Chapter 76: Disbanding the Harem, Yet Still Unable to Support Officials

Yellow represents the emperor, while black represents the gentry.

Though the sand table appeared simple, the colors were distinct. Every time the black area expanded by one mu, the yellow area diminished by one mu.

The previously scattered black dots now showed a tendency to connect, creating a visually shocking display that rattled everyone in the court.

Xie Jin was astonished by this method. Using the sand table to illustrate the changes in farmland was remarkably clear and easy to understand. Although familiar with sand tables, he had never considered this particular application.

Familiar things could take on new and fresh uses. Those who can think and adapt will find limitless possibilities in their endeavors, a sign of a wise person. And His Majesty was indeed a wise ruler.

“What about the taxed farmland area in the 30th year of Hongwu?” Zhu Yunwen asked in a stern voice.

“Your Majesty, in the 30th year of Hongwu, the taxed farmland area amounted to 99,570,000 mu, a reduction of 27,390,000 mu compared to the 26th year of Hongwu!”

His voice caused a collective gasp among the courtiers. As the eunuch brushed more black ink onto the sand table, the yellow area was further reduced, and the additional black color became even more pronounced.

“What about the 31st year of Hongwu?” Zhu Yunwen asked again.

Xia Yuanji’s voice carried a hint of suppressed anger and sorrow as he replied, “In the 31st year of Hongwu, the taxed farmland area amounted to 87,560,000 mu, a reduction of 39,400,000 mu compared to the 26th year of Hongwu!”

The entire court was shocked.

Watching the significant reduction of the yellow area on the sand table and the overwhelming presence of black, occupying more than a third of the territory.

Zhu Yunwen couldn’t help but feel heartbroken and angry. “Only five years!” he exclaimed with grief and fury. “In just five years, the taxed farmland area in South Zhili has decreased by nearly 40 million mu! Xia Yuanji, tell me, how much is the tax of southern zhili region in the 31st year of Hongwu?”

Stepping forward, Xia Yuanji replied with a voice full of melancholy, “Your Majesty, in the 31st year of Hongwu, the summer tax in South Zhili was 3,150,261 dan. As for the autumn tax, it has not been fully delivered due to the Single whip method. However, after inspecting the seven prefectures, I estimate it to be close to 400 dan, totaling approximately 7,000,000 shi, which is equivalent to the 26th year of Hongwu.”

Looking at his courtiers, Zhu Yunwen spoke with a harsh tone, “Very well, excellent! Hou Tai, tell me, how is it possible that the taxed farmland area decreased by 40 million mu in five years, yet the tax revenue remains the same?”

Hou Tai, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward, his face pale and weak. He replied in a powerless tone, “I do not know!”

“Do you really not know, or do you dare not speak?” Zhu Yunwen coldly rebuked, no longer bothering to look at the kneeling Hou Tai. Instead, he turned his gaze to Jing Qing and asked, “Jing Qing, do you know why?”

Kneeling on the side, Jing Qing shouted, “I… I don’t know!”

“Hmph! Land disputes, land disputes! After debating for so many days, you dare to say you don’t know? Then all the memorials you copied, the continuous debates, have all been in vain?” Zhu Yunwen asked angrily.

Seeing no one speaking up, Zhu Yunwen turned to Huang Zicheng and asked, “Huang Zicheng, tell them, what method was used to decrease the land but not the tax revenue?”

Stepping forward, Huang Zicheng spoke with a deep voice, “The local governments cleverly devised new names and secretly increased taxes, burdening the remaining taxed farmland areas. Though nearly 40 million mu have been reduced, the tax revenue from these 40 million mu is distributed evenly among the remaining 87,560,000 mu!”

“Good, very good!” Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji and asked, “In your opinion, how much will the tax and farmland area decrease in South Zhili this year?”

Xia Yuanji was taken aback and calculated for a moment before saying, “Your Majesty, based on past years, the taxed farmland area in South Zhili will decrease by at least eight million mu this year.”

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly.

Eight million mu was a conservative estimate.

Xia Yuanji thought that since it decreased by 40 million mu in five years, the average yearly decrease would be around 8 million mu. However, he forgot to consider the trend. In the first year, it only decreased by three million mu, but in the most recent year, it surged to 12 million mu!

