jdhmnovel Chapter 235 Empress Ma: You, you just let your concern cloud your judgment!
Chapter 235 Empress Ma: You, you just let your concern cloud your judgment!
Wang Qiong didn't really want to go back to the capital.
If it weren't for the consideration of her parents, wife, children, and extended family, and if it weren't for the fear of being investigated, Wang Qiong would have even wanted to find a place where no one knew her and live in anonymity for the rest of her life.
This is absolutely terrifying for officials!
You, Magistrate Yang, can say whatever you want without any regard for the consequences, but can I do the same?
Just as Wang Qiong was trembling with fear, wondering how to explain things to Emperor Zhu and Vice Emperor Zhu when she returned, Yang Shaofeng said, "By the way, we need to think about this matter carefully and write a memorial for His Majesty later."
Upon hearing Magistrate Yang's words, Wang Qiong's heart, which had been in her throat, immediately relaxed.
There's a memorial to the throne?
It doesn't matter if there's a memorial.
……
Emperor Zhu Chongba of the Ming Dynasty was in a very difficult situation.
Emperor Zhu Biao, the Executive Vice Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was also in a very difficult situation.
When Zhu Biao first heard the words "Wang Tian system" from Wang Qiong, he thought that his brother-in-law had probably just acted impulsively and come up with such a crooked idea.
But after listening to Wang Qiong's account and reading his brother-in-law's memorial, Zhu Biao realized that he was still too young.
Then, Zhu Biao brought Wang Qiong to Emperor Zhu and handed over Yang Shaofeng's memorial to the emperor.
Then, Emperor Zhu also began to struggle with this dilemma.
"To implement the Wangtian system or not, that is the question."
As an emperor who came from a peasant background, Zhu Chongba certainly knew the benefits of the royal land system.
The people were able to receive land.
The imperial court was able to control the land to ensure the allocation of land resources, thereby suppressing or even eliminating the problem of land annexation.
Moreover, Emperor Zhu also agreed with what Yang the Madman said in his memorial, that now was the best time to implement the royal land system.
However, as an emperor who came from a peasant background, Zhu Chongba also had to consider the people's acceptance of the royal land system, as well as the stability of the Ming Dynasty.
The Wangtian system involved nationalizing land and then distributing it through the imperial court and government.
Those who don't own their own land certainly don't care, but what about those who own their own land? Are they willing to accept this?
Forced purchase?
You have to pay money to buy it.
Robbery?
Robbery doesn't cost money, but it hurts people's hearts and minds.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty might not even last a single generation, let alone perish like the Qin and Sui Dynasties.
Besides, the royal land system would harm the interests of many people, the biggest victim being the emperor himself—how would the imperial estates be calculated? How would the land bestowed upon the officials be calculated? His sons would eventually be granted titles, so how would the land granted to them be calculated?
Therefore, whether or not to implement the royal land system became a dilemma for Zhu Chongba and Xiao Zhu.
Is it to sacrifice one's own interests for the sake of the people and the stability of the country?
Or will they just sit idly by and watch for land consolidation to happen again in the future, all for their own benefit?
Then, feeling extremely troubled, Emperor Zhu went to Kunning Palace to see Empress Ma once again.
Then, Emperor Zhu was ridiculed by Empress Ma.
"The Royal Field System? This is the Royal Field System?"
Empress Ma gently shook the memorial in her hand and said to Emperor Zhu with a smile, "The Wangtian system stipulates that if you have more land than allowed, the government will forcibly distribute the excess portion to other people. But does your good son-in-law's proposed Wangtian system include this clause?"
Did he say that Li Shanchang and his men should hand over all the land you were granted as a reward?
"Was there any rule against you granting land to your second, third, fourth, and fifth sons?"
"He only requested the implementation of the Wangtian system, first relocating landless people from Jiangnan and Shanxi to Shandong, Henan and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, and distributing those barren lands to the people."
"Essentially, it's still the same system of relocating people and granting them land, except that there's an additional aspect of public land ownership; nothing else has changed."
"You, you just let your concern cloud your judgment!"
Compared to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang, the civil and military officials in the court truly felt uncomfortable.
Liu Bowen even went directly to Yang Xian to ask if anyone had recently provoked that person surnamed Yang.
Yang Xian, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered when asked the question.
No one in the imperial court dared to provoke that man surnamed Yang.
Although the scholars and gentry of Jiangnan all hated that Magistrate Yang was still alive, no one dared to provoke him, and no one even composed any songs to curse him.
If you can't afford to offend them, can't you at least avoid them?
Knowing that no one was provoking the magistrate surnamed Yang, Liu Bowen felt even more distressed.
No, how did that dog even come up with the idea of Wang Tianzhi?
Wang Mang has been cursed for so many years, and the reputation of the Wang Tian system has long been rotten to the core by the efforts of generations of gentry, powerful people and scholars. So why would Gou Ru think of picking up the Wang Tian system?
It doesn't seem right either.
Because his interests weren't limited to land, helping that man surnamed Yang implement the royal land system not only annoyed Emperor Zhu and Li Shanchang, but also a large number of nobles and gentry.
More importantly, if the Wangtian system is implemented, the reputations of certain individuals will become even more tarnished.
Liu Bowen really wanted to give it a try.
After all, that emperor surnamed Zhu wasn't a very decent person, and that man surnamed Yang wasn't exactly a saint either.
But upon further reflection, Liu Bowen felt that something was amiss.
After pondering for two days and two nights, Liu Bowen finally understood that the Wangtian system proposed by that county magistrate, whose very name was repulsive, was completely different from the Wangtian system that Wang Mang wanted to implement.
Wang Mang's proposed "Wangtian System" would forcibly reclaim excess land held by gentry, officials, nobles, and members of the imperial clan.
However, the Wangtian system proposed by that person did not involve this clause at all.
In other words, the Wangtian system would not have offended Li Shanchang and the nobles, nor would it have offended Emperor Zhu.
Although his proposed Wangtian system was similar to the original Wangtian system in practice, it only emphasized the public ownership of land, but did not mandate public ownership or impose restrictions on the number of acres.
Even if the royal land system were actually implemented, it would only involve the court first relocating those landless people to the north, where local officials would grant them land. It would not involve directly and forcibly confiscating the land of the gentry and redistributing it to the government.
Furthermore, nobles like Li Shanchang and others who were granted land in Huaixi would not be forced to hand over their land, at least not during the fifty-year tax-free period.
In other words, this way of playing is actually very stable.
Thinking of this, Liu Bowen felt even more distressed.
No, you're a scholar too, you bastard!
Why do you have to pick on the gentry and scholars of the world?