The prince is more stable

Chapter 947 Equal Taxation of Land
The raid on the residence of Xiang Bingyi, a relative of the Empress Dowager, once again triggered an earthquake in the Bianjing court and among the people.

Xiang Bingyi had many crimes, and Bingjing Wu only conducted a casual trial, but he uncovered many cases, both big and small.

People who are powerful relatives of the emperor belong to the category of "advanced through good fortune".

Most of them have never experienced the hardships of studying hard, nor the ups and downs of officialdom, nor do they understand the principles of national righteousness. They are just a group of relatives who have climbed the social ladder.

The phrase "unworthy of their position" is the most fitting description for this type of person.

If virtue is not matched, there will be disasters.

The only thing they were clear about was their noble status. They knew that acting in this capacity was practically akin to having no taboos. People like the imperial relatives were usually arrogant and domineering, and they didn't bother to hide their true intentions. In any case, the local government wouldn't dare to investigate, and even if they did, they wouldn't dare to take action.

Such people have virtually no ability to withstand risks. If the court doesn't investigate them normally, all is well, but once the powerful figures they've attached themselves to lose power or commit crimes, none of the relatives of the emperor can escape; they'll all be brought back to square one.

Therefore, as long as the imperial court wants to investigate them, the crimes and evidence against these people can be found very easily without much effort or the need to fabricate any ironclad evidence. The real evidence collected by the Imperial City Guard alone is enough to make them lose their heads ten times over.

They seized land, drove families to ruin, abducted women, monopolized markets, and even hoarded weapons and armor, daring to resist arrest and defy the law...

Based on these charges alone, Xiang Bingyi will not survive.

Of course, Xiang Bingyi was not the only one whose residence was raided; another of Empress Dowager Xiang's uncles was also among those whose residences were confiscated.

This uncle didn't dare let the guards wear armor, but when the soldiers of the Palace Guard came to the door, the guards also took out weapons in an attempt to resist arrest.

As expected, this uncle was also arrested, and his family property and land were confiscated.

Within a single day, the Censorate, along with the Palace Guards, interrogated two relatives of the empress, and the news quickly spread.

The first to be shocked were none other than Empress Dowager Xiang's maternal relatives.

They were terrified, and then they finally understood why the Empress Dowager had been so earnest in persuading them to hand over their land.

The two uncles who refused to hand over their land have become typical negative examples, and their fate is obvious; they will most likely not survive.

Empress Dowager Xiang had given a serious warning about this outcome beforehand, but unfortunately, her two uncles wouldn't listen at all.

They wore the long gowns of noble relatives of the emperor, refusing to take them off no matter what, and were completely oblivious to the current situation.

A new emperor brings a new court; if you don't understand this principle, trouble is bound to happen sooner or later.

After the two relatives of the emperor were investigated, confiscated, and interrogated, the court officials whispered in shock, and many felt utterly hopeless.

Judging from this situation, it's impossible for the Emperor to change his mind, and everyone can see that the Emperor's attitude is becoming more and more resolute.

The two relatives of the emperor had no hope of survival. Anyone with a little common sense about officialdom knew that the emperor's move was simply to kill them to establish his authority. They had been captured and were not far from death.

The implementation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law required, first and foremost, the sacrifice of human heads to Heaven.

The court in Bianjing was in a state of panic. Most of the officials were quite wealthy and owned a lot of land. Otherwise, why would they want to be officials?

Now that the Emperor dares to take action against Empress Dowager Xiang's two cousins, anyone else who opposes the equal taxation of the land should be questioning their own survival, let alone their chances of winning.

Unlike the reactions of the court officials, the reactions of the maternal relatives and members of the imperial family were much more intense.

If the emperor is targeting the maternal relatives, shouldn't the imperial family be the next target?

What will happen to these relatives?
They weren't poor either; their land holdings were no less than those of the two unfortunate relatives.

If the maternal relatives are dying, how far are the clansmen from death?

Just as the imperial family members were filled with fear and unease, an imperial edict was issued from the Funing Palace.

The two relatives of the emperor who were arrested and had their residences confiscated have been executed in accordance with the law. Their crimes and evidence are conclusive. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs have reviewed the case and found no errors. They will be beheaded outside the city today.

The next day, the two relatives of the emperor were indeed taken outside the city and beheaded as a warning to the public.

In the Song Dynasty, official procedures were always extremely lengthy and protracted, but this time, from arresting the person to interrogation, to securing evidence, and finally to the Emperor personally issuing an edict for execution...

This whole process was incredibly fast, like a series of sparks flying.

In just two days, the once high-ranking relatives of the emperor, who possessed vast wealth and land, were brought down from their lofty positions and then swiftly executed. Such lightning-fast efficiency was unprecedented in the history of the Song Dynasty.

Two relatives of the emperor died, their deaths both painful and swift. It is said that after their execution, their heads and bodies remained outside the city, and no one dared to collect them. In the end, the Empress Dowager had to plead with Zhao Xiaoqian in person before people were sent to the mortuary to hastily bury the two bodies.

The deaths of the two relatives of the emperor did indeed give the court and the people a great shock.

If even a powerful maternal relative of such high status was beheaded by the emperor, what about the local officials, powerful landlords, and wealthy families who opposed the equal land tax system?
First ask yourself if you're tough enough, then ask yourself if your backers and connections are as powerful as those two maternal relatives, and finally touch your neck to see if you feel a chill run down your spine...

The official's blade had already fallen, and when it was lifted again, it was covered in blood.

