Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 250 A Frugal Landscape, Golden Core Root Sect

According to the route planned by the Ministry of Rites for the southern tour, the imperial procession will travel from Beijing to Nanjing, stopping at several major cities including Jinghai, Cangzhou, Dezhou, Jinan, Xuzhou, Huai'an, and Yangzhou, staying in each place for a period of seven or eight days, or as short as three or four days.

If there were important government offices, royal residences, temples, or altars along the way, the emperor would make a brief stop and inspect them, such as the large granary in Tianjin and the Ministry of Revenue in Cangzhou.

Logically speaking, Yanzhou Prefecture should also be included. The Salt Administration Office, the Prince of Lu's Mansion, the Confucius Cemetery... one should always be able to spare half a day to exchange greetings and have a chat.

However, the imperial carriage left Shandong directly via Jining, without stopping in Yanzhou Prefecture for even a moment.

No one, regardless of rank or status, among the officials and members of the imperial clan in Yanzhou Prefecture had ever seen the emperor.

No official in the court can ignore such exceptional treatment.

These past few days, quite a few officials have been immersed in unease and reflection—what political signal does this send? What emotions does it reveal about the emperor? What attitude does it express from the central government?

This caused great anxiety among the various government offices.

In particular, the Salt Administration Office, headed by Yin Shidan's son Yin Gao, had just been dismissed from his post as Prefect of Jinan and even escorted to Southern Zhili for investigation, showing no sign of letting the matter rest.

People in the government office were speculating whether Minister Yin had lost the emperor's favor and could no longer even protect his son.

The fact that the emperor passed by without entering confirmed the suspicions of the officials, and everyone in the government office was extremely cautious and kept a low profile.

But, for the first time ever, the gentlemen all kept their tails between their legs, yet some people still didn't appreciate it and dared to come knocking and provoke them.

"I was dutiful and treated all loiterers equally, gently persuading them to leave. Who would have thought that the thief would immediately call his men to surround him! And then, with a whoosh, I slapped him twice across the face!"

The gatekeeper knelt in the main hall, tears streaming down his face, and covered his face as he cried out to Yin Shidan for his innocence.

"Sir! Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner. As the saying goes, 'Even if you don't respect the monk, you should respect the Buddha.'"

"This isn't just a slap in the face to a villain!"

Yin Shidan sat upright behind his desk, stopped reading the official documents, and looked up at the people below.

The governor's gaze swept past the gatehouse and landed on the experienced official standing with his hands clasped below.

Magistrate Zhao understood and stepped forward to reply, "Your Excellency, when there was a commotion in front of the yamen just now, Battalion Commander Zhang led some men to investigate."

"The other party also had a legitimate identity, carrying official documents from the Five Armies Commandery, and sent Zhang, the battalion commander, back, still specifically requesting to see the minister by name."

The regulations of the Salt Administration Office were no different from those of the Grand Canal Administration Office. In addition to staff officers, officials in charge of records, and officials in charge of inspection, there were also salt officials corresponding to the Grand Canal transport, who were responsible for escorting the canal, suppressing bandits, and quelling rebellions.

However, the Grand Canal Administration maintained an entire Grand Canal Central Army, while the Salt Administration only had a Salt Left Battalion.

Although it consists of only one battalion, the daily defense of this yamen is not mixed with that of local yamens, and is handled by the battalion commander of the left battalion of the salt administration.

Yin Shidan frowned upon hearing this.

The Five Military Commissions?
Why would I bother looking for a government office that has absolutely no connection to me?
They neither used official connections nor sent formal invitations; their behavior was entirely secretive and furtive.

With doubt in his heart, Yin Shidan pressed on, "Is he a civil official or a military general?"

After the Five Military Commissions were reorganized, their status rose accordingly, and they were both civil and military officials.

Magistrate Zhao cupped his hands and replied, "They are most likely a collateral branch of the Duke of Cheng's family, and may not even have held official positions through hereditary privilege."

After all, it's a new government office, and the officials are among the most capable, so they're naturally reliable.

He paused for a moment and explained to Yin Shidan, "Commander Zhang found out that the man's grandfather's brother had been a duke. After that, due to some reason, all his wealth and status were transferred to his grandfather, which allowed the man's lineage to be able to show off his power."

"After counting them all, there is only one case in this dynasty where the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Xizhong, was transferred to the same title as Zhu Xixiao."

