It would be easy for Qi Tai to meet him. Every morning after listening to the government at the imperial gate, the emperor is either in the Rouyi Hall or in the East Warm Pavilion; As long as the ministers let the eunuch report, they can usually see it. The emperor maintained a degree of closeness with his courtiers, which was conducive to political communication and harmony, and would not be closed to the public.

Recalling what the current emperor has done since he ascended the throne, he has a clear mind and a clear hierarchy in terms of eliminating the enemy's leaders and tolerating most of them. Qi Tai often felt that if the emperor only wanted to be a Ming monarch and maintain the government, it was not difficult; Today, he can even gradually win over most civil officials, describing himself as the king of Yao Shun who is diligent in government and loves the people, and he is as virtuous as Tang Taizong.

In addition to the emperor's own actions, the most important thing is that everyone lives in a very good world. The Ming Dynasty was founded for decades, the war gradually subsided, there was no strong outside, the country was generally smooth, and the cultivated land was sufficient; This is the best period of every dynasty, and there is no greater time for peace and prosperity.

But Imakami is clearly not happy with this. Qi Tai also knew that he wanted to repay the kindness of today's acquaintance, and it was not enough to be a loyal minister.

Qi Tai stood respectfully for a moment on the brick floor outside the Rouyi Hall. The celebrant and eunuch Wang Gui came back and invited Qi Tai to come in and meet him. Qi Tai walked through the main gate and came to the six doors of the main hall of the Rouyi Palace, first kowtowed outside the hall, and then entered the interior to bow to Ruyi; Everything is a ritual system set by Taizu.

Zhu Gaoxu, who was dressed in regular clothes, sat behind a big case, called Qi Taiping behind, and his eyes stayed on Qi Tai's face for a while. After Qi Tai finished talking about etiquette, he didn't say anything more.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately put down the book in his hand, and the person also stood up, glancing sideways at Wang Gui. Wang Gui immediately bowed, beckoned to the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs to retreat together.

"It's been a long time since I've spoken to Qi Butang like this, and I still think it's more useful to have a heart-to-heart exchange than a conversation that is too subtle on the table." Zhu Gaoxu said.

"Holy Heaven." Qi Tai bowed.

"Come and sit." Zhu Gaoxu said. He walked to the northwest corner first.

The main hall is clear and spacious, with wide doors and window lattices in front and back, and the ventilation and lighting are good. In the northwest corner, there are no windows, and bookshelves are placed against the thick wall. There was a new coffee table, a tandoor, a chair, and so on.

Zhu Gaoxu sat down on a chair, beckoned to Qi Tai again, and then put a kettle on the stove. The tea set on the coffee table, Qi Tai could identify at a glance that it was the object of kung fu tea.

He sat down opposite him and said, "The minister will make tea." ”

Zhu Gaoxu smiled: "You come." ”

This place is also ingenious, and there is no need to say anything like "but it doesn't hurt to say it, forgive you for your innocence", and the amiable atmosphere alone dilutes the rigid hierarchical etiquette.

"When Chen was just admitted to the Jinshi examination, his family took out a loan and obtained the pawned land." Qi Tai fiddled with the tea set as he spoke.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded: "It is estimated that most of the officials in the court have done this kind of thing, so it is not unusual." ”

Qi Tai said: "It is really easier for the gentry to lend.

According to Taizu's constitution, county officials are not allowed to go to the countryside to disturb the people; At the end of Hongwu, the imperial court didn't care much about this kind of thing, but the officials were not willing to go out of the city easily, and the rules were still the same. When the county official wanted to see the villagers, he issued cinnabar tickets and ordered the servants to go to the countryside to summon them. As a result, the villagers hardly deal directly with the government, unless there is a serious case such as a fatal case. The countryside is mainly governed by the elderly, and the ownership of land is often testified by the elderly, and there is no need to pawn loans or even documents. The elders themselves are squires and elders of large clans, pay attention to connections and fame, and have a good relationship with local gentry. In this way, the performance of loans and pawns is guaranteed; Only the gentry dared to lend in large quantities without fear of denial by those in debt.

ァ新ヤ~(8)~1~Chinese 網ωωω.χ~8.~1zщ.còм

And those who have meritorious names only need to pay grain for the land under their names, and do not need to be forced into labor, and can often shelter tenant farmers to escape from forced labor. This also made the peasants more willing to pawn their land and the gentry. In the decades since the founding of our dynasty, the number of households has certainly increased, but the number of peasant households undertaking forced labor has not increased, which is the result of the gradual annexation of a large amount of land. ”

Qi Tai paused for a moment and continued: "If it is a court bank, a big businessman helps a bank, and suddenly releases a low-interest loan. The minister's estimate was that the situation of land annexation would not only not improve, but would become more drastic.

Originally, the gentry were limited by insufficient funds and could only slowly accumulate principal; And with the low-interest loans of the bank, the money flowed into the hands of the gentry, and they would use the money to continue to lend up at high interest rates. Because the people were illiterate, they could only borrow money from the elders and gentry. ”

The water in the kettle was already boiling, Qi Tai didn't say anything more for the time being, he lifted the kettle and rushed down the wall of the purple clay kettle. His technique is quite skillful, and he does it in one go, which is pleasing to the eye.

After a while, Qi Tai began to use the first brew of tea and wash the teacups. He spoke again: "I don't know if there is any understanding of the saint, and the subsections of the various expenses in the palace. Shengshang's daily meal, four dishes and one soup, if the cost is calculated, is more than ten times more expensive than the price of his high-end restaurant in Beijing. The same is true for the various expenses paid by the inner treasury.

