"Such a good idea turned out to be a bad idea in Fan Taicheng's eyes?" Zhang Dun stared at Fan Zheng in disbelief.
The one-whip method is simple and easy to implement. It is much more convenient and easier to implement than the new equalization tax law and the labor exemption law. However, in Fan Zheng's eyes, it is just a bad idea.
Zeng Bu also looked embarrassed. Although he highly praised the new method, he had to admit that the new method was still slightly inferior to the one-whip method. If the one-whip method was a bad idea, then wouldn't his new method be a bad idea.
Fan Zheng nodded and said: "Otherwise, Fan just said that as long as money is involved, it will always breed corruption in every possible way, and the one-whip method is no exception. The biggest convenience of the one-whip method is that it converts all taxes into silver coins. Defeat is also defeated by silver taels."
"Why is this?" Zhao Xu asked puzzled.
"Because the whipping law made the same mistake as the exemption law, which is to collect money from the poor!" Fan Zheng sighed.
"Collecting money from the poor, paying taxes and serving in the army are the obligations of every citizen of the Song Dynasty, regardless of whether they are rich or poor." Zhang Dun said firmly.
Zeng Bu also nodded solemnly. In the view of the New Party, the draft exemption law was the first law that benefited the people. It could crack down on rich households escaping from draft, and it could also allow people to farm during busy farming seasons and ensure production.
Fan Zheng smiled bitterly and said: "The reason why the poor are poor is because they have no money. They will cherish it even more when they are short. Even if the court levies a penny from them, their hearts will be filled with tears. The idea of the exemption law is very good. Money Substitute service has made it impossible for many wealthy households who have escaped from the service to escape, and has allowed many middle-class households who are unwilling to serve to pay for the service. But what about the poor? They really have no money, and they could still contribute to the service in the past, but now they are asked to spend their own money. The pitifully small amount of money naturally caused widespread complaints, and it was exploited by wealthy households who did not want to pay the immunity money, so it became a bad government in everyone's mouth."
Zeng Bu's expression changed, and he couldn't help but recall painful memories. He knew that what Fan Zheng said was true, and that was how the new law failed.
Zhang Dun took a deep breath and said: "We will learn from the lesson this time when we change the law again and let the people voluntarily choose to serve or be immune."
Zhao Xu nodded slightly and continued to ask: "But there is no controversy about the whipping method and the exemption from military service. Why would it still be defeated because of money?"
Zhang and Dun's hearts sank, and they could hear Zhao Xu's great appreciation for the whip technique from his tone.
Fan Zheng explained: "Because of a whip law, the government no longer collects goods in kind, but instead collects money. People need to exchange grain into silver to pay taxes. However, as we all know, grain is cheapest during the harvest period, and many merchants will take advantage of this opportunity." The grain was collected at a high price, and the people were in urgent need of money to pay taxes. In the end, they had to sell the grain at a low price. Even if the harvest was three to five tons more in a good year, they might not be able to have enough food and clothing, and naturally they would complain."
Zhao Xu suddenly looked embarrassed and said: "A bunch of profiteers!"
Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "Since ancient times, businessmen have been running for profit. If businessmen are used properly, they can also be the help of the country's court. A humble official who becomes a forensic doctor also relies on the power of businessmen, so that he can be the doctor he is today. If there are no loopholes in the reform, then How could I be taken advantage of by profiteers?"
Zhao Xu was thoughtful.
Fan Zheng continued to nod: "I just mentioned that the reason for the failure of the new law and the Yiyi whip law was to collect money from the poor. Only then were they caught and took advantage of it, and ultimately failed. If the Song Dynasty wanted to succeed in the reform, it must be only One way to go is to charge more money from the rich, less money from the poor, or even no money at all! Only in this way can the reform be successful.
"Is this impossible? The most important thing in the court's laws is fairness. If some people receive more and some receive less, the public will definitely be excited. This is the way to destroy the country." Zhang Dun firmly objected.
