Daming: Old Zhu, we agreed not to rush!

Chapter 53
Corrupt officials are just a trivial matter.

Su Jing's words directly made Zhu Biao at a loss.

This is not taxation, nor corrupt officials, what else can it be?
Xu Miaoyun at the side listened to the conversation between the two, and began to think about it, but she didn't figure out the joints.

"Also ask Master Su to teach me."

Zhu Biao asked Su Jing.

Su Jing said indifferently: "Niu Yi, do you know how the taxes and corvees of officials and gentry are stipulated today?"

Zhu Biao nodded, and said directly: "The emperor's decree, the family of food and salary, is equal to the common people, and those who tend to serve as servants to serve the superiors are the affairs of the common people.

If a virtuous person and a gentleman value their own body and serve their family, there is no distinction between a gentleman and a savage, and it is not the way to persuade scholars to treat virtuous people.

Since today, Baisi sees the family of an official, and those who have land are exempted from corvee except for rent and tax. "

This is the edict issued by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao's father, and Zhu Biao's son naturally remembers it very clearly.

"very good."

Su Jing nodded, looked at Xu Miaoyun at the side and said, "Yu Yun, right? Do you know what this means?"

Xu Miaoyun glanced at Zhu Biao, only to see Zhu Biao nodded to her, then Xu Miaoyun said: "I know, this is to say that people who receive salaries are on the same level as ordinary people, and those who serve in order to serve are the affairs of ordinary people.

If sages and gentlemen value themselves but let them go, then there is no difference between gentlemen and people in the field, and it is not to persuade people to wait for the way of sages.

From now on, people who have land in the homes of the current officials of Baiguan will be exempted from corvee in addition to paying taxes. "

Although she is the daughter of the military general Xu Da, Xu Miaoyun is no less educated than others.

"Not bad, not bad, the explanation is very clear."

Su Jing nodded, more and more sure that Xu Miaoyun's identity is unusual.

It is very rare for ancient women to be able to read, and even less so for Xu Miaoyun.

"Niu Yi, don't you understand?"

Su Jing looked at Zhu Biao again.

Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment, not understanding what it meant. He wondered: "Isn't this a good policy set up by the emperor to persuade the virtuous? It improves the status of scholars, encourages the people to study, and enables officials to do things better."

Su Jing shook her head, but did not blame Zhu Biao.

After all, when Zhu Yuanzhang established this policy, he thought so, and did not carefully consider the consequences.

"Niu Yi, have you thought about a problem? If you were a farmer and you saw that the officials' land didn't need to pay 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 is taxed. What do you think?"

"Naturally, they each perform their duties. Farmers plant their own land, and officials rent labor to plant their own land."

Zhu Biao replied very naturally.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang taught him this way, everyone in the Ming Dynasty should perform their duties.

It's just that it shouldn't mean that you will do it.

Su Jing continued: "What if there is a disaster year? When the grain produced in the field is not enough to pay taxes, you are a farmer, what will you do?"

"I"

Zhu Biao just wanted to answer that the imperial court would provide disaster relief, but he realized that Su Jing asked him to start from the perspective of farmers, so he choked.

"Farmers will sell their land to officials, and officials don't need to pay taxes on their land, 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's not the turn of the disaster, even if it's a normal year, farmers can donate their land to 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, and there is no need to pay taxes, and the rent paid by the farmers to the officials and gentry is less than before. For them, they are all profitable!"

"Mr. Su, am I right?"

Xu Miaoyun spoke to Su Jing excitedly, like a student who urgently needs to be praised.

Su Jing also immediately satisfied her, and praised: "You are very right!"

Zhu Biao was stunned.

Because of Xu Miaoyun's words, he finally understood what Su Shi meant.

Compared with this, the matter of corrupt officials is indeed a trivial matter.

The next generation of emperors, the next generation of emperors, there will only be more and more officials, and there will be various hereditary titles, and the land bestowed on the prince.

These are all tax-free.

And, it's unavoidable.

Now that the world has been preliminarily settled, a thousand wastes are waiting for prosperity, and the Ming Dynasty needs to recuperate, so the grain tax is naturally low.

But after that, the food tax will inevitably increase slowly.

And the number of people who pay taxes will only decrease.

In this process, the land annexation that Su Shi once mentioned is naturally indispensable.

The wealth of Ming Dynasty continued to accumulate to the landlord class, while the peasants became more and more impoverished.

When livelihoods became impossible, rebellion was the only option.

Daming seems to be on the way to perish again.

terrible!
It's terrible!

In Zhu Biao's heart, the confidence he had finally built up was cracked again.

"Niu Yi, it seems that you already understand, so I don't need to say anything more."

Su Jing waved the hoe again and started digging sweet potatoes.

Xu Miaoyun also recovered from the excitement just now. Although she hadn't listened to Su Jing's previous courses, she also knew what would happen if a country's taxes were not collected.

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 a few words, and pointed to the core.

No wonder the palace is spreading rumors that the prince's new teacher, Mr. Su, is amazing!
"Master Su, is there no solution to this matter?"

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, and finally asked Su Jing a question.

Su Jing didn't even stop the hoe, and said directly: "There is no solution to this, the officials and the gentry pay the food together."

"Of course, you can get rid of those vested interests in advance. They are not poor people, and they have nowhere to appeal if they are exploited."

Zhu Biao was taken aback, this was something he hadn't expected.

No, it's not that I didn't expect it, I just don't want to think about it, I dare not think about it.

Officials and gentry pay?

This is not only against the meaning of his father Zhu Yuanzhang, but also against the interests of the entire gentry class. It can be said that it is 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 can know how fierce opposition will be encountered once someone proposes to pay the officials and gentry.

But don't do it?

There will only be more and more land that does not pay grain in the Ming Dynasty, and in the end all taxes can only be increased to ordinary people.

At this moment, Zhu Biao no longer had the strong self-confidence before.

Facing the entire gentry class, even if he is a prince, it is difficult to shake.

"Don't think about it, it can't be done."

Su Jing said to the dazed Zhu Biao: "It's true to dig the sweet potatoes as soon as possible. These things are not for you to worry about."

(End of this chapter)