| | The official said: "Feudal lords regard their states as their own families, and thus their concerns lie within." The Son of Heaven regards the eight extremes of the world as his borders; therefore, his considerations lie outside. Therefore, those with small domains use little, while those who accomplish great feats require much. Therefore, the imperial court opened gardens and ponds, controlled mountains and seas, generated profits to assist in tribute and taxes, repaired ditches and canals, established agricultural projects, expanded farmland and pastures, and enlarged parks and enclosures. The Tai Pu, Shui Heng, Shao Fu, and Da Nong offices annually assessed the profits from farmland and pastures as well as the rental income from ponds and marshes. Additionally, officials were stationed in northern border regions to manage assigned farmlands in order to support various expenditures; yet these still proved insufficient. Now, if one wishes to abolish these measures, cutting off their source and blocking their flow, both the upper and lower levels would be exhausted. This would lead to a response of hardship and scarcity; even if one desires to reduce affairs and conserve expenditures, how could this possibly be achieved?"
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| | The Literati said: "In ancient times, the allocation of land was sufficient to support the people, and the people were sufficiently capable of supporting their rulers." A state with a thousand chariots, an area of one hundred li, and the ranks of gong, hou, bo, zi, and nan—each was sufficient to meet their needs and satisfy their desires. Qin controlled the lands of ten thousand states and possessed the wealth of all under heaven, yet its desires were still unfulfilled. This was not because its domain was small and expenditures meager, but rather because its cravings were excessive and the people could no longer bear such demands. The saying goes: "In the kitchen there is rotting meat, yet in the state there are starving people; in the stables there are fat horses, yet on the roads there are hungry people." Now, the expenses for feeding dogs and horses, and for the food of insects and beasts—how could these be merely the costs of rotting meat and fat horses! There are numerous officials who serve no purpose, projects that are not urgent, people indulging in extravagant fashions and changes, and many who consume the resources of the state without contributing any merit—this is why the upper ranks lack sufficiency while the lower classes suffer from hardship. Now, without reducing the root causes but wishing to support their consequences, establishing profit-making devices and creating farmland and livestock enterprises in competition with commoners for fertile grasslands and market profits—this is not a way to demonstrate virtue as a ruler or assist the state. Men plowing fields and women spinning cloth are the great endeavors of the world. Therefore, in ancient times, people were assigned land according to their residence, and plots of farmland were regulated for cultivation. Thus, there was no uncultivated land that went unused, nor any people in the state who lacked work to do. Nowadays, the imperial court has established numerous parks and enclosures, public fields, ponds, and marshes. Though these are officially designated as state property with names for restricted use, their profits flow into the hands of powerful families. The three Fu regions are situated close to mountains and rivers, with narrow land and a large population. People from all directions converge here, so that even grain, rice, firewood, and vegetables cannot adequately support the needs of the people. Public fields are transferred for private use; mulberry trees, willows, vegetables, and fruits are not cultivated, and the land's potential remains untapped. I think this is wrong. The late emperor's establishment of parks, enclosures, ponds, and marshes could be assigned to the people for cultivation; it would suffice for the imperial court merely to collect rent and taxes. Though the names of leases and taxes may differ, in reality they are one and the same. If this were done, then every common man's strength would be devoted to tilling southern fields, and every common woman's effort would be directed toward processing hemp. When farmland is cultivated and hemp processed properly, both the upper ranks and lower classes will have abundance—how could there then be hardship or scarcity?"
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