This is why they know clearly that the exemption law is harmful to the poor, but they still do not change it, because once they open their mouths, it will inevitably lead to the collapse of the entire exemption law.
"Injustice, there are a lot of unfair things in the world. The rich have vast fields, but there are few people and poor people. The poor have no standing cones, but there are many corvees. Isn't it an injustice?" Fan Zheng asked rhetorically.
For a while, Fan Zheng and the New Party were in a stalemate.
Fan Zheng thought for a moment and said: "In this case, let's look at it from another angle. The rich are rich because they have so much land under their names. The poor are poor because they have so little land under their names. If they collect labor money, Is it no longer calculated by head, but by land?"
"Land property?" Everyone's minds were moved. In any era, land is the most precious wealth. Even if a merchant has a lot of wealth, it is nothing more than water without a source and a tree with no roots.
Fan Zheng nodded solemnly and said: "The humble minister has a good strategy: share the labor with the mother! It is enough to ensure that the Song Dynasty will be prosperous and strong for a hundred years!"
"Sharing the labor into the mu!" The three of them were slightly shocked. As the name suggests, sharing the labor into the mu is to divide the free money into the land tax.
Fan Zheng nodded and said: "Yes, the labor is divided into acres. Since Mr. Zhang thinks it is unfair for some people to pay more for labor and for others to pay less. In this case, let's change the perspective. The standard for collecting labor money will be changed from per capita to Regarding acres of land, those with more land will receive more, those with less land will receive less, and those with no land will not receive it.”
"Those with more land will receive more, those with less land will receive less, and those without land will receive nothing." Zhang Dun frowned. This is not the same as charging more to the rich and less to the poor.
"If the increased taxes for each mu of land are the same, it's fair!" Fan Zheng counterattacked lightly.
"What a fair deal!" Zhao Xu couldn't help but exclaimed.
Both Zhang and Dun also brightened up and directly asked the rich households to pay more. The rich households would definitely be extremely opposed to it. If they directly levied taxes based on the land, the rich households would have nothing to say!
Fan Zhengdao: "This method has many benefits. First, the population can be hidden and hidden, but the fields cannot be moved. As long as you check carefully, you can always find it, which is enough to ensure the court's tax revenue."
"Secondly, both rich households with more land and poor households with less land can bear the tax, and those without land do not have to pay taxes. After all, there are many poor people in the world. Once this law comes out, the government will comply with the people's will and countless people will support it. Possibility of success.”
“Thirdly, it can greatly crack down on hidden households.
……………………
After the labor was transferred to the land, the objects of expropriation were no longer people, but property. In this way, people no longer had to hide their household registration to avoid paying labor taxes.
"This method is great!"
Zhao Xu said with a beating heart.
The biggest criticism of the new law is that the people complained about the exemption money. If the taxes of the poor people are divided into acres, the taxes of the poor people will be greatly reduced, and the officials in the court will no longer need to use public opinion as an excuse to attack the new law.
Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu were also silent. It is indeed more important than a whip law and a new law. Of course, as a result, the taxes paid by the rich will increase, but they are not worried, because this is the reform law of the past dynasties. Purpose.
"No, just now Fan Aiqing said that the good method of sharing the slave labor into the mother's mother is still the middle strategy. There must be a better strategy, but I don't know what the best strategy is." Zhao Xu thought with a thought. The middle and lower strategies are already so good, so how amazing should the so-called best strategies be?
Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu also looked at Fan Zheng expectantly. One whip method and one can be used for 20 years, and the other can be used for a hundred years. I am afraid that the so-called best strategy...
"The best plan?" Fan Zheng looked at the three of them and said with a trace of hesitation: "The best plan is that the great righteousness seems to be evil, and the great prince seems to be treacherous. The minister once promised his mother not to use evil methods again! These two methods are enough for the Song Dynasty, so the best plan is not mentioned Whatever!"
