"I heard that Zichan said to my uncle in the past: Only the virtuous can serve the people with leniency, and the next best thing is fierceness. Now, Your Majesty, in accordance with the order of heaven, will benefit the world even more. Virtue will be spread to the people, and it will benefit the birds and beasts, so with leniency

The government of virtue governs the common people of the world! However, the chief ministers of the settlement regiment are all ministers of your majesty. Although they are many virtuous, their virtues are weak and they cannot help the people and guide them to be polite! Therefore, I secretly believe that your majesty should stand up

It is based on laws and regulations, and it is established by systems, and the envoys are sent to patrol the various settlement groups to inform the people, and to show them with fire, so that the people know the ferocity of the fire and will not violate it!"

Gongsun Hong suddenly bowed and started talking. ┢┢╪┢┠﹝.

His words, at first glance, are full of Legalist ideology.

But if you think about it carefully, it is actually still the same Confucian approach, with just some slight adjustments.

The quotations and arguments of sages also come from Zichan.

Mr. Zichan was a great sage of the Spring and Autumn Period and a sage respected by all schools of thought.

When Confucius heard that Zi Shan had passed away, he shed tears and said: This is the love left over from ancient times!

Therefore, as a disciple and grandson of Confucius, there is absolutely no problem in quoting and borrowing from Zichan's policies and ideologies.

After listening to Gongsun Hong's words, Liu Che nodded and said: "What you said is true, I have already had this intention!"

It's so refreshing to talk to smart people.

Liu Che had long wanted to strengthen the control of the Reclamation Corps and keep it firmly in his hands.

However, Liu Che was a little worried, which caused some bad associations among some people.

After all, today's reclamation regiments are managed in a paramilitary manner and are controlled, trained and armed by military commander groups, causing many people to shout: This is Qin's law.

If controls are further tightened, then these people may have to jump in and even engage in more extreme confrontations.

Now, Gongsun Hong can be said to have spoken out what Liu Che was thinking.

So Liu Che smiled and said: "You have just returned from Liaodong, and you must have some understanding of the pros and cons of reclamation. You might as well try to write a memorial detailing the pros and cons. I will read it myself!"

What Liu Che couldn't mention, Gongsun Hong, the chief of the reclamation regiment with less than 600 shi, could mention it.

The reason is very simple. First of all, it is politically correct for a minister to advise the emperor. No matter what he says is reasonable or not, no one can suppress him, but can only argue with him.

Any scumbag who attempts to engage in evil or deceitful tactics will, once discovered, be labeled as: blocking the way of speech, isolating China and foreign countries, intending to seduce the emperor, and acting as a powerful minister, etc.

Especially for the label of blocking speech, Liu Che believed that no minister would be willing to bear it.

Secondly, Gongsun Hong was a disciple of Hu Wusheng, a giant of the Gongyang School of Confucianism.

So he came to ask these questions and no one could blame him.

On the other hand, if a Legalist disciple shouted like this, he would probably be spitted on.

When Gongsun Hong heard this, his face darkened.

Although he had heard about Jinshang's ability to dig holes, Gongsun Hong never expected that Jinshang would be so unruly!

Directly digging a hole into a minister whom I met for the first time...

But there was no way. Gongsun Hong knew very well that he had to use this gun whether he wanted to or not.

At the very least, after making this gun, he could properly stuff private goods into it and pile some Confucian ideology into it.

But if he doesn't do it, Long Yan will be furious immediately, and then he will be put on the bench. With the urine of Emperor Liu, he may never be reused in this life.

What's more important is that Gongsun Hong knows that if he doesn't do this, others will rush to do it.

For example, Gongsun Hong heard that Chu Da, a native of Lanling, the eldest disciple of his uncle Dong Zhongshu, had recently been thinking about how to flatter the emperor.

Based on Gongsun Hong's understanding of him, Gongsun Hong believed that as long as the emperor gave a hint, Chu Da would happily jump into the pit and serve as the emperor's messenger.

Then, he happily stuffed some private goods that were sensed by heaven and humans into them...

Gongsun Hong could not accept such a result. If the emperor accepted Chu Da, then Dong Zhongshu's line would rise.

Form and concept will lose the market.┢╞╡.

For Confucians, competition among orthodoxies is greater than anything else.

In line with the fearless spirit of "If I don't go to hell, whoever will go to hell will go to hell," Gongsun Hong said: "Promise! I will obey the imperial edict!"

Liu Che greatly appreciated Gongsun Hong's knowledge and interest.

Although in stories, people always like to see stories such as Wei Zheng and Tang Taizong, Bao Zheng and Song Renzong.

However, in fact, no emperor would like a minister who is always at odds with him and spits on his face every day.

Especially when the king's power is strong.

Liu Che turned the matter over and got to the point, saying to Gongsun Hong: "Do you know my intention of urgently sending your beloved back to Beijing?"

