Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

In the bustling and noisy city of Chengdu, the Shu Palace stands tall and majestic, like an inviolable fortress, quietly telling the majesty and glory of the royal family. The sun shines through the clouds and sprinkles on the vermilion walls of the palace, adding a bit of solemnity and mystery. One day, in this building full of historical sediments, the Shu King Zhu Zhishu received a secret letter from Jian Mingxiao. However, he did not rush to open it, but first carefully looked at the person who sent the letter - the man was Wang Zhong, a centurion in the Jinyiwei, who was dressed neatly in an official uniform, with a solemn face and a look of unquestionable firmness in his eyes.

"Wang Zhong." The King of Shu called softly, with a bit of majesty in his tone, as if even the air was frozen.

"I am here, waiting to be ordered by His Royal Highness the King of Shu." Wang Zhong answered respectfully, and every word he said sounded so steady and powerful.

The King of Shu had a sharp gaze, as if he could see through people's hearts. He asked, "What do you think of Jian Mingxiao?" His words revealed an indescribable deep meaning.

Wang Zhong thought for a moment and replied cautiously, "Your Highness, I think that Governor Qin (Jian Mingxiao) is broad-minded and has great ambitions to stabilize the country and strengthen diplomatic relations. Although she is a woman, she is brave and fearless, and has extraordinary wisdom. Even many men are ashamed of themselves."

After hearing this, the King of Shu nodded slightly, seeming to be quite satisfied with Wang Zhong's answer. He casually picked up the sour plum soup on the table and took a sip. The sweet and sour taste slowly melted on the tip of his tongue, as if reminding him of the complexity and changeability of the world. "I think so too. Qin Liangyu (here refers to Jian Mingxiao, implying that she has a similar bravery to Qin Liangyu) is a woman, but she can bravely gallop on the battlefield. Such loyalty, bravery and wisdom are indeed admirable."

“When you go back, tell Jian Mingxiao about this for me. After the bandits are pacified, if she comes to the Prince of Shu’s mansion in person to apologize, I can consider not reporting her mistakes to the court.” The Prince of Shu continued, his tone revealing a bit of tolerance, but also hiding the unquestionable majesty of the imperial power.

Wang Zhong quickly agreed: "I will convey your Highness's intention to Governor Qin." After saying that, he bowed and retreated.

After Wang Zhong's figure completely disappeared outside the door, the King of Shu slowly opened the secret letter and began to read it carelessly. However, after reading just a few lines, his expression suddenly changed, sometimes gloomy like the sky before a storm, sometimes doubtful like a walker in the fog. He held the secret letter tightly in his left hand, leaned sideways and read it carefully again in the sunlight outside the window. Every word seemed to carry an indescribable power, impacting his heart.

Suddenly, with a "bang", the King of Shu angrily slammed the table and stood up, his face full of anger. It turned out that Jian Mingxiao had proposed in the secret letter that the Shu Palace should reduce the land rent of the people in Shu. This is simply outrageous! How could the land of the Shu Palace be moved by her, a governor? This is simply a provocation to the imperial power!

But after a moment, the King of Shu regained his composure. He sneered: "Hmph, Jian Mingxiao is so arrogant! I am the prince of the Ming Dynasty, how can I be manipulated by others?" His eyes revealed an unquestionable firmness, as if he wanted to suppress all resistance under his feet.

At this time, Wang Zhong, who was standing by, had a complicated expression on his face, as if he wanted to say something but held back. The King of Shu could not help but ask, "Wang Zhong, what do you want to say?" His tone was a bit dignified and curious.

Wang Zhong coughed lightly and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness the King of Shu, Governor Qin said before he left that this letter is for notification, not discussion." Although his voice was low, it revealed an indescribable determination.

"What do you mean?" asked the King of Shu in confusion, his brows furrowed as if he was confused by this sudden news.

"Well, Governor Qin has already done as stated in the letter." Wang Zhong explained, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and admiration for Jian Mingxiao.

Upon hearing this, the King of Shu suddenly realized what had happened and immediately became furious: "How dare she bully me like this! This cannot be tolerated!" His voice echoed throughout the hall, as if he wanted to pour out all his anger.

"Come here!" The King of Shu roared, calling for the guards. His voice was filled with an unquestionable majesty that seemed to make even the air tremble.

"Here!" The guards came in. They were agile and powerful, as if they were ready to serve the King of Shu at any time.

"Go and summon the prefect of Chengdu to come and see me quickly! No, please ask the governor of Sichuan directly. I want to impeach Jian Mingxiao!" The King of Shu said angrily, with a resolute look in his eyes.

However, the guards looked embarrassed and said, "Your Highness, the King of Shu, the governor is currently in Changshou to suppress bandits. I'm afraid he won't be able to get here quickly." There was a hint of helplessness in their voices, as well as some worry about the situation.

The King of Shu was stunned when he heard this. He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, thinking about countermeasures. His footsteps were heavy and powerful, as if every step was stepping on his heart.

