Chapter 103: Selling garrison’s farmland in Beiping

The next day, in the Wu Ying Hall.

Yu Xin, Zhang Dan, Xie Jin, Huang Zicheng, Xia Yuanji, and Yao Guangxiao were seated on both sides. After Emperor Zhu Yunwen entered the Wu Ying Hall, everyone bowed.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and took his seat, getting straight to the point, saying, “No need for formalities. Beiping Prefecture has proposed selling garrison’s farmland to alleviate the difficulties faced by the New Army. What are your opinions on this?”

When no one spoke up, Yu Xin stood up and said, “Your Majesty, if farmland is sold, the military settlement system will collapse. Once this precedent is set, The 329 Garrisons both inside and outside the Ming Dynasty, and the 65 Qianhu posts^[1]Tl’s note: Qianhu posts is another guard unit separately from the Garrison unit, they are mainly working directly with the commandery office, that’s the gist. will also vanish. Soldiers will no longer have land, making it difficult for them to be self-sufficient. Relying solely on the tax revenue from the court will make it challenging to support such a large number of soldiers. I believe we must not sell the garrison’s farmland!”

After Yu Xin sat down, Zhang Dan expressed his opinion, Just like Yu Xin, Zhang Shan also expressed a strong and clear opposition. His reasons revolved around the financial pressure that would result from the disappearance of the military settlement system.

Zhu Yunwen did not express his stance but turned his gaze to Xie Jin.

Xie Jin stood up, bowed, and then began, “Your Majesty, esteemed colleagues, the military settlement system was commendable at the inception of our nation. However, it has now encountered significant issues. If we do not proactively address these problems, it will inevitably decline in the future. Instead of passing this issue to future generations, we should resolve it within our generation.”

“Regarding the notion that selling the garrisoned farmlands would leave the soldiers without provisions, I disagree. In previous years, the soldiers’ farmlands were typically taxed at a rate of 1/5. This resulted in roughly 20 million dan of grain. If we were to adjust this tax rate to 1/20 while selling the farmlands at a lower tax rate, we would still obtain 5 million dan of grain, leaving a deficit of 15 million bushels.”

“Because the farmland in the garrisoned areas is often infertile, it’s not possible to sell it for as much as the fertile lands in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where prices can reach five, ten, or even twenty taels of silver per acre. Let’s assume a rate of two taels of silver per acre in our case. For fifty acres, that would amount to one hundred taels of silver. With seventy taels of silver going into the national treasury for grain purchases, can’t we still support a soldier for three to five years?”

Yu Xin rose again, lamenting, “Only seeking to sustain for three to five years is short-sighted! Your Majesty, the military settlement system was established for the prosperity of a thousand generations. If we aim for only a few years of success but destroy the foundation for generations, it will undoubtedly lead to great calamity!”

Xie Jin looked at Yu Xin, sighed, and said, “Secretary Yu, when we look around the current state of Ming, there are no strong external threats in the coming three to five years. As long as Ming remains stable for a few years, the tax revenue from commerce and agriculture can certainly support the soldiers in the military settlements.”

Zhang Dan stood up in opposition again, “Even if there are no strong external threats, are there no natural disasters? How can you guarantee that Ming will have peaceful years every year? If widespread crop failure occurs, what will we do then? Who will support such a large number of soldiers? Furthermore, without external threats, maintaining both farming and training would be more prudent, wouldn’t it?”

Zhu Yunwen watched the continued debate among the three members of the Grand Secretariat and sensed the division within his council.

Yu Xin and Zhang Dan, with their extensive experience and seniority, seemed somewhat lacking in foresight and courage. They preferred to live within their comfort zones and resisted any major changes.

Whenever there were too many changes, they would feel uneasy and seize upon any shortcomings, magnifying them as weapons of opposition.

Whether it was the reform of the Imperial Academy or the reform of the military settlement system, they both displayed the same pattern.

“Enough, please sit down.”

Zhu Yunwen tapped the table and frowned as he shouted.

The three secretaries sat back down.

Zhu Yunwen turned his gaze to Huang Zicheng and Xia Yuanji, asking, “What does the Ministry of Revenue think?”

Huang Zicheng stood up and said, “Your Majesty, on this matter, Vice Minister Xia is the most knowledgeable. I’ll let him explain.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, signaling Huang Zicheng to sit down, and then turned to Xia Yuanji.

