Emperor Zhengde got a lot of money from the eunuch party out of thin air last year, and he had a lot of money in his hands.

He is not a wealthy emperor like Emperor Wanli in later generations. He knew that if he ate meat, he should at least let the people drink the soup.

and the loins are plentiful, and the poles of the loins are hard.

March 26 of the sixth year of Zhengde. Emperor Zhengde issued an edict: Ten provinces of Beizhili, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Huguang, Shanxi, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi are exempted from money and grain for one year.

This purpose was meant to benefit the people. Two months after the promulgation, Emperor Zhengde felt hopeless.

The entire Ming bureaucracy lived on taxes. The "rice" here does not refer to the income, but to the gray income.

Wang Shu, a famous minister of the Hongzhi Dynasty, once played a sloppy speech before leaving office, and bluntly stated a terrible truth. That is, taxes are levied layer by layer.

He combined the old accounts of the household department for more than 100 years and made an estimate. The rule of Renxuan can be called a prosperous era, and the rule of officials is relatively clear. However, for every stone of grain levied by the Taicang treasury of the household department, the people need to pay one and a half stone of grain.

The extra fifty percent of the tax grain was naturally divided among officials, officials, and servants at all levels.

At the end of the Chenghua Dynasty, corruption became a common practice, and the imperial court levied one stone of grain, and the people actually paid two or even three stones.

Beijing officials can make a lot of money by accepting bribes from local officials. Where does the magistrate's money come from? It comes from the people.

If you Emperor Zhengde want to be a holy monarch who implements benevolent government, what will we officials eat?

What the Holy Decree says is good, and I am sympathetic to the toil of the people, and I am a dog's foot! You are sympathetic to the people, how can we who are officials still get rich?

As a result, officials in various provinces, prefectures, prefectures, and counties have "adapted" the decree. Let Zhengde Dipu's holy decree of free money and food become a butt wiping paper.

Leopard room.

Emperor Zhengde was listening to Chang Feng's report on the situation of free money and grain in various places.

Chang Feng arched his hand and said: "There is news from the ears and eyes of Jinyiwei in the provinces. Officials around the place. Gang of bullies. ”

Emperor Zhengde frowned: "What do you say?" ”

Chang Feng said: "For example, Fujian." Because Fujian has been plagued from time to time. In the second year of Zhengde, the emperor issued an order to allow Fujian to collect and suppress the donations. ”

"This time, the emperor decreed that Fujian Province will be exempted from this year's money and grain. However, the local government in Fujian claimed that the emperor's exemption was the autumn tax and had nothing to do with the suppression of Japanese donations. ”

"The Yamen of the Fujian Metropolitan Department and the Yamen of the Military Garrison Department colluded with the prefectures and counties below, claiming that the Japanese plague was rampant last year. The salaries of the Japanese army are tight. The prefectures and counties pushed the boat down the river, and increased the donations for the suppression of widows by a factor of ten. ”

"In the Ming tax system, endowment is endowment, donation is endowment. Compulsory levy and voluntary donation. Local officials, however, have turned the expropriation into a forced expropriation. ”

"Jin Yiwei's robe in Fujian Baihu asked a well-known local arithmetic gentleman to estimate. The burden of the people of Fujian this year is even more than 50% higher than that in the year when the money and grain were not exempted! ”

"And because of the universal sanctity. Fujian does not need to escort even one or two taels of tax silver to the imperial court this year. This astronomical amount of donations will all fall into the pockets of Fujian officials. ”

After Chang Feng's words were finished, Emperor Zhengde couldn't bear it, and immediately improved the second company, smashed the copper, and roared the dragon.

The leopard room echoed with Emperor Zhengde's angry voice: "Deceive the sky! ”

Chang Feng comforted Emperor Zhengde: "The emperor is angry." ”

Emperor Zhengde said: "Catch!" Kill! Arrest all the officials involved in this matter in Fujian! Kill to make an example! ”

Chang Feng said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, if you arrest the officials of Fujian, one fu, three divisions, nine prefectures, and fifty-seven counties."

