Chapter 28: Zhao Kuangyin's Big Gamble (Part 2)

  "Second brother, listen to him," said Zhao Kuangyin. If we put aside the ninety-nine percent that is child's play, this gamble, whether won or lost, will be beneficial to the court. If he wins, this kid says he will devote all his talents to serving the court. Who would he serve if not the court? It seems like a cold joke, but how many scholars and officials have truly devoted themselves to the court with all their might? If someone can exert even sixty or seventy percent of their strength in serving the court, that person is already a good minister. Based on this kid's words alone, we cannot underestimate him anymore.

  Losing also has its benefits, it's not about giving him the land, but rather temporarily granting him management rights. With an annual income of 100,000 strings of cash, the entire Song Dynasty's two taxes, commercial tax, and salt and wine monopolies combined are less than 20 million. Some numbers are even calculated in bundles and stones, such as one stone of grain or one bundle of grass, which can only be equivalent to 500 coins, not one string of cash.

  If a small river islet can get 100,000 strings, wouldn't the entire capital city get 10 million or 20 million? If we extrapolate this to the whole country, how much revenue would the state have in a year?

  The Song Dynasty's two taxes are based on land ownership, with rates of 1/20, 1/10, and so on. The maximum tax for one mu of land is two or three dou, and for one qing of land, it's 30 stones (note). Adding various miscellaneous taxes, the total tax for one qing of land does not exceed two guan of money.

  If that river islet were to be taxed entirely based on the two taxes, the minimum annual tax would be 50 strings. It seems unlikely, as the islet has a few small wine shops and whatnot, but it's mainly vegetable gardens and wasteland. Whatever the amount, Zhao Kuangyin definitely doesn't know.

  However, if we add up all the various taxes for that year, it absolutely wouldn't exceed 100 guan of money. If this weren't considered a fantastical tale from the heavens, Zhao Kuangyin would have wanted to sign a contract with Song Ji for 10,000 years!

  "Why did it become 60,000 strings after eleven years?"

  "Your Majesty, I bet that within eleven years our dynasty will unify the whole country and at least recover all of Jiangnan. Eleven years is neither a long nor short period of time. If after eleven years Your Majesty still cannot recover Jiangnan, then you are merely an emperor like Liu Yu, not a great ruler like Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Wen of Sui, or Emperor Guangwu of Han. The benefit from the Bian River only extends to the two Huai regions; it's possible that due to the stalemate between the two countries, even the two Huai regions cannot be at peace and flourish, in which case this river would not be a golden river but merely a silver one. At that time, I will have gone bankrupt."

  "You've taken back Jiangnan, but you'll only end up bankrupt," Zhao Kuangyi cursed with a smile. This kid doesn't know the height of the sky or the thickness of the earth, thinking that money can be made so easily!

  "The Second King, I have reasons for saying this."

  "Tell me the reason."

  "It's been a long time since the Han Dynasty, so let's just talk about the Tang Dynasty. The Li family of the Tang Dynasty was originally aristocratic, so they were slightly neglectful of the common people. For example, the Tang Dynasty had a system of hereditary privilege, which our dynasty has gradually abolished. Although our dynasty has powerful officials, it does not have a rigid class hierarchy like the Tang Dynasty did. In my humble opinion, after Your Majesty ascended to the throne, you immediately issued an edict to promote water conservancy projects and emphasize agriculture. You placed great importance on internal governance. If one mu of land can nurture one sapling, which will certainly grow strong and tall, but wouldn't nurturing ten or a hundred or even a thousand saplings bring in greater benefits? Ten years from now, if we recover Jiangnan, our dynasty's economy will far surpass anyone's imagination."

  "Even if what you said is right, why hand it over to the imperial court fifty years later?"

  It's on!

  Song Jiuxin was overjoyed in his heart, and after fifty years, thirty years later he himself earned a fortune.

