After eating the buns, Cheng Guoxiang walked all the way to the forbidden wall of the central capital, and after showing the summons order of the crown prince, he was led into the imperial city by the guards of the Yongwei battalion.

Cheng Guoxiang, as the head of the household, often saw Zhu Cihong when he was in Beijing, and at this time he was wearing a dragon robe, although he was young, his demeanor became more and more majestic.

Cheng Guoxiang saluted Zhu Cihong respectfully, and paid close attention to Zhu Cihong's attitude towards him, only to see that the crown prince only had a faint smile on his face, and there was no hatred and anger.

Several generals around the crown prince were lukewarm to themselves, looking indifferent, only Yang Tinglin, the prefect of Fengyang, smiled and bowed slightly, expressing his respect, which made Cheng Guoxiang very pleased, in the end, it is still a scholar who knows how to be polite.

Zhu Cihong said: "Cheng Lao has worked hard all the way, and the palace has prepared a banquet in the palace for you to catch the wind and wash the dust." ”

Cheng Guoxiang was slightly stunned at first, and then said: "Your Highness is very loving, and the ministers dare not be, I don't know what His Highness is calling the ministers to do?" ”

Everyone frowned slightly when they saw him so ignorant, but before they understood what the crown prince was looking for him for, no one opened their mouths to ask.

Zhu Cihong didn't care about his direct words, but just smiled: "I heard that Cheng Lao has always been honest as an official, and he has served in the household department for many years, and he has managed money and grain properly. ”

To deal with this kind of straight person, it is better not to detour, Zhu Cihong said very directly, he just wants Cheng Guoxiang to help him manage the tax money and grain, with this honest and outspoken old man, it will save him a lot of things, but he heard that in history, this household secretary died of poverty after resigning, and the family was poor and clanged, often without food for several days, and starved to death.

Cheng Guoxiang hurriedly said: "The minister has already made a comeback, how can he dare to be a comeback official." ”

Zhu Cihong smiled faintly and said, "Even if Cheng Lao comes back, there is no way for this palace to let you enter the sixth department for the time being. ”

Cheng Guoxiang said hatefully: "Even if His Royal Highness asks the minister to go back to that kind of place, the minister doesn't want to!" ”

Zhu Cihong nodded, it seemed that this old man was really disappointed in the imperial court, he continued: "Now that the country is in difficulty, doesn't Cheng Lao want to make some contributions to the Ming Dynasty?" ”

Cheng Guoxiangqi said: "Is the contribution that His Highness said to be to let the ministers make some money and food for His Highness?" ”

Zhu Cihong didn't answer him, and suddenly asked, "What does Cheng Lao think of Fengyang Mansion?" ”

Cheng Guoxiang bowed deeply to Zhu Cihong, his upright face was full of uprightness, and he suddenly said loudly: "The minister came all the way from Huizhou Mansion, and the people of Fengyang Mansion lived happily and happily, without the suffering of hunger and cold, and without the scourge of thieves, this is a great good, all of which are the merits of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the ministers admired, and the ministers apologized for wronging His Highness back then!" ”

Zhu Cihong helped the old man up, smiled and said: "Cheng Lao is polite, Cheng Lao is loyal and outspoken for the country and the people, which makes the palace very admired, so I want to invite you out of the mountain, I don't know if Cheng Lao is willing to help?" ”

Cheng Guoxiang said with a deep salute: "Your Royal Highness, as the prince, the first decree issued in the New Year is agricultural affairs, and the second decree is to recruit talents, and the minister, as a courtier, deeply feels that His Royal Highness has great ambitions, so he is willing to assist His Highness and revitalize the Ming Dynasty!" ”

"Good!" Zhu Cihong helped him up, very happy, this tax department is settled.

Subsequently, Zhu Cihong and Cheng Guoxiang dined together, looking at the full table of delicacies from the mountains and seas, Cheng Guoxiang hurriedly said: "Your Highness, this is too extravagant, extravagant and wasteful!" The minister only needs a bowl of gruel, and a steamed bun is enough......"

Zhu Cihong said: "Cheng Lao, let me tell you the truth, the current consumption of money and food under the palace is like this table of banquets, which often exceeds the budget, and now with Cheng Lao's help, I am afraid that the money and food saved in the future can buy countless tables of this banquet." ”

Cheng Guoxiang understood that the crown prince wanted to use his strengths in careful planning to make up for his shortcomings, which was really a good calculation.

Zhu Cihong said again: "Elder Cheng, don't worry, the palace has asked the maid to arrange a table of dishes for Mrs. Cheng, so you can eat with peace of mind!" ”

Cheng Guoxiang gave another salute and was very touched by the grace of the crown prince.

Later, the old and the young chatted while eating, discussing each other's views on taxation, and Zhu Cihong expressed his thoughts and prepared to set up a unified tax yamen.

Cheng Guoxiang put down the dishes and chopsticks and applauded loudly when he heard this, he has been in the household department for so many years, and he has long been dissatisfied with the maladministration of chaotic tax collection in various places, because the interests involved are too great, so few people mention restructuring.

In the winter of the ninth year of Chongzhen, because of the surge in military expenditures and the emptiness of the national treasury, Yang Sichang, the secretary of the Ministry of War, once proposed to increase military spending and increase various taxes to various localities, Cheng Guoxiang opposed it on the spot, he believed that there were continuous disasters and famines in various places, wars were frequent, and the local government could not bear this kind of apportionment, so he decisively proposed to temporarily borrow the method of "renting a quarter's rent in the capital" and raised 500,000 taels of silver.

Cheng Guoxiang's concept is similar to Zhu Cihong, that is, he can no longer give the people a showdown and pay taxes, not only can not have a showdown, but also reduce it, and the court should collect taxes from large households, rather than continue to squeeze the people who are living in poverty.

Zhu Cihong said: "Now the price of grain in Daming has risen very much, like the seriously affected Henan in some places The price of grain has broken through to more than a dozen taels and one stone, often there is still a price without a market, no one is willing to sell, some profiteers learned that the price of grain in Fengyang Mansion is low, so they sent people to buy, and then transported to Henan to sell at a high price, seeking violence, Cheng Lao thinks how to control this situation? ”

Cheng Guoxiang has worked in many departments of the six departments, especially in the household department for a short time, which one of the people who can become the secretary of the household department is not a human spirit, and he understands the money and food of the Ming Dynasty more thoroughly than anyone else.

Zhu Cihong raised this question, one is to ask for advice, and the other is to compare, this old man is honest and honest and suitable for managing money and food, if he is more capable, then he will earn it, after all, Cheng Guoxiang has only been working in the household department for less than two months, and Zhu Cihong is not too clear about his ability.

Cheng Guoxiang also knew that the crown prince was comparing himself, he frowned, thought for a moment, and finally spoke: "The minister thinks that the grain merchants in Fengyang Mansion should be regulated, for example, the government distributes grain to grain merchants, and grain merchants buy grain from grain shops or ordinary people, and they need to buy grain with more than one stone, so that they can effectively avoid foreign profiteers from wantonly buying grain in Fengyang Mansion for violence!" ”

Zhu Cihong groaned: "Grain? This method is good, salt merchants need to get salt from the government to buy salt, and now this method is used to deal with treacherous grain merchants, which is really good! ”

Cheng Guoxiang stroked his beard and smiled, but listened to Zhu Cihong and said: "But this method is a little inappropriate." ”