Chapter 286: Sitting at the same table as Wei Zheng isn't bad

Very good, Brother Du summed it up precisely; our Tang Dynasty indeed uses this method to deal with land annexation.

Chen Yan first gave affirmation, then said to Li Shimin: "Then, Your Majesty, do you think this method is effective?"

"It's certainly effective." Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and said: "But you don't seem to agree much?"

Chen Yan denied: "It's not that I don't agree, but this method has a major loophole."

"A loophole?" Li Shimin hesitated and asked: "What aspect of the loophole?"

"Of course it's the perpetual field!" Chen Yan pointed out the problem directly.

After a few people pondered for a moment, they all suddenly understood.

Li Chengqian said: "Brother Zi An, you mean the issue that perpetual fields can be bought and sold, giving people a chance to exploit loopholes?"

"That's inevitable!" Du Gou whispered: "Your Majesty has distributed most of the pastries to the common folk; that group of greedy bureaucrat nobles, if there is a loophole to exploit, how could they not be tempted by this pastry?"

Chen Yan added: "And there's also human greed."

"The law cannot completely prevent the powerful from annexing land through illegal or deceptive means; therefore, never underestimate human greed."

"Furthermore..."

Chen Yan looked at Li Shimin, whose face was gradually darkening, and said: "Currently the world has experienced too much turmoil, population is severely insufficient, thus there is land to distribute; but under Your Majesty's rule, the Tang Dynasty will soon usher in a prosperous age, population will rapidly increase, and then there will be a situation of no land to distribute, shaking the foundation of the equal-field system."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

Good news—even Chen Yan said he governs his state well, the Tang Dynasty is about to usher in a prosperous age.

Bad news—the prosperous age means rapid population growth, leaving no land to distribute.

"Sigh~ The several methods I have implemented indeed still need to be changed."

"It's difficult." Chen Yan couldn't help but interject: "Under Your Majesty's consecutive combination of measures, the land annexation problem has indeed been brought under control in the short term."

"However, as time passes, new meritorious officials, nobles, and bureaucrats will grow up and become new forces of land annexation."

"For example, Du Gou, and also... me."

Upon hearing this, some changed expression, some were speechless, some were so anxious they jumped up and down.

Du Gou was that person who jumped up and down anxiously: "Brother Chen, don't talk nonsense; our Du family would never do such a conscience‑less, despicable act."

"If I dared to seize the people's land, my father would definitely break my leg, and even in old age I'd have no face to see him."

Although knowing Chen Yan was making an analogy, Du Gou still felt a bit of trepidation.

"Damn, Your Majesty is still here?"

"Can't you use someone else as an analogy?"

Li Shimin gave him a bland glance and said: "Why use Du Gou and yourself as examples?"

Chen Yan smiled and said: "Because, as things stand now, I have a deep background and enjoy your and Her Majesty's trust, making me the fastest‑growing new meritorious official."

"Brother Du's outstanding second‑generation status comes next, after which come talents like Ma Zhou, whom Your Majesty notices or who are promoted by other aristocratic clans."

"You dare say anything!" Li Shimin snorted coldly: "I suddenly feel you might become another Country Squire in the future."

Chen Yan muttered softly: "The reason I dare say anything is because I know what kind of person Your Majesty is and what breadth of mind you have. Being a Country Squire is fine; actually being able to sit at the same table as Lord Wei is not bad either."

"Anyway, you're a Country Squire behind the scenes, but to your face you're still Lord Wei's beloved minister, right?"

"On the surface we're your good son‑in‑law; behind the scenes it's fine to be a little brat."

Li Shimin: "What are you saying?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty." Chen Yan forced a smile.

Not giving Li Shimin a chance to speak, he continued: "Returning to the earlier issue, having understood the problem and harm of land annexation, and having discussed the loopholes in the Tang Dynasty's current methods of dealing with it, next we should discuss how to specifically resolve the drawbacks of land annexation, turning it into a non‑fatal ailment."

Having said this, everyone became serious, and Li Shimin no longer had the inclination to argue with Chen Yan.

A group of powerful people all sat up straight, like elementary school students listening attentively.

Meanwhile, Li Junxian silently stood guard at a distance, not letting anyone approach here, listening to their conversation.

"Question: Why do the powerful officials annex the people's land?"

Du Gou blurted out: "Because the people hold the pastries that Your Majesty has distributed."

"Correct!" Chen Yan nodded slightly: "Pastries, that is profit!"

"When powerful officials annex land, they are seizing the people's profit."

"Why do they seek to seize the people's profit?"

"Because they feel their own profit is insufficient, or they want more profit, while the people possess abundant profit, so they move to seize it."

"But the profit of the Central Plains land—those pastries—is only this big; seizing it back and forth ultimately returns to the starting point."

"To resolve the harm of land annexation, first we must enlarge the pastries!"

Chen Yan stretched out his hand, making a gesturing motion of enlargement, and said: "This is the most crucial step; we must make the great clans and powerful realize that getting rich is not limited to seizing the people's land—creating wealth beyond the Tang Dynasty and shifting their focus."

"Let them not constantly stare at that little bit of land in the people's hands."

"For example, during the Han Dynasty the Silk Road, through trade with foreign countries, exported our silk, porcelain, tea, etc., and imported their spices, gems, timber, and fine horses, thereby earning huge wealth."

"Second, promote a prototype of the Labor‑to‑Land Redistribution!"

"When levying taxes, increase the proportion of Property‑Based Tax, decrease the proportion of Population‑Based Tax, preliminarily reduce the head tax and increase the land tax."

"In short, the amount of tax depends not on how many people your household has, but on how much land you own, making large‑scale land hoarding unprofitable!"

"When landlords find that the profit from buying land is still less than the tax they must pay, the impulse to annex land will naturally be suppressed."

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin couldn't help but exclaim: "Bravo, a Labor‑to‑Land Redistribution!"

"I never imagined that an indirect method could solve the land annexation problem—how wonderful!"

Du Gou had a question: "Why say we are promoting a prototype of Labor‑to‑Land Redistribution rather than implementing it fully?"

As soon as he spoke, Li Shimin, Chen Yan, Li Chengqian, and Yuan Tiangang all looked at him with the expression of looking at a fool.

"Fully implement Labor‑to‑Land Redistribution?"

You probably want to cause a great turmoil across the world.

This is practically no different from sliding a tackle on a tiger; you're just courting death.

"......"