Emperor Zhengde interrupted Chang Feng: "Do you want to say that the officials of Fujian have been arrested, and no one is in charge of Fujian for the imperial court?" Can't I transfer magistrates from other places to Fujian? ”

Chang Feng replied: "The emperor is gracious." Elsewhere, the magistrates were the same as in Fujian. For example, in Henan, Henan's Yang Fengyin violated the law, claiming that in order to prevent floods and droughts next year, local disaster preparedness donations would be levied. ”

"Another example is Shandong. Shandong spread the tax for the whole year on the salt tax. As a result, the price of salt has tripled. If the common people want to eat salt, they have to pay three times as much. The extra money happens to be equal to Shandong's autumn tax in a year. ”

"If the emperor wants to arrest, if he wants to kill. The nine provinces of Beijing and the nine provinces that are free of money and food, the magistrates will be swept away! ”

"Take history as a mirror. The Tai Grandpa Xingkong Seal Case and Guo Huan Case killed several officials in the world. But the officials who make up for it should still be greedy and bribed. ”

Emperor Zhengde raised a question that can be called an unsolved mystery in the world: "Then how should I solve the evil of the rule of officials?" ”

Chang Feng replied truthfully: "Your Majesty." The minister didn't know. Not to mention ministers, even famous ministers like Wang Shu and Ma Wensheng don't know. Even the wise and martial grandfather didn't know either. ”

Emperor Zhengde rubbed his head: "No wonder Mr. Li once told me that the Ming Emperor's power is not in the county, and the holy decree is not out of Beijing." ”

Chang Feng said: "At the beginning of Hongzhi, Grandpa Xiao once implemented the policy of hoarding grain and preparing for famine in a good year. As a result, officials all over the world took the opportunity to exploit the people's private interests. ”

"At that time, Master Xiao came to a conclusion: 'An emperor who does not toss is a good emperor'."

"The emperor has the heart to give free money and food, reduce the burden on the people, and seek benefits for the people. The original intention was good. However, the holy decree was conveyed to the county through the superintendent and the three divisions, and the holy decree would be distorted and tampered with by the magistrates. ”

"In the end, the burden will be heavier for the common people."

Emperor Zhengde sighed: "It is useless to treat civil officials. Grandpa Tai tried. Favors are useless, the emperor has tried. ”

"What should I do?"

Chang Feng said: "This is a problem that the emperors of all dynasties have not been able to solve. No solution. ”

Emperor Zhengde patted the dragon case: "Since it can't be solved, I don't have to think about it!" Don't want to do that! ”

Emperor Zhengde has a big heart. Since you can't manage it, you just don't care.

He looked at Zhang Yong, who was standing on the side: "How is the expansion of the Beijing camp done?" ”

Zhang Yong replied: "Since last autumn, the old slave has been ordered to expand the 12th regiment battalion. Each battalion was expanded by 10,000 people, and a total of more than 123,700 young and strong people were selected. ”

"He also selected 42,000 elite soldiers from each guard army and set them up as 'regimental and battalion surprise soldiers'."

"The battalions are now stepping up their training. Focus on the training of horse army, infantry army cooperation and horse army cavalry archery. ”

Emperor Zhengde said: "Don't be stingy with money. If the military salary was insufficient, he went to Wei Bin and carried the treasury from within. I give you four years, and you have to train 200,000 useful elite soldiers for me! ”

The expansion of the 12 regiments and battalions was an important action of Emperor Zhengde to seize military power from civilian officials.

Zhang Yong arched his hand: "Thank you for the emperor's trust, the old slave will do his best." ”

Chang Feng suddenly remembered something: "Your Majesty, there is a message from the General Banner of Jinyi Guard in Guangzhou. He learned from the Nanyang population who came to Guangzhou that Alburque, the general of the Western Franco, led a fleet of 18 warships and 1,400 soldiers to storm Malacca. ”

"Manchu accelerated Tan (Sultan) to lead more than 30,000 people to fight with it, but he was defeated and retreated."

