prosperous age

In the dead of night, the Forbidden City is shrouded in darkness, with only a few palace lanterns emitting a faint light.

The side hall of Qianqing Palace was pitch black outside, but the main hall was brightly lit.

The palace servants had already lit the candlesticks scattered throughout the halls, illuminating the empty space.

Behind an imperial desk in the corner of the room, the Wanli Emperor frowned as he looked at the memorial in front of him, which Wei Guangde had written and submitted that afternoon.

On the desk was a report compiled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, outlining the approximate income figures of people across the country.

Opposite the imperial desk, Zhang Hong and Zhang Jing knelt respectfully, awaiting the emperor's inquiry.

The others could only wait outside the dark hall, carrying their dusters.

“Your Majesty, I have already inquired. It was ordered by Grand Secretary Wei to be made by the Embroidered Uniform Guard more than three months ago. The figures on it are also the figures reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s various garrisons. There is no room for falsehood.”

Zhang Jing, the eunuch of the Eastern Depot, lowered his head and spoke in a gentle tone.

"I know it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard who did it; they reported it before."

"But I don't understand, what use does Master Wei have for this?"

Emperor Wanli put down the memorial in his hand, looked at Zhang Hong, and asked gently, "Zhang Hong, what do you mean by Master Wei sending this to the palace and requesting that the Embroidered Uniform Guard collect statistics on the people's income every year?"
"Does he want me to see the Ming Dynasty under his rule, with its people living in peace and prosperity?"

When the emperor called upon him, Zhang Hong looked up at the emperor behind the imperial desk before slowly speaking, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that Master Wei's actions must have their reasons."

At least, from this document, this old minister saw the huge income gap between the people in the north and south of my Great Ming Dynasty, and between urban and rural areas.

Leaving aside other cities in the north, even the income of ordinary people in the capital city is lower than that of citizens in the south, which is simply unbelievable.

At this point, Zhang Hong paused slightly before continuing cautiously, "This old minister heard that this afternoon, after seeing this document, Minister Zhang summoned the Vice Minister and other officials of the Ministry of Revenue to analyze it."

At this point, Zhang Hong was speechless for a moment.

"Them what?"

Emperor Wanli's strange way.

"I heard they were discussing whether to use taxes from the south of the country to balance the income gap between the north and south, which would also enrich the national treasury."

At this point, Zhang Hong bowed his head and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "In my opinion, this method is absolutely unacceptable."

"The income gap is huge, and trying to balance the gap between the North and the South with taxes is really a solution that the Ministry of Revenue could come up with."

The Wanli Emperor smiled slightly and said something.

"Your Majesty, taxes should be levied equally on all people in the country. We cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because the people in the south have higher incomes than those in the north, we should abandon the long-standing policy of the court."

The common people, whether born in the south or the north, are all subjects of the emperor, and the emperor should treat them all with hospitality.

There is nothing wrong with the people of Jiangnan earning their money through labor.

Zhang Hong continued.

"Alright, I know, I would never do such a thing."

I am overjoyed that the people have high incomes and live good lives.

"I was just wondering why Master Wei wanted the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate this. I summoned you all here to ask for your opinions."

Emperor Wanli explained.

Although he was surprised by the income gap between the north and south of the Ming Dynasty, he had no intention of increasing taxes in the south.

The taxes were established by Emperor Taizu at the beginning of the dynasty.

Although tax policies have been modified over the years, they have remained largely unchanged.

"Your Majesty, although all people under heaven should be treated equally, this servant believes that the fields in the south are better than those in the north."

Wealth comes from the land's produce, but the south has a good climate and high grain yields.

Northern China is frequently plagued by droughts or floods, resulting in poor harvests.

Therefore, income is generally lower in the North than in the South.

In previous years, the imperial court distributed a considerable amount of relief funds to aid disaster victims in the north.

In contrast, the South enjoys favorable weather and abundant harvests. This humble servant believes that appropriately increasing taxes in the South and depositing the funds in the court for use in disaster relief efforts across the country would not be unfeasible.

Zhang Jing interjected at this moment.

"I summoned you here to ask... Never mind, Zhang Jing, you may leave."

The Wanli Emperor wanted to say that he had no intention of increasing taxes in the south, but simply wanted to know what Wei Guangde really meant by asking for these data.

Throughout history, this kind of information has been collected from time to time, all in order to demonstrate that the world is at peace and the people are prosperous.

However, according to the figures from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the people in the south were satisfied with this demand, but the north was not quite there.

Crucially, Wei Guangde also reported these figures to the emperor and passed them on to the Six Ministries.

Zhang Jing clearly didn't understand what he meant, while Zhang Hong knew, but couldn't guess Wei Guangde's intentions.

Next, in the main hall, both Emperor Wanli and Zhang Hong pondered Wei Guangde's intentions in doing so.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Wei family mansion in Nanxunfang, Zhang Xueyan, Jiang Zhi, and others were sitting.

