The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 730: A Prosperous World Full of Holes

Qing Dynasty and Qianlong period
"What nonsense!"

Qianlong slammed the table and shouted angrily, his tense expression causing his beard to sway.

“All people in the world will have food and clothing!”

"What do you mean by rise and fall?! Ridiculous!"

"Am I a person like Emperor Minghuang of Tang?"

The people around him lowered their heads and said nothing, only He Shen said cautiously:

"Your Majesty's every move is for the country and the people."

"From what Tianmu said, it was the gentry below who deceived their superiors and disobeyed the emperor's orders. How can this be blamed on His Majesty?"

"That makes no sense!"

Several people glanced at Heshen sideways and still said nothing.

Qianlong glanced at Heshen, then at the other people, and couldn't help but snorted coldly.

"Yes, just like this loyalty and treachery, some people say they are loyal ministers but are useless to the country."

"Some people accuse others of being treacherous ministers, but they are able to govern the country and keep the people safe."

"Who is loyal and who is treacherous is right under my nose."

Upon hearing this, Yongyan also looked at the others.

He felt that something was not right about this scene, but he couldn't figure it out for a while.

Qianlong felt annoyed when he saw Yongyan's ignorant look.

"One by one, they have no vision!"

He pointed at everyone's noses and cursed:

"Don't you know to find a pen and paper to write down what's going to happen?"

"Do you still want me to treat you?!"

Everyone immediately stood up and walked out the door.

Qianlong looked at their backs with a grim face, then looked up at the sky.

"I want to see where I went wrong!"

……

[During the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, on the one hand, feudal politics and economy continued to develop, and on the other hand, the unified multi-ethnic country was unprecedentedly consolidated. ]

[On the other hand, under the control of the inherent laws of feudal society, various social contradictions became increasingly acute during this period, especially after the middle of the Qianlong period.]

[Its main manifestation is that the population surge has created huge social pressure. ]

[The intensification of land annexation and usury exploitation have brought great suffering to the people. ]

[Political corruption and severe financial constraints have increased the burden on the people.]

【Large-scale literary inquisitions and large-scale book bans were launched to suppress people’s speech and thoughts.】

[The series of uprisings by people of all ethnic groups after the middle of the Qianlong period were the general outbreak of these social contradictions.]

……

Period of Emperor Guangwu of Yanhan Dynasty

Liu Xiu felt deeply moved when he looked at these four summaries.

"These four...are all the causes of the country's demise."

Liu Zhuang sat next to Yin Lihua with his face in his hands, muttering.

"Literary inquisition? We don't have that."

Liu Xiu put his hands in his sleeves and smiled:

"These three words are used in an interesting way: a literary inquisition."

"Do you think that Qin Shihuang's ban on the history books of the six kingdoms is considered a literary inquisition?"

Liu Zhuang was stunned for a moment.

Liu Xiu continued to laugh:

"Do you think that the Party Prison is considered a literary inquisition?"

"Do you think avoiding taboos is a form of literary inquisition?"

"It's not surprising that every dynasty has restricted speech."

Liu Xiu then looked towards the sky again and said softly:
"You should think about why the Qing dynasty was the only one to be blamed by the heavens and future generations, since every dynasty has oppressed and made its people ignorant.

Liu Zhuang suddenly recalled some of the things Tianmu had said.

"The Qing dynasty's upper echelons knew about the developments outside, but didn't allow the common people to get in touch with them?"

Liu Xiu restrained his smile and sighed:
"Zhuang'er, if given a choice, parents will only choose a smooth path for their children."

"Maybe the children don't like it and may complain."

"But a hundred years later, our children will understand."

"This is what parents who love their children do, and they plan for their children in the long run."

"The emperors of the previous Han Dynasty either regarded the people as their children or regarded the country as their children."

"All they want is for the country to prosper."

"But things don't always go as planned..."

Thinking of the matter of measuring the land, Liu Xiu felt depressed.

"Since the Han Dynasty, each generation has been worse than the previous one, but it has always been people-oriented."

"And in the Ming and Qing dynasties..."

Liu Xiu thought it would be better not to mention it.