  "Your Majesty, there are several reasons why taxes used to come mainly from farmers. A small workshop that makes a profit of 1,000 strings of cash per year can still survive if it pays 100 strings of cash in taxes. But for a farmer with 50 mu of land who harvests 100 dan of grain, after deducting production costs and paying heavy taxes, even if he is left with only 10 dan, adding various miscellaneous taxes, the farmer's life will be very difficult. Ten dan is equivalent to only two guan of money! However, it is also impossible to impose heavy taxes on small urban residents, as their lives are equally difficult. If the country wants to have good tax revenue, it should encourage the people to become rich and develop commerce. At the same time, it can collect taxes from commerce and from the wealthy. What I have done may serve as an example."

  There is a prerequisite for saying this.

  Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin were both outstanding figures of their generation, but who was more formidable is open to interpretation. However, if we speak seriously, Chai Rong fought bravely on the battlefield, defeating the Khitan without giving them a chance to retaliate, and was also an innovator. In comparison, he was slightly more brilliant than Zhao Kuangyin.

  Chai Rong implemented policies such as cleaning up government corruption, selecting talented officials, equalizing land distribution and taxation, reorganizing the imperial guard, restricting Buddhism, rewarding agriculture, restoring the canal system, promoting water conservancy projects, revising criminal law and calendar systems, correcting music, rectifying examination irregularities, searching for lost books, engraving ancient classics, and vigorously promoting education. As a merchant by origin, he also emphasized commercial development.

  These policies were well inherited by Zhao Kuangyin after he ascended to the throne. He too attached great importance to commercial development, and during the Song Dynasty, merchants were no longer considered the most shameful profession. Some high-ranking officials, including Zhang Yongde and Zhao Pu, even engaged in business themselves, and their businesses flourished greatly. Later, Emperor Taizong and Emperor Zhenzong tried to suppress them but failed, so they allowed them to continue doing business as long as they paid commercial taxes. But who would pay commercial taxes?

  Zhao Kuangyin saw through Song Jiu's trick and said, "Don't stutter over this one, continue to speak."

  "In fifty years, I will be old even if I am still alive, and at that time, Your Majesty will still be in good health...” As he spoke, Song Jiuzi secretly glanced at Zhao Kuangyi, who looked calm and composed. Song Jiuzi was puzzled, wondering if the current pressure on the Song Dynasty was too great, and whether Zhao Kuangyi really had no desire for the throne. He continued: "I believe that under Your Majesty's leadership, our dynasty will become more prosperous and flourishing. Even ten million strings of cash will be a small amount in the future, but it is still too far away, and I cannot give a specific number. It would be better to set a deadline and hand it over to the court. The court will not manage it, either rewarding meritorious officials or selling it to obtain funds for the court. Either way, it will reduce my troubles. One must know when to be content!"

  When Song Jiuxiao said people should be content with what they have, several of them laughed in anger together.

  "The capital city is difficult to defend, but it has the convenience of a large river and developed transportation, making supply easy. Currently, there are still some empty spaces in the capital city. Fifty years later, I believe that even if the outer city is expanded, the inner city will be crowded. If I occupy such a large area, the ministers will not obey, and the common people will also not obey. Moreover, fifty years later, when the economy develops, if I can still control it, but my descendants do not have the ability, it would not bring them fortune, but rather disaster. Therefore, no matter what, fifty years later, it must be returned to the imperial court."

  "You think so... far ahead," Zhao Kuangyi didn't know what to say.

  "Why move the school house over there too?"

  "Your Majesty wants to use talented people, but my family's place is too small. It's easier to find one talented person among a thousand than among ten. To use talented people, you must also widely recruit students. Your Majesty wants me to respect Zhang Doctor and Yan Doctor, but it's not necessarily that they can respect me, the contradiction still exists, so why not expand it and have a hundred schools of thought contend. In the future, as the population of the capital city increases, the docks will inevitably develop outside the city, so I also say that we should leave a place for the imperial court to build docks and cargo transfer stations."

