My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 137 Your Majesty is truly the greatest sage king of all time!
Zhu Cilang sat aside, with a blank expression on his face, but he was sneering in his heart.

I have to say that those officials who wanted to cause trouble were very smart!

They knew that if they personally came out to oppose the commercial tax reform, they would definitely face Chongzhen's wrath.

At that time, not to mention beheading, you will definitely be beaten with a stick.

But if the censor came out to oppose it, it would be a different matter, after all, the censor had the right to report matters based on hearsay.

Even if what they said was wrong, Chongzhen could not punish them.

But of course, Chongzhen was not stupid and he knew the tricks involved, so he did not show too much anger or annoyance.

Immediately afterwards, just as Chongzhen was about to speak, someone from the military generals' side suddenly jumped out.

He pointed at the group of imperial censors and cursed loudly:
"You fools who only know rumors and report things are truly guilty of heinous crimes! How could the court situation during Taizu's time be the same as it is now?"

"Almost three hundred years have passed. Shouldn't the imperial court's tax system change with the times?"

"Reforming commercial taxes will increase the court's tax revenue, allowing it to have enough money and food to support the army to quell the rebellion and fight the Jiannu."

"It's a hundred benefits to the court, and there's no harm in it. Why not?"

"Your Majesty! I request that these traitors be severely punished!"

At this moment, the one who was passionate was none other than British Prime Minister Zhang Zhiji.

Calculating the time, Zhu Cilang has not seen the Duke of England Zhang Zhiji for almost two months.

This was because when Zhu Cilang took Chongzhen to Shandong, Duke Yingguo Zhang Zhiji had not yet returned to the capital from Liaodong.

When the officials were arguing over the commercial tax reform, although the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Zhiji, said nothing on the surface, he was actually weighing the pros and cons in his heart.

To be honest, he is actually unwilling to support commercial tax reform.

As the most powerful nobleman in the Ming Dynasty, he owned hundreds of properties and shops, and he never had to pay taxes.

But after the commercial tax reform, he has to pay a large amount of commercial tax every month, and just thinking about it makes him feel sad.

but
He is the one who is least likely to oppose the commercial tax reform!
As a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, he knew clearly in his heart that all the wealth and glory he currently enjoyed was due to the protection of the imperial power. If he stood against the imperial power at this time, wouldn't that be seeking death?
What's more, it is impossible for Chongzhen to do such a thing. It is obvious that such a thing was done by Zhu Cilang!
As the Duke of England, he had already boarded Zhu Cilang's pirate ship, so naturally he could not do anything that went against Zhu Cilang's wishes.

So when the imperial edict on commercial tax reform was passed back to the capital, the Duke of Ying was the first Ming noble to rush to pay taxes!
At this moment, standing on the side of Chongzhen means standing on the side of Zhu Cilang and the side of the court. This is undoubtedly the critical moment for him to express his position and support the imperial power!

Seeing that Duke Zhang Zhiji of England was the first to speak out, the other nobles present also began to think secretly in their hearts:

They had offended the emperor and the prince before because of various things, and they must never go against the emperor and the prince again!

Under such circumstances, supporting commercial tax reform not only conforms to the general trend of the court, but also allows you to take this opportunity to please the emperor and the prince. It will definitely be beneficial to the prosperity of your own family in the future. Why not do it?

At most, they would just have to pay some money, which was not a big deal for these nobles.

As a result, many nobles also stood up and expressed their support for the national policy of commercial tax reform.

Xue Guoguan, the chief minister of the cabinet, took in the entire scene and couldn't help but think to himself:

The situation in the court is now very clear. If he continues to remain silent and does not express his attitude, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among His Majesty and the Prince.

In this way, his position as the chief minister of the cabinet will come to an end.

Although supporting commercial tax reform would offend most officials in the court, it was nothing compared to the favor of the emperor and the prince.

Besides, he is a member of the imperial party, so of course he has to support all the decisions made by the emperor and the prince!

