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

In June of the first year of Zhaowu, the heat in the Forbidden City was getting stronger.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, wisps of green smoke rose from the gilded coiled dragon incense burner. The scent of ambergris mixed with the coolness emitted by the ice jar slightly dispelled the summer heat.

Yi Huawei, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, leaned against the imperial desk, holding the report sent from Jiangnan in his hand, and raised his lips slightly: "Yang Lian, Zhou Tingru and other young people really did not disappoint me."

The report detailed the major changes in the Jiangnan officialdom, the confiscation of the gentry, and the military and political reforms. More than 70,000 people were exiled to Ningguta, 3,000 new officials took office, and the tax revenue in Jiangnan was expected to increase by 50% next year.

Qiu Chengyun whispered, "Your Majesty, the Jiangnan family has been in power for a hundred years and is deeply rooted. Although they have suffered a heavy blow this time, I'm afraid they will not surrender easily."

Yi Huawei closed the memorial, tapped the table with his fingertips, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes: "Then uproot it."

Qiu Chengyun did not stand up immediately, but whispered: "Your Majesty, I have something else to report."

Yi Huawei's eyes turned slightly: "Speak."

Qiu Chengyun took out a secret letter from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "The East Factory has recently discovered that there are secret agents of the Jiangnan gentry operating in the capital. Since the report of Lord Yang's confiscation of property and exile was sent back, undercurrents have surged throughout the court and the country."

Yi Huawei took the secret letter, picked up the seal with his fingertips, and unfolded it for a closer look.

"The Left Vice-Minister of the Censorate, Shen Yikuan, had a secret meeting with Zhao Mingyuan, the head of the Zhao family in Suzhou, in the palace three days ago."

"Xu Zhaokui, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, repeatedly criticized the new policies at literary meetings. His daughter married the grandson of Shen Shixing of Suzhou, and Shen's land was confiscated this time, with more than 20,000 mu."

"Gao Gang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and his brother-in-law secretly accepted 5,000 taels of silver from the Songjiang Qian family."

"Yan Shouwang, the chief academician of the Imperial College, has been exchanging letters with his old subordinates in Nanjing recently..."

Each piece of evidence is clearly listed.

Yi Huawei sneered: "I haven't even settled accounts with them yet, but they can't sit still."

Qiu Chengyun continued, "What's worse, there are rumors in the capital that Your Majesty..."

He paused, as if he had concerns.

"say what?"

"Your Majesty is said to be 'tyrannical and unjust' and 'harmful to the scholars'."

Qiu Chengyun lowered his voice and said, "Most of these remarks came from officials who have relatives in Jiangnan."

Yi Huawei's eyes darkened, and he tapped his fingers twice on the table: "Find out who is fanning the flames."

"I have ordered my men to keep a close eye on him."

Qiu Chengyun said: "Among them, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Gu Binxian, has been frequently entering and leaving Wenyuan Pavilion recently, and has secret talks with several Hanlin editors until late at night."

"Gu Binxian?"

Yi Huawei raised his eyebrows slightly: "I remember that he was a Jinshi in the second year of Longqing, and he always regarded himself as a clean official."

"That's right." Qiu Chengyun nodded. "But his wife's family is the Yangzhou salt merchant Li. During the survey of Jiangnan, 300 salt vouchers were confiscated from the Li family, which was worth nearly 100,000 taels of silver."

Yi Huawei sneered: "I see."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the gradually deepening dusk outside the palace wall and looking up at Qiu Chengyun: "Qiu Qing, I remember that the Sun Moon Divine Cult has a medicine called 'Three Corpses Brain Pill'?"

Qiu Chengyun's eyelids twitched, and then he lowered his head: "Your Majesty, this pill is a secret medicine of the Divine Religion. If there is no antidote after taking it, corpse worms will break out of the brain every Dragon Boat Festival, causing unbearable pain..."

Yi Huawei chuckled: "Is it useful?"

Qiu Chengyun's forehead was covered with sweat, and he whispered, "This pill... is indeed unmatched by anyone."

"it is good."

Yi Huawei walked to the window and looked at the sky outside the palace wall: "Tomorrow there will be a grand court meeting. I want all officials of the fourth rank and above to receive one."

Qiu Chengyun raised his head suddenly, then lowered his head quickly: "Your Majesty, this..."

"What's the matter?" Yi Huawei glanced sideways: "Are you having any difficulties?"

Qiu Chengyun took a deep breath and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, I obey your order."

.........

At the time of Yin the next day, hundreds of officials had gathered outside the Meridian Gate. They were talking in twos and threes, and the topic was nothing more than the great changes in Jiangnan.

"I heard that Yang Lian killed people in Jiangnan and caused a river of blood..."

