"Your Majesty, the news from Shaanxi is here."

While whispering, Gao Qiqian carefully put the file in his arms on the table.

You can't be careless when you dive high.

He had already read the dossier from Shaanxi, and the content of the dossier was shocking. The cruelty of Shaanxi makes Gao Qiqian, who grew up in the palace since childhood, feel very uncomfortable. He never imagined that those local officials outside Beijing would be so bold.

They must be considered a bully, right?

Now Gao Qiqian can no longer predict how angry His Majesty will be after reading the dossier.

Contrary to Gao Qiqian's expectations, Zhu Youzhen finished reading the dossier about Shaanxi, except that his face was more gloomy, but he did not have the kind of anger he imagined.

After watching Ye Laixiang's investigation of Shaanxi with a gloomy face, Zhu Youzhen sighed in his heart.

If all parts of Daming are like Shaanxi, then Daming is really terminally ill.

Take this Baishui County, where Wang Er's uprising occurred, as an example.

Most of the autumn taxes collected by farmers in Baishui County have reached the level of 6-7 yuan of silver per mu, and some farmers will even receive about 9 yuan of silver.

What is this number?

Let's put it this way, in this era, one acre of good fertile land can produce about 1.5 stone of brown rice.

How much is 1 stone of brown rice worth?

Generally, when the harvest is not good, the price of grain will be more expensive. At that time, 1 stone of brown rice was worth about 1 tael of silver. At the time of the harvest and harvest, 1 stone of brown rice can be worth 0.5-0.6 taels of silver at most.

Since Zhang Juzheng's whip reform, Daming's current tax is mainly cashier. Autumn grain began to be levied on the market. It was at the lowest price of food. How can farmers continue to survive after a year of hard work, but most of the income is used to pay taxes, and the little food left is not enough for the next year's food rations?

What's more, it is also a continuous year of disasters. Under the catastrophe, grain production was seriously reduced, and where did the peasants go to get money to pay taxes?

What can the peasants who can't survive do if they don't revolt except to wait for death?

"Qi Qian, I remember that the imperial court should not have raised taxes on Shaanxi, right?" With a gloomy face, Zhu Youzhen asked lightly.

"Back to Your Majesty," hearing Zhu Youzhen's question, Gao Qiqian couldn't help but tremble in his heart. He replied cautiously: "Back to Your Majesty, the imperial court has never sent any special taxes to Shaanxi. Shaanxi should still implement the tax of 5 liters of 2 in 5 scoops per mu (about 1.2 buckets per mu) set by Hong Wuye. ”

The figure of the tax is quite clear and does not dare to be ambiguous. He knew that His Majesty in front of him had long known this number, and His Majesty was knowing that he was an advisor.

Zhu Youzhen nodded slightly, and fell into deep thought again.

The tax payable per mu is 1.2 dou, that is, it is levied according to the figure when the grain price is the most expensive, and the peasants only have to pay a tax of one dollar and two or three per mu. Compared with this figure, the tax collected by Baishui County is already 4 or 5 times higher than normal, and even 7 or 8 times higher.

But the problem is that Baishui County has levied such a heavy tax on farmers, but the whole county still owes more than 50% of the tax to the imperial court. That is to say, the Ming Dynasty issued a tax of 1.2 yuan per mu, and after Baishui County levied it at 5 times, the final tax handed over to the imperial court was less than half of 1.2 yuan per mu. Outside here, the tax embezzled by Baishui County is huge.

"Gao Qiqian, you go and call Wei Zhongxian."

Before Gao Qiqian could leave, Zhu Youzhen changed his mind again: "No, let's call Tian Ergeng first." ”

In front of the door

"Why haven't you come yet?"

Tian Ergeng stood in front of the door irritably. He kept looking up at the half-open palace door, hoping that the messenger would appear as soon as possible, but he was afraid that the messenger would appear.

During this period of time, in order to deal with His Majesty Chongzhen's three questions, and for him to retire peacefully, Tian Ergeng has been reading various files collected by Jinyiwei recently.

