The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 282 Tongzhengsi

Tang Hao left.

After the meal, Mou Bin was asked to send the Emperor back to the palace.

Zhu Houzhao learned of this secret and no longer had the heart to wander around.

His mind was now full of what Tang Hao had just said.

“The power of public opinion?”

“Information barriers?”

"Tongzhengsi?"

Zhu Houzhao actually wanted to refute, but when he really calmed down and thought about it, he was horrified to find that there was nothing wrong with what the savage said.

Does the emperor really understand the people?
He has lived in the deep palace for many years, so doesn't he learn all the news from the outside world through reports from local authorities?

Even the Jinyiwei only monitored officials in Beijing, the nine border military garrisons and local princes. The power of the Jinyiwei was not that great, and they could not monitor officials all over the world.

Where do these local reports come from?
official!

Gentry and gentry!

To put it more bluntly, the gentry and gentry have already built information barriers starting from the level of local officials!

Except for a few truly upright people, most of these local officials are old-timers in the bureaucracy. They choose to cooperate with local gentry for a win-win situation, and the only things that are harmed are the interests of the court and the people!

The next level is the information barrier built by local gentry.

The common people in the countryside don’t even know the laws of the court, not even the emperor. How can they protect their own rights?

There is no way to protect it, and it is impossible to protect it at all!

Therefore, some local governments created various pretexts and collected all kinds of taxes and levies, while the common people only regarded the local governments and the central court as one, and blamed all their resentment on the court and the emperor!
However, whether it was during the Hongwu period or now, except for tax-intensive areas such as Jiangnan, the court's official tax system is one in thirty. As for the tax amounts set by local prefectures, they are also formulated based on their wealth and population!

But today, the taxes the court can collect are getting higher and higher, while the burden on the people is getting heavier and heavier!

So, what's the problem?

Gentry and gentry!

Information barriers!

After realizing this, a cold light flashed in Zhu Houzhao's eyes.

Immediately afterwards, he summoned Tongzhengshi Cong Lan, a talented person recommended by the chief minister Yang Tinghe.

Cong Lan was a Jinshi in the third year of Hongzhi. He was appointed as the Jieshizhong of the Household Department, and then the You Jieshizhong of the Military Department. He was later promoted to the Candidate of the Tongzhengsi and the Left Tongzheng.

There was nothing particularly outstanding about her resume. Zhu Houzhao agreed to promote her to the position of Tongzhengshi only for Yang Tinghe's sake.

Cong Lan himself had never expected that he would ascend to the high position of Minister of Public Security at such a young age.

Even though the power of the Tongzhengsi is far less than before, it is still one of the nine ministers in the court. Therefore, Cong Lan is full of energy and is preparing to work hard to make some achievements and realize his political ambitions.

"Lord Cong, I called you here because I have an errand for you to do!"

"From now on, the Tongzhengsi has a long-term and lasting task, which is not to sort out internal and external memorials, but to edit a newspaper called the Daming Xinbao!"

Cong Lan was stunned when she heard this.

Daming New News?

What is this?
Doesn’t the imperial court have official bulletins now?

Thinking about it, Cong Lan asked: "Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty inherited the system of the former Song Dynasty and established the Tongzhengsi and the Titang officials, the latter of which is specifically responsible for the receipt and delivery of official documents and newspapers."

"Since we already have a court newspaper, why do we need to create a new one?"

Hearing this, Zhu Houzhao waved his hands and said self-deprecatingly: "The newspaper I am talking about is not the official report you are talking about."

The so-called "Dibao" is a news transcript specially used by the court to convey documents and political intelligence about state affairs. The task of the Titang officials is to serve as liaison between the emperor and the provinces and prefectures. They regularly write down the emperor's edicts, imperial edicts, memorials of ministers and other official documents, as well as political intelligence such as court affairs on paper and then have messengers riding fast horses transmit them to the governors of various provinces through the post road network system established by the Ming Dynasty.

To put it bluntly, this official gazette is an official newspaper, and it is specifically for officials to read, not for ordinary people, and they are not qualified to read it.

"This new newspaper is not for officials to read like the old court reports, but for the common people to read. It is sold to the public and anyone can buy it and read it to understand the recent policies of the court!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Cong Lan's face suddenly changed.

This Daming Xinbao is sold specifically to the people so that they can understand the court's major policies?
This...how can this be possible?

