Chapter 1875: The Exploiters

In the bedchamber, Emperor Liu still lay sprawled on the couch in that half-dead posture, but his spirits had evidently recovered considerably. He tilted his head, his eyes slightly dim, yet that unblinking stare made Liu Gui's heart crawl with unease.

The scrutiny lasted only a few breaths before Emperor Liu spoke, his words slow and leisurely, carrying not a trace of emotion: "Now that the Court of the Imperial Treasury manages the imperial estates, how much land remains?"

Liu Gui had always been sensitive to such figures, able to recite them like the back of his hand—and he had come prepared besides. Thus his answer flowed without the slightest hesitation: "Reporting to His Majesty, the land under the Court of the Imperial Treasury's jurisdiction—all categories of arable land across the various circuits of the realm—amounts to approximately one hundred twenty thousand qing. Pastures in Shanyang, the Northern Circuit of the Yan Mountains, and Hexi total roughly three hundred thousand qing. There are also mountain forests and orchards, whose number is difficult to ascertain precisely and is still being surveyed..."

Liu Gui's reply carried an air of crisp competence. Emperor Liu nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and said: "To tally all these things one by one—that must not be easy!"

Hearing this, Liu Gui remained perfectly composed. Clasping his hands, he replied: "Where there is a will, there is a way. Surveying the land, though heavy and tedious, is after all a matter of following established procedures. One need only proceed with a steady heart and firm steps..."

Liu Gui's words were indeed practical. After all, this was the imperial family's private property. Though there was no shortage of petty scheming and underhanded dealings, when overwhelming power pressed down from above, so-called obstacles were little stronger than tofu—shattering at the slightest touch. Thus there was no absolute difficulty in the investigation; it all depended on the resolve of those above.

What Emperor Liu appreciated was precisely Liu Gui's attitude toward work—a certain drive and spirit that suited his taste. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he asked again: "How many farmers and herders labor for the imperial household?"

"After a new round of investigation, with reports gathered from subordinate offices across the realm to the Court of the Imperial Treasury, the tally shows approximately three hundred eighty-four thousand five hundred farming households and twenty-eight thousand three hundred forty herding households!" Liu Gui answered. "However, these reports still await further verification. Still, this humble one estimates that even if there are discrepancies, the margin of error should not be too great..."

A few simple figures laid bare some of the current face of the imperial estates—and even if only a portion, it was enough to be shocking.

Setting aside everything else, merely these two traditional properties of agriculture and herding were measured in tens of thousands of qing. What was even more critical was that to ensure the effective use of these lands and pastures, a vast amount of labor was pressed upon them, whether willingly or unwillingly.

Just these two categories alone meant over four hundred thousand households of Great Han commoners served the imperial household. At the current average household size in the Great Han, that meant at least two and a half million people. Adding the other industries under the Court of the Imperial Treasury's jurisdiction, the number serving the imperial household likely exceeded three million. This accounted for nearly one-twentieth of the Great Han's registered population—a scale of enormous magnitude.

And crucially, the commoners serving the imperial estates—especially those farmers and herders—naturally did not pay the court's regular taxes. Otherwise, if the emperor skimmed one layer and the court skimmed another, serious problems would easily arise...

Emperor Liu had always deeply hated and utterly despised those powerful aristocrats who stole state wealth, evaded taxes, and bled the people dry. Yet judging from the state of the imperial estates, the one who sucked the most blood from the Great Han was precisely the imperial household itself. The true great thief of the state was none other than Emperor Liu himself.

Of course, "all under heaven is the king's land"—this was something Emperor Liu deeply believed, and it was also the universal value of Great Han officials and commoners alike. That Emperor Liu enjoyed certain privileges and operated certain industries was only natural. And that he had taken the initiative to separate the privy purse from the state treasury, maintaining this distinction for decades, never drawing on state funds to satisfy private desires—this was extremely rare among emperors throughout history.

Of course, all of this presupposed that the imperial household held sufficient say, and that the Court of the Imperial Treasury's finances were ample enough to meet all imperial expenditures and needs. Otherwise, it would be a unity of sovereign and state, and there would be no hesitation whatsoever in taking what was needed.

Likewise, if anyone used such reasoning to say that the emperor should not compete with the people for profit, Emperor Liu would certainly strike back. There had been such "loyal ministers" in the past, but the results of their direct remonstrance on this matter had not been pleasant, and their fates could only be described as miserable.

If one merely criticized current affairs and offered commentary and suggestions on Emperor Liu's governance, even if it angered him, the result was usually demotion at worst—or exile to the frontier at most.

But if one harbored crooked designs on the privy purse, on the Court of the Imperial Treasury's finances, or on the imperial household's private property, then what awaited was Emperor Liu's direct and merciless strike—almost vindictive in nature, targeting both body and mind.