Thinking of this, Xue Guoguan hurried out, bent down slightly, and said to Chongzhen respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I also believe that commercial tax reform is imperative. This will have many benefits for the development of the country, so I agree with this matter."

After he said this, some officials in the court were immediately furious.

This old immortal had been playing Tai Chi with them before, but now that the emperor is back, he immediately stood on the emperor's side. He is indeed worthy of being the emperor's lackey.

At that moment, several ministers jumped out and began to accuse Xue Guoguan.

"Master Xue, how could you agree to such a thing? As the chief minister of the cabinet, shouldn't you advise His Majesty to abide by the ancestral system?"

"That's right! How can the rules set by Taizu be changed so easily?"

"You are trying to put His Majesty in an unjust position!"

At this moment, Chongzhen finally couldn't bear it any longer. He suddenly raised his voice and shouted angrily:
"Shut up, everyone!"

This roar was like a bolt from the blue, instantly frightening all the civil and military officials in the court and making them silent.

Everyone shut their mouths obediently, not daring to say another word.

Chongzhen glanced at the crowd coldly, feeling extremely annoyed by the meaningless quarrels among these officials.

Then, he said in a firm tone:
"I have made up my mind and will not change it. Commercial tax reform is related to the prosperity of the country. No one can persuade me otherwise!"

"Anyone who violates this will be punished as a disobedient emperor!"

The court suddenly became quiet. Although the officials did not say anything, many of them were still dissatisfied.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang quietly looked at Chongzhen, and then gave Chongzhen a look.

Signaling to Chongzhen that he could start the next topic.

The next topic, of course, is the salary increase for civil and military officials.

Seeing the look Zhu Cilang gave him, Chongzhen was somewhat dissatisfied, but he still spoke again:

"Besides the issue of commercial tax reform, I have another important matter to discuss with you, my dear ministers, today."

"As everyone knows, the salaries of Ming officials have not increased in almost three hundred years since the time of Emperor Taizu."

"Furthermore, the salaries of Ming officials were the lowest in all dynasties."

"I also know that being an official is not easy. You have to serve your parents and raise your wives and children. If your salary is meager, how can you be at ease in governing?"

"Therefore, I have decided to increase the salaries of all officials."

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

As soon as these words came out, all the civil and military officials in the court were so surprised that they couldn't close their mouths. Everyone was surprised:
What happened to Chongzhen today?
They are so frugal on weekdays, and would like to spend every penny carefully. I still owed them half a year's salary two months ago. Why do I have to raise their salary today?

Is this change too fast?
It's like the sun is rising from the west!

Some people seemed to have figured something out and thought to themselves:
What is the Emperor's intention behind this move? Is he trying to win over the people and stop us from opposing the commercial tax reform?

Finally, a brave imperial censor asked cautiously:
"May I ask, Your Majesty, how much will our salaries be increased?"

Chongzhen replied calmly:
"The salaries of all civil and military officials will be doubled."

When everyone heard this, they were even more shocked.

I originally thought that even if their salaries were to be raised, an increase of 20% or 30% would be the maximum, but I didn't expect that Chongzhen actually planned to double their salaries!
Honestly, that sounds too good to be true.

Of course, more officials began to wonder whether the increased salary would be paid in the form of Ming treasure notes and physical goods?

If that’s the case, then don’t raise the price anymore!

After all, the Ming Dynasty treasure notes are really worthless and not soft enough to wipe your butt with.

But no one dared to say this rashly, and everyone could only look at the chief minister of the cabinet, Xue Guoguan.

Xue Guoguan immediately understood everyone's thoughts, and then he could only bite the bullet and speak:

"May I ask, Your Majesty, how will this newly increased salary be distributed?"