At this time, the left and right chief secretaries hurried into the hall. They saw that the King of Shu was furious. After hesitating for a moment, the left chief secretary bowed and said, "Your Highness, Jian Mingxiao has another official document delivered, saying..." His voice trembled a little, as if he was also uneasy about the news.

The Right Chief Clerk quickly added: "The Prince's Palace should immediately reduce or exempt the people's land rent." Although his voice was low, it revealed an indescribable determination.

"No! Absolutely not!" The King of Shu screamed, almost losing control. His voice was filled with an indescribable anger and unwillingness, as if he wanted to suppress all resistance under his feet.

Zuo Changshi looked embarrassed and said, "But Jian Mingxiao claimed that she has the right to act at her own discretion. This official document is almost like an imperial decree. Those who violate it will bear their own consequences." There was some helplessness in his voice, as well as some worry about the situation.

The King of Shu was extremely angry, but this time it was not simply because of the reduction of land rent, but more because Jian Mingxiao's style of doing things made him feel despised and insulted. There was a resolute light in his eyes, as if he wanted to suppress all resistance under his feet.

"Jian Mingxiao is arrogant because of his achievements. He deceives his superiors and subordinates, is domineering and greedy. He even dares to threaten the prince! Such crimes are intolerable by heaven! You must quickly submit a petition to His Majesty and ask the Emperor to make a decision!" The King of Shu shouted angrily, his voice resounding throughout the hall, as if he wanted to pour out all his anger.

The left and right chief secretaries accepted the order and were about to leave, but then asked quietly: "Your Highness, what about Jian Mingxiao's document..." There was some hesitation in their voices, as well as some worry about the situation.

The King of Shu interrupted impatiently, "It's her business whether to obey or not! Wang Zhong has already left, why are you still asking?" There was an unquestionable majesty in his voice, as if even the air was trembling with it.

After the left and right chief secretaries left, the King of Shu let out a heavy breath. Although his face was damaged, he had to show his tough side in front of his subordinates. He glared at the left and right chief secretaries: "What else are you asking? Do you need to ask more about this matter?" There was a bit of anger in his voice, and also a bit of dissatisfaction with his subordinates.

The Left Chief Clerk said in embarrassment: "This matter is of great importance. Your Highness, please give us clear instructions." There was a tremor in his voice, as if he was also uneasy about the news.

The King of Shu glared at them and said, "Do you dare to disobey my order? Do you want to die?" There was an unquestionable majesty in his voice, as if he wanted to suppress all resistance under his feet.

Afterwards, the King of Shu calmed down and analyzed the situation: "Jian Mingxiao has strong soldiers and horses, sufficient food and grass, and she is the governor of four provinces. We cannot easily make an enemy of her. Let her do whatever she wants, we can't stop her. After the bandits are pacified, she will get her retribution." There was some helplessness in his voice, as well as some worry about the situation.

"As for the people's land rent... the more it is exempted, the better. It would be best if it is exempted completely! Your Majesty will naturally take action when the time comes." The King of Shu changed the subject, as if he was looking for a way to save face and comply with the will of the people. There was a resolute light in his eyes, as if he wanted to trample all difficulties under his feet.

"Yes, sir! We'll arrange it right away." The left and right chief secretaries took the order and left. Their figures hurriedly disappeared outside the door.

After the news spread, the people of Shu cheered and their favorability towards the court increased significantly. Jian Mingxiao's recruitment of soldiers was also smoother and more unimpeded. This move indirectly weakened Zhang Xianzhong's power, which was undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful to the court.

At the same time, the wars in the upper and lower routes of the Ming Dynasty were in a stalemate. On the lower route battlefield, Jian Mingxiao, Zeng Ying, Long Wenguang, Yang Zhan and others fought fiercely with Zhang Xianzhong's army in Fuling, Changshou, Fengdu, Zhongzhou and other places. Both sides had their wins and losses. Zhang Xianzhong had difficulty in entering Shu, and Jian Mingxiao and others also had difficulty in completely defeating him. The battlefield was filled with smoke, and the flashes of swords and shadows intertwined into a series of tragic scenes.

However, the situation in the capital city of the middle route became increasingly worrying. Holding one intelligence letter after another, Guo Tianyang nervously reported to the emperor the situation on the front line: Dorgon was defeated and fled south, Duoduo withdrew from Juyongguan, Huang Degong was frustrated in Damingfu... Every piece of news was frightening. Especially the news that Damingfu ran out of food made people feel desperate - without food, there would be no will to fight, and without will to fight, there would be no doubt of defeat. The fate of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be hanging by a thread, precarious and in jeopardy.

Lin Xiaofeng sat upright on the dragon throne, which symbolized the imperial power, with a frown on his face, as if he could pinch a fly to death. His face was serious and deep, and his eyes revealed an indescribable worry. Recently, bad news was like mosquitoes in summer, biting his heart one after another, especially the war in Daming Prefecture, which made him feel uneasy and always felt an ominous premonition, like a dark cloud pressing down on his head, making him breathless.

