After the hustle and bustle, there is often peace. After bidding farewell to the Jiaqing Festival, the city of Tokyo naturally returns to calm and returns to the ordinary and ordinary atmosphere of the past.
The temporary celebration and joy cannot change the hard work of the people of Tokyo. Everything remains as usual. Ordinary people are still working hard for their livelihood without a moment's rest. Those who sing and dance still sing and dance, and the sufferings of the world have nothing to do with them.
As for the temple full of nobles in brocade and robes, there are indeed some strange sounds coming from places outside the capital. Probably in order to prove that the feudal officials and the ministers of the Zhu Kingdom came to Beijing not just to wish him a birthday and satisfy his selfish desires, Emperor Liu issued an order and asked the prince Liu Yang and the prime minister Zhao Pu to organize internal and external officials to conduct a period of time in Guangzheng Hall. Half a month of State Council discussion.
This is a common practice. After the Shangyuan Festival every year, there will be similar political activities in the imperial court. However, those participating in the discussion are all the ministers from various places who come to Beijing. Their main task is to report and accept inquiries. , the weight is very heavy locally, but it is light in the capital.
But like this time, not only 70% to 80% of the military and political leaders from various places arrived in Beijing, but these people are different. They are the political elites of the Han Dynasty, and they are also responsible for the huge governance of the Han Empire. The core force in the system naturally has a say in state affairs.
Although the Han Dynasty is now in a state of highly centralized power, this does not mean that the local governments are completely subservient to the central government. Taoist officials often hold great power. When the country tends to be peaceful and stable, local governments will The authority of the officials also became more and more consolidated.
They may not dare to directly disobey the imperial court, but if they really want to be dissatisfied, there are many reaction methods and measures, but that situation is very rare.
Not to mention anything else, let's just talk about Lu Duoxun. Whether in Hexi or Zhejiang, he had already faintly separated from Zhao Pu, and Zhao Pu was the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, and his every word, deed, and action represented the imperial court.
There is also Hexi Chief Minister Lei Xiang, who was in Lanzhou when he was away. Because of his disagreement with Wang Pu, when he was in Hexi, he also criticized Zhao Pu and some of the court's policies.
Earlier, there was also the discord between Wang Pu and Li Tao. Over some personnel appointment issues, the two princes could fight each other through the air, and the lawsuits could be brought to Emperor Liu.
Therefore, to this day, the authority of the central court is still firm and unshakable, but the feudal officials will always inevitably have to "resist".
Of course, their resistance is not to rebel and cause chaos, but to gain more benefits for their subordinates and make themselves feel better. And this situation, reflected in this State Council meeting, produced extremely fierce disputes.
The Han Dynasty had a vast territory, numerous prefectures and counties, and complicated people's sentiments. The situation in each place was different, and their demands were also different. Whether they were poor, rich, or overpopulated, they all hoped to receive support from the imperial policy.
The concept of policy support has only appeared in Dahan in recent years. Except for Emperor Liu's inadvertent mention of its origin, the most intuitive example is the development of the Andong region.
In less than ten years, Anton, a bitter and cold place where barbarians gathered, was able to undergo such significant development and changes, and the light of civilization and etiquette began to appear. It was not just the painstaking management of the Anton Governor's Office headed by Liu Xu.
Behind this, the support of the court is crucial. Without this premise, everything will just be a flower in the mirror and a moon in the water. The court does not collect taxes, but still provides support every year, and the gold and silver donated will also be reported accordingly.
Anton is short of people, so they can be recruited from the inland prefectures without any obstruction from local governments. The policy is even more green-lighted without any restrictions, making it the most autonomous region under the rule of the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty has never given up on the development of border areas, but there has never been any place that has reached the level of the Andong region. Among them, the most important factor is the court's loose restrictions and tolerant treatment in policies. Other places do not have such investment or such preferential treatment.
And with the example of Anton, how could the bureaucrats in other states not have ideas. They are both under the rule of the Han Dynasty, and they are also the subjects of Emperor Liu. How can they be treated so differently?
The imperial court has always been worried about inequality rather than scarcity. The imperial court would rather spend the price to open up barbaric lands like Anton, so why not give them a little favor and take care of them. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to better develop those elite places with dense population and suitable climate?
As for other remote places, they are even more desperate for food, such as Yunnan, Qianzhong, Guangxi, Yulin and other roads. And places like Anxi and Annan, where the situation is similar to Anton, have even more to say.
Annan has been in business longer than Anton. Although it is located in a remote location, the climate, environment, and indigenous domestication are obviously better than Anton.
After more than ten years of development, Annan has been able to contribute money, food, taxes and taxes to the court normally. Of course, this has a certain colonial flavor, but it can also give a glimpse of its potential.
The current Chief Envoy of Annan is Li Shoujie, the son of Chenyang Marquis Li Jun. He was transferred from the military to political affairs. After guarding Annan for many years, he was transferred to the Chief Envoy on the spot, where he remains today.