What does His Majesty the Emperor want to do?
Cong Lan was anxious, and immediately shouted in a low voice: "Your Majesty, this should never be done!"

"An ancient sage said: 'The source of chaos is words. If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers. If a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life. If a plan is not discreet, harm will occur. Therefore, a gentleman is cautious and does not speak out!'"

"If the imperial court's policies are not carefully considered and are sold in the market, not only will the imperial court lose its dignity, but it may also lead to disaster!"

"May I ask, if Your Majesty really acts in this way, where is the dignity of the court? Where is Your Majesty's dignity?"

If Zhu Houzhao had not listened to Tang Hao's words, he might have been intimidated by Cong Lan at this moment.

However, Zhu Houzhao was no longer the same Zhu Houzhao as before. After Tang Hao's modification of the script with his own personal opinions, Zhu Houzhao became more and more disgusted with the decadent Confucianism, and he was very clear about the tricks commonly used by these civil officials and gentry.

So Zhu Houzhao did not rush to refute, but leisurely took a sip of tea and waited quietly for Cong Lan to finish speaking.

In fact, we really can’t blame them. We can only blame this era.

Emperors of every dynasty have liked to play the trick of "divine right of kings", taking advantage of common people's belief and worship of natural forces, and pretending that their own will was the order of heaven, calling it "mandate of heaven"!
Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty also very tactfully proposed the idea of ​​"correspondence between Heaven and man", believing that the monarch was chosen by Heaven and that if the monarch made mistakes, Heaven would punish him, thus tying Confucianism to imperial power and establishing the exclusive status of Confucianism.

To put it bluntly, emperors of all dynasties relied on this unfounded sense of mystery to win the recognition and awe of the people of the world, so that they could better rule the people and dominate the country!
This is the so-called majesty of the emperor!

As for the common people, they only need to obey the emperor's orders and live in ignorance and numbness!

Before people became enlightened, emperors of all dynasties adopted a policy of keeping the people ignorant to rule them. The increasingly corrupt Confucianism made an indelible contribution in this regard.

Even the most holy teacher said such a Confucian saying "The people can be made to follow it but not to understand it". One can imagine how his disciples will misinterpret the words of the most holy teacher and what measures they will take to fool the people.

What Tang Hao has to do now is to enlighten the people, dispel this nonsense sense of mystery, and let the emperor walk among the people!

However, he could not do this task himself as it would leave hidden dangers, so Tang Hao asked Zhu Houzhao to do it himself. As for the effect and whether it would succeed, it all depended on Zhu Houzhao's determination to revive the Ming Dynasty!

If Zhu Houzhao wanted to truly revive the Ming Dynasty, he would inevitably stand in opposition to the gentry. Now he is just talking about breaking down the information barriers created by them. If he doesn't even have the courage to do this, then there is no point in talking about reviving the Ming Dynasty.

After Cong Lan gave an impassioned remonstrance, he saw that the Emperor did not respond at all, so he tactfully quieted down.

"Is that it? Is it my turn to speak?"

"My dear Cong, you are also a child of a famous school. You have read the books of sages all your life. I think you must have learned a lot of ways to fool the people, right?"

Hearing this, Cong Lan's heart was shocked and her face gradually became ugly.

It is really as the rumors say, His Majesty the Emperor has a lot of opinions about scholars!
After all, aren't we scholars deceiving the common people just to ensure that your Zhu family can maintain its rule?
Are you trying to use this Daming New Newspaper to enlighten the people and dilute the imperial power of your Zhu family?

When that time really comes, who will be willing to obey the orders of your Zhu family?

Isn't that like going into the toilet with a lantern - seeking death?

Cong Lan was always stubborn, and she asked with her neck stiff, "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?"

"It's very simple. The literal meaning is that the confidence of you Cheng-Zhu scholars comes from your ability to help the court fool the people and consolidate the court's rule. Am I right in saying this?"

Zhu Houzhao sneered, revealing his evil nature.

"You keep talking about morality and justice, but you are full of evil ideas about how to fool the people. I don't know where you get the nerve to do that!"

Cong Lan was stunned.

How dare you, Your Majesty, say this?

Even if we, the gentry, are fooling the people, why should we fool the people?

Isn't it for the stability of the court and for your Zhu family to maintain the rule of the Ming Dynasty?

Now you are blaming us!
But having said that, he finally understood.

