Chapter 289 Three-way Triumph (9) Nanxing and the Revitalization of the Canal
As the highly pragmatic Shuwen suggestions were quickly implemented by Zhu Yijun in the form of an imperial edict, and spread throughout the world through the imperial newspaper, and also repeatedly publicized through several major newspapers controlled by Beijing, the government and the public are now gradually becoming aware that the emperor will enshrine Mount Tai to pray for all people.
A consensus was formed, and the opposing voices slowly lowered their tone.
However, Gao Pragmatic was not satisfied with this, and he introduced some other policy packages. What was completely unexpected to him was that after this essay was published, opposition essays also came in one after another.
With pragmatism and prudence, what kind of supporting policy recommendations actually aroused such huge opposition?
Very simply, Gao Pragmatic proposed a temporary expenditure plan of up to 1.6 million taels of silver. Although the huge sum of 1.6 million taels required for this plan was first allocated by the Ministry of Accounts, it still required
Taxes were collected along the entire Grand Canal to reimburse the household department, and the entire amount was collected in three installments.
What is very characteristic of ancient China is that many officials did not even carefully understand what Gao Pragmatic planned to do, so they were so angry that they directly went to the Ministry of Education to oppose it.
Their reasoning is very simple: the emperor wants to be enshrined, and after that he has to go to Nanjing to visit the Xiaoling Mausoleum, so the imperial chariot will definitely take the Grand Canal. With Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty "bejeweled", everyone unanimously believed that this trip south would be extremely expensive.
That's why Gao Pragmatic proposed a temporary spending plan, that is, the 1.6 million taels of silver.
If this is just the case, then it’s okay. After all, your account department says that you have money, and the account department will cover all the expenditures, and it will not affect everyone’s interests. Then everyone has nothing to say. At most, you can say a few words indifferently, such as "
The imperial court should save people's resources and save money."
But you actually want to temporarily increase taxes? Wait, this is not possible!
Didn’t you say that you, Gao Yuanfu, are the best in financial management? Since you were promoted to the Minister of Household Affairs, the imperial treasury has been abundant. Why do you have to temporarily increase taxes on various places along the Grand Canal for this expenditure?
You know, there are many economically developed areas along the canal, and economic development often means a large population, which together means a large number of officials who have passed the imperial examination... Oh, you want to increase taxes in my hometown? That won't work.
I have to make a fuss, otherwise how will I face my hometown when I return to my hometown in the future?
The emperor didn't take it seriously at first. After all, Gao Pragmatic had always been quite good at resolving objections in the officialdom. But within a few days, Zhu Yijun couldn't stand it anymore because there were more and more objections. There was no other way, so he had to put it down again.
Gao pragmatically called to the West Nuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace and asked himself what the wise prime minister was waiting for and why he didn't take action to suppress the noise and keep himself clean.
Faced with the emperor's questioning, Gao Pragmatic remained as calm as before and said everything he thought: "Your Majesty, I know that this visit to Mount Tai and the Xiaoling Mausoleum will have a profound impact on the people of the world.
Although the temporary expenditure proposed by the minister has been criticized, it is actually a good strategy to strengthen the infrastructure along the canal.
The expenditure proposed by the minister is mainly used to control floods, strengthen embankments, and ensure the smooth flow of the canal. The canal is the blood of the country. If it is not smooth, the blood will be blocked and the people will not be able to live. In recent years, the world has been plagued by disasters, and floods have occurred frequently along the canal.
, the people along the way suffered a lot. I thought that I could take this opportunity to patrol the south to renovate the canal and save the people from the fire and water.
In addition, the water control project can also provide livelihoods for the people affected by the disaster. During this period, refugees can be recruited to participate in the construction and provide relief through work, which not only solves their livelihoods, but also helps the progress of the project. This not only shows the benevolence of the court, but also helps
There is harmony and stability between the government and the people along the way.
In addition to water control, I also want to strengthen the industrial and commercial facilities along the canal. As the emperor knows, since the "change of the canal to the sea", the main function of the canal has been from water transportation to commercial transportation. If commercial transportation is to develop, it is even more dependent on
It depends on the transportation capacity, and if the transportation capacity is to be improved, it is nothing more than dredging the wide channel. In short, the river channel that needs to be dug deeper must be dug deeper, and the river channel that needs to be widened must be widened.