"Hush, be careful with what you say! Who knows if the Jinyiwei are mixed in with the crowd?"

"What are you afraid of? We haven't done anything wrong..."

Before he finished speaking, the Meridian Gate slowly opened. A team of Jinyiwei dressed in flying fish uniforms holding steel knives stood on both sides. The leading Qianhu said coldly: "According to the order, all officials entering the court today must be inspected by the East Factory."

The officials looked at each other in bewilderment, but dared not disobey, and had to line up and move forward.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Yi Huawei sat on the dragon throne with a calm expression. Qiu Chengyun stood under the steps, with a red sandalwood box beside him.

When the last official entered the hall, Qiu Chengyun said loudly: "Your Majesty has ordered that the court has repeatedly colluded with local governments and bent the law for personal gain. In order to clean up the court, I have specially granted a 'Yanxin Pill'. Officials above the fourth rank should take it immediately."

There was an uproar in the hall!

The newly appointed Minister of Rites, Zhao Mingde, stepped forward boldly: "Your Majesty, what does this mean? We are loyal and devoted..."

"My dear Mr. Zhao."

Yi Huawei interrupted him, his voice gentle, as if smiling: "Since you are loyal, why not take a pill?"

Zhao Mingde was about to say something else when he saw two Dongchang guards approaching him. One of them held his shoulders while the other pinched his mouth open and stuffed a scarlet pill into it.

"Gudong-"

The swallowing sound was particularly clear in the silent hall.

An hour later, all 379 officials above the fourth rank took the medicine.

Yi Huawei then smiled and said, "This pill can strengthen your body. You can come to the East Factory to get one pill every month."

He paused deliberately: "As long as... you are loyal enough."

.........

At noon that day, the secret letters of eighteen officials were intercepted by the East Factory, and the contents were all reporting to Jiangnan.

The next morning, the 18 households were raided and seven boxes of account books containing transactions with Jiangnan were found.

On the third day, the Imperial College's chief priest hanged himself, leaving a note saying "I'd rather die than be humiliated." Yi Huawei ordered: "Bury him with commoner rites."

However, the efficiency of the morning meetings obviously increased sharply after taking the medicine.

Within three days, all 271 petitions requesting land survey were approved, and the proposal for reforming the grain transport system was approved by the six ministries in just half a day. Even the long-disputed "change of household registration for craftsmen" was no longer opposed.

On July 15, Yang Lian returned to Beijing to report on his work.

When he walked into the Qianqing Palace, Yi Huawei was playing with an empty jade bottle.

"Jiangnan has done a good job."

The new emperor threw the jade bottle to him and said, "Take this with you."

Yang Lian took the jade bottle and felt it was cold to the touch. Of course he knew what it was and looked up at the new emperor:

"Your Majesty wants me to..."

"Wang Qiong, Governor-General of Liangjiang."

Yi Huawei said casually: "He claimed to be ill and did not attend court last month. You personally delivered the medicine and temporarily took over the post of Governor-General of Liangjiang."

Yang Lian knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

He knew that this was a reward from the new emperor.

.........

In August, a secret recipe for 'antidote to the Three Corpse Poison' suddenly appeared in the capital's dark market, with a price of one thousand taels of gold.

The East Factory followed the clues and found that the source was the Imperial Medical Bureau. The imperial physician Zhou was fed a double dose of elixir in public and died after wailing for three days.

From then on, no one dared to mention the word "detoxification" anymore.

Of course, this is something.

………………

Inside the Yangxin Hall, the ambergris in the copper furnace burned quietly, and green smoke rose straight up.

Yi Huawei sat behind the imperial desk, tapping the rosewood tabletop rhythmically with his fingers.

The six ministers of ministries were seated on both sides, and the hall was so quiet that one could hear the chirping of cicadas outside the window.

"Have all the ministers read the account books submitted by the Ministry of Revenue?"

Yi Huawei broke the silence. His voice was not loud but it made everyone straighten their backs.

Qiu Chengyun took a half step forward and bowed, "Your Majesty, the eight major Shanxi merchants accounted for 40% of the country's salt transactions last year, and handled 60% of the border grain transportation, but paid less than 10% in taxes. I have checked repeatedly, and there are indeed problems with the accounts."

Shi Xing, the Minister of War, frowned and said, "Your Majesty, we must be cautious about this matter. Shanxi merchants have close relations with the border generals, and the food and grass supply of the nine important border towns depends on them. If we act rashly, something unexpected may happen."

"Food supply?"