The three of them suddenly felt lost, but no matter how the three of them pressed, Fan Zheng remained silent.
Seeing this, Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu had no choice but to get up and leave. The whipping method and the slave laborer's entry into the family they had obtained today were already a treasure, and they couldn't wait to go back to study and prepare to add it to the new method.
…………
After Zhang Dun left, only Zhao Xu and Fan Zheng were left in the imperial garden.
"There are only two of us left at this time. Heaven knows and earth knows. You know and I know. I can guarantee that it will never be spread." Zhao Xu said, scratching his ears and cheeks.
When he heard about Fan Zheng's good strategies, he was enlightened, and he was naturally more curious about the better strategies than sharing the land. ,
Faced with Fan Zheng's Zhao Xu's constant questioning, Fan Zheng sighed and said: "Does the official know that the work of serving as slaves has been so amazing, how can it be maintained for a hundred years?"
Zhao Xu frowned and thought, and finally shook his head in despair.
"Because even if the labor is divided into acres, it cannot inhibit land annexation. It can only ensure national tax revenue." Fan Zheng explained.
"Land annexation!" Zhao Xu frowned. This has been a chronic problem of past dynasties.
Fan Zheng nodded and said, "Doctors have recently discovered that people usually get a terminal disease called cancer when they get old."
"Cancer?" Zhao Xu raised his eyebrows, not understanding that just now Fan Zheng was annexing land, but now he was mentioning cancer.
Fan Zheng explained: "Cancer is a terminal disease, but it is not an ordinary symptom. It is not caused by infection or the aging of human organs, but because the human organs are out of control. Cancer breaks out in the human body and continuously invades other organs and crazily plunders nutrients. , which intensifies physical consumption until death, and land annexation is the cancer of the dynasty. A large amount of land is annexed in an disorderly manner, robbing the people of their living space until the dynasty is destroyed, and they die together with the dynasty.
Zhao Xu was shocked. He was familiar with history books and naturally knew that peasant uprisings in the past dynasties meant that a large number of peasants lost their land and could no longer survive.
"Of course, this is not the Song Dynasty, but all dynasties have suffered from terminal illnesses. This is also the culprit of the three hundred years of national destiny that all dynasties have been unable to escape. The general trend of the world is that if it divides for a long time, it will unite and unite for a long time. Each dynasty change is just a rebirth of the land. It’s just distribution!” Fan Zheng sighed.
Zhao Xu's face was solemn, he took a deep breath and said, "How do doctors treat cancer?"
Fan Zheng said coldly: "If it is discovered in time, use Hua Tuo's unique skills and endure the severe pain of scraping the bones and cutting the flesh to remove it. If it is discovered too late and spreads throughout the body, it will be difficult for gods to cure it."
"Then how should Da Song's cancer be treated?" Zhao Xu asked again.
Fan Zheng sighed and said: "Actually, this strategy has already appeared in the world, and it was the work of my grandfather Fan Zhongyan."
"Qingli New Deal?"
Zhao Xu frowned. The new law was based on the Qingli New Deal. He had done an in-depth study of the Qingli New Deal back then. This law was full of loopholes. Not to mention compared with the work-sharing system, even the whipping method was far from the new law. Far worse.
Fan Zheng shook his head and said: "This method was not created by my grandfather's reform, but was discovered after his reform failed. I wonder if the officials have ever heard of Fan Jia Yizhuang."
"Fan Jia Yizhuang?" Zhao Xu was stunned.
Naturally, he had heard about Fan's Yizhuang. After Fan Zhongyan failed in the reform and was demoted for the third time, he donated a thousand acres of land in Suzhou and hired people to cultivate it. All the rent was used to support the descendants of the Fan family, and regardless of the Men, women and children can benefit.