Gongsun Hong immediately said: "I am stupid and do not dare to judge the will of heaven. Please give me your Majesty's instructions!"

Liu Che clapped his hands, and immediately a eunuch appeared in front of Gongsun Hong holding some books.

These books are very thin, with only dozens of pages each, and there are three or four books in total.

"Please take a look at these books first..." Liu Che ordered: "After you read them, tell me your opinions!"

"No!" Gongsun Hong kowtowed and said, "I accept your order!"

Then, he took the pamphlets respectfully and began to read them attentively.

After just briefly reading a few pages, Gongsun Hong knew that his guess was correct. Your Majesty really wanted him to take charge of the matters of increasing mining tax and vehicle and ship tax. In addition, he would also be responsible for the so-called "fake horses to the people".

'Business.

Judging from the meaning revealed in these brochures and the outline of the so-called "lord and captain" yamen that will lead all this in the future.

In the future, this brand new government, the "Zhujue Duwei" government office outside the current Jiuqing government office, will take the lead in checking the affairs of the carts, ships and mines controlled by the world's powerful people and noble officials, and at the same time assume the responsibility of communicating with the Shaofu and Taifu.

The Pu Yamen is in charge of the affairs of "fake horses to the people", and its authority is not insignificant.

However, the rank ratio of the lord to the captain is only 800 stones...

Undoubtedly, this was a position specially designed for him, Gong Sunhong.

There is a description in the booklet: The Lord is a captain, the rank is eight hundred stones, he is affiliated to Lantai, he is on holiday, and he can do things cheaply.

The so-called holiday festival is actually to hold the Emperor's Festival and appease one party.

Obviously, this is a disguised way for the emperor to enhance the authority of the lords and captains, so that they can perform their functions independently as much as possible without interference from the outside world.

Otherwise, with a small amount of 800 shi, I would be tired of trying to check the accounts of powerful locals and counties!

However, after the holiday, the lord and captain had the blessing of imperial power. In terms of status, he was already on an equal footing with the local county governor or the county's two thousand stone, and he had the power to act expediently and make arbitrary decisions based on the situation.

Some guys who don't open their eyes can be arrested directly.

But with great power comes great responsibility!

Just the tax collection methods of Lords and Captains outlined in these pamphlets made Gongsun Hong very painful.

Because, in these brochures, it is described and emphasized in detail: Any car or boat with a price of less than 100,000 yuan, or a mining person with a price of less than 300,000 yuan, should not give out money, as he ordered.

This one item alone made Gongsun Hong's teeth chatter.

First, how to define the value of these vehicles, ships and ores?

Although the Han Dynasty had the Pingjia system, it could ensure that the value of property could be fairly determined by market price.

However, if there are countermeasures from the top and policies from the bottom, there will definitely be a large group of people who will play around with the situation.

For example, someone's fleet of cars or ships was actually worth 150,000 yuan, but through some tricks, it was turned into 100,000 yuan, and then it was exempted from tax. [Such a method is not difficult to use.

Gongsun Hong didn't believe that the emperor had not thought of this level.

So, here comes the question, since the emperor thought of this level, why did he still use such an ambiguous and loose law to stipulate the threshold?

After thinking about it for a moment, Gongsun Hong broke out in a cold sweat: Your Majesty may have deliberately left such a loophole for others to take advantage of.

If we use a darker psychology to speculate on the emperor's behavior.

Gongsun Hong easily came to the following conclusion:

When the country's finances are strong, the emperor relaxes taxes on small and medium-sized private businessmen, which causes a large number of businessmen to evade taxes. Then when the country's finances are in trouble, the sickle will be swung to harvest those who evade taxes.

By then, I'm afraid that the fines alone will be enough to collect countless amounts!

What's even more troublesome is that as the specific executor, the Lord Commander will bear the most complaints and anger.

The merchants and powerful people among the people would only complain that the lords and captains extorted excessive taxes and robbed their money.

These are only secondary!

The real trouble lies with those large-scale merchants.

For example, the Cheng Zheng family and the Zhuo family in Linqiong, the Tian family, the Wuyan family and the Yang family in Guanzhong.

These are all super-large merchants who have merged government and business, and even have imperial merchants.

Especially the two from Linqiong were relatives of the emperor. It was said that they invested tens of millions of dollars every year to help the emperor build the memorial road. The two ladies were even more favored, and gave birth to a prince and princess the next day.

It's almost inevitable.

Who dares to collect their taxes?

Anyway, Gongsun Hong didn't have the courage.

In addition, the Tian family in Guanzhong is supported by Zhang Tang, the Wuyan family, and the Yang family have all been trying their best to curry favor with Princess Guantao Taichang recently.

It is said that other big families in Guanzhong have also stepped up their efforts to win over the emperor's close ministers such as Ji, Yan and others.

If you want to move them, you have to ask the big shots behind them first.
To be continued...