Chapter 416: The Inside Story of the Ming Dynasty

After a difficult night, Yang Gengai did not sleep very peacefully.

Yesterday, the action was quite big, not only did the dividend of 4 million taels appear in the Di newspaper, but also the news that 800,000 pieces of cotton clothes were about to be shipped.

Yang Reform has taken this critical step, but he is also worried, worried that the ministers will join forces against him, although he still has a follow-up move, but he does not want to tear his face with the current ministers, and the maintenance of face is still quite important.

The sun was already high and had already dispelled the fog of early winter, and Yang Gengai sat up from the chuáng.

"Otomo, is there any news worth hearing today?" Yang Gai sat on the chuáng stupidly, and only after half a sound did he say to Wang Chengen on the side.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Your Majesty, nothing major happened today, therefore, the slave maid is brave and did not disturb Your Majesty prematurely, Your Majesty, it is only two moments now, if Your Majesty feels that you have not slept enough, you can sleep for a while." Wang Chengen said with a smile.

Yang Reform listened, his heart was determined, there was going to be a showdown with those people at the end of the year, and today's actions will inevitably get bigger and bigger, and it will inevitably cause some people to be alert, this is where Yang Reform is worried, so he didn't sleep well last night, worried that something would happen, but judging from Wang Chengen's attitude now, there are basically no major problems, that is to say, this step has passed dangerously. The bureaucrats did not immediately huddle together and have a showdown with themselves, then, their own step is considered to be successful, and next, it is bound to get better and better, indeed as they expected, these bureaucrats at the end of the Ming Dynasty have blinded their eyes to interests, for the sake of interests, they can do anything, for the sake of interests, they can pretend not to see, pretend not to know, can pretend to be stupid, their own big move, it should not be difficult for people with a heart to see anything, but, this most difficult night has passed, and there is no movement, In other words, I have united many people together with interests, and this step can be regarded as a success, and a new interest group has gradually taken shape.

"No, let's get up, we have to go to the Wenhua Palace." Yang Reform's brain, which has always been a little drowsy, has also become much clearer, and he decided to get up chuáng and go to work, today is indeed a good day, and he can't rely on chuáng like this.

"Obey ......the order," Wang Chengen agreed, and then beckoned the palace maids, and the eunuchs dressed the emperor and washed up.

It didn't take long for a spirited emperor to appear in front of everyone's eyes, and soon, he was heading towards the Wenhua Palace.

……

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live...... "Long live the people in the Wenhua Hall shouted long live.

Yang Gai said as usual: "Get up." ”

Then the ministers got up.

Yang Reform was ready to start the discussion as usual, and hurriedly glanced at the people in the Wenhua Palace, all of them had a serious, loyal, and honest gaze, but today's gaze is obviously different from the past. Is it resentment? Is it a curse? Or something else? Anyway, among these eyes today, there are always some unkind eyes.

If you look closely, everyone's eyes are still serious, peaceful, and honest, and they don't find anyone staring at them with unkind eyes, maybe they are too sensitive? Yang Gengai swept the ministers a few times and frowned.

"Let's see what we have to discuss today...... Yang Gengai breathed a sigh of relief, that kind of poisonous, unkind gaze, in the feeling, always exists, but it is always impossible to search, so he ignored it and started today's formal office.

……

In fact, there are more trivial things, which will not be discussed in the Wenhua Hall at all, and the things that can be obtained in the Wenhua Hall are somewhat important, but in the eyes of Yang Reform, they are all trivial things, and they will be done quickly.

"Your Majesty, there is something about the minister, I don't know whether to talk about it or not." A minister said suddenly.

"Oh, whatever, just say it." Yang encouraged the reform.

"Your Majesty, just a few days ago, the minister mentioned to Your Majesty that some businessmen in the south want to assist in the transfer of the victims, I don't know what Your Majesty thinks." After the minister finished speaking, he looked up at the emperor.

When the other ministers heard this, they turned their heads to look at him.

