Going up the mountains to enjoy the scenery, fishing in the water, and staying overnight at a farmhouse, Emperor Liu enjoyed a pastoral life in Liangshan. Although it was pleasant, it was only a temporary pleasure after all. On the other hand, the children who followed were having fun. It was rare that they were not restricted by palace rules and could laugh loudly and run around as they pleased.
Of course, while playing, Emperor Liu's attention was inevitably attracted by the living conditions of the people at the bottom. The results of the inspection made him quite satisfied.
In Liangshan, he visited three villages and one village, and the feedback he received was that the local people were very satisfied with their current lives. Basically, we have achieved it, we have land to cultivate, we have a house to live in, and we have enough food and clothing.
As a people-friendly emperor who came out of the war years, Liu Chengyou knew very well the plight of the Han people back then. It could almost be said that people throughout the country were hungry. Although it is backed by green mountains and green waters, and the products are abundant, it cannot represent the whole world, but this scene is enough to make him happy.
The most important feedback received from local villagers is that the Kaibao New Deal has achieved good results after several years of advancement, and the burden on the people has indeed been reduced.
There are only two policies that are most popular among the people. One is the reduction of Ding tax, which is now the lowest in history. Up to now, every household in Liangshan area has at least six people in a family. The population has grown rapidly. , especially obvious in recent years.
The second is the reduction of tax revenue. Under the two-tax tax system, each state and state allocates taxes according to the imperial quota. The people near Liangshanbo are considered relatively wealthy. Even when the finance department formulates the tax amount, it has certain restrictions on wealthy areas in accordance with the imperial court's wishes. It's on the heavy side, but because of the large population base, it's not too much if it's spread out to every household.
However, for some poor areas, the court's preferential policies did not achieve very good results. The biggest drawback of the two-tax tax system is that it is difficult to achieve fairness. The idea that the poor pay less and the rich pay more has not been reflected.
In fact, Emperor Liu was aware of the tax system issues, but he had not made any major moves. There are two main reasons. First, at present, the Two Taxes Law still conforms to the development of the times. It is a mature system that has been implemented for a long time and has been accepted both internally and externally. It should not be easily overturned;
The second is that although there are disadvantages, for today's Han Dynasty, society is in a stage of rapid development, with political stability, clear administration, and an economic explosion. All social contradictions are covered up in this advancing wave of the times. Woke up.
As an emperor, maintaining the rule is the first thing. Before the problem breaks out, why bother to take the initiative to bring it out and cause turmoil inside and outside.
Changes in the past dynasties have their own specific historical conditions and environments, just like the various reform measures taken by Emperor Liu after he ascended the throne. When the situation has developed to a certain extent, it has the basis and conditions for reform and conforms to the development trend of the times. Emperor Liu is following the trend. The promoter of trends.
The same reason applies to the tax system. Although he has foresight and can see the flaws and shortcomings of the tax system, the flaws cannot be concealed and it can better meet the current needs of governance. Emperor Liu will not change it easily. Small adjustments can be made, but big changes need to be made carefully. Without realizing it, Emperor Liu changed from an enterprising reformer to a conservative one.
According to Emperor Liu's knowledge, it might be possible to achieve a relatively fair tax system, but it would still have to be done on a per-acre basis and taxes would be collected based on the amount of land. However, with the current population status of the Han Dynasty, does it need to be implemented impatiently?
Furthermore, can the so-called "dividing a small family into an equal amount" really solve the problem once and for all? Obviously not. No matter how good the system is, it needs people to implement and maintain it. As long as people have problems, it will be in vain. Emperor Liu has been in charge of the country for so many years, and he has seen many problems clearly.
On my last night in Liangshan, I didn’t stay at a farmhouse anymore. The local people built a mountain temple at the foot of the mountain. As a contemporary god, it was not a big problem to stay overnight in the temple of a small mountain god.
Although it is already late spring and summer is about to begin, it is still a bit cold when night falls, especially near the water, where the trees are dense and the water vapor is heavy.
The establishment of the mountain temple was obviously based on Feng Shui. The location is excellent and the view is excellent. However, Emperor Liu and his entourage also made the temple smell much more pyrotechnic.
