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

Chapter 318 Imperial Power Submerges the County
The chill in the room, which seemed to freeze one's bones and blood, cracked open like thin ice in early spring with a simple "sit" from the emperor.

Although the ice surface was cracked, the cold air did not dissipate; instead, it turned into a thicker, damp cold that clung tightly to their skin.

Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou took their seats as instructed. The brocade cushions were soft and thick, but sitting on them felt like sitting on pins and needles.

A long silence fell once again between the emperor and his ministers.

This silence was longer and carried more weight than the previous one.

The emperor said nothing more, but simply picked up a famille rose covered bowl with gold decoration from beside his desk.

He gently skimmed away the tender green buds floating on the tea soup with the lid of the bowl, the subtle, crisp sound of porcelain colliding with porcelain.

Zhu Youjian took a sip, then another, his posture elegant and graceful, as if his earlier earth-shattering and morally reprehensible words were nothing more than casual remarks.

Setting down his teacup, the emperor let out a very soft sigh.

This sigh was like a slender silver needle piercing precisely into Sun Chuanting's tightly furrowed brow.

His brows furrowed even deeper, his heart already churning with turbulent emotions.

Over the past two years, everything Sun Chuanting, a high-ranking official, had learned, believed, and upheld in his life seemed to melt away, evaporate, and even be reshaped little by little by the young emperor before him, just like the remaining snow under the scorching sun!
he does not know!

He really didn't know if things would continue like this, and how much of the old Sun Chuanting, who once firmly believed that "ruling the world together with the scholar-officials" was an ancestral law and a matter of course, would still remain.

Could it be that all these scholars, these people who have upheld the rites and moral order of the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years, are truly as Your Majesty says, blinded by greed and vermin of the country, to the point of being so despicable?
He couldn't believe it, but the images that appeared in his mind forced him to believe it!
Back then, for a mere 500,000 taels of military pay, which of the officials in the court didn't beat their chests and wail in despair?
The head of the Ministry of Revenue, holding empty account books, wept bitterly at the court assembly, saying, "The national treasury is so empty that it has come to this!"
It was as if the entire Ming Dynasty was so poor that it had reached a dead end and had no rice to cook!

But now? !
Every time His Majesty bestows rewards upon his personal guards, the soldiers of the capital garrison, or even Qin Liangyu's White Spear Army, it is always a staggering 100,000 or 200,000 taels of silver!
Sun Chuanting was no fool; he was a very practical person.

The stark contrast between before and after left him completely baffled, yet in the oppressive silence, he gradually came to understand the situation.

Like a bolt of lightning, it cleaved through all the fog in his mind!

The Ming Dynasty is far from being poor!

There is no such thing as true poverty in this world!
The money has always been there!
They are like underground rivers, seemingly invisible, but in fact they flow into the sea. However, they do not enter the national treasury, but are hidden deep in the mansions of the officials, gentry and wealthy merchants who used to cry poverty the most and shout the loudest. They are hidden in their ornate mansions and buried under the fertile fields they acquired!
Every word the Holy Emperor spoke was true!
It is not that the country is poor, but that wealth is hidden among officials and gentry!

This was no less than enlightenment in Longchang, but it was even more cruel and bloody than the sudden enlightenment of Master Yangming.

Sun Chuanting felt a surge of shame, shock, and sudden realization rush to his head, and his blood seemed to boil at that moment.

He could no longer sit still, and abruptly rose from his seat, once again prostrating himself before Zhu Youjian on the throne.

"Your Majesty is foolish! Having served as an official for half my life, I have failed to see through this facade and recognize these traitors! As a result, Your Majesty has been tarnished and the nation has fallen into turmoil. I deserve to die!" His voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with shame, remorse, and deep self-doubt about his actions in the first half of his life.

Zhu Youjian looked at Sun Chuanting, who was lying on the ground trembling slightly, and the coldness in his eyes was gone.

The emperor finally waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to help Sun Chuanting up, and his voice softened: "Get up, Boya. I don't blame you."

His gaze deepened, as if he could see into the most hidden corners of people's hearts: "The Tao Te Ching says: 'He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.' It is not easy to see others clearly in this world, but it is even more difficult to see oneself clearly. What you have learned, seen, and experienced are all old rules from the past two hundred years. Being in the midst of them, it is naturally difficult to see their flaws. If you can understand this point, you are already better than 99% of the so-called pillars of the court."

