Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 172 Take Action, Don’t Degrade Your Privileges

Zhu Guozuo was suddenly called upon and stood up with great embarrassment: "Nowadays, the School of Mind is becoming more and more popular, and many people... have indeed gone astray."

"It's either a problem of Neo-Confucianism or a problem of thinking oneself superior to others and treating the people as straw dogs. Therefore, some scholars ridicule the eunuchs as eunuchs, and some officials and gentry think they have committed mistakes and should not be punished." Zhu Changluo said, "Of course, not all officials and gentry are like this. But officials and gentry don't think this is a problem. When the world is really overturned, everything will be in vain."

Zhu Changluo stood up and said, "Pass on my order. Starting from the second year of Taichang, the Ministry of Justice will collect criminal cases throughout the country. There are more than a thousand counties and prefectures in the Ming Dynasty. In each county and prefecture, if there are officials and gentry who harm the people, for every three cases, I will exempt the gentry of the county and prefecture once. For every five thousand cases in the entire Ming Dynasty, I will exempt all officials and gentry of the Ming Dynasty once. If the officials and gentry do not know how to discipline themselves and admonish each other, then they should bear this responsibility together. I have given you the opportunity. If you think this is too harsh and do not want to respect and support me as emperor, then you can rebel."

Everyone was shocked, and never expected that this was not just to "re-educate" everyone, but to take advantage of the issue.

"His Majesty……"

"Why? Just to change your mind from now on, to persuade? Or do you know you can't do it?"

"Hahahahahaha..." Geng Dingli suddenly laughed.

Zhu Changluo also laughed, and his laughter made Shen Yikuan, Shen Shixing, Chen Qi and others who stood up feel frightened.

"Geng Dingli thinks that the officials and gentry in the world can't do it. Either the officials protect each other, and the people have nowhere to turn to, and finally rise up in rebellion; or the preferential treatment is decided, and chaos breaks out everywhere in the Ming Dynasty, and rebellions rise up everywhere. In any case, the Ming Dynasty is doomed. Are you laughing at this, Geng Dingli?"

"Your Majesty is so wise!" Geng Dingli laughed so hard that he cried, "Your Majesty sees everything, why did you only punish the three of us?"

"Because you are the most daring and the most impatient." Zhu Changluo looked at the ministers, "Do you think that the Ming officials and gentry can reflect on themselves for the sake of their own privileges? Can the court and the local governments do a good job of preaching and restraining themselves for the sake of stability?"

"... We, the ministers, will receive your order and strictly order the local authorities to spread the teachings well." Shen Yi Guan's mind was racing, "But what counts as harming the people? And if the common people make false accusations..."

What he said made sense, but Zhu Changluo didn't need to worry about the details: "What's so difficult about that? Sort out the files this time, the deeds of the three of them, and the families in Jiangnan, sort them out, compile and publish them, and send them to various places. There are many articles and cases in the files of the Ministry of Justice and the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Just sort out some typical cases. Whether it is a false accusation, don't we still have the Censorate and the Dali Temple?"

Zhu Changluo sighed, "I have done my best and treated the Ming officials and gentry with courtesy. If you are so ill that you cannot reflect on yourself, cannot persuade others, and cannot obey the ruthless laws of the country, then you can rebel. I will conquer the world again."

Tian Le couldn't help but feel a little excited when he heard him say this in front of so many people.

Starting with the case of robbing grain and killing soldiers, Xiao Daheng's trip to the south revealed an ugly corner of Jiangnan. Coupled with the discussion of allowing local governments to retain more money and grain but not allowing additional taxes, to today when the three criminals in Nanjing were questioned in front of the emperor, the Ming emperor and his ministers in the court at least could not deny the very cruel reality.

The officials and gentry did suck blood from the Ming Dynasty, too much and too excessively.

Why can't we use courtesy before force now?
The premise of "finalizing the case" was also added, which was based on the emperor's knowledge that local officials might "protect each other" and do their best to reduce the number of such cases in order to prevent the triggering of "demotion and exemption" conditions.

This was a step towards having officials and gentry pay taxes together, and mentioning that the gentry considered themselves irreplaceable was also a step towards having all industries and professions represented in the court.

This step is taken and provides another opportunity.

Whether to cherish what they already have or to boldly seek more depends entirely on the choice of the local gentry.

At this time, Wang Xijue stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the land surveys in several prefectures and counties in Nanzhili have been completed. I request that they be allowed to surrender and be exempted from the list."

Geng Dingli had tears in his eyes and could hardly believe his ears: Those remaining prefectures in Southern Zhili need to survey the land?

"Okay." Zhu Changluo nodded. "The past can be ignored. I am concerned about the future. This grace does not limit these few prefectures. If you are worried about being investigated again in the future, all the counties and prefectures in the Ming Dynasty who can surrender and return the stolen goods within the second year of Taichang can be exempted from punishment. If the officials and gentry in the world cherish the current exemption and are grateful for the additional silver I will give to them for their diligence and integrity, they can seize this opportunity. I will give them a chance to correct their mistakes. You can choose whether to be a gentry that I trust and rely on, or to be a cancer among the gentry and be known throughout the world."

"Your Majesty has given you great efforts. All officials and gentry with a conscience in the world are grateful for your grace!" Wang Xijue knelt down and kowtowed, thinking that this was good.

There are always many people who are in awe, and there are also many people who are content.

Although the decree was "harsh" for officials and gentry, it was polite and gave them a chance.

After the division, those who remain stubborn will naturally become enemies of the entire official and gentry group.

Who caused the preferential exemption policy of the county or state to be downgraded? Which counties or states "contributed" to the cases that led to the reduction of preferential exemptions for officials and gentry across the country? Of course, this will become "famous throughout the world."

