HLnovel Chapter 339: A Rich Country and a Strong People
Chapter 339: A Rich Country and a Strong People
Regent Zhao Defang looked at the anxious Lu Mingda and waved his hand to stop Feng Xiaochun who was about to confront him with facts.
"I will explain to you why the agricultural tax has been reduced by 20% but the tax revenue has increased. The ownership of land over 500 mu was nationalized and distributed to the people for cultivation, which reduced the tax by 20%, but the number of mu of land that can be taxed has increased many times.
If you pass the imperial examination, you can be exempt from paying taxes on the land owned by the juren. In addition to the land owned by the juren themselves, he will not only try his best to buy more land, but also do many dark things to register the land under his name. You all know how many people have done such a dark thing.
The aristocratic families, wealthy and powerful landlords occupy a large amount of land, and you have a better idea of how much they pay in taxes and duties.
Now, after the implementation of the new policy reform, people's lives are better than before, everyone can have enough food, but the country's agricultural taxes have increased. Lord Lu, do you think this new policy is good?"
Lu Mingda was so choked that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He couldn't speak because his throat was choked. He wanted to shout: The lives of ordinary people are getting better, and the increase in agricultural taxes has also made things better for the country, but the lives of us aristocratic families are not getting better! But he held back and didn't dare to say it out loud.
The regent's face turned cold, and he asked, "Lord Lu, do you think this new policy is good?"
[King Regent, you are going too far. Why do you have to force me to admit in person that the new policy is good? ]
Lu Mingda had no words to express his grievances and was angry, so he could only pinch his nose and cry and squeeze out a sentence, "The new policy is not bad."
The young emperor Zhao Wuji almost laughed out loud, and followed his uncle to ask, "My dear ministers, what do you think of the new policy?"
: "The new policy is good! ..." "The new policy... is good."
The responses included excited and genuinely joyful support, as well as helpless and perfunctory responses with anger held back.
Looking at those officials who were so frustrated, depressed and annoyed, but were forced to praise the new policy, the little emperor laughed out loud, "Hahaha..." It was so funny!
The proud little emperor waved his hand and said, "Lord Feng, please continue reading!"
Feng Xiaochun's voice became louder and louder. "The commercial tax has increased three times. The total commercial tax collected is 11368 strings of cash!"
The ministers gasped! A total of more than 100 million taels of silver, how could it be so much?
Then, there was a burst of wild joy! This is the symbol of a strong country!
Prime Minister Xue Juzheng was one of the few ministers who knew the details of this year's tax revenue. At this moment, he still couldn't hold back his tears of excitement. He knelt on the ground and shouted: "The country is rich and the people are strong. It is the blessing of the Song Dynasty. His Royal Highness the Regent is wise and the Emperor is wise! Long live our Emperor!"
"It is a blessing for the Song Dynasty that the country is rich and the people are strong! Long live our emperor! ..." All the ministers came out and knelt down, with tears in their eyes and shouted "Long live the emperor!"
The officials who were unhappy about their interests being damaged also came out and knelt down, shouting, "May the country be prosperous and the people strong, and long live the emperor!"
"Hahahahaha..." The little emperor Zhao Wuji, who rarely showed his joy in front of his courtiers, couldn't help laughing for the second time today. It was so refreshing! So refreshing!
Regent Zhao Defang also smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, although he was full of confidence and determined to push forward the new policy reform, he didn't know the final effect. Would the tax revenue not be as good as expected and the finances be in trouble?
Today, the effect of the new policy reforms is much better than expected. In another two years, the Song Dynasty will truly be a prosperous country with a strong people!
Regent Zhao Defang said in a loud voice, "The implementation of the new policy reforms must be completed before the end of the year. The treasury is abundant and the people are prosperous. If there is no strong army to defend and protect the victory, then even the rich Song Dynasty will be nothing more than a piece of tempting fat meat in the eyes of the enemy.
