After eating breakfast, Chongzhen asked, "Wang Daban, where are you?" ”

Wang Chengen said: "Back to Long Live Lord, I have just arrived in Liucheng. ”

"Have you arrived at Liucheng?" After Chongzhen finished speaking, he got up and walked to the porthole.

The last time I went north to Xia Town, I didn't have time to observe the banks of the canal because I was in a hurry all the way.

This time, I will have to go south much more calmly, and I finally have time to observe the people on both sides of the canal.

However, the scene presented in front of Chongzhen's eyes was even more dilapidated and depressed than he expected.

"Wang Daban, I remember that this city was also a big port along the canal." Chongzhen said quietly, "I didn't expect it to be in such a dilapidated state. ”

Wang Chengen said: "The old slave once read a travelogue, said that a scholar entered Beijing to catch the examination during the Wanli period, he described in detail in the article in Xuzhou, the tea city and the city of Liucheng, the description of the city is particularly detailed, the canal is blocked by boats, the shops along the street are lined up, the travelers and merchants from the south to the north grind shoulder to shoulder, the old slave still thinks about it, and it seems that the prosperity of the hundred industries described in the article can still emerge in front of him. ”

"But now it's a ghost domain infested with wild dogs."

Chongzhen sighed: "It's not even a traveler who can't see it." ”

"Has the Central Plains been ruined to this extent?" Zhu Cihong's figure suddenly appeared beside Chongzhen, and his eyes showed inexplicable sadness when he looked out the window.

"It's all a thief." Zhu Cijiong gritted his teeth.

"It's a thief, but it's not a thief." Chongzhen said in a deep voice.

Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong both cast confused eyes at Chongzhen, what does the father mean by this?

"Hong'er, Jiong'er, if you don't do well, you should admit it." Chongzhen said with a serious face, "First there was my Ming court to exploit the small people, and then there was the revelation of the small people." ”

"Before the thief got into trouble, he was just a diligent pawn of Mi Zhi."

"If it weren't for the court's tailoring, the thief wouldn't have gone to the thief."

"If it weren't for the imperial court's levy of three salaries, the small people would not have risen up."

"Therefore, the root cause lies in the imperial court, because the imperial court is insufficient and then indiscriminately levies, forcing the small people everywhere to really not survive, and then they rise up, and then there are lives in misery."

Chongzhen's tone was very calm when he said this, but Gao Qiqian and the other eunuchs felt that their three views were shattered.

Is this really what the Lord said? You weren't like this before, when did you learn to reflect? It is possible to make such a profound review.

"How can it be the fault of the imperial court?"

Zhu Cijiong pouted, a little puzzled.

Zhu Cihong sighed: "Speaking of which, it's because of the lack of national use." ”

"That's right, governing the country is a money word in the final analysis." Chongzhen said, "Hong'er, you remember, in the future, you don't have to learn from Taizu to become an ancestor, you must bow in person, you just need to firmly grasp the financial power and military power." ”

"However, doesn't the financial power belong to the household department, and the military power is under the jurisdiction of the military department?" Zhu Cihong was puzzled.

"That's right, according to the regulations, the financial power does belong to the household department, and the military power is indeed under the jurisdiction of the military department, so unless you have the ability to kick the civilian group away, you can only bypass them." Chongzhen said in a deep voice.

"It is definitely not okay to kick the civilian group away, otherwise who will govern the world?" Zhu Cihong said.

"Hong'er, you're right, it's absolutely impossible to kick away the civil servants, after all, there are so many states and counties in the world, and there are hundreds of millions of Li people, and they have to be herded." Chongzhen said, "So you can only bypass the civilian group." ”

"Bypassing the civilian community?" Zhu Cihong thought thoughtfully, "How to get around?" ”

Speaking of which, some words are not suitable for others to hear, Chongzhen was about to dive a few people out of the cabin, and asked Wang Chengen to guard the hatch, and no one was allowed to approach without his permission.

"Hong'er and Jiong'er, my father will make a real deal with the two of you today."

Chongzhen said: "Our civil official group of the Ming Dynasty, in fact, is the same as the guard system built by Taizu, it is already completely rotten, just a drift is hopeless, and it is no longer embarrassing, and now their only role is to be a pasteur to paste the broken house of the Ming Dynasty that is about to collapse, that's all." ”

Zhu Cihong said a little sadly: "Father, isn't it okay to say this about the Ming Dynasty?" ”

"Is there something wrong with what my father said?" Zhu Cijiong agreed, "Daming is a dilapidated house that is about to collapse, but brother, you don't want to admit it." ”

Zhu Cihong was silent.

Chongzhen smiled and persuaded: "Hong'er, don't be sad, it doesn't matter if the house is broken, it doesn't matter if it can't be repaired, as long as our father and son are here, we can build a new house again." ”

Zhu Cihong said: "Did my father say that he would overturn and start over?" ”

"No, the old house can't be torn down." Chongzhen waved his hand, "But you can build a new one." ”

After a pause, he added: "That is, to bypass the corrupt and embarrassing civil service group, and start from scratch to create a simple, efficient and clean administrative system." ”

Zhu Cijiong said: "Father, I'm afraid this is not easy, right?" ”

Chongzhen nodded: "Of course it's not easy, if this matter is leaked out, it will inevitably cause a crazy counterattack by the civilian group, and you and I, father and son, are afraid that they will die without a place to be buried!" ”

Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong all changed color when they heard this.