"Furthermore, the person who came was around twenty years old, and someone with him called him Young Master Zhu. His age and surname match up."

This analysis is naturally reasonable and well-founded. Based on their background and origins, there is indeed no other example besides the Duke of Cheng's family.

Yin Shidan nodded.

Thinking about why the people from the Duke of Cheng's mansion had come looking for him: "Why don't you go into the yamen..."

As they were talking, Yin Shidan seemed to remember something, and suddenly stopped, his words abruptly ceasing.

He turned his head, a hint of suspicion in his expression, and looked at the gatekeeper: "Repeat what that person said!"

Seeing this, the governor realized that the minister seemed to be taking it seriously, so he silently shut up.

The doorman, still unaware of the situation, instinctively tried to embellish it further.

"That little thief..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when Yin Shidan abruptly interrupted him, his face stern as he demanded, "Speak the truth!"

Yin Shidan, who had accumulated power over the years, suddenly changed his expression, startling the gatekeeper so much that he trembled.

The latter hesitated for a moment, but finally sensed the master's mood and quieted down.

The gatekeeper looked up at Yin Shidan and said cautiously, "Reporting to your question, sir, that man didn't say more than a few words."

"First, ask if this is the Salt Administration Office? I reply, yes, it is."

"Then ask, is there an old scarred man named Shi Dan in the Salt Administration Office? If so, please summon him for me. And I ask you, who are you...?"

Upon hearing this, Yin Shidan suddenly stood up.

Old Scarface Yin?
When Emperor Wuzong made his southern tour, he visited Zhenjiang incognito and summoned his minister Yang Yiqing. He then said to the locals, "Is there a man in Zhenjiang named Yang Yiqing, who is also known as Yang the Pockmarked?"

This is clearly a paraphrase of Emperor Wuzong's original words during his southern tour!
Yin Shidan finally realized what was happening.

Zhu Xizhong was not the only person in the dynasty whose surname was Zhu and who had served as a duke. His wealth and status were passed down to his brothers.
It's obvious who the visitor is!
Seeing the crowd below looking at each other in confusion, Yin Shidan suppressed his thoughts and calmly instructed, "Wait at the door while I change into my everyday clothes."

After saying this, Yin Shidan left the crowd behind and turned around to go into the inner hall.

A rustling sound broke the silence, bringing the crowd back to their senses.

……

The Salt Administration Office was located on the central axis of Jining, and the area around the office was a hub of commerce, so there was no shortage of places to hold private talks.

Just like Zhifang Street, which is adjacent to the Salt Administration Office, it was a place where ordinary people could enjoy the pleasures of storytelling. Storytellers took turns sitting there, and there was never a seat left for listeners.

Dressed in the everyday clothes of a scholar, Yin Shidan came out through a side door and was led to a bookstore that was only a few hundred steps away.

I looked up and glanced at the signboard.

Truly a place of bustling, unpretentious life!

Yin Shidan silently shook his head, signaling his entourage to wait outside, and then stepped inside alone.

The hall was packed with customers, and the storyteller on the stage was giving a vivid performance.

"...However, after Shen Li killed Ge Cheng and left his body exposed in the Confucius Forest, he was surrounded by 100,000 elite cavalry, with nine layers of guards inside and nine layers outside, like the eighteen levels of the underworld. He Xinyin and Lü Guangwu, who went to rescue him, were caught off guard and were completely surrounded!"

"Under the moon, the two of them stand back to back, facing ten thousand people!"

"Some say that you shouldn't have come."

The master and disciple ignored the warnings and cried out to the heavens.

The death of Ge Cheng has been a popular story in Yanzhou Prefecture for the past few months, and it is being told again today.

Yin Shidan was naturally uninterested in these things and headed straight for the third floor.

"Honored guest, please stop here. We are truly sorry, but all the private rooms upstairs have been reserved by distinguished guests today."

Just as he was about to go upstairs, he was stopped by an old man who was being obsequious. As he spoke, he kindly pointed to the stairs, where several patrolling soldiers wearing tiger skins stood.

Yin Shidan looked in the direction of the sound and saw that there were people guarding the area, which made him feel a little more relaxed.

He reached out and pushed aside the old man who was being obsequious, and went straight forward.