Emperor Zhengde didn't care about this news: "Oh? 30,000 people can't beat 1,400 people, how did Manraka fight this battle? ”

"But I don't care about the South Seas thousands of miles away. Daming's henchmen are in trouble in the northern grasslands! ”

Chang Feng said: "Your Majesty, although Manraka is small, it is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. During the Yongle Dynasty, the eunuchs of the Three Treasures also established the Manraka Waifu and set up a garrison in Manraka. Now that Manraka is gone, it seems that the Ming Dynasty should."

Emperor Zhengde waved his hand: "I said, I don't care about Nanyang thousands of miles away." I care about the northern steppes! ”

"Manra accelerated Tan Ruo to take refuge in Beijing, and let the Ministry of Rites treat him favorably. But the Ming Dynasty will never send troops to help a small country across the ocean to restore the country. ”

"All the energy of the Ming army should be put into preparing for the Tatar war."

Whether it is Emperor Zhengde or Changfeng, they all have the historical limitations of the Ming Dynasty.

Later scholars said that the occupation of Malacca by the Portuguese in the Zhengde Dynasty was a change that had not been seen in China for thousands of years.

The Ming court's ignorance led to the closure of the Ming ocean route established by Zheng He. Since then, China has been powerless to prevent Westerners from coming east.

Of course, from the perspective of dialectical materialism, there are two sides to the occurrence of historical events.

The Manchurian Incident in the sixth year of Zhengde led to the beginning of a large inflow of American silver. It directly promoted the vigorous development of the commodity economy in the Ming Dynasty, and the germ of capitalism began to grow vigorously in the Zhengde Dynasty.

Chang Feng got out of the leopard room and went to the cabinet room.

Li Dongyang is writing something on his desk.

Chang Feng said: "In-laws, what are you busy with?" ”

Li Dongyang smiled bitterly: "I'm busy writing private letters to the governors of various provinces. This letter is addressed to the governor of Shandong, take a look. ”

Chang Feng picked up the letter and looked at it, and was shocked by the contents inside.

Li Dongyang almost pleaded in a tone of pleading, begging the governor of Shandong not to exploit the people with an abnormally high salt tax.

He vaguely told the governor of Shandong that the imperial court could not pursue the increase in salt tax. But please don't overdo it. Let the people of Shandong take out a wealth equal to the national tax in the autumn of the year.

You don't have to hand over this great fortune to the state treasury. If the pressure is too heavy and the people are provoked, everyone's face will not look good. Someone will lose his head because of the people.

Chang Feng was stunned after reading the letter: "In-laws, you are the first assistant of the cabinet, and you are actually begging the governor of Shandong to show mercy to the people?" ”

Li Dongyang smiled bitterly: "Wrong! I don't just ask for the governor of Shandong. ”

After speaking, Li Dongyang picked up a stack of letters: "These are the ones I wrote to the governors of the other nine places. I begged them all over again. ”

Chang Feng didn't say a word. The matter was beyond his knowledge. Da Ming Zaifu actually used a humble attitude to beg the magistrates to show mercy to the people?! What's going on!

Li Dongyang has no choice. If he wants to have a way, it is not Li Dongyang, but Zhang Juzheng.

ZHANG Juzheng. That's a name that doesn't necessarily come out for hundreds of years. A macho man who can forcibly continue the life of a dynasty on the verge of collapse for seventy years.

