Daming: Spoilers about the future, Zhu Yuanzhang collapsed

"Wang Anshi's reforms can be generally summarized as two methods to enrich the country and strengthen the army.

There is another method to select officials.

The main purpose of his reform was to enrich the country and strengthen the military.

Among them, the methods to enrich the country are the Qingmiao Law, the Equal Transport Law, the Agricultural Land and Water Conservancy Law, the Recruitment Law, the Market Exchange Law, and the Square Field Equal Tax Law.

The Qingmiao Law was implemented because the Song Dynasty had already become poor and weak.

Although the country is relatively wealthy overall.

But the people's lives were very difficult.

There are many poor people who, when it is time to plant crops, or even when they should be planting crops, do not even have the money to buy seeds.

So in order to enable the people to benefit and grow food.

On the one hand, it can allow the people to have food to eat.

On the other hand, it was also to allow the court to receive taxes...

In September of the second year of Xining, it was promulgated and implemented by the Regulations Office of the Three Departments. The main contents are:
Each province will use the 15 million shi of coins stored in the Changping and Guanghui warehouses as capital. If it is grain, it will be exchanged for cash with the Transportation Bureau.

Cash loans are provided to rural households, and any surplus can also be loaned to urban households.

When civilian households apply for loans, five or ten households must form a guarantor, with the top three households acting as guarantors. Summer supplies must be loaned out before the 30th day of the first lunar month every year.

If you apply for autumn materials before May 30, the summer materials and autumn materials will be repaid in May and October respectively along with the two taxes, and the interest on each is 2%..."

Han Cheng felt somewhat helpless when he said this to Zhao Kuangyin.

The interest rate is really too high.

It has reached 20% or even 30%.

The key point is that this is not a one-year loan period, but only half a year.

However, when I think about the Northern Song Dynasty when the interest rate of private loans was as high as 100%, or even 200%, I feel a little relieved.

From the perspective of later generations, the interest rate of the Qingmiao Law implemented by the government was indeed extremely high.

But compared with the situation at that time, it is not that high...

Hearing what Han Cheng said, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but frowned slightly.

The Qingmiao method that Han Cheng mentioned seemed quite good and reasonable at first glance.

However, when I thought about it more carefully, I suddenly felt that something was not right.

Some of the problems are too big.

Some are too wishful thinking.

There are policies and measures to counter.

At first glance, this kind of thing seems to be a good thing.

It is also for the people and the Song Dynasty.

However, when it comes to actual implementation, it can easily cause problems in various aspects.

He always felt that the Qingmiao method was prone to accidents!

"How is the Qingmiao Law being implemented later?"

Zhao Kuangyin looked at Han Cheng and asked, with some worry in his voice.

His expression also looked solemn.

He originally wanted to hear some good news about Wang Anshi's reform.

But Han Chengcai had just explained the Qingmiao Method to him in detail.

Some of the ideas in his mind changed.

Realized something was different.

Han Chengdao: "The Qingmiao Law was quite good when it was first implemented.

It also played a certain positive role.

For example, the government stepped in to curb usury among the people.

It provided convenience to some people and improved the situation slightly.

The conflict between the people and the government has eased somewhat.

But it soon changed.

For example, when implementing this policy, government agencies at all levels will force people to go to the government for loans.

There were also many tricks when returning the items.

In addition to the stipulated interest that should be repaid.

Interest is often increased through other names.

In some places, the government did not even give money, but directly gave seedlings.

However, some seedlings are simply half-dead.

However, when the day came to return the money, the government did not care.

As long as I lend it to you, you must pay it back with interest.

If I can't return it, I'll sell my children...

Also, when you borrow, you get old grain, and when you repay, you need to exchange it for new grain...

Of course, after the implementation of the Qingmiao Law.

Another reason for forcing local people to take out loans is because of the borrowing targets issued by the government to various places.

Some wealthy families who do not need to borrow are forced to do so.

Moreover, the rich and the poor households were divided into different levels.

Rich households borrow far more money than poor households.

