My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 612 Rebellion without dying?!
Ultimately, seeking patronage from powerful figures or high-ranking officials is merely the only solution that the business class can think of when faced with systemic discrimination and exclusion in society.

Only in this way can the business community have a sliver of possibility of 'protecting their own rights under an authoritarian system'.

But it's only a possibility.

The root of the problem lies in the social status of the business community itself, and the systemic discrimination against them by society.

To put it bluntly: if you're a dog, don't blame others for not treating you like a human being.

No matter how powerful your master is, you're still just a barking dog.

If your master is in a good mood, he might throw you a bone. You might enjoy eating it, but others will despise you even more.

If your master is unhappy, he might kick you on the head, or even heat oil in a wok, and you'll still have to endure it.

Whether you have a master or not, you're still just a dog.

Without a master, you're a stray dog; with a master, you're a watchdog—they're all dogs.

No matter how powerful you are, or how well you imitate humans, you can't change the fact that you are a dog.

The practice of donating grain and titles undoubtedly gave the merchant class a chance to "start anew".

People often talk about how the merchant class was despised and systematically excluded in feudal times;
Few people know how merchants were discriminated against, despised, and treated differently in feudal times.

At least in the Han Dynasty today, it is not difficult for the masses to identify and accurately discriminate against merchants.

First, according to the laws and regulations established by the founding emperor, Emperor Taizu Gao, merchants were not allowed to live in the same area as other groups.

Instead, a special "merchant residential area" should be established to isolate the merchants collectively.

Although they are not confined and are allowed to freely enter and exit their own "businessmen's communities," they provide the public with the simplest and most direct way to identify them.

—Those who are not qualified to live with everyone else and can only live in the 'merchant's quarters' are lowly merchants!

Furthermore, in addition to their residences being forcibly planned and isolated by the government, the merchants' 'workplaces' were also subject to strict area restrictions.

The word "city" is probably familiar to people of later generations.

In later times, the term "market" actually referred to a market that specializes in selling a particular type of goods, such as a farmers' market or a furniture market.

Besides these specialized markets, ordinary people have many other ways to sell their goods.

For example, setting up a stall on the roadside;

Set up a sign at the entrance of the alley;
Or, like Wu Dalang, one could carry a shoulder pole and hawk goods along the street without any taboos.

However, in feudal times, the market was the only place where merchants could conduct retail business.

Retail sales of any type or category of goods must be conducted in designated "markets" set up by the government; otherwise, it is illegal!

Even ordinary people who want to sell an egg or a couple of vegetable leaves have to honestly register at the market and then get a temporary stall.

Even the flow of goods between merchants had to take place in the 'market,' otherwise it would be considered that one party's goods had an unclear origin and the other party's funds had an unclear origin.

If the officials catch you on this charge, you're in for a lot of trouble.

At best, they'll lose all their wealth and end up homeless; at worst, their families will be destroyed, and their lineage will be cut off!
This gives the public another way to identify businessmen and thus accurately express their contempt.

Those who have a fixed stall or even a shop in the 'market' are lowly merchants.

In the distant reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, there were actually many more ways to distinguish whether someone was a merchant or a powerful figure.

For example, the saying "merchants are not allowed to wear silk or ride in carriages" means that merchants are not allowed to wear clothes made of fine fabrics such as silk or satin, and are not allowed to ride in any kind of animal-drawn carriage.
Therefore, in that era, one could easily identify a merchant by seeing someone dressed in coarse linen clothes like a peasant, followed by servants, and who had to walk everywhere.

However, over the years, the series of discriminatory laws enacted by Emperor Taizu Gao against the merchant class have long since lost their meaning under the erosion of time.

On the one hand, as time went by, the Han dynasty gradually transitioned from the 'serious' era of the early Han dynasty, which had just been unified after the war, to the relatively relaxed social atmosphere after the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

On the other hand, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen abolished the customs and ferries system in order to allow the people to recuperate and achieve the political goal of "keeping wealth among the people," thus reducing the difficulty of population movement and deliberately indulging merchants.

Then there are the lingering effects of paying tribute in grain and donating titles.

Strictly speaking, the series of laws and regulations formulated by Emperor Taizu Gao are still valid today, and no one dares to disobey them.

The problem was not that no one obeyed the laws and regulations set forth by Emperor Gao, nor that the government did not strictly enforce them.
Rather, it was after the implementation of the system of paying tribute in grain and donating titles that the Han dynasty no longer had any 'merchants'.

