Xue Bai did not expect that Yan Zhenqing would be most worried about his tax system reform in Hebei.
After asking, I found out that it was Yan Gaoqing who had asked Yan Zhenqing to persuade him to postpone the matter in his family letter.
"The situation in Hebei is complicated, with Hu and Han living together, and constant intrusions from frontiers; during the Tianbao period, Jiedushi was appointed to take over military, political, and financial powers; in addition, he experienced rebellion and people were uneasy. Under these circumstances, the court wanted to change the tax law, and the purpose was to
Equalizing the rich and the poor, suppressing mergers, and easily causing chaos."
Xue Bai said: "I thought that Hebei is now so vast and sparsely populated that it is convenient for restructuring."
Yan Zhenqing asked back: "Just take this household tax as an example. If the people of Hebei pay it, your Majesty will ask the Hu tribes nearby to pay it too? In order to prevent the big family from hiding the fugitives, your Majesty decided to change the slaves to hired ones. However,
The biggest business of Hebei generals is the sale of prisoners of war. If the business of Silla maids fails one day, I am afraid that some of the Lulong troops who depend on them for their livelihood will be forced to rebel."
Xue Bai was silent for a long time and then slowly spoke.
"The Tang Dynasty will develop faster and faster. In the future, the gap between the rich and the poor will become wider and wider. Neither you nor I can avoid this, but it must be curbed, otherwise there will be big problems under the current system."
Chaos. Let me give my husband an example. We have created gunpowder. In the future, we may be able to go west and attack Dashi. However, basic resources such as land and taxation are unfairly distributed. Power must also be unfair. Those who have power and money
You can register in the army at will, and poor people have no land to farm and can only fight for their future with their lives. In this case, is the distribution of war functions fair? Can we maintain it while we are here, but what happens after we die of old age? The rebellion will definitely happen again.
, the greater the power of gunpowder, the more likely it is to blow the Tang Dynasty to pieces."
What he said was just a possibility, but he would have to bear the greatest responsibility for this possibility when the time comes.
He has been thinking recently that the Anshi Rebellion may not be all the fault of Xuanzong. When the Tang Dynasty reached the Kaiyuan period and the Tianbao period, the productivity reached a new stage, but the mediocrity had collapsed, and the backward production relations could not adapt to the development of the productivity, so the chaos
. If he uses supernatural methods to push productivity forward by leaps and bounds, then if things get chaotic again, I'm afraid he won't be able to clean up the situation.
"If so, I will be the eternal sinner of the Tang Dynasty."
Yan Zhenqing understood Xue Bai's worries and said: "Governing a country is not easy, let's find a way."
The two began to study the proposed tax system.
This thick piece of paper contains policies drawn up by many capable ministers who visited and investigated and discussed with each other. Yan Zhenqing coordinated and organized them and transcribed them word by word.
The whole article is written in lower case letters, neatly, and you can see that Yan Zhenqing was thinking about it when he wrote this.
Xue Baizai looked at it carefully and could feel the painstaking efforts between the lines.
He knew how hard everyone was working, but there were some words stuck in his throat. After much hesitation, Xue Bai still said it.
"I have a longer-term idea. If the imperial court takes back all the land in the world to public ownership, both landlords and farmers will only have farming rights but no ownership rights. This may eliminate the hidden dangers of land annexation and bring long-term peace and stability to the Tang Dynasty..."
"His Majesty."
Yan Zhenqing interrupted Xue Bai's words, with a serious expression on his face that he had never seen before, and said: "Don't mention this issue again. How can I know Wang Mang?"
Xue Bai nodded, knowing that Yan Zhenqing had this attitude, and this matter would definitely not be possible at the moment.
But he should at least make his changes more advanced and more thorough than those in history.
So, he still picked up the pen and added some more content under Yan Zhenqing's Yuluanqiong pen handwriting.
He restricted the number of acres owned by landowners and asked farmers to clear out the acres. While checking the population, he also found out the hidden fields in the world, including the fields that had been merged at unreasonable prices.
To put it simply, "public land" could not be achieved. He hoped that through a certain degree of "equalization of land", the situation of land annexation in the Tang Dynasty could be alleviated and return to the level where everyone had land at the beginning of the founding of the country.
Unexpectedly, Yan Zhenqing did not object this time, but remained thoughtful...
