Although Emperor Chongzhen had already explained before that a triumph was a common occurrence and there was no need to mobilize troops to welcome him. However, Queen Zhou and the Crown Prince still led the civil and military officials to welcome him out of the city.
The people of the capital were of course willing to join in the festivities. In the end, just like the last triumphant return from Liaodong, most people in the capital went out of the city to welcome the king's triumphant return.
When the emperor went on an expedition, they felt that the enemies on the grassland were too difficult to deal with. Although I feel that with the emperor's wisdom and martial arts, he can definitely defeat them, but if he wants to annihilate them all, even the famous generals who founded the country and later Emperor Chengzu failed to do it. So can the emperor do it?
Now of course they know the result, the emperor did it!
At this time, the civil and military officials of the DPRK and China, as well as the common people in the capital, all felt that the emperor was now truly omnipotent in leading the army in battles and could win any battle! Throughout the ages, it is estimated that few emperors are more powerful than the current emperor in commanding troops to fight!
After reaching this conclusion, as the emperor's subjects, they were of course extremely proud. Not only was he not numb from seeing too many triumphs, but he was even more enthusiastic and emotional.
When Emperor Chongzhen led the army and appeared in the sight of the people in the capital, they already knelt down and shouted in unison "Long Live the Mountain". The sound of this sound echoed over the capital again.
The soldiers of the three battalions under the Royal Horse Supervisor are already somewhat accustomed to such grand and large-scale welcoming ceremonies. As long as you follow the emperor on the expedition, you can enjoy this honor.
However, it was the first time to see the 60,000 soldiers who had just been selected from the important border towns between Qin and Jin. Not to mention ordinary soldiers, even Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements and suppression, was excited when facing such a grand welcoming ceremony. He felt that he had fought hard outside and had such an honor when he came back. It was already worth it!
All the attention! This is the glory a good man should have!
But at the front of the team, behind the imperial chariot, were more than a thousand soldiers of the Ming Army, all holding an urn in their hands. Facing the congratulations from the queen, the prince and other ministers, Emperor Chongzhen was not very happy. He just turned his head and looked at the urns and said solemnly: "We can wipe out all the Jianlu in Hetao and eradicate the Urad tribe who are the collaborators. and the Chahar tribe, thanks to the desperate fighting of the soldiers. Look, they died on the battlefield just to protect their homeland and the peace of the northwest of the Ming Dynasty."
In a war, no one will die! Many people listened and were a little disapproving of this. Just when they were about to speak to comfort the emperor, Emperor Chongzhen continued: "Behind every soldier who died in battle, there was a family that lost their son, brother, brother, or even It's their father. Although the court provided some compensation, it could never heal their pain. They were all good men of the Ming Dynasty. Without their contribution, other people would have suffered from the military disaster. How many people would have been displaced and lost their wives and children. I don’t even know that my family is scattered and everyone is dead!”
In the past few years, the capital was invaded and invaded several times every few years. Therefore, the people in the capital also felt the pain of military disasters.
At this time, after hearing what the emperor said, many people took the matter of the Ming soldiers' death in battle more seriously and agreed with the emperor's statement in their hearts. If all the Ming soldiers could fight to the death with Jianlu , how can Jianlu still wreak havoc in the capital? These soldiers who died in battle are indeed worthy of commendation and recognition.
Emperor Chongzhen saw the changes in their expressions and felt confident, so he named the Chief Minister of the Ming Dynasty and the Minister of Industry, and ordered them both on the spot: "I have decided to build another Ming Martyrs' Shrine next to the Ancestral Temple. Those who died in the Ming Dynasty, including the officials who died in the festival, the soldiers who died in battle, and the common people, can all get the name of loyalty and martyrs, enter the temple to enjoy the incense of the people of the Ming Dynasty, and coexist with the country! On festivals, the prince will lead hundreds of officials to pay tribute. When there is no crown prince, the chief assistant will lead hundreds of officials to pay homage."
Xue Guoguan and other civil and military officials were shocked when they heard this. This was equivalent to a smaller Ancestral Temple. Even those who enter the Zhonglie Shrine are given the name of Zhonglie, and the prince or chief minister leads hundreds of civil and military officials to pay homage. What a great treatment this is!
