Increasing salary is beneficial to all officials, but it is of no use to Han Du. Therefore, Han Du would not do such a thing if he stood up and asked Lao Zhu for a salary increase.
Even if it is for the officials themselves, they must stand up.
"They fight for it themselves?" Zhu Biao was a little undecided.
Han Du looked at Zhu Biao and whispered: "Your Highness, no one cares about the benefits of effortlessness. If His Highness takes over everything and does everything for the officials, then how will they know that His Highness does this?" What’s so hard about it?”
None of the officials understood Zhu Biao's difficulties. Even if Zhu Biao accomplished this, the officials would not be very grateful to him. You may also think that Zhu Biao gave them a salary increase just by saying something in front of the emperor. If something is too easy to get, no one will cherish it.
"Your Highness must ask all officials to stand up for this matter, or at least let them support His Highness." Han Du said in a deep voice.
Zhu Biao immediately understood that he was not stupid at first, but that he was kind-hearted and felt that as long as it was something he could do, it would be okay if he tried his best.
Zhu Biao pondered for a while, stroking his beard and said: "But, wouldn't it be better for me to invite all the officials to discuss this matter?"
Han Du stood upright immediately and said with a smile: "Your Highness does not need to discuss with anyone. You only need to raise the issue of salary increase in the morning, and you will naturally get the full support of all officials. Even if the matter fails in the end, All the officials will also thank His Highness for his kindness, and will only blame themselves for not working hard for it, which has nothing to do with His Highness. On the contrary, if His Highness takes over everything, everyone will be happy if the matter comes to pass. But if the matter does not come to pass in the end, I'm afraid His Highness will also be complained by hundreds of officials, which will be a heavy blow to His Highness's prestige."
Seeking salary increases for the officials may seem like a way to show favor to the officials, but if not done well, it will be self-defeating. Before Zhu Biao proposed a salary increase to the emperor, all officials had to endure it silently even if they knew that their salary was too low. Zhu Biao proposed a salary increase, which gave all officials great hope.
But as great as the hope is, there will be great disappointment. If Zhu Biao gave all officials hope but ultimately disappointed them, the huge gap would turn into resentment against Zhu Biao.
Since Han Du decided to help Zhu Biao with all his strength, he naturally would not just watch him step into the pit.
"Okay, that's it." Zhu Biao nodded with satisfaction.
...
The next morning at court, Zhu Biao stood before His Majesty Dan. First, after the father listened to the court officials' reports and dealt with them one by one, when the old eunuch shouted, "If there is something to do, please leave the court."
Zhu Biao turned around and bowed down to his father, and said in a loud voice: "I would like to inform my father, my son and I have to play from time to time."
When Lao Zhu heard what the prince said, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. Although Zhu Biao was present at every morning court meeting, he rarely opened his mouth to play. Now seeing that Zhu Biao had something to do for the first time, Lao Zhu was very happy.
"It's okay to say it, Biao'er."
Lao Zhu reached out his hand towards Zhu Biao grandly and couldn't help laughing.
"My son, I sincerely request my father to increase the salary of all officials."
Lao Zhu's smile suddenly froze on his face. He never expected that Zhu Biao would suddenly do this to him. He looked at Zhu Biao with questioning eyes, wondering why Zhu Biao mentioned this.
Is Lao Zhu willing to increase the salaries of officials? Of course he doesn't want to. As the saying goes, Lao Zhu's hatred for corrupt officials is obvious to all. Coupled with this, he naturally has no good impression of Baiguan. Even in Lao Zhu's opinion, the salary he gave to Baiguan was enough to support Baiguan and their families, but he never thought that Baiguan's salary was not only used to support his family. Officials in the capital can indeed use all their salaries to support their families, but the salaries of magistrates in various counties still need to be used to support the ungraded servants in the Yamen. If the county government can't even support its servants, then who will serve the county magistrate?
Zhu Biao's words were like a huge stone thrown into the calm lake of the court, immediately causing huge waves among the officials. Even senior officials like the Six Ministers couldn't help but look at Zhu Biao, their eyes full of joy and gratitude.
The other officials couldn't hold it any longer and started whispering. The solemn court suddenly became buzzing, like a vegetable market.
When the old eunuch saw that the emperor's face was not good, he immediately stood up and shouted loudly: "Quiet!"
The noisy voices quickly subsided, and the court became quiet again.
After a pause, Lao Zhu stared at Zhu Biao and asked: "Are the salaries of officials very low? If the salaries are really low and make people unable to live, then how did they survive after so many years? Or? Say, you were deceived by others, and that’s why you played like this?”
While speaking, Lao Zhu glanced unkindly back and forth among the ministers. All the officials caught by Lao Zhu quickly lowered their heads. At least 80% of the people in the court have experienced the pain of low salary. Although the other 20% of people have never experienced it, they have heard about it more than once.
