"Your Majesty, this is to balance the power of Confucian scholars and doctors with the Council."

In the middle capital, the mansion of Luo Fangbo, the left minister.

A group of officials from Guangdong and Lanfang gathered together to discuss.

With Zhu Daohua's ascension to the throne, he became emperor.

Next up is the Great Vassals.

Luo Fangbo, the Lan State Guild, has a hereditary title, which means that Luo Fangbo will be the grandfather of the country who will retire with the Ming Dynasty in the future.

"Emperor Yizong of the former Ming Dynasty said that all ministers can be killed, and the scholars and doctors are shameless, although they are biased, but if this Confucian scholar doctor has too much power, it is indeed not the service of the state!"

The one who is speaking is Wu Bingjian, the secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.

Wu Bingjian, who was born in the Thirteen Merchants, naturally knew that many of the Western countries had parliaments.

Luo Fangbo, who roamed the South Seas, even established a republic earlier than the United States.

So these Cantonese officials are no strangers to institutions like parliament.

"Now the two provinces of Hunan and Guangdong are contending, but when Jiangsu and Zhejiang recover, I am afraid that the power of the party in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is no less than that of Hunan, and they in Jiangsu and Zhejiang can do business and take exams to become officials, but they really can't be underestimated."

Hunan Governor Song Xiang said.

"It doesn't matter, among the nobles, Cantonese and Lanfang account for most of them, and our Guangdong and Lanfang have a solid foundation in the country, so we just need to keep up with the emperor's pace."

Luo Fangbo said.

"Since the emperor has made a decision to let us fight, then we have to fight hard!"

"Guangdong's commercial tax this year is 8 million Ming Yuan, as well as customs duties, salt taxes, mining taxes, and stamp duty on loan vouchers to be levied, and the total amount will not be less than 12 million. This year, all parts of Guangdong are expanding factories, absorbing a large number of people from Jiangxi and Guangxi into Guangdong, making the Guangdong market more prosperous, and the total tax paid next year will not be less than 15 million, just by virtue of this number, it is enough to establish the status of Guangdong as the largest province! ”

Luo Fangbo said.

Strictly speaking, he is an official from Lanfang.

But who made this Lanfang people basically still identify themselves as Cantonese?

"The parliamentary chamber was established by the emperor trusting us, and we in Guangdong must firmly occupy the relative majority of the parliamentary chamber, so that the emperor will not be restrained by that group of Confucian scholars!"

Who would have thought.

This Cantonese Party, which was originally dominated by the emerging bourgeoisie, actually evolved into the Conservative Party of the Ming Dynasty in later generations, representing the interests of the royal family and nobles.

"In addition, Guangdong's culture and education should also be paid attention to. After all, the power of the parliamentary yuan is limited, and our Guangdong children still have to work the imperial examination! ”

"The Guangdong Chamber of Commerce should actively donate money and run education on a large scale, as long as our Guangdong talent and energy sources continue to emerge, our Guangdong's position in the DPRK and China will be stable."

"Yes, yes, let the decrepit boys in the family have to hurry up, and they all have to study with peace of mind, anyway, the content of the Four Books and Five Classics of the Imperial Examination has been reduced a lot, and there will definitely be more physical exams in the future!"

"The power of business and gentry is too heavy."

Ouyang Houjun, the prefect of Chenzhou, sighed.

The other side.

A group of Hunan officials also gathered.

"This is not without benefits, now the left and right prime ministers are all held by the Guangdong Party, and with the constraints of this parliamentary court, this is quite a shame."

Peng Jun, the prefect of Hengyang, smiled a little gloatingly.

The Guangdong Party fully supports the establishment of the House of Representatives.

But the first thing that the House of Representatives restricts is the power of the Cabinet.

In accordance with the provisions of the "Rite of the Ming Dynasty".

Once the no-confidence vote is passed, the Prime Minister and the officials of the various ministries must go to the House of Representatives to explain and seek the support of the House of Representatives, and if they are not approved, the Emperor must rule on it.

At the same time, the House of Representatives also has the power to impeach the Cabinet.

Arguably.

There is this House of Representatives.

Being the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty really doesn't have much taste.

There's a bunch of people watching everything.

The prime minister is also aggrieved.

"Everyone's worries." The military advisor Tao Biquan has been by Zhu Daohua's side for a long time, and he knows a little about Zhu Daohua's thoughts.

"The weight of the so-called gentry power and commercial power is only because of the monarch's power. Ladies and gentlemen, please see, 16 of the 20 articles in the first chapter of the general outline of the "Rites of the Great Ming" are from strengthening the monarchy's power. ”

"The emperor has the exclusive power to legislate, the power to dissolve and convene the council, the power to arm, the power to confer knighthoods, and the power to divide the feuds."

"The prosperity of the monarchy, I am afraid that only the two emperors of the former Ming Dynasty Taizu and Chengzu can be compared."

"On the other hand," Tao Biquan said with a sigh, "it's the second chapter of civil rights!" ”

"The powers of the gentry, merchants, and even officials at all levels are all in this chapter, that is to say, the subjects of the Ming Dynasty, whether gentry, merchants, or officials, are all equal under this Ming ceremony."

"Any subject with Ming nationality has the obligation to join the army and pay taxes, and shall not arrest, imprison, interrogate, or punish any subject unless it is based on etiquette, according to etiquette, the property of the subject is inviolable, according to the etiquette, the confidentiality of the subject's letters is inviolable, according to the etiquette, the subject has the right to petition, according to the etiquette, the life and safety of the subject is protected by the Ming court, and according to the etiquette, the subject has the freedom to move."

