Chapter 31 5. Reforms and turmoil

There is no doubt that in the history of the empire, there were also people who were brave enough to take responsibility and tried to reform, such as Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi's "Xining Reform" is the most typical one among the many reforms in the history of the empire.It is said to be the most typical, not only because of the great determination of this reform (the emperor and the prime minister have a high degree of agreement), the intensity (the special establishment of the reform leading organization "Zhi Zhi San Division Regulations"), and the controversy (since the Shenzong Dynasty in the Northern Song Dynasty has been It was debated until the Gaozong Dynasty of the Southern Song Dynasty), and it had a great influence (those who discussed the reforms of all dynasties all recommended this time), and because it happened in a critical period in the history of the dynasty and empire.This reform began approximately in the second year of Song Shenzong Xining (AD 1069), and finally in the first year of Song Zhezong Yuanyou (AD 1086).At this time, more than half of the entire imperial history (221 BC to 1911 AD) had just passed, and more than half of the Northern Song Dynasty (960 to 1279 AD) had passed, and it was at a fork in the road of "prosperity and decline".Therefore, the success or failure of this reform will mean the answer to a historical question: Is it possible for the centralized dynasty to avoid decline and demise through its own reforms?Is it possible for the imperial system to get rid of the law and destiny of the cycle of chaos and change of dynasty?

It's a matter of life and death. At this critical moment, Wang Anshi showed rare wisdom and amazing courage.After careful consideration and small-scale experiments, he resolutely wrote a letter, advocating reform, and put forward specific plans and propositions.These are the eight new laws of young crops, tax exemption, Fangtian, and Baojia, which were promulgated and implemented one after another.As long as there is no prejudice, it is not difficult to see that if these new laws can be implemented without distortion, it is possible for the Song Dynasty to revive itself.What's more, Wang Anshi was also very lucky. He met Song Shenzong who had just ascended to the throne.At that time, Shenzong was only 20 years old, which was the age when he hoped to make great achievements.The young emperor is in full bloom, how can he allow the court to be sluggish, the important officials to be sluggish, and the country to be poor and weak?One is ambitious and vigorous; the other is persevering and determined to innovate.The meeting between monarch and minister hit it off.As a result, a major reform movement related to the rise and fall of the country and the people's will was rolled out across the country.

However, the result surprised Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi.After the implementation of the new law, not only important court officials (such as Sima Guang, etc.) mobilized to attack it, but also the whole country complained, and people's grievances were boiling. It even happened that more than 1,000 farmers from Dongming County went to Beijing to petition and made trouble in front of Wang Anshi's residence.Even Zheng Xia, a small official who was rewarded and promoted by Wang Anshi, couldn't bear it anymore. In April of the seventh year of Xining (AD 1074), he drew a "Picture of Refugees" and presented it to the emperor, imploring the emperor to abolish the law that harmed the people. "Extend the dying fate of all surnames", and threatened that if it does not rain within ten days after the new law is abolished (at that time, the whole country has been in a severe drought for ten months), please behead the heads of the ministers and place them outside the Xuande Gate to bully them. King's crime.Faced with such a severe situation, Shenzong had to issue an edict to suspend the new law.It is said that as soon as the edict was issued, it rained heavily and the drought was relieved immediately.

Of course, this is too dramatic, so it can only be regarded as a novelist's words, let's take it for granted.But it is a fact that Wang Anshi's reform is unpopular, and it is inevitable that he will suffer a disastrous defeat with the reputation of disturbing the people and accumulating.Not long after the death of Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi (1085 and 1086 AD), the "Jingkang Difficulty" (early 1127 AD) occurred.From the reform in Xining to the subjugation of the Northern Song Dynasty, it took only fifty or sixty years.Of course we cannot say that the Northern Song Dynasty was brought down by Wang Anshi, but it is probably true that the reforms accelerated the dynasty's demise.

So, is there really a problem with the new law? It should be said that Wang Anshi's new policies were all based on good intentions. Many policies took into account the interests of the country and the people, and even thought of farmers.For example, the "green shoot method" is. The spirit of the "Young Crop Law" is "destroying mergers and helping the poor", and it is intended to exempt farmers from usury and exploitation.The specific method is that the government grants loans to farmers every year when there is a shortage of money, and returns the principal with interest in autumn.The interest rate is naturally very low, and farmers can afford it.The old grain in the original warehouse borrowed is not a heavy burden on the state.The government's loan of surplus grain can relieve the urgent needs of the farmers; after the fall, the interest can be recovered to increase the capital of the dynasty's treasury.Isn't this the best of both worlds?No wonder Wang Anshi boasted: I can increase the treasury revenue without increasing taxes.

