Chapter 269: The Autumn Levy (Part 34)

“To nurture the people, the most important thing is ‘tranquility’! In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing…”

Xiong Buyou listened patiently for a long time and realized that the Jinshi’s entire theory was that “the ruler should do nothing, and everything should maintain its original order to avoid disturbing the people.”

Liu Dalin continued, saying that measuring the land, while seemingly reasonable and beneficial to the people, was often exploited by “scoundrels” in its execution. What was originally a good thing for the country and the people would end up harming them. He bluntly used Chen Minggang as an example.

“If it weren’t for Chen Minggang’s land measurement, we wouldn’t have thought of this…” Xiong Buyou shifted the blame directly onto him. “Although he was using his public office for private gain, we don’t think the matter of measuring the land and clearing up the taxes is wrong.”

“Measuring the land and clearing up the taxes is nothing more than collecting more money and grain. The people of this county are already suffering enough!” Liu Dalin became agitated, passionately describing the living conditions of the people of Lin’gao. Although he lived in the county town and spent his days studying, he knew the real situation in the countryside from his family, relatives, teachers, students, and his own tenant farmers. He was well aware of the decline of the rural economy and the hardships of the peasants.

“What Mr. Liu says is true,” Xiong Buyou said. “But since the founding of the Great Ming, Lin’gao has been at peace for nearly three hundred years, right? Yet in these three hundred years, the people have become poorer and poorer. What is the reason for this?”

“There are the Li rebellions and pirates from the outside, bandits from within, and constant natural disasters…”

“That’s only part of it. Mr. Liu should know that the population of Lin’gao has been decreasing year by year, right?” Xiong Buyou started with this question.

Liu Dalin certainly knew.

“In the early years of the Great Ming, the registered population of this county was nearly sixty thousand,” Xiong Buyou said. “How many are there now?”

Liu Dalin was speechless. He didn’t actually know the registered population of the county.

“The registered population is just over twenty thousand. In these two hundred and seventy years, although Lin’gao has had, as you said, Li rebellions, pirates, and bandits, the overall situation has been relatively calm. The four words ‘the people’s livelihood is roughly stable’ are well-deserved.”

Liu Dalin nodded. That was true. Although Qiongzhou Prefecture was not a paradise, it had experienced far fewer large-scale upheavals than the mainland. Logically, the registered population of such a place should have increased. The fact that it was decreasing only meant that the number of fugitive households and hidden households was increasing. He was aware of the latter; many villages in the county were entirely composed of hidden households, seeking protection under the name of some local magnate. He himself had a small number of hidden households under his name.

The root of the problem lies in the tax system of the Great Ming! Xiong Buyou bluntly pointed out its various flaws.

He began by talking about the large number of “deceptive entrustments” and “hidden lands.” Large landowners used various means to evade taxes, which in turn increased the tax burden on landless or smallholding peasants. Moreover, the large households colluded with the government and bribed the clerks, and their illegal activities went unpunished. The common people not only couldn’t pay less, but were also forced to bear additional burdens through various means.

“The rich occupy ten thousand mu of land without paying a single grain of rice, and no one can investigate them, while the poor, without an inch of grass, pay heavy taxes every year with no control.” Land concentration and unequal taxation led to peasants either fleeing or entrusting themselves to others. “…During the Hongzhi reign, the number of households in the Great Ming was 1.5 million fewer than in the Hongwu reign, and the population was over 7 million fewer. As for now, it’s even worse!” Xiong Buyou spoke eloquently. “This clearing of the land and equalization of taxes is an urgent matter that must be addressed! If we continue to be ‘tranquil,’ the people will eventually have no choice but for the strong to become bandits and the weak to fall into ditches!” Xiong Buyou’s tone shifted. “Mr. Liu has many old friends on the mainland and reads the official gazettes. You should know the current situation of the empire better than we do.”

Xiong Buyou’s materials were all ready-made, with facts and data, completely different from the empty, emotional rhetoric of traditional scholars who spoke of “the people are destitute” and “the fields are filled with the starved.” The social survey conducted after the Spring Festival had provided the Transmigration Group with a large amount of local data. To deal with situations like today’s, the data department had long since summarized all the research materials on the Ming Dynasty’s tax system in their database and written a long report for the leadership group to read. Now, everyone in the leadership group could be considered a semi-expert on the Ming Dynasty’s tax system.

As expected, Liu Dalin was rendered speechless. Although he was quite knowledgeable about the decline of Lin’gao’s rural economy, his knowledge was limited to that—his scholarship was not in these economic studies. Xiong Buyou’s words were well-reasoned and well-documented, earning his admiration.

However, this also made him very suspicious. The Australians claimed to be descendants of the Song people who had been stranded overseas for hundreds of years. If so, why were they so knowledgeable about the affairs of the Great Ming? They even knew the words and deeds of past court ministers and local officials, and the content of their memorials!

It seemed that there must be scholars of the current dynasty among the Australians, and their scholarly foundation was by no means inferior to his own—in all likelihood, it was far superior. At this thought, he became vigilant.

“I have been taught a lesson!” Liu Dalin cupped his hands in a salute, his tone heavy. “I did not expect the Australians to know so much about the Great Ming. I am truly ashamed!”

