The Imperial Study.

Wang Mang is handling government affairs.

The imperial court is in dire need of manpower, and even the emperor must be diligent and set an example.

When Gu Dan came here, Wang Mang was contemplating his brows.

What he is dealing with is a matter related to Yuzhou.

The burst of the source river floods the plains with the countless amounts of sediment produced by the source river every year, silting up the river, flooding the fields, overflowing the lakes, and blocking traffic and shipping.

The impact is not limited to the land of Yuzhou, and even Yangzhou has not been able to escape.

Moreover, every year during the flood season, the water of the source river will flood back and irrigate, inundating the farmland, and after the flood is the locust plague, there are sand dunes everywhere, and the surface of the ground is abrupt and convex, which is impossible to cultivate, causing extremely serious damage to agriculture.

If it weren't for the strong support of the four countries, it would have been less than a year, and it would not have been easy for the Xia Dynasty to be able to eat a full meal, let alone the founding of the country.

But the Xia Dynasty can't all pin its hopes on the materials sent by the four countries, those materials are of course good things, in addition to the current large number, there will be a steady stream in the next few years, even if the number will be reduced, it will be enough to support the Xia Dynasty.

But sitting on the mountain and eating empty is by no means the foundation of the country, and this kind of external offering cannot really regard it as its own national strength.

If it weren't for Gu Dan's birth and the end of this troubled era, the people of the Xia Dynasty at this time would have said that it would be a compliment if they were hungry, and they were afraid that they had already begun to eat.

Relying on personal force to take and take is indeed a shortcut, but Gu Dan has already shown his attitude, and he has not even shown up at the founding ceremony.

Obviously, it has been decided to leave everything in the afterlife to them to deal with it on their own.

This is a great challenge, when the Xia Dynasty was founded, it relied on the name of Moqiu and the Mo family to win the hearts of the people, so it was destined to embark on a different path, and it must not be ignored like Dayue.

Otherwise, it is not only a betrayal for the predecessors, but also for the descendants, for themselves, and even for Gu Dan, it is completely impossible to explain.

It is difficult to fight the world, and it is even more difficult to sit in the world.

Nowadays, the people of the Xia Dynasty have little recognition of the Xia Dynasty, especially after the announcement of Moqiu's death.

Wang Mang can only do his best to do his best, including but not limited to starting to accept various political affairs on the first day of the founding of the country.

Gu Dan still looked at it silently for a while as before, and only when Wang Mang went to get a document did he cough lightly.

Wang Mang immediately turned his head, and there was a light of surprise in his eyes, "Brother Gu! ”

Seeing Gu Dan, Wang Mang looked a little excited, "I thought you wouldn't come today."

"Now that you are the emperor, you have the final say, don't expect me."

Gu Dan shook his head lightly and poured a basin of cold water on his face, "To fight the world, personal force does have some effect, and if you want to control a country, relying solely on force is undoubtedly Wangmei to quench your thirst, you have to understand this." ”

"I know."

Wang Mang nodded again and again, "I just think that if Brother Gu doesn't come, it always seems that something is missing." ”

If there is no care, the Xia Dynasty at this time will never be able to settle down, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the merit is great.

It's just that Gu Dan refuses to show himself in front of others, and the people who really know him are all at the top, and this credit is also placed on Mo Qiu's body, and even the prestige of the Mo family has been further enhanced.

The people knew the Mo family but not the emperor.

Wang Mang has no complaints about this, after all, he was unknown before, and he suddenly ascended to a high position, and if he couldn't even bear a little abuse and slander, he would be too petty.

"I'm here this time because there are two things that you need to do. It's not a negotiability, it's a must. ”

Gu Dan said seriously.

"Brother Gu said."

Wang Mang's expression also became focused.

He is very familiar with Gu Dan, and he understands Gu Dan's personality very well, and rarely says such unquestionable words, once he says it, it is a determination and cannot be changed.

"The first is about taxes."

Gu Dan said: "In the past, there were many types of taxes, and after the people under the officials at all levels did things, they could set up clever names and even take them by force. At the beginning of the Xia Dynasty, there was no shortage of materials, and in recent years, there was no need to collect taxes. Taking advantage of this period of time, it is necessary to find out the situation of the people and implement a new tax policy.

I call it 'Spread into Acres'. ”

Taxes!

As soon as he heard these two words, Wang Mang's expression became more and more solemn.

Taxes are the real lifeblood of a nation.

Whoever controls taxes is in charge of a country, and all the money in the treasury comes from this.

Therefore, any reform of taxation is always cautious.

Previously, Dayue used the "poll tax" as the main basis for tax collection, and the harm of this law was to reduce the enthusiasm of the people to give birth, and even the emergence of various black households with hidden hukou.

And this kind of poll tax is actually extremely unfair, the poor are poorer, the rich are richer, and the polarization is particularly serious.

