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

Chapter 175 The Emperor was not satisfied with this answer.

The scorching sun that had been strong enough to burn Wen Tiren's eyes during the day eventually sank behind the many walls of the Forbidden City.

The night was as dark as ink, quickly engulfing the entire imperial city, swallowing up the burning ambition and determination of the daytime, replacing it with a bone-chilling coldness and silence.

The lights in the warm pavilion of Qianqing Palace were lit again, as if a raptor that never tires had opened its single eye and was surveying its empire in the darkness.

Meanwhile, a new imperial decree had been quietly sent to the Huitong Hall in the south of the city.

Bi Ziyan had been in Beijing for two days and was currently staying at the Huitongguan Hotel.

For the past two days, he has not stepped out of the inn, but has been sitting quietly waiting.

Outside the window was the bustling capital, with carriages and horses like dragons and a cacophony of voices, but all of that seemed to be separated from him by an invisible ice wall.

As the governor of Tianjin, he received several imperial edicts from the capital during his tenure.

Some of those imperial edicts concerned maritime transport, some concerned salt administration, and some concerned the transportation of military rations; each one was precise and stringent.

Five days ago, the imperial edict ordering him to come to the capital immediately arrived, without explaining any reason, only specifying the date.

At that moment, the tension in Bi Ziyan's heart finally reached its limit.

He knew perfectly well that the current emperor's actions had long since deviated from the comprehension of the civil officials.

Every decision the emperor made was like a bolt from the heavens, striking precisely at a crucial juncture in the empire, leaving the deeply entrenched factions and powerful families dizzy and helpless.

For officials in the capital, the most terrifying place was neither the heavily fortified Six Ministries nor the secluded and majestic Forbidden City, but rather the emperor's unfathomable heart, which seemed forever shrouded in mystery.

He was like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, occasionally extending his claws to tear apart a piece of rotten flesh each time, but never letting anyone see his full form.

Bi Ziyan had a premonition that this urgent summons in the dead of night might be a sign that the behemoth was about to extend its claws at him.

……

After several tedious and cold checks, a stern-faced eunuch led him along an empty palace path, the surrounding palace walls casting huge shadows in the moonlight.

Outside the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Bi Ziyan stopped in his tracks.

He saw a figure standing quietly under the corridor, dressed in a scarlet official robe. The person was thin and slender, with a straight back, like a javelin that would never bend in the cold wind.

Fan Jingwen, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Bi Ziyan's heart sank suddenly.

He recognized the man: a loyal and upright official known throughout the court and the country, a tough guy who dared to impeach Wei Zhongxian during the Tianqi era.

But Bi Ziyan couldn't understand why the emperor would summon him and Fan Jingwen, such upright and aloof officials who seemed detached from worldly affairs, to the same audience.
Just as he was filled with doubt and surprise, the door to the warm pavilion opened silently, and the young eunuch who had led the way lowered his head and said in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty summons the two gentlemen to an audience."

Bi Ziyan straightened his official robes and exchanged a glance with Fan Jingwen. He saw the same confusion in Fan Jingwen's eyes.

The two walked one after the other into that warm place that could melt steel.

The underground heating system was burning extremely brightly, filling the air with a strong, almost oppressive, aroma that was hard to distinguish—it was either ambergris or some other fragrance. As soon as Bi Ziyan stepped into the warm pavilion, he felt a wave of heat wash over him, a stark contrast to the bitter cold outside, making him slightly dizzy.

He lowered his head and bowed according to custom.

"Your subject, Bi Ziyan (Fan Jingwen), pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

"Flat body."

A young voice rang out, calm yet carrying a depth of experience beyond its years.

Bi Ziyan thanked the emperor and stood up, cautiously glancing at the emperor on the throne out of the corner of his eye.

With just one glance, a storm raged within him.

He was not surprised by the emperor's youth, a fact that was already common knowledge.

To his surprise, the young emperor showed no trace of youthful vigor, no arrogance, no frivolity, and not even the impulsiveness of youthful impetuosity.

His face was slightly thin, but he sat upright like a mountain, and his eyes were even more... Bi Ziyan couldn't describe those eyes.

That's the kind of gaze that only an emperor who has held power for decades could cultivate!
At the same time, Zhu Youjian was also looking at the two ministers below him.

These two ministers were names he had repeatedly gone through in his mind, deliberated over for a long time, and then had Tian Ergeng pull out all their files from childhood to adulthood and read them word by word for a long time.

Bi Ziyan was a capable official and a pragmatist. During his tenure as Governor of Tianjin, he managed maritime transport, grain transport, and salt administration with great efficiency, making him one of the few still functioning joints in the stagnant body of the empire.