"Oh, that thing? Does the Qing family mean to let me pay for them to build ships? And then every time they do business, they bring a group of immigrants? Yang Gai had an impression of this matter, and at first felt that this bureaucrat was shameless, but he didn't expect that this person would dare to mention this kind of thing again. ,

"Yes, yes, yes,...... Exactly, Your Majesty, those fishermen in the south can use their strength to buy shares, and share the new fishing boats with the victims, Your Majesty, some businessmen in the south are also willing to share worries for Your Majesty, as long as Your Majesty agrees to their shares, in this way, the continuous transfer of disaster victims in the future can be entrusted to them for a part, so that you can save a lot of money, Your Majesty ......" This official stammered with a smile, this kind of work from the emperor's pocket, it is better to smile, in case the emperor turns his face, as the saying goes, reach out and don't hit the smiling person, accompany a smile, Even if the emperor is unwilling, he will not do anything to himself, if it happens, then he will be the hero of those people in the south.

"This matter ......, well, I will seriously consider it......" Yang Gai wondered, what happened to this official? Why do you keep bringing this up? This is a real amount of money from his own pocket, there is nothing wrong with this official, right? Or is it a brain show that is funny? …… No, I'm afraid there is another hidden story, Yang Reform pondered it again, and figured out some things, it stands to reason that such an obvious move to ask for money will never be mentioned to himself again and again, and it is really necessary for him to find someone to ask about the situation.

“…… Okay, the Qing family can share my worries and ask for the people's lives, so ......, I should do this matter, but I still have to think about how to ......get it" Yang Reform thought about it, as if he suddenly understood something, so he suddenly changed his words, of course, there is nothing substantial.

"Your Majesty Shengming, long live my emperor, long live, long live......" When the official saw that the matter was done, he immediately smiled all over his face, knelt down happily and kowtowed, and made a big salute.

Yang Reform had a long heart, and after ending the deliberations of the Wenhua Palace, he hurriedly found Sun Chengzong, this guy always opened his mouth in the south and closed his mouth in the south, presumably for some people in the south to fight for some benefits, since this is the case, then you have to find someone who is familiar with the situation in the south to ask, this person, Sun Chengzong is a good candidate, the target of the Donglin Party

"Master Sun, why is it called when discussing today's meeting, why did you mention the shipbuilding in the south again?" Yang asked Gengai.

Sun Chengzong didn't like to talk in the first place, his face was serious, it seemed, he had a sense of majesty, since he was called "master" by the emperor, he didn't like to talk even more, the early dynasty, deliberations, basically, were not open, not the emperor asked, and never took the initiative to say things, with Sun Chengzong's majestic appearance, but compared to those Han generals in the court.

"Your Majesty, actually, I just want to use the purpose of assisting immigrants to get Your Majesty to pay for some people in the south to build ships......" Sun Chengzong frowned and thought about it for a long time, and said.

"Oh, yes, I'm weird, why is this guy so thick-skinned, and he has the face to mention the matter of taking money out of my pocket again and again? Even if I have a good temper, I won't be bullied. Yang Gengai asked about the strange thing here, it stands to reason that the officials are all human spirits, how can they say such retarded words?

Sun Chengzong was even more silent, and after a long time, Sun Chengzong sighed and said: "Your Majesty, to say something disrespectful, this is a ......signal for some people to test Your Majesty, or rather, this is a signal to lean towards Your Majesty" Sun Chengzong hesitated for a long time, and finally told the emperor this meaning that only the old foxes in the officialdom could understand.

Yang Reform's brain thundered instantly, testing himself? Signal?

"Master Sun, what does this mean? Signal? Yang Gai seemed to understand a little in his heart, but it was still hazy and hazy, so he asked Sun Chengzong again.

“…… Your Majesty, this is a bit disrespectful, but since Your Majesty asked, the minister said directly, what Your Majesty wants to do, although it is not explicitly said, but the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty are also human spirits, and they can figure out one or two from these things done by Your Majesty, and the old minister estimates that some people smell some smells, and it is estimated that they are tempting Your Majesty, or rather, they are ready to lose their sincerity to Your Majesty, in order to be able to settle down in the future moves......" Sun Chengzong revealed the mystery of this matter with a serious face.

