太宗孝文皇帝下十二年（癸酉，公元前一六八年）In the twelfth year of the later reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Taizong period (Guiyou, 168 BC)
冬，十二月，河决酸枣，东溃金堤，东郡大兴卒塞之。In winter, in the twelfth month, the Yellow River burst its banks at Suanzao, and the Jin Dyke to the east was breached. The Dong Commandery mobilized a large number of soldiers to block it.
春，三月，除关，无用传。In spring, in the third month, the check - points were abolished, and there was no need for passes.
晁错言于上曰：Chao Cuo said to the emperor:
“圣王在上而民不冻饥者，非能耕而食之，织而衣之也，为开其资财之道也。 "When a sage - king is on the throne and the people do not suffer from cold or hunger, it is not because he can cultivate to feed them or weave to clothe them. It is because he can open up ways for them to acquire wealth.
故尧有九年之水，汤有七年之旱，而国亡捐瘠者，以畜积多而备先具也。Therefore, during the nine - year flood in the time of Yao and the seven - year drought in the time of Shang Tang, there were no people dying of starvation or emaciation in the country, because there were abundant reserves and preparations were made in advance.
今海内为一，土地、人民之众不减汤、禹，加以无天灾数年之水旱，而畜积未及者，何也？Now, the whole country is unified, and the amount of land and the number of people are no less than in the times of Tang and Yu. Moreover, there have been no natural disasters such as floods or droughts for several years, yet the reserves are still insufficient. Why?
地有遗利，民有馀力；生谷之土未尽垦，山泽之利未尽出，游食之民未尽归农也。There are still untapped resources in the land, and the people still have unused strength. The land suitable for growing grain has not all been reclaimed, the resources of mountains and marshes have not all been exploited, and the people who live by wandering and begging have not all returned to farming.
夫寒之于衣，不待轻暖；饥之于食，不待甘旨；饥寒至身，不顾廉耻。When people are cold, they don't wait for light and warm clothes; when they are hungry, they don't wait for delicious food. When hunger and cold afflict them, they will ignore shame and honor.
人情，一日不再食则饥，终岁不制衣则寒。By nature, if people don't eat twice a day, they will be hungry, and if they don't make clothes for a whole year, they will be cold.
夫腹饥不得食，肤寒不得衣，虽慈母不能保其子，君安能以有其民哉！If the stomach is hungry and there is no food, and the skin is cold and there is no clothing, even a kind mother cannot protect her child. How can a ruler keep his people then?
明主知其然也，故务民于农桑，薄赋敛，广畜积，以实仓廪，备水旱，故民可得而有也。An enlightened ruler knows this well, so he encourages the people to engage in farming and sericulture, reduces taxes, and increases reserves to fill the granaries and prepare for floods and droughts. Thus, he can keep his people.
民者，在上所以牧之；民之趋利，如水走下，四方无择也。The people are to be governed by the ruler above. The people's pursuit of profit is like water flowing downward, without choosing directions.
夫珠、玉、金、银，饥不可食，寒不可衣；然而众贵之者，以上用之故也。Pearls, jade, gold, and silver cannot be eaten when one is hungry, nor can they be worn when one is cold. However, people value them because the ruler uses them.
其为物轻微易藏，在于把握，可以周海内而无饥寒之患。These things are light, small, and easy to hide. They can be held in the hand and can be taken around the country without the worry of hunger and cold.
此令臣轻背其主，而民易去其乡，盗贼有所劝，亡逃者得轻资也。This makes it easy for ministers to betray their masters, for the people to leave their hometowns easily, encourages thieves, and provides light - weight valuables for fugitives.
粟、米、布、帛，生于地，长于时，聚于力，非可一日成也；Millet, rice, cloth, and silk are produced from the land, grow according to the seasons, and are collected through labor. They cannot be produced in a single day.
数石之重，中人弗胜，不为奸邪所利，一日弗得而饥寒至。The weight of several dan is too much for an average person to carry, and they are not profitable for evildoers. If one doesn't get them for a day, hunger and cold will come.
是故明君贵五谷而贱金玉。Therefore, an enlightened ruler values the five grains and looks down upon gold and jade.
今农夫五口之家，其服役者不下二人，其能耕者不过百畮，百畮之收不过百石。Now, in a peasant family of five members, no fewer than two are engaged in labor. The land they can cultivate is no more than a hundred mu, and the harvest from a hundred mu is no more than a hundred dan.
春耕，夏耘，秋获，冬藏，伐薪樵，治官府，给繇役；They plow in spring, weed in summer, harvest in autumn, store in winter, cut firewood, serve the government, and perform corvée labor.
