Chapter 40 Sejong Chapter 41 The Law of the Empire
Chapter 2165 Sejong Chapter 41 The Law of the Empire
There is no one-and-done policy. Regarding this point, the longer he immersed himself in the emperor's career, the deeper Liu Wenji felt about it. In terms of legal system construction, at least in terms of legal provisions, the continuous improvement of Shizu and Taizong has reached a very
Comprehensive, detailed, and even cumbersome, its complexity and triviality can be regarded as the most complicated in the history of dynasties.
However, it is against this background that ever since Liu Wenji took full control of the government, he has almost never stopped revising the imperial laws. Things are constantly moving. In the past twenty or thirty years, many new things have appeared, bringing with them
With the emergence of new contradictions and new problems, many provisions are out of date, and these need to be appropriately deleted and supplemented. For example, the "human trafficking" incident in the sixth year of Jianlong's reign, after the incident, the court focused on immigration policy and human trafficking crimes.
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The revision of the legal system is by no means an easy task. When it comes to deletion, it can easily touch upon the issue of "ancestral patriarchal laws." Among the powerful people in the empire, no matter what their intentions are, there is no shortage of people who hold high the ancestral laws and established laws.
The emperor wrestles with people.
Although Liu Wenji often wins in the end, the experience and taste are never pleasant. At the same time, just the amendment of legal provisions is already extremely complicated, and when it comes to implementation and supervision, it requires
The links that have been opened up and the obstacles that have been solved are enough to make one's scalp numb.
Take the Anxi Kingdom as an example. When Wei King Liu Min was in power, he promulgated a "Great Code". However, the content and details of that code were many times simpler and rougher than the imperial legal provisions.
In this way, by the time of Liu Min's death, a system of execution and supervision had been barely established based on the "Great Code", and its legal system was also at a very preliminary stage and level.
Of course, this is also related to the "camp system" that was the foundation of Anxi's founding of the country. Under the jurisdiction of the military and camps, many matters in the dynasty code were not applicable, and it was impossible to effectively restrict the feudal lords, large and small, through the legal system.
Liu Wenze can be regarded as a promising leader. Throughout his reign, except for the Han-Iran war with the Ghaznavids, most of his energy was spent on internal rectification and centralization.
This process was also extremely difficult. The Anxi "Great Code" that was finally perfected by him was only applicable to the areas and cities directly under the central government of the dynasty. In the territories of the feudal lords, although it was nominally implemented, it often took advantage of it and concealed it.
The disadvantages are that even in urban areas, unrest caused by enforcement of laws and taxes are endless.
This was the case in Anxi, let alone the Han Empire, which was larger in size and more complex in content. To be fair, Liu Wenji's throne may have been a coincidence, but it was not easy or easy for him as an emperor. In terms of political complexity,
It can even be said that during the Taizong period, it was far beyond the ancestors. If you just lay down, you would not be able to bring an empire to its peak.
However, in the process of revising the imperial legal system, many difficulties and challenges were encountered, but at this stage, the imperial legal system was also the most dazzling moment, even more so than in the Taizong era, because Liu Wenji needed to pass it more
"Law" to establish one's own authority and consolidate one's rule.
At the same time, a large number of legal talents, or bureaucrats who are proficient in law, have sprung up in the imperial system. The number of candidates for Mingfa is increasing every time. From the capital to the local government schools, all subjects are given priority, and even
Some qualified elementary schools have also incorporated "Han Xing Tong" into their teaching content.
The so-called "Legalism and Confucianism" was also very popular in the Han Empire during this period. It was good for the people and the trend was to make more profits. The Han Dynasty in the official position was enough to form a trend, especially in a policy with continuity.
in the environment.
While improving the legal system, Liu Wenji also knew in his heart that the so-called imperial law, thousands of laws and regulations, were actually very empty. Many regulations and regulations have been in a state of dust since they were established. Apart from clear
It was recorded in the imperial "Xingtong", which does not have much practical significance.
