In the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, everyone thought that the country was rich and strong, and the nation was prosperous, but what was the truth behind it? In fact, at that time, the country's fiscal revenue was encountering an unprecedented crisis, and even maintaining basic expenses became a problem! How can this happen under the guise of prosperity?
During the reign of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the country appeared to be a martial artist and a strong national strength. Behind this prosperity, a serious problem is brewing - the depletion of state finances. It may sound ironic, how can a seemingly powerful country suddenly become unable to make ends meet?
The cause of the incident should start with the phenomenon of "running away". What is a runaway? Simply put, those who quietly leave the local household registry in order to avoid heavy taxes and harsh labor. For various reasons, such as land annexation and excessive tax burdens, these people have chosen to flee and become "invisible people", not only do not pay taxes, but also do not provide any form of labor or military force for the state. You can imagine how the economic and social order of the country will be affected when a large number of labor and tax payers disappear.
At that time, due to the increase in population and the restrictions of land policy, many people began to face the problem of land shortage. At the beginning of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, although the population was sparse, the land was quite sufficient. But over time, the population exploded, but the land did not increase accordingly. This leads to a serious social problem – land annexation. Some powerful big families and bureaucrats began to annex land on a large scale, and ordinary people could only watch their land being taken away, and their living space became smaller and smaller.
In this case, what about ordinary people? Many people chose to become runaways, some of them went away, some became yeoman farmers in the mountains, and some became tenants of landlords, barely making ends meet. What's more, some people are unable to survive, so they have to live on the streets and become beggars. Such a state of life is undoubtedly a huge irony for an era known as a prosperous era.
And Tang Xuanzong felt a deep headache after learning all this. Fortunately, a low-level inspector named Yu Wenrong stood up, and he not only pointed out the problem, but also proposed a solution. Yu Wenrong's proposal to thoroughly investigate and re-register the fugitives sounds simple, but the implementation is extremely challenging. The plan he proposed included five aspects: first, to reorganize the household registration, to identify the fugitive households one by one and restore their original household registration status; The second is to adjust the tax policy to reduce the burden on the people and prevent them from fleeing due to heavy taxes; the third is to restore and protect farmers' land ownership and prevent land from being annexed; Fourth, strengthen the management functions of local governments to ensure the effective implementation of policies; Finally, it is necessary to strengthen the enforcement of the law and severely crack down on corrupt officials who use their power to encroach on the people's land.
Yu Wenrong's proposal was a shot in the arm at the time. His actions not only won the support of the people, but also gave Tang Xuanzong hope. It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, because Yu Wenrong offended the powerful, he was excluded and suppressed in the process of implementing the reform policy, and finally ended in tragedy and died. This incident is not only a personal tragedy for Yu Wenrong, but also reflects a pathology in the society at that time - even if you know that it is the right way, in the face of power and greed, justice often seems powerless.
Returning to the issue of land annexation and emigration, we can find that this is not only an economic problem, but also a social problem. When a large amount of land is controlled by a small number of people, and a large number of peasants lose the basis for survival, they have no choice but to flee and become fugitives. This phenomenon, on the surface, is a choice for people's survival, but in essence, it is a failure of institutions and policies. When the majority of the members of a society are unable to sustain themselves through legal means, the system of the society needs to be rethought and changed.
Another direct consequence of land annexation is the solidification of social classes. When the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, social mobility decreases. This solidification is not only the solidification of wealth, but also the solidification of opportunities. When the people of the lower class are unable to guarantee even the most basic resources for survival, it is difficult for their children to change their destiny through education and other means. This situation, to a certain extent, weakens the vitality and innovation capacity of society, and is also one of the reasons for the long-term stagnation of the country.
From the Tang Dynasty to modern times, although thousands of years have passed, the issue of land and wealth distribution is still a challenge that many countries and regions have to face. Today, although the form and content are different, the root causes of injustice and social instability are still worth pondering.
History is the best textbook, and while it can't give all the answers, it can provide valuable references and inspirations. The financial crisis and social problems hidden behind the prosperity of the new century remind us that the prosperity of a country should not only look at the superficial glamour, but also pay attention to those neglected corners. Only when these deep-seated problems are truly resolved can a society achieve real stability and long-term development.