According to the system, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had to serve food from Guanglu Temple, but by the Jiajing period, it was already the responsibility of the internal chef because the Jiajing Emperor did not trust the ministers of the external court.
The small dining room of the Qianqing Palace was supervised by the eunuchs. This was a job close to the emperor. It was usually handled by the eunuchs in charge of the ceremony, the eunuchs of Dongchang and the eunuchs of the Qianqing Palace.
Feng Bao had just done something wrong, and the job of serving as a small kitchen in the Qing Palace fell to Zhang Hong.
When Zhang Hong heard the emperor ask what the dish was, he hurriedly said: "I told your majesty that it was a tribute sent from Yuegang. It is said to be edible food from overseas. If your majesty doesn't like it, I won't make it in the future."
"Don't speak when you eat, and don't speak when you sleep." Empress Dowager Li admonished the young emperor slightly angrily for not following etiquette and preaching the Dharma while eating.
Zhu Yijun turned his head and stared at Zhang Hong closely, with a bit of ferocity in his eyes. Even when he read about Wang Zhanglong's cases, His Majesty's smile was still sunny and cheerful. But at this moment, His Majesty, it seemed that if Zhang Hong answered incorrectly, he would He was thrown into the Jiecuyuan and cut into pieces with a thousand cuts.
The emperor asked with strong expectation and trembling in his tone: "Is there anything left?"
"Yes, there are many more." Zhang Hong replied weakly. The Queen Mother had already admonished him, but Her Majesty was asking questions. Zhang Hong was also in a dilemma. He did not want to enter the Jiecuyuan. In comparison, the Queen Mother would only send him Sent to Langxia's home.
As soon as he heard that there was still more, Zhu Yijun immediately relaxed.
"Your Majesty." Empress Dowager Li's tone became more serious and stern.
Zhu Yijun said to Zhang Hong: "Bring it to me for a look."
"Emperor!" Empress Dowager Li finally got angry. Just eat well and don't look at the tribute!
"My kid is just curious." Zhu Yijun said with a bright smile.
But thinking about the emperor's recent excellent performance, he decided to give him a lesson. The child looked at it curiously. What child doesn't have a little curiosity?
This is the Qianqing Palace, not the Wenhua Palace, nor in front of the ministers of the outer court. The restrictions are too strict, which will be detrimental to the growth of the emperor.
Empress Dowager Li had been extremely strict in the past, and the reason was very simple. Feng Bao's trick was just a small aspect. The most important thing was that the young emperor had been studying for six months and still could not get the approval of foreign ministers, which made Empress Dowager Li so eager.
What Empress Dowager Li was most afraid of was that her children would not be able to successfully take over the Ming Dynasty. Her greatest hope was that Zhu Yijun could be in charge safely.
The first assistant, Zhang Juzheng, recognized the little emperor very much, so he could relax appropriately.
Three or four round yellow tubers appeared in front of Zhu Yijun. Each one was about the size of Zhu Yijun's fist. There were still some black spots on it. They had not sprouted or turned green. The food for the emperor had not spoiled at all. Entering the small dining room, these are the leftovers after selection. They were originally meant to be a rare treat for His Majesty.
"This thing tastes a bit like water chestnuts. What's its name?" Queen Mother Li looked at Zhang Hong and asked.
Zhang Hong hurriedly replied: "The Fan people call him potato because it looks like a potato. The Fujian people call it potato, which is the beans grown in the soil. If your Majesty doesn't like it, I will send this vegetable to the Caihu Camp." .”
"Do you know how much this harvest will yield?" Zhu Yijun's excited heart slowly calmed down when he saw this yellow lump of earth.
Isn't it just potatoes? It’s not like I’ve never seen it before.
"It was presented by Luo Gongchen, the owner of the Imperial Household and a fellow governor of Haiphong. It was said that one acre of Nanyang planting could produce twenty or thirty dan. Most of the ministers in the DPRK and China didn't believe it. They sent it last year. They haven't planted it here in the capital yet. However, I heard that there are people in Yuegang." Zhang Hong didn't really believe it. This lump of soil can produce more than 20 stones a year, one hundred and twenty kilograms per stone. This acre of land can produce more than two thousand kilograms. Who can this be? letter?
Zhang Hong thought for a while and added: "Sweet potatoes were also sent together. They were brought by merchant ships from Luzon. We haven't had time to cook them yet."
"Very good, don't do it." Zhu Yijun looked at Empress Dowager Li and asked, "Duration Hall?"