Li Zicheng's rise was not based on luck, but on his strength gained through fighting on the battlefield. He was very tough. At this moment, General Huang Degong had just experienced a great battle and had no time to catch his breath before he rushed to Damingfu for rescue. It was so hard that it made people feel distressed. Lin Xiaofeng imagined the dusty and exhausted figure of General Huang Degong, and a feeling of sadness welled up in his heart.

"Your Majesty!" At this time, old man Li Banghua, sitting on the stool below, spoke respectfully. Although his voice was steady, he could not hide his worry. "We have selected officials for disaster relief, but Dorgon's whereabouts are erratic, so everyone dares not leave the capital easily, for fear that he will catch them if they are not careful."

When Lin Xiaofeng heard this, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened, like a mountain with ravines and gullies. It was not that the officials were timid, but that although Dorgon's cavalry had suffered a defeat, their foundation was still there, and their fighting power had not decreased at all. If they ran into an official without a guard on the way, it would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth, with no way back.

Although there are a lot of things to do, they have to be solved one by one. "Lord Li, do you have any good ideas about the situation in Daming Prefecture?" Lin Xiaofeng asked anxiously, his eyes revealing an eager expectation.

Li Banghua shook his head slightly, sighed and said: "Li Zicheng brought tens of thousands of troops to surround Daming Prefecture like an iron barrel, and used the tactic of besieging a point and attacking its reinforcements, which is the same routine as the previous battle of Zhuxian Town. General Huang Degong fought alone, and it was difficult, as difficult as climbing to the sky!" His voice was low and powerful, as if every word contained the weight of a thousand pounds.

Lin Xiaofeng picked up the teacup on the dragon table and sipped the strong tea. The bitter taste seemed to remind him of his current predicament. He asked, "How about we send in reinforcements?"

"Reinforce the troops?" Li Banghua's face immediately turned serious when he heard this. "Your Majesty, do you want to send Jiang Taiwei and others?"

Lin Xiaofeng nodded, his eyes revealing helplessness and determination.

"Absolutely not!" Li Banghua said firmly, "Your Majesty, don't forget that there is still Duoduo, a time bomb in Xuanfu. If he retreats to the grassland and then bypasses the Great Wall from Qiangziling, Xifengkou or Qingshanguan, the capital will be in danger. And as for Wu Sangui, he is afraid of being attacked from two sides, so he must keep soldiers to defend himself."

Lin Xiaofeng's mind was clear, but in the current situation, there was nothing he could do about the lack of troops, so he could only rob Peter to pay Paul. After listening to Li Banghua's analysis, he shook his head helplessly and had to give up the idea of ​​increasing the troops. A feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart, as if he was being tightly grasped by an invisible big hand.

Compared with the threat from Li Zicheng, Lin Xiaofeng was actually more worried about Jian Nu entering the pass. If Duoduo's target was the capital, that would be fine. Although Jian Nu was good at field battles, siege was not their strong point. The most feared thing was that he would join forces with Wu Sangui and attack from both sides. By then, the capital would be isolated and helpless. Once Wu Sangui surrendered, Shanhaiguan would be lost, and the situation would be hopeless. Thinking of this, Lin Xiaofeng couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

"As for Daming Prefecture, we can only rely on Huang Degong and Li Xingzhong on their own. Our imperial court is out of reach." Lin Xiaofeng sighed, his voice revealing a sense of helplessness and sorrow.

"That's right, Your Majesty. Regardless of whether they win or lose, we can't send any more troops." Li Banghua echoed. Although his voice was calm, he could not hide his worry.

"Alas!" Lin Xiaofeng drank the tea in the cup, as if he wanted to swallow the bitterness in his heart. "Then let's talk about Duoduo. What does Lord Li think he will do next?"

"Your Majesty, this is actually not important." Li Banghua stroked his beard, looking confident. His eyes revealed a kind of confidence and calmness.

"Oh? Why?" Lin Xiaofeng asked in confusion. His heart was full of doubts and curiosity.

Li Banghua smiled slightly and explained: "If Duoduo continues to attack Xuanfu, then we don't have to worry about him for the time being. General Zhu Fenghui has sufficient food and grass. Defending Xuanfu can tie down his main force. If he chooses to retreat to the grassland and then enter the pass from other places, he will have to prepare food and grass first, which will take a lot of time, and he will also have to collect intelligence inside the pass. So, he will definitely not act rashly in a short period of time." His voice was clear and powerful, as if every word contained the light of wisdom.

"But for the sake of safety, please order General Tang Shengyu to send some cavalry scouts to the north to investigate Duoduo's situation. In addition, you can also ask General Zhu Fenghui to urge the Mongols to act quickly." Li Banghua added. His eyes revealed a kind of determination and firmness.

