Jingtai Fengyun: The First Absurd Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 264
After the monarchs and ministers reached an agreement on the military affairs, Zhu Qiyu decided to continue to test it out, and smiled at everyone: "What do you think about going to the West?"

In the previous Beijing defense battle, Zhu Qiyu only communicated with his closest confidantes about the core secrets.Even Chen Xun, Wang Wen and others were excluded.

Zhu Qiyu knew in his heart that it was just an expedient measure, but it should never be done again.If they are always hiding with Chen Xun, Wang Wen and other cronies, they will develop a grudge after a long time.

So now, Zhu Qiyu didn't hide it anymore, and directly told everyone that he wanted to go to the West again.

When it comes to voyages to the West, these civil servants who have lived decades older have psychological shadows.

Back then, the voyages to the West and the shipbuilding fleet were all spent by the imperial court.

The huge profits gained from Western trade were all included in the internal funds and into the pockets of the emperor.

What is this?
The most important thing is that Emperor Taizong still took the money to do two things that ministers hate the most: building Beijing, forcibly moving the capital, and constantly conquering Mongolia.

It's okay to spend years of fighting and wasting money.

This relocation of the capital really touched the interests of the ministers.

As a result, the newly built Forbidden City in Beijing encountered a "thunder and fire from the sky" within less than a hundred days of its opening. The three main halls in front: Fengtian Hall, Huagai Hall, and Jinshen Hall were completely burned down.

Then Taizong issued an edict of guilt for this.

That's Taizong, why are you so cowardly?Zhu Qiyu couldn't figure it out.

Fortunately, in the Zhengtong Dynasty, when Zhu Qizhen succeeded to the throne at a young age, the ministers completely stopped voyages to the West.

It's just that I didn't expect to send one away and another one came.

It was only the third day of the Jingtai Dynasty, and the emperor came to discuss voyages to the West.

Wang Wen was afraid that other people would speak nonsense and offend the emperor, so he hurriedly stood up and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty, how to implement the voyage to the West?"

Zhu Qiyu patiently explained: "To build the fleet, half of the money is provided by the imperial court, and half of the money is provided from within. I don't take a single cent of the profits from Western trade, and they are all controlled by the imperial court. They are used to pay civil and military officials, relieve the people, and prevent floods." Harness the river and build water conservancy."

Everyone heard the words and looked at each other in blank dismay. Everyone has lived for so long, and today they can be regarded as seeing a fresh emperor.

In the past, the emperors desperately moved the wealth of the court to their own treasury.The current Emperor Jingtai has completely reversed, sending his internal money to the court desperately.

This made it difficult for the ministers: the emperor has a public heart and is honest to this extent, so should everyone still oppose the voyage to the West?

Without waiting for everyone to respond, Wang Wen immediately changed the question: "Dare to ask your majesty, land and land tax, does your majesty intend to reform?"

Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "I'm not interested in tossing about the land, I just want to go to the West. If the profits from the Western trade are large enough, I intend to reduce land taxes and corvee.

Especially in Jiangnan, the taxes levied by the imperial court are really too heavy, and I can't stand it.Didn't I reduce or exempt [-] shi of white grain for Suzhou and other five prefectures before?

In the future, when the imperial court becomes more prosperous, I will further reduce or exempt grain. "

After all, Zhu Qiyu immediately added: "The food grain will be greatly reduced. The number of troops in the capital will also be reduced, and the Shangzhi personal guards in Beijing will be merged into Nanjing.

There are also eunuchs and court ladies in the palace. Those who can be dismissed can be dismissed, and those who cannot be dismissed are also resettled in Nanjing.

It is necessary to reduce the population of Beijing, reduce the pressure of water transportation, and greatly reduce the burden on the people in the south of the Yangtze River.

The people in Jiangnan are also my people, and they can no longer be squeezed to death like before. "

After hearing the words, everyone continued to look at each other.Such an emperor is really rare,

In the past, the ministers played games with the emperor, fighting for the division of interests.Fortunately, everyone doesn't have to do anything, and the emperor will take the initiative to spit out the benefits.

This made everyone very uncomfortable.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said with a smile to everyone: "You don't have to think that I am absurd, I have this character. I also sincerely do not love power and position, love vanity, and am not arrogant, lustful, or greedy for pleasure.

I just copied a few eunuchs, and then used the money I got to build a satisfactory palace, and then lived in it freely, that's all.

It's still the same sentence, even the imperial mausoleum doesn't need to be repaired, just a little can save the people a little. "

When Wang Wen heard that, regardless of Chen Xun, he knelt down and shouted: "Your Majesty is the reincarnation of Emperor Xiaowen, the true Son of Heaven!"

All the ministers reacted, and quickly knelt down, shouting long live.

Zhu Qiyu blushed, Wang Wen's flattery, although a bit exaggerated, but it can be used for a thousand times, flattery does not wear it, it sounds really useful anyway.

The ministers were also very happy. The emperor did not compete for profit with the people or with the officials, so most of the problems were solved.

Especially for the ministers, the core interests still come from the land.Since the emperor promised not only to keep the interests of the officials in the land, but also to reduce taxes and labor, so as to benefit the people.The hanging hearts of the ministers were completely let go.

As for the Western trade, the interests of the officials were not touched as much as expected.

At least not to the extent that the emperor needs to fall into the water.

Zhu Qiyu pushed forward and proposed another reform measure: the abolition of the medical household system.

The ministers all have good eyesight, Ling Chi needs to cut three thousand knives, and it will last at least three days.Princess Shunde's son-in-law, Shi Jing, is still being tortured, and the ministers were forced to watch the execution by the emperor yesterday.

Taking advantage of the fact that Princess Shunde was poisoned by the son-in-law and the imperial doctor, the emperor wanted to reform the medical household, and no one dared to touch the emperor's bad luck.

Change it, just change it, what's the matter with the ministers.

So the monarch and his ministers reached an agreement that the medical households would be abolished hereditary, and they could take part in the imperial examinations without being imprisoned for generations.

Ministers also know well that with the reform of medical households, there will definitely be reforms of military households and artisan households in the future.

But the ministers are really tired today, and don't want to listen to the emperor's reform ideas endlessly.

Especially the generals present, as long as they ensure that they have titles, land, and wealth, that's enough.No one cared about exactly how the emperor wanted to reform.

Zhu Qiyu also had sharp eyesight, and he didn't want to torment his cronies endlessly after the Chinese New Year, so he clapped his hands, and then more than ten women walked in.

The leading woman was especially alluring and gorgeous, and everyone's eyes lit up immediately.Most people also recognize that this is Li Xi'er, the owner of the Goddess Pavilion, the former No. 1 prostitute in the capital.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Li Xi'er carefully, and couldn't help nodding.After the historical change of seizing the door, in the decree of Queen Mother Sun who deposed Jingtai, the phrase "destroy the palace first, build the palace to house the prostitutes", the prostitutes in it refer to Li Xi'er.

Now seeing Li Xi'er with my own eyes, this appearance, this figure, this tenderness and charm are worthy of the four characters of confidante, no wonder Jingtai is so fascinated.

After admiring a song and dance by Li Xier, Zhu Qiyu ordered a big reward, and then went back to the backyard.

As soon as Zhu Qiyu left, the ministers became more at ease, enjoying themselves while watching Li Xier dance while drinking.

Speechless for a day.

In the early morning of the next day, the concubines began to pack their belongings and directed the guards to load the car.

Zhu Qiyu seized the spare time in between and summoned Tuotuobuhua, Ah La, and the leader of Duoyan Sanwei.

(End of this chapter)