Dressed as a widow, raising cubs, farming and building infrastructure in Ming Dynasty

Chapter 132 The Truth
"Ye Qi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, proposed a method of collecting salt by paying silver coins, which was approved by Emperor Xiaozong. This was called 'Kaizhong Zese'. From then on, merchants no longer needed to transport grain to the border and only needed to pay silver coins to do salt business. . This method had an immediate effect. Within one year, the national treasury received an additional million taels of silver.

However, this is a bad approach that will bring disaster to the future.

The original intention of reforming the "Kaizhong Law" was to solve the problem of food shortage at the border. However, after many changes, it became a big fortune for the Ministry of Household Affairs. The merchants were very happy, but no one took care of the food problem at the border.

The Ministry of Household Affairs allocates money to buy grain and transport it, and receives kickbacks at every level. As a result, less and less grain actually reaches the border.Businessmen are too lazy to hire people to farm the land in the border areas. The economy in the border areas is depressed and prices are rising.The imperial court allocated more and more silver to the border every year, while the border soldiers' food reserves became less and less, and they became increasingly poor. "

Qin Liu understood somewhat: "Why did Ye Qi, the Minister of Household Affairs, propose such a stupid reform plan? Why has this plan been implemented?"

"Ye Qi himself is said to be an upright official, but his family has many intermarriages with Huizhou merchants. This move is beneficial to the Ye family but not harmful."

"What about Emperor Hongzhi, my grandfather and the others? Can't they see the key to this?"

"The chief minister of the cabinet at that time was Xu Pu. He and Ye Qi were both Jiangnan officials and strongly supported the Kaizhong Reform. As for whether Emperor Hongzhi and your grandfather knew the key to it, I don't know. Maybe they did, but they can only Make your choice after weighing it up.”

Qin Liu spoke with difficulty: "You mean that all the wealth generated by the Ming Dynasty went to the family alliance that combined government and business?"

"Exactly. Even our Baoguo Palace and your Liu Shoufu family are no exception. They are all rentiers."

Qin Liu opened his mouth to retort: ​​"Our Liu family has always been honest, you didn't say that..."

Zhu Yue interrupted her: "The Liu family is incorruptible, but what about your grandfather's Jiangxi Peng family? Where is your stepmother's brother Yang Yiqing's family? And what about the Yang Ting and Yang families who are in the same camp as your Liu family?"

Qin Liu was speechless, she had no memory of this.

"Also, your grandfather's husband, Xie Pi Tanhualang, is the second son of Mr. Xie Qiange. The Xie family is the representative of Jiangsu and Zhejiang interest groups. Mr. Xie Qiange's wife, Mrs. Xu, is descended from Xu Pu, the chief minister of Xu during the Hongzhi period. family."

Qin Liu was completely shocked and felt extremely cold inside.

Officials colluded and benefited, forming a complete benefit transmission chain, and Liu Jian could not stay away.

However, a bright light suddenly flashed in her mind, and the words of her grandfather came to mind: "Integrate them, become them, defeat them..."

Her heart gradually warmed up.

In this era where everyone is seeking profit, there are still people who persist in their ideals and beliefs and work hard to create a more reasonable, fairer, safer and better world.

For example, the beggar Zhao San'er, such as the fashionable and unclear grandfather Liu Jian.

While Qin Liu was thinking about it, Zhu Yue continued talking on his own.

"Your Majesty, I don't know when I noticed you.

Maybe it was when I caught you and frightened you into prison, or maybe it was when I pushed you to the hot springs in Jizhou.

However, he also knew that it was absolutely impossible for the Ninth Five Supreme Being to marry the daughter of his first assistant. "

Qin Liu thought to himself: Oh, just like you, the grandson of a powerful noble, cannot marry the daughter of the chief minister.

"Later, you and Xie Tanhua got engaged, and I returned to Xuanfu to continue my tenure.

