I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

Chapter 184 No one can disobey the emperor

Gradually, the sky gradually darkened, but none of the many ministers who knelt outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation before dared to leave.

Finally, just hearing a 'plop', one of the ministers couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground!After a while, the forbidden army stepped forward and carried him away.

And when he fell, it was like a domino falling, causing others to follow suit. Soon, the number of officials kneeling on the square of the Hall of Mental Cultivation decreased by more than half.

"Father, your body..."

Yan Shifan turned his eyes to Yan Song who was aside, worried.

"Shut up and continue to kneel!"

But Yan Song just glanced at Yan Shifan and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Mr. Yan Ge, if this continues, your body will not be able to bear it!"

Xu Jie at the side also followed closely to comfort him.

After Xu Jie spoke, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng also opened their mouths, but they didn't make any sound.

Lu Fang had a panoramic view of all this, and felt that the heat was almost ready, so she said loudly: "Let's stop here today! You can go back."

What Lu Fang said just now, in the eyes of the remaining ministers, is undoubtedly the sound of nature.

Immediately afterwards, they got up from the ground one after another, moved their legs that were about to lose consciousness, and their faces were full of expressions of survivors.

And Lu Fang also walked in front of Yan Song and the others at the right time, and said in a low voice: "Please also come with our house."

Hearing Lu Fang's words, the five people who had been kneeling on the ground regained their "life".

"Thank you, Eunuch!"

After Yan Song was helped up from the ground by his son Yan Shifan, he said respectfully.

"Where is it, let me explain to you here first! Go in later, don't disobey your majesty, your majesty is not in a good mood."

Lu Fang chuckled, and then made a point to everyone.

"Thank you, Eunuch Lu, for your reminder. I'll take it down later."

Xu Jie cupped his hands to Lu Fang, and said in a low voice.

"It's okay, it's okay, come with me."

After Lu Fang finished speaking, she led the way in front of herself, while Yan Song reluctantly stepped up the steps with Yan Shifan's support.

"Your Majesty, they have arrived."

After Lu Fang brought the man, she came to Jiajing's side and stood still.

"Ah."

Jiajing just nodded slightly, still sitting on the dragon chair, expressionless, just rubbing the carved dragon heads on both sides with his hands.

"My ministers and others meet your majesty, long live my emperor, long live!"

Under the leadership of Yan Song, the remaining few knelt down on the ground and said respectfully.

"Well, get up."

Jiajing waved his hand and said casually.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

After Jiajing finished speaking, he picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip.

"Report to Your Majesty, this minister is guilty! In fact, this minister has always known about this matter, but he never took it to heart."

As soon as Jiajing finished speaking, Yan Song took the first step and admitted his mistake.

"Oh, since Mr. Yan Ge knew about this matter, why didn't he report it to me?"

Jiajing was a little surprised that Yan Song came forward to admit his mistake so quickly, and raised his eyebrows.

"His Majesty, in fact, this matter has always been one of the unspoken rules of the officialdom! As early as the Zhengde period, the imperial court was able to collect less and less taxes."

"In order to maintain the daily expenses of the imperial court, more taxes were collected from the people as a last resort."

After Yan Song finished speaking, he knelt down on the ground tremblingly, and said respectfully to Jiajing.

"Oh, according to what Elder Yan Ge said, it was because of necessity at the beginning, but now the treasury is full, why didn't you follow the decree issued by the imperial court to implement it?"

Jiajing didn't agree with Yan Song's statement, so he asked back immediately.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Mr. Yan Ge discussed this matter with the minister before! But later, the court's affairs were too heavy and he was busy, so he forgot about this matter."

Xu Jie on the side also stood up and rescued Yan Song.

"Old Yan Ge, is what Elder Xu Ge said true?"

After hearing what Xu Jie said, Jiajing couldn't help but feel a little funny, and then confirmed it to Yan Song.

"Your Majesty, there is indeed such a thing."

Seeing this, Yan Song had no choice but to bite the bullet and respond.

