Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 158 Nanjing Ministry of Revenue Deserves to be Killed
After the wedding comes the Mid-Autumn Festival.

It was a time for family reunions, so the news of so many broken families and deaths coming from Jiangnan made many people feel sad.

Jiangnan is a place with flourishing culture and education, and all industries are thriving. Which official in the court doesn't have a few friends from Jiangnan?
They all received letters filled with fear and prayers, hoping that they could help Jiangnan in Beijing.

The ones who could not be avoided the most were naturally the three cabinet ministers and the Minister of Rites Zhu Guozuo.

He is from Xiushui, Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

Taking advantage of the time of rest due to the emperor's wedding and the Mid-Autumn Festival, many people still wanted to give it a try, or felt that it was a little too late.

"Grand Master, after your majesty's wedding, many Jiangnan families have been ruined. This is really unlucky!"

"They are just rural gentry. How can they be so bold? Geng Dingli is plotting to bring chaos to Jiangnan. The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan should give honest advice and advise Your Majesty!"

Everyone in Zhu Guozuo's house was talking at once. He, the lucky man who "stole" the position of Minister of Rites from Xiao Daheng, now also felt the pressure that came with this position.

What the Minister of Rites has to maintain are the most fundamental systems of the Ming Dynasty.

The gentry is the most important foundation of this system that cannot be ignored.

The Japanese pirates' grain robbery first spread from the big merchants to the Yangtze River Navy, then to the Nanjing War Department, and now to the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River.

Faced with the pressure from the imperial court, so many of the gentry families who were identified were investigated and dealt with. However, although more gentry coveted the land and properties of these convicted families, the net was still going to bounce back after all.

At least the turmoil cannot be calmed down by the emperor's mercy alone, we must mobilize our forces to fight for it.

The three cabinet ministers were under greater pressure than Zhu Guozuo.

"Father, my uncle sent me a letter saying that the Song family has cancelled the engagement."

After Wang Heng told Wang Xijue the "bad news", he looked at him with concern.

That was a marriage that had been arranged the year before last, but my uncle's eldest granddaughter's engagement was broken off. This shows the level of criticism that the Wang family of Taicang has been subjected to in Jiangnan.

"Has it come to this? But it's no wonder." Wang Xijue sighed, "I'll write to Jia Yu, and I'll keep an eye on her marriage in Beijing. The Song family can't understand our Wang family, so let's part ways amicably."

"But my father has declined all requests from the gentlemen for an audience. Won't he be tarnished with a bad name?"

"Full of bad reputation?" Wang Xijue laughed at himself. "I have been full of bad reputation for a long time. The most difficult job in the world is to be a cabinet minister. We are in different positions. Who can understand each other? Besides, the files have arrived in Beijing now. Don't those colleagues who want us old guys to come forward know how this cause and effect came about? Without any specific measures, they are trying to persuade Your Majesty to keep things quiet. Isn't it that the officials and gentry in the north and south are relying on themselves as the foundation of the country and want Your Majesty to give in?"

"But if this continues, Jiangnan will really be in chaos. This is also the truth." Wang Heng didn't understand. "Does Your Majesty really want to kill the gentry and alienate them?"

"Kill the gentry? No." Wang Xijue stared at his son and taught him earnestly, "What some people say is correct. They are just gentry in the opposition. Do they really have such great power? Your Majesty wants to kill officials, those who compromised because of fear or indulged because of personal favors."

"…My son doesn't quite understand."

"Then keep watching."

Among the heads of the three judicial departments in Beijing, the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court both went to the south, while the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate remained in the capital.

The Censorate also has a copy of the case and files submitted from the south.

Not many people looked for Wen Chun these days, because he had never had a strong presence among the Nine Ministers.

He used to be the governor of Zhejiang. Now, looking at the contents presented in the file, Wen Chun's scalp tingled.

The details are not in the case file submitted, the details are in the file.

Did the officials in Nanjing know the contents of these files? Wen Chun was not sure. According to his experience, the specific contents of the review and the confessions would probably be revealed.

However, the recent memorials submitted by officials in the two capitals seemed to be unaware of what those desperate and angry convicted gentry had said.

What would the emperor think when he saw this?

Seven days after the wedding, on August 19, the court meeting was held again.

In front of the Qianqing Gate, the emperor spoke before his ministers reported on their affairs.

"I haven't read the memorials every day these days. I just took a close look at them last night."

Zhu Changluo paused for a moment, looked at the ministers below, and then let out a long sigh.

"Alas, how did the Ming Dynasty become like this? A big merchant family dared to pretend to be Japanese pirates to rob and destroy the grain. I was furious and sent the three judicial officials to the south to investigate and find out the mastermind. It would have been fine if the mastermind was Cao Jiangdu Yushi, but he also confessed that he was held hostage by the Gao family in Jiangnan. After checking the hundreds of Gao families he pointed out, it turned out that none of them were good, and so many local officials and important people in Nanjing were involved."

He looked at the three cabinet ministers: "Lord Shen, Lord Shen, Lord Wang. Now, I am even angrier, but also more heartbroken." Shen Yikuan and the other two just lowered their heads and said nothing, because the emperor was just expressing his feelings.

"Since I left the palace and entered school, I have been reading books by sages and learned that officials and gentry are my support. When I first ascended the throne, the court was in financial difficulty. I cut back on spending and eliminated extravagance. I was worried about finances every day."

