Chapter 930
Traveling incognito for the Emperor
In March, the emperor issued a proclamation to the whole country, expanding the scope of the lifting of the sea ban and ordering the construction of seaports in Lingshanwei, Suzhou, and Guangzhou for merchant ships to dock.
Upon receiving the imperial edict, Zhejiang Province was quite dissatisfied, and the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission immediately submitted a memorial requesting the opening of more seaports in Hangzhou Prefecture.
In his memorial to the throne, he listed ten reasons why Hangzhou Prefecture must open a seaport.
One of the reasons is that, due to the typhoon last year, there are many displaced people in Zhejiang Province, but land is scarce and it is difficult to settle them. Building a seaport can help to keep the displaced people in place and prevent them from wandering around and causing trouble.
The court was in an uproar over this matter.
Most court officials believed that with Suzhou Port to the north and Quanzhou Port to the south, there was no need to open another seaport in Zhejiang.
Even Yu Qian questioned, "Your Majesty, are there really so many merchant ships docking in the Ming Dynasty now?"
Cao Nai also said, "You can't get fat in one bite. We understand that Your Majesty is eager to earn commercial taxes, but this matter cannot be rushed. Otherwise, in the end, we will not only fail to collect customs duties and commercial taxes, but also waste money and resources on the people."
The emperor thought their words made sense, but he still felt that this was not the best solution. So that night, accompanied by Empress Wang, he wrote a letter to Pan Yun.
Before long, words began to appear on their yellow talisman book, and the couple immediately went over to take a look.
Pan Yun: "Ask Sun Yuanzhen, before the disaster, the people could live peacefully on the land, so why can't they return to the land after the disaster? Where did their land go? Ask him again, Zhejiang's official land taxes are heavy, and instead of thinking about reducing the taxes on official land, you want to spread the taxes evenly among those who pay less on private land. What are you thinking? Your family used to only have to pay one shi of grain a year, but now the officials are telling you that because the taxes on official land are heavy, you have to share a portion with the tenant farmers on official land, and starting this year your family will have to pay two shi of grain. Every year in Zhejiang, private land farmers and tenant farmers fight with official land tenant farmers over water. Don't they use their brains to think about where the grudges come from? Do they make decisions with their toes?"
The emperor blushed upon seeing the young man's face, because this order was one he had recently issued to Sun Yuanzhen to oversee.
Empress Wang could tell from his blushing face that this was the reason for His Majesty's suggestion, and couldn't help but ask, "Who gave His Majesty this suggestion?"
"It's Yang Zan, the Right Provincial Governor of Zhejiang," the Emperor said in a low voice. "This method... is alright, I suppose. It balances the tax burden. We can't really reduce or exempt taxes on official land, since the national treasury is already short of money."
Therefore, the only option was to distribute the burden evenly so that the tenant farmers on government-owned land wouldn't suffer too much.
Zhu Qiyu wasn't stupid; he knew that Pan Yun wasn't referring to Yang Zan and Sun Yuanzhen, but rather hinting at him.
Although ashamed, Zhu Qiyu had no intention of changing his ways. He explained to Empress Wang in a low voice, "This is the best solution at present. If the national treasury is full one day, we can reduce taxes as a whole to alleviate the burden on the people. Otherwise, if we reduce taxes now, where will the national treasury get the money from?"
After taking charge of the household, Empress Wang also realized that money was becoming increasingly expensive.
Ever since she decided to help the emperor generate more revenue and had the ambition to make a name for herself, she had been carefully managing her finances. Since she could not use all the money in the imperial treasury, she had now started using her dowry.
But she was just an ordinary daughter of an official, and her father and brothers were both relatively honest and did not prepare a large dowry for her, so she understood the emperor.
She reached out and patted the emperor's shoulder, saying softly, "Then we'll make a note of this, and reduce some taxes when we have more money in the future."
The emperor nodded repeatedly.
Empress Wang muttered, "The Imperial Advisor only told you to question Sun Yuanzhen, but didn't say how to resolve the issue?"
Zhu Qiyu was also troubled. Just as he was hesitating, he saw words appear on the edges of the talisman: "Have Sun Yuanzhen redeem some of the land to bring peace to the people. He must have a way. If he doesn't, ask Yang Zan. Also ask the gentry and landlords of Zhejiang whether they want the harbor or the land?" Zhu Qiyu's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly: "I understand. The Grand Preceptor is trying to make those gentry and landlords who took advantage of the natural disaster to seize the people's fertile land bleed."
Do you really think that all landlords in the world get rich through hard work?
Those who truly become large landowners are either officials or those with ruthless and outstanding methods.
During last year's typhoon, some landlords in the Jiangzhe and Zhili areas colluded with local officials to directly convert the fertile land of the disaster-stricken people who fled into wasteland and pocketed it. In just a few months of Xue Shao's inspection tour in the south, he investigated and dealt with many officials and landlords, and has returned a total of 868 mu of fertile land to the people.
This was because the people filed complaints, so Xue Shao was able to find the case files in the government office and bring the aggrieved parties to justice one by one.
There are countless people who dare not appeal, or who have no opportunity to appeal, but remain hidden in secret.
Of course, it's also unknown how many people were not evicted.
These "illegal" operations can be rectified, but there are also "legal" operations.
For example, during last year's great disaster, if someone lent you a peck of grain, you would have to repay a bushel of grain. With interest compounding, by this year you would have to repay about ten bushels. After the farmers have planted a year's worth of grain, paid their taxes, and what's left is probably not enough to repay the debt of that peck of grain from last year, and in the end, the land would have to be confiscated by the landlord.
“Then, they rented the land to them for 50% or 60% of the annual rent, turning the former free people into tenant farmers or farmhands,” Xue Shao handed a file to Pan Yun and said, “Last year, a rebellion broke out in Wenzhou. Lord Sun led troops to quell the rebellion and recruited more than 3,600 people. These bandits were all good people who owned land.”
Pan Yun reached out and took it, flipped through it and asked, "This Lord Sun is quite capable. He ordered them to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land, which is a good way to settle people down."
Xue Shao nodded: "The greed of the big landowners is beyond the control of one person alone."
Pan Yun tapped the table lightly with her finger and said, "I've arrived in Hangzhou. Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan should know by now. Tomorrow I'm going to stay at the most luxurious inn in Hangzhou."
Upon hearing this, Xue Shao smiled and asked, "What are you going to do?"
“We Chinese people love the land, but we also love money. If there is something whose value is ten or a hundred times that of the land, do you think the big landowners would be willing to exchange it?”
Xue Shao: "Maritime trade? It may be feasible for a short time, but it's not a long-term solution."
Pan Jun smiled and said, "A long-term plan is too bloody, and the biggest landlord in the world is at the top. He wouldn't do such a thing. A 'redemption' is both reasonable and exciting."
Xue Shao had nothing to say.
So the next day, Pan Yun appeared openly on the streets of Hangzhou, and Xue Shao escorted her with a smile to the most luxurious inn in Hangzhou.
As the Imperial Inspector of Jiangnan, Xue Shao has always been the focus of attention.
Two days ago, in Panyun, two villages on the outskirts of the city were embroiled in a water dispute. Over three hundred people, armed with sickles, kitchen knives, hoes, shovels, and clubs, charged at each other. The yamen runners who went to mediate were the first to be swept into the field. Just as a bloodbath was about to erupt, a large cauldron fell from the sky and slammed into the middle of the village with a bang. The two groups of people, about to clash, were thrown into the field by the shockwave, and a young Taoist priest crawled out of the cauldron… (End of Chapter)