If they can't figure it out, they can just come to our door and ask.

In particular, with Zhang Xueyan, the Ministry of Revenue began to consider whether to increase taxes on the south.

However, before bringing it out, Zhang Xueyan still cautiously chose to visit and ask clearly, lest they misunderstand the Grand Secretary's intentions.

Meanwhile, in the study, Wei Guangde explained why he had ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate the income of the common people.

"I didn't think too much about it; I just wanted to know how the people under my jurisdiction were living."

Wei Guangde explained his reasoning for issuing the order in a single sentence.

You can tell whether people are living well or not by looking at their income.

High income means a good life.

If you have a high income but still can't make ends meet, then there's no hope for you. You're like Scrooge, what hope is there for you?

"As everyone has seen, the figures reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard are unlikely to differ too much from the actual income of ordinary people."

Wei Guangde continued, "The income of people in the south is relatively good; their income is almost double that of people in the north."

Generally speaking, the average annual income of families in southern cities is around 20 taels of silver, while in the north it is only 11 or 2 taels, a significant difference.

Even in the capital, a high-income city in the north, the price was only 14 taels, a huge difference.

"The reason I am passing this document on to you all is actually for one purpose only."

As important officials of the imperial court, we must be clear about the actual situation of the people when formulating imperial policies.

Clearly, incomes are lower in the north and higher in the south. The solution isn't to raise taxes in the south, but to find ways to increase the income of people in the north.

As he said this, Wei Guangde glanced at Zhang Xueyan.

Clearly, he already knew about the Ministry of Revenue's discussion that afternoon.

Well, Wei Guangde also placed a group of students in the Six Ministries.

They would occasionally relay major events and rumors happening in the yamen to the Wei residence.

Wei Guangde's informants in various government offices were not limited to the officials present.

How can we improve the effectiveness of "good lending"?

Speaking of ordinary people, the south has enjoyed favorable weather in recent years, while the north has experienced a slight drought.

In fact, even if the north has favorable weather, its agricultural output is still not as good as that of the south.

Jiang Zhi spoke up.

Most of them were officials from the south who had spent a considerable amount of time in the north and naturally knew about the differences in the yields of land between the north and south.

Despite the soaring land prices near Beijing, land prices in other areas are still much lower than in the south.

"In addition, the South has a well-developed industry and commerce, and its development has been booming in recent years."

Compared to the north, where it's mostly supported by chambers of commerce, the difference is enormous.

Jiang Zhi didn't explain the rest of his words very clearly, but everyone understood.

If it weren't for Wei Guangde opening up trade routes to the grasslands and introducing wool textiles, the development of workshops in the north would have been even slower in recent years. On the other hand, in the south, especially in Jiangnan and Guangdong, a large number of merchants invested and started businesses, and various workshops sprang up like mushrooms after rain, taking advantage of the opening of the sea.

These workshops have absorbed a large number of people into the workforce, directly leading to an increase in people's income.

This is almost unimaginable in the North.

"If the differences between the North and the South are too great, the court will encounter problems in its future governance."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"The differences between the North and the South have existed since ancient times and are not a recent phenomenon."

Lao Kan spoke up to remind him.

One of the most important reasons why Jiangnan became a major province for the imperial examinations was actually linked to its economy.

The more economically developed a place is, the higher its level of education is.

Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Southern Zhili were the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue, and their industries and agriculture were extremely developed, directly contributing to their status as the provinces with the best performance in the imperial examinations during the Ming Dynasty.

Even in Sichuan, thanks to the prosperous economy brought by the Chengdu Plain, the imperial examination system was unique in the southwest.

In the north, the poor economic foundation also affected the level of education, naturally resulting in much lower scores in the imperial examinations.

Lao Kan's words were actually a bit of an overstatement.

The situation of the south being more important than the north was formed during the Song Dynasty.

Before the Song Dynasty, the economy of the North had always surpassed that of the South.

It was during the Southern Song Dynasty that this pattern was broken, as a large number of northerners, unable to escape due to war, brought with them advanced planting and production techniques.

However, this situation has indeed existed for over a century.

The time frame was not short.

"The imperial court must find a way to break this situation, increase the number of workshops, and raise the income of the people in the northern provinces."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

After he said that, everyone fell silent.

Merchants are profit-driven; they will go wherever they can make money by building workshops.

Currently, commerce is booming in the south, and merchants unconsciously choose to build workshops in the south.

Before anyone else could speak, Wei Guangde said to himself, "Tax reduction: from the northern coast to the west bank of the Grand Canal, commercial taxes will be halved, while brokerage taxes will remain unchanged."

In the Ming Dynasty, taxes were levied on workshops, which were previously collected in kind. This meant that a portion of the goods produced by the workshops was deducted as tax.

However, after the tax reform, this part of the tax in kind has been converted into silver and is no longer levied in kind, thus forming a de facto tax on industry.

