That is to say, if you want to detect smuggling along the long coastline of the Ming Dynasty, the first prerequisite is to clean up those pirates. Now that Zheng Zhilong's Fujian sailors have returned, it should be time to rest and recuperate, and the matter of clearing pirates should be put on the agenda. However, Emperor Chongzhen also believes that Sun Chuanting must be doing this, so let's urge it again!

But for Sun Chuanting's side, the most important task at present is to collect taxes, at least the taxes on land, which should be collectible.

From Wang Chengen's report just now, it can be known that almost all of those wealthy businessmen used the connections of meritorious officials to evade taxes and evade taxes, and caused the imperial court to collect a lot of taxes. In terms of law, if this kind of tax evasion can be easily intercepted, the reason for this is that the law is not complied with and the law is not strictly enforced.

I have to say that the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty was born in the poor people at the bottom, and his understanding of official corruption is very clear. His ass is also sitting on the side of the common people. Therefore, his Ming Dynasty can be said to be the most harsh dynasty for officials, and he is not merciless when it comes to killing officials.

As far as Ming officials or people with meritorious names carry their personal belongings, Zhu Yuanzhang has long had regulations.

First of all, it is strictly forbidden to carry private belongings on official ships and stagecoaches, and if the regulations are violated, not only will they be punished, but their goods will also be confiscated from the government. These contents are clearly recorded in the "Da Ming Law - Military Law V", that is: all envoys should also ride on a stagecoach, in addition to the clothes with them, if there is a person who carries personal belongings, ten catties of canes and sixty pounds, and for every ten catties of extra one degree of sin, the rod is 100. Coach donkey, minus one. Private property into the official.

Second, it is also strictly forbidden to carry private belongings on official animals, vehicles, and ships. It is also recorded in the "Da Ming Law - Military Law V": Those who should take official horses, oxen, camels, mules, and donkeys due to tolerance shall not exceed ten catties of private camels except for clothing. Violators, five pounds and ten pounds, plus one class for every ten pounds, and sixty rods for sin. Those who are riding in a car or boat shall not carry more than 30 catties of goods privately, and those who violate the law shall be 10 catties and 10 catties, plus one class for every 20 catties, and the sin shall be punished with 70 rods. Those who follow the family are not sitting, and if they are sent to carry other people, the person who sent them is guilty of the same crime, and their things are merged into the official. When the lawsuit is filed, those who know and tolerate it will not sit down with the same crime, and those who do not know will not sit down.

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, corruption began to flourish and intensified. These regulations are empty and clear, but no one enforces them. In the Jiajing period, the Jiajing Emperor finally emphasized this and refined it, reflecting it in the "Regulations on Questioning and Punishment" on "taking official livestock, vehicles, and ships with private property", and stipulating that the governor, the governor, the patrol, the river, the salt, and the river will be questioned.

If these regulations were to be strictly enforced throughout the country from the outset, they would inevitably attract opposition from all over the country. This point can refer to the original history, Emperor Chongzhen ordered the abolition of the post station, and Liu Mao, the principal at that time, was squeezed out by everyone and ended up miserable. There is no other reason, because this matter is to the detriment of the interests of all officials, rather than the obedience to the disobedience of the way, emphasizing the hierarchy of the peasants and industrialists, and the powerful are basically the beneficiaries.

Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen slowly made a decision in his heart.

Early the next morning, Sun Chuanting, who was deliberating, suddenly paused, and then hung there. When the people present saw it, they didn't dare to urge, and waited for Lord Zhongcheng to come back to his senses.

After a long while, I saw that Sun Chuanting came back to his senses, his face seemed to be a little ugly, and after glancing at the people present, his face showed a hint of determination and determination, obviously making some major decisions.

I saw him look at Zheng Zhilong, his face was expressionless, and he shouted coldly: "General Zheng, it has been nearly a year since the sea was opened, but pirates are rampant, and it is understandable that this official will go out on an order before you read you." Now that I have come back and rested for more than a month, I must not delay the extermination of the pirates, and I will exterminate the Xu Xiang pirates within one month, and within half a year, there will be no more pirates! ”

Sun Chuanting's order was not discussed at all, and he bluntly demanded that it be implemented.

Zheng Zhilong didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly clenched his fists and responded: "The last general will obey the order!" ”

In the previous time, because he was ordered to escort Xu Guangqi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, to Annan, and escorted grain directly north from Annan, he participated in the war in Liaodong, so he never met Sun Chuanting. But more than half a year has passed, and Sun Chuanting has already inquired about how he behaves, knowing that this Shangguan, who is not easy to get along with, is resolute and resolute, and uses thunderbolt means to set the rules.

If anyone cheats in front of this Zhongcheng lord and deceives his superiors and subordinates, he will suffer. The best example is that during the Chinese New Year last year, so many adults were sent to Xu Xiang's lair. This is fortunate that the emperor has a brocade guard over there, otherwise he would have been annoyed and ashamed Xu Xiang killed the sacrificial flag.

Because of this understanding, Zheng Zhilong had already been prepared for the extermination of pirates, and sent people undercover to other pirate forces as early as possible. Of course, he was already doing this when he was a pirate.

It is precisely because of this that Zheng Zhilong has the confidence to respond to Sun Chuanting's order.

I saw Sun Chuanting then turn his head to look at Liu Guoneng, even in the face of his cronies brought from the north, he was still expressionless, and shouted coldly: "General Liu, from now on, send troops to strengthen patrols at various checkpoints, if there is any entrainment of private belongings, tax evasion and tax evasion, will be strictly enforced in accordance with the "Daming Law" and "Punishment Regulations". ”

Liu Guoneng listened, although he didn't know what the specific regulations were, but he knew Sun Chuanting and knew that this matter was not negotiable, since it was stipulated by the law, he didn't care, so he didn't hesitate, and immediately clasped his fists and responded: "The last general will obey the order!" ”

Zheng Zhilong, who was on the side, was taken aback when he heard it. He is not like Liu Guoneng, who is a thief in Shaanxi, just an illiterate gawufu. Although Zheng Zhilong is a pirate, he is more of a businessman, and he is also a literate businessman. For the laws of the Ming Dynasty, his business is so big, and he has been an official for so long, so he will naturally understand something.

According to what he had just heard, he understood what regulations Lord Zhongcheng was going to strictly enforce, and in this way, he was afraid that it would be earth-shattering. He was really a little surprised, Lord Zhongcheng dared to be so tough, wasn't he afraid of offending so many bureaucrats?

Suddenly, Zheng Zhilong remembered that when he met the emperor in Beijing, it seemed that the emperor had high hopes for the tax revenue brought by the opening of the sea! Now that more than half a year has passed, the tax revenue brought by the opening of the sea is only more than 10,000 taels, which is far lower than the emperor's expectations. Could it be that Lord Zhongcheng is a dog jumping off the wall in a hurry...... It's not a nice sound, but that's what it means.

Looking at Sun Chuanting and Liu Guoneng without a trace, Zheng Zhilong suddenly had something in his heart!