Chang Feng sighed: "Alas, it is said that the officials of the Chenghua Dynasty were corrupt. But when is it better? ”

Li Dongyang said: "There is no way. The emperor's moral policy of exempting money and food has led to a heavier burden on the people. All I can do is to ask those people as much as possible to lighten the burden on the people. ”

"You can't arrest or kill these people. You have caught and killed a group of people who are full of fat, and you will replace them with a batch of people who have not eaten enough, and those who have not eaten will become even worse. The burden on the people is heavier. ”

Chang Feng said: "Maybe the emperor saw this at the beginning, and in desperation, he chose to support Liu Jin and put eunuchs in the local area to replace civil officials." Helplessly, eunuchs are more greedy than civil officials. ”

Li Dongyang said: "Yes." People who have risen step by step from the civil official system of the Ming Dynasty, no matter how greedy they are, they also know the truth that fish must be eaten but cannot be exhausted. ”

"The eunuchs are different. has been living in the palace, and when he first arrived in the place and got real power, he naturally made a big effort to fish. ”

Chang Feng is a little big. He said, "Forget it, don't mention it." Oh yes, Manraka is occupied by the Western Franco. I just learned about it. The Ministry of Rites should not have received the letter of state from Manra Acceleration Tan. ”

Li Dongyang's attitude was the same as that of Emperor Zhengde: "I can only see the affairs of the two capitals and thirteen provinces in front of me. I'm not interested in things thousands of miles away. ”

Chang Feng said: "That's what I said. The emperor said the same thing. But I always felt that Manraga was occupied by the Francois and made a very bad start. ”

Li Dongyang said: "After all, it's not all the countries that come to worship, the powerful Yongle Dynasty of the water master." The silver of the imperial court was still stretched thin to appease the people and prepare for the Tatar war. ”

"Daming still spends a huge amount of silver to build a fleet to help Mantra speed up Tan's recovery of his homeland?"

"Even if the court can get the money. I can no longer find a commander like Zheng He. ”

"The country is small and weak, and it will not invade my Ming Dynasty. A strait port, let them occupy it. ”

Chang Feng was speechless. Li Dongyang's point of view, he couldn't find any reason to refute it.

Li Dongyang stamped his private seal on the last letter to the local governor: "That's it! It's done. I'll go to the main hall and teach my grandson to go! ”

Chang Qingyun entered the main hall to study, and his grandfather, Li Dongyang, who was a scholar of Dongge University, was also one of his teachers.

The Cabinet has a lot of business. Going to the main hall to teach his grandson is Li Dongyang's biggest pastime now.

In the evening, Chang Feng returned home.

Liu Xiaoyan pulled Chang Feng to the bedroom.

Chang Feng thought that Liu Xiaoyan was addicted. was about to pick off her pants, but Liu Xiaoyan stopped him: "What are you doing?" ”

Chang Feng said: "Before it gets dark, you pulled me to the bedroom, and I will do whatever you want me to do." ”

Liu Xiaoyan said: "You misunderstood. I have something serious to discuss with you. ”

Chang Feng asked, "Oh? What's up? ”

Liu Xiaoyan sighed: "I haven't been here for three months. ”

Chang Feng was dumbfounded: "Pregnant?" The sky has eyes, and my Chang family has to have more heirs? ”

Liu Xiaoyan couldn't cry or laugh: "What do you think of good things?" You don't want to think about how old I am? I'm broken! ”

Chang Feng was stunned. At the beginning, the young lady of the official family, who was furrowed and lost, bubbling beautiful, and in her youth, is now a forty-six-year-old woman. There are already gray hairs on the head. Now even the red is broken.

This is really a white horse, and the person has lost weight, and the girl has become an old woman.

Liu Xiaoyan said again: "I discussed it with the ninth sister. Take a concubine for you. We're both chickens that can't lay eggs right now. Your busy work on us is tantamount to emptying the gun and wasting the medicine in vain. ”

"If the sky has eyes, let the concubine give you another son. Our family will not be passed on to three generations. ”

Chang Feng thought for a while: "I always feel sorry for you and Xiao Jiu for taking a concubine. But if you two insist on taking me a concubine, then I'm welcome!" Ha ha! ”

(End of chapter)