In other words, the interest that needs to be repaid is also much higher than that of poor households.

As a result, everywhere was in chaos.

Through the Qingmiao Law, the imperial court did indeed gain a lot of money.

But it was many common people who were harmed.

When they were debating, Sima Guang thought what Wang Anshi said was nonsense.

It is said that the wealth in the world is certain.

If not in the government, then among the people.

Wang Anshi wanted the government to have more money, so he plundered the people's money and put it into the hands of the government.

It will only make people poorer.

But Wang Shi thought Sima Guang was talking nonsense.

It is said that it is entirely possible to increase wealth through many means such as reclaiming wasteland.

As long as the people have land to cultivate, the Song Dynasty will have a lot more money..."

Han Cheng agreed with this statement. After all, labor creates wealth...

When Zhao Kuangyin heard what Han Cheng said at this time, his eyes had turned a little red.

He hoped that Wang Anshi's reforms would bring him some surprises.

Now, where is the surprise?

Another big shock!

What is the difference between this and fishing in a thirsty lake?
The people were already poor, and the Song Dynasty had a large number of refugees and many uprisings.

As a result, we still have to do this when we carry out reforms.

Isn't this a direct way of forcing many people to rebel?
This thing is really not done well!
"Didn't Wang Anshi ever think about this before doing this?
How did this matter turn out like this? ! "

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes were red and his voice sounded a little hoarse. He looked at Han Cheng and asked.

Han Cheng shook his head: "He rose all the way up from the local level.

Moreover, he did this when he was in the local area.

The results achieved are also quite good.

It didn’t raise so many questions.”

Hearing Han Cheng's words, Zhao Kuangyin was stunned for a moment and seemed a little surprised.

Why is there such a big difference between the before and after of the same thing?

Thinking in this way, I soon found the problem.

That's the one who does it!
No matter how well a method is formulated, someone still needs to implement it in the end.

Previously, Wang Anshi served as a local governor and personally presided over these matters.

If it is implemented in only one place, it can be promoted very well.

Let the officials below do their work according to the regulations.

But now, it has spread across the country.

Under such circumstances, how could he possibly keep an eye on the entire country?
With such a good opportunity to make money, how could the numerous officials from all over the country resist taking advantage of it?

There are also many people who oppose the reform.

Although he didn't know the specific situation, he could confirm that there must be some people who were deliberately fanning the flames.

To trip someone up in secret.

Make this thing a mess.

This is a common trick used by some people.

Since you can't oppose it, just join in and try your best to add your own personal opinions into it.

With the help of the government, the matter has become bigger and bigger, and it is becoming more and more unacceptable.

Thinking of this, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but punched the table hard.

So hateful!

Failure to create a reliable team to carry out reforms.

There are no strict restrictions on local officials.

No matter how good a thing is, they can make it a mess!
"As for the conscription law, it is also called the exemption law.

The original system of rotating labor service among households was changed to one in which the government hired people to do the work.

Households that did not want to perform labor service had to pay a certain amount of money according to their wealth level.

It's called exemption money.

Bureaucrats and landlords are no exception.

The people were freed from labor, which guaranteed working hours and promoted production development.

Increased government revenue.

However, this also has its drawbacks, which is that it makes the already poor local people.

Life has become even more miserable..."

"The equal taxation law requires the whole country to survey the land and verify the landowners.

The land is divided into five grades according to the quality of the soil.

As the basis for levying land tax.

The equal taxation system revealed a large amount of hidden land and increased government revenue.

Some people were exempted from taxes and benefited from it...

As for the Farmland and Irrigation Law, it encourages land reclamation and water conservancy development.

The cost of water conservancy construction is funded by local residents according to their wealth level, and they can also borrow money from the state and county governments.
With the implementation of this agricultural water conservancy law, water conservancy projects were widely built to ensure irrigation.

The area of ​​cultivated land increased accordingly, agricultural production developed, and government tax revenue increased.

