usatvline Chapter 84: Jiangnan has its own beauty, and home is where the heart finds peace.
Chapter 84: Jiangnan has its own beauty, and home is where the heart finds peace.
Emperor Yonglong's curiosity was piqued; he wanted to see what kind of solution this third-ranked scholar could come up with.
The first solution Lin Ruhai proposed was to determine the tax based on land surveying.
The land under heaven was surveyed and classified into five grades: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and a fish-scale register was created as a permanent record.
The poll tax was abolished, and the tax was transferred to the land. Tenant farmers received a reduction of two taels of silver per year, and the poll tax was converted into land tax.
For every mu of land, the tax is 1.3 qian of silver, which includes 4 li of the poll tax.
Second policy: Gentry and commoners pay taxes as part of the third policy.
Those who are granted titles and ranks shall be exempted from taxes. Dukes, marquises, and earls shall pay an annual tax of 500 shi (a unit of dry measure). Jinshi and Juren shall be exempted from the land limit of 30 qing (another unit of dry measure). For land exceeding the limit, taxes shall be levied according to the standards for civilian land.
Those who falsely claim to own land or falsely claim to be temples or monasteries will have their land confiscated by the government, and the owners will be exiled three thousand li away.
The channels for impeachment were opened, and the censors and officials impeached gentry who resisted grain taxation annually. Those who stripped three people of their titles were promoted three ranks.
……
Upon seeing these strategies, Emperor Yonglong couldn't help but gasp.
These are all good policies that benefit the country and its people!
Unfortunately, there was absolutely no room for its implementation.
Even if he were to implement it, I'm afraid it would soon lead to a cataclysmic disaster.
Looking at the princes, not one of them had the courage to accomplish this.
They are good at maintaining the status quo but lack ambition.
Perhaps in a few decades, the Great Qian Dynasty will decline.
At this thought, Emperor Yonglong's face darkened.
If given another thirty years, he might be able to bring about change.
However, there wasn't that much time left for him!
In his melancholy, Emperor Yonglong suddenly remembered someone.
Yes, none of the princes are capable of undertaking this important task.
However, the imperial grandchildren may not necessarily be unable to do so.
If there is anyone who could accomplish such a feat, it would be none other than Zong Ge'er.
However, once change is initiated, the consequences are unpredictable.
Without change, patching things up can sustain them for at least a few decades.
If reforms are implemented, it could potentially lead to a revival of the Great Qian Dynasty.
More likely, the Great Qian Dynasty will collapse and its heavens and earth will crumble.
For a moment, this made Emperor Yonglong hesitate.
He gently put down the memorial in his hand and couldn't help but sigh.
This memorial is excellent, and this Lin Tanhua is also a pillar of society.
Unfortunately, the timing isn't right now!
He was able to keep this memorial hidden and suppress it.
However, Hanlin scholars are proud and might express it in other ways.
Fine, let's suppress him and leave him for the younger generation to use!
The next morning at court, Emperor Yonglong presented Lin Tanhua's memorial to the court for discussion.
As expected, this caused a huge uproar. In the imperial court, civil and military officials frantically impeached Lin Ruhai.
Do all those high-ranking officials in the imperial court not know that Lin Ruhai is right?
I wonder if his proposed solution is effective? Or if it is beneficial to the Great Qian Dynasty?
That's not the case. They studied the classics diligently and naturally understood these things; in fact, they had already considered this point themselves.
However, Lin Ruhai's reform strategy was to take money from the gentry to subsidize the common people.
The officials in the imperial court were all gentry, and all of them were beneficiaries of the existing system!
Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents; the entire court wishes they could devour their flesh and drink their blood, and put them to death!
Seeing the court officials filled with indignation, Emperor Yonglong sighed inwardly.
This is the resistance to change!
This is going against the world; how can one succeed?
Ultimately, Emperor Yonglong made the decision and sent him directly to Yangzhou as a judge.
