Chapter 239 If you can’t solve the problem, then solve the person who caused the problem
In ancient times, the interest rate for borrowing money was very high. Nine out and thirteen returns are the interest calculation of pawnshop mortgages. The real interest rate for borrowing money is higher than this Much more.
The government only charges one-tenth of the interest for borrowing money, which is extremely low in this era.
However, after the people learned about it, they were not interested in it.
The fundamental reason is that the government lacks credibility.
Although the Kaifeng Prefecture measured the acres of land and rented them to the people, the rent charged was very low.
But there are only more than one million acres of land, scattered in more than a dozen counties. Those who rent the land are tenants who have separated from the landlords and gentry.
The image of the government has not improved much, and most people still lack trust in the government.
Even though the interest rate for borrowing money from the government is low, most people are still waiting and watching, and no one takes any action.
However, the common people who rented government land were very excited to hear the news.
They are different from the common people who have their own fields.
The reason why tenants endured exploitation by landlords and gentry was because they had to rely on landlords and gentry to survive.
These tenants had nothing to live on and rented land from landlords. They could not maintain food and clothing all year round. Once they were separated, they could only starve to death.
Having been exploited for a long time, I have become accustomed to this kind of life.
As for those who can choose to break away from the landlords and gentry and choose to rent government land, they are a small and courageous group of tenants.
Those people who had land had concerns, but they did not.
After all, they had nothing. They were gambling by breaking away from the landlords and gentry.
Since they have gambled once, they naturally don’t mind gambling again.
And for the first time, they have received benefits and gained some trust in the government.
Therefore, after learning the news, many people who rented government land rushed to the county government office to ask how to borrow money.
After this inquiry, they got even more surprising news. For people who rented government land, the review procedures were very simple.
Many people completed the procedures and got their money without much time.
After receiving the money, those who bought farm tools bought farm tools, and some even got together to buy cattle from several families.
As the publicity spread among these people, some people who had land at home but faced various difficulties also borrowed money with the attitude of giving it a try.
The government has low credibility. In addition to the problems of the officials themselves, it also has a certain relationship with word of mouth.
Many people may not have been exploited and oppressed by officials, but they have heard of it to some extent.
Some people have seen darkness and do not believe in light, while others have only seen darkness and do not know light at all.
However, when some people praise the good government, those who have not seen the light still want to see the light.
As many of these people borrowed money, more and more people borrowed money.
Those landowners and squires couldn’t sit still.
If the previous land measurement was to take a piece of meat from their mouths, then the current green crop method is to cut off their roots.
For the landowners and squires, the land at home is not small. Although the hidden land was discovered, although it hurts a little, it is not completely unacceptable.
However, it is unacceptable for the government to lend money to the people at extremely high interest rates.
How much does the field produce each year?
Take the fields near Kaifeng Prefecture as an example. The yield of one acre of wheat is about one stone.
Today's grain prices are around 1,200 to 300 yuan per stone.
Excluding the amount paid to the court and the income from one acre of land distributed to tenants, the income is about 500 Wen.
However, the landowner needs to provide cattle, farm tools, etc., which also requires a certain cost.
Based on a thousand acres, the annual income is only a few hundred taels of silver.
For ordinary people, it is a huge sum of money, but for landlords and gentry, it is nothing.
Their accumulation of wealth does not rely solely on income from land.
More often than not, after the landowners and gentry harvest the grain, they do not sell it, but hoard it.
If the people nearby are short of food or good seeds, they will lend it to the people and charge high interest.
If the people couldn't pay back the debt, they would either use their fields to pay off the debt, or sell their sons and daughters. Anyway, they had a way to get the people to pay back the debt.
Only if they accumulate too much, they will sell some.
The government lends money to the people at such low interest rates. As long as they establish credibility, who will come to them to borrow money and food?
Although the inventory of acres was initially prevented, the homes of landlords and gentry were confiscated in every county.
But as the saying goes, the scar is healed and the pain is forgotten.
What's more, not many homes were confiscated at the beginning. There were more than a dozen counties in Kaifeng Prefecture, and on average, there was no one in one county.
The shock of the original house raid has long since passed.
Landlords and squires in various counties began to contact each other to discuss countermeasures.
…………
Donggong
Since the implementation of the Qingmiao Law, Zhao Xing ordered Yin Hanzhang to pay close attention to the movements in Bianjing.
However, as several days passed, there was a lot of discussion about the Green Crops Law in Bianjing City, and officials in the DPRK and China seemed to have no reaction at all.
Zhao Xing felt that something was wrong. Logically speaking, the Green Crops Law was a new law, even if those officials who were motivated by self-interest did not stop it. Some pedantic officials should also jump out and oppose it.
However, there is no disturbance in the court now. It seems that they don't know about it, or don't want to pay attention to it.