It's not that no one can see the drawbacks, the question is how to change them?

"To put it simply, it is to collect taxes directly from the land. On the basis of land property, it will no longer be levied on the population without land property. At the same time, the regulation of household registration was deregulated and the people at the bottom were allowed to move. ”

Gu Dan said seriously.

Spread into acres, it is extremely simple.

But its effectiveness is extremely powerful.

Compared with the burden of the poll tax on all the people, the landlord who is apportioned into the mu kills the landlord class with abundant land, and the richer the richer, the greater the damage, and to a certain extent, it can indeed curb the problem of land annexation.

"Spread into acres."

Wang Mang pondered silently, and soon thought of the various benefits of this, this law can indeed effectively prevent the people from gathering wealth in a faulty way, and share the tax burden to the embarrassment of ordinary people.

The only problem is that in order to do this, you have to do a thorough investigation of the land!

This is a great demand for low-level officials, and it is no wonder that Brother Gu said that in the first few years, taxes can be avoided for the time being, and he obviously understands the difficulties faced by Wang Mang at this time.

Strictly speaking, the Xia Dynasty was not a bottom-up rebellion, and even there were still a lot of silverfish from the previous dynasty in Dayue, which were still tirelessly sucking blood and had not yet been completely swept away.

At this time, the founding of the country, although it was able to stop the suffering and did not continue to aggravate, but the ruthless washing of all kinds of people and landlords has not really been done.

This method is taken out and aimed at that group of people.

"No problem, I'm going to do it with all my might."

Wang Mang nodded seriously, it is not difficult to understand the apportionment, but the difficulty is to implement.

But the advantage of mastering the armed forces of the upper echelons is evident at this time.

The Four Kingdoms are about to send five Grandmasters to Dayue to help, won't this be effective?

Is it ridiculous to be a grandmaster?!

If you dare to kill someone, it's over!

"The second thing is conscription."

Gu Dan said again.

When Wang Mang heard this, he became more and more cautious.

Taxes, forced labor.

These are the two great mountains that are truly pressing on the heads of the people.

There is no escape from any era before it.

The taxes may be affordable by the wealthier people, even the poorer people, scraping together and barely surviving.

But not in conscription.

Unless you have a meritorious reputation, you have to obediently roll out to participate in the conscription, even if someone secretly colludes, the conscription that should be there is only a personal responsibility, but it is impossible to really escape.

If taxation is a sharp sword, conscription is a rope.

Swords can hurt people, ropes are used to kill people!

At this time, the palace of the Xia Dynasty was built by mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people to serve as conscripts, during which the blood, sweat and bones were countless, which directly led to a surge in the momentum of the civil rebellion.

It is said that future generations will mourn it but not learn from it, but the question is what can be done after it is learned?

At least Wang Mang didn't think of this answer, and the extremely smart officials of the previous dynasties didn't think of this answer, so they could only continue to follow the old system.

"After that, all the conscription can be offset with money. The money that is used to offset it may employ the people to do things. ”

Gu Dan said a good policy that has been tested by history.

Why is there conscription?

Because the country is short of money, but it has to build something.

It is not a solution to increase taxes all the time, and it is not just a matter of saying that the government is harsh and fierce.

So there was another conscription.

If you want to rely on the government to pay for hiring, it is impossible to hire, so you have to suffer the people again.

We also know that you don't have any money, so you can come and work!

But in the end, conscription is still another form of tax!

It's just that the money has been replaced by the people themselves.

Wang Mang, who was very much in favor of spreading the land into the mu before, was already frowning deeply at this time, and even had to speak, "In this way, those local tyrants and landlords can escape from forced labor forever in this way!" In the end, it is the people at the bottom who can't come up with money, and they still have to follow the old system! ”

"So, the first one is to spread the land into the acre! After measuring the amount of land in the country, the land controlled by the rich families and the gentry, the money required for forced labor was spread into the acres, and the more acres of land, the more taxes! When this law is actually implemented, it can even abolish forced labor! ”

Gu Dan said without the slightest hesitation.

What kind of ability does the people have to suffer?

Give me a hard family, gentry and strong!

I like land annexation, right?

I like to buy and sell strongly, right?

I like to suffer people, right?

You see if I can't get it, you're done!

If the founder of any country did not do it, it would be unimaginably difficult for future generations to do it.

Gu Dan once said that he wanted to make the people of the world live a better life.

These two things must be done from the beginning, and even become real iron laws.

Wang Mang did not immediately answer Gu Dan's words, but seriously thought about whether this method was really feasible.

The more I thought about it, the more excited I became.

How can this method not work?

It will work!

The current Xia Dynasty, is there a shortage of supplies? Short of money? No, all that's missing is enough officials!

When there are enough officials, how can we not make drastic reforms?

Spread into the acre, benefit the country and the people!