"Therefore, what my father said today, you are not allowed to leak a word."

"Father, don't worry, we will never leak it out." The brothers looked serious.

At the same time, there was also an inexplicable excitement in his heart to be recognized by his father, who actually discussed such an important state matter with the two of them, which was enough to prove that he attached great importance to them.

The little brothers didn't know that they were actually tricked by Chongzhen.

This matter is actually not as serious as Chongzhen said.

Because even if you start from scratch, you can't do it all at once.

So in the beginning, the civil service group didn't care at all.

The reason why Chongzhen said this was just to let Zhu Cihong and his brothers strengthen the concept of secrecy.

Zhu Cijiong couldn't help but ask again: "Father, then how to start a new one?" ”

Chongzhen turned his eyes to the window and said leisurely: "Take the first step to start anew, reset the secretary and supervisor!" ”

"Ah, reset the secretary and superintendent?" Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong looked at each other, "Wasn't the secretary in charge of the national book collection and text editing work an official office before the Song Dynasty?" And it's also a subordinate organization of Taichang Temple, that's it? ”

"Heh, this secretary is not the other secretary." Chongzhen smiled and said, "It's just a name." ”

Zhu Cihong said: "Father, even if you just borrow a name, the secretary and supervisor must always have an actual envoy, right?" But once there is an actual envoy, can the civilian community not object? ”

Zhu Cihong's implication is that the civil service group will make you start anew?

I'm afraid that as soon as I showed some signs, I pounced on me like a pack of mad dogs.

It is discussed with the great rites of the Jiajing Dynasty, as well as the Wanli Dynasty's struggle for the country.

Chongzhen said that the prince is the prince, and his political sense is still very keen, in a word.

Unlike Zhu Cijiong, who is a simple man, he has a very flexible brain in military affairs, but he is extremely slow in politics.

Chongzhen threw an appreciative glance at Zhu Cihong, and said with a smile: "Therefore, we have to find an actual envoy for the secretary and supervisor who can do a lot of things but will not arouse the opposition of the civil service group, and it is best to get the support of the civil service group!" ”

"How is that possible?" Zhu Cijiong lost his voice and said, "The civil official group is not stupid, how can it be possible to support your father and emperor to start a new stove and set up a yamen that may encroach on the power of the six ministries." ”

"Impossible?" Chongzhen smiled and said, "Think about it again." ”

Zhu Cijiong said categorically: "You don't have to think about it at all, it's impossible." ”

Zhu Cihong was also meditating on the side, but he never understood the essentials.

"Okay, if I don't play dumb riddles with you, it is really possible for civil officials to support my father to set up this institution." Chongzhen said, "Because although this institution has great power and many envoys, at the beginning, it was not the power of the six departments of the cabinet that was usurped, but the power of the twelve superintendents, four divisions and eight bureaus of the inner court!" ”

"Ahh Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong suddenly reacted.

This institution that the emperor wants to set up is to replace the twelve prisons, four divisions and eight bureaus of the inner court!

If this is the case, it is really possible for the civil official group to support it, because the confrontation between the civil official group and the eunuch group can be said to have a long history, and the civil official group is afraid that they are only dreaming of usurping the power in the hands of the eunuch group, right? In particular, the weaving bureau, the mine supervisor and the tax supervisor are the thorns in the side of the civil bureaucracy.

Zhu Cihong didn't dare to refute his father, but only questioned weakly: "Father, is this good?" ”

"Hong'er, my father knows what you're worried about, it's nothing more than worrying that if there are no eunuchs to check and balance, the civil officials, especially the cabinet, may override the imperial power, right?" Chongzhen said.

"Yes." Zhu Cihong nodded and said, "That's what Erchen is worried about. ”

"You're right to be worried." Chongzhen nodded and said, "If it is a powerful or deep-rooted emperor, it will naturally not be usurped by the civil official group, but if it is a weak or young emperor, it will inevitably be usurped, and if the emperor wants to take back the power from the hands of civil officials, the only way is to use the power of eunuchs." ”

"This is also the reason why Emperor Wuzong supported Liu Jin back then, and your imperial uncle supported Wei Eunuch."

"But you must remember that eunuchs, because of their physical defects, often lead to psychological perversion, so they are far more evil than the civil official group, although the civil official group is rotten, but at least fifty percent of the tax can be attributed to the state, and if the eunuchs are allowed to collect taxes, two percent of the ten percent of the tax may not go to heaven! My father was deeply affected by it! ”

"Therefore, it is really not a good idea to use eunuchs to check and balance the civilian official group, which can be described as killing 800 enemies and losing 3,000 themselves."

"Back then, Emperor Taizu Gao left an ancestral precept on this, but unfortunately later Emperor Cheng Zuwen set a precedent for reusing eunuchs, and after arriving in Yingzong, it was out of control."

Zhu Cihong said thoughtfully: "But there are no eunuchs, who will check and balance the civil and official groups?" ”

"It's actually quite simple." Chongzhen said abruptly, "Just use civil officials to check and balance civil officials." ”