Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 522: Big Changes in the Court

Official salaries in the Ming Dynasty had long been a big problem. There was even a new Jinshi who complained publicly: "Since ancient times, official salaries have never been so low."

The salary set by Taizu at the founding of the country was 1,044 dan of salary for the highest rank, the first rank, which was 331 dan of original salary, 712 dan of discounted salary, 266 taels of silver, 53 pieces of silk, 356 pieces of cloth, and 7,128 strings of banknotes...

The lowest annual salary for the ninth rank was only 60 shi, which was equal to 42 shi in original money and 18 shi in converted money, which could be converted into 25 taels of silver, 5 pieces of silk, 9 pieces of cloth, and 180 strings of cash.

According to the calculation method of official salary in this dynasty, it was basically calculated based on grain, and the payment was a combination of rice and goods. Rice was the original color, and goods were discounted. As discounted goods and banknotes became cheaper, the proportion of official salary remained unchanged, and the actual income of officials was getting less and less.

Not to mention anything else, the value of silk cloth has depreciated by more than half over the past hundred years with the development of the textile industry in Jiangnan, Shuzhong and other places.

In the past few years, the Ministry of Revenue always had more expenses than income, and often used silk cloth instead of salaries to distribute to officials, which directly led to many officials having to sell their salaries to cloth merchants in the city at low prices after receiving them.

In this way, the salary was once again reduced in disguise.

It is easier for those with high official titles or family properties, but for middle and lower-level officials in low-income government offices, they may not be able to support their families even if they live frugally.

Why was the old saint worshipped as the Holy Lord by all civil and military officials? It was because he had issued many decrees, ordering the Ministry of Revenue to open the door to facilitate lending money to officials who were "in financial difficulties"...

Moreover, he would reward his officials with a wave of his hand at any time. Who could not love such an "inhumane" king?
In stark contrast, his reputation as a mean and ungrateful person is largely due to the fact that when he was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue during the Zhaowu period, he wrote many letters to the emperor to forbid officials from borrowing money from the Ministry and intended to recover the deficit.

This issue was a hot topic for decades until the seventh year of Yuanyou, when the Ministry of Revenue began to have more money in its deposits and the payment of official salaries was changed from grain to cash, which made civil and military officials no longer so tight on finances.

Of course, the coming of a prosperous era means that silver and money will depreciate relatively speaking. Official salaries have not increased for a hundred years, and that little salary is not enough for officials to maintain their affluent lives.

Especially those low-paying government offices in the capital, such as those in the Hanlin Academy, those people are not called poor Hanlin for nothing.

The demand for a pay raise had been discussed privately a long time ago, but no one dared to put it out in the open.

As a scholar, all he wants is face.

If you always talk about money, how can you survive in the officialdom if this gets out?

But Jia Cong is different. When he mentioned this matter today, let’s not talk about whether anyone will "despise" him for being full of the stink of money, just the fact that he has sought benefits for middle and lower-level officials is something that any normal person would be grateful for.

……

The emperor agreed to Jia Cong's request and summoned the God of Wealth, Minister Lin, into the palace. The emperor and his minister discussed the issue for a long time in the Qinzheng Hall and finally drafted the latest official salary system.

The cabinet soon received the emperor's oral order. As heads were being killed in Caishikou, the imperial edict doubling official salaries spread to all parts of the capital.

Not only that, while raising salaries, the emperor also ordered the Ministry of Works to select a suitable location in the capital to build "public rental housing" for middle and lower-level officials. It is said that these are small courtyards with two entrances by the water, and are rented out at extremely low prices to officials who are unable to buy houses in Beijing.

Oh my goodness, this news is a blessing from heaven for those poor Hanlin scholars and poor censors.

Soon, those officials who were in panic because the emperor picked up the knife and chopped off heads immediately forgot their former drinking buddies and swarmed to the Ministry of Public Administration to submit memorials, singing songs and shouting "Long live the emperor!"

Even Lord Hai Gangfeng, who was the most upright and would often pull the dragon robe and spit at anyone, wrote a memorial and sent it to the emperor.

The content of the memorial is very interesting. The first part praises the emperor's love for all officials. The second half changes the subject and says that since the official salaries have more than doubled, the officials no longer have to worry about their lives and will naturally work hard for the country.

And since the official salary is enough for officials to enjoy a comfortable life, shouldn't those subsidies such as "ice tribute" and "carbon tribute" be cancelled...

No one knew which person in the Feiyu suit had spread the letter, but the public opinion in the capital quickly shifted from the issue of the imperial power going to the countryside to everyone criticizing Hai Gangfeng.

The tenth day was a day off, so Jia Cong ran to the Lin Mansion in Huanghuafang early in the morning.

Daiyu talked about the great debate between the court and the public in the past two days. It was said that Hai Gangfeng fought against all the civil and military officials in the court alone, and even made a harsh statement at a discussion meeting in the Imperial College that he would beat ten people!

To be honest, Jia Cong didn't think disguised subsidies like "ice tribute" and "carbon tribute" were a big deal as long as they were not excessive.

