Huangming

Chapter 166: Zi Yuan’s good offices, Xuan Gui’s positive performance

Zhu Youxiao, of course, would not tell them the history he learned from later historical books.

The late Ming Dynasty coincided with the Little Ice Age, during which droughts, locust plagues, and epidemics were on the horizon. These natural disasters, intertwined with official corruption, ultimately became the last straw that broke the back of the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, he stood with his hands behind his back in front of the "Map of the Ming Dynasty", using the shadows cast by the candlelight on the parchment to conceal the turbulent thoughts surging in his eyes.

"His Majesty."

Fang Congzhe finally couldn't help but speak, and the jade belt hook tapped softly against the gold brick.

"The Imperial Observatory has not reported any unusual celestial phenomena recently, and the Zhou Sili just reported last month that 'the twenty-eight constellations are all in their proper positions.'"

Fang Congzhe almost said directly: Your Majesty, please stop making this up.

"Motosuke."

Zhu Youxiao looked directly at Fang Congzhe and said, "In the thirty-sixth year of the Wanli reign, there was a severe drought in northern Shaanxi, and the roads were blocked with starving corpses, leading to cannibalism; in the forty-third year of the Wanli reign, there was a locust plague in Shandong, and the locusts devoured the bark of the trees wherever they flew—all of these occurred in the years that the star officials called 'auspicious celestial phenomena'!"

Li Ruhua keenly sensed the emperor's emotional fluctuations and quickly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty is foolish! Your Majesty is in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven and is naturally able to see through the unpredictable opportunities that ordinary people cannot fathom."

Fang Congzhe knew that once the emperor made a decision, it was beyond his control.

Since His Majesty says there is a severe drought, then let us deal with it in the same way as a severe drought!

Who told him to be a paperhanger, and who told him to be a puppet prime minister?

But even if you're going along with the emperor's wishes, you still need to get to the bottom of things.

If things go wrong, the emperor will be fine, but the person who did the work will have to take the blame.

Although the titles "paperhanger" and "puppet prime minister" sound unpleasant, Fang Congzhe was still willing to work for a few more years.

After clearing his mind, Fang Congzhe asked, "Your Majesty, what are those sweet potatoes and corn?"

Zhu Youxiao pointed to Xu Guangqi and said, "Doctor Xu knows about this thing. It is a drought-resistant and high-yield plant that can save countless lives."

When Xu Guangqi was called by the emperor, he hurriedly straightened up, not even bothering to brush off the dust from the gold bricks that had gotten on his sleeves when he had been lying on the ground.

His Adam's apple bobbed twice, but his voice was surprisingly steady: "Your Excellency, these two things are foreign crops brought by missionaries from the West. Sweet potatoes are drought-resistant, and their roots can still store water and grow even three feet underground; corn stalks are tall and leaves are broad, so even in the event of a locust plague, there will be no complete loss of harvest."

"Your Majesty, although these two plants have benefits, they are ultimately new species introduced from abroad. I believe we should first select a few prefectures to test their cultivation, observe their adaptation to the soil and water, and assess their actual yields, before discussing their widespread adoption. If they are rashly introduced to the whole country, any mishaps could damage the very foundation of agriculture."

Fang Congzhe prioritized stability.

Zhu Youxiao slowly said, "It is too late to conduct pilot programs now. Sweet potatoes and corn are indeed high-yielding, but I do not wish to force all the people to switch to them. We should adapt to local conditions—sweet potatoes are drought-resistant and should be promoted in arid areas; corn requires water and should be planted in areas with abundant water. Each region only needs to persuade people in suitable areas to switch to three or four tenths of their crops. In this way, we can not miss the farming season and gradually achieve increased production."

Sweet potatoes and corn are good, but people don't have the experience to grow them.

Forcing its promotion may not yield good results.

It's better to take it slow.

Zhu Youxiao had no desire to become Khrushchev.

Seeing that the emperor was still rational, Fang Congzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Seeing that he had said enough, Zhu Youxiao immediately raised his voice and said:

"Practice."

"Effective immediately, every household in the three provinces of Beizhili, Shanxi, and Shaanxi must dig two water storage ponds, no less than one zhang deep. The Ministry of Works is hereby ordered to send personnel to supervise the work. Those who fail to meet the standards will have their county officials' salaries confiscated and their prefects demoted!"

He tossed out a scroll of "Ten Strategies for Drought Relief" that he had prepared beforehand. When the parchment was unfolded, it revealed dense red annotations, which even included detailed agricultural techniques for later generations, such as "using vinegar to kill locust eggs" and "storing sweet potato vines in cellars during winter."

