"If I were the leader, I would never let you return to Beijing to serve as a court official. Instead, I would ask you to stay in Guangdong, Guangxi and Southwest China to do a very important thing!"
When Zhu Yijun came to the cabinet in Xizhifang, which was originally the office of the cabinet in Xiyuan, Gao Gong no longer scolded Yin Zhengmao, but drank wine with Yin Zhengmao.
Moreover, Gao Gong was already a little drunk at this time, and he started to shake his head when talking to Yin Zhengmao.
Because Zhu Yijun planned to use the cabinet meeting place to raise senior ministers who no longer had real power to discuss government affairs.
Therefore, Zhu Yijun specially asked the officials here to try their best to meet the reasonable requirements of these veterans in daily life. For example, they are not prohibited from drinking, and they are not required to come here every day to do their duty.
Therefore, Gao Gong could drink with Yin Zhengmao here.
After Gao Gong drunkenly told Yin Zhengmao that if he were to be the chief assistant, Yin Zhengmao would always serve in the local government, Yin Zhengmao stood up and said unconvinced:
"Why, according to what you want me to do, I can only serve as a local governor, right?"
"Yuansuke at least gave me a chance to serve as the next Ren Jingtang."
"It's a good thing that you are old, but you have no intention of giving me another chance. Fortunately, you are no longer the chief assistant."
Yin Zhengmao also became rude to Gao Gong because of a few glasses of wine.
Yin Zhengmao, a civil servant who made his fortune through military service, is somewhat similar to Tan Lun. In front of military officials, because he was a civil servant, he was unwilling to really regard himself as a military official. In front of civil servants, because he often led troops in battles, he was regarded as a military official. Civil servants despised and despised him.
As a result, the official career of ministers like them can only depend on whether the assistant ministers value them. If the assistant ministers value them, they can naturally become ministers. But if the assistant ministers do not value them, they can easily be impeached and be dismissed or imprisoned.
But now, Gao Gong said that he would not be allowed to serve as an official in the two capitals, so he naturally responded to Gao Gong with dissatisfaction.
Of course, Yin Zhengmao did not expect that just after he became the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he would be forced to take a back seat because he caused trouble for the new policy of clearing Zhang Tianmu. As a result, even before the position of the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was hot, he had to fight with Gao Gong and Gao Gong sat together in the meeting pavilion, drinking tea and relaxing.
Snapped!
Now, after Yin Zhengmao said this, Gao Gong slapped the table directly:
"What qualifications does Zhang Jiangling have to compete with me as to who is more suitable to be the chief assistant?"
"It's okay for him to be a teacher to the emperor, and do some temporary good governance to benefit the national economy and people's livelihood. But when it comes to designing national policies that truly lay out the long-term, or even employing people for the long-term, Zhang Juzheng is not as good as me at all!"
"He just makes you feel closer because he is good at taking care of your public and private concerns. But in fact, no matter who is more suitable to be a good assistant, Zhang Jiangling is more worthy of his name than me!"
When Gao Gong was slapping the table and expressing his feelings directly, Zhu Yijun happened to come over at this time. He was startled when he heard the sound of slapping the table, and thought to himself: "Is this another conflict?"
Zhang Jing on the side also forgot to announce the emperor's arrival because of the sudden sound of table slapping.
Therefore, when Zhu Yijun came in, Gao Gong was still saying that Zhang Juzheng was inferior to him.
Zhu Yijun was a little surprised when he heard that, so he asked as soon as he came in: "What is the national policy that the Imperial Tutor has that is more long-term than the Sir? Why don't you tell me and let me know?"
After Zhu Yijun asked this question, Gao Gong shook his head violently, and then prostrated on the ground: "I didn't know that your Majesty was here, and I have violated the courtesy of your Majesty. Please punish me!"
At the same time, Yin Zhengmao also suddenly stirred up his spirit, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, saying: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I do not agree with what Taifu Gao said, and I am even very dissatisfied with Taifu Gao's inappropriate remarks about Yuan Fu! Gao Gao! The Tutor obviously thinks so highly of himself that even Yuan Fu doesn’t notice him!”
