Chapter 251 Nephew and son-in-law
Some people may not believe it, the imperial court issued an order to equalize land, granting land to the common people, one village and one hundred mu. But in fact, the current total household registration of the imperial court is only more than 2 million. Compared with the nearly 9 million household registration statistics in Sui Daye, there is a big difference.
However, the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty only lasted for ten years, and everyone knew that it was impossible to wipe out seven million households in these ten years. In fact, both Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji are very clear about why the Tang Dynasty has almost unified the world, but there are still so few households?
It’s not that everyone died, but that too many people fled from their homes during the war and turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty, or went bankrupt and became slaves, or broke up their families and robbed them. Even if the world is unified, there is a problem that cannot be ignored. In many places, there are many people and few lands.
Equalization of land per person is just a beautiful vision. In fact, the premise is that the court has land to share. The land that can be taken out is mainly the official land in the Sui Dynasty, and the unowned land that was extinct during the war, but in fact, even after more than ten years of war, many dignitaries and landlords in the previous dynasty still occupy this land. For the vast majority of fields, the imperial court cannot use their fields to equalize the fields.
As a result, the land equalization order is only a part of the common people who have been to the fields, and only a few fields have been equalized. If you are above the official household registration, then you have to bear the rent adjustment.
No matter whether you have 10 mu of land or 100 mu of land, the rent for every 1 mu is the same. In this case, many people refuse to be naturalized and registered, and they even refuse to share the land at the court. They would rather be landlords tenants, or as tenants for temples or powerful landlords, or as boatmen, trackers, lumberjacks, miners, etc.
Why?
Because in this way, you don’t have to bear the rent and adjustment, you don’t have to bear the burden of two stones per year, two horses of silk, twelve liang of cotton, and twenty days of free labor, let alone handymen.
Tenant landlords only need to pay rent according to the number of acres of land they are tenanting. Although the rent for tenant farming is high and the income is not much, it is actually lighter than the imperial court's taxes.
People are not stupid.
Since the burden of naturalization is heavier, what is naturalization for? Since Tian Jun doesn't arrive, is it better to just make a picture of a good man from the Tang Dynasty?
There are still many people who fled to the mountains and forests at the end of the Sui Dynasty, cultivated wasteland and farmed by themselves, and did not register for household registration, so that they could avoid rent and labor.
To put it bluntly, it is actually a matter of last resort.
If this problem cannot be solved, then even if this census asks local officials to check the population everywhere, it will not be of any use. To choose is to escape.
They will flee to other places, or flee into the mountains, or simply sell themselves as slaves to the powerful and powerful.
This is a very real problem.
"Elder Grandson, we need the support of the Zhengshitang. According to my guess, this closing of households should be able to increase the population of two million households, but the premise is the support of the Zhengshitang, otherwise most of these people will eventually become fleeing households, or simply commit suicide. Sell it as a slave, and take shelter of the tyrants." Qin Lang said solemnly.
"How do you want the Zhengshitang to support it?" Two million households is also a serious matter for the princes of the Zhengshitang. An increase of two million households is too important for the court.
Under the current Datang system, not all populations are populations for Datang. Only those subjects are the foundation of the real imperial court.
Escaping households without household registration, for the court, do not pay rent and tax or serve, which is of no benefit to the court.
"Elder Grandson, it is easy to find hidden households, but it is difficult to turn them into national registered households. If it is just to register their names on the official household registration, that is not the solution at all."
A hermit household, originally either reclaimed wasteland in the mountains and forests, or tenanted the landlord’s land, or worked to make a living. Now, once he becomes a household registration officer, he must face the problem of taxes and labor.
"Either the imperial court will give these households naturalized people fields, or reduce taxes and duties."
Changsun Wuji frowned, the biggest problem of hermit households is actually the lack of land.
"The monasteries in various states and counties will be fully rectified after the temples. It should be possible to reorganize a lot of fields?" Changsun Wuji asked.
"It is true that there will be a lot of land in temples and temples, but for the new population of two million households, it is only a drop in the bucket, far from enough."
Besides, it is impossible for all these temple properties to be in the hands of the common people. The royal family, the government, and the dignitaries have to peel off the skins. Just like the situation in Chang'an, only 40% of them will be given to the common people in the end.
With a population of two million, even if one household has one village, one village needs at least two million hectares of land.
The people had to bear extremely heavy taxes because they had no land, so they fled into hiding. Now the imperial court wants to find out these people, but there is no land to grant.
An infinite loop.
"The imperial court can give these new households free rent for two or three years!"
"Elder grandson, this is far from enough. What will they do in two or three years? Some people now live off the land and have to pay the rent to the landlord. I can't live through this day."
"Saburo, what good plan do you have?"
