Chapter 9 Section 3 Adjust policies and expand financial resources

For more than 60 years since the rise of the Han Dynasty, the world was safe and sound, and there were no natural disasters such as floods and droughts.When Emperor Wu of the Han came to the throne, the country was still very prosperous.Since then, wars have been waged against the Xiongnu in the north and the Vietnam in the south for years, and the consumption of food and salaries is huge. Coupled with the extravagance and squandering of the royal family, after more than 20 years, the national reserves are exhausted and the financial resources are gradually drying up.At this time, the war was still going on. In order to ensure the victory of the war, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty tried to expand fiscal revenue and ease the situation of economic constraints.In the early Han Dynasty, the laissez-faire policy was adopted for social and economic development, which was conducive to mobilizing the enthusiasm of all aspects of production, and the economy recovered and developed rapidly.At the same time, some serious disadvantages have also occurred. Many wealthy businessmen and powerful landlords often control important economic sectors, amass wealth, control prices, and even manipulate the country's economic lifeline, which is not conducive to the country's centralized management of finances.Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty believed that centralizing financial power and putting it in the hands of the state was an important way to solve financial difficulties.In the fourth year of Yuanshou (119 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty selected great businessmen Sang Hongyang, Dongguo Xianyang, and Kong Zhi as financial officers. With their assistance, a series of effective financial reforms were carried out.

The currency system was reformed, and the country uniformly minted money.In the early Western Han Dynasty, in addition to the minting of coins by the state, the prefectures, powerful and wealthy merchants were allowed to mint coins privately. The coins were often changed, and the currency system was relatively chaotic.When Liu Bang used pods (jia folder) money (three baht in weight).At the high end, eight baht coins are used, and later five cents (heavy twelve baht) coins are used.During the reign of Emperor Wen, four baht was used.Qin Shihuang's unified currency system was destroyed again.There are many kinds of currencies, with very different specifications, sizes and qualities, which seriously hinder the country's taxation and normal exchange of commodities.In particular, some princes and kings manipulated the right to mint coins and made money indiscriminately, which strengthened their economic strength against the central government.

In the fourth year of Yuan Ding (113 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued an order to prohibit the county and the people from minting coins privately.Confiscate the private money minted in various places, transport it to the capital, and destroy it centrally.Special officials designated by the central government are in charge of minting coins, that is, the subordinate officials of Shuiheng Duwei, Zhongguan, Bronze Discriminator, and Skill (one said that they are all lost), also known as "Shanglin Sanguan", who are responsible for casting five baht coins. legal tender.The technical department is responsible for engraving models, the copper identification is responsible for approving the quality and fineness of copper, and the bell official supervises the casting.The five baht money is also called Shanglin money, or the money of the three officials, because it is unified by the three officials in Shanglin.This currency is not easy to steal and mint.Even if the officials and the people steal castings, "the cost cannot be calculated," and "the people's casting money is getting less and less."Five baht coins are easy to circulate.From Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty for more than 700 years, it has been the main coin of various feudal dynasties.

The general government implements the policy of equal output and equalization, and the power of finance and economics belongs to the central government.The sale of salt, iron, and wine was the main source of taxation for the feudal dynasty and an important part of the state's finances.Before Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the state implemented a free management policy for the development of the salt and iron industry. At that time, there were three ways: state-run under the jurisdiction of Dasinong, government-run under the management of the county and the state, and privately-managed privately-run. Lord, the state collects salt and iron tax from private salt and iron merchants.These wealthy businessmen "specialized in mountains and rivers" ("Salt and Iron Theory · Prohibition of Farming") monopolized the iron smelting, salt cooking, and wine making industries that were related to the national economy and the people's livelihood, and controlled the production and sales of salt, iron, and wine.They "may be rich in tens of thousands of dollars, but they don't help the public's urgent needs, and the people are in great poverty" ("Hanshu·Shihuozhi" 2).According to the suggestions of great businessmen Kong Zhi and Dongguo Xianyang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty abolished the policy of free operation of salt and iron, and nationalized important industrial and commercial departments such as salt and iron, wine making, etc., which were privately held, and let the state monopolize them.Sang Hongyang said it well: "There is always salt and iron, not for profit alone. We will use the foundation to suppress the end, stay away from cronies, prohibit prostitution and extravagance, and never merge." It can be seen that the nationalization of salt and iron has many benefits for the country.

