University of Virginia Library

Governmental reforms and economies

The Confucians who succeeded in gaining Emperor Yüan's ear showed
themselves, like the Confucians in the Discourse on Salt and Iron, interested
in what would benefit the common people. Kung Yü pointed out
to Emperor Yüan the expense and luxury of the court, contrasting it with
the simplicity of ancient times and the restraint in Han times before
Emperor Wu, when the imperial harem did not have more than ten-odd
women and the imperial stable had only a hundred-odd horses. Since
that time, he said, luxury had been the rule and the courtiers had vied
with each other in luxuriousness. In Ch'i (the present Shantung),
several thousands of workmen were kept busy preparing fine silks and
garments in the imperial ateliers, at a cost of several hundred million
cash per year. In Shu and Kuang-han Commanderies (the present
Szechuan), over fifty million cash were expended yearly at the imperial
workshops for gold and silver vessels. The common people were suffering
from famine and even practising cannibalism, while the horses in
the imperial stables were fed and suffered from obesity, the imperial
harem was overflowing with women, and the imperial musicians were too
numerous. Kung Yü urged that this expense be reduced as much as
two-thirds, that only twenty-odd women should be retained in the
harem; the imperial concubines of deceased emperors who were being
kept at the imperial tombs should be sent home to be married (except

for the several hundred women at the tomb of Emperor Hsüan), only
several tens of horses should be retained in the imperial stables, and many
of the imperial parks should be given to the people for cultivation. With
the encouragement of Shih Hsien, Emperor Yüan accepted most of this
advice and reduced the imperial expenses.

After Kung Yü became Grandee Secretary, he continued making suggestions
for economy in the government. He pointed out that the annual
head tax upon children, beginning in their third year, called the
poll-money, led to much infanticide, and suggested that the poll-money
be not required until a child was in its seventh year. The Emperor
approved. He pointed out that the practise established by Emperor Wu
of allowing money commutation for crimes encouraged crime and disorder.
In accordance with the Confucian policy of esteeming ancient
practises, Kung Yü also pointed out that the free use of money in Han
times, different from the ancient payments in kind, allowed persons to
live without farming, and the advantages of trade led many to leave
agriculture, reducing the supply of food. The government monopoly
of copper mining and coinage and of iron production employed a hundred
thousand convicts. Since each farmer feeds seven persons, Kung Yü
argued that 700,000 persons a year go hungry because these persons were
diverted from agriculture. Merchants charged 20% interest and did
not pay the land tax or the tax on produce, whereas farmers paid both,
with the result that less than half of the common people were farmers.
He urged that the offices for the manufacture of objects using jewels,
gold, and silver, and those for coinage be abolished; the use of money be
done away with; merchants should not be allowed to buy or sell; only the
land should be taxed; and that taxes, salaries, and imperial grants should
all be in cloth or grain, in order that the people should be compelled to
return to agriculture and obtain the advantages of ancient times. The
conservative Confucians' opposition to a growing money economy is
well exemplified in the above memorial. Fortunately Emperor Yüan
did not adopt this proposal; when Wang Mang attempted to put Confucian
reforms into effect, disorder and calamity followed.

As a result of the foregoing and other suggestions, Emperor Yüan
effected many economies. He disestablished the palaces and lodges in
Shang-lin Park that were rarely used. He did away with the guard at
Chien-chang and Kan-ch'üan Palaces, and reduced by half the guard at
the temples to vassal kings. The number of imperial musicians was
lessened, the expense of the imperial table was diminished, the imperial
stables, kennels, and menagerie were reduced, and imperial gardens,

parks, ponds, and fields were given to the common people. The competitive
games, the imperial ateliers in Ch'i, and the government granaries
which purchased grain with tax money, instead of having grain transported
to the capital, were abolished. Even the government monopoly of
salt and iron was abolished, although four years later the need for income
compelled its reestablishment. Thus real economies were made in
governmental expenditures and a beginning was made in the direction of
the economic reforms so extensively attempted by Wang Mang.

Emperor Yüan also relieved his people of other burdens. Capital
punishment was lightened in seventy matters. Guarantors for their
relatives (except in the case of high officials) were no longer to be punished
along with those persons whom they had guaranteed. Witnesses were
not to be called up at times when they had to work their fields. Arrangement
was made that the grandparents, parents, and brothers of those in
the imperial palaces could be registered at the palace gates, enter the
palace, and visit their relatives within. No funerary town was established
at Emperor Yüan's tomb. Grants of tax remission, amnesties,
ranks, silk, etc. were made at times of drought and calamity and at other
occasions. When the aborigines in the southern part of the island of
Hainan revolted, the commandery of Chu-yai was abolished rather than
burden the people with a struggle to reconquer such a barbarian region.