Emperor Liu had always seen clearly the difference between nominal and actual. The imperial household must possess independent finances and must maintain sufficient treasury reserves.

Not only to distinguish from and separately manage the state treasury, avoiding the mixing of public and private and the ills that came with it, but also because this was one of the most important symbols of the stability of imperial power.

Setting everything else aside, when the court's finances required repeated borrowings from the imperial household to tide over difficulties, who held the initiative, and the stability and health of imperial power—these questions answered themselves. Therefore, whoever tried to snatch food from Emperor Liu's bowl, whoever sought to touch the imperial household's private property, even if only showing a tendency toward it, would face Emperor Liu's merciless punishment. And the reason was always a phrase Emperor Liu frequently uttered: "their hearts deserve death."

Emperor Liu had long maintained this kind of mentality, which had formed an inscrutable style in matters of the Court of the Imperial Treasury. On one hand, he sternly safeguarded the treasury's interests; on the other, he found such rapacity cruel. At the same time, he subconsciously ignored certain fundamental questions.

Now, after hearing Liu Gui's answer and pondering for a long while, Emperor Liu finally asked the question he had previously somewhat deliberately avoided: "These farming households—how much do they produce each year, how much grain and money do they pay to the Court of the Imperial Treasury, and how much compensation does each household receive?"

At this question, Liu Gui's face showed rare hesitation. He cautiously glanced at Emperor Liu before answering: "Reporting to His Majesty, according to the Court of the Imperial Treasury's statistics on arable land income over the past ten years, each household cultivates between thirty and fifty mu of land. Per-mu yield of various grains ranges from one and a half to two shi. The annual per-mu yield of grain averages approximately three point eight shi, of which seventy percent is turned over to the Court of the Imperial Treasury and thirty percent is kept by the farming households for their own use. Additionally, there are crops such as mulberry, hemp, cotton, and sorghum, of which eighty percent is collected by the Court of the Imperial Treasury..."

As Liu Gui spat out figure after figure, Emperor Liu silently calculated in his mind. After a long while, he furrowed his brows and asked: "With such a heavy burden, how do the people get by? Wouldn't they harbor resentment?"

The hesitation on Liu Gui's face grew even more pronounced. But facing Emperor Liu's somewhat gloomy gaze, he dared not be evasive. After thinking it over, he carefully replied: "There is indeed some resentment, but being able to labor for Your Majesty is their good fortune, and most farming households feel honored. Moreover, farming for the imperial household ensures security—at least they will not suffer bullying from others..."

Hearing Liu Gui say this, Emperor Liu's eyes widened slightly. He stared hard at Liu Gui for a moment before speaking coldly: "Your skill at lying through your teeth has certainly grown! Who did you learn it from? Yan Tuo?"

At these words, Liu Gui's legs went weak. He knelt hastily: "This humble one would never dare!"

Outside, Yan Tuo, who had been listening, was also startled when Emperor Liu mentioned him. Fortunately, his mental fortitude was sufficient, and he did not let out a sound.

A clear expression of shame and anger appeared on Emperor Liu's face as he rebuked: "Working hard all year long, handing over seventy or eighty percent of the harvest to the imperial household—and you tell me this is a blessing for those farming households? If it were me, I'd be cursing that bloodsucking emperor up and down in my heart!"

Facing Emperor Liu's reprimand, Liu Gui shrank his neck and hastily confessed his fault: "Your Majesty's instruction is correct. This humble one spoke recklessly!"

Emperor Liu did not think Liu Gui's confession carried much sincerity—it was merely going through the motions, putting on a show for his benefit.

Of course, Emperor Liu did not dwell excessively on this. After pondering for a while, as if making up his mind, he ordered: "Change! It must change—change greatly!"

"Please instruct, Your Majesty!" Liu Gui clasped his hands.

"The farming households who labor for the imperial household—the grain and money they pay each year should align with the court's new tax system!" Emperor Liu instructed while thinking. "Each mu of land should not be charged more than seventy-five wen per year!"

Liu Gui visibly hesitated at this, but still bowed and assented. However, he could not help but remind Emperor Liu: "Your Majesty, if collected at this standard, then in the future the Court of the Imperial Treasury's annual income from land will be greatly reduced..."

Based on current grain and meat prices, the Court of the Imperial Treasury's annual income from agriculture alone was around ten million strings of cash. Even after deducting some circulation and transaction costs, what remained was still a huge sum—but that high income was built on the cruel exploitation of farming households.

If Emperor Liu's idea were followed, then even if the imperial lands were all fertile and rich, the income derived from them in the future would plummet, decreasing by multiples upon multiples.

"Less is fine!" Emperor Liu appeared quite indifferent to Liu Gui's reminder: "After all, we can't have people saying that the Great Han Emperor treats his subjects worse than local tyrants and gentry treat their tenant farmers..."