Li Qing took a sip of hot tea, his stomach and intestines warmed up, and his mood gradually became brighter. He smiled and said, "In other words, the Ming Dynasty's grain tax alone is now 50 million shi per year?"
"That's right." Yu Qian said happily, "If there is a good year, at least another 15% can be added. There will be enough food and there will be surplus. The population has also grown, and it exceeded 80 million last year.
If this development continues, it is expected to exceed tens of millions within ten years. "
In this era, medical conditions were poor, women had more dystocias, more children died, and the population growth rate was far less than that of later generations.
It is a great joy to have this happen now.
As the population base increases, the population growth rate will continue to rise. Li Qingxin said with a smile: "As long as the fighting in the court does not spread to the people, the Ming Dynasty as a whole will gradually rise."
Yu Qian smiled bitterly: "As time goes by, sooner or later it will spread to the people. If it is not remedied in time, in less than ten years, it will not only be the imperial power that will decline in the Ming Dynasty."
The feudal dynasty was full of ills, but if it really disintegrated, it would be the people who would suffer.
The emperors of the past dynasties were both virtuous and mediocre, but as emperors, they all had one thing in common, that is, they all wanted the country to prosper forever.
There is no other reason. The entire country belongs to him, so he naturally hopes for better things. What's more, this is not a one-time deal, but will be passed on to future generations.
Under the rule of the feudal dynasty, once the imperial power is left aside for too long, the people will surely suffer.
If aristocratic families are not restrained by imperial power, their greed will definitely skyrocket, and in the end only the common people will be unlucky.
"Mr. Li is full of knowledge, and he must have good strategies for governing the world." Yu Qian served Li Qing some tea with a hopeful look on his face.
"We'll wait until after the new year when the troops are sent out." Li Qing said, "There is no shortage of capable people in the court, so we can't take too big a step, otherwise there will be strong resistance."
"What you said is absolutely true." Yu Qian agreed deeply. Although he was in a hurry, he also knew that he should not be in a hurry. "Sir, can you reveal it first?"
Li Qing smiled and said, "Abolish the recommendation system!"
"That's good!" Yu Qian became energetic and said seriously: "When the time comes, I will do my best to help, no matter what the cost, I will not hesitate."
"It doesn't have to be like a battlefield." Li Qing was amused by his appearance. "Actually, abolishing the recommendation is not as difficult as you think. The real difficulty lies in the system that harms the interests of officials."
Yu Qian wondered: "Wouldn't abolishing the recommendation seriously harm their interests?"
"Not really."
"Oh? What's the explanation?"
Li Qing smacked his lips, put down the tea cup and said, "This tea has no taste!"
Yu Qian was startled, and then nodded in a funny way: "Indeed, on this snowy day, eating hot hot pot, warming a pot of wine, and chatting while eating is not a disappointment."
"Haha... heroes think alike."
…
Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Wang Zhen played with the big seal, but he lost the complacency of the past.
The situation changed so quickly during this period that he was a little at a loss.
First, the empress dowager returned to power, and the young emperor seemed to have grown up overnight. Then Yang Shiqi returned to his hometown as an official, and foreign ministers fought among themselves. Now the empress dowager is also restless.
In the past, he had fished in troubled waters among several forces and made a lot of profits, but now, he was backlashed.
As expected, he said, "If you come out to fool around, you will have to pay back sooner or later."
It felt so good at first, but now it feels so uncomfortable.
He can handle the outer court, after all, he is the eunuch of the palm, and the civil servants dare not push too hard, but the inner court cannot.
Wang Zhen has cooperated with Sun for many years and knows her well and her methods.
Even though you look nice and cheerful all day long, your heart is dark.
Moreover, the relationship between the Queen Mother and the eunuch was that of master and servant. This alone would make him breathless.
The Empress Dowager is getting old, and it is estimated that her life will only last two years. Everyone in the palace is good at seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages. It is only a matter of time before Empress Dowager Sun's influence in the harem surpasses the Empress Dowager.
Wang Zhen was in a dilemma. If it were before, he would definitely side with Queen Mother Sun without hesitation, but since he saw the little emperor's 'swordsmanship' last time, he couldn't help but waver again.
Who to choose?
"Why is my godfather so depressed?" the young eunuch on the side said flatteringly, "Now that the situation is great, it's time for you, godfather, to show off your ambitions!"
"What do you know?" Wang Zhen frowned irritably, "Do you really think the palace is so easy to mess with?"
