Numb!
Completely numb!
Just because he interfered in the promotion of craftsmen, the prince actually ordered Xia Yuanji to become an official!
When everyone saw this scene, their scalps were numb with shock.
Xia Yuanji himself was a little unbelievable, but when he noticed Zhu Gaoxu's face, he understood that the prince was not joking.
This time, he really disappointed Zhu Gaoxu. He resigned directly without any change or relaxation!
Xia Yuanji stood up in a daze, saluted Zhu Gaoxu solemnly, and then walked out of the cafeteria tremblingly.
Looking at Xia Yuanji's back, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't bear it, but now that the matter was over, he would not change his decision.
Xia Yuanji hindered the promotion of craftsmen, nominally for the sake of the court and the Ming Dynasty, but in fact, his motives were definitely not that simple.
Zhu Gaoxu gave Xia Yuanji a chance, and not just once.
But he never thought that Xia Yuanji had already made his choice, so Zhu Gaoxu could only be a villain.
The inspection trip to Xishan ended hastily, and Zhu Gaoxu returned to the palace full of anger.
Not long after he came back, he was called over by Zhu Di.
"what happened?"
"Why did Xia Yuanji submit his resignation?"
Zhu Di asked with a confused face, not understanding the matter.
Zhu Di knew this old guy Xia Yuanji very well. If it was not necessary, Xia Yuanji would never take the initiative to ask for a job.
After all, this virtuous minister and official has always regarded his family, country and world as his own responsibility. As long as he can still work, he will definitely not think about retiring from his official career.
But now, with Xia Yuanji's resignation in front of him, it was hard for Zhu Di not to wonder if something big had happened.
"Didn't Xia Yuanji follow you to Xishan?"
"It was fine when he went there, so why did he submit his resignation as soon as he came back?"
"Yes, I asked him to resign!" Zhu Gaoxu replied directly, shocking Zhu Di's face.
"Second brother, are you crazy? That's Xia Yuanji!"
It was difficult for Zhu Di to understand why the prince could not tolerate Xia Yuanji.
You must know that Xia Yuanji's talent is obvious to all, and Zhu Gaoxu has high praise for Xia Yuanji.
It seemed that Zhu Gaoxu was about to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor and implement the new policy of dividing the family into an equal share. However, it was really hard to accept that he suddenly ordered Xia Yuanji to retire.
Furthermore, Xia Yuanji was a close confidant of Emperor Yongle, and Zhu Di was a nostalgic person who never treated his confidants harshly. Whether they were military officers and ministers such as Chen Maoliu Sheng, or civil servants such as Jin Zhong and Xia Yuanji, he wanted these old Guys can enjoy their retirement.
"What happened?"
"Did Xia Yuanji do something to anger you?"
Under Zhu Di's repeated questioning, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't hide it, so he could only nod and tell the truth.
"Xia Yuanji used his financial power to put pressure on the Ministry of Industry and secretly modified the craftsman promotion system of the Ming Dynasty Trade Union to reduce the number of high-level craftsmen!"
Zhu Di was stunned when he heard this, and subconsciously asked: "Why did he do this?"
"The name is to reduce the court's expenses, but in fact it is just a way for the Jin gentry to suppress the craftsmen!"
Zhu Gaoxu sneered: "In the past, scholars were respected among scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, and scholars enjoyed all privileges through the imperial examination. Now craftsmen can also be promoted through the Ming Dynasty Trade Union, and even serve in the Ministry of Industry. This is tantamount to disturbing the gentry. Profit, that’s why Xia Yuanji did this!”
After hearing this, Zhu Di finally understood why Zhu Gaoxu became furious.
According to his understanding, the prince attached great importance to the craftsmen. Not only did he raise the salaries of the craftsmen, but he also ordered the Ministry of Industry to establish the Ming Dynasty Trade Union to screen out master craftsmen with superb skills, safeguard the rights and interests of these craftsmen, and prevent them from being harmed. persecution.
But even so, Xia Yuanji cannot be abolished just because of the craftsman!
"Second brother, if you do this, I'm afraid it will chill people!"
"If someone uses this matter to spread the word that your prince values craftsmen and despises scholars, I'm afraid it will not be conducive to the implementation of the next New Deal!"
Zhu Di sighed, and in his words he accused Zhu Gaoxu of acting impulsively.
"Xia Yuanji has made great achievements for the imperial court after all. This is something that everyone in the government and the public can see."
"But now you just killed Xia Yuanji because of some craftsmen. Not to mention whether Xia Yuanji himself can accept it, the gentry in the court will be furious if they hear the news!"
"How will this prince end up with you then?"
Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu sneered.
"Dad, do you also think that craftsmen are not as important as gentry?"
"Or, in your eyes, developing industry and commerce is a crooked way and not an orthodox way?"
Seeing Zhu Gaoxu's angry look, Zhu Di was a little speechless, but he couldn't open his mouth to persuade him anymore.
After all, Zhu Di has always known that the prince attaches great importance to industry and commerce, even far more than agriculture.
"You should have seen over the years that the commercial tax revenue of Beizhili alone is comparable to the total tax revenue of the previous imperial court. This is the power of industry and commerce!"
"There is no stability without farmers, no wealth without industry, and no life without business. This sentence is not just rhetoric. Only when scholars, peasants, industry and commerce go hand in hand can the Ming Dynasty achieve better development. If we continue to attach great importance to agriculture and suppress industry and commerce as in the past, The Ming Dynasty will still be the Ming Dynasty of the past, there will be no changes, and there will be no progress!"
Zhu Gaoxu sighed.
"Furthermore, vigorously developing industry and commerce will also be a big blow to the gentry."
"Most of the land in the world is now in the hands of the gentry. Most of the people are bound to the countryside and fields because of the strict laws of the court. This has resulted in them having to obey the orders of the local gentry, even if they have a few acres of thin farmland. The landowners also had to rent some land from the gentry in order to get more harvests to support their families."
"The Ming Dynasty was a farming society. Whoever controlled the land could have the right to speak and get the support of the people all over the world. However, the people who have the right to speak now are not the imperial court nor the royal family, but the local gentry!"
“Only when the gentry controls the right to speak can they do whatever they want in the countryside. Every tenant who rents the land from the gentry dare not offend the gentry, for fear that the gentry will no longer allow them to rent the land, and they will not be able to survive without harvests and food! "
"What the imperial court needs to do now is to develop industry and commerce, liberate the people of the world from the fields, and allow them to choose other livelihoods. They no longer have to be controlled by the local gentry because of the fields, thus cutting off the gentry's control over the people of the world. In this way, the imperial court can But only if we truly implement the idea of dividing every household into an equal share can the royal family become the master of the Ming Dynasty!"
"The world in the past was not the world of the Ming Dynasty, nor the world of Lao Zhu's family, but the world of the gentry!"
Zhu Di took a deep look at Zhu Gaoxu and finally sighed.
"That's all, just do what you want!"
"Dad, I hope you behave in a moderate manner!"
Zhu Gaoxu nodded, then left.
As the news of Xia Yuanji's resignation spread, it instantly shocked the government and the public.
Especially after the Xishan incident was spread by interested people, rumors spread all over the capital, and the sky was full of excitement!
All the fingers are pointed at Prince Zhu Gaoxu!
