He Qingxian's first proposal was to kill all the princes and corrupt officials who exploited the people.
But this is easier said than done, and Emperor Yuanyou rejected it in his mind without even having to think about it.
He Qingxian's second suggestion was to let clan members who were previously completely exempt from taxes set an exemption amount, and the rest pay taxes, and to let officials and gentry who previously had a large exemption amount reduce the amount and pay more taxes.
The second one sounds easier than the first one, but if taken alone, it will still arouse strong opposition from local princes, officials and gentry.
Chen Tingjian shook his head: "To rob someone of their money is like killing their parents. You are a clean-handed person and don't have much land at home. Of course you are saying this with great righteousness. Let's not talk about the distant past. Just ask Elder Lu and his people, are they willing to give up their previous tax exemptions and pay more taxes as you say?"
He Qingxian suddenly looked at the three elders behind him.
When Lu was named, his forehead immediately broke out in sweat. He wiped his face with his sleeve and said ashamedly, "My family doesn't have much land. I don't mind paying taxes according to He's method. However, the exemption of land tax for officials and gentry has lasted for more than a thousand years. Many students have studied hard, not only to serve the court, but also to bring honor to their ancestors and benefit their relatives. Especially during the reign of Emperor Sejong, the tax exemption for officials and gentry was included in the law. How can we convince people if we suddenly change it?"
Shizong was the grandfather of Emperor Huayang and Emperor Yuanyou, the ancestor who was scolded by He Qingxian before his death.
When mentioning Emperor Shizong, He Qingxian had a lot to say. If he hadn't held back, he would have talked for three days and three nights without getting tired: "You mentioned Emperor Shizong too. During Emperor Shizong's reign, treacherous ministers were in power. What else did he manage besides cultivating immortality and the Way? The government was handed over to the two corrupt officials of the Yan family. What good national policies could such a cabinet help Emperor Shizong formulate? Laws, you know the laws. According to the laws of the Taizu Dynasty, the Yan family father and son and the corrupt officials in the world should have been beheaded long ago. How could they be allowed to bully the people to the point where they are today?"
Mr. Lu: …
Empress Dowager Qi: "Mr. He, please do not be disrespectful to Emperor Shizong."
A drop of sweat quietly slid down Emperor Yuanyou's forehead.
Behind the door curtain of the side room, Huayang looked at He Qingxian's slender figure standing tall like a pine or cypress, and he seemed to have seen the scene of this man cursing the emperor in the past.
After Lord Lu was defeated, Lord Lu and Lord Shen lowered their heads even lower.
He Qingxian glanced at the two people in turn, stared at Chen Tingjian coldly for a while, and then turned to Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou again: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I know that if you want to implement the tax reform I mentioned, you must overcome numerous difficulties. But our dynasty has lasted for more than two hundred years, and the princes and officials have been corrupted little by little since the prosperity of Taizu and Chengzu, and they are about to rot to the core. If Your Majesty only wants to maintain the prosperity of his own dynasty, then Chen Ge Lao's "One Whip" method is indeed feasible, but if Your Majesty wants to pass on the ancestral foundation for another two hundred years or even longer, then you must follow my method and make major changes."
Emperor Yuanyou was silent for a long time, then looked at Chen Tingjian: "What do you think, sir?"
Chen Tingjian frowned and felt heavy-hearted: "What Lord He said makes sense, but it is too difficult to implement. I still insist on the Single Whip Law."
He Qingxian spat directly at him: "You are such a cunning old man, you are just sitting there doing nothing!"
Chen Tingjian took two steps away and looked at him coldly, but said nothing. He only asked Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou to make the decision.
This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided in a short time. Emperor Yuanyou asked the five ministers to step down first while he and the Empress Dowager carefully considered the matter.
When the ministers left, they left behind two memorials, one was Chen Tingjian's "One Whip Law" and the other was He Qingxian's "Clan members, officials and gentry should pay taxes together."
Huayang walked out with weak steps.
He Qingxian was not scary, but the passionate momentum in his speech made Huayang feel that he was the corrupt official of the clan he mentioned, or the emperor's grandfather. In short, he was the object of his abuse.
The mother and her two daughters looked at each other and had the same feeling.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Yuanyou asked, "What do you think, mother?"
Empress Dowager Qi did not even look at He Qingxian's memorial and said, "I agree with Lord Chen. It is better to be cautious."
Even the late emperor did not dare to take such risks, let alone them, mother and son. If they listened to He Qingxian, if there was chaos in the world and the dynasty collapsed, she and her son would become the empress dowager and the king of a fallen country. They could not bear such eternal infamy.
