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

Chapter 231 The Emperor's New Ideas Are Too Many
The rain, fine as cow's hair, slanted and wove a thin veil over the sky and earth, making Suzhou even more verdant and lush.

The moss on the eaves, the green vines on the walls, and the new grass in the cracks of the stone path, all flourished under the nourishment of this spring rain, quietly washing away the atmosphere of war and turmoil that this ancient city had recently experienced.

However, this gentle spring breeze could not penetrate the temporary treasury of the Suzhou imperial court.

The place is bustling with activity, radiating a heat that is completely different from the season.

The huge treasury that was once used to store grain has now been completely emptied and converted into a dedicated silver treasury.

Tall wooden frames stretched into the depths of the warehouse, each layer neatly stacked with heavy wooden crates sealed with tape.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue, along with mathematics teachers drawn from various places and literate clerks promoted from the army, formed a joint auditing team that was conducting a tense but orderly inventory.

"In Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, the Zhang family's property was confiscated, sealed, and stored in the treasury. The total amount was 1.23 million taels of silver, 80,000 taels of gold, and six boxes of jewelry, antiques, and land deeds, which are pending valuation."

"In Wujiang County, Suzhou Prefecture, the Shen family paid back taxes owed over the years, amounting to 740,000 taels of silver."

"Taicang Prefecture..."

The sounds of announcements rose and fell, and the clattering of abacuses was as rapid as silkworms devouring leaves.

Each announcement signifies that a once powerful family in Jiangnan has lowered their proud heads.

Each movement of the abacus beads signified an astronomical sum of wealth being extracted from the intricate private networks and flowing into the torrent of the Ming Dynasty.

Outside the warehouse, through the beaded curtain woven by the drizzle, carriages laden with silver chests continued to arrive in an endless stream.

The wheels rolled over the wet, slippery cobblestones, producing a deep, pleasant rumble, like the gears of this ancient empire starting to turn anew.

The scene was even more spectacular at several locations outside the city.

The emperor did not order the construction of new granaries—that would have been too time-consuming.

A single imperial decree directly requisitioned the vast estates and mansions on the outskirts of the city owned by the wealthy and powerful who had been confiscated, and converted them into temporary royal granaries.

The food arrived so quickly that these mansions, each covering hundreds of acres, were filled in just a few days.

Bi Ziyan, the Vice Minister of Revenue in charge of supervising the matter, a capable official who handled the Tianjin salt merchants case with lightning speed, was standing in a former private garden.

He stood on exquisite lake stones, and in the distance before him lay a small mountain of grain piles inside a house.

This scene is both absurd and awe-inspiring.

He let the cool spring rain soak his official robes, and looking at the scene before him that would drive any Minister of Revenue in history crazy, his lips trembled and tears streamed down his face.

He recalled the embarrassing scene in the capital, where court officials argued heatedly over a mere few hundred thousand taels of unpaid wages for the border troops; he also recalled the desolate state of the national treasury over the years, where horses frequently ran amok.

The contrast between the two is like a lifetime ago!
"May Heaven bless our Emperor! May Heaven bless the Great Ming!" A heartfelt exclamation blended into the pattering spring rain.

Under Zhu Youjian's iron fist, this unprecedented harvest of wealth was simplified to the extreme.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the army were responsible for "collecting" and "confiscating" the goods, while the newly formed joint audit team was responsible for inventorying and storing them in the treasury.

The accounts are open and transparent, with mutual supervision among the three parties, and the process is clear and rigorous, completely eliminating any possibility of manipulation in any intermediate link.

This is the most direct and brutal method, but it is also the most effective way to turn the tide.

With a savage and unyielding attitude, it tore apart the hypocritical veil of gentleness and refinement in Jiangnan, forcibly extracting the national bloodline that had been occupied for over a hundred years from countless private pockets, and returning it to the emperor's hands.

Bi Ziyan was well aware that at this moment, many people in the Jiangnan literati, and even throughout the world, were cursing this young emperor as a "tyrant" and for committing robbery in broad daylight.

But so what?
When he thought of the soldiers in the northern border towns who were starving and poorly clothed, when he thought of the depleted treasury, and then looked at the mountains of grain and seas of silver before him…

A hint of unprecedented resolve and ruthlessness flashed in Bi Ziyan's cloudy old eyes.