Fan Jingwen, a man of integrity, was regarded by both the court and the public as a paragon of virtue. He came from the Ministry of Revenue and possessed an unparalleled understanding of finances and administration; he was one of the few capable officials who could calculate accounts down to the last penny. However, his abacus was more like a yardstick for judging character; he was intolerant of any impropriety and deeply abhorred the corrupt practices of officialdom. As a result, his straightforwardness often led to setbacks for his abilities.

At this moment, Zhu Youjian was even more nervous than the two of them.

His hand gently caressed the armrest of the dragon throne, but the cool touch of the jade could not calm the turmoil in his heart.

Because he didn't know that if these two people, on whom he had placed high hopes and were almost his last choice, couldn't withstand his further questioning and evaluation, then who else could he find to replace them?

……

For Fan Jingwen, who had just been granted a seat by the emperor, he felt that the blood in his body was hotter than the burning coals.

Bi Ziyan was granted a seat. As a high-ranking official in the court, this favor, though exceptional, was still within reason.

But what about myself? A mere Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, summoned by His Majesty by secret decree today, I have received the same treatment.

The brocade stool that the eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial carried over seemed to be made not of wood and silk, but of imperial majesty and glory. When Fan Jingwen sat down, he felt a burning sensation under his buttocks, as if he were being pricked by needles, which made him feel uncomfortable all over.

He subconsciously adjusted his posture, placing his hands flat on his knees, straightening his back, looking down at his nose, trying to appear more composed.

But his slightly trembling fingertips and the thunderous heartbeat in his chest betrayed the turmoil within him.

This is divine favor, an unprecedented level of faith!
Compared to Fan Jingwen's overt excitement, Bi Ziyan appeared as composed as a mountain. He thanked the emperor and sat down, his posture upright, only his hands, which were gently clasped together in his sleeves, revealed his inner turmoil.

He knew that the emperor's summons of the two of them today was not a simple gesture of concern.

The emperor indeed didn't beat around the bush. He didn't even offer a cup of hot tea to ease the atmosphere, as he usually did. His clear and calm gaze passed over the mountain of memorials piled up on the desk in front of him and landed directly on Bi Ziyan.

“Minister Bi.”

"Your subject is here." Bi Ziyan bowed slightly.

Zhu Youjian's fingers tapped lightly on a memorial from Shaanxi on the table.

"What do you think is the function of the Ministry of Revenue of our Great Ming Dynasty these days?" he asked calmly, as if asking a trivial official question.

The moment the question was posed, the air inside the warm pavilion seemed to freeze for a moment.

Bi Ziyan's eyelids twitched slightly. He didn't answer immediately, but pondered for a moment, his white beard trembling slightly.

In the end, he chose the safest and most dignified way to answer, and he explained the functions of the Ministry of Revenue in detail.

“Your Majesty,” Bi Ziyan’s voice was solemn and steady, as if he were reciting a legal code that he knew by heart, “The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for the Emperor’s favor above and the management of the people below. Its functions are numerous, but its core can be summarized into three things.”

"Firstly, it is the responsibility of the Thirteen Offices of the Imperial Household Department. This is the source of the nation's finances. Each of the Thirteen Offices has its own duties, corresponding to the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the country. Their core responsibility is to calculate and collect the national land tax, salt tax, tea tax, and commercial tax. All the financial reports from the provinces are compiled here and reported to the central government."

"Secondly, it is the responsibility of the Department of Revenue and Expenditure. This is the responsibility of the government to reduce expenditures. The Department of Revenue and Expenditure is in charge of all the preparation of the annual budget and the review of various expenditures for military and national affairs. Not a single tael of silver can be spent without the approval of the Department of Revenue and Expenditure."

"Thirdly, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Granaries, and the major warehouses. This is the treasury of the national finance. The Imperial Granary manages silver, the Inner Transport Granary manages the expenses of the palace, and the various granaries in the capital manage grain. All income from the country is gathered here, classified and properly stored."

He paused, then added, "In addition, the Ministry of Revenue also oversees all matters related to customs duties, salt tax, and so on. The customs duty stations set up along the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River should be important centers for commercial taxation, increasing revenue for the national treasury. The salt tax system, established by ancestral regulations, uses salt permits for regulation, benefiting both the country and the people..." Bi Ziyan's explanation was detailed and standard, an impeccable answer.

After saying that, he lowered his eyes and waited quietly.

Inside the warm pavilion, apart from the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire, there was only the unhurried tapping sound of Zhu Youjian.

"Tap...tap..."

Fan Jingwen was so nervous that his palms were sweating. He could sense that the emperor was not satisfied with the answer.

Sure enough, the knocking stopped.

Zhu Youjian raised his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips, and looked at Bi Ziyan again.

"Minister Bi," his voice remained calm, but carried a hint of something unfathomable, "are all the functions you mentioned... still operating normally?"

Fan Jingwen felt as if he had been punched hard in the head.