Zhu Changluo stood up and walked down the stairs.

"I also sympathized with the low salaries of officials and used the treasury to give a large sum of money to reward diligence and honesty, hoping that officials in the two capitals and local areas could work with peace of mind. What was the result?"

"The imperial envoy went south to investigate the affairs of the local gentry, and the local officials presided over the trials. The people on trial were naturally charged with many crimes, and nine out of ten judges also submitted confessions to me, waiting for my decision."

"How shall I deal with you?"

Zhu Changluo said this as he was walking among the ministers.

When he asked the last question, he returned to Shen Yiguan and the other two and continued to ask, "Three elders, what should I do?"

After asking clearly, Shen Yi Guan turned around and bowed to him: "Your Majesty, calm down... When the water is too clear, there will be no fish. This is also... something that all dynasties have been helpless about..."

Many court officials who were already familiar with the emperor's temper were frightened, and Shen Yikuan's answer was considered extremely courageous.

Although it is true.

Shen Yikuan answered, but Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue remained silent.

Zhu Changluo walked up to Kong Shangxian again and said, "Duke Yansheng, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty... those who do not behave properly should... be punished..."

Kong Shangxian cursed in his heart, and it was getting worse and worse for him to attend the court meeting. He was burdened with the moral burden of the Duke of Yansheng, so how could he answer?

Shen Shixing came out of the class at this time and knelt down first: "Your Majesty, the affairs of state are complicated, so we have many suggestions, and we should take it slowly. Now because of the grain robbery case, the fire in Jiangnan has burned too much. Your Majesty, we are well aware that the problems are complicated and one move will affect the whole body, so we have the intention to advise against everything."

Zhu Changluo turned around and looked down at him.

Shen Shixing spoke sincerely, with a tone of grievance that was difficult to reconcile: "The government has been neglected for a long time, and there are many vacancies in the two capitals and thirteen provinces. Now that we have seen the truth due to a major case, it is naturally shocking. Your Majesty is indeed a wise and wise ruler who is wise and determined to govern the country, but if you suddenly use severe punishments to question the local governments, there will be endless troubles. I hope Your Majesty will understand that the most urgent task is to rectify the administration of officials. Your Majesty has the intention to treat all officials well, and all officials should return the loyalty and diligence of the king and father."

Wang Xijue also stood up and knelt beside him, saying, "We, the court officials, all know that Your Majesty is diligent in government and loves the people, and is considerate of his officials. However, the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, and nine out of ten officials have never seen the emperor. It will take time to change the local atmosphere. Your Majesty's grace is as vast as the sea, and it will take time for it to benefit all directions."

Seeing that the three cabinet ministers had come out to plead for mercy, and that today was a rare opportunity to discuss a certain topic in court, more people immediately wanted to seize this opportunity.

"Your Majesty, we are not forcing you to do this because of the future troubles. It's just that what the elders said is true and reasonable."

This is a way to dispel the suspicion of "forcing the emperor" right from the start.

"High officials have been questioned and hundreds of local gentry have been imprisoned. The whole world knows the severity of the situation."

This is because we feel that enough models have been established.

"The new dynasty cannot be established overnight. Your Majesty should use both grace and power. Everyone in the world should reflect on themselves and reform themselves..."

This is just a promise to him.

While listening, Zhu Changluo slowly walked to the steps and sat down again.

"You all are begging for mercy for them, but I am thinking about the real common people in Jiangnan."

It became quiet outside the Qianqing Gate.

Zhu Changluo said slowly, "Since I became regent last year, I have always wanted to have a true figure of the Ming Dynasty's assets. I already had an account, but now that I have read the files of the Jiangnan Qin case, I know that the account in my mind is still not the truth."

"I originally wanted to exempt the gentry from taxes and labor service, increase their salaries, and give them bonuses for hard work and honesty. But today I know that the heavy burden of taxes in Jiangnan is on the heads of the common people. The hundreds of high-ranking families in Jiangnan alone pay more than 40% of the taxes owed by the prefectures and counties every year. What about the other families who have not been identified? They have so much money to pay, but how much do they get? And they are all exempted, so who is shouldering the taxes in Jiangnan?"

"I am really heartbroken and disappointed."

The emperor showed real desolation, waved his hands and said: "I couldn't sleep all night after reading so many memorials of guilt and punishment."

After that, he suddenly gnashed his teeth and said, "Geng Dingli blamed the Jiangnan gentry for the incident, he deserves to be killed! Hao Jie only knew how to enrich himself and did not do his job, he deserves to be killed! The Nanjing Ministry of Revenue collected the land tax on behalf of others and condoned the situation until now, he deserves to be killed!"

After the three people who deserved to be killed were mentioned, Zhu Changluo stood up and said, "For local officials who report their crimes, Xiao Daheng will recover the stolen silver and fine them one year's salary but let them stay in their original positions. I will give them this opportunity to reform. The interrogation of the gentry will stop here. Send an order to Xiao Daheng to arrest Zhang Yi and all the officials of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue and ask them how they are collecting land taxes in Jiangnan on behalf of the court. You said that the new dynasty will eventually have a new look, but this cannot be said alone. All officials participating in the court have a share and submit their own memorials. I want to see what solutions you can come up with. Just talk about the taxes and labor in Jiangnan and the administration of officials in Jiangnan!"

(End of this chapter)