At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were three rates. Of course, Yang Sichang only proposed the current practice rates and did not implement them.
Speaking of which, it is not impossible to increase the levy of wages, but it depends on the method of collection.
For example, when Lu Xiangsheng was the governor of Xuanda, he implemented the method of increasing the levy of salary and silver, which was based on the grain-based policy.
What is due to grain? It is actually an additional tax on the rich. The specific implementation method is: no additional tax will be levied on farmers who pay a tax of less than 5 taels, but for wealthy households who pay more than 5 taels, grain taxes will be levied to varying degrees according to the amount of property.
If this policy were implemented, not so many farmers would be forced into bankruptcy, thus providing the soil for thieves. However, in this way, Lu Xiangsheng offended those wealthy households. At this time, the wealthy households, those whose taxes were more than five taels, basically had the background of officials and squires. Especially in Shanxi, smugglers colluded with border officials and guards. Lu Xiangsheng's tax collection offended them all at once.
So Yang Sichang ran out. He came from a family of officials and represented the interests of these people. As an assistant minister of the Ming Dynasty's cabinet, he was originally a favorite of Emperor Chongzhen, but he immediately stood up to oppose it and used various tricks to induce and persuade Emperor Chongzhen. In the end, it became a way to increase the levy for both sides. That is to say, regardless of the rich or the poor, all will be levied together.
For Emperor Chongzhen, who is the soul of future generations, it goes without saying how to choose. Now that the imperial court is running out of money, there is no other way to raise taxes. However, as for the way to increase the levy, we should go back and support Lu Xiangsheng to start it again, and follow this grain-based strategy. Lu Xiangsheng is responsible for leading the charge, and as the emperor, he will guard the rear for him.
With this in mind, Emperor Chongzhen went to watch the conversation between Chen Xinjia and Yang Sichang again.
Hearing Chen Xinjia talk about the dispute over the loss of food and war, Yang Sichang couldn't help but frown and said: "When you say that, I think of a person who has a headache again. There are many letters from everywhere, saying that he is arbitrary and domineering!"
"Is it Sun Chuanting?" When Chen Xinjia heard this, he immediately guessed it and said, "This Sun Chuanting is misbehaving in Shaanxi under the pretext of the ancestral system. He should have been punished long ago. Now he is leading the army to come to King Qin, can the cabinet do anything?"
What he meant by using the ancestral system as an excuse was that after Sun Chuanting became the governor of Shaanxi, he came up with the measure of "clearing the villages to replenish pay" in the face of a shortage of food and soldiers.
The so-called clearing of the army's farms means taking back all the farmland in the army and using all the income from the farms as food and wages.
Starting from the ninth year of Chongzhen, he held high the banner of "ancestral system", claiming that "not one acre of land should be lost, and not one grain of grain should be lost." After collecting all the land files in Shaanxi, he began to collect land from the military camps crazily according to the files. . However, cleaning up the military cantons is like poking a hornet's nest. Those who invade and occupy the military cantons are officials and generals at all levels, and they often involve higher officials. As a result, Sun Chuanting showed no mercy and almost offended the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. In three years, he recovered almost all the military land and cleared out 450,000 taels of silver.
The original governor of the three sides was Yang Sichang's father, Yang He. Therefore, because of this incident, people there complained to Yang Sichang, who was now Emperor Chongzhen's favorite, expecting Yang Sichang to make the decision for them.
However, in the past few years, Sun Chuanting used the money he earned from clearing the settlement to reorganize the army, train the Qin soldiers under his command, and fight in the south and north. He captured and killed Gao Yingxiang, the most famous king of Chuang among the bandits, and beat him to death. The thief heard the news and fled. It can be said that his series of military victories made him difficult to overthrow.
At this time, Yang Sichang saw that Chen Xinjia had guessed it, and he was not surprised. He nodded and said: "This Sun Chuanting has a straight temper and has offended many people. I have applied eye drops in front of the emperor many times before, so I guess It's almost done. When King Qin comes to the capital this time, I have countermeasures waiting for him. If his temper gets angry later, he will definitely be left with nothing to eat. I have great hope that I will get rid of him this time!"
In the original history, Sun Chuanting was manipulated by Yang Sichang after King Qin arrived in the capital. He failed to hold back his bad temper and was eventually imprisoned for questioning.
But at this time, after their chat, Emperor Chongzhen recalled the incident of Sun Chuanting from the original memory of Emperor Chongzhen, and couldn't help but laugh again. It seems that Chen Xinjia was summoned this time to "reward" him with the eavesdropping seeds, which made a great contribution.
Yes, I have decided on Sun Chuanting!
As long as I'm here, whether it's Lu Xiangsheng or Sun Chuanting, you can rest assured. These cancers attached to the Ming Dynasty should have been cleaned up by capable and loyal ministers like you a long time ago!
Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen felt much better. When I looked at the chat between Chen Xinjia and Yang Sichang, there was no particularly useful information. After the two chatted for a while, they dispersed.
From what they said, Chen Xinjia was waiting to "get out" back to Shanxi immediately tomorrow morning, and also wanted to embarrass Sun Chuanting who was passing by. It would be best if he could prevent Sun Chuanting from delaying his arrival to the capital. If it doesn't work, Yang Sichang also has countermeasures waiting for him.
Haha, if you have any countermeasures, feel free to use them. If I were led by you, I would have traveled through time with my golden finger in vain!
Emperor Chongzhen thought this way, and just when he was about to drive back to the harem, he suddenly heard that Li Ruolian, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, requested an audience.
Needless to say, the things that were supposed to be explained during the day came to fruition.
So, he immediately sent a message to Li Ruolian to see him.
No surprise, Li Ruolian came to report the contact between the palace procurement staff and the outside world. Among them, two people are more suspicious, both of whom are from Shangshan Supervisor.
Emperor Chongzhen listened and nodded to express his understanding. Let Li Ruolian continue to secretly monitor the matters outside, and he will solve the matters in the palace himself.
For the time being, he didn't plan to touch those two people. He would just watch them first to see how they behaved and who they had close contacts with. It would be best to follow this thread to find out all of them.
While he was thinking about these things, the imperial edict to urge troops had also arrived at Shanhaiguan.
Wu Sangui, who was then the deputy general of the forward right battalion and equivalent to the deputy commander-in-chief, immediately went to his uncle's house in Zu Dashou's mansion.
Speaking of Zu Dashou, it can be said that he was the number one force in the Shanhaiguan army of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to Zu Dashou himself, there are also his brothers Zu Dalue, Zu Dacheng and Zu Dabi, his nephews Zu Zeyuan, Zu Zepei, Zu Zesheng, Zu Zefa, Zu Zerun, Zu Kefa, etc. They are officers at all levels, starting from the general, down to deputy generals, staff generals, and guerrillas. They are stationed in Ningyuan, Dalinghe, and Jinzhou cities. For this reason, in his early years, Emperor Chongzhen even ordered the construction of a merit arch in Ningyuan City for the fourth ancestor of Zhenliao.
At this time, when he saw his heroic nephew Wu Sangui coming to visit, he guessed the purpose of his visit and immediately laughed.
