Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 76 Poll Tax

Suanfu is the poll tax.

The poll tax is one of the heaviest taxes among all levies and is considered a major tax. It brings a greater burden to the people than property tax.

According to Han Chinese regulations, everyone under the age of 56, regardless of age, was required to pay a head tax. Those aged 15 to 56 paid a tax of 120 coins per year, while those under 15 paid 23 coins per year, known as the "mouth tax."

But this was just the old system. As the world became chaotic, more and more copper coins were minted, and the currency depreciated rapidly. The head tax collected by many counties was far more than 120 coins per person per year, but times or even several times the amount.

In those areas with heavy taxes, for example, a family of five would have to pay thousands of coins, or even more than two thousand coins, in head tax every year. Add to that other taxes, big and small. After paying the taxes, the family would not have enough money left to feed themselves. In years with bad harvests, the family would be in danger of bankruptcy. Their resistance to war, disasters, and epidemics would be minimal. Once they happened, there would be no other way but for the family to be destroyed and everyone to die.

For this reason, when Yan Yi promulgated the new tax order, he attached particular importance to the head tax, and adjusted it to "those who have not yet reached adulthood and those who are beyond the four earthly branches cycle do not have to pay the tax and head money."

To be crowned means to be twenty years old.

The Earthly Branch cycle refers to Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Each cycle is twelve years, and the four Earthly Branch cycles are forty-eight years.

In other words, among the registered citizens in Yuncheng, only those aged between 20 and 48 need to pay the head tax.

In this way, the pressure on the people of Yuncheng from the head tax will be greatly reduced.

Many people, including Cao Qiu and Yan Baihu, were puzzled by Yan Yi's decision to reduce taxes on the people. Cao Qiu believed that winning over the people didn't require such a high price, while Yan Baihu worried that Yuncheng's new tax order would have an impact on Wucheng.

But Yan Yi had his own ideas. He believed that while lowering taxes might seem to reduce fiscal revenue, the reality was the exact opposite. This was because these measures attracted a large number of citizens to support the government. While individual taxes were reduced, the county's population increased significantly. This rapid population growth was enough to increase Yuncheng's fiscal revenue rather than reduce it.

It can not only increase fiscal revenue, but also reduce the burden on the people and gain reputation. Why not do it?
Yan Yi was very determined to implement the new tax order. Yuncheng had a sparse population, so increasing the population was the top priority. If there was only land but no people, what was the use of these wastelands?
Two months ago, when he was thinking about how to resist Sun Ce, he believed that the first priority was to expand the army. To expand the army, one must first expand the population, and the prerequisite for expanding the population is to expand the territory.

However, after two months of observations, his thoughts had quietly changed. The land must be expanded, but it was not the only way to expand the population, because the people were like water, and water was constantly flowing. 'The people flocked to it like water flows down.' A reputation for benevolence and appropriate measures could also achieve the goal of expanding the population.

With a plan in mind, he attached great importance to the implementation of the new tax order. Not only did he inquire about it from time to time, he also personally inspected the residence.

The old man had no idea what he was thinking. He thought he was just chatting with him and replied with a smile, "We used to have to pay taxes, but now the young master has issued a new tax decree, so we don't have to pay taxes anymore. No one has come to collect taxes from me recently."

Yan Yi also smiled: "Very good."

Cao Qiu's worries finally settled down, and a smug smile appeared on his face. He secretly said that after returning to the official temple, he would give some more instructions to the officials in Cao to avoid any trouble.

After chatting with the old man for a while, Yan Yi took off the jade pendant from his waist and forced it into the old man's hand: "Please be sure to accept it."

The old man still wanted to refuse, but said solemnly: "It is not a gift, but a respect for your virtue and your ability to guide people to be good." After that, he stood up and left.

After Yan Yi and his group left, more than a dozen people nearby came over. One of them asked, "Father Chen, what did the young master give you?"

The old man lost his voice and asked, "Is that the man just now the young master?"

Everyone around him nodded in agreement, and one of them asked anxiously, "Father Chen, what did the young master give you? Show us quickly."

The old man's eyes were a little moist. He spread out his right hand, and the jade in his palm was crystal clear, which attracted everyone's amazement.

A middle-aged man in a long robe seemed quite knowledgeable. He stared at the jade pendant with envy on his face. "Mr. Chen, you are rich now. This piece of jade is worth at least 100,000 coins."

The people around gasped and exclaimed in amazement. A young man in short clothes asked, "Father Chen, why did the young master give you this?"

The old man then told what had just happened.

Everyone sighed with emotion. The middle-aged man said solemnly, "Virtue is the source of behavior. This is an act of prioritizing virtue over wealth. It should be spread throughout the villages so that it can educate people and continue to do so."

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was foreseeable that this matter would soon spread throughout Yuncheng. Not only would the old man be praised, but his village and the head of the village would also benefit.

Yan Yi had arrived at a house with a courtyard. The door was half-closed, revealing a crack through which he could see a desk with several scrolls of documents spread out. A sturdy, elderly man in a wrinkled robe sat before the desk, surrounded by six or seven other people, all of varying ages, dressed in cloth and straw sandals. They seemed to be locals.

The old man's voice was clear and slow, reaching Yan Yi's ears through the door. "The laws of this dynasty are largely derived from the Nine Chapters of the Law of the Former Han Dynasty. They are divided into thieves, robbers, prisoners, arrests, miscellaneous items, stables, households, property, and tools. The items are clear and the legal principles are strict. Thieves are punished for stealing property. The Thief Chapter states that if a thief steals more than five pieces of goods, he will be executed. What does this law mean?"

A young man with dark skin and thin muscles said seriously, "Sir, this means that if a thief's stolen goods are worth more than five pieces of cloth, he will be executed in the market and abandoned to the public. This law is very strict."

The old man smiled faintly, stroking the book in his hand and saying, "Good. However, the purpose of the Nine Chapters of Law is not just about punishment, it also concerns education. Do you understand its purpose?"

A man in his thirties looked puzzled and asked, and the old man patiently answered him.

Yan Yi stood outside the courtyard wall and listened attentively, nodding his head occasionally.

The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, combining Confucianism on the outside and legalism on the inside. While Confucianism dominated society and spread widely, the importance of law remained paramount. From the emperor to the officials, everyone attached great importance to law, fostering a social ethos of "high-ranking officials favored grammar." While many aristocratic families inherited the classics, many also embraced law as a family tradition.

Yan Yi listened for a while, then left thoughtfully. After walking more than ten steps, he instructed Cao Qiu, "The day after tomorrow, invite the old man from this courtyard to my house."

(End of this chapter)