Sun Chuanting was helped to his feet by the eunuch. Upon hearing the emperor's words, he was filled with shame. His usually stern face turned bright red, and he could only lower his head deeply, not daring to look into the eyes on the throne.

But Hong Chengchou, who remained silent beside him, had a completely different thought in his mind.

He, Hong Chengchou, felt that he had seen through the ways of the world and people's hearts during the great disaster in Shaanxi.

He knew better than anyone how much money so-called integrity and moral principles were worth in the face of real life and death and wealth and glory.

His Majesty's analysis today did not shock him; on the contrary, it seemed to stamp his already formed opinion with the seal of the supreme ruler, giving him a secret sense of satisfaction.

Even someone like Sun Chuanting was kept in the dark.

But I, Hong Chengchou, have long seen through it all!

This is why he was able to understand the emperor's intentions faster than Sun Chuanting and was more favored by the emperor!

A warm current of self-satisfaction flowed quietly in his heart, but he did not show it on his face. His face was simply lowered, and he made the same respectful appearance as Sun Chuanting, listening attentively to the sacred teachings.

Hong Chengchou knew that the most important thing for an official, especially a close advisor to the emperor, was to have an unyielding and shrewd mind.

Only those who cannot show their emotions can be truly unfathomable.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the emperor on the throne beckon to him.

The movement was extremely slight, just a slight twitch of a few fingers.

Hong Chengchou's heart skipped a beat!
Without the slightest hesitation, he stood up, straightened his official robes, and strode quickly to the imperial desk, bowing and standing respectfully to the side.

"I am here."

Zhu Youjian did not speak immediately. He stretched out his finger and gently tapped the smooth, mirror-like sandalwood desk.

"Attsu."

"Attsu."

"Attsu."

Each strike seemed to strike the very core of Hong Chengchou's heart.

Finally, the knocking stopped.

Zhu Youjian raised his eyes and looked at the gray sky outside the window. Finally, his gaze fell back on Hong Chengchou's face, which was full of respect: "I have a plan, and I want to start with Zhejiang and try it out!"

"Zhejiang will pilot this?" Hong Chengchou's heart skipped a beat, but he dared not ask any further questions.

He didn't even know what strategy His Majesty was going to try or what he was going to do, but that didn't stop him from making the most correct statement immediately.

Hong Chengchou immediately knelt down and kowtowed resolutely, saying, "Your Majesty, if you need my service, I will gladly die ten thousand times over, even if it means sacrificing my life!"

These words were spoken quickly and loudly.

Zhu Youjian smiled as he looked at him. He liked intelligent people, and even more so, intelligent people who were sensible. He turned slightly, leaned out of the dragon throne, and gently patted Hong Chengchou's shoulder.

"Heng Jiu, I am very pleased to hear your words."

This action!

This seemingly intimate and ordinary gesture, however, caused Sun Chuanting, who had just regained his footing on the other side, to suddenly shrink his pupils!
Sun Chuanting's heart sank.

As for Hong Chengchou himself, the warm force from the emperor's palm was like a heavenly fire that instantly ignited the blood in his entire body!
But he suppressed the excitement that almost made him shout, and lowered his head even further: "Your Majesty, I am unworthy of such praise! I only wish to be the sharpest blade in Your Majesty's hand, to clear away all obstacles for the Great Ming!"

“What a fine ‘sharpest blade’.” Zhu Youjian withdrew his hand, sat up straight again, and his tone returned to its previous calmness, but the determination contained within it was three times stronger than before.

"What I want you to test in Zhejiang is—" He paused deliberately, then gritted his teeth and said, "Imperial power extends to the county level!"

Hong Chengchou shuddered violently, feeling a chill creep up from the ground, instantly turning his body, which had been burning with excitement, cold!

Imperial power extending to the county level?!
Since ancient times, imperial power has stopped at the county level. Below the county level, local gentry and clans govern themselves according to local rules and regulations. This has been the established practice and a helpless measure for thousands of years!

The Emperor... The Emperor is actually going to break this established custom?

He wanted to spread his supreme power like mercury, penetrating to the very bottom of the empire, to every village, to every corner?

Hong Chengchou's breath caught in his throat at that moment!
He could even clearly hear the frantic pounding of his heart in his chest.

