Chapter 1068: Returning to the Old Place

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the entire country’s household registration and farmland. The Ministry of Revenue was also clear on how much taxes each place should pay every year.

The tax system was simplified to facilitate the collection of taxes, making it difficult for local officials to cheat and embezzle, and increasing their revenues.

To a certain extent, it had greatly curbed the corruption of local officials.

It was the same for conscription. When the government office needed soldiers, a number of people from the family would be sent according to the rules. If they did not want to send anyone, they could also pay for it.

They restrained local tyrants and landowners to avoid the development of private land, making land transactions more and more capitalized. They prevented landowners from colluding with the government to forcefully occupy the land of the commoners and avoid the corresponding taxes.

However, the “Single Whip Law” was an act of rich countries, but it also increased the value of silver while reducing the value of grains. It was inevitable that merchants would raise the price of silver and harm the people.

Thus, the a.s.sessment of farmland was born on the basis of the Single Whip Law.

Emperor Zhaoyong abolished the “poll tax” and personally wrote that he would never use it. If he had unfilial descendants among his descendants who wanted to collect the poll tax, they had to consider their filial piety for their ancestors.

The poll tax accounted for more than 30% of the taxes paid by the commoners. Without paying the poll tax, it had substantially reduced the burden on the commoners. Just this alone made the commoners grateful.

The poll tax was also the greatest way for corrupt officials to be corrupted. It was simple and easy to do. Abolishing the poll tax was equivalent to abolishing the greatest way for corrupt officials to squeeze the commoners dry.

As soon as the notice was released, the commoners knelt on the ground in excitement and shouted, “Long live our emperor.”

From then on, the world pledged their allegiance.

No one mentioned Emperor Zhaoyong’s ruthless and bloodthirsty reputation.

Meanwhile, the a.s.sessment according to farmland was an extension of the Single Whip Law.

How was the land divided?

It would be divided based on the number of people. The more children there were, the more fields they would receive. There was no need to pay the poll tax. Thus, receiving more fields for more children was to increase the population and productivity of society. It would further curb the collusion of officials and merchants, which caused corruption to become a common occurrence. This would reduce a channel for corruption and strengthen the control of local officials.

At the same time, the increase in population and productivity was enough to make up for the loss of the human tax.

The increase in productivity would make the resources in the country more abundant. It could also make up for the increased value of silver and reduced value of grains, which was harmful to the people.

These two political affairs were both lessons from the Great Zhou Dynasty. They were undergoing drastic reforms to ease the conflicts in society and promote production and development.

In addition, Emperor Zhaoyong had also issued the land-sharing law.

Desolate or confiscated land would be used as public land and distributed to the commoners according to the number of people in each family. Soldiers would receive 50% of the land, commoners would receive 40%, and the lonely and disabled would receive 30%. The landowners would not occupy too much land, let alone allow it to be desolate. Violators would be charged with occupying land by force, further freeing the commoners from the control of the local powerful landlords and strengthening the centralization of the Imperial Court.

These three items made up the benevolent governance for the commoners, putting agricultural development first.

Yin Huaixi also issued a tax law that specially targeted the taxes paid by landowning officials.

The original exemption clause was abolished. Instead, various taxes were waived, reduced, and handed over according to one’s merit and official position.

For example, after becoming an elementary Scholar, the farmland under one’s name originally did not need to be conscripted. However, now, it was changed such that up to five acres of land would be exempt from conscription. If one’s amount of land exceeded five acres, it would depend on the size of their merits and the number of acres they owned.

Based on the amount of farmland, the more farmland the family had, the more taxes they would have to pay.

In short, even the emperor’s father had to pay taxes according to the law.

If anyone was discovered to have missed out on paying, paid less, or not paid, depending on the size of the tax and the seriousness of the case, they would be punished ten times over or exiled or beheaded according to the law.

Yin Huaixi also planned a business tax.

The first to bear the brunt was the tariffs. All the road checkpoints set by the Imperial Court were set up with tariffs. One had to pay a certain amount of money to pa.s.s through. The commoners would receive 10% of the tax, and the merchants would receive 30% of the tax.

This move strengthened the control of the various pa.s.ses and also increased the collection of the treasury.

The port tax for water trade depended on the number of goods and their value. Thirty percent of the value of the goods was charged. This was really disadvantageous to the merchants. However, at the same time, they opened up the trading quota for salt, tea, cloth, porcelain, and other items, allowing the merchants to trade freely, greatly increasing the development of trade.

At the same time, with the opening of foreign markets, the narrow Yu Pa.s.s became the first testing point.

There were more taxes, but there were also more business opportunities.

The new decree issued by Yin Huaixi was borrowed from history books, but the dynasties were different, and the national situation was also different. He couldn’t copy everything.

Yu Youyao was proficient in agriculture, industry, and business. In the past few years, she had done many good deeds that benefited the country and the people in Liaodong. Every time Yin Huaixi issued a new policy, he had to discuss it with her and listen to her opinion. Then, he would brainstorm and discuss it with the cabinet ministers. Only then could it be implemented.

One after another, government decrees were issued, gradually putting the Great Zhao on the right track.

As the Ministry of Rites was preparing for the post-coronation ceremony, men and women were not allowed to meet before marriage. Yin Huaixi had no choice but to return to the palace after Eunuch Zhu’s repeated urging.

Yu Youyao sent someone to send a message to the Yu Residence, planning to return to the Yu Residence. She was also endlessly involved with the Yu Clan, so there was no reason for her to not return to the capital.

This message caused a huge commotion in the Yu Residence’s two residences.

After the edict was issued, Yu Youyao wanted to return to the Yu Residence. Madam Jiang immediately panicked and went to look for Yu Zongzheng.

When the new dynasty was first established, the new emperor mobilized many officials from the previous dynasty one after another, especially a large number of the Yu Clan, placing them in an important position in the court.

Elder Yu was promoted to Grand Secretary.

Yu Shande was personally appointed as the Grand Secretary of the East Pavilion and entered the cabinet. He was promoted to a third-grade official and became the Left a.s.sistant Minister of the Ministry of Works.

The Ministry of Works was in charge of building a large number of buildings, the repairs of the main city, repairs using soil and wood, the craftsmen’s program, the salt pools in the fields, the dams in the rivers and ca.n.a.ls, the irrigation and aerial affairs, and other fortifications. These were most important.

The current Minister of Works was already more than 50 years old. Anyone could tell that Emperor Zhaoyong had the intention to train Yu Shande. Emperor Zhaoyong was just waiting for a few years to gain experience and master the matters of the Ministry of Works before Yu Shande could take over as the Minister of Works.

Yu Shande was experienced in human relationships but was a little lacking in the ways of the world. However, he had deep roots in the people’s hearts. To him, the Ministry of Works was a place where he could expand his reach and fulfill his ambitions.

The Yu Clan members who had been in the court in the past had also been placed in an important position. Meanwhile, Yu Zongzheng had returned to the capital for two months, but he had never received an edict to be employed. He had been idle at home.

Therefore, when he heard that Yu Youyao was returning to the residence, he couldn’t help but perk up. “Although the imperial decree has been issued after the conferment, the gift hasn’t been completed, so it’s not appropriate to overstep the etiquette system.”

What he meant was that as long as there were no mistakes in etiquette, it was fine.

When Madam Jiang heard this, she composed herself and quickly went down to make arrangements.

Three days later, the two residences of the Yu Residence opened their doors early in the morning and swept the courtyard. It was estimated that when it was time, Yu Zongshen would bring the old and young families of the first and second houses and wait outside the residence to welcome Yu Youyao.