When Zhang Shize was working hard in Kaifeng, Zhu Youzhen had just arrived in Huai'an Mansion under the escort of more than 10,000 Praetorian Guards.

It is less than 800 miles from Jining Prefecture to Huai'an Mansion, but it took more than 20 days, and it is really not fast to go on the canal. The canal waterway is narrow, and the boat has the wind to rely on the wind, and the wind is all dependent on manpower, and some sections of the river even have to rely on the slender man to move forward.

However, during the 800-mile journey, Zhu Youzhen did not make any extraneous branches, and the gentry who passed through the local government were relieved.

The goal of this trip is Yangzhou, to reorganize the salt administration in Yangzhou, and then to Jiangnan, to carry out Juntian in Jiangnan, the place where the gentry is the most powerful, as long as the Jiangnan gentry is done, there will be no resistance to future reforms! Since he made a southern tour, he had to take this opportunity to solve most of the problems, and Zhu Youzhen did not have time to make a southern tour again and again.

When the fleet arrived in Huai'an, everyone was tired, so Zhu Youzhen ordered him to rest for a day.

"Your Majesty, Yuan Keli, the former secretary of the Ministry of War, asks to see you."

Just when Zhu Youzhen and Hong Chengchou Wen Tiren were discussing the reform of the salt government, Liu Wenbing came to report.

"Yuan Keli? Isn't he Zhishi's hometown in Henan, how did he appear here? Wen Tiren said curiously.

"Announce him in." Zhu Youzhen commanded.

Although Yuan Keli had never been an official in the Chongzhen Dynasty, Zhu Youzhen was still very familiar with him. Especially in the previous generation, Kong Youde caused trouble in Shandong, and after Zhu Youzhen killed Sun Yuanhua, the governor of Denglai, in a fit of anger, he admired Yuan Keli, the previous governor of Denglai, if Yuan Keli was still in the post of governor of Denglai, not to mention Kong Youde, even Mao Wenlong would be honest and obedient.

"The old minister greets Your Majesty." Perhaps because of the long journey, Yuan Keli's spirit was a little sluggish, and he trembled and wanted to kneel and salute.

"Hurry up and excuse me, give me a seat." Zhu Youzhen hurriedly said. Whether it is Yuan Keli's official reputation before his official position, or his seventy years old, he has to be treated preferentially.

"The old minister came to Huai'an from Qixian County to ask to see Your Majesty." Yuan Keli said directly.

"I don't know what happened to me?" Zhu Youzhen's expression became solemn, the news that he was going south all the way naturally couldn't be hidden, it was not difficult for Yuan Keli to find himself, but he chased him all the way from Qixian County for hundreds of miles, there must be something important!

"The old minister is here to advise Your Majesty." Yuan Keli said straightly, "Although the old minister is far away in the countryside of Henan, he has also heard a little about what His Majesty has done. His Majesty went on a killing spree in Shandong, banned the title of Duke of Yansheng, imprisoned King De and King Lu, investigated corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and carried out a drastic cleanup of Shandong officialdom. ”

"Why is the Duke of Jiehuan worried, is there anything wrong with what His Majesty has done?" Wen Tiren smiled and answered.

Yuan Keli shook his head: "The Yansheng Mansion oppressed the people and annexed countless fields, smearing Kong Sheng's face, and there is nothing wrong with banning the Yansheng Mansion." As for the German domain's concealment of fields to resist the reform of the clan and feudal reform, and the suppression of ordinary clans by deducting Lumi, they should be punished. However, is the treatment of officials and gentry too harsh? Although many local officials are corrupt, and although the gentry all annex land and take advantage of it, after all, there are honest people among the officials, and there are also people who are willing to give to the gentry, how can they generalize? The ministers asked how to govern a big country like cooking a small fresh, and His Majesty tried to change the ambition of the Ming Dynasty to understand and deeply admire, but can the means be tactful and gentle? ”

"Mild? How mild? Is it reformed like Zhang Juzheng? What is the use of lukewarm? Zhu Youzhen said expressionlessly, "What's more, what I want to do is revolution, not simple reform!" ”

At this time, Zhu Youzhen was no longer afraid of revealing his true intentions. And he also wants to find like-minded people. Except for Hong Chengchou, Wen Tiren, Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chuanting and others, there are too few talents in Zhu Youzhen's hands who can take charge of themselves.

"Revolution? Whose life is it to resolve? Yuan Keli asked in surprise.

"The life of the gentry class is also the life of the gentry class!" Zhu Youzhen said lightly.

"The gentry class has too many privileges by virtue of fame, does not pay land taxes and commercial taxes, does not accept forced labor, arbitrarily accepts the surrender and annexation of land, and hides the population, and as much as seventy percent of my current land in the Ming Dynasty is in the hands of the gentry, and at least forty percent of the people are either tenants for the gentry or domestic slaves for the gentry. For more than 200 years in the Ming Dynasty, how could there be no growth in the current population and the Taizu years? The surplus population is hidden from the gentry!

The gentry who occupied seventy percent of the land did not pay taxes, and the court taxes could only fall on the heads of the people who occupied thirty percent of the fields, so that the people could not have food and clothing after plowing the fields and paying taxes all year round, and they had to sell their children and daughters to be displaced if there was a slight natural disaster.

If it were not for the revolution of the gentry, the people of the world would not be able to live. I'm afraid that in a few years, my Ming Dynasty will be in chaos everywhere and go to extinction! ”

"I am the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, inheriting the fortune of the heavens, and inheriting the foundation and various systems left by Taizu. It's a pity that the current Ming Dynasty is not more than 200 years ago, and the various systems formulated by the grandfather are not suitable, and even many systems have buried the reasons for the demise of the Ming Dynasty, and the country will die if it is not completely changed. Therefore, I want to completely change the system left by Taizu and completely deny the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, which is my own life! ”

Listening to Zhu Youzhen's words, Yuan Keli set off waves in his heart. He never imagined that what the emperor was going to do was even more out of line than he imagined.

The Ming Dynasty is the Son of Heaven and the scholars share the world, reformed the life of the gentry class, and completely abandoned the various systems left by Taizu, which, this is clearly abandoning everything that the Ming Dynasty has now, which is equivalent to starting the stove again, which is clearly a rebellion! And it was the emperor himself who rebelled!

Turning over the twenty-three histories, there have been reforms in all dynasties, but how can an emperor do this? Isn't the emperor afraid of chaos in the world and the country changing hands?

"Your Majesty, this, this ......" Yuan Keli didn't know what to say.

"Yuan Qing, you are also a gentry, and you must have a lot of land at home, how do you feel about what I am going to do?" Zhu Youzhen asked lightly.

Yuan Keli stabilized himself: "Back to Your Majesty, the so-called official in the court, returning to the hometown as a gentry, the old minister is naturally a member of the gentry, and is the object of His Majesty's revolution." There are thousands of acres of fertile land in the old minister's family, some of which are from the ancestors, and some of them are from the ministers who accepted the contributions of the villagers after becoming an official, and the fields of the minister's family naturally did not pay taxes. As His Majesty said, the gentry of the world occupied too much land and did not pay any taxes, so that the income of the court decreased year by year. If the revolution is on the head of the minister, the minister will naturally have no complaints. However, the minister dared to ask His Majesty, in addition to the removal of the minister's land, would he also remove the lives of the minister and his family? ”

Zhu Youzhen was silent: "I am not a cruel and murderous king, so naturally I will not take people's lives casually. ”

Yuan Keli nodded, a smile appeared on his face, "If that's the case, the minister is very pleased." Not to save his life, but so that His Majesty has not lost his mind! ”