Gao Gong glanced at Yin Zhengmao with blazing eyes, and then said: "Your Majesty! I don't think too highly of myself, but I do think that the new policies of the current Yuan Fu are temporary good governance, not long-term good policies!"
Zhu Yijun nodded, without any sullen look, and just said: "That's why I want to hear your long-term advice."
"I obey the decree!"
Gao Gong replied and said: "Your Majesty, the problem faced by the Ming Dynasty today is the same as the problems encountered by dynasties since ancient times after a hundred or even two hundred years of imperial rule. That is, there are too many people and too little land!"
"More and more people are enjoying the honor and dignity, while fewer and fewer people are farming, weaving and paying taxes."
"Therefore, at this time, restraining annexation can only guarantee the temporary prosperity of the country, but if we really want to solve the problem of insufficient land and many people, we can only use conquest to consume the population, and even use conquest to eliminate the barbarians who do not obey the king's changes at the same time. After destroying their seeds, they can obtain their land, and then use the newly acquired land to accumulate more tax-paying people."
"In this way, the court's taxes can be greatly increased, and a large number of proud soldiers can be consumed. There is no need to worry that the court will one day be unable to support them, or even raise them to waste, or develop bandits!"
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun asked: "Does the Grand Tutor want the Ming Dynasty to change its soil and return to Liuzhou?"
Gao Gong was stunned after hearing this, and then he kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are wise! This is indeed what I said!"
"The imperial court should take advantage of the recovery of the country's strength to return the land to the country in order to increase tax revenue and consume too many soldiers and generals!"
Gao Gong said and looked at Yin Zhengmao: "A person like Yin Shaobao who is good at commanding troops and does not care about personal ethics is suitable to die in battle or to use his bones to achieve personal status as a marquis, instead of staying in the capital and wasting his official salary. The key is They will also form camps and form cliques, thereby ruining the administration of officials! Therefore, rather than letting them harm the government, it is better to let them be used against the barbarians, so as to make the effect of plowing the courtyards and clearing holes more thorough!"
Yin Zhengmao didn't expect that Gao Gong would say this to him in front of the emperor, saying that he had no personal ethics and only knew how to work hard. He had to prepare to defend himself, so he said: "Your Majesty!"
Zhu Yijun waved his hand and did not let Yin Zhengmao speak. He admitted that Gao Gong did not have any scruples in what he said. It was no wonder that many of his colleagues in the civil service were not close to him, but he also had to admit that Gao Gong did have far-sightedness and had long thought that Ming Dynasty should change its attitude towards him. The surrounding chieftains' policy of restraining the invaders was changed to the policy of returning the natives to the locals, and developed these places into new tax sources for the Ming Dynasty, and at the same time took this opportunity to consume the country's excess population.
"Your Majesty, although it is unkind to do this, as a minister of the Ming Dynasty, you should only be responsible for the long-term interests of your own country. Why should you care about the interests of other countries?"
"Fortunately, your majesty is really a talented emperor, and he knows how to change his ways. This may mean that Zhang Jiangling is not a short-sighted person, but has already taught your majesty the art of domineering!"
After Gao Gong said this, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, now that the imperial court has accumulated enough money and has many elite soldiers, do you really intend to waste them in vain instead of letting these elite soldiers increase tax sources for the Ming Dynasty?" Land, to kill the barbarians?"
Zhu Yijun looked at Yin Zhengmao and asked, "Do you think Taifu is a good assistant?"
Yin Zhengmao said with conviction: "Your Majesty, let's forget it! But without Yuan Fu working hard to increase the Ming Dynasty's income, what Taifu Gao said is just a castle in the air!"
"What you said makes sense."
"But are you willing to go to the southwest and bring back a few big chieftains there for me?"
"I heard that terrace farming has become more mature now, and many mountainous areas in the southwest are suitable for farming. However, many chieftains are worried that the sinicization will not enslave their own people, so they restrict private Han people from entering their jurisdictions to cultivate and spread new farming techniques. , resulting in an insignificant increase in terraces.”
"You have led troops in the southwest, so you should know better than me!"
Zhu Yijun started talking after asking Yin Zhengmao.
(End of chapter)