This king still advocates the elite soldier system and implements the plan to strengthen the army. The main combat forces of the Song Dynasty will implement the high military pay elite soldier system. However, the people of the Song Dynasty still have to fulfill the conscription obligations. The local security forces in various places are mainly responsible for the conscripts. The elite soldiers guarding the border and the main combat forces will be selected from these conscripts every three months and formed into an army after intensive training. "
The civil and military officials began to discuss in low voices again. The military generals were all very excited. His Royal Highness the Regent's plan to strengthen the army was to prepare for the expansion of territory after recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!
After the new emperor ascended the throne and His Royal Highness the Regent took charge of the government, the Song Dynasty's trend of suppressing military power and promoting civil officials was completely stopped. Military generals were no longer inferior to civil officials, and no civil official dared to criticize the military generals who led the troops in battle, or to ride on the necks of the military generals in a domineering manner.
The morale of the soldiers of the Song Dynasty army is high and their fighting power is overflowing. The generals, who have no worries, are eagerly waiting for the opportunity to go to the battlefield and make achievements.
There were those who were happy and those who were angry and worried. Both the Taizu and Taizong emperors adopted the good policy of governing the country by suppressing military power and promoting culture. The will to rule the country together with the literati was still there. After the new emperor ascended the throne, the authoritarian and domineering regent Zhao Defang turned the tables.
Seeing the military generals excitedly discussing plans to strengthen the military, the civil officials missed the good old days.
A fifth-rank civil official could point at the nose of a first-rank military general and scold him; a civil military supervisor could hold the imperial sword and force the commander-in-chief of an army to obey his orders unconditionally and carry out the combat orders conveyed from the imperial study in the imperial palace.
Even if war breaks out suddenly, the commander-in-chief has no right to mobilize troops without the tiger talisman issued by the emperor. This is the best way to prevent military generals from rebelling and treason, and to ensure the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty!
Although the well-read civil servants who were Jinshi graduates looked down on the rude soldiers, they understood better than anyone that whoever controlled the army would have the highest power.
When it comes to governing the country, we must rely on a group of talented and capable civil servants. However, if we don't have the highest power in our hands, how can we prevent the possibility of military generals commanding their own troops and how can we govern the country with peace of mind?
Listening to his colleagues' dissatisfied discussions but no one daring to object, Lu Mingda stiffened his neck and stood up again.
"Your Highness, your plan to strengthen the army has been implemented for a long time. Although the tax revenue has increased a lot this year and the treasury has become richer, it cannot withstand such a policy of excessive military spending, which has emptied the treasury and brought disaster to the people!
Although the number of troops in the newly formed army was small, the military pay was twice as high as before, and the military supplies such as horses, armor, weapons, and rations were outrageously luxurious.
May I ask Your Highness the Regent, aren’t you afraid that your plan to strengthen the military will empty the national treasury, cause public resentment, and ruin the Song Dynasty?
I know that since His Royal Highness the Regent took over the government, he has been so authoritarian that he does not allow anyone to question or object. Today, for the sake of the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty and to protect tens of millions of Song people from being harmed, I am risking my life to make a remonstrance!"
After Lu Mingda finished his impassioned speech, he knelt on the ground, took off his official hat and held it on his head, looking like a loyal minister who was risking his life to give advice to a tyrant.
"I second the motion. Your Highness, please think twice before acting!"
"I second the motion. Your Highness, please think twice before acting!"
Seeing someone taking the lead, those civil servants who were dissatisfied or worried fell to their knees.
The little emperor Zhao Wuji's face turned red with anger, but he knew that this matter was difficult and had to be handled by his uncle.
Regent Zhao Defang was not angry at all, and said calmly, "Lord Lu, you risked your life to make a remonstrance, but I will not execute you, but will continue to implement the plan of strengthening the army in an authoritarian and domineering manner.
You are dissatisfied with the new policy reforms and strongly oppose them. I have used facts to prove that the new policy is good, okay?
You are dissatisfied with the plan to strengthen the military. I will spend another year to prove to you that the plan is good, okay?
Let’s not discuss other state affairs for now. Court is adjourned!”