"In addition, the Cabinet should draft a plan to promote sweet potatoes and corn to ensure that it can be carried out smoothly."

"Your subject obeys!" Fang Congzhe immediately accepted the order.

Zhu Youxiao, fearing that Fang Congzhe would give him a perfunctory response, said again:

"Your Excellency, it has been nearly a month without rain in Beizhili, and the Yellow River's water level has dropped by more than 30% compared to previous years. This sign of drought is alarming to me. Your Excellency must not take my words lightly."

"If the people have no food to eat, they will inevitably resort to the tragedy of exchanging their own children to eat. If treacherous people incite further troubles, can our Great Ming Dynasty still be safe amidst internal and external crises?"

Fang Congzhe trembled and kowtowed heavily: "Your Majesty is wise! This old minister will immediately take charge of drought relief and will do everything in his power to ensure that such a tragedy never happens!"

He raised his head, a resolute glint flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Your Majesty, I will immediately convene the Six Ministries to discuss and implement matters concerning water storage and grain reserves, and I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

Upon seeing Fang Congzhe's statement, Zhu Youxiao finally smiled.

"You are busy with state affairs, so I will leave these matters to the Grand Secretary."

Given the current administrative efficiency of the Ming Dynasty and its influence over local areas, it remains to be seen how much of the drought relief efforts can be effectively implemented.

But at least something was done, and some preparations were made.

If a severe drought really occurs, we won't be in a rush, but will be able to react as quickly as possible.

This is enough.

After Fang Congzhe left, Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Ruhua.

Drought relief efforts can be forcefully implemented through performance evaluations of officials, with each locality setting targets for its subordinates to meet.

However, if local officials forcefully push through the planting of sweet potatoes and corn, and if these officials are incompetent, they could easily do more harm than good and incite popular uprisings.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes flickered, and he immediately said, "Minister Li, this drought relief effort requires countless amounts of money and grain. Let me ask you—what is the current state of the Ming Dynasty's tax system? Have the arrears from previous years been collected?"

Li Ruhua sat upright in his armchair, suddenly realizing that this was the third time he had answered the emperor's questions while seated.

He took a deep breath, his voice carrying the calculating tone characteristic of a veteran official of the Ministry of Revenue: "Your Majesty, since the additional Liaodong tax was levied in the 46th year of the Wanli reign, the national land tax has been collected in two seasons, summer tax and autumn grain tax, at a rate of 0.32 li of silver per mu. However, due to consecutive years of famine in provinces such as Shaanxi and Shanxi, last year's actual collection was less than 60% of the quota."

Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Ruhua and asked softly, "I remember that Zhang Juzheng's Single Whip Law should have included the corvée labor tax as a form of payment in the land tax?"

"Your Majesty is wise."

Li Ruhua's forehead was beaded with sweat as he honestly replied, "Nowadays, prefectures and counties still come up with all sorts of pretexts, such as 'fire loss' to compensate for losses in smelting and casting, and 'transportation fee' to cover transportation costs. In addition, there is surplus silver, which is charged an extra five qian per tael."

Zhu Youxiao's eyes were sharp as he slowly said, "Minister Li, I have heard that in some places there is a shortage of silver, yet the government still forcibly collects silver taxes, forcing the people to sell their land at rock-bottom prices, which in turn allows local powerful families to take the opportunity to annex land. Is there a problem with this tax system?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ruhua was extremely excited.

His Majesty!

Finally, it's time to take action against this tax system!
Having served as Minister of Revenue for many years, he had long felt that there was something wrong with the tax system.

Now, it has become unavoidable to change.

He immediately rose and kowtowed, saying loudly, "Your Majesty is extremely discerning! This matter does indeed exist and has been a long-standing problem for many years."

He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously replied, "Since Zhang Juzheng implemented the 'Single Whip Law,' the imperial court has primarily levied taxes in silver, with the intention of simplifying the tax system and reducing exploitation by officials. However…"

He paused, his voice low and he sighed, "There is a shortage of silver in circulation in the local area. People have no silver in their hands and can only sell their grain and land to exchange for silver. And whenever taxes are levied, unscrupulous merchants and powerful families take the opportunity to lower grain prices, and even collude with the government to force people to sell their land at a low price."

Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly and tapped his finger lightly on the imperial desk: "In this way, the court's taxation will instead become an opportunity for powerful families to amass wealth and seize land?"

Li Ruhua bowed deeply: "That's exactly right! Especially in recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently, and the people have suffered. In order to complete their tax collection tasks, local officials often condone the powerful and wealthy to lower the price of grain, and even secretly allow them to annex farmland at low prices. Over time, the rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand, and resentment among the people has gradually arisen."