"The first one just wanted to live off his past achievements."

"The latter just wants to stay out of trouble."

"Everything I think about is myself."

"Tianmu didn't say it, but the overseas countries are probably already turned upside down."

……

【First, let’s talk about the population boom. 】

【Since Emperor Kangxi announced that "there will be no additional taxes for the increase of population" and implemented the policy of "taxation on land" in Emperor Yongzheng, the population of the Qing Dynasty increased rapidly.】

[However, the rapid population growth exceeded the speed of feudal agricultural economic development, and population pressure became increasingly greater, becoming a serious social problem.]

[According to statistics, China's population increased seven or eight times from the Han Dynasty to the eve of the Opium War, while the cultivated land area only increased by about one-fold, which shows that the average cultivated land area per person is constantly decreasing.]

[In the early Qing Dynasty, the average landholding per household was about 30 mu, which increased to 26-7 mu during the Yongzheng period, and only 5-6 mu by the middle of the Qianlong period.]

[Although this figure is not accurate due to the concealment of the number of acres of land, it is an indisputable fact that the average amount of cultivated land per person is decreasing.]

[This will inevitably lead to a shortage of food supply.]

【The food problem existed as early as the Kangxi period. "The reason why people's livelihood is not prosperous is that the country has been peaceful for a long time, the population has increased, the land has not increased, the production has not increased, and the food supply has not been provided. This is inevitable."】

【The contradiction between the small amount of land and the large population became more prominent during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.】

[“I have checked the population reported by various provinces last year, and it has increased more than ten times compared to the Kangxi period. The peace has lasted for a long time, and the population is increasing. The treasury is no longer as abundant as before, and the land occupied by houses is more than doubled. There are few people to produce, but many to eat. I am very worried about it.” ]

【Food shortages were already nationwide. Historically, the Suzhou, Songjiang, Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou regions were important rice-producing areas, and there was a saying that "when Suzhou and Huzhou are well-fed, the rest of the country is well-fed." However, by the Qing Dynasty, food was not self-sufficient, and it was so serious that "the annual rice production was not enough for several months of food, and the whole country relied on merchants for assistance."】

[During the Qianlong reign, due to the rapid population growth, grain prices continued to rise. Compared with the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, grain prices increased fourfold.]

[In this case, whoever owns more land can have more food and possess more social wealth. ]

[This has driven people to be keen on purchasing land, and the problem of land annexation has become more serious.]

……

{I can't remember exactly, but it seems that this is what Malthus described in his theory of population.}
{Without Malthus, Hong Liangji, a Jinshi in the Qianlong period, pointed out the contradiction between population growth and food production increase.}
｛In the twenty chapters of his Yi Yan, the chapters on “Peace and Governance” and “Life Plan” discussed the issue of population thinking.｝
{It raised the serious problem that rapid population growth would bring difficulties to the country and the people. Based on the specific historical conditions at that time, it advocated the reclamation of wasteland and immigration, and opposed the closure of mountains and forests. It advocated light taxes and levies, and opposed extortion. It advocated the rectification of officialdom, and opposed extortion. It advocated disaster relief, and opposed ignoring the lives and suffering of the people, etc.}
{Why didn't you think of colonial expansion?}

{It may be because the native territory is large enough and the population is unevenly distributed. There are still large tracts of undeveloped land in places like Xinjiang, Northeast China, and Qinghai.}
{These places can ease population conflicts by adopting immigration policies.}
{The homelands of colonial countries like Britain and Spain are very small.}
……

Datang.

Li Shimin sat on a stone pier, tapping the stone table with his fingers and closing his eyes in deep thought.

"colonial……"

Reproduction means birth, multiplication, and growth.

The Zhou emperor's enfeoffment of princes was also a form of colonization.

The question is, can it be profitable?

Li Shimin thought of Zheng He's voyages to the West.

"Of course it is profitable..."

"Since it is beneficial... then we can establish a state..."

He couldn't help but look at little Li Zhi who was reading beside him.

The collapse of the Tang Dynasty's equal-field system was due to the large population and limited land.