However, the emperor has stated that all those who died for the Ming Dynasty can enter the temple and enjoy incense. This is an additional possible honor for all the people of the Ming Dynasty. Although they feel that it is a bit demeaning for civil servants to be treated the same as dead soldiers who died in battle. How can this be the same?
However, when Emperor Chongzhen spoke at the beginning, he emphasized that "I have made up my mind." His prestige was unprecedentedly high, so these ministers did not dare to go against the emperor's will, especially at the beginning of the triumphal journey. If they really dare to say this before dealing with the ashes of soldiers who died in battle, they feel that the emperor is iron-blooded. If they are not careful, they will arouse the emperor's anger, which will be bad luck.
Therefore, after Emperor Chongzhen finished speaking, no civil and military officials dared to raise objections here.
Of course, they put some thought into the details afterwards, to show that it was more rare for a civilian to die in battle than for a warrior to die in battle, and that it was inevitable that their status would be higher.
For example, the worship position in the Martyrs' Shrine must be particular about who is in the most conspicuous position, and who is in the corner, they can pay attention to it.
Of course, Emperor Chongzhen would not be so stubborn that he would do everything according to his own wishes. Being able to take this step was already a lot of progress compared to before. This kind of thing between the noble and the military has become deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and it cannot be truly changed by one's will. Making appropriate concessions on small things is also a trick that an emperor should master when managing his subordinates.
Of course, the establishment of the Martyrs' Shrine cannot be done with just one sentence. There are still many things to do.
For example, how can we be assessed as loyal martyrs and be admitted to the Martyrs' Shrine? This needs to be formulated with specific details, rather than relying on a vague idea of dying for the Ming Dynasty. Just discussing this detail will consume a lot of energy from the emperor and his ministers. .
Also, you need money to build the Martyrs’ Shrine! The treatment of Zhonglie must be different from others, and it will definitely require more money, and there is also a difference in status and reputation. These details also need to be discussed by the monarch and his ministers.
It can be said that all civil and military officials have no experience in these matters.
However, the soul of Emperor Chongzhen at least comes from later generations, and there are places for reference; such as the evaluation and treatment of martyrs, and the nameplates issued by the military to mark the Ming Dynasty soldiers. In this way, even if the Ming Dynasty soldiers died in battle, there would be no confusion. The soldiers should have Honor can be had.
Therefore, it can be said that everything related to the Martyrs' Shrine was carried out under the leadership of Emperor Chongzhen. This was also the first thing Emperor Chongzhen did after returning to the capital in triumph.
While busy with this matter, Emperor Chongzhen naturally had to pay attention to other matters related to this matter. For example, the issue of the court's fiscal revenue.
In other aspects, everything was in line with his expectations, but one thing was beyond Emperor Chongzhen's expectations.
After several years of promotion, all provincial branches of Daming Royal Bank have been established. However, in terms of deposits and loans, it is not very ideal, even in places with a strong commercial atmosphere in Jiangnan.
For this reason, Emperor Chongzhen carefully read the relevant information, and finally found out that the conditions for the loan were set relatively high because he was afraid that the loan would not be recovered and would become a dead debt. The value of the mortgage must be higher than the principal of the loan. Can. This makes many private businessmen hesitant, fearing that if the loan fails, the collateral will be gone.
This is true even here in Jiangnan, let alone other places.
As a result, Emperor Chongzhen convened a meeting with ministers in the Wenhua Palace to discuss this matter. He asked them to think about how to deal with this matter.
In the opening remarks, Emperor Chongzhen said simply and clearly: "The money in the bank must not lie still. Only by letting it flow and letting the money create more money can it be in line with my original intention of setting up the bank. But now Even in the Jiangnan area, there are very few people who take out loans, what do you think?"
What he meant by this was not that he wanted to earn more interest rate differentials, but that if people took loans to do business, they would be able to create more jobs and make some people rich first.
The officials who came to discuss the matter were naturally notified in advance and knew what was going to happen, so they were prepared. Chief Assistant Xue Guoguan was the first to go out and report: "Your Majesty, people do not dare to borrow money from banks because they are really worried that they will not be able to repay it. , the collateral was confiscated by the government, so he was timid. Wei Chen thought that if the collateral wasn't so valuable, maybe some people would give it a try?"
In fact, there was another reason that none of them dared to say.