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes: "Then, in your opinion, how should this be resolved?" Li Ruhua pondered for a moment and said, "I believe that local officials should allow people to pay taxes in kind, such as grain and cloth, to reduce their dependence on silver. At the same time, we should strictly investigate the collusion between powerful families and officials to suppress land prices and seize land, and anyone who violates this rule should be severely punished!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, his gaze deep: "Good, this matter must be implemented as soon as possible. In addition, order the Ministry of Revenue to investigate the land annexation situation in various places. If it is found that there was forced buying and selling of land in recent years due to taxation, all those who were forced to sell their land must be ordered to return the land!"

Li Ruhua kowtowed solemnly: "Your subject obeys the decree! This matter will be thoroughly investigated, and we will never allow powerful families to use the guise of the court's tax collection to carry out land annexation!"

But after a moment’s hesitation, he said, “This matter involves a wide range of issues and may not be accomplished overnight.”

Zhu Youxiao naturally knew that investigating and consolidating land was not an easy task, and that this matter would offend countless people.

But he still pretended to know nothing and asked, "Oh? What are the difficulties in accomplishing this?"

Li Ruhua took a deep breath and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, the problem of land annexation has a long history. Local powerful families, nobles, and even officials in the court have all engaged in encroaching on farmland. If a sudden investigation were to take place, I fear..."

He paused, his voice low: "I'm afraid it will affect the interests of too many people, and may even cause turmoil in the court."

Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly: "Does the Emperor need to worry about these parasites?"

Li Ruhua quickly bowed his head: "Your Majesty, please calm down! I am not advising Your Majesty to give up, but rather suggesting that we proceed gradually. We can first select one or two provinces for a pilot program, and after we have understood the situation and stabilized the situation, we can gradually implement it nationwide. In this way, we can avoid provoking a backlash and ensure the smooth implementation of the decree."

Zhu Youxiao remained silent for a moment, his gaze deep.

He naturally understood Li Ruhua's concerns—if they acted rashly, it might force some people to take risks, or even secretly obstruct the new policies.

After all, everyone's done land grabbing.

With so many stakeholders involved, things naturally become difficult to handle.

After a long silence, he slowly nodded: "Very well, this matter will be decided according to your suggestion. We will first try it out in Beizhili. But I want you to investigate secretly and make sure you find out the true situation of annexation in various places, especially those powerful families with important officials in the court behind them!"

Li Ruhua kowtowed solemnly: "Your subject obeys the decree! I will act with utmost caution and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

In fact, Zhu Youxiao originally planned to investigate land annexation in Shaanxi and Shanxi, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

Beizhili was right under the emperor's nose and was Zhu Youxiao's base of operations. He had more than 100,000 soldiers in the Beijing garrison, and he could suppress any trouble that might arise.

In Shaanxi and Shanxi today, there are large numbers of displaced people. The crackdown on land annexation will inevitably affect the interests of local powerful families, which could really trigger a popular uprising.

We should first clean up the area beneath our feet in Beizhili before cleaning up the filth in other places.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but sigh softly.

The problem is that there aren't enough soldiers in the Beijing garrison under his command.

If there were enough troops, he could use the pretext of training them to send 100,000 troops from the capital garrison to Shanxi and Shaanxi respectively, and then conduct a land investigation. Even if the local powerful officials had objections, they would have no choice but to swallow their anger.

Ultimately, he didn't have many soldiers under his command, and those with combat effectiveness were far from enough.

Not to mention, the flames of war in Liaodong had not yet been extinguished.

It's best to clean up this mess step by step.

Taking too big a step can easily lead to trouble.

Zhu Youxiao did not want to suffer the same fate as his foolish younger brother, who squandered the Ming Dynasty, which could have been extended by several more years.

of course
Zhu Youxiao also did not forget to promote sweet potatoes and corn.

He said to Li Ruhua, "Minister Li, since the people are short of money, could we allow crops such as sweet potatoes and corn to be used as tax credits? This would not only reduce the burden on the people, but also promote the use of new grains, killing two birds with one stone."

Upon hearing this, Li Ruhua pondered for a moment and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty's policy certainly has merit. Using goods to offset taxes is an ancient practice, such as the 'rent, labor, and tax system' which allowed the payment of silk, cloth, and grain as tax. Including sweet potatoes and corn in the tax collection scope would indeed encourage the people to plant them voluntarily."

