My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 610 Each Has Their Own Method
Given such harsh living conditions, it might not be accurate to say that Emperor Wu of Han was a warmonger.

Even if it's not entirely accurate, it simply means that the general public at the time had limited cultural knowledge and couldn't accurately pinpoint what Emperor Wu of Han really did wrong during that period.

—The failure in foreign wars was one of the reasons.

However, the outcome of wars was not entirely within Emperor Wu of Han's control—at least, Emperor Wu of Han never made decisions that led to defeat in foreign wars.

The most fundamental reason why the lives of ordinary people were difficult during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han was that the war funds left by Emperors Wen and Jing were used by Emperor Wu of Han for extravagance, pleasure and large-scale construction.
When war breaks out and money is needed, they turn their attention to innocent, impoverished people.

In war, especially at the national level, ordinary people naturally bear some of the costs and risks.

The destruction of the production and living environment, the shortage of survival materials, and the contribution of labor as a source of soldiers, as well as the risk of losing labor on the battlefield, are already contributions and sacrifices made by the people for foreign wars.

On this basis, they then demanded money from the people as expenses for the war...

Emperor Taizong was too ashamed to do that, so he saved money for twenty-seven years, living frugally, and even when the Xiongnu Chanyu was about to attack Chang'an, he swallowed his anger.

Emperor Xiaojing was slightly less capable, but he was still very good at keeping money tightly under his belt.

Aside from the expenses incurred during the Rebellion of the Seven States, his frugality, while not on par with Emperor Taizong, was still astonishing among feudal emperors.

why?
Why were Emperors Wen and Jing so frugal, even to the point of scrimping and saving, rather than eating or dressing well?
It's because they understand that a war between the Han and the Xiongnu is inevitable sooner or later!
By then, the people will have already contributed their labor and sacrificed their productivity, making a huge sacrifice, and their lives will be very difficult.

Therefore, not only should not a single penny of the war expenses fall on the people, but a portion of the money should also be allocated to subsidize the lower classes after the war.

When war broke out, ordinary people sent their sons, husbands, and fathers to the army. For more than half a year, they couldn't farm properly and didn't have enough to eat.
Once the war is over, the imperial court and the emperor should allocate some funds and provisions to tell the common people: the war has been won, and everyone has made a great contribution. Consider this small token of appreciation as a way to improve your lives...

Unfortunately, the ideal was beautiful, but the reality was harsh.

The ideal state of war envisioned by Emperors Wen and Jing did not materialize during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

The money that Emperors Wen and Jing painstakingly saved was used by Emperor Wu of Han to expand the Weiyang Palace, build the new Jianzhang Palace, and create the magnificent New Shanglin Garden.

During wartime, ordinary people not only have to contribute their labor to the army and transport grain, but also have to abandon agricultural production for an entire year. They also have to contribute to the war effort through taxes.

They wished they could sell everything they owned to support the country in fighting the Xiongnu, but after the war, all they received were compensation for the dead and wounded members of their families, or rewards for their military achievements.

How many people have made great achievements and received rewards?
How many of them contributed their labor and directly participated in the war?

The vast majority of families simply contributed their labor by working as laborers or volunteers;
Winning a war brings no benefits whatsoever; in fact, it incurs additional war taxes.

The war was lost, but then came another round of tax increases.

Regardless of victory or defeat, the land has been barren for a year, and the family has gone hungry for a year. They will most likely have to endure several more years of hardship, not knowing when they will get their next meal...

As later generations often say, we cross the river by feeling for the stones.

When applied to Liu Rong, it carries an added implication of 'crossing the river by feeling the way Liu Che (Emperor Wu of Han)'.

Without a reference point, Liu Rong, an ordinary time traveler, wouldn't dare say that what he did was definitely better than what Emperor Wu of Han did in history.

But with Emperor Wu of Han as a historical reference and a negative example, Liu Rong could save himself a lot of trouble and effort.

Even if he didn't know what was right, Liu Rong could figure out what was wrong by looking at the problems that occurred during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

For example, Emperor Wu of Han spent money extravagantly, squandering the military funds left by his father and grandfather for the decisive battle against the Xiongnu, which caused people all over the country to have a strong feeling of "damn, this is too much of a military campaign".

Liu Rong then did the opposite.

They were frugal with their money and focused on making money, not only refusing to let ordinary people contribute to the war effort, but also providing them with welfare and subsidies.

If war really breaks out, ordinary people will only need to desperately send their able-bodied members to the army; otherwise, they will not need to make any other sacrifices.

With able-bodied men away fighting, the land was managed by the elderly, women, and children, and with help from neighbors—it wouldn't be completely abandoned, since the battlefield wasn't within the national borders.

