Sun Chengzong was stunned, he didn't expect Emperor Chongzhen to ask himself this question, this has always been an argument used by conservatives to attack himself. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info Sun Chengzong understood that this was the most concerned issue of Emperor Chongzhen, and it was also Emperor Chongzhen's hesitation in employing people in Liaodong.

If Yuan Chonghuan is used, it is naturally to train troops to recover Liaotu, and if Wang Zaijin is used, it is the duty to defend steadily.

Although Sun Chengzong looked down on the conservatives and did not agree with their official views, Sun Chengzong knew that if he did not convince Emperor Chongzhen, his ideas would not be able to be implemented.

Emperor Chongzhen was able to stand on the side of the conservatives and ask such a question, which shows the tendencies in Emperor Chongzhen's heart.

"Your Majesty, after so many years of operation, Liaodong is already a strong soldier, as long as you fight steadily and steadily, the generals are single-minded, recover Liaotu, and pacify Liaodong is naturally no problem." Sun Chengzong said slowly, this question is really difficult to answer.

As for saying something like an inch of mountains and rivers and an inch of blood, Sun Chengzong felt that it would not be too useful. Although he didn't talk to Emperor Chongzhen for a long time, Sun Chengzong discovered that Emperor Chongzhen was a practical emperor, and everything was based on feasibility.

Shouting slogans and singing high-pitched songs was useless to the emperor in front of him, so Sun Chengzong had no choice but to proceed from reality.

"In fact, the strength of the Tartars is not so strong, and many people in the court say that the Tartars are too powerful!" Sun Chengzong explained: "The minister thinks that now that the Ming Dynasty has solved the problem in Liaodong, there will be no border trouble in Liaodong, and the annual military salary expenditure will be much smaller, and the treasury will be full at that time." ”

"How many more years will you suffer the people?" Emperor Chongzhen laughed mockingly, this kind of words were the kind of words he was most tired of hearing.

The so-called caring about the people for a few years and levying additional salaries are all thought up by these officials themselves, and the people will understand what they say. You have robbed the people of all their rations, and the people will understand you? It's not bad if the hungry people don't jump high and scold their mothers.

Sun Chengzong was a little embarrassed, he also knew that the people's lives were miserable, and they couldn't even eat three meals, and it was a good day to be able to eat two full meals.

What's the crux of the matter? How could Sun Chengzong not see it, that is, the elite class does not pay taxes, and a talented person does not pay taxes on his family's land, forming a huge tax avoidance method in the form of land affiliation.

When his family was admitted to a Xiucai, everyone "sold" their fields to Xiucai, and the price was very low, or even no money at all. In renting these lands back to grow by themselves, they only need to give Xiucai some money and grain every year.

Because Xiucai's land can evade taxes, it is more objective to calculate it than paying taxes by farming yourself.

At the same time, because of this, it can also exempt a large part of the harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

These Xiucai became famous local gentry, plus the landlords, Xiucai was still the lowest level, plus the higher lifters, jinshi, officials at all levels, imperial relatives and hereditary nobles, they were all the beneficiaries of this system.

Even the common people, who were able to get a better harvest, often became patriarchs or even clan elders. They will also give back to their families, establish genealogy, let the children of the family study, and strive for fame.

In this way, the family was extended and remained in the ruling class from generation to generation.

Officials collude with the common people to evade the state's taxes, and when it comes to collecting taxes, the officials oppose it because it touches their interests.

The only tax burden that the imperial court could receive was the tax of the yeoman peasants, but as time went by, the yeoman peasants became fewer and fewer, some of them could not afford to plant the land due to natural and man-made disasters, so they could only sell the land, and some of them were once again concentrated in the hands of the gentry because the family finally made a showman.

After more than 200 years of development in the Ming Dynasty, such a system has been quite complete, and it is no wonder that the imperial court can collect taxes.

In this era, the main body is the agricultural tax, and without the agricultural tax, the country will naturally be unable to make ends meet. As for the commercial tax, the ultra-low tax rate of 30 taxes and 1, coupled with the fact that the elite class did not pay taxes, gave rise to a large number of collusion between officials and businessmen, and even the gentry directly engaged in business.

The officials also waved the banner of not competing with the people, and asked the emperor to reduce all kinds of taxes, and Emperor Chongzhen was fooled by the Donglin Party to reduce the taxes on Jiangnan weaving and salt and iron ore, so that in the end, the Ming Inner Treasury did not have a penny, and the rats could starve to death.

You must know that at that time, the silk and salt mines were all profiteering industries, and the tax collectors sent by Wei Zhongxian to various places got money from this, and relied on the money obtained by Wei Zhongxian to support the expenses of the Ming Empire.

The Donglin Party hated Wei Zhongxian, and naturally he also robbed money, Wei Zhongxian fell, and they fooled Emperor Chongzhen to reduce taxes, but they all fattened their own pockets.

After all, what's the sticking point? It's that the elite class doesn't pay taxes, and if this problem is not solved, there will be no hope for the Ming Dynasty.

The Qing Dynasty inherited the system of the Ming Dynasty, which naturally included the fact that the elite class did not pay taxes, and attracted a large number of landlords and gentry. In the last years of Kangxi, the decline was fully revealed, and the Jiangnan disaster was a disaster, but the imperial court could not come up with money and grain for disaster relief, so it had to send Yongzheng, who was still the prince at the time, to raise disaster relief.

