In fact, Zhu Youxiao had already prepared for the grain shortage.
Otherwise, he would not have dared to treat civil servants so toughly before.
In fact, Zhu Youxiao had already established the Municipal Shipping Department and the Foreign Trade Bureau, and used the silver obtained from the confiscation of Shanxi merchants' homes to allow these two departments to stock up on a lot of grain. Adding the grain obtained from the confiscation of houses, the total There are already millions of stones in case of emergencies.
Because Zhu Youxiao knows that silver can only become valuable when it is spent, otherwise it will just be a precious metal if it is kept in the treasury.
And now the reason why Zhu Youxiao still wants to ask Ce Fang Congzhe and Wang Yingjiao is to see if the civil servants who are in power for him have the ability to deal with such a crisis.
Wang Yingjiao, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, spoke first: "I have previously asked the governors of various places to try their best to pay taxes and grains this year, especially the two places that pay the most taxes and grains in South Zhili and Zhejiang, so that they try not to default on arrears and miss the country. After all, At present, Liao's demand for military food has increased a lot this year, but I didn't expect that they still owe taxes and food, and they owe even more."
"Now if the grain cannot be delivered in time, the soldiers of the nine sides will be out of food. At the least, the soldiers will mutiny, and at worst, there may be major changes. If the white grain is not delivered in time, the capital will also be out of food. By then, everyone in the capital will be devastated. We are starving, and the capital’s food reserves are only enough to last for three months!”
Wang Yingjiao continued to speak, and said: "I think the only solution at the moment is to first mobilize the grain stocks from local vassal treasuries and Changping warehouses to Beijing and Jiubian to avoid major changes, and then demand the payment of taxes and grains. After the grain collection has arrived, it will be transported to the vassal treasury and Changping warehouse in various places for storage. Otherwise, once the local grain storage is transferred to Beijing, the local area will not be able to cope with disasters or civil unrest in the future."
Zhu Youxiao nodded after listening.
In his opinion, Wang Yingjiao was worthy of being a veteran after all, and he was not at a loss to deal with this grain crisis.
At this time, Fang Congzhe also said: "Your Majesty, I have secretly written to the governors of Henan, Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Huguang, asking them to use local vassals to purchase and store grain as much as possible. Prepare for emergencies! I believe that although the transportation of this grain has been cut off, it is feasible if we really adopt the policy of the great minister of agriculture, first transfer the local grain to the capital, and then return the recalled grain to the local area!"
"Very good, I will make a decree immediately and do it accordingly!"
Zhu Youxiao said something, and then asked Wang Yingjiao: "If we want to solve the crisis of the shortage of grain and white grain, how much grain will be transported from the place?"
"About four million stones!"
Wang Yingjiao thought for a while and replied.
Zhu Youxiao therefore nodded, and then immediately ordered: "The local grain reserves must be returned sooner or later after they are used. Otherwise, as Wang Qing said, once there is a major disaster or major change in the local area, the local governor will not be able to have enough." Money and food are enough! Therefore, we must hurry up on the establishment of the West Factory. Add a secret order to Qi Jin, Zhao Lijiao, and Man Gui to enter Beijing as quickly as possible. Anyone who blocks it will be killed without mercy! In addition, If anyone delays, I will punish them severely!"
…
South Zhili.
Sun Chengzong, the governor of Susong, invited several representative wealthy officials from Susong to the governor's office for the purpose of taxing grain.
Among them are Shen Yongjia, the second son of Shen Shixing, Wang Shiqi, a descendant of Wang Shizhen, Xu Yuanqing, a descendant of Xu Jie, Dong Zuhe, son of Dong Qichang, and others.
"You are all the heads of prominent local families, and your families are all well-known officials, and you have been favored by the country. Now you have been owed the summer grain and autumn taxes. Seeing that the grain supply will be cut off, I would like to ask you to mobilize your neighbors and actively pay the taxes. Taxes and grains, in this way, I am not required to order officers to go to the countryside to collect taxes, so as to aggravate the people's suffering."
Sun Chengzong first spoke to these squire and noble officials while holding tea.