Yi Huawei sneered, pulled out a secret memorial from the imperial desk and threw it in front of Shi Xing: "Mr. Shi, take a look at this. Last year, Datong Town actually needed 200,000 dan of grain and grass, but the Shanxi merchants reported 300,000 dan. Where did the extra 100,000 dan go? The border generals colluded with the Shanxi merchants and falsely reported the amount to enrich themselves!" Shi Xing opened the secret memorial, his face gradually becoming ugly. After a moment of silence, he whispered:
"If the situation is true, it is indeed an unforgivable crime. But the soldiers at the border..."

"The soldiers' salaries at the border have also been cut down by them!"

Yi Huawei slammed the table, stepped down from the dragon chair, and paced in front of the ministers: "Since I ascended the throne, there have been constant reports from the border troops, all saying that the military pay is insufficient and the morale of the army is unstable. Now it has been found out that it is not that the national treasury did not pay enough, but that someone is profiting from it!"

Minister of Industry Xu Guangqi coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, calm down. Shanxi merchants are powerful and one move could affect the whole body. I think it would be better to first issue an imperial edict to reprimand them and order them to pay the back taxes, and then slowly deal with it."

"Xu Xu Tu Zhi?"

Yi Huawei stopped and scanned the faces of each minister with a sharp gaze: "Mr. Xu, do you know that last year alone, Shanxi merchants evaded taxes amounting to two million taels of silver? This is equivalent to one-third of the court's annual salt tax! If this continues, how can the treasury be filled? How can the border be stabilized?"

The hall fell silent again. The Prime Minister Wang Xijue stroked his beard and spoke slowly: "Your Majesty, merchants value profit over loyalty and should be controlled. However, the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants have been operating in Shanxi for a hundred years and have intricate connections with local officials and gentry. If they are forcibly investigated, it may cause local unrest."

Yi Huawei stared into Wang Xijue's eyes and asked, "Lord Wang seems to know a lot about Shanxi merchants?"

Wang Xijue bowed calmly and said, "I am only thinking about the country. When the previous emperor was alive, he also wanted to rectify the commercial tax, but he gave up because it involved too many people."

"The late emperor is the late emperor, and I am I."

Yi Huawei returned to the imperial desk and sat down, tapping the table with his fingers: "Issue an order to dispatch 30,000 new troops to Shanxi... to 'escort' the eight major Jin merchants to Beijing. Anyone who disobeys the order will have his entire clan executed."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the hall.

Hai Rui, the Minister of Justice, immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this may be inappropriate. According to the Great Ming Law, merchants who evade taxes should be investigated by the Ministry of Revenue and examined by the Ministry of Justice. How can they threaten to execute the entire clan without a trial?"

"Hai Qing, I am more familiar with the Ming Dynasty Law than you are."

Yi Huawei nodded and said calmly: "But I ask you, if it is true that the Shanxi merchants colluded with the border generals and withheld military pay, what crime should they be punished for?"

Hai Rui did not hesitate: "According to the law, he should be executed and his property confiscated."

"Then it's over."

Yi Huawei spread his hands and smiled slightly: "I just asked them to come to Beijing for questioning. How can it be said that it violates the law?"

Wang Xijue spoke again in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I have heard that among the eight major Shanxi merchants, three are related by marriage to the Empress Dowager Cisheng's family..."

Yi Huawei's eyes flashed coldly: "Are you threatening me, Lord Wang?"

"I don't dare!"

Wang Xijue knelt down quickly and said, "I am just reminding Your Majesty that this matter involves royal relatives and needs to be handled with caution."

Yi Huawei was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Lord Wang is right. How about this, when you pass on the decree, add one more clause: if the eight major Shanxi merchants can pay off the taxes owed over the years within one month, I can give them a lighter sentence."

Qiu Chengyun said anxiously: "Your Majesty, if this happens, they will definitely destroy the evidence and transfer the property!"

"Don't worry, Qiu Banban."

Yi Huawei said meaningfully: "I have ordered the East Factory to secretly collect evidence for a long time. Whether they pay the tax or not, none of them will be able to escape investigation."

Shi Xing and Xu Guangqi exchanged glances, and both stepped out at the same time: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Wang Xijue's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Your Majesty is far-sighted and thoughtful, and I admire you."

Yi Huawei looked around at the ministers and asked, "Do you have any objections, my dear ministers?"

Hai Rui hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to participate in the trial of this case to ensure that the process is fair."

"That's right."

Yi Huawei nodded: "Hai Qing will preside over the trial, and the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate will conduct the trial together. I want this case to be a solid case, so that the people of the world will be convinced."

"I obey your order." Hai Rui saluted solemnly.

Yi Huawei stood up and said, "That's all for today. Qiu Banban stays, and the rest of you can leave."

The ministers bowed and left the Yangxin Palace.

Wang Xijue walked at the end. He turned back and looked deeply at the emperor before slowly walking away.

