The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

The night spread out like ink, and the moonlight poured down like silver frost on the surface of the river, covering a passenger ship passing through it with a layer of cool gauze.

On the deck, the moonlight seemed to condense into frost, with strands of it exuding a bone-chilling chill. Sixteen jars of wine were neatly arranged, the liquid rippling and creating sparkling waves.

Yue Buqun and his wife, along with a group of fellow apprentices, drank a few glasses of wine on the boat.

Yue Buqun's alcohol tolerance was average. After a few drinks, his face flushed. He felt his head was heavy and the alcohol was rising. He turned to look at Ning Zhongze and saw that she was also tipsy and her eyes were a little blurry. Yue Buqun said to Ning Zhongze softly, "Madam, I feel a little tired today. Let's rest early."

Seeing that the master and his wife wanted to rest, all the disciples stood up and went back to their cabins. Soon, only Yi Huawei and Zu Qianqiu were left in the cabin still drinking. The candlelight on the table flickered, illuminating their faces.

Yue Lingshan didn't like drinking, so she only drank two sips and was still full of energy. She sat aside, holding her chin with both hands, her little head moving from time to time, listening to Yi Huawei and Zu Qianqiu talking about current affairs.

Linghu Chong was lying on the side, smelling of alcohol. He had drunk to his heart's content tonight and looked a little tipsy. The amber wine swayed in the emerald cup, reflecting his flushed face.

At the bow, Zu Qianqiu held the bronze cup steadily in his hand and filled it with sorghum liquor with skillful movements. The moment the liquor was poured in, the gluttonous pattern on the cup was faintly visible under the dim light and the mellow liquor.

"This wine vessel from the Shang and Zhou dynasties has gone through the vicissitudes of time. It is simple and heavy, and it best suits the solemn atmosphere of the battlefield."

Zu Qianqiu's voice echoed in the night sky. He flicked the jug with his fingers, and a crisp sound of metal rang out, "Dang——" which spread far away on the silent river surface.

"The situation in the world today is just like the Chaoge City before King Wu conquered King Zhou."

After three rounds of drinks, Zu Qianqiu seemed to be in high spirits. He raised his head slightly and looked into the night sky in the distance.

"The Japanese pirates in the southeast are like poisonous insects, repeatedly invading the coast, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil; the Tatars in the northwest are like vicious wolves, always coveting the Central Plains, and the people in the border areas are suffering. And in the court, the adults are still fighting for that little bit of power, fighting for that little bit of warmth, which is really heartbreaking."

Upon hearing this, Yi Huawei paused holding the rhino horn cup and narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Brother, are you talking about the factional struggle between Lord Yan and Lord Xu? I heard that Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial on current affairs last month. His words were sincere and pointed out the current ills. It seemed that he wanted to emulate Shang Yang's reform and turn the tide."

At this moment, a night owl suddenly flew over the bow of the ship. Its sharp cry cut through the night sky and startled the fragmented moonlight on the river, which looked like countless scattered silver flakes.

Zhang Lehui stood at the bow, his green shirt fluttering in the wind, with a faint purple aura emerging from his sleeves, which was a sign that he was practicing Zixia Gong.

"political reform?"

Zu Qianqiu sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm and disdain, and the wine in the luminous cup in his hand glowed strangely with blood under the moonlight.

"Wang Anshi's Qingmiao Law was originally intended to save the people, but in the hands of those clerks, it became a knife to extort money from the people. Not only did the people not benefit, but they were exploited and became even more miserable."

Zu Qianqiu became more and more excited as he spoke, and suddenly he hit the cup with his chopsticks and sang a folk song: "Selling new silk in February, selling new grain in May..."

The song is sad and plaintive, as if telling the hardships and helplessness of the lives of the lower-class people.

Yue Lingshan was fiddling with the glass cup, but when she heard the song, her hands suddenly froze and a trace of pity and sympathy flashed in her eyes.