In this way, by improving transportation, building shops, providing support, and attracting merchants to gather, economic prosperity will naturally be promoted. This will definitely enhance the competitiveness along the canal and bring benefits to the people along the way.
As for the proposal to increase taxes, I know that this may be criticized. However, this tax is specifically used for canal construction and post-disaster reconstruction. I must ensure that the tax collection is fair and reasonable, and strictly supervise it to ensure that the dedicated funds are used exclusively.
I am convinced that this southern tour and the strengthening of infrastructure construction will definitely bring prosperity and stability along the canal. This is a blessing to the country and a blessing to the people. I hope that your Majesty will understand it, support me, and participate in this grand event. I will definitely
We will do our best to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan and live up to His Majesty's high expectations."
Zhu Yijun thought for a while and felt it was reasonable, but he was a little puzzled and asked: "This can be regarded as your usual style of doing things, but officials from these places along the way should also know this. Why do they still go to court to oppose it?
"
Gao Pragmatic smiled slightly and said: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because according to my usual style, this tax must come mainly from wealthy families and try not to squeeze ordinary people, so..."
Zhu Yijun slapped the table and laughed and said: "I see, that's it. I understand, it's not that they don't understand your thoughts, on the contrary, they understand your thoughts very well." After a pause, he frowned and asked again.
Said: "But in this case, how can you force them to submit?"
"It's nothing more than saying one thing overtly and another secretly." Gao Pragmatic smiled suddenly and said: "To say something overtly means making these high-sounding truths public to the public, and at the same time showing that the emperor loves the people and is unwilling to impose taxes on the common people, so he has no choice but to
Let the local 'virtuous gentlemen' do more.
Of course, since they are "virtuous and good gentry" who have devoted their efforts to the people, the court cannot naturally cherish famous objects for itself. It can bestow the third-class honorary titles according to the amount or proportion of the contribution, and at the same time set up steles and inscriptions in every prefecture and even every county along the way.
We should focus on commending investors. Presumably, in this way, many people will be willing to donate generously to relieve the country's worries."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhu Yijun laughed and said: "Sure enough, it is this method! I knew that your third-class honorary system has many uses, so I just listened to you
When I said this, I guessed that you were going to resort to this honorable method again."
Indeed, Gao pragmatically introduced the three-class honorary system to a large extent in order to "harvest the gentry class." The three-class honorary system is roughly as follows:
The first class is given an honorary title and is called a knight. It is allowed to have higher-level clothes, higher-level door lintels, and higher-level driving. It is also allowed to build a memorial arch of its own. People below the third rank will not be worshiped by officials. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the yamen
It must be accepted immediately. The honorary title is not a royal title, has no rank, cannot be inherited, transferred, sold, etc., and will be extinguished upon death;
The second class is to confer the name of a wise man in a certain government, such as a so-and-so Hangzhou wise man, who is allowed to be in the fifth rank or below before seeing an official without worshiping him. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the Yamen must accept them immediately. This honorary title is valid for ten years and cannot be
Transfers, sales, etc. will be eliminated upon death;
The third level is to give the name of a good gentry of a certain county, such as a certain Qiantang good gentry, who is allowed to be of seventh rank or below without being admitted to an official position. If there are lawsuits and other matters, the Yamen must accept them immediately. This name is valid for five years.
It cannot be transferred, sold, etc., and will be extinguished upon death.
In order to provide disaster relief in the past, Gao Pragmatic had already "wholesale" hundreds of Rongjue of various levels. Now this is a repeat of the same old trick, and another big wave is about to happen.
But don’t worry, “hundreds” sounds like a lot, but considering the size of the Ming Dynasty and the number of prefectures and counties, it’s actually very few per prefecture and county. A larger prefecture may only have two or three “a certain number”.
There is only one "good gentry of a certain county" in the average county. In Gao Pragmatic's view, there is still a lot of "room for improvement".
Besides, the prefecture and county are only second- and third-class honorary knights, and the first-class "jazz" has only been sold so far... Well, only a dozen have been awarded, so there is still a lot of room for manipulation.
Big.
Facing the emperor's approval, Gao Pragmatic just smiled slightly and said: "The emperor knows me, I am very happy."
Zhu Yijun also laughed and asked: "Since this is 'a different thing overtly', then what is 'a different thing secretly'?"
