax" and the "separation notary tax", it can effectively suppress the power of the gentry.

However, the question is, can it be implemented?

——————

"It's really smart to pull one faction to fight against the other."

Jian Yi paused: "But Your Majesty, the most fundamental problem has still not been solved."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ru Yu also said: "No matter how well-designed the system is, it will go out of shape when it comes down to it, just like what I just said."

"Do you mean it will become the new Qingmiao method?" Zhu Di asked.

Jian Yi and Ru Yu nodded together.

Now, with the explanation of the specific measures of "gentlemen and gentry receiving food from one body", they no longer doubt whether Jiang Xinghuo can come up with a good plan.

The question now is, still the same concern just now, the plan is very good, how to implement it?

"Can you tell me more about the Qingmiao method? I'm quite puzzled by it," Zhu Di said.

Jian Yi said: "It is indeed worth mentioning that I believe that the Qingmiao Law and the 'gentry and gentry receiving food as one body' proposed by Jiang Xinghuo are fundamentally the same problems."

Rujun said: "If your Majesty understands the ins and outs of Qingmiao Law, you will surely understand why I have always had doubts. This is definitely not groundless."

Subsequently, Jian Yi and Ru Yu began to teach the emperor the history of the reform.

Many people's first impression of Qingmiao Method is that "Wang Anshi first created this method."

In fact, Wang Anshi's green seedling method was not his first creation, and the green seedling method itself was not a pioneering work, but an adjustment to the Changping Bian method.

What is the Changping Bian method?

In good years, we buy farmers' surplus grain at a fair price to prevent merchants from lowering prices and hurting farmers; in disaster years, we sell reserve grains at a fair price to prevent merchants from raising prices and hurting people, and to prevent "cheap grains from hurting farmers, and expensive grains from hurting people."

Who founded it?

Warring States Period, Li Kui.

So this is not an innovative invention at all. As for the green seedling method, it was invented by Li Shen, the Shaanxi transshipment envoy in the Northern Song Dynasty.

When Li Shen served as Shaanxi's transit envoy, in order to solve the food problem of soldiers, he first asked the people to estimate their food production next year, and then saw how much was left to supply the army. Then he asked the people to borrow money from the government to buy seeds. Of course, this required a fee. of interest.

"History of the Song Dynasty·Biography·Volume 89": There are many troops to garrison, but few hardships and food. He participated in the review and determined the conditions, and ordered the people to hide the harvest of wheat and millet. They first loaned money and paid it back to the officials when the grain was ripe. They named it "green seedling money". After several years, there was enough food in the house.

This is actually a win-win situation. Sometimes when ordinary people are in short supply, they need money, but if they have no place to borrow money, they can only borrow from loan sharks. Year after year, their lives will only become poorer and poorer.

So it is better to borrow money from the government. At least the interest rate on the government loan will be lower.

The government also won, because the money had no appreciation in the government treasury, but now it can increase in value by 20% when it is circulated. This is additional income.

Wang Anshi's reform was not like the time traveler Wang Mang who came up with it out of thin air, such as the Qingmiao method, but was extracted from Li Shen's successful experience.

Why is Li Shen so successful in Shaanxi, but Wang Anshi's promotion to the whole country has become a problem criticized by many people?

In essence, it means that Wang Anshi does not understand what currency and banking is. Of course, it is impossible for him to understand it.

That is to say, in essence, the Qingmiao method is to treat the entire government treasury reserve fund as a bank's loan funds, and then carry out collection and lending activities, similar to small loans in modern society.

But unlike small loans, Qingmiaofa does not have bad debts, does not require collateral, and it is impossible to obtain fraudulent loans.

Why are there no bad debts?

The government came to collect the money.

Why no mortgage required?

As long as you borrow this money, your whole family's future is staked.

Why is it impossible to cheat on loans?

If you defraud the government of your money, the government will kill you.

——What a perfect bank!

But the problem is that this deformed "pseudo bank" forcibly created by the administrative power of the Song Dynasty violated one of the most important principles of financial transactions.

Well, this principle is called "volunteer transactions, willing to take risks".

It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of it before. "The stock market is risky, so you need to be cautious when entering the market." Have you always heard of it?

The ‘Iron-Blooded Song Dynasty’ could not do anything else, but cultivating civil servants and officials was indeed something that could not be mentioned.

During the Shenzong Reform period, the civil servants and officials at that time were not unaware of the shortcomings of the Qingmiao Law.

Although it stands to reason that this does not need to increase the burden on farmers and can achieve 20% of the government's wealth appreciation through financial activities. This is a good method no matter how you look at it, many people were opposed to it at the time.

"There is no greater harm than green seedlings. The method of exemption from military service can make people live in poverty. The method of tea and salt can spread poison in many ways." - "Xu Zi Zhi Tong Jian·Song Ji·Song Ji Seventy-Nine"

"The late emperor had a deep love for the people, but Wang Anshi's legislation went too far and provoked rewards and punishments, so the officials were eager and harmed the people." - "Xu Zi Zhi Tong Jian·Song Ji·Song Ji 83"

Opponents of the Qingmiao Law include Su Shi, Sima Guang, Fu Bi, Han, Han Haonan and others.