Yi Huawei looked at the flickering fishing lights in the middle of the river, thinking, and continued: "At present, the annual income of Taicang Silver Treasury is only 2 million taels, but the military expenditure of the nine borders is 6 million taels. This huge gap is like an endless pit. Qi Jiguang, the general of Jizhou, wants to build a hollow enemy tower to strengthen the border defense, but the Ministry of Works refuses to do so, saying that there are no blue bricks. In this way, how can the border defense be stable and how can the people live in peace? Alas~"

Zu Qianqiu shook his head. "Yan Song and his son controlled the Ministry of Revenue for 15 years. During this period, 30% of the salt and tea taxes went into their private coffers. They enriched themselves without caring about the lives of the country and the people. Last year, the Yellow River burst its banks, flooding the country and displacing the people. The relief grain was supposed to be a lifeline for the people, but after passing through seven government offices, 30% of it was mixed with bran when it reached the hands of the victims. Those officials deducted money at every level and treated the lives of the people as worthless."

Awakened by Zu Qianqiu's voice, Linghu Chong raised his head, his drunken eyes blurry, and staggered towards the East China Sea, saying vaguely: "I heard that the remnants of Wang Zhi have occupied Shuangyu Island again..."

Before he could finish his words, he lay down on the low table again.

"Humph!"

Zu Qianqiu's face suddenly darkened, and he threw the bamboo chopsticks fiercely. The bamboo chopsticks were like arrows shot from a bow, with a sharp sound that broke through the air, startling a group of egrets in the reeds, flapping their wings and flying into the night sky. The chopsticks were firmly nailed to the side of the boat, and the cowhide cup tied to the end was facing the southeast direction.

"The Japanese pirates are just a minor problem. The real problem is - land annexation!"

Zu Qianqiu's voice was cold and serious, and his fingertips focused heavily on the location of Henan drawn by the wine stain: "Nowadays, the princes and gentry in various places are frantically annexing land. The people have lost the land they depend on for survival and can only become tenants and suffer from exploitation. If this continues, the country will no longer be a country!"

The wind on the river was blowing hard and the lanterns on the bow were flickering, as if they would go out at any time.

"Luoyang Prince Fu has an annual salary of 50,000 dan, but he is still not satisfied with such generous treatment and has seized 300,000 mu of farmland from the people. Shaanxi has suffered a severe drought this year, and the crops have failed, and the people are starving. Gao Yingxiang's refugee army has passed Tongguan. They were forced into a desperate situation by life, so they rose up to resist. The current situation is really critical!"

Yi Huawei filled the glass with amber Shaoxing wine, swirled the wine gently in the glass, pointed at the glass, and looked at Zu Qianqiu:

"Mr. Zhang Juzheng is promoting the 'One Whip Law', which converts taxes and labor service into silver. This is like removing the dregs from the muddy wine and taking the essence. He hopes that this can rectify taxes, increase treasury revenue, and alleviate the country's financial crisis."

"Disaster!"

Zu Qianqiu placed the tiger-tooth cup upside down on the table: "The land survey will affect the interests of the powerful. Those powerful people have deep roots and huge power in various places, how can they surrender easily? The performance evaluation system will offend the upright officials. Those upright scholars and officials usually talk a lot, but in fact, they do everything they can to protect their own interests to obstruct the reform. The Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang's implementation of the reform is like walking on a tightrope on a minefield. If he is not careful, he will be crushed to pieces. On this side, we have to deal with Feng Bao's Silijian, who is a close minister around the emperor and has great power; on the other side, we have to guard against the spit of the censors. In order to gain reputation, those censors impeach ministers at every turn, making it difficult for the reform to proceed."

As he spoke, Zu Qianqiu sighed heavily, his face full of worry, and his eyes revealed his concern about the future of the reform.

The sound of a midnight clapper came from afar, echoing on the quiet river surface, breaking the moonlight in the middle of the river. After taking a sip of pear blossom wine, Zu Qianqiu's cheeks became even redder:

"When Yu Qian defended the capital, he relied on the Tongzhou granary, which was the lifeline of the people in the capital. Now the granary is empty. If the Jurchens break through the pass and go south, what can we use to resist? How can we protect the people?"