Outside the palace, light snow fell, gradually turning into heavy snow. When the snow stopped, it was already the first month of the fifth year of Zhengxing.
The fifth year of Zhengxing, the year of Jiachen Dragon.
From the very beginning, the first major event of the imperial court was to promulgate a new tax law and send envoys to encourage farmers to go to various parts of the country to clear land and inspect the population. At the same time, they also urged the implementation of the new tax law.
Xue Bai knew that things would not go smoothly. After the decree was issued, he would naturally wake up very early every day, open his eyes and wait for the bad news to come. This feeling was actually very bad.
Half a month later, officials from various states and counties presented memorials, saying that the people were happy with the new policy.
This kind of blind praise made Xue Bai even more uneasy. He felt that the calmer he was now, the greater the resistance he encountered. It can be seen that the new law was not implemented, so there would be no resistance.
He inevitably continued to put pressure on the prime ministers and urged them to implement the new law.
Gradually, he began to feel resistance.
The first was an impeachment memorial, but it was to impeach Yan Gaoqing, who presided over the overall situation in Hebei, accusing him of corruption and fraud and committing murder.
Specifically, Yan Gaoqing presided over a military camp in Hebei, occupied the fields cultivated by the soldiers, and expropriated more of the grain they grew. When the soldiers refused to do so, they rioted, and Yan Jiming killed four of them on the spot.
Of course Xue Bai believed Yan Gaoqing and believed that this was some people's counterattack against the New Deal.
But the signature on this memorial was not that of a warlord or landowner from Hebei, but a court official whose name was difficult to recognize, called Pei Yi.
Pei Yi was originally a subordinate of Lai Yi. He had previously served in suppressing the rebellion in Yingchuan. He was an official with both civil and military skills. The imperial court rewarded him based on his merits and moved him to Fan Yang as a marching commander.
Xue Bai couldn't think of any conflict of interest between such a person and the New Deal. If it was said that he was instigated by others, there was no one like a "big villain" in the government at the moment.
In the past, Xue Bai regarded An Lushan, Li Heng, and Li Longji as his opponents, but since he came to the throne, he has no such opponents. He thought it would be easier this way, but later he realized that the others were just passers-by.
You always have to fight against fate.
Cui Youfu suggested sending a censor to Fanyang to investigate Yan Gaoqing's case.
Xue Bai never agreed, but after thinking about it for many days, he proposed to the courtiers that he wanted to personally inspect Hebei.
He planned to leave Yanmen from Hedong to Fanyang, and then go south to Lianghuai to complete his first tour. The purpose was to see with his own eyes the implementation of the New Deal in various places and to appease people's hearts.
The courtiers were naturally opposed to this, taking Qin Shihuang as an example.
Xue Bai waved his hands calmly every time and said: "I am not as good as Qin Shihuang."
Since the officials knew they could not stop it, they had no choice but to remain silent.
In private, Yan Zhenqing had a heart-to-heart talk with Xue Bai about this matter.
"Hasn't Your Majesty noticed that since the implementation of the New Deal, people in the court have changed their minds? When Your Majesty leaves Beijing at this time, people may have changed their minds."
"It is precisely because I know that I want to go on patrol." Xue Bai said, "There are those people in the court. How can people change their minds when they change? It's nothing more than those stupid things. If the reform is really likely to cause chaos again, then It must start from Hebei."
"In this case, it would be good to show that His Majesty attaches great importance to Hebei."
Yan Zhenqing actually no longer advised Xue Bai, but asked: "When Emperor Xuanzong visited Lishan Palace, Li Linfu stayed in court to handle state affairs. Can the Zhengshitang accompany His Majesty on his tour this time?"
Xue Bai said: "Then please ask your father-in-law to be Li Linfu."
Yan Zhenqing smiled bitterly.
Ever since he became prime minister, he has been working hard at this and that, and he always has such a haggard expression.
Xue Bai saw him and said, "Let me tell you something more exciting. Two years ago, I said that I wanted to build a large ship and send envoys on a long voyage to find new products. My father-in-law refused to approve it. I had to do it in the name of Fenghui Trading Company. This matter, now, the ship is built."
"If you want to do something, I will never stop you. I always told you not to get into trouble, and it's the same way."
"I am not causing trouble this time. I will prove to my husband-in-law that all the expenses are worth it." Xue Bai said with a smile: "In ten or twenty years, I am afraid that my husband-in-law will regret blocking me back then."
