Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 7 Scroll 15 (continued)
The 12th year of the Emperor Wen of Early Era (168 B.C.)
In December, during the winter, the Yellow River burst its banks in Suanzao County, breaching the Jindi levee and flooding Dongjun Commandery. A large number of soldiers from Dongjun Commandery were mobilized to repair the breach.
In March, during the spring, the checkpoints and city passes between regions were eliminated, and travel no longer required permits (tallies).
Chao Cuo wrote another memorandum to the Emperor:
“When a virtuous ruler is in power, the people do not suffer from cold or hunger. This is not because the ruler can farm and feed them or weave and clothe them, but because the ruler has opened up channels for resources and wealth. During Emperor Yao’s nine years of flooding and King Tang of Shang’s seven years of drought, there were no starved corpses on the roads or bones left scattered because they had stocked up plenty of food and prepared in advance.
“Yet today, although the world is unified and the population and land are no less than during the times of King Tang of Shang or Yu the Great, and although there have been no floods or droughts in many years, why is there still a lack of food reserves? The land holds untapped resources, the people have energy to spare, the fertile land is still uncultivated, and the mountains and rivers remain underutilized. Many people wander idly, not having returned to farming.
“When people are cold, they do not wait for fine clothes, but cover themselves with whatever they have; when hungry, they do not wait for delicacies, but seek food to stave off hunger. If hunger and cold persist, dignity is forgotten. If a person eats only once a day, they remain hungry. If they make clothes only once a year, they remain cold. When one’s stomach growls with hunger and skin shivers from cold, even the most loving mother cannot comfort her child. How then can a ruler claim the support of his people if they are left uncared for?
“A wise ruler knows this and thus prioritizes agriculture and textile production, imposes light taxes, encourages saving, fills the granaries, and prepares for floods and droughts, so the people are provided for. The ruler must herd his people, and they will pursue their own interests naturally, like water flowing downward, indifferent to direction.
“The value of pearls, jade, gold, and silver does not lie in their ability to satiate hunger or provide warmth, but in their appeal to the wealthy. These items are portable, easily carried without concern for hunger or cold. This ease of transport leads to ministers betraying their lords, people abandoning their homes, and bandits and thieves being lured, while fugitives can easily acquire resources. By contrast, crops like grain, rice, silk, and cloth are grown from the land and require time and effort to cultivate. Their weight makes them difficult for the average person to carry, and they are not easy targets for tricksters. Yet without them, people go hungry and cold even for a day. Therefore, wise rulers value crops over precious items like gold and jade.”
“Currently, a farming family of five requires at least two members to serve in public duties, yet their land rarely exceeds 100 mu[Chinese acre], and their harvest seldom surpasses 100 piculs of grain. They work tirelessly throughout the year, plowing and sowing in spring, tilling in summer, harvesting in autumn, and storing in winter. In addition to this, they must gather firewood, construct government buildings, and provide labor for those in power. They endure harsh conditions—dusty winds in spring, scorching heat in summer, relentless rains in autumn, and bitter cold in winter—without respite. Moreover, they must attend to personal matters such as delivering messages, entertaining friends, attending funerals, caring for the sick, and looking after the elderly and the young.
“Despite their hard work, they remain vulnerable to natural disasters and untimely taxes, whimsical policy changes. Some farmers are even forced to sell their grain at half price during times of need, while others have incurred crippling debt from loans with exorbitant interest rates. Many have been compelled to sell their land, homes, and even their wife and children to repay these debts. Meanwhile, large merchants hoard grain and lend at high interest, while small merchants and traders exploit their advantageous positions, amassing wealth by manipulating prices in the marketplace. These merchants, who live in luxury, neither till the land nor weave cloth or cultivate silkworms. They wear vibrant clothing and feast on fine meats and cereals, far removed from the labor of the fields, all while collecting wealth in the tens of thousands of coins.
“Their riches afford them influence with nobles and kings, giving them more power than government officials. They ride plump horses and solid carriages, wearing silk boots and white satin, traveling thousands of miles to visit one another, their carriages jamming the traffic. This is why merchants have come to dominate farmers, forcing many of them to abandon their homes.
“To remedy this situation, we must encourage a renewed focus on farming. One solution is to raise the societal value of grain. This can be done by rewarding people with titles and pardons in exchange for contributing grain to government stockpiles. The wealthy can gain titles, farmers can earn money, and surplus grain can be used to reduce the tax burden on the poor. By taking surplus grain from those who have it and using it to meet government needs, we can reduce taxes on the less fortunate. This principle of redistributing the surplus to support the deficient benefits the people immediately through new government policies.
“Under current policies, anyone who contributes a horse-drawn chariot is exempt from military service for three individuals, as the chariot strengthens the military. This requirement for military contributions is necessary. As the ancient teachings of Shennong(Devine Farmer) remind us, ‘Without grain, even a city with ten-meter-high walls, a hundred-meter-wide moat, and a hundred thousand armored soldiers cannot be defended.’ Thus, grain is the most vital resource for a ruler and the foundation of governance.
“At present, we allow plebeians to offer grain in exchange for titles up to Grandee Five and above, which exempts one man from draft duty. This is a greater sacrifice than contributing a chariot, as titles are bestowed by those in power without limit, whereas grain must be produced by farmers. Obtaining high titles and avoiding punishment is something everyone desires. By allowing people throughout the country to offer grain to the frontier in exchange for titles and immunity from punishment, within three years, the borders will have abundant grain stored.”
The Emperor agreed and decreed that the people should contribute grain to the border, with noble titles granted in proportion to the amount contributed.
Chao Cuo wrote again, “Your Majesty’s decree to allow people to contribute grain to the border in exchange for ranks and noble titles is a great favor. However, I fear that the grain supply for the border troops will not be sufficient, thus requesting a massive transport of grain from across the country. When border supply is enough to sustain the troops for five years, it would be better to allow grain to be contributed to the granary of the local counties. Once the local counties have enough supply for more than a year, we can exempt their taxes and not collect rent from farmers. By doing so, the kindness and benevolence of the emperor will be extended to all the people, and they will work harder on farms and become richer and happier.”
The Emperor adopted the suggestion and issued a decree, “The way to benefit the people lies in focusing on agriculture. We personally led the farming efforts throughout the empire for ten years, but the cultivated land has not been expanded, and people starve as soon as there is a bad harvest. This is because an insufficient population is working on agriculture , and local officials have not emphasized the importance of farming to the people. We have issued several decrees encouraging people to plant trees, but there has been little progress because officials are not diligent and do not explain to the people properly. Furthermore, the farmers are suffering greatly, but the officials have not paid attention to their plight. How can we achieve success in agriculture in this situation? Give half of this year’s taxes to the farmers as a gift return.”
Reflection by Rio Grande 