Chapter 2026 - Dialogue Between Cui and Li

This surprised Li Suiqiu slightly—not the viewpoint's novelty, but rather that he had anticipated this Daoist would certainly spout mystifying "mandate of heaven" theories to argue this counterfeit Great Song enjoyed "heavenly ordination."

He composed himself, thinking: let me hear what sophistry you offer. "Please enlighten me, Daoist Master."

Cui Hantang felt rather smug, interpreting Li Suiqiu's reaction as shock at his novel perspective. He posed a counter-question:

"In your estimation, how many crises does the Ming nation currently face?"

Li Suiqiu answered without hesitation, speaking clearly. "Having traveled and studied in various locales, discussing matters with fellow students and teachers, I judge the Ming confronts four present crises: the Eastern Barbarians, the roving bandits, the hair-thieves, and natural disasters."

Cui Hantang thought MMP internally—you needn't have been quite so blunt—yet felt somewhat gratified, since inclusion among "calamities" represented no trivial distinction.

"The Eastern Barbarians and... hmm, let us not discuss that particular matter." Cui Hantang experienced a moment of awkwardness. "Those represent external threats. Even were Tang Taizong and Song Taizu reborn, external threats would persist. Regarding the roving bandits—they actually arose from natural disasters."

Following natural calamity must come human upheaval, particularly in an era like late Ming when governmental relief proved feeble. Disaster victims could scarcely obtain money and grain to fill their bellies; the sole path to survival lay in revolt. This further expanded disaster's scope.

The insight held no novelty. Li Suiqiu merely nodded slightly.

"Yet regarding natural disasters—they too constitute human calamities!"

Cui Hantang pivoted dramatically, delivering his crucial contention.

Yet Li Suiqiu across from him displayed no startled expression, instead wearing a look communicating "I'll simply observe quietly while you perform." Perhaps concerned that his muted response might wound the Daoist's feelings and terminate the conversation, Li Suiqiu offered somewhat reluctantly: "Since antiquity, floods, droughts, locusts, and plagues have all constituted heavenly fate. How can they simultaneously represent human calamity?"

"Does Master Meizhou know how many commoners the Ming realm currently sustains?"

"This..." Now Li Suiqiu found himself stumped. Though the Ming maintained population statistics, ordinary citizens rarely accessed specific figures—not due to secrecy, merely that without media channels of the time, beyond a handful of scholars and Ministry of Revenue officials, common people remained unconcerned.

Li Suiqiu could certainly produce poetry and prose, and could discourse upon land taxes, salt administration, and grain transport—practical official matters. Population statistics, however, lay beyond his knowledge.

"I confess this student knows not," Li Suiqiu admitted. "I would estimate tens of millions."

"Hehe, permit me to inform you: in Tianqi's sixth year, the Ministry of Revenue audited the realm's Yellow Registers, recording 983,546 households containing over 51,655,000 individuals."

Li Suiqiu nodded silently, thinking: these hair-thieves truly possess formidable intelligence! Even accessing Yellow Register figures!

"Yet has the gentleman considered: in Hongwu's fourteenth year, when Ming Taizu compiled the national Yellow Register, the census recorded 59,870,000 people. From Hongwu's fourteenth year to Tianqi's sixth year spans over 230 years. Though intervening events included the Yongle Emperor's Jingnan Campaign and various floods and droughts, the period overall represented a peaceful era. Why then did population decrease rather than increase? Remember—Zhu Yuanzhang founded the nation following decades of chaos concluding the Yuan."

"The figures you cite, this student cannot verify. However, as you yourself acknowledged, these represent Yellow Register figures. Does the gentleman not recognize that Yellow Register statistics prove most unreliable?" Though Li Suiqiu had never held office, he possessed considerable understanding of yamen affairs. "Since the Single Whip Reform consolidated all regular levies, assigned duties, capital treasury annual requirements and reserves, provisions, and local tribute goods into unified entries—all calculated by mu and remitted in silver—taxes and corvée derive entirely from land. Population growth and decline bear minimal relevance to major accounts. When Yellow Registers undergo compilation, occasionally individuals appear without registered adult males, occasionally adult males without associated individuals. Officials neither inquire nor need inquire."

"Well articulated." Cui Hantang thought: this young Master Li possesses genuine knowledge! "Since this stands as fact, clearly during prolonged peace population multiplies, yet official Yellow Registers fail to document it. Where have all these commoners vanished?"

The question posed no great difficulty. These unregistered individuals had either been "overlooked" by officials or had commended themselves under gentry and powerful families. Under the Li household alone, such people numbered quite substantially. Merchants lacking land who operated shops counted as his family's "assistants"; those bringing land counted as "tenant farmers." Li Suiqiu himself could not enumerate how many sheltered individuals existed under his family's protection, yet this represented an important income source.

"Surely Master Meizhou himself comprehends—whether 'overlooked' or 'sheltered,' these commoners' taxes fail to reach the court's coffers. At minimum, the majority does not."

Li Suiqiu certainly grasped this logic. Numerous individuals sought to "commend" themselves to his family precisely because his Juren degree could reduce taxes and exempt grain obligations.

"Master Meizhou holds Juren rank, so naturally you know a Juren's grain exemption amounts to merely six shi." Cui Hantang spoke softly. "How much has actually been exempted—likely only your steward could specify."