Seeing this, Lao Yingfeng became anxious and hurriedly followed behind, preparing to plead for the ungrateful old scholar. Unexpectedly, the old scholar passed by without any hindrance, leaving Lao Yingfeng to watch helplessly as he was left behind, which made Lao Yingfeng purse his lips.

Yin Shidan walked up to the third floor, ignoring the patrolling officers and soldiers guarding the corridor, took a deep breath, and went outside the room.

The storyteller downstairs continued.

"...Thereupon, He Xinyin faced off against Shen Li, and Lü Guangwu fought against ten thousand men alone. Each fought fiercely for one thousand nine hundred and eighty-six rounds! The killing intent filled the Kong Forest, and everyone's faces were covered in blood!"

"The imperial guards were so terrified that they dared not advance, and the governor was so frantic that he begged for mercy."

"Finally!"

Benedict.

Tuk Tuk.

Yin Shidan knocked on the door.

Snapped!
The storyteller downstairs slammed his gavel.

"Under the moon, He Xinyin carried Ge Cheng's corpse on his shoulder and retreated calmly along the road. Lü Guangwu stood behind him with his sword, and no one dared to look up at him."

"Only defeated soldiers remained, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation!"

"At that time, Zhang Dafu wrote in his 'Notes': 'He saved people in front of the Confucius Temple, and at night, Buzhou collapsed. What a hero!'"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Shidan clearly heard a familiar voice coming from inside the room, and exclaimed in admiration.

"it is good!"

The door opened at that moment.

As the light shone through, a young man sat upright in the room, dressed in an elegant simple robe with a cross-collar and right-fastening closure, his hair tied up in a scholar's cap, looking upright and dignified.

Yin Shidan stepped inside and immediately bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am Shidan. May I ask how Your Majesty is?"

The person sitting there could only be Zhu Yijun, the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

Zhu Yijun quickly rose to greet him: "Wearing white dragon robes, why bother with such formalities? Junior Protector Yin, please rise."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and reached out to help Yin Shidan up.

Yin Shidan's gaze swept across the room.

There were many familiar faces, including Li Changchun, the Grand Tutor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Yu Shenxing, the Grand Tutor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Luo Sigong, the Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Five Armies, and Jiang Keqian, the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The only missing figures were Yan Sishen, Meng Yanpu, and Kong Chenghou, all scholars of the Five Classics from the Hanlin Academy, who were not present when the emperor arrived!
A month ago, several scholars from prominent sage families, who were appointed as officials in charge of the Five Classics, were summoned to the emperor's presence under the pretext of lecturing on the classics, and have not yet returned.

Everyone assumed that he was accompanying the emperor on his journey to preach the scriptures.

Now that the emperor is here, where else would he need someone to preach?

Furthermore, Yin Gao had just been dismissed from his post as prefect under a pretext. What exactly was the emperor's intention in summoning him incognito at this moment?
Yin Shidan, after all, had been through many ups and downs in his official career, and his ability to cultivate his inner strength was now highly refined.

He suppressed his thoughts, stiffly stood up, and looked at the emperor. His tone was inscrutable: "I was just about to tell Your Majesty about the allusions in 'Shuoyuan: Zhengjian' when Your Majesty spoke of the White Dragon Fish Robe. It seems that I was overthinking things."

Regardless of their thoughts, ministers must offer their remonstrances when they see the emperor traveling incognito.

When the King of Wu wanted to drink wine with the people, Wu Zixu used the story of a white dragon that transformed into a fish and was shot and killed by fishermen to dissuade the King of Wu from his idea.

Since the emperor was so familiar with classical allusions, why didn't he learn them?
Zhu Yijun smiled helplessly.

He first gestured to Wei Chao to offer Yin Shidan a seat, and then explained softly, "Minister Yin, it's not that I was indulging in pleasure and acted so rashly; it was truly out of necessity."

"I have long lived in the deep palace and have limited knowledge. Now that I have finally come out, I want to see the true situation of the people and affairs of the world."

"But everyone in the world treats me like a plague god, avoiding me like the plague, and refusing to let me see me clearly."

"I inspected the Tianjin Ministry of Revenue earlier, even on a whim, but I was still a step too late. Dozens of them had made a suicide pact, and when I arrived, their blood was still warm." "Minister Yin, we, as ruler and subject, are well aware of this principle. However, I am not a peaceful emperor. If I want to do something, how can I tie my own hands?"

