jdhmnovel Chapter 241: If you can’t beat them, just join them?
Chapter 241: If you can’t beat them, just join them?
Emperor Zhu was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Brother Shanchang, we have known each other and worked together for so many years. When have we ever done anything to offend someone because of our words? You can speak freely and boldly. Even if you point your finger at my Zhu Chongba and curse him, as long as your curse is correct, I will never blame you."
Li Shanchang didn't respond. Instead, he shook his head slightly, smiled, and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I have actually been pondering a question for some time now."
Emperor Zhu responded with an "Oh," and then asked, "What's the problem?"
Li Shanchang chuckled and said, "I'm thinking, what is it that I desire most? And what is it that the people of the world desire most?"
Emperor Zhu said "Oh" again, and asked with great curiosity, "Then, Brother Shan, have you figured out what you really want?"
Li Shanchang shook his head slightly again and sighed softly, saying, "I am now past the age of fifty, and after thinking about it for more than ten days, I still can't figure out what I'm thinking about most. It's quite ridiculous."
Emperor Zhu chuckled and said, "Then you can think about it slowly. As long as it's something that I, Zhu Chongba, can give, I will never treat Brother Shanchang unfairly."
However, Li Shanchang did not respond. Instead, he shook his head again and said, "However, although I have not figured out what I really want, I have thought about what the common people want most."
At this point, Li Shanchang continued without waiting for Emperor Zhu to ask: "What the people want most is both very simple and very complicated. What they want is a peaceful life, food to eat when they are hungry, clothes to wear when they are cold, someone to care for them when they are tired, and for their descendants to be successful."
"Later, I thought to myself, in all these years I have served Your Majesty, have I done my duty to ensure that the people have enough to eat when they are hungry and enough clothes to wear when they are cold?"
"The answer is no."
Upon hearing Li Shanchang's words, Liu Bowen was both shocked and furious.
No, did you, Li Shanchang, say that before you came to Qianqing Palace?
Emperor Zhu also frowned slightly.
Li Shanchang's behavior today is very strange.
Something is wrong.
Just as Emperor Zhu was pondering why Li Shanchang was behaving so strangely, Li Shanchang continued, "Later, after I saw Magistrate Yang's memorial, I finally understood why I had failed to ensure that the people had enough to eat when they were hungry and enough clothes to wear when they were cold."
"Because I also want land, lots and lots of land. I don't even want to pay taxes and grain on the land that belongs to me."
"So this situation has arisen—I want land, and the people want land too, but there's only so much land in total. If it's all distributed to the people, I'll get much less land. Wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?"
Emperor Zhu remained silent.
Liu Bowen remained silent as well.
As for Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian, Yang Siyi (Minister of Revenue), and Shan Anren (Minister of Works), they were even more eager to fly out of the Qianqing Palace.
Is this something that can be talked about?
Even if you, Li Shanchang, dare to say it, how could we possibly listen to that?
Li Shanchang glanced at Liu Bowen, Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian and others, and then said with a smile: "Your Majesty is wrong. Magistrate Yang is right. Both the progressive tax rate and the royal land system are good policies that can ensure that the people have food when they are hungry and clothes when they are cold."
“But, Your Majesty, can you really think of things that Magistrate Yang can think of? Actually, it’s not that we can’t think of them, but that we are unwilling to think of them. After all, the progressive tax rate will make us pay more taxes, and the royal land system will take away a lot of land from our hands.”
"Therefore, it is not that we cannot think of it, but that we are simply unwilling to think of it, let alone write it down in a memorial to the emperor."
Emperor Zhu gave a soft "hmm," but Liu Bowen, Hu Weiyong, and the others felt a sense of unease.
Damn it, that old bastard Li Shanchang joins the fight when he can't win?
Li Shanchang smiled and shook his head again, saying, "Actually, what I've said to Your Majesty is to advise you that you should not be too hasty in everything. While the progressive tax rate can force scholars to take up official positions and gentry to give up their land, and the royal land system can prevent land from being concentrated in the hands of gentry again, Your Majesty, those scholars and gentry are not willing to give up their land. Now that the country has just been pacified and the Yuan dynasty has not been destroyed, it is better to proceed slowly."
Liu Bowen and the others felt disgusted and uncomfortable, as if they had swallowed flies.
Take it step by step?
What a brilliant strategy of taking things slowly!
The reason why everyone now supports progressive tax rates and the royal land system is that they want to promote them quickly. Only when the implementation speed is fast can the shortcomings of progressive tax rates and the royal land system be exposed, and only then can everyone come up with targeted solutions.
Now things are really messed up. It's not a big deal that Li Shanchang said he would take things slowly, but the key is that if Emperor Zhu really does take things slowly, how will everyone find fault with the progressive tax rate and the royal land system?
You son of a bitch, Li Shanchang! You dog, for your own sake, you've sold out all the officials in the entire Ming Dynasty court, you bastard!
Just as Liu Bowen and the others were cursing Li Shanchang in their hearts for being a heartless bastard, Emperor Zhu chuckled and said, "Brother Shanchang, what can we say to you! Alright, I, Zhu Chongba, am not the kind of person who won't listen to advice. This time, we'll listen to you and proceed slowly, okay?"
Li Shanchang breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Emperor Zhu, saying, "It is a blessing for all the people of the world that Your Majesty is willing to accept advice."
Emperor Zhu laughed again, but Liu Bowen and the others' hearts sank to the bottom.
It's over.
This time it's completely over.
Even the last shred of opportunity to fish in troubled waters was completely destroyed by Li Shanchang's sudden defection!
After sighing helplessly to himself, Liu Bowen could only cup his hands in greeting to Emperor Zhu and echo, "Your subject seconds this proposal."
As Liu Bowen finished speaking, Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian, Yang Siyi, and Shan Anren could only helplessly follow suit, bowing and saying, "We second that proposal."
……
Just as Li Shanchang chose to join forces when he couldn't win, and chose to stab the gentry and scholars of the Ming Dynasty in the back, Yang Shaofeng, the magistrate, was lying on a deck chair next to a piece of land in Liumiao Village, sunbathing.
I have to say, it feels so comfortable to have oxen and horses at your beck and call!
However, just as Magistrate Yang picked up his teacup, preparing to savor the unique aroma of the Xiaolongtuan tea, a sudden tremor came from the ground, and the teacup he had just been holding fell to the ground.
Yang Shaofeng was greatly alarmed. He quickly jumped up from the recliner, rushed to the tree, and while untying the reins, ordered Lame Wu, "Quick, back to the county office!"
"Send messengers on horseback to inform all the people in each village and community to evacuate to open spaces and sleep in the courtyards at night rather than in their houses."
"Tell the people that it doesn't matter if their houses are destroyed or their crops are destroyed, the county will take care of it for them, and that saving their lives is the top priority."
"Have someone notify the Confucius Temple that all students will have a day off."
"Have someone take inventory of the county's several granaries. Anyone who dares to take advantage of the situation to cause trouble, kill them!"
"And all the workshops and such are closed for the day today."
"Have someone find out where the earth dragon turned over."
Damn it, that tremor was so strong! I wonder how big an earthquake must have been to cause such a commotion!