If there were no inspections by the local procuratorate and factory guards, the local officials and gentry would definitely be happy to borrow money. With their status, it would not be easy for the money to reach their pockets and then return it to the bank. matter.
Without these powerful local officials and gentry to lend money, ordinary people would naturally feel a sense of fear when facing banks opened by the imperial court. Moreover, their vision is limited and the risks they bear are limited. For various reasons, it is understandable that the current situation has emerged.
Wang Cheng'en, the admiral of Dongchang, also followed suit and reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, Dongchang has received news from some provinces that local officials and gentry are secretly obstructing people from borrowing from the Ming Royal Bank branch. It's just that They used private compliance methods to influence, so the local servants did not take any measures. Otherwise, the servants asked them to beat them up, or captured a few to kill chickens and monkeys? "
Having sat in the position of Admiral of Dongchang for almost two years, Wang Chengen's words unconsciously contained a bit of cruelty.
When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he frowned and asked: "What kind of compliance method?"
When Wang Chengen heard this, he immediately told the news reported by his subordinates in public.
In fact, he had already reported it to Emperor Chongzhen alone, but Emperor Chongzhen felt that it was necessary to mention this matter again in a formal setting, just to these courtiers.
In this day and age, if you deposit money in a bank, you will be charged a custody fee. It is rarely said that interest will be paid to the depositor. In addition, the interest on bank loans, including private loans, comes from usury.
However, since the establishment of the provincial branches of the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty, not only are there no custody fees for deposits, but interest will also be given; and the interest on loans, although higher than the interest on deposits, is definitely far lower than the interest on previous bank loans, and even more so. Not to mention the interest on those private loans.
In this way, the establishment of provincial branches of the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty affected the interests of these people. And these banks and private lenders are basically local wealthy and powerful officials and gentry. Therefore, they naturally don't want their business to be robbed, so they want to find ways to stop it.
If it were in the past, during the chaotic times of the late Ming Dynasty, the majesty of the imperial court had long since disappeared. They wanted to bring down the branch of the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty. They had all the means and no scruples in doing so.
However, in the past few years, the chaotic situation in the Ming Dynasty has been fundamentally contained. First, the emperor went on a personal expedition, captured all the bandits, and quelled the rebellion; then, the emperor issued an order to attach the greatest importance to disaster relief throughout the country, saving countless people. Naturally, the people were grateful to the court, and the prestige of the government began to take root in the hearts of the people again.
In addition, the imperial court continued to achieve great victories, and the emperor severely punished officials who violated laws and disciplines. Just after the Changshu Rebellion, the emperor had dismissed or punished more than a hundred local officials in one go. It can be seen that the emperor's attitude towards the local area is very strict. Those who dare to cause trouble, even if they bring public opinion against the court, will not end well.
All these factors make those whose interests have been harmed dare not easily challenge the majesty of the imperial court. However, they were definitely not willing to give in, so they thought of other tricks.
For example, if someone in a clan wants to get a loan from a bank, the clan will say that the loan is allowed and will not be blocked, but in the future he will no longer be a member of the clan, or the interests within the clan will be weakened. How many people dare to go to the bank? loan?
Also, if they have business dealings on weekdays, they can use this kind of business dealings to control others and prevent others from going to the bank for loans.
As long as you are willing, you can definitely find a lot of compliance methods like this. There are absolutely very few people who can break through various restrictions and get a bank loan.
After Wang Chengen explained this situation, he immediately reported to Emperor Chongzhen with murderous intent: "Your Majesty, these unruly people dare to go against the imperial court. It will definitely be useful for my slaves to teach them how to behave! Some people just need to be dealt with!"
Hearing this, Xue Guoguan and other civil servants were shocked. If the emperor agreed and the factory guards did not follow the rules, the consequences would be serious.
They were thinking this, and when they were about to file a memorial to stop them, Emperor Chongzhen had already said: "No, everyone must act according to me and the rules set by the Ming Dynasty. I reiterate this point, including factory guards, Don’t violate it either!”
When Xue Guoguan and others heard this, they were overjoyed. It seemed that the emperor was wise. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Wang Chengen respond to Emperor Chongzhen: "I obey the order. If this is the case, how can we do anything to those people and how can we implement the bank loan?" Of?"
Miaoshuwu
