The Han emperors used every possible means to get money, such as relocating wealthy households to Guanzhong, monopolizing the salt and iron industries, and even directly reporting the tax embezzlement to the emperor. Their actions were steady, accurate, and ruthless.
Zhu Youxiao was extremely envious. The reason why the emperors of the Han Dynasty could do this was very simple: they had powerful military forces.
Especially the counting and reporting of silk during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, which really required strong military support.
During the unified Qin and Han dynasties, the feudal landlord class regime based on the agricultural economy could not tolerate the abnormal development of commerce.
Because the main targets of merchants' exploitation were farmers, especially wealthy merchants, who wantonly annexed land and impoverished farmers, thus destroying the economic foundation on which the feudal state depended.
Therefore, most landlord class thinkers and politicians since the pre-Qin period advocated emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, which further formed the policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce during the Qin and Han dynasties. The basic spirit of this policy was to maintain social stability and consolidate the landlord class's political power.
Hoarders and loan sharks exploited farmers even more severely. Someone once said, "Those who sell coffins are hoping for illness, and those who hoard grain are hoping for famine." (Huainanzi, Shuo Lin Xun) This vividly captures the profit-seeking nature of hoarders.
Emperor Wu of Han directly stipulated that all industrial and commercial owners, usurers, hoarders, etc., regardless of whether they were registered in the city or not (merchants in the Han Dynasty had a separate household registration called the city register), must truthfully report their property figures to the government, and stipulated that one sum would be deducted for every two strings (one string was one thousand coins), that is, one hundred and twenty coins (some say two hundred coins); and for ordinary small handicraftsmen, one sum was deducted for every four strings, which was called "suanmin".
Those who concealed information or made false reports were sentenced to one year of border guarding and their property was confiscated. Anyone who dared to report the crime would be rewarded by the government with half of the confiscated property of the person they reported. This was called "告缗".
This policy alone is terrifying. After reporting, you can get half of the other party's property. You can imagine how strong people's desire was to report those who wanted to conceal things. It can be said that everyone was keeping an eye on these wealthy businessmen. If anyone dared to conceal their property and not report it, there would naturally be someone to report it for you. The action was really ruthless.
In addition, merchants with city registration and their families were prohibited from owning land and slaves. Anyone who dared to defy the law would have all their property confiscated.
The punishment methods of these laws are very simple, that is, to confiscate all property, but doing so is precisely the best way to make money.
What happened to those merchants whose property was confiscated?
It certainly wouldn't be a good thing, as the confiscated property could actually increase the court's revenue. This policy was supported by Confucianism and the Gongyang School of Thought.
But when it came to the Ming Dynasty, looking at the current Confucianism, Zhu Youxiao could only sigh in despair. However, there is no way out, this can also be done.
Now the merchants in the Ming Dynasty are all scholars, so we can start from this aspect. Of course, in order to keep the world in order, we need to have soldiers in hand.
As for suppressing commercial development, Zhu Youxiao didn't care at all, because the so-called commercial and capitalist sprouts in the Ming Dynasty were actually very deformed.
It would be fine if scholars engaged in business and officials and businessmen colluded just to make money, but these people sought more politically, and they did not seek power like true capitalism.
These people formed cliques for personal gain, did not pay taxes, and at the same time engaged in corruption and undermined the country's foundation. They had none of the pioneering and enterprising spirit of capitalism and were extremely conservative.
If we want the healthy development of Ming Dynasty's industry and commerce, these cancers must be eradicated.
It's basically impossible to guide them. These people have been sucking blood from the country since their birth. How can you guide them? They can't do anything else but suck blood from the country.
For example, the smugglers along the coast replaced rice with mulberry trees and sold silk overseas to make a profit.
According to normal business logic, if we want to make money overseas, shouldn't we build ships to trade overseas? Why should we let those people overseas make money from us?
These people are against opening the sea, they want to monopolize the trade and only ask the court for tax exemption.
Why keep such businessmen or scholars?
They should all be cleaned up.
Only by breaking the old can we build the new. Zhu Youxiao has neither the energy nor the time to fight with them.
Instead of wasting time to guide them, it would be faster to just kill all of them.
"Your Majesty, Bi Maokang is here." Chen Hong came to Zhu Youxiao and said respectfully.
Zhu Youxiao nodded, gathered all his scattered thoughts, and said, "Let him in!"
Not long after, Bi Maokang walked in from outside.
This was a middle-aged man in his forties, thin but handsome. In this era, those who could pass the imperial examination and become officials were definitely not ugly.
Bi Maokang was a little confused. What did His Majesty want to see him for?
Bi Maokang was also aware of the situation in the court. Many people said that this was the beginning of chaos. If the powerful eunuch Wei Zhongxian gained power, the court would inevitably be in chaos.
At this time, His Majesty summoned him, and Bi Maokang felt very insecure. You have to know that he is just a Shuntian Prefecture Minister, let alone a Prefecture Minister, even if Shuntian Prefecture Yin was summoned by His Majesty, that is not much!
Although he was nervous, Bi Maokang still bowed to Zhu Youxiao and said, "I, Bi Maokang, the Minister of Shuntian Prefecture, pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Get up!"
After Bi Maokang stood up, Zhu Youxiao asked directly, "I heard that you are good at firearms?"
Bi Maokang had never expected His Majesty to ask this, and for a moment he was a little hesitant. But since His Majesty had asked, there was no way he wouldn't answer!
After a moment's silence, Bi Maokang quickly said, "I do like firearms. I believe that what the barbarians fear most about China is firearms."
After hearing Bi Maokang's words, Zhu Youxiao nodded. What a correct statement!
This was the age of firearms. In terms of archery, horseback riding, and archery, the Ming soldiers were no match.
The gap in armaments between the two sides was not great, but the emergence of stirrups and horseshoes greatly enhanced the mobility and combat effectiveness of the grassland cavalry. It was too difficult to compete with the grassland people on horseback.
In addition to the Confucian education for so many years and the suppression of military generals for so many years, it is very difficult to repeat the military might of the Han and Tang dynasties.
You have to know that during the Han and Tang dynasties, Confucian scholars were all about revenge, rushing forward with knives in hand. They valued being a general when out and a prime minister when in. Everyone took pride in military achievements.
What about now? What are students doing now? How many of the Six Arts of a Gentleman are left?
There's no hope of relying on these people.
Besides, Zhu Youxiao is a person who came from another time. If he doesn’t play with firearms, would he play with cold weapons?
That is something that is destined to be eliminated by the times, and Zhu Youxiao would not treat it as a treasure.
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