The truth has finally come out! His Majesty has ruthlessly pierced through that veil of tender affection!
Bi Ziyan's breathing paused for a few breaths at that moment.

He suddenly raised his head, and his usually calm eyes revealed a violent fluctuation. He saw the emperor's face, a faint smile on that young yet profound face. There was no blame in that smile, but rather a knowing understanding and... encouragement.

"Speak freely," Zhu Youjian said with a smile. His voice was not loud, but it seemed to have a certain magic, easily removing the heavy shackles from Bi Ziyan's heart.

Bi Ziyan's lips trembled slightly.

He steeled his heart, as if making the most important decision of his life.

"Your Majesty!" Bi Ziyan's voice suddenly became hoarse, with a hint of determination, "I am guilty! What I just said was all... all empty talk!"

He continued, as if using all his strength, "Your Majesty asked whether the various functions of the Ministry of Revenue are operating normally. I dare to say that it has long been a mere shell of its former self!"

"The Thirteen Offices of Clerks have long been defunct in name only!" Bi Ziyan's speech quickened, like a torrent of pent-up emotions being unleashed.
"Most of the land in the country is occupied by gentry, nobles, and princes, who conceal it and fail to report it. The preferential treatment given to all by the court in paying taxes only emboldens them! The tax base has been severely eroded, with less than one-tenth remaining! The so-called power to collect taxes has long since fallen into the hands of local authorities, encroached upon by garrisons, and embezzled by officials. Very few of them actually reach the capital! The so-called 'reports' are clearly a collusion between the Ministry of Revenue and local officials to deceive Your Majesty!"

"The Department of Revenue and Expenditure has been completely sidelined!" he almost cried out in protest.

"The current state of the nation... has no budget! Only a hole! The military pay in Liaodong, the troops in the nine border regions, the disaster relief in the south, the stipends for the imperial family... which one doesn't ask for money at the drop of a hat? The Department of Revenue can only passively cope, borrowing from all sides, living beyond its means! Various ministries and government offices arbitrarily request funds and misappropriate them at will. Military funds are diverted to build gardens, and disaster relief funds have become officials' bribes. This is already an open secret!"

"As for the Ministry of Gold, the Ministry of Warehouses, and the major warehouses..." Bi Ziyan's face showed a bitter smile, a smile more painful than a grimace.

"That's not the national treasury, Your Majesty! That's just a hollow wealth on paper! The imperial treasury may have a million taels on paper, but I dare say that if we were to open the treasury and take inventory right now, we would find 100,000 taels of real silver. I would gladly offer my head to you!"

The eunuchs in charge of the treasury colluded with officials of the Ministry of Revenue, engaging in embezzlement and corruption. Money could be withdrawn with a mere IOU; a ship's worth of grain, transported from Tongzhou to the capital, was already half-divided by various factions before even reaching the treasury! The so-called national treasury had long since become the private property of the powerful and wealthy, available for their whims!

Fan Jingwen was terrified and his face turned deathly pale.

He knew about the corruption in the government, but he never imagined that the reality revealed by Bi Ziyan would be so unbearable and so shocking!
Bi Ziyan seemed to have gotten carried away with his words, throwing all his reservations to the wind.

"And then there are the customs duties! The Ministry of Revenue is nominally in charge, but aren't those customs checkpoints all lucrative positions controlled by powerful eunuchs in the palace and influential figures in the outer court? Nine out of ten of the taxes they collect end up in their own pockets, and what goes to the national treasury is just scraps! Merchants are happy with this, preferring to spend a lot of money to bribe tax officials rather than pay the full amount of taxes. Officials and merchants collude and are in cahoots!"

"And there's the salt tax! The ancestral system of 'open market' has long been corrupted, and now the salt administration is monopolized by a few big salt merchants in Yangzhou and Lianghuai who collude with the government!"

They acquired salt permits at bargain-basement prices, then resold them to the people at ten or even a hundred times the price, reaping enormous profits! The taxes paid to the state weren't even enough to cover the salaries of the Ministry of Revenue officials! Meanwhile, smuggled salt flooded the land, impacting official salt production, yet the court could only stand by and do nothing!

After speaking, Bi Ziyan seemed to have all his strength drained away.

He staggered off the brocade stool, fell heavily to his knees, and kowtowed deeply with his gray head.

"As a mere local official, I have no right to discuss the central government's finances. Yet today I have spoken recklessly and uttered nonsense before Your Majesty. This is an act of arrogance! Furthermore, it is an act of contempt for the court and criticism of the Six Ministries. This crime is unforgivable! I beg Your Majesty... to punish me!"

Bi Ziyan's voice echoed in the empty, warm pavilion, filled with fear, yet also carrying a hint of resolute determination after breaking through the heavens.