However, under the emperor's power, no official dared to propose an increase in salary in the past. Many officials, even if their families are poor, have to suffer in silence with their teeth knocked out and blood swallowed.
Now that His Highness the Crown Prince actually stood up and offered to increase their salaries, all the officials' long-suffering sighs were released, and everyone felt refreshed.
Zhu Biao raised his head and replied seriously: "Father, time has changed. In the early years of Hongwu, my father determined the salary of all officials in the world. It has been almost twenty-nine years now. Over the years, the salary of all officials has not increased at all. It is one penny. But in the early years of Hongwu, the world was in decline. At that time, the annual tax revenue of the world was only 5 million guan. But now, the tax collected by the Shibosi alone is almost 20 million guan a year. The Ming Dynasty The annual tax revenue exceeded 30 million yuan last year. Taikoo is building bank vaults every year, and now the number of bank vaults alone has increased by seven."
The Ming Dynasty’s treasury is not without money, but it is too rich. Since the opening of sea trade, tens of thousands of merchant ships have gone to sea every year, and the city's shipping department has paid more and more taxes to the national treasury.
However, everyone's expenses in the Ming Dynasty were basically fixed, taking official salaries as an example. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty's taxation has increased from 5 million guan to 30 million guan, but the annual salary of officials has not increased by a penny.
That is to say, the construction of water conservancy and roads, as well as the Ordnance Bureau and Longjiang Bao Shipyard, only spent some treasury.
But every year, the national treasury needs nearly 25 million yuan more wealth, and just doing these things is far from enough. In desperation, the Ministry of Revenue had to build more silver warehouses in Taicang to store the money that could not be spent every year.
There is a saying that today's officials are very vivid, that is, "guarding the golden mountain and begging for food."
"Nonsense!" Lao Zhu roared angrily.
Given Lao Zhu's love for Zhu Biao, he almost never scolded him. But today, in this court, in front of all the officials, Lao Zhu actually scolded Zhu Biao.
This was an unprecedented first time. Even Zhu Biao was shocked and could not react for a while.
Lao Zhu said in a deep voice: "In the past, the salary was enough for all officials to live, why is it not enough now? If the imperial court has money, it belongs to the imperial court. It can be stored there for emergencies. Why is it just because the imperial court has money? Must the salary be increased? What if one day the court suddenly runs out of money? Can the salary be reduced? "
The officials were stunned when they heard this. The monthly salary they received now was extremely pitiful. According to the emperor, if the imperial court encountered any big trouble that day, they would actually have to lower their salaries?
Zhu Biao shook his head and said: "Father, the current salary is really not enough for a hundred officials to live."
"In the early years of Hongwu, the price of rice was one shi per qian, but now it is 900 yuan per shi. The price of rice is even cheaper than before. Why is the same salary not enough?" Lao Zhu began to be a little dissatisfied with Zhu Biao's speech for the officials.
Zhu Biao nodded and replied: "Father is right. From the price of rice, it is indeed cheaper. But firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea, except for rice and firewood, the prices of other things are increasing. Especially The price of renting a house in the capital has more than tripled, please take a look at it."
Zhu Biao took out a memorial from his arms and presented it to his father with both hands. These are the current prices in the capital and surrounding counties that he sent people to investigate, as well as the prices in the early years of Hongwu based on the records and transcripts. Comparing the two phases, the difference is extremely obvious.
When Lao Zhu got the memorial and opened it, he saw two very obvious time points on it, one was the first year of Hongwu and the other was the twenty-ninth year of Hongwu. Below the two years, there are rows of tables. Each row of the table contains the same thing, but it is marked with two different prices.
As Zhu Biao said, except for rice and firewood, the prices of almost everything else have increased, and in some cases they have increased four or five times.
After reading it, Lao Zhu suddenly closed the memorial and sat on the dragon chair without saying a word.
Seeing this, the officials below exchanged glances with each other and immediately knelt down. Other officials saw their minister kneeling down, and they also knelt down.
"My ministers, I sincerely ask the emperor to show compassion and increase his salary."
When Lao Zhu heard this, he became furious. He pointed at Du Ze, the official minister, and asked, "Isn't your salary enough for you to support your family?"
Du Ze was also willing to take the risk. He raised his head and said seriously: "I am a second-grade official, and my monthly salary is sixty-one dollars, which is enough for me to support my family. At most, I can rent a dilapidated small courtyard, and the monthly salary is only ten dollars." Money. But Your Majesty, what about those officials of the eighth and ninth grades? Their monthly salary is less than five guan, and they cannot even rent a dilapidated courtyard, so how can they support their families?"
