CHAPTER 1 the BASIC ARGUMENT A. It Was the Sixth Year of The
CHAPTER 1 THE BASIC ARGUMENT a. It was the sixth year of the shiyuan era1, when an imperial edict directed the Chancellor and the Imperial secretaries to confer with the recommended Worthies and Literati2, and to enquire of them as to the rankling grievances among the people. b. The Literati responded as follows: It is our humble opinion that the principle of ruling lies in forestalling wantonness while extending the elementals of virtue, in discouraging mercantile pursuits while inspiring benevolence and righteousness. Let lucre never be paraded before the eyes of the people; only then will enlightenment flourish and mores improve. c. But now with the salt, iron, and alcohol monopolies, as well as equalizing distribution3 established in the commanderies and feudal states, the government has entered into financial competition with the people, destroying natural simplicity and innocence, while fostering selfishness and greed. As a result, few among our people take up the foundation of livelihood4, while many flock to the non-essential offshoots5. When embellishment is overwrought, it weakens the core substance; when the branches are overgrown, then the foundation is eroded. When the non-essential offshoots are cultivated, the people become frivolous; when the foundation is developed, the people are simple and guileless. The people being simple, wealth will abound; when the people are extravagant, cold and hunger will follow. We pray that the salt, iron, and alcohol monopolies and the system of equalizing distribution be abolished so that the principal industries may be encouraged while secondary occupations thwarted, and agriculture broadly benefited. d. The Lord Grand Secretary said: When the Xiongnu rebelled against our authority and frequently raided and devastated the frontier settlements, to be constantly on the watch for them was a great strain upon the military of the Middle Kingdom; but without measures of precaution, these forays and depredations would never cease.
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