On 7 April, Governor Li Jizhen led the chief officials of 20 counties in Tianjin, one prefecture, two prefectures, and various military departments, and the Tongzhi of the Tianjin Qing Military Department, Hubu Langzhong, and the general judge of the grain administration, and led more than 50 civilian officials from all over Tianjin to visit Li Zhi. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Li Zhi did not let the civil officials wait for a long time. As soon as the civil officials sat down in the second hall, Li Zhi wore the official uniform of the earl, walked into the second hall with Cui Changwu and Gao Ligong, and sat on the main seat with a big grin.

Li Zhi sat down in a chair and glanced at the officials with his eyes.

The officials were swept away by Li Zhi's eyes and did not dare to look at Li Zhi. Now that Li Zhigui is an earl, he holds the favor of the Son of Heaven with strong soldiers, how can these soldiers from the third grade, the Zhizhou of the fifth grade, and the Zhixian of the seventh grade dare to compete? It was Li Jizhen, the governor of Tianjin, who only obediently obeyed the official salute to Li Zhidu, and did not dare to exceed the rules.

A group of civil officials only had the share of being subordinate officials in front of Li Zhi, and none of them dared to look at Li Zhi at this time.

The officials stood up and saluted Li Zhizuo.

Li Zhi nodded and asked, "You came to me, what's the matter?" ”

The officials glanced at each other, with some fear in their eyes, and finally looked at Li Jizhen in unison. After a long time, Li Jizhen, the new governor of Tianjin, gave up his hand and said: "I came to see Xingguobo today because I have something to confirm with Xingguobo. ”

Li Zhi nodded and said, "What's the matter, so many people want to ask together." ”

Li Jizhen looked at the officials beside him, and said: "Recently, some officers and soldiers of Fanjiazhuang went to the yamen of various prefectures, prefectures, and counties with posts stamped with the great seal of Xingguo Bo, saying that they would ask all officials to hand over the yellow book of enlistment and the fish scale atlas. These officers said that from now on... It is said that from now on, the land of the gentry will also be subject to field levies, and the land levies will be collected by the general military government as a whole..."

Li Jizhen touched the ground and said to Li Zhi: "Xingguobo!" The prefect of the county, the prefect and the prefect are responsible for the fields of the county, the prefecture and the prefecture, and it is the law of our dynasty, how can it be changed at will? The suggestion that taxes should be levied by the General Military Government is really surprising. The remarks of letting the gentry pay for food in one body are even more shocking, because our dynasty ruled the country by scholars, and the gentry have always had the privilege of giving preferential treatment to the land endowment, which is well known. If the gentry want to pay for food, is it still a gentry? ”

"The remarks of the officer holding the name of Xingguo Bo are shocking, and I am really surprised. I didn't dare to believe the officer's remarks, so I could only go to the General Military Office to ask Xingguobo, I don't know if this matter was a small theft of Xingguobo's seal? Intent on ruining Xingguobo's reputation? ”

Li Zhi smiled and looked at the soldiers present, Zhizhou, and Zhixian.

At this critical moment, these civil officials seemed to be out of the way, and looked at Li Zhi one by one, as if they wanted to listen to Li Zhi.

Li Zhi said lightly: "I think you are here today not only to confirm the truth of this matter, right?" If it's really a confirmation of the news, why do you need to come in such a group and mobilize the people? ”

Li Zhi's words penetrated the thoughts of the officials.

In Tianjin these years, who dared to forge the big seal of Xingguobo, and also took the big seal of Xingguobo to make famous posts, and went to the yamen of various states and counties to ask for the yellow book of fish scales? Who ate the bear's heart and leopard's gall and dared to do this deed of the Nine Clans? There is no doubt that ninety percent of this matter is an order issued by Xing Guobo himself. Xing Guobo used to risk the disapproval of the world to collect commercial taxes, and the world was the enemy, and he was not afraid to kill all directions. This time, he was made an uncle, and before he was more powerful, he was going to raid the gentry's hometown and collect taxes on the gentry's fields.

In their hearts, all the officials knew that this matter was definitely not a fabrication by Officer Fanjiazhuang, and they knew that this matter must be true. The so-called confirmation of the news by the officials is actually hoping to take advantage of the gathering of civil officials to intimidate Li Zhi with this mighty momentum, so that Li Zhi can understand the unity of the civil officials in Tianjin on this matter, and hope that Li Zhi will change his words.