The state implements the sale of salt and iron, and has established special agencies from the central to the local.Under the order of the imperial court's large agriculture (Da Si Nong), a Yantie Cheng was set up to take charge of the national production and sales of salt and iron.Each county (country) and county has a salt official or an iron official, which is acted by a local big salt and iron merchant.In the southeast coast, northwest and southwest sea salt, pool salt and well salt production areas, there are 32 salt officials.A total of 45 iron officials have been set up in various iron producing areas across the country.Since the salt and iron state-run, the government income of the Han Dynasty increased greatly.At this time, the Quartet put down the rebellion, the expenses of the army, the rewards of the soldiers for their meritorious deeds, and the movement of funds amounted to hundreds of millions, all relying on the benefits of salt and iron.

In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (110 B.C.), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted the suggestions of Da Nong Order Kong Zhi and Da Nong Cheng Sang Hongyang, and promulgated the equalization law and the peace standard law throughout the country while implementing the salt and iron state-run.The so-called uniform transportation method is a policy in which the state purchases goods uniformly in various places, dispatches transportation, and seeks profits from it.According to the market conditions, if the goods sold by rich merchants and big merchants are best-selling goods, they will use the local rent and tax as funds to purchase products locally, or transfer them to other places for sale. profit, or transported to Chang'an, the capital city, for storage, for sale, or for the country's needs.The so-called leveling method is the policy of stabilizing prices by the state.The central government set up leveling officials in charge of prices in Chang'an and major cities and towns around the country, and used the materials transported and stored by the equal transportation officials to sell goods when they were expensive and buy them in large quantities when they were cheap, so as to control and stabilize market prices.It restricts the hoarding of wealthy businessmen to make huge profits from it.A few years after the implementation of the state-run policy of salt and iron, equal distribution and equal quota, "the people do not benefit from endowments, but the world uses them" ("Historical Records·Pingzhun Shu").

Promulgated the order of counting and suing, weakening the economic strength of wealthy businessmen and loan sharks.On the basis of implementing a series of economic measures such as a unified currency system, state-run salt and iron, and equal distribution, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued a counting decree in the fourth year of Yuanshou (119 BC).Counting money means that the state collects property taxes from big businessmen and loan sharks.Order wealthy businessmen, usurers, and handicraftsmen to report their assets to the government.It is stipulated that for every 2,000 renminbi of property such as merchants, a tax is charged (120 renminbi); for every 4,000 renminbi of the property of handicraftsmen, the tax is counted as one; a merchant’s 轺 (yaoyao) car is levied twice; a ship of more than 50 zhang Yes, each one is taxed.It is also stipulated that those who conceal their property and do not report it, or report it falsely, once found out, all their property will be confiscated and they will be punished to guard the border town for one year.Encourage insiders to report, called "reporting", and half of the confiscated property will be awarded to the whistleblower.

After the release of the decree, the wealthy families all took chances and did not report their property truthfully in an attempt to get away with it.In the third year of Yuanding (114 B.C.), Yang Ke presided over the affairs of suing and suing, and the wind of suing and suing spread all over the country. "Every family above the middle class (Dadi) will be sued." The family is above the big di (arrived) broken" ("Han Shu·Shi Huo Zhi").This measure dealt a heavy blow to the economic power of wealthy businessmen and powerful landlords, and paved the way for the development and prosperity of the national economy.

The effective financial reform of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty increased the country's economic income, solved financial difficulties, consolidated the centralized rule, and provided rich material conditions for defeating the Xiongnu and conquering the frontier.