However, this also has some drawbacks, that is, the number of water conservancy projects built has gradually become a criterion for evaluating the performance of officials.

Some local governments forced the people to build water conservancy projects, increasing their burden.

As for the Market Exchange Law, it mainly involved setting up a Market Exchange Office in Kaifeng and paying money to purchase unsaleable goods.

Sell ​​when there is a shortage in the market.

Limiting big businessmen's control over the market will help stabilize prices and commodity exchanges.

It also increased the government’s fiscal revenue…”

"The main content of the equal transport law is to set up shipping envoys to monitor the production situation of the six southeastern routes and the needs of the government and the court.

In accordance with the principle of "moving the expensive to the cheaper, using the near and using the far", unified procurement and transportation.

Reducing national expenditures will alleviate the extra burden on taxpayers.

It restricted the manipulation of the market by wealthy merchants and their exploitation of the people, and made life more convenient for citizens..."

Listening to Han Cheng's story, Zhao Kuangyin fell into deep thought again.

After some thought, I think there are a few points that can be used as reference.

For example, the Agricultural Land and Irrigation Law and the Equal Taxation Law for Each Field.

In the future, you can implement it in the early years of the Song Dynasty.

Water conservancy really needs a good rest.

The Anshi Rebellion must have occurred since the time of Li Longji.

This land has always been in chaos, with all kinds of wars and fighting.

There are all kinds of vassal states.

Then came the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, with emperors changing like a revolving lantern.

So many people are busy vying for power and profit, and have no time to care about things like farmland irrigation.

After I go back, if I pay attention to water conservancy and the construction and reclamation of farmland, I will definitely be able to increase the output of my Song Dynasty.

And this matter, as long as it is handled well, some disadvantages can be changed.

Then we can truly make the Song Dynasty a prosperous country with a prosperous people!

In this way, he would have more money to fight against the Northern Han and the Khitan.

Fangtianjun's tax method is also very good and can clear out many hidden accounts.

"One way to strengthen the army is the Baojia system. Its main content is to organize the rural households into groups, with ten households forming a Bao. If there are more than two male members in a household, one male member will be selected as a Bao.

They gathered together during the slack season to receive military training.

Through the implementation of the baojia system, we strengthened the rule over the countryside and maintained rural social order.

Establishing a national military reserve
Saves a lot of training costs.

One is the military reduction law.

The main content is to reorganize the wing troops and the imperial guards.

It is stipulated that soldiers must retire after reaching the age of fifty.

Soldiers were tested, those who failed the imperial guards were transferred to the wing troops, and those who failed the wing troops were transferred to civilian status.

Through this, the army's combat level and corresponding quality can be improved.

At the same time, it can also reduce the situation of redundant troops.

The third is the art of war.

The garrison rotation system established in the early Northern Song Dynasty was abolished, and the garrisons in various routes were divided into several units through a gradual expansion method.

Each single position will be accompanied by one deputy general.

Responsible for the training of the troops in this unit to improve their quality.

It changed the situation of separation between soldiers and generals and strengthened the combat effectiveness of the army..."

When Zhao Kuangyin heard about the art of war, his brows slightly frowned.

However, it immediately stretched out again.

Every time there is a policy, every time there is a policy.

Now, the time when I am here has just come out of a turbulent time.

Those generals and many other people have not yet recovered from the previous events.

Moreover, the power among the generals is great.

It is necessary to use appropriate measures such as separating soldiers and generals to restrict it.

Lest they rebel.

Now Han Cheng is talking about the period of Emperor Shenzong.

At this time, the generals of the Song Dynasty have become so cowardly that they really need to be loosened up a little...

“The fourth is the horse protection method.

War horses are an indispensable and important material in war.

Most of the land that the Song Dynasty should have for raising horses had been lost.

In order to raise horses, this method of protecting horses was created.

The horse breeding system, which was originally run by the government horse ranch, was changed to be run by civilian households.

If a baojia household voluntarily raises horses, the government can provide them with horses or give them money to buy one themselves.

And some taxes can be exempted.

