Chapter 166 A wake-up call
It’s worse than shit...
In the private room, Han Zou's expression froze.
At this moment, even with his "gentlemanly demeanor", Rao could barely suppress the sudden anger in his heart.
No one can accept that the "Ten Strategies" that he has worked hard on for several years, compiled over several months, and was praised by the Grand Master of the dynasty, were belittled to this extent by a warrior.
"Zhao Shijun, I dare to ask Han's strategy, why is it so unpopular with you?" King Anshi of Dayu said.
Zhao Duan was very interested, looked at his expression and reaction, and said calmly: "You think my evaluation is too low? It's unacceptable. If that's the case, don't come out to ask for evaluation."
Han Zhou took a deep breath, calmed down, and said seriously:
"Han has lost his composure. I cannot tolerate bad comments unless I do so. It's really..."
"First," Zhao Duan didn't bother to listen to his explanation and went straight to the point:
"Governors should adapt measures to local conditions, and any strategy must be determined by the current situation.
There is no policy that will last forever. Otherwise, Your Majesty would not have any need to plan a new policy. You must understand this simple truth.
Then I have to ask, what does the bachelor think of the current situation of the Yu Dynasty? Is the foundation solid?
The imperial power is scattered, there are many clans, internal party disputes are constant, the opposition of the second prince and the rebel party frequently revives, and the eight kings are eyeing...
Although great improvements have been made in the two years since His Majesty took the throne, the time is too short after all, and outside the capital, people are always questioning...
Under such circumstances, how can we withstand drastic reforms? Your ten strategies are too radical. "
Han Zhou was not surprised when he heard this.
Because of this point, it is also the point where the other bachelors in Xiuwen Hall are worried and questioning.
Too radical.
Zhao Duan raised this question, which was completely within his expectation.
He immediately said sincerely:
"What makes you worried is indeed a disadvantage. However, when things are urgent and you obey the authority, you work in the imperial office and don't know the place well.
In fact, now the imperial government's finances are running into a dire deficit. The capital is the capital of the Dayu Kingdom and is the richest. At first glance, it still looks great. But outside the capital, it is already shaky. The treasury is empty, and the imperial court's annual needs are A huge sum of money...
Sir, this matter is extremely urgent. There is indeed a softer strategy, but how can we afford to wait?
You said that His Majesty has only been on the throne for a short period of time and his foundation is not yet solid. This is the truth.
But on the other hand...hehe, I risk my life to say something disrespectful today. How can you be sure that if you continue to allow fiscal corruption to continue, it will be better in a few years?
By the time the imperial court fails to pay salaries and food, it will be too late!
But now, His Majesty, taking advantage of the strong momentum of ascending the throne as the Emperor, may be able to continue to implement the New Deal. When he is really seriously ill, even if he wants to use the knife, he will not be able to do it. "
As he spoke, Han Zou sounded a little excited.
He took another breath, stared at Zhao Duan, and said in a sincere tone:
"Your Majesty, everything has a price. I know that ten policies are radical, but it is the lesser of two evils... Moreover, I also said that the implementation of the New Deal will not be excessive, but the strategies will be radical, but the methods will be gentle..."
Zhao Duan sneered, shook his head and said: "Radical strategies, gentle methods... The bachelor takes it too much for granted. I'm afraid he has stayed in the Hanlin Academy for too long and no longer knows the suffering below."
Han Zhou said excitedly: "I am not from a wealthy family, and I have lived in poverty..."
"But you're not now,"
Zhao Duan interrupted him, holding the wine cup and pointing to the private room with elegant environment:
"This is a restaurant."
He pointed to the food and wine on the table: "These kinds of dishes are not something ordinary people can afford.
The bachelor went through hardships back then, and I also believe that you have the ambition and courage to serve the world.
But I still say the same thing, the bachelor has been in the noble position of the Imperial Academy for too long. Even if he visits places, what he sees is not the real lower class people.
In this way, your imagination has long been separated from the fireworks of mortals. "
Zhao Duan chuckled:
"Soft methods? Ha, you can control this speed. Some of the people you are looking for may also be able to control this speed, but... how many people can you control?
New Dealers Implementation will inevitably require countless low-level officials and even subordinate officials from the nine departments and eighteen governments to implement it!
Do you think they can still control this level?
I dare not to assert that the moment the New Deal left the Xiuwen Hall, things had changed!
The further you go down, the more layers of pressure will be added. A grain of sand thrown by you from the capital will turn into a mountain when it reaches the heads of the people! "
Han Zou blushed at the rebuke, and hurriedly defended:
"Supervision can be introduced. Every local government office has supervisory officials, and censors can also be sent to patrol..."
Zhao Duan sneered: "Supervision? How to supervise? Well, even if you take 10,000 steps back, you can really find enough obedient supervisory officials and send them out to ensure that the new policy will not change when it is passed to the local government. But then What about coming down?
Do you believe that there are ten thousand ways for people down there to turn the New Deal into profit-making?"
He held his chopsticks, pointed to a plate of fried green sprouts on the table, and said:
"Let's take the first of your ten policies, Qing... the so-called Spring and Autumn Tax Law, as an example. You said that whenever there is a shortage of money, the court will borrow money from the people to purchase grain..."
Han Zhi was also aroused and raised his head and said:
"Yes. I have visited the people. Whenever there is a shortage of money, the people can only borrow money from wealthy landlords or merchants to survive. They work hard for a year, pay back the money, and the rest is just enough to feed themselves.
If there is a calamity year, it will not be able to pay back, just because of the high interest among the people! And borrowing from the court can keep the interest rate low and prevent traitors from exploiting the people. Isn't it beneficial to the country and the people? "
He spoke confidently and impassionedly.
