Walk?
Still not leaving?
The coachman stepped forward impatiently and asked.
After all, this carriage was rented by Xia Yuanji.
Xia Yuanji worked conscientiously for the Ming Dynasty all his life and never accepted a bribe from anyone. He only relied on the salary from the court to survive, and his family had no money left.
After all, he is the Minister of Household Affairs, the chief agricultural officer in charge of the Household Department.
If Xia Yuanji can't lead by example and keep himself clean, how can he manage the world's money and food for the Ming Dynasty?
So Xia Yuanji was very poor. When faced with the coachman's question, he didn't know how to answer for a while.
The money for renting a car has been paid long ago. Now that he doesn't rent a car anymore, he's afraid he won't be able to get his money back!
Besides, aren't you Zhu Gaoxu so capable? You even hit me with your job bowl, breaking my forehead!
If you ask me, Xia Yuanji, to become an official, I will become an official, and if you ask me, Xia Yuanji, to go back, I will go back. Don’t I want to lose face?
Xia Yuanji snorted coldly when he thought of this.
"Walk!"
"Why don't you leave?"
"Let's set off now and return to Dexing, Jiangxi!"
Seeing this situation, Jian Yi felt dumbfounded.
He didn't know that his friend had been wronged and had no place to vent!
But as Xia Yuanji's good friend, he naturally didn't want to see Xia Yuanji become an official because of his impulsiveness.
After all, the two of them are similar in age and not too old. They can work for another ten or eight years. Isn’t it a waste of time to become an official now?
"Hey... Wei Zhe, why are you so impulsive!"
"Who is that? We won't leave, we won't leave!"
Jian Yi immediately stopped Xia Yuanji and shouted to the driver.
But Xia Yuanji had been wronged, how could it end so easily?
"no!"
"A gentleman keeps his promise!"
"I've given you all my money, so I have to go!"
Xia Yuanji shouted, pretending to be beaten to death and not left behind.
Nie Xing couldn't laugh or cry when he saw this. How could he be so arrogant?
But after all, it was the prince who was in the wrong and wronged him, so Nie Xing couldn't get angry.
So he could only look at the driver who had no vision and waved to him.
"Who is that, does Jin Yiwei know?"
The coachman looked unhappy.
"Who is Jin Yiwei?"
"I said you still can't leave?"
"I told you beforehand that I won't give you back the money if you don't take it!"
Oh, you are so brave!
Nie Xing was a little shocked.
The Jinyiwei was abolished just a few years ago, but no one even remembers it!
It seems that it is not an easy task to restore the prestige of Jin Yiwei!
Nie Xing directly pulled out the Xiuchun knife and placed it on the driver's neck.
"how?"
"Do you know now?"
"How about you scream again for me to listen to?"
The coachman's calves were almost weak from fear, so he respectfully took out the silver and returned it to Xia Yuanji.
When things developed to this point, Xia Yuanji also understood that he couldn't leave, so he simply followed Nie Xing back to Beijing to meet the prince.
He wanted to see what else Zhu Gaoxu could say!
Soon the group returned to the capital. After Xia Yuanji settled down with his family, he followed Nie Xing to the East Palace.
Zhu Gaoxu was at his desk reviewing memorials. When Xia Yuanji came in, he didn't say anything.
Xia Yuanji just stood expressionless, not saying a word.
The entire hall was extremely silent and filled with a strange atmosphere.
After a long time, Xia Yuanji couldn't bear it anymore.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
"If nothing happens, the common people will resign!"
"The common people are leaving Beijing and returning to their hometowns. It's getting late!"
Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu sneered.
"how?"
"Are you still arrogant?"
"If you make a mistake, you should be beaten. If you are beaten, you should stand upright!"
"You Xia Yuanji made a mistake, why can't I teach you a lesson?"
This is quite true!
After all, Xia Yuanji did do something wrong.
However, his original intentions were good and he had no selfish motives. This was where Xia Yuanji really felt aggrieved.
Zhu Gaoxu sighed and stretched out his hand to signal Xia Yuanji to sit down.
Xia Yuanji didn't hold back anymore, and he finally got to the next level.
"The reason why the imperial court gave preferential treatment to scholars was because they passed the scientific examination and entered the court as officials to serve as herders for the emperor and the emperor."
"The reason why I treat craftsmen preferentially is because craftsmen can continue to develop and create, whether it is weapons or civilian utensils. Every small step forward by craftsmen in these fields can bring huge progress to the Ming Dynasty!"
"For example, the firearms and artillery produced by the Royal Manufacturing Bureau over the years. Without them, the Ming Navy would not be able to travel across the seas and patrol foreign lands, let alone deter overseas barbarians!"
"So, craftsmen are no less important to the Ming Dynasty than scholars, and the same is true for merchants!"
After all, Xia Yuanji is an out-and-out talented official, so Zhu Gaoxu does not want him to continue to retain his previous backward ideas.
"There is no stability without farming, there is no wealth without work, and there is no life without business. You, Xia Yuanji, must keep these words in mind. After all, you are the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the chief agricultural officer in charge of the imperial government's finances and food!"
Xia Yuanji fell silent and remained silent.
"What do you think Gu wants to do?"
"Is it to suppress the gentry and the gentry that they implement the idea of dividing the land into acres?"
"What I want to do is to create a truly peaceful and prosperous age, a peaceful and prosperous age where everyone is equal and the four peoples live side by side, a peaceful and prosperous age where there is no exploitation or oppression!"
"Because the imperial court has always given preferential treatment to scholars and suppressed industry and commerce, the gentry and gentry have occupied too many resources and interests, and it is impossible for the other three pillars of agriculture, industry and commerce to develop!"
"You, Xia Yuanji, know this best. If it weren't for the repeated reforms to the tax system of the Ming Dynasty, I'm afraid you, the Minister of Household Affairs, wouldn't even know how many fields the Ming Dynasty had, or how much interests those gentry and gentry had absorbed!"
Xia Yuanji admitted this.
As the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, his performance was not up to standard.
At that time, Emperor Yongle was eager for civil and martial arts, so he launched several large projects at once, and he also continued to go on the Northern Expedition, each of which cost a huge amount of money.
As for Xia Yuanji and the former prince Zhu Gaochi, they just wanted to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and tried their best to raise money and food from various prefectures to support the operation of the court.
It wasn't until the birth of King Zhu Gaoxu of the Han Dynasty that he reformed the salt tax and implemented new laws. Xia Yuanji finally understood that the court's tax revenue was not that small. The real majority had always been swallowed up by the gentry, and the court did not receive even half of the tax revenue!
Xia Yuanji has always remembered this incident!
So now that Zhu Gaoxu mentioned it, Xia Yuanji had no words to refute.
"The gentry occupied too many resources and interests, thus suppressing the development space of agriculture, industry and commerce!"
"I vigorously suppress the gentry and gentry in order to develop agriculture, industry and commerce and make up for these three shortcomings!"
"When the four pillars of the people advance together, the Ming Dynasty will naturally become a truly peaceful and prosperous era, a peaceful and prosperous era that will be remembered in history!"
"So, Xia Yuanji, abandon your backward ideas and work hard for the prosperous Ming Dynasty!"
Xia Yuanji was silent for a long time, and finally sighed.
He simply had no other choice.
Because Zhu Gaoxu understood Xia Yuanji's original intention of becoming an official.
For the people of the country and the prosperous Ming Dynasty, this is what Xia Yuanji has always pursued!
"Your Highness, don't worry, I understand!"