Emperor Yuanyou lowered his eyes and looked at his sister again.
Empress Dowager Qi's eyes suddenly became sharp. She was willing to indulge her daughter, but if her daughter crossed the line, she would have to continue to be a strict mother.
Huayang didn't seem to notice the queen mother's gaze. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and said weakly, "For such an important matter, you and the queen mother should make the decision. I don't understand anything and I don't want to get involved anymore."
After saying that, Huayang took his leave first.
Empress Dowager Qi watched her daughter leave before admonishing her son: "I know you two are close siblings, but you must not ask your sister about state affairs in the future."
Emperor Yuanyou looked respectful, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
If the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, what is the Queen Mother doing now
During the day, the three of them were busy with their own things, and then they got together for dinner in the evening.
Huayang: "Tomorrow is a day off. The prince consort will probably come to the palace to pay his respects. I will go back with him then."
Emperor Yuanyou: "How many days have you been here?"
Huayang: "I can still say I am sensible if I leave the palace by myself, but if I don't leave, my mother will be annoyed with me."
Empress Dowager Qi: …
Emperor Yuanyou pursed his lips.
Since his sister was going to leave the palace the next day, Emperor Yuanyou invited her to the imperial study to talk and play chess after dinner.
Empress Dowager Qi had no reason to stop her and simply gave her daughter a subtle look.
Huayang understood that her mother didn't want her to discuss the tax reform that had happened that morning.
Emperor Yuanyou insisted on listening to his sister's opinion and handed both memorials to her.
Hua Yang smiled and said, "You are obviously moved by what Lord He said. Otherwise, you should just follow the example of your mother and choose Lord Chen's one-whip method."
Emperor Yuanyou said sternly, "Don't you think that what Lord He said makes more sense?"
He is the emperor, why does he live in such poverty and has to extort money from the people to strengthen national defense and provide disaster relief, while those princes, officials and gentry are all wearing gold and silver
Huayang picked up He Qingxian's memorial.
There was not a single word of nonsense in the whole memorial. It first listed the many crises that were about to collapse, and then proposed two new policies. One was that clansmen, officials and gentry should pay taxes together, and the other was to take advantage of the national survey to implement the tax distribution according to the land area, abolish the previous head tax, and levy taxes entirely according to the land owned. There were some details in it. In summary, the lower-middle-class and poor people almost did not have to pay taxes, the upper-middle-class people's taxes were almost unchanged, and the taxes of the richer landlords and large landlords were greatly increased.
The landlords in the world were mostly powerful people, officials, gentry, and relatives of princes.
In other words, He Qingxian took out two big swords, and every knife was used to snatch money from relatives, officials, gentry, and powerful people.
It harms clan members, officials and gentry, makes the common people feel at ease and fills the national treasury.
In order to fill the treasury without harming clan members, officials and gentry, the imperial court had to take action against the common people.
The advantages and disadvantages of the two paths are clear, it depends on whether the king dares to take them.
Huayang thought about his previous life.
The father-in-law just took out a rake, but after his death he would be framed and cursed by all the officials and gentry in the world, and his entire family would end up in exile.
This time He Qingxian raised two big knives, and both he and his brother would have to take greater risks.
Huayang looked at her brother and said bluntly, "This is your kingdom. You can only decide which path to take. I only know that the most difficult path is only proposed by Lord He. There may be other people like Lord He, but he is the only one who can stand in the cabinet and give advice in person. Once Lord He is gone, even if you want to use such a person in the future, you will have nowhere to find him. As for your descendants, if you can have Lord He or Lord Chen, it is all thanks to your ancestors."
Emperor Yuanyou's heartbeat was rapid, his eyes were as bright as stars: "Sister, what you mean is..."
Huayang shook his head, not letting his brother speak out, and asked: "Do you dare to use Elder He's method? Think it over before answering."
Emperor Yuanyou: "I dare!"
Huayang asked again: "If one day in the future you back down and those ministers who oppose you force you to punish the cabinet, will you support them without hesitation?"
Emperor Yuanyou: "I will!"
Huayang's eyes felt sore.
The young man in the storybook is sincere in his feelings when he is in love, and his vows are from the heart, but people's hearts are fickle, and the young man can go back on his word, and in the end the only ones who suffer are those who have been let down by him.
This is especially true for the young emperor.
Huayang already had a rough guess about his past life, but he was destined not to have an accurate answer as to what his younger brother was thinking when he really wanted to punish his father-in-law.
