Chapter 257 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Thirty-Three): How to Become a Super Strategist...
One-fifty tax?
Zhou Renrong asked himself, having lived for nearly thirty years and witnessed three dynasties rise and fall, he had never seen such a light tax rate of one-fiftyth—and even in years of great disaster, half of it could be waived. Such benevolent governance was simply unheard of!
Shi Dashan, oblivious to his strange behavior, was still excitedly gesturing wildly, "Mr. Zhou, you didn't see how many people were gathered at the yamen gate! Besides, from now on, all land taxes will be paid according to the number of people and the amount of land owned!"
Zhou Renrong opened his mouth, and he heard his own hoarse voice: "Dashan, this decree... could it be fake? Perhaps the government will change its mind again in a few days!"
Shi Dashan was taken aback. "Of course not!"
"Dashan, why are you so sure?"
"Because this edict was personally read aloud by General Song, who also ordered a tax and corvée stele to be carved, clearly specifying the types and amounts of taxes to be paid. It stands right at the main entrance of the county government office!"
"What? A tax and labor service monument!?"
It should be understood that the stone tablet is made of hard material. Carving government decrees on stone and erecting them on major thoroughfares is a way of declaring the seriousness and legality of the decrees to all the local people. It is by no means a trivial matter!
Inscribed on metal and stone, to be passed down for ten thousand generations.
At this moment, Zhou Renrong was completely silent. He had originally thought that Song Ce's "benevolent governance" was merely a means to win people's hearts, but he hadn't expected that the other party would actually go to such lengths. Even in prosperous times, the imperial court's taxes were usually only one-twentieth or one-thirtieth of the harvest. This one-fiftieth tax was almost equivalent to allowing the people to keep more than 90% of their harvest!
"By the way, sir, the government also said that all lake silver, sea silver, and mountain silver have been abolished. From now on, when we go into the mountains and rivers, we won't have to spend a single copper coin!"
Looking at Shi Dashan's overjoyed face, Zhou Renrong suddenly felt his eyes sting. He took a deep breath and slowly nodded, "This is indeed a joyous occasion."
"Who says otherwise? Our village is surrounded by mountains on three sides. If we can make a living off the mountains, our lives will definitely get better and better! Wild game, forests, firewood, medicinal herbs—we can exchange any of these for some money to eat our fill!"
"Yes... the mountains are a treasure trove for the people!"
At night, Zhou Renrong lay on his hard bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He thought about the years he had fought alongside General Xiang, ostensibly to protect the people, but in reality, it was all about vying for power and profit, each with their own agenda. He suddenly understood why Song Ce had been able to defeat Northern Yan and conquer Qi in just a few months—it was simply because he treated everyone under him as human beings. How could such a general not win the hearts of the people?
It's laughable that he only realized yesterday that what the people want is simply to have enough to eat and to live a peaceful life!
The next morning, Zhou Renrong packed his bags and finally decided to leave the village to visit Song Ce in Xindu, Qi. Before leaving, he left most of the loose silver he had left with Shi Dashan and Shi Ermei.
"Mr. Zhou, will you... come back?" The still young Shi Ermei tugged at his clothes, her face full of reluctance.
Zhou Renrong smiled and patted her head. "Yes, Second Sister. I'll definitely come back to see you after I've finished my business, okay?"
"Okay! I'll wait!"
Shi Dashan's eyes were also red. "Me too, my sister and I are waiting at home for our husband to come home!"
A moment later, Wenxiu, who had fully recovered, also came over. Although she still couldn't remember anything from the past, she knew that it was Mr. Zhou who had saved her. She bowed deeply to Zhou Renrong somewhat reservedly and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for saving my life."
Zhou Renrong nodded and stuffed the last few taels of silver into Wenxiu's hand.
"Alright, you don't need to see me off anymore, go back now!" With that, he turned around and strode towards the new capital of Qi.
This time, he wanted to see for himself whether everything Shi Dashan said was true!
The sights Zhou Renrong witnessed along the way moved him even more than he had heard about them firsthand. Most coincidentally, he also encountered a man who had once served as a lowly soldier under General Xiang, and the two exchanged a few brief pleasantries.
"In the past, we fought every day in the army and couldn't even get a full meal on ordinary days. Now, things are much better. This newly appointed General Song has returned the land to the people and exempted them from taxes for a year. With such good treatment, who would want to fight?"
"yes……"
After another four or five days of travel, Zhou Renrong finally arrived at his destination—the new capital of Qi.
Not far ahead at the city gate, several upright soldiers were inspecting civilians entering and leaving the city. They showed no signs of arrogance typical of soldiers; on the contrary, they were quite amiable. Zhou Renrong calmed his breathing and stepped forward to introduce himself.
Upon learning that this person was an envoy sent by Xiang Wende, the soldiers did not make things difficult for him. They simply asked him to sit in a teahouse nearby and sent a fast-moving soldier to the government office to report the matter.
Before the second cup of tea was finished, a young man in a green official robe walked over and bowed to Zhou Renrong with a gentle expression. "My name is Bao Zhuozhi, and I am General Song's military advisor. When the general heard that General Xiang had sent an envoy, he sent me to welcome Mr. Zhou into the city."
Zhou Renrong bowed in return, "Thank you for your trouble."
"Sir, please don't stand on ceremony. The general is waiting for you at the government office!"