He wanted to look up, to see what the emperor who uttered those four words looked like—was he insane, or… confident?
"Do you think I've gone mad?" Zhu Youjian asked coldly, as if he could read his mind.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty dares not!" Hong Chengchou was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he hurriedly kowtowed.

"There's nothing to be afraid of or not afraid of," Zhu Youjian said calmly. "The old laws are no longer valid. That so-called 'county-township-village' system has long been riddled with holes by those gentry and clans, like rotten wood."

He paused, his tone turning icy: "For a piece of rotten wood that's decayed inside and out, patching it up is pointless. The only solution is to completely shred it and burn it for firewood, then replace it with the finest steel forged by the Ming Dynasty itself!"

Fine beads of sweat began to appear on Hong Chengchou's forehead.

Smash the rotten wood, tear it down and rebuild!
What a display of power, and what a... bloody spectacle!
He could already foresee the earth-shattering bloodbath that would ensue in Zhejiang and even the entire Jiangnan region once this policy was implemented!
Just as Hong Chengchou was in a state of agitation and cold sweat was pouring down his face, Zhu Youjian took out a thick scroll from beside his desk and casually placed it on the table in front of Hong Chengchou with a "thud".

"These are some of my humble opinions that I have written in my spare time over the past two months. Take a look."

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou was deeply shocked!
He picked up the file with trembling hands, slowly unfolded it, and after just one glance, his pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.

What was written on the fine Xuan paper in bold characters was not some "humble opinion," but a grand blueprint for a new policy that was strictly organized, logically sound, and interconnected, capable of transforming the world!
The thoroughness of its thinking and the completeness of its details are simply unbelievable!
The emperor had been planning this for a long time!

Hong Chengchou suppressed his shock and read on word by word. The more he read, the more cold sweat poured down his back. In the end, he even felt that his official robe was soaked through and clung tightly to his body.

The emperor's voice echoed softly in his ears, as if explaining something to him, or perhaps speaking to himself, proclaiming his will to the entire world:

"First, reshape county administration. Establish a 'County Administration Hall' at the county level. The county magistrate will still be the head of the county, but his power will no longer be absolute. Within the Administration Hall, four departments will be set up: agriculture, taxation, law, and education."

Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on Hong Chengchou, and his tone shifted, taking on a questioning tone: "These four chief officials are of great importance, and only loyal and capable individuals can be appointed. Although their official ranks are lower than those of county magistrates and they are not selected by the Ministry of Personnel, they must have the power to report directly to me in secret. Their salaries, promotions, and demotions are also handled exclusively by the inner court. In this way, they can complement and restrain the county magistrates, ensuring that no one in the county can manage their own backyard."

He paused, then posed the real problem: "But where will these first batch of candidates for the four departments come from? I do not have many readily available people at my disposal. Hengjiu, since you are the chief minister in charge of the trial implementation in Zhejiang, I will entrust this matter to you."

"I only care about results. I don't care what methods you use—whether you promote someone from the military, select from the ranks of officials, or even recruit them from among the common merchants—as long as they are reliable and capable, I will grant your request!"

Hong Chengchou felt a chill run down his spine. This was both an immense authorization and a tremendous responsibility!

He immediately kowtowed and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty trusts me, and I will not hesitate to die for you! I will devote myself wholeheartedly to Zhejiang to find those hidden gems for Your Majesty. I will not be bound by any rules, but will select talents based solely on their abilities, and will surely choose capable people for the four departments to shoulder important responsibilities!"

Zhu Youjian nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject, his eyes gleaming with a long-term vision: "But this is not a long-term solution. Once the situation in Zhejiang has stabilized, I will grant you permission to establish the 'Great Ming Royal Academy of Sciences Zhejiang Branch' in Hangzhou!"
This academy doesn't teach empty talk; it focuses solely on practical skills. Once it graduates, the chief officials of the four ministries, and even all practical officials at the Zhejiang provincial level, must be selected and appointed primarily from among them! What I need is a continuous stream of talent, a constant source of inspiration for my use!

"The heads of these four departments must be my students, trained in practical application of knowledge, not in empty rhetoric about morality. In their hearts, I and the Ming Dynasty come first, and then everything else!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting felt a chill run down his spine.

This is clearