Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"So how can we change the Ming Dynasty's land system to control the proportion of the landlord class and stabilize the Ming Dynasty's tax base?"

Li Jinglong blurted out questions about his soul, obviously having entered the role.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled slightly and asked: "You just said that the land system of the Ming Dynasty was the two-field system of official land and private land in parallel. What about the taxation and corvee system of the Ming Dynasty? You must know that the land system, taxation system, and corvee system are all three They are inseparable."

Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, then said confidently: "The tax system is naturally a two-tax system, which is paid in summer and autumn. Summer does not last until August, and autumn does not last until February of the following year. Basically, the wheat levy is in the summer and the rice levy in the autumn."

"In terms of tax rates, Emperor Taizu Gao stipulated that the tax per mu of official land is five liters and three liters, civilian land is three liters and three liters, re-rented land is eight liters and five liters per mu, and each official land is one dou and two liters. Of course, there are differences in actual practice. For example, land taxes in the Jiangnan area are generally heavier. On the one hand, it suppresses the power of the landlord class in Jiangnan, and on the other hand, Jiangnan is indeed rich and is the main source of taxation."

"As for corvées, they are divided into two types: Lijia and miscellaneous servants."

"Lijia is a corvee performed by Lijia as a unit. The method is 'one person is responsible for the annual service in the village'. That is, the chief of the village will lead ten households of one Jia to serve for a period of one year. His main responsibilities include managing the local people. In matters of personnel and property, assist the yamen in maintaining local security, and go to the yamen at all levels to be dispatched."

"Miscellaneous service can be divided into Beijing service, government service, county service, and royal service according to the objects of service. According to the nature of service, it can be divided into service sent by the government, service for collecting taxes and grains, service in warehouses, and service for postal delivery. Prison battles, civil wars, etc.”

Jiang Xinghuo waited quietly for him to finish. After everything was said, Jiang Xinghuo asked another question.

"The formulation of public management policies is by no means a slap in the face decision-making process. We might as well think about it from a different perspective now."

"Then do you think that if you were an ordinary farmer, what problems would you not be willing to face in paying taxes to the court every year?"

Several people inside and outside the wall fell into thinking.

As for Zhu Gaochi in the secret room, his eyes were full of brilliant colors.

"Think about it from another angle. Jiang Xinghuo's idea is really interesting. Father, what do you think you wouldn't face if you were a self-cultivated farmer and paid taxes to the court?"

"Of course it's a corvee, and the taxes are not high anymore."

Zhu Di's answer was clear and concise. Zhu Di had traveled all over the country for most of his life. It was not that he was ignorant of the sufferings of the people, nor was he unaware that the lower-level officials used their power to torture people by forcing peasants to do corvee without limit, in order to obtain benefits.

But there was no way. This had been the case since ancient times. It was impossible for the imperial court to hire a large number of formal personnel for county-level yamen. The imperial court simply did not have the money.

Moreover, many things are not required all year round, but only require manpower to be completed at specific times.

For example, in the summer and autumn, the households, households, patrolmen, and bookkeepers needed to collect taxes and grains are only routinely needed during the tax collection in summer and autumn. It is usually impossible to support so many people.

For example, the laborers and firewoodmen needed in winter, the gatemen, dammen, and shallow laborers needed when the rivers thaw in spring, are even a small number of manpower needed in specific seasons. Sometimes they are not even needed in specific seasons. For example, when winter is warm and firewood is abundant, , or there is too little snowmelt in the spring, and the dikes do not need extra manpower to guard them.

Based on all the above, free prostitution and self-cultivation are actually the optimal solution to the current court policy.

Zhu Gaochi added: "In addition to corvee labor, there is also the food paid as tax. There are too many doorways in this. Big buckets go in and small buckets go out, and big scales go in and small scales go out. These are the most basic. Other than that In addition, there are also dirty tricks such as fires in granaries, substandard grain quality, etc., which often make the farmers bear much more actual taxes than expected, and the difference is divided up by local corrupt officials and landlords."

Zhu Gaochi looked at Zhu Di's face and added: "The court can't control it at all, and it can't be solved by killing people."

As Zhu Gaochi in the secret room came to a conclusion, Li Jinglong outside the wall also came to a similar answer.

Li Jinglong replied: "The first thing is the corvee, which is very torturous and can easily delay the farming work; the second is the grain paid, which is also easy to be manipulated. The farmers are unable to redress their grievances. They can only knock out their teeth and swallow blood." ; Finally, when we cannot afford to buy cattle and seeds, we have to borrow money from the landlord when we are in short supply or have bad luck.”

"Everything you said is right."

Jiang Xinghuo affirmed and immediately said: "There is a principle in the formulation of public management policies called 'worry about the people's needs and think about what the people think'. The solution to the Ming Dynasty's land system lies in the three points you mentioned. .”

"It was these three points, corvee labor, grain, oxen, and seeds, that prevented the yeoman farmers from paying taxes to the court."

"It is precisely these three points that have become the main means of land annexation by the landlord class. If you think about it carefully, is it true?"

Li Jinglong suddenly realized something.

For a moment, he felt like he was enlightened, really enlightened.

Li Jinglong responded enthusiastically: "So as long as we start from these three points, we can rationally design a new land and tax system, thereby suppressing the proportion of the landlord class, stabilizing the tax base of the dynasty, and extending the life of the dynasty."

After saying these words, Li Jinglong himself was stunned for a moment.

Li Jinglong seemed to understand why Zhu Gaoxu suddenly became so smart.

Jiang Xinghuo is truly a natural fit for teaching!

Unconsciously, I guided myself to the correct answer.

Moreover, it seemed that he had come up with this independently under his own guidance, rather than being forced upon him by Jiang Xinghuo.

In the secret room.

Zhu Gaochi slapped the armrest hard, and his fat palm instantly turned the color of pig liver, turning a little purple.

But Zhu Gaochi didn't feel it at all, and it seemed that it was not enough to vent his excitement.

Zhu Gaochi patted him again with his other hand, and the severe pain finally made him calm down a little from his excitement.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't sit still anymore, Ji Gang quickly helped him up with quick eyes and hands.

"Father, I originally thought that Yang Rong and Yang Shiqi were the top civil servants in the world, and then there were those seeking saints like Master Dao Yan. But after listening to Mr. Jiang's words today, I felt that there was someone else. , There is a sky outside the sky, it’s my son who sat in a well and looked at the sky!" Zhu Gaochi turned around and said to Zhu Di very solemnly.

When Zhu Di heard this, he heard Zhu Gaochi change his name to Jiang Xinghuo, and asked with a smile and his hands behind his back.

"So, do you believe it? Do you believe that I said before that Jiang Xinghuo will definitely have a better countermeasure?"

"Believe it!"

Zhu Gaochi bowed his head in shame and said: "Mr. Jiang summarized the evolution of the land system in the past dynasties from the law that land determines tax revenue, proportion determines tax base, and tax base determines life span. Based on this law, according to the current relationship between farmers in the Ming Dynasty and the tax payment period, Zhu Gaochi bowed his head in shame. The problems faced by the merger led Li Jinglong to summarize the three points of corvee, grain, cattle and seeds."

"Finally, the most reasonable solutions can naturally be put forward for the three points of corvee labor, grain, and cattle seeds."

"And after such a clear derivation of logic, even a mediocre person like Erchen can boldly come up with a few ideas, let alone a peerless talent like Mr. Jiang?"

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how Mr. Jiang will formulate a new field policy for the Ming Dynasty in terms of the three points of corvee labor, grain, cattle and seeds, and ease the conflict between the landlord class and the peasants!"

Zhu Gaochi bowed his head to the ground and said in a loud voice.

"Congratulations, father! With Mr. Jiang's guidance, our Ming Dynasty will definitely be prosperous!"

When Zhu Di heard this, he also laughed with his hands on his hips. He laughed until he was full of joy, and then he pointed at the wall and said.

"In that case, let's wait for Mr. Jiang's brilliant plan!"