If this is robbery... then Bi Ziyan is willing to be the first and most loyal gatekeeper for this robbery!

……

Three days later, the rain stopped, the sky cleared, and the air was fresh and clean.

In the Suzhou imperial court, a small-scale court assembly was being held in a temporarily set-off hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn.

Standing below were several important officials brought from the capital, including Wen Tiren and Bi Ziyan, as well as dozens of local officials from Jiangnan who were trembling with fear.

They managed to retain their positions amidst the storm, but they were like frightened birds, barely daring to breathe.

On the throne, Zhu Youjian, dressed in casual clothes, calmly swept his gaze across the crowd below.

He ignored the pale-faced local officials and instead turned his gaze to a group of people standing at the corner of the hall.

They were a group of insignificant people whose names most of the people present could not recall, or even who they had never given a second glance.

Among them were a county magistrate in his late fifties, wearing a faded scholar's robe; a dark-skinned commander of the White-Spear Army, dressed in ordinary military uniform; and even a few young men who had been temporarily transferred from the treasury clerks because of their expertise in mathematics.

"Issue my decree." Zhu Youjian's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in the ears of everyone in the hall.

A young eunuch immediately stepped forward and unfurled a roll of yellow silk.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Li Changgeng, the Assistant Magistrate of Kunshan County, has presented the 'Well-shaped Classification Method' during this land survey, which has improved the registration process by 50%, ensuring clear and accurate accounts. He is indeed a capable minister! I am greatly pleased and hereby exceptionally promote him to the position of Assistant Prefect of Suzhou Prefecture, granted the rank of Fifth Grade, and assign him to oversee the tax collection and investigation of Suzhou and Songjiang Prefectures! This is the imperial decree!"

The moment the imperial decree was issued, the entire hall was astonished!

The Assistant Magistrate of Kunshan County? A low-ranking civil official of the eighth rank who had been stuck in the lowly for twenty years without any promotion, suddenly rose to the rank of Assistant Prefect of the fifth rank.
This... this is simply unheard of!

The old man named Li Changgeng was completely stunned. He raised his head in disbelief until someone next to him nudged him, bringing him back to his senses. He knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face, and cried out, "I...I am a sinful subject...no, I, Li Changgeng, thank Your Majesty for your grace! I would gladly die for you!"

However, this is just the beginning.

"Ma Zhiyuan, a centurion of the White-Spear Army, was extremely meticulous in handling the Zhang family case in Huating County, and his merits were outstanding! He is hereby promoted to Guerrilla General and appointed as 'Imperial Estate Patrol Inspector,' in charge of the patrol and defense of imperial estates in Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures, protecting imperial property and suppressing illegal activities!"

"Zhang De, a clerk in Wu County, oversaw the calculation of over five million taels of tax revenue without a single error. He was awarded a plaque inscribed with 'Upright and Honest' and promoted to the position of Clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, where he served under Vice Minister Bi!"

One decree after another was issued from the throne.

Each award was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the hearts of those traditional scholar-officials.

The emperor's standards for selecting people were laid bare before everyone at this moment—he didn't care about birth, social status, seniority, or even whether you were a scholar through the imperial examinations!
It all depends on whether you have talent, whether you can get things done, and... whether you are loyal to the emperor!

Those who were promoted trembled with excitement. They knelt on the ground and offered their most fervent loyalty to the young emperor on the throne.

They knew that everything they had was a gift from this emperor.

Without the emperor's exceptional promotion, they might have struggled in the mire of the lower classes for their entire lives!

……

In the afternoon, outside Suzhou city, on the first expanse of 10,000 mu of imperial farmland that had been properly cultivated, crowds thronged and banners fluttered. It was late spring, and the fields were lush and green, with rice seedlings swaying in the spring breeze, full of boundless vitality and hope.

An unprecedented grand ceremony—the "Emperor's Personal Conferment of Royal Estate Leases"—is being held on this field of hope.

Thousands of former tenant farmers, who had once belonged to wealthy households, and farmers who had lost their land in the storm, were now dressed in clean, coarse cloth.

Organized by the local village chiefs, they were arranged into square formations by village, their faces showing a mix of trepidation and bewilderment, but mostly an irrepressible anticipation for the future.

Below the high platform, long tables covered with red cloth were laid out. On the tables were not cold official documents, but writing brushes, red inkpads, and stacks of beautifully printed yellow hemp paper contracts stamped with vermilion seals.