"What a pity for the Ming Dynasty..."

Li Shimin now understands why the descendants regret that Zheng He's voyage to the West ended in failure.

As long as the trip to the West can bring benefits.

Once the maritime ban is lifted, countless people will flock overseas.

There is no other reason, it’s all for money and profit.

It can both ease conflicts and increase national tax revenue.

Kill two birds with one stone.

The only thing to worry about is how to get rid of the idea that the teacher has no legitimate reason.

The Zhou emperor was able to establish a state only after he destroyed the Shang Dynasty.

Li Shimin looked at Li Chengqian who was teaching young Li Zhi and had an idea.

"May the world be united... and may the people be enlightened..."

"Hu and Han are indistinguishable... China and foreign countries are one..."

……

【During the Qianlong reign, usury and pawnbroking were very active. 】

[Usually, the son is regarded as the mother, and the benefits are added to the benefits. ]

[Some people demanded compensation of seven or eight taels with a capital of seven qian.]

[Even if a loan of 20 or 30 taels is borrowed for less than a year, the interest rate can be as high as 10%, 20%, or even 30%.]

[Running loan sharking business has become an important means for wealthy families to amass social wealth. ]

……

{Of course, this is referring to the Qing Dynasty.}
{More than 10% is usury.}
{Then all online loans are usury.}
{Many banks have a rate of around 10-14, right?}

{The annualized interest rate given by the post office is 5.6%, but the credit limit is only 500 yuan, so I don’t even bother to use it. JD.com gave me a credit limit of more than 23 yuan, but the annual interest rate is %, so I don’t dare to use it.}
{Online loans are also a must. You don’t have the trouble of bank procedures. According to the latest regulations, loans exceeding 24% are considered usury, so JD.com, Alipay, and Meituan are basically 23% to 24%, which are protected by the state.}
{Legally speaking, the upper limit of the annualized interest rate for private lending is 4 times the LPR, and the upper limit of the annualized interest rate for financial institutions is 24%. However, I personally think that this upper limit is unreasonable because it is obviously not in line with the actual market situation.}
{For example, the monthly interest rate of private lending is generally above 2-3%. If we follow the standard of 1:2, at least 90% of private lending falls into the category of usury.}
{…I see…they’re all fucking warriors! They all fucking want the author to die…}
{Bang! If you want to die, go die somewhere else! Don’t die here!}
……

During the Song Dynasty and Renzong Period
Zhao Zhen was shocked.

"Three or four cents is still called usury?"

"I'm just lending this to you for nothing."

Sima Guang and others also found it difficult to understand.

"The descendants of later generations are still raised too well."

"This kind of interest is completely free money. You can use the money to start a small business or to maintain your life or take exams to get a good academic degree."

“It’s totally possible to pay it off quickly.”

“This is pie-in-the-sky capital.”

"Yeah, yeah, I don't understand why they have to complain."

"That's right, you can't borrow money to buy luxury items, right?"

"Hahahaha! Uncle Yong is worthy of his nickname, the Drunkard. He actually talks nonsense when he's drunk! How can there be such an idiot!"

Ouyang Xiu thought about it and agreed.

Those most dissolute and wealthy young men borrow money and gamble with the idea of ​​making money.

Don’t worry about whether you can earn it or not, just think so.

Borrowing money to buy things does not mean borrowing money to buy things.

If you borrow money to buy something, you have to pay three cents.

Who could be so stupid?!
Will not!
Money doesn't come from the wind, right?

"Hahahaha! I really am drunk even without drinking!"

"Hahahaha!"

All the ministers laughed, and Zhao Zhen also stroked his beard and watched with a smile.

……

[We have said before that emperors all have some of the "Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi's heroic talent and strategy disease"]

……

Ying Zheng:  …

Liu Che:......

……

【Qianlong was not knocked down by this disease, but by another "disease".】

[I define it as "Li Longji lived a long life of illness"]

……

Li Longji: ...

……

[The ruling class, relying on the large amount of ill-gotten wealth in their hands, squandered the people's money at will and lived an extremely extravagant and corrupt life. Qianlong was a typical example of extravagance.]

