The implementation of any law will never be smooth sailing.
The tax collection teams scattered across the Shaofu encountered resistance to varying degrees.
The main force of resistance is either local nobles or local powerful people.
From verbal arguments, to small-scale armed fights, to large-scale armed fights, to deaths...
The resistance method is escalating step by step.
The purpose of resistance is to refuse to pay taxes.
Faced with various emergencies, the Shaofu was well prepared.
The Jinwu Guards were dispatched to beat those who should be beaten and arrest those who should be arrested.
For a time, the reputation of the Jinwu Guards became even more vicious.
Memorials from local officials impeaching the Shaofu and the Jinwuwei flew into the capital like snowflakes.
All families and clans, as well as people with various connections, sent people to the capital to smooth things over.
We can't go on like this!
For a time, on the official roads leading to the capital, one could always see several speeding carriages. Passersby cursed them for seeking death.
The court officials finally couldn't sit still anymore.
Looking at the letters sent by the family, they could no longer remain silent.
The Shaofu and Jinwuwei are really going too far.
Since ancient times, officials have not had to pay taxes.
The number of acres of land for hermits is a common practice.
Nowadays, the Shaofu not only has to collect taxes from officials' families, but also has to measure the amount of land.
This is too much.
If the Shaofu succeeds, the amount of hidden land will be announced to the world and placed on the desks of the emperor and empress.
How can officials who complain about being poor continue to complain about being poor in the future?
Officials who are said to be honest will no longer be able to boast of their integrity.
How did officials who claim they are not corrupt acquire so much land? Do you dare to say you are not corrupt?
This is a double-edged sword!
We can't go on like this.
Court officials took action.
The Shaofu, Jinwuwei, and Nei Shisheng, none of them could escape. It took several baskets every day to carry all the impeachment memorials.
Emperor Liu Zhao picked up an impeachment memorial and opened it, but within two seconds he threw it away.
Nothing to say!
The same old tune!
I picked up another one, but it was still lost!
The content is empty and nothing new!
"One tenth of the tax, full tax payment, is a rule that has been set long ago, and none of you objected at the beginning. What's the matter? You're getting impatient just now? Is there anything wrong with the Ministry of the Interior measuring the land? Without a clear land survey, how can we know how much tax each household should pay?"
"The government has a fish-scale register that records the amount of land each household owns. If the Ministry of Finance wants to collect taxes, they can simply collect according to the amount of land recorded in the register. Why do we have to disturb the people and measure the land?"
The officials were well prepared and could not be easily persuaded to retreat by Liu Zhao.
Emperor Liu Zhao sneered, "Fish Scale Book? I wonder what year the local government's Fish Scale Book is based on? Minister Ren, please tell us."
Renqiu, who had been dozing off, suddenly woke up, stepped out of the line, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, the fish scale registers used by local officials are basically data from the reigns of Taizu and Taizong. There have been some minor additions later, but the majority of the data is from that time. Local officials usually copied a copy, as if it were a re-registration of the amount of land owned by each household."
Bang!
Liu Zhao smashed the inkstone and said, "Did you hear that, my dear ministers? You're asking the Ministry of the Treasury to collect taxes based on data from over a hundred years ago. What do you want to do? Aren't you just worried that the hidden land of your family will be discovered by the Ministry of the Treasury? My dear minister Lu, your family has 300 hectares of registered land. How many more acres of hidden land do you have?"
The Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Lu, said something like "MMP", but I don't know whether I should say it or not.
This scene is so embarrassing!
However, the emperor mentioned his name, and as a loyal supporter, Lord Lu still stood up and said, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty, the amount of land my family has in seclusion is about one thousand hectares."
Liu Zhao smiled knowingly, "One thousand hectares is definitely not the most among all the officials present. As far as I know, even here in the Golden Throne Hall, there are individual officials whose families own as much as ten thousand hectares of land. That's truly the wealthiest in the region! No, to be more precise, the wealthiest in the entire province."
You all call me a tyrant, a butcher. I've been a soldier since I was young, and I'm a butcher. I'm putting this out there today: if you dare to go against me, or if you dream of continuing to hide away and collect acres of land, you're just dreaming. The Jinwu Guards are sharpening their swords, and the Jing camp is ready to strike. Anyone who disobeys will have their property confiscated and their head executed. I will show no mercy!"
Bang!
Liu Zhao kicked over the small stool and left in a huff.
Lin Shuping hurriedly shouted, "Dismiss the court!"
The officials watched Emperor Liu Zhao leave, and everyone was still standing in the Golden Throne Hall, unable to recover for a long time.
"Is your Majesty crazy?"
"The number of acres of land reserved for hermits is customary! Your Majesty is breaking centuries-old conventions. He is forcing the people into misery!"
"I'm not afraid of war breaking out all over the world..."
"Hush! Don't say that."
"Your Majesty, are you trying to force us to death? The Ministry of the Imperial Household has measured the land, which is equivalent to laying out the amount of each household's property on Your Majesty's desk. How can this be allowed?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Your Majesty, by doing this, you are opposing all the officials and gentry in the world. Sooner or later, you will be doomed."
