The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 153 Father and Son
Inside the hall, there was a deathly silence, save for the echoes of rain pattering on banana leaves and dripping into the pond outside the window.

Everyone felt a thorn in their side, unable to sit still or stand still. They shifted their bodies slightly, because Li Xianmu's words were incredibly sharp, like a dagger piercing through the thin veil of modesty.

Li Xianmu's purpose in summoning them was obvious: they all possessed official documents and were well-versed in the intricacies of taxation in Jiangnan.

They even knew exactly where the payments were made and where they were made inadequately.

The taxes levied by the imperial court are clearly stipulated in the law, so why are there such discrepancies?

Because of the reporting and reimbursement system!

According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, local government offices were required to submit their annual accounts and year-end reports to the Provincial Administration Commission for verification.

The provincial governor then submitted the annual tax and grain registers to the Ministry of Revenue, detailing the actual amount collected, the amount retained, and the details of the shipment of regular taxes and grain such as land tax and poll tax.

For arrears of money and grain caused by disasters or special policies, local officials need to compile an exemption list, which will be reviewed by the Ministry of Revenue and then cancelled. This is called "reporting and cancellation".

This system was well-intentioned. In ancient times, without modern agricultural technology, people were extremely vulnerable to disasters, and the reporting and sales system was a reasonable and humane system.

But there are big problems in implementation.

Local powerful clans used their influence to network with government officials and bribe clerks to embezzle taxes that should have been paid in full, creating new pretexts to include them in the outstanding amount. They used the guise of "reporting and approving" to actually conceal and delay payments!
The grain and silver that should have filled the national treasury were silently lost under the guise of "legality".

What Li Xianmu is asking about now is the mountain of money and grain owed over the years under the guise of reporting expenses.

Everyone present was an official in charge of money and grain in the provincial government and the Ministry of Revenue, and they were all very likely to have received bribes from powerful families in the past, so they would naturally know this.

That's why I feel uneasy and guilty.

After a long, suppressed silence, someone finally lowered their head and squeezed out a few words in a trembling voice: "Governor..."

This matter... is complex and not as simple as it seems... even the late Emperor and Lord Li Zhongwen knew about it when they were alive.

The sound of rain outside grew louder, and the person speaking spoke intermittently. The rain curtain outside did not linger at all, hitting the eaves and then gurgling into water droplets.

From the heavens above, Li Qi, who had been watching closely, let out a long sigh upon hearing this, feeling slightly wistful. Yes, he knew it back then, but in the end, he still didn't make any changes.

Why?
Because he dared not accept it!

It wasn't a lack of courage to take action against powerful clans, but rather a concern for the lives of ordinary people.

Li Qi was unwilling to do something like Wang Anshi's grand and spectacular efforts that ultimately left the people to suffer all the hardships, only to end with him saying, "My intentions were good."

If we really use an iron fist to collect taxes completely, will we be able to collect them?
can!
But what will the consequences be?

If he dares to collect the grain tax at full rate, the gentry will have countless ways to circumvent and shift the burden, and the extra burden will ultimately fall on the shoulders of the already overburdened poor people.

Even if a bountiful harvest of grain is brought in, how can you distinguish which grain came from the granaries of the wealthy and powerful, and which was squeezed from the very food that sustains the lives of ordinary people?

This is not a question of whether or not to be authoritarian or whether or not one is willing to do it.

Rather, it's a matter of the imperial court's ability to maintain control.

The imperial court could neither see nor control those below, so it could only deal with each case as it escalated. This method of turning a blind eye was the "leniency of governance"—"Although it exists, the imperial court does not allow it, and it can intervene whenever it wants."

Li Xianmu was perfectly aware of this; his father had taught him this many years ago—

"If one is in a high position in the government and in charge of the world, and only seeks personal wealth and a good reputation, then one should simply follow the rules and regulations."

Take, for example, the path of being a father. He received praise from the world and appeared to have accomplished many things, but in reality, he didn't change a single one of the nation's deep-seated problems, nor did he implement any reforms that threatened the interests of the powerful and wealthy!

This is not Li Qi being modest; his changes to the Ming Dynasty were all in the upper-level political and cultural systems, and he didn't touch upon any reforms.

It's not that he doesn't want to, but that he can't do it.

The reason is simple: he has no one under his command.

Whenever a reform is implemented, there must be a capable team of officials at the helm, capable of penetrating deep into the corners of the empire, in order to carry out the will of the person in charge of the reform.

Shang Yang did not begin his reforms until three years after issuing the decree to cultivate grasslands. Those who had followed him in cultivating grasslands for those three years were already scattered throughout the Qin state, and these people were his support.

Zhang Juzheng first inherited the political legacy of the Qingliu Party, and then spent several years rectifying officialdom. The so-called rectification of officialdom was actually to purge those who were not firm in their convictions and to strike at the opposition. His will even reached the county and township levels, which led to the tenth year of the Wanli reign.

Looking at the negative examples of failed reforms, the Qingli Party and the New Learning Party were only united at the central level and could not even control the states. Their reforms were destined to fail!
Li Qi's rise to power was too short. He only began to gain entry into the inner circle in the 24th year of the Hongwu reign and did not become highly respected until the 27th year. He was still burdened with the reputation of being from a criminal family and could not gather political power. Zhu Yuanzhang only used him to suppress the literati in Jiangnan and never thought of really making good use of him. He did not really begin to show his talents until the Yongle reign, but he died after only a year and a half, just in time to sort out the Ming dynasty's orthodoxy.