Unlike officials, the emperor's identity carries immense significance in terms of etiquette and law. Consequently, the constraints imposed on the emperor by etiquette and law cannot be ignored. With restrictions on his every move, sitting, and lying down, even taking a clear look at the Ming Dynasty was extremely difficult.

In extraordinary times, we can only learn from the established methods of our ancestors.

Upon hearing this, Yin Shidan remained silent.

Li Changchun, the Left Vice-Minister of the Right Spring Palace and Academician of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, interjected at the opportune moment: "Sir, please do not be angry. His Majesty is traveling incognito this time, unlike the Emperor of the Martial Temple, who rode alone on horseback with only two attendants."

"Instead, he led the guards of the Five Armies Commandery to protect him. In each place he went, he would take over the local city defenses under the pretext of inspecting the military preparations of the Five Armies Commandery."

"Wherever one goes, one can take what one needs, whether it is in front, behind, left, or right."

"Safety is assured."

At the time when the emperor was on his southern tour, it was perfectly normal for the advance officials to visit the people's livelihood and for the imperial guards to inspect military preparedness.

Yin Shidan glanced at Li Changchun.

This title of "sir" was not given lightly.

Li Changchun was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Longqing reign, and was selected as a Shujishi (a junior official in the Hanlin Academy) with the highest score in the second class. The person in charge of teaching this class of Shujishi was Yin Shidan, who was then in charge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Minister of Rites, and concurrently Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the soft power of the older generation of ministers.

With his student offering him a way out, Yin Shidan gracefully ended his remonstrance: "Since that's the case, I am not in a position to say more, I only hope that Your Majesty will take good care of your health."

He met the emperor's gaze and finally got to the point: "May I ask Your Majesty, what brings you to Yanzhou in disguise? I will answer whatever I know!"

His words and actions were meticulous, giving the impression that he was of pure heart.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun did not answer directly. Instead, he took out some fruit cakes, ate two himself, and gave two more to Yin Shidan.

After the food was in his mouth, Zhu Yijun slowly spoke: "I went to Qufu first to listen to the local people's opinions on the civil unrest at the beginning of the year and the land survey."

The implication is that he had already visited all the places he needed to visit, and only came to Jining last.

Upon hearing this, Yin Shidan sighed inwardly, thinking that this was also a sign of distrust towards him.

How much of this covert investigation was directed at me?

The two spoke casually, but beneath their words lay a subtle and unsettling undertone.

Yin Shidan was wary, but he didn't show it on his face. He addressed the matter directly, saying, "The common people are ignorant and may not understand the court's good intentions."

Asking about something like this is pointless; you can't even imagine what kind of answer you'll get.

After they've already instigated a popular uprising, how could they not have some complaints about the imperial court?
They're practically asking for trouble.

Zhu Yijun remained noncommittal: "The local people do indeed have some reservations about the field inspection office, and even the imperial court."

The model opera being discussed downstairs, featuring Shen Li as the villain, is a reflection of this discontent.

"Governor Shen's response that day was already watertight," Yin Shidan said, speaking up for Shen Li.

Zhu Yijun smiled. Yin Shidan's words made it sound as if he would punish Shen Li in order to comply with public opinion.

He didn't shy away from the topic, stating frankly, "It's only natural for the people to be dissatisfied, and I have a clear conscience about it."

"I have already instructed Li Changchun to compile this matter into an archive and record it in the county annals. As for right and wrong, let the people of the world judge."

When suppressing civil unrest, how could any imperial court avoid being subjected to six lashes in one breath?

As long as he is confident that he has not gone astray, he is not afraid to show it to the world—suppressing the rioters for the sake of the country is his decisiveness. If he changes his nature in the future and does not hesitate to suppress the people's sentiments for his own selfish desires, he deserves to be infamous for eternity.

Upon hearing this, Yin Shidan couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

"I have also visited He Xinyin's mortuary, so I'm just passing by."

The emperor's words also naturally carried a touch of Shandong flavor.

Yin Shidan had naturally heard about He Xinyin's founding of a school of thought and establishment of charitable estates in Shandong, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

However, he did not expect the emperor to take it so seriously, and to personally go to inspect it.

Yin Shidan remained calm and said, "I have heard that Fushan Gong's theories are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and he seems poised to make further progress."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but purse his lips.

