Zhao Kuo also thought of the Tang Dynasty's Two Taxes Law, Zhang Juzheng's "One Whip Law", and finally the Qing Dynasty's "sharing a small family into an area."
These systems are essentially the same as the current system of Zhao State. They are all "sacrificing people and taxing land," and are being improved step by step as a whole.
But these systems are not suitable for use in Zhao State.
For example, if a ding is divided into an acre, the ding tax will be equally divided into the land tax. The state will set a fixed amount and levy the land tax uniformly.
However, the farmland in Zhao State is divided into upper field, middle field and lower field. The upper field can be harvested twice a year, while the lower field has to be harvested once a year. The yield per mu varies several times. If it is divided evenly, those who plant in the lower field will not be able to survive.
It is impossible to equally divide the upper field, middle field and lower field for everyone.
Moreover, after a long period of time, all the upper fields will be concentrated in the hands of noble officials and gentry, while ordinary people will only have lower fields, or even no fields.
The Manchu Qing Dynasty's system was only to ensure that they could receive sufficient taxes, and did not care about anything else.
It was impossible for Zhao Kuo to do this.
Moreover, Zhao State also has a specialty that was not available in the Qing Dynasty: rangers.
Originally, there were oral taxes and agricultural taxes, but these guys didn't farm, but went about doing chivalry every day.
If the oral tax is cancelled, and is allocated to agricultural taxes, and the knights are lightened, what's the point? Aren't the streets full of knights like Liu Bang who have nothing to do all day long?
What monarch can bear it?
Zhao Kuo would not tie the people tightly to the land like Shang Yang did, making them unable to move, let alone expand the number of rangers to affect the rule of the country.
"I suddenly thought of the tax system of our country Zhao. The tax system of our country Zhao has always collected taxes based on the area. However, everyone knows the disadvantages of this system. Compared with our country's tax system, Qin's tax system is obviously more
Advanced..." Zhao Kuo explained Shang Yang's system again.
"Your Majesty plans to change the tax system?" Everyone put down their pens and looked at Zhao Kuo solemnly. This is a big deal.
Agricultural taxes are the country's main source of finance. Any change will have a huge impact on the country. This impact may bring about a strong country, or it may make a country quickly decline.
Any country will be cautious and cautious when it comes to reform, and will never reform unless it is absolutely necessary.
"It turns out that this is the reason why Wei Yang changed the tax system."
Wei Qi suddenly realized that he had always thought Shang Yang's tax system was stupid and extremely inhumane. It turned out that he was still far behind Shang Yang.
Shang Yang's tax system is backward in theory, but based on the actual situation of Qin State, Shang Yang's system is the most advanced.
The reason why the Qin State is so powerful is due to Shang Yang.
"Since Shang Yang's system is good, we might as well change it to Shang Yang's system. As for the disadvantages, those will be a matter of hundreds of years. We can just figure out a solution later."
Ju Xin said that he was not disgusted with the reform. When he was in the Yan Kingdom, he also assisted the left in the reforms of King Zhao of Yan.
"But Shang Yang's system is very unfavorable to refugees and other practitioners with little or no land, and is not applicable to our country." Yu Xin shook his head.
According to Shang Yang's system, merchants, knights and other people still had to pay agricultural taxes even if they did not have land.
In addition, merchants also have to pay business taxes and bear heavier labor.
This is very unreasonable, but Shang Yang's purpose is to tie everyone to the farmland, reduce the number of idle producers such as wandering merchants, and at the same time encourage the people to obtain more land to fight the enemy.
This is why there are many merchants and rangers in the six eastern countries living under the same roof, but there are very few merchants and rangers in the Qin State. It is really impossible to survive in the Qin State.
However, Zhao State is different.
Zhao's agriculture is underdeveloped, but its handicraft industry and commerce are developed. There are many big businessmen in the country, such as the Zhuo family, the Guo family...
