Regarding Lao Zhu's proposal, Zhou Yanru naturally did not dare to refuse in the slightest, and almost without the slightest hesitation, he said that he would donate all his family property to serve as the military expenses of the imperial court.

"It's kind of acquaintance."

Looking at Zhou Yanru, who made a decisive statement, Lao Zhu bowed slightly, and then said: "Now that Daming has accumulated shortcomings for a long time, it is not the power of one person to change." ”

"Since we keep your head, we value your ability, and I hope you can do more in this position."

"Take out your previous enthusiasm to improve people's livelihood, promote talents, and rectify the military and government, as long as you can do things in a down-to-earth manner, we can guarantee that the previous things can be blamed in the past."

Hearing Lao Zhu's words, Zhou Yanru, who was originally terrified, suddenly fell silent for a moment at this time.

Once upon a time, after defeating the inactive predecessor Wen Tiren, he was also quite a good official, and he also wanted to do something practical to make a name for himself.

But the problem is that the minister is not a mediocre minister, the lord is a mediocre lord, after seeing through the essence of Chongzhen's meanness and lack of responsibility, Zhou Yanru simply gave up.

After all, now that the Ming Dynasty has rotted to the extreme, no matter what changes you want to make, you will inevitably offend a lot of people.

And after offending people, if there is no emperor behind him to support him, then he will most likely have to go home like Li Banghua.

So after seeing through Zhou Yanru, he simply didn't do anything, honestly became his first assistant, he should fight political enemies and fight political enemies, in short, he didn't do anything practical.

But now, when he heard Lao Zhu, the founding grandfather, say his most proud political achievements, Zhou Yanru suddenly had a very subtle thought in his heart, that is, it seems to be a good thing to change this emperor?

Looking at the silent Zhou Yanru, Lao Zhu didn't care, anyway, with Jinyiwei in hand, even if this Shoufu has any ideas, he can't make any waves, if he can't satisfy himself, it's a big deal to change another one.

Lao Zhu's methods were not only coercion and intimidation, he thought for a while, and then said: "Didn't you always want to restrict the rights of the ministers and Jinyiwei, we can give you a chance." ”

"Dongchang and Jinyiwei don't need to mention it, we still have a lot of use, but those tax supervisors, they can't collect any taxes but are on the fish and meat side, you can mention this matter when you go to court tomorrow, we will allow it."

To tell the truth, Chongzhen sent the tax supervisors out to collect taxes locally, and his original intention was good, that is, he hoped to use these tax supervisors he trusted to supervise the tax collection below, and then pay taxes through these tax supervisors.

But there is often a big gap between the ideal and the reality, these individual tax supervisors, even if they can't fight the local wealthy families, they often go along with them, not only can not collect much tax, but use the emperor's name to levy tyranny, which greatly aggravates the resentment of the people, so this wave of people Lao Zhu must be withdrawn.

It's just that the tax supervisors are all eunuchs, and they are all nominally emperors, if he takes the initiative to bring it up, it may chill the hearts of the eunuchs in the inner court, so this matter is simply asked by Zhou Yanru to bring it up, and those eunuchs will hate Zhou Yanru if they want to hate.

"Your Majesty."

Zhou Yanru also knew that if he did this, he would definitely suffer the resentment of the eunuchs in the inner court, but instead of resisting in the slightest, he was willing to do it.

After all, the tax supervisors have long been boiling with resentment below, and if he takes the initiative to abolish these tax supervisors, he will certainly be hostile to the eunuchs, but he will also gain the hearts of the people.

If it was in the past, it must have been the eunuchs who were more important to him, but now that Lao Zhu is in charge, it must be the most important thing for the people.

What eunuch is not a eunuch, let him die, and save his life first.

Lao Zhu thought for a while, and then said: "By the way, there is also Liao salary, practice salary, and now I can't collect any money, but it will increase the burden of the people, and when I go to court tomorrow, it will be canceled." ”

To be honest, Daming's taxes were really not heavy, but the problem was that they couldn't resist the increase.

In addition to the Liao salary and the training salary, there was originally a salary, and this additional tax was merged into the three salaries.

Among them, the expulsion was added in order to exterminate the anti-thieves, and the levy had been stopped in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, and now there is only Liao salary and training salary.

The purpose of these additional taxes is to collect more food and wages, so that the thieves can be eliminated quickly.

The original intention of the people who proposed these additional factions was to suffer the people first, and then restore peace to the world, so that the people could recuperate.

As a result, the people are suffering again and again, and they are about to be bitter to death, and the world does not have the slightest intention of peace, but is becoming more and more chaotic.

In addition, the following powerful officials, taking advantage of the reason of the imperial court's increase, are wantonly leviing and extorting, and the court adds a penny, and they dare to charge ten more points.

And the most odious thing is that after receiving the tax, they will say that they cannot collect the tax in the name of the heavy burden of the people, and then directly deduct the tax money.

In the long run, the people will have no way to live, and they will definitely rebel one after another.

Therefore, Lao Zhu, who hated the harsh taxes the most, directly canceled these additions, and let the people breathe a little easier before talking.

It's just that after Zhou Yanru heard this, his face couldn't help but change.

The abolition of the increase is definitely a good thing for the people, but if the problem is that if there is money, who will increase the tax and silver, the biggest problem of the Ming Dynasty now is that there is no money.

If there is no additional tax support, I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty will be completely bankrupt before the end of the year, and by that time the Ming may not even be able to pay the officials' salaries, let alone military salaries and disaster relief.

So Zhou Yanru hesitated for a while, but he couldn't help but say in an extremely euphemistic tone: "Your Majesty, now that the treasury of the Ming Dynasty is empty, isn't it appropriate to cancel the additional tax and silver?" ”

"The treasury is empty, and it should not be taken from the people."

"It's not easy for people to live, especially in these troubled times, and their lives are even more difficult."

"An extra penny from the imperial court will be an unbearable mountain if it falls on their heads, and it may bring them the result of ruining their families."

"I founded the Ming Dynasty to let the people live and work in peace and contentment, if the Ming Dynasty continues at the expense of the people, then this Ming Dynasty does not want it."

After Lao Zhu said this, he didn't wait for Zhou Yanru to refute at all, and then said: "Military salaries and disaster relief, temporarily from the inner treasury, when the inner treasury is out of money, let's find a way, you don't have to worry about this matter." ”

To tell the truth, Chongzhen's inner library originally had no money, otherwise he would not be poor and take the lead with the queen in the palace.

But Chongzhen's inner treasury has no money, which does not mean that Lao Zhu can't get money.

If nothing else, let's just say that I killed hundreds of officials today, and I went back and raided all their homes, and the money would be transferred to the inner treasury.

These money, coupled with Zhou Yanru's taking the lead in donating to the court tomorrow, how can this money be worth a year's taxes in the Ming Dynasty, so that the finances of the imperial court can last another year, it is not a big problem.

And in addition, Lao Zhu also thought of some other ways to make money, if the plan went well, Daming not only did not need to increase taxes, but even began to gradually reduce taxes.