Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 654 Do It or Not
When faced with the emperor's question, Jia Lian turned to look at the cabinet ministers around him.

After Lin Ruhai stepped forward and explained what had happened, Jia Lian finally understood. After a moment's thought, he said, "This is feasible, but the concern is that corrupt officials at the local level might take the opportunity to extort money. Do any of you gentlemen have a countermeasure?"

Li Yuan remained silent upon hearing this, then turned to look at the cabinet ministers. Li Qing, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, stepped forward and replied, "Buqi's words are nothing but needless worry."

Jia Lian looked at Li Qing and said, "When Wang Anshi implemented his reforms, Sima Guang and others tried to stop him. Wang Anshi thought the same thing."

"The national treasury is sufficient without increasing taxes!" This is what Wang Anshi said. How did Sima Guang refute it?

The wealth and goods produced by the land, if not in the hands of the people, are in the hands of the officials. If they devise ways to seize the people, the harm is even greater than increasing taxes.

Judging from the results of the reforms, Sima Guang was right. Whether for political achievements or personal gain, lower-level officials forced everyone to accept the so-called new laws.

This approach is primarily convenient, a one-size-fits-all solution. Secondly, it's genuinely profitable for individuals. Whether ordinary people need loans is not a consideration for the officials.

As for the lower-level officials, they employed all sorts of tricks during the execution of these measures, driving countless people into bankruptcy.

The cabinet has now proposed following the example of the Jiangnan tax supplement case and conducting supplementary tax collection nationwide. Once this decree is issued, what happens during its implementation?
Normally, without an excuse, officials would find ways to collect money, but now that they have one, they naturally want to collect as much as they can, and they're having a great time.

Jia Lian's retort silenced Li Qinggan. He, too, had read history books and knew the true nature of Wang Anshi's reforms. All the laws were well-intentioned, but what about their implementation?

Jia Lian did not object, but reminded the Grand Secretaries to take the complexity of the issue into account.

"If Buqi succeeded in Jiangnan, why can't others do it?" Yue Qi retorted, somewhat displeased.

Jia Lian smiled dismissively: "What I did was ordered by the emperor, with the cooperation of officials at all levels and the strong support of the military. During the execution, it targeted large businesses and did not harm the interests of ordinary people. I can ensure that officials dare not act recklessly and harm the people, and those who do will be punished. Prime Minister Yue only knows that I succeeded, but he does not know why I was able to succeed."

How could I not know? You killed so many people in Jiangnan; the officials and gentry below were terrified. How could they dare to harbor any illusions?

Although he knew it, Yue Qi dared not say it aloud.

Li Yuan had initially been looking forward to the nationwide tax arrears, but now that Jia Lian had said this, he couldn't help but show his disappointment.

Seeing that Yue Qi had closed his mouth and everyone else had also fallen silent, Li Yuan couldn't help but ask, "Is it only you, sir?"

Jia Lian immediately bowed and replied, "No, we must first understand the law and principles before discussing its implementation. If local officials are untrustworthy, we can establish both overt and covert surveillance. If officials are found to be harming the people, we can deal with them promptly to ensure the people's safety. We can also set up a place for the people to voice their grievances, investigate any omissions, and fill any gaps. This matter can then be accomplished."

Don't the cabinet ministers understand these principles? Of course they do! They all have extensive work experience; how could they not know the true nature of their subordinates?
If you understand, why don't you say so? That's a matter of opinion!

Li Yuan seemed to be deep in thought, then turned to look at the cabinet ministers and asked, "What do you all think?"

Fang Song immediately replied, "What Buqi said is excellent!"

Pan Jixun also said, "That's feasible!"

Li Qing and Yue Qi remained silent.

Lin Ruhai said, "What Buqi said is indeed comprehensive and worth trying. Why not try it in Guangdong and Guangxi first, clarify the standards, and then promote it nationwide?"

Li Yuan nodded and said, “The national treasury is now sufficient, and there should be no trouble. However, in today’s world, which is a time of great competition, our country will either advance or fall behind. Once we fall behind, we will be humiliated by the Western barbarians. The national tax revenue is used for roads, bridges, river repairs, and the maintenance of grain reserves. It is exactly what is meant by taking from the people and using it for the people. I think what you said means that if money is not used, it is just a dead thing.”

Jia Lian continued, “Your Majesty, paying taxes is the duty of every citizen. The court provides a peaceful and prosperous environment for the people, and the people have an obligation to pay taxes. This principle must be clearly explained. Not a single penny of tax that should be paid should be less, and not a single penny of tax that should not be paid should be overcharged. We should strive in this direction, even if we cannot say it. The Confucian ideal of a harmonious world has been discussed for two years, but it has not yet been achieved. Does that mean we should stop talking about it? We should still talk about it and use it to spur the entire nation to work together towards this goal.”

I won't go into details about individuals, but a country must have a long-term goal.

Confucianism places great emphasis on the level of personal morality. Is this a mistake?
If you think that way, you're sorely mistaken. Confucianism has endured for two thousand years, and its appeal far surpasses that of other schools of thought. Regardless of how much content Confucianism copied from other ideas, its influence is unparalleled.