In this ......, Yang Reform has only one word in his mind at this time, that is, "old fox", and he is hidden enough to do things by himself, but these old foxes can actually figure out something from these things, I have to say that I underestimated them, I originally thought that I had a new army, silver, high prestige, and even righteousness, and enough evidence in hand, so I could easily put them to death, but I didn't expect that the noses of these old foxes were more smart than dogs, and they actually smelled the smell and "greeted" themselves in advance. ,

Moreover, this way of greeting is so special and obscure, that Yang Reform can be regarded as seeing the shrewdness of the bureaucrats of the Ming Dynasty. What is this? Looking at the momentum is not right, how many sides are betting? Or do you throw yourself into it wholeheartedly?

Yang Reform has always thought that he is very smart, with the innate advantage from the future, he can kill the Quartet without scruples, today's incident, gave Yang Reform quite a blow, it seems that this Ming Dynasty matter, is not as simple as he thinks, these bureaucrats in the Ming Dynasty, are all human spirits, it seems, their own strategy, have to be adjusted.

"Master Sun, who does this person represent? Those people want to say hello to me? Do you really want to take refuge in me, or do you want to test me? Or a two-sided bet? The thing I'm going to do won't be known to everyone, will it? Yang Gengai thought about it for a long time, but he couldn't get the essentials, so he asked Sun Chengzong instead. Yang Reform is quite depressed, he hasn't done his own thing yet, is it already known to everyone? The world is terrifying.

Sun Chengzong frowned and thought for a long time, and said: "Back to Your Majesty, the old minister shouldn't have said these things, but the matter has reached this point, and there are some taboos and reckless things, and the old minister has no choice but to tell the truth." "Sun Chengzong's heart is also quite bitter, he is up as a teacher of the Apocalypse, and his feelings for the emperor's family are different from others, but he is also a figure like the anti-target of the Donglin Party, in today's Chongzhen Dynasty, he has achieved the position of his right-hand man, so it is quite difficult to be in the left and right of the emperor and the Donglin Party, so in the court, they try not to open their mouths and not speak, unless they are forced to do so, they generally only speak about the war, about the outside of the gate, and the things in the court, which can not be said. However, today's matter, the emperor has already asked, has asked the core, Sun Chengzong thought about it, and felt that he still had to tell the emperor truthfully, although the emperor is young, but he is an ambitious, capable, and promising emperor, and assisting an emperor who can surpass the ancient gold is the ideal of countless courtiers, and Sun Chengzong is no exception.

"Master Sun just said." Yang Reform looked forward to it.

"The one who mentioned this matter today represents some maritime merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, and he mentioned to His Majesty that His Majesty would pay for them to build ships, and they would transfer the victims, in fact, he wanted to tell His Majesty that they intended to move closer to His Majesty and stand on His Majesty's side, so that they could get His Majesty's protection in the next bloody storm......" Sun Chengzong's words box opened, and he had no scruples, and the inside story of this was poured out like pouring water.

"Maritime ......" Yang Reform can be regarded as an eye-opener, and it can be regarded as recognizing the power of the "elites" of the Ming Dynasty, not to mention anything else, this dog's nose is first-class; This ability to stand in line is first-class.

"Your Majesty is strange, why would a dignified member speak for a maritime merchant who is underground?" Sun Chengzong's words were opened, and he couldn't hold it back, and many taboo topics were usually said.

"Yes, that's what I thought." Yang Gai looked at Sun Chengzong with a smile, his own master was so fierce that the gossip exploded

"Your Majesty, my dynasty ancestral system, Tibetan wealth in the people, the people have always been rich, although the status of businessmen is set low, but, for hundreds of years, after those businessmen make money, they will support the children of good families and their own families, there are smart and good scholars, often able to high school, so, hundreds of years, this businessman is not a pure businessman, it is not surprising that there are people in the court who speak for them, which are intertwined, ordinary people can imagine, Your Majesty can understand the meaning of the minister...... "Sun Chengzong is afraid that his words are too fierce, and the emperor can't stand it, I also asked a special question.

