Behind Wenyuan Pavilion, a small row of houses facing several magnolia trees on the east side is where the Cabinet Policy Department was located after Zhu Yijun ordered the expansion of Wenyuan Pavilion.
The Policymaking Department is mainly responsible for researching and formulating various policies for reference by the ministers, and then the ministers select and report to the emperor for implementation.
Because the policy making department focuses on research and planning, many of the officials serving in the department have different origins, and most of them are not the same. There are some from the Qingliu and some from the Xunli, some from the clan, those who are proficient in business, and some who have knowledge of various mathematics and science. Proficient in , foreign affairs, religion, etc.
King Zheng and Zhu Zaiyudu appointed a Zhongshu internal historian in the policy making department because Zhu Yijun reformed the clan and issued an order to allow several government offices to serve in the clan.
Officials in the Policy Department do have real power, that is, they provide reference opinions on many major policies, but they do not have real power, because except for the assistant ministers, they do not have the power to decide which national policy to implement. This decision-making power Instead, it is in the hands of cabinet ministers.
But in the early spring of the 14th year of Wanli, when many officials were admonishing the king, there were still a lot of red candles burning in the policy department, the sound of abacuses kept popping, and people were still walking back and forth. .
Bang!
Shen Li, the cabinet bachelor who was in charge of the general affairs of the Policymaking Department, even accidentally bumped into the door frame while walking around. Then he suddenly woke up a lot. He looked at the officials of the Policymaking Department who also stayed up all night with him and asked:
"How's it going? Have you got the results?"
At this time, Lu Kun came over and handed a closed case to Shen Li, saying:
"It's approved!"
Lu Kun replied.
"Then should we continue to clean up the Buddhist temple?"
Shen Li took over the case, pinched his brows, and then asked.
"It's hard to say. If we don't stop cleaning up Buddhist temples, it seems that we will have to kill some people who have turned into bandits!"
"Because, according to the current reports in local newspapers about the increase in the number of landless people and the number of temple fields after the cleanup of Buddhist temples, there are still more than 200,000 unemployed people who cannot be allocated land. If they are not allowed to work as slaves in private temples and nunneries, , it has to be divided using the fields in Dongying and Donglai, and it is already enough."
"However, natural disasters have been frequent since the twelfth year of Wanli. First there was a severe famine in Guangxi, and then there was an earthquake in Huaiyang accompanied by floods. Starting last year, severe droughts accompanied great famines in Yan'an and Fengxiang! Recently there was a severe famine in Yunyang, and locusts crossed the river in large numbers this spring. East."
"Therefore, according to statistics on the number of refugees reported from various places, the number of new refugees has increased to more than 300,000. After dividing the land among the refugees who increased due to the clearance of Buddhist temples, these newly added refugees due to major disasters will not have much new land to allocate. , because judging from the number of undivided Japanese fields reported by the Chief Secretary of Japan, there is still a shortage of at least 500,000 acres of land!"
"What about the mainland?"
“It should be possible to open up some new fields in places like southern Shaanxi, eastern Sichuan, and Huguang, by destroying forests and filling in lakes to create farmland.”
Shen Li asked at this time.
King Zheng Zhu Zaiyu hurriedly objected: "If we can do this in our own country, we won't destroy forests and fill lakes!"
"According to statistical statistics, Shaanxi and Shanxi have experienced frequent droughts in recent years, which is closely related to excessive deforestation, and frequent disasters in the Huaiyang area are also related to the diversion of the Yellow River and excessive lake filling in this dynasty. In addition, the Gyeongsang Province has experienced severe droughts in recent years. Frequent droughts are also related to this, which shows that over-exploitation of the local area is not a good strategy."
Shen Li couldn't help but frown: "Then what else can be done? According to the original arrangement, it was enough to use Japanese and other new fields to solve the landlessness problem of many people who increased after the cleanup of the Buddhist temples, but who would have expected that God would not be kind."
"I have an idea."
"Please also ask Your Highness and all the gentlemen to refer to this."
Like Lu Kun, Jin Xuezeng, who also worked in the Strategy Department, came over and said something.
Shen Li and others looked at him.
"Although the imperial court is short of land, it is not short of silver dollars. You can use silver dollars to buy fields!"