Lin Xiaofeng thought about it and felt that what Li Banghua said made sense. Although Duoduo was anxious, we have Jiang Taiwei, Ji Zisheng, and Bakeyong, and we have soldiers, so we are not panicking. Duoduo dare not act rashly. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Okay! Pass the order down and have Tang Shengyu immediately send people to the north to investigate Duoduo's whereabouts. If possible, have Zhu Fenghui urge the Mongols to act quickly." Lin Xiaofeng instructed Guo Tianyang who was standing beside him. His voice revealed a kind of determination and firmness.

In fact, before Jiannu entered the pass, Lin Xiaofeng had already asked Zhu Fenghui to contact the Khalkha tribe of Mongolia, and they promised to attack Daning, the Jiannu's important grain and grass base, in late June. Now the time is almost up, and Lin Xiaofeng can't help but feel a surge of anticipation in his heart.

However, Lin Xiaofeng did not expect the Mongols to really act according to the agreement. He was betting that the Jiannu would be short of food. Although the Mongols made a living by herding, grains were also indispensable in their daily diet. When Zhu Qizhen, the god of war of the Ming Dynasty, studied in Mongolia, he was only given one sheep to eat every day and could only eat beef and horse meat every seven days. His treatment was better than that of the Mongolian nobles. So, the Mongols' demand for food was not small. Thinking of this, Lin Xiaofeng couldn't help but smile.

"As you command!" Guo Tianyang responded quickly, preparing to draft an imperial decree and send it. His figure quickly disappeared outside the palace gate.

After all these things were arranged, there were only two major things left: one was to hunt down Dorgon, and the other was to provide relief to the victims. Lin Xiaofeng's heart was filled with heaviness and worry, but also with determination.

"I have ordered the Ministry of War to send official documents to Northern Zhili and Shandong, and report immediately if they find any trace of the Jiannu. No matter how cautious Dorgon is, he still has to eat. He will definitely find a way to rob him when his food is almost gone." Lin Xiaofeng felt a little relieved, but he still thought that it would be better if he could capture Dorgon alive. After all, he is much more useful alive than dead. His eyes revealed a kind of determination and expectation.

"And, Mr. Li, there is one last thing in my heart that I need to talk about." Lin Xiaofeng picked up a letter from the table and handed it to Li Banghua. His voice was deep and powerful, as if every word contained a thousand pounds of weight.

Li Banghua took the letter and his face darkened. This letter was sent by the Jinyiwei. It said that the investigation results of the prefectures and counties in Northern Zhili showed that the good policy of the court to exempt the whole country from land tax for one year did not benefit the people at all. According to the court's regulations, whoever owns the land should pay the tax, but in fact, most people rent the land to grow crops. Although the landlords exempted the taxes, they did not reduce the rent for the tenants. In this way, this policy became a benefit to the landlords. On the surface, it was benefiting the people, but in fact it harmed the people!

After reading the letter, Li Banghua's eyes dimmed. He smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "How can these people have the heart to let ordinary people not even have a full meal?" His voice revealed a sense of helplessness and grief.

Lin Xiaofeng stood up, looked outside the hall and sighed, "Lord Li, they are afraid that the common people will become rich. Once the common people become rich, they will want to buy land. If more people buy land, no one will be willing to rent their land. This is actually a kind of 'art of imprisoning the people'!" His voice revealed anger and helplessness.

"The art of governing the people?" Li Banghua was stunned for a moment and didn't understand.

"No, no, it's the 'prison' of prison!" Lin Xiaofeng explained, "They want to lock the common people in cages and make them struggle for their livelihood all day long. They have no time or mind to think about anything else. This is imprisoning them!" His voice revealed a kind of determination and anger, as if he wanted to expose all the injustices in the world one by one.

When Li Banghua heard the word "prison", his heart was like being stabbed by an invisible needle. Pain and helplessness intertwined into an airtight net, binding him tightly. His eyes became dim, as if he could see the dark, damp prison cell and the innocent people who were tortured in it. He sighed, and that sigh contained too much heaviness and powerlessness. He knew that he could not shake the deep-rooted corruption and injustice by his own strength.

At this time, Lin Xiaofeng and Li Banghua sat opposite each other, and there was an indescribable heavy atmosphere between them, like the calm before the storm, which was so depressing that it made people breathless. Seeing this, Guo Tianyang nodded gently. He lowered his voice, trying to find a crack in the dull air, and said to Li Banghua: "Lord Li, can we borrow the name of the court to let those wealthy gentry and landlords reduce the land rent for the common people? It can be regarded as a little comfort in this chaotic world."

Li Banghua did not answer immediately, but asked back, his eyes were deep, as if he could see into the deepest part of people's hearts: "Eunuch Guo, do you still remember what the emperor once said earnestly? Don't touch the interests of the upper class, and don't easily disturb the hearts of the people."

"Yes, I remember." Guo Tianyang replied with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

"So," Li Banghua's voice became unusually serious, and every word seemed to be spoken after careful consideration. "The idea you proposed to reduce the land rent for the gentry violates two major taboos at the same time! One is that it touches the interests of the gentry class, and the other is that it may cause unnecessary fantasies among the common people."