“Just some superficial knowledge.”

“What Chief Xiong says is all correct. But have you considered this?” Liu Dalin was not giving up. “In this world, there are countless examples of reasonable things being done unreasonably, and good intentions turning into bad deeds! You want to clear up the land and equalize the taxes, but do you have such confidence?”

“We are aware of this,” Xiong Buyou said seriously. “Mr. Liu, I have heard from Scribe Wang and Magistrate Wu that in the past, they always wanted to do a few things for the people of Lin’gao. I wonder if Mr. Liu knows about this?”

“I know,” Liu Dalin was the county’s leading gentleman, and any major county affairs would certainly be discussed with him first. “Suppressing bandits, building roads, and promoting education.”

“Were they successful?”

Liu Dalin understood his meaning: Wu Mingjin had planned these three things for years without success, but the Australians had accomplished them all in one year—no wonder they were so confident and proud.

It seemed the Australians were determined to measure the land and clarify the taxes. If they could truly achieve this, it would be a great act of good governance. At this thought, Liu Dalin nodded and reminded him once more:

“You have suppressed bandits, built roads, and promoted education, all because you have money and power. The matter of clearing up the land and taxes is a tangled mess. I urge you to be careful.” He paused. “Especially in your use of personnel, you must not be careless.”

“Yes, we understand this,” Xiong Buyou was greatly surprised to see that his tone was no longer one of fierce opposition. Could it be that his words had moved him? In that case, this landlord class member was quite enlightened.

“…Also, since you are clearing up the taxes, it will inevitably involve the county’s large households and gentry. At that time, I ask you to be merciful and preserve some face.”

“Of course, of course,” Xiong Buyou said with a laugh.

The news that the Kun bandits were going to re-measure the land soon spread throughout the city. Huang Binkun went to see Liu Dalin again, but could not get any new ideas from him—Liu Dalin simply claimed to be ill and refused to see anyone.

The large households were completely bewildered, not knowing which way the wind was blowing. Since they said Chen Minggang was “disturbing the people,” then measuring the land was also disturbing the people. Why was only Chen Minggang arrested, while the land measurement was to continue?

Huang Binkun knew that the Jinshi had likely been rebuffed, and the Kun bandits had made up their minds. He and Li Xiaopeng discussed it for a long time without coming up with any plan. Li Xiaopeng suggested mobilizing the landowning households to jointly submit another petition, but Huang Binkun shook his head with a wry smile—he knew these large landowners too well. They were typical bullies of the weak and fearful of the strong. Who would dare to touch the tiger’s whiskers of the Australians? In the past, they had at least had Liu Dalin as a banner. Now that he was unwilling to take the lead, it would be useless even if he talked himself hoarse. Moreover, since the Australians had already punished Chen Minggang, to cause trouble again would be “refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”

Liu Family Village.

Liu Youren was once again studying the newly delivered grain receipt. Liu Guangbiao had just brought it.

The grain receipt was different from the old ones, which were made of rough, uncut ledger paper with wooden stamps and a few hastily scrawled characters. This one was printed on thick, stiff paper. It listed the taxable land of the Huang family village, the regular tax per mu, the wastage rice per shi, and designated a date by which the payment had to be made at the Delong Grain Company in the county town, East Gate Market, Bopu, or Nanbao. In addition to unhusked rice, Delong’s grain circulation coupons were also accepted. Late payments would be subject to door-to-door collection and a daily late fee of 1%.

“Who is the grain collector who delivered the receipt? Please invite him in for a meeting,” Liu Youren said. Although he was in Jialai, he was well-informed about the affairs in the county town. Since Chen Minggang’s gang had been purged, he needed to meet the new grain collectors of the “Grain Collection Bureau” and build a relationship. This was also customary.

“He left as soon as he delivered it. My nephew invited him to stay for a meal, but he refused.”

“Did you give him the ‘shoe money’?”

“I gave him five hundred wen, but—” Liu Guangbiao’s tone was one of disbelief, “he refused to take it.”

“Refused to take it? Was it too little?”

“No,” Liu Guangbiao said. “His attitude was very firm, not at all feigned.”

“That’s strange!” Liu Youren thought about how everyone said the Australians never took bribes and didn’t allow their subordinates to accept any benefits. He had originally thought it was just talk, or that they were just being strict under the Australians’ watch. He didn’t expect it to be true.

“What’s his name?”

“My nephew doesn’t know—”

“What kind of job did you do!” Liu Youren reprimanded, dissatisfied.

“My nephew asked, but he refused to say. He only said his work number was—was—” Liu Guangbiao pointed at the grain receipt. At the bottom, after the deliverer’s name, was a string of crooked symbols, called Arabic numerals.

“He just tore off a receipt from my nephew and had him put his thumbprint on it.”

Liu Youren looked. The bottom half of the grain receipt had been torn off, and there were perforated numbers. He had no time to study this newfangled thing and asked:

“Three dou of wastage rice per shi of autumn tax?”

“That’s three sheng less than under Chen Minggang,” Liu Youren muttered, dissatisfied. But on closer inspection, the taxable land on the grain receipt was three hundred and eighty mu—the same as before.