The leader of the Northerners is nothing but an empty title!

His life truly echoed the lament of the Thirty-Three Palaces: "I originally wanted to stride proudly across the world, but alas, I had to endure humiliation and hide in the mud; I aspired to dominate the winds and clouds, but I had to wait bitterly for the right opportunity!" Li Qi sighed, a hint of resentment in his eyes, "In the end, I was born at the wrong time!"

His purpose in promoting the School of Mind was twofold: first, to change the way of Neo-Confucianism; and second, to unite the followers of the School of Mind and lay the foundation for future reforms and institutional changes.

Li Xianmu was destined for wealth and honor, yet he recklessly charged into the political arena, all in order to establish a reputation for merit and attract like-minded people, especially young officials who still harbored ambitions.

The future of the Xinxue Party lies not in the present, but in ten or twenty years from now.

This path was established during the time of Li Qi, and Li Xianmu and Wang Gen were both inheritors of this path.

Passing on the torch, linked by the bloodline of the Li family, never forgetting our original aspirations!

As for why Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't push it forward...

He was called the emperor, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he and his civil and military officials were mortal enemies. The entire court was full of strangers. Where could a lonely emperor find officials willing to carry out his ideas? They were all just fooling him.

“I understand what you all are saying, and I also know the reasons behind it. My late father often sighed with regret and hated such scoundrels when he was alive, and I have seen it all!”

"It wasn't that my late father wouldn't do it, but that he truly couldn't!"

Suddenly, a clap of thunder rang out, but Li Xianmu's voice was like thunder in the hall. Everyone in the hall felt that they could hardly sit still. Every word he spoke was deep and resounding, "But the way of the big rat is ultimately dark and damp. It can only live in the abyss of darkness and cannot stand under the clear sky."

In the past, I couldn't manage it; if things continue like this in Jiangnan, I will find it difficult to control it either.

But now I am here on imperial orders to inspect the Jiangnan region, and this is a crucial time for the court's campaign against Annam. The court is facing a difficult period, and the nation is in turmoil. If anyone dares to oppose me, then I will rip out their filthy lungs and rotten intestines and let the whole world see them, expose them to the blazing sun, and see if they are truly stinking.”

Although Li Xianmu's words were stern, everyone sensed a different meaning in them—"It seems that the governor has no intention of changing the reporting system, nor does he intend to pursue past matters."

This realization immediately eased the tension among the group somewhat.

Li Xianmu looked around at everyone, his tone softening slightly, "What I just said came from the bottom of my heart. Money and grain are related to the affairs of the military and the country, and we still need your strong support. After all, your future will depend on me."

Everyone's spirits suddenly lifted.

Li Xianmu said in a deep voice, "The gentry of Jiangnan have long been accustomed to delaying payment, and they will certainly not hand over their grain so easily."

"You have all been immersed in this field for many years, and you naturally have a register of who owes whom and how much. The taxes and provisions for the seventh and eighth years of Yongle must be collected in full. This important matter depends on you all!"

Their eyes met, and without the slightest hesitation, they solemnly replied in unison, "We will obey Governor-General's command!"

There was no longer any difficulty as before.

Li Xianmu narrowed his eyes, watching the crowd step into the rain and leave. He was not surprised that everyone agreed to the matter in unison.

Firstly, he promised everyone a bright future, relieving them of some worries.

Secondly, he made concessions, only accepting taxes and levies for the seventh and eighth years of the Yongle reign, which naturally made things much easier and prevented them from becoming completely at odds with the gentry of Jiangnan.

As for establishing a system where taxes are levied at 100% from today onwards, that's impossible.

The collusion between officials and gentry in Jiangnan was too deep, and this collusion involved not only officials but, more importantly, clerks.

For the imperial court, among the three-tiered system of provinces, prefectures, and counties, the most important level was actually the county, because it was the lowest administrative unit controlled by officials appointed by the imperial court. However, there were only a few officials appointed in a county.

The imperial court sent officials to the county in the hope that the county magistrates would be able to control the county.

In reality, once the county magistrate arrives in the area, if he doesn't cooperate with the clerks, he could easily be tricked and killed by them. In fact, if they delay or shirk their responsibilities, the magistrate might not even be able to collect taxes.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang explicitly stipulated that county magistrates were not allowed to go to the countryside.

If they cooperate with the officials, then the court's plan to control the counties with appointed officials will fail.

This problem has never been solved in the two thousand years of imperial rule.

The real solution to this problem came in the modern era, with the great development of productivity and the government having sufficient fiscal surplus, which led to the transformation of bureaucrats into visiting officials.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was common for county magistrates to be controlled by clerks. Expecting these magistrates and clerks to support the reforms was akin to going to heaven.

“There’s still a long way to go.”

"Even if it's just collecting two years' worth of back grain, do you think the gentry in Jiangnan would obediently hand it over?"

Li Xianmu picked up a cup of warm tea, strolled to the threshold, and gazed at the endless, gray rain curtain that stretched as far as the eye could see.

(End of this chapter)