Except for Han Haonan, these officials rarely had a bad reputation in history. They were often famous or capable ministers. Why did they all oppose the Qingmiao Law? Can it be explained by just using a conservative and backward word?

So what's the problem?

Wang Anshi thinks this is a good method. The reason is that Li Shen was successful after practicing it. Secondly, it is also very helpful to the people because it can help them get loans. There is no problem with the whole idea and logic, whether it is the original intention or the idea. All are valid.

In the view of Jian Yi and Ru Yu, this is the same as Jiang Xinghuo's "gentry and gentry receiving food from one body".

The ideas are all good and they are all taken into consideration for the people.

But can a good idea be put into practice?

From the perspective of important state ministers like Jian Yi and Ru Rui, "gentry and gentry receive food from one body" and the young crop method have two identical problems.

The young crop method can be used to compare it to "the gentry receiving food from one body".

First, the borrower is a farmer

Those who could borrow money from the government were not rich people or wealthy landlords, but only poor farmers. What's their problem?

Do farmers understand financial knowledge?

I definitely don’t understand.

So how could he evaluate whether his food surplus would be worth so much money during the lean period?

Not to mention farmers, even economists may not be able to measure accurate grain prices, because grain prices will naturally fall in good years and rise in lean years, and grain prices will fluctuate violently with the market.

The common people thought that this year's harvest was good, so they took out loans based on last year's grain prices. As a result, everyone was doing well this year, and grain prices fell.

If you only pay food and do not convert it into money, then good years and poor years will have little impact. Now that everything is converted into money, the common people will have to bear the losses caused by food price fluctuations.

If you think about it, the money that was originally used to stabilize food prices is now used for lending. Are the fluctuations in food prices greater or smaller? This is just like when you export your products, you have to bear the exchange rate changes. Is it better for the exchange rate to change sharply or gently? This truth is easy to understand.

The second one is the executive officer.

Because this was promoted by Wang Anshi, those officials who wanted to be promoted naturally wanted to increase the value of their capital. There is only one way for principal to appreciate, and that is to expand the number of lending users and allow people to borrow more money.

As long as you lend the money, you will definitely get 20% interest. Why?

Because no ordinary person dares to refuse to repay money owed to the country. He may dare not to pay back money owed to a bank, but he definitely does not dare to pay money to the country.

This will cause some people who do not need loans to be forced to take loans.

Wang Anshi also assessed the implementation of the Green Crops Law.

After a few months of knowing Chenliu County, Qingmiao ordered him to sneak out money and list his orders at the county gate. After moving to the countryside, there was no response for three days each. Then he withdrew the list and said to the officials: "The people don't want it!" ——"Song History·Biography·Volume 217"

Because no loan came, the county magistrate Jiang Qian had to resign and leave.

This is the teammate pressure monster.

These officials will use coercion to get people to borrow money.

Su Shi once wrote to Wang Anshi about the Qingmiao Method, and his inference was this.

Loaning money to the people and splitting the interest into two is to save the people, not for profit. However, at the time of cashiering, if an official is a traitor, even though there is a law, it cannot be prohibited. If the money comes into the hands of the people, even if they are good people, they will inevitably use it improperly. When collecting money, even if the people are rich, they will inevitably exceed the limit. If this is the case, I am afraid that whips and pans will have to be used, and the affairs of the state and county will be extremely troublesome. ——"History of the Song Dynasty·Biographies·Volume 98"

At that time, Wang Anshi was silent after hearing this, but he finally carried it out. Why is it still executed? At that time, Wang Guanglian, a transshipment judge in Hebei Province, privately practiced the Qingmiao method and finally succeeded, so Wang Anshi decided to continue to promote it.

Su Shi's worries were not unnecessary, and the situation soon took a turn for the worse.

In the prefectures of Kinki, the supervisors were very anxious to collect money from young crops, so they often whipped them to get enough. They even cut down mulberry trees for wages in order to exchange money and goods. During the drought, they suffered this pain again. ——"History of the Song Dynasty·Biographies·Volume 74"

Because the revenue was not collected, the officials forced the people to pay back the money. If the people still did not pay, they could only find other items that could be exchanged for money. Otherwise, they would be punished, which would further accelerate the poverty of the people.

"Farmers" and "officials" are two factors that cannot be ignored. This is why famous officials in the Shenzong period of the Northern Song Dynasty opposed the Green Miao Law.

This is also the reason why Jian Yi and Ru Yu opposed "the gentry receiving food from one body".

It's not that the original intention of the policy design was bad, but because the two ministers knew very well that the power of the imperial court could not reach the countryside, and the policy, no matter how good the original intention was, would definitely go wrong in execution.

In the end, the gentry may have to shoulder the responsibility on the common people.

After Jian Yi and Ru Yu finished speaking, Zhu Di was silent for a moment.

This is indeed an unsolvable problem and the biggest obstacle to policy implementation.

But Zhu Di wasn't too worried.

Under the attention of the two ministers, Zhu Di spoke slowly.

"Mr. Jiang will always find a way."