Chapter 357: The Reform Curtain Opens Again
In Changle Palace.
Liu Heng was not in Changle Palace today, so Luo Jing came here too. When the Queen saw Luo Jing, she smiled and said, "My younger sister came back to the palace a few days ago and said that the Marquis of Dong'e was just like the gentleman described in the book, as gentle as a beautiful jade. I feel relieved now. The women in my family are like cattails, lucky to meet a gentleman like you, so they can grow."
Luo Jing bowed first, then smiled and said, "Your Highness is a talented lady, her virtue is like that of a woman in ancient times, yet she has entered my humble room. Isn't this a blessing for me?"
While the two were greeting each other, Liu Heng was reading the essay beside them with an obvious look of joy on his face.
After reading it, he sighed and said, "I have heard that the ancient sage kings were able to remain calm in the face of praise or criticism.
Whether facing praise or insult, I always smile and don't let the outside world affect my mood. I haven't reached such a state yet."
When Liu Heng saw the essay presented by Luo Jing, he couldn't help feeling complacent, and immediately began to reflect on himself.
If the superior has already taken the initiative to admit his mistake, then the subordinate should not continue to advise him. This is a very simple truth.
Luo Jing smiled and said, “Your Majesty, you are really too modest.
I have heard that the ancient writing was much less than today's, and the ancient language was much simpler than today's. When ancient people praised the sage king, they would only say: "Your virtue is so great that no one in the world can be higher than you. This is beyond my reach, and I am willing to obey you."
I praise you with thousands of words, complex and beautiful words, and sincere emotions. I use the moon to describe you and the stars to describe me.
It's like porridge made from wild vegetables and fine meat. Would the people who eat it feel the same?
It is not that you are inferior to the ancient sage kings, but because my praise can reach your heart and make you feel happy. "
Liu Heng laughed out loud when he heard this, and then said, "If you receive praise but don't do it, you are a shameless person. I don't want that.
But I do not deserve such praise now. I should work harder to make all people in the world live and work in peace and contentment.
Last winter was very cold, but no refugees in Chang'an City froze to death on the streets. All officials reported to the emperor that it was my kindness that moved heaven and my benevolent rule that saved those lives.
But I know that in Shandong, far away from Chang'an and Guanzhong, many refugees must have died in that cold winter. It is all my fault.
These refugees should be provided with fields for their livelihood, houses to protect them from the cold, and warm clothes, so that they can survive every cold winter.
If benevolent policies cannot be extended to all people, isn't that just whitewashing the situation?
That’s not what I want.”
Hearing this, Luo Jing suddenly thought of his father. If he met the current emperor, he would probably be very happy.
It was not only because Liu Heng perfectly completed the things he had not completed, but also because Liu Heng really became the monarch he dreamed of.
He is ruthless yet kind-hearted.
Luo Jing bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to redefine the land of the world?"
Liu Heng nodded and said, "Some time ago, Jia Qing wrote to the emperor and said that now is the best time to solve the land problem, otherwise it will be difficult to deal with it later.
However, the equal land policy proposed by the Confucian scholars is too radical. If I do so, I am afraid that everyone in the world will oppose me. I do not agree.
But a little cleaning is still necessary.
I plan to spend five to ten years to do this.
It can not only alleviate the difficulties that the people may encounter, but also further fill the treasury of the court. Now the world is stable and there are no disasters or calamities, and there is no war or disaster. The people can even accumulate some surplus food. I will do my best to maintain this situation. "
…
An order came out from the forbidden area.
“The running water froze into ice. Was it because of the cold overnight?
I don't think so.
A thousand-mile-long levee was destroyed because of a tiny ant hole.
All the troubles in this world start from small things.
Doesn’t this serve as a wake-up call for us?
The people's anger accumulates bit by bit, and their dissatisfaction with the court is deeply hidden in their hearts. When the day comes when they can no longer bear it, they will rise up in rebellion, like a raging flood, destroying everything.
The tragic scenes at the end of the Qin Dynasty are still vividly recorded in history books. Could it be that any of the nobles of the Qin Dynasty survived?
The Han Dynasty has collapsed. Can you remain immune?
Am I surveying the land just for the small amount of taxes levied by the imperial court?
This is a policy that cuts off the rotten flesh and preserves the wealth of your families forever. It is for the sake of your lives.
Spread this decree to all directions, so that everyone in the world will know it."
The imperial court will begin to investigate the lands between counties and kingdoms throughout the country, and those who have illegally plundered the land or have not paid taxes will be punished according to the law.
For a moment, the whole world was shaken.
This edict, in particular, was a typical example of the emperor's style, using courtesy before force. Although the emperor was merciful, during the years of reform, those officials who had different political views and behaved improperly and were punished for their crimes, eventually went to Lingnan with their families.