"Okay, I'll take it as you and I discussed it!"

Jiajing waved his hand and immediately skipped the topic.

Seeing that the emperor was no longer entangled in this matter, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, what Xu Ge means is that you have discussed before that the policy of reducing and exempting people's taxes must be implemented!"

"It's just that because of the many things, I forgot for a while. You didn't realize it until I sent Jin Yiwei to Zhejiang to investigate the truth."

"Is there something wrong with what I said?"

After Jiajing finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Yan Song and Xu Jie and asked.

"Report to Your Majesty, this is what I mean."

Xu Jie bowed slightly to Jiajing and responded.

"Xu Jie, do you think I'm a three-year-old child? How can there be such a coincidence in this world! If I don't send Jin Yiwei to investigate, are you planning to hide it from me forever?"

Jiajing slammed the table and scolded angrily.

"My Majesty, what I said just now is the truth."

The moment Jiajing slapped the table, Xu Jie knelt down on the ground with a 'plop' with lightning speed, and the speed of his movements was jaw-dropping.

"Since all of this is caused by the emptiness of the national treasury, then I have a solution here once and for all."

Jiajing chuckled, and then said slowly.

"Here we come, Your Majesty is finally getting to the point!"

Seeing this, Lu Fang, who was standing by the side, felt her heart in her throat, and her breathing became short of breath.

"Do you still remember what I once said? Since ancient times, in order to solve the financial emptiness, in the final analysis, there are no more than two measures, one is to increase revenue, and the other is to reduce expenditure!"

"Sure enough, His Majesty still hasn't given up lifting the sea ban!"

Hearing Jiajing's words, everyone present quickly reacted.

"Needless to say, this throttling is nothing more than reducing the unnecessary expenditure of the court and advocating frugality! But a glass of water, no matter how frugal you are, will always be drunk one day. If it is a rushing river, then Things are different."

"Before you used the Japanese pirates in the coastal areas as an excuse, but now, the Japanese pirates in the southeast coastal area have been wiped out! I think the time is ripe now, and it's time to lift the sea ban."

"After I finished speaking, do you have any comments?"

After Jiajing finished speaking, he swept his gaze over several people one by one.

Hearing the emperor's words, everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, and couldn't find a suitable excuse to refute for a while.

"It's all Hu Zongxian's fault. He wiped out the Japanese pirates in the coastal area so quickly!"

Seeing that Yan Song and the others did not intend to speak, Jiajing was not in a hurry, and immediately got up from the dragon chair and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I feel that there may be some hidden dangers if the sea ban is lifted hastily! The smuggling families along the southeast coast are quite rampant."

"Therefore, I implore Your Majesty, how about temporarily opening a few ports for trade?"

Sensing Jiajing's gaze, Yan Song had no choice but to stand up and advise.

"Okay, Mr. Yan Ge's suggestion is good, I agree!"

"Besides, I already have a favorite place, what do you think of Quanzhou?"

Seeing that Yan Song had given the answer he wanted, Jiajing immediately took the case and settled the matter.

"It's over, I've been fooled, His Majesty's purpose from the beginning was to reopen Quanzhou Port!"

Seeing Jiajing agreeing so readily, Yan Song quickly reacted and said silently to himself.

"His Majesty, I feel that this matter should be considered in the long run."

Xu Jie, who was on the side, had a panoramic view of the expression on Yan Song's face, and then stood up and asked Jiajing.

After Jiajing heard Xu Jie's words, his complexion became visibly colder, he frowned, and glanced at Xu Jie with a cold gaze.

"Xu Jie, what did you just say? Repeat it for me again?"

"Your Majesty, I didn't say anything just now, you misheard me."

After noticing the murderous eyes of the emperor, Xu Jie immediately confessed!
Moreover, Xu Jie had a strong premonition that if he really repeated it just now, His Majesty would really kill someone!
Thinking of this, Xu Jie couldn't help shivering.

(End of this chapter)