"Okay." Yan Zhenqing also laughed, "When that day comes, it won't be too late for me to regret it."
In fact, after the initial running-in, Yan Zhenqing has become very cooperative with Xue Bai.
Including this reform, even though he knew that reforming the tax system, abolishing slavery, and equalizing land at the same time would be troublesome, he still faced the difficulties.
Two more months passed, after the busy spring plowing, and all the affairs in the court were arranged, Xue Bai set off to inspect Hedong and Hebei.
He took all his family members and children with him, leaving only the prince Li Zuo to supervise the country in Luoyang.
Speaking of which, Li Zuo was young and could not play any actual role in supervising the country. However, Xue Bai hoped that he would become independent as soon as possible. In addition, he also deliberately gave Yan Zhenqing the opportunity to "exclusively control the country."
~~
The team crossed the Yellow River, and in the distance, the Taihang Mountains were hidden behind the clouds and mist.
Yan Yan was arranging her hair that had been blown away by the wind, and she felt much more cheerful. She turned to look at the other side of the Yellow River and asked Xue Bai.
"Aren't you worried?"
"What are you worried about?"
"If you are not here, you can keep the powerful ministers, and the young master is in the court. Aren't you afraid of losing the throne?"
Xue Bai shielded her from the wind with his cloak and asked with a smile: "You mean, my father-in-law sent people to kill me and set up our son to take the throne?"
"It may not be my grandpa, but what if someone is tempted? Your reform has angered them and they will kill you. Anyway, there is a young master who will succeed you."
"Deliberately." Xue Bai said: "What I fear most about reform is not opposition, but shifting the blame, deceiving superiors and deceiving subordinates, and even changing the flavor of the place, turning a policy that benefits the people into a policy that harms the people. So, I came to
Let’s go up there and see what it’s like there, and see what changes will happen if I’m not in the center.”
Yan Yan was too lazy to listen to his complicated things, and looked at the scenery in the distance, and said happily: "It's great to go on tour. Staying in the palace every day is boring to death. You said that the emperor has the power of the world, but you have been on the throne so far.
Fancai sees that you can go wherever you want."
"Yes, power may not mean freedom, it may also mean self-imposed constraints."
~~
Yan Zhenqing also advocated the politics of virtual monarchs, but unlike Li Linfu's idea of taking advantage of the emperor, he advocated Zhou rites.
In short, while the emperor was away, there were not many changes in the daily operations of the court, except for a few extremely important events that needed to be presented by fast horses.
But not long after Yu Jia left, there were some subtle changes in Yan Zhenqing's life.
On this day, he had just returned home after leaving the office, and heard that his uncle had arrived.
His father died when he was three years old, and he was raised by his mother, Mrs. Yin, and received many favors from the Yin family.
Since an elder came to visit, Yan Zhenqing hurriedly invited him.
The person who came was Mrs. Yin's youngest brother, named Yin Luheng. He had been living in Suzhou. Although he was not an official, he was well-known in the local area.
"Why is uncle here?"
"Sending my grandson to Luoyang to study, I came to see you." Yin Luheng sat down and said, "Now that you have become the head of the country and the prime minister, I feel guilty when I hear the word 'uncle'."
Yan Zhenqing said: "Even though I am seventy or eighty years old, I still have to call you uncle."
"Time flies so fast." Yin Luheng said, "That year my brother-in-law passed away, and you were just a little old when you returned to the Yin family with your elder sister. I still remember that when you were seven years old, you were naughty, riding on my neck to pick dates, and broke your head.
The blood was flowing and I was beaten hard by my sister."
Yan Zhenqing laughed and was sincerely happy to see Yin Luheng.
But then, Yin Luheng sighed and said, "After all, sister has been gone for almost thirty years, right?"
"Yes." Yan Zhenqing also said sadly, "Twenty-six years."
"As people live in this world, there are fewer and fewer relatives."
"There are fewer and fewer old things." Yan Zhenqing also lamented, but thinking of her grandchildren, she still felt happy and said, "Fortunately, I have children and grandchildren."
The two of them sighed and talked about the past, rarely having fun.
But later, Yin Luheng still mentioned one thing.