"Uh, yes, yes, what the godfather said is true." The little eunuch quickly apologized, and then said, "However, the current situation is indeed beneficial to the godfather!"
Wang Zhen said angrily: "Then tell me, why is it beneficial to our family?"
The young eunuch said with a flattering smile: "My godfather respects the Three Treasures eunuchs the most. He hopes that one day he can lead troops to conquer the world like his old man did. Isn't this a great opportunity right now?"
Wang Zhen was startled, and then his eyes widened: "Yes!"
Damn, I was so busy thinking about such a good opportunity that I forgot about such a good opportunity... Wang Zhen slapped his thigh and said with a smile: "Isn't this expedition to Siam and Burma a good opportunity for our man to make a name for himself? ?”
His heart was agitated, and the heroic appearance of the Three Treasures Eunuch could not help but appear in his mind: Senior, here I come!
"You are very good." Wang Zhen patted his godson, "When godfather returns from victory, your benefits will be indispensable."
"Thank you godfather, thank you godfather...!"
"Ha ha……"
~
Royal study room.
Wang Zhen was careful, the flattery on his face was even richer than that of his godson just now, "Your Majesty, we will go on an expedition in the next year. The selection of supervisors has not been decided yet, right?"
He is self-aware that it is impossible to be a coach, so he just acts as a supervisor of the army and messes around with military achievements.
"No." Zhu Qizhen stretched, "Why, do you want to be a supervisor?"
Wang Zhen was overjoyed: "Is it okay?"
"No." Zhu Qizhen said calmly, "Do you think the war is just a joke?"
"Your Majesty, this slave will not give random orders, but will only help you keep a good watch." Wang Zhen said sincerely, "Armaments have been lax in recent years, and it is not good for people who the Emperor does not trust to watch. This slave is willing to do your best for the Emperor."
Zhu Qizhen was a little moved. It was a fact that the armaments were in ruins.
As an emperor, his power to intimidate the army was no higher than that of civil servants, and was even slightly worse.
But then he thought of what he had sworn to say, that he had complete trust in Zhang Fu. If he reneged on his promise, it would inevitably chill people's hearts.
And he is indeed assured of Zhang Fu. Over the years, he has not had any opinions, but he has also seen clearly that many people, Zhang Fu, are indeed worthy of trust.
"It won't work this time. I have already made it clear that I don't need to supervise the army." Zhu Qizhen said, "Let's talk about it when we have the opportunity in the future."
"Your Majesty, my servant's loyalty to you can be seen from time to time." Wang Zhen wanted to fight for it again.
Zhu Qizhen said flatly: "Okay, let's wait until we have the opportunity in the future."
Wang Zhen had no choice but to resign in anger.
After leaving the Imperial Study Room, his previous entanglements no longer existed.
The little emperor is not as interesting as the Queen Mother.
Wang Zhen’s concept: If you have breasts, you are a mother!
The little emperor has no power at all, and his foreign ministers are very cynical. He does not believe that a thirteen-year-old child can play well. On the contrary, the Queen Mother Sun has full potential.
The future leader of the harem must be her. If he joins forces with her and wins over some foreign ministers, won't he be able to achieve great success, fame and fortune in the future?
Your Majesty, our family really wants to unite with you, but you are too stingy. Good birds choose trees to roost, so don’t blame our family for being disloyal... Wang Zhenxin said.
~
"Zhen'er."
"My slave is here."
"Prepare gifts and come with me to visit the Queen Mother." Queen Mother Sun said pleasantly.
She was very satisfied with this little girl. Not only did she look lovable, but she also acted like a lovable girl. She was smart and dull.
There is no precedent for taking advantage of others or enriching one's own pockets.
Although she is only ten years old, she has never had any problems when explaining things to her.
Mrs. Sun liked this little girl from the bottom of her heart and said warmly: "You have a bad background, but you are not destined to be a palace maid all your life. With your appearance, you can still be a concubine in the future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The girl bowed gracefully, her face showing joy, but not much, "My Majesty, how much does the gift cost?"
"Go ahead and choose. Don't pay less than five hundred taels." Mrs. Sun handed her the key to the small vault.
Sun is suspicious, but surprisingly trusting of girls.
This trust is earned by the girl's actions.
"Wait a minute, ma'am, I'll go right away." The girl took the key with both hands and hurried away.
Queen Mother Sun happily said to herself: "It will be great for this little girl to become my daughter-in-law."