Zhao Xing didn’t think things would be that simple.
Either Zhou Yizhong's death means those people lack a leader, or something is brewing.
Zhao Xing thinks the latter is more likely.
A eunuch walked in, bowed and said: "Your Highness, Wang Xima wants to see you!"
"Let him in." Zhao Xing came back to his senses and said.
The eunuch retreated after hearing this. After a while, Wang Anshi walked in.
“Something happened?”
Zhao Xing saw Wang Anshi's serious expression and asked before he could salute.
"Your Highness, with your wonderful calculation, something has indeed happened." Wang Anshi saluted and said, "Several counties close to Bianjing City have sent people to report. Early this morning, a large number of people came to borrow money, but after verification Most of them are tenants of local landowners and squires. There has been no news from distant counties, but I have sent people to inquire. "
"Oh, that's smart. ." Zhao Xing sneered.
In ancient times, there was no Internet big data or anything like that, so it was very troublesome to verify identity.
These landlords and squires send tenants to borrow money, which will undoubtedly greatly increase the workload of the county offices.
And it will also delay those people who really want to borrow money.
This is a conspiracy. Tenants are not sold to landlords and gentry, but are essentially ordinary people.
If other people are driven away and arrested, and other people don’t know the truth, and those landlords and squires let others spread the word, the little reputation the government has finally accumulated will be destroyed.
“I want to send people from each county to publicize the conditions for applying for youth loans. If anyone who does not meet the requirements comes, they will be arrested and shackled in public for three days.” Wang Anshi said.
"No!" Zhao Xing directly rejected Wang Anshi's method and said: "Let's not talk about what the other people will think if they don't know the truth. If those landlords and squires send a large number of tenants here, it is difficult to arrest everyone. Get up? Where can the county government get so many people?”
"I also know that, but they are using conspiracy. If they don't do this, there is no way." Wang Anshi said.
The reason why Yangmou is called Yangmou is that the purpose is clearly stated, but you have no way to solve it.
"Jiefu, since you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who caused the problem." Zhao Xing sneered.
"Your Highness, there is no evidence to prove that anyone was instigating this, and the people will not confess the person who instigated them." Wang Anshi shook his head.
He has also considered this method, but those landlords and squires are not stupid. They dare to instigate people to come, so they naturally have something to rely on.
The people they sent were either loyal or had family members in their hands, making it impossible for them to betray.
How to attack those landlords and squires without evidence?
“If we can’t find evidence for this matter, can’t we find evidence for other things? Haven’t these landlords and squires ever done anything evil?” Zhao Xing sneered.
In Zhao Xing’s view, reforms should essentially deal with people, not things.
Whether it was Mr. Fan Daxian before or Wang Anshi now, they always dealt with the situation but not the person.
I just want to solve the problem of accumulated disadvantages through some system reforms.
However, although the long-standing shortcomings of the Song Dynasty are related to the system, they are more related to human factors.
No matter how perfect the system is, people can still find loopholes to exploit.
But Zhao Xing never thought about solving the problem. What he wanted to solve was the person who created the problem.
The way of thinking of the ancients was sometimes too rigid.
Do we have to find evidence from this aspect?
What we have to deal with are the landlords and gentry, as long as there are legitimate reasons to deal with them.
Would Wang Anshi not think of such a simple method?
It’s just that he was only thinking about the problem at hand and couldn’t turn around for a while.
"I understand!" Wang Anshi's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"Remember, if you find evidence of evildoing, you should deal with it how you should. Don't let them go just because they don't send people. You have to give them a painful beating this time so that they can remember it." Zhao Xing said.
In fact, there is no need for Wang Anshi to look for these evidences. Yin Hanzhang has illegal evidence of the landlords and squires in the counties of Kaifeng Prefecture.
But if he provides it in large quantities, the existence of the secret guard cannot be concealed.
It is impossible for him to target all the landlords and gentry in Kaifeng Prefecture at once.
Moreover, the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government did not respond. Maybe they knew that the landlords and squires would not allow the Qingmiao Law to be implemented smoothly and were waiting for him to make mistakes.
"Yeah." Zhao Xing nodded slightly and said, "Go ahead and wait for your good news!"
Zhao Xing was very pleased with Wang Anshi's reaction.
Wang Anshi is stubborn, but not stubborn in everything.
Wang Anshi also understood what he meant, but did not object or hesitate.
"Yes, I am resigning!" Wang Anshi saluted and retreated.
After thinking all the way out of the East Palace, Wang Anshi already had a rough plan in mind.
Back at the Yamen of Kaifeng Prefecture, someone came to report, and several counties sent people to report. They also had a large number of landlords, gentry and tenants coming to borrow money.
Wang Anshi ignored these, but summoned a few confidants, gave them careful instructions for a while, and then let them go down.
(End of this chapter)