Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 363: Jiajing established his character, and the ministers in the court were frightened!

"The original intention of this compensation grain was to provide compensation to the people affected by the Japanese invasion. If it is returned now, wouldn't the people along the coast who were raped and plundered by the Japanese pirates have suffered in vain?"

The Minister of Justice Zhang Cong asked Wu Yipeng at this time.

Wu Yipeng replied: "Hasn't the Ministry of Revenue already provided compensation?"

The Minister of Revenue Xi Shu was extremely angry but replied with a smile: "The Ministry of Revenue did provide relief, but that was money that was spent from the national treasury that should have been used for other expenses. This deficit must be made up, right?"

"This is your Ministry of Revenue's business, and has nothing to do with our Ministry of Rites. Our Ministry of Rites is only responsible for expressing its own position."

Wu Yipeng replied.

Wu Yipeng knew that two million shi of grain was a huge piece of meat, but as the Minister of Rites, in charge of the Ministry of Rites and directly responsible for foreign affairs, he was really worried that this would increase the dissatisfaction and unrest among foreigners, resulting in a decrease in the frequency of foreign tribute envoys, which would not be conducive to the Ministry of Rites officials to profit from it.

In addition, he was also worried that because the court could claim compensation and make profits from foreign countries, some bureaucrats would change their foreign policy, supporting or even secretly instigating the country's people to resist the oppression brought by foreign envoys, and actively create conflicts with foreign envoys. This would eventually increase diplomatic incidents and bring trouble to his Ministry of Rites.

Therefore, even though he knew that this would not make the emperor happy, he still had to speak for the officials of the Ministry of Rites. Otherwise, he would not be able to command the officials of his Ministry of Rites, nor would he be able to guarantee the interests of the Ministry of Rites.

After all, the Ministry of Rites exists because of the emphasis on rituals. It is also the central level of the imperial court. Because it guards the interior and is weak outside, it naturally relies on rituals to make profits by making friends with foreign countries, or in other words, it relies on rituals to respect foreign countries.

Therefore, as a representative of the Ministry of Rites, Wu Yipeng naturally had the motivation to maintain the strategy of being weak inside and weak outside.

"Leaving the Ninth Heaven and accepting the destiny, how can I bear it?"

"I rule the world and pity the people, and my heart is broken."

At this time.

Zhu Houcong walked from the back hall of Wenhua Hall to the court meeting and recited a sentence that was very memorable in his mind.

After hearing this, the ministers in the court were all terrified, thinking that His Majesty was going to establish a persona of loving the people again, but they were now very afraid that Jiajing would establish a persona of loving the people.

Because Jiajing truly loves his people, he is not the type who just erects memorial archways!

"Grand Master!"

After Zhu Houcong finished reading, he called Wu Yipeng.

Wu Yipeng quickly prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "I am here!"

"I am the Son of Heaven, the ruler and father of all the people in the world, so I am always worried because of my love for the people of the world. You are one of my nine ministers, so you should also help me relieve my worries. This is your duty as a minister."

Zhu Houcong was sitting on the throne at this time and spoke to him.

"I understand!"

"It is because I understand the emperor's will and care for the people that I dare to express my intention to return the money."

"I hope your majesty will understand!"

Wu Yipeng replied.

Zhu Houcong smiled faintly and said, "You said that the resentment of the barbarians is to be feared, but then the resentment of the people is not to be feared?"

"The Japanese pirates killed our people and looted our homes, yet we demanded compensation in return."

"The people who were harmed by the Japanese pirates will surely feel resentful and dissatisfied with the imperial court!"

"That's one of them."

"Second!"

"In this way, the court still has to pay for the relief of the people, but the court's money and food are also the blood and sweat of the people. The losses caused by the Japanese pirates to the country can only be compensated by the national treasury. This undoubtedly means that every time the Japanese pirates invade our country, the people of our country will suffer losses twice! In the long run, the deficit of the national treasury will inevitably increase, and the burden on the people will inevitably increase, and then the public resentment will increase."

“People can carry you, but they can also overturn you. When people’s resentment grows, can we still protect our country?”

Zhu Houcong asked about Wu Yipeng.

Wu Yipeng bowed his head and replied: "Your Majesty!"

Wu Yipeng didn't know how to answer for a moment. He just uttered a few words and then choked again.

"Unless you can really guarantee that after the return, the Japanese pirates will never invade China again."

"If you can guarantee it, I will return it to you."

