Chapter Sixteen: The Debate on the Mining Tax

On the third day of the second month in the forty-eighth year of the Wanli reign, the Emperor decreed that Xu Guangqi, the Junior Compiler, should serve as the daily lecturer for the Crown Prince. This decision brought relief to many ministers, for it would further solidify the position of His Highness the Crown Prince. For Zhu Xiaoqi, it marked a crucial step toward realizing his ideals, as he believed that Xu Guangqi, being a scientist, would easily grasp many of his ideas, whether in the realm of natural sciences or social sciences.

Early on the fourth day of the second month, Xu Guangqi arrived at the Eastern Palace. He first paid respects to Zhu Changluo, who then sent someone to escort him to Zhu Xiaoqi’s study. Zhu Xiaoqi greeted him with a bow, which Xu Guangqi returned, and then they sat apart.

Xu Guangqi said, “By imperial decree, I am to serve as daily lecturer. I am acutely aware of my limited talents and shallow learning, and I deeply fear I may fail the Emperor’s trust and hinder Your Highness’s studies.”

Zhu Xiaoqi smiled, “You are too modest, Junior Compiler. I have been learning to read and write under the guidance of palace attendants. Yet, being young and mischievous, though I recognize some characters and have read a few books, I do not grasp their meaning nor understand the wisdom of the sages. My speech is coarse and full of colloquialisms; I must warn you of this in advance.” He thought it best to offer this preemptive explanation, so if he accidentally uttered a modern term, he could attribute it to his youthful ignorance. Moreover, his classical Chinese was hardly proficient; despite inheriting Zhu Youxiao’s foundation, it was still exhausting to speak, and not always accurate.

“It is perfectly natural for Your Highness, being young, to enjoy using colloquialisms. In truth, I too favor them. If such words can convey meaning, they are far preferable to elegant phrases that fail to communicate,” Xu Guangqi replied.

“Your words are profound, Junior Compiler, and I often reflect on them. Ancient texts were sparing with words because writing was difficult in those times. Now, however, we face no such concern. Yet people often speak obscurely, appearing mysterious but leaving listeners shrouded in confusion. My learning is shallow, and I find that undesirable. Thus, I ask you to teach me using plain language to dispel my doubts.”

Xu Guangqi nodded in agreement, feeling a deeper fondness for the Crown Prince. Though he was a proper scholar and had served as an academician, he never approved of the habit of quoting classics in every utterance. He often conversed with farmers, craftsmen, and missionaries, and found rural dialects could express ideas better and were easier for people to accept and understand. The Crown Prince, so young, already understood why ancient texts were simple—a sign of genuine thought and true intelligence.

“May I ask, Junior Compiler, what guidance you can offer regarding the war with the Jianzhou?”

“The Jianzhou are rebellious barbarians, a minor ailment, hardly a threat.”

Zhu Xiaoqi was surprised. In the late Ming, the Later Jin would eventually threaten the dynasty, yet Xu Guangqi considered them a minor problem—clearly, scientists were not reliable in matters of politics and military affairs. Yet he misunderstood Xu Guangqi; even the Jianzhou at that time never imagined they could destroy the Ming, as their national strength was nowhere near comparable. The Ming people, likewise, saw them as troublesome rebels at most, believing the imperial army would inevitably sweep them away.

“So, Junior Compiler, how do you think we should deal with the Jianzhou?”

“To eradicate the Jianzhou is not difficult: train capable soldiers, produce effective firearms and armor, select a few good generals, and they will be subdued. The real difficulty is that everywhere silver is needed, and where to obtain it is the true issue.”

“Why do you think the Ming lacks silver, Junior Compiler?”

“In my view, the more land hidden from registration, the more severe the delay in taxes, leading to insufficient funds for the state.”

“I believe there are other reasons as well.”

“What other reasons does Your Highness have in mind?”

