Chapter Twenty-Two: Zhu Cilang's Pursuit

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The plan Zhu Cilang referred to was, of course, the reform of the Ministry of Revenue’s Monopoly Tax Subdivision.

In the inner study of the Monopoly Tax Subdivision in Linqing, Zhu Cilang carried a chair and invited everyone to sit.

“When I took office as the manager of the Monopoly Tax Subdivision, the court only cares whether my work is up to standard if the tax revenue reaches a hundred thousand taels. As for what happens beyond that, the officials in the court don’t pay much attention. As long as I don’t repeat what happened in the first year of the Tianqi era, collecting five hundred thousand taels in one year and nearly bankrupting Linqing, that will suffice,” Zhu Cilang said with a smile.

Hearing this, Chang Zhilang and the others also smiled faintly. No one trusted Zhu Cilang’s abilities more than they did.

Nor was there anyone more deserving of their trust than Zhu Cilang.

But Zhu Cilang’s next words immediately made everyone’s demeanor serious: “But the achievement of collecting a hundred thousand taels a year is far from enough for me.”

Hearing this, Chang Zhilang immediately grasped Zhu Cilang’s intention and probed, “My lord, do you intend to increase tax revenue?”

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly. “Yes and no. The tax office here must certainly collect more taxes. The essence of taxation is to take from the people, supply the court, and ultimately benefit the people. So, from this perspective, what we must do is pluck the most goose feathers with the least squawking. Only by plucking the most feathers can more people wear warm goose down coats.”

The supervisors nodded thoughtfully, but soon frowned with doubt. “But... wealth and grain are subject to the laws of the land. If we take more here, others will have less. If others have less, unrest will surely follow. Even if my lord is careful not to repeat the chaos of Linqing in the first year of Tianqi, once the local gentry and powerful clans are provoked, your actions in Linqing will face much greater obstacles.”

Zhu Cilang nodded slowly.

If all Zhu Cilang wanted was to manage the Monopoly Tax Subdivision and collect a hundred thousand taels, his earlier arrangements would have sufficed. By restraining Chu Lushan, no one in the subdivision dared act out; even collecting several tens of thousands more posed no problem.

But Zhu Cilang’s ambitions went far beyond that. He desired reform and had no regard for the current backward, inefficient tax system that had seen no progress for a hundred years.

Yet to reform, he could not fight alone. Zhu Cilang needed a team to battle alongside him.

This group, handpicked from the Ministry of Revenue, formed Zhu Cilang’s core, the foundation of his fighting strength, and the most suitable team to spearhead reform.

For this team to be effective, the first priority was to unify their thinking, clarify operational nodes and logic, and even cultivate a shared belief born of a common pursuit and purpose.

With these thoughts, Zhu Cilang, almost unconsciously, had begun applying the methods of leadership from later generations.

After considering for a moment, Zhu Cilang spoke: “Today, I’ve called you all here and will skip any empty formalities. Everything is for getting to work as soon as possible. The welcoming banquet and such I’ll make up for at the celebration feast later.”

Hearing this, Chang Zhilang and the others raised no complaints; after all, they were not here for leisure. So the six of them rose together and declared loudly, “We are willing to follow my lord and achieve great deeds; such trivialities are of no importance.”

“Very well, then I will get straight to the point,” Zhu Cilang said with a smile. “Our tax work must first be guided by political objectives, considering the function of taxation, the methods, types, targets, and strategy, to establish a tax system suited to our current needs.”

“On this foundation, we must first consider our goals. Not only must we collect the most tax, but also provoke the least opposition. In fact, don’t think that the current system faces the least opposition; those who oppose it have never disappeared. The cost of the old system was paid a century ago, and dissenting voices have gradually faded, but the will to oppose has always remained. Change in the subdivision’s affairs is inevitable.”

“The key to reform lies in finding the balance between collecting the most taxes and facing the least opposition.”

At this point, Zhu Cilang glanced aside and noticed a hint of contempt on the face of a man behind Chang Zhilang, his brow slightly furrowed.

With this in mind, Zhu Cilang paused, then smiled and said, “After such a lengthy discourse, although you may not find it dull, I imagine some among you feel uncomfortable with this focus on interests. Perhaps you even think that this strange theory of mine borders on heresy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, all six faces turned red with embarrassment.

Chang Zhilang hurried to explain, “My lord’s intentions are pure; we should not judge by petty minds.”

“The distinction between petty men and gentlemen has never rested on whether one speaks of interests. In fact, to believe that ignoring self-interest makes one a gentleman is a hypocritical theory—a mistaken idea that drives everyone to moral extremes. Of course, I’m not here today to refute that view. If I can bring benefit to the greatest number of people, I would not mind being denounced as the greatest scoundrel in history.” Zhu Cilang smiled again.

Now, the expressions of the six became solemn. Feeling the breadth of Zhu Cilang’s vision, their earlier misgivings vanished. “Please, my lord, continue your instruction.”

“The notion that for every coin or grain we gain, another place must lose is not one I accept. Just as it is wrong to see taxation as purely negative, as merely robbing the people of their benefit,” Zhu Cilang said quietly, weighing his words. “If there were no bandits, no people starving or freezing to death, no disasters of flood or drought, taxes would be of crucial importance. Make the wealthy merchants and landlords pay their dues, and before the desperate turn to banditry, let them be saved by state funds. Let the hungry survive hardship through tax relief or exemption before hunger strikes. Let river works and irrigation be properly built, so that when disaster comes, its effects are lessened.”

“With such a fiscal system, how could it not be called righteous and humane?” At the mention of “righteous and humane,” the six men before him were clearly shaken.

Chang Zhilang’s eyes shone with fervor. “Taken from the people, used for the people! If we can do this, the era of Yao, Shun, and Yu could be restored!”

The era of Yao, Shun, and Yu—the legendary sage kings—represented the highest ideal in the hearts of generations of scholars. Such praise from Chang Zhilang was the highest accolade a scholar could give.

The other supervisors, listening to Zhu Cilang’s unusual doctrine, were equally astonished by his stirring words. At the same time, a burning sense of mission surged in their hearts.

They had never imagined that, instead of fighting the people for profit, what they did could truly help the common folk. This was genuine righteousness and benevolence—not the hollow hypocrisy of a gentleman who refuses to speak of interest!