Aside from the military rations and weapons that the Prime Minister's treasury was already responsible for, all other expenses for the war were paid out of Liu Rong's own pocket.

For example, the original system of the Han dynasty only guaranteed each soldier a monthly ration of two shi of millet.

Now, without exception, every soldier in the Han army receives two shi (a unit of dry measure) of wheat flour per month.

Millet is cheaper than wheat, let alone processed wheat flour.

This seemingly insignificant change was Liu Rong personally subsidizing the army so that the soldiers could eat better.

—Don't underestimate this small amount of money!
Each person receives two shi of millet per month, which, based on current grain prices, costs no more than fifty coins—at most sixty coins!
However, even though wheat flour has become widespread in most parts of Guanzhong, its price still remains at ninety coins per shi, making it undoubtedly a high-quality grain!

Each person receives two shi of wheat flour per month, which amounts to a military food expense of up to 180 coins!
Millet costing between 20 and 30 coins per shi could be exchanged for wheat flour costing 90 coins per shi, a price difference of more than three times.
This means that whenever the Prime Minister's treasury takes out one qian (a unit of currency) for the army's food expenses, Liu Rong has to ask the Imperial Treasury to take out an extra two qian (a unit of currency) as a subsidy to replace millet with wheat flour.

On a per capita basis, this might only be a matter of the Prime Minister's treasury contributing fifty or sixty coins, and the Imperial Treasury providing an additional subsidy of one hundred and twenty coins.

But in terms of total numbers—the Han Dynasty's standing field army today, in Chang'an alone, consists of the Southern and Northern Armies, as well as the Feathered Forest Guard and the Tiger Guard, totaling more than 50,000 troops!

There was also the Flying Fox Army of Flying Fox Pass, the Juzhu Army of the Northern Border Wall, and several field armies reorganized from the Xiliu Camp, the Bashang Army, and the Jimen Army...

The Han dynasty now maintains no fewer than 100,000 standing field troops alone!
For these 100,000 people alone, the Prime Minister's treasury has to spend 6 million coins every month to buy millet, while the Imperial Treasury has to subsidize 12 million coins to replace millet with wheat flour.

The enormous expenditure is 12 million dollars per month, and 140 million dollars per year!
However, this was just one of the many benefits that Liu Rong promised to the soldiers in the army, and it was quite insignificant.

In addition to food, there was also equipment.

The original, and still existing, regulations of the Han dynasty stipulated that soldiers be provided with a new military robe every year. Furthermore, unless absolutely necessary—that is, unless military operations were conducted in cold regions during wartime—would not be provided with warm clothing or bedding.

In most cases, soldiers would receive winter supplies from the imperial court during the winter of a certain year, or during a war that took place in the frigid northern regions.

Then, they were used until the next winter war, or a war that took place in the north, when the court issued cold-weather supplies again.

Now, Liu Rong is adding extra benefits out of his own pocket: every soldier in the army will receive a cotton-padded winter coat and a quilt on their first day of enlistment and every three years thereafter.

This money also came from the Imperial Treasury.

The winter clothes and bedding distributed to the soldiers were embroidered with the words "issued by imperial decree on such and such a date, month and year".

If the soldiers can eat their fill and stay warm, then their daily lives are guaranteed.

What remains are the weapons and armaments on the battlefield.

As mentioned earlier, according to the current system of the Han Dynasty, all weapons and equipment of the soldiers are purchased from the Imperial Treasury by the Prime Minister's Office and then distributed to the army.

But this is only a theoretical rule.

In practice, the government's treasury was in dire straits—it had only agricultural tax revenue but countless expenditures, and it frequently ran into problems with military equipment.

It's not that anyone is lining their own pockets, abusing their power for personal gain, embezzling funds earmarked for purchasing military equipment from the national treasury, or misappropriating public funds or reselling military equipment.

Rather, it was simply that the national treasury was short of funds and could not afford to purchase military equipment from the Imperial Treasury.

Over the past few decades, similar scenes have occurred countless times in the imperial court.

Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xiaojing, respectively, requested the Prime Minister's Office and the national treasury to re-equip the army or expand the organization of the Southern and Northern armies, citing the defense of the northern border wall and the defense of the Hangu Pass in the east, in order to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

As a result, the Prime Minister's residence, whether it was Guan Ying and Zhang Cang during the reign of Emperor Taizong, or Shen Tu Jia during the reign of the late emperor, all nodded their heads and spread their hands.
Your Majesty has given the order, and I dare not disobey!

But I don't have any money...

The annual income of the Prime Minister's treasury is only about ten million shi of grain, and there are no other income items.