However, it was soon abolished and replaced by a pastoral system.

This naturally played a role.

But it also has bad effects.

First, it increased the burden on the people, and second, many people treated war horses as inferior horses.

It was directly wasted.

The last one is the Military Equipment Inspectorate.

The specific content mainly includes the establishment of a military weapons supervisory department to supervise many matters such as the construction of weapons and improve the quality of weapons.

While carrying out political, economic and military system reforms, Wang Anshi also paid great attention to the selection, training and use of talents.

The main purpose was to create public opinion for the reform.

The three main specific measures included reforming the imperial examination system, rectifying the Imperial College, and employing people based on their talents.

The main contents were the promulgation of the Imperial Examination Law and the abolition of the Mingjing examination.

The examination for Jinshi degree was mainly based on classics and policy essays, and law was added.

The basis of the imperial examination should be to select those who have the ambition to save the world and have real talent and knowledge, and the number of examination candidates should be expanded.

In order to reorganize the Imperial College, the three-dormitory system was implemented, in which students were divided into three classes: upper, middle, and lower, for teaching at different levels.

The imperial examinations were replaced by daily assessments in schools.

Students with excellent academic performance could become officials directly without taking the imperial examination.

At the same time, he was in charge of the Bureau of Classics and Interpretation, which revised Confucian classics and compiled the "New Interpretations of the Three Classics".

Establish specialized schools of martial arts, medicine, and law to train specialized talents.

We should also make full use of talents and attach importance to the promotion and appointment of middle and lower-level officials.

This gave many low-ranking officials and lower-level scholars the opportunity to display their talents...

...The reform led to a significant increase in government fiscal revenue.

Through the implementation of a series of new financial management laws, the state added new fiscal revenue items such as "Qingmiao Money", "Exemption from Military Service Surplus Money", and "Market Interest Money".

On the basis of developing production and equalizing taxation, fiscal revenue has increased significantly.

The treasury is full.

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, the savings in the national treasury were enough to cover the court's financial expenditures for 20 years.

The rapid increase in fiscal revenue completely changed the situation of "poverty" in the Northern Song Dynasty..."

After hearing what Han Cheng said, Zhao Kuangyin felt complicated and indescribable for a moment.

The poverty situation has indeed changed.

However, the country became richer while the people became poorer.

As the old saying goes, drinking poison to quench thirst!

"...There were also many drawbacks and shortcomings in Wang Anshi's reform process.

As a result, the new law has caused harm to the people...

In terms of the guiding ideology of the reform, Wang Anshi focused on seeking to open up financial resources and obtain as much national fiscal and tax revenue as possible.

For example, the Equalized Transport System used the government's administrative power to force purchases and sales as a means of accumulating national wealth.

The reform led to the country becoming rich but the people becoming poor.

This is completely different from Wang Anshi's original intention of reform, which was to "eliminate heavy taxes, ease the burden on farmers, ensure that the state finances are sufficient and the people's wealth is not scarce."

And the new law is too radical...

At that time, the reform also caused disturbance and harm to the people.

According to history, when the exemption law was introduced, the people complained bitterly.

Even small businesses such as carrying water, cutting hair, and selling tea were not allowed to be run without paying the exemption fee.

The tax authorities charge merchants a commission, which is often more than the cost.

Some businessmen even fought to the death.

When the baojia system was implemented, it was to avoid the dual threat of high taxes to support the army and being drafted into the army.

There have been more than three or two cases of self-harm among the people.

In serious cases, some even cut off their own arms.

Later, more than a thousand people from Dongming County came to Beijing and caused trouble in front of Wang Anshi’s residence...”

After listening to what Han Cheng said, Zhao Kuangyin was speechless for a long time.

He kept rubbing his head with his hands.

I just feel a little headache.

The situation at that time was really too complicated.

So many troubles happened all of a sudden in the Song Dynasty?
How did it come to this?
Under this situation, he admitted that there was indeed too much resistance to reform.

The problems in all aspects of the Song Dynasty were indeed serious.