In this life, the choice lies in the hands of both my younger brother and the cabinet.
Hua Yang: "A new policy requires the unity of the monarch and his subjects. If you dare, you still have to ask the cabinet if they dare."
Ask He Qingxian if he dares to be hated by all the relatives, officials and gentry in the world. He may die at any time while he is still alive, and his coffin may be opened and his corpse whipped at any time after his death.
I also ask my father-in-law if he dares to walk a similar path again. He worked hard when he was alive, but after his death he was punished by his most beloved disciple, bringing disaster to the entire family.
.
The next day, Chen Jingzong came to the palace early.
Huayang said goodbye to his mother and brother with a smile, left the palace on a sedan chair, and then got on the carriage of the Princess's mansion.
Chen Jingzong came in later and had just sat down. Before he had time to make any jokes, the eldest princess actually took the initiative to sit on his lap, with her face against his chest and her hands around his shoulders.
Chen Jingzong lowered his head and saw that she had long eyelashes drooping, her cheeks were pale, and she seemed to be a little depressed for no reason.
"Haven't you lived here long enough?" Chen Jingzong asked deliberately.
Hua Yang closed his eyes and said, "Next year the imperial court will make some big moves. Father and Lord He each have new policy suggestions. No matter whose suggestion we listen to, both of them will be hated by officials and gentry all over the world."
It goes without saying that you should listen to your father-in-law, but you should also listen to He Qingxian, as He Qingxian was also transferred to the capital by your father-in-law.
And the reason why my father-in-law used He Qingxian was because of her.
If her father-in-law used the Single Whip Method, and considering what Huayang had done before, she felt that even if the opposition pursued her father-in-law after his death, her brother would not have to exile three generations of the Chen family.
But if He Qingxian's two big swords are used, the resentment will increase a million times, and the counterattack will be blood-sucking and bone-corrosive.
Huayang had no choice but to be afraid. He was afraid that the new policy would fail, the two cabinet ministers would be destroyed, and his younger brother, the emperor, would become disgraced and suppressed by the princes, relatives, officials and gentry all his life.
How strange! Even though she was so scared, she still acted on impulse and secretly pushed her brother!
She also lamented that her brother was so young that he dared to take on that extremely difficult path. She had lived two lives, so wasn't she also bewitched by He Qingxian's passion
Perhaps there is still a trace of hatred. In the previous life, his father-in-law had to use a rake but he didn't have a good ending. If the ending is already doomed, then he will take bigger actions in this life, at least to make the princes and officials bleed and get injured!
Chen Jingzong could feel the eldest princess's trembling gradually becoming uncontrollable.
He hugged her shoulders tightly: "These two old men are more stubborn than each other. They will not change what they want to do no matter how much others resent and hate them. They are not afraid, so what are you afraid of?"
Huayang couldn't tell whether he was afraid or nervous, and responded casually: "Looking at the reformers in the previous dynasties, none of them had a good ending."
Chen Jingzong said calmly: "Some things must be changed, and someone must do it. Lord He understands, and the old man also understands. They want to be at peace with their conscience and the country."
Hua Yang raised his head, looked at him and said, "If something happens to my father, it may implicate the entire Chen family, including you."
Chen Jingzong smiled: "My life is worth it to marry you. Let the old man go. My family has done nothing wrong. At most, they can go home and farm. There should be a way to make a living."
Huayang wanted to say more, but Chen Jingzong touched her face and said, "Don't be afraid. There are 300 young and strong guards in the palace. Even if I am gone, there are still others to keep you company."
Huayang: …
Chen Jingzong: "Of course, as long as I am alive, you don't have to worry about me."
Huayang twisted his arm.
Chen Jingzong smiled instead of feeling pain, hugged her with both hands, and kissed her forehead again: "Don't underestimate these two old men. One is famous for his integrity, and the other is feared by the entire officialdom. The border has been stable in recent years, and it is a good time for them to make drastic changes."
Huayang thought of his father-in-law's tyranny and autocracy when he implemented the performance evaluation system, and of He Qingxian's fearlessness when he talked about his grandfather, the Emperor.
Which one is the soft persimmon
Palace of Heavenly Purity.
After his sister left, Emperor Yuanyou read in the imperial study for the whole morning. Empress Dowager Qi was very pleased to see that her son was so diligent even on his day off.
After lunch, Emperor Yuanyou lay on the dragon bed for half an hour. When changing clothes, Emperor Yuanyou ordered: "Call Elder Chen and Elder He to the palace."
(End of this chapter)