I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 253 I, Old Xu, am also afraid of Hai Rui!

Hai Rui was stunned when he heard this. Yang Jinshui, you are really honest!
"Eunuch Yang, you said that your biggest rival in the southeast is the Xu family?"

"That's right. In front of Lord Gangfeng, we don't tell lies, and we dare not tell lies." Yang Jinshui said frankly, "The Coordination Bureau started out as a Southeast Sea Merchant. To be honest, it was difficult and precarious at the beginning. Why is that? Lord Gangfeng should know."

Hai Rui nodded, stroked his beard and replied, "The Japanese invasion in the southeast started with the Ningbo Kanhe Incident. It was nothing more than the merchants, both big and small, whose financial resources were cut off, taking risks and inviting the Japanese to cause trouble in order to cover up their smuggling. As a result, the situation got out of control and caused a disaster."

"Mr. Gangfeng is wise. Behind these sea merchants, big and small, are the aristocratic families of Southeast Asia. These wealthy families occupy fertile fields across states and counties, have mountains of grain, silk cocoons, silk cloth, tea, and porcelain as vast as lakes and seas, and control the maritime trade through sea merchants of all sizes. Their shadows can be seen wherever there is money to be made in Southeast Asia.

The Coordination Bureau wants to develop maritime commerce, which is like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. I need to deal with the Southeastern families. The Southeastern families are headed by the Jiangnan families, and the Jiangnan families are headed by the Xu family. "

Hai Rui replied, "When I was in the Ministry of Revenue, I heard about the methods used by the Coordination Bureau. Eunuch Yang is both intelligent and brave, and he has great talent. He has led the Coordination Bureau to open up the situation in just one or two years. It is indeed not easy."

Yang Jinshui smiled faintly: "At that time, Yang was able to lead the Coordination Bureau to rise, first of all, it was because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was wise and had a broad vision, setting the direction and establishing rules for the Coordination Bureau.

Secondly, Hu Butang has soldiers at his disposal, elite soldiers who can kill the Japanese pirates in droves. In this respect, Hu Butang and I complement each other.

Secondly, it is the old man Xu Ge who is determined to keep his promise. Or maybe he is too delicate to fight to the death with Yang who is disabled and has only one life left.

Hai Rui listened quietly.

"In the past few years, Yang and the Xu family had many fights, but they were mostly in secret. Despite the bumps and bruises, they were able to maintain their relationship. But in the 45th year of Jiajing, the eldest son of the Xu family returned to his hometown and took charge of the Xu family, and the family style changed. Now the Xu family is as powerful as a tiger. He wants land, people, and maritime commerce."

Hai Rui frowned, "Xu Fan, the eldest son of the Xu family, was named Luqing. When he was two years old, his mother died of illness. At that time, Shao Hu Gong was demoted to Yanping County, Fujian, because he disobeyed the then Prime Minister Zhang Wenzhong Gong.

Xu Luqing was lonely and miserable since childhood. Shao Hugong talked about this with his friends many times and couldn't help crying. I heard that Xu Luqing was determined, intelligent and studious.

He likes reading and is especially familiar with the historical events of this dynasty. When Shao Hu Gong was in the court, he would always ask Lu Qing to discuss all the secret reports and replies related to the great plans of the country. He should pay more attention to training, hoping that he will be a pillar of the country in the future.

Could it be possible that he has become the second Yan Donglou?"

Yang Jinshui smiled and said, "Whether he is the second Yan Donglou or not, it is not up to me to say. Lord Gangfeng might as well go and see for himself. These days, there is a case in Songjiang Prefecture involving the Xu Mansion. Lord Gangfeng can go and see it."

Hai Rui's eyes flickered, "Eunuch Yang, do you want to go with us?"

"Of course we go together. With Lord Gangfeng in front of us, Yang also wants to see if this Lord Xu Chang is really the second Yan Donglou!"

Hai Rui's heart moved.

This Yang Jinshui is really a character.

Now that things have come to this, it will be difficult to resolve this matter if I don't find out something myself.

But isn’t he afraid that I will investigate him too?
Maybe it's really as he said, he has a clear conscience and therefore has nothing to fear?

Are the eunuchs now more honest than those Hanlin and Tsinghua scholars?

Or maybe it's just the eunuchs under the rule of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who are like this?
In the study of the Xu Mansion in the capital, Xu Jie sat at the head of the table, discussing things with Zhao Jin, Zhang Chong, and Dong Chuanze, while his second son Xu Kun stood beside them, serving them.

Zhao Jin said, "Gao Xinzheng is finally going to do his job this time. He appointed Zhenshan Gong (Zhu Heng) as an imperial envoy to survey the land of the three towns of Shanxi, Datong and Xuanfu.

After the three towns are surveyed, it will surely be extended to other towns in the nine border areas, and then extended from Jiliao to Zhili, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and other places, and finally the whole country will be surveyed. "

Dong Chuanze went on to say: "It is indeed the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue to survey the land. However, it is of great importance. Now, just the survey of the three garrisons has caused more than a dozen officials and censors to submit memorials every day, impeaching Gao Xinzheng for his harsh and cruel policies and making the people suffer.