Yi Huawei said, "So we need General Qi to improve the border defense and Yu Dayou to improve the chariots. Just like this sorghum wine - it looks rough, but it is actually the backbone of the country. They fought bloody battles on the border and protected the peace of the country. They are our heroes. But now, they are facing many difficulties, which is really heartbreaking."

"The Prime Minister is tired of the eight delicacies in the majestic government hall. May I ask the steward, who is in power now? The ulcer has been there for decades, and I dare not dig out its root."

Zu Qianqiu picked up the coarse porcelain bowl and gently sipped the Fenjiu. The wine flowed down his throat, bringing a hint of warmth. He wiped the wine stains and said, "Last year, the Governor-General of Ji and Liao reported that the Jurchen tribes were integrating, and Nurhaci of Jianzhou Guard had annexed three tribes. Their power is growing day by day, and it is a huge threat to our Ming Dynasty."

"Warriors who are overbearing will easily lead to separatist regimes, while civilian officials who are overbearing will lead to the laxity of border defense. There is a lesson from the ancient times!"

Yi Huawei filled the bronze cup with sorghum wine and sighed, "General Qi defeated the Japanese pirates in Taizhou last year and made great achievements, but the Ministry of War withheld military pay, resulting in the lack of new warships. Without enough warships, how can we resist the invasion of Japanese pirates and foreign enemies at sea? Isn't this destroying the Great Wall?
I heard from the escort agency in Hanzhong that Shaanxi was hit by another locust plague this year, and the price of rice has risen to three taels per stone. The people can't even afford to eat, and their lives are miserable. "

"That's pretty good."

Zu Qianqiu took out a yellowed account book from his pocket. The paper was a little torn and the corners were curled, which showed that it was very old. He slowly opened the account book and pointed to a page and said:

"Last year, the Fuwang Mansion in Henan seized 40,000 mu of farmland from the people. Wang Duo, the prefect of Luoyang, led the people to stop the sedan chair and complain, hoping to seek justice for the people, but was instead charged with treason. In Henan province alone, the princes have occupied more than one million mu of land. These princes relied on their power to wantonly plunder the people's land, and the people dared to be angry but dared not speak out."

Yue Lingshan suddenly raised her head, with a hint of doubt in her eyes, and asked, "Didn't Lord Zhang say last year that he wanted to survey the land? It's been so long, how is the progress?"

“How many people’s interests were affected by the land survey?”

Zu Qianqiu sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm: "The gentry of Nanzhili jointly wrote a letter saying that Lord Zhang wanted to shake the foundation of the country. In order to protect their own interests, they did not hesitate to confuse right and wrong. Last month, the memorial of Lin Run, the governor of Yingtian, was withheld by the Imperial Household Department. I heard that Feng Bao received 200,000 taels of silver.

Last year, the Yellow River burst its banks. The Ministry of Works allocated 500,000 taels of silver for river control, but only 180,000 taels remained in Kaifeng. After being embezzled at every level, there was little left. The governor of the river, Pan Jixun, had to lay off the laborers, and now there are still three miles of river banks that have not been closed. If the flood strikes again, what will the people do? "

The wind on the river suddenly picked up and blew hard, and the lantern on the bow creaked.

After a pause, Zu Qianqiu continued, "Look at this. Ma Fang, the general of Xuanfu, killed twelve Tatar spies last month. He was protecting the peace of the border. But the Ministry of War withheld his food and grass for three months on the grounds of provoking border conflicts without authorization. The soldiers fought bloody battles on the front line, but they couldn't even get food and grass. How can they defend against the enemy with peace of mind?"

Yi Huawei pursed his lips and said, "I met General Ma in Datong. His cavalry even paid for the stirrups out of their own pockets! The soldiers have suffered so much, but the court treats them like this. It's really unfair!"