"I have an immature idea, let's throw bricks to attract jade. The biggest problem in Kuohu nowadays is actually the problem of no land to grant and mediocre rent. Not only Kuohu has this problem, but many people in the Central Plains and other places also have this problem. , the amount of average land is insufficient, and the rent adjustment has not changed, resulting in a substantial increase in the actual tax rate and an increase in the burden."
Qin Lang hopes to change the basic tax system of Zuyongjiao. Since the basic tax system of Zuyongjiao is based on the land equalization system, and the land equalization system is difficult to implement now, the tax system must be changed, otherwise it will inevitably collapse in the end if it continues like this.
In fact, the collapse of the Tang Dynasty was fundamentally due to the unsustainable land equalization system. The land equalization system collapsed first, and then the basic tax system of rent and mediocrity also collapsed, so the national finance collapsed, and then the government military system could not be maintained. In the end, there were even problems with the recruitment system. In the end, the imperial court had to set up Jiedushi, and let Jiedushi take charge of administration, military, finance and taxation. After the rebellion of the feudal towns and the Anshi Rebellion, this situation became more serious. Although the reform of the two taxes was later implemented, it was just struggling to survive.
"The land tax I mentioned last time, I think it is a direction. It is better to change the rent in the rent adjustment from two stones per hectare per year to two liters per mu of land, and as for the adjustment, change it to pay per mu. You can also pay the equivalent amount of silk, cloth, hemp, cotton, etc. for a penny. Yong still serves 20 days free of charge every year, but he is allowed to fold silk instead of Yong, and fold silk for three feet or 60 qian per day."
"For landless households, merchants, and craftsmen households, the money is collected by households and other households, divided into nine grades. The lower households are exempted from the tax, and the upper and lower households are exempted from the tax. Each class is different..."
Changsun Wuji was very surprised when he heard that, Qin Lang had slightly changed the previous land tax plan, and directly applied it to the regular tax of rent adjustment.
"Elder Grandson, if this method is followed, not only will the new 2 million households not have to worry about fleeing, even the current 3 million households will greatly reduce the burden."
Changsun Wuji can't see the characteristics of this new tax law, which is nothing more than robbing the rich and helping the poor.
Especially in the original tax law, there were distinctions between registered households and non-registered households, classified households and non-taxable households, such as officials and nobles, who themselves did not pay taxes or serve in the military, but now that Qin Lang did this, in fact It means that the princes and the people pay food together.
Moreover, the calculation is directly based on the number of land owned. If the land is occupied more, the tax will be higher. If the land is occupied with less or no land, the tax will naturally be reduced.
Compared with before, the tax rate has not changed much, but the method of collection has changed. In fact, the common people, especially ordinary people, have benefited greatly, but those rich and landlords, especially the big bureaucrats and powerful people, have suffered serious losses. It needs an increase of hundreds to thousands of times.
"If this method is implemented, it doesn't matter that the land tax can actually be postponed. In fact, the government's fiscal and tax revenue can be greatly increased. It can get food for 14 to 5 million households a year, and get millions of money." Qin Lang said.
"But your method, I am afraid that many people in the court will object."
"Elder Grandson, we are all for the imperial court. The land equalization system was unsustainable even in the Wude Dynasty. How can the Zhenguan Dynasty continue? It will be even more impossible to implement in the future. If the renting system based on the land equalization system is not changed, then the Tang Dynasty can go again. How far? Now that we are still at the beginning of the founding of the country, and we still have the courage to solve it, we will encounter much fewer obstacles. If we don’t solve it now, we may not be able to move when future generations come.”
Qin Lang’s new rent-yong adjustment is actually a two-tax law, which collects grain and money based on acres of land. He didn't directly change the tax law, but he also wanted to change the concept secretly and adjust it later.
"We don't do this, who will do it?" Qin Lang asked Changsun Wuji.
The eldest grandson pondered for a long time, "What you said is indeed very reasonable, but this matter is indeed serious. I have to hold a meeting with all the ministers to discuss it, and finally report to His Majesty."
"Okay, I believe that all the gentlemen are far-sighted and big-bodied people, and they can look far away for a hundred years. I will go first and wait for the good news from the eldest grandson."
Changsun Wuji said, "After you go back, first perfect your idea, write a form and give it to me, so that I can take it to the political affairs hall to discuss with the ministers!"
"I will write it when I get home, and it will be delivered as soon as possible."
Eldest Sun Wuji personally sent his nephew and son-in-law to the door, "Your new tax law only takes assets as the basis, not personal status. This has changed the basic tax system since the Warring States Period for thousands of years."
"Elder Grandson, as long as it is right and beneficial to the Tang Dynasty, it is worthwhile to change the old law." Qin Lang said.
The two crossed their hands to bid farewell.
(end of this chapter)