"Then... is it really not possible?" Guo Tianyang's tone was full of hesitation, his eyes flickering, as if looking for a ray of hope.

"It's not absolutely impossible," Li Banghua said slowly in a firm and steady tone, "but think about it, for ordinary people, paying rent is just like paying back a debt, it is a matter of course. If the court forcibly intervenes and exempts the gentry from rent, wouldn't it not only damage the interests of the gentry, but also make the common people feel uneasy, thinking that the rules are no longer there and the order is in jeopardy." "Ordinary people may mistakenly believe that no matter how much debt they owe, they can be exempted with just an imperial edict from the court. Once this idea spreads, the order of the Ming Dynasty will really be in chaos."

"So, unless the gentry volunteer to do good, we are really helpless."

After hearing this, Guo Tianyang's neck shrank involuntarily, and he retreated to the side and leaned against the wall, not daring to say anything more. The king and his minister discussed for a long time, until the afterglow of the setting sun filled the palace, Li Banghua stood up and said goodbye, his back looked particularly lonely and heavy.

Lin Xiaofeng did not return to the harem, but sat alone on the cold dragon throne, lost in deep thought. The Ming Dynasty had so many enemies, with bandits and slaves outside and princes, nobles, court officials, merchants and other forces inside, each of whom had their own selfish motives and were waiting for an opportunity to act.

The princes were extravagant, wasting state money, but they did not produce anything, hindering taxation; the nobles relied on their past merits, were arrogant and corrupt; the court officials formed cliques and colluded with the gentry and merchants to form interest groups; the merchants did whatever it took for their own interests, and some even sold out their country for glory. Faced with this complicated situation, Lin Xiaofeng felt unprecedented confusion and bewilderment. How should he start to untie this huge web that entangled the Ming Dynasty?
After thinking for a long time, Lin Xiaofeng finally made up his mind and summoned Gu Chaosheng. Guo Tianyang took the order and left. Not long after, Gu Chaosheng hurried into the Qianqing Palace, knelt on the ground, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Is the booklet printed?" Lin Xiaofeng's voice was filled with a hint of urgency.

"Your Majesty, the first batch of 50,000 copies has been printed. Please take a look." Gu Chaosheng took out a booklet from his arms and presented it with both hands.

Guo Tianyang took the booklet and walked quickly to Lin Xiaofeng. Lin Xiaofeng opened the booklet and saw the words "Guide to Life in the Ming Dynasty" written on the cover. This booklet is divided into two parts. One part is about the common people, which elaborates on the various matters of dealing with the court, from getting married and having children to paying taxes and serving in the army, from buying and selling land to renting houses, and even how to report corrupt officials. The other part is about officials. Although the content is not much, it also clearly points out how to report to the superiors if the lower-level officials are persecuted, and the departments that accept the reports, such as the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, the East Factory, the Jinyiwei, etc.

After reading the booklet, Lin Xiaofeng nodded with satisfaction and praised: "To rectify the administration of officials, it is not enough to rely on manpower alone, but also on the system! And this system is the Great Ming Law!"

He went on to explain that before the Ming Dynasty, if ordinary people wanted to sue an official, they had to be beaten with a stick first; in the Ming Dynasty, ordinary people could complain to the censor. After receiving the complaint, the censor would hand it over to the defendant's superior government office or the same-level censor for trial. In addition, there was a system called "Dengwen Drum", where ordinary people could report their grievances directly to the emperor by beating the drum. However, this system was gradually forgotten in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and no one cared about it.

The purpose of this booklet is to tell the people: the channel for suing officials is open again!

"Gu Chaosheng, you did a great job. This booklet is very practical." Lin Xiaofeng praised lightly.

"Your Majesty, thank you for the compliment. This is what I should do." Gu Chaosheng knelt on the ground and replied flattered.

Lin Xiaofeng waved his hand, asking the others to leave, then walked to Gu Chaosheng and stopped, saying solemnly: "I am going to give you an important task, I hope you will not disappoint me."

"Big thing?" Gu Chaosheng was delighted when he heard this. He knew that having a job meant making money, just like when he edited this booklet. So he kowtowed to show his loyalty: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best to live up to your command!"

Lin Xiaofeng looked at Gu Chaosheng, pondered for a moment, and finally decided: "The court is discussing disaster relief, and I want you to get involved."

"Your Majesty, what exactly do I need to do?" Gu Chaosheng asked.

"The Ming Dynasty has too many problems. The court has its own problems, and the local governments have their own problems. The problems at the county level are the most serious. But after thinking about it, I think the local problems are mainly in two aspects: one is official corruption, and the other is the tyranny of the gentry and the powerful."

"I want to take advantage of the disaster relief opportunity to solve both problems. The problem of official corruption will be dealt with by the disaster relief officials; and the problem of gentry and powerful people will be left to you to deal with." Lin Xiaofeng said.

