thefictionvixens Page 225
Page 225
To put it bluntly, this land law is blatantly aimed at these large landowners.
Their only way out is to sell the land.
But that's the part that makes you really hate them and want to grind your teeth.
Many people own tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, which, according to market prices, can be sold for a considerable sum of money.
However, they are required to pay massive amounts of taxes.
To put it bluntly, it's just a matter of the Land Planning Bureau and the Tax Bureau transferring money between themselves.
It was practically like cutting flesh with a knife; those landlords and nobles had never suffered such humiliation.
Some elderly people would wail and cry in their houses, but still had to bring a large stack of land deeds and voluntarily deliver them to the door.
However, most of the people were overjoyed.
Thirty acres of fertile land, if cultivated diligently, yields at least fifty shi (a unit of dry measure) a year. After deducting taxes, one receives forty-five shi.
Leaving behind the necessary food rations would amount to an income of several dozen taels of silver, more than enough to make ends meet. Compared to the previous life of scrimping and saving on a few acres of land, it was a world of difference. How could one not be happy?
It can only be said that people's joys and sorrows are not shared.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, during which many people died.
But today, Kyoto is thriving and no longer the dull place it once was.
Most importantly, through continuous publicity and education over the past month, the concept of the rule of law has taken root in people's hearts.
The relocation of the capital has truly entered the right track.
Except for the necessary personnel who remain, all preparations have been made to leave Kyoto.
On this day, under the protection of 20,000 imperial guards,
Countless former high-ranking officials and nobles, along with their families, left Kyoto with the flow of people.
Li Chengqian's 137-carriage was at the head of the procession, while the Imperial Guards stood on either side.
This relocation of the capital seems to be quite a big deal.
In reality, only about 30,000 people actually left with the relocation of the capital.
This mostly includes family members and servants.
The most conspicuous,
Naturally, these were the horse-drawn carriages carrying enormous amounts of wealth.
This is the wealth remaining after paying all kinds of taxes, but it is still extremely astonishing.
However, the Qing Kingdom no longer values such wealth.
After more than a month of tax reform, the national treasury now holds a mountain of wealth.
And this is only what Kyoto city has gained.
Even though the various regions of Qing Kingdom cannot compare to Kyoto, their combined population is still far greater than that of Kyoto alone.
5. Once the new tax policy is implemented,
The fullness of the national treasury is probably beyond everyone's imagination.
1. With enough silver,
Whatever policies are implemented, they will likely bring unimaginable convenience.
A corner of the 4th team,
2 Guo Baokun stared blankly at the changing scenery outside the carriage, feeling a sense of unreality.
"Father, are we really leaving Kyoto?"
8. Guo Youzhi, who was resting with his eyes closed, slapped Guo Baokun on the head.
Guo Baokun cried out in surprise.
"Ouch, Dad, it hurts!"
"Knowing it hurts and still asking if it's true or not, how incredibly foolish."
Guo Youzhi looked disgusted.
Chapter 142 The Upper Class is wiped out! Those who resist will die!
Guo Baokun said somewhat angrily, "Father, no, why does His Majesty insist on moving the capital?"
"And the taxes are far too harsh. My Guo family's vast fortune is now less than a tenth of what it used to be. Not only were our thousands of acres of fertile land sold to the government, but we also have to pay taxes again, amounting to more than 100,000 taels of silver. We only received less than 10,000 taels. This is practically robbery."
"Father, you were once the Crown Prince's tutor, yet His Majesty shows you absolutely no mercy?"
Snapped!
Guo Youzhi slapped him again without hesitation.
"If you want to die, you should find a rope and hang yourself as soon as possible, instead of dragging the lives of dozens of people in the Guo family into this mess."
He looked solemn.
"The relocation of the capital reflects His Majesty's ambition to unify the world. Nanjing City is located in a strategic position, and it will be the first to be hit once war breaks out with Northern Qi. Moving the capital to Nanjing means that this war is not only inevitable, but there is also no way out. It is a do-or-die move."
"As for taxes, that is a matter of national policy. As the Minister of Rites, I can only offer my support. If you continue to spout nonsense, don't blame your father for upholding justice and even killing your own family!"
Guo Baokun was startled.
He had rarely seen his father so solemn and serious.
Especially that chilling expression made him have no doubt about the weight of the words "putting righteousness before family".
His face turned pale, and he immediately knelt down.
"I know I was wrong, Father, please calm down."
Seeing Guo Baokun's appearance, Guo Youzhi's expression softened considerably.
He helped Guo Baokun up and said earnestly, "His Majesty today is different from all the emperors recorded in history. Even a so-called grandmaster would die without a burial place if he went against His Majesty, let alone you and me?"
As he spoke, his expression grew more somber.
"Do you know how much effort and manpower it took to investigate the entire population and land of Kyoto and collect such a huge amount of taxes in just over a month?
"Although His Majesty has not yet officially ascended the throne, he has quite a few capable and talented people under his command."
"It is already a rare thing that our Guo family was able to follow the new emperor to move the capital peacefully."
You will understand in time.
Guo Baokun lowered his head and remained silent.
The son of the Minister of Rites, he used to be able to dominate the market with his status, but now he lives in constant fear.
He always felt that this country, and even the whole world, was about to undergo a major change.
Li Chengqian and his party did not head directly north.
Instead, they first detoured via Jiangnan Road, then Jiangbei Road, through Dongshan Road, across Cangzhou Road, across Taiyuan Road, and finally headed towards Nanjing City.
After several months,
The force, which once numbered around 50,000 including the Imperial Guards, has now expanded to over 200,000.
He had a brief meeting with the five governors-general.
Wherever it goes, the policy is implemented.
With the Control Yuan making preparations everywhere, it didn't take much time.
The main issue is that it can't compare to Kyoto in terms of meticulousness.
However, thanks to the efforts of all parties, the new policy was implemented relatively smoothly.
These 150,000 people were naturally among the most prestigious and wealthy individuals from various regions.
Most of them were from aristocratic families and nobles, and their treatment of the local areas was generally more relaxed than that of the capital.
Of course, the main reason is the tight schedule.
Further improvements will naturally follow.
However, excluding the territory of the Northern Qi that the Qing Kingdom had just conquered, it only had seven routes of land.
After removing these five roads, only Kyoto Road and Xiliang Road remain.
The former goes without saying, while the latter is known for its vast territory and sparse population.
Adjacent to the Western Hu, the main force is the Western Expeditionary Camp led by the eldest prince, and there are no powerful or noble families there.
It can be said that Li Chengqian's journey has been...
They wiped out almost half of the upper class in the entire Qing Kingdom.
Of course, there were people who wanted to resist during the process.
However, when thousands of swords are raining down from the sky, all resistance is futile.
Along the way, Li Chengqian selected some men from various armies, assembling a force of 80,000.
However, the number of people who need to be supervised is as high as 100,000, and the relationships among these 100,000 people are so complex that they cannot be sorted out at all.
If Li Chengqian hadn't unleashed a barrage of swords from the sky, dispelling everyone's lingering anxieties,
It would be difficult to traverse thousands of miles so smoothly in just a few months.
Even with thorough preparation, traveling for several months can be extremely arduous.
But even so,
The former high-ranking officials and nobles were almost all honest and law-abiding citizens.
They were exceptionally well-behaved, like honest and sincere ordinary people.
The reason these people were able to lord it over the common people and treat them like pigs and dogs in the past was because...
It's simply because they control a power that the people cannot resist.
Power or wealth, it doesn't matter.
They are all part of this power.