The Tatars are Mongolian orthodox, and their surrender is of great significance.
Zhu Di hosted a banquet for the Tatar Grand Master and promised that the Ming Dynasty would not treat them badly as long as they were obedient.
Arutai behaved very humbly. Firstly, they were afraid of being beaten, and secondly, they needed something from Daming.
The atmosphere was harmonious during the banquet.
Li Qing always felt that he had seen this Grand Master somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember it.
At the end of the banquet, Arutai cupped his hands and said, "His Majesty the Ming Emperor, we hope you can restrain the Oara tribe."
After a pause, "Since His Majesty the Emperor came back, Wala has begun to harass us Tatars. Now we have also surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, hoping to be protected by the Ming Dynasty."
In two consecutive wars, the Tatars suffered heavy losses, and Oara was no longer honest.
Zhu Di readily agreed, "Don't worry, I will send someone to talk to Mahamu later. They are all my ministers and I will definitely be impartial."
Arutai was overjoyed and solemnly saluted: "Thank you, His Majesty the Ming Emperor. The Tatar tribe is suffering from internal and external troubles, so it is not suitable for me to stay for a long time. In a few months, I will come to see His Majesty the Emperor again."
"Well, go ahead and do your work." Zhu Di said gently, "Slow down on the road."
"Yes, I will retire."
After Arutai left, Zhu Di's smile turned playful, "Finally, I'm ready to bite. Now the border can be stable for a long time, and it's not in vain to spend half a million troops."
Li Qing also smiled, looking pleased.
Although the cost of sending troops this time was high, the political results achieved were extraordinary.
"Li Qing, follow me to the imperial study for a talk."
"okay."
The two came to the imperial study room. After the eunuch left, Zhu Di got straight to the point: "The national treasury is running out of money. Li Qing, do you have any national policies to increase revenue for the treasury?"
"this……"
"But it doesn't matter."
Li Qing smiled bitterly: "There is only so much wealth. If you want to fill the treasury, it can only fall on those rich people."
"tell me the story."
"The feudal lords and the gentry." Li Qing said, "They own a lot of land and don't pay taxes. How can the country be rich like this?
Officials have tax exemptions, and a large number of landlords and wealthy gentry will put land in their names to avoid legal taxes. This not only reduces the fiscal revenue of the state treasury, but also brings officials and gentry closer together. "
"Alas..." Zhu Di said bitterly, "This has been the case in all dynasties. Forcing changes will definitely cause great shocks, especially since I have cut off the wealth of the wealthy gentry. If it continues like this... I am afraid that the world will suffer. It’s going to be chaos.”
After a pause, "Even if we continue to enforce it, I will change it again after my death. Throughout the past dynasties, I have always shared the world with the scholar-bureaucrats. Is this not the case in the Ming Dynasty?"
Li Qing said helplessly, "But if no changes are made, land annexation will become more and more serious. The interests of the wealthy gentry have been seriously damaged, but the vassal king has not been affected. Now the vassal king's land is already huge;
There are more and more clans, and if this continues... the emperor will think twice. "
"Are you calling the vassal king?" Zhu Di frowned even deeper, "If my father knew how I treated the clan, I'm afraid..."
Li Qing interrupted: "Jianwen dares to cut down the vassalage like that, why doesn't the emperor dare? What are you afraid of?"
"It's not fear." Zhu Di forced his respect, "I am a person who values friendship."
If others say this, Li Qing may believe it, but the fourth child... thinks about killing his eldest nephew all day long, how can he still value friendship?
Li Qing had no choice but to say, "I have already told you the method. As for whether to use it or not, it is up to you, Your Majesty."
"Look at you, did I say I won't do it?" Zhu Di sighed, "Tell me what you can do."
"Change the hereditary system." Li Qing said seriously, "The vassal king's legitimate son is still the vassal king, but the other sons are all county kings. The county king's legitimate son is still the county king, and the other sons are demoted...
If this continues, after more than a hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, these clans will drag down the Ming Dynasty's finances. "
"How to change it?"
Li Qing pondered for a moment, "The title of the vassal king can be passed down, but it can only be hereditary. As for the other children, the court can support them until they are twenty years old, and then pay them a sum of money."
"Then what?"