Although the magistrate is also a seventh-rank official, he is in charge of criminal cases and litigation, and is a local official.
How can it compare to a position like the compiler of the Hanlin Academy, which is in the central government and has a very fast promotion rate?
Lin Ruhai, this minor Hanlin scholar, was directly dismissed.
This matter appears to have caused a great sensation.
In reality, it was all bark and no bite, and the matter was quickly dropped.
After all, he was just a minor official of the seventh rank, so he could easily suppress him.
Everyone just took it as a joke and didn't take it seriously.
Only Lin Ruhai, the person directly involved, was truly subjected to ruthless suppression.
……
In the Hanlin Academy, Lin Ruhai was summoned by the head scholar and learned that he had been impeached and demoted to Yangzhou as a judge.
Lin Ruhai froze on the spot, unable to accept such a blow for a moment.
He was full of patriotic fervor, but in the end, this is what he got in return.
He was in a daze and didn't know how he got home.
Only after Jia Min held him and asked him questions with tears streaming down her face did Lin Ruhai regain some of his senses.
Lin Ruhai was filled with shame and indignation, feeling he had failed his wife and daughter.
Upon hearing this, Jia Min smiled and comforted Lin Ruhai.
Jia Min said what she liked most about him was his sense of responsibility.
The happiest time is when the family is together. What does it matter whether one has a high official position or is in the capital?
Jiangnan has its own beauty, and wherever my heart finds peace is my home.
Hearing his wife's words, Lin Ruhai was deeply moved and couldn't help but burst into tears.
Jia Min pulled him into her arms and gently comforted him.
She didn't think her husband's weeping lacked masculinity at all; on the contrary, she felt that such genuine emotion was what made a true man.
After a good cry, Lin Ruhai felt much better. Just as he was about to stop crying, he heard a childish voice say:
"Daddy, don't cry. Which bad guy bullied you? I'll chase him away for you, okay?"
It turned out that Lin Daiyu had woken up and rushed over upon hearing the noise.
Lin Ruhai felt even more ashamed when his daughter caught him crying.
He quickly wiped away his tears and said, "Father, have you ever cried? Just now, a little flying insect flew into my eye, and..."
Lin Daiyu tilted her head and looked at Lin Ruhai, saying, "Father, you're lying. You clearly cried; your tears aren't even dry..."
Seeing her husband becoming increasingly ashamed and uneasy, Jia Min found it amusing.
She busied herself helping her husband coax Lin Daiyu, and it took her a while to change the subject.
At that very moment, Prince Chung-jang came to visit.
It seems that Prince Zhongzheng learned of this and came to comfort him.
After the person was invited in, it was indeed the case; Prince Zhongzheng still brought wine with him.
Prince Zhongzheng risked his life to accompany Lin Ruhai, and they got thoroughly drunk together.
……
In the palace, after Emperor Yonglong had dinner with Xia Chengli, Xia Chengyan, and Xia Chengren, Emperor Yonglong first told the three of them about Lin Ruhai's memorial.
Then they asked for the opinions of the three children.
This was also a test for them by Emperor Yonglong.
The princes are already set in their ways; we can't count on them anymore.
He wanted to see if there was another promising talent among the imperial grandsons besides Zong Ge'er.
Xia Chengli and the other two had already learned of this during the day.
Even Xia Chengzong, who arrived last, arranged for Xia Bei to be his informant.
Those who arrived earlier and haven't left yet, how could they not have spies?
They knew that Lin Ruhai was being relentlessly impeached and subsequently demoted because of this memorial.
What kind of good strategy is one that is opposed by the entire court?
Even if it's good, it can't be called good.
Xia Chengli was the first to speak, criticizing Lin Ruhai's reform strategy from various angles.
Xia Chengli was not stupid; he secretly observed Emperor Yonglong's expression as he spoke.
Seeing that Emperor Yonglong was listening with a smile, he felt even more at ease.