Chapter 4739 Tax Reform Pilot
Fang Jun did not answer Li Ji directly, but asked instead: "Does Ying Gong know why Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty and Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty successively wiped out Buddhism across the country?"
Although Li Ji was a famous general in the world, he came from a wealthy family and had been familiar with scriptures and history since he was a child. He was considered both civil and military. He naturally knew about the two spectacular incidents of extermination of Buddhism in history. However, historians of various generations have different opinions on the origin.
After thinking about it, he said: "It is said that Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty destroyed Buddhism because monks from Chang'an colluded with the Hu people to rebel. Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Buddhism because the order of the three religions was determined at that time, with Confucianism as the first, Taoism as the second, and Buddhism as the last. As a result, Buddhism was dissatisfied, causing various religions to attack each other and create a atmosphere of chaos. They destroyed Buddhism along with Taoism and various folk sects. "
"The words of historians may not be conclusive, and most of them are just the writing methods of the Spring and Autumn Period." Fang Jun dismissed the current opinions on the two events that destroyed Buddhism in history: "Although a monk becomes a monk, his six roots may not be pure, nor may he cut off the world of mortals, but How could there be any reason to form a faction outside the court and collude with the barbarians in order to rebel? The main reason was that Emperor Taiwu first promoted it? The gentle and low-key Buddhism assisted his rule, granted land and exempted from taxes. As a result, many people with unclean roots used the name of Buddhist disciples to do all kinds of evil and did not pay taxes. Some people who avoided military service entered the temple and became a monk. They were no longer pure Buddhist disciples. , social unrest and public security are worrying, and we have to deal with it ruthlessly.”
After taking a sip of tea, he continued: "As for the reason why Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Buddhism, it is simpler. At the beginning of his accession to the throne, the domestic population was declining and all industries were in ruins. A large number of people were sheltered in temples, and much of the land was the property of the temples. The private labor force was greatly reduced. There is not enough tax revenue to support the country, and even monks are trying to influence the government because of their interests. It is natural to destroy Buddhism. ”
In fact, there are not many reasons behind the scenes. Only one reason is enough, and that is profit.
The ministers in the palace were deep in thought. They were all human beings who had spent half their lives in the temple. They were all ignorant young men who became passionate after reading a few books. Of course they understood the principle of "profit comes first".
When national interests conflict with the interests of a certain group, a country with a "violent agency" military will not hesitate to eradicate the group and take back all its interests through violent means.
Fang Jun turned to Li Chengqian and advised: "Buddhism was prosperous in the prosperous times, as it has been in ancient and modern times. It is conceivable that Buddhism will develop explosively in the future for a long time. Because of the favorable conditions of paying less or even no taxes, the number of monks will inevitably increase." Soaring. Countless lands will become monasteries as these monks make donations and so on. By that time, the temple will be like a blood-sucking insect attached to the body of the Tang Dynasty, sucking blood unscrupulously and endlessly. When this non-productive group gradually grows, it will inevitably The use of interests to connect the upper and lower parts of the imperial court has become a stubborn problem in the development of the empire.”
Since we can already foresee the difficulties in the future, why not take advantage of the current conflict between Buddhism and Taoism to cut off the danger at its root?
Li Chengqian was obviously moved. As an emperor, he had no good impression of any group in the empire that could not help create wealth. However, he also knew that this matter was of great importance and had far-reaching influence and he could not make a hasty decision. He mused: "But if both Buddhism and Taoism do not If you are willing to submit, what should you do?”
Fang Jun looked slightly confused: "Isn't your Majesty already doing it?"
Li Chengqian was stunned: "..."
What did I do?
"The prestige of Buddhism has greatly increased since Xuanzang retrieved the scriptures from Tianzhu, while Taoism has been in a backward and passive position. His Majesty's move to build several Taoist temples in Chang'an City has just enhanced the prestige of Taoism, allowing both sides to achieve a delicate balance in a short period of time. This is a stroke of genius. , so correct So that no one on either side dares to neglect and slack off and must go all out. At this time, everyone must be wary of the power of the imperial court and must accept the imperial court's requirements no matter how uncomfortable they are. Otherwise, they will face a situation where the imperial court supports the other side and has an absolute advantage. ”
Li Chengqian was a little drunk. Is what he did really so clever? He just made the move after the Taoist sect entered the palace and begged. After all, the Li family was closer to the Taoist family than the Buddhist sect and could not shirk away from the Taoist sect's entreaty.
But I didn’t know there was such a subtle influence...
The other ministers looked at their noses and their hearts, and they were extremely disdainful of Fang Jun's flattering words and deeds. However, seeing that His Majesty was very useful to him, they naturally couldn't expose it in person. They couldn't be as shameless as Fang Jun. But it cannot disturb His Majesty's interest.
There are sycophants in the court. It is a pity that the selfless Wei Zheng has passed away. I used to hate that old man for being unkind and straightforward, but now I miss him so much...
"Well, I really didn't think about it that much. I just couldn't stand the pleadings of many Taoist priests and had no choice but to do it. It's really unexpected that it has such unintentional benefits."