But the result of the actual operation is extremely terrible: the low-interest loan stipulated by the state and fully considering the interests of farmers has become a usury monopolized by the government.The interest rate was so high that it reached thirty-five times the original setting!What's even more frightening is that in order to implement the New Deal, Wang Anshi issued loan quotas for all parts of the country, stipulating how much each state and county must lend each year.In this way, the magistrates had no choice but to make a rigid apportionment.Of course, while apportioning layers upon layers, there are also layer upon layer increases as usual.As a result, not only the poor and lower-middle peasants, but also the rich middle peasants, rich peasants, and landlords had to "loan according to order."As a result, the common people increased their burdens and local officials increased their income.Moreover, their rent-seeking has added another banner, and they can practice corruption in the name of reform.

The problem is that Wang Anshi was not wrong.First, his motivation is good, and his starting point is correct; second, his plan was originally feasible, and in? ? ?The trial in the county has achieved good results; third, it will not work unless it is fully rolled out and the target is not issued.If it is not fully rolled out, the reform will be just talk on paper; if the target is not issued, officials will ignore it; and once it is fully rolled out and the target is issued, the New Deal will be completely different!So, can't local officials not take advantage of it?No, for the reasons mentioned in the previous chapter.It is useless to remove all magistrates, unless there is no bureaucracy, which of course cannot be done.At this point, neither Wang Anshi nor Sima Guang had any good solution.

This was true of the Song Dynasty, so why not other dynasties?This is true of the Xining reform, so why not other reforms?Tang Dezong implemented the "Two Tax Law", which stipulated that taxes should be collected according to property, not according to head.Except for land tax, all other rents and miscellaneous corvees are exempted.This was originally to restrain the powerful and protect the common people.However, the result was that the common people complained endlessly, and the officials made a fortune.Because after the implementation of the two tax laws, circulation decreased and prices fell, the imperial court had to change to collections in kind, and local officials took the opportunity to increase the consumption tax from the stipulated 2% to 10%. The unlucky ones were the common people.The same is true of Zhang Juzheng's "one whip method".The one-whip method combines land tax and labor labor into one, counts by mu, and pays taxes in silver, which simplifies the procedures and clarifies the tasks.However, in the specific implementation process, it is often a clever name, with whips and whips (similar to tax plus fees), and the handling fees charged in some places are more than double the regular supply.This is really good if you don't reform me, but the more you reform me, the worse it will be.There is no exception in examining all the reforms of the past dynasties.

What is this indicating?It shows that the dynasty is desperate, and the empire is sick and blind.It is precisely because there is no way out that it is necessary to kill a bloody road.From this perspective, Wang Anshi and the others are right.Similarly, because of the patient's ointment, it is not possible to prescribe aggressive drugs, but to warm up slowly, and not to undergo major surgery, only conservative treatment.From this perspective, Sima Guang and the others are right.But no matter who is right or wrong, the reform will always fail.Because this is not a theoretical question, but a practical one.

The consequences of the failure of the reform are extremely serious, because it means that it is impossible for the dynasty to save itself through its own reform.You must know that Wang Anshi's reform was entirely to maintain and consolidate the rule of the dynasty, and did not touch the fundamentals and vital points of the imperial system at all, and it was supported and praised by the supreme ruler of the empire.The failure of such a reform to succeed shows clearly how hopeless the imperial system is. In fact, it is not difficult to see the seriousness of the problem without any grand view of history.We know that, as an agricultural nation, the Chinese generally don't like unconventional and changeable things.Because for agricultural production, it is best if the weather is smooth and the world is peaceful. Everyone should follow the established guidelines, and no one should toss anyone, let alone plant experimental fields all over the country.Similarly, to govern a super-big empire, it is best to follow the rules, step by step, maintain stability, and not engage in sports on a whim.Laozi has long said: "Governing a big country is like cooking a small dish." (Chapter 60 of Laozi).Xiao Xian is a small fish and shrimp.Cooking small delicacies is like constantly stir-frying, and it will be in a mess; governing a large country is like frequent exercise, and the people will not be able to live.Therefore, Han Feizi said that frequent reforms must not be made, because "cooking small fish and scratching it frequently will steal its benefits; governing a large country but changing the law frequently will cause people to suffer" ("Han Feizi·Jie Lao").Can not change, it is best not to move.