"Oh, hehe, this way, I can understand......" Yang Reform listened attentively to the gossip of Sun Chengzong about the Ming Dynasty, this is the core insider of the Ming Dynasty, as long as these people have some understanding of the Ming Dynasty, they are not insiders.

“…… Didn't Your Majesty appease a pirate named Zheng Zhilong a few days ago? Sun Chengzong's eyes flashed with a fine light, and he said again.

Yang Gai was shocked in his heart, there would be no gossip about this, insider.

"Yes, then Zheng Zhilong, I'm going to spend some money to recruit An, Master Sun, hehe, what is there to say and pay attention to?" Yang Gai couldn't wait to immediately know the inside gossip of the Ming Dynasty.

“…… Your Majesty, do you know that now on the southeast coast, who dominates the sea? Who's amazing? Sun Chengzong asked again.

"This? Pirate? Yiren? Officers and soldiers? Yang Gai said, ranking his own official army last, as long as you know some of the history of the Ming Dynasty, you know that Zheng Zhilong, a great pirate, rose in the late Ming Dynasty, so the official army must be ranked behind. ,

“…… Your Majesty knows that the southeast coast, if you want to say that the most elite, it is the Yi people, they can often be worthy of several warships of our Ming Dynasty, but they have few people and few ships; Secondly, the pirates, although their warships are not as powerful as the Yiren, they are numerous and familiar with the local seas, and they are the second force; Secondly, it is the official army, which occupies the advantage of the general trend of the imperial court, in fact, the ship is not as good as the pirates, and the people are even worse, but the southeast sea is under their control......" Sun Chengzong opened the conversation box and did not plan to close it.

Yang Gengai listened with relish.

"......, since the officers and soldiers can't control the sea, but those maritime merchants have to do trade, they must find a reliable person to protect them from harm at sea,...... Your Majesty, do you know that in fact, the Yi people have to collect taxes at sea? ”

"This ......, I ......" Yang Reform didn't know what to say, it turned out that everyone knew the face of the Yi people, Yang Reform originally thought that he knew that those bureaucrats in the Ming Dynasty were idiots, but now it seems that the bureaucrats in the Ming Dynasty actually knew.

"The Yi people rely on the sharpness of their warships, so it has been a long time to collect taxes on the sea, and the maritime merchants feel that they are too much and do not want to pay, not to mention, the Yi people cannot guarantee that they can exterminate all the pirates, and they cannot guarantee the safety of the maritime merchants, not to mention the officers and soldiers, so the maritime merchants want to find someone who can shelter them at sea, and they first eliminated the Yi people, so these maritime merchants set their sights on the officers and soldiers,...... Your Majesty also knows that last year, the official army let that Zheng Zhilong defeat to the ground, so those maritime merchants had no choice but to turn their attention to pirates, including Zheng Zhilong, some people want to help Zheng Zhilong up, against other pirates, against the Yi people, so, to ensure their safety at sea, the minister said this, Your Majesty understands? Sun Chengzong asked again, afraid that he would break too much news and the emperor would not understand.

Yang Reform is really like listening to the book of heaven, this gossip in the last years of the Ming Dynasty is really not generally complicated, if according to Sun Chengzong said, the situation on the southeast coast at the end of the Ming Dynasty is just right.

"I understand, Master Sun just said." Yang Gengai swallowed and spitted, this time, his master Sun could blow up the inside story and gossip in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

“…… It's good that Your Majesty can understand, today's southeast coast, the three-legged stand, the Yiren, the pirates, the officials and the army, no one of the three parties is subject to anyone, and it is inevitable that one party will come out to dominate the overall situation in order to ensure the safety of the maritime merchants, otherwise, they will not be able to live in peace, so Zheng Zhilong is very important,...... And His Majesty recruited Zheng Zhilong into Beijing again, and he was appeased by a very high standard, which made some people who were already very shocked even more shocked......"

