Emperor Ming Dynasty

In the blink of an eye, it’s summer.

The first assistant, Yan Ying, was over seventy years old and sent a letter begging for the bones.

As usual, it's not allowed.

After three times, the emperor agreed.

Immediately, the emperor granted him the son of Jiangyin and a living estate of 500 stones for his meritorious service in assisting the government.

According to the usual practice, the second assistant is promoted in succession, so Zheng Sen showed special respect to Yan Yingyuan when he bid farewell to him.

He is the same age as the emperor, already sixty-one, which is not young at this age.

Yan Yingyuan's hometown is in Tongzhou, and he arrived almost in a day, so the things had been transported long ago, and the people lingered for a few days and left quickly.

Of course he understands that the most taboo thing among courtiers is the love of power.

Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, there are green grass and sky.

"Mr. Yan!" Zheng Sen raised his glass: "I have been a colleague for many years, and I have learned a lot from you. Please drink this glass to the full!"

"With my little ability, I can't talk about going to school!!" Yan Yingyuan sighed:

"I have been in Beijing for decades and suddenly returned to my hometown. For a moment, I felt a little shy about being close to my hometown!"

Zheng Sen comforted him with a few words, and then the two of them sat opposite each other in the pavilion and drank tea.

"The Siam incident is certainly good for the court, but don't be too impulsive."

Yan Yingyuan said in a low voice: "I also had lingering fears after returning home. I really shouldn't have promised to be so generous. It has fed His Majesty's appetite!"

"Same!" Zheng Sen agreed: "But Siam is sandwiched between Burma and Weiguo. Your Majesty may have been prepared for it long ago, so it is just a matter of sooner or later for the court."

As he spoke, he smiled bitterly: "Now that Your Majesty has been in charge of the country for a long time, whoever dares to oppose you might as well just go with the flow!"

Yan Yingyuan was silent.

How could he not know.

Although he has enjoyed great power during his career as chief assistant over the past few years, he is still frightened in his heart.

Because he found that he, the chief minister, could not refuse any of the emperor's actions and could only agree or make up for it afterwards.

That's what imperial power is.

No matter how mediocre an emperor is, once he has been in power for a long time, he will unknowingly establish his authority.

Generally speaking, all civil and military officials in the imperial court are admitted by the emperor. Who dares to speak out against it?

"Do your best!" Yan Yingyuan raised his eyelids and said in a deep voice: "Being in the cabinet, I naturally shoulder the responsibility of all living beings in the world..."

After saying that, he changed the topic and talked about cabinet affairs.

According to decades of branch practice, the first assistant is in charge of the civil, financial and household ministries. He holds the economic lifeline and financial power. No one dares to act arrogantly.

The same is true. The first assistant has a great say in the budget for the new year.

Zheng Sen asked for advice in detail.

After watching him leave, Zheng Sen slowly returned home.

On the carriage, he was already thinking about arranging Yan Yingyuan's family affairs: "The eldest son is the prefect and can be promoted. The second son..."

This is an unspoken rule.

If you arrange household chores for your seniors, your juniors will naturally make arrangements for you as well.

Soon after returning home, some disciples and former officials couldn't wait to come to the door one after another, and there were several baskets of posts.

Zheng Sen saw no one but Shi Lang and Chen Yonghua.

Shi Lang was the uncle of Tingzhou, and Chen Yonghua was recommended by him and was promoted to the post of inspector of a province. He was the most outstanding person among his disciples and former officials.

Shi Lang was three years older than Zheng Sen, so he had already entered the military service and had great prestige among the navy. However, facing Zheng Sen's gloomy face, he immediately felt a little timid.

"There is a famine in Fujian, and my Zheng family is trying to make huge profits. Is the Navy also involved?"

Shi Lang quickly stood up and lowered his head: "Mr. Zheng, I have never taken any action. Fujian Province is also my hometown. How can I make such dirty money..."

"Hmph, it's best not!" Zheng Sen drooped his eyelids, obviously not believing him.

But he didn't delve into it in detail and left it a little thin.

"Fufu, I heard that your father is ill in bed?"

Zheng Sen looked concerned.