Of course, it is impossible to remain completely unchanged. In fact, the past dynasties have also changed.But even if reforms are to be made, they can only be done slowly, without fanfare; only step by step, and not eager for success.Moreover, as long as it can be maintained, the law will not change if it can be maintained.In fact, it would be nice if that were the case.The problem is that due to the inertia of the empire, gradual progress is often equal to no movement, and slow fire is often equal to a pool of stagnant water.The result is that the accumulation is hard to return, neither is it changed, nor is it the same.Changes lead to a myriad of problems, while constant changes lead to piles of problems, and slow changes lead to no one waiting.Therefore, when a dynasty made up its mind to carry out reforms, most of them had to change.It is self-evident that if change is necessary but cannot be successful, the consequences will be severe—the dynasty loses its last chance for self-regulation.There is no cure, only chaos.Song Huizong Xuanhe first year (1119 AD, 33 years after Wang Anshi's reform failed), Yunzhou Song Jiangfan; Xuanhe second year (AD 1120), Muzhou Fang Lafan; Xuanhe fifth year (AD 1123) ), Hebei, Jingdong Zhang Di and others rebelled.Peasant uprisings came and went, sweeping across the country. The turmoil was also forced out.Because for a grassroots person, the risk of rebellion and uprising is too great, and the cost is too high.What it pays may be the blood price of the entire family.No matter how weak the emperor was, no matter how incompetent the government was, no matter how weak the court was, they would never be ambiguous on this issue, and they would never be soft when they used swords;Therefore, unless they are helpless, the grassroots will not easily speak out.But if their way of life is completely blocked, then the account is another calculation: wait for death with your hands and wait for death, it is death; rise up and die in battle, it is also death.The former choice is sure to die, but the latter is not necessarily, because there is still the possibility of victory.Moreover, once the national power is seized, the dividends will be frighteningly large.Even if there is no bonus, if you can't make up your money, if you can live your addiction before you die, it's still worth it! Therefore, rebellion and uprising are sometimes very easy.Because once it succeeds, it will be a huge profit for the insurgents themselves, especially the leaders of the uprising.Therefore, in all dynasties, some people have tried, some have followed, some have taken risks, and some have even created turmoil, with the purpose of taking the current regime and replacing it.But no matter what the situation is, it is a disaster for our nation.Large-scale production activities stopped, people died in large numbers, cultural heritage was destroyed on a large scale, and the national situation was in turmoil for a long time.In the battle between the officers and soldiers and the rebel army, both sides will often poison the people and kill innocent people indiscriminately.Huang Chao killed everyone he saw, and cut them down; Zhang Xianzhong killed people like hemp, blood staining the river; the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom at least reduced the population of the Qing Dynasty by hundreds of millions.In fact, which war did not allow ordinary people to break bones for food and change their children for food?Has there ever been a turmoil that has not caused the death of people in the land of China to be like a forest and the bones to be piled up like a mountain?As the saying goes, "Life and the people leave behind one thing, and thinking about it breaks people's hearts" (Cao Cao's "Walking in the Pontoon"). Prosperity, the people suffer; death, the people suffer.But why should everyone be responsible for the rise and fall of the world? The problem is not only that no one is responsible, but that the empire needs this kind of destruction, because after every destruction is its new life.The biggest advantage or historical achievement of the peasant uprising is that it can promote the change of dynasty.Fearing rebellion and perishing, the new dynasty often implemented more enlightened policies at the beginning of the founding of the country, loosening restraint, reducing exploitation, restraining greed, and resting with the people.For the imperial system, this is actually returning to its normal track.This track must be deviated from by each dynasty in its middle and late stages, and this deviation cannot be corrected through the reform of the dynasty itself, so we can only hope for the turmoil and the change of dynasty after the turmoil.The imperial system needs such a way out, and it has only such a way out.