sideration, he replied: “It depends on where the benefit of such a crop lies, with the imperial court or the people.”"If within the Imperial Court, then one must resort to bribes; if amongst the popul...Chapter 648: Crossing the Pass

Most officials' salaries were set at the beginning of the founding of the country.

Economic fluctuations in feudal times were not as large as those in modern society because they were based on silver and gold as hard currencies. Therefore, inflation and deflation rarely occurred, and their magnitudes were also small.

Therefore, very few regimes adjust the salaries of officials; if they do, it is only by a small amount.

Because the amount of officials' salaries directly affects the court's fiscal expenditure and constitutes a large proportion,

Taking the Qin court as an example, last year the total amount of salary issued nationwide was 4.5 million taels, but how much tax did Qin collect throughout the whole year last year

But not more than two million taels.

That's why large-scale wage arrears occur.

Even during years of favorable weather and abundant harvests, the salaries of government officials across the nation constituted a substantial expenditure for the imperial court.

Moreover, altering one's salary is equivalent to changing the ancestral system.ng was repaired immediately. Even the palace maids and eunuchs, as well as the guards on duty, all donned new clothes and armor. At the very least, everyone wore a happy expression on their face.This...