What is a businessman?

According to the current laws of the Han Dynasty, merchants would be separately registered in the 'merchant register', strictly distinguishing them from the people registered in the agricultural register;

Merchants listed as 'commercial' are, in principle, not entitled to any state benefits and are not included in any scope of exemptions from obligations.

For example, on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, Liu Rong granted a grand feast in Dapu, which meant drinking freely. Merchants registered in the 'merchant register' would not be included in this list.

For example, when Liu Rong bestowed titles upon the people of the land, or granted them wine, meat, and cloth, merchants listed in the 'Merchant Register' were also excluded from this list.

Ordinary people have obligations that merchants must also obey; ordinary people are exempted from these obligations, but merchants are not.
The rights that ordinary people enjoy are almost unavailable to businessmen.

Even in civil disputes that escalate to the government, if one party is a businessman, the government will treat them differently, favoring the non-business party.

At this point, the topic actually becomes a bit strange.

How can it be?

In a vast Han dynasty, there were dozens of wealthy and powerful merchants. How could there be 'no merchants'?
Furthermore, when businessmen and ordinary people go to court, shouldn't the typical scenario be that the businessmen spend money to pull strings, collude with corrupt officials, and oppress the powerless and vulnerable lower class?

It's good enough if officials don't bully old farmers, so how could they possibly favor old farmers and target merchants?

The answer to all this lies in that somewhat eerie statement: In the Han Dynasty today, there are almost no 'merchants' left.

To be precise, there are no longer any legally recognized businessmen who are registered as merchants, live in collective isolation, and exhibit significant characteristics of being a merchant or of low social status.

As mentioned above, merchants in the Han Dynasty would be registered under a separate business register. However, nowadays, any merchant with connections has long since used their influence to transfer their household registration to the agricultural register.

Furthermore, the most prominent characteristic of merchants in the Han Dynasty was that they did not hold noble titles, and this practice completely disappeared after Emperor Taizong donated grain and titles.

—In Liu Rong's reign, let alone merchants without titles, anyone whose title is lower than the ninth rank of Wu Dafu or the tenth rank of Zuo Shuzhang is not worthy of being called a merchant.

Merchants often hold titles such as the tenth-rank Left Vice Minister, or even the fifteenth-rank Junior Master and the sixteenth-rank Grand Master!

A very small number of wealthy and powerful merchants even managed to reach the upper limit stipulated by the donation of grain and titles through special means and channels: the seventeenth-rank chief of the four-horse chariot!
It is worth mentioning that in the twenty-rank military merit system inherited by the Han dynasty from the pre-Qin period, there are several key rank points that will cause a qualitative change from lower ranks.

The most urgent path is from the first-level Gongshi, the second-level Shangzao, the third-level Zanniao, to the fourth-level Bugeng, which marks the first critical juncture.

Before the fourth level was changed, the title of nobility only granted the right to own a larger plot of land, a larger number of houses, and servants and concubines.

Starting from the fourth rank of Bu Geng, the title of nobility will begin to provide privileges—for example, the fourth rank of Bu Geng means exemption from the service of guarding the palace.

Then came the fifth-level physician, the sixth-level official physician, the seventh-level public physician, and finally the eighth-level public servant, which marked another key point of privilege.

Starting from the eighth rank of the imperial carriage, holders of noble titles could ride in official carriages and were qualified to meet with local officials...

As you progress, roughly every four levels you'll gain a significantly enhanced privilege and benefit.

The reason why Emperor Taizong set the upper limit for the people to 'purchase' noble titles at the sixteenth level, Da Shangzao, was because starting from the seventeenth level, Si Che Shuzhang, the noble title would bring the holder the most prestigious and scarce special treatment.

Starting from the seventeenth rank of Siche Shuzhang, the holder of the title will no longer simply 'possess a title' or 'simply have a prominent social status', but will be able to receive a salary!

The seventeenth-rank Siche Shuzhang, whose rank was equivalent to two thousand shi, was able to assume a position equivalent to two thousand shi at any time.

The 18th-rank Grand Master, with a rank of 2,000 shi, is also qualified to be the default candidate for a vacant position when such a position becomes vacant.

Upon reaching the nineteenth rank of Marquis within the Pass, one can possess a fiefdom that would drive the Chinese nation mad!
The title of Marquis within the Pass was determined only by the title and the number of fiefs, without a specific fief. The title was not taken from a place name, but rather from auspicious words with positive connotations.