Throughout history, whenever the nation has faced peril, the appeal of Confucianism has been unleashed, giving rise to a succession of virtuous and ambitious individuals.

Even the brutal rule of the Qing Dynasty could not erase the appeal of Confucianism's high morality. When the nation was in peril, the land of China, which had been rotten for more than a hundred years, was still able to rise up and return to its peak.

Western countries have had their share of great empires, but once they decayed, they all vanished completely, ceasing to exist. Their national resilience and appeal are too weak.

In this sense, Russia is stronger than Europe and the United States.

"Sir, you must be tired from your work. Please go home and rest." After understanding the situation, Li Yuan did not keep Jia Lian any longer, but instead gave him the leave to go home and rest.

After Jia Lian left, Li Yuancai said to the cabinet ministers: "In accordance with Minister Jia's method, it should first be implemented in Guangdong and Guangxi. The Censorate should be in charge, the Imperial Guard should be on file, and a special place should be set up for common people to file lawsuits. The Censorate should not be taken lightly."

Having tasted the benefits of receiving tens of millions of yuan in back taxes from Jiangnan alone, Li Yuan was naturally unwilling to give it up.

Lin Ruhai and others could not refute it, after all, the issue of commercial and industrial taxes was not something that existed today, but had always existed. The imperial court's use of this as a reason was not problematic in terms of morality or legitimacy.

Of course, it also depends on the time. In situations like the late Ming Dynasty, it was simply impossible to do so.

Now that the country is in a prosperous era and holds an absolutely dominant position, things are not so difficult to get things done.

Therefore, the saying "a prosperous era seeks change" applies here.

During prosperous times, the country has accumulated many problems during its rapid development. Once there is any stagnation, we must seize the opportunity to make adjustments.

This principle can actually be seen in reality. When a company grows big, it will develop the problems of a large company. Isn't it because it has accumulated too many problems during the process of rapid development, and adjustments must be made at a certain stage?
The goal is not to cure a problem with a single adjustment, but to consistently make adjustments as needed, thereby minimizing the likelihood that certain problems will escalate into major issues.

In this process, many problems were not addressed in time, leading to the collapse. Even so, it's better than a large number of problems collapsing at once.

If conflicts erupt in a concentrated manner, they will shake the very foundation of the enterprise.

The Zhou Empire is currently in a period of rapid development and adjustment, which is why Jia Lian wants to seize the opportunity to resolve some problems that were previously overlooked.

Don't think that taking a detour will solve the problem; that's not true. As long as a company continues to expand and develop, new problems will inevitably arise.

What happened next is temporarily no longer Jia Lian's concern.

Once the emperor and the cabinet have made their decisions, an outline will be issued and handed over to lower levels for implementation. Then, during implementation, experiences from various aspects will be incorporated. After the pilot program concludes, a new law will be drafted and promoted nationwide.

Jia Lian's tax collection efforts in Jiangnan were unique and not very applicable.

Why conduct pilot programs in Guangdong and Guangxi, rather than Beijing and Tianjin?
The implications of this are worth pondering. After returning home, Jia Lian washed up, ate, talked with his family, and went to bed early that night.

The next day, he went to Baochai's courtyard and asked her to summon the head of the Xue family in the capital.

The Xue family's roots were in the south, and their chief steward in the capital was a cousin. After meeting Jia Lian at the Jia mansion, Jia Lian gave him instructions in person, which he then dictated to the cousin, without leaving any written record.

After leaving the Jia family mansion, the head uncle immediately headed south from the capital, heading straight for Guangzhou to find Xue Pan.

Most of Jia Lian's contacts with officials in Southeast Asia and Guangdong and Guangxi were handled by Xue Pan. They were extremely cautious, never exchanging written correspondence.

Regarding the so-called pilot program suggestion, Jia Lian had nothing to say in front of everyone, but in reality, it was something that should not be ignored.

If we're talking about areas where industrial and commercial taxation is overlooked, state-owned enterprises in the south have never been the hardest hit; on the contrary, private enterprises have the most serious problems.

The reason is obvious: there are many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. In terms of industry and commerce taxation, apart from state-owned enterprises which are relatively compliant, how many private enterprises honestly pay taxes according to the law?
The crow landed on the pig and only saw the blackness of others.

That's why they went straight to Jia Lian's old stronghold. Did they have any ulterior motives? Yes. Did they have any selfish motives? Yes. Did they have any intention to harm others? You guess.

From Jia Lian's perspective, after the Jiangnan tax case, countless people wanted him dead immediately.

The reality was that even when Jia Lian was in Jiangnan, some officials and gentry still harbored deep hatred for him and wished they could tear him to pieces.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything to Jia Lian and was terrified of him, so he could only cricket in private.

The same was true in the capital. After Jia Lian returned to the capital, many people were in a panic, fearing that Jia Lian would also make a comeback in the capital.

At the very least, one can pay money to avoid trouble; in reality, who isn't reluctant to part with their money?

The most suitable places for pilot projects are Beijing and Tianjin, but the cabinet has now pushed Guangdong to the forefront.