The implication crystallized unmistakably: these vanished populations had largely commended themselves under powerful gentry, thereby evading taxation. Both parties profited; solely the court sustained losses.

Li Suiqiu could not refute this—it constituted fact. Though he had long recognized this systemic corruption, it pervaded the entire realm universally. He could claim no exemption. Moreover, as head of a prominent household, he neither could nor would sever his own foundation by eliminating this substantial revenue stream.

Even possessing extensive learning, unless willing to call deer horses, he genuinely could not argue.

"What the Daoist Master states holds truth," Li Suiqiu conceded. "However, this represents systemic corruption. What connection does it bear to natural and human calamities?"

Cui Hantang, observing him confounded, felt considerably happier. He thought: this material truly proves effective! Otherwise, debating morality and literature with you—how could I possibly match you?

"Naturally, the wealthy households and gentry receiving commendations benefit, while the court sustains losses. Yet this court must support thousands of civil and military officials, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, three thousand palace beauties... all requiring maintenance—many demanding excellent support, not subsisting on chaff and vegetables. Emperor Zhu and his officials cannot urinate gold or defecate silver. Whence derives all this money and grain? Scraped from commoners' scalps. Originally ten individuals paid ten individuals' taxes. Now it transforms into seven, six, even five individuals paying for ten. During peaceful times, everyone muddles along. Yet encountering floods or droughts, officials possess no reserves, commoners maintain no stored grain, no relief can be distributed, and commoners can only starve. Is this not human calamity?"

"Were this a century past, even with land annexation and powerful protection, the court would not suffer excessively. The Ming's territory sprawls vast. Landless farmers could seek uncultivated land. Over time, wasteland transforms into mature fields. The court levies taxes, gaining both population and revenue. 'What's lost on swings is gained on roundabouts'—thus they've patched matters along. Yet now, where remains wasteland to discover?"

Though late Ming land development had not reached the Qing era's extreme of "nowhere unplowed, everywhere tilled," under contemporary productivity levels it approached the limit. From mid-Ming onward, massive numbers of landless farmers fleeing taxation had journeyed to Huguang to cultivate mountain regions, forming substantial migrant populations. At one juncture this even sparked major rebellions. By late Ming, the mountains of Guangdong and Fujian harbored sizable migrant cultivation communities.

Li Suiqiu possessed knowledge of land scarcity and migrants seeking cultivation opportunities everywhere. He sighed inwardly. Frankly, none of this represented fresh insight, yet teachers and friends rarely analyzed such matters. These hair-thieves, however, perceived clearly!

"Impoverished people cultivating everywhere may resolve temporary crises, yet plants endless future troubles." Cui Hantang finally arrived at the substantive core. "Master Meizhou surely knows that Guanzhong once constituted 'fertile plains, a thousand miles of abundant fields.' What of the present situation? Beyond mentioning that outside the border walls extends endless sandy desert—even within the walls, land proves barren, nine years of drought in ten. Why?"

Now Li Suiqiu found himself genuinely bewildered. Regarding Shaanxi's circumstances, he had acquired some knowledge when discussing "bandit conditions" with others, roughly understanding this region suffered chronic drought and disaster, nine famines in ten years, with commoners exceedingly impoverished and border garrison soldiers faring no better, compelled to rebel for survival.

Cui Hantang's words now awakened him: Guanzhong had once formed the foundation of imperial enterprise. From the First Emperor through Han and Tang, all employed Guanzhong as their base, emerging from Hangu Pass to claim the realm. How had those thousand miles of fertile fields deteriorated into such impoverished, bitter cold terrain?

"This, the student had truly not contemplated. Please enlighten me, Daoist Master."

"Not at all, not at all." Cui Hantang exhibited a smug expression, then swiftly suppressed that vulgar smile. "It results from cultivation!"

"Cultivation?" Li Suiqiu registered puzzlement, for since antiquity, cultivation had represented policy benefiting nation and populace alike, achieving mutual prosperity for public and private interests. Whether Han, Tang, or Ming, border armies largely sustained themselves through cultivation, reducing the court's burden while securing sufficient provisions. Yet to these hair-thieves, it had become "harmful policy" impoverishing the land.

Cui Hantang discoursed eloquently. In truth, aside from climatic shifts, Guanzhong's natural environment destruction largely stemmed from human causes, with human devastation proving continuous. Guanzhong possessed the longest history, longest development period, largest population, and most severe environmental damage. By early Song, the Zhongnan Mountains' forests had been entirely felled; the forests of Qishan and surrounding mountains were likewise essentially gone. Su Shi, who once served in Fengxiang Prefecture, composed verses describing the Qishan region: Mountains bare as red clay, water murky as rice wash!

Naturally, claiming "Song descent," Cui Hantang would not reference this, concentrating his criticism upon the Ming.

"Surely the gentleman knows that Ming border army provisions rely largely upon military colonization and merchant colonization." The moment Cui Hantang opened his mouth, Li Suiqiu registered mild surprise. He knew military colonization posed no rarity—all dynasties had practiced it, continuing even presently. Yet merchant colonization not only stood unprecedented from previous dynasties, representing Ming innovation, but had also been discontinued for many years. Even contemporary dynasty scholars might well lack awareness of it.

"Cultivation constitutes sound policy, originally benefiting nation and populace. However, establishing one benefit inevitably creates one detriment—and this detriment proves substantial."