Corrupt officials are just trivial matters.
Su Jing's words made Zhu Biao confused.
This is not taxation, nor is it corrupt officials, what else could it be?
Xu Miaoyun on the side listened to the conversation between the two and began to think, but she couldn't figure out the joints.
"Please ask Master Su to teach me."
Zhu Biao asked Su Jing.
Su Jing said calmly: "Niu Yi, do you know what the regulations are today on taxes, taxes, and corvee for officials and gentry?"
Zhu Biao nodded and said directly: "The emperor has decreed that a family with a living salary is equal to the common people, and those who serve in service are the common people's affairs.
If a virtuous man and a gentleman value his body and re-serve his family, there will be no distinction between a gentleman and a barbarian. This is not the way to encourage scholars to treat virtuous people.
From now on, those who are officials in the Baisi family and have land will be exempted from corvee service except for paying rent and taxes. "
This was an edict issued by Zhu Biao's father, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Zhu Biao's son naturally remembered it very clearly.
"very good."
Su Jing nodded, looked at Xu Miaoyun aside and said, "Yu Yun, right? Do you know what this means?"
Xu Miaoyun glanced at Zhu Biao and saw Zhu Biao nodding to her. Xu Miaoyun then said: "I know, here it is said that people who receive salary are equal to the common people, and it is the common people's business to serve in service.
If a virtuous man and a gentleman, since he values himself, yet lets others live in his family, then there is no difference between a gentleman and a man in the wild, and it is not the way to persuade others to wait for the virtuous.
From then on, the families of current officials and those who owned land were exempted from corvee, except for paying rent and taxes. "
Although she was the daughter of military commander Xu Da, Xu Miaoyun was no less well-educated than the others.
"Yes, yes, the explanation is very clear."
Su Jing nodded, becoming more and more certain that Xu Miaoyun's identity was extraordinary.
It was already rare for women in ancient times to be able to read, and even fewer were like Xu Miaoyun.
"Niu Yi, don't you understand yet?"
Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao again.
Zhu Biao was stunned and didn't understand what this meant. He asked doubtfully: "Isn't this a good policy established by the emperor to encourage the virtuous? It improves the status of scholars, encourages people to study, and allows officials to do their jobs better."
Su Jing shook her head, but did not blame Zhu Biao.
After all, this was what Zhu Yuanzhang thought when he established this policy, and he did not carefully consider the consequences.
"Niu Yi, have you ever thought about this question? If you were a farmer and you saw that officials' fields do not require taxes, what would you do?"
Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao and asked: "Similarly, you are an official. Your land does not need to be taxed, but farmers' land does. What do you think?"
"Naturally, each performs his own duties. Farmers cultivate their own land, and officials also rent laborers to cultivate their own land."
Zhu Biao answered very naturally.
Because this is what Zhu Yuanzhang taught him, everyone in the Ming Dynasty should perform their respective duties.
But, it doesn’t mean that you will do it.
Su Jing continued: "What if there is a disaster year? When the grain produced in the fields is not enough to pay taxes, what will you do as a farmer?"
"I"
Zhu Biao just wanted to answer that the court would provide disaster relief, but he realized that Su Jing was asking him to start from the farmer's perspective, so he choked.
"Farmers will sell their land to officials, and then the officials' land does not need to pay taxes, so farmers only need to pay a small amount of rent."
Xu Miaoyun's voice sounded, and she was also thinking.
But she immediately realized something and added: "No, when it is not the disaster year, even in a normal year, farmers can donate their land to the officials and gentry, and then negotiate a rent that is lower than the tax. "
"In this way, the land belongs to the officials and gentry, so they don't have to pay taxes. The rent paid by the farmers to the officials and gentry is less than before. For them, it's all a profit!"
"Mr. Su, am I right?"
Xu Miaoyun spoke excitedly to Su Jing, like a student in urgent need of praise.
Su Jing immediately satisfied her and praised: "You are very right!"
Zhu Biao was immediately stunned.
Because of Xu Miaoyun's words, he finally understood what Su Jing meant.
The matter of corrupt officials is indeed just a trivial matter compared with this.
The next generation of emperors, and the next generation of emperors, will only have more and more officials, and there will also be various hereditary titles and land awarded to the princes.
These are all tax-free and corvee-free.
And, this is something that cannot be avoided.
Now that the world has been settled, all wastes are waiting to be revitalized. Ming Dynasty needs to recuperate and recuperate, so the food tax is naturally low.
But after that, food taxes will inevitably increase slowly.
And there will only be fewer and fewer people paying taxes.
In this process, the land annexation that Su Jing once mentioned is naturally indispensable.
The wealth of the Ming Dynasty continued to accumulate to the landlord class, while the peasants became increasingly poor.
When livelihoods cannot be maintained, rebellion is the only option.
The Ming Dynasty seems to be on the road to destruction again.
horrible!
It's absolutely terrible!
In Zhu Biao's heart, the confidence he had finally built up cracked again.
"Niu Yi, it seems you already understand, so I don't need to say anything else."
Su Jing wielded the hoe again and started digging sweet potatoes.
Xu Miaoyun also recovered from the excitement just now. Although she had not listened to Su Jing's previous courses, she knew the consequences of a country failing to collect taxes. She also knew that it would be bad.
However, the tax exemption policy for officials and gentry was formulated today, and the starting point must be good.
But this Mr. Su discovered the problem in just a few words and got to the core.
No wonder there are rumors in the palace that the prince’s new teacher, Mr. Su, is very powerful!
"Master Su, is there no solution to this matter?"
Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, and finally asked Su Jing.
Su Jing didn't even stop hoeing, and said directly: "What's wrong with this? The officials and gentry will pay the food together."
"Of course, you must be able to deal with those with vested interests in advance. They are not poor people. They have been exploited and have nowhere to complain."
Zhu Biao was startled, this was something he didn't expect.
No, I didn’t expect it, I just didn’t want to think about it, I didn’t dare to think about it.
Officials and gentry receive food?
This not only violated the wishes of his father Zhu Yuanzhang, but also violated the interests of the entire gentry class. It can be said that almost everyone in the Ming court.
They are all vested interests and they have the ability to speak.
Even if you think about it with your toes, you will know how fierce opposition will be encountered once someone proposes that officials and gentry pay for food.
But what about not doing it?
The Ming Dynasty will only have more and more land that does not pay grain, and in the end all taxes will only be added to ordinary people.
At this moment, Zhu Biao no longer had the strong confidence he had before.
Facing the entire gentry class, even if he is a prince, it is difficult to shake him.
"Don't think about it, it can't be done."
Su Jing said to the stunned Zhu Biao: "It's true that you dig sweet potatoes quickly. These things are not your thing to worry about."
(End of chapter)
