Chapter 137 "One Whip" Law
Following Ying Ziye's calm command, the surrounding officials immediately took action.

Li Si, the Shangshu Zuo Pushe of the Great Qin Empire, served as the chief investigator and worked closely with brave generals such as Meng Tian and Li Xin to lead the Dragon and Tiger Guards.

In order to get to the bottom of the matter, Ying Ziye also specially mobilized the four secret agents of Hulong Villa to participate in it.

This move was like a heavy blow, and the entire Yuyang County was suddenly in a panic.

Day after day, news of officials being arrested came incessantly. Their crimes were all serious. Many officials were like frightened birds, and only a few honest people could remain calm.

In the county magistrate's mansion, Ying Ziye sat beside the desk, flipping through the investigation reports of recent days with a serious expression.

The reality was more severe than he expected.

Although the Qin Empire appeared prosperous and powerful on the surface, countless parasites were greedily sucking the blood of the empire beneath its glory.

The phenomenon of land annexation was serious. Landlords and wealthy families colluded with the government to forcibly seize the people's land and used every means to evade taxes from the court.

It is incredible that a wealthy man who owns thousands of acres of fertile land pays the same amount of taxes as a farmer with a family of five!

The Qin Dynasty levied taxes based on population. A family paid as much tax as the number of people in it. This was called the population tax.

However, this wealthy merchant and landlord had a large number of servants and hundreds of people in his household, but he only paid taxes for five people!
It's so outrageous and jaw-dropping!
Change is imperative!

Otherwise, if this situation is allowed to continue, the empire will eventually be eroded by these termites and become increasingly weak!
Speaking of land reform, Ying Ziye's mind instantly emerged with the "One Whip" law implemented by Zhang Juzheng during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The law unified various taxes, remeasured the land, re-registered household registration, and levied taxes based on each household's population and land holdings.

That nationwide land revaluation actually found an additional 280 million mu of land!

What an astonishing number!

However, after Zhang Juzheng passed away, the "One Whip" law was abolished because it touched the interests of the nobles and gentry, and the Ming Dynasty gradually declined.

Although this decree is like a flash in the pan in Chinese history, the significance it carries is extraordinary.

Today's Qin Empire is completely different from the Ming Dynasty!

The powerful families can no longer raise their heads under Ying Ziye's iron-fisted rule!

The equal-field system and the imperial examination system, which policy did not touch the cake of landlords and powerful people?

However.
After so many years, who dares to act rashly?
Just do it obediently!

The fundamental reason for all this, in the final analysis, is the strength of the imperial power, which ensures that all government orders can be implemented unimpeded.

Even if there is a slight voice of opposition, it will be suppressed instantly!

"Yan Fei, find some pens, ink, paper and inkstone for me." Ying Ziye ordered Yan Fei who was always by his side.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Soon, Yan Fei came to Ying Ziye with writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone, and carefully ground ink for him.

"Yue'er, Yan'er, take a close look at what your father wrote. It will be helpful to you in the future."

Ying Ziye turned to his two precious daughters, never forgetting to educate them.

"Yes, father!"

“We will definitely work hard to learn from you!”

Xiaoyue'er and Xiaoyan'er had rosy cheeks, like two crystal cherries. They stood on Ying Ziye's left and right, their bright big eyes flashing with concentration, as they concentrated on absorbing knowledge.

Ying Ziye picked up the wolf-hair brush and gently dipped it into the ink pool. The tip of the brush seemed to come to life.

The writing moves smoothly and fluently.

The vigorous and powerful handwriting jumps off the paper, as light as floating clouds and as agile as a startled dragon, full of beauty.

The calligraphy alone is enough to be intoxicating.

1. Expand the tax base of the Qin Empire to achieve relative balance in taxation.

2. Unify taxes and corvée, eliminate complicated surcharges, and stabilize the tax situation. 3. Collect silver by mu, collect it officially, and improve the collection mechanism.

Ying Ziye recalled the core of the "One Whip" method, constructed an outline, and then expanded on the content in detail.

In the rustling sound
The only sound in the room was the silence of Ying Ziye's brush splashing ink; the friction between the rice paper and the wolf-hair brush was like a whisper.

Page after page of rice paper was filled, and the details and implementation strategies of the "One Whip" method were gradually revealed.

Half an hour later.

Ying Ziye put down his pen, exhaled, looked at the ten full pages of paper in front of him, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

If this "One Whip" law is implemented, I'm afraid the end of the nobles and powerful families will be here, right?
They can no longer evade taxes!

"Call Li Si to see you!" Ying Ziye ordered the guards at the door.

Li Si, an outstanding representative of the Legalists, had profound attainments in the way of law. Only Han Fei in the Qin State could be compared with him.

However, Han Fei was in Xianyang at the moment, so Ying Ziye could only place his hopes on Li Si.

In this era, when implementing the "One Whip" law, what else needs to be improved?

Li Si arrived in a hurry, looking tired.

These days, he devoted all his energy to investigating and punishing officials in Yuyang County, and got very little sleep every day.

Ying Ziye flicked his fingers lightly, and immortal energy quietly injected into Li Si's body. His fatigue instantly dissipated, making him rejuvenated!
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gift!"

Li Si stepped forward quickly and bowed gratefully to express his gratitude.

The only person in the world who has such magical powers is Ying Ziye!
Ying Ziye smiled indifferently. He never hesitated to reward those who worked hard for the Qin Empire.

"check it out."

"My investigations over the past few days have shown me that the phenomenon of land annexation is very serious."

"I am sure that Yuyang County is just a microcosm of this problem in the Great Qin Empire. Other counties must have similar situations."

"I intend to implement the "One Whip" law throughout the Qin Empire!"

As he spoke, Ying Ziye handed the "One Whip" law he had just written to Li Si, the representative of the Legalists.

"Follow the Holy Order!"

Li Si took it respectfully and read it attentively.

As Li Si's understanding of the "One Whip" law deepened, his expression changed from surprise to admiration, and finally to reverence.

After reading it, Li Si bowed deeply to Ying Ziye!
“Extremely clever!”

“I never thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s attainments in law are so profound!
This "One Whip" law is the pinnacle of jurisprudence! "

"With this method alone, Your Highness will surely become a contemporary legal saint!" Li Si's admiration for Ying Ziye at this moment was like a surging river.

In the field of law, Li Si always believed that no one could match Han Fei.

Unexpectedly, Ying Ziye was the real hidden giant. In just a few days, he conceived a complete legal system for the issue of land annexation!

The Legalist school is finally going to give birth to a saint like Confucius and Mencius!
Li Si held the "whip" in his hand and looked at Ying Ziye, his eyes filled with indescribable admiration and expectation.

For hundreds of years, each school of thought has its own strengths: Mohism has Lu Ban, Taoism has Lao Tzu, Confucianism has Confucius and Mencius, and Agriculture has Shennong. Each school has a legendary figure like a saint.

Only the Legalists have few outstanding figures who can compare with them.

From ancient times to the present, only Li Si and Han Fei have been slightly famous, but they are far from reaching the status of Confucius and Mencius in Confucianism, Lu Ban in Mohism, and Shennong in Agriculture.

The fundamental reason is that there has been a lack of a complete set of laws for hundreds of years.

(End of this chapter)