His Majesty founded the Daming New Newspaper in order to enlighten the people!
Isn't this digging its own grave for the Ming Dynasty?

No matter what, we must not enlighten the people, otherwise there will only be chaos in the world!

"Your Majesty, this is a big mistake!" "The people are honest and self-sufficient in farming and cultivating the land. This is the premise for the stability of the dynasty and the foundation for the long-term peace and stability of the dynasty!"

"And scholars read books and practice calligraphy, read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles, understand the great principles and distinguish right from wrong, so they can be the emperor's shepherds!"

"If the people of the world were enlightened like scholars, they would be dissatisfied with the current situation, and their desires would spread like weeds. Who would be willing to work hard then?"

"Your Majesty, if your heart is full of desire, it will be hard to fill it. Once this hole is opened, I am afraid that my Ming Dynasty will be unstable!"

If these sincere words were heard by others, they would probably think they were good advice.

However, after Tang Hao's ideological transformation, Zhu Houzhao was undoubtedly a progressive young man in later generations. He just found it ridiculous to hear this.

"To enlighten the people, to let them understand the government's policies, and to encourage them to resist exploitation and oppression, is this what is shaking the Ming Dynasty?"

"So what you're saying is that continuing the status quo and allowing the gentry and scholars to bully the common people and enslave them is the right thing to do?"

Zhu Houzhao sneered: "Cong Lan, Cong Lan, if this is all you know, then you should not be the Minister of Public Security!"

"I will send you to the county government office in the countryside, so that you can open your eyes and see how those gentry exploit the local people!"

Cong Lan was startled, but he still said loudly: "I am loyal to the emperor and I will go wherever your majesty tells me to go!"

Wow, still a stubborn guy!
Zhu Houzhao suppressed his anger and decided to teach this guy a lesson.

"Cong Lan, have you ever understood the sufferings of the people? What kind of life are the people of Ming Dynasty living now?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Cong Lan was shocked and didn't know how to answer.

Zhu Houzhao sighed when he saw this, "Let me tell you."

"Nine out of ten common people in the world have become tenants of the gentry, and the few remaining farmers have to pay heavy taxes for the gentry!"

"You can ask Zhang Zongxian of the Censorate more about this issue. He has been an official for his entire life and knows more about it than anyone else."

Seeing that Cong Lan still didn't say anything, Zhu Houzhao became a little impatient, so he simply ordered someone to invite the Chief Justice Zhang Fuhua over.

The old man is seeing that he doesn’t have much time left to live, so he has been handing over his work recently, preparing to retire and return to his hometown to enjoy his remaining years.

Zhu Houzhao chose to acquiesce to this, but he had not yet decided on the new chief constitution.

After all, the most basic requirement for the Chief Censor of the Censorate is to be honest and incorruptible. If someone like Jiao Fang is put in the position of Chief Censor, the Censorate, which has finally been revived, will be finished.

That's the rub.

You have to choose someone who is obedient to you and also ensure that this person is upright and incorruptible. Looking at all the civil and military officials in the court, it seems that you can't find such a suitable candidate.

After listening to Zhu Houzhao's narration, Zhang Fuhua frowned and was speechless for a long time.

He didn't expect that he would retire soon, but the Emperor would still set a trap for him. How could he seek justice?

He had always been aware of the trend of land annexation in the countryside, but had never dared to confront it.

Because land means everything, and one move can affect the whole body!

Why do local gentry dare to challenge local governments?
Because they control the local fields, and the people have to rely on them if they want to farm and make a living. This is the real problem.

If you want to farm, you must rent my land. Once you become a tenant of these gentry, would the people dare to disrespect them?

Your life and death are in the hands of others, and you have to rely on others to support your family. What can you let the people do?
No matter what, it’s still a problem of land.

Seeing this, Cong Lan's heart was shocked and her face was full of horror.

Could it be that... everything His Majesty the Emperor said was actually true? !

Most of the people in the world have become tenants and slaves of the gentry?
Those few self-cultivating households have to pay taxes that do not belong to them?
So who owns this world?
Is it the world of the royal Zhu family?

Is it the world of the people?

Or……

This is the world of gentry and scholars? !
He believed that he had been faithful to his duty as an official, enforced the law impartially, and did not tolerate corruption among officials, and had done a lot of practical things for the people.

