While thinking about it, Guo Niansheng, Liu Bowen, Lu Liangzuo, Chen Ji, Ma Yulin, He Taigong and others came to the palace and asked for an audience outside the study.
After they came in, Zhang Yangquan got straight to the point and told everyone about his idea of abolition of corvee.
As expected, everyone immediately objected.
He Taigong said: "Your Majesty, if the corvee is abolished, the government offices will be without servants, the prisons will be without guards, and the warehouses will be without treasures, which will have a great impact. Please think twice, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Yangquan said: "These manpower can be directly replaced by government soldiers, and there is no need to let the people serve!"
Taigong He's gray eyebrows were wrinkled.
"But without the corvee, many ongoing civil fortifications will be suspended!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Guo Niansheng followed: "A new canal is being built in the west of the city, a new official road is being built in the southern suburbs, and a new warehouse is being built in the northern suburbs. If the corvee is stopped, all these fortifications will stop!" p>
Zhang Yangquan looked around at everyone.
"Don't you think it is a waste of people's energy to let the common people do these jobs?"
Chen Ji said blankly: "It was always like this before!"
Zhang Yangquan said seriously: "The common people are good at farming, but they must be forced to do work. I think this is a waste of people's energy!"
"Your Majesty, do you have an alternative?" Liu Bowen suddenly asked.
Zhang Yangquan said: "No more forced recruitment of people, use the method of hiring and spend money to hire people to build!"
Guo Niansheng blurted out: "Wouldn't that cost a lot more money?"
Zhang Yangquan glanced at him and said: "In the short term, it will indeed cost more, but think about it, will these people do better if they are paid to do things?"
Chen Ji nodded: "That's good. Just like the recruitment system, soldiers who receive salary are often more capable in combat than those who serve in the government!"
Ma Yulin said: "It is naturally more efficient to spend money to recruit workers, but governments all over the country use this method. The cost is too high, and the public finances may not be able to make ends meet!"
Zhang Yangquan turned his eyes to him: "You only calculated the expenses, but not the benefits!"
Ma Yulin was stunned and said: "Profit?"
Zhang Yangquan said slowly: "Yes, the people do corvee labor for at least one month a year. If we use this time to open up wasteland and cultivate fields, will we be able to harvest more food?"
Guo Niansheng's eyes lit up and he said: "If there is more food, there will naturally be more field taxes!"
Zhang Yangquan continued: "With professional construction craftsmen responsible for various construction projects, the efficiency is faster and more roads, bridges and canals can be built in the same time."
Guo Niansheng clapped his hands and praised: "When road traffic is repaired, business will be more prosperous and business taxes can be collected more!"
Liu Bowen twisted his beard and said: "If the people can spend less time on the road, they can also save people's energy!"
Ma Yulin was silent for a while and said bluntly: "I'm afraid that the excessive business tax and land tax will be far less than the cost of construction!"
Lu Liangzuo followed: "It is easy to cancel the corvee, but it is difficult to restore it after canceling it! If our military's finances are unsustainable and reinstating the corvee, it will arouse the resentment of the people!"
Zhang Yangquan frowned and did not refute.
Although the words of Lu Liangzuo and Ma Yulin are harsh, they also have some truth.
Although what he just said was sound and logical, it was actually just talk on paper.
No one is sure whether the actual benefits are worth the costs.
It is difficult to move from extravagance to frugality. If you do not abolish corvee, the people will not blame you. If you abolish it and then reinstate it, they will feel resentful.
In other words, this is a road of no return.
Zhang Yangquan suddenly hesitated.
When oranges grow in Huainan, they become oranges; when they grow in northern Huaibei, they become oranges.
Good policies also require suitable soil. In the ancient environment, is it really feasible to completely eliminate corvee through the labor recruitment system?
"You guys go down first and I'll think about it later." He waved his hand.
Everyone looked at each other, cupped their hands and said, "I'll take your leave."
It's June and the weather is hot,
When Guo Niansheng returned to Zuoxiang Yamen, as soon as he sat down, he was so hot that he started to sweat. He picked up a yellow folding fan with "Zhuang Zhou" written on it and fanned himself vigorously.
At this moment, a civil servant came in, cupped his hands and said: "Master Xiang, Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang would like to see you."
Guo Niansheng waved his hand: "Let them come in."
After a while, Hu and Li entered the public room at the same time, cupped their hands and said: "Meet Zuo Xiangguo!"
Guo Niansheng raised his hand: "No need to be polite. Mr. Li, I know why you are here. It's not that I won't tell you the truth. It's just that the king has been in a bad mood for the past two days. I think it's better for you to ask for a meeting in a few days!"
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Li Shanchang hurriedly asked: "I wonder why the king is troubled?"
Guo Niansheng sighed: "It's not because of the incident in Danyang County that the king was very unhappy with the old corvee system and wanted to ban it!"
Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong both changed their expressions and looked at each other.
Hu Weiyong praised: "The king cares for the people so much, he is really a benevolent Lord."
Guo Niansheng smiled and said: "That's natural. But banning corvee labor is a big deal after all. After our discussion just now, the king is not sure about it."
Hu Weiyong frowned and said: "If we cancel the corvee and build city walls and dams, what should we do?"
Guo Niansheng said: "What the king means is that in the future we will adopt a labor recruitment system, and the government will spend money to hire people to repair it."
Hu Weiyong changed his face slightly and said: "The cost is huge. If you are not careful, the finances may collapse. Prime Minister Guo must advise the king to think twice!"
Guo Niansheng was about to answer, but Li Shanchang said: "Otherwise, although the cost is large, there are also a lot of inputs. Whether the inputs can cover the expenses is not sure!"