After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he reformed the tax system, the most important of which was to apportionment into mu and levy taxes according to the number of fields.

In order to implement this policy, Yongzheng killed how many vested interests, otherwise he would not be called a tyrant. Ye Shi smeared Yongzheng as much as possible, what grabbed the throne, what was not Kangxi's own son, and his mother was Han and the like.

Sun Chengzong was very clear about this, and when Emperor Chongzhen said this, he didn't know how to answer for a while, because he was also a vested interest, and at the same time, he also knew that there was no way to touch this piece.

At the beginning of Zhang Juzheng's reform, he launched a whip law to clear the land, and how big was the opposition? Zhang Juzheng was whipped after his death, his family was ruined, and finally he died. The bloody lesson is there, who would dare to mention it?

"Why doesn't Aiqing speak?" Emperor Chongzhen looked at Sun Chengzong and said with a light smile: "There is a good saying, the officials force the people to rebel, and the people have to rebel!" The **** of the Yuan Dynasty, natural disasters continued, the grandfather raised troops in cloth, expelled the Tartars, and established the Ming Dynasty. ”

"If there is no participation of the people, it is called a rebellion, and if there is no rebellion that cannot be quelled, but if there is smoke everywhere and the uprising continues, what should I do?"

Sun Chengzong looked at Emperor Chongzhen, sighed and said, "Emperor Shengming, the people of the Ming Dynasty are blessed!" ”

Waving his hand, Emperor Chongzhen continued: "Pacify Liaodong and recover Liaotu, I dare not forget, but at this time, the Ming Dynasty has no way to support a large-scale war." Once defeated, or fought for several years, without Tartars coming in, we ourselves will be in chaos! ”

"What does the emperor mean?" Sun Chengzong had already understood Emperor Chongzhen's thoughts and asked.

"Maintain stability, maintain the stability of the situation in Liaodong, form an alliance with North Korea and Mongolia, support Mao Wenlong in Dongjiang, and contain Houjin." Emperor Chongzhen looked at Sun Chengzong and said in a deep voice: "From the three major battalions of the Forbidden Army, we will purge the twelve guards of the pro-army and restore the glory of our ancestors." ”

"At the beginning, Chengzu swept the north, hundreds of thousands of elites in the three major battalions, people were like tigers and horses, and the Ming Dynasty was at its peak? It's just a Tartar but a chicken, but now? What has become of the three battalions? Will the pro-army twelve guards still fight? I'm afraid I can't even ride a horse, right? ”

"Since the defeat of the Civil Fort, the three battalions have not recovered, and I will not hesitate to build a new one this time!"

Sun Chengzong looked at Emperor Chongzhen, his heartbeat accelerated, and it has always been Sun Chengzong's long-cherished wish to train an elite division.

"However, training requires money, and after maintaining stability, I must start to rectify the officialdom and clarify the rule of officials!" Emperor Chongzhen looked at Sun Chengzong and said with a smile: "Reform the tax system, let the treasury have money first, as long as the treasury has money, other things can be done." ”

"When the ancestor was formed, there were 37 million taels of land alone in the Ming Dynasty, and more than 200 years have passed, the population has increased several times, and the land is increasing, but what about taxes? How much is the tax paid in a year in the Ming Dynasty? Aiqing, do you know? Two million 6,600,000 taels! ”

Hearing Emperor Chongzhen report this number, Sun Chengzong could only shake his head and smile bitterly, this is something that everyone knows, but what can be done?

One does not compete with the people for profit, the other hides wealth from the people, there is a lot of resistance to the collection of taxes, and the officials themselves are vested interests, and you let him take money from his pocket, is that possible?

"Aiqing, I need you, come out!" Emperor Chongzhen turned his head to look at Sun Chengzong: "Although I don't know what the future holds, I decided to take a gamble and do it once." For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world, I hope that Aiqing can walk with me. ”

Sun Chengzong's body trembled a little, he got up from the chair, picked up his robe and knelt on the ground: "The minister is old and frail, but the minister is willing to serve the emperor." ”

Emperor Chongzhen nodded, and stretched out his hand to help Sun Chengzong up: "Aiqing, there has been no candidate for the secretary of the military department since Cui Chengxiu left office, I will let the cabinet draw up the decree, Aiqing will be the secretary of the military department, and the left capital of the Imperial Court of the Imperial Palace, Aiqing, will also take over, as for the matter of entering the cabinet, I will give Aiqing an explanation as soon as possible." ”

Seeing Emperor Chongzhen's sharp gaze, Sun Chengzong knew that someone was going to be unlucky, and those Wei family pavilion elders were probably going to fall.

However, Sun Chengzong didn't care about them at all, they were all a group of corpses who only knew people who were fighting for power and profit, and it would be strange if Sun Chengzong cared.

Emperor Chongzhen pulled Sun Chengzong and said in a deep voice: "After Aiqing arrives at the Ministry of War, the first thing to straighten out is the personnel of the Ministry of War. ”

Let Sun Chengzong be the secretary of the military department, it is because of Sun Chengzong's prestige and connections in the army, as long as he arrives in the military department, many people will immediately be honest, and he also knows what kind of people should be used in the military department.

"The emperor can rest assured, the minister will not live up to the emperor's high expectations!" Sun Chengzong hurriedly knelt on the ground and said.