If it is implemented nationwide, it will cause a big storm.”

Zhang Chong frowned, "It has only been two years since the Emperor took the throne. It has taken a lot of effort to sort out the old problems of the Jiajing Dynasty, and the government has been cleaned up and the situation has stabilized. Another storm has arisen, shaking up the government, which is not good for the country or the people. The Duke of Xinzheng is too eager to join the cabinet."

Xu Jie glanced at him and said calmly: "Gao Xinzheng is a man with great ambitions and wants to do great things. Joining the cabinet will make it easier for him to do great things.

The accumulated problems of this dynasty are nothing more than those, the Nine Frontiers, the grain transport, the salt administration, and the royal family. The Nine Frontiers were rectified by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty made great military reforms, reorganized the new army, and made many achievements.

Everyone knows about the salt administration. Now that Pang Shaonan has taken over, everything is in good order, and I believe it will be very good soon. The grain transport is very involved, and the matter is urgent.

However, under the leadership of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the maritime transport has flourished, and the rectification of the grain transport is no longer urgent. Moreover, grain transport and river management are integrated. If the Yellow River and the Huai River are not properly managed, the rectification of grain transport will be in vain. Now Pan Shiliang (Pan Jixun) is in charge of the Yellow River management as the Minister of Works. After the Huai River is managed, it will not be too late to change the grain transport.

So Gao Da Huzi focused on increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. Measuring the land and expanding the tax revenue are the only ways to increase revenue. "

Xu Jie said all these words in one breath, feeling a little out of breath.

Xu Fan quickly picked up a cup of ginseng tea and handed it to Xu Jie.

Xu Jie took it, took two sips, moistened his throat, and replenished his energy.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xu Fan quickly spoke up: "Father, a few days ago, friends and relatives from Suzhou, Huzhou, and Yangzhou wrote to me, asking about the land survey at the three military garrisons in Shanxi."

"How are they related to the farmland of the Three Towns Guard Station in Shanxi?"

"Father, my dynasty is practicing the Kaizhong Method. In order to obtain salt permits, many wealthy families in the southeast set up commercial settlements in the nine borders, hired people to farm, harvested grain and paid it to the border in exchange for salt permits. Over time, they also built businesses there."

Xu Kun only said half of his words. The second half meant that after the Kaizhong Law turned bad, these wealthy families in Jiangnan took the opportunity to collude with local officials and gentry in Shanxi, Datong and Xuanfu, occupied the land of Kaitun, and found excuses to occupy more farmland in the garrisons.

If you have fields and land, someone will farm it for you.

They grew grain and sold it to the Shanxi merchants, doing business together and making huge profits together.

As long as there are people in their family who pass the imperial examinations and become officials one after another, the gentry and officials can keep their land no matter where it is!
Although these fields are far away, they can bring rich profits to the wealthy families every year. Now Gao Gong wants to survey the land, and once the survey is done, the illegal occupation of the land will be exposed.

How can I bear to spit out the fat in my mouth!
Xu Jie remained silent.

This is a bit tricky.

It is obvious that Gao Gong has surrendered to Xiyuan, so His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not mind using him.

Gao Gong is quite talented, but also has a quick temper, and works as fast as a raging fire. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is now using him as a pioneer in eliminating corruption and reforming the country.

But once the fire starts, it is inevitable that "innocent people will be burned."

After decades of painstaking efforts, he finally transformed the Xu family from a middle-class household into a first-class wealthy family, the leader of the Jiangnan families, with assets of hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land!
Once the land survey is implemented nationwide, the southeast will definitely be a key area that the Crown Prince and Gao Gong will keep a close eye on. What will the Xu family do then?
How strange!

A few days ago, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Gao Gong's group were fighting each other to the death, and I was just watching the fun from the side. In the blink of an eye, the two of them reconciled, and now the two sides are as close as wearing the same pants.

I feel sad when they make up!

How to break?
Gao Gong was in the front, attacking and killing indiscriminately.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is sitting behind the scenes, as steady as an old dog.

The two swords combined are hard to break!

Xu Jie suddenly remembered something, his face changed, and he asked hurriedly.

"Where is Hai Gangfeng now?"

"Father," Xu Kun replied quickly, "I have been following Hai Rui's movements. According to the reliable information I have heard, Hai Rui returned to Nanjing from Huizhou. After staying there for a few days, he went to Suzhou and headed south to Huzhou. It is said that something big happened there."

Xu Jie was panicking for no reason, and murmured, "Suzhou is too close to Songjiang, too close. I will write a letter immediately to tell Dalang to be careful these days. Send more people to find Hai Gangfeng's whereabouts!"

Zhao Jin, Zhang Chong and Dong Chuanze looked at each other.

Lord Xu was also afraid of Hai Rui.

But on second thought, who among the officials in the Ming Dynasty would not be afraid of him?
(End of this chapter)