Zhu Youjian personally visited this place.

He did not ride in the imperial carriage, nor did he display the full imperial regalia. Instead, he walked onto the high platform under the protection of the Imperial Guards, dressed only in the casual clothes of a prince.

Looking at the faces etched with the marks of time and hardship below the stage, and at those eyes filled with both awe and hope, he was filled with emotion.

The emperor did not launch into a lengthy speech. He immediately ordered the eunuch beside him to hold up a rental contract stamped with the "Imperial Seal" for everyone to see, and then spoke in a loud voice:

"Fellow villagers, I am the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. I know that your ancestors were all farmers, living off the land, yet you have never been able to feed yourselves. You have toiled the most and received the least. Today, I am here to establish a new order for you!"

His voice echoed across the fields, reaching everyone's ears clearly.

"This contract is called the 'Imperial Estate Lease Contract.' It is written in black and white and bears my imperial seal! Today, before all of you elders, I declare with my golden words: From this day forward, you are no longer anyone's tenants, nor anyone's private servants! You are all my subjects, 'Imperial Estate Farmers' who cultivate the imperial estates! The grain produced from the official fields you cultivate for me will be divided between you and me, three for each! You will receive seven, and the court will receive three!"

A 30/70 split? The landlord gets 30%, the tenant gets 70%?

This...this was said by His Majesty himself?
Did they hear it correctly?
For hundreds of years, being able to share the best harvest with the employer in half was considered an immense favor!

More often than not, after paying 50% or 60% of the land rent, they are then squeezed dry by various exorbitant taxes and levies, leaving them with very little grain in hand!
"Not only that!" Zhu Youjian's voice rang out again, silencing all the noise. "Those who receive this contract will be provided with farming tools and good seeds by the court! If there are children in your family, they can attend the free schools on the imperial estates, free of charge! In the event of a natural disaster, the court will open its granaries to provide relief, ensuring that no one is displaced! Your only duty is to work hard for the court and for your own families, and to grow plenty of grain!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as he swept over everyone.

"From this day forward, no one will dare to bully you or take away your livelihood! Because, the one who supports you is me! The entire Ming Dynasty!"

After a brief silence, there came a deafening roar of worship and cheers!

"Long live our emperor! Long live! Long, long live our emperor!!"

Countless people were moved to tears, kneeling on the ground and bowing devoutly to the figure on the high platform.

They may not understand what "reform" or "national policy" means, but they understood "70/30 split" and "the court's support."

In this most basic understanding, this young emperor was a living bodhisattva who saved people from suffering, and a great and just ruler who truly stood up for them, the common people!

The will of the people, this invisible yet most powerful force, was ignited at this moment and firmly united around the imperial power.

As the ceremony began, thousands of people lined up and, guided by clerks, solemnly pressed their red handprints onto the lease agreement, receiving the contract that symbolized new life and hope.

Their faces were beaming with smiles that hadn't been seen in generations!

……

Late at night.

The study of the emperor was brightly lit by candlelight.

The cool breeze of spring night blew in through the open window, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass.

Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue, stood bowing before the enormous map of Jiangnan, giving Zhu Youjian his final report.

The summary he held was filled with accounts of the miracles that had occurred in just over twenty days.

"Your Majesty, as of yesterday, the land survey and tax payment in Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures have been largely completed. A total of over 900,000 mu of concealed land has been uncovered, and back taxes from previous years have been recovered and confiscated, amounting to a total of... 17.8 million taels of silver! And 2.3 million shi of grain!"

Even though he had personally calculated it many times, when Bi Ziyan read out the number, the Minister of Revenue, who was in charge of the Ming Dynasty's treasury, still spoke with an incredulous shock.

Seventeen million eight hundred thousand taels!
He knew better than anyone what this meant.

It should be noted that last year, after deducting various losses and interceptions, the total amount of silver deposited into the national treasury of the Ming Dynasty was less than five million taels!
Now, in just two prefectures in Jiangnan, the harvest in twenty days has yielded three times the national annual income!

What a terrifying fortune this is, what an achievement worthy of being recorded in history!

Zhu Youjian listened to the report, but his face did not show much excitement, as if this astronomical figure was within his expectations.

