20demayo Chapter 77 Who calculated this?
Chapter 77 Who calculated this?
"There is no idle land under heaven, yet farmers still starve to death..."
These words struck them like a bolt from the blue, exploding in their hearts.
Qiao Zhou kept his head down, his back already drenched in sweat.
He knew what Liu Shan wanted to say, but the emperor wasn't saying it directly. Instead, he used poetry, a subtle and indirect way, to deliver a devastating blow.
"During my inspection tour of the countryside, I witnessed such things happening even in the vicinity of Chengdu, right under the emperor's nose. It's hard to imagine what kind of lives the common people lead in places far from the central government."
None of the three spoke.
Qiao Zhou had a guilty conscience and dared not raise his head; his smug expression from just moments before had vanished.
Li Yan acted as if it were none of his business, waiting to see what would happen.
Although Zhuge Liang did not speak, he gently waved his feather fan, his brows furrowed, and he looked worried.
"Don't you have anything to say?"
Seeing that no one dared to respond, Liu Shan grew even angrier.
"His Majesty……"
Li Yan was about to speak when he saw Zhuge Liang subtly wink at him and shake his head slightly.
But this was the best opportunity to put pressure on the Yizhou faction, and Li Yan didn't want to miss it.
"Your Majesty, although Chengdu has tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, most of it is controlled by the gentry. The common people either have to cultivate the barren land or work for the gentry. They have no other choice."
"And the taxes they have to pay are more than what they pay to the imperial court."
Now that Li Yan has revealed his hand, Qiao Zhou is no longer silent.
"Your Majesty, this is a complete frame-up. I hope Your Majesty will see the truth."
Li Yan sneered, "Framed? Does the Grand Physician Qiao mean that His Majesty deliberately slandered you?"
Qiao Zhou's thoughts were in disarray, so he could only continue to deny it to the death.
"Your Majesty, the rent for farmers who cultivate land for wealthy families is always agreed upon in advance and clearly written down in writing, leaving no room for denial."
Qiao Zhou meant that farmers paid their grain according to the pre-agreed rent, which had no direct relation to the court's adjustment of taxes.
Liu Shan was aware of this, which is why he couldn't do anything to the aristocratic families like Qiao Zhou.
In fact, this situation existed not only in Yizhou, but also in Cao Wei and Eastern Wu.
It's no secret that powerful families use their power to seize land and maintain a retinue of guests and retainers.
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others were able to quickly mobilize troops from their hometowns to quell the rebellion, thanks to the land they owned, which provided provisions for their armies.
Moreover, many powerful families concealed their populations in order to evade taxes, and a large number of people and lands became the hidden private property of the aristocratic families, and the imperial tax revenue was naturally concealed as well.
When Liu Bei entered Sichuan, in order to deal with the "autocratic and self-willed" aristocratic families, he implemented the "Shu Code" to curb their expansion with strict legal measures.
After Liu Shan ascended the throne, the gentry, thinking he was too young, started using their familiar tactics again, such as tax evasion.
They thought their plan was foolproof, but Liu Shan, under the guise of an inspection tour, secretly visited the common people and caught them off guard.
Even if Liu Shan had some evidence, he couldn't do anything to these aristocratic families.
To maintain the stability of his regime, he also had to win them over.
"Lord Qiao, I am not blaming those aristocratic families."
Liu Shan's anger subsided, and he said in a calm tone, "This year has been very difficult for the court. In order to help the people get through the current difficulties, we have taken the initiative to reduce taxes, and the same applies to the gentry."
"I only hope that the court will be of one mind, care for the people, and unite to fight against the enemy."
"Only with the support of the people can we achieve lasting peace and stability. What do you think?"
Qiao Zhou had nothing to say on Monday.
After all, the imperial court treated the taxes of the gentry and the common people equally, but now they are taking advantage of this national policy to make a profit from the difference, which is indeed quite unsightly.
"How about we ask Doctor Qiao to travel around and persuade the people to return the overpaid taxes?"
