Chapter 544: The Drawbacks of the Even-Loss Law

Wang Anshi had long discovered the huge flaws in the material supply system of the Great Song Dynasty.

First, the offerings on all roads are quotas, and the good years cannot be increased, and the bad years cannot be reduced.

Second, although the supply is fixed, the consumption is not fixed, and when the consumption is small, it will lead to stale food and have to be sold at half price, resulting in huge waste; From time to time, the warehouse will be emptied, which will not be sufficient.

Third, the rents imposed on the peasants in various localities often used methods such as branch transfer and conversion, and when they were purchasing, they often did not follow the actual situation, or they asked for no production, or when they bought expensively, thus increasing the burden on the peasants, giving the merchants the opportunity to manipulate prices and increase government expenditures.

The way to eliminate these drawbacks, in addition to the expensive and cheap, and then there is the use of near and far, that is, if there are multiple producing areas are harvested, then to the close distance, convenient transportation area to buy.

Therefore, Wang Anshi's "Equal Loss Law" is very different from Sang Hongyang's, and the core is to use the market mechanism to solve the problem of material supply in Beijing. Its overall purpose is to coordinate supply and demand; improve the efficiency of fiscal revenue and expenditure; expanding government purchasing power; Saving on purchases, transportation, etc.; lightening the burden on farmers; Crack down on the merger behavior of businessmen who manipulate the market by "accumulating the power of dispersion without permission". That is, the so-called "easy transfer, save labor costs, go to the redundancy, and ease the peasants".

There are two other measures to support the equalization law: first, it is necessary to expand the authority of the shipping department, allocate special funds to the shipping department for procurement, give the power to "buy from the convenience to the easy to buy", and increase the number of officials.

Secondly, it is necessary to establish an information communication system between the Beijing Division and the Shipping Division, as well as the shipping and warehousing, so that the Shipping Division can know the situation of the Beijing Division's treasury in advance, and reasonably arrange the purchase, tax collection and supply according to the actual needs.

It sounds wonderful, but from a dialectical point of view, everything has advantages and disadvantages.

As far as Su You knows, the "Even-Lose Law", playing with it, was played by the officials in reverse.

Both today and future generations, both supporters and opponents of the two eras, have ignored an important issue - the fundamental purpose of the equalization law should not be to use market mechanisms to solve the problem of material supply at all.

It should be a regulation measure of the imperial court, and the fundamental purpose is to collect the surplus grain in the hands of the farmers in the southeast! Let everyone have money to use, and avoid the cheap grain from hurting the farmers!

First, if the peasants do not have enough grain to eat, they will lose everything unevenly, and they will all be nonsense.

Second, if the scope of the Law covers all goods offered on the road, this will obviously interfere with the market.

Third, local officials have a state policy that, after cracking down on the merchants, will increase the amount of grain that would otherwise be used for rent, because now the peasants have no other way to sell their grain.

Then they will use this part of the grain to defraud the imperial court of the average loss, and the difference in the middle will naturally fall into their pockets, and at the same time infringe on the due interests of the peasants, the due interests of the merchants, and the due interests of the state.

It won't be long before officials come up with many ways to fatten themselves – too much money, uneven money, and the phenomenon of combining money and rice will ensue.

For example, when the rice is not collected, the government should have collected money but not rice, but what if the discount of the money collected is more expensive than the actual market price of local grain?

For example, when the government purchased rice and rice at 50, and ordered the people to fold the money and pay the money, it was as high as 90 rice! Exactly doubled! Even if you lose money, it is better to buy grain on the spot and pay for it!

Then the shipping division will soon become **, such as the southeast to supply grain, the average loss should only be an effective supplement to taxes, but later, as long as the rent grain paid by the transshipment division arrives late on the same day, the shipping department will refuse to accept it.

Then it was sent to Beijing from his own warehouse in the name of equal loss, and it was called the lack of rent in the name of entering the country, but the price set by it could even be several times higher than the market price!

In the process of this operation, the shipping department actually used the old grain saved in the harvest years, and did not pay the farmers money, and then it will bring a huge economic crisis - the southeast money shortage!

It won't take long for this problem to come to the fore, and the Song Dynasty will soon become a kingdom with royalties instead of rents, for only one reason - the officials are profitable!

Correspondingly, it is the corruption of the tax system of Caoyun, Caocang and other countries, as well as the birth of many famous projects such as Huashigang......

When things really got to that point, Da Song was basically hopeless.