“Improper collection of mining taxes.” Mining taxes had been established by his imperial grandfather, and though termed ‘mining taxes,’ they extended far beyond mining. There were salt supervisors in the two Huai regions, pearl supervisors in Guangdong, and eunuchs stationed to collect taxes, which many opposed at the time. But in Zhu Xiaoqi’s era, taxes were generally seen as necessary.

“Improper collection of mining taxes? Your Highness supports the collection of mining taxes?” Xu Guangqi asked, surprised.

“Of course. All land under heaven belongs to the king; mining taxes should naturally be collected.”

“Then what do you mean by improper collection?”

“Mining taxes ought to be collected, but not by eunuchs, nor in the current manner. The purpose of taxation is to fund the court’s various expenditures—official salaries, military pay, disaster relief, construction, and so on. Taxes should be collected from the people and used for the people. Yet the people are not equally wealthy; if rich and poor pay the same, the rich are unharmed while the poor become poorer.”

“As I see it, miners are generally wealthy. Mining increases their riches, so collecting taxes to fill the treasury is only right. But now, eunuchs collect mining taxes not only from miners but also arbitrarily harass households. If they want to collect mining taxes from a family, they point to their house and claim there is a mine beneath it; pay the tax and your house is safe, refuse and your family is ruined. The amount collected, its source, and the sum remitted are all unverifiable, without legal basis, and the court may receive only a fraction. Most people despise mining taxes for this reason, while some wealthy miners dislike paying and oppose them as well. So the whole country calls for their abolition, but I do not share that view.”

Xu Guangqi fell into deep thought. He had always opposed mining taxes, as many mining supervisors were indeed excessive, causing widespread suffering. Yet upon hearing Zhu Xiaoqi, he realized that changing the method of collection would make mining taxes beneficial. Though a scholar by training, he was not stubborn, and quickly understood Zhu Xiaoqi’s reasoning. The court had suffered from a lack of silver for so long; collecting mining taxes now brought in over 500,000 taels of silver and more than a thousand taels of gold annually, providing some relief for the court’s finances. If Zhu Xiaoqi’s method were adopted, the tax would not decrease but might even increase, while eliminating harm to the people—a truly excellent solution. He was nearly sixty, and feared it would be a long time before the Crown Prince ascended the throne, making it unlikely he would witness these reforms. Yet he was a man with the welfare of the realm in his heart; knowing that the Crown Prince could govern, remove the flaws of mining taxes, and increase state revenue, he felt deeply gratified.

“Your Highness’s words are truly virtuous. If your method is followed, the benefits will be gained and the evils removed. Though I may not live to see it, I must express my gratitude to Your Highness for the sake of all the people.”

Zhu Xiaoqi was pleased. Naturally, Xu Guangqi did not know that he would ascend the throne this very year—but Zhu Xiaoqi knew, and he intended to let Xu Guangqi see it and help him implement the reforms.

“You flatter me, Junior Compiler. As for the proper way to collect taxes, I do not understand it well. I hope you will devote your efforts, gather the talents of the realm, and draft a comprehensive set of regulations. If mining taxes and other levies each have clear guidelines, then benefits can be promoted and abuses removed. First, the people will know their own tax amounts, preventing petty officials from embezzling; second, the court will know the taxes from each region, enabling proper allocation and minimizing waste. This concerns the welfare of all under heaven, and I must trouble you, sir. But there is no need to hurry—let us set a period of one year. What do you think?”

Xu Guangqi repeatedly expressed his humility, for Zhu Xiaoqi addressed him as ‘sir,’ making refusal impossible. Moreover, he felt that anything beneficial to the realm was his duty and honor. Though he worried that it might take a long time for his regulations to be implemented, as long as they were used, it was better than not at all. He began to consider whom to enlist for this task. Perhaps the missionaries from Portugal knew something about tax collection; Western methods could serve as valuable reference. Bi Ziyan seemed knowledgeable in these matters—should he write a letter and discuss it with him?