It is really not easy to find the clue of the three questions from the vast file of Jin Yiwei. For this reason, the Jinyi guards in the capital have already let Tian Ergeng urge them, and they are about to hang themselves and throw themselves into the river.

Fortunately, His Majesty Chongzhen first ascended to the great treasure, and when things were busy, he seemed to forget the original three questions in his mind, and he didn't announce him for a long time, so he gave Tian Ergen such a long time to prepare.

Now that he has a clue about the three questions, he Tian Ergeng is confident and has something to return to His Majesty.

"Xuantian Ergeng will meet you."

In Tian Ergeng's contradictory expectations, a messenger trotted out all the way and brought Zhu You's will to allow him to enter.

Glancing at the trotting attendant with a little surprise, Tian Ergeng neatly dressed his robe and quickly ran into the Qianqing Gate.

Chongzhen Dynasty, everyone is running forward, this is the new emperor and new atmosphere!

"See Your Majesty."

Hearing the voice, Zhu Youzhen looked up with some disgust at Tian Ergeng, who was kneeling on the ground.

How can this Tian Ergeng be regarded as a military general, how to kneel when he enters the palace, it is really embarrassing for the military generals (Zhu Youzhen has too little contact with the generals, he doesn't know, the Wenchen of the Ming Dynasty rarely kneels and worships, and the generals and eunuchs kneel a lot).

I don't know why, when Zhu Youzhen saw Tian Ergeng kneeling on the ground in a dark yellow flying fish suit, he was always a little angry, and he always had the urge to go up and kick his feet.

Perhaps, it was because of Tian Ergeng's groveling appearance that he ruined Zhu Youzhen's impression of Jinyiwei in his previous life.

Because of disgust in his heart, Zhu Youzhen did not ask Tian Ergeng to flatten his body. Also because of disgust, Zhu Youzhen asked directly without the slightest modification: "Tian Ergeng, have there been any abnormal changes in Shaanxi recently?" ”

"Shaanxi? Unusual movements? ”

knelt on the ground, but didn't hear the voice of His Majesty Chongzhen calling him to excuse himself, Tian Ergeng was already empty in his heart. Hearing His Majesty Chongzhen's cold question, Tian Ergeng's heart was even more agitated.

Tian Ergeng knew very well that he no longer liked His Majesty Chongzhen. He was ready to leave. It's just that even if he wants to resign, Tian Ergeng doesn't want to fall to the point of being dismissed by His Majesty Chongzhen in anger. If he resigns like that, I'm afraid he will end up miserable. In Jinyiwei's tenure, there are not a few people he has offended.

However, the questions raised by His Majesty Chongzhen are really difficult to answer!

Tian Ergeng knelt on the ground, and the grievances in his heart were about to cry.

Jinyiwei has the right to investigate military and political intelligence, but Jinyiwei still has to obey the emperor's orders to conduct targeted investigations. Most of the time, Jin Yiwei's eyes are still on the capital. Outside the capital, Jinyiwei paid more attention to preventing the rebellion of the imperial court vassal kings or important ministers, rather than focusing on the people of the Ming Dynasty.

To put it bluntly, 'driving the guards straight, patrolling and arresting' to be the emperor's eagle dog is the duty of Jinyiwei.

Like Zhu Youzhen's three questions, Tian Ergeng immediately mobilized the power of Jinyiwei to inspect and visit, even if the matter involved Houjin, which was far away in Liaodong, he did not hesitate, this is the normal state of Jinyiwei.

But Tian Ergeng worked hard to find out the three questions, but Zhu Youzhen now asked him what happened in Shaanxi; Without a special investigation, Tian Ergeng is really unclear!

How could Tian Ergeng know that Zhu Youzhen regarded the Daming Jinyiwei as an organization like the CIA or Military Intelligence Bureau that he was familiar with in his previous life. In the previous life, the intelligence organization literacy came to ask Jinyiwei, if Tian Ergeng found out the reason, he would definitely shout: "Your Majesty, the minister really can't do it!" ”