Although Chongzhen felt a little pain in his heart, but thinking about the importance of this matter, he finally said:
"The original method of salary payment remains unchanged. The newly increased doubled salary will no longer be paid in kind or in Ming Dynasty treasure notes. Instead, it will be paid entirely in rice and silver."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials were struck by lightning, with expressions of disbelief on their faces, as if they were in a dream.

The next second, an official seemed to want to test whether he was dreaming and subconsciously raised his hand to slap himself.

"Snapped"

A loud slap suddenly rang out in the court.

But no one among the civil and military officials paid any attention to him at this time, and they still looked at Chongzhen sitting on the dragon throne with an incredible look.

They still couldn't believe that all this was true?

Chongzhen actually planned to increase their salaries, and double them!
More importantly, this doubled salary was no longer paid in kind or in Ming treasure notes, but was distributed entirely in rice and silver.

Is this really not a dream?
At this moment, Zhu Cilang, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke.

"Everyone, my father made a rough estimate a while ago. After the commercial tax reform, we can collect about 15 million taels of silver in commercial taxes each year."

"The Emperor understands your difficulties, so he has decided to give you 10 million taels to increase your salaries. He hopes that your lives will be better in the future, so that you can better serve the court."

"I hope you will not let my father down!"

When the civil and military officials heard this, their previous doubts immediately disappeared, and they looked as if they had suddenly realized something.

The censors who had previously opposed the commercial tax reform now had pale and red faces and were filled with shame.

No matter how hard they tried, they could never have imagined that the first thing Chongzhen did after reforming the commercial tax was to increase their salaries, and directly double them!
Out of the 15 million in taxes, they directly divided 10 million!

The remaining five million belong to the court.

They really judge others by their own standards. Chongzhen did this entirely for their own good!

And they were bewitched by others and insisted on opposing Chongzhen in the court!

All of a sudden, the censors who had previously opposed the commercial tax all knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly:

"Your Majesty, I truly deserve death. Please forgive my previous arrogant words. I will never dare to oppose commercial tax reform again!"

"Your Majesty! I know I was wrong! I didn't know Your Majesty had such good intentions. I deserve to die!"

"Your Majesty is truly a sage king of all ages. Commercial tax reform is imperative. This is the national policy of our Ming Dynasty. If anyone dares to oppose it again, he will be an enemy of the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty, please execute him immediately!" It must be said that the censors were very tough when they were tough, but they also changed their faces very quickly.

In an instant, the censors changed from opposing the commercial tax reform to supporting it.

What's worse, Chongzhen even directly killed those who opposed the commercial tax reform.

In the final analysis, Chongzhen gave too much and they had no way of refusing!
In the Ming Dynasty, anyone can be greedy for money, except these censors!

Because the censors were responsible for supervising court officials and had heavy responsibilities, they were always held by people with upright natures.

All of these people have one thing in common: poverty!
To be frank, the monthly salary is just enough for the whole family to have enough food to eat!

But now, Chongzhen actually wants to increase their salaries. How can they not be excited?

Although it seems that it has only doubled, the previous physical objects and Ming treasure notes are no longer used. Instead, all the money is distributed in the form of rice and silver. If you calculate it this way, it is equivalent to an increase of almost three times!
This is equivalent to the future, where your monthly salary is originally 3000 yuan, plus some useless shopping discount coupons and some junk that no one wants.

Suddenly your boss decides to give you a raise, by 6000 yuan.

Then all you get every month is 9000 yuan, plus some useless shopping coupons, and some unwanted junk.

No matter who this happens to, no one would not be excited!

Especially these imperial censors who have always lived on salaries!
So at this moment, their excitement was completely genuine.

When the other civil and military officials saw this scene, they all came to their senses. Except for some officials who were not short of money and remained calm, most of the officials were also very excited.

Although they knew that this might be a compromise made by Chongzhen in order to reform commercial taxes, they actually benefited from it!
This move will surely shock the entire officialdom!
Then, the other officials also knelt on the ground and shouted:
"Your Majesty is wise and holy. Long live Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty is truly a sage ruler throughout the ages! Comparable to Taizu and Chengzu!"

