Chongzhen Chat Group

This means that if you want to arrest smuggling along the long coastline of the Ming Dynasty, the first prerequisite is to wipe out all the pirates. Now that Zheng Zhilong's Fujian Navy has been back for a few months, it is time for them to rest and recuperate, and the eradication of pirates should be put on the agenda. However, Emperor Chongzhen also believed that Sun Chuanting must be doing this as well, so he will urge it in his next decree!

But for Sun Chuanting, the most important task at present is to collect taxes. At least the taxes on land should be collectable.

From Wang Chengen's report just now, we can know that almost all of those wealthy businessmen used their connections with famous officials to evade taxes and allow the court to collect a lot less tax. From a legal point of view, this method of tax evasion can be easily intercepted. The reason is that there is a lack of compliance with the law and lax enforcement.

It has to be said that the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who came from the poorest of the poor, had a very clear understanding of official corruption. His butt is also sitting on the side of the common people. Therefore, his Ming Dynasty can be said to be the most harsh dynasty on officials, and they were not merciless in killing officials.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already stipulated the personal belongings carried by Ming officials or people with high status.

First of all, it is strictly prohibited to carry personal belongings on official ships or stagecoach machines. If you violate the regulations, not only will you be punished, but the belongings will also be confiscated to the official. These contents are clearly recorded in the "Da Ming Code - Military Code Five", that is: Anyone who goes out as an envoy should also ride on a post horse. In addition to carrying clothes and weapons, if there is any personal belongings, the penalty will be sixty for ten pounds of staff, and ten pounds for each additional If a pound is added to a first-class crime, the rod can be stopped by a hundred. Post donkey, reduced by one level. Private property enters officialdom.

Secondly, it is strictly prohibited to take personal belongings with you on official vehicles or ships. It is also recorded in the "Da Ming Code - Military Code Five": For those who are required to ride official horses, oxen, camels, mules, or donkeys on official business, except for clothes and poles, their private camels must not exceed ten kilograms. Violators will be fined ten pounds per five pounds, plus one level for every ten pounds, and the crime will be punished with a cane of sixty. The vehicle or boat on which the person is riding must not carry more than thirty kilograms of personal belongings. Those who violate the rules will be fined ten kilograms, plus one grade for every twenty kilograms, and the crime will be punished by a rod of seventy kilograms. The family members and the attendants will not sit down. If the gift is sent privately to someone else, the person who sent the thing will be guilty of the same crime, and the thing will be included in the official. When it comes to a lawsuit, those who know it and tolerate it are guilty of the same crime, but those who don't know it will not sit down.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, corruption became widespread and became more and more intense. These regulations are clearly written, but no one enforces them. During the Jiajing period, Emperor Jiajing finally emphasized this and made it more detailed, which was reflected in the "Regulations on Penalty" regarding "taking official livestock, livestock, vehicles, and boats with personal belongings", and stipulated that governors, patrols, river patrols, and patrols Just ask about salt, Guanhe, etc.

If these regulations were strictly enforced across the country from the beginning, they would inevitably arouse opposition from all over the country. This point can be referred to the original history, when Emperor Chongzhen ordered the dismantling of the post station. Liu Mao, the person in charge at that time, was ostracized by everyone and ended up miserable. There is no other reason, because this matter harms the interests of all officials, rather than emphasizing the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, industry and merchants, as in the case of obedience, and the powerful are basically the beneficiaries.

Thinking of these, Emperor Chongzhen slowly made a decision in his mind.

Early the next morning, Sun Chuanting, who was in the middle of a discussion, suddenly paused and then stood there stunned. When the people present saw it, they did not dare to rush him and waited for Master Zhongcheng to come to his senses.

After a while, Sun Chuanting came back to his senses. His face seemed a little ugly. After scanning the people present, there was a look of determination on his face. It was obvious that he had made some important decision.

He looked at Zheng Zhilong, expressionless, and shouted coldly: "General Zheng, it has been nearly a year since we opened the sea, but pirates are rampant. I think it is understandable that you went out on orders before. Now you have been back for a month. I, there must be no further delay in annihilating the pirates. You have to annihilate the Xuxiang pirates within one month, and there will be no more pirates within half a year!"

Sun Chuanting's order did not involve discussion at all, and he directly demanded execution.

Zheng Zhilong did not dare to neglect, and quickly responded with clasped fists: "I will obey your orders!"

In the past, he had been ordered to escort Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Rites, to Annan, and then escort grain from Annan directly north to participate in the Liaodong War. Therefore, he had never met Sun Chuanting. But more than half a year had passed, and he had already found out what kind of person Sun Chuanting was, and he knew that this Shangguan was not an easy person to get along with. He acted resolutely and used thunderbolt methods to set rules.

Anyone who cheats and deceives others in front of the Master Zhongcheng will suffer a lot. The best example is that during the Chinese New Year last year, so many officials were sent to Xu Xiang's lair. Fortunately, the emperor had imperial guards there, otherwise Xu Xiang might have been furious and killed Ji Qi.

Because of this understanding, Zheng Zhilong was already prepared for the extermination of pirates and sent people undercover to other pirate forces early on. Of course, he was already doing this when he was a pirate.

It was precisely because of this that Zheng Zhilong had the confidence to comply with Sun Chuanting's order.

Sun Chuanting then turned to look at Liu Guoneng. Even when facing the cronies he brought from the north, he remained expressionless and shouted in a cold voice: "General Liu, from now on, we will send troops to strengthen inspections at various checkpoints. If Anyone who carries private property or evades taxes will be strictly enforced according to the "Da Ming Law" and the "Regulations on Punishments."

Liu Guoneng listened. Although he didn't know what the specific regulations were, he knew Sun Chuanting and knew that this matter was non-negotiable. Since it was stipulated by law, he didn't care. Therefore, without any hesitation, he immediately clasped his fists and responded: " I will obey your orders!"

Zheng Zhilong on the side was shocked when he heard this. Unlike Liu Guoneng, he came from a Shaanxi bandit background. He was just an illiterate and martial artist. Although Zheng Zhilong is a pirate, he is more of a businessman, and he is also an educated businessman. Regarding the laws of the Ming Dynasty, since his business is so big and he has been an official for so long, he will naturally have some understanding.

According to what he just heard, he understood what regulations Master Zhongcheng wanted to strictly enforce. If this happened, it would probably shake the world. He was really surprised. Master Zhong Cheng dared to be so tough. Aren't he afraid of offending so many bureaucrats?

Suddenly, Zheng Zhilong remembered that when he met the emperor in the capital, it seemed that the emperor had high hopes for the tax revenue brought by opening the sea! Now more than half a year has passed, but the tax revenue brought by the opening of the sea is only more than 10,000 taels, which is far lower than the emperor's expectations. Could it be that Mr. Zhongcheng is jumping over the wall in a hurry... It doesn't sound good, but that's what it means.

Looking at Sun Chuanting and looking at Liu Guoneng without any trace, Zheng Zhilong suddenly had something in his mind!