Empress Dowager Li looked at the little emperor's puzzled eyes and said with relief: "In the 30th year of Jiajing, Japanese pirates broke out in Fujian, and the Jinghai Pavilion was set up in Yuegang. Later, the pirates Xie Lao, Zhang Wei and other twenty-four generals pacified.”
"In the 42nd year of Jiajing, the current Minister of War, Tan Lun, who was a governor in Fujian, changed the Yuegang Jinghai Pavilion to the Coast Defense Pavilion. Last year, the Coast Defense Pavilion was moved from Chenghai County to the port, and the Coast Defense Pavilion was renamed the Du Rating Pavilion. "
"The Du Rating Office, the governor of the ship's fleet, is the one who collects taxes. He draws 6 out of every 100, which is converted into silver and escorted to the capital."
Empress Dowager Li spoke eloquently, and the potato chips tasted better. The child did not study well before and was not very interested in these government affairs. Empress Dowager Li told the little emperor that the little emperor was troubled and impatient, so he took the initiative to ask questions today.
Zhu Yijun understood what the Du Rate House was. It was actually the customs, responsible for collecting taxes.
Empress Dowager Li continued: "Luo Gongchen is a scholar. He passed the imperial examination but failed to pass the imperial examination."
"When the Japanese pirates broke out in the southeast, thousands of miles of sea territory were in danger, the smoke was everywhere, and the court and the countryside were shaken. Luo Gongchen organized the army and the people to resist, and he could be a powerful enemy alone. Later, when the Japanese pirates invaded Songjiang Prefecture, Luo Gongchen led his troops and rushed to the aid of Songjiang Prefecture at starry night. , he was promoted from Zhejiang Supervisor to Chief of Coast Guard."
Luo Gongchen was a scholar, but he made many military exploits in the fight against the Japanese. At that time, the Japanese invaders were making a lot of noise. Luo Gongchen, a scholar, fought the Japanese with his sword and became famous.
The gap between scholars and scholars is indeed huge.
"Last year he returned to Beijing to report on his work and met a lot of people, but what he wanted to do was not accomplished." When Queen Mother Li talked about this, she lost much appetite, put down her chopsticks, and looked a little worried. .
The battle to open the sea in the southeast and establish the Moon Harbor can be said to be shocking every step of the way. No matter how good Luo Gongchen's original intention is, it will be in vain if there is no one in the court to help him.
Luo Gongchen was first introduced by his old boss Tan Lun to the residence of Yang Bo, the Minister of Civil Affairs. Tan Lun returned home to pay filial piety because of his parents' funeral. When he became an official again, he was recommended by Yang Bo. This was because of the favor of recommendation. In the Ming Dynasty, In the officialdom, this is a great favor.
Tan Lun thought Luo Gongchen's idea was good, so he introduced Luo Gongchen to Yang Bo.
Why did Li Ke impeach Tan Lun during the incident?
Because Tan Lun was born in the Zhejiang Army and was a comrade with Qi Jiguang. Influenced by Qi Jiguang and Liang Menglong's background in the Zhejiang Army, Tan Lun is now too close to Zhang Juzheng.
As the leader of the Jin Party, Yang Bo was already angry with Tan Lun for repaying kindness with evil, so he rejected Luo Gongchen and even confiscated his invitation.
Luo Gongchen lost contact with Qi Jiguang again and asked Qi Jiguang to introduce him to Zhang Juzheng. As a result, Zhang Juzheng heard Luo Gongchen's idea and agreed with it. He sewed his own signature on Luo Gongchen's memorial and sent it to Tongtong. After the Chief Secretary and the Cabinet drafted the vote, it was not passed in two court meetings.
Finally, the deadline for Luo Gongchen to return to Beijing to report on his work came, so he had to go back to Yuegang, Fujian, to wait for news.
These potatoes and sweet potatoes were the gifts that Luo Gongchen brought back to Beijing at that time. They were in the palace and in Zhang Juzheng's Quanchu Guild Hall. Yang Bo should have had them, but Yang Bo didn't see Luo Gongchen, so they disappeared.
In the first year of Wanli, potatoes were still a rare item in the capital, but in the south, they had been introduced as early as the Jiajing period.
"Why did Luo Gongchen, the coastal defense commander, come to Beijing?" Zhu Yijun checked his memory and found no relevant content.
Emperor Wanli himself didn't like government affairs, and Empress Dowager Li was extremely strict. Under this rebellious mentality, he was mostly indifferent to state affairs, going in one ear and out the other.