Fan Jingwen had already left his seat and knelt down as well, his whole body trembling slightly.

The expected outburst of rage did not materialize.

Instead, a burst of laughter rang out.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

Zhu Youjian burst into laughter. His laughter was clear and loud, filled with indescribable joy, yet tinged with an unspeakable sorrow.

The laughter stunned Bi Ziyan and Fan Jingwen, who were kneeling on the ground. The two looked up in astonishment and saw that the emperor not only did not blame them at all, but also personally walked down the imperial steps, quickly came to Bi Ziyan's side, and stretched out his hands to help him up.

"Minister Bi, please rise at once!"

Zhu Youjian was very strong, and he helped Bi Ziyan to his feet with ease. Holding Bi Ziyan's arm, he looked at his still-shaken face, and inwardly sighed with admiration.

Who the hell said that the officials of the Ming Dynasty were all blind and couldn't see the problems that existed in the Ming Dynasty!

They see it clearly, more clearly than anyone else! It's just that no one dares to speak up, no one can speak up, and no one is willing to speak up!
Those who dared to speak out became known as eunuchs in the eyes of the Donglin Party; those who could speak out were themselves part of this corrupt system; and those who were willing to speak out had long been swallowed up by that invisible giant net, leaving no trace.

The fact that Bi Ziyan was willing to say these words to him already showed his attitude!

"Your Majesty...I am terrified!" Bi Ziyan was still in shock, and the emperor supported him, unsure whether to stand or kneel.

Zhu Youjian released him and paced around the warm pavilion on his own.

As he walked, he summarized Bi Ziyan's impassioned appeal.

“So,” Zhu Youjian stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping over Bi and Fan, “before I confiscated those eight Shanxi merchants, investigated the grain merchants in Jiangnan, and destroyed the Prince of Qin… the real predicament of my Ming Ministry of Revenue was indeed like this.”

"Water without a source! The most important tax base of the Ming Dynasty—land tax—is being lost in large quantities due to the privilege of exemption for the gentry, making it impossible for the court to collect it effectively. If the water source is blocked, even the largest pond will eventually dry up."

Although I have already issued an edict to implement "collecting grain as one and officials and gentry performing their duties as one," intending to revitalize this largest source of water.

But what was the result? It was difficult to implement even in the capital region, and when it reached the south, it encountered endless undercurrents!
Those gentry who spout benevolence and morality secretly collude and defy the emperor's will, treating it as nothing, and are desperate to protect their privilege of not having to pay taxes!
The water source isn't absent; it's just that it's been tightly blocked by countless corrupt landlords!

"Secondly, I call it 'cooking without rice.' While the national treasury's revenue has plummeted, critical expenditures such as military spending, disaster relief, and stipends for the imperial family are expanding rapidly. With no money coming in and money flowing out like water, the fiscal deficit is huge. There's simply no rice to cook this pot."

He hurried back and forth several more times, his voice growing louder and louder.

"Thieves are everywhere, both inside and outside. Externally, there are local officials, tax-exempt gentry, greedy powerful families, and noble princes who control the entire country. They are like hungry wolves, frantically seizing the resources of the Ming Dynasty. Internally, there are officials within the Ministry of Revenue and eunuchs in charge of the warehouses, who are embezzling and enriching themselves. From top to bottom, inside and out, there are thieves everywhere!"

Finally, the emperor's smile turned into a bitter one, his tone carrying a strong sense of self-mockery.

"Government orders cannot leave the Forbidden City! Even if I and the Ministry of Revenue formulate the most ingenious financial laws, they are nothing more than empty words when they are issued to the localities. Local officials outwardly comply but inwardly defy them, and gentry and powerful families unite to resist them. The capital's control over the localities has dropped to the lowest point in this dynasty, and even in all dynasties!"

Bi Ziyan suddenly looked up, his right fist clenched tightly in his sleeve, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He squinted, his gaze bolder than ever before fixed on the young man before the throne.

What Bi Ziyan saw was an equally serious face.

The emperor stared at him, remaining silent for a long time, until Bi Ziyan was almost out of breath. Then he took a deep breath, as if gathering the power to change the world.

"The national treasury is a pool. The wealth and provisions of the empire are water," the emperor's voice was deep and clear. "Now, the water is not flowing into the pool, but instead overflowing everywhere, nourishing countless monstrous rats and wicked dragons!"

He stared at Bi Ziyan with eyes as sharp as daggers.

"Therefore, what I want the Ministry of Revenue to do is not to cry out on the shore, nor to use a sieve to scoop water."

"I demand that the Ministry of Revenue become an indestructible iron gate! An iron gate capable of cutting off all undercurrents and concentrating all the waters of the land into one pool! If this gate is not strong enough, the fate of the Ming Dynasty will be completely washed away by these out-of-control floods!"

(End of this chapter)