Then, the official, knife in hand, looked around, sizing up who would jump out and who would be the next target...

This is the current state of the Song Dynasty court.

Prior to this, the Emperor had not uttered a single harsh word, and during the court session he remained smiling, appearing gentle and approachable.

But the things the officials do are deadly.

After the deaths of the two relatives of the emperor, Yanfu Palace inexplicably received many more guests.

The guests were all rare visitors, not people who came and went often. These people were all members of the imperial family and relatives of the emperor, and they all came to the palace gates to request an audience with Zhao Xiaoqian.

Upon meeting, without saying a word, he bowed deeply and then respectfully produced a stack of land deeds.

This result was exactly what Zhao Xiaoqian had expected.

He knew that the deaths of the two relatives of the emperor would inevitably trigger a series of chain reactions. To be honest, he had been waiting for the reactions of the imperial family members for the past two days.

Now they have indeed responded, and their performance has satisfied him.

The 120,000 hectares of land belonging to the Empress Dowager's family and relatives have all been confiscated by the imperial court. The land donated by these imperial relatives amounted to a total of over one million hectares.

This number surprised Zhao Xiaoqian greatly, and his expression was ambiguous, neither joyful nor displeased.

These imperial relatives and in-laws, over generations, have amassed untold wealth by exploiting the people.

The land on which farmers depended for their livelihood was gradually concentrated and annexed by the powerful elites at the top of the pyramid within just one hundred years of the founding of the Song Dynasty.

As expected, the problem of land annexation, which no dynasty could escape, was repeated in the Song Dynasty as well.

Even if the empire falls, their money and land will still belong to them. At worst, they can simply change into official robes and pledge allegiance to the new emperor.

The royal relatives were filled with unease, but with forced smiles, they presented their land deeds with both hands.

Zhao Xiaoqian, with a forced smile, accepted their land deeds.

This wasn't robbery; it was something they willingly gave to the imperial court, ultimately driven by a fervent desire to serve their country.

Of course, Zhao Xiaoqian was also well aware that the land deeds sent by the royal relatives might only represent one or two tenths, or even less, of the actual amount of land they owned.

It's alright, there's still plenty of time. As the imperial court's supervisory system gradually improves and the Fangtian Equal Tax Law is officially implemented, they will still have to obediently give back what they have.

The second day of the morning assembly was an ordinary day.

The weather was far from sunny and breezy; only a biting wind howled across the square outside the palace.

The sky was shrouded in chaos, a hazy gray, as if a giant rock was floating in the sky, creating an inexplicable sense of oppression.

At this unremarkable court assembly, Zhao Xiaoqian announced something in front of all the civil and military officials.

After careful deliberation and meticulous analysis by the Council of State and the New Policy Office, the "Equal Taxation Law for Fields" was officially promulgated and implemented throughout the country from this day forward.

Officials at all levels of the Song Dynasty, including prefectures, states, and counties, were required to strictly enforce the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, and to begin surveying and investigating all land under their jurisdiction. If any powerful landlords concealed or misreported their land holdings, they were to be arrested, punished, and their land confiscated.

The Supervisory Office and its officials in various prefectures should also be dispatched to different areas to inspect localities and strictly monitor the implementation of the Land Equal Tax Law by local officials.

If any local official resists or fails to cooperate, or colludes with powerful landlords for personal gain, they will be dismissed on the spot and escorted to Bianjing (Kaifeng) to be severely interrogated and punished by the Dali Temple and the Imperial City Guard.

After Zhao Xiaoqian finished speaking, the Daqing Hall fell into a deathly silence.

Many court officials looked ashen-faced and filled with despair.

Some people were overjoyed and secretly cheered.

Not all officials in the imperial court are treacherous; otherwise, the emperor's life would be far too tragic.

Ultimately, there were also some upright and selfless officials who genuinely hoped that the country would prosper and become strong.

However, there are far too few selfless court officials like this.

In the minds of most court officials, personal gain was more important than the fate of the nation.

The promulgation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law undoubtedly greatly damaged their private interests.

Seeing that they could not stop the emperor's decision, many court officials began to secretly consider selling their land. However, if there were a housing market in this world, the implementation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law would undoubtedly be a huge negative for powerful families and merchants, and land prices would inevitably have already plummeted.

After the announcement was made to the public, no one in the hall spoke.

Zhao Xiaoqian knew that not many people actually agreed with this new policy, but their official positions were more important, and they had witnessed his ruthless methods of killing to establish his authority, so no one dared to openly oppose it.

If it weren't for the heads of those two relatives of the empress serving as a warning, today's court assembly probably wouldn't be so quiet.

As long as they remain silent, Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't care whether they object or not.

New policies that benefit ordinary people and farmers must be implemented, no matter how great the resistance, even if it means killing people.

After the announcement, Zhao Xiaoqian immediately adjourned the court session.

From this day forward, the Song Dynasty took a giant leap towards becoming a prosperous dynasty.

After the court session ended, the officials left the palace.

Zhao Xiaoqian was changing clothes in the back hall of Daqing Hall when he vaguely heard a noisy commotion reaching his ears from afar.

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback and was about to ask a question when Zheng Chunhe rushed over with a joyful expression. Before Zhao Xiaoqian could speak, Zheng Chunhe knelt in front of him and said happily, "Your Majesty, the news of the implementation of the 'Equal Land Tax Law' has just spread, and the people of Bianjing have gathered outside the palace gates to thank the Emperor for his grace."

(End of this chapter)