The internal problems of the Ming Dynasty could not be solved in a day. Even if Zhu Houcong delegated power and emphasized that the state is above the king, his own ideological and values did not need to change, but it was extremely difficult for others to change.
Not to mention the eternal humanity.
For example, the report coming back from Cochin.
Zhu Houcong looked at Zhang Bor: "What's the news from you?"
"Generally, what Tian Qin said is correct." Zhang Bor calmly reported, "The news I received is that Ruan Gan has been defeated in repeated battles and has fled into Ailao Mountain. Although there are other people in Jiaozhi who are loyal to the Li family. , but fewer and fewer people raised armies, and they were all quickly wiped out by the Mo family. Among these people, none of them were descendants of the Li family, they were just former ministers of the Li family."
Zhu Houcong frowned and looked at Yang Yiqing: "Tian Rucheng knows the purpose of this trip, right?"
"Of course it's clear." Yang Yiqing paused, and then said, "Your Majesty, if Tian Shuhe can succeed in this plan, he will be able to get the Jiba Island. Over time, the Yuntun ports will be no problem."
"The purpose of Ming Dynasty is not just that."
Yang Yiqing looked sad and stopped talking.
The emperor's purpose is indeed more than that, but now the situation has changed. The strategic purpose of the Xuanda War was to cripple the Tumote tribe, which not only eliminated the real enemy in the emperor's heart, but also allowed Bodi to free up his hands and try to control the left and right wings. In this way, the Khan's court would not be able to take care of the Ming Dynasty within a few years.
Unexpectedly, after Bodi was killed in a battle, Anda became stronger. Now that Qinghai has changed hands again, Ming Dynasty's focus must be on the northern border.
In Yang Yiqing's mind, it would be a good thing if he could obtain a steady stream of money, grain and other goods from Jiaozhi through trade.
What's more, the Mo family has obviously firmly controlled Jiaozhi. Is it difficult for the old Li family to make any waves? The strategy of sitting back and watching their internal friction has no basis for implementation.
Zhu Houcong did not speak for the time being.
He knew that later there was a drama about the Li family asking the Ming Dynasty to send troops, but now more than two years have passed since the Mo family usurped power, and no descendants of the Li family have appeared yet. Most of the other Li family's old ministers surrendered, and those who did not surrender were defeated or fled.
He looked at Tian Rucheng's petition again: Mo Dengyong said that it was just the Li family who had no choice but to accept Zen as a last resort. He had no intention of becoming the lord of Jiaozhi. He was willing to abdicate in favor of talents and enjoy fishing as a career. He only hoped that the heaven would realize that Li's strength was exhausted and he would be crowned king of Jiaozhi again. When the imperial envoy from the Celestial Empire arrived, Jiaozhi was extremely excited. We also heard that a diplomatic embassy could be set up to facilitate trade, and a harbor could be built on Cat Ba Island as a gateway for ships from the Ming Dynasty.
Needless to say, Tian Rucheng has already revealed the Ming Dynasty's intention to intervene in Yuntun ports. Sea Trade House and Jiaozhi have been trading for many years, and there are frequent ships. Tian Rucheng must have said it euphemistically, he just wanted a place to dock and concentrate trade, but how could Mo Dengyong not see it?
Just as Yang Tinghe didn't care much about Tuen Mun Island at that time, Mo Dengyong didn't care that Ming Dynasty had a harbor on Cat Ba Island, as long as Ming Dynasty could give him what he needed.
If you abdicate in favor of someone more worthy, who else can you give it to? Of course it's his son.
However, Tian Rucheng did not insist that the credential could only be given to the Li family of Jiaozhi who was canonized by the Ming Dynasty. Instead, he made such a memorial. On the surface, they asked the emperor and the court to make the decision, but in fact, I am afraid that they have been knocked unconscious by sugar-coated bullets, right?
But Yang Yiqing also thinks that this result is also acceptable.
It was no longer possible, and Mo Dengyong's posture was extremely low. Since the Ming Dynasty has no name for its troops and is currently unable to prepare for war in Nanyang, is it just waiting for the situation in Jiaozhi to change and the descendants of the Li family to raise a flag to ask the Ming Dynasty to send troops to suppress the rebellion?
Zhang Boring's words corroborated the internal situation in Jiaozhi. The reason Tian Rucheng dared to disobey the instructions he received before setting off naturally believed that he was making a meritorious deed.