As far as the affairs of the imperial elites were concerned, many situations were dealt with based on moral concepts and experience, as well as the conventions of Chinese officials and people since ancient times. Compared with the complicated laws and regulations of the Han Dynasty, it was almost a different kind.
Regarding this situation, Liu Wenji, who was trained among the people in the Taoist government, was deeply touched, but he was still determined to build the legal system on the basis of Shizu and Taizong. On the one hand, of course, it was to achieve his personal career and success.
Merit, on the one hand, strengthens power through strong laws; on the other hand, it also promotes more advanced, effective, and powerful governance and management of the country under the guidance of centralized power.
The significance of the existence of some regulations does not lie in their effectiveness on paper, but in their use value when needed. As a legal basis to assist political behavior, it is a great task for the ruling class, especially the supreme ruler.
value.
Of course, drawing the bottom line is also a very important factor. Human nature is inherently evil. Morality alone cannot govern a country well. And some people are difficult to restrain with moral principles. Stronger restraint is needed from top to bottom.
.
Even this restriction cannot cope with many situations under the rules of the empire. Take "population trade" as an example. If the court does not stop it, one day, citizens who should enjoy the glory of the empire and be proud of their identity will be completely treated as
Piglets are sold for sale without any scruples or limits.
For rentiers, morality is worthless and the law should be trampled upon. Therefore, even though the court explicitly banned it and adopted unprecedented harsh attitudes and crackdowns, the "immigration trade" still did not stop, but only in a semi-clear way.
Semi-official status went underground.
This is the authority of the central government of the empire. It is the role of the laws and regulations, and it is also its positive significance. Most of all overt and covert violations of laws and regulations, and committing crimes and crimes are not a problem with the system. The problem lies with the people. After all, the regulations are dead.
Yes, people are alive.
Take Liu Wenji's reform of salt affairs as an example. With the importance of salt affairs and the benefit of salt, a very complete salt law has been formulated since the time of Emperor Shizu, covering almost every link from production, transportation to sales.
Regulations.
However, it is obviously impossible for the operation of salt affairs to completely comply with the provisions of the Salt Law. From the official to the private sector, from the salt supervisor to the salt merchants, from the salt collectors to the salt residents, there are too many constraints on the entire huge and complex chain of interests.
I can't stop my hands and feet. The interests are so exciting. How can such a road to wealth that is almost dripping with gold be so clean?
Therefore, Liu Wenji's focus on the reform of salt affairs was no longer on the salt law and salt production, but on people, those rentier groups who broke the law and committed crimes, infringed on national finances and taxes, and abused the people of the empire.
In this regard, he is also justified. He can also hold high the big stick of the ancestors' law and hit those unscrupulous nobles, corrupt officials and profiteers who eat the salt road. After all, the salt law of the Han Dynasty can be learned by the ancestors.
, based on the national conditions, it was just formulated. Even though the problems had become serious by the Jianlong era, it still ensured the stability of the salt order as a whole, at least allowing most people to have salt to eat, even if it is more expensive.
The reform of salt affairs also originated from Fan Zhongyan. When Liu Wen visited Jinan, after listening to the report, he decided to build the Huaidong dike and redefine the sea weir. At that time, Fan Zhongyan was appointed as the capital supervisor.
And Fan Gonghe spent three years working on the Huaidong coastal project, rebuilding the sea weir, and returning Huaidong officials and people to peace and quiet, with clear rivers and clear seas. In this process, Fan Zhongyan did not stop, and took advantage of the supervision of the work.
, clearly understood the shortcomings of Huaidong's salt affairs.
The salt affairs in the world only come from Huaidong, and Huaidong's shortcomings are enough to represent the world. In the seventh year of Jianlong's reign, Fan Zhongyan returned to the court to report on his work. He was further appreciated by Liu Wenji and promoted to the head of the Ministry of Industry.