The officials gave Li Zhi a chance to change his words: If Li Zhi slipped down the steps given by the civil officials, saying that this was a small distraction, it would be a happy situation.

However, Li Zhi was not prepared to slide down this step at all, but wanted to expose the routine of the civil officials and ask why the civil officials were so mobilized to confirm this matter.

Isn't this about to tear your face off the dozens of civil officials in Tianjin?

The officials glanced at each other, and there was already anger in their eyes.

Li Jizhen arched his hand and said: "Xingguobo, this dynasty governs the country with scholars, and according to the ancestral system, there is a tradition of gentry exemption!" ”

Li Zhi sneered and looked at Cui Changwu behind him.

Cui Changwu puffed up his chest and said loudly: "Lord Governor, according to the ancestral system of Emperor Taizu Gao, scholars and officials only have the right to be exempted from forced labor, when can they be exempted from Tian Fu?" Emperor Gao said: The families of the current officials are exempt from servitude; Zhishi officials returned to their homes and had nothing to do with them for life; In addition to their own exemption from military service, students who are above the level of student service are exempted from two orders indoors. ”

"According to the ancestral system of Emperor Taizu Gao, the reduction and exemption of human service is limited to the family members of officials. As for the field tax, it was never reduced, and all the gentry had to pay the field tax! ”

Li Jizhen's face turned red when Cui Changwu said it, and he asked sharply, "Who are you?" ”

Cui Changwu replied: "Cui Changwu of thousands of households in Xiajinghai!" ”

Li Jizhen was stunned, knowing that this Cui Changwu was Li Zhi's brother-in-law. He changed to a respectful tone and said, "It turned out to be Cui Xianggong!" ”

Seeing that Cui Changwu could not be suppressed with the ancestral system, Li Jizhen changed his mouth and said: "Although the ancestral system is strict, but recently, the tax laws are different. In the 38th year of Wanli, the "Preferential and Exemption Regulations" stipulated that 1,200 acres of land could be exempted from people, and 80 acres of land could be exempted from students. ”

Cui Changwu said coldly: "Lord Governor, you are from a Jinshi, how can you be so confused? The preferential exemption rules of the Wanli Dynasty are all about exemption from hard labor, how can there ever be a saying that the field grain is exempted? ”

Li Jizhen couldn't imagine that Li Zhi's brother-in-law Bogu Tongjin had some ink in his stomach, but he couldn't deceive him. Li Jizhen was exposed by Cui Changwu's lies, her face turned even redder, and she was speechless for a while.

The civil officials sitting in the second hall were a little frightened when they saw that Li Zhi's people were soft and hard, and they looked at each other a few more times.

Li Jizhen's face turned from red to white, and then from white to blue, and after a long time, he arched his hand to Li Zhi and said: "Xingguo Bo Mingjian!" Exemption from privileges is the foundation of the gentry of the world. If Xing Guobo abolishes this privilege in Tianjin, those gentry will suddenly have no support, and they will be robbed of their family business. On the surface, Xingguobo only wants Tian Fu, but in fact he wants the life of the gentry! ”

Li Jizhen's words are telling the truth.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the social atmosphere dictated: once a person was promoted, or even just a showman, as long as it was operated well, he had the privilege of being exempted from taxes, and the traitors would bring their land and property to donate. As long as the land rent collected by the gentry was less than that of the imperial court, more and more people would come to pay tribute. If you become an official, it will be even worse, even if you are a small landlord, you will be a servant.

However, the fundamental benefit of this contribution lies in the right to tax exemption. If the exemption is gone, those Diao people who come to offer will naturally leave the gentry with their fields.

This kind of departure is definitely not as easy as inviting guests to dinner. Among them, all kinds of interests and property rights disputes are enough to ruin the original gentry's family.

After Li Jizhen said this, he knelt down in front of Li Zhi with a puff and said loudly: "Xingguobo collects taxes from the gentry, this is the life of the gentry of the world, this is a war with the gentry of the world, please think twice!" ”

Seeing this, dozens of civil officials in the second hall knelt behind Li Jizhen and shouted: "Please think twice about Xingguo!" ”

"Think twice about rejuvenating the country!"