Commercial taxes are also an important source of income for the State of Zhao. If, like Shang Yang, it focused on agriculture and suppressed commerce, half of the State of Zhao's life would be gone.
Zhao State can only focus on agriculture and commerce, and cannot lose anyone.
"Wait a minute, there are several other systems. Let's all listen." Zhao Kuo clapped his hands and interrupted everyone's conversation. Then he compared the two-tax system of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng's "One Whip Method" and the Qing Dynasty's
Tan Ding Rumu talked about it once, and then asked: "Which system do you think is suitable for our country?"
"It's not suitable either." Lin Xiangru said with a frown.
These systems are good in theory, but once they are implemented, they are no longer the same thing, and they are not in line with Zhao's national conditions.
"One of the two tax systems that the king just mentioned is to levy different taxes based on upper fields, middle fields, and lower fields. The amount of tax is distributed by the state, instead of being levied based on annual output like now. Maybe we can try this."
Yu Xin thought for a while and felt that only this system was suitable for the current Zhao State.
"How can we ensure that the officials below will not collect more or less taxes? What should we do if there is a disaster year?" Wei Qi asked rhetorically.
"We can analyze whether officials have lied based on the yield per mu and total output of each region in recent years, as well as the yield per mu and total output of several nearby areas. In addition, statistics on Shangtian, Zhongtian, and Zhongtian are re-calculated every five years.
The number of acres of farmland is used to calculate the corresponding tax, and a thorough investigation is carried out in places with large differences in values. At the same time, the years are divided into good years, ordinary years, and disaster years, and different tax rates are charged in different years." Yu Xin said.
In this situation, unless everyone goes crazy and unites to fight against the imperial court, there won't be any big problems.
"What if there are officials and gentry who go down to the fields and go up to the fields, and go up to the fields and go down to the fields?" Lin Xiangru asked.
The world is in turmoil for profit, so don't overestimate the integrity of people in this era. Even Zhao Sheng, Lord of Pingyuan, evaded taxes. You can imagine what other officials are like.
There will definitely be officials and gentry who will report their own upper fields as lower fields in order to reduce taxes. At the same time, in order to prevent being discovered by the superiors, they will report other people's lower fields as upper fields. The total amount will remain unchanged, the yield per mu will remain unchanged, and the country will not be able to discover it at all.
"To become an official in another place, local officials are prohibited from serving in their local area and buying land within their jurisdiction. Adjacent towns and counties supervise each other." Zhao Kuo thought of the ancient system of being an official in another place and said.
"That's feasible." Lin Xiangru nodded.
Although this method cannot completely solve the problem of tax evasion, it can greatly reduce the occurrence of this situation.
This is already very good. Lin Xiangru does not expect to completely solve it. This is unrealistic. After all, Zhao's tax collection ability is limited.
"In this case, we need to send people to re-measure the land across the country and organize the people into households." Tian Dan said.
"It is necessary to re-measure the land and register households and people. The previous war caused many people to be displaced. Now that the country is stable, these people must be re-registered, including the previously hidden population and the recently added Hejian County, Jixi County, and Ye County.
, the population of Tao County must be included in the statistics." Zhao Kuo said.
After Taoyi was captured, Zhao Kuo established Tao Commandery there just like the Qin State in history, but it only had three cities.
"Leave this matter to Du Pingjun and Wei Qing." Zhao Kuo said to Tian Dan and Wei Qi.
One of them served as prime minister of Qi State and Zhao State, and the other served as prime minister of Wei State. They were no strangers to this kind of thing.
In order to better collect taxes and labor, and also to facilitate management, various countries in the Central Plains have long organized households to equalize the people, and implemented the "household registration system", that is, every five households are grouped into one group to protect each other.
This system was first implemented in the Three Jin Dynasties. The Qin State also implemented this system in the 10th year of Qin Xiangong. Later, Shang Yang became more ruthless and added a continuous sitting system to it in order for the people to escape, which is the "Shiwu Lian Siting Method."
