Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 161 All land under heaven shall be subject to the same grain tax!
The training ground was bustling with noise.

The nobles, who had just been deathly silent with fear, were now being dominated by fanaticism.

The monthly interest of "three million two hundred thousand taels," the allure of "ten ships of silver," and the vision of "value equal to gold" were like the strongest liquor poured into their parched throats, burning away the last shred of reason in their hearts.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to die for you and open up the seas for the Ming Dynasty!"

Shouts of loyalty rose and fell, one after another, as if this were a grand celebration and they were the heroes who would soon share in this feast!
Duke Dingguo, Xu Yunzhen, squeezed into the crowd, his face flushed. He even felt that giving up 90% of the land seemed a bit insincere.

Perhaps, the plots of land under the mansion should also be included, so that they can get a larger share in the future "dragon tickets".

Greed is the best anesthetic.

It made the nobles temporarily forget the cold gaze of the king on the high platform, and forget the more than ten thousand silent armored soldiers and three thousand wolf-like iron cavalry around the training ground.

However, just as this fervor reached its peak, Zhu Youjian, sitting on the throne, slowly raised one hand.

It's an incredibly simple action.

The deafening roar of the entire training ground seemed to be abruptly silenced, as if choked by an invisible hand.

Everyone fell silent, turning their gaze back to the platform. Their eyes still gleamed with an unquenchable fire of greed, but a sense of unease had crept back into their hearts.

"I have seen the loyalty of my beloved ministers."

Zhu Youjian's voice rang out again, calm and undisturbed, yet it quickly cooled the still warm air.

"But that's not enough."

Not enough? Xu Yunzhen's heart sank.

"To forge a new path, one must first clear away the old ones." The emperor's gaze slowly swept over everyone, his eyes like those of a craftsman polishing jade, cold and focused. "The Maritime Trade Office and the General Merchants' Association that I just mentioned are the foundation for lasting peace. To ensure the absolute safety of this foundation, I have several new policies that I need to implement with you all..."

The emperor spoke the words "to follow together" very lightly, yet they carried an undeniable weight.

Before anyone could react, the emperor threw out the first executioner's blade.

"From this day forward, I hereby declare the abolition of the privileges enjoyed by members of the imperial family, nobles, and officials since the time of Emperor Taizu Gao!"

"All land under heaven shall be subject to the same taxation! Regardless of whose land it is, taxes shall be levied per acre, and officials and gentry shall be punished equally!"

These words exploded in Xu Yunzhen's mind like a thunderclap in a dry season!
what?
Officials and gentry alike pay taxes?!

The color drained from his face in an instant, and he immediately understood what that meant.

The reason why the land held by nobles was a "golden rice bowl" was not because of its meager output, but because of the privilege of "tax exemption"!

It is precisely because of tax exemptions that they can openly annex land, allow countless self-cultivating farmers to "donate their land," and make the land grow bigger and bigger like a snowball.

But once "unified grain payment" is implemented...

In an instant, those vast tracts of fertile land transformed from a "golden rice bowl" that continuously generated wealth without requiring any support into a "hot potato" that required paying huge taxes every year!
Xu Yunzhen's heart was bleeding. He could even imagine how, when this decree spread throughout the land, the local tax officials would swarm towards the estates of these once high-ranking nobles like flies drawn to blood.

Land is no longer a symbol of wealth; it has become a huge problem, a death sentence!

Just as everyone was still reeling from the immense impact of this decree, the emperor's second blow was already upon them.

"The Beijing Garrison is the wings of the nation and the claws of the emperor, not the private property of nobles!" His voice suddenly turned stern. "Effective immediately, all hereditary command rights of Beijing Garrison officers are hereby abolished! All serving officers, regardless of rank (duke, marquis, earl, viscount), must re-register with the Ministry of War within three days and undergo a unified assessment! The best will be selected, the capable will rise, and the mediocre will fall! Those who fail will be sent home to retire!"

This move directly struck at their last remaining foundation.

If land is their economic lifeline, then control over the Beijing Garrison, even if only nominally, is the final symbol of their status and power. It is the glory that their ancestors earned through their illustrious military exploits, and the fundamental difference between them and ordinary wealthy households.

Now, even this last shred of dignity is being stripped away.

They will be completely stripped of their claws and become, in the truest sense, wealthy men kept in captivity in the capital!
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of countless people.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted from frenzy to cold silence.

They finally understood that the path to wealth and power offered by the emperor came at a price.

The price they paid was all the old-fashioned power they possessed.

The emperor's figure cast a long, slender shadow in the gloomy light, a shadow that enveloped all the nobles below the platform, like an insurmountable mountain.

