Quietly halfway through May, the yellow and clear rice fields are about to be harvested, but the capital is still as undercurrent as ever.

Last night's heavy rain washed away the palace road, the trees on both sides looked lush, and the lotus flowers by the Taiye Pond quietly bloomed.

Lin Haoran, who was wearing a golden rooster complement crimson official uniform, came in from the palace gate of Xiyuan, and walked on the palace road without squinting, already becoming more and more official.

Not only is he now among the six Shangshu, but if his financial management ability is recognized by the emperor like Yang Bo's military ability, then he can even become the first person in the six Shangshu.

However, many things could not always be smooth sailing, and he submitted a new grain requisition plan to the cabinet in the name of the household department, but after several days of waiting, the cabinet did not receive a reply.

Seeing that the collection of summer taxes by the local governments of the two capitals and thirteen provinces was about to begin, he could no longer sit still in the household department, and decided to come to the cabinet in person to ask what was going on.

"Xia Guan has seen Da Si Nong!" Zhang Juzheng, who was dignified, came from the direction of Wuyi Hall and gave a formal salute to Lin Haoran, who was walking towards him.

"Zhang Siye, but you just met Lord Yuanfu? Lord Motosuke in the Wuyi Palace? Lin Haoran had something on his mind, so he asked directly lightly.

Although his age and qualifications are not as good as Zhang Juzheng, he is already the head of the household department of the second grade, and Zhang Juzheng is only a small five-grade Guozijian secretary, and the difference in status between the two is enough for him to behave domineeringly.

In fact, he is not domineering, but what he says in his current identity has already invisibly added a sense of majesty, and he does not need to be deliberately polite to Zhang Juzheng.

"Exactly! When the lower official was leaving, the prime minister was in the room and the ticket was about to be played! Zhang Juzheng is also a rule-abiding person, and he responded honestly.

Lin Haoran nodded politely, and continued to stride in the direction of Wuyi Palace, today he decided to have a good talk with Xu Jie no matter what.

Zhang Juzheng stood in place and watched Lin Haoran go away with awe, but his heart was full of emotion.

Although he is now the secretary of the Guozijian Division, and he has been able to enter the Yuwang Mansion as a lecturer, and he still has a teacher-student relationship with the current first assistant, he is still not proud.

Before Lin Haoran appeared, he always felt that the quickest route was to endure the Cichen route, which was also the path taken by countless predecessors. It's just that Lin Haoran was born, but he is writing a different wonderful life, and now he is above the household book.

And unlike the infamous Zhang Xuan in the past, Lin Haoran relied on one merit after another to rise to the top, especially after throwing out "Diao Mince", his reputation has reached a peak.

Compared with Lin Haoran, he is no longer the pride of the sky, but an ordinary star in the night sky, and he feels a kind of frustration in life.

Lin Haoran couldn't take care of Zhang Juzheng's emotions, he was now thinking about the affairs of the household department, thinking about how to do the truth for the people of the Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty.

He quickly came to the main gate of the Wuyi Hall alone, and after the passage of Zhang Siwei, the chief officer, he walked directly into the duty room of the first assistant.

The sandalwood in the copper furnace curled up, the room was filled with a good smell, and the wall still hung the text panel "return the lord with blessings, return the words with government affairs, and return the public with punishment".

Although Xu Jie, who was wearing a python robe, was short and thin, his whole person looked majestic, and he sat at the table with soft eyes, and was preparing to play a note from the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

After fifteen years of examination, he still occupies the first auxiliary position, and throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, it is only a few people who have this honor, which makes him quite proud.

"Xiaguan meets Motosuke-sama!" After Lin Haoran came in from outside, he looked polite.

The status of the two is quietly getting closer, but the relationship between age and seniority, plus there is a Wu Shan in the middle, so that Lin Haoran has no possibility of directly threatening Xu Jie's position.

Xu Jie was writing the ticket, but when he heard Lin Haoran's voice, he immediately stopped his pen and showed an impeccable affinity: "If you are foolish, please sit down!" As he spoke, he gave Zhang Siwei a look and said, "Ziwei, serve tea to Lin Shangshu!" ”

Zhang Siwei immediately responded respectfully, and was about to go out to make tea for Lin Haoran, but before leaving, he couldn't help but glance at this side again, knowing that Lin Haoran was not good at coming this time.

"Lord Yuanfu, this is a table of the national summer grain income over the years compiled by the household department, please take a look at it first!" Lin Haoran took out a booklet from his sleeve and handed it directly to Xu Jiedao.