If a person is guilty, he will go to heaven.
"No." Tian Dan and Wei Qi said with their hands raised.
"Your Majesty, our country, Zhao, has been experiencing constant wars in recent years. The country is in dire straits, the people are hungry, and the people have a lot of food to eat. I suggest that we reduce or reduce certain taxes." Lin Xiangru said, cupping his hands.
"Then let's collect half tax this year." Zhao Kuo nodded.
Yu Xin sighed, the tax on summer grain, which was not much in the first place, was now reduced by half. In some places, the tax was even not enough to cover the losses on the road, so they could only stay in the local area and wait for the autumn grain to be delivered.
"Is there anything else?" Zhao Kuo looked around and asked casually.
"Your Majesty, it's time to issue a recruitment order." Wei Qi slowly stood up, walked to the center of the hall, leaned down, and said solemnly.
As early as a few months ago, Zhao Kuo had said that he would issue an order to recruit talents, but Wei Qi blocked it, thinking that the time had not come yet.
Now that Zhao Kuo has returned with a great victory and is shaking the world, it is the best time to issue an order to recruit talents.
"Please give the order, Your Majesty." Yu Xin, Lin Xiangru and others stood up and said in unison.
In early May of the first year of Zhao Wangkuo's reign, Zhao Wangkuo issued a recruitment order to the world.
Recruit talents regardless of their origins, and only promote talents based on their talents.
After Duke Xiao of Qin and King Zhao of Yan, the third volume of the Recruiting Order came out!
Zhao Kuo directly sent Zhao Feiqi to post notices. Within the scope of Zhao State, all places must post notices. Outside the scope of Zhao State, ten notices must be posted in every large city and three in each small town.
In just half a month, the recruitment order was spread to every corner of the world.
Along with the recruitment order, what shocked the world was the paper used to write the recruitment order.
All knowledgeable people can see that paper is a more advanced and suitable carrier for writing than bamboo slips. It is easy to write and easy to carry.
Whether they were interested in the recruitment order or the paper, they packed their bags and rushed to Zhao.
Zhao Kuo also set up recruitment halls all over the country. As long as they were literate, they could ask the clerks in the hall to send them to Handan, and all the expenses along the way would be borne by Zhao Guo.
It doesn't matter if you are illiterate, as long as you prove that you have a certain skill, you can still enjoy this treatment.
…
In Wei State, in the east of Daliang City, three thatched houses stood in the field. An old farmer was plowing the ground hard in the field, sweat sliding down his face.
"The plow invented by Zhao Guo is really easy to use. It can cultivate the land much faster than before." The old farmer looked back at the renovated land and could hardly see the end.
In the past, it took two people to plow so much land in a day, but now he can plow it all by himself in half a day, and the plowing is deeper.
"Father, father."
At this time, a young man shouted and rushed towards Tianzhong. He was holding something unknown in his hand. One foot was wearing straw sandals and the other was bare.
"What kind of panic is there? Have you forgotten all the etiquette I taught you?" When the old farmer saw his son's current appearance, he suddenly became angry. He raised the whip in his hand and was about to hit his son on the back.
go.
"Father, don't hit me, look at what I'm holding." The young man blocked the whip and pushed the things in his hands into the old farmer's hands.
"Recruitment order!"
When the old farmer opened it and took a look, he was shocked. He shook his hands and pulled off his beard without feeling any pain. He murmured, "After a long time, someone has finally done this again!"
"Father, if the King of Wei doesn't reuse you, let's go to the Kingdom of Zhao." The young man said excitedly.
"No more farming. Go home, pack your things, and go to Zhao Country." The old farmer threw the bullwhip on the ground and walked towards the thatched house, cursing.
Why did he live in seclusion next to Daliang? Isn't it because he hoped that one day the King of Wei would change his mind and reuse him.
If you really didn't want to be an official, you would have hid in the mountains and forests long ago.