It is no longer a bitter common man, but a bitter rich and noble family, who will transfer the burden that the people at the bottom need to bear to those big families!

"Good, good!"

After thinking about all this, Wang Mang's eyes burst into a bright look, "With this strategy alone, Brother Gu can already be a saint!" ”

If it was said that there was great favor to the people who were suffering at this time after the peace of war and chaos before, then after these two brand-new national policies, or even the national policies directly simplified into one, will be implemented by the people of thousands of generations, and they will be blessed by them!

It is impossible to exaggerate how to boast about the two mountains of taxes and labor in one fell swoop.

The name of the saint is rightfully deserved!

"These things are for you to do, and for the entire court to do them, and the credit is also yours. If you want to be the first emperor of the ages and leave a name, you must accomplish great things that others can't accomplish. ”

Gu Dan patted Wang Mang's shoulder, this is a long way to go, and even extraordinarily complicated affairs are pressed on Wang Mang's shoulder, so he also gave his own promise, "If there is someone who can't solve it, you can call me." ”

He doesn't need to be a babysitter, but when necessary, he does come and help.

"With Brother Gu's words, I am relieved."

Wang Mang laughed.

It is very simple to say that it is just a matter of changing the way of taxation.

But the people's revolt is by no means as easy as it sounds.

Suddenly discovering that it is their turn to suffer, the big families, landlords and squires will do everything possible to resist the new national policy, and even incite the people at the bottom.

These things are not possible, but they will definitely happen!

When one's own interests are threatened, one should never expect any decent consciousness from that group of people, and will only do everything possible to shirk or even deceive.

Any good policy, if not implemented properly, will only be empty talk.

"This matter, leave it to Gongshang to do it in the past, and Yu Lisheng will lead the ink master to review, what does Brother Gu think?"

Wang Mang thought that even if there was a candidate.

Gong Shangguo was able to create the Mo family with Moqiu, and there is no doubt about his ability.

And Yu Lisheng raised the banner of the Mo family at this time, and in terms of the degree to which the Xia Dynasty respected the way of the Mo family, this national teacher was also a first-class person.

Reviewing this matter in the name of the Mo family will undoubtedly minimize the resistance, and being slaughtered by the Mo will definitely be more poked in the backbone than being slaughtered by the government.

Coupled with Wang Mang's full support, it can be called exhaustion.

"Yes."

Gu Dan did not hesitate and nodded immediately.

The fact that this law can be truly implemented is beneficial to the present and the future generations, and it is reasonable for many people to devote themselves to it.

It is true that there are many things that depend on the power of the individual, but when it comes to actually doing something, it can be much more convenient - as long as you are the strongest.

Those big families, no matter how difficult it is to raise a grandmaster, even if they are lucky, how can they compete with the top people at this time?

Not to mention that the grandmaster doesn't look down on the interests of that star at all, and he can make up for it from other aspects, so why do it have to go against the national policy?

As long as enough rich families are killed, the implementation of this law will not be as difficult as imagined.

As long as these two things are really implemented, no matter what, the lives of the people of the Xia Dynasty will definitely be much better than the previous big moon!

In this way, Gu Dan was also able to fulfill the promise he had made.

The people who live in this land will have a better life.

A room.

The former emperor of Dayue held a handful of pills, and his eyes wandered.

He had already tried this elixir, and when he swallowed one, he seemed to be several years younger, and his body had strength again!

Such a panacea, let him give it to the seriously ill people?

They deserve it too?!

This thing deserves its own enjoyment!

There are many dreams at night, and once the news spreads, I don't know how many people will fight the idea of this elixir.

That Wang Mang was generous, and directly distributed the pill to their hands.

But if you are cheaper than others, it is better to be cheaper yourself!

What does it have to do with oneself whether others can live or not?

Thinking of this, he quietly swallowed another elixir.

Sure enough, that familiar vitality began to swim among the limbs, and the familiar, incomparably exciting feeling of rejuvenation brewed in the body!

In the bronze mirror, some of the original gray hair of the person reflected has begun to shine again, and some of it has even become jet black!

It's almost a return to youth, a miraculous elixir!

The eyes of the former emperor of Dayue burst out with clear joy, "Saying that eating too much has no effect, it is really a deception to us!" The Xia Dynasty controls such a divine object, does not know the hidden truth, holds its own force, and dares to show it in front of others, such a temptation, even if it makes people gamble on their lives, what can they do? ”

Seeing the changes in himself made him overjoyed.

One pill after another was swallowed, and in the blink of an eye, five or six were swallowed.

The strong vitality radiated from the inside out, making him feel unprecedented warmth, and the whole person seemed to be soaked in the world's most comfortable hot spring from the inside out, how can the word wonderful be described!

The so-called enlightenment to become an immortal is nothing more than that, right?

