Chapter 1802: Sit tight and have a correct attitude
"You have repeatedly mentioned the local area of Huazhou and your hometown of Xiagua County. Obviously, you have a deep understanding of the local situation and have conducted detailed visits and investigations!" After calming down a little and regaining his composure, Emperor Liu looked at
Kou Zhun asked: "Tell me, who are the most active land annexers in your Huazhou state?"
This actually requires Kou Zhun to continue to betray his "fathers" in his hometown by name. However, Kou Zhun obviously does not have too much moral burden on such matters, otherwise he would not use Huazhou as an example to point out to Emperor Liu.
.
After thinking about it, Kou Zhun reported: "Your Majesty, there are some powerful county officials in Huazhou, some officials at all levels with small powers, successful businessmen, and those who have returned from the army with honorary titles. In addition,
, the job fields run by the state and county governments are also gradually expanding.”
Hearing what Kou Zhun said, Emperor Liu was not too surprised. He even sighed and said: "Officials, businessmen, and powerful people, you can't escape from these three!"
Soon he realized it belatedly, stared at Kou Zhun and said: "By the retirement honors you mentioned, are you referring to the retired officers and soldiers who have been assigned by the imperial court to serve in local government offices and villages?"
"Yes!" Kou Zhun nodded.
When Emperor Liu heard this, he was stunned for a while, and then laughed a few times, with sarcasm in his words: "It's useless to work! It's useless to work! You take it for granted! You think too highly of yourself!"
Emperor Liu was talking nonsense there, making Kou Zhun and Yantuo who was waiting nearby look at each other, but the level of caution in their hearts was raised to the highest level. Although Emperor Liu was smiling, his expression did not look like he was happy.
You must know that Emperor Liu placed retired low-level officers and meritorious soldiers in the countryside in order to use these people to balance the original powerful clan forces.
In the early days, these groups of retired soldiers who had certain management capabilities, were grateful to the emperor and the army, and highly recognized the court and the country did play a significant positive role in maintaining the rule of the Han Dynasty.
During that period, it was precisely because of the existence of these people that the imperial court's ability to control the countryside was greatly enhanced. Whether it was tax collection or the collection and distribution of labor and military service, everything was very smooth.
However, time is passing and people are constantly changing. The shortcomings of what Emperor Liu thought was a clever move earlier have gradually been exposed.
Most of the retired soldiers who were placed as officials at the grassroots level in the countryside were assimilated and colluded with the old clans and powerful people, colluding with each other, and even directly replaced them and became the local emperors in the countryside.
They have seen the world and can be appointed as officials. They basically have military merits and honors. Moreover, due to their military background, their style is often tough and rough, and they have a strong desire to control.
Once the energy of these people bursts out, the impact on the local grassroots can be imagined. Some of their misbehavior is more normal, but can the local government control it? Obviously it is difficult, and the same is true for groups like soldiers.
He is a gregarious person. With such an identity, he is shrouded in a halo, and he is not someone to be bullied.
In fact, as early as the Qianyou period, the issue of retired officers and soldiers being violent and domineering, committing crimes and violating laws and disciplines in the local area had already begun to surface. At that time, Emperor Liu was very angry and used severe measures to deal with it.
A group of people were formed. However, the reliance on their appointment has not changed at all.
At least, these grassroots officials who are highly identified with the country did help Emperor Liu centralize power and help the government control local areas. At least, it was indeed much more convenient in terms of taxation and corvee collection. Regardless of whether it was for the central court or the government,
For local governments, these two points are the most important.
In the past, the imperial court relied on powerful local families. In addition to being unable to control them, this aspect was also an important factor.
As for the development trend of those grassroots officials who were veterans, Emperor Liu had actually noticed it for a long time. He was not a fool. Even if he couldn't react at the moment, he had not known anything about it in the past few decades. He was just an old man.
Just don't know.
However, when Kou Zhun exposed these things that Emperor Liu had deliberately ignored, Emperor Liu naturally had mixed feelings in his heart.
How much did Emperor Liu hate the powerful? In fact, it depends on the needs of governance and the national conditions. When the Han Dynasty was first founded, there were separate countries outside, and there were many vassal towns inside, and the central authority was weak. In this case, for those who
How could Emperor Liu like the local tyrants? He wished he could clear them all out and return all the lost governance power to the imperial government.
But the development of things is in motion. Today, in the 23rd year of Kaibao, Emperor Liu is still so stern when talking about tyranny, but he has already compromised in his heart.
From the perspective of the Liu family, it is necessary for these powerful people to exist. For the rulers, it is best for those common people to be bound to the land forever, to be the obedient subjects of the empire with peace of mind, and to be honest and loyal.
Exploitation.