春不得避风尘，夏不得避暑热，秋不得避阴雨，冬不得避寒冻，四时之间亡日休息；In spring, they can't avoid the wind and dust; in summer, they can't escape the heat; in autumn, they can't get away from the rain; in winter, they can't keep out the cold. There is no day of rest throughout the four seasons.
又私自送往迎来、吊死问疾、养孤长幼在其中。Moreover, they also have to deal with private affairs such as seeing off guests, welcoming visitors, mourning the dead, visiting the sick, raising orphans, and bringing up the young.
勤苦如此，尚复被水旱之灾，急政暴赋，赋敛不时，朝令而暮改。Despite such hard work, they still suffer from floods and droughts, as well as harsh and sudden taxes. Taxes are levied at inappropriate times, and orders can change from morning to evening.
有者半贾而卖，无者取倍称之息，于是有卖田宅、鬻子孙以偿责者矣。Those who have grain sell it at half price, while those who don't have to borrow at usurious interest rates. As a result, some people have to sell their fields, houses, and even their children and grandchildren to pay off debts.
而商贾大者积贮倍息，小者坐列贩卖，操其奇赢，日游都市，乘上之急，所卖必倍。Among merchants, the wealthy ones accumulate goods to earn double - interest, while the small - scale ones sit in stalls to sell things, taking advantage of price differences. They wander around the city every day, and when taking advantage of the government's urgency, they will sell their goods at double the price.
故其男不耕耘，女不蚕织，衣必文采，食必粱肉；无农夫之苦，有仟伯之得。Therefore, among them, the men do not plow or weed, and the women do not raise silkworms or weave. They wear colorful clothes and eat fine grains and meat. They don't endure the hardships of farmers but reap huge profits.
因其富厚，交通王侯，力过吏势，以利相倾；Because of their wealth, they associate with princes and marquises, and their power exceeds that of officials.
千里游敖，冠盖相望，乘坚、策肥，履丝、曳缟。They compete with each other for profit. They travel thousands of miles, with their carriages and canopies in sight one after another. They ride in sturdy carriages, whip fat horses, wear silk shoes and trail silk gowns.
此商人所以兼并农人，农人所以流亡者也。This is why merchants annex farmers, and why farmers are forced into exile.
方今之务，莫若使民务农而已矣。欲民务农，在于贵粟。贵粟之道，在于使民以粟为赏罚。At present, the most urgent task is nothing but to encourage the people to engage in farming. To encourage people to farm, the key lies in attaching importance to millet. The way to value millet is to use millet as a means of reward and punishment.
今募天下入粟县官，得以拜爵，得以除罪。Now, if we recruit people across the country to contribute millet to the government, they can be conferred titles and have their crimes pardoned.
如此，富人有爵，农民有钱，粟有所渫。夫能入粟以受爵，皆有馀者也。In this way, the rich get titles, farmers get money, and the millet is put to use. Those who can contribute millet to obtain titles all have surpluses.
取于有馀以供上用，则贫民之赋可损，所谓损有馀，补不足，令出而民利者也。Taking from those with surpluses to meet the needs of the government can reduce the taxes of the poor. This is what is meant by taking from the abundant to supplement the scarce, issuing an order that benefits the people.
今令民有车骑马一匹者，复卒三人；车骑者，天下武备也，故为复卒。Now, if a person owns a war - horse, three people in his family can be exempted from corvée labor. War - horses are an important part of the country's military equipment, so this exemption is granted.
神农之教曰：‘有石城十仞，汤池百步，带甲百万，而无粟，弗能守也。’The teachings of Shennong state: 'Even if there is a stone city ten ren high, a moat a hundred paces wide, and a million armored soldiers, without millet, it cannot be defended.'
以是观之，粟者，王者大用，政之本务。Judging from this, millet is of great significance to the ruler and is the fundamental task of governance.
令民入粟受爵至五大夫以上，乃复一人耳，此其与骑马之功相去远矣。If a person contributes enough millet to obtain a title above Wudafu, only one person in his family can be exempted from corvée labor. This is far less favorable than the exemption for providing a war - horse.
爵者，上之所擅，出于口而无穷；粟者，民之所种，生于地而不乏。Titles are within the power of the ruler and can be conferred indefinitely. Millet is planted by the people and grows from the land without shortage.
夫得高爵与免罪，人之所甚欲也；Obtaining a high - ranking title and having one's crime pardoned are what people greatly desire.
使天下人入粟于边以受爵、免罪，不过三岁，塞下之粟必多矣。”If people across the country contribute millet to the border areas to obtain titles and have their crimes pardoned, within no more than three years, there will surely be a large amount of millet in the border areas."
帝从之，令民入粟边，拜爵各以多少级数为差。The emperor followed this advice and ordered people to contribute millet to the border areas, and the titles conferred were graded according to the amount of millet contributed.