The emperor said that Xie Tanhua was in her early twenties and had not yet married, but she had a cousin with whom she was in love.That cousin even stopped your sedan in the street.

With his young mind, he simply asked the inner prisoner to come forward and let Xie Pi accept his cousin. "

Qin Liu opened his mouth in surprise: "Can Mr. Xie Ge listen to the internal prison?"

What kind of bad emperor is this, giving Liu Xuejiang’s fiancé a little wife?

"The Xie family hasn't responded yet, but the Empress Dowager Wang has invited you into the palace."

"The Empress Dowager?"

"The Empress Dowager is the empress of Emperor Xianzong and the grandmother of the current emperor.

In the first year of Zhengde, the palace selected concubines for the emperor. The quotas for the first concubine and the second concubine were all controlled by the Empress Dowager Zhang's family. In a rage, the Empress Dowager decided to target you. "

"so?"

Zhu Yue's voice became slow and heavy, making it difficult to speak: "You lived in the palace for several months, and you were also delaying your marriage with the Xie family. You were drugged, and you had an affair with the emperor... and then you left the palace and gave birth to Erlang. , the Liu family announced to the outside world that you died of illness." Qin Liu's blood almost solidified.

Zhu Yue went around in such a big circle and finally told the truth about that year.

Zhu Yue's voice was heavy and regretful: "Although I was not involved in this matter, I still have an unshirkable responsibility.

If I hadn't been selfish and rashly gave away the jade hairpin, no one would have known about you and me...

If it weren't for the emperor's intention and repeated attention, no one would know about his affection for you.

You won't end up in such a mess. "

Apart from anything else, if she married Xie Pi, the man who wanted to be a beautiful woman, she would just encounter a dispute between wives and concubines, and her life would be much more peaceful, unlike now, where everything is precarious.

Qin Liu finally regained his composure after a while.

She knew nothing about the young emperor who had no memory of his face.

However, the topic still couldn't leave him alone.

"What are Erlang's biological father's plans for Erlang?"

"He was planning to build a leopard house, and he wanted to take your mother and son in for safe protection, but something went wrong and your Liu family was ruined, and you and your child were missing.

Although he has been on the throne for four or five years, he is still a young man after all, and his methods and scheming are not as good as those of the cunning masters of power inside and outside the palace.

I'm afraid it's powerless.

Do you want to go back to Beijing and go to the Forbidden City? "

Qin Liu shook his head simply.

Zhu Yue continued to say slowly: "What I mean is that if Erlang is raised in our Duke Baoguo's mansion, the second son of Duke Baoguo's son will not attract anyone's attention and will be safe.

You can return to the palace when the time comes, or you can live a happy life as a noble son. It's better than living in this bitter cold grassland. What do you think? "

"Is this what the emperor means, or is it yours?"

"The Emperor does not know where Erlang is, and I have never mentioned it. In this matter, your opinion must prevail."

A warm current surged in Qin Liu's heart.

Zhu Yue's method of solving problems is much better than hers.

But this would lead to the separation of mother and child, which she couldn't accept.

Qin Liu was a little frustrated: "I know, I'm not a good mother, leaving my child in Duolun.

But you have to know that if Baers cannot go back, Erlang and I will not be able to stand on the grassland, and we will have to return to the Ming Dynasty and be homeless..."

As she spoke, tears burst out of her eyes instantly.

It is true that she has feelings for Bals, but coming to the right wing to look for Bals is a bet she has to make - betting that she will establish an image of a loving and loyal fiancée in the hearts of Bals, even the Golden Family and the grassland herdsmen, and provide her with Build a more solid foundation for Hejiro to settle down in the future.

Doesn't she know that on such a cold day, it would be safer and more comfortable to hide in a warm and solid brick house in Toronto?

Zhu Yue's hand gently held her shoulder.

"Follow me. We'll go south together incognito."

Qin Liu's moist eyes flashed with a strange light.

The warm and comfortable south!
How desirable.

(End of this chapter)