"I have one more thing to ask you when I come here this time. This time the court has issued new policies and measured the acres of land. It is true that part of the family's land is hidden and must be included in taxation. Other parts must be confiscated.
, it’s not much, about five hundred hectares, elder brother wants me to ask you.”
Yan Zhenqing sighed slightly, thinking to himself that he still couldn't escape these things.
He has lived to this age and has relatives coming to visit. In fact, he has expected it.
Over the years, he had not had any interactions that were purely about old times without talking about interests.
"Uncle, are you here for these hundreds of hectares of fields?"
Yin Luheng shook his head and said: "It's not like the Yin family won't support you even in this matter, but you also know that we have many relatives and friends in Suzhou, and we have received a lot of favors in the past."
His trek to Dongdu was not for his own benefit. There were various people involved behind it, such as his wife's family, his mother's family, his mentor, his disciples, and his lifelong friends.
"This is not a matter of money, but that too many people are begging Big Brother. If Big Brother doesn't agree to help them, I'm afraid it will be difficult to stay in Suzhou in the future."
Yan Zhenqing asked: "Since so many people's fields have been touched, everyone should have united long ago to put pressure on state and county officials, right?"
Yin Luheng said: "I won't hide it from you, it is true. But Liu Zhan, the newly appointed deputy envoy of Jiangnan East Road, is a ruthless person. He personally went to Suzhou to urge all hidden fields to be registered. Land tax will be paid this autumn. Any excess will be paid."
The acres of land were not confiscated within two years."
Yan Zhenqing said: "With the new law of the imperial court, the land tax in the past two years has only been one ten tax, which is not high. And once the land tax is collected, the court will prohibit local officials from collecting rent anymore."
"These fields are not rentable." Yin Luheng said: "Even so, life has not been easy for everyone these years. During the Tianbao period, tribute was paid twice a year. We raised treasures for the state officials and sent them to Chang'an.
It is consistent, and Suzhou will spend one hundred guan. In the years since the war, they have paid donations, miscellaneous taxes, compensation, salt and tea, and money to keep the military chiefs safe, which is said to be hidden fields.
The households are hidden, but even the warehouses of big families are empty."
Yan Zhenqing said: "The problem is that the national treasury and the homes of poor farmers are even emptyer."
"Let's not talk about these reasons." Yin Luheng said: "The Yin family has to establish itself in Suzhou. I don't ask you for anything else. I just ask you to write a letter to say hello to Liu Zhan. I will take it back, which can be regarded as a gift to my relatives and friends.
There is an explanation.”
Yan Zhenqing shook his head and said: "If I open this mouth today, I won't have to preside over the reform in the future."
"My grandson is ten years old this year. He was originally studying at home school. However, a few days ago, the home school caught fire at night and all the books were burned." Yin Luheng said, "You also studied and practiced calligraphy there when you were young. How could you bear to see Yin Luheng?
Is your family out of place in the local area?”
Yan Zhenqing said: "If this matter is man-made, I should go to Liu Zhan and ask him to find out who is behind the scenes."
Yin Luheng tried hard to persuade him for a while, but seeing Yan Zhenqing's firm attitude, he had no choice but to leave.
Yan Zhenqing sent him out and saw that it was almost dark. He stopped and looked at the fiery red clouds in the distance, knowing that the voices of opposition had just begun.
Not two days later, Yin Liang came to visit.
Yin Liang is a member of the Yin family. Yan Zhenqing hired him as his staff when he was the captain of Liquan County. Later, he followed Xue Bai to Yanshi.
Now Yin Liang has long been an important minister of the imperial court, in charge of the Ministry of Industry, in charge of various new technologies, and is a popular figure in the court. However, he is still very polite to Yan Zhenqing.
"Mr. Yan."
"You used to be immersed in the Ministry of Industry, but today you suddenly came to visit. Could it be because of matters in Suzhou?" Yan Zhenqing asked, "My uncle came to see you?"
Yin Guangdian nodded.
He didn't say anything, and Yan Zhenqing didn't say anything either. We just looked at his attitude.
After a while, Yin Liang said: "I can't shirk it, so I have to come to see Mr. Yan."
"You shouldn't have come."
"But I'm afraid Mr. Yan doesn't know." Yin Liang said: "Smelting, casting, water conservancy, gunpowder and many other technologies have made rapid progress in these years. Now the world is stable. As long as there is a breakthrough, in the future, we will be able to open up territories and expand the territory. Every acre of land will be expanded.