Now the King of Wei did not wait, but the wiser and younger King of Zhao came!
"This kind of thing is good. It is more suitable for writing than bamboo slips. It can be used to post notices in the Zhao Kingdom. It must be mass-produced. After arriving in the Zhao Kingdom, I must ask the king for more." The old farmer stroked the paper and murmured to himself.
The young man watched his unreliable father walk away speechlessly, sighed, bent down, picked up the plow, and led the cows towards home.
…
In the state of Yan, the city was built.
"Master, please get out of the car and take a look." The driver suddenly stopped.
"Hit someone again? I told you to drive slower. This is the third time this month. I don't have enough money to compensate you. If you do it next time, I will sell you."
A hoarse voice came from the car, and then, an extremely ugly man slowly walked out of it.
"No, Master, look at the wall." The coachman quickly pointed to the notice on the wall and said.
The ugly man squinted his eyes to look at the notice on the wall, and then his eyes opened wider and wider, making him look even uglier.
"Recruitment order! Defeat Zhao Kuo of Yan Kingdom!" Chou Man said in shock.
In the entire Yan State, some people do not know the name of the king, but no one does not know the name of Zhao Kuo, because so far, Yan State still has 200,000 strong men left in Zhao State.
Among these people are their sons, their husbands, and their relatives and friends.
"Sir, this must be Cai Ze." At this time, an old man with white hair and beard came forward and paused.
"This is Cai Ze, who is the old gentleman?" Cai Ze looked at the old man in front of him and couldn't remember when he met him.
"I'm Tang Ju," the old man said, stroking his beard.
"Tang Ju, the fortune teller!" Cai Ze exclaimed.
"Of course." The old man nodded happily, very satisfied with Cai Ze's reaction.
"I heard someone said that Mr. Li Dui once met with Prime Minister Li Dui and said that he could control the power of the country within a hundred days. Is there such a thing?" Cai Ze asked quickly.
"Yes." Tang Ju nodded.
"What will happen to someone with an appearance like mine in the future?" Cai Ze bowed, caressed his ugly cheek, and asked confidently.
"Your nose is turned upward, your shoulders are high, your forehead is protruding, the bridge of your nose is sunken, and your legs are bow-legged. I heard that a saint is not about appearance, so this is probably talking about you!" Tang Ju looked at Cai Ze seriously and smiled.
He said.
The meaning is that although Cai Ze is ugly, he has the qualities of a saint.
Cai Ze understood that Tang Ju was joking with him and was not angry. He asked, "I already have wealth and honor. What I don't know is my life span. Can you tell me?"
"You still have forty-three years to live." Tang Ju said.
"It is enough to be able to carry a gold seal and purple ribbon, receive courtesy from the monarch, and be wealthy for forty-three years!" Cai Ze said with satisfaction.
Tang Ju smiled and said nothing.
"Where do you think it would be better for the old gentleman if I wait for a while?" Cai Ze asked solemnly as he leaned over and bowed.
"south."
"Okay, then I'll listen to the old gentleman." Cai Ze boarded the carriage and said loudly.
"Keep going south. When will the horse die from exhaustion and when will it stop?"
…
Chu State, Shangcai.
Li Si looked at the rats in the granary eating the corn stored in the granary openly, and did not hide even if people came.
I also thought about the rats in the toilet eating unclean things. Whenever someone or a dog approaches, they will be frightened and run away.
I couldn't help but sigh: "Whether a person has talent or not, just like these mice, is determined by his or her environment!"
After saying that, Li Si took off his official robe, threw it on the eucalyptus table, turned around and walked outside.
"Li Si, what are you doing? Do you still want to do it?" The boss quickly stopped him and yelled.
It’s okay to complain all day long about not being able to show your talent, but now you dare to make fun of yourself. If it weren’t for your father’s sake, I would have kicked you out long ago.
"It's just a small official, so it's okay if he doesn't do it."