Zhou Renrong nodded, picked up his bundle, and followed Bao Zhuozhi toward the government office. After walking for about half an hour, they finally arrived at the entrance of the government office.
At this moment, Zhou Renrong looked at the very conspicuous tax and labor service monument not far ahead and subconsciously stopped in her tracks.
Seeing him stop, Bao Zhuozhi asked in confusion, "Mr. Zhou, what's wrong?"
Zhou Renrong took a deep breath and slowly shook her head. "It's nothing, let's go."
"Sir, please."
The two strode into the second hall of the government office, where Zhou Renrong immediately spotted Song Ce sitting in the main seat. He was dressed in a simple dark gray casual robe, and had an elegant appearance; he didn't look like a general, but rather like a handsome and clever scholar.
Hearing footsteps, Song Ce put down the documents and his gaze naturally fell on Zhou Renrong, giving her a peaceful smile.
"Mr. Zhou, you must be tired from your journey. Please take a seat." Then, turning to the attendant beside him, he said, "Serve the gentleman some tea."
"Yes, General."
After Zhou Renrong nodded his thanks, he did not rush to explain his purpose. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "General Song, before I came to Xindu this time, I unexpectedly visited a mountain village in Qi. I admire your benevolent policies."
Song Ce said calmly, "I merely did what an official should do; it's nothing to boast about. The people of our dynasty are the foundation of the nation. The ruler is the boat; the people are the water. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."
"The general is absolutely right."
Zhou Renrong paused for a moment, then asked, "General Song, I have a question, but I don't know if I should ask it?"
"Please speak freely, sir."
"General, while a low tax rate of one-fifty percent may quickly win over the people, have you considered how such a low tax rate will sustain the border defenses, the repair of various prefectures, and the salaries of officials? In the long run, aren't you afraid that this will shake the foundation of the Great Li Dynasty?"
Song Ce smiled gently and tapped the table lightly with his finger. “What you are worried about is not really a concern. The people of Qi have been exploited by the King of Liang for many years and are already fed up with his rule. If taxes are levied again, it may cause a popular uprising. I have already ordered people to count the gold, silver and grain stored in the King of Liang’s private treasury. It is enough to support the expenses of Qi for two years. This is one reason.”
"Farming is hard for ordinary people. If the taxes are too heavy, they will work hard all year round but still not be able to support their families. Who will want to farm then? Fifty percent tax may seem like a little, but only when the people live well can the Dali Dynasty be stable. This is the second reason."
"Thirdly, I have petitioned His Majesty and received permission to distribute all the official land in Qi to the people who have lost their land under the guise of leasing, and then levy a false tax equivalent to rent. This measure will not only appease the displaced people in Qi, but also enable them to support themselves. Furthermore, Dali can guarantee that anyone, whether a displaced person or a native, who independently cultivates wasteland can register with the government and permanently own the land."
Zhou Renrong was shocked. Such a beneficial move for the people greatly alleviated the class contradictions that had intensified under the war, and also enabled many wastelands in the Dali Dynasty to be reclaimed, thereby expanding the cultivated area of the whole country!
When he followed Xiang Wende, all he thought about was how to seize territory and how to plunder money to support his army and the war effort; he never considered such a long-term strategy. Song Ce's vision was far superior to his, and to everyone else in the world.
Just as Zhou Renrong was about to say something, Song Ce continued, "Fourth, and most importantly, I intend to implement the law to levy taxes on merchants."
"May I ask, General, what is the meaning of 'punishing merchants' and 'informing merchants'?"
“The ‘Property Tax’ was a property tax levied solely on all merchants within the Dali Dynasty; the ‘Support Merchants’ was a punitive measure against merchants who concealed their property and evaded taxes.”
As soon as Song Ce finished speaking, Zhou Renrong stood up and bowed deeply to him. He had never before bowed to anyone with such reverence. No wonder such a benevolent and capable general could pacify Qin and Qi in such a short time!
"General Song's wisdom and foresight are beyond my reach."
Song Ce composed himself and personally helped Zhou Renrong up. "All I desire is peace throughout the land. I wonder why General Xiang sent you here this time?"
Seeing that he had taken the initiative to get to the point, Zhou Renrong bowed again and said in a deep voice, "To be honest, General, you have led the Dali army to defeat the two cities of Qinzhou, as well as the northern Yan and Qi regions. The various forces in the south are all in a state of panic. General Xiang knows that with your current momentum, the south will eventually be incorporated into the Dali territory. Moreover, the people of the south have suffered from war for a long time, and General Xiang does not want to see them suffer from war again. Therefore, you sent me here to ask you, if my Xiang army is willing to stop the war, what will you do?"
Upon hearing this, the people in the room exchanged glances, but their faces showed no surprise.
Song Ce smiled calmly and gestured for Zhou Renrong to stand up. "I wonder what the lives of the people of Xindu were like when Mr. Zhou entered the city?"
Zhou Renrong was taken aback. “Very good. People live in peace and prosperity, with plenty of food and clothing. My southern region is far inferior to this place.”
"So, that's my answer."
Looking into Song Ce's calm eyes, Zhou Renrong immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words. He took a deep breath and solemnly bowed, "I understand the general's meaning. Upon returning to the south, I will certainly convey these words to General Xiang in full!"
"Thank you for your trouble. Mr. Zhou must be tired after traveling all this way. Zhuozhi, please personally send someone to arrange accommodation for him and make sure he is well taken care of."
"Yes, General!"
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Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face]
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