Zhu Houcong thought for a long time and finally said: "I have sent an order to Tian Rucheng, but the request is not allowed."
Yang Yiqing frowned even more tightly and didn't say anything immediately.
"Let him tell Mo Dengyong that since there has been such a change in Jiaozhi, it is appropriate to send envoys to the capital to report the details. The Li family has always paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, and hastily made him the master, which is inconsistent with etiquette. I also want to see if the Li family is exhausted. After all, whether the Mo family is in the hearts of the people of Cochin and whether it is respectful to the Ming Dynasty. Let the mission retreat to Cat Ba Island first and wait and see what happens."
“Your Majesty’s intention is to delay it further?”
"What's the use of just procrastinating?" Zhu Houcong said lightly, "Mo Dengyong wants my canonization. Unless the Cochin diplomatic embassy is officially established, trade will not stop. There will always be money to be made. In the meantime , we should help Ruan Gan. Now that the situation has changed, whether the descendants of the Li family are true or false is not that important anymore. "
Zhang Bor's eyes flashed: "Your Majesty's intention is... to find someone to pretend to be Li's family?"
"As long as Ruan Gan doesn't give up, he will definitely be looking for it. If he can't find it, he will definitely think of this method. The Li clan has been completely slaughtered. I think as long as some old ministers and old servants in the palace can prove it, What is fake is real." Zhu Houxuan looked at Zhang Boring, "Can your people over there do this?"
"I understand! Ruan Gan will be tempted even if he just spreads some rumors. Even if what he finds is actually false, he will definitely have a way to make it true." Zhang Boring's eyes suddenly lit up.
"With my words, Mo Dengyong thinks there is hope, so he will pay tribute to me with all his heart. As rumors spread, he will definitely suppress them frantically, and would rather kill the wrong ones than let them go, in case I think Li's strength is not exhausted. "Zhu Houcong looked at Yang Yiqing, "What does General Staff Yang think of this?"
Yang Yiqing sighed: "Then let's wait and see for some more time. Even if the Li family's old ministers are still in trouble, it would be good for the Mo family to be more filial to the Ming Dynasty."
One thing is clear. Your Majesty really does not have the mentality of a celestial lord when it comes to the vassal states and clans like previous monarchs. To use means like this to stimulate people's internal worries for practical gain. To be honest, although Yang Yiqing knew that he was good to Ming Dynasty, the education he had received since childhood was not like this.
Zhu Houcong could hear the helplessness in his tone.
In the face of the Northern Troubles, Yang Yiqing had no shirking responsibility and could actively plan, because the Northern Pirates were a serious concern of the Ming Dynasty.
Regarding Jiaozhi, Yang Yiqing was worried that it would involve Da Ming's energy, and also felt that Da Ming was bullying others.
He didn't object, just because he was already very old. If it weren't for the fact that there was no one with enough weight to take his place, Yang Yiqing would have planned to become an official this time. Therefore, the subsequent changes in Jiaozhi will not be a matter of his tenure.
Zhu Houcong did not blame him for being conservative on the Jiaozhi issue. Yang Yiqing did not understand the turbulence of the Age of Discovery, nor did he accurately understand what the emperor had in mind for the future Ming Dynasty.
Even for the younger generation of important ministers such as Zhang Fujing, Yan Song, and Yang Shen, the best Ming Dynasty in their minds was that of the Han and Tang Dynasties: when it conquered the world, all nations came to court, and the people within the country lived and worked in peace and contentment, that was enough.
It does not pursue the specific level that the people’s living conditions and living standards should reach. The foundation of eternity they imagined was nothing more than a set of improved systems, and would not be specific to the level of geography and resources. What new solid land would be beneficial to future generations of China would be controlled.
Now faced with Tian Rucheng's petition and Yang Yiqing's opinions, Zhu Houcong could only make his own decision.
Yan Song, who had never spoken until now, noticed the emperor's determination and suddenly said in a stern voice: "Then I will draft an official document and send it to Jiaozhi!"
…
Before the heavy snow fell, there were still bandits in Bian Town, but now they were concentrated on the three west sides.
Anda's troops were recharging their strength, but Xuanda calmed down.
Xia Yan ran on three sides, trying his best to support the intrusion from the north and south by tens of thousands of households in Ordos commanded by Gunbilik.
The Ming Dynasty's money and grain naturally had to go to Shaanxi via a longer, more difficult, and more costly route.