Then, based on the established number of fiefs, the Prime Minister's office directly distributed money and grain from the national treasury, with each household receiving approximately ten shi (a unit of dry measure) of tax revenue per year, just like a high-ranking official receiving two thousand shi.

There's no need to elaborate on the title of Marquis Che—it's a real fiefdom, along with the right to collect agricultural taxes from the people within that fiefdom.

Furthermore, the Marquis himself could exert a significant influence on the administration of his fiefdom.

Once you understand these points, it becomes clear that the principle of "princes being subject to the same laws as commoners" was not actually applicable in feudal times.

—At least it won't work for the Han Dynasty today.

Because in this era, in the Han Dynasty, the division of social classes was not the more familiar division of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants that later generations were more accustomed to, nor was it the division of the powerful, the middle class, and the proletariat.
Instead, it is more direct and specific: using titles to construct a social hierarchy of contempt.

No matter how insignificant a rank 20 Marquis may be, even if he only has a fief of 100 households, when he meets a rank 19 Marquis within the Pass, even if the other party has a fief of 500 households, he can still act arrogantly and put on airs, making the other party pay respects to him first.

No matter how incompetent a Level 16 Grand Master is, even if he is unemployed and living off his savings, he can still consider himself a "senior" or "more esteemed" when he meets a Level 15 Junior Master, even if the other party holds an official position.

This was an era of clear class distinctions—or rather, clear distinctions of titles.

The social status of merchants stems from their humble origins as 'merchants';

Therefore, the most direct way for businessmen to solve the problem of being systematically despised by society and systematically belittled by mainstream values, and to fundamentally improve their social status, is to acquire a noble title.

Merchants are considered "despicable" because they do not hold any noble titles, not even the highest-ranking nobles, which is why they are despised and looked down upon by the peasants and common people all over the world.

But no matter how upright the peasants at the bottom of society are, or how fierce the Han people's customs are, no one would dare to despise a 'big shot' of the sixteenth level.

Even if the other party had "I am a lowly merchant" written on their forehead, no one would dare to take it seriously.

Moreover, merchants sought titles not only for higher social status and recognition and respect from mainstream social values.

Merchants have always been a group that will not get up early without profit.

A businessman won't do something that doesn't bring him any benefit.

Especially things that require huge expenditures and expenses, but ultimately only look good on the surface, are often strongly rejected by true businessmen.

What truly drives businessmen to flock to titles that supposedly elevate their social status and gain recognition from mainstream social values ​​is the threat to their lives.

As I said before;
In this era, merchants are inherently lowly and naturally disliked.

In principle, apart from slaves like Sikong Chengdan who are registered as slaves, everyone else—whether craftsmen or merchants—can bully merchants without having to worry about paying a price.

Not to mention bureaucrats who used businessmen's lives as political achievements, and feudal emperors who treated businessmen like dungeons to be cleared.

Therefore, the real allure of titles—especially high-ranking titles—to the merchant class lay in the system of using titles to offset crimes, which was very prevalent in the Han Dynasty at that time.

In theory, in the current Han Dynasty, apart from serious crimes such as treason, witchcraft, and disrespect, almost any other crime can be "pardoned with a noble title".

This is only in theory.

In fact, even a heinous crime like treason could be met with more lenient treatment due to a higher rank.

Just like back then, Liu Bi, the King of Wu, who launched the Rebellion of the Seven States of Wu and Chu, was ultimately defeated and fled to Lingnan, where he was beheaded by the Dongyue Kingdom and sent to Chang'an.

—Wu King Liu Bi, who was defeated and fled, died in Lingnan;

If Liu Bi had surrendered on the battlefield and been captured alive by the army sent by Chang'an to quell the rebellion, he would most likely have survived after the rebellion was quelled!
Whether for political considerations or practical considerations to appease the hearts of the feudal lords in Guandong—especially the moral consideration of not allowing relatives to kill each other—the late emperor would likely, in the end, grit his teeth and bear the disgust, pardon Liu Bi, the King of Wu, for his crime of rebelling.

Then, using a pretext such as "reflecting on one's mistakes in seclusion," they imprisoned King Liu Bi of Wu for life.

It sounds cruel, but in fact, it's quite forgiving—a bit of an exaggeration.

—You can rebel and not even die?!
Yes, in the current Han Dynasty.

As long as one's rank is high enough—like Liu Bi, who reached the level of a prince or king—there is a chance to survive in Chang'an even after rebelling.

(End of this chapter)