Chapter Eighteen: Liu Ji, Governor of Donghai County (2)
After thinking about this, Liu Ji had some new ideas in his mind, inspired by the official's words just now.
"Guan Jia, I have another suggestion."
"you say."
"The core of the national policy formulated by the officials for the Song Dynasty is to strengthen the country and enrich the people. As the head of a county, the most important responsibility of the minister is to enrich the people. How to enrich the people, I think before and after. Changing rice to mulberry, not to mention it is not a kind of enriching the people. It is just this kind of enriching the people.
, the rich are powerful families, which make the rich even richer."
Liu Ji said slowly.
"How can ordinary people enrich the people? I used to think that as long as the granary at home is full, the people will be rich if they don't have to worry about food and drink. However, after taking office in East Zhejiang, I visited various states and counties for a week and found that my previous ideas were too narrow. Now that industry is revitalizing,
Trade is open, and all kinds of goods are emerging in an endless stream. There are also some goods whose prices were high in the past, but now they have dropped."
"I am just thinking, why can't the common people enjoy these goods? Only when they can afford these things can they be considered a truly wealthy people."
When Zhao Si heard this, he couldn't help but praise in his heart. This is a good official who is ambitious and dedicated to serving the people. He is a scholar-official who has not strayed from the centuries of the Song Dynasty.
"Naofu, you are right. Solving the problem of food and clothing is only the most basic guarantee. Enriching the people means not only making the people worry-free about food and clothing, but also allowing them to have the conditions to enjoy a better life than before. Otherwise, we need to develop the economy
, what is the significance of developing science and technology and developing productivity?”
"The wise officials hit the nail on the head." Liu Ji also said with emotion, "How can we enrich the people? After traveling to dozens of counties, I suddenly thought of changing rice to mulberry. Enriching the people is to make the people have enough money.
To feed yourself with food, you also need to have extra money. With extra money, you can buy what you want. But how can people have extra money?"
"I thought hard and read the news reports in Donghua Chaobao and other newspapers, and suddenly realized that the large-scale infrastructure plans formulated by the officials and the court were actually a way to make the people have more money. The court used tax revenue
, build straight roads, dredge rivers, strengthen dams...and then hire local people as migrant workers to build and build under the leadership of professionals from the construction society. In exchange for labor, this is the simplest and most effective policy to enrich the people.
"
When Liu Ji said this, he looked excited, "I am stupid and have never understood the deep meaning of the officials' actions. I even thought it was a waste of money and people, so I wrote a letter to stop it. Later I realized that I didn't know the officials' foresight.
"
Zhao Si looked at Liu Ji, with countless thoughts running through his mind, and waited for a while before saying: "I am very pleased that Zhifu can understand this. This is why I have always emphasized that officials, no matter what rank or rank, must learn
.It’s just that many people think that they are well-educated people and think that they have mastered the great knowledge of the world and no longer need to study. It’s really ridiculous! They don’t understand that there is no end to learning, but they only know how to boast and talk.”
Zhao Si changed the topic and returned to the topic, "Naofu, continue to express your thoughts."
"It's an official family." Liu Ji replied, "There are also factories recruiting workers, and ordinary people can work in factories in their spare time in exchange for pay... These types of things can only cover a part of the people, and they cannot be available in every state and county.
Not all factories will recruit workers for infrastructure projects. A large part of the people need to find ways to earn cash on their own."
"I have conducted field surveys in the countryside of more than a dozen counties and found that there are only a few types of products that people can exchange for money. The first is agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, chickens and ducks; the second is handicrafts such as bamboo baskets, bamboo tubes, and wooden utensils; the third is mountains, forests and lakes.
The fish, rabbits and other wild animals caught in the swamp... Some of these things are grown and raised in their own land, and some are obtained from the mountains and swamps - the officials have long praised the imperial edict and allowed the people to live in the mountains and swamps.
Orderly capture of Zeli.”
According to the law, the mountains, forests and lakes of the Song Dynasty belong to His Majesty the Emperor.
"These properties of the common people must be sold in order to get cash. I found two problems. First, the common people have no place to sell. Sometimes traders come to buy them, and the prices are extremely low; second, the states and counties are still following the past.
It’s a bad habit to tax everything. People already have meager profits, and having to pay a tax makes it even worse.”
