Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 237 Mutiny!

Zhu Houcong smiled slightly, stood up, left the hall casually, and left a word.

"Then it's settled!"

"I will respectfully send you off to Your Majesty!"

The ministers immediately bowed and replied.

After Zhu Houcong left, Zhang Cong couldn't help but smile slightly.

After all, the emperor allowed him to make appropriate reforms to the tax policy, which was something that made him happy.

Because what he is pursuing is to solve the fundamental problem, not to patch it up.

However, this also made Zhang Cong unpopular with many cabinet ministers who were unwilling to carry out radical reforms.

Prime Minister Mao Ji, Grand Secretary Yang Yiqing, Minister of Rites Wu Yipeng, Minister of War Wang Xian, Minister of Punishment Zhao Huang, Minister of Works Tong Rui, and Minister of Public Security Zheng Yue all looked at him sideways at this time.

Tong Rui also said to Yang Yiqing in a sarcastic tone:
"Have you met your match now, Lord?"

"You wanted to transfer the shipbuilding power of the Ministry of Works to the Cabinet, and at the same time implement a benevolent policy of light taxation! But in the end, they cut off the firewood from the bottom of the pot. They talked about tax reform but didn't say anything. They also took the opportunity to get the emperor to agree to increase the commercial tax to offset the exemption of bamboo and wood tax and craftsman's silver!"

Yang Yiqing knew that Tong Rui was both mocking him and expressing his dissatisfaction with Zhang Cong.

Yang Yiqing was not angry at Tong Rui's sarcasm, but just followed Zhang Cong's ridicule: "It's good for young people to be courageous, but they can't be too reckless. In the end, they will hurt others and themselves, and there will be no end to it!"

"What the elder said is very true!"

"Your Majesty wants to build warships and strengthen naval defenses, but someone is trying to get your approval to change the tax policy!"

"If you don't know, you would think he is the Prime Minister!"

As a result, Tong Rui started to mock Zhang Cong in a louder voice.

Zhang Cong clenched his fists after hearing this.

Looks gloomy.

"You are still too anxious!"

"What your majesty really wants is to build a large number of warships and monopolize sea power, not to reform the tax policy at home and offend the rich and powerful!"

At this time, Wang Yangming walked up to Zhang Cong and started to persuade him.

The Minister of Finance Xi Shu also walked up to Zhang Cong, bowed, and said:
"The Grand Chancellor is right. Although you want to increase the tax on banknotes and commerce and give the bamboo and wood tax to the craftsmen, it is beneficial to the Ministry of Revenue. Logically, I should not say anything."

"But the former is to collect taxes from the rich and powerful, while the latter is to collect taxes from the common people. I'm sure you know which is easier. Even if the Ministry of Revenue is willing to cooperate with you, the rich and powerful will definitely want to get rid of you as soon as possible!"

Zhang Cong first bowed to the two and said, "Thank you for your concern."

then.

Zhang Cong stood up straight and said, "As an important official of the court, you should think about the big issues!"

"What's the point of trying to stop the boiling water by adding more water if the major evil is not eliminated?"

"As long as His Majesty gives me a chance, I will do it! As for the consequences, it's nothing more than death!"

After Zhang Cong said this, he stepped down the stairs and walked towards the palace gate alone in the drizzling rain.

Upon seeing this, Wang Yangming and Xi Shu looked at each other, shook their heads and sighed, and bowed to Zhang Cong's back.

At this time, the Left Censor-in-Chief Wang Shizhong chased after Zhang Cong and said, "Bingyong, please stay!"

Zhang Cong was overjoyed and actually stopped to look at Wang Shizhong, who was coming with a sceptre in hand. He asked, "Does the Chief Justice want to leave the palace with me?"

"I just want to ask, did you receive the letter I sent you?"

"I don't have the authority to make secret reports, so I can only rely on you, the Minister of the Imperial Study, to present it."

Wang Shizhong replied with a smile.

Zhang Cong said: "Of course it has been submitted, but your Majesty has clearly stated that it cannot be carried out."

"Your Majesty is indeed a wise ruler who is broad-minded and tolerant!"

Wang Shizhong said with a smile while holding the ivory tablet.

Zhang Cong laughed and asked, "Why does the General Secretary think so?"

"I told you that I didn't mean to harm Lord Fei, but I wanted to let His Majesty know about this matter through you, so that we can use it to balance the yin and yang."

Wang Shizhong replied.

Zhang Cong laughed again: "What a good way to balance yin and yang!"

"I just don't understand why Yang Xindu, Fei Qianshan and other treacherous people who pretend to be loyal can't be punished directly. Without them, will my Ming Dynasty immediately fall into chaos?!"

Zhang Cong then asked back.

Wang Shizhong took a deep breath after hearing this, then stood in front of Zhang Cong and looked at him: "Have you ever thought about whether your Majesty's safety would be affected if you really do this?"

"The influence of Yang Xindu and Fei Qianshan is not limited to the outer court!"

"Even the Yang Ge Lao (Yang Yiqing) whom Gong just strongly criticized is closer to Zhang Yong in the inner court than a real brother!"

"So, even though Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, you still have to balance yin and yang. Unless Your Majesty is truly a god, you are not afraid of fire, flood, or illness!"

When Wang Shizhong said this, Zhang Cong said, "Catch them all in one fell swoop, how could it come to this!"

"Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens!"

"If something serious really happens in the palace, neither you nor I can bear the consequences!"

Wang Shizhong replied.

Zhang Cong argued: "But Your Majesty can't really expect to find some big mines after building warships and going out to sea, right?"

"Your Majesty may not be building more warships and strengthening the navy in order to find new large mines, but to prepare for opening up the sea and seizing sea benefits."

Wang Shizhong replied.