Gu Chaosheng lowered his head and thought for a while, then asked, "Your Majesty, can this servant kill someone?"

Lin Xiaofeng did not answer directly. He just said, "Just don't go too far."

"Don't go too far!" Gu Chaosheng felt relieved when he heard this. He felt as if he had obtained a special sword, and instantly thought of countless ways to kill people.

But to be on the safe side, he asked again: "Your Majesty, I want to know who can be killed and who cannot be killed."

"Those who harm the village and maliciously default on taxes can be killed no matter what their background is!" Lin Xiaofeng said decisively.

"But you must remember that you must act in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty and have laws to follow. Also, you cannot kill all the gentry and landlords. When you get to the local level, you must use a divisive strategy to win over some people and suppress others." Lin Xiaofeng warned.

"Do you remember?" Lin Xiaofeng asked.

"Remember!" Gu Chaosheng blinked his eyes and kowtowed to accept the order.

So, what exactly did Lin Xiaofeng mean by doing this? In fact, he wanted to divert the contradictions of the gentry and landlord class. This class cannot be completely eliminated, and it cannot be eliminated, because many of them are retired officials or businessmen who depend on their wealth. If they are all killed, then who would dare to be an official in the court after seeing the fate of their predecessors? The ruling system will collapse!

But if Gu Chaosheng can act according to the law and only kill those who should be killed, then the gentry class will have nothing to say, and the ruling system of the Ming Dynasty will not be in chaos. This can not only win the hearts of the people, but also reduce the burden on the common people, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone!

After Gu Chaosheng took the order and left, Lin Xiaofeng returned to the harem and enjoyed the tranquility of the spring night. He sat in front of the window, looking at the bright moonlight outside, with complicated thoughts surging in his heart. He knew that he was walking on a thorny road, but he also understood that for the future of the Ming Dynasty, he must persevere.

The next morning, Lin Xiaofeng was awakened by Guo Tianyang's voice: "Your Majesty, the emergency troops from Juyongguan have arrived!"

Lin Xiaofeng sat up suddenly and said solemnly: "Read it to me!"

"Yes! After slaughtering the Longmen guards, Duoduo led his troops to escape from Dushikou. Tang Shengyu speculated that they might invade again from other roads." Guo Tianyang reported.

"What?!" Lin Xiaofeng jumped up from the bed immediately after hearing this, his eyes flashing with determination. He knew that a new challenge had come, and he had to be prepared to meet this unknown battle.

When Guo Tianyang heard Lin Xiaofeng's hurried but steady voice, he was startled, as if he was being grabbed by an invisible hand. He quickly lowered his voice, with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety in his tone: "Your Majesty, after Duoduo had done his wicked deeds at Longmenwei, he quietly slipped out of the pass from Dushikou. Tang Shengyu speculated that he would never give up and would definitely change his route and sneak into our Central Plains again with ill intentions."

Lin Xiaofeng sat by the bed, his figure elongated by the faint candlelight, looking particularly lonely. He was silent for a long time, as if the hustle and bustle of the whole world had nothing to do with him. His thoughts drifted back to Longmenwei, the once peaceful land, but now it has become a living hell because of Duoduo's gang of thieves who are worse than beasts. More than 20,000 soldiers and civilians, innocent lives, were cruelly deprived in an instant. The shock and anger in his heart were like a volcanic eruption, hot and fierce, even more beastly than those beasts! He felt as if his chest was pressed down by a huge rock, and it became difficult to breathe. The anger almost tore him apart.

However, after being angry, Lin Xiaofeng quickly regained his composure. He knew that being emotional at the moment would be useless, and only by thinking calmly could he find a way out. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his anger. In his mind, the scene of Huang Degong's army fighting with Li Zicheng's troops in Wei County flashed through his mind, and the outcome was unpredictable. And the capital was short of troops. If Duoduo attacked again, how should he deal with it? These questions weighed on his heart like a huge rock.

Finally, Lin Xiaofeng opened his eyes, his eyes revealing determination and resoluteness. He shouted to Guo Tianyang outside the door: "I... got it. Go and tell the cabinet ministers to hold a meeting in the Palace of Heavenly Purity in an hour!" Although his voice was not loud, it revealed unquestionable majesty, "Also, ask the Duke of England Zhang Shize to come see me immediately."

"Yes, sir." Guo Tianyang responded and hurried away, secretly admiring the emperor's calmness and decisiveness.

When Zhang Shize received the news of the summons, he felt mixed emotions. Since the prince moved south, Li Zicheng besieged the city, and the Jiannu invaded, he had done almost nothing except defending the city. The court was changing, new people like Jiang Taiwei were favored, and he and other old ministers were not only unsuccessful, but also fell into an embarrassing situation. Duke Cheng was killed for his crimes, Duke Ding stayed at home, and he was the only one struggling to support the capital. If his grandfather Zhang Weixian had not risked his life to enter the palace after the death of Emperor Tianqi and helped Lin Xiaofeng ascend the throne, he would probably have suffered the same fate as Zhu Chunchen.