"Even if Emperor Taizong of Tang were still alive, he couldn't compare to Your Majesty in the slightest! Your Majesty is truly the greatest sage monarch of all time!"

At this moment, all the civil and military officials present knelt on the ground, each of them expressing gratitude to Chongzhen.

Even though a few officials were still dissatisfied in their hearts, they did not dare to show it amid the cheers of "Long live the emperor", but instead kowtowed and expressed their gratitude.

At the same time, I secretly admired the cleverness of Chongzhen's methods!

Previously, everyone thought that the commercial tax reform was intended to allow the court to collect more taxes, so some people opposed it.

But now?

The imperial court collected commercial taxes in order to increase the salaries of civil and military officials, and they doubled the salaries!
The total annual revenue was only 15 million taels, and 10 million taels were directly used to increase the salaries of civil and military officials.

Who else would object?

Anyone who opposes the commercial tax reform at this time is going against all the civil and military officials in the world!

They might be spat on while walking on the street, and they dared not close their eyes at night, for fear that some official who could not afford to eat would cut their throats in the middle of the night.

Even the six ministers and several cabinet ministers knelt on the ground and praised Your Majesty for his wisdom.

To be honest, they did not expect that Chongzhen would be willing to spend 10 million silver to increase the salaries of civil and military officials. This was completely inconsistent with what Chongzhen had done.

But once the words were spoken, everyone knew that this was inevitable.

So at this time, don’t say anything, just kowtow!

Chongzhen sat on the dragon throne, listening to the ministers cheering "Long live the dragon", and he couldn't help feeling a sense of comfort in his heart.

Especially the words "the greatest saint of all time" made him feel numb all over!
Think about a few months ago, when rebellions broke out everywhere in the Ming Dynasty and the finances were in deficit. Even the army's pay and the officials' salaries could not be paid, and the country was on the verge of collapse.

But only two months had passed, and the Ming Dynasty had not only paid the military pay and the salaries of the officials, but the combined treasury and the national treasury had about 150 million taels of silver!
In addition, Sun Chuanting was training troops in Shaanxi to prepare for the suppression of Li Zicheng.

In Liaodong, the Jiannu were short of food and grass, and they only needed to delay for a few more months to win without fighting.

Although natural disasters continued to occur within the Ming Dynasty, the court's disaster relief efforts were carried out in an orderly manner, and the victims were even asked to help build new cities.

Not to mention that there is still money to increase the salaries of civil and military officials.
All of this proves that the Ming Dynasty is developing in a good direction.

And the instigator of all this was the rebellious son in front of him!

For a moment, Chongzhen looked at Zhu Cilang with a little more eagerness.

Because he knew that this rebellious son would definitely lead the Ming Dynasty to a more glorious future.

Thinking back, Chongzhen regained his composure and looked at the civil and military officials who were still kneeling on the ground.
"Alright, my dear ministers, please stand up. I have something else to say."

When the civil and military officials heard this, they stood up.

Most people had tears in their eyes and their faces were filled with emotion and joy. They looked like they were truly moved.

But think about it.

Those who originally received 3,000 yuan can now receive 9,000 yuan.

Those who originally received 6,000 yuan can now receive 18,000 yuan.

Those who originally received 10,000 yuan can now receive 30,000 yuan.

Who wouldn't be happy?
Having encountered such a good thing, I have to have a few drinks tonight to celebrate.

After the court calmed down, Chongzhen continued:

"From now on, I will issue an imperial decree to increase salaries to the two capitals and thirteen provinces. However, the specific time of implementation depends on which of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty completes the commercial tax reform first."

"In short, whichever province completes commercial tax reform first will have its officials' salaries doubled next month."

When the civil and military officials heard this, they naturally had no objection.

After all, salary increase is based on commercial tax reform. If even commercial tax reform cannot be implemented, then what qualifications do we have to demand double salary?