However, what he heard from the King of Han today made him panic!
In the great Ming Dynasty, with billions of people, eight out of ten of them became tenants of the gentry!
The remaining 10% or 20% of farmers still have to bear the heavy taxes that should have belonged to the gentry!

No one can imagine how difficult life is for these ordinary people!

why?
Isn’t this a peaceful and prosperous era?

Who gave those gentry the power?
Who is it that knows the truth but still tries to cover up the truth and deceive people?

It was not until this moment that Cong Lan finally understood why His Majesty the Emperor had such deep hostility towards the gentry and scholars!

Thinking back to when he had just been making excuses for these gentry and speaking in their defense, Cong Lan felt extremely ashamed for a moment. He turned his head to look at Zhang Fuhua and asked with hope on his face.

"My Lord, is all this true?"

Zhang Fuhua was stunned when he heard this, and he looked as if he had lost his soul and was extremely lonely.

"Tingxiu (Cong Lan's name), since ancient times, emperors of all dynasties have attached great importance to agriculture and sericulture, and land and agriculture are also the foundation of our Chinese nation that has continued to this day."

"It's not just the emperor. The Chinese people are attached to their land. This is true for scholars and even more so for ordinary people."

"Your Majesty is right. Since the Jianwen period, there has been a trend of gentry and powerful people annexing land in the countryside. To be more precise, this phenomenon has appeared since the founding of the Ming Dynasty."

"For example, Li Shanchang, Hu Weiyong and other members of the Huaixi meritorious group used their power to annex large tracts of land, often hundreds or even thousands of acres. Emperor Taizu Gao repeatedly launched large-scale prisons to suppress these meritorious old officials, and only then did he forcibly stop this trend. Otherwise, do you think that the Hongwu prison was for no reason?"

"The situation has become extremely serious now. Royal relatives, clan princes, military generals, nobles, gentry... even the eunuchs in the palace like to annex land and buy houses. Ninety percent of the people in the world have become tenants. This is not an exaggeration. It may even be... more!"

shocking!

Shocking!

At this moment, even Zhu Houzhao couldn't sit still.

Because these words came from Zhang Fuhua's mouth!

Zhang Fuhua had traveled to most prefectures of the Ming Dynasty during his official life, which meant that what he said at this moment undoubtedly represented the most realistic situation of the Ming Dynasty!
When Cong Lan heard this, she shouted angrily: "Old Master, you clearly know the truth, why don't you report it to the court and ask His Majesty to stop this trend of annexation?"

"Oh, stop it?"

At this point, the old man, who had worked hard all his life, couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"How can we stop this? What if those people are willing to become tenants?"

"What? Volunteering to become a tenant? How is that possible?"

Cong Lan was dumbfounded. Although he was upright, outspoken and honest in his official duties, he was still too young and had too little experience as an official. Most importantly, he had no experience as an official in a local government. How could he be compared with Zhang Fuhua, a local official who had been busy all his life?

"Tingxiu, after a scholar passes the imperial examination, he can be exempted from certain taxes and forced labor, which means that most of the land under his name does not have to pay taxes to the court!"

"This gives them an opportunity to profit. In order to avoid the increasingly heavy taxes from the government, local people will voluntarily give their land to these scholars with official titles, that is, local gentry."

"They signed an agreement privately, and the land was only given to the local gentry in name only. With the help of the scholars' fame, they could avoid paying heavy taxes to the court."

"But those local gentry won't help you for free. You have to give them enough benefits so that they can take the risk for you. As for the benefits they want, they are naturally not much, just a little less than what the government takes."

"Tingxiu, think about it carefully. If this happens, the local gentry won't have to do anything, but they will still have a large harvest every year. The local people who become tenants will also have a slightly better life because they don't have to pay taxes. Who will lose out in the end?"

The local gentry got the harvest from the fields.

The people were exempted from paying heavy taxes.

In the end, who loses?
The court!

Only the court!

"Think about it again. Why is it that although the court's tax revenue has decreased slightly each year, it has generally remained at the same level? It's not much less?"

Zhang Fuhua smiled coldly, looked at the pale Cong Lan, and gave a direct answer.

"Because...it's a distribution!"

"The local government has set the tax amount, but more and more people are voluntarily donating their land to the gentry. What should the local officials do to complete their tax collection tasks?"

"Shall it be distributed among the people who work the land!"

(End of this chapter)