Chapter 4740: One term as an official
However, despite being shocked, I have to admire that using Buddhism and Taoism as a pilot for tax reform is really a genius idea, and it has great executability...
Ma Zhou's eyes were bright and he was eager to try: "Your Majesty, I sincerely ask you to take the lead in trying out the tax reform in Jingzhao Mansion!"
Although the state treasury has been abundant and internal funds have been abundant in the past two years, the huge amount of money and food consumed by the vigorous infrastructure construction is still insufficient. The people under the rule have to bear heavy taxes, while the temples and Taoist temples sit on huge land and pay little or no taxes. To pay taxes, Ma Zhou, who is the governor of Jingzhao, often wakes up from convulsions in the middle of the night, heartbroken.
Now that there is such a highly feasible policy, it is natural to strive to implement it under government.
As for the person who initiated it would definitely be criticized, slandered and even counterattacked by both Buddhist and Taoist factions, he didn't care at all.
He served as an official for a long time and brought great benefits to the people. He was promoted from a poor family to Emperor Taizong, and even gained the trust of His Majesty. Step by step, he reached the position of the first border official in the world. He no longer considered his future and power in his heart. , I just want to do something that is beneficial to the country and the people in a down-to-earth manner. No matter what hardships and setbacks I encounter during this period, I can just smile at it without any regrets.
"Dare to be the first in the world", why should we be afraid? !
Even Liu Ji, who has always had constant party disputes, could not help but admire Ma Zhou's persistence and courage at this moment. Since someone is willing to bear this "thunder", he is naturally happy to see it happen: "Your Majesty, I feel that we must find a smart, capable and responsible person for this matter." Ma Fuyin is suitable for a calm and steady person to lead.”
Li Ji thought for a while and said: "I second the proposal."
"I second the proposal."
"I second the proposal."
All the ministers present expressed their opinions one by one. Whether they admired Ma Zhou for his willingness to accomplish this, or they did not want to stand up and be the leader, and were happy for someone to "dare to be the first in the world", their opinions were unanimous.
As an emperor, Li Chengqian was naturally more willing to see his ministers working bravely to do something beneficial to the country. When he saw that everyone agreed, he nodded and said: "Then, my dear, just go ahead and do it. I have only one request, Don’t make a fuss and stir up trouble in the world. It’s up to Aiqing to decide how to implement the other details.”
Although he is not as talented as Emperor Taizong, he has been trained as the imperial crown prince for so many years, but he also understands the simplest truth: since you let your ministers do things, don't impose too many restrictions. The ministers who have grown up to be the pillars of the empire all have unparalleled talents. Just letting them do it will definitely have better results than keeping an eye on them all the time.
Of course, if you don't participate in it yourself, you can still have room for maneuver if the situation is not ideal. A gentleman should not stand behind a dangerous wall, and the emperor must know how to stay out of it and take himself out first...
*****
Ma Zhou was a resolute character. After leaving Wude Palace, he followed Fang Jun directly to the official residence of Shangshu Province. He entered Fang Jun's duty room, chased the clerk away and dug out the tea leaves that Fang Jun had hidden on the bookshelf. Boiled water and made a pot of tea.
"Although I asked for orders to handle the tax reform pilot, and I have some regulations in mind, this matter was brought up by you first. I believe that the plans of all parties are more reasonable. I would like to hear what Erlang's strategy is, and I hope you can give me some advice."< br>
Fang Jun neither hides his personal interests nor shirks the blame. After all, this is a good thing that truly benefits the country and the people. After thinking about it, he said: "The most important thing is to determine a suitable tax rate that accurately focuses on the psychological bottom line of both Buddhism and Taoism. It can not only charge a large amount of I can't give you an opinion on this, but you have to discuss it with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and consider the land, population, income methods and finances occupied by the two sects of Buddhism and Taoism. Start with the situation.”
The determination of tax rates is an extremely complicated and profound subject. Fang Jun asked himself that he has no advantage over current professionals in this aspect. However, this is the most important core that determines the success or failure of tax reform.
If the tax rate is too high, the two sects of Buddhism and Taoism may put aside their sectarian disputes and join forces to resist the court; if the tax rate is too low, it will not be able to curb the rapid expansion of the two sects.
Ma Zhou nodded in approval.
Fang Jun continued: "The attitude must be tough. When negotiating with both parties, we should not use a negotiation tone. Instead, we must insist that His Majesty has made a decision and the court has determined the policy. We would rather lower the tax rate in the end than give up halfway. Otherwise, for the court, The blow to prestige is too huge, and the two factions may not be able to contain it in the future.”
He didn't know if there was such a dispute between Buddhism and Taoism in the original history, but he knew that any collision between sects in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, would inevitably have a vigorous and far-reaching impact. This process may take several years, ten years or even hundreds of years, but No matter which party wins in the end, it will take away the power to spread teachings in this land, and its power will expand unprecedentedly.
Once even the court cannot suppress it, the consequences will be extremely serious.
Ma Zhou understood the danger involved and responded with a solemn expression.
"The rest is nothing special. Whether you continue to collect taxes from the Buddhist and Taoist sects with grain, cloth, silk, and corvee like the rental method, or just collect money and silk to offset the tax like the commercial tax, it all depends on you and After detailed discussions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has determined that I do not have many suggestions in this regard.”