As a close friend of Donglin, he didn't want to fall out with these Jiangnan gentry unless he had to.
After all, Sun Chengzong also knew that these Jiangnan gentry were extremely powerful. There were many high-ranking officials in the court who were related to them by marriage and family connections, and they also controlled most of the land, money, food and population locally.
"This year, there have been severe disasters in several prefectures in South Zhili. Suzhou, Songjiang and Taicang prefectures have been flooded and plundered, and the people have had no harvest. In order to avoid civil unrest, we and other large households have opened warehouses to release grain, but there is not much left. , so we can only accumulate taxes and arrears, please ask Futai to learn from it!"
Shen Yongjia said lightly at this time.
Sun Chengzong had a look of displeasure on his face after hearing this: "There are no floods or droughts in the Susong area this year. Do you really think that I am as easy to fool as a three-year-old child?"
Xu Yuanqing also said with a serious look: "We say there is a flood, there is a flood! Futai can just report it like this, why bother asking!"
Sun Chengzong couldn't help but stood up with his sleeves rolled up: "You really want to go against the imperial court, are you worthy of the preferential treatment and favor given to you by the imperial court?!"
"Is the imperial court worthy of us Jiangnan gentry? They treat our scholars like rotten dogs and kill them at will. We just want to let the imperial court know the consequences of slaughtering scholar-officials! Futai himself is also a scholar-official. Are you really willing to see the imperial court treat our scholars like this? Man of the woods?!”
At this time, Wang Shiqi suddenly slammed the table and questioned.
"That's right! This matter is something that is wrong today. Besides, it's not that our family intentionally owes taxes. No gentry family in the world is willing to pay taxes. We have no choice. To untie the bell, the person who tied the bell must be tied. Futai only The truth that needs to be reported to the court is that if the court allows the emperor to issue an imperial edict, pardon a group of scholars, and severely punish the treacherous officials Fang Congzhe, Xu Guangqi, etc., we will still pay the grain that should be paid."
Dong Zuhe also spoke to Sun Chengzong according to the wishes of his father Dong Qichang.
Sun Chengzong naturally knew that the current serious failure to collect taxes and grains was related to His Majesty's tough attitude, but he also knew that the emperor was not a person willing to make concessions, and it was impossible for him to touch the emperor's bad luck, so he still asked: "Can you guys Are you really not afraid of the emperor? Are you really ignoring the etiquette of loyalty and filial piety? Do you really want to break with the imperial court?"
After all, Sun Chengzong was also a governor and held local military power. If he wanted to force it, he could force it, so he simply sounded strict.
"Why is Futai so angry? We have no intention of doing so."
Shen Yongjia started talking at this time, and glanced at the somewhat reckless Wang Shiqi and Dong Zuhe, and then said: "As Futai said, we have all been favored by the country in our lives. How can we rebel against the imperial court? How can we rebel against the imperial court?" Dare not take the emperor seriously in your eyes;
But we absolutely cannot tolerate the traitor Xu Guangqi’s family causing harm to Xiangli and even smuggling with the Japanese. We originally wanted Futai to inspect the Xu family, but Futai repeatedly used the evidence that the Xu family had not done anything to harm Xiangli and colluded with the Japanese as an excuse. , we can certainly understand that Futai was unwilling to offend Xu Guangqi, a treacherous minister;
But now is Futai really willing to cut off the grain supply from the imperial court for the sake of the Xu family? As long as Futai is willing to send troops to inspect the Xu family, we will pay this year's grain tax for our neighbors! "
"That's right! You are the master of heaven and earth. You are only behind heaven and earth. Not to mention that if you want your ministers to die, they have to die. But in the fish and meat village of the Xu family in Shanghai, we, the Jiangnan nobles, can never tolerate Japanese smuggling. As long as Futai is willing to check Xu Family, we must donate taxes and grain! Moreover, you don’t have to worry about Xu Guangqi’s revenge. Futai has always been close to me, the Dukes of Donglin, and is also the teacher of the emperor. After you raided the Xu family, if anyone really criticizes you, we will certainly punish you. Support, and you will not have to worry about the death penalty."