Once the beast in his heart is released, he no longer has any restraint.

The previous emperor of Dayue devoured the elixir almost frantically, and the vitality in his body became stronger and stronger, even giving him the illusion that he was going to live forever and be young forever.

The vitality that has been accumulated in the body continues to wash away the body that has been polluted too much by the world, and the unprecedented lightness and beauty seem to let him return to the time of a child, and he has no burden at all.

It's just a matter of feathering and ascending, and becoming an immortal!

When he swallowed more than ten elixirs one after another like a glutton, and was about to greedily devour a few more, a feeling of fullness suddenly came from his body.

The feeling of fullness is not the feeling of having a full stomach, but an overwhelmed warning from all over the body, every meridian, every piece of flesh, and every bone.

And the vitality accumulated in his body is far from being fully digested.

Before he could find any solution, he didn't care so much about the vitality that had been replenished, and he stared at those bodies that had been completely repaired and were in an unprecedentedly good state, and poured into them.

Swarming!

"Ah!!h

In the room, there was a heart-rending, ghost-like wail.

The terrifying voice startled the rest of the guests who lived next to him, and they didn't care too much about breaking into the room.

At a glance, in front of the bronze mirror, there was already an old man with white hair!

The old man obviously recognized them, his eyes were full of anxiety, and he opened his mouth to exclaim, but he said weakly: "Help me!" ”

As he spoke, his teeth began to fall out like scattered parts.

The change is not over.

At this time, the journey that belonged to time alone was going on at an unbelievable speed.

The originally tall body gradually became rickety, and those gray hairs began to dry up, like the weeds in the last autumn days that were about to be exhausted on the land.

What's even more terrifying is that his skin dissipates its luster at a speed visible to the naked eye, and then becomes saggy, followed by spods of age spots.

From the time they broke into it, to what they saw with their own eyes.

In just a moment, it seems that decades have changed in this person's body!

At first, he was able to call for help.

Immediately afterwards, he couldn't even say a complete sentence, and he had accumulated the vitality that had nowhere to vent to the extreme, and began to wantonly catalyze his body.

When all the vitality was gone, standing in place was already a skeleton shaped like rotten wood, just looking at the skin and wrinkles that were almost stacked, I am afraid that no one dared to believe that the person who stood here before was a man in the prime of life!

A rich dead aura lingered on his body, but his unwilling eyes were still wide open.

The extremes of things must be reversed, stacked to an irrepressible vitality, and took his life.

"This is?!"

Several people who broke into the room looked at each other in shock.

"He devoured a lot of elixir!"

The sharp-eyed former emperor of Daqing found the clue on the spot.

Until he died, this guy still held on to the package containing the elixir and refused to put it down.

Looking at the pills inside, it is clear that there is already a small half!

In an instant, an indescribable cold rose from the bottom of my heart.

There is no doubt that this guy is not greedy enough, and he devoured a lot of elixir by himself, and finally ended up like this!

"Is there any salvation from this?"

The former emperor of Dayong quietly swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said cautiously.

Witnessing the fate of this person, it is impossible to say that there is no fear in the heart.

Everyone has selfish desires, and the choice of the previous emperor of Dayue may also be what they think, but their movements are relatively slow, and they are still in the war between heaven and man, but they are lucky to pick up a life.

If they have a bold idea, it's probably time to choose a suitable cemetery.

Qi Yinglong was still able to ensure his calmness, he walked to the corpse that stood there like a rotten tree, looked at it carefully for a moment, and shook his head, "The dead can't die anymore, what can I save?" ”

"Is this an elixir or a poison?"

The face of the former emperor of Daqing, who had eaten a pill, changed drastically.

"Perhaps, eating one is an elixir, and eating a few more is poison."

Pray for the dragon thoughtfully.

Of course, there is also a possibility that after taking the elixir, whether you live or die is in charge of another person behind it.

It's as terrifying as the legendary witchcraft!

But this is possible, no one mentions.

"This guy is not greedy enough, and he is innocent! You deserve to live up to the trust of that being! ”

The former emperor of Dayong said decisively.

"That's true! We have never deceived him, but we are loyal to him, and we are not the same kind of people as him! ”

The previous emperor of Daqing also immediately expressed his loyalty, for fear of being watched by a pair of unaware eyes and suffering such a reckoning.

"He wants our lives, why bother? Don't mess with yourself, just do your own thing. ”

Qi Yinglong said this, but was there really no worry in his heart?

I'm afraid I can't tell myself.

But there is no doubt that after witnessing this change, a thorn was buried in my heart.

Since then, several countries have almost looked up to the Xia Dynasty, and even the Xia Dynasty has been praised as the upper kingdom of the Celestial Empire, and the efforts of these people have been indispensable.

Of course, that's all for later.

The wheels of history roll forward, without anyone stopping.

(End of chapter)