Fan Zhongyan reported to Liu Wenji in detail the details of the salt affairs he had investigated in Huaidong, and elaborated on the disadvantages from five aspects: salt price, salt officials, salt transportation, salt merchants, and salt people. In summary, the actual situation is
Two points: corruption and exploitation. Based on these circumstances, Fan Zhongyan proposed the "Ten Points on Salt Matters" to Liu Wenji, hoping that Liu Wenji would make up his mind, take drastic measures, reform the salt policy, and plead for the people.
Liu Wenji greatly appreciated this and praised Fan Zhongyan's loyalty. In fact, Liu Wenji had long wanted to rectify the salt affairs. The Imperial City and Wude Second Division were not just decorations. Although he was not as good as Fan Zhongyan in terms of investigation and understanding, he still
Liu Wenji is good at using his brain, and he can detect the disadvantages from the complicated details.
So, seeing Fan Zhongyan's talent, knowledge and responsibility, as well as his unworthy and violent spirit, in the eighth year of Jianlong's reign, he promoted him to the deputy envoy of salt and iron, specializing in the rectification of salt affairs. In fact, he was also fighting corruption.
- Comprehensive management of affairs.
From the eighth to the eighteenth year of Jianlong's reign, one-third of the imperial salt officials collapsed, and more than 2,000 of the involved dignitaries, salt officials, salt merchants and their minions were sentenced to death.
After unprecedented efforts in rectification, how could the Imperial Salt Service remain unclear?
Blind suppression and rectification were obviously not enough. Liu Wenji, in charge of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, allocated hundreds of officials who were proficient in salt law to serve in the salt and iron system. At the same time, he increased the supervisory power of the Financial Secretary and the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Of course, compromise is still unavoidable. For example, Liu Wenji introduced more rentiers. It is impossible to completely eliminate the phenomenon of opening one's mouth and reaching out. By breaking the existing interest groups, at least in the short term, the empire can be guaranteed.
The salt service is in a healthy state.
The results of the salt reform were also remarkable. By the 18th year of Jianlong's reign, the price of salt in the empire had fallen five times and finally reached the level of the Yongxi era (Douyan 93). The lives of salt people and salt workers were easy.
Since then, small salt merchants have become more active, the imperial salt production has increased (many of which are due to the severe crackdown on the illegal sale of official salt), and the salt tax has also been significantly increased.
At the same time, the trend of private salt trading has risen against the trend. There is also a background here. The rentiers who suffered heavy losses due to the rectification of the imperial salt affairs, while dormant within the system, inevitably turned their attention to the outside world.
As a result, sea salt from the Nanyang region, especially from the Wu Kingdom, was also introduced into the empire through "trade", smuggling and other means, and began to spread and develop in the coastal areas.
Compared with the heavy blows and vigorous fighting on the salt affairs, the reform on the land issue was as gentle as water, moistening things silently. Of course, it was difficult and the fierce wrestling took place in the shadow of the empire's light.
Regarding land, especially local taxes, Liu Wenji did not dare to make changes easily, let alone make random changes. However, seeing the local taxes decreasing year by year, he had to do something.
The reason for the decrease in local taxes is also very simple. The registered land is decreasing year by year. As for where the "disappeared land" went and how it disappeared, it is self-evident.
Therefore, in the past ten years, Liu Wenji also put great effort into land registration and land taxation. The Wude Department was fully mobilized and envoys were constantly sent to inspect, especially those big landowners.
After some inventory and rectification, the trend of decrease in farmland was finally managed to be reversed. However, by the 18th year of Jianlong's reign, it had only returned to the level of the Duangong period. The further down, the greater the resistance, and the more difficult it was to conduct an inventory.
It does not mention the nobles, bureaucrats and landlords who were the main body of the ruling class of the empire, the "disappeared land", and even the final destination of a large part of it was the royal family, and some records can be found in the Shaofu.