Zhao Duan sneered and said quietly: "It's a beautiful idea. If I were a local official, I would only need to wait for the farmers' children to borrow money from the government, and then collude with the merchants to use gambling houses, wine shops, and bars. ... Various means were used to induce them to spend the borrowed money.
A considerable number of farmers' children have money in their hands and cannot refuse or keep it.
In this way, it does not violate the laws of the imperial court, and all the imperial funds are divided up. Let me ask you, can the censor monitor it? "
Korean porridge is speechless!
He was stunned for a moment and wanted to say something, how could all the officials in the court be as bad as you...
But the words remained unsaid. Because he thought of the appearance of subordinate officials in the countryside that he had witnessed when he was poor... Well, those low-level officials were indeed capable of such things.
Zhao Duan continued:
“No, no, no, this method isn’t even good enough.
As far as I know, wine is also a business of the imperial court, right? As long as the money is distributed, the disciples will be tempted to spend it on buying wine sold by the court.
In this way, the money goes around in a circle, and all the officials in the middle can make money. Even the official in charge of selling wine can use this to make the book numbers look beautiful and ask for credit..."
Han Zhou was speechless, shocked by this fancy operation that he had never thought of.
This was beyond his comprehension.
But Zhao Duan knew that these saucy operations actually happened in history after the Green Seeding Law was implemented.
There are even more extreme ones than this.
Zhao Duan hadn't finished yet, he held his chopsticks again, pointed at another plate of meat and vegetables on the table, and said: "Besides, your exemption method is even more ridiculous."
Han Zhou argued: "The people are suffering from corvee service. Now as long as those who were required to serve in the service pay a certain amount of immunity money, the government can use the money to hire others who did not serve in the service. In this way, isn't it true? Everyone gets what he needs?”
Zhao Duan sneered:
"Everyone gets what he needs? Let me ask you, 'What about renting and blending'?"
The so-called "taxation of taxes" is a general term for various taxes imposed on the people by Dayu, and it is a taxation order.
In the history that Zhao Duan is familiar with, it was also implemented during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
Zhao Duan said:
"Your ten policies only mentioned the exemption from service, but it did not abolish the tax collection method of Dayu. The "yong" in the tune of renting is to require the people to perform corvee service.
On your side, you are asking to pay money to be exempted from military service, but on the other side, the tax system has not been changed.
In this case, wouldn't the people who should serve be taxed twice? It is ridiculous to have to perform corvee and pay money to be exempted from corvee! "
Hearing this, Han Zhi broke into a cold sweat.
This was indeed an oversight on his part.
It is true that Dayu's tax law is a mess, and all kinds of taxes are mixed together. Han Zhou has never served in the Ministry of Household Affairs, so he never thought of this.
And then, Zhao Duan mercilessly refuted all the shortcomings of his ten strategies, and only refuted Han Congee so much that he could not reply.
At the end, Zhao Duan stared at him with a stern tone:
“However, all the things I mentioned above are not the key yet.
The real core shortcoming is that these ten policies of yours seem to be for the country and the people, but in fact, their essence is nothing more than using various means to get everyone's money into the hands of the court. They are no different from mosquitoes sucking blood!
What's this?
It’s nothing more than four words: compete with the people for profit! "
Zhao Duan sighed. This was also the most emotional point in his past life when he looked through the history of feudal dynasties.
Throughout the dynasties, a group of people have been dividing limited wealth. The strong have become richer and the weak have become poorer.
These ten strategies are nothing more than to bring down the imperial court and do the most ruthless carving up, exploiting everyone except the imperial court.
This is to achieve the purpose of filling the national treasury in the short term.
Wang Anshi's reform was essentially a method with the sole purpose of robbing money.
Zhao Duan finally concluded: "To compete with the people for profit is to push everyone to oppose the imperial court. Once the ten strategies are successfully implemented, the national treasury will be filled quickly, but at the same time, everyone in the world will regard the imperial court as As an enemy, I regard His Majesty as a robber!
Instead of being stable, the country will become more turbulent. At this time, as long as Kuang Fu She rebels against the party and publicizes this matter and makes the people hate His Majesty, the Eight Kings will take out some benefits and distribute them to the people under their rule to win people's hearts.
By then, who do you think the people of the world will recognize more as the emperor of the Yu Dynasty? Is it His Majesty who exploited them? Or a thief who buys people's hearts? "
Zhao Duan pressed his chopsticks heavily on the table, looked down at the most talented man in front of him, and said coldly:
"In this case, I say that this is a policy that harms the country and is worse than shit. Am I wrong?"
Is there anything wrong? !
At this moment, Zhao Duan's calm voice fell on Han Zou's ears, but it was like thunder.
The brain of this scholar who stole the show in the literary museum today and seemed to be the future prime minister went blank, and his back was soaked with cold sweat!
An unspeakable fear came over my heart.
In front of Han Zou, he seemed to see in a trance that after the implementation of the ten policies, the people of the world were exploited, and money flowed into the capital like rivers.
Accompanied by countless pairs of hateful eyes, flags raised, beacon fires and smoke, and blood soaking the Muddy River.
At this moment, he seemed to have been given a slap in the face, and his face turned pale.
He suddenly woke up from his lost self-confidence and shook his body.
There was a long silence.
He suddenly picked up the wine cup in front of him, raised his head, and drank it all in one gulp.
Shit?
It seems... right.
Han Zou closed his eyes in pain, opened them again, let out a breath of wine, and said mockingly: "Listening to your words is better than ten years of reading. It makes you a great talent, and Han... can be taught!!"
Thanks to godss-moon for the 1500 points reward!
(End of this chapter)