Furthermore, in the circulation sector, the collection of silver exchange fees by brokers is a taxation action carried out in the circulation process.

Instead of paying the brokerage tax, Wei Guangde planned to halve the commercial tax levied on workshops established in the north, naturally intending to attract merchants to set up workshops in the north.

All eyes were on Zhang Xueyan.

The Ministry of Revenue was most aware of the direct impact of this change on public finances.

"It might reduce tax revenue by more than 100,000 taels of silver."

Finally, after making a rough calculation, Zhang Xueyan spoke.

Northern industry was already weak, lagging significantly behind the south, and commercial tax revenue was several times lower.

Wei Guangde's plan to halve the commercial tax in the north will actually have little impact on the national treasury.

"However, such a tax reduction will likely displease merchants in the south."

Zhang Xueyan was more concerned about the reactions from all sides after the government order was issued.

Everyone pays the same tax, so naturally no one will say anything.

But if you suddenly reduce taxes in the north, southern merchants will definitely be unhappy.

"Then let them set up workshops in the north as well, and they can enjoy tax reduction and exemption treatment."

Wei Guangde said, "If this method still cannot stimulate merchants to establish workshops in the north, then the tax on goods in the north should also be halved."

Tax increases are not feasible, but tax cuts are possible, and given the current fiscal situation, they are still manageable.

In addition, now that things have stabilized in Japan, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue should also pay appropriate attention to Burma and increase the tax revenue there.

"The taxes paid by Myanmar are too low now. Although the imperial army of 100,000 is stationed there, it is said that many merchants are now building workshops there, and goods are being shipped directly from Bago and Takorn."

Wei Guangde suddenly said.

This is intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Li Chengliang's main focus is on the mineral resources in Myanmar, which falls under the category of coastal defense.

Perhaps because the Western Sea Fleet was far from the emperor's reach, some of its members colluded with maritime merchants to export goods directly from there to the Western Ocean for sale.

It's not that it's impossible, but doing so would result in a significant loss of customs revenue for the imperial court.

Finally, Wei Guangde realized that in recent years, Myanmar seemed to have been left to its own devices, and there were signs that things were getting out of control.

"Good Loan, does that mean you should also establish a customs office in Myanmar to tax goods shipped overseas?"

Zhang Xueyan immediately said, "At the same time, in Bago and Dagon, all ships going out to sea must have a ship's license; otherwise, the ship will be impounded and all cargo will be confiscated."

Wei Guangde remained noncommittal in response to Zhang Xueyan's words, and instead looked at Zhang Ke.

During this period, Zhang Ke focused his energy on Japan and neglected Myanmar.

Wei Guangde's words actually implied that the Ministry of War had failed in its supervisory duties over the Burmese military and navy.

Wei Guangde looked at Zhang Ke, and was quickly noticed by the others, who soon understood the reason.

"Myanmar is mountainous and remote, so it's no wonder that there were mistakes. It's not Jinqing's fault."

Lao Kan then laughed it off.

"Our Ministry of War was negligent in this matter."

Zhang Ke met Wei Guangde's gaze, swallowed hard, and said something.

Actually, he had something to say too.

Two years earlier, he had wanted to withdraw Li Chengliang and his son and replace them with others to garrison Myanmar.

At the time, it was Wei Guangde who rejected the proposal.

Now that the army there has run into problems, the responsibility is being directly shifted to the Ministry of War, which he clearly does not accept.

The reason why generals were rotated in ancient times was precisely to prevent them from causing trouble if they stayed in local areas for too long.

Although Li Chengliang and his son were only in Burma for a few years, they were the ones who fought their way through the war and held a high position in the army.

"The Ministry of War should select a general as soon as possible and arrange someone to replace Li Chengliang."

Seeing the resentment in Zhang Ke's eyes, Wei Guangde guessed the reason to some extent.

"In addition, the commander-in-chief of the West Sea Fleet will also be replaced, and a replacement will be selected from within the navy."

Wei Guangde continued.

The loss of control of the Burmese army is definitely not just a problem of lower-ranking officers; the Lee family, father and son, as well as the naval commander-in-chief, are certainly responsible.

Even if they weren't involved, they must have known about it.

"Then should we select a general from the southwest or the border army to take over?"
In addition, we also need to consider how to settle the Li family father and son.

Otherwise, it's easy for a "kill the dog after the rabbit is caught, discard the bow after the birds are gone" mentality to develop within the army.

Zhang Ke said.

"I promised that after Li Chengliang pacified Burma, I would request a title for her and the Ministry of War would assess her merits to see what title would be appropriate."

In addition, there's Qi Yuanjing; let's take a look as well.

One pacified Burma, and the other conquered overseas territories; both were instrumental in expanding foreign lands.

Wei Guangde's decision to grant both Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang titles simultaneously was actually a way to maintain balance. "As for their official positions, let them remain in the capital for now." (End of Chapter)