After a pause, Fang Jun looked at Ma Zhou and asked: "Actually, you don't have to be the first to stand up for this matter. This is a great achievement but it also contains huge dangers. There will be people who can't help but jump out."
Whoever takes the lead in implementing the tax reform of the Buddhist and Taoist factions will face huge dangers. But if no one steps forward, Liu Jie must take the initiative to take on this task. Civilian leaders cannot just hide behind the scenes and stir up party disputes. At critical moments We must also have the responsibility and courage to seek the welfare of all civil servants.
But now that Ma Zhou has stepped forward, Liu Jie has avoided possible danger, which is equivalent to taking advantage.
Ma Zhou smiled and shook his head. After taking a sip of tea, Hun said nonchalantly: "Since ancient times, the imperial court has been much the same. Some people are busy being officials, and some are willing to do things. I am the one who is willing to do things. I don't really care about the size of my official position. If I don't stand out, there will be no one in this matter. There is no escaping the written order, but they must be implementing it If I think too much about compromise and exchange in the process, I will definitely screw up this matter in the end. I don't care whether they are fighting for power, and I don't care whether I will be used as a victim. I just want to promote this matter and benefit the present generation. In Qianqiu, this is enough.”
Today, the two sects of Buddhism and Taoism have developed into behemoths, almost occupying the top of the sects in the Tang Dynasty. The other messy sects are incomparable. If this trend continues, no matter how the dynasties change, these two sects will only remain the same. will become more and more prosperous.
The more prosperous Buddhism and Taoism become, the more land it occupies and the more people it attracts. Too much of the world's wealth is absorbed by these two major sects, and the only people who suffer are the people.
He is willing to be a pioneer to cut off the tentacles of these two major sects that suck the blood of the world, snatch more money and food from the people of the world, and let more people live.
For such a goal, he would rather rush into thorns, get bruised and even die, than have those "official beetles" spoil the event for the sake of competing for interests.
Fang Jun couldn't be so selfless, so he admired him even more and sighed: "Being friends with you is very stressful."
"Haha, Erlang, don't be humble. Not only did you lead the army to expand the territory, but you also made outstanding achievements in people's livelihood. Nowadays, who doesn't praise Lishan Farm? You have transformed half of the barren mountains into Tens of thousands of refugees are resettled here and they can be led to work diligently You have become rich through hard work, and even restored the collective operation mode of the Three Emperors' governance. You are worthy of the words of Emperor Taizong when he evaluated you as "the talent of the prime minister and the assistant". You friends, like-minded, should move forward and work together to benefit all people in the world. .”
After seeing off Ma Zhou who hurried to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to look for Tang Jian, Fang Jun took a sip of tea alone, shook his head and sighed.
At any time, there will be some passionate and idealistic people who do not seek wealth and glory, but do not hesitate to hold office, power, and a bright future, but will risk everything to do noble things for the country and the people.
It is this feeling of "family, country and world" that allows this nation to be reborn in the darkness again and again.
Li Ji walked in without going through the door. He was dressed in official robes and had a slim appearance. He sat opposite Fang Jun.
After regaining consciousness, Fang Jun quickly took a clean tea cup and poured tea.
Li Ji took a sip of tea and said expressionlessly: "A big hole was originally dug for Liu Ji, but Ma Zhou jumped into it. Are you feeling discouraged? The temple is about being upright, and dirty tricks that violate privacy can only make people laugh. You are so bad." ”
Fang Jun poured tea for the other party respectfully: "Yes, my nephew has a dull temperament, can't get on the stage, and can't learn how to protect himself wisely. I need to ask your father-in-law for advice in this regard. As long as your father-in-law is willing to give me advice, I will learn with humility."
"Haha, Fang Xuanling would never be able to say such sarcastic words. They all say that they have a family background. It seems that Fang Xuanling didn't teach you to respect the elderly."
Fang Jun smiled and said: "My father always said, 'You need to be arrogant when you are old and steady when you are young.' When you are young, too much energy can easily backfire on you, so you must learn from the stability of the elderly. When people get old, their enterprising spirit disappears." Dusk is gloomy, On the contrary, we must learn from the arrogance and vigor of young people to be full of vitality. My grandfather is now old and no longer as heroic as he used to be, so he must treat himself as a young man instead of being sluggish and relying on his old age.”
"Bang!" Li Ji slapped the coffee table and said angrily: "You scold me for relying on your old age and showing off your old age?"
Fang Jun smiled sincerely: "My nephew has made it clear, but you still want to ask for confirmation. It seems that you are really old and your ears are not working well... In this case, why do you need to retire to His Majesty? ? Not only can we return home to take care of our children, but we can also make room for young people like us, who are always blocking the way. It is inevitable for young people to feel resentful. ”
Instead, Li Ji's anger subsided and he frowned at Fang Jun, who was smiling playfully: "Did His Majesty ask you to say this?"
Fang Jun looked respectful: "It's not important who said it. What's important is what your father-in-law thinks. Since you don't want to get involved in the affairs of the court, why should you stay in bed and have a meal? My nephew knows what you think, so he will deal with Jingye later." Go to the academy and take care of it. Now that you have no worries, shouldn’t you make some changes?”
Li Ji remained silent. He somewhat regretted that he had not been able to insist on his own opinion and refuse the appointment of Emperor Taizong. It was precisely because he was sitting in this position that his subordinates who had been submissive and humble in the past began to have more ambitions for power. As a result, he could not be lifted up today.