Chen Yonghua’s father, Chen Ding, was his best friend.

"Xiang Kui, I'm afraid my father's time is running out!"

Chen Yonghua looked sad. "Alas!" Zheng Sen sighed.

After chatting for some more, they finally smiled and congratulated Zheng Sen on becoming the first assistant.

By evening, Zheng Sen had received a large number of gifts, which filled several rooms.

Just when he was sleeping, he suddenly heard that his grandson was visiting.

If it were the prince, Zheng Sen would probably be frightened, but the grandson was another matter, so there was no need to avoid suspicion.

"Your Highness!"

The two of them were polite when they met.

The grandson congratulated a few words and left hastily.

Zheng Sen was lying on the bed, unable to sleep.

Even before taking office, the pressure is so great. It is really a big test!

And here Yan Yingyuan was sitting on the boat, wandering towards Tongzhou.

For the sake of food, the canal was built, which greatly facilitated him as the chief minister and saved him from a lot of suffering.

"Why are there so few ships?" Yan Yingyuan frowned.

Immediately, he saw the canal boats lined up in a row, and then looked at the children beside him, and then smiled bitterly:

"I am an old man who is determined to become an official, but in the end I delayed my work."

But he didn't stop it in the end.

Changing orders from morning to night will only cause greater disturbances, and will also embarrass the officials.

When he arrived in Tongzhou, his parents and officials greeted him at the pier, all with excited expressions.

If he catches his eye, gets a recommendation, and his promotion is guaranteed, but if he takes a bad look at him, his future may be uncertain.

When he returned to the countryside, even if he didn't ask for more land, he had accumulated more than a thousand acres of land, and he was now a landlord.

Wearing a straw hat and a short coat, he felt that he had truly become an official and an old farmer.

As he got older, he naturally couldn't do farm work, and instead wandered around the fields.

He saw milkvetch, sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes introduced in recent years.

The unmodified country dialect made him no longer separated from his fellow villagers, and he could talk about anything.

When asked about crops, most people said they grew more potatoes and sweet potatoes.

"The yield of sweet potatoes is large, but if you eat too much, you will get heartburn. The price of grinding it into powder is not as high as the price of grain, so we have to make do!"

"Potatoes are pretty good..."

However, everyone’s favorite thing is wheat, because wheat can be sold at a higher price and make more money.

"What's the trouble?" Yan Yingyuan asked with a smile: "Everything in this world is good!"

Several old people looked at each other, then smoked dry cigarettes, and said distressedly: "There is just less water."

"water?"

"Those high-ranking officials and nobles in the imperial court like to buy land and villages in Shuntian Mansion, and privately intercept the river water. We can only pick up leaks. If the drought is a little bit, there will be no water in the fields. After going back and forth several times, we will be forced to sell the fields. Already..."

The old man smoked a dry cigarette and frowned: "Let's just say that the chief minister who just returned home to retire is so domineering. He doesn't know where he got a steamer, so he just pumps water hard. The water left for our village every year is just enough! "

“In a few years, my family may have to sell their land, otherwise we won’t be able to survive.”

"What a crime!" Yan Yingyuan's face turned even darker: "There is no land, where are you going?"

"Either move overseas or go to the city!" one person replied.

The old man said with a sad face: "My girl works as a female worker in Tianjin Prefecture. She married a man and worked as a bookkeeper in a shop. She said that the dock is short of workers and she can make a living..."

"If it doesn't work, then we have no choice but to go overseas!"

Yan Yingyuan was panicking.

He surveyed the entire Tongzhou and found that there were nearly 300 large and small manors in the four counties, covering an area of ​​more than 5,000 hectares. Most of the land was owned by nobles and ministers.

In terms of water sources, 70% of the river water is occupied by it, quietly forcing farmers to go bankrupt, thereby achieving the purpose of annexation.

As for the deed tax of up to 50%?

The nobles did not care.

Through business and manor management, they have a lot of money, and they don't take the slightest deed tax seriously.

Participating in business made this group of nobles increasingly wealthy, and the merger of land became more and more intense.

Yan Yingyuan was worried.

(End of this chapter)