In the Guangzheng Hall, Li Shoujie laid out the situation and development potential of the Annan region in detail, hoping that the court would provide more support, and made a big picture of the money Annan could contribute to the court every year in terms of grain taxes and taxes.
The same goes for Anxi. Although it is remote, it is at the heart of exchanges between the East and the West. Relying on the Silk Road, it is not afraid of poverty at all. In other words, after years of war, there are fewer people.
But even so, with the tranquility of the situation in the western part of the Han Dynasty and the improvement of relations with the Black Khanate, the trade channels between the Han Dynasty and Central Asia have been completely opened and become increasingly prosperous. Therefore, the Anxi region is also becoming more and more dynamic. These are their Advantage.
As for other Daozhou, there is also something to say. Of course, these places also know that Anton has its own special characteristics after all, and it is impossible to become a routine. The court cannot let other places, especially the core ruling Daozhou, go.
However, when bargaining, they must let the court hear their voices and know their thoughts. Like Anton, they don't dare to ask for extravagant things, but there is still some room for negotiation in other places.
Zhang Yong, who had been promoted to the chief envoy of Jiannan, expressed the hope that the court could reduce some taxes in Jiannan area as appropriate. Since the pacification of Sichuan and Sichuan, the local taxes paid to the imperial court have always been in full, and they will only be waived when disasters occur.
In the past period of time, the taxes Sichuan and Shu paid to the court every year accounted for more than 20% of the country. This is really a huge proportion, and it also means the suffering of the people of Sichuan.
Later, the imperial court also made some adjustments as appropriate to make it more reasonable, which reduced the oppression of Sichuan and Shu. But even so, Sichuan and Shu's annual tribute is still ranked among the top states in the world. From the perspective of the southwest region, only Jiannan is the most closely watched by the court. There is no way, who knows that the southwest region is the only one in Jiannan that is rich.
Zhang Yong has been an official in the southwest for more than ten years. From the prefect of Chengdu to the chief envoy of Jiannan, he naturally has feelings and an interest group he represents. He also wants to make a name for himself for the welfare of the people of Jiannan. .
Of course, he was not like others who just complained and complained. He just made a reasonable suggestion that he hoped that the Financial Secretary could make adjustments as appropriate when setting the tax amount. This is adjusted every year, but in a land of abundance like Jiannan, there is not much room for adjustment every year. Not adding it is already a favor, and Zhang Yong wants to reduce it.
If Zhang Yong was thinking about the people of Jiannan and wanted to reduce the burden on the officials and people under his rule, then there were some people who were seeking power and profit for the local government.
Among them, the most stimulating debate is undoubtedly the issue of annual local tax retention. More than one minister has pointed out that the annual 20% tax is too small and is no longer enough for local administrative expenditures, and even affects local administrative operations.
Wang Renfan, the Chief Envoy of Zhejiang Province and Zhejiang Province, gave an example, saying that officials in some states and counties in southern Zhejiang have already defaulted on their salaries. Officials, especially those at the grassroots level, are having a hard time.
This is obviously nonsense, and that’s it for other places. Your Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions are also called poor, so wouldn’t other impoverished Daozhou have to be stirred up?
The most critical conflict between the central government and local governments was the issue of tax retention, and Liu Yang and Zhao Pu also felt some pressure in the face of these voices from local governments.
However, their attitude is also very firm. Tax retention is the bottom line of the central government and cannot be broken. This is not only a question of the amount of tax, but also involves the authority of the central government and the court's control over local areas.
The political power can be appropriately relaxed, but military and financial power must be firmly in the hands of the court. This is very necessary for the court.
What's more, in terms of expenditure alone, such a large court, so many officials, so many nobles, so many troops, as well as various projects and natural and man-made disasters, the financial pressure required is much greater than the financial pressure of a certain province or state. many.
The original financial constraints were deeply remembered by every central minister, so when it came to this aspect, it naturally touched their sensitive nerves.
Therefore, Zhao Pu made a strong refutation on behalf of the imperial court. Zhao Pu is also a ruthless character who has been trained in the local area and has become the prime minister. Zhao Pu has a good reputation and a deep and thorough understanding of the local situation.
In Zhao Pu's view, those who want to reach out to retained tax revenue are mostly motivated by personal gain or have serious local protection ideas. This example must not be taken lightly, otherwise, once, there will be a second time. If the financial power is shaken, sooner or later other powers will be eroded. If so, the system that the court has maintained for decades will also be shaken. This It is not conducive to the stability of the country. Of course, the most critical impact lies in the authority of the central court.
However, compared to Zhao Pu's attitude, Lu Duoxun chose to support the local demands. He said that Zhao Pu had been in the political hall for too long and did not know the local situation. He should be considerate... .
As a result, another fierce fight broke out between Zhao and Lu. After the case was settled in Yangzhou, there was a serious conflict between the two, but it happened to be at this time.
Hearing is worse than seeing. It turns out that the rumors are not just rumors, and the struggle for power in the central government is more intense than they imagined. The Taoist officials who came to Beijing had a full meal, and Lu Duoxun's "betrayal" behavior also made Liu Yang very dissatisfied.