"There is no more." Li Qing smiled bitterly, "Isn't this enough?"
Zhu Di shook his head: "They will definitely not be able to accept this result. When the time comes, these people will inevitably not resist collectively, which will not be beneficial to the country."
"Then what do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"Let's give it a try!" Zhu Di said. "Except for the legitimate son, the other children will continue to be downgraded by two levels, and then downgraded by two levels until they are reduced to commoners. This will be easier for them to accept."
Li Qing nodded helplessly, this is not bad.
Zhu Di said seriously: "Don't interfere in this matter, otherwise you will definitely be retaliated against. Let me do this evil thing."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Li Qing cupped his hand and said, "Your Majesty, the canal and the construction of the capital are on the right track. Where is the King of Han...?"
"Let him stay." Zhu Di stretched. "Once he leaves, there might be trouble again. This is good. Let them continue to fight so as not to annoy me."
Li Qing nodded, "I take my leave."
…
Zhu Di acted quickly. On the next day, he talked about reducing the title of the vassal king in the court.
This time, the ministers did not object because they suffered no losses.
Things went very smoothly, and the edict was quickly promulgated and sent to the hands of various vassal kings.
Li Qing knew that the peace would be broken again.
No matter whose interests or concerns are involved, the feudal king will never accept it obediently.
As expected, two months later, various vassal kings came to Beijing.
They didn't dare to make trouble, they just kept crying and complaining that Zhu Di couldn't use force and could only be comforted, but the vassal king was not that easy to dismiss. Zhu Di lost his temper at all with his ancestral words.
The inheritance of the vassal title was decided by Lao Zhu, and Zhu Di couldn't do anything wrong.
Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and asked Li Qing to find a way.
Li Qing asked: "Your Majesty, what do you think?"
"I love crying and making noises. Anyway, I have changed my mind." Zhu Di said with a hard face, and then said, "Of course, it would be better if they could accept it calmly."
Li Qing smiled and nodded: "I have a plan!"
"Do you have a plan?" Zhu Di's eyes lit up, "Say it quickly."
"Impeach the official!"
"Is this... okay?"
Li Qing affirmed, "Of course, the emperor is the king, and they are the ministers. As the saying goes, if the king asks the ministers to die, the ministers have to die. With this alone, Yanguan can make them shit."
"...It's disgusting." Zhu Di glared at him angrily, "Okay, let's try it."
The next day, Zhu Di's most hated Yanguan took action, possessing keyboard warriors one by one, and caught these feudal kings and played them.
These people have always been very courageous. They dared to impeach the emperor, so the vassal king naturally looked down upon them.
The Yanguan's right to hear rumors and report matters, to put it bluntly, means that he is not responsible for anything he does.
For a time, the King of Qin, the King of Jin, the King of Shu, and the King of Dai... all suffered from "cyber violence".
The speeches about official impeachment are also very good. They all start with: it is rumored and heard, and then start to use the topic.
Anyway, I heard it. As for who said it, no one knows.
Among the vassal kings, there were many people with unclean buttocks. Being impeached by Yan Guan, they couldn't help but be shocked and angry.
But at this time, Zhu Di said: "In order to prove the innocence of all my nephews, I will send Jin Yiwei to check."
Moreover, he looked like he wanted to investigate thoroughly and rigorously.
Seeing this posture, the various vassal kings immediately withered and reluctantly accepted the reform of the title succession system.
Li Qing looked pleased. Although the changes were not big, they were still good.
After the Ming Dynasty, the expenditure will be reduced by a considerable amount.
However, the state treasury was still tight, and Zhu Di took too many steps, which was clearly straining his crotch. Li Qing suggested that he lay off some more craftsmen.
Zhu Di was reluctant at first, but was soon awakened by the reality of having no money.
Everything came from Xia Yuanji, who took him to visit the treasury.
The Ming Dynasty's treasury was really out of money, with less than 10 million shi of grain left, and it really couldn't withstand Zhu Di's torment.
There is a saying: The emperor does not need hungry soldiers, but the army will disperse without food.
Without money and food, the emperor would not be able to do anything.
At this time, Zhu Di was no longer stubborn and could only hope that Sanbao would return as soon as possible and collect taxes in the second half of the year to fill the Ming Dynasty's treasury.
