After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 713 - 703: Winning People’s Hearts

"I know," Zhao Hanzhang said, "I’ve seriously thought about this matter. My plan is to grant tax exemptions to those with great achievements, ranging from hundreds to thousands of acres, but this measure should not extend to ordinary officials and aristocrats."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "If they make mistakes and are stripped of their positions and titles, then these exemptions will also be revoked, and any amount exceeding this limit must pay land taxes."

Zhao Ming could tell just by listening that there wouldn’t be many such meritorious ministers. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Zhao Ming was particularly curious, "Your family’s land taxes have always been exempt, and you’ve always been generous in other matters. Why are you so persistent with tax issues? It’s rather stingy of you."

Zhao Hanzhang laughed, thought carefully, and said, "This is my long-term strategy. Uncle Ming, why do you think the magnificent Great Han fell?"

The Han Dynasty wasn’t far removed from them, having fallen less than a hundred years ago. Reflecting on it now...

Zhao Ming paused for a moment and said, "The Great Han fell due to the young ruler and external relatives allowing eunuchs to seize power."

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu couldn’t help but nod and added, "And also due to the heavy taxation, leaving the people destitute."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Indeed, but in my view, the Great Han truly fell due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion."

The three did not refute this view because they also believed that the Great Han had effectively perished during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, with the subsequent decades merely being a struggle for survival.

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion was due to heavy taxes. Ninety percent of the land was owned by one-tenth of the people, leaving the remaining ninety percent of the people with only ten percent of the land, and they still had to bear ninety percent of the country’s taxes, corvee, and military duties. The common people were too cold to clothe themselves and too hungry to eat. Uncle Ming, if one can’t survive even by lying down like a house dog, even the common people would risk their lives for a chance at survival."

"And the facts have proven that commoners, aristocrats, noble relatives, and the Imperial Family all have only one life. There’s not much difference between them, and the commoners can also pierce the heavens." Zhao Hanzhang said, "Ultimately, it is due to severe land amalgamation and burdensome taxes."

"Therefore, firstly, I would restrict the aristocrats from purchasing large amounts of land and distribute land among the common people, ensuring equal land distribution; secondly, not only the commoners but aristocrats, noble clans, and meritorious officials across the land must all pay taxes. Beyond any special exemptions, any excess must be taxed."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "In the future, I will also set a maximum limit, as well as a maximum number of tax-exempt individuals. It may seem harsh, but I hope that like the Later Han, the present chaos can take longer to reappear."

Zhao Ming pursed his lips and said, "Yet the Great Han persisted for many years due to the protection of civil and military officials. If you skimp on honors, what motivation do they have to serve you?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Rewards come in various forms, and honors can take many forms too. I can lavish them with gold and silver treasures, and grant them high official ranks, just reducing the tax exemption quotas."

She did not shy away from saying unreservedly, "Uncle Ming, our Zhao Family has indulged plenty in undermining the state. Think carefully, if the Zhao Family paid taxes as per regulations, how much more tax could Ru Nan County collect annually?"

Zhao Ming said expressionlessly, "Don’t forget, your family is the first. More than half of the clan’s land is registered under your family, and tax avoidance is done through your family. However, since you became the County Magistrate of Xiping County, the clan’s annual taxes have increased year by year."

Zhao Hanzhang lightly tapped the table and said, "Exactly, see, even someone as upright as my grandfather couldn’t resist the requests from clan members to have their land registered under his name to avoid court taxes. Without strict laws, one day, the territory we gain will quickly go the way of the Great Han."

In reality, since the Han Dynasty, no regime has lasted over four hundred years like the Han. Every dynasty has ultimately perished due to increasingly corrupt politics, massive land consolidation, and heavier taxes.

Of course, she couldn’t plan for such distant matters. What she could foresee was that from the Three Kingdoms period until the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, over three hundred years, there were more than thirty regimes of various sizes, each with claimants to kingship or emperorship, yet none lasted long.

On average, a regime lasted less than ten years.

Even the Liu Yuan regime now feared by Great Jin only lasted twenty-five years. From his claim to the throne to the fall of the dynasty, it was merely twenty-five years.

Why?

Because they disregarded the people, constantly expanding, fighting, and indulging in luxury and pleasure.

To expand their territory, they would exhaust the people to the extreme, fighting merely for the sake of conquest, and then many regimes perished for this reason.

Not until the establishment of the Sui did things gradually stabilize.

Zhao Hanzhang could naturally have been like Liu Cong and others, disregarding the lives of the people, waging wars everywhere, conquering territory after territory, but what then?

Support war with war?

But all these battlefields were once the lands of the Great Han, akin to sacrificing civilians. She didn’t want to do such things, so unless the enemy moved, she remained still. Whenever she had time, she immersed herself in basic construction, agricultural and industrial production, and institutional formulation.

Since she intended to pacify the realm and end the chaotic times, she had to consider the future and put the people first.

Of course, she knew about the future chaos, and so did Fu Tinghan, but Zhao Ming and others did not.

Therefore, she couldn’t use this to persuade them, so she directly asked Zhao Ming and the others, "Leaving aside the Tubo in the west, the current world situation can essentially be divided into three parts: Liu Yuan’s Han Kingdom to the north, our Jin State, and the Xianbei to the northeast. Uncle Ming, Mr. Ji, Mr. Ming, how long do you think they can last?"

Zhao Ming tightly held his wine cup, thinking that his niece was finally showing her ambition openly.

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu were already prepared to infiltrate heaven with Zhao Hanzhang, so they remained silent, looking at Zhao Ming first.

Zhao Ming pursed his lips and said, "The Xianbei are not to be feared. Though their cavalry is formidable, their territory is insufficient, they are not skilled in siege or defense, nor are they adept at farming. There are few Xianbei people, so even if they rise temporarily, they cannot sustain it for long. With a little provocation, they can be defeated."

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu also nodded.

Ji Yuan mused, "The Han Kingdom is indeed a great enemy, but that’s from the perspective of Great Jin. However, even if it destroys the Jin State, it will still struggle to last for long."

He said, "Liu Yuan wants a Han rule, but unfortunately, his subordinates are foolish and disobedient. The various tribes are powerful and act independently. He has relied heavily on these tribes for many years, and now he is greatly constrained by them, unable to shake off their influence. If he wants to reform, it’s no longer possible."

"Now that he’s alive, he can barely maintain balance, but once he passes, Shi Le would be the first to break free of control."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, smiling, "Liu Cong is cruel and narrow-minded. The Xiongnu look down on the Han people and the Jiehu. Shi Le, being a slave by birth, is despised by the great generals under Liu Yuan. Shi Le can currently turn a blind eye to this, but once Liu Yuan is gone, his descendants will surely struggle to control him. It is merely a matter of time before the Han Kingdom splits."

Ming Yu’s heart stirred as he said, "Jin is already just a name without substance, and neither Jin nor Han Kingdom have won the people’s hearts. Are you planning to win them over with popular support?"