"If not, I can only punish you for deceiving the emperor and harming the country in the future. Your Wu family will have to bear the price for harming the country and the people as you are the Minister of Rites!"

Zhu Houcong looked at Wu Yipeng and said in a dignified manner. Wu Yipeng gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I cannot guarantee it!"

As soon as Wu Yipeng said this, all the ministers attending the court meeting looked at Wu Yipeng in surprise, and some even showed a sneering look.

"If you can't guarantee it, then why are you still saying such things?"

"You are the Minister of Rites of the imperial court, not the Minister of Rites of the Japanese. Don't be a traitor even though you don't have the name of a traitor!"

"As one of the Nine Ministers, you should not use the small account of your Ministry of Rites to settle the big account of the court. You also say that the deficit of the national treasury is only the business of the Ministry of Revenue and has nothing to do with your Ministry of Rites. But is the responsibility of the rise and fall of the country only the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue?"

Zhu Houcong reprimanded Wu Yipeng.

Wu Yipeng's forehead was covered with sweat and his back was cold after hearing this. He kowtowed and said, "I am stupid and pedantic, and my knowledge is narrow. I am really unworthy of being the Minister of Rites. I beg for resignation. I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish!"

talking.

Wu Yipeng kowtowed and sobbed.

Zhu Houcong was even more stern: "Are you threatening me?"

"I dare not. I am truly ashamed and would not dare to harm the country and the people!"

Wu Yipeng replied.

"If I allow you to resign if what you said in the court meeting is wrong, how will the world look upon me? Doesn't it mean that I don't allow people to speak the truth?"

"If you ask for leave every time I refute you, how can I be the emperor? Will I be unable to refute you in the future?"

Zhu Houcong asked repeatedly.

Wu Yipeng said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did not think it through. I would like to take back what I just said!"

"Get up."

"Not only will I not punish you for your imprudent and careless words, I will also reward you for your willingness to speak the truth during court discussions."

"Pass the decree, grant 500 silver dollars!"

After Zhu Houcong said this, he began to give orders.

Zhu Houcong decided that he should encourage the ministers in the court to speak freely.

After all, he still has to rely on them to do things. If Lian Tingyi does not encourage them to tell the truth, even if it is an unpleasant truth, the implementation of corresponding policies will be greatly reduced.

You can speak boldly during court meetings, but once a decision is made, if you dare to disobey it or openly obstruct national policy, you cannot be polite.

Wu Yipeng had just stood up. When he heard what Zhu Houcong said, he was naturally terrified and surprised and bowed down to express his gratitude: "I accept your order and thank you!"

At the same time, Wu Yipeng felt a little guilty.

All the ministers present were stunned, and then, when they looked at the emperor, they showed more respect.

In addition to not wanting the court to become a decision-making body that could only speculate on the emperor's intentions and say what the emperor wanted to hear, Zhu Houcong did not approve Wu Yipeng's request for retirement because another reason was that the court had successfully sent a fleet to patrol the East, which meant that the imperial merchant system had been successfully implemented, which meant that the court's income would increase significantly. In this way, there would be financial resources to further reform and rectify the internal affairs.

However, in terms of reform and rectification, Zhu Houcong planned to start with the Ministry of Personnel this time.

The Ministry of Personnel is responsible for the recommendation, appointment and dismissal of bureaucrats throughout the country and is the core of official administration. If official administration is not clear, other rectifications will become deteriorated.

The key point is that he can no longer rely on replacing the Minister of Personnel to ensure clean administration, but should start from the root of the official system.

After all, it is inevitable that there will be unreliable people serving as the Minister of Personnel in the future. If we don't take action from the root, this person will cause new troubles for the administration of officials throughout the country. For example, in order to pursue superficial fairness and avoid more criticism, the entire system of selecting officials by drawing lots will make the administration of officials throughout the country look fairer, but it will cause greater harm.

If one wants to move the Ministry of Personnel, one naturally has to stabilize other ministries first, so as not to be distracted by the affairs of other departments.

Therefore, Zhu Houcong allowed Wu Yipeng to stay for this reason.

"You guys continue to discuss."

The ministers in the court bowed their hands and agreed. Then, the cabinet minister Lin Jun proposed: "In this case, I think it is better to follow the proposal of the Ministry of War for the two million shi of grain."

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

The Prime Minister Yang Yiqing, the Minister of Justice Zhang Cong and others all echoed this.

(End of this chapter)