At this time, Zhu Cihong, Qian Qianyi, and two Enke examiners, Gong Dingzi and Wu Meicun, were waiting upstairs in Mingyuan to read the examination papers.
That "Tax Collection Policy Theory" was a question that he, the prince himself, came up with!
Those who can enter Jiangnan Gongyuan to take the Enke exam will not be too promiscuous with the Four Books, Five Classics and Eight-Part Essay. Of course, there are very few who are really good... Eight-legged essay is easy to write, but how many people can truly be called great Confucians in the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years? It's just Wang Yangming, Chen Baisha, Zhan Ruoshui, and Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, Wang Fuzhi, Sun Qifeng, and Li Yong. Among them, Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, and Wang Fuzhi are all busy writing in the corners of Jiangnan Gongyuan! I wonder if they will scold Zhu Cixiang who is planning to impose strict commercial taxes?
However, scolding on the exam paper is not what Zhu Cixiang is most worried about. What he is most worried about is actually the collective boycott of the exams - in history, in the 18th year of Shunzhi, there was a reverse case in Suzhou of "crying temples against grain"!
The power of the scholar-officials in the southeast today is not comparable to that of the 18th year of Shunzhi! Now that Zhu Cixiang is blatantly imposing strict commercial taxes, is he going to stir up a hornet's nest? Although he had made a lot of preparations before, smearing the Tartars in the north again and again, until they were almost like monsters.
But it doesn’t rule out that some hard-nosed scholars just don’t believe in evil? Later, in the 18th year of Shunzhi, some people were crying in the temple. Now it is only the 18th year of Chongzhen. Are they really honest?
"Mr. Qian," Zhu Cixiang suddenly asked with a smile, "do you think someone will strike out and cause trouble today?"
Stop taking the exam?
Qian Qianyi's heart twitched, and he said to himself: With the questions you asked, it's normal for someone to stop taking the exam and cause trouble!
"Master Chitose," he frowned, "It's just the scholar's anger... The scholars in Jiangnan do lack some rules, but their intentions are good."
"Really?" Zhu Cixiang smiled, "Mr. Gong, Mr. Wu, what do you think?"
What do you think? Gong Dingzi and Wu Meicun looked at each other, both with cold sweat on their faces - Qian Qianyi knew that Zhu Cixiang was going to introduce the topic of "strictly levying commercial taxes" during the Enke Competition, but Gong Dingzi and Wu Meicun I just found out about it just now, and now I am extremely anxious!
The two of them are Enke's examiners this time! Enke came up with such a question, even if it was not the two of them, the blame was not taken away. Isn’t this the Public Enemy of Shilin? Not a remnant of the eunuchs?
Now many scholar-bureaucrats in the southeast are dissatisfied because of Zhu Cixiang's inspection of military villages and official fields and the five-year tax exemption. It's just that the trend of resisting the Qing Dynasty and protecting the religion is too strong now, and their voices of dissatisfaction cannot be heard loudly.
But the strict levy of business taxes is too harsh. Among the Jinshi candidates and even some promising scholars in the southeast, who does not have a businessman in his name?
If business taxes are strictly levied, everyone's income will be greatly reduced immediately... Taking away people's wealth is like killing their parents! The scholars in the southeast are all filial sons. How can they bear the hatred that is equivalent to killing their parents?
"Master Qiansui, if there is trouble after the exam is over, how should I respond?" Gong Dingzi knew Zhu Cixiang's cruelty very well - he was also the hero of overcoming difficulties! I bought the "Escape Order" in Beijing and followed him all the way from Dagukou. He also helped Prince Zhu win over Qian Qianyi and abduct Zheng Damu. His contribution was very great. Although he was not awarded a title, he still received several awards. Hundred acres of land. But along the way, I also witnessed Zhu Cixiang's cunning and cruelty...
He is now afraid that Prince Zhu will go on a killing spree in Jiangnan Gongyuan! Second, I am afraid that I will become the scapegoat of the prince. I am not afraid that the prince will use his head to anger the common people like Chongzhen, but I am afraid that I will become the target of the Southeast scholars to vent their resentment!
Zhu Cixi smiled and said nothing, then looked at Wu Weiye Wumeicun.
Wu Meicun had also been Zhu Cixiang's teacher in his early years, but in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, he was transferred to the post of director of the Nanjing Imperial College. When he saw the cunning and cruel Prince Zhu again in the seventeenth year, he was a little unrecognizable.
Now he is as anxious as Gong Dingzi. His background is not as good as Gong Dingzi's. He is a hero in overcoming difficulties!
"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Wu Meicun gritted his teeth and whispered, "Although the donation will cause the loss of tax revenue, it can also support the scholarly family and make the southeast peaceful and stable. If there is a sudden change, I am afraid it will disturb the place. For It is also disadvantageous to resist the captives and protect the religion..."
Zhu Cixi smiled: "It doesn't matter, the Tartars won't go south for a while, and my 100,000 new troops will be useless!"
What? Is this going to be a killing spree? The air-conditioning in Wumei Village kept coming, and I thought to myself: Could there be an ambush of firecrackers outside Jiangnan Gongyuan?
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "Maybe scholars are willing to pay commercial tax? Mr. Wu, you are a scholar, are you willing to pay commercial tax?"
"Chen..." Wu Meicun stammered, "Chen's family doesn't do business..."
Serious business is not allowed, but there are many businessmen and landowners in Taicang Prefecture who store their properties and land in Wu Weiye's name, and pay a lot of protection fees every year!
"Really?" Zhu Cixiang nodded and smiled, "Then I'll be relieved! I originally wanted to say hello to Suzhou Prefecture Supervisory Censor Ji Kun and Pu Guanshui, but it seems there's no need now."
do not! You still have to say hello!
Wu Meicun trembled after hearing Zhu Cixiang's words. Who is Ji Kun! He was a notoriously cruel official, and when he was inspecting the fields and villages in the Second Huaiyang Prefecture, he forced many military and scholar-bureaucrats to go bankrupt!
And Pu Guanshui is not a good person. He comes from a family of guards of Prince Heng's Mansion, and has the title of hereditary commanding tenant. Later, he went south with Prince Heng. When he was in Yangzhou, he was recruited by Zhang Shize into the Metropolitan Procuratorate as a right-level supervisory censor. He was also a cruel official. It was discovered that all the guards in Huaiyang were crying for their father and mother.
They have both gone to Suzhou now. What are they going to do? Are we going to investigate Suzhou’s official land, military settlements, and commercial tax issues?
When Wu Meicun didn't know how to beg Zhu Cixiang for mercy, there was already chaos in the examination shed downstairs in Mingyuan.
Sure enough, some candidates who couldn't write good articles started to cause trouble! The questions asked by Zhu Cihong were not easy to answer, and not everyone had the certainty that Huang Zongxi and Luo Dagong were sure of being in high school.
Since you can't win, why not make a scene in the Gongyuan? Maybe you can even earn some popularity in Shilin!
The first one to make a fuss was Su Jin, a member of the Judiciary Committee of Suzhou. His family was a big businessman who opened a weaving workshop in Suzhou. He had hundreds of looms. His father was responsible for the Ge Xian Rebellion during the Wanli Period! And he has known about the tax fight since he was a child!
It was still a peaceful and prosperous time back then, and the tax inspectors sent by the old emperor Wanli did not dare to deprive scholars of their tax-free benefits, so they were turned into a shameful person. How much more so now?
It is true that the prince has soldiers, but does he really dare to kill in Jiangnan Gongyuan? Does he really no longer want Southeast Scholars?
