When it comes to Emperor Wudi of Han, we can't help but think of the Han Dynasty with abundant martial virtue. Tuoxi Regions, chasing Xiongnu, Pingxian Yi and other great martial arts. Behind the brilliant achievements of Emperor Wudi of Han, it is not only the sacrifice of him alone, but also the sacrifice of the people of the world. War is not simply victory or defeat, but involves many competitions behind it. "As soon as the cannon goes off, ten thousand taels of gold." The war of Emperor Wu squandered the wealth accumulated by the Wen Jing dynasty, and for the sake of long-term war, he extended his hands to the people to absorb wealth under increasing economic pressure. Under the tide of the times, Sang Hongyang was put on the stage of history by Emperor Wudi of Han, responsible for carrying out economic reforms to pay for Emperor Wudi of Han's promising policies.
First, the operator of economic reform - Sang Hongyang
Sang Hongyang was born in the Han Jing Emperor period in Luoyang to a wealthy merchant family. At the age of thirteen, he was known for his "mental arithmetic". During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, due to financial constraints, he was promoted to Grand Sinong, who was the highest governor in charge of the economy at that time, and after the death of Emperor Wu, he served as auxiliary ministers together with Huo Guang, Jin Ilpeng, and Shangguan Huo, assisting the eight-year-old Emperor Han Zhao. During the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, he debated economic development with the virtuous literature selected from various places, which was compiled into "Salt and Iron Theory". Judging from his resume, Sang Hongyang made his fortune because he was proficient in business, and quickly climbed through the official career in his later career and became a key member of the imperial court. So he had both the status of a merchant and an official. His main achievement was to serve as an economic reformer during Emperor Wudi's reign to provide security for the cause of Emperor Wudi of Han.
Second, the means of Sang Hong sheep
The so-called increase of fiscal revenue is the word open source and throttling. Throttling is ultimately limited, and only open source can ensure the growth of income to serve the needs of national policies. Emperor Wudi of Han appointed Sang Hongyang, a financial expert, to be in charge of the country's economy and to ensure the economic needs of the war. Sang Hongyang mainly put forward several methods in this regard, such as "losing both," "leveling the Huai," calculating and suing.
"Equal loss" means that the state is responsible for the procurement, transportation and circulation of domestic goods. Equalization officials were set up in all counties across the country, and the in-kind tribute from various places was better transported to the capital, and other things were transferred to places with high prices for sale or discounted into cash to buy low-cost goods and sold in areas with high prices. Increase fiscal revenue through the government's responsibility for the dispatch of goods. This not only reduces the loss in the transportation process, reduces the burden of conscription on households, but also increases fiscal revenue.
"Pinghuai" means that the government stabilizes prices. Sell something when it's expensive and buy it when it's cheap. In the process of regulation, adjust the amount of goods in the market and earn the difference.
"Calculation", in short, is the imposition of property taxes. Through the reported property of merchants, craftsmen, etc., a certain amount of money is extracted as money.
"Warning" is a policy promulgated to cooperate with the implementation of the calculation. If a person fails to truthfully report his property, the whistleblower receives half of the confiscated property upon reporting.
These measures strengthened government intervention in the economy, and under the influence of government policies, the empire subtly accelerated change. Military and disaster relief are major national priorities, and it is difficult for the government to fully assume its responsibilities. At that time, there was no concept of bonds, national bonds. Sang Hongyang's reform can be said to be very unfriendly to the people. The prosperous economy developed in the early Han Dynasty gradually lost its vitality under the fire of war and the blows of the government.
Third, economic reforms with mixed reputations
Sang Hongyang's measures today are that the government strengthens the intervention in the economy to carry out macro-control, and the implementation of the two laws has gradually improved the country's finances. However, in essence, Sang Hongyang's approach is actually an adjustment of the distribution policy. The economic cake is so big, the more the state takes away, the less money the people have. In the long run, it is easy to stifle the driving force of economic development. This approach can be said to compete with the people, but in the face of major war events, the economy should also give priority to ensuring national security. Only when there is a country can there be a home. If the country is in danger, and the chaos of the late Ming Dynasty caused tens of millions of deaths after the bankruptcy of the imperial court, it is an even more terrible result.
The economic development model of "small government, big society" in the cultural period became "big government, small society" under Sang Hongyang's reform. The wealthy merchants and landlords raised during the Wenjing period accumulated a lot of wealth, which became ripe fruits in the Wudi dynasty, and all of them were picked to become the wealth of the country.
Among these policies, especially the calculation and warning, the blow to the people is the most serious. Enforcement by cool officials often spills over into legitimate businesses, local hooligans report the rich, and many families go bankrupt. In order not to be taxed on property, the money earned by the people is spent on the same day, and it is difficult to drive investment. The government continues to overdraft credit, losing trust to the world, and eventually bringing decades of economic development to extinction.
Economic development has its own special laws. It is possible to briefly overdraw the future for the sake of the contradictions of the present, but if it is not tempered, the cost is unbearable.