"Who dares to break into the county government office!"
A loud shout suddenly came from the Heqing County government office. Four government officials stood on the platform, making knives in their hands, looking fiercely at the people in front of the government office.
It’s not that they overreacted, it’s that all the people who came were tall, had bad expressions, and were armed, so they looked like they were not easy to mess with. Although it was impossible to rush into the Yamen, after all, it was just these few people, but it was still okay to give them a scolding as they did their job.
It should.
The leader of the visitors was a young man, handsome and tall, with a masculine look on his face. He was holding a long sword in his hand. The scabbard had exquisite patterns and the hilt was decorated with jade, which was obviously extraordinary.
Basically looking at the four government officials as if they were nothing, he raised his eyes to look at the very grand plaque, then noticed the closed door of the government hall, and said mockingly: "It's a clear day, the government office is closed, the river is clear
You can only imagine how the county is governed!"
The sarcasm could be felt by everyone, and the party-class government officials also felt humiliated and said angrily: "How bold! How dare you blaspheme the government!"
"You!" The other party obviously showed some strong-willedness on the outside, and the young man glanced at the Yamen officer coldly, and ordered: "Go and inform your county magistrate that someone is coming from Beijing!"
After hearing this, the yamen servant's expression suddenly changed a bit. Facing the young man's cold gaze, he was frightened by his aura, but he didn't even dare to say anything harsh. He turned around and hurried to the yamen to report.
There was no reason for the young man to wait. He put his sword behind his back, called a few followers, and followed him calmly and calmly into the county government office. The other officials who heard the conversation did not dare to stop them. The people coming from the capital were not them.
These little shrimps can offend you.
As for this young man, of course he is not a mortal. He even has various auras on his body. His name is Li Zhaoxian. He is twenty-one years old. He is the grandson of the emperor, the emperor’s nephew, his parents, and even Leping Gong Li Jilong and the eldest princess Liu Jia. Now he has a
He was given the title of Captain Zhaowu and served as a bodyguard in the palace. This time he went on tour with him.
He boldly broke into the lobby, and before he could observe anything, he saw two middle-aged men in green official robes walking out of the second hall, with gloomy faces. He only glanced at the situation in the hall, and his attention fell on Li Zhaoxian.
On the body, he asked without losing his vigilance: "Who do you dare to ask me?"
Li Zhaoxian looked at the middle-aged man in green robe and said calmly: "Are you Chen Ruoyu, the magistrate of Heqing County?"
"Exactly!" Chen Ruoyu replied, and then he tried to test: "I don't know which yamen your husband is from, and why he comes to this county. If you need help, just say so!"
"Then please Mr. Chen, please come with me!" Li Zhaoxian said directly, his tone was calm, but his attitude was very strong.
Seeing this, Chen Ruoyu's face darkened. No matter how you say it, he is still a respected person in the county. He has already given enough face to the words "a person from Beijing". He is so clueless and unclear, let him
He followed, what the hell!
With this thought, Chen Ruoyu's tone became less friendly and he spoke in an official tone: "This county still has official business to deal with, so I don't want to be teased by this! Seeing that you are young, this county will not care about you anymore, see you off!"
After saying that, Chen Ruoyu turned around to leave, which seemed a little guilty in Li Zhaoxian's eyes. However, he didn't take it seriously and took out a document from his arms. The bright yellow silk surface was particularly eye-catching. Li Zhaoxian said lightly: "Your Excellency, County Li, you should take a look.
Let’s make a decision based on this handwriting!”
Of course, Chen Ruoyu was not ignorant. When he saw the handwriting, his heart tightened, but after reading it, his legs became a little weak.
When he looked at Li Zhaoxian again, his voice trembled slightly, with a hint of begging: "Can you please wait a moment while the subordinates take care of things?"
Hearing this, Li Zhaoxian looked polite, took two steps forward, reached out his hand to help Chen Ruoyu smooth the wrinkles on the chest of the official robe, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, County Master Li, is very well dressed, so why don't you do it?"
My lord, I have kept you waiting for a long time!”
"Yes!" Chen Ruoyu had no choice but to respond, but at this time, his heart was already filled with gloom. His family knew about his family affairs, so this situation may not be easy. But now that the matter has come to this, he can only try his best to calm his mind and seek salvation.
method.
