The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 193 The Equalization of Land Tax and Labor Service: He Actually Supported It
The Crown Prince's two memorials, though not groundbreaking or earth-shattering, still had a tremendous impact.

The birth of a child in a prosperous era, with no further tax increases, has earned the gratitude of countless people;

However, the other tax exemption announcement caused the entire court to feel heartbroken and extremely uncomfortable.

Everyone knew this was a troublesome matter, but it wasn't impossible to do.

Once it's done, many people will look very unhappy.

What is the Crown Prince's third memorial?

At this moment, the ministers were filled with trepidation, both anticipation and fear, as they awaited the Crown Prince's third memorial.

Some people even secretly prayed that the Crown Prince would stop there and not make any more reports!
However, fate is hard to defy. Shen Ye had already spoken: "Father, my third memorial is consistent with the previous two and they are connected."

The policy of "no increase in taxes for new births in prosperous times" may work very well in the short term, but problems will arise later.

"For example, people are born, grow old, get sick, and die, but new people are not taxed, which will create new conflicts. Compared to the changing population, the heavens and the earth are unchanging."

Therefore, your humble servant suggests that, on the basis of never increasing taxes, the poll tax should be converted into a land tax, linking the poll tax to the land tax.

Although the Crown Prince's reply was simple, every word carried immense weight.

The moment the phrase "integrating the poll tax into the land tax" was uttered, the entire court was in an uproar.

His "equalization of land tax and poll tax" was not a simple equalization of land tax and poll tax; rather, it combined the amount of land with a fixed amount of poll tax. The amount of poll tax was fixed, and the amount of land was also fixed.

After hearing the Crown Prince's suggestion, Emperor Qianxi secretly thought it brilliant.

He faced numerous obstacles in implementing his new policies, which left him feeling very frustrated.

Now, the Crown Prince's memorial can win over the people with the promise of "never increasing taxes" and serve as a deterrent with the promise of "tax exemption announcement"; finally, the true intentions are revealed, directly targeting the core of the new policy.

Fixing the amount to Ding Yin was considered a concession.

The tax exemption announcement was like a sharp knife hanging over the heads of the ministers.

If you object, then the knife will fall.

If there's no objection, then it's a win-win situation for everyone.

These three consecutive policies were intricately linked and truly impressive. They not only gained a good reputation but also wielded a formidable weapon, ultimately revealing their true intentions: to implement the land tax reform!

This wasn't about punishing Nian Xialing; it was about directly establishing the policy of merging the poll tax into the land tax.

Emperor Qianxi agreed in his heart, but he knew that the implementation of such matters still depended on those below.

At this point, he cannot ignore what those below him are thinking.

So he smiled and said, "I think the Crown Prince's suggestion is excellent. What do you all think?"

Wang Yan's feelings were complicated at this moment.

He and Kong Meiyun went to the Crown Prince to ask him to help oppose the land tax reform and thus uphold the ancestral system.

In their view, the crown prince would never oppose ancestral rules in order to secure his own position.

But as it turns out, they underestimated this young prince.

This guy really did flip the table!
Moreover, it was a radical and decisive overturning of the table.

They never expected that this young prince would do the opposite, and with such skill.

The "tax exemption announcement" is like a sword hanging over their heads, making opponents hesitant to act.

Adding a child without paying extra is a sweet treat, but the subsequent public announcement is the real tactic.

If anyone opposes the Crown Prince's proposal, then the announcement of tax exemption might be imminent.

In this situation, although no one liked the land tax reform, they would still think about how to minimize their losses.

After all, when faced with two evils, choose the lesser.

As the Crown Prince's daily lecturer, he will not oppose the Crown Prince this time.

I wonder about Kong Meiyun and the others... Wang Yan glanced at Kong Meiyun and saw the hesitation in her eyes.

Kong Meiyun didn't want any land tax reform, but he knew even better that if the tax exemption announcement really came, his family would be the most affected.

Because their family is truly wealthy.

As for those who were originally aggressive and wanted to criticize the "equalization of land tax and poll tax" and suppress it through memorials, they all remained silent at this moment.

They also understood the key to this.

Therefore, they didn't want to be the first to stick their neck out.
Looking at the silent ministers, Emperor Qianxi revealed a sly smile.

Even if you don't speak, I'll make you speak!

"Kong Meiyun, what do you think of the Crown Prince's memorial?"

Kong Meiyun was called upon to offer advice at this moment, and she secretly groaned in despair.

However, no matter how much he didn't want to answer, he had to answer when facing Emperor Qianxi.

As a representative of the local gentry and powerful families, he should have firmly opposed it. However, thinking of the sword hanging over his head, he could only reply tactfully: "Your Majesty, there are still some shortcomings in the land tax reform. Even if it is implemented, it should be done gradually and slowly."

Not opposing the implementation of the land tax reform is, in effect, support.

Just before this grand court assembly, this Hanlin scholar had been vehemently advocating for the conversion of land tax into poll tax.

But now, judging from his tone, anyone who didn't know better would think he had always supported the "equalization of land tax and poll tax".

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "What you say is right. This matter should not be rushed, but it should not be delayed for too long either."

Kong Meiyun remained silent, seemingly agreeing with Emperor Qianxi's opinion.

When Emperor Qianxi's gaze slowly shifted to Chen Tingjing, the Left Censor-in-Chief, the atmosphere in the court tensed up.

The Censorate had always been a gathering place for opponents of the new policies, and at this moment everyone held their breath, waiting for the Left Censor-in-Chief's answer.

This doesn't mean that Chen Tingjing himself opposed the new policy; it just means that his attitude on this matter was somewhat ambiguous.

Moreover, he couldn't control the censors in the Censorate.

"Minister Chen, what do you think of the Crown Prince's memorial?"

Chen Tingjing's fingers curled slightly within his wide sleeves. Emperor Qianxi's question, seemingly casual, was actually putting him on the hot seat of criticism.

He knew perfectly well that the Censorate would be the first to object to the Crown Prince's three memorials. If they opposed them, they would be caught in the middle between the Emperor and the court officials, ending up in a lose-lose situation. Therefore, it was better to...
It's better to agree readily now to avoid trouble later.

"Your Majesty's memorial is excellent; it truly reflects your mature and insightful views on governing the country."

"The 'land tax reform' and the previous 'no increase in taxes' are two sides of the same coin. Otherwise, simply implementing 'no increase in taxes' without changing the tax system will lead to new problems in the future."

He spoke these words in a steady and measured manner, but halfway through, the Left Censor-in-Chief's throat tightened slightly.

He glanced at the Crown Prince's young and handsome face, then suddenly raised his voice: "Your Highness's plan is entirely beneficial to the court and has no drawbacks; it is truly a plan for the long-term stability of the nation!"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole court was in an uproar.

Chen Tingjing was the Left Censor-in-Chief. Although his statement could not command all the officials who spoke out, it was enough to influence the direction of most of the Censorate.

Throughout history, emperors have both loved and hated imperial censors, relying on them while also fearing them—loving them like a knife that can cut through the mess, and hating them like a thorn that can often harm them.

Emperor Qianxi stroked the dragon head on the dragon throne, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.

If the censor does not object, then the matter is largely settled.

For Emperor Qianxi, the Crown Prince's memorial was a truly unexpected and delightful surprise.

It seems that there is real hope for implementing the land tax reform this time!

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(End of this chapter)