Jia Lian was not discouraged by this phenomenon. If he were to be discouraged by it, he would not be able to do anything at all.

As long as you are human, struggle is everywhere. Even if you choose to live in seclusion in the mountains, you still have to struggle with nature and with wild animals.

In life, when is there no struggle?

Even if you just lie around doing nothing, you still need 2,000 calories a day, you need clothes to wear when you go out, and you need electricity to stay at home, as well as a computer and a mobile phone.

To put it bluntly, even in those biohazard crises in Philadelphia, you need money to buy medicine, otherwise it's worse than death.

During this rare holiday at home, Jia Lian was lazy every day. He would get up very late in the morning, have lunch and chat with the children, and then wander around the Jia family mansion in the afternoon.

Dinner was paid for by each family.

First, on the second branch of the family, Jia Zheng invited them to a banquet. Jia Lian arrived as promised and, seeing Bao Yu at the table, exchanged a few polite words.

Between words, Baoyu used various Zen-like phrases, suggesting that he might want to become a monk.

As Jia Zheng grew older, he could no longer frighten Bao Yu. Whenever he reprimanded Bao Yu sternly, Bao Yu would simply lower his head and remain silent, as if the wind were passing by.

Before long, Baoyu took his leave, and Jia Zheng impatiently chased him away.

When the uncle and nephew were talking, Jia Zheng couldn't help but sigh, "Don't worry about that little beast. Buqi and Ruhai are father-in-law and son-in-law, they are family, why are they at odds?"

Jia Lian wanted to inquire about when Jia Baoyu would become a monk, but Jia Zheng asked the question first.

From a political standpoint, Jia Zheng has reached the end of his road. He originally intended to help Bao Yu rise to prominence, but seeing no hope, he probably now wants to support his grandson.

The reason for bringing up the issue between Jia Lian and Lin Ruhai was simply the concern that if the Jia and Lin families were to have a falling out, neither family would benefit. What would happen to their grandson if both families were to decline as a result?

Deep down, Jia Zheng really hoped to ease the conflict between Jia Lian and Lin Ruhai.

"Second Uncle, you flatter me. I have no personal grudges against my father-in-law!" Jia Lian told the truth, but Jia Zheng couldn't believe him: "If there are no personal grudges, why was the head of the Lin clan exiled?"

Jia Lian was immediately taken aback and said, "Second Uncle, what makes you say that? I went to Jiangnan on an imperial mission, and Lin Shan, acting as an elder, obstructed the imperial envoy's handling of the case, setting a very bad example. I didn't kill him as a sacrifice, but only exiled him. I've already been very magnanimous. Twenty years ago, Lin Shan would have been killed, and the Lin family would have been exiled and their property confiscated. Even if he doesn't respect me, why should I respect him?"

Jia Zheng began to sense something was amiss, and upon closer reflection, he realized it made perfect sense. So what if Lin Ruhai was the Grand Secretary? Was Jia Lian's future unimportant?
"Between father-in-law and son-in-law, it's best to talk things out properly." Jia Zheng didn't want to persuade him any further, since Lin Ruhai was, after all, an outsider.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "My father-in-law holds the high position of Prime Minister. His aim is to bring peace to the country and ensure a smooth term, while also supporting the younger generation of the Lin family. The current emperor is ambitious and aggressive, and he cannot tolerate my father-in-law's slow pace. To put it bluntly, my father-in-law is still using the thinking of twenty years ago to serve as the Prime Minister, and the current emperor has long been displeased with him."

If Emperor Chenghui were on the throne, Lin Ruhai's actions would naturally be acceptable, but Li Yuanze could not accept them.

Having spent several years in Southeast Asia, he knew that Western countries were making rapid progress and were traversing the world, which gave him a sense of crisis.

Another influence is Jia Lian; he truly has a "time waits for no one" mentality.

These words left Jia Zheng dumbfounded. He exclaimed in astonishment, "Is that really so? Then I still need to advise Ru Hai."

Jia Zheng believed Jia Lian's words and realized that he had completely misjudged him.

Jia Lian didn't stay long. After drinking, he said goodbye and went home, spending the night at Daiyu's place.

It's hot, and after all that sweating, I lay there panting, only feeling relaxed enough to talk after I'd recovered.

"For Father to secure his position as Grand Secretary, he needs the support of officials at all levels. There are rumors circulating in the city that many officials in the court only listen to Brother Lian and are unaware of the Grand Secretary and His Majesty."

Jia Lian had expended too much energy and was not in a good mood at the moment. He replied indifferently, "I'm tired of hearing these kinds of rumors."

Wearing only a bodice, Daiyu suddenly sat up and looked at Jia Lian, saying, "Brother Lian, you bear the responsibility for the entire Jia family; how can you treat this matter lightly?"

Seeing her anxious, Jia Lian didn't argue, but reached out and pulled her down, covering her mouth. The conversation ended.

P.S.: It was blocked, so I added this unnecessary paragraph after editing it because I was worried about not having enough words. Please forgive me.

(End of this chapter)