Thinking of this, Su You couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart, and hurriedly wrote a letter to Wang Anshi, explaining these things one by one, and then told Wang Anshi that tens of millions, tens of thousands, must be opened to clarify the meaning, explaining that losing is just a supplement to the rent;

In addition, in order to avoid attracting criticism of seizing the profits of businessmen, Jieyan shares must be handled well, and in the preface of the law, the difference between the Great Song Dynasty's "Equal Loss Law" and Sang Hongyang's unlucky "Average Loss Law" must be explained;

Third, it is strongly recommended that the "Equal Loss Law" only involves the most important grain in the national economy and people's livelihood, and at the beginning of the reform, it should not involve too many types of exports, and only solve specific problems;

Finally, there must be effective measures for monitoring grain prices in various localities, and they must be clearly defined in the provisions of the new law, and the phenomenon of price inversion must not occur in the future.

After thinking about it, I still don't feel at ease, and tell Wang Anshi that this thing needs the participation of mathematical professionals and the implementation of capable people, and I will recommend two people to you here - Shen Kuo Shen Cunzhong, Zhang Dian Zhang Zihou!

Bianjing City, Wang An's stone house.

Wang Anshi, Lu Huiqing, Wang Yan, are writing from Su You.

Wang Anshi said with emotion: "Shu is fine and pure, there are some doorways, and the follow-up deduction of the new law is meticulous." ”

Wang Yan expressed dissatisfaction and sneered: "I think I just hope that the new law will not work, this is thinking about everything in the worst!" ”

Lu Huiqing saw the other side: "Having said so much, Su Mingrun is actually opening his eyes for the businessmen who invested in Jiechi Salt, right?" To say that there is no interest in him here, I don't believe it. ”

Wang Anshi shook his head: "Ji Fu is too far, no matter what Su Mingrun's purpose is, are the questions he raised a loophole in our new law?" Shouldn't we fill it in? ”

"Now that the "Equal Loss Law" has not yet been promulgated, it has already caused controversy in the Ordinance Department, Uncle Chen Yang and Su Ziyou have raised objections, thinking that it is a policy to carry out Sang Hongyang and seize the benefits of businessmen, which is exactly the same as what Su Mingrun pointed out."

Wang Yan sneered again: "I don't know if it's not the uncle and nephew, one sings with a red face and the other with a white face. ”

Lu Huiqing said: "Could it be that Su Mingrun saw that Ming Gong could use it and wanted to change his ways?" ”

This problem is very serious, when the world returns, if there is another way to be the son of the world, his position will be difficult to protect.

Wang Anshi put the letter away: "I have already clearly expressed my attitude a few times, but Mingrun's attitude is also very resolute and can cooperate, but it is by no means the same way, I can't convince him......"

Lu Huiqing chuckled in her heart, but she couldn't see anything on her face: "Su Mingrun is talented, but is he called cooperation?" The financial power of the ordnance supervision is independent, and the accounting department does not know the amount of its revenue and expenditure, so how can we cooperate? Xue Xiang was the first to oppose the salt-based and shipping matter. ”

Wang Yan folded the fan and opened: "Father, I have a plan." ”

Wang Anshi said: "What is the policy? ”

Wang Yan said with a smile: "Let's make a plan, didn't Su Mingrun ask Xie Chi to clarify the equity?" We will rely on him, and even let Xue Xiang maintain the status quo of Shaanxi Salt Administration is not a big deal. ”

Wang Anshi said: "Yan'er, you said lightly, where did the turnover of the shipping department come from?" ”

Wang Yan smiled: "Don't forget, the Great Song Dynasty still has a big source of wealth. ”

Lu Huiqing immediately understood and exclaimed: "Wonderful! What Childe said, it should be hidden! ”

Wang Yan nodded: "Yes, it is hidden!" Ask the official family to allocate 5 million yuan and 3 million stones from the inner treasury to Xue Xiang. Economic ability, Xue Xiang is not weaker than him Su Mingrun, he will be able to help! ”

Wang Anshi hesitated.

Lu Huiqing said: "Ming Gong, what the prince said is reasonable. The money and grain are hidden in it, and if you put it away, Ming Gong will not borrow it, and it is estimated that the ordnance supervisor will also borrow it at that time. Instead of using it for the gold-swallowing giant beast and losing all its money, it is better to use it first to transfer grain, so that it can increase national revenue and save national expenses. Which is more important? ”