"You talk about fame in the open, but you talk about profits in secret." Gao Pragmatic said unabashedly: "Didn't Cai Chen say just now that in addition to water control along the canal, there are also many projects that need to be widened and widened. This is why
This involves a problem. Some places have already developed well. If the river is widened, it will not be easy to expropriate the houses on both sides of the river - especially the shops."
After many years of training, Zhu Yijun also knew the entanglement of interests involved. Hearing this, he nodded and said: "If it was a prosperous shop, it would be unwilling for the court to demolish it, and it would not be easy to even give them a compensation."
Gao pragmatically said calmly: "But if there are local wealthy families - I mean 'virtuous gentlemen' - to help, this matter will be much easier to handle."
Perhaps all emperors are naturally wary of "giant clans", so Zhu Yijun became cautious and asked, "What do you mean by this?"
Gao Pragmatic chuckled lightly and said: "For no other reason, according to the investment ratio of the virtuous gentry in each place, we will leave it to them to persuade the local towns along the canal to demolish and resettle the shops and houses."
Zhu Yijun was greatly surprised and said in a daze: "Isn't it possible? You asked them to do something like this that offends so many people without telling them to pay for it. Can they agree?"
"Of course I can agree, I am so willing to agree." Gao Pragmatic sighed and shook his head, saying: "Your Majesty, you still don't know how powerful these people are. Let me put it this way, as long as you leave the work of 'demolition and resettlement' to
They, and the imperial court has declared in advance that it will not interfere, so they will definitely agree - because they will make a lot of money here!"
"Ah?" Zhu Yijun had never been to the private sector after all. Even though Gao Pragmatic said this, he still didn't react and asked: "Why is this? I mean, if this 'demolition and resettlement' is not good, it will
How can you make money by offending others?"
"Suppose I am a local resident along the river, and my family owns a shop along the river, which is two feet wide, three feet deep, and two stories high. Now the court wants to demolish the site to expand the river, and the power of resettlement lies with the local wealthy...
Say it's your Majesty, and it's up to you.
So, after the demolition, I will retreat to the edge of the widened river and rebuild a shop according to the original width, depth and height, or reduce the storefront from two feet wide to one foot, and reduce the depth to three feet.
When it reaches two feet, the two-story house is reduced to a one-story house... Doesn't this all depend on your face?
On the contrary, if I have an old relationship with you, or if I offer you some gifts, I would like you to agree to expand the width of my shop from two to three feet, the depth from three to five feet, and the height of the building from two floors to
Third floor...is that a blessing in disguise?"
At this point, Gao pragmatically spread his hands and asked: "Look, as a local 'virtuous gentleman', once you get the right to resettle, will you make a huge profit? In this case, you can make a larger initial investment and donate some taxes.
By giving money to the imperial court, do you gain both fame and profit?"
Zhu Yijun took a breath, looked at Gao Pragmatic with some horror, and said: "Rixin, you... your methods are really amazing. It's like you have calculated everything from top to bottom!"
Gao pragmatic shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, when it comes to administration, only ask about the results, not the means."
Zhu Yijun nodded, but then immediately shook his head and asked: "But in this case, someone will eventually suffer a loss. Since these 'virtuous gentlemen' cannot suffer a loss, wouldn't it mean that the people along the way must suffer a loss? For example, what you said
In this case, 'you', the shop owner, will have to spend a lot of money in order to bribe 'me', the local 'virtuous' person, so wouldn't you become the unlucky guy in the river expansion project instead?"
Gao Pragmatic said happily: "Your Majesty can see this, I am very happy. But Your Majesty, if I can really use this money to bribe you, this 'local virtuous man', it actually means two things."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "What two things?" Zhu Yijun asked.
"Firstly, I can get this money; secondly, I expect to be able to earn back this contribution in the future." Gao pragmatically said with a smile: "You think, if I can't get this money, wouldn't this deal be useless at all?
Will it happen? If I predict that if I invest too much, I won’t be able to earn back the money in the future, then I won’t be willing to donate.”
"Oh... that's the truth." Zhu Yijun nodded, but still felt that something was wrong. After thinking about it seriously, he suddenly realized it and asked with wide eyes: "But if I am a virtuous person who attacks dissidents, how can I deny this to you?"