Tao Biquan has a number of rights and obligations stipulated in this "Ming Li".

The rights possessed by these subjects of the Ming Dynasty are of course not necessarily unfavorable to those of them who are officials.

Because if Zhu Daohua really acted in full compliance with "Ming Li".

No matter how heavy the monarch's power is.

They don't have to worry about "the cunning rabbit and the dead lackey", and they don't have to worry about "raiding the house and destroying the ten clans." ”

There is no need to worry about the surveillance and arrest of Jinyiwei.

Of course.

At a time when the rights of these officials are protected.

The peddlers and pawns of the Ming Dynasty, ordinary people, will also have all the rights of the subjects of the Ming Dynasty like the high-ranking scholars.

Elixir.

The subjects of the Ming Dynasty are all equal!

"Now that we are an official in Daming, there is no way to show off the official authority. But there are gains and losses. There is such a rule, and we people are safeguarded."

"Yes, yes, we can't play this ceremony badly, Zhou Li protects the Zhou Dynasty for 800 years, and the Zhou Dynasty will only perish after the collapse of the ceremony, we will all be nobles of the Ming Dynasty in the future, if the Ming Dynasty can also have 800 years of wealth under the protection of the Ming Dynasty, you and my descendants can enjoy 800 years of wealth"

"You can't be rude!"

Everyone said.

"Master Luo, what do you think of this parliamentary politics?"

Tao Biquan looked at Luo Dian, who was sitting in the first place, smiling and silent.

Luo Dian smiled and said, "The old man thinks that the emperor's system of etiquette and peace in the world is a good governance that will benefit the present generation. You and I are Confucian, shouting self-denial and revenge every day, and now that this ceremony is coming, how can Ye Gong be a good dragon. ”

"What's more, this council only has the power of supervision and impeachment, and the political affairs of the Ming Dynasty are always carried out by our Confucian scholars."

Luo Dian said with a smile: "The gift of the Ming Dynasty is good for everyone, and it is naturally to be followed, the emperor wants to hold a parliament, and we as subordinates can stand up to it?" In my opinion, if the Ming Dynasty can really act in accordance with the Ming etiquette, I am afraid that it is possible to govern and martial arts as far as the Han and Tang Dynasties in the future, and then you and I will be famous ministers through the ages, and they can think of demolishing the stage because of the loss of a little official prestige? ”

"We can't tear down the Ming Dynasty, the emperor is right. If today is a world of great disputes, it is like a warring state strife! Now there is a civilization comparable to China such as Europa in the world, if I demolish the Ming Dynasty, we are afraid that the Taoist system of Confucian scholars will be exterminated by Westerners, and we will not be able to cry when the time comes! ”

"What Luo Shi said is extremely true, we Hunan people can't demolish the platform of Daming, and we must do our best to maintain it." Tao Biquan and the others nodded again and again.

"We who read the books of the sages shout the retribution every day, and now there is really a sage and the Son of Heaven who has renewed this ceremony, if we oppose it, how can it be done by a gentleman?" Peng Jun, who was already preparing to be promoted to the secretary of the ministry, also nodded and said.

"It's nothing to hold a political meeting, orange sheng huainan is orange, orange sheng huaibei is orange, this council may be controlled by a group of profiteers in guangdong, in our hunan, then it must be the world of literati and doctors!"

"We can't compare to the Cantonese Yankees compared to silver, but compared to talents, they can't compare to us with ten Guangdong!"

"Yes, yes, this official of the Ming Dynasty still has to be taken by imperial examination, and Yuelu Academy will go to the whole of Hunan! As long as we continue to cultivate talents that can be used in the world, we Hunan people in this Ming officialdom will always have a bright future, and the emperor will inevitably rely on our talents in Sanxiang! ”

In the midst of all the excitement.

The Ming Emperor officially registered, promulgated a constitutional "Ming Li", and set up a parliamentary parliamentary court.

The Ming Dynasty took a small step towards a constitutional monarchy.

At the end of the eighteenth century, we are about to enter the nineteenth century.

That's a big step forward.

With the return of local officials to their respective jurisdictions.

The chaotic Ying Tianfu court also seemed to have become a lot quieter.

Discussions and controversies about the Ming ceremony, disputes and discussions about the council.

With Ying Tianfu as the center, it spread to all parts of the Ming Dynasty, and also spread to the Qing court in the north, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in the northwest and other places.

This wave of ripples rippled throughout the East Asian world.

By this time it was the end of the year.

It is impossible for Zhu Daohua's Ming court to focus on the Ming rites and the parliamentary court.

His Ming court is going to budget and plan for next year.

Next year's Ming court will face three main things.

In terms of internal affairs, of course, it is necessary to prosper the Jiangnan market as soon as possible, and support a number of factories that rely on steam engines for production by joining forces with merchants and landlords in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

In the Jiangnan area, the development of silk weaving, shipbuilding, shipping and other industries.

And externally.

The first was to deal with the British and Spanish coalitions.

In this regard, the main thing is to wait for the training of the Zhejiang soldiers under Sun Shiyi to be completed, and then they can be sent to Bangladesh by big ship.

And in terms of naval warfare, it is impossible for the Ming army to take the initiative to attack, the ocean is so big, how can we find the main force of the other side?

Therefore, you can only wait for the rabbit to appear, and after the other party appears, give a thunderous blow.

The second is to prepare for the Northern Expedition next autumn!

The target of the Northern Expedition was, of course, the Qing court.

Now the Ming army has 200,000 soldiers.

And 200,000 soldiers are not to be raised.

Therefore, after the autumn harvest next year, the Northern Expedition against the Manchus in the north will be launched.

(End of chapter)