Zhao Xi did not go into the process of which farmers became tenants, whether it was natural disasters, man-made, or the system. But one thing, Zhao Xi was sure, the court's agricultural tax was a factor that could not be ignored.
The reason why the cultivated land in the dynasty was concentrated in the hands of the gentry and gentry was not due to the need to develop agricultural productivity to a certain extent, but was fundamentally due to taxes.
But what if the agricultural tax is cancelled? Zhao Xi believes that there is no better measure to promote mulberry farming than this.
The root cause of land annexation lies in interests and people's dependence on land. After so many years of planning, to a certain extent, the wealthy and powerful rural gentry families in the country have focused on industrial development and gradually relaxed.
The importance of land.
As for the grassroots and most people, land is still the basis for survival.
The characteristic of a farming nation is to turn as much of the land under their feet into cultivated fields as possible. This characteristic has remained true to later generations.
What Zhao Xi saw during a private visit incognito was that even the tidal flats of the Yellow River were deserted in large areas. In other words, the so-called three-year tax exemption for newly reclaimed wasteland in the early years did not change the relationship between the tenants of the country and the dynasty.
The current situation is that each farmer accounts for half.
The reason is that the implementation of a tax compilation law has not fundamentally changed the ratio of state-to-state agricultural tax. The tax should be the same.
It's just that because of the rapid increase in Guochao's industry in recent years, the number of ways farmers can benefit has increased, covering up the absolute tax burden. To a certain extent, it has made the people of Guochao rich.
Likewise, this situation did not change the current situation of tenants and farmers in the country.
Once there is no tax on farmers, the tenants will have the confidence to break away from the landlord... because the temporary loss of the landlord's protection will not affect his survival.
This was an idea that Zhao Xi had already had before the private visit.
However, Zhao Xi still needs to consider how to promote this policy.
To be honest, Zhao Xi believes that the implementation of such a policy is detrimental to the interests of the gentry class, and it is likely that there will be great resistance from the court.
The gentry class originally had no agricultural tax. To put it bluntly, the policy of no agricultural tax was purely for the benefit of the common people. For the gentry class, on the contrary, it would cause their own tenants to leave because of the non-taxable agricultural tax, thus causing the entire gentry class to
Insufficient labor in farming and industry...
"Officials and veterans believe that this method is still appropriate to proceed step by step..."
Fu Bi could feel that the officials were in a bit of a dilemma. Perhaps the officials were planning how to implement this method, or they might dig a huge hole and let the nobles of the dynasty get into it and fill it up.
It was because of his persistence that the officials made it clear.
Zhao Xi did have this idea, but he had been thinking about it for a long time and still couldn't figure it out. He couldn't find a way to make the nobles ignore it or to replace their greed for land.
"What does the rich prime minister think?"
Prime Minister Fu has a public heart, but he is also a member of the royal family. Since he is honest, Zhao Xi also wants to see what Fu Bi thinks when he is honest.
"Officials and veterans believe that agricultural taxes can be reduced by 30%, and then adjusted based on the state's tax revenue and industrial development trends."
"In addition, a separate tax rate can be calculated for newly opened farmland, and it is even said that a complete tax exemption can be set up for new fields."
"Officials and veterans believe that the conditions for completely exempting agricultural taxes are not yet mature. It's not that the conditions for court tax revenue are not mature, but that the environment in the court is immature."
What Fu Bi said is true, and this is what Zhao Xi considered.
"Forget it. Prime Minister, how about I hand this matter over to the cabinet? Formulate detailed, regional, and operable agricultural tax reduction and exemption policies."
"Although I have seen the fact that slaves and slaves, or human trafficking, exist in our country. I think it can be done if the law does not prohibit it. As long as the court has not issued a law restricting the sale of slaves from other countries, let's leave it like this..."
It can be regarded as an exchange. Zhao Xi and Fu Bi expressed their obvious intention to exchange.
In other words, the imperial court delayed the promulgation of a law prohibiting the sale of Dingkou in exchange for the gentry's approval of the agricultural tax change.
There is no way, Zhao Xi's power may be able to force the court to issue a decree without agricultural tax. Zhao Xi is sure that the entire court and even the local state officials will increase many necessary expenditures out of thin air in the coming year...
"Do you understand?"
Fu Bi left, and Zhao Xi saw that his son was still deep in thought...~
"Back to dad, I don't understand the reason why the no-tax policy for farmers cannot be implemented at the moment, but I don't understand why dad handed the matter over to the cabinet."
In the prince's view, whether it is his father who is an official or himself who is the prince, if he can initiate the reduction of agricultural taxes, it is a matter for thousands of families to live in Buddhahood. I don't understand why his father ordered the cabinet to take care of it.
To be honest, the prince really wanted to initiate it himself.
"Son, no matter who initiates the policy, as long as it is promulgated by the imperial court, the people will be grateful to the royal family."
"In addition, Fu Bi needs to give his father an explanation for reducing agricultural taxes. He knows his father's ultimate goal."
"This degree requires a balance between my father's ideas and the interests of the gentry class, and both needs to be acceptable. The last thing my father said was to provide Fu Bi with a basis for persuading his ministers."
The prince's governance was quite upright, or rather upright, but as a king, he lacked some scheming.
This was also the period when the prince came out of the palace to gain experience. It was also a period of fresh reform of the country's dynasty system, and all officials did not behave like flies and dogs.
Although he has experienced grassroots governance, he is somewhat lacking in conspiracy and conspiracy.
"Dad, are you saying that because the rich prime minister accompanied dad on a private visit incognito, he can use this as a basis to persuade his ministers to compromise on the grounds that the imperial court prohibits the sale of slaves from other countries?"
"Nowadays, new industrial technologies in Gongfang City are about to be auctioned off, and the demand for hired workers is strong. Once the court bans the sale of foreign Dingkou, it will inevitably affect the production of various industrial technologies after the auction."
"In this way, the ministers and workers will calculate the gains and losses between banning the trafficking of foreign tribesmen and reducing agricultural taxes, thereby promoting the policy of reducing agricultural taxes?"
The prince couldn't believe it. Just because he wasn't guilty, it didn't mean he wasn't smart. Having reached this point, he thought clearly.
Not bad, Zhao Xi nodded, agreeing.
"Son, the king is not a petty official. He does not need to do everything. How to use his ministers is the king's right. It does not matter if he takes the blame."
"Looking back at the implementation of various policies since my father came to the throne, what has been done for my father since then?"
"Being a king, even if you have a clear purpose, you must achieve it through the hands of your ministers. The key lies in how you plan and how you mediate disputes between ministers and ministers without leaving any trace of your own thoughts."
"A king does not need to please anyone, even if there is anyone, they are his subjects...~This is a broad definition. Therefore, being a king should pay more attention to results..."
Looking at the traces of the prince's handling of government affairs and his thinking tendencies, Zhao Xi felt that it was necessary to tell his son: a king needs to be shady.