Chen Ruoyu came from a well-known family. His father was the famous general Chen Sirang. In his early years, he served as the patrol envoy to Huainan and made great achievements in the Battle of Huainan. Later, he served as the commander of the Huaixi Capital and the Yangtze River Inspection Envoy.
His elder brother, Chen Ruozhuo, was the second-ranked scholar in the 19th year of Kaibao. Now he has reached the rank of head of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. As for himself, he was also a Jinshi, and Heqing County was his first post abroad.
Li Zhaoxian's visit was obviously on the order of Emperor Liu Yang who was on a tour, and to be "invited" away by Li Zhaoxian in this way was obviously a big problem in his tenure, and it was a major problem.
There are various reasons and reasons for the bureaucratic crimes of the Han Dynasty, and Chen Ruoyu also covers them. He is not from a low background, and his vision is not shallow. Money and wealth are not in his eyes, but he seeks fame and power, and has ambitions in his official career. This
It's not a big problem, it's just that I'm too eager for quick success and instant benefits in the pursuit of career.
Among the "tax reform faction" in the Han Dynasty, many people rose up because they made real achievements and made outstanding contributions in the implementation of restructuring, land surveying, publicity and education, etc.
In the past three years, Chen Ruoyu is obviously one of them, and he has received awards for it. Especially when compared with his predecessor, his work effectiveness and official capabilities are highlighted.
After all, it was under the leadership of Chen Ruoyu that Heqing County fully completed the tax reform. The data on the land register was clearly more than three times that of the old register, and the fiscal revenue was even higher than under the two-tax system.
doubled the increase, and actually handed it over to the Taoist priests and the imperial court in accordance with the regulations.
With such an identity and background, and such outstanding achievements, Chen Ruoyu only needs to wait for promotion, especially when the new emperor ascends the throne. Murong Defeng is also making personnel adjustments after taking office as Tianguan, and his elder brother Chen Ruozhuo from Beijing
Judging from the letter, he is already on the next batch of promotion lists and has been promoted to the governor of Mizhou in one step.
However, all this came to nothing with the emperor's sudden private visit. After two days of field research, Liu Yang found that Chen Ruoyu's brilliant political achievements had too many falsehoods, and Heqing's tax reform was also different from that of Beihuanghe.
It has been soaked and has a lot of moisture.
First of all, the Heqing County Government's protection of small farmers and people is in name only, and it even sides with the landlords and local tyrants, and in turn suppresses ordinary people.
It is said that after Chen Ruoyu took office, he called together the big landowners under his jurisdiction and made some high-sounding words. He revealed the meaning overtly and secretly that the tax reform of the imperial court must be implemented and implemented thoroughly. It must be included in the government's land register.
It is necessary to see the number of acres of land owned by each household. As for the problems encountered by the rural sages during the reform, the county government will also try its best to help solve them.
Hearing the string song and knowing its elegant meaning, the gentry in Heqing understood the county master very well and were willing to serve him. Then the tax reform work in Heqing was on the fast track. The land was cleared and the registration was completed in two years.
, and has a name, a family, and a household, and has achieved remarkable results.
However, in fact, after Liu Yang learned about it, he only had eight words to comment: It is unsightly and the crime cannot be punished!
For example, decentralizing the land under your name and allocating a certain amount to clans and tenants is not to mention reasonable tax avoidance methods. This is the safest method, but in Heqing County, not many people do it.
More often than not, the land is distributed to the common people according to the method of leasing, but through the lease and the loan agreement, they are tightly tied up. In fact, they still control the life, old age, illness and death of the common people, allowing them to work as cattle.
Make a horse.
Under such conditions, the small farmers who "own" their own land may not have improved much compared to before, and may even have become worse. In the past, they had to pay landlord rent and court tax, but now they have to borrow money.
With local taxes, when the two are added together, the latter may not be easier than the former.
The high borrowing and interest rates are like a rope around their necks, suffocating them. Whether it improves or worsens depends solely on the integrity of the landlords and creditors.