After the palace door closed, Qiu Chengyun whispered: "Your Majesty, Lord Wang seems to..."

"I know."

Yi Huawei interrupted him: "Wang Xijue has a close relationship with the Shanxi merchants. His eldest son took the daughter of the Fan family as a concubine last year. Do you think I don't know?"

Qiu Chengyun looked up in surprise: "Since the emperor knew about this, why did he still..."

"Stop the grass and scare the snake."

Yi Huawei sneered: "I deliberately said that I would mobilize troops just to see their reaction. Immediately send someone to keep an eye on Wang Xijue and the Shanxi merchants' contacts in Beijing, and record all the contacts."

"The servant understands."

Qiu Chengyun bowed and hesitated, "But if it is really as Lord Wang said, and it involves the Queen Mother's family..."

Yi Huawei waved his hand and said, "I know my limits. I will personally speak to the Queen Mother. What you need to do now is to prepare the evidence of Shanxi merchants' tax evasion over the years, especially the accounts with the border generals."

"I have ordered the East Factory to sort out the files."

Qiu Chengyun took out a thin book from his sleeve: "This is the summary. The detailed accounts have been stored in the secret files of the East Factory."

Yi Huawei took the booklet and quickly glanced through it, nodding with satisfaction: "Very good. In addition, the new army still needs to be mobilized, but it does not need to be 30,000. Five thousand elite soldiers are enough. You will lead the team in person and go to Shanxi under the pretext of inspecting the border for food and wages."

Qiu Chengyun was shocked: "I want you to go? But I don't know anything about military affairs..."

"You are the governor of the East Factory, so it is your legitimate right to investigate illegal activities."

Yi Huawei said meaningfully: "I will send someone to pick you up secretly. Remember, your mission is to obtain ironclad evidence of the collusion between Shanxi merchants and border generals. Don't alert the enemy."

"My slave understands."

Qiu Chengyun bowed deeply and asked, "When do we set off?"

"Three days later."

Yi Huawei walked to the window and looked at the scorching sun outside: "Take action before the Shanxi merchants get wind of it."

Qiu Chengyun bowed solemnly: "I will definitely live up to your trust, Your Majesty."

Yi Huawei turned around and suddenly asked, "Qiu Banban, do you know why I must rectify the commercial tax?"

Qiu Chengyun thought for a moment: "Is it to fill the treasury?"

"not only that."

Yi Huawei has a far-sighted vision: "Eight or nine out of ten taxes in our Ming Dynasty come from agricultural taxes, and commercial taxes are less than 10%. But now that commerce is booming, merchants are as rich as a country but pay very few taxes. If this continues, farmers will be overwhelmed, merchants will become too powerful, and the country will no longer be a country."

Qiu Chengyun seemed to be thinking: "Your Majesty is far-sighted. But reforming the commercial tax will inevitably affect the vested interests..."

"So I will start with the most rampant Jiangnan clans and Shanxi merchants."

Yi Huawei sneered: "Killing the chicken to scare the monkey."

At this moment, the voice of the young eunuch came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Commander Luo Sixian wants to see you."

"Xuan."

Yi Huawei winked at Qiu Chengyun, who understood and stepped aside.

Luo Sixian walked quickly into the hall and knelt on one knee:
"Your Majesty, the East Factory has reported that after leaving the palace, Lord Wang went directly to the residence of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Wang Jiaping, and the two had a secret conversation for half an hour. Vice Minister Wang then sent someone out of the residence through the back door and headed towards the Shanxi Guild Hall."

"I remember that Minister Wang is from Shanyin, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi, right?"

Yi Huawei and Qiu Chengyun exchanged a glance and sneered, "You really can't keep your cool. Keep monitoring and don't alert the enemy."

"According to the order."

Luo Sixian took the order and left.

Qiu Chengyun was worried: "Your Majesty, they are going to tip off the enemy!"

"Let them report it."

Yi Huawei was confident: "I have ordered people to intercept all letters going to Shanxi. The more panicked they are, the more flaws they will reveal."

Qiu Chengyun looked at the young emperor with admiration: "Your Majesty is wise. I will go and prepare for the trip to Shanxi now."

"Go."

Yi Huawei nodded: "Remember, safety first. If the situation changes, withdraw immediately."

Qiu Chengyun bowed deeply and left the Yangxin Palace.

Yi Huawei stood alone in the hall, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant around his waist.

"Someone come here." He suddenly spoke.

Wang Chengen appeared quietly: "What does the emperor want?"

"Prepare the sedan chair. I am going to the Cining Palace to pay my respects to the Queen Mother."

Wang Chengen was stunned: "Now?"

"Now."

Yi Huawei's mouth curled up into a cold smile: "It's time to meet my 'kind' mother." (End of this chapter)