"I also give a piece of advice to the wealthy businessmen in Suzhou City. Earn what you should earn and use reasonable means to make money. Even if you are rich enough to rival the country, I will not interfere.
But if you dare to collude with officials for profit, I will not be as easy to talk to as I am today. I am waiting for you to punish me with a rod at the least, and to confiscate your family and exterminate the clan at the worst. You can do it for yourself.
It's all gone!
"I respectfully send you off to Your Majesty!"
Zhou Tingru saluted towards the city gate tower and shouted, waking up the people who were still thinking.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"
"Long live your Majesty!"
"Long live the Ming Dynasty!"
…
After the people cheered, they started a heated discussion.
"Today I really let out a bad temper. These corrupt officials finally got the end they deserve!"
"Hmph, as the old saying goes, good and evil will be rewarded in the end. It's just a matter of coming early or coming late. No, when the emperor comes, he will chop them all down!"
"Yes, although the emperor is young, his courage is unparalleled. More than a hundred officials in Suzhou City were beheaded at any time. It is estimated that thousands of officials in Jiangnan were beheaded."
"Where is this? Tens of thousands of people died in any of Taizu's four major cases. It is said that during Taizu's thirty-one year reign, he killed more than 100,000 corrupt officials. I don't know whether it is true or not. But the emperor is quite like the Taizu!"
"Kill well, so as to deter future officials and see if they still dare to be greedy!"
"Childish, there are many ways of corruption, so many that even Jin Yiwei may not be able to detect them. As long as you can't think of it, there is nothing they can't do. Killing can't solve the problem!"
"Okay, this has nothing to do with us, but the emperor's last recruitment of people with lofty ideals is very good, giving us a chance to make progress! It's just that we can't be promoted for ten years, which is a bit difficult!"
"Be content with yourself. I studied hard for ten years and became a Jinshi. Three years later, I was only a seventh-grade county magistrate.
You are promoted once every three years in Beijing, and once every five years when you are sent abroad. This is still based on passing the assessment. You can reach the ninth rank after half a year of hard work. Are you not satisfied? "
"It doesn't matter if you don't get a good grade in half a year. Being a pianist is enough. Not to mention a lifetime of wealth, but at least you can have enough food and clothing!"
"Hey, even though the emperor has given us people the opportunity, there may not be many people who are literate. In my opinion, in the end, there will be more people who are scholars!"
…
Chongzhen, who came down from the city wall, happened to hear the people's discussion and sighed in his heart.
There are three topics that need to be resolved urgently in people's discussions: officialdom, corruption, and study.
The world says that being an official is good, but they don't see the danger of being an official for nine generations.
Everyone thought that becoming an official would change everything. In this feudal society, he could understand, but this concept had to be slowly adjusted.
The second is corruption. He also admits that killing cannot solve the corruption problem. Didn't Taizu kill enough people in the four major cases?
The "Great Edict" of that year stipulated that those who committed corruption would be punished by peeling off the skin for 60 taels. There was a bag containing the human skins of corrupt officials next to the seats in the lobby of government offices in various places, and there was a skin farm temple next to the government office.
With such cruel methods, the officialdom did not become clearer, but instead became more severe.
The last thing is learning. Without cultural knowledge, you will suffer at any time, whether now or in future generations.
From Taizu of the Ming Dynasty to the present, several emperors have formulated policies for school-age children to attend school. However, in reality, resources are still occupied, and not even one out of ten children from poor families can read.
Being literate does not mean that you can be an official or have a clear mind.
The only solution to the above three problems is to make the people and the Ming Dynasty rich.
When you become rich, promotion and wealth will no longer be tied together. When the court is rich, the salary will be more, and there will be less corruption. When the people and the court are rich, they will naturally have spare money to study.
"The road is long and long, and I will search up and down!"
Chongzhen sighed with emotion and slowly returned to the camp.
He took a sip of tea and said, "Li Aiqing, are all the counties in Suzhou Prefecture okay?"
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I have arranged uniform guards in all counties in the south of the Yangtze River. There is one general banner and uniform guards in the upper county, three smaller banners in the middle county, and two smaller banners in the lower county.
With the Yanshan Guards and Tengxiang Left Guards intimidating them, if these officials do not want to be wiped out by the nine tribes, they can only cooperate obediently and wait for retribution.
Officials transferred from the surrounding chief secretaries have arrived. No later than 1pm tonight, news will come back from various counties.
Moreover, we have written in the edicts of each county that within three months after a new official takes over the county government, those who knowingly and intentionally violate the Ming Law will be punished with a third-level crime. This kind of deterrence is enough for the new officials to take control of the county. It’s time to go to the government! "
"Well, keep an eye on it. At this time, even the smallest things can easily cause turmoil. Don't take it lightly!"
After Chongzhen finished speaking, he paused for a while: "By the way, that one named Gu Tinglin is interesting. Pay attention to it! When the counties are finished, give me a copy of the information of the hired personnel!"
"I obey the decree!"
As soon as Li Ruolian finished responding, the Fang family entered the lobby and whispered: "Your Majesty, Liang Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of War of Nanjing, and Hu Yingtai, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, are waiting outside the mansion!"
Chongzhen did not speak, but gently tapped the armrest with his fingers, his eyes full of thoughts, and his face changed slightly and became entangled.
What he was struggling with was not the handling of the two ministers in Nanjing, but the issue of staying in Nanjing as the capital.
The Ming Dynasty implemented the system of two capitals, the north and the south, which was an inevitable product of the development of the Ming Dynasty. In the early stage, it balanced the north and south regions and stabilized the rule. In the middle and later stages, it became a place for demoted officials and retirement.
However, with the Battle of Tumubao, the control of the imperial power weakened, and a large number of nobles died in the battle. As a result, the imperial court had extremely poor control over Nanjing. Now Nanjing has become somewhat deformed, similar to a state within a state, but without the capabilities of a state within a state. .
Since Nanjing has completed its mission assigned by history, there is no need to keep it any longer.
As for the backup institution, that is nonsense. The operation of the institution depends on the people, not the institution itself. As long as hundreds of officials are there, what is the capital of the country?
As for the officials in the Nanjing Ministry, they were either demoted after failing in the political struggle, or they were pensioners. They all arrived in Nanjing. How strong do you expect them to be?
The corruption in Jiangnan shocked him, and Liudu must never exist again.
With this thought, Chongzhen made a decision in his mind: "Li Aiqing, let them kneel outside until..."
Before he finished speaking, Fang Jun entered the lobby and whispered: "Your Majesty, the prefect of Suzhou, Zhou Tingru, is here. He said he had something to ask for, and he was holding a box in his hand. The servant saw that his face was a little solemn!"
"Is it important? Box? Looking solemn? "
Chongzhen was slightly stunned. With himself in charge, Yanshan Guards and the Warrior Camp present, what could happen to Suzhou?
Have you found any substantial evidence of rebellion?
"Let him in!"
"I see your Majesty!"
After a few breaths, Zhou Tingru entered the lobby. After saluting Chongzhen, he handed the box to the Fang family.
"Your Majesty, look at what's in this box!"