Guo Niansheng clapped his folding fan in his hand and praised: "As expected of Mr. Li, the king said the same!"
Li Shanchang's heart was moved and he said: "Master Prime Minister, can you echo what the king said to me?"
Guo Niansheng showed hesitation.
Li Shanchang said: "If I can understand what the king means, I might be able to come up with a way to get the best of both worlds!"
Guo Niansheng stared at him for a while and said: "That's fine, that's what the king said at the time..." He also mentioned some of the benefits Zhang Yangquan just mentioned.
Li Shanchang's eyes flashed and he said with a smile: "Master Prime Minister, please introduce me to the king for me. I can relieve the king's worries!"
Guo Niansheng said suspiciously: "You really have a way?"
Li Shanchang smiled and nodded.
Guo Niansheng took a deep breath and said, "Okay, come with me to the palace!"
Li Shanchang glanced at Hu Weiyong, saw him looking at him eagerly, and said, "Master Prime Minister, can Weiyong come with me?"
Guo Niansheng waved his hand: "Then let's go together."
Along the way, Guo Niansheng asked about Li Shanchang's method. After hearing it, he was very satisfied.
Not long after, the three of them arrived at the palace. Guo Niansheng went to the study and announced, and then called the two of them in.
"Your Excellency, Li Shanchang, pays homage to His Royal Highness the King of Chu!"
"Xiao Ke Hu Weiyong pays homage to the king!"
Zhang Yangquan had met Li Shanchang before, so he glanced past him and stared closely at Hu Weiyong.
Hu Weiyong has a slim figure, slightly wider cheeks, and his eyes are a little small, but they are very bright. Overall, the first impression is not very impressive.
It’s hard to believe that such a humble scholar could have such great ambitions.
Of course, it is also possible that he has no ambition now, but his ambition slowly grew as his official position became bigger and his power became more and more powerful.
Hu Weiyong was stared at by Zhang Yangquan, and he felt very stressed. He lowered his head and did not dare to move.
Guo Niansheng hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this person is Hu Weiyong."
Zhang Yangquan nodded and turned his gaze back to Li Shanchang.
"Mr. Li, I will send someone to negotiate with Envoy Wuwei as soon as possible. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang is willing to part with me, I will agree to sell grain to him, so that you don't have to bear the unjust name!"
Li Shanchang cupped his hands and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty! But this is not why I came here!"
Zhang Yangquan frowned and said: "Then you are..."
Guo Niansheng said hurriedly: "After Mr. Li learned that the king wanted to abolish corvee labor, he came up with a way to get the best of both worlds!"
Zhang Yangquan looked at Li Shanchang: "What method?"
Li Shanchang smiled slightly and said: "The reason why the king is undecided is that he is worried that after changing the labor conscription system to the behind-the-scenes labor system, whether the benefits will exceed the cost?"
Zhang Yangquan nodded: "You can say that!"
Li Shanchang smiled and said: "In that case, why don't your Majesty first find a county to implement this policy, and then evaluate whether the policy is feasible based on the effect in this county?"
A sudden flash occurred in Zhang Yangquan's mind, and he thought to himself: "Yes, we can use the pilot method. How could I forget this!"
Li Shanchang continued: "And the king does not need to order the ban on corvee service. As long as you vigorously implement this policy, local officials will take effect and will not collect corvee service anymore."
"In this way, the government has not banned it. Even if we go back and impose it again in the future, the people will only feel that they took advantage of it before and will never feel resentful!"
Zhang Yangquan nodded repeatedly and said happily: "Mr. Li's words have awakened the dreamer. In your opinion, which place is better to choose as a pilot?"
"Danyang County!"
Zhang Yangquan's eyes lit up: "Okay, Mr. Li is willing to be the magistrate of Danyang County and set an example for all states and counties in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?"
Li Shan bowed long and said: "I will do my best to live up to the king's trust!"
In order to get Li Shanchang as soon as possible, Zhang Yangquan personally met with Hua Yun and directly proposed to sell grain in exchange for Li Shanchang.
Hua Yun did not dare to make any independent opinions, and only said that he would send someone to ask Zhu Yuanzhang for instructions.
Zhang Yangquan said lightly: "General Hua might as well tell Marshal Zhu that even if he doesn't agree, I will force Mr. Li to stay!"
Hua Yun changed his color and said: "King Chu, isn't he afraid of being laughed at by the people in the world for doing this?"
Zhang Yangquan smiled and said: "If you can get a great talent like Mr. Li, it's nothing to bear a little notoriety!"
Hua Yun had no choice but to report the matter to Zhu Yuanzhang.
After Zhu Yuanzhang learned about this, he directly agreed to ask for food without much hesitation.
In the end, Chen Ji and Hua Yun bargained, and Jiang Dujun finally exchanged Li Shanchang for the price of 20,000 shi of grain.
Zhang Yangquan ordered the transfer of 30,000 taels of silver to Danyang County as pilot funds, and the pilot period is seven months.
Seven months later, at the end of the year, it will be time to collect taxes. It will depend on how much higher Danyang County’s tax revenue is compared with surrounding counties.
If the increase exceeds 30,000 taels, it proves that this policy is feasible, the money allocated can be recovered, and local development can be promoted, a win-win situation!
If the higher tax does not reach 30,000 taels, it proves that the abolition of corvee needs to be adjusted and cannot be implemented hastily.
If the tax rate is lower than that of surrounding counties, it proves that this is a wrong policy.
By that time, Zhang Yangquan could only give up the idea of abolishing corvee labor.
The next day after the formalities were completed, Li Shanchang bid farewell to Zhang Yangquan and went to Danyang County to take up his post. Except for the carriage driver, only Hu Weiyong was accompanying him.