During the Qianlong period, a controversy about the prohibition of alcohol quietly arose. In the Qing Dynasty, alcohol prohibition was not uncommon, but after Qianlong ascended the throne, it was particularly strict. After the Yongzheng period's restrictions on privately brewed soju, Emperor Qianlong insisted on a complete ban on alcohol and imposed severe sanctions on private brewers, resulting in a sharp decline in soju production.
The original intention of the prohibition was not out of a monopoly desire for wine-making profits, on the contrary, the Qianlong Emperor was concerned about the well-being of the people. During the Yongzheng period, although the Qing Dynasty was socially stable, the economy was booming, and the population was also showing a growing trend, grain production did not increase accordingly. In the early days of Qianlong's reign, the five northwestern provinces faced frequent natural disasters and a large-scale reduction in production, which forced the imperial court to implement the transfer of grain from the south to the north to solve the famine. This transportation process is extremely difficult, and a lot of manpower and material resources are expensive. In order to ensure social stability, Qianlong believed that it was necessary to accumulate grain first, and only by completely banning alcohol could a large amount of grain be saved and the people's reserves were sufficient.
The implementation of the prohibition policy has brought a series of problems. After Sun Jiagan became the governor of Zhili, he strengthened the prevention of floods and consolidated agricultural production through water conservancy repairs. He found that even with harsh penalties for moonshine, many people still took the risk of selling moonshine. After investigating, he revealed the reason behind this phenomenon. The alcohol ban policy led to the return of soju to the government, and the soju on the market ** decreased, and the price of alcohol **. Driven by the psychology of profit, there are still people who are willing to take the risk of illegally selling moonshine. In order to solve this problem, the people in the northwest began to use rice wine instead of soju. Although the taste of rice wine is not as good as that of shochu, it can at least meet the demand. Sun Jiagan found that the raw materials of folk soju mainly use sorghum, wheat bran, grain bran, etc., and are not conventional foods. The ban on soju has led to a significant reduction in the income of farmers from growing sorghum, forcing them to sell their daily rice millet to make ends meet. These by-products such as bran can no longer be sold to the distillery, resulting in a lot of waste.
At first, without a detailed investigation, Qianlong simply believed that the ban on soju could encourage the people to reserve surplus grain, but he did not expect that the effect would be the opposite of what was expected, leading to a larger consumption of rice and millet on a larger scale. Sun Jiagan's investigation shows that although the ban on soju can be used as a means of regulating food in disaster years, it has an adverse effect on the people in normal years. In order to prevent the corruption caused by the monopoly, he played to Emperor Qianlong and stated in detail the rationality of lifting the ban on soju. Emperor Qianlong accepted Sun Jiagan's proposal and eventually abolished Prohibition.
This historical episode reflects that policy-making must be fully researched and scientifically analyzed, otherwise it can be counterproductive. Emperor Qianlong's original intention was for the long-term interests of the country and the people, but due to his lack of understanding of the actual situation, it eventually had a negative impact. This is a stark warning that policymaking must be prudent and prudent in order to avoid unnecessary social problems and economic losses. This controversy over alcohol prohibition is not a simple policy entanglement, but also a profound consideration of people's livelihood. Sun Jiagan's investigation revealed the plight of ordinary people who had been overlooked by Qianlong's prohibition of alcohol. The raw materials of folk soju use unconventional foods such as sorghum, wheat bran, and grain bran, and the ban on soju has led to a sharp decline in the income of sorghum farmers, and they are forced to ** the rice millet needed for their livelihood. This not only creates an economic burden, but also triggers large-scale food waste, which wastes food resources that could be used in daily life.
Sun Jiagan's report was approved by Emperor Qianlong, and the prohibition was eventually annulled. This historical episode reminds people that policy-making needs to be based on people's well-being, and should not simply rely on theoretical assumptions, but should go down to the grassroots level to understand the real needs of the people. Although Emperor Qianlong's original intention was the long-term interests of the country, it had a negative impact because he did not have a deep understanding of the actual situation. This makes us think deeply that policymakers must maintain a deep understanding of the overall social situation when formulating policies, so as to prevent benign policies from having vicious consequences.
In the reflection of history, we should also realize that social change requires more tolerance and compromise. The abolition of Prohibition was not a challenge to the authority of Emperor Qianlong, but a response to the general call of society. When promoting reform, it is necessary to listen to the voice of the people and work together with the society to solve the problem. Like Sun's success in water projects, effective governance and reform require cooperation, not a one-man dictate.
In the end, this historical story teaches us that policymaking needs to adhere to the principle of seeking truth from facts and have a deep understanding of the suffering of the lower strata of society. When solving problems, it is necessary to consider the whole picture and avoid relying solely on theories and assumptions. Historical experience tells us that only on the basis of truly understanding the needs of the people in society can policies truly serve the overall situation of the country's long-term peace and stability.
Readers are invited to think: How do you think the voices of the people should be better listened to when formulating social policies, and ensure that the policies are in the overall interest of society?
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