Chapter 41: Order for Land Reclamation

"The so-called monopoly on mountains and marshes means that mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes shall all belong to the state, not to private individuals."

"Anyone who privately occupies these resources for fishing, hunting, or gathering firewood shall be convicted of crimes against the state and executed by the sword according to the law!"

Wei Yang swept his gaze across the ministers in the grand hall and said sternly.

"This decree cuts off the retreat of the lazy and drives them back to till the fields and reclaim wasteland."

The so-called crime against the state essentially referred to the unlawful occupation of state resources as a criminal offense.

It meant that if the common people made a living by fishing, hunting, or cutting firewood, they were stealing state resources and would be put to death.

Therefore, if the people wanted to make a living and survive, they had no choice but to farm.

Hiss—

A sharp intake of breath echoed instantly throughout the hall.

Behind Gan Long, several elderly aristocrats with graying beards began to tremble, their hearts bleeding!

With a single stroke, Wei Yang brought the mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes under state ownership, nearly causing the old aristocracy to explode with fury.

How many fertile mountains, forests, and waters in the State of Qin were their private property? This decree was unmistakably aimed right at them!

"The second article."

Ignoring the old aristocrats, Wei Yang paused and continued, "Land tax shall be levied based on the amount of grain harvested from the land—the so-called taxation according to the actual harvest."

"The bullshit rules of the past, which apportioned taxes per capita and per household, are hereby abolished!"

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the hall grew taut.

Taxing based on harvest rather than head count.

Would not the noble lords who occupied the most fertile lands suffer a massive hemorrhage of wealth?

Yet this policy was advantageous to the common people of Qin; they would pay more in bumper years and less in times of poor harvest, actively encouraging farmers to cultivate their land with meticulous care.

Coupled with the curved-shaft plow, such a policy would yield twice the result with half the effort. Thinking this, Zhao Zheng nodded slightly.

"The third article." Disregarding the officials of the aristocracy whose faces had turned as dark as the bottom of a cooking pot, Wei Yang pressed on:

"Merchants who engage in trade are the parasites of the state. As for merchants, all kinds of taxes levied upon them must be increased tenfold."

"Heavy taxes shall also be imposed on goods such as wine and meat. Especially in the case of wine, reducing brewing will save a vast amount of grain while simultaneously compressing commercial profits."

"Ensure that merchants cannot turn a profit, forcing them to return to the fields and shoulder the hoe."

"At the same time, corvée labor obligations for the families of merchants shall be doubled, burdening them far beyond the peasants."

Hiss...

Inside the imperial court, a chorus of gasps arose.

The benefits and bribes the merchants funneled to them were substantial; now, with Wei Yang messing things up like this, the merchants themselves would make no money, and naturally, the nobles would reap no benefits either.

This set of reforms was directly targeted at them, the old aristocracy!

"The fourth article."

Wei Yang’s voice suddenly rose sharply: "Private inns shall be closed to restrict population mobility; the common people must not be allowed to detach themselves from the land."

"Furthermore, the spread of music and extravagant garments among the common folk is forbidden, ensuring that peasants see no luxurious clothing while toiling and hear no music while resting, which will enable them to concentrate fully on their labor."

"At the same time, household registers must be strictly controlled, and unauthorized migration is strictly prohibited. Moreover, scholars from the states of the Eastern Commandery shall not be employed, so as to prevent unorthodox doctrines from infiltrating our State of Qin and casting a pernicious influence upon the populace."

"And the dissemination of knowledge among the people shall be suppressed; as the saying goes, when the masses do not value learning, they remain ignorant."

Zhao Zheng frowned slightly. Indeed, it was the policy of keeping the people ignorant...

No, he had to find a way to alter this ignorance-inducing policy...

Zhao Zheng was well aware of the drawbacks of such an obscurantist policy. Its advantage was that it forced peasants to focus solely on farming, genuinely increasing grain yields, but its disadvantage was that it suffocated society and left the populace deeply repressed.

The aristocrats, on the other hand, fell silent. An ignorant populace was a good thing; only an ignorant populace would obey blindly.

Scanning Gan Long and the others, Wei Yang said in a deep voice, "The fifth article."

"As the saying goes, heavy emoluments bring heavy taxes, and those with many mouths to feed are the destroyers of agriculture."

"How many mouths do you high-ranking officials feed in your households? Starting today, taxes shall be doubled based on the head count."

"In addition, aside from your eldest sons by the principal wife, every member of your families must also go down to the fields and labor."