Yes, the Song Dynasty used to tax everything. Many history books praise the splendid culture of the Song Dynasty, but they never delve into where the material basis of this culture came from.
Under the productivity conditions of the Song Dynasty at this time, it was necessary to support so many officials and scholars who were not engaged in production, and to support tens of millions of troops in the northwest and Hebei. Is it possible not to collect taxes desperately?
After he came to the throne, he tried his best to increase productivity and reduce redundant personnel and soldiers...correspondingly, he was able to reduce taxes and let the people breathe a sigh of relief.
"These taxes haven't been completely abolished yet." Zhao Si pondered.
Political struggles sometimes involve compromises. In order to implement more important measures, sometimes some concessions must be made to allow certain bad habits to continue.
"Yes, officials, most of the local taxes in various counties have been abolished, but some of them have not been abolished. If these individual taxes can be abolished, the people will definitely sell their handicrafts or agricultural and sideline products enthusiastically, to some extent.
Get some income."
"Zhifu, this is one of the reasons why I came to the southeast. All local taxes in Gyeonggi, Henan, Hedong, Hebei, Qinchuan, Qilu and other counties have been abolished, and they are all unified and transferred to the tax department to collect taxes according to the statutory catalogue.
Taxation. What needs to be touched now are the two Huaihe Rivers, the two rivers and the two lakes. When Zhang Jizhong comes to Jiangning this time, in addition to official administration, he will also start further reforms in taxation."
"I understand. I will ask Zhang Shaozai for advice and carefully study and understand the essence of the follow-up meeting."
"Well, for Zhifu, I don't worry about these things." Zhao Si paused and asked again: "I heard that in the mountainous area at the junction of Mu, Qu, and Wu states in western Zhejiang, there is a food-eating cult gathering people with evil intentions?"
To be honest, Zhao Si was confused when he received the report. Isn't this Fang La's group? He snatched the throne of the eleventh brother, and the historical Tong Guan, Zhu Meng, Birthday Gang, and Huashi Gang were all gone.
There was no group of people named Wang Lun or Song Jiang gathered in Juyeze, so he thought he had changed history. He never expected that Fang La was still causing trouble in western Zhejiang.
Later I thought about it, Fang La lived in Muzhou, and his family has always been the leader of a local sect. He is a local tycoon with an "oblique" nature. When his strength expands to a certain extent, it is impossible not to cause trouble. Good things in the world can only be done in a small way.
, if the world is not good, it can be done in a big way - in the name of Hua Shi Gang, Zhu Meng harmed the people in the Taihu Lake and Suzhou area, which is far away from western Zhejiang. At most, it sounds like he is filled with righteous indignation, but he has not really stepped on the interests here.
Therefore, it cannot be stopped no matter what!
"When we return to the official family, there were Manichae sects in western Zhejiang in the early Tang Dynasty. Later, the sect took root here, including Fang Shisan from Qingxi, Zhu Yan from Lanxi, Wu Bang, Chen Shishi from Fangyanshan, Shan
Qiu Taoist from the county and Lu Shinang from Xianju. Among them, Qiu Taoist from Shan County and Lu Shinang from Xianju have been wiped out by the security police, and Qiu Taoist and Lu Shinang have been brought to justice."
Zhao Si added, "Shi Sheng from Suzhou and Lu Xing'er from Gui'an, Huzhou were also wiped out by the Jiangdong Security Police. The two men and their accomplices were also brought to justice. According to the confessions of these thieves, Fang Shisan from Qingxi was the strongest
Qiang has many connections with Zhu Yan, Wu Bang, Chen Shishi and others."
"The officials are aware of everything, and these thieves will not be able to stay alive for a few days."
"Well, Naofu, these thieves need to be suppressed, but what is more important? It is to cure poverty! The people are no longer poor and embarrassed, no longer hungry, no longer bullied and oppressed, they have no worries about food and clothing, not much
People are willing to follow these thieves."
"I understand."
"Let's do those methods you mentioned to enrich the people. We, the monarchs and ministers, will work hard to free up the East China Sea and prevent anyone from starving or freezing in the Song Dynasty!"
Liu Ji's eyes were slightly red and he said excitedly: "I would like to receive your Majesty's instruction!"
You are a genius, remember in one second: Red Oasis: This chapter has been completed!
