Domineering Daming

However, there are more people onlookers, and after too many experiences, many people learn to be smart and wait and see from a distance, and they will not be killed in the slightest.

In stark contrast to this trip was the increasingly quiet imperial palace. The imperial city, impervious to needles and water, was like an iron barrel, and no news was revealed.

No one knew what the emperor was thinking, nor did he know how the court would deal with it.

Zhu Xu, who was nagged by Empress Dowager Zhang for a long time in the Compassionate Ning Palace, was finally released and returned to the imperial study, still bored.

The recent memorials are either crying for poverty and asking for help; or they are impeachment and fighting for power and profit.Zhu Xu's attention was all on the political reform, and he was not interested in reading such memorials at all, so he sat for a while and then went back to Yuzao Palace to rest.

Early the next morning, while Zhu Xu was still in bed, Li Jieyu, who had already woken up, came over and said softly, "Your Majesty, Mr. Bi is asking to see you in the side hall of Jingyang Palace."

The more tired he got up, the heavier his gas would be. Zhu Xu struggled for a while, got up to wash up, and then came to the side hall.

"Master Bi." Zhu Xu sat down on the rug, and asked someone to bring a stool for Bi Ziyan.

Bi Ziyan was also used to the emperor's kindness. After thanking him, he sat down, held the memorial in his hand, and said, "Your Majesty, I have discussed with the six ministries, governors and governors, and the political agreement will be decided in three days."

Holding the clear porridge in his hand, Zhu Xu nodded, "Yes, yes."

Seeing that Zhu Xu was listening, Bi Ziyan continued: "Your Majesty, the Wenzhao Pavilion is a bit small, and this political discussion is very important. I suggest that the court meeting be held to show majesty."

Zhu Xu's expression moved slightly, he paused with the hand holding the spoon, then looked at him and said, "That's a good idea, the court will discuss it in three days."

Bi Ziyan believed that the emperor would agree to these things, and the following ones couldn't help but hesitated.

Zhu Xu finished drinking in two or three sips, wiped his mouth, looked at Bi Ziyan and said with a smile, "Master Bi, what's the matter?"

Bi Ziyan looked at Zhu Xu and said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, the governors of several southwest provinces hope that the imperial court will reduce taxes, especially the share that will be handed over to the imperial court. In addition, they hope that the tax will be handed over to them, that the gentry will pay taxes, and that they will rezon the land. It is inappropriate to implement it at this time, as it will provoke more civil uprisings."

Zhu Xu plans to formally set up the General Administration of Taxation, which will divide land tax and national tax. National tax includes commercial tax, grain tax, salt tax and other major taxes, and other small taxes will be assigned to local tax for local collection.This obviously conflicts with the interests of local officials, and it is normal for them to express their opposition.

As for the gentry's taxation and land rezoning, this is Zhu Xu's plan to experiment in the southwest and print a model for implementation throughout the world.But what these people said is also reasonable. This approach is indeed like adding fuel to the fire in the Southwest, and it will arouse more "thieves and bandits everywhere."

But if you don't scrape the bone now to heal the wound, it will be even more difficult after a few years!

Zhu Xu remained expressionless and said, "This is not for discussion."

Bi Ziyan guessed it early, and said: "Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces have also mentioned a lot of ideas on political reform, mainly to reduce taxes, including commercial taxes, customs, sea trade, especially the payment of outstanding grain. .”

Zhu Xuleng picked up the tea on the table and said calmly, "Is there any more?"

Bi Ziyan pondered for a while, and said: "There is nothing else, I can handle it well, but the attitude of these governors is relatively firm, and I can't persuade you."

Zhu Xu stood up, looked out of the palace from the window, and said with a cold snort: "Master Bi, go get ready, I should meet these big officials of the frontier, and see if they have become emperors of the land and don't recognize me as a great emperor." It's..."

Bi Ziyan's expression moved slightly, even though he strongly controlled himself not to speak again, he still couldn't help saying: "Your Majesty, at this time, the most important thing is to be cautious."

Zhu Xu frowned, is his past experience so untrustworthy?

Bi Ziyan was afraid that Zhu Xu would make another surprise attack, and if he was caught off guard, there would be a big mess.Now the officials seem to be calm, and everyone knows that it is only on the surface.If this court meeting fails, not only the majesty of the emperor will be damaged, but the prestige of the court will also be hit, and the political reforms that have been carried out for many years will be severely damaged to the point of being difficult to deal with!

Zhu Xu was calm, and after discussing with Bi Ziyan for a while, he ordered a decree to call the governors of several southwestern provinces into the palace.

This was the first time that the emperor had formally summoned the governors of various provinces to enter the palace, which caused quite a stir.

Zhou Weijing, governor of Sichuan, Fan Yiheng, governor of Gansu, Wang Sanshan, governor of Guizhou, Li Banghua, governor of Shaanxi, etc. received the order, quickly tidied up, gathered together, and walked towards the palace.

The governors of other provinces were all watching. The entire Ming Dynasty knew that the emperor attached great importance to the Southwest. The governors of these six provinces went there together, and the pictures were not small!