"In this way, the people will be grateful to the powerful families, and the court will also give them special rewards as encouragement."
"Let's cancel it!"
Trading a hollow title for grain is a huge loss.
Qiao Zhou's face immediately showed difficulty, but he forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty is joking. How could Qiao Zhou, a mere scholar, possibly shoulder such an important responsibility?"
Liu Shan said, "That's easy, Huo Yi."
"Your subject is here!"
"Immediately draft an imperial edict stating that under the new policy of the court, all farmers who rent land shall pay taxes in accordance with the taxes set by the court. Any overpayment shall be refunded in full."
"Qiao Zhou was promoted to Agricultural Tax Commandant and appointed to supervise the governors of various prefectures."
"Zhao Guang was promoted to Deputy Governor of Agriculture and Taxation, and was given command of the Imperial Guard to assist in handling this matter."
"Anyone who refuses to return the money shall be dealt with according to the law."
Huo Yi wrote down Liu Shan's orders word for word with lightning speed, and then drafted the official document after the court session.
Liu Shan's swift and decisive actions left Qiao Zhou with no time to react, leaving him no choice but to accept this hot potato.
Moreover, he knew that Liu Shan's decision to send Zhao Guang as military supervisor meant that this time he was serious.
A casual "Resign" is both a suggestion and a warning.
It is also the supreme imperial power.
Fortunately, Liu Shan did not exterminate them. He only made them return the extra grain they had collected by taking advantage of the policies to the people. He did not investigate their concealment of population or tax evasion. Otherwise, given the severity of the Shu Code, they would have been severely punished.
"Your Majesty is wise and virtuous, which is a blessing to the people."
Li Yan was naturally pleased that the Yizhou faction had been dealt a severe blow by Liu Shan.
This way, he can gain the upper hand in the ensuing confrontation.
After dealing with the issue of excessive taxation levied by the aristocratic families, Liu Shan turned his attention to Li Yan.
"Governor Li, I have read your report on the 'Strategy for the Defense Lines of Yong'an and Jiangzhou,' and it is very well done."
Now that Shu Han and Eastern Wu have formed an alliance, half of the troops originally stationed in both places have been withdrawn, greatly reducing the court's military expenditure.
Moreover, Li Yan actively cultivated land in both locations to increase military food supplies.
Li Yan also mobilized soldiers and civilians to build defensive fortifications to defend against Eastern Wu.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. This is what I should do."
Liu Shan smiled and said, "If you do well, you should be rewarded. If you do poorly, you should be punished. Don't you all agree?"
The three responded in unison, "That's only right."
"But I recently received a memorial regarding the transport of grain from Chengdu to Yong'an and Jiangzhou. The losses along the way have increased by 10%. What is the explanation for this?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yan's expression suddenly changed.
The grain was transported from Chengdu to Jiangzhou by waterway, starting from the Fuhe River in Chengdu, flowing through the Minjiang River into the Yangtze River, and then to Yong'an and Jiangzhou.
Although there are dangerous shoals, the overall journey is downstream, and the loss of food and fodder for people and horses is at most three dou (a unit of dry measure).
In other words, transporting one shi of grain requires consuming three dou, which is very low compared to the over 90% consumption when transporting it to Hanzhong by land.
However, in the recent grain transport losses, there was an extra layer, which is four dou (a unit of dry measure).
"Your Majesty, while traveling by water is convenient, the process is also affected by the weather, so the losses are naturally greater," Li Yan explained.
Liu Shan pulled out a bamboo slip from the table and said, "This contains detailed records of all the details of the grain transport over the past six months, including hydrology, weather, and even whether the escorting soldiers were young or old, healthy or sick, and how much they could eat each day.
"According to calculations, the loss per shi of grain is less than three dou. I will assume it's three dou for now. So where did the extra dou go?"
At this moment, Li Yan's forehead also began to sweat.
Who snitched on me?!
Not only does it take the weather into account, but it also keeps a clear account of how much a person eats each day.
This is terrifying!