Xu Yuanqing also started talking.
Sun Chengzong did not expect that these people had always been interested in Xu Guangqi's cotton yarn industry, and actually threatened him with taxes and grain.
This made Sun Chengzong feel very angry.
But Sun Chengzong was naturally unwilling to inspect the Xu family.
Because only he knows that the Xu family's property appears to belong to the Xu family, but is actually the emperor's property.
Moreover, his Sun family also holds a share in the Xu family's industry and makes a lot of profits every year by providing cotton to the Xu family. Therefore, whether it is based on the interests of the court or personal interests, he is not willing to confiscate the Xu family.
After all, the emperor sent him as governor of Susong to protect the Xu family.
"Whether the Xu family is smuggling into Japan or whether they are in the fish and meat village, I will find out on my own. This has nothing to do with taxes and grains. Paying taxes and grains is your obligation, not a trump card to blackmail the government!"
Sun Chengzong said something in a bad tone.
When Dong Zuhe saw what Sun Chengzong said, he couldn't help but laugh angrily. He glanced at Shen Yongjia and others and said, "I don't know what benefits the Xu family has given you to Futai to allow you to protect me like this. Anyway, I How dare the villagers threaten you? Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to us? If you kowtow to us, we will give you a stone of food!"
As he spoke, Dong Zuhe grinned and asked Sun Chengzong: "How is it?"
After hearing this, Sun Chengzong immediately stood up: "How outrageous! No matter how you say it, I am the local governor, and I patrol the hunting places on behalf of the emperor. How can I kneel down to you! Inviting you for an interview today is enough to give you face, but you actually Such a lack of appreciation!"
Seeing this, Shen Yongjia hurriedly said to Dong Zuhe: "Dong Sheren, how can you be so rude! And you let Futai kneel down to you!"
"Why, does he really dare to send troops to raid my Dong family? Does Sun Futai also want to be known as a cruel gentry?"
Dong Zuhe asked angrily.
"Come here, see the guests off!"
Seeing this, Sun Chengzong just took a deep breath, forced himself to endure it, and placed the tea cup heavily on the table.
Dong Zuhe naturally did not expect Sun Chengzong to kneel down to him. He just said this out of anger. After all, as a wealthy and noble son like a local emperor, he did not have much respect for officials.
But because of this, Sun Chengzong and these Jiangnan gentry eventually broke up on bad terms.
As a result, Sun Chengzong had to write a secret memorial to the emperor to explain the matter, indicating that it was really difficult for him to raise the taxes and grains payable in Susong this year for the imperial court.
Zhu Youxiao gave Sun Chengzong the right to specialize in secret music, so Sun Chengzong could bypass the General Affairs Department and the cabinet to report to the emperor.
…
The first year of Tianqi, September.
Zhu Youxiao received Sun Chengzong's secret memorial.
After learning the real reason for the tax and grain arrears in Susong, South Zhili, he darkened his face, then came to the political hall and asked Fang Congzhe: "Have the troops to establish the West Factory arrived?"
"Back to Your Majesty, Zhao has led the Educational Department to Xishan, the Manchu and Guangxi troops have arrived in Tongzhou, and the Zhejiang soldiers and Qi Jin troops have arrived in Huangcun."
Fang Congzhe replied.
After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "The pilot collection of Fu tax will be started from Southern Zhili in advance. Southern Zhili accounts for most of the world's Caoliang and Bailiang. If the collection of Fu Fu in Southern Zhili is completed, the world's Fu tax will be half successful." After Zhao led the Education Department and the Mangui Department to the capital, he immediately formed the Xichang Tax Supervision Battalion with the Qin Minping Department and two thousand Jinyi Guards in the capital to go to South Zhili to collect the Fu tax! There is no room for error! "
"yes!"
Fang Congzhe replied.
"In addition, I have decided to set up a southeastern governor who will be responsible for clearing land and tax responsibilities in southern Zhili and Zhejiang. You recommend a civil official who can go to the south of the Yangtze River with Xichang in the future to collect taxes."
Zhu Youxiao started talking to Fang Congzhe.
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