allonlinenovel Chapter 115: Fan Jian: Officials and gentry serve as one body, abolishing gentry privileges
Chapter 115: Fan Jian: Officials and gentry serve as one body, abolishing gentry privileges
The family recruited three people, a father and two sons, and then an accident happened.
The father and his two sons all died, leaving only the widowed mother and young son, who made a scene at the Jingzhao Yin's house.
This case instantly caused a sensation in Kyoto.
After the New Imperial Gazette published this case, it completely aroused the anger of the whole of Kyoto.
Jingzhao Yin Fan Jian submitted a memorial requesting the court to stop conscripting people for labor service in the capital!
OK!
Fan Jian finally made up for his mistake this time!
Li Tian thought happily and immediately removed Fan Jian from the blacklist.
As long as you are willing to help me stop the construction of the Beijing-Luzhou Railway!
You are my good subject!
After Fan Jian submitted his memorial, Li Tian immediately approved it.
"The people of Da Zhou are all precious!"
"Stop conscripting corvée labor. We can only continue construction after safety is guaranteed!"
Liu Wenzhuo also published this edict in the official gazette.
Now the Jingzhao Yin and the Ministry of Works started a verbal battle.
The Ministry of Works accused the Jingzhao Yin of incompetence, and some of the people conscripted for labor included people in their sixties.
There are even children who haven't grown up yet.
The Jingzhao Yin said that the Ministry of Works was a waste of money and manpower, and the people of the capital could not bear the burden.
Both sides held their own opinions and argued endlessly.
The Beijing-Luozhou Railway was also suspended as expected.
Li Tian watched the verbal battle between the two parties, feeling secretly delighted and adding fuel to the fire.
Sometimes he supported Jingzhao Yin, saying that the Ministry of Works had too many targets.
Then he supported the Ministry of Industry, saying that the Beijing-Luzhou Railway must be built!
Now, the court became a mess.
Li Tian hoped that the Beijing-Luzhou Railway project would fail, and he clapped his hands in joy.
In the cabinet, Jia Renyi slammed the table.
"How come Fan Jian changed after becoming Jingzhao Yin?"
Jia Renyi said angrily.
He once regarded Fan Jian as his successor.
I didn't expect that this guy would have such a lack of sense of the overall situation after taking office as Jingzhao Yin!
He actually obstructed a national project like the Beijing-Luzhou Railway just for the sake of his official reputation!
Jia Renyi wanted to rush into Jingzhao Yin and curse Fan Jian!
Tang Xiaoren said, "Jia Cifu, don't get angry yet."
"I think Fan Jian always has big ambitions."
"It's a bit strange that he resolutely opposed it this time."
"How about we send a letter and ask him to come to the cabinet to discuss what exactly he is thinking?"
What Tang Xiaoren meant by sending a letter is one of the powers of the cabinet.
The so-called Tangwen means that the cabinet can summon any official to come to the cabinet to report on their current work.
It is equivalent to the right to question every official.
Jia Renyi thought about it and nodded in agreement.
The cabinet issued an official letter, requiring Fan Jian to come to the cabinet to be questioned.
The news spread immediately throughout the government and the country.
This is an attempt to reveal the real purpose!
The Jingzhao Yin actually wrestled with the Cabinet!
This is the first time we meet!
Obviously, if the results of the inquiry fail to satisfy the two cabinet bosses.
Then Fan Jian would be dismissed from his post as Jingzhao Yin.
The next day, Fan Jian came to the cabinet neatly dressed.
"Prime Minister Tang, Second Prime Minister Jia." Fan Jian saluted Tang Xiaoren and Jia Renyi in turn.
Tang Xiaoren had a smile on his face, but Jia Renyi snorted coldly.
Tang Xiaoren said, "Master Fan, I know your resume. You have always worked wholeheartedly for the court every time you were in office. Why are you so opposed to the conscription this time?"