If the Beijing camp and the various expenses of the cantonment army in various places, and the needs of the yamen, the money will be uniformly procured and distributed; I'm afraid that the price is immeasurable. The sheer amount of cash disbursed annually by the Ministry of Household Affairs must be staggering.

If the change is too radical, it may turn into a partisan dispute. In order to resist the attacks of their opponents, the old and new parties decided to form a party and consolidate themselves. Later, no one could care about whether the government was in line with reality, but only about the party's similarities and differences. Each competes for profit, and it is generally black. The harm of the country is difficult to contain. ”

Qi Tai exhaled, then picked up the small cup and handed it over with both hands.

The two stopped talking for the time being, and Zhu Gaoxu also pinched the teacup with a thoughtful expression. Qi Tai himself picked up one, put it in front of his nose and smelled it, looked at the color of the tea, and then drank it in three sips.

"Exquisite." Zhu Gaoxu glanced at him.

Qi Tai said: "The minister is the class with the axe. ”

Zhu Gaoxu put down the teacup and said: "That day, Jianyi said, 'Coins are repeatedly handled in Zhuya, or there are traitors who make profits, and they become greedy for ink', which is in line with Qi Butang's words. ”

Qi Tai said: "Jianyi has gone through the five dynasties Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, Hongxi, and Wude, and knows the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty well, and he is a stable minister, but unfortunately these people may have stubborn and conservative problems. ”

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly said: "Qi Butang supports the change of the law. ”

Qi Tai was stunned for a moment, then hugged his fists and said: "The Holy Lord is the Ming Lord, and since he has a grand plan to make great efforts to help the common people, how can the minister not fulfill his responsibility of assisting?" ”

Zhu Gaoxu nodded, "Xia Yuanji thinks that you belong to the former officials of the Han Palace, and you are often still willing to discuss matters with Qi Butang, precisely because Xia Yuanji thinks that you have a serious and realistic side and can communicate." I also need Qi Butang to reconcile from it, so that good things don't turn into party disputes that harm the country. ”

Qi Tai turned his worries into joy, clasped his fists and bowed: "Holy Wisdom! ”

Zhu Gaoxu asked, "I'm also a person who can communicate, right?" ”

Qi Tai said: "The saint is in power, and the common people are blessed." ”

Zhu Gaoxu said in a deep voice: "I am not a chivalrous man, I will not rob the rich and help the poor, and the ultimate goal is not to cut flesh and mend sores; It's not going to help, it's just a dream, which is counterintuitive. Qi Butang should let the princes of the court and the central government believe this. ”

Qi Tai nodded as he pondered Zhu Gaoxu's words.

"It's a bit tricky, but you can't just stand still. The general trend is rare, and there is no chance to lose. Zhu Gaoxu's voice continued.

Qi Tai got up and bowed deeply to Zhu Gaoxu: "The minister is willing to do his best to seek for the saint." I have been disturbing the holy car for a long time today, and I ask you to take your leave. ”

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly said: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, happy Qibutang." ”

Qi Tai was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Thank you for the grace of the saint, and I am willing to rejoice with the saint." ”

…… Within a few days, the Mid-Autumn Festival came as scheduled. Japanese envoy Sadacho Mori, who was staying at the Huitong Pavilion, and others also felt the festive atmosphere. After they had participated in the dismount feast, they had almost nothing to do every day, and went out early in the morning to visit.

The Ming Kingdom's treatment of foreign envoys is obviously different from that of Japan, and there are officials who do not care much about them except for providing daily expenses and arranging ceremonies. Mori Sadacho and others can walk around in Beijing casually, which also makes them feel a lot more at ease; But he also felt as if he had been forgotten, and he felt left out.

On the streets near the imperial city, many peddlers and pawns began to occupy the territory very early, and the goods placed were gimmicks with palace lamps, and there were all kinds of rich handmade products, which were dizzying to see.

Before dawn, the streets were already full of people and prosperity, and the misty air was filled with the smell of pastry. There are official shops on every street, and there are some more people from the Five Cities Terracotta Division to inspect today. The magnificent palaces and pavilions in the distance echo with the bustle of the market, diffusing a sense of stability and abundance.

When Mao Lizhen arrived at Hongwu Gate, he stopped outside the gatehouse for a long time to watch the change of guard ceremony on the gatehouse. The neat and orderly scene and the fine armor of the heavy infantry left a deep impression on Maori.

Then the gatehouse sounded a horizontal music, and two teams of "Boy Scouts" escorted a flag. Just as he was about to walk Maori Sadacho, he stopped again.

The teams in gray and cyan costumes are holding Cheng Liang's firearms, and the steps of the two teams are uniform, which attracts people's attention very much. The daily ritual of a city gate is comparable to the grand ceremony scene of "Luoyang" in Kyoto, and Mori Sadacho feels very novel.

I saw that the boys were very neatly dressed, and they wore white gloves on their hands, and they were young but well-trained. In the midst of the music, the two teams of children walked up to the Hongwumen City Tower and raised a dragon flag of the sun and moon regiment to the flagpole in the middle with a sliding rope.

One of the Chéng Rén generals in front of him drew his saber and raised it into the air. All the children said in unison: "Be loyal to the emperor and be unremittingly armed." Imperial interests, above all else. ”

Mao Lizhen's face was shocked, and then his expression was entangled, and he couldn't help but turn his head and say in Japanese: "The imperial army of the Ming Dynasty has such a weather, but the monarchs of our country are busy with internal fighting, how can they be invincible?" It is imperative to learn the way of governing the country of the Ming Dynasty. ”