"Bi Qing, this silver and grain are only the first step," the emperor said slowly, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night. "The money and grain entering the treasury only solves the hunger problem. What I want is for the Ming Dynasty to become strong."

Bi Ziyan felt a chill run down his spine. As the head of the Ministry of Revenue, he immediately understood that His Majesty was about to take a bigger step, and he quickly said solemnly, "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youjian pointed his finger at the dense network of waterways on the map.

"Use work relief instead of water. The Jiangnan region is crisscrossed by waterways, and it is now the transition from spring to summer, with increasing rainfall. We can use our newly harvested grain and silver to undertake large-scale water conservancy projects throughout Jiangnan. We can dredge river channels and reinforce dikes. We can also hire displaced people and landless farmers, give them food and work. In this way, we can both stabilize the people's hearts and lay the foundation for increased agricultural production next year. It's a win-win situation."

Bi Ziyan nodded in agreement, saying that this was a benevolent act to govern the country and benefit the people, and as the Minister of Revenue, he naturally agreed.

Then, Zhu Youjian moved his finger to the side, but his tone became more serious than ever before.

"I decree to temporarily establish a 'Tax Inspection Office' in Jiangnan. Select capable personnel from the elite Imperial Guards and the new army who performed well in this operation. Modeled after the Northern Garrison Office, it will be separate from the Censorate and your Ministry of Revenue, and will be a separate office directly under my command!"

"His duties mainly involve inspecting the taxes and levies in the south, clearing out concealed taxes, and arresting thieves. This matter must be established as a fixed system and made a regular practice! I do not want the old ways to recur in Jiangnan as soon as I leave."

Bi Ziyan was deeply shocked, as if struck by lightning.

Tax Inspector!
This is a "Financial and Tax Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard" that only obeys the emperor and possesses armed forces!
This is not only about eliminating the possibility of officials and local gentry manipulating taxes, but also about setting up a terrifying government office that is completely unrestrained, in addition to the traditional powers of the Ministry of Revenue!
The new terms and regulations that came out of the emperor's mouth far exceeded all the knowledge he had accumulated in his decades-long career in finance and taxation.

Bi Ziyan felt like an old accountant who had spent his whole life meticulously calculating, but was asked to understand a book he had never heard of before.

He couldn't even piece together the emperor's words completely, because the relief from the previous "work relief" hadn't even faded when the subversive idea of ​​the "tax inspection bureau" completely stunned him. He felt an unprecedented lack of knowledge and a sense of powerlessness in his thinking.

Bi Ziyan subconsciously bent down and took out several neatly folded sheets of Xuan paper from his wide sleeves. He then took out a small object—a "charcoal pencil" made by wrapping charcoal powder in a thin bamboo tube. It was a novel gadget that His Majesty had commissioned the craftsmen in the inner court to develop, specifically for quick note-taking.

He no longer cared about the dignity of a high-ranking official, spread out the Xuan paper in a corner of the map, and began to record clumsily but with utmost seriousness.

Bi Ziyan couldn't believe his memory. He had to record the emperor's "latest instructions" word for word, otherwise he probably wouldn't understand even 30% of the emperor's meaning when he got back.

The emperor has so many new ideas!
There were so many that even he, the Minister of Revenue, felt an unprecedented sense of pressure.

However, after finishing writing, Bi Ziyan looked at the clear ink marks on the paper, and then looked down at the charcoal pencil in his hand that could write without dipping it in ink. A very complicated emotion welled up in his heart.

He had to admit that these new gadgets His Majesty had come up with, these unprecedented new regulations... were damn... incredibly useful!
Bi Ziyan took a deep breath, carefully folded the Xuan paper covered with writing, and tucked it into his sleeve, as if it were not just a few sheets of paper, but the only proof that he could barely keep up with the emperor's will. Then, he bowed to Zhu Youjian with unprecedented respect.

"Your Majesty... possesses grand vision and profound strategies, while I... am dull-witted. I will certainly convey Your Majesty's intentions back, ponder them repeatedly, and devote myself wholeheartedly to devising a plan for Your Majesty, serving you with utmost loyalty and even unto death!"

This time, his words carried less of the lofty ambition, but were imbued with a greater sense of gravity and steadiness.

Because he knew perfectly well how much effort he would need to put in to turn these groundbreaking words on paper into reality.

And this is just the beginning!
(End of this chapter)