He Xinyin founded a charitable estate and pioneered a school of thought in Qufu, which flourished, but Zhu Yijun was not satisfied.

Today, He Xinyin is probably somewhere between Zhou Taigu and Liang Shuming.

On the land, fields were cultivated, farm tools were purchased, and all land belonged to the charitable estate. It was then distributed to displaced people for cultivation, with mutual assistance provided. After the adopter left or passed away due to old age, the land was returned to the charitable estate and continued to circulate, in the hope that everyone could have land to cultivate.

In terms of Confucianism, the concept of "friends" was upheld, and people who were willing to accept one's ideas were organized into communities to spread Confucianism, treat the common people with respect, and emphasize both "education" and "nurturing" so that the people could attain enlightenment and help themselves, and each would receive their due share of wealth.

While his large following naturally created a powerful presence, his ideas lacked radical depth and failed to meet his expectations—not that it was bad, but rather that it wasn't profound enough.

Whether it's a charitable estate or a doctrine established without examining the productive forces and relations of production, it can never truly penetrate the underlying truth; it remains ambiguous and like looking at flowers through a fog.

Of course, Zhu Yijun also knew that it was really difficult for He Xinyin to keep such expectations.

Even those who deviate from the norm and have a forward-looking vision, such as He Xinyin and Li Zhi, are already extremely rare to have the ability to glimpse something; it is not something that can be achieved overnight.

Zhu Yijun sincerely hoped that He Xinyin could go further, after all, she was someone who didn't have many years left to live.

He sighed inwardly; it seemed the emperor's expectations were not truly being fulfilled.

We can only hope that some of He Xinyin's disciples will emerge as decent individuals who can truly forge their own path.

Thoughts kept running through my mind, but I didn't reveal much of them.

He shook his head, turning the previous topic aside, and said again, "In addition, I have also seen the matter of the reform of the royal family of the Prince of Lu's Mansion."

"Progress is slow, they are paying lip service while secretly resisting, and they are still trying to get by!"

The emperor recounted his journey, suggesting that this summons was truly just to appease the old minister.

Yin Shidan saw no need to respond; he simply bowed and listened.

After rambling on for quite a while, Zhu Yijun finally turned to look at Yin Shidan and said with a smile, "It is truly pleasing to me that the salt coupons issued by Minister Yin have circulated so widely!"

As he spoke, Zhu Yijun took out several salt coupons from his sleeve and placed them on the table.

The salt permit was modeled after the "Regulations for the Circulation of Zhiyuan Baochao" of the previous Yuan Dynasty, starting with the salt certificate: "Each certificate is sold for 30 strings of official paper money. From now on, when selling certificates, 2 strings of Zhiyuan Baochao paper money may be used, and those who wish to pay 4 strings of Zhiyuan Baochao paper money may do so."

Originally just a special salt certificate, thanks to its excellent production design, intrinsic value, and undiminished redemption capability, it has now evolved into a hard currency found throughout the city.

Based on what Zhu Yijun saw and heard along the way, ordinary people, wealthy merchants, and officials did not object to the use of salt coupons, and the scale of their circulation and use was truly gratifying.

At least in Shandong, salt coupons were more useful than copper coins.

When it came to his own situation, Yin Shidan quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your subject is unworthy of such praise!"

Although the words were polite and an attempt to decline.

But in reality, it was only at this moment that Yin Shidan finally relaxed—it seemed that the emperor had not come to settle scores later!
Zhu Yijun raised his hand slightly and continued, "There's nothing I'm afraid to do. After the destruction of paper money, people all over the world regard paper money as a monstrous flood. What you've done is no less than Shang Yang moving a log to establish trust."

"When the currency is recast in the future, Minister Yin will be credited with the greatest achievement!"

Yin Shidan remained extremely respectful: "Your Majesty, since the time of Jiaozi, paper money has gone through the Yuanbao and Hongwu Baochao. Once it was introduced, it was readily redeemed and became popular throughout the country, all because it was what the people needed."

"The same applies to salt certificates now. I have merely taken advantage of Your Majesty's influence and gone with the flow. I dare not claim any credit."

This is the truth. It's not that the imperial court insisted on promoting paper money, but rather that people needed it—nobody wanted to carry dozens of kilograms of copper coins when they went out to buy things.