The land can also support more people, so the reform may not need to be too harsh."
"You have been following His Majesty for so long, and yet you say such words." Yan Zhenqing said, "An Lushan rebelled, so many people in Hebei followed him, are they not enough to eat?"
Yin Liang shook his head.
Yan Zhenqing said: "In the affairs of the world, we do not worry about the few but the unevenness."
"Yes, Uncle Kezu's side..."
"If we just implement the two-tax law mentioned a few years ago, it will just wait until summer and autumn to collect the tax once, and no one will come to plead for mercy. But in that case, the fundamental problem will not be solved. I originally advocated taking it slowly, but
Do you know why I support His Majesty’s drastic measures to clear out the land and equalize it?”
"Gong Yan is doing good for the Tang Dynasty."
"It is said that things will go well if things are slowed down." Yan Zhenqing said, "But if we don't do it this time, if we delay it later, the annexation will become more serious and the disadvantages will become deeper. Will the Tang Dynasty ever produce a more determined king than His Majesty?
?It is hard to find an enterprising king who can overcome all obstacles and eliminate old diseases."
Yin Liang said: "I understand, your Majesty and Mr. Yan have made up their minds, I should not seek personal gain for the whole family."
"Let us lay the foundation for the country and leave a long-lasting prosperity for those who come after us."
After speaking, Yan Zhenqing's thoughts drifted away again.
He also thought of what Xue Bai said some time ago. If the land in the world were made public, there would be no annexation. Would it be possible to avoid the rise and fall of the dynasty?
If this matter is too far in the future, we shouldn't even think about it now. But if this is the goal in our lifetime, this reform is only the first step.
No wonder His Majesty is always worried that it will be too late. People always have endless pursuits in this world.
~~
A month later, Yan Zhenqing knew that Yin Luheng had not given up looking for help in the court to suppress Liu Zhan.
He was very concerned about this matter and sent people to keep an eye on it secretly. Every time he found out that Yin Luheng was using his relationship to visit an official, he would send people to warn the other party not to show favoritism.
Such selfless behavior finally made Yin Luheng give up, and came to say goodbye to him, preparing to return to Suzhou.
"The Qing ministers are too stubborn, and they have hurt people's feelings for nothing, and the reform may not be possible, so why bother?"
"If we consider future generations, I should support the court's reform."
Yin Luheng shook his head and said: "As long as you don't miss the old feelings, I won't ask you. But before I say goodbye, I have a few words to remind you."
He glanced outside the house, approached Yan Zhenqing, lowered his voice, and said: "You are a great skill to help your son-in-law, and everyone sees it. But if you offend someone like this, you will recruit someone for the Yan family in the future."
What a disaster."
Yan Zhenqing's face gradually darkened and he asked: "What does 'supporting a son-in-law' mean?"
"Others don't dare to say it, but my uncle has to say it if he is honest. This is for your own good." Yin Luheng said: "You have earned the position of the head of the country, and your grandson will be the throne in the future. If you want to secure this position,
The hard-won power depends not on the achievements of the reform, but on the support of everyone."
"My reform is not for selfish reasons."
"No matter why, Shang Yang was injured by a car. You have more flaws than Shang Yang, so be careful."
"Uncle, you can tell me what flaws I have."
"Do I have to say it?" Yin Luheng said, "Who doesn't know?"
Yan Zhenqing raised his head and glanced at him.
This sight made Yin Luheng inexplicably frightened, and he said in shock: "You're not going to silence my uncle too, are you?"
"Quiet?"
"No one talks about these things in Chang'an or Dong, but who doesn't know about it in Suzhou? It's useless for you to silence me... I'm your uncle, you can't really kill me, right?"
Yin Luheng was still waiting to say anything, but he finally got scared. He shook his head and sighed: "Oh, you can take care of yourself. My uncle has just returned to Suzhou. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to return empty-handed like this."
Yan Zhenqing could understand what he was saying.
Some things had a tendency to be gradually forgotten, but with the reform, they began to be mentioned frequently again.
Because it is almost the only flaw in today's world.
Yan Zhenqing thought about it and invited Yan Quanming.
He looked at his favorite nephew, thought for a long time, and asked: "Tell me honestly, have you ever killed anyone to silence someone for something?"