It was late at night, and the moonlight was like water, shining on the glazed tiles of the Qianqing Palace, flickering a cold light. Zhang Shize, with a worried look on his face, stepped heavily into the Qianqing Palace, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am Zhang Shize, here to see you."

"Get up." Lin Xiaofeng waved his hand gently, with a barely perceptible hint of fatigue in his voice.

Zhang Shize stood up and saw Lin Xiaofeng sighing, with deep worry between his brows. He couldn't help but feel nervous and asked hurriedly, "Your Majesty, why are you sighing?"

Lin Xiaofeng looked deep in his eyes, as if he was recalling something, and said slowly: "I exempted the land tax for the whole country for one year before. Did you know about this?"

"I know." Zhang Shize answered respectfully, but he felt vaguely uneasy in his heart.

"Alas!" Lin Xiaofeng sighed again, his voice full of helplessness, "What a pity! Although the tax has been exempted, the people have not really benefited. Especially for those farmers who rent land for farming, the rent has not been reduced at all, and their lives are still miserable."

Zhang Shize stood up straight and listened carefully. He understood that Lin Xiaofeng was testing him, and he had to answer according to Lin Xiaofeng's wishes. Although Zhang Shize was young, he could become the Duke of England not only because of his family background, but also because of his keen political sense. He was loyal to his superiors, made friends with scholars but did not form cliques for personal gain, and treated the people with both kindness and severity. At critical moments, he could stand up, just like his grandfather Zhang Weixian, who risked his life to help Lin Xiaofeng ascend to the throne.

Zhang Shize thought for a moment, knelt down again, and said sincerely: "I have a hundred hectares of land at home, and I am willing to reduce the rent for the tenants by half to help them out."

However, these words did not make Lin Xiaofeng look satisfied. Instead, he sneered: "Haha, the British public has a lot of wealth. Why didn't you take any action when I called on all officials and nobles to donate money?"

Zhang Shize heard this and sweat dripped down his face. He wanted to defend himself, but seeing Lin Xiaofeng's cold eyes, he had to give up. There were many nobles in the Ming Dynasty, but many were killed or deposed for various reasons. If the emperor wanted to get rid of him, he only needed to find a reason.

Zhang Shize simply knelt on the ground and cried, "Your Majesty, I really have my reasons."

"Tell me about it." Lin Xiaofeng's voice was still cold, without any emotion.

"I originally wanted to donate money, but I had many concerns. First, donating money is like giving land to Qin. If the country is short of money in the future, they will definitely ask me for money first, endlessly. Second, my strength is limited. Even if I donate money to solve the urgent problem, except for Your Majesty, others will not remember my contribution, but will isolate me. Third, if there is another fundraising in the future, I will be scolded if I do not donate; while those who have not donated money can be free and easy." Zhang Shize expressed his concerns in one breath.

"So I didn't donate at that time." He added, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Lin Xiaofeng was silent for a moment after hearing this. Although Zhang Shize's words made some sense, they did not satisfy him. The nobles should respond to the emperor's urgent needs, think about what the emperor thinks, and stand up when the country is in trouble. Zhang Shize obviously has not reached this level yet.

"That sounds nice!" Lin Xiaofeng said sarcastically, "So what you are competing for is not who donates the most, but who is more relaxed about not donating. In this case, I don't need to protect you anymore."

After saying this, he shouted outside the palace: "Where is Gongsun Yuchun?"

"I'm here." Gongsun Yuchun responded and walked in with steady steps.

"Show the thing in your hand to the Duke of England, so that he won't say that I wronged him." There was a hint of unquestionable majesty in Lin Xiaofeng's voice.

"Yes, sir!" Gongsun Yuchun opened the account book and placed it in front of Zhang Shize.

Zhang Shize didn't dare to look at it at first, but after taking a glance, he began to tremble. The first page of the account book is the content of "The Iron List of Dukes and Marquises", which was the rule set by Zhu Yuanzhang in the fifth year of Hongwu to warn meritorious officials. It clearly states: "It is not allowed to occupy the mountains, lakes, tea gardens, etc. of officials and civilians; tenants who cultivate land are not allowed to bully others or rob land..." The following content is the relevant clauses in "The Record of Inspection and Administration", which are similar. The last page is some clauses in "The Great Edict", which talks about the fact that the private property of the nobles also has to pay taxes. Zhang Shize looked at these clauses with mixed feelings in his heart. He knew that his fate might change because of this.

During the Ming Dynasty, the land was so vast that no land was exempt from land rent and taxes. Not to mention the land ruled by the vassal kings, the good land granted by the emperor and the land obtained by asking for the emperor's favor were all regarded as symbols of the emperor's great grace. However, apart from these two large pieces of land, the rest of the land, no matter who it belonged to, had to pay taxes honestly, even the private land purchased by the powerful officials and nobles was no exception.