However, Huguang is suffering from a severe drought this year and needs disaster relief from the court.
In the far southeast, Suzhou Prefecture in Nanzhili was in a state of turmoil. The disaster relief censor sent by the Beijing Metropolitan Procuratorate was supposed to supervise the disaster relief work, but in fact, he and Governor Yingtian had been investigating the real reasons why Suzhou suffered such a severe disaster.
The emperor only gave him three months, and the emperor's anger that day was not fake. Zhang Fuking also needed to give a warning in the first year when the Ministry of Household Affairs in Beijing directly levied grain taxes from South Zhili and the three provinces.
The matter has been investigated so far, and the results are not beyond Yang Shen's expectations at all.
In the official hall of the Minister of Household Affairs, Zhang Fujing sat at the top, accompanied by Yang Shen on the other side. There were several fourth-rank or above people below, one of whom was standing.
"So, it not only involves a member of the current General Directorate of the Ministry of Industry, but also involves the current Minister of the Ministry of Industry and the Right Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing, as well as seven rural sages in South Zhili?" Zhang Fujing spoke.
"That's right. Although there are no rural virtuous institutions at the provincial or county level in southern Zhili, in the past three years, nearly 30% of the rural virtuous institutions in the Ming Dynasty have been petitioned for approval. Especially when the war was declared the year before last, money and donations were made. There were many people working on grain, so they petitioned and approved sixty-three people at one time. This time, 40% of the destroyed fertile fields in Suzhou belonged to the families of these seven village sages. In the past, when the water conservancy was rectified, these seven people also came out. They worked hard and repaired many river sections and seawalls.”
Yang Shen sneered.
Zhang Fujing frowned.
The special case of Southern Zhili has not been restructured so far. During the period of water conservancy rectification, only Guangdong implemented project procurement. But to do things in various places, naturally in addition to allocating money, they also assigned local taxes and levied labor services. In the end, most people actually paid money to do the work, and the government organized the work and purchased materials for the construction.
To say that those seven families had made up their minds many years ago to use natural disasters to destroy their farmland is naturally false. But there is a new situation this year. It is possible to take advantage of natural disasters and use your own understanding of those river sections to do something, lose part of the year's harvest, and throw a thorny problem to the court.
Yang Shen opened his mouth and said coldly: "During the Qing Dynasty, there must have been no problems with the river and sea dikes. But after so many years, the people have been fighting for water, digging and renovating them randomly. The wind is blowing, and the water is washing away. What happened? The question is normal. In short, no matter how you investigate, these seven village sages are the victims, and there must be no ironclad evidence against them. If you really want to argue, it is due to negligence and lack of preparation in the Suzhou government. Who has been punished for this crime? , I’m afraid it will only chill the hearts of other prefectures and counties. People are not saints, let alone natural disasters. Who can guarantee that they will not be unlucky next time? "
Zhang Fujing's brows furrowed even more tightly, fearing that Zuo Du Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate also had a headache.
What results can be obtained from this? Who can do it? What rules should be established?
Seven points are true and three points are false. The truth is hard to break, and the falseness is human nature.
How many local officials can be saints?
"I'll discuss it with Yong Xiu first. You can go down first." After the others left the official office, Zhang Fujing looked at Yang Shen: "Based on the new amount, what percentage of the total amount of money and food can be collected by the provinces this year? Southern Zhili and the three provinces What percent is it again?”
"In all provinces, prefectures and counties, the total after reduction and exemption for major and minor disasters is more than 70%. Judging from the figures from Jiajing five years ago, it is 40% more than in the past. South Zhili and the three provinces can receive 60% more this year , 1.5% more than before.”
Yang Shen reported the number, and Zhang Fujing remained silent.
According to the yellow book made by Qingzhangtian, if the full quota is collected, the money and food of the Ming Dynasty will really be able to "double the annual income".
But the current situation is that we can only receive more than 70%. The reason is, just like Suzhou. Although it is not the wind from the sky, there are still dragons from the earth, bandits, and water from the sky...
Although the actual amount received is more than in the past, it is not very effective, not to mention that the government's financial expenditure is now greater than in the past.
One of the biggest reasons is that Southern Zhili and the three provinces are lagging behind. Together, these four places accounted for nearly half of the Ming Dynasty’s tax revenue. If they can collect more, the overall increase will be considerable.