"Not to mention other places overseas, there are still many fertile fields controlled by the Japanese near Japan, where the imperial court has stationed a large number of troops."
"For example, there is an area called Iino, which is called the granary by the locals. It has millions of acres of fertile land. Now that the Japanese and barbarians are fighting each other, it is a time when we need to exchange a large amount of our lead, iron and other materials. We can definitely use these materials. Exchange the silver dollars for their fields!”
"In this way, the Japanese Japanese can drive out a large number of Japanese Japanese who cultivate the fields as their soldiers, and we can also obtain a large amount of cultivated land and distribute it to the people, thereby strengthening the kingship of Japan!"
Jin Xuezeng said at this time.
After hearing this, Shen Li couldn't help but ask: "What if they don't want to?"
"Then spend a lot of money and send the king's master to seize it! Isn't it the king's land in the whole world? Why should the Japanese invaders occupy my king's land?"
"Now I am giving him silver dollars in exchange for it, just to show that our heavenly country is as benevolent as heaven. I am willing to take back the kingdom in the form of a silver dollar reward, so as to show that the way of governing the country is more in line with the benevolence advocated by the new rites, and as little as possible because of the king. It just resulted in the attrition of Han soldiers!"
Jin Xuezeng said in a deep voice at this time.
"That's all!"
Lu Kun said something at this time, and then looked at Shen Li and said: "Otherwise, the national policies submitted by our policy department will be ridiculed by the people of the world, saying that we do not understand the people's sentiments and implement new policies without permission, and we could be dismissed from office and exiled. At worst, it may lead to the anger of the people, but the key is that the policy department cannot be abolished because of this, because the presence of the policy department means that the country is always willing to improve."
"Then write the charter like this and let the cabinet elders review it. Either buy the land and stabilize the people, or suppress the barbarians and stabilize the people!"
Shen Li made up his mind without hesitation.
At this time, it was already bright outside, and the bureaucrats outside Huiji Gate had been kneeling for almost half an hour. Zhu Yijun had also finished his breakfast and came back from greeting the empress dowagers of the two palaces. Shen Shixing also took medicine and rode on his shoulders. I came to Wenyuan Pavilion.
As soon as Shen Shixing entered the Donghua Gate, Li Che ran over first, followed Jianyu and said, "Enfu, do you already know about the Hundreds of Officials?"
Shen Shixing closed his eyes in the carriage and replied, "Already know."
Li Che said: "They are forcing you to give up the policy of cleaning up Buddhist temples!"
Shen Shixing opened his eyes: "Huiji Gate is where the ministers submit their reports. It is understandable that they want to ask His Majesty to give advice. Let them go. I will go to the cabinet first. If you have nothing to do, go back to the Yamen and do your own thing. .”
"yes!"
After Li Che responded outside, Shen Shixing actually ordered the bearers to go directly to the cabinet.
As soon as they arrived at the cabinet, Liu Yingjie, Wang Xijue, Zhang Xueyan, Shen Li, Wang Jiaping and other cabinet bachelors and cabinet bachelors came over.
As soon as Shen Shixing saw these people, he asked, "How about it? Have we agreed?"
Liu Yingjie said: "It's settled, we won't shed the blood of our own people, we will only immigrate to divide the land! Change the previous policy of encouraging people to go overseas to buy land and reclaim wasteland to the imperial court organizing landless people to go out to sea to cultivate land and reclaim wasteland!"
Shen Shixing laughed after hearing this, and then asked: "Is the field enough?"
"not enough!"
Wang Xijue then said something.
Shen Shixing's face sank after hearing this: "How can we avoid bleeding if we don't have enough?"
Shen Li said at this time: "Shengwu thought of a way, which is to use silver dollars to buy fields. After discussion, the elders of Houwangge thought that we should instead directly use silver dollar coupons to buy fields. If any big name in the Japanese country is not willing to accept the court's silver dollar coupons to buy their fields, Farms, it is forbidden to sell lead, iron, gunpowder, gunpowder, saltpeter, cotton cloth, silk and other goods! This can save a lot of transportation costs, and it is more convenient to exchange lead, iron and other materials for their fertile fields, rather than directly exchange them for silver dollars. .”
"If possible, ask Yousi to print more silver dollar coupons now and prepare to take them to Japan for additional issuance. There is no need to actually bring silver coins there."
(End of chapter)