He paused, then added: "However, I believe there are three points to note: First, although sweet potatoes and corn may be drought-resistant and high-yielding, their storage and transportation are more complicated than grains, so storage needs to be planned in advance; second, local governments need to unify the conversion standards to prevent corrupt officials from taking the opportunity to exploit and over-collect taxes; third, local governments must be strictly prohibited from forcibly apportioning taxes and should focus on persuasion, otherwise it may cause public resentment."

Zhu Youxiao nodded; he acknowledged Li Ruhua's abilities.

His personnel management style is to trust those he employs and not to employ those he doesn't trust.

Since this matter is to be handled, it is natural to grant appropriate authority, Zhu Youxiao said slowly:

"Minister Li, I intend to reform the tax system to alleviate the people's suffering, curb land annexation, and replenish the national treasury. You are in full charge of this matter. You must consult with the cabinet ministers and officials of the six ministries to ensure that everything goes smoothly."

Li Ruhua was startled, knowing the gravity of the matter. He quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I obey! However, tax reform involves a wide range of issues. If it is changed rashly, it may cause local unrest. I request Your Majesty's permission to first discuss the details with the Ministry of Revenue and the Cabinet, then select one or two provinces to try it out, and observe the results before promoting it further."

He shouldn't do things that offend people.

If this goes wrong, he can't take the blame alone.

We need to bring a few more people over.

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly: "Your considerations are thorough; I grant your request. However, there are three points you must remember—"

"Please grant me your holy decree, Your Majesty!"

The emperor held up three fingers, his gaze sharp as a knife, and slowly said: "First, the new tax system must reduce the burden on ordinary people, and the powerful must not be allowed to evade taxes again; second, taxation must be flexible, allowing for payments in silver, grain, or even new grains such as sweet potatoes and corn, to facilitate its implementation. The proportions of silver and goods should be tailored to local conditions, not necessarily uniform across the country; third, officials who embezzle public funds must be strictly investigated, and anyone who exploits the people under the guise of reform will be executed without mercy!"

Li Ruhua solemnly replied, "Your Majesty's instructions will be remembered! I will work with my ministers to carefully consider the matter, ensuring both the government's tax revenue and the people's peace of mind."

In fact, what Zhu Youxiao was most worried about was not that the policies were bad, but that they were not being implemented well at the lower levels.

He knew that once the words of the imperial edict left the Forbidden City, they would be like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples before sinking into layers of silt.

No matter how good a government decree is, once it passes through the hands of the prefectures and counties, it can become a knife that scrapes the bone.

A pond that is ten feet deep will shrink to seven feet when it reaches the destination; relief funds allocated will be reduced by thirty percent as they pass through each government office.

These officials, when they presented their memorials, uttered every word as 'wise and wise,' but when they turned around, they dissected the imperial edicts into pieces.

They were like a group of paperhangers, using glue to piece together a dilapidated country into a paper lantern, the inside of which had long been hollowed out by worms, yet they still insisted on painting dragons and phoenixes on the outside.

As for the post stations? And the imperial censors?
Zhu Youxiao recalled those whistleblower hotlines in later generations that reached the emperor directly, but in the end, they all became mere decorations.

Even in the era of satellite surveillance, there was no way to stop the saying "where there's a policy, there's a countermeasure," let alone the Tianqi Dynasty, which relied on post horses for communication.

Those weary imperial inspectors had long been softened by the welcoming banquets along the way.

What chilled him to the bone was not the natural disaster, but the process by which the 'imperial decree' was constantly distorted during its transmission.

Drought relief decrees would become excuses for imposing taxes, new grain varieties would be resold at high prices, and even his personally approved "allowing tax deductions in kind" could be misinterpreted by powerful figures as a pretext for forced taxation.

It's as if an invisible net is twisting beneficial policies into a noose.

This is why Zhu Youxiao felt he didn't have enough soldiers.

If we had 300,000 elite troops at our disposal right now, why would we need to play the game of 'taking things slowly' with these parasites?
We should go directly to the prefectures and counties with our swords, and let them know who the true masters of the Ming Dynasty are!

With a massive army pressing in and a sword hanging over our necks, let's see who dares to replace the disaster relief grain with moldy bran!
But the battle reports from Liaodong reminded him that the Ming Dynasty's blade had long been rusted and could no longer cut the throats of powerful clansmen.

Ultimately, we'll have to get things done through them.

Zhu Youxiao closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

Xu Guangqi's sweet potato and Li Ruhua's tax reform were merely pawns used to test the waters.

This battle against the bureaucratic system must be fought slowly, like training a hawk.

They need to smell the blood, but not be forced to peck out their master's eyes.

He still has a long way to go in governing the Ming Dynasty!
But the good thing is.
He's already on the right track.

(End of this chapter)