But Hai Gangfeng, an honest man who tolerates no sand in his eyes, believes that anything that goes against the rules is a disguised form of corruption...

Forget it. Jia Cong doesn't dare to get involved in such matters. Master Hai's attack power is really strong. It's better to let these big guys fight it out on their own.

Jia Cong lay in a rocking chair in the sun, feeling the warm spring breeze and sipping the tea brewed by Sister Lin, enjoying his happy life.

"Mr. Hai has protected Sister Lin from disaster. It's all thanks to Mr. Hai. If it were anyone else, they might not be able to withstand the powerful offensive of the civil and military officials in the court."

Daiyu put the peeled orange slices into Jia Cong's mouth and said with a smile, "I was worried at first. I offended most of the gentry at the sixth day's meeting. I didn't know how many people would scold me. I didn't expect that the next day, the news came out that Lord Hai had given up the 'ice tribute' and 'carbon tribute'."

"It's a coincidence, isn't it? Our prince asked someone to spread it."

Jia Cong swallowed the orange in one gulp and licked Daiyu's smooth and soft fingertips, which made Daiyu tap him on the head in embarrassment.

It was too much of a coincidence that before Jia Cong sent anyone to investigate, Yuanchun sent someone to deliver a message, asking the Jia and Lin families to keep quiet and not cause trouble.

Crown Prince Liu Hong talked to the emperor and secretly asked the Dragon Guards to pass on the contents of Hai Gangfeng's memorial.

Of course, the emperor also specifically informed Hai Gangfeng about this matter. He had to discuss it with others before asking them to protect his daughter from being criticized, so as not to disappoint the loyal minister.

Daiyu tilted her head, pondered for a while and said, "Then I have to go and thank Mr. Hai..."

"Don't!"

Jia Cong turned over and sat up, saying seriously: "This is not a simple defense. Lord Hai wants to use this debate to set the tone for the anti-corruption cause."

Ok?
Daiyu was puzzled: "Isn't Mr. Hai the Minister of Rites? How could he think of fighting corruption?"

Jia Cong pointed to the sky and replied, "The new policy has been implemented so far, and the farmland issue has been basically resolved. The two most important things at the moment are to reform the official system and to rectify the administration of officials. To rectify the administration of officials, we need an upright and honest gentleman. Who else but Hai Bijia can be more suitable?"

Daiyu covered her mouth and exclaimed: "Mr. Hai is going to the Ministry of Justice?"

Jia Cong shook his head.

"Do you want to join the cabinet?"

Jia Cong shook his head again and stopped keeping the secret. He whispered, "Your Majesty intends to raise the rank of the Censorate to the same level as the six ministries. He also wants Lord Hai to be appointed as prime minister and concurrently serve as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate..."

……

On February 11, the eleventh year of Yuanyou, the emperor issued several edicts in succession.

The first imperial edict appointed He Yaomin, the Minister of Rites of the Jin Dynasty, as an assistant minister of the cabinet and a Grand Secretary of Baohe Hall, and Hai Gangfeng, the Right Vice Minister of Rites of the Jin Dynasty, as an assistant minister of the cabinet and a Grand Secretary of Dongke, and concurrently served as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

The second imperial edict appointed Lu Yang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Jin Dynasty's Censorate, as the Prince's Grand Tutor and Minister of Rites, a position of the first rank.

The third imperial edict appointed Xu Jin, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Jin Dynasty’s Censorate, as the Crown Prince’s Tutor and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a position of the first rank.

The fourth imperial edict promoted Jia Zheng, the Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief, to the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, an official of the second rank.

The fourth imperial edict raised the rank of the Censorate to the same level as the Six Ministries.

At the same time, a decree was issued to the whole country that no official should interfere with the impeachment power of the Censorate.

"All the gains and losses of the court's political affairs and the benefits and disadvantages of people's livelihood should be reported in due time. Officials who are corrupt and treacherous can also be criticized and punished according to the facts. The Left Censor-in-Chief is responsible for inspecting and reviewing the officials and participating in the maintenance of discipline."

"Ministers who are treacherous, villains who form cliques, abuse their power and disrupt government, will be impeached; all officials who are corrupt and corrupt and violate official discipline will be impeached; all those who have improper academic knowledge, submit memorials to change the constitution, and seek promotion will be impeached."

Moreover, regulations were set that the Censorate only had to report to the Cabinet and the palace. Anyone from any ministry, temple or government office who dared to interfere with its authority would be dismissed from office and stripped of his title at the very least, or exiled 3,000 miles away at the most serious.

As soon as the imperial edict left the imperial city, it caused a storm in the capital.

Not to mention that the authority of the Censorate was instantly elevated, the mere fact that Hai Gangfeng entered the cabinet and concurrently served as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate was enough to give the nobles in the city a headache.

Who is Hai Gangfeng? He is a ruthless man who dares to confront the emperor in the Fengtian Hall and dares to pull the old saint's dragon robe and spit at him.