"Sixty percent, huh..." Zhang Fujing also had a cold look, "This year it's Huguang Tianqian, Nanzhili and Zhejiang Tianfeng. What about next year? Especially Nanzhili, the prefectures and prefectures used to collect taxes on behalf of the Nanjing Household Department, and the accounting system even No new account has been implemented, which makes it more troublesome to check. In addition, the new Zhenwu camp in Nanjing means more remains. The number of people transporting to Beijing is only 10% more than in the past. "
"The state affairs are as expected." Yang Shen confirmed his assessment, "It is not easy to achieve an increase of 10%."
"If you want to use the extra 10% to buy a peaceful life, you are wrong!" Zhang Fujing stood up, "I will go back and discuss with Mr. Fei. Your Majesty, with the important responsibility of the Civil Affairs Commission and the State Council, is responsible for South Zhili Aren’t most things civil affairs? Things that are inconvenient for Your Majesty to do should be done by the State Council!"
Yang Shen was shocked and couldn't help but stand up: "Zhang Guowu, could it be that..."
Zhang Fujing showed off his indomitable momentum in Guangdong: "In such a small case, nothing can be found and nothing can be done. If you don't force yourself into a corner, who will jump? Ming Dynasty can't have only one Nanzhili who will always be an outlier, Qian Fa The implementation is imminent, and we will not allow Southern Zhili to continue to be a world of its own. Don’t worry, I have a clear idea of the country’s affairs.”
Since the first national grain collection in the sixth year of Jiajing in accordance with the new standards after the Qing Dynasty, the grain tax that year was 20% more than before.
Last year, it was another 15%.
This year, Southern Zhili, Jiangxi, Huguang, and Zhejiang were all included in the direct tax collection system of the Ministry of Household Affairs in Beijing, but only half a percent more, a total of only 40 percent more than before.
Although after the implementation of the Commercial Law, the amount of directly collected taxes and money was much larger than in the past, but the money would eventually be exchanged for various materials.
Now the effect of this new law on grain tax is increasing at a slower and slower rate, and I am afraid that it will only reach more than 80% of the quota in the end. After all, it is inevitable that some places will be affected by disasters every year and need to be reduced or exempted.
At the age of ten, Zhang Fujing still remembered what the debate was between the emperor and his ministers in the year of his imperial examination.
Now, it is already the ninth year of Your Majesty's ascension to the throne, and it will soon be the tenth year.
The tax amount has doubled, but that is the result of the clan members and relatives under the emperor's pressure, so many companies must pay taxes every year in accordance with commercial and tax laws.
What about the grain tax?
Jiangxi, Huguang, and Zhejiang are grouped around South Zhili, always lagging behind. Many government orders issued by the State Council and the Six Ministries in Beijing always have to go through the Six Ministries in Nanjing.
An extra process means an extra layer of oil and water, an extra layer of wear and tear on the court, and an extra layer of space for people to move their hands.
At the Wangri court meeting in the twelfth month of the eighth year of Jiajing, before the three-month deadline given by the emperor to find out the truth about the disaster in Suzhou Prefecture, Zhang Fujing, who was secretly called Zhang Behead by many people, came out and said solemnly: "Minister of State Zhang Fujing, the official in charge of household affairs, please report me if you have any questions."
Zhu Houcong looked at him and said calmly: "Speak."
Zhang Fujing took a deep breath and said loudly: "Liu Tianhe, the governor of the Huanghuai River, has a plan to control the floods in the Huanghuai River. It will benefit the long-term, but river control is not a day's work, and it will also involve the counties in the lower reaches of the Huanghuai River. In order to avoid future problems. Since there are many government offices and the traffic is not smooth, I would like to ask Nanzhili to set up a Huaiyang Chengxuan Envoy Department north of the Yangtze River!"
Light snow was falling outside the National Assembly Hall, and many court officials shuddered: Split the Southern Zhili?
Zhu Houcong's eyes lit up: Zhang Fujing found a good reason! good time!
This timing refers to the New Year coming soon.
This bright color was immediately hidden by him, and after a while he slowly said: "This is a big matter, let's discuss it after the year. Mao Gong should have a memorial to explain the pros and cons in detail, right? Submit it first, I want to Think carefully."
He needs to think carefully, and the meeting after the new year means that this matter is not impossible.
This year, many people are destined to be uneasy, and the year after the year will also be very lively.
(End of chapter)