Fan Zheng said with a solemn face: "The output of the one thousand acres of land in Fan's Yizhuang is not privately owned, but belongs to all Fan family members. Even if the second uncle is the prime minister, the money he receives is as insignificant as Fan Zheng's. Second, even if the clan members increase ten to a hundred times in the future, we can still ensure that every clan member has enough to eat, and one Fan family righteous village is enough to keep the Fan family prosperous for thousands of years."
Zhao Xu nodded solemnly. From this alone, we could see how far-sighted Fan Zhongyan was. He was the first generation of reform leaders in the Song Dynasty and his reputation was not in vain.
"What if the Song Dynasty was also a righteous village?" Fan Zheng asked rhetorically.
"Wow!"
Zhao Xu suddenly stood up, trembling all over, and looked at Fan Zheng in disbelief.
Fan Zheng was completely unaware and couldn't help but yearn for it: "If the Song Dynasty was a righteous village, and all the people in the world were Song people, they could all get their own land, farm it, marry and have children. After death, the land would be credited again and redistributed to In the new Song Dynasty, everyone had their own land, and there was no longer a tragedy in which the rich had no land to live on, and the poor had no place to stand."
"The world is for the common good!" Zhao Xu exclaimed.
Zhao Xu was immediately in awe. Once upon a time, he admired the new law very much, and looked down upon Fan Zhongyan, who gave up on the reform halfway. He believed that the so-called Qingli New Deal accomplished nothing.
However, when he heard that Fan Zheng enlarged Fan Zhongyan's Yizhuang to the entire Song Dynasty, he suddenly realized how talented Fan Zhongyan was.
"Great justice seems like evil, great justice seems like treachery!"
At this moment, Zhao Xu understood why Fan Zheng kept silent about this plan. Once word of this plan was spread, it would definitely cause an uproar. This turmoil cannot be compared to experiencing the New Deal and Xining Reform.
Fan Zheng nodded solemnly. This was his third strategy, which was derived from the state-owned land system of Fanjiayizhuang.
"Be worried about the world's worries first, and be happy after the world's happiness! Now I know how lofty-minded Fan Xianggong is." Zhao Xu said in shock.
Fan Zheng nodded and said: "This is why my grandfather didn't tell the world about this strategy after he realized it. Instead, he first used Fan Jia Yizhuang as an experiment. Now that Fan Jia Yizhuang has been running for decades, it is indeed a feasible strategy, but it is also a dead end! "
"Why is this?" Zhao Xu asked puzzled.
"Although this strategy is the best strategy, and if successful, it will allow the Song Dynasty to break the three-hundred-year reincarnation of the dynasty, it is at the same time extremely dangerous and will make Wang Mang's mistakes happen again." Fan Zheng reminded.
"Wang Mang's New Deal!" Zhao Xu took a breath. At that time, he remembered that Wang Mang's New Deal also included state ownership of land. As a result, there were many resistances. It is conceivable that if the Song Dynasty implemented state ownership of land, it would probably be no better than Wang Mang in the end.
"But you also know that this is a terminal illness of the dynasty. If it's too late..." Zhao Xu worried about what was right and what was wrong.
"Officials can rest assured that most dynasties have a national destiny of three hundred years, but the Song Dynasty only has more than a hundred years, and there is still a long way to go before a terminal illness breaks out." Fan Zheng consoled him.
The corner of Zhao Xu's mouth twitched. This sentence sounds awkward, just like you have only lived to be thirty years old and the doctor told you that you will not die until you are sixty years old. Although you are not in danger, you are unwilling to give in.
"Furthermore, after the Song Dynasty implemented the system of "sharing the service into the mu" and defeated the Liao and Xia, and the national power increased, it would not be too late for the officials to reform. You must know that the true meaning of reform lies in changing the word. At least for now, the most suitable one for the Song Dynasty is the "sharing the service into the mu" !" Fan Zheng said solemnly.
Zhao Xu nodded thoughtfully.
(End of chapter)