  But Song Jiuxin was secretly delighted in his heart, wanting the land to be valuable, not only with commercial properties, but also schools, entertainment venues, and various living facilities, so that the land could be sold at a golden price, gemstone price, diamond price.

  "It's not easy being Tao Zhu Gong and Lü Buwei."

  "Lü Buwei held power in the court, while Tao Zhu Gong encountered a bad king. Neither of them wanted to be an official. I learned from the example of Zhao Xiang Gong."

  "Zhou Xianggong, your goal is too small." Zhao Kuangyi couldn't help but mock.

  "The two great emperors, the farther one can see, the higher one can fly. Emperor Wu of Han saw the vast expanse of the northern desert and thus had the glorious rise of the Han people. Your Majesty sees the suffering of the people in the fragmented Five Dynasties period, and afterwards there will be the emergence of a strongest internally governed state."

  "Little one, don't try to flatter me either. Speak up and let's make a bet with Us."

  "Your Majesty, I have always admired Zhao Gong, but there is one thing he said that I do not agree with. He said that I am skilled in clever tricks and asked if I could use my talent to create a toy to delight Your Majesty."

  "No, if there were, you wouldn't be sitting here with me drinking tea and chatting today, perhaps you would have gone to Shaamen Island."

  "This punishment is too severe."

  "Mistake, it's a light one. With your crooked talent, if you lead many people to think in that direction, the consequences will be even worse. Being exiled to Salamander Island is still considered light."

  "I humbly recall, but I'm not sure if it's a clever trick or not. Let Your Majesty take a look today. Your Majesty, look at the shops on both sides of this street."

  "What's with them?"

  "These slightly larger shops all have an account room, managing accounts, and they are all old Mr. Accountant, familiar with the account book."

  "Quite normal, what's wrong with it?"

  "I set up a school for less than two months, and those students recognized fewer than 1,000 characters. Until now, they still can't recognize all the characters in a thousand-word essay. However, I'd like to make a bet with Your Majesty: the shops are theirs, which means these accountants are familiar with the shops and even more familiar with their ledgers. I'll choose ten students from the school and have them compete with the accountants using their respective shop's ledger to calculate accounts. Let's see who can do it faster and more accurately. If the students win, then I win. If the accountants win, then Your Majesty wins. Are you willing to take this bet?"

  It would not only be a bold gamble, but also prove his arithmetic method. Song Jiuyue was also considering his disciples, and in just two months of study, what would it be like if they studied for one or two years? The court would surely reuse them, and even in the future, attach importance to that larger-scale academy, which would be beneficial to the country, but would bring even greater benefits to himself.

  Zhao Kuangyin looked at him suspiciously and said, "How confident are you that you can win against me?"

  "Your Majesty, regardless of win or lose, the imperial court is always the greatest beneficiary."

  "I'll make a bet with you this once, but don't dare to spread the word outside, or I'll hang your head on the Meridian Gate."

  "Your Majesty, is this really a gamble?"

  "It doesn't matter. I used to gamble with goods, but this time is different. What's interesting is that even if I lose, I want to see how this kid can come up with 100,000 taels of silver in a year."

  Song Jiu was shocked, it turned out that this Taizu was also an old gambler. Was the three-game chess on Mount Hua real? Probably true, he wouldn't say otherwise. Zhao Kuangyi said: "Imperial brother, do you want me to draft a document for you?"

  "Go away, don't interfere. A gentleman's word is like a team of four horses, hard to catch up with. Moreover, it's an imperial order." Zhao Kuangyin shouted loudly again: "Prepare three horse carriages for me!"

  Get the students over here quickly.

  Suddenly, someone walked up and said, "Your Majesty wants to prepare a horse carriage for what purpose?"

  PS: In ancient times, one mu of land was 100 mu in the Song Dynasty and 50 mu in the Ming Dynasty, with relevant records to prove it, but I won't go into details. However, mu is different from mu, and one mu in the Song Dynasty is equivalent to about 0.9 current mu.