However, the paper money system often deteriorated over time, eventually becoming a death warrant for the harvesting of wealth, forcing people across the land to abandon it.

For example, the Jiaoziwu initially issued Jiaozi, using iron coins as the capital, with a ratio of 28%. These coins could be exchanged at any time, attracting merchants like moths to a flame.

Another example is the Zhongtong Yuanbao paper money issued by the Yuan Dynasty. It used gold and silver as the paper money capital. For every tael of silver spent, the official price of the paper money was 2 strings of cash, and the price of the paper money was 2 strings and 5 fen. The people responded enthusiastically.

Even the initial issuance of the Hongwu Baochao (a type of paper money) in this dynasty was largely the same.

In short, people are well aware of how convenient paper money is, as it can be exchanged for cash; the world is in their shoes.

For this reason, the salt coupons were actually made from salt itself, and the coupons were issued on a one-to-one basis with three different versions, and there was never a single instance of default or non-refund.

With such sincerity, its circulation will naturally be as rapid as a cone breaking through bamboo.

Of course, it also serves as a warning to the emperor against indiscriminate issuance of seals and stamps, lest it ruin the excellent situation.

Zhu Yijun naturally understood.

He actually resonated with this sentiment, remarking, "Smooth redemption... We must learn from the past to guide the future!"

While paper money brought convenience to the people, it also naturally created favorable conditions for the imperial court to exploit them.

At the beginning of the issuance, everything was fine, but as the national treasury deficit continued to widen, the gold and silver treasures in local stabilization treasuries were used to pay off the debts. Then, the excessive issuance of paper money was like drinking poison to quench thirst. Finally, the excessive issuance caused the paper money to become worthless.

This kind of development is the path that the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties all followed.

Such a stubborn and intractable disease could not be cured by just taking a dose of medicine. Zhu Yijun could only do his job well and lay a solid foundation.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and continued in a relaxed tone, "Since the issuance of salt coupons is going so smoothly, it's time to plan ahead for the currency system."

Salt coupons were originally a means to regain the trust of the people after the devaluation of paper money.

Salt coupons are now circulating smoothly in the Shandong area. With the opening of maritime transport, they will surely become a significant commodity in another seven or eight years, at which point a new currency system can be introduced.

But these words struck Yin Shidan like a thunderbolt!
How could the emperor discuss such matters with me?!

It's understandable that salt coupons are supervised by the Salt Administration, but matters of proper paper currency should be discussed with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. What business is it of mine?
Of course you can agree!

Salt coupons were merely a stepping stone to the currency system; the implementation of currency meant the abolition of salt coupons.

This should have been an issue to consider after the establishment of the paper currency system, but the emperor insisted on taking precautions at this very moment!
What else can we scheme for?
Of course, the Salt Administration should immediately begin to divest itself of its salt ticket duties so that the Ministry of Revenue can take over and switch to paper currency!

Just moments ago they were boasting about their achievements, and now they're about to kick me, the minister who made the difference in establishing the government, aside!?
Yin Shidan was burning with anger, but on the surface he looked puzzled and said humbly, "Your Majesty, this matter should be considered by the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Revenue and Works. I am not knowledgeable enough to offer any advice."

Yin Shidan did not respond.

Don't ask him what gives him his confidence. If he can't even control the government office he created, what kind of official is he?

If Yin Shidan were to close even one eye, he could drag the salt coupons down to their very core.

Currency system?

At that time, the salt laws will be the first to fall into disrepair!

The emperor clearly sensed his resistance and stared at him with a strange expression.

However, the scene of back-and-forth tug-of-war and mutual concessions that Yin Shidan had expected did not occur as anticipated.

But the emperor suddenly bared his fangs, his tone harsh and blunt: "Minister Yin, my word is law. Whether it is the salt tax or the paper money tax, you are undoubtedly the one who made the greatest contribution, and you deserve the title of a renowned minister!"

"However, you have been hedging your bets on the land survey, wavering between different options. As for the matter of currency, I can no longer tolerate your interference."

The emperor went straight to the point, speaking frankly and without reservation.

Caught off guard, Yin Shidan was completely bewildered.

A hint of disappointment flickered in Zhu Yijun's eyes as he sighed softly, "Yin Qing, our relationship as ruler and subject should have ended well, shouldn't it?"

(End of this chapter)