High-quality peace is inseparable from the oath of force.

This truth Wu Zheng is very clear and unforgettable!

But many things can't be done with one passion.

For example, the transfer of the First Army to the north did not curb the Qing government's control over the resources of the north, but instead prompted the Qing court to begin to tighten restrictions.

But Wu Zheng couldn't immediately order the Northern Expedition, because he couldn't afford to fight.

Yes, the firearms in the military workshops are becoming more and more advanced, but no matter how advanced they are, they cannot do without the manufacture and replenishment of ordnance, still less from the replenishment of a large number of projectiles and gunpowder, and the expanded military workshops are still far from sufficient to meet the needs of the 200,000-strong army for a decisive battle.

Yes, the influence of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce can almost control the commercial trade north of the Yellow River, and it is unceremonious to say that if the Chamber of Commerce suddenly stops, it can put the people of Shuntianfu into chaos in a month or two. But the greatest influence can't stop the butcher's knife in the hands of the enemy.

This is a contradiction and antagonism, which requires great strategic determination and wisdom to resolve it.

However, Wu Zheng's attention is not on the matter, what cannot be solved for the time being, then let time solve it, this is Wu Zheng's strategic determination, identify a direction, and never waver!

At this time, Wu Zheng's attention was on another matter.

Five years ago, Wu Zheng, then the prince of Zhenguo, issued a new tax order in Hangzhou, and the agricultural tax of all prefectures and counties under its jurisdiction was reduced or exempted in three stages, and finally completely exempted from taxes.

At that time, this decree was opposed and discouraged by many people, including Qian Sule, Chen Zilong, and countless famous households.

It is a redistribution of interests, which is equivalent to a revolution.

The fiscal tax is a fixed value, and it must be levied on whoever it is levied from.

Since the agricultural tax revenue is less, it is natural to collect more from the commercial tax.

If you don't tax the poor, you have to tax the rich.

It's a zero-sum concept, black and white.

At that time, there were several riots in Jiangnan because of this incident, if it were not for Wu Zheng's "grain price campaign", with the help of Mo Zhinian, who leveled those big families and merchants in Hangzhou in one fell swoop, then it would be impossible to have a general's mansion anymore.

At that time, the riots had subsided, but doubts remained, including Mo Zhinian, who also reserved his opinions.

Until today, the new tax decree has gone through two stages: halving and reducing the agricultural tax by 20%, and compared with before the reform, the agricultural tax has only 30% of the original amount.

Today is the scheduled implementation date of Phase III.

In other words, if Wu Zheng nods, then the Jiangnan agricultural tax will probably go into history from tomorrow.

Facts have proved that Wu Zheng's thinking is right.

With the establishment of Jiangnan workshops, more and more farmers began to change to hired laborers.

In the Yellow Book of Registered Population, the total number of merchants and hired workers is close to 30% of the total population, which is a very large proportion.

The peasant population then dropped to less than half of them.

In terms of the life experience and experience of Mo Zhinian, Xiong Rulin, Zhang Guowei and others, this is quite dangerous.

In other words, the amount of food produced by a farmer in a year needs to support two and a half people, including himself.

In terms of current food production, it is definitely quite dangerous.

Fortunately, with the prosperity of commerce in Jiangnan, merchants had great interest in buying low-cost grain from Huguang, Fujian, Guangdong and other places, which made the grain supply in the prefectures and counties in Jiangnan relaxed.

But now the problem has arisen, if the agricultural tax is completely reduced, then the chain reaction triggered by it is something that Wu Zheng could not have predicted.

The registered population is basically a fixed value, and the demand for labor in all walks of life is like a variable, and there are more people working in agriculture, and naturally there are fewer people doing business.

However, the attraction effect of agricultural tax reduction and exemption has been greatly reduced after two reductions in agricultural tax.

In other words, even if the agricultural tax is completely exempted at this time, the attraction effect will not be significant.

But that's not the point, the point is that, apart from the peasants, all walks of life are opposed to the complete abolition of agricultural taxes.

Just like at this time, Mo insisted on persuading Wu Zheng to take back his life, "...... Even if the tax exemption attracted a large number of people back to the fields according to the best expectations, the prince would have thought that the Jiangnan of today is no longer the Jiangnan of five years ago, and the workshops in various prefectures will face difficulties due to the lack of hired workers...... Unable to find enough workers, the workshops had to increase their daily pay, which led to a sharp decrease in profits and even losses...... The sudden loss of a large number of people will also cause chaos in the community, and conversely, these landless employees will lose their livelihood and ...... because they cannot get land. ”

"Wait." Wu Zheng frowned and said, "Employees who lost their land? Why lost? Lone has no memory...... The General's Mansion apparently didn't issue a decree that hired workers needed to repossess the land, right? ”

Don't be stunned.

On the other hand, Zhang Guowei explained: "The prince may ...... I don't know, with the opening of the General's Mansion and the construction of Songjiang New Town, plus the railway that has been built now, the land price of the two places has increased several times, or even more than ten times...... I'm afraid no one is likely to resist this temptation. ”

Wu Zheng understood, and suddenly understood, this can't blame anyone.

It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.

When a fortune that could not be obtained in several lifetimes is placed in front of him, who can not be tempted?

Wu Zheng understood this truth, and when the new tax order was issued, Wu Zheng chose not to be zero-sum, but to make the pie of interests bigger, and improve the interests of the poor while not harming large households and businessmen.

For example, the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce and the bank's predecessor, Qianzhuang, were used to compete for the share and market of northern merchants, and to subsidize the income of the financial secretary and the interests of merchants with high tariffs.

This method is very effective, and it is also the real reason why Jiangnan businessmen no longer regard Wu Zheng as an "enemy", but as a person with convergent interests.

But now, it's different.

As this pie of interests with an end of life reaches the limit to which it can be expanded, the contradictions between the rich and the poor, the merchants and hired hands, the peasants and the craftsmen, etc., are gradually revealed and become more and more serious.

This is really not to blame anyone, every decree, whether it is "good government" or "bad government", is to achieve one group of people and deprive another group of people, and the fundamental difference between the two is the number of people who have achieved it.

Farmers who were originally reluctant to sell their land, because of the rise of workshops everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River, were greedy for the daily wages of hired workers, sold their land, and learned to start workshops.

They are not proletarians, on the contrary, they have a wealth of land sales that ordinary people cannot reach.

However, these people are the worst in resistance, because they have no strength, no, they are only good at farming, not business.

Then, under the tailwind of opening a workshop, they can indeed survive, but in adversity, they are the first to die.

This is even more to blame the General's Mansion and the "initiator" Wu Zheng.

"Let Lone think about it...... Think again. ”