If you still enjoy privileges and are greedy, are you still worthy of being an official?
Wen Chun also knelt down and said: "I request that you send imperial censors to all prefectures and counties to persuade local officials and gentry to conduct self-examination first."

"allow."

Wen Chun heaved a sigh of relief: Damn it, there is only a one-year window period! Is it difficult to accumulate 5,000 cases and make all the officials and gentry in the country be demoted? If most of the problems are not solved within this one-year window period, Taichang will definitely be demoted in the third year!
The emperor has this intention. Does he think that the Jinyiwei are just there to eat? If the people dare not sue the officials, it depends on whether there is someone to support them!
"I request that the ranks of school principals, teachers, and instructors in counties and prefectures be determined in order to correct the conduct of scholars." Li Dai also knelt down.

"Approved. The prefectural schoolmasters and county teachers under the jurisdiction of the prefecture are all of the eighth rank, and the instructors are of the eighth rank."

The first batch of newly added officials at the lower level have been determined. It is necessary to raise their status so that local students and gentry will respect them more.

"I request that all governors and provincial governors inspect the local areas where residents are staying." Chen Qi also hurriedly made the request. After all, it was obvious to the naked eye that a huge number of residents would be staying in the local areas next year.

If the ability to strictly implement preferential exemptions is linked to whether preferential exemptions will be reduced in the future, then what does it matter?
"I request that the local garrisons pay their food and salaries to the Ministry of War, and that the provincial governors and military commanders be allowed to report to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and then send people to pay the salaries from the local areas, so that the accounts can be reconciled."

Tian Le also mentioned something that made everyone feel nervous.

"As long as they are not short-changed, there won't be any big waves." Zhu Changluo believed in Tian Le's ability, "Accurate." The knife was blunt and the rope was tightened slowly.

Although there is an additional review by the Ministry of War, allowing the province to also intervene in the food and wages of each garrison is naturally the first step in sorting out local military power.

Zhang Yi and the other two now understood that even though the three judges were right in front of them, the emperor was using them to push some things forward.

The numerous requests made on the spot only show that these matters were still highly controversial before.

The emperor had clearly given the signal that he wanted to demote them, but they were not worried about the world being in an uproar. Instead, they all tried to make excuses for the emperor.

At this point, the three of them were taken to the Ministry of Justice's death row to go through the final procedure of execution.

After all the ministers had left, Shen Honglin and his companions walked out trembling with fear.

"You don't need to worry about the limits. I will still have someone give you the book no matter what you say."

"Yes……"

"After listening to today's drama, you should know who I value most in my heart." Zhu Changluo looked at them, "Although officials and gentry are important, the whole world is my people. All I have to do is to gradually be more fair. I hope that when you tell stories everywhere in the future, you will know what kind of emperor I am."

"Your Majesty is kind and loving to the people, and I, the common people..."

Shen Honglin felt both emotional and frightened, and his eloquent mouth could not say anything nice now.

Who could have imagined that he would suddenly be able to listen to the emperor's questions and issue major policies together with the cabinet ministers and nine ministers?

They were then taken away by Tian Yi from another place, and Zhu Changluo returned to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity at this time.

Inside, Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun were also there.

"...Will this really not cause chaos?"

"Don't worry, Grandmother." Zhu Changluo said with a smile, "Officials and gentry are used to persuading and restraining the emperor with rules and regulations. In fact, it is because the emperor does not need to be subject to so many restrictions. It is just a matter of one person advancing and the other retreating. As long as life is still bearable, not many people will immediately break the jar and throw it away. My grandson just wants to be demoted, not immediately. If they want to lift the roof, they will naturally pull my grandson to open a window. It's nothing more than this logic."

Zhu Yijun on the side had mixed feelings.

Honestly speaking, I wouldn't mind if this guy asked someone to carry me here to have me killed.

After all, lying in the Cining Palace is even more boring.

However, listening to the familiar voices of Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue outside, and hearing them mending the clothes with great trepidation, Zhu Yijun still felt a little uncomfortable.

This kid clearly looked like he was crazy, he even said things like demote him to a lower rank or conquer the world.

As the Wanli Emperor who had agreed to two exemptions, Zhu Yijun couldn't quite understand it.

Why?
"I would also like to ask the Empress to help me write to the other princes. I am still trying to open up the situation. I must not let them ask me to pay them enough food and salary just because they see that the local money and grain reserves have increased. The princes and vassals must also restrain themselves and not harm the people. If there are really bold people in the local area who want to cause chaos, they will be the first to take it out."

He first reassured Empress Dowager Li, but now what he said made her uneasy again.

Will it come to that?

"It's just a precaution. The local gentry are now being forced to confess. If the royal family becomes even more aggressive, at least they can impeach the royal family for harming the people. Will my grandson punish them or not? Let them listen to my grandson and educate their children and grandchildren well. There will be a different situation in the future."

This is the main purpose of asking them to come here today.

It is not wrong to rule the world with the scholar-officials. Aren’t the royal family and clan members the biggest officials and gentry in the world?

Those who dare not rebel against the emperor, but dare to criticize the royal family - they are also fat pigs that can be opened up!
If there were anyone who dared to rebel against the emperor, of course they would first slaughter the fat pig of the local royal family to raise military pay.

The beauty of the world lies here. Although the focus is on officials and gentry first, it will also affect the royal family.

The timid ones will be well behaved, but the bold ones...are there still any bold members of the royal family who dare to rebel with the support of the local people?

Zhu Changluo's "madness" was something Zhu Yijun could not understand, because although he himself was weak, he thought that all officials and gentry in the world were as tough as Zhang Juzheng, or as sinister as Shen Shixing.

But Zhu Changluo was very clear that the vast majority of officials and gentry in the world were capitulationists.

Why not just point a gun at them first?

(End of this chapter)