There are not many gentry who are tolerant and helpful to their neighbors, but they are really not many. For most of the powerful landowners, even if they are just resisting the court's "tyrannical land administration", they cannot make life easy for the common people.
, otherwise wouldn’t it really turn those mud-legged and untouchable people upside down?
There were also farmers who could not bear the usurious loans and went to the county government to complain. At this time, County Master Chen would of course fulfill his original promise and help the gentry solve their problems.
There was also rhetoric, and it was stern, saying that repaying debts is a matter of course. There are written evidence, fingerprints, and the signature of the county magistrate Cao, which is effective.
What's more, judging from the written records, it's not an exaggeration. If it's not over in ten years, it's still twenty years. If it's not over, there will still be descendants. Those lands can't be given away in vain. They all have their own land.
, what else are you dissatisfied with? You can’t be too greedy in life.
Of course, as a parent official, Chen County Zun also has a "heart of love for the people". Out of compassion, he will still find the creditor when faced with the request and sentence him to a reduction of three or two years in benefits. Of course, the county sages will also give the county Zun
Face, if this is the case, what else are the common people dissatisfied with? If they continue to be entangled, do they still want to stay in the village? Aren't they afraid that the neighbors will poke their spines and scold them for being greedy and ungrateful?
There are also those who are unwilling to borrow, but if you don’t borrow, others will lend, and the temptation of owning your own land is really not something that ordinary small farmers can resist, and once you sign your name on the poverty line, you are destined to be trapped.
thing.
Of course, there are people who try their best to pay off their loans in advance, whether they steal or rob, some people actually do it. However, there are always new loans after old loans, and there are always various difficulties and various problems in the production and operation process.
Risks, as long as there is need, the villagers are very generous and willing to lend a helping hand
Gradually, many landowners have discovered that under the current policy environment, this lending business can actually make money. It can not only reasonably and legally avoid the high local taxes caused by land concentration, but the income may not be higher than concentrating the land under their own names.
Low.
Under such circumstances, some "smart people" have begun to target the original homesteaders. If they have difficulties, they will lend them help when they need it. If there are no difficulties, they will lend you money and grain.
This is still restrained. Those who eat people without spitting out their bones will try their best to make you bankrupt and lose your money, and then "save" you with a loan agreement, and then they will not take your land and keep it for farming and production to pay off the debt.
As for escaping debts, let alone the protection of the government, if people can escape, how can the land escape? At worst, the land can be taken back and handed over to other farmers for cultivation.
Through such operations, the land annexation situation in Heqing County has been effectively controlled, but the livelihood of farmers has not fundamentally improved, and has even worsened.
The control and exploitation of ordinary farmers through loans may not be lighter than personal dependence based on land. This is the result of the compromise of the gentry and sages to the court and in response to the government reforms.
One can imagine what the situation is like in Heqing County under such circumstances. Of course, as long as there are no disasters or diseases, the farmers can continue to live their lives and even show a stable atmosphere. However,
Small farmers and households under this order are actually in an invisible and more suffocating atmosphere.
In addition, Chen Ruoyu also had other tricks, such as making a fuss about the land hierarchy. The land owned by the gentry was classified as middle field, lower field or even poor field. The land of ordinary people was classified as upper field, middle field, and taxes were collected accordingly.
This is also a situation that frequently breaks out in the process of tax reform, and it is also one of the main contradictions under the new tax system. For some people, the new tax system is not as good as paying two taxes per capita in the past. At least in wealthy areas, the economy is developed and the land output is large.
, the population is prosperous, and even if the court is biased when setting the tax amount, the tax to be paid is not heavy when it is apportioned to individuals.
In addition, the county government also allocates some barren mountains, wastelands, and forests to farmers as cultivated land, and can collect some taxes.
At the same time, the loan relief policy for the poor people under the rule was actually stopped. After all, the gentry helped solve the problem. However, the annual loan relief business was still "doing", and it was done in the accounts, and it was done beautifully.
As for the grain, seeds, agricultural tools and other materials used for loan relief, they can be easily converted into financial and tax revenue. Some operations even only require two additions and subtractions in the Changping warehouse register, old grain is shipped out of the warehouse, and new grain is brought into the warehouse.
Just move the knife and pen.