"Those people?" Yang Gengai hurriedly asked.

"Your Majesty still doesn't understand? Your Majesty is now building warships on a large scale, and even hiring a fleet of Yiren, which will undoubtedly make major changes in the situation at sea, with Your Majesty's financial and human resources, it is easy to break the three-legged situation in the southeast sea, so some people are helpless, so they have no choice but to lose their sincerity to Your Majesty and take refuge in Your Majesty, not to mention, the Zheng Zhilong they are optimistic about is now under the control of Your Majesty, Your Majesty can understand? Sun Chengzong said quite neatly.

In the face of this earth-shattering gossip that Sun Chengzong broke out, Yang Reform was like listening to a book from heaven, perhaps an epic legend.

“…… So, why is it out of desperation? Yang asked reform.

"Hehehe......" Sun Chengzong suddenly laughed, with some helplessness in his eyes.

“…… Okay, since His Majesty asked, then the old minister knows everything......" Sun Chengzong sorted out his thoughts, and then said: "...... As for why it is helpless, in fact, this has to start from the time of Taizu...... "As soon as Sun Chengzong opened his mouth, it was a long story.

“…… Back then, Taizu, alas, ......, was the crime of the Taizu, and the ministers ......" Sun Chengzong had a melancholy face.

"It's okay, Master Sun just says." Yang Gai said.

“…… Your Majesty knows about the empty seal case of that year? I am from the household department below, thirteen political envoys, more than 140 prefectures, nearly 200 prefectures, more than 1,000 counties, all the people who hold the seal are dead, and then tens of thousands of people are implicated......" Sun Chengzong said, with a melancholy face.

"Well, I know something......," Yang said.

“…… This is just one of them, alas, the rest will not be said...... there are too many rights and wrongs, Taizu killed too many back then, so there is an unwritten rule for future officials, especially civil officials, that is, to limit imperial power, and not let the emperor do what he wants, so as not to reproduce the things of Taizu back then, so that I have the right to castrate, it is the emperor who came out in order to fight with the ministers......" Sun Chengzong said here, his eyes have floated, and he seems to be immersed in the entire two hundred years of Ming Dynasty history. ,

It was a thunderbolt on a sunny day, but I didn't expect that the inside story and gossip of the Ming Dynasty were buried so deeply, and it was even related to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"......, therefore, in the two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, civil officials have always had the tradition and rules of restricting imperial power, so Your Majesty's gold and silver, salt classes are becoming less and less, and this is not unrelated, back then, the matter of the Shenzong Mine Supervisor was so stiff, and this is also the reason, everyone will not let the emperor, let His Majesty have too much silver, lest His Majesty's ability become greater and greater, so as to reproduce the affairs of Taizu back then, therefore, Your Majesty seems to have a lot of incredible things, but they are also due to this, and I can't say it directly......" Sun Chengzong said with a melancholy face.

"That is to say, in order to limit the imperial power, therefore, you can't open a mining tax, you can't open a tariff, you can't open all kinds of taxes, and even the salt tax will become less and less, and the border army can't eat anymore, and if you want to fight, you can only harden it." Yang Reform faced this shocking story and didn't know what to say.

“…… Yes and no, restricting imperial power has become a tradition and habit, and gradually sī profits have been added to it, changing its taste, and it has gone out of shape, and now, although it is in the name of restricting His Majesty to prevent His Majesty from raising taxes and so on, and making money, in fact, it is more for the sake of satisfying the sac, for the sake of profit, for the sake of silver, what border is tight, the war is tight, and there is no money for disaster relief, these are irrelevant......" Sun Chengzong spoke openly, with a trace of pain between his eyebrows.

"......" Yang Reform doesn't know what to say, this gossip of the Ming Dynasty is really a bit amazing and difficult to accept.

“…… Therefore, Your Majesty can see what is happening today......" Sun Chengzong added.