For a moment, all the ministers bowed and said:

"Your Majesty is wise, this is the way it should be!"

Seeing that no one objected, Chongzhen suddenly shouted:
"Where is the Minister of Revenue?"

When the Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu heard the summons, he hurriedly stood up.

"Your Majesty, I am here!"

Chongzhen said:
"From today on, the Ming Dynasty Taxation Bureau will be established and managed by the Ministry of Revenue. This department will be dedicated to collecting commercial taxes from all over the country."

"In addition, to ensure the smooth progress of tax collection, soldiers were selected from the Jinyiwei, Jingying, and Tengxiang guards to form a dedicated tax collection army, called the Ming Dynasty Taxation Army."

"The Ming Dynasty's taxation army is only responsible for collecting commercial taxes, and is temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue."

"As for how to implement it specifically, we will discuss it with the Crown Prince immediately!"

When the civil and military officials heard this, they were immediately shocked.

Ni Yuanlu was even more shocked and terrified.

You must know that from ancient times to the present, the Ministry of Revenue has never had anything to do with the army. Now the emperor's sudden decree actually directly gave the Ministry of Revenue military power. This is simply the first time in the history of the world!

But seeing Chongzhen's resolute expression, Ni Yuanlu knew that it was difficult to disobey the emperor's will, so he did not dare to say anything and could only accept the order:
"I will obey your Majesty's command."

Others wanted to say something, but Chongzhen had already stood up and prepared to leave.

Then, Wang Chengen, who was standing next to Chongzhen, shouted:
"Retreat!"

This sentence forced those people to stop what they wanted to say.

Just like that, the first morning court session after returning to the capital ended.

After the morning court session ended, Zhu Cilang did not return to the Eastern Palace immediately, but went to the Firearms Research Institute.

After meeting Bi Maokang, he chatted with him for a few words, and then went to check the production of flintlock rifles.

During his absence, the production of flintlock rifles had increased to 500 per day, and now nearly 20,000 have been produced.

These 20,000 flintlock rifles were first equipped to the Guanning Iron Cavalry and the Tengxiang Five Guards, and then to the Beijing Camp and other border troops.

As for Bi Wenxuan, because the number of disaster victims has increased recently and a large amount of disinfectants are needed, he has recently focused his energy on disinfectants such as soap and alcohol.

As for the hot air balloon that Zhu Cilang wanted, he would probably have to wait for a while.

But Zhu Cilang didn't care. After all, the safety of the victims was far more important than the hot air balloon.

In addition, Johann Adam Schall von Bell did not disappoint Zhu Cilang. With the cooperation of Song Yingxing, they further improved the original artillery of the Ming Dynasty, with significant improvements in both power and distance.

Overall, everything is moving in a positive direction.

After returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Cilang summoned Xia Dewu out of boredom, wanting to know about the current prices in the capital.

Upon seeing Xia Dewu, Zhu Cilang asked without waiting for him to greet him:
"How has the price of grain been in the capital this month?"

Xia Dewu replied respectfully:
"Reporting to His Royal Highness, the price of grain in the capital is relatively stable now, still three taels of silver per stone, the same as before you left the capital."

Zhu Cilang nodded and asked:
"I asked you to sell grain to merchants who wanted to stock up on it. How much did you sell to them?"

When Xia Dewu heard this, he suddenly smiled and replied:
"Reporting to His Royal Highness, I have sold all five million dan of grain to them!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang was immediately shocked.

Although he did say before that if these merchants could eat it, he would sell all 5 million shi of grain to them.

But he never imagined that these merchants could actually consume five million shi of grain.

You should know that the current price of grain in the capital is three taels of silver per stone, and five million stones of grain would be a full 15 million taels of silver!

Can this group of businessmen really come up with such a large sum of money?

I have to say, this was really beyond his expectations.

(End of this chapter)