Several tents were erected high, and the accompanying guards were closely guarding the surroundings. The palace ladies and concubines were waiting on them. Facing the lake, the bonfire was burning brightly. What was being grilled on the grill was the fat fish he caught personally today.
The eldest princess Liu Jia had been playing for a day and was already sleepy. She leaned against Emperor Liu and stared in confusion. Seeing this, Emperor Liu gestured to Xiao Fu: "If you are sleepy, go and rest first!"
Of course Xiao Fu wouldn't. It was a rare opportunity to have such an opportunity to accompany the chariot alone. During these few days in Liangshan, there were no other concubines or other princes and princesses, so she truly felt like a "family". Therefore, even if he was a little tired, he still expressed his intention to accompany Emperor Liu.
Emperor Liu did not force her, but Liu Jia couldn't bear it anymore, so she apologized and went back to her small tent to sleep. The ninth prince Liu Shu is already eleven years old. He is a handsome man and among the princes, except for the fifth prince Liu Yun, he is the most naughty.
As they grew up, the personalities of Emperor Liu's disciples were also revealed. In terms of family background, Liu Shu was considered outstanding, but this boy liked everything except studying. For example, going out of the palace this time, fishing, playing in the water, cutting bamboo and making boats, it was a great time.
At this time, he was still looking at the fish on the grill with keen eyes. Seeing the greedy look on his face, Emperor Liu couldn't help but be happy: "You haven't eaten any delicacies in the palace, but this grilled fish has brought out your greediness?"
When he was staying at a farmhouse, Liu Shuke was particularly repelled by the food that the people were eating, finding it unpalatable and crying for delicious food. If I hadn't been hungry, I really wouldn't have tried that simple meal.
At this time, facing the emperor's father's question, Liu Shu couldn't help but shrink his neck, seeming to recall the scene where he was scolded by Emperor Liu because of his picky eating two days ago.
Pointing to one of the fish that was already browned, Liu Shu responded: "This is the fish I netted myself, so of course I want to taste it!"
Emperor Liu smiled and cast his gaze again to the Liangshan Mountains in the distance. Under the cover of darkness, the criss-crossing harbor seemed more mysterious and quiet, with some lights looming in the forest.
"In this beautiful place, I think we can build a town in Liangshan Mountain!" Emperor Liu said, "In this way, the people at the foot of the mountain will not have to go to the market in boats!"
"Yes!" Zhang Quhua waited aside and quickly wrote down the matter.
Emperor Liu also took a look at the terrain of Liangshan. With his not-so-outstanding military vision, he could see that this was indeed an excellent place for green forests to gather.
As soon as he opens Chrysostom, one can imagine that a new town will rise at the foot of Liangshan Mountain.
"There is one more thing, you should also remember it!" Emperor Liu kept thinking and continued: "Everyone is happy when the Ding Fu is reduced, and there are still many new Ding mouths among the people. What I mean is based on the books recorded in the five years of Kaibao For this reason, from now on, the Ding tax will be collected as it is. Five years after the opening of the treasure, the increased population will not be within the scope of collection, and from now on, Ding tax will never be added!"
"Your Majesty, once this edict is issued, I am afraid that the imperial court will object!" Zhang Quhua couldn't help but said: "Twenty years later, the imperial court will lose a large amount of fiscal revenue!"
"You said it will happen twenty years later!" Emperor Liu waved his hand: "It can be sent back to Tokyo for discussion at the political hall, but my wishes must still be implemented!"
"Yes! If this edict is passed, it is conceivable that all the people in the world will be grateful to Your Majesty for your kindness!" Zhang Quhua was a smart man and understood Emperor Liu's intentions.
That's right, Emperor Liu played the trick of "never adding more gifts". For a big man, forty coins a year is not much, so the cost of investment is not high at the moment. . Only after the population surges and the base is huge, it will be a huge amount of income. But if the empire develops to the point where the head tax can affect the national finance, then there will definitely be problems with such an empire.
Moreover, no small amount of money is added, but the regular taxes and various corvées can be adjusted in real time. As a monarch, Emperor Liu knew very well what was going on with the highly praised "never adding gifts".
But no matter what, Emperor Liu could foresee that five years after opening the treasure, the people would be more motivated to have children, and the population of the Han Dynasty would continue to explode.