"Master Gu, please wait a moment."
Gu Yan was about to slip away, but he was a step too late and was stopped by someone.
"Master Gu is the Empress's brother. I wonder if the number of acres of land your Gu family has in seclusion has been measured?"
This is an ill intention.
Gu Cheng coughed lightly, "Let everyone know that our Gu family has never hidden any land. All the land under our name is well documented in the government office."
"absurd!"
"Don't speak in secret in front of others. Why is Lord Gu trying to deceive us?"
Gu Cheng's face was stern. "To be honest, our Gu family stopped owning farmland many years ago. Our family's money has been mainly invested in Sihai and Huanyu. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to find out if our Gu family has ever owned any farmland in recent years."
Everyone frowned.
"Could it be that Master Gu already knew this day would come?"
"I don't know!" Gu Yan's face was serious.
Everyone sneered and said, "I don't believe you!"
"Excuse me, Master Gu, what is the Queen's attitude?"
"My wife hasn't come to the palace to pay her respects for two months, and I don't know the Empress's attitude."
"Sure enough, not a single word of truth was told. The officials were extremely dissatisfied with Gu Cheng, but they could do nothing about him.
Gu Yan took the opportunity to say goodbye and slipped away quickly.
The Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Lu, also slipped away.
By the way, Renqiu was taken away.
The two of them chatted behind closed doors.
Lord Lu was a little worried. "I knew that a 10% tax, with everyone paying taxes, wouldn't be smooth sailing. If it were just a collection of taxes, based on the amount of land registered in the fish scale register, without affecting the land held by the major families, there would definitely be no commotion. But the Minister of the Household chose to stir up trouble and measure the land. The local people are bound to be in an uproar."
Renqiu is eating chicken feet.
There's a new braised food shop in town, and the food is excellent. It's said the owner is from the south, and the craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation.
Renqiu specially asked his servant to buy it.
He sat on the soft couch, gnawing on the chicken feet intently, which tasted very delicious.
Lord Lu was very angry, "I'm talking to you, can you please respond?"
The chicken feet were eaten cleanly, without any meat left.
He took a sip of tea and said, "Without measuring the land, a 10% tax and universal taxation is just empty talk. Only by measuring the land and uncovering all the hidden farmland of the major families can this move be considered half successful. The first year of anything is always difficult. As long as the Shaofu can withstand this wave of pressure, things will be easier by next year. After five or ten years, a 10% tax and universal taxation will become the norm."
Lord Lu frowned, "From your tone, do you think the Shaofu can accomplish this?"
Ren Qiu nodded, "It will definitely be done. If another emperor were to implement this plan, it would be doomed to fail. But Your Majesty and Your Majesty, don't forget that Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop is very well hidden. The total amount of land and population in the world, including the amount of land that each family and clan thought was hidden, was actually already known by the Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop when it visited villages and towns. Now the Ministry of the Interior is measuring the land, but it is just making the data public. With this data as a support, it will be difficult not to succeed."
"How do you know that Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop knows the population and farmland of the world?"
Lord Lu was very surprised and shocked.
Before this, he had never paid attention to Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop.
Like most people, he believed that it was the least profitable industry in the world.
For so many years, no one was allowed to get involved in Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop, and the shop did not accept investment from anyone.
It is a low-key business that is easily overlooked.
It only feels a little bit of existence when young girls and wives carry their baskets to the butcher shop to buy meat and vegetables early in the morning every day.
Renqiu finished eating a chicken claw and threw the bone into the white porcelain plate.
He wiped his mouth and said, "The general manager of the Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop is called Chen Erzhuang. He is the son of the Empress's wet nurse and one of the Empress's earliest staff members, the most trustworthy person. But the most trusted person is assigned to the most inconspicuous meat and vegetable shop, traveling from village to village year after year, which is unbearable. Many people think that Chen Erzhuang has fallen out of favor and is no longer trusted by the Empress. Little do they know that it is precisely because he is the Empress's most trusted person that he was assigned to this position to ensure that the collected population and land data will not be leaked."
Lord Lu frowned. "According to what you said, Your Majesty and the Empress have long mastered the population and land data of the world, including the amount of land owned by the major families in seclusion?"
"Exactly!" Renqiu nodded heavily. "With the data collected by the Sihai Meat and Vegetable Shop as a reference, and the Jinwu Guards' deterrence, the Shaofu will achieve immortal merit this time. It will surely be passed down for thousands of years, and future history books will undoubtedly record it in great detail. The ten-tenth tax system of the eighth year of Jingming, when everyone paid taxes, was a record. Lord Lu, you are about to go down in history. What are your thoughts?"
The Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Lu, just wanted to say MMP.
Renqiu chuckled, looking as if he was just watching the fun without getting involved.
Lord Lu rubbed his brows and said, "I am a little panicked now!"
Renqiu was curious, "Why are you panicking?"
Lord Lu said solemnly, "If the commotion in the region gets too serious, I will be held responsible. As the Minister of the Central Secretariat, I will have to take the blame for Your Majesty and endure the public infamy."
The Shaofu took all the credit and he has to bear the world's infamy. How can he not be anxious?
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