Xia Yuanji stood up and took out a booklet from his sleeve, saying, “As Secretary Xie mentioned, selling the land and using the proceeds can support the New Army’s policy for three to five years. Even if landowners, including the gentry, purchase the land, the grain they produce will still need to be sold. As long as the garrison’s land is not left fallow on a large scale, the original yield of the land will not significantly decrease. By using the money from land sales to purchase grain, there will be no major grain shortages.”

“After three to five years, when the New Army is established and capable of defending our homeland, keeping the Tatars and oirats outside our borders. The production of garrison’s land will not pose any concerns. As for future military provisions, I believe that as long as we thoroughly implement the single whip method and national policies, our imperial treasury will inevitably become abundant, and there will be no issues in providing for the soldiers.”

“If you still think that I am speaking falsely, the records in this booklet indicate the current treasury holdings, it estimates the revenue from commercial taxes and agricultural taxes for the upcoming year, disregarding various expenditures and reserves. we can still allocate at least ten million dan to support the soldiers. If agricultural production remains stable for three years, the court can allocate at least fifteen million dan. The deficit is not substantial.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Yu Xin and Zhang Dan, saying, “The military settlement system is not conducive to building a strong military, and the military household system is the same. We can’t let physically weak people continue to stay in the garrisons as soldiers. Since this is a policy for the new army, let’s be bold and use Beiping as a pilot. We’ll sell the garrison’s land while abolishing all the garrisons under Beiping Prefecture, including some garrisons in parts of northern Zhili!”

“For garrison soldiers who want to continue serving, they can do so. If they don’t want to serve, we’ll change their military status and provide them with military pay, allowing them to return to their hometowns. If there are military officers who oppose this, the regional army can be deployed to quell any resistance! For the sale of the garrison’s land, we will grant a three-year low-tax incentive and require all transactions to be documented according to the commercial tax standards. We will appoint personnel to closely supervise the source of land transactions. If there are cases of garrison land encroaching on farmer’s land, strict punishment will be applied!”

“We’ll start with various areas in Beiping, observe the results, accumulate experience, and if it proves effective, we will expand it. If it turns out to be ineffective, the court will continue to support the garrisons in Beiping! Grand Secretariat drafts the decree.”

The three cabinet ministers, Yu Xin, and others, realized that the matter had been decided, and they had no choice but to bow and leave.

Zhu Yunwen kept Yao Guangxiao behind and handed him a report from the Security Bureau, asking, “Do you know about Jin Zhong, the person mentioned in the report?”

Upon hearing this, Yao Guangxiao’s heart sank, and he carefully examined the report. He was shocked and uneasy as he said, “Your Majesty, this Jin Zhong is not an ordinary person. He not only understands esoteric arts but is also skilled in military strategy. I must confess that it was I who recommended Jin Zhong to enter the King of Yan’s residence.”

“Ah, I see. I have learned of the situation from the Beiping Security Bureau’s branch. Jin Zhong has recently had many contacts with the local gentry and seems to have some ulterior motives. What do you think he’s planning?”

Zhu Yunwen looked at Yao Guangxiao with a sharp gaze.

Yao Guangxiao lowered his head, manipulated the Buddhist beads in his hand, and said with a gloomy expression, “Jin Zhong is just a fortune teller, and it’s impossible for him to conspire with the local gentry. If the information from the Security Bureau is accurate, it can only mean that someone is manipulating Jin Zhong from behind the scenes.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, smiling, “It seems that you and I will go together. In that case, let’s find out who has the audacity to do this. Haha, and remember, you’re not allowed to inform the King of Yan!”

As Yao Guangxiao left the Wuying hall, he looked at the sun in the sky with a worried expression. He muttered to himself, “King of Yan, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but it’s because the Emperor won’t let me say…

Not allowing to speak indicates that the Emperor is aware

Yao Guangxiao knew who was causing trouble. Zhu Gaochi is an honest fatty, while Zhu Gaoxu is an ambitious martial artist, and Zhu Gaosui is Zhu Gaoxu’s follower…

Who else could it be?

The Emperor was preparing to catch the turtle in the jar^[2]Tl’s note: Chinese idiom, it means an easy target. with great excitement, and Zhu Gaoxu was still causing trouble in Beiping.

Sigh, did Zhu Gaoxu ever think that his old man, Zhu Di, was still in the capital? If he caused any trouble in Beiping, would Zhu Di still be alive?

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