Even if Emperor Liu insisted on immigrating to the border areas, he would only allow the common people to find other places to cultivate, and at the same time enrich the borders, consolidate national defense, and maintain the rule of the Han Dynasty. As for the common people, if restraint and control were completely relaxed, the world would probably not be stable.
Social security will also be disrupted.
To be honest, the annexation of local land, the control of ordinary people, and the rule of the court are of certain benefit. Many things that the court cannot do are precisely due to their help.
Twenty percent of the landless peasants are not many. Considering the current population of the Han Dynasty, which is nearly 100 million, the number is quite large. However, if there were not these people, who would cultivate the land of so many powerful families and bureaucratic landlords in the Han Dynasty?
Who will satisfy their interests? After all, they play the greatest role in maintaining the rule of the Han Empire.
What's more, the places where so many people go are not all tenants, retinues, and servants, but also those who do business, go to sea, and immigrate to the border areas. Looking at the entire Han Dynasty, after all, there are so many yeoman farmers left, even if the situation is
The trend is worsening, but for now, no matter how serious it is, we need to look at it rationally.
After thinking about this, Emperor Liu began to consider the purpose of Kou Zhun's remonstrance, and I'm afraid it was not about the issue of immigration.
After a long period of chaotic thoughts in his mind, Emperor Liu regained his composure, glanced at Kou Zhun, and said, "You pointed out these problems to me, and I accept them, but do you have any ideas on how to solve them?"
Upon hearing the question, Kou Zhun replied somewhat reservedly: "I am shallow and ignorant, so it is not easy for me to talk nonsense!"
"In front of me, there is no need to be so pretentious!" Emperor Liu said impatiently: "I have said so much before, how can you be happy if I don't finish it?"
Seeing this, Kou Zhun thought for a moment, then held up his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that the most important countermeasure is to clarify the administration of officials, restrain the powerful, and prohibit them from colluding with each other, taking advantage of others, and misbehaving! The imperial court should prohibit local powerful people from restricting the people.
Personal freedom, those who violate laws and disciplines should be severely punished in accordance with the law."
As soon as Kou Zhun said these words, it was already proven that he was a representative of the common landowning class. The countermeasures he proposed were also extremely compromising, seeking improvement, not reform.
Emperor Liu was a highly centralized autocratic monarch. The position he sat on had already "corrected" his thinking. The ruler was the ruler, and the exploiting class was the exploiting class. He was willing to do anything that was conducive to his rule, and
Everything that is not conducive to his rule must be stopped and banned.
However, when faced with Kou Zhun's statement, Emperor Liu couldn't help but chuckle and said: "What you said is just a cliché! Didn't the imperial court always do this in the past? But why is it still difficult to contain it?"
Without waiting for Kou Zhun to answer, Emperor Liu said coldly: "In the final analysis, the government's work is still not done properly, there are people who are lax in supervising and enforcing the law, and even know the law and violate the law, colluding with the stakeholders, and collaborating!"
The current emperor Liu's bad words and thoughts are just to continue the rule of his empire. As long as the land transaction policy remains unchanged, annexation is inevitable. Changing the policy is not easy, not to mention the easy consequences.
New problems arise.
Therefore, the method adopted by Emperor Liu has always been to restrict and improve, treating the symptoms but not the root cause. With the current productivity and social development of the Han Dynasty, it is unrealistic to seek a root cause, and Emperor Liu also knows this in his heart.
, revolution, revolution is your own life.
Land annexation can be done, but if you go too far, you can't look too ugly. Even if the ordinary people depend on you, you have to let them live, and you can't push them to a dead end.
However, most of the exploiting classes in the world do not seem to have this understanding. Instead, they are greedy and habitually do things to the extreme. This situation is what Emperor Liu really wants to attack. These are also the enemies that shake the rule of the Han Dynasty.
Therefore, Emperor Liu expressed his approval of Kou Zhun's proposal and said: "It seems that the big Han people from the government to the local areas need to be cleaned up again! You think I can make those who take advantage of others cleverly, bully the good, and break the law knowingly,
Is it easy for the traitor who dug up the foundation of my great man?"
Emperor Liu spoke very lightly, even gently, but the chill in his tone made people tremble.
Looking at Kou Zhun again, Emperor Liu thought for a while and said: "Kou Zhun has made meritorious service in admonishing, and his words are meaningful. I will worship him as the censor of Guan Nei Dao!"
Kou Zhun was a little surprised that he was promoted? But he kept a calm face and respectfully said: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
In fact, this is not a promotion, it is just becoming a full-time official and being granted a real job. As a Jinshi who has just passed the scientific examination and entered the officialdom, it is quite a legend that he can become a full-time official in less than a month, at least at the moment.
Big men are relatively rare. You know, even the last generation of Jinshi, there are still some people who have not decided where to go and are still studying in politics.