The 'unruly people' I contributed were inexplicably eliminated and you were not allowed to build any more shops along the river. Wouldn't that be bad? Or, wouldn't it be a disaster if the size of the shops you could build was halved?"
"The emperor is very concerned, so there is still a need to patch it up." Gao pragmatically said with a smile: "If you rebuild along the way, the new houses and shops must not be smaller than the original ones."
Zhu Yijun finally felt relieved. After thinking for a long time, he had nothing to add or find fault with. In the end, he only thought of one thing: "This demolition and reconstruction will definitely require money. It will take thousands of miles like this. Even if it only counts towns, plus
It’s a lot, can it really be done with 1.6 million taels?”
Gao Pangshi was surprised and said: "Tuohe is the money that the imperial court spent the 1.6 million taels on. We, the Ministry of Household Affairs, don't care about the money for demolition and reconstruction."
Zhu Yijun was shocked and said: "The demolition and reconstruction along the way are all done by the local people themselves? This... this, are you not afraid of provoking a civil uprising? Think about it, you don't allow their shops and houses to be smaller than the original ones, and you also want to
They spend their own money, so if they can't come up with the money for reconstruction, won't they be forced to death by you?"
Gao Pragmatic shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten about the Federal Reserve Bank?"
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment and said hesitantly: "What does this have to do with the Ming Dynasty Federal Reserve?"
Gao Pragmatic sighed and explained simply: "If it is a shop, the Federal Reserve Bank of China can provide them with low-interest loans so that they have money to rebuild. When their new shop starts to make a profit, they will have the money to pay it back slowly;
The Federal Reserve can even provide them with interest-free loans, allowing them to build their houses first and pay them back over time, without any interest."
"I see... This is a way." Zhu Yijun thought for a while and said: "No, no, if you want to say that the shops operate like this, it's okay. After all, after the canal is widened, trade will become more developed, and they will be able to make money sooner or later.
return.
But residential houses are different. They used to live well, but now they have to demolish and rebuild, but they just live there and can't make money from it. Isn't this equivalent to losing the money for rebuilding the house?"
Gao pragmatically said: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, almost all the houses along the canal have commercial properties... Well, I mean, they can all be used to make money. Being a shop is naturally the first choice, but there are also people who use their houses as commercial properties.
Houses are rented as hotels and guesthouses to others, such as merchants and tourists traveling from north to south.
In fact, there are very few residences along the canal towns that are purely for self-occupation. If there are, they are mostly local wealthy people who like the bustling scenery along the canal, so they buy their homes here. For these people, they also
There is no shortage of these three melons and two dates."
Zhu Yijun now understood what Gao Pragmatic meant: The owners of houses along the canal towns were either doing business locally or participating in the canal trade. To some extent, they were all businessmen. The very few who were not doing business were all businessmen.
The owner was already rich, and he didn't need the money to rebuild the house after demolition, so... overall, Gao Pragmatic was determined to cut them off.
And this cut, after two rounds of screening by "local virtuous people" and Ming Dynasty Federal Reserve loans, actually naturally adjusted the severity. For those who can make money by relying on the canal, this cut is slightly heavier; for those who have money and do not rely on the canal, the cut is slightly heavier.
For those who make money, although this cut is severe, it is a slight cut.
Zhu Yijun always felt that Gao Jingshi arranged this on purpose, but after thinking about it for a while, he couldn't figure it out, and even felt a little nervous. He was a little annoyed, so he simply asked Gao Jingshi directly why he did this.
Gao Pragmatic's answer this time was very direct: "Regulate the rich and the poor. It is impossible for the real poor to own real estate and mansions along the canals of commercially prosperous towns. What the court has to do is to let those who earn more spend more;
Those who gain less spend less.
And when the imperial court received this money, it cured floods and built water conservancy projects. The people who benefited were not just the small group of people along the river, but all the people in many prefectures and counties. Your Majesty, this is what I said at the beginning, "Those who tax will take the money."
Use it for the people and use it for the people."
Zhu Yijun said nothing more now, nodded and said: "Since you have considered everything, then go ahead and do it. As for the current memorials, just pretend you haven't seen them. I think once the imperial edict is issued, there will be no more gifts.
I’m supervising these things.”
"Your Majesty is wise, and I obey your orders."
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