In this era, there is no table, and even ordinary co-ordination is a mess. With Lin Haoran taking office, many things in the household department naturally acted according to his intentions, and also changed according to his will.

This table categorizes the time, variety, quantity, and increase and decrease one by one, so that people can clearly see the specific situation of each category.

Now under the control of Lin Haoran, not only are the officials working harder, but they are also beginning to pursue more efficiency and methods of doing things.

Xu Jie's ability to sit in this position and sit here steadily for three years is naturally an extremely smart person, and he also has his ability to understand beyond ordinary people.

When he saw the novel chart of this booklet, he was slightly stunned at first, and then looked up at Lin Haoran, and then felt a burst of relief.

After experiencing the huge impact of "Diao Minshu" a while ago, his psychological endurance has been greatly enhanced, and it seems that it is not surprising that Lin Haoran came up with something novel.

Xu Jie looked at this chart and listed the data of the past years in detail, and saw that the tax and grain revenue of the Jiajing Dynasty was really declining year by year. Originally, this was mainly based on personal experience and feelings, but now there is a specific comparison of data, and it is found that the problem of the decline in taxes and grain cannot be ignored.

After a while, after looking at the comparison of the data, he put down the booklet lightly and said: "If you are foolish, if you don't count the specific data, you really can't imagine that the rice and grain alone will be 500,000 stone less than the first year of the emperor's accession to the throne last year!" ”

500,000 stones, this amount does not seem to be large, but the summer tax grain in Guangxi Province is only this amount. In other words, since Jiajing ascended the throne, it is equivalent to "losing" a Guangxi Province.

"Lord Yuanfu, there are many reasons for the decline in taxes and grain in the Ming Dynasty, but the lack of grain is the first to bear the brunt, and I hope that Xu Jie's will be able to implement the Diao Min Register to govern the gentry who hide the land and resist taxes! In addition, the imperial court used silver to increase, and asked Lord Yuanfu to allow Jiangsu and Zhejiang to try to change grain and levy silver! Lin Haoran chose to take advantage of the situation to strike iron, and immediately expressed his intentions.

Now he wants to do two things: one is to implement the "Diao Minshu", and the other is to try to change grain and levy silver in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the latter is the reason why he urgently finds Xu Jie.

Xu Jie originally thought that Lin Haoran was here for the "Diao Minshu", but it seemed that his meaning was more focused on requisitioning grain to silver, and out of the instinct of a politician, he naturally had to think carefully first.

Sitting in his position, it is already necessary to think more. But not to mention where there is a problem in Daming, we have to find a way to solve it, and it is more necessary to weigh the gains and losses of all aspects.

Just like the rectification of the salt government back then, the imperial court could certainly forcibly seize more salt taxes from the salt merchants, and Yan Shifan and Yan Maoqing did the same.

It's just that the consequence of what they did was that the salt merchants in Lianghuai fell to themselves, and Yang Bo and the Jin merchants also completely threw themselves on their side, and all he had to do was help them restore the old system.

Now he is certainly able to pass the "Diao Minshu" and agree to Jiangsu's and Zhejiang's trial plan to change grain and levy silver, but he has to consider the negative impact of these two things.

Xu Jie took a sip of tea, but asked quietly: "The Ming Dynasty is taxing grain, this is the charter set by Taizu, if you change it rashly, I'm afraid it's inappropriate, right?" ”

"Lord Yuanfu, the lower officials have been local officials for many years, and they know very well that the current government collects grain from the people, and most of them are exploited by the officials, and the people are quite hard to escort taxes and goods! If the imperial court can change the grain and levy silver, then the government and the people can be both punish! Lin Haoran had already had a rhetoric, and even persuaded him seriously.

Xu Jie put down the teacup, but shook his head lightly and said: "If you are foolish, the grain has been used since the beginning of the country, if you change it rashly, I am afraid that it will change!" The people engaged in farming, so there was a harvest, and the court did not levy their crops but levied them in silver, did not encourage the people to use silver? ”

Zhang Siwei brought the tea cup in, but the tone of the conversation between the two was a little wrong, and it seemed that he was in a dilemma.

Just listening to the reason put forward by the teacher, it was obviously a reminder of the ban on private gold and silver trading during the Taizu period, and the officials of the Ming Dynasty have always tried their best to deny the status of silver.

"Lord Yuanfu, in recent years, the government has raised silver and other miscellaneous taxes, which government has not directly collected money from the people?" Lin Haoran watched Xu Jie use this excuse, and responded bluntly.

