Chen Xun heard the words and asked tentatively: "It stands to reason that in the first year of your ascension to the throne, your Majesty should select concubines from all over the world to enrich the harem."
Zhu Qiyu waved his hands repeatedly: "This is fine. I am wasting money, wasting money, and tormenting the people. It is just looking for trouble. My fifteen favorite concubines are enough now."
Chen Xun continued to ask: "Then it stands to reason that the construction of the imperial mausoleum should also start."
Zhu Qiyu continued to refuse: "Forget it. Building an imperial mausoleum costs at least three to four million taels of silver. Moreover, large trees have to be harvested from the mountains of Huguang and Guizhou and transported thousands of miles to Tianshou Mountain for construction. Imperial mausoleum.
The people in Huguang and Guizhou are already unable to survive, and civil commotions are happening everywhere. I still go to torment them, is it because I think the Ming Dynasty is not chaotic enough? "
Chen Xun asked, "Your Majesty is also building the new Qi Palace here. Doesn't your palace need to cut down big trees?"
Zhu Qiyu smiled and said: "No need, I hate wood. Use blue bricks for the exterior walls and white marble for the palace. As for burning bricks and mining white marble, there is not much danger.
I will recruit strong people and pay more wages, and I will never let the people suffer. "
After Chen Xun heard this, he stopped dwelling on this topic and continued: "The treasure banknotes have been abolished, and the salary needs to be paid out in real time. However, there are too many people in the vassal clan, and if they are really paid according to the quota, the Ministry of Household Affairs will really be unable to resist. live."
As soon as Chen Xun said these words, everyone looked at the emperor, including He Yi, Huang Pu, Xu Heng, Li Xuan, and even the very young Dingguo Duke Xu Yongning looked at the emperor expectantly.
Everyone is curious about how the emperor will deal with the problem of the feudal king.
Not to mention these experienced veterans, even Xu Yongning knew that if the number of clans was allowed to expand, the court would be in big trouble sooner or later.
Zhu Qiyu nodded repeatedly, and Chen Xun's words were considered to have touched on the most critical point.
The clan must be reformed, and it must be a major reform and a special reform to completely overthrow the clan and vassal system established by Taizu.
But that’s easy to say. The legitimacy of his original succession has not yet been settled, and the transfer of the imperial line is even more difficult. If you start the vassal reform rashly again, just wait and see, you will never be able to live a stable life for a day.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Jianwen was so eager to cut down the feudal lords. It was quite easy for others to make sarcastic remarks. As soon as the upper lip touched the lower lip and the lord opened his mouth, he could slowly cut it.
In fact, when it comes to making it, how do you cut it slowly?
Thinking of this, Zhu Qiyu sighed deeply: "That's it. Last year, the actual salary was paid to the clan, and it will be increased by 20% in the future.
For example, there was a county prince whose rated salary was one thousand shi. In previous years, the court actually paid 300 shi, and the remaining 700 shi were redeemed with treasure notes.
From now on, the imperial court will give him three hundred and sixty shilumi, and no more treasure notes will be issued.
It was equivalent to using sixty shi of solid lumi to replace his original 700 shi of lumi.
Considering that the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes are almost like waste paper, these clans actually did not suffer much.
As for asking the court to pay a thousand dan in real terms, this is really not possible. Let them digest and understand it themselves.
When the time comes, I will carry out a thorough reform of the vassal system, but now is not the time, so I will just make do with it. "
Everyone nodded after hearing this. There is no other way. It will not harm the interests of the clan for the time being, and it will not use all the money from the Ministry of Households to provide salaries to the clan.
Another problem was solved. Chen Xun felt relieved and continued: "In the first half of the year, the only major event in the court was the provincial examination."
Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and stopped Chen Xun: "On the provincial examination, your cabinet and the Sixth Ministry should go back and discuss it themselves, and then come up with a charter and report it to me.
I'm tired, I want to go home and sleep, that's it for today.
You don't have to come next month. You all have to perform your duties and do whatever you need to do.
It’s been almost half a year since the Tumu Fort incident, and I haven’t even breathed. I’m so tired.
Since the court has nothing major to do, I'll take a month off. "
Everyone understood the emperor's helplessness very well. Originally, he could have a good rest during the New Year, but it turned out that there was a fire here or there. The emperor suffered a lot during the New Year.
Furthermore, to be honest, the emperor delegated power and ministers did the work. This way of getting along with the emperor and his ministers was very popular among the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.
And so far, Dongchang and Jinyiwei have not shown any intention to monitor the court officials.
Zhu Qiyu had already made a decision in his mind: to imitate the rule of Wen and Jing and leave the arduous task of rectifying the administration of officials to the next emperor.
You cannot imitate Emperor Yang of Sui. In a short period of time, he attacked from all sides and offended everyone.
For Zhu Qiyu, just reforming the clan and reorganizing the guard house would cost him his life. In addition, there must be a battle between the legitimate sons and daughters, and they must always be prepared for the counterattack of the emperor's faction.
We also need to regain our territory, restart our voyages to the Western Ocean, and lay the foundation for future generations to cope with the future maritime era.
Coupled with a bunch of miscellaneous reform matters, large and small, Zhu Qiyu only felt that his head was buzzing.
Really upset, Zhu Qiyu quickly persuaded all the civil servants to retreat. He Yi was left to stay behind and deal with the memorials sent from the library with a few people from the Zhongshu House.
Duke An Guo Xu Heng, Cao Guo Gong Li Xuan, and Ding Guo Gong Xu Yongning still stayed in the attic, accompanying Zhu Qiyu while sipping tea and watching the lakes and mountains outside the window.
A few people chatted for a while, and then Zhu Qiyu asked: "You still have something to do? If nothing happens, let's leave."
Xu Yongning was the first to reply: "Your Majesty, I want to guard the border and don't want to be bored in the capital."
Zhu Qiyu smiled and said: "You are too young and don't know the benefits of a comfortable life. However, while you are still young, going out and seeing more can really broaden your horizons.
Xuanfu has been troubled by Xuanzong and Sanyang's people for many years, and the traitors cannot be eradicated for a while. It is too dangerous, so we cannot let you go to Xuanfu.
You can't go to the south either, it's more dangerous.
Why don't you go on a tour of Liaodong on my behalf, including the scope of activities of Duoyan Sanwei?
There are also two places, Daning and Guangning, which are extremely important strategically. I want to build two strong cities to resist foreign invasion.
Especially Guangning City, if future generations don’t play well, this is the place that will ruin our Ming Dynasty.
Furthermore, with the Tumu Fort Incident, the Supreme Emperor lost his master and humiliated the country, so that all the foreign vassals began to despise the Ming Dynasty.
So if you are willing, you can also take a trip to North Korea. It just so happens that I also want to send a close associate to visit North Korea. You can go together and have someone to look after you on the way. "
Xu Yongning was a little puzzled after hearing this. How could Guangning City become the place where the Ming Dynasty was ruined?
If it were anyone else, he might not dare to ask Zhu Qiyu for details.
But Xu Yongning relied on his favor as the emperor's cousin and asked directly.
Zhu Qiyu was also willing to mention more about his promising confidant, the Duke, so he asked: "Before answering your question, do you think Meng Yuan can rise again?"
(End of chapter)
