Zhao Cong went out to order takeout.
Xu Youzhen also returned to the room and looked at the wax seal of the letter carefully. After looking at it for a while, she couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I was really too careful. How could Menda dare to open and read His Majesty's secret letter. "
Then he opened the seal and took out the letter.
"When I hear the works of the sages of the past, I will definitely consult the sages and then learn from them. Alas, the heart of a sage is so profound. I have kept it in my heart. Although there are thousands of sages' words, it is impossible to imitate them, and it is difficult to find a way to understand them."
"However, I know very well that the clan princes are all over the world, and many of them are rebellious. The old system of Taizu cannot be completely abolished, nor can it remain unchanged. Xu Qing inspected the new tax system in the three provinces for me. He should dare to be the first to urge the clan members to follow the new tax system as soon as possible. It depends on the tax system and plans for the future.”
"The clouds are far away and the wind is sending rain, and a tall flowerbed is exposing the heat and salty harvest. There is peace and tranquility, and the people are prosperous, and they are harmonizing and straightening out the autumn."
"I and the capital master held a banquet to wait for Xu Qing's good news..."
This letter was not written according to the format of a letter. It seemed like it was addressed to Xu Youzhen, but also like a conversation between His Majesty the Emperor and himself. It seemed like he said nothing, but also seemed like he said a lot.
Among them, Zhu Jianshen also quoted a poem by his ancestor Taizu Emperor Gao.
After Xu Youzhen read it, she couldn't calm down.
Officials of the Ming Dynasty, as long as they were actually in charge of government affairs, they all knew one thing, that is, the clan of the Ming Dynasty was very well protected.
They all know that taxation, food, and land are fixed at this stage, but the clan is growing year by year. If this continues, the clan will become the biggest stumbling block to the Ming Dynasty.
Just because you can see these things doesn't mean you can give His Majesty the Emperor advice and put these things on the table.
My kindness to my relatives can be said to be in every possible way, and it is far more generous than that of previous generations.
In real history, Emperor Jiajing carried out a reform to the vassal princes. Li Chunfang, the Minister of Rites, implemented the vassal regulations to limit the number of wives and concubines of the vassal princes. All concubines and children must be reviewed by the Ministry of Rites, otherwise the children will not be registered. The princes and younger brothers of the feudal lords also had to strictly review the granting of titles to their younger brothers to cut down on the clan's large useless expenses and reduce the original gifts. It was also after Jiajing that the feudal princes had strict supervision on everything from granting titles, granting land to daily expenses. .
Before this, no minister had ever proposed a reform of the vassal vassal.
No matter what, the clan is the emperor's clan. If Emperor Jiajing had not spoken, there would have been no vassal regulations at all. Of course, this kind of reform was still incomplete. The social wealth originally occupied by the clan had not been depleted. The emperor's When a brother asks for a reward, as the emperor he still has no way to refuse.
As a minister, Xu Youzhen cannot be mentioned.
But now His Majesty the Emperor has spoken out.
Does this mean that he, the Minister of Rites, will have a full-scale confrontation with the clan king?
No, with the support of His Majesty the Emperor, he was carrying out gentle reforms to the clan and feudal lords.
Because of the clan affairs, Zhu Jianshen cannot be the person behind the scenes as before. He must also stand at the front, otherwise even if Yu Qian does such a thing, he will not be able to do it.
Xu Youzhen put the letter back into the bag, picked up the pamphlet, and flipped through it.
This is the result obtained by Jin Yiwei and Dongchang personnel from all over the country for three months. The family properties of the Prince's Mansion, the County Prince's Mansion, and the Zhenguo General's Mansion in the three provinces are all clearly recorded.
Shocking.
Xu Youzhen sighed: "Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust this person with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind and will, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions. Therefore, tempting his heart and forbearance has benefited him." Impossible."
"I am still the person your Majesty trusts the most..."
"Tomorrow, I will pay a visit to Prince Qin's Mansion..."
After saying that, Xu Youzhen closed her eyes and pondered for a while, then she collected the pamphlet and the letter from His Majesty the Emperor, then walked to the door and shouted to the Jin Yiwei guarding outside: "Go , send someone to urge Zhao Cong, why is it so slow?"
The Jin Yiwei outside the door was stunned for a moment after hearing Xu Youzhen's words. He just listened to Xu Du Yushi reciting poems, how could he change so quickly.
"Yes, Xu Du Yushi."
It is a reasonable saying to feel full, warm, and lustful, but when I am excited and happy, I also miss it.
If I had known that His Majesty was going to entrust me with such an important task, I should have taken Sister Park Ningmei with me when I left the capital. Now that I think about it, I really regret it.
……………………
Capital, in the Qianqing Palace.
Although it was late at night, the lights were still bright. Zhu Jianshen sat in front of the Long Case and looked at the vassal king's fields and property that Jin Yiwei and Dongchang had investigated.
His face was ugly, a little scared, and a little helpless.
Zhu Yuanzhang was too kind to his own family, which was something that Emperor Hongwu was criticized for in later generations.
The problem of the clan is not the princes who are above them, but the countless princes, generals and captains below them.
Prince, county king, general of the state, general of the auxiliary state, general Fengguo, lieutenant of the state, lieutenant of the auxiliary state, lieutenant of the state of Fengguo, the lowest clan member is the lieutenant of the state of Fengguo, and the sons of lieutenant of the state of Fengguo are all lieutenants of the state of Fengguo. , eat royal food.
The Ming Dynasty relied on a single financial system to support hundreds of thousands of clans. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, wars and disaster relief were always done by scratches.
And Zhu Jianshen just wanted to make a change.
Even if the Ming Dynasty launched foreign campaigns and captured a lot of territory, which could seal off all future princes, the court still needed to give royal family gifts to princes. This was based on the ancestral system, and the pressure on the court would not be reduced.
This time Zhu Jianshen asked Xu Youzhen to go on an inspection tour, in order to collect the vassal king's tax money from the perspective of the new tax system.
In Korea, Annan's vassal kings could still provide some relaxation and support, but that was for strategic purposes. However, vassal kings who stayed in the original territory of the Ming Dynasty had to further control, reduce gifts, and inhibit clan annexation of land. , formulated strict laws to restrain the clan kings.
After reading it again, Zhu Jianshen looked at Zhang Bao and said, "Zhang Daban, do you think Xu Aiqing will be scared?"
Zhang Bao paused for a moment and then said: "Your Majesty, the Censor of Xudu is loyal to Your Majesty. I don't think he will be afraid. Even if he is afraid, the Censor of Xudu will do his best."
"I guess that not only will he not be afraid, but he will also be very happy. Xu Du Yushi has done a lot of things for me and has a bad reputation. But if he touches the clan king, let the feudal king act in accordance with the tax system like the common people. , you can gain a good reputation of not being afraid of power, and you can also save some face."
"Your Majesty is wise, but this servant is stupid and cannot think so much." Zhang Bao said quickly.
Zhu Jianshen smiled softly, and then picked up another memorial.
Han Yong went up.
Shi Heng's army crossed the Beijiang River, and within a few days, they were able to encircle the city...
This is also the only thing that makes Zhu Jianshen happy these days. For Ming Dynasty, reoccupying Jiaozhou City is not the end of the war, but a new beginning of the Battle of Annan...
Biquge