If no reforms are made, it will become increasingly difficult for the Song Dynasty to survive.

The situation is getting worse.

But there are still many problems in making changes..."

After a pause, seeing that Zhao Kuangyin did not speak, Han Cheng continued:

"Many things also happened during Wang Anshi's reform process.

For example, the new and old parties are still fighting fiercely.

Less than a year after the reform, fierce clashes began between the new and old parties.

The old party thinks that it should be stopped immediately, while the new party defends it in every possible way...

In the spring of the seventh year of Xining, there was a severe drought and no rain for a long time. The conservative forces inside and outside the court used the "natural disaster" as an excuse to once again launch an attack on the reform.

The exemption money aroused public outrage and instability, and Emperor Shenzong was worried and could not sleep or eat.

Zheng Xia, the chief of security, came to the palace to draw a picture of refugees and submitted it as an emergency document.

Shenzong looked at the map again and again and stayed awake all night.

It is believed that "natural disasters" are not trivial matters and are caused by human negligence.

Sima Guang also submitted a memorial titled "Responding to the Imperial Edict to Report on the Court's Failures."

As the reform progressed, Song Shenzong, the biggest supporter of the reform, began to waver.

In April of the same year, Shenzong's grandmother, Empress Dowager Cao, and his mother, Empress Dowager Gao, also cried to Shenzong that "Wang Anshi is causing chaos in the world."

Song Shenzong began to doubt the reform.

Wang Anshi was dismissed from his position as prime minister.

The reform suffered a severe setback.

In the eighth year of Xining, Wang Anshi was appointed prime minister again.

But there is no more support.

Coupled with the internal divisions of the reformists and the vacillation of Emperor Shenzong of Song, it was difficult to continue the reform.
And Wang Anshi became prime minister again because of Lu Huiqing's various actions.

This has led to some different changes in his work style.

After becoming prime minister again, he didn't want to do anything else.

I just want to get rid of Lu Huiqing and others.

Therefore, the focus shifted to party struggles...

And these actions of his, and some other things, gradually made Song Shenzong look at him differently...

In addition, Wang Anshi's son died soon after.

This was a heavy blow to Wang Anshi.

Various things were intertwined, and coupled with the constant setbacks in the reform, Wang Anshi became discouraged.

So, he resigned again and died soon after..."

Speaking of this, Han Cheng couldn't help but sigh.

I always feel an inexplicable heaviness in my heart.

Zhao Kuangyin's mood was not much better either.

After all, this is not a bad thing for their Song Dynasty.

However, he also saw a lot of things from it.

For example, official administration.

The biggest lesson he learned from Wang Anshi's reforms was that the administration of officials must be clean and honest.

Local officials must be well supervised.

Use people who are truly capable, dare to do things and are honest to supervise and do these things.

Otherwise, those people will manipulate everything and any good policy will be ruined by them...

“There are many reasons why Wang Anshi’s reforms failed.

Such as being in a hurry for success.

In just a few years, many reforms were pushed out all at once.

Too hasty...

However, his reforms played a great role in history.

It is undeniable that it is a bold and colorful stroke.

Moreover, Wang Anshi was a particularly strong-willed and stubborn person.

He is a notoriously stubborn husband.

When faced with opponents, he used ancestral laws, natural disasters and other means to suppress and obstruct reforms.

He famously said, "Natural disasters are not to be feared, ancestors are not to be followed, and people's words are not to be pitied."

Hearing these three sentences, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but feel refreshed.

There was a great shock in my heart.

This is very encouraging!

This guy is indeed a character!
Unfortunately, even such a person failed to succeed in carrying out reforms.

This shows how difficult it is to carry out reform!
It also shows how valuable Shang Yang's Reforms were!

"In addition to Wang Anshi's reforms, another major event occurred during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song.

That is to use military force against Xixia..."

Why is there a war again?

No way... Did the Song Dynasty send it again? !

This was the first thought that came to Zhao Kuangyin’s mind…

(End of this chapter)