Empress Dowager Li leaned back in her chair and said slightly distractedly: "Luo Gongchen wants to collect taxes. To be precise, he wants to set up a class to collect the tax on foreign ships. He will draw points, a tax of six out of 100, and collect those red-haired fans." tax on foreign ships.”
"Foreign ships? Luo Gongchen wants to collect taxes on foreign ships?"
Empress Dowager Li said quite accurately: "To foreign ships."
"The General Constitution of the Metropolitan Procuratorate opposes tax increases, and the reasons are considered sufficient."
"Ge Shouli said: The state has regulations on taxation. In areas with extensive connections and where merchants gather, there are customs and taxation offices. There are also tax departments in each government responsible for collecting taxes. The laws are so detailed that they will not be levied unless there is any leakage. Land. Taxes are already so heavy. To suddenly increase taxes now is to compete with the people for profit."
"Lu Shusheng, the Minister of Rites, also objected, saying that it is an ancestral law that has not been changed for two hundred years. Opening the sea and setting up a moon port for trade has violated the ancestral law. Do we want to continue to violate it?"
"The Ministry of Etiquette also said that the big and small Frangji red-haired fans can't even learn etiquette. They kneel crookedly, which is disrespectful to the law. If they tax foreign ships, it violates the "Golden Mean". All countries in the world have nine classics. The Rouyuan people among them have also violated the laws of their ancestors and are afraid of causing Japanese troubles again."
"The matter was dropped."
"Zhang Yuanfu still intends to implement it, so he left Luo Gongchen's memorial and asked him to go back and wait for news."
Empress Dowager Li had only read Nu Jie, so it was a bit difficult to read this elegant memorial, but Feng Bao had read books. She had a lot of trust in Feng Bao before, and it was also for this reason.
Luo Gongchen first voted for Yang Bo, but Yang Bo refused to accept it. Zhang Juzheng was good-tempered and gave Qi Jiguang face. He was put into the Quanchu Guild Hall and signed and sealed Luo Gongchen's memorial.
What kind of person is Zhang Juzheng? People who like him or hate him will probably admit that this man is a great talent. Likewise, everyone in the world knows that Zhang Juzheng is a man who will retaliate for his evil deeds.
Luo Gongchen wanted to collect taxes on foreign ships, but the Minister of Rites and the General Constitution of the Metropolitan Procuratorate opposed it, and Zhang Juzheng wanted to push it forward. This involved the issue of authority.
Zhang Juzheng was the assistant to the Yuan Dynasty. He had only been in power for a few months, and the collection of taxes on foreign ships did not involve the interests of the ministers in the court. He would not allow this. Just to establish his authority, Zhang Juzheng would carry out this matter. .
Lu Shusheng, the Minister of Rites, was recommended to the court by Zhang Juzheng as the Minister of Rites. Before Lu Shusheng could secure his seat, he began to oppose Zhang Juzheng's decrees based on etiquette.
If you ask Zhu Yijun, what is his attitude towards collecting taxes from foreign ships?
Does this need discussion? Collect it, you must collect it! Customs does not collect taxes, is that true? Is that true?
You must know that part of the taxes collected by Yuegang is taken away by national funds, and part of it goes into internal funds.
That's my money!
If anyone refuses, he will be charged with a crime and sent to Yongning Temple at the mouth of Heilongjiang to cut ice to get fish.
"Mother, I want to try growing these potatoes and sweet potatoes." Zhu Yijun finished the meal without saying a word, and then said to Queen Mother Li solemnly.
After hearing this, Queen Mother Li looked at the little emperor with disbelief written all over her face, and asked blankly: "The emperor said that he wants to farm? Does he want to understand the farming conditions? Let Zhang Yuanfu arrange it."
Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It's not about observing the agricultural conditions, nor worshiping the spring god Jumang, but farming the land, digging holes to bury seeds, sprinkling water and fertilizing, and caring for the farmers."
"Wait a minute, do you mean that the emperor wants to go to the fields in person?" Empress Dowager Li was dumbfounded. It didn't matter that her son didn't study before, but now he wants to get married and do farming. Is that what the emperor should do?
It's really not doing your job properly.
"Yes!" Zhu Yijun said quite accurately: "Just plant potatoes."
Let's put aside the tax collection issue for the moment. He is not in charge of the government now. He can just leave it to Zhang Juzheng to lead the charge.
But these potatoes must be planted.
Food is the most important thing for the people, and food is a bigger issue than the sky.
What is food? Food is the indestructible imperial power.