All these methods were used together, and the tax revenue in Heqing County was naturally higher than before, which turned into Chen Ruoyu's outstanding achievements in the tax reform business.
After understanding these real situations, Liu Yang can hold back his anger and not curse, which is already a sign of his high level of self-cultivation.
In addition to being angry, he also had a sense of helplessness. He felt that he was still paying attention to the tax reform process and often paid attention to some details. The court also acted cautiously and made continuous adjustments and improvements over the past many years.
However, even if this is the case, a situation like Heqing County can still occur. This place is only separated by a river from Luoyang!
If Heqing is like this, you can imagine what the situation will be like in other places. Chen Ruoyu is not the only smart bureaucrat in the world. Their methods may be even more unexpected! No wonder there are so many complaints and riots in various places.
!
After so many years of restructuring, it was really disappointing for Liu Yang to have such a result.
What was even worse was what happened later. When Chen Ruoyu was brought to the imperial court, he still did not repent and wanted to struggle a little more and make false excuses.
Liu Yang asked Chen Ruoyu about the current status of the tax reform in Heqing County. Although he was a little panicked, he quickly adjusted and said sincerely that he was following the instructions of the court. Even if there were some omissions, they were deviations caused by a poor understanding of the new policies.
and made a mistake, which he also admitted.
When Liu Yang mentioned that private loans at high interest rates were common in Heqing County and the poor were being oppressed, Chen Ruoyu looked innocent and expressed in confusion that the imperial court did not prohibit private loans, and it was very common for poor people to borrow money to buy land. The squires
If you are willing to give up the land, you can't give it away for free.
He even clamped down on debts with excessively high interest rates, punished evil gentry, and effectively protected the interests of the common people. Especially those landlords who passed all the land transaction taxes on to the farmers were even more strict in accordance with the tax law.
He handled everything in accordance with the law and the rules, and these situations are all well-documented.
On the other hand, in the process of a large number of land transactions, the county government collected a large amount of transaction tax to enrich the finance. This is not only a fault, but also a merit.
Of course, he is not a perfect person. He has insufficient political experience and has made some mistakes. He has a unclear understanding of the livelihood of ordinary people and has neglected to observe some people's sentiments. Chen Ruoyu also admits this.
After dealing with it, Liu Yang was so angry that he almost ordered Chen Ruoyu to be beheaded. This kind of tact and sophistry made Chen Ruoyu very clear, but it was terrifying to think about it carefully. At the same time, from the county magistrate, Liu Yang also understood the situation in Heqing County.
Why has it developed to this point?
Chen Ruoyu is by no means a mediocre person. You can even call him a capable person when it comes to what he does. His brain is too flexible, and he keeps brushing aside and making achievements. However, as a parent official, he has never been able to sit on his butt.
On the side of the common people, they actively move closer to those filial (village) sons (gentry), virtuous (local) grandsons (lords).
If all the bureaucrats in the world are like this, it will not only be the suffering of the small people, but also the sorrow of the Han Empire. The problem is precisely that Liu Yang has no idea about the situation in various places, how far it has developed, and whether it is still compared with Heqing County.
There has been.
Not to mention anything else, at least here in Heqing County, the public security is relatively stable, and Chen Ruoyu has controlled the situation well. But what about places where riots, civil unrest, and even judgments occur?
Of course, no matter how Chen Ruoyu tried to quibble, he could not escape the suspicion of deceiving the emperor. However, after his words, Liu Yang really gave up his intention to kill this person for a while.
That night, at the county hotel, Liu Yang had another heart-to-heart talk with Xu Shilian. He expressed with regret that the tax reform had reached an extremely difficult stage at its current stage.
However, through these problems, he also discovered that many of these problems can actually be avoided. What he can think of is to use more comprehensive, more frequent, and more in-depth supervision, not to say to eliminate it, but at least to improve the local chaos.
.
Liu Yang said passionately that the people of the Han Dynasty deserved more sympathy and protection from the imperial court.
To be honest, if the fundamental problem is not solved, all that can be done is to improve and solve some superficial things.
However, if the small farmers and people are allowed to stand up and take charge, the Han Empire and the Liu family will no longer be around.