Zhang Cong couldn't help but spread his hands: "Then we must first deal with the treacherous officials and the thieves, and solve the great problem of the tax policy being controlled by the gentry. Otherwise, there will be little difference between opening the sea and not opening the sea!"

"What is a traitor?"

"Yang Xindu and Fei Qianshan are not treacherous ministers or villains in any way!"

"You are really unreasonable!"

After Wang Shizhong said this, he left.

Zhang Cong just smiled faintly, and then continued to walk towards the palace gate. ...

……

"This Zhang Yongjia, he really wants to drive us all out of the court so that he can help Your Majesty to eliminate the great evils in the world!"

cabinet.

After Mao Ji and Yang Yiqing came back, Yang Yiqing mentioned Zhang Cong again to Mao Ji.

After all, Zhang Cong ruined his plan, and his benevolent policy of exempting bamboo and wood taxes and craftsmen's fees turned into exempting bamboo and wood taxes and craftsmen's fees by increasing commercial taxes.

Mao Jize sighed and said, "Let him be in the limelight if he wants to. People always have to be frustrated before they know how to turn back. He also tasted the sweetness of being bold and fearless in the grand ceremony and got carried away."

"Your Majesty wants to build a large number of warships, so he publicizes the threat of the Portuguese."

"We should not have objected to this. After all, strengthening maritime preparedness is necessary."

"But now that Zhang Cong is in charge of this matter, we can no longer support Your Majesty in building warships."

Yang Yiqing continued at this time.

Mao Ji looked at him after hearing this, thought about it carefully, and nodded:

"That's right. With Zhang Yongjia's meddling, warship construction has become related to increasing commercial taxes. So we can't let him succeed in building warships!"

"But the emperor's will is to build warships. You and I should know that we can't stop him, Zhang Yongjia!"

Mao Ji replied.

Yang Yiqing smiled and said, "There is no need for you and me to stop him. There are people who can stop him!"

"My two ministers, urgent news has arrived from Datong!"

At this time.

A secretary came in and handed Mao Ji a report from Datong.

Mao Ji took it, opened the paper and began to read it carefully. The more he read, the more solemn his expression became.

Seeing this, Yang Yiqing hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

"A mutiny broke out in Datong!"

"Governor Zhang Wenjin and Lieutenant General Jia Jian were killed by the rebels, and their bodies were torn into pieces! The rebels promoted the former general Zhu Zhen as their leader!"

After Mao Ji told Yang Yiqing about this, he reported the pond to Yang Yiqing.

Yang Yiqing took the newspaper and read it carefully.

"We must report this to His Majesty immediately!"

Mao Ji said.

Yang Yiqing frowned and thought for a while, then looked at Mao Ji and said, "This is an opportunity!"

"what chance?"

Mao Ji asked.

Yang Yiqing said with a smile: "Let Zhang Yongjia lose the chance of the emperor's favor!"

Mao Ji asked again: "How do you say it?"

"The ice three feet thick does not form overnight."

"According to the news reports, it was because the governor Zhang Wenjin pushed the military households to go to the north of Datong to build the abandoned garrisons too hard. In addition, the lieutenant general Jia Jian also asked these military households to open up private fields for him while building the garrisons. As a result, the military households were dissatisfied because a large number of them died of exhaustion, and the mutiny occurred."

"But the root cause of the Datong mutiny was the corruption of the garrison system, the desertion of military households, and the corruption of frontier generals."

"So, if we want to truly solve this problem, we have to reform the guard system and punish the corruption of border generals."

"But this is not a small matter. It requires the emperor's personal troops to go to the nine borders to support the battle and spend a lot of money and food to solve it. In addition, we need to use old ministers who are familiar with border affairs."

"Didn't Zhang Cong say that tax reform is the foundation of all new policies?"

"Then he will definitely not choose to spare energy to solve this matter, but will choose to deal with the chaotic soldiers who caused this matter, those military households who were forced to rebel!"

"So, he would definitely advocate the suppression of these rebellious soldiers, and believed that the court should resolve the mutiny in a quick and decisive way, so that the military households in the nine border areas of the country would know the consequences of launching a mutiny, and the court would then be able to focus on reforming the tax policy."

"But your majesty will definitely not support it."

"If so, there will be a rift between him and Zhang Cong."

After Yang Yiqing said this, Mao Ji thought about it and nodded, "Your Majesty will definitely not support it!"

then.

Mao Ji looked at Yang Yiqing again and said, "So, we have to advocate for appeasement?"

Yang Yiqing nodded: "Of course!"

"I will go to the emperor first to report this matter."

Mao Ji said this and stood up with the newspaper in his hand, heading towards the Qianqing Palace.

……

……

The Imperial Study in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Zhu Houcong was discussing with Wang Yangming and Zhang Cong, two ministers of the Imperial Study, the specific amount of additional commercial taxes to be levied at the major customs offices.

"We can add some more to the total amount of raw bamboo and wood and craftsman silver collected, so that we can set an exemption amount for ordinary vendors. This can encourage ordinary vendors to actively operate. After all, ordinary vendors operate many things that are necessary for the people, which is naturally more beneficial to the people."

As Zhu Houcong was speaking, Qin Wen came in to report that Mao Ji was asking for a meeting with an urgent memorial, so he nodded and let Mao Ji in.

As soon as Mao Ji arrived before the emperor, he reported the Datong mutiny.

"Datong mutiny?"

Zhu Houcong hurriedly read the report, and then asked Qin Wen to show it to Wang Yangming and Zhang Cong, and asked Mao Ji: "What does the Prime Minister think should be done about this matter?"

"I think we should focus on pacifying the enemy and immediately send a new minister to pacify the enemy!"

Mao Ji replied.

"Your Majesty, I object!"

(End of this chapter)