Most of the officials' salaries were spent, and the remaining money was used to build bridges and roads and dredge irrigation canals.
The Prime Minister's treasury is already struggling to maintain the basic logistics of the army, and they even wish they could request to reduce the army's maintenance costs.
Maintaining the status quo is already difficult enough, so where would the strength come from to upgrade equipment and expand the army?
Thus, Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xiaojing were at a loss, and due to the real need for the northern border wall and Hangu Pass, they had no choice but to find a solution themselves.

Emperor Taizong was stingy and unwilling to spend the treasury's savings, so he adopted Chao Cuo's suggestion to alleviate the pressure on the military food supply of the Prime Minister's Office and the national treasury by donating grain and titles, thereby indirectly strengthening the defense of the northern border.

With the same cost, you can get more food, which means more troops and a stronger defensive force, right?
By the time of Emperor Xiaojing, the people of the world had come to their senses.

This scheme of donating grain and titles seemed to allow lowly merchants and wealthy landowners to obtain lofty titles they never dared to dream of through a highly secure method (without having to go to the battlefield).

However, in reality, this also led to the Han dynasty's noble titles becoming like paper money after excessive currency issuance—something that everyone had, something that was commonplace, lacking any scarcity, and even having little value.

Back then, when Emperor Gaozu established the Han dynasty, all ordinary people were Gongshi, which was a first-class noble title.

As soon as someone produces their second-level (Superior) or third-level (Humble) title, everyone immediately knows that this person is from the battlefield, has blood on their hands, and holds the military merit of beheading enemies!
Occasionally, someone might encounter a fourth-rank noble title: Bu Geng. In such cases, the surrounding villages would be filled with envy and even offer their daughters to him in marriage.

The reason is simple: in the twenty-level military merit system established by Qin and adopted by Han, the difference between the first-level Gongshi, the second-level Shangzao, and the third-level Zanniao was not actually that great.

However, as the rank of nobility increases, one can own more land and more houses—such as a single courtyard and house for a nobleman, a two-courtyard house for an upper-class nobleman, or a three-courtyard house for a nobleman.

Of course, the "second courtyard" and "third courtyard" here do not refer to the "two-courtyard and three-courtyard houses" that are generally accepted in later generations, but simply to the fact that if you can enter the second inner room through the passage door in the main house, then it is a second courtyard.

Through the main house, one can enter the two inner rooms on the left and right sides, which form the third courtyard.

However, starting from the fourth level, the status and treatment corresponding to the title will undergo a slight qualitative change.

—A noble title without change of status is entitled to a residence with four rooms!

It's not a room divided into four parts, but four separate rooms!
In addition, the most 'distinguished' privilege of the title of Nobleman is that they are exempt from the night watch service.

This is also the origin of the title 'Bu Geng'.

At that time—in the early Han Dynasty, when the dynasty was newly established and everything was in need of rebuilding, a noble title that exempted ordinary farmers from corvée labor was already the limit that the common people could touch, access, and even dream of.

If you don't advance to level four, you're only three levels away from becoming a level one official. If you grit your teeth, work hard, and have a little bit of luck, there's still a good chance you'll achieve it.

It's more practical than being granted titles and power, and it's more like a 'dream' than a 'fantasy'.

However, after Emperor Taizong Xiaowen adopted Chao Cuo's suggestion and implemented the system of donating grain and titles, the Han dynasty's titles—especially the lower-ranking titles below Bugeng—had already become commonplace.

The days when all commoners in the early Han Dynasty were first-class nobles are long gone.

Every family with its own land contributed some grain in exchange for a third or fourth-level noble title.

The size of the mansion and whether one can be exempted from corvée labor are secondary; the main thing is that if one accidentally commits a crime, one can offset the crime with a noble title, which is equivalent to buying a low-level resurrection coin or a low-quality get-out-of-jail-free card.

If ordinary farmers were like this, middle-class families with assets of 100,000 coins would readily obtain a sixth or seventh rank of nobility, experiencing firsthand the 'distinguished nobility' that was at least reserved for a captain or military commander in the early Han Dynasty.

Against this backdrop, the title of First-Class Duke became an extremely rare and uncommon nobility rank among the common people.

Alternatively, the father was a second-level superior official, and the son was not the legitimate heir. After separating from the family, he was tacitly demoted one level to a first-level duke.
Either they were idle people on the streets who had no money or food to donate or donate their titles, or they had already used up all their titles and were demoted to the lowest rank of Gongshi, with no further demotion possible—if they committed another crime, they would be demoted to Sikong Chengdan and directly incorporated into the 'slave' system.

(End of this chapter)