Speaking of the princes, as early as the second year of the Hongzhi reign, the imperial court had clearly stipulated that the princes' palaces were no longer allowed to purchase land at will, let alone occupy the land of the common people. From then on, the princes' land, except for the emperor's reward, was illegal. However, these princes and nobles were so powerful that the lower officials would be afraid to report them, let alone collect taxes from them.

Back in the days when Emperor Hongwu was in power, the nobles relied on their prominent status to avoid paying taxes on private land. Emperor Taizu was also troubled by this. He first established iron rules for dukes and marquises, then ordered the Ministry of Rites to compile the "Record of Inspection System", and finally, in desperation, added a clause to the "Great Edict", which explicitly stipulated that the private property of dukes and marquises should also be taxed like the common people. However, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the law and discipline were relaxed, and these powerful people evaded taxes unscrupulously. Even Zhang Shize's Duke of Yingguo Mansion evaded a lot of taxes in this unhealthy trend.

It was a sunny day. Gongsun Yuchun flipped open a page in the account book. Zhang Shize took a look and his legs went weak. He fell to his knees. The account book clearly showed three sets of numbers: first, from the sixth year of Yongle when Zhang Fu was conferred the title of Duke of Ying to the seventeenth year of Lin Xiaofeng, the total amount of land awarded by successive emperors was 524 hectares; second, by the end of June of the seventeenth year of Lin Xiaofeng, the total amount of land actually owned by the Duke of Ying was as high as 1,644 hectares! Third, the taxes paid by the Duke of Ying in these years were not a penny!

This means that the Duke of Yingzhou's land evaded taxes on as many as 1,120 hectares, and the history of tax evasion is quite long. Zhang Shize was so scared that he couldn't speak clearly, so Gongsun Yuchun asked him how to deal with tax evasion according to the "Great Edict". Gongsun Yuchun pretended to think about it, but in fact he had already figured it out in his mind. He had already investigated the matter clearly, and it was not just the Duke of Yingzhou who evaded taxes. He replied that the lighter punishment would be beating with a stick or whipping, and the heavier punishment would be beheading. When Zhang Shize heard this, his face instantly turned as pale as paper.

Although Zhang Shize was extremely scared, he still begged the emperor to spare his life for the sake of his ancestors' meritorious service, and he was willing to pay the taxes and be punished. However, the emperor Lin Xiaofeng did not buy his tricks and said that he dared to negotiate with him. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Gongsun Yuchun quickly pleaded that Zhang Shize had just taken over and the previous incident had no direct relationship with him. The emperor glanced at him and asked if he had a personal relationship with Zhang Shize. Gongsun Yuchun quickly denied it and just said that he was stating the facts.

After a moment of silence, the emperor said that half of the rent of the tenants of the Duke of Ying's mansion would be exempted, and the rest would be put on hold. Zhang Shize was stunned when he heard this. Was this a fine or not? Why was it so light? Seeing that he didn't understand, the emperor added that the tax should not be reduced by a cent, and he didn't ask him to pay it now because the time had not come yet. Zhang Shize was relieved and thanked him quickly.

After leaving the palace, Zhang Shize felt the wind turn cold. The scene just now was really thrilling! He truly realized the feeling of being with the emperor like a tiger. His heart was like a turmoil. He was glad that he had escaped a disaster by chance, but also worried about how to spend the next few days.

Just as Zhang Shize recovered from his shock, the four ministers of the cabinet entered the Qianqing Palace for a meeting. The Minister of Revenue Shao Shihan spoke first and said, "Whether the enemy will attack or not, we must be prepared in advance and deploy defenses in several key places." However, Cheng Qinghua said disapprovingly, "We have so few troops on hand, how can we defend? It is better to focus on defending the capital." The meeting was so intense! The four ministers expressed their opinions and argued fiercely.

The atmosphere in the Qianqing Palace was tense and solemn, with the four ministers debating one after another. Shao Shihan said seriously: "We must prepare for a rainy day and deploy defenses in key locations in advance to prevent any unexpected events." His words revealed a firm determination.

However, Cheng Qinghua shook his head, expressing his disagreement. He said: "Our current military strength is not enough to cope with comprehensive defense. If we disperse our forces to deploy defense, it will only give the enemy an opportunity. We should concentrate our strength on defending the capital, which is the top priority." His tone was full of anxiety and helplessness.

The other two ministers also expressed their opinions one after another, and for a while, the Qianqing Palace was filled with heated arguments. They expressed their own opinions, arguing with each other, as if they wanted to deeply imprint their opinions in each other's hearts.

The wind outside the window blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness. The candlelight in the palace flickered, as if it was also trembling because of this fierce debate. The figures of the four ministers appeared particularly solemn and firm under the candlelight, and they all insisted on their beliefs.

The meeting lasted for a whole hour, but no clear conclusion was reached. However, this debate made everyone more deeply aware of the current severe situation and the heavy responsibility they shouldered. They knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead was, they had to persevere and fight to the end for the peace of the country and the happiness of the people. (End of this chapter)