Anyone who sees this kind of strength will feel weak in the knees.

Jia Cong looked happily at the nobles in the imperial city who were gritting their teeth, as well as the people who had argued with Master Hai a few days ago, and almost laughed out loud.

Thirteenth Old Master Liu Ke poked Jia Cong's shoulder and whispered, "I say, kid, can't you stop smiling? Be careful of being targeted."

My goodness, everyone else is having a headache right now, but you're grinning so hard that your mouth is almost reaching your ears. You're just trying to watch the fun and take pleasure in other people's misfortune, aren't you?

Jia Cong immediately changed his expression and put on a "sad" look.

"I didn't, it wasn't me, who said I laughed!"

The corner of Liu Ke's mouth twitched. He put his big hand on Jia Cong's shoulder, squeezed it hard, and dragged him out of the palace.

The two of them walked out of Daxia Gate. Seeing that Old Thirteen was about to drag him into the carriage, Jia Cong asked in confusion, "Master Thirteen, where are you taking me?"

"You'll know when you go!"

The carriage soon arrived outside Prince Zhongshun's mansion. Jia Cong was dragged into the mansion by the Thirteenth Prince in a daze and led all the way to a pavilion in the mansion.

"Ah? Saint, why are you here?"

"Don't make a sound. Wait until I finish this game of chess."

The person sitting in the pavilion was the old emperor who should be in the Dragon Head Palace.

The old man was playing chess with Liu Chong, the prince of Prince Zhongshun. It was obvious that the old man was letting the old man win in the game between the grandfather and grandson. After watching for a while, Jia Cong felt itchy and wanted to give some guidance to this poor child Liu Chong.

However, the old man's eyes made Jia Cong hold back the words he wanted to say. He could only mutter something like "A true gentleman watches chess without saying a word" and so on.

"Grandpa Emperor, it's my grandson who lost!"

Liu Chong definitely couldn't be the old man's opponent. Although the old man's level was just above average, Liu Chong was just a teenager. How could he compete with a Go master like Wei Qinghe?

Even if the old man released the water... Sea~
The old saint waved his hand indifferently and asked someone to put away the chessboard.

He smiled and said, "Practice more in the future. These black and white chess pieces are like a person's life. You have to think about what to do and when to do it, and what path to take. If you take the wrong path, you will suffer a loss!"

There was something else in the old man's words, and Liu Chong was a smart man, so he naturally understood most of it.

He stood up and bowed: "Grandson understands, thank you for your teachings. Grandson will go and tell Uncle Huang..."

Huh? What?

Jia Cong was even more confused. The old man ran out of the palace, played a game of chess with Prince Zhongshun, and said something confusing. What was the reason?

"Jia Cong, from now on, Chong Ge'er will be handed over to you."

what?
The old man continued, "Chong Ge'er is a good boy. He can't just sit there doing nothing. The bastard Old Thirteen will teach my good grandson bad things!"

"Dad! How can your son be a bastard... Well, okay, you are my dad, so whatever you say is what it is."

The innocent old Thirteenth brother finally had no choice but to accept the name "bastard". Anyway, he had been called a bastard for a long time, so it didn't matter if his father scolded him a few more times.

Jia Cong was completely confused and asked, "Are you asking the prince to follow me? To raise horses in the Imperial Household Department?"

The Imperial Household Department was in charge of the government orders for horse herding. When the emperor went on tour, the imperial entourage and other carriages and miscellaneous items were all in charge. Among them, there were officials such as Qing, Shaoqing, and Yuanwailang.

According to the rules of the imperial court, the power of the Imperial Household Department is neither too big nor too small. Matters such as horse administration overlap with the power of the Ministry of War to a large extent. The six ministries are higher than the five temples, and the power of the Imperial Household Department has been cut off by the Ministry of War.

In Jia Cong's own words, the Minister of the Imperial Household was just a larger version of Bimawen.

It is too unfair for the prince of Zhongshun to raise horses with me.

But the old saint shook his head and said, "The position of Minister of the Imperial Household is just a formality for the emperor to restore your official title. Before you go to Japan, the emperor will find an opportunity to restore your title. When your power to establish a government office is restored, let Chongge'er go to your mansion and let him work under you."

Ah!
Jia Cong now understood that you were planning to let your grandson come to me to get gilded...

It’s not right to say it’s gilded. Jia Cong still remembers what the emperor said to him.

Things like reform often require going against all the civil and military officials in the court and even the entire country.

If we rely solely on the official institutions of the court, it is easy for things to be passed around and delayed until nothing is done.

Therefore, his Yongfeng Marquis Mansion, which was the newly established Great Xia Development and Reform Commission, was responsible for doing those things that court officials were unwilling to do but had to do for the sake of the country.

Matters like these, which concern the affairs of state, must always be looked after by someone from the royal family.

The Crown Prince's identity is sensitive and he should not be involved, so this matter falls on the head of Prince Zhongshun, Liu Chong.

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

　I’ll stop here for today and continue tomorrow. Good night!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)