Fan Jian chuckled and said, "Lord Tang, I am not against the construction of the Beijing-Luzhou Railway, but I am against the method of conscripting corvée labor."
After these words were spoken, Tang Xiaoren and Jia Renyi both looked at Fan Jian.
Fan Jian said: "After taking office as a local official, I finally understood why the people regarded corvée as a scourge."
"A family originally only had a few strong laborers, and after the conscription of corvée labor, the family had virtually no income at all."
"If this tragedy happened, only the young son and the widow would be left."
"Originally, the imperial court did not recruit many people from one village."
"But officials and wealthy families don't need to send anyone, so the quota often falls on a few families."
"That's why if there's a conscription for corvée labor in a village, all fathers, sons, and children have to participate."
"This situation is not uncommon, and there are cases where one family is recruited every year."
"The imperial court built the Beijing-Luzhou railway, and I wonder how many people lost their homes and lives!"
After Fan Jian finished speaking, Tang Xiaoren and Jia Renyi all fell silent.
Of course they also know these things, but sometimes as prime ministers, they don't delve too deeply into them.
Tang Xiaoren said, "Does Master Fan have any solution to this situation?"
Jia Renyi also raised his head. So that's how it is!
It turns out that this guy Fan Jian was planning this!
Making a fuss in the morning just to wait for the opportunity to come!
Fan Jian said respectfully: "I want to implement 'officials and gentry serve as one' in Kyoto!"
The idea of officials and gentry serving as one was not first proposed by Fan Jian.
The meaning is very simple, that is, when imposing corvee labor, the privileges of officials and gentry will be exempted.
All households had to take turns performing corvee labor.
But this policy was naturally opposed by all educated people.
They went through so much hardship to become Jinshi, wasn't it just to become a superior person?
If you abolish the privileges of officials and gentry, they will certainly not support it!
Fan Jian said: "Officials and gentry are also citizens of the Great Zhou, and they should also perform corvée labor."
"Officials and gentry are all serving as officials. If a male member of a family is an official or a clerk and is unable to perform corvée labor, the family should pay to hire someone from the same village to perform corvée labor on their behalf."
"If something unexpected happens while serving corvée labor, the family will have to pay a pension."
Jia Renyi now understood why Fan Jian took action at this time.
The new imperial gazette first created public opinion, attracting the attention of the entire Kyoto.
He threatened the imperial court by suspending the construction of the Beijing-Luzhou Railway.
Finally, a proposal was put forward to abolish the privileges of the gentry!
This process is smooth and natural.
Nowadays, the people of Kyoto are all discussing the issue of exempting the wealthy from corvée labor.
This overwhelming public opinion has already formed. If any scholar dares to oppose it, he will be scolded to death.
How brilliant!
Fan Jian’s move was truly brilliant!
Tang Xiaoren was also very happy.
The reform he wanted to implement was to have officials and gentry serve as one.
Now that Fan Jian has proposed, it would be a good idea to implement it in Kyoto first to see the results.
If the response in Kyoto is good, then we can implement it throughout the Great Zhou.
Tang Xiaoren and Jia Renyi looked at each other.
Jia Renyi said: "Then we will do as you said and implement 'officials and gentry serve as one' in Kyoto."
"The family whose father and two sons died were appeased by the Jingzhao Yin, and the Ministry of Works allocated compensation."
Fan Jian bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Prime Minister Tang and Second Minister Jia, for your support!"
Li Tian didn't know.
The traitor Fan Jian, whom he had just recognized, was about to be assassinated again.
It was very difficult to implement the policy of officials and gentry serving as one.
But under the public opinion of the New Palace News, few people dared to speak out.
Scholars also need to save face!
The people are suffering so much now, and you still support privileges?
That's simply reading to the point of being a dog's stomach.
Besides, Lord Fan also said it.
If there is really someone in the family who is an official, he cannot participate in corvée labor.
You can also use silver!
In the same village, there are always people who are willing to perform labor service for money.