And even so, Liu Heng was still the benevolent emperor, and those exiled officials had to thank Liu Heng.
But reform and restructuring are completely different, especially reforms that touch upon fundamental issues such as land, which are even more serious than reducing the power of the feudal lords. The essence of reducing the power of the feudal lords is the clash between interest groups, and the marquises all stand on the side of the court.
Land surveying will affect the interests of the vast majority of people, and even among those who currently support Liu Heng, there will be many who will oppose it.
But Liu Heng dared to do this, so he was naturally confident.
What kind of people were the founders of the Han Dynasty?
Except for a few people like Luo Yi and Zhang Liang, most of them were butchers of dogs and pigs, as well as farmers in the countryside, refugees, and clerks in the county government. They were already a group of people at the bottom of the society.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, after the system was reformed, some unknown Confucian scholars became high-ranking officials in the imperial court. Those from poor family backgrounds rose to prominence and even became officials of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. The imperial guards of the imperial court, numbering nearly 30,000, were all small landlords from Guanzhong.
What do these things represent?
It represents that the ruling foundation of the Han court was extremely broad. The Han court was not a regime supported by powerful families, but a dynasty supported by a large number of small landlords, free people, intellectuals, and military aristocrats.
With today's efficiency of information transmission, the Han court's ruling foundation has almost reached its limit.
It was precisely because of such a broad ruling base that the Han court was able to enforce the mausoleum town system and force those powerful families who held great power to bow their heads.
These people are the greatest source of confidence for Liu Heng's reforms. As long as the interests of small landlords and free people are protected and students and aristocrats with military merit are given opportunities for advancement, the court will be invincible.
The land survey started first in Guanzhong, which was the base of the Han court. Liu Heng had been consistently providing warmth and welfare in Guanzhong over the years, and had extremely strict control over the administration of officials here. Even relatives who broke the law in Guanzhong would be severely punished.
The saying "If you break the law in Guanzhong, your crime will be more severe" is widely circulated.
A large number of officials spread out from Chang'an to the entire Guanzhong area. This sudden investigation of the government exposed many problems at once.
“It’s really shocking!”
Liu Heng looked at the charges, his hands were shaking, his lips were pale, and he looked at Luo Jing and roared in a low voice: "A Jing, Guanzhong is the emperor's palace.
If Guanzhong is like this, how could Shandong be even more peaceful?
Have civil unrests already broken out?
When the rebels reach Luoyang and Hangu Pass, I will realize that the Han Dynasty is on the verge of collapse.
How ridiculous it is that I am still complacent about the prosperity of the times. "
The rule of the sage kings that Liu Heng had been studying was perfect, and he thought that the rule under his own rule was the same, so for a while he could not accept that his own people were also in dire straits.
Luo Jing bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind.
Almost every household in Guanzhong has surplus food, and the administration is relatively clean, which is already very remarkable. Most periods in history were not as good as under your rule.
There are detailed historical records in my family. The reign of King Kang and the restoration of King Zhao during the Zhou Dynasty were just like this. You are a well-deserved wise king.
I think you should not belittle yourself, but should work harder and spread the situation in Guanzhong to Shandong.
All the people in the world will praise your kindness, this is something I can be sure of."
Liu Heng restrained his anger, knowing that he was thinking too far ahead. When King Luo Wen was in power, he could remain calm about everything. He said softly, "I am too ambitious and have been overwhelmed by my achievements over the years.
Ajing, you are right. The situation in Guanzhong is already very good. Shandong is the key. However, I cannot let those officials and powerful people in Guanzhong go. They should be exiled to Lingnan.
I am angry that you used the emperor's seal to ask the King of Lingnan to entertain these people well. "
Those officials, powerful people and nobles who were restless and deceiving their superiors and subordinates received the most desperate news.
"Guanzhong is the foundation of the Han court, but it encountered rats like you. I am furious. The foundation of the Han Dynasty has been eroded by you.
Apart from exiling me to Lingnan, I really cannot quell my anger. Do I have any other way to deal with the people in Guanzhong?"
Lingnan!
This is simply one of the most severe punishments in Han court law.
The areas closer to the south, such as Yuzhang County, Jiujiang County, and Kuaiji County, have not been fully developed, and there are still large areas of uninhabited areas.
If they were directly exiled to Lingnan, it would still be good if they were exiled to Lingnan. However, if they were exiled to the barbarian lands outside Lingnan and built their own cities, their survival rate would drop greatly.
The premise is that King Zhao Tuo of Lingnan will not give special "care".
Many people wanted to beg for mercy, but facing the furious emperor, no one's persuasion was of any use.
It was under such circumstances that the land survey was completely launched.
(End of this chapter)
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