Li Chengqian's face was a little red. Although he was drunk in his heart, he still had a simple character and could not take credit for his unexpected achievements.
"How can everything in this world be expected? It is His Majesty's unintentional but ultimately in line with the general trend of measures that prove that Your Majesty is worthy of being the Son of Heaven and the most blessed person in the world."
Fang Jun was sincere and precise in his words, and he did not feel at all that he had been regarded as a "sycophant" by the officials in the palace.
Li Chengqian accepted these words calmly. This is also the case. Those who have achieved great achievements throughout the ages are indeed talented and strategizing. But in the final analysis, it is up to people to make things happen. Apart from one's own efforts, God's blessing is also the most important reason. .
Liu Ji couldn't stand listening anymore. Throughout the ages, most of the "sycophants" were civil servants, but now, as a civil servant, he felt greasy and disgusted by Fang Jun's flattery...
"The Duke of Yue State does not know that the current situation is that Buddhism is far more prosperous than Taoism. This is not only reflected in the reputation of both parties, but also in the number of believers of each other. The number of monks who have Buddhist certificates and have been confirmed by the court Far more than Taoism. If taxes are increased according to the rent modulation, the tax scale that Buddhism needs to pay will be dozens or hundreds of times that of Taoism, and Buddhism will definitely refuse.”
Buddhism's strategy is to "educate without discrimination". It recruits as many people as possible to increase the scale and influence as quickly as possible. There is almost no screening for monks. Regardless of whether they are voluntary or forced, all comers are not rejected.
Taoism follows the "elite route", and its strategies are completely different. The mountain gate of Taoism is not something you can enter if you want. Whether in the mountains or in cities, almost only the upper class of society will join. This leads to the fact that although Taoism It has a higher level of voice, but is at an absolute disadvantage in terms of sheer numbers.
The rent modulation currently implemented in the Tang Dynasty is a mixed tax system, in which "rent" refers to the land tax, and "yong" and "tiao" essentially collect taxes and allocate corvee on a per capita basis. Come, Buddhism will suffer greatly.
The principle of raising taxes on both Buddhist and Taoist sects is that the losses suffered by both parties are roughly equal, so neither party is willing to cause the other party to receive preferential treatment from the court because of their refusal and resistance. However, if one party suffers greater losses than the other party, the scale of the tax increase is insufficient. How can I agree with the proportion?
It will definitely cause an uproar.
Fang Jun is confident about this: "From ancient times to the present, the tax system has been changing. There has never been a perfect system. We can only weigh a more appropriate system as the social situation changes." In the early days of the empire, the tax system was very suitable, but now with the gradual annexation of land, the rapid development of commerce, and the explosive growth of population, it is conceivable that various disadvantages will inevitably appear in the near future. ”
Ma Zhou nodded in agreement: "Not to mention anything else, the 'rent' aspect alone has shown its drawbacks. Taking Jingzhao Mansion as an example, the 'equal land system' has almost ceased to exist in name only, and most of the registered residents have no records. Registered land, this part Distribution will naturally become a huge burden for those people. If the land is annexed and there is no output, how can they pay taxes? This is still the most beautiful land under the emperor's feet. I am afraid this situation will be more serious in remote areas such as Jiangnan and even Lingnan."
Mergers can be contained, but cannot be eliminated. The difference is only in the speed. As time goes by, the final result will definitely be that people have no permanent land, no permanent property, and countless people are displaced. Then the people who have no way to survive rise up and There are wars everywhere in the world, either two hundred years or three hundred years. This is the life span of the dynasty.
Fang Jun said: "In this case, we, who are high up in the temple, can't just sit down and eat. We must always try to find a solution to the problem."
Liu Jie asked: "What's the plan?"
"Why not try to change the basis of taxation from head to land? People may live or lose, may be poor or rich, but the land will always be there and will always produce. People with land will pay taxes based on their output, and those who lose their land will not. Wouldn't shouldering taxes help balance wealth to a certain extent and avoid the danger of the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer? This move is of great importance and cannot be done rashly. Why not take this opportunity to try it out in both Buddhist and Taoist schools? The imperial court can send people to fully monitor and manage it, and make adjustments according to the current situation at any time. If the harm outweighs the benefits, then stop here. The two schools of Buddhism and Taoism are at the time of struggle. It won’t cause too much trouble. If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, you can expand the trial scope in some states in the world until it becomes popular all over the world.”
After hearing this, there was silence in Wude Hall, and you could hear a needle drop.
Liu Jie's head was buzzing, his throat was dry, his whole body was shaking, cold sweat was oozing uncontrollably, and he could no longer hear any sound in his ears.
Mother! This stick is finally revealed!
Before, he felt that "measuring the world's acres of land" was too weird, saying that it was for the purpose of drawing a map of the world. It turned out that this guy was planning to reform the tax system and collect taxes based on the amount of land!
Have you eaten the heart of a bear or the gall of a leopard? Or do you really think that after two failed mutinies, all the aristocratic families in the world have become little sheep at the mercy of the slaughter? !