"Chen and so see the emperor!"

In the imperial study room, Fan Yiheng and others bowed to salute.

Zhu Xu glanced at her eyes and said lightly: "Let's get back together, just now Master Bi came to tell me that you have a lot of opinions on political reform?"

The six people looked at each other, and Zhou Weijing, who had been in the southwest for the longest time, raised his hand and said: "Return to the emperor, the disasters in the southwest are endless, the people are hungry, and bandits are everywhere. I hope the court can consider the realities of the six provinces in the southwest and delay the implementation of the new policy... ..."

Zhu Xu could see that these six people had formed an alliance, and said calmly: "Slowly push? How do you push slowly?"

Apparently they have already discussed in private, Zhou Weijing said with ease: "Return to the emperor, regarding the food tax, please reduce or exempt, increase the food and silver for disaster relief, with the hearts of the people in Southwest..."

Snapped!

All of a sudden, Zhu Xu slapped the table, and said with a sullen face: "Chongzhen will run out of money within two years. In the past few years, the six southwestern provinces have no less than 800 million silver and grain for disaster relief, and no less than 500 million shi for food. Where did the money and grain come from? From all over the south of the Yangtze River! You are clamoring for tax cuts and food exemptions. What about the provinces in the south of the Yangtze River? I collect their heavy taxes and subsidies to you? They ask for tax cuts, should I agree? If the tax cuts, where will the money come from? For you guys……"

The faces of the six people changed slightly, and they hurriedly knelt down: "Your servant is guilty!"

Zhu Xu stared at him, waved his hands impatiently, and said, "Don't tell me what to do. The governors of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other provinces are clamoring for tax cuts and food exemptions. Half of your southwest is tax-free." , their request is also reasonable, you tell me, what should I do now?"

The six people knelt there, raised their heads slightly, and looked at each other, all showing embarrassment.

They knew very well in their hearts that the imperial court was truly benevolent to the Southwest. They had never experienced disaster relief, tax exemptions, and the state of the treasury. They knew that it was impossible to spend a lot of money and food for disaster relief in the Southwest every year, especially since the disaster situation had not improved at all. signs.

Seeing that they were silent, Zhu Xu said with a cold face: "Get up and talk, you are the governors of the six provinces, you are the officials of the frontier, you are not here to trouble me, tell me a solution!"

The six stood up tremblingly, and looked at each other for a while, feeling a little helpless.

The so-called clever women can't cook without rice, no matter how powerful they are, if they can't grow anything in the field and can't fill the stomachs of the people, it's still the same!

After a while, Fan Yiheng weighed his words and said: "Your Majesty, regarding the matter of money and food, I will try my best to find a solution. It's just that the gentry pay taxes and rezon the land. I ask you to wait until the disaster situation improves before implementing it. Now the common people are like ants on a hot pot. Make a fuss..."

Zhu Xumeng slapped the table again, and said angrily, "Nonsense! There are a lot of vacant land, wasteland, and waste land in the southwestern provinces, plus the land owned by the imperial court. The former clan's fields exceed [-] hectares. Why can't they be re-divided? The people’s fields, who wants to toss them? When did the gentry not pay taxes? The ancestral system of the Taizu has been abandoned for so many years. Who is responsible for it? I don’t want them to make up for it. Resisting the decree will fail!"

"I'm guilty!" The expressions of the six people changed drastically, and they hurriedly knelt down again.His eyes were twinkling, and he was worried.

In their view, the emperor is clearly determined to complete the political reform, and it is by no means something that can be moved by a few words.

Zhu Xu is now racing against time, so naturally he will not give them a chance to refuse or even delay, so he continued to wave his big stick and scolded: "I see that you are all in a daze! Now go back and write a report on the 'New Deal' If you can't write well, don't be a governor. I'm looking for someone who can do things. My Ming court doesn't need stupid officials, let alone mediocrity , boasting!"

The corners of the faces of the six people twitched slightly, and their breath was stuck in their chests, and they couldn't get out no matter what.

Before the apocalypse, it is now, contradicting the emperor for the "righteous way" and disobeying the court are nothing. , That is the joke of the world, the stain of their whole life, the stain of the family, the stain of the neighbors, the stain of the history books!

Never accept it!

"I obey the order!" The six secretly gritted their teeth, not daring to argue any more, for fear that the emperor would directly dismiss them.

With the emperor's prestige and the imperial court's investment in the six southwestern provinces, if they were deposed, spitting stars could drown them.

After the six left, Zhu Xu drank tea calmly, shook his shoulders, and said, "Let's pass on Jiang Dejing, Qian Longxi, and Huang Liji."

These three are the governors of Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang respectively.

Huang Liji and the other three are all old people of Wen Zhaoge and Zhu Youjian, but Zhu Youjian has always "liked the new and disliked the old" and hated these three people.

They looked at Fan Yiheng who was leaving, Zhou Weijing and others had bitter expressions on their faces, and they were secretly startled. What did the emperor tell them to make them show this expression.

The three of them looked at each other and entered the imperial study with a trace of anxiety.