[During his reign, he made six "Southern Tours", each of which required a large number of troops and consumed a large amount of manpower and material resources, which caused widespread complaints.]

[During his first tour of the south, Jiangnan Governor Huang Tinggui assigned local gentry and merchants to undertake the task, and urged them to do so strictly, causing great annoyance to the people.]

[Jiang Ji, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Justice, single-handedly donated money to build a royal road in Suzhou, costing 300,000 taels of silver.]

[During each southern tour, local officials had a set rule for contributing local specialties, ranging from embroidered dragon robes, silks and satins, to rare utensils and seasonal fruits, and the cost was often tens of thousands of gold.]

[Even though it was a waste of money and manpower, Qianlong didn't care at all, saying: "Wherever I go, I will observe the people and inquire about their customs. This is a matter of great importance to politics, so even if I have to spend hundreds of thousands of treasury dollars, it's no problem!"]

……

Qing Dynasty Yongzheng Period
There was a loud "bang"!
Yongzheng threw the beads in his hand to the ground and said angrily:
"Call him here! Call him here!"

The eunuch beside him bowed his head and said:

"Your Majesty, Prince Bao has not yet..."

Yongzheng slammed the table and said angrily:
"Then bring it here! Bring it here!"

The eunuch retreated in a hurry.

Yongzheng's chest heaved with anger.

In his eyes, spending money on the southern tour was not the most important thing.

The act of the Southern Tour itself is a kind of display, displaying military might, national strength, and prosperity.

The problem lies in Hongli’s attitude!

What is that? Why not?!
"I am so proud of myself..."

Yongzheng gritted his teeth and said:
"You short-sighted fool!"

……

【Qianlong also carried out large-scale construction projects all over the country, building countless palaces, villas, temples and monasteries. 】

[The famous Old Summer Palace, Chengde Mountain Resort and the Eight Outer Temples were all completed during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, at a cost of hundreds of millions.]

[In order to decorate the facade and whitewash the situation, two grand court banquets, the Banquet for a Thousand Old Men, were held in the 1785th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1795) and the st year ().]

[The first time, there were 2,000 participants, and the second time, the number increased to 5,000. The two events cost millions of taels of silver.]

【As the saying goes, if the superior likes something, the subordinates will follow suit. 】

[Qianlong was extravagant and wasteful, and ordinary officials, landlords and wealthy businessmen also lived a life of luxury and debauchery.]

[During the early and middle periods of Qianlong's reign, the national treasury had a surplus every year. ]

【In the later period, the inventory gradually decreased, and the finances sometimes could not make ends meet. 】

[An important factor is that military expenditures over the years have often accounted for about half of total fiscal expenditures. ]

[According to incomplete statistics, the cost of the campaigns against the Zhun and Hui people was more than 33 million taels, the campaigns against the two Jinchuan provinces amounted to more than 70 million taels, the campaigns against Taiwan amounted to more than 8 million taels, and the campaigns against Gurkha amounted to more than 10 million taels, with a total amount of more than 150 million taels.]

[This huge military expenditure greatly weakened the financial foundation of the Qing Dynasty, and the above is only for the central government.]

[As for the burden imposed on the local areas in order to support the war with corvée and materials, the figures are too huge to be estimated.]

【After the middle of the Qianlong period, official salary expenditures also increased day by day.】

[During the Qianlong period, the bureaucracy was bloated, with one position holding several officials, and one official holding several positions. There were many cases of overstaffing and overwork. Maintaining such a large bureaucracy also consumed a large amount of national funds.]

[According to statistics, in the 1766st year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (), the total expenditure on official salaries was million taels, accounting for more than one-sixth of the total fiscal expenditure (more than million taels) (excluding the salaries of royal family members and princes).]

[In order to make up for the financial losses, Qianlong took many measures to expand financial resources. ]

[The three most important items are donations and contributions from merchants. ]

【Discuss the silver for the crime.】

I am the fool who fell into the trap of early consumption...

……

No prize for guessing game.

Who was the biggest corrupt official during the reign of Emperor Qianlong?



(End of this chapter)