"The most terrible thing is the nine-front army system. The Liaodong Garrison has a designated number of 90,000 soldiers, but the actual number of soldiers registered is less than 50,000. Officers who are not paid for nothing have forced the military households to flee. Last year, more than 300 households in Liaoyang Guard fled. If this continues, what will be the combat effectiveness of the border defense army? How can we resist foreign invasion?"

Zu Qianqiu dipped chopsticks in wine and drew an arc on the map: "The Jurchens can now organize 8,000 cavalry. Once they conquer the various Haixi Jurchen tribes, their power will be even stronger. By then, our border will face a greater threat."

Yi Huawei looked up at Zu Qianqiu and said, "I heard that Nurhaci of Jianzhou Guard annexed Hunhe tribe last year. This was a major event on the frontier, but General Li Chengliang not only did not stop it, but instead issued him 30 imperial edicts and allowed him to come to Beijing to pay tribute. Brother Zu, do you know about this?"

When Zu Qianqiu heard this, a sneer appeared on his face, and his voice was filled with disdain:

"This is just a trick played by the Li family all the time. The Liaodong generals have been raising bandits to protect themselves for a long time. Take Nurhaci for example. His second son Daishan married Li Rubai's concubine and gave her 200 sets of armor as a dowry."

"what?"

Yue Lingshan couldn't help but exclaimed: "How can this be allowed? Isn't this aiding the enemy? If we give armor to the enemy, won't our soldiers be in greater danger on the battlefield?"

Zu Qianqiu shook his head and smiled bitterly, then slowly said, "The court is now turning a blind eye to this. Last month, the Korean envoys came to complain that the Jurchen cavalry crossed the border to plunder, burn, kill, and rob, committing all kinds of evil, and the people were suffering. But the Ministry of War replied that 'it is not appropriate to interfere in foreign affairs.'"

"How can we just ignore it?"

Yue Lingshan clenched her fists and said, "The Jurchens are so reckless and will definitely become more and more arrogant in the future. They may even endanger the border of our Ming Dynasty."

Zu Qianqiu picked up the wine glass, took a sip of wine, put it down and said, "Now in the court, various forces are intertwined. The Liaodong generals are powerful, and there are many people in the court who support them. They have a close interest relationship with the Jurchens, so they are so indulgent."

"Moreover, the court is facing many internal problems. Although Yan Song and his son have fallen, the mess they left behind has not been cleaned up. Factional strife continues, and officials are busy fighting for power and profit. How can they really care about the border affairs?"

Yi Huawei suddenly asked, "Brother, do you know how the implementation of Mr. Zhang's performance evaluation system is going?"

"County officials don't dare to be lazy now." Zu Qianqiu smiled, "But the land tax collected by Suzhou Prefecture last year was 30% less than the quota, and the prefect put all the blame on the weavers for resisting the tax. This is obviously an excuse to evade responsibility. In fact, it was the gentry who concealed their land and refused to pay taxes."

Yi Huawei frowned and said, "Zhejiang implemented the Single Whip Law, which converted corvée labor into silver, which was a good thing. However, local officials forcibly set the price of rice, and when farmers sold their grain, they were forced to pay 60% of the market price, and they paid 30% more taxes. The original intention of this reform was good, but it changed its nature at the grassroots level. Not only did the people not benefit, but the burden became heavier."

Zu Qianqiu suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Last month, the Jinyiwei intercepted five Portuguese merchant ships in Quanzhou Port. In addition to muskets, there were also 20 red cannons on board. If these advanced weapons fall into the hands of the enemy, the consequences will be disastrous."

"The warships of the Guangdong coastal garrisons are still the same as those of the Hongwu era. Last year, the Portuguese in Macau expanded their artillery forts. The navy sent people to negotiate, but was forced to retreat by their three-masted gunboats. Our coastal defense is so weak, how can we resist foreign enemies?"

Yue Lingshan asked, "Can't the court make its own cannons?"

"The Ministry of Works said that it would cost two thousand taels of silver to make a Red Barbarian cannon. But in fact, Fujian craftsmen estimated that eight hundred taels would be enough. The difference between the two must have been pocketed by some officials."

(End of this chapter)