His gaze once again transformed into two incomparably sharp blades, scraping inch by inch across the face of everyone present. "The road, I have paved for you."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a metallic quality, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"One option is to hand over your land and relinquish your laughable military power. Take the 'golden shares' personally granted by me, live honestly as wealthy men, and be respectable people. Share the benefits of the world with me and with this Great Ming. As long as the Ming Dynasty stands, your descendants will enjoy endless prosperity."

He paused for a moment, his sharp gaze sweeping across the faces of several top nobles, including the Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Yingguo, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.

"But I know that your ancestors were fierce generals who fought alongside Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. Their blood should not be filled with desires for comfort and pleasure. I do not want the descendants of the Ming Dynasty's meritorious officials to all become useless people who only know how to fight cocks and chase dogs."

"Therefore, on this first path, I have opened a door for you." His voice suddenly rose, filled with power.
"Those families that have obtained the 'Dragon Ticket' will have priority access to my Royal Naval Academy and Army Military Academy! What I need there are not纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats) seeking to gain prestige, but true military talents who can expand the territory of the Ming Dynasty and restore the glory of our ancestors!"

My fleet needs captains; my iron army needs commanders! I give you the opportunity to let your descendants earn glory through war, a glory far more dazzling than land and empty fame!

These words sent a shockwave through Xu Yunzhen, Zhang Weixian, and the others! The emperor was not only demanding that they hand over their wealth, but also forcing them to change the future of their entire families!
The emperor's voice continued coldly, as if he could see through their thoughts: "After you go back, change all your outdated methods of raising your children! Whatever kind of talent I want, you must cultivate that kind of talent for me! Only in this way can your families truly coexist with the Ming Dynasty and share this immense wealth! This is the true meaning of sharing the fate of the nation!"

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, his voice seeming to come from the deepest hell, carrying a chilling aura.

"The other way is to continue to cling to your land and hold on to that pitiful hereditary title."

"Then, the officials of the 'Land Survey and Accounting Office' will settle accounts with you inch by inch for the land that has been seized over the years."

"The tax officials I have newly appointed will collect the new taxes and the taxes owed in the past, one by one."

"My censors will place your crimes of oppressing the people and exploiting the local populace on my desk, one by one."

He took a step forward, staring intently at the crowd, his voice growing increasingly cold.

"In the end, you will lose your land, your property, and even your titles!"

The emperor practically roared out the words "cannot be saved," sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard them.

The emperor suddenly flicked his sleeve, his voice sharp and stern!
"I killed the princes of the Zhu family in Xi'an! My beloved ministers, do not force me to kill meritorious officials from outside the Zhu family in Beijing!"

These words, so scathing and cutting, were like a red-hot iron branding the hearts of all the nobles. They could no longer stand, and many of them collapsed to the cold ground.

"I will give you one day."

Zhu Youjian issued an ultimatum.

"Those who register as shareholders in the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow will be my shareholders and my family members."

"After tomorrow, those who haven't registered..." A cold smile crept across the Emperor's lips, "...the Embroidered Uniform Guard will personally come to invite you to the Imperial Prison. Then, I'll have a proper talk with you!"

After speaking, Zhu Youjian didn't look at the ashen-faced nobles below the platform again. He turned around, flicked his sleeves, and walked down from the platform. Surrounded by a group of Imperial Guards, he left directly.

The entire drill ground was now empty except for the silent soldiers and a group of distraught former "masters".

At the edge of the crowd, Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, kept his head down, like an emotionless clay sculpture.

But only he knew that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Tian Ergeng didn't think about the fate of those nobles; instead, the new policy announced by the emperor just now kept echoing in his mind—"All land under heaven shall be subject to taxation!"

A thought exploded in his mind!
He instantly connected the dots with a series of seemingly unrelated arrangements the emperor had recently made…

The "no-walking order" prohibiting Beijing officials from leaving the capital without authorization was quietly lifted a few days ago...

The royal silk factories in Jiangnan have begun to open one after another, following a secret imperial decree…

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and local garrisons are under orders to crack down on smuggling channels along the southeast coast. Zheng Zhilong's newly established "Royal Fleet" is also putting immense pressure on fleets that dare to bypass the Maritime Trade Office and set sail on their own...

The policy of requiring uniform tax payment and abolishing preferential treatment... While this decree had a huge impact on these military officers, where were the real hardest-hit areas?

It's Jiangnan!
They were the scholar-officials and gentry who "took land as their foundation," had vast wealth, and had deeply entrenched connections!

Once the "one-size-fits-all" tax system is implemented, the hundreds of thousands or millions of acres of land owned by the wealthy gentry in Jiangnan will instantly turn from a treasure trove into a bottomless pit that keeps bleeding money!

The emperor lifted the "travel ban" so that officials from Jiangnan who were in the capital could return home!

What to do when you go back?
So, what's the emperor's next step...?

Tian Ergeng dared not think any further.

(End of this chapter)