This......

Zhang Siwei walked into the duty room hard, and listened to Lin Haoran's sharp response, and couldn't help but swallow and spit secretly.

Even if the Ming court has always wanted to deny the status of silver, but hoped that the people would obediently use the Ming treasure banknotes, but the court always levied silver from the people, which is undoubtedly a big slap in the face.

Xu Jie's brows couldn't help frowning slightly, knowing that the matter of silver really couldn't be established, but he was firmly opposed: "It's not wrong to say that!" It's just that miscellaneous taxes are not regular taxes, and if they are not a last resort, regular taxes can not be easily changed! ”

"Lord Yuanfu, the lower officials do not want to change completely, but hope that Jiangsu and Zhejiang will first try to change grain to silver, just like Guangdong will try to open the sea. And now it is not what it used to be, in fact, it has reached the point where it must be changed! Lin Haoran knew that Xu Jie's could not easily agree, but he said seriously.

Hey? Do you have to change it?

Zhang Siwei gently placed the teacup in front of Lin Haoran, and when he heard Lin Haoran's rather bizarre remarks, he glanced at Lin Haoran suspiciously.

Although he is just a small Si Shilang, he has always paid attention to the changes in the form of the imperial court, and he is even more aware of the current situation.

Xu Jie knew the current situation better than anyone else, and it was very true that Lin Haoran was talking nonsense, so he smiled and asked, "If you are foolish, are you afraid that you are exaggerating?" This positive tax and grain collection has been used since the beginning of the country, why is it necessary to change it now? ”

The heat of the tea cup is still there, and the fragrance of tea is rising.

Lin Haoran picked up the teacup and tasted the hot tea first, and then asked seriously: "Lord Yuanfu, do you remember the regulations of the clan that were formulated last year?" ”

Clan regulations?

Zhang Siwei couldn't leave here, even if he remembered this matter.

Due to the Han royal family's troubles in Xi'an City, the matter of Zong Fan Lumi was pushed to the forefront. Since the beginning of last year, the imperial court has gone through several twists and turns around the constitution of the Xinzong Domain, and Qin Minglei, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, has also lost his holy transcript because of this.

After several months of stalemate, Lin Haoran, who was then the left attendant of the Ministry of Rites, presided over the affairs of the remaking of the Zong Domain.

Although he proposed a far-sighted plan for "selling the clan to sell his family", it was not accepted by the emperor, and in the end, Lin Haoran compromised and submitted a plan to reduce the rice of the clan and curb the population growth of the clan.

This plan could not fundamentally solve the problem of the clan, and it also made Lin Haoran criticized, but he didn't expect Lin Haoran to suddenly mention this "trouble".

Xu Jie looked at Lin Haoran with doubts, naturally remembering this plan, and nodded lightly in response: "Remember, this matter is handled by you, but what does it have to do with changing grain and levying silver?" ”

At that time, the lower officials thought that the clan was scattered and lived, and it was quite difficult to transport Lu rice every time, and the burden of the imperial court was very heavy, so the lower official proposed that the rice of the zong clan be changed to part of the grain to silver. It's just that in this way, the imperial court needs to distribute hundreds of thousands of taels to the clan relatives every year! Lin Haoran's eyes looked at Xu Jie, and explained seriously.

This......

Zhang Siwei's eyes suddenly widened, and he looked at Lin Haoran in disbelief, but he didn't expect that there would be this stubble.

Xu Jie also remembered this matter, but asked quietly: "Then there is no need to change the grain and levy silver, right?" ”

"The imperial court should change its strategy according to the situation! The rice of the clan needs hundreds of thousands of silver every year, and it will only be much more in the future, and if the imperial court continues to collect grain, it will inevitably be lost from grain to silver every year. Although it is not urgent at present, but for the great plan of the Ming Dynasty, the lower officials think that it is the general trend to change the positive tax to the collection of silver! Lin Haoran focused on the situation and seemed to be serious.

Sandalwood curls, and this room is unusually quiet.

Xu Jie listened to Lin Haoran's words quietly, and looked at Lin Haoran deeply.

If before "Diao Mince", he only thought that things were just a coincidence. It's just that now it seems that from the time of the regulations of the sect and the domain, Lin Haoran had already laid the introduction, and laid a big foreshadowing for the change of grain to silver for the regular tax.

Although I don't understand why Lin Haoran always wants to collect silver, it must not be so simple, and there must be a bigger plan. And Lin Haoran is taking every step of the way, letting the entire Ming Dynasty follow his will.