"As for building houses, hiring laborers is forbidden so as not to disrupt the farming of the common folk. When it comes to construction, you must find your own means."

"Wei Yang! You son of a bitch! You go too far!"

Du Zhi abruptly sprang forward, trembling all over with rage, his spittle flying three feet away.

"It was one thing to reclaim the mountains and rivers for the state."

"But this nonsense about heavy emoluments bringing heavy taxes and large households destroying agriculture—we cannot tolerate this!"

"You are digging up our ancestral graves!"

At this, the corners of Zhao Zheng’s mouth twitched slightly. Where was this even getting to?

Wei Yang's reforms would take place in three stages, and this Edict on Reclaiming Wasteland was merely the prelude to the reforms.

Behind Du Zhi, another official with reddened eyes shouted angrily, "A tenfold commercial tax?!"

"Why don't you just go rob someone? Do you intend to drive the merchants of Qin to absolute ruin?"

"If the commercial routes are severed, Qin will be trapped and perish in these barren mountains, and any hope of prosperity will vanish!"

"Shang Yang! You damned scourge!"

Scarcely had this official finished speaking when another leaped out:

"Keep the people ignorant? Close the inns? Ban traveling scholars?"

That man said with a look of utter disdain, "We people of Qin value martial valor and honor. Do you intend to use this system to pen us up like beasts?"

"Once this decree is issued, it will be a miracle if the common folk do not resent and curse the ruler."

"As for the Decree on Attracting Talents, it is the bedrock of Great Qin. To shake the foundation of Qin is to plunge the state into chaos! My lord, I suggest that this man be torn apart by chariots!"

A fine argument that the Decree on Attracting Talents was the bedrock of Great Qin.

If they hadn't opposed the Decree on Attracting Talents from the very beginning, he might have actually believed it.

Zhao Zheng dearly wanted to step out and retort against that aristocrat, but since this was Wei Yang’s stage, he had to restrain himself.

"My lord!"

Gan Long slumped heavily to his knees, facing Ying Quliang with tears streaming down his aged face.

"If this is truly done, the State of Qin is finished! This scoundrel Wei Yang claims on the surface to be acting for the good of Qin, but in reality, he has come to devastate our Great Qin!"

"He is driving us—the ducal clan of Ying-Qin, the hereditary ministers and grand officers, and all these loyal subjects in the court—onto a path of certain death!"

"I beg my lord to see the truth!"

"I beg my lord to see the truth!!"

Following this, Du Zhi and the aristocratic ministers behind him dropped to their knees in a body, shouting at the top of their lungs in agreement.

"Indeed... My lord, I too feel this is inappropriate."

Ying Fa, an elder statesman of the Ying clan, also stepped forward.

Ying Fa was a representative figure of the Ying clan and the biological uncle of Ying Quliang.

Ying Quliang’s expression was ice-cold as he swept his gaze over the ministers without uttering a word.

Suddenly—

"Crack..."

With a loud crash, the clamor in the morning court instantly fell silent.

"Howl, why aren't you howling anymore?"

They saw Ying Quliang use his sword to cleave the heavy wooden desk before him into two halves.

Ying Quliang was truly furious!

Within the imperial court, there was dead silence.

"Every single one of you, utterly selfish..."

"I tell you, the State of Qin can exist without me, Ying Quliang, it can exist without you, Gan Long, it can exist without you, Du Zhi, and even more so, it can exist without you parasites who cling to the body of Qin and suck its blood!"

With a sweep of his arm, his wide sleeves stirred up a cold gust of wind as he pointed toward Wei Yang and said in a deep voice:

"Yet—"

"The State of Qin cannot exist without reform!"

As Ying Quliang’s words died away, the faces of those led by Gan Long in the court turned ashen.

This single move was equivalent to severing half the life of the aristocracy!

Cruel, truly too cruel...

He was genuinely more ruthless than Zhao Zheng!

Zhao Zheng naturally knew what the old aristocracy was thinking.

However, the current Edict on Reclaiming Wasteland was still within the limits of what the aristocracy could accept.

The subsequent two rounds of reforms would completely dismantle the old nobility.

Wei Yang treated the uproar in the court as of no consequence and continued:

"As for this final point: private feuds are prohibited, and the system of collective responsibility shall be enforced."

Severe punishments for joint crimes, heavy penalties for minor offenses, and neighbors informing on one another to reduce private feuds and the inclination toward laziness.