The results presented by the mean are only the mean, and sometimes it had no representativeness or ability to reveal future possibilities.

But since Xia Yuanji said so, they would proceed accordingly.

The two eunuchs applied more black ink on the sand table, indicating that another eight million mu of tax and farmland would be divided.

“Is it acceptable to calculate the next year’s decrease as eight million mu as well?” Zhu Yunwen asked.

With a bitter tone, Xia Yuanji replied, “It’s acceptable.”

“Then do it!” Zhu Yunwen said coldly.

The eunuchs applied black ink again.

In the third year of Jianwen, another eight million mu was decreased, leaving roughly this much farmland remaining…

In the fourth year of Jianwen, another eight million mu was decreased, leaving roughly this much farmland remaining…

…

In the tenth year of Jianwen, another eight million mu was decreased, leaving approximately 7,560,000 mu of farmland.

By this point, the sand table had turned pitch black, and the yellow area was reduced to just a small, pitiful amount.

“Xia Yuanji, according to the 1/15 tax, how much tax will be collected from these 7,560,000 mu of farmland? One mu of land is taxed 1 dou and 3 sheng, so how much revenue will it generate?” Zhu Yunwen asked.

Xia Yuanji calculated on his bamboo board and replied, “Your Majesty, from 7,560,000 mu, it will yield approximately 990,000 dan in taxes, equivalent to 530,000 taels of silver. After setting aside 160,000 taels for local use, the court will receive 370,000 taels.”

Zhu Yunwen looked at the courtiers, his tone becoming icy as he shouted, “In ten years, the entire South Zhili will only generate 370,000 taels of tax revenue! Haha, just 370,000 taels! What can you do with that? The annual expenses of the imperial harem alone amount to 350,000 taels! If I dismiss the harem, I can only save 300,000 taels. Is that enough to pay your salaries?!”

“With over 30,000 civil and military officials, dividing this amount among them would mean each person receives only ten taels of silver per year. Are you willing to accept that? It’s not even enough to buy two dan of rice per month! Who among you is willing to stand here and work for the country?”

“Who?!”

“South Zhili is a vital area for the Ming Dynasty’s tax collection. If it is still like this, how can we afford to pay your salaries? How can we afford to maintain the military? The consequences of land disputes are not limited to ten years; what about fifty years from now? A hundred years? Two hundred years? You are the subjects of the Ming Dynasty, and you should consider not only yourselves but also future generations!”

“You took the land from the self-cultivating farmers and made the tenant farmers toil for you. You have plenty of food in your homes, but what about the court? What about the Ming Dynasty? If the Ming Dynasty falls, who among you can live under the hooves of the northern barbarians for the rest of your life? Or are you willing to become fourth-class citizens, bowing to the whims of foreign invaders?!”

Zhu Yunwen’s words were like a torrential storm, pouring out with force.

Those officials who had opposed the land disputes suddenly realized that this seemingly ordinary issue was, in fact, life-threatening. It might not be about their own lives, but it was about the fate of the Ming Dynasty.

If the Ming Dynasty collapsed, their own lives wouldn’t be better off.

If another Yuan Dynasty emerged, all their wealth would be handed over to the barbarians, and they would be living a lowly life.

“The consequences of land disputes are like a plague, eating away at us day and night, weakening our Ming Dynasty. We must thoroughly investigate and strictly control it!” The sonorous voice echoed out from the entrance of Fengtian Hall, causing everyone to turn their heads.

Zhu Di strode in, and upon reaching the front of the hall, he performed a deep bow before exclaiming, “I, Zhu Di, pay my respects to Your Majesty! Long live our Your Majesty, long live, long live!”

“King of Yan, rise quickly,” Zhu Yunwen said with some surprise at Zhu Di’s sudden arrival, but it seemed that he was prepared for it.

Zhu Di stood up, looked at the sand table, and then said to Zhu Yunwen, “Your Majesty, the court should implement strict laws to regulate land consolidation and curb the trend of land entrusting. I implore Your Majesty to abolish all official lands and tax-exempt land! All farmlands should be subject to taxation! I am willing to hand over all my fiefs’ lands to the common people of the Ming Dynasty, enabling them to live in peace and prosperity, cultivating for thousands of years!”

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