Chapter 23: You’ve Been Deceived by Li Fan
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Empress Ma in shock. The cycle of dynastic change is a nightmare that every emperor can’t escape. Since the era of great unification, the lifespan of a dynasty has been capped at three hundred years. No matter how hard or diligent the emperor is, he can’t break this vicious cycle. But now, Empress Ma claimed to have found a solution. Zhu Yuanzhang was astonished. If a way to solve the problem of dynastic change could really be found, it could prolong the Ming Dynasty’s rule and allow his legacy to be passed down through generations. Excited, he asked, “Honey, what exactly is the method?”
Empress Ma, anticipating the emperor’s intense interest, immediately said, “It’s Li Fan’s idea: ‘Integrate labor into land taxes and have officials and gentry pay grain taxes together.'”
Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment. Li Fan again. Just hearing that name gave him a headache. The issues at the imperial city had just been resolved, and now there was a problem with the imperial tomb. These issues hadn’t been fully addressed, and now there was another new idea. He rubbed his aching head, ready to listen to what the method was, and asked, “Explain the method in detail.”
Empress Ma repeated Li Fan’s explanation: “Integrating labor into land taxes means canceling the labor tax and converting it into a land tax. All current labor taxes in Ming would be averaged into the land tax, permanently eliminating the labor tax. This would completely solve the problem of hidden population, encourage more births, and a larger population would strengthen the country.”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement. More people meant more strength. Only with a larger population could Ming prosper. But more people would also require more food. The amount of arable land in the country was fixed; how could they feed more people? He felt that Li Fan’s ideas were often impractical and filled with fanciful notions. He was disappointed, thinking, “I thought Li Fan would come up with something brilliant, but it’s just another wild idea. What’s the meaning of ‘officials and gentry paying grain taxes together’?”
Empress Ma hesitated, unsure whether to share this suggestion with the emperor. This idea conflicted with the national policy set by the emperor. She doubted the emperor would compromise. However, since he had asked, she had to tell the truth. “To prevent land consolidation, everyone must pay land tax. If anyone has the privilege of not paying land tax, it will promote land consolidation. In a few years, there will be no taxable land left in the entire Ming.”
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Empress Ma with suspicion. How could there be no taxable land in Ming, with so much land and only a few officials? He couldn’t believe it and hurriedly defended, “Ming has so much land, and only a few officials. How could there be no taxable land? Li Fan is just worrying over nothing!”
Empress Ma, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang’s disbelief, began to explain:
“When Li Fan first arrived in Fengyang, only 480,000 mu of land was taxable, which was just 60% of all arable land. And this is just a few decades after the founding of our nation. According to Li Fan’s calculations, in another ten years, there will be no taxable land left in Fengyang! This is because Fengyang only collects corvée taxes, not land taxes. Other regions are even more extreme. If you don’t believe it, you can check the Ministry of Revenue’s records. The amount of land reclaimed each year that can be taxed is decreasing.”
Zhu Yuanzhang, intrigued by Empress Ma’s explanation, asked, “It shouldn’t be that exaggerated, right?”
Seeing his continued disbelief, Empress Ma decided to drop a bombshell to make him see reality clearly. She reluctantly said, “According to your own regulations, the imperial family’s fiefs not only are exempt from taxes but the court also has to provide them with money and grain every year.”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded vigorously. Yes, that was his decree. He had suffered all his life and finally secured the throne. He didn’t want his descendants to suffer. They not only should have land but also grain to ensure a good life for generations to come.
“What’s wrong with giving my children some benefits? Does this affect Li Fan? Is he trying to say that my policy has exacerbated land consolidation? How many princes do I have? Is it really that unwelcome?”
Empress Ma had anticipated this response. Zhu Yuanzhang clearly didn’t understand the rapid reproduction rate of the royal family. She said helplessly, “You have a dozen sons now, all of whom are princes. When the crown prince ascends the throne, there will be another dozen princes. When your grandson takes over, there will be even more princes!”
Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted Empress Ma, thinking he had found a flaw in her argument. Smiling, he said, “Honey, by the time my grandson takes the throne, my sons will be long gone. Even though there will be many princes, they will eventually die, so the number of royal family members won’t increase much. You’ve been deceived by Li Fan!”
Empress Ma, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang’s nonchalant attitude and his unwavering belief in Li Fan’s theories, sighed and continued, “When your grandson ascends the throne, there will be thirty princes. If each one has ten sons, there will be thirty princes and 290 county princes. In the next generation, there will be thirty princes, 290 county princes, and 3,800 dukes!”
“And all these members of the royal family will have their own fiefs. Once they reach their fiefs, they will seize land unscrupulously. Officials, gentry, and commoners will be willing to register their land under the names of the royal family members. After a few decades of development, do you think there will be any land left for taxation in the Ming dynasty? On one hand, the land tax revenue will decrease, and on the other hand, the expenses for the royal family will continue to rise. How long do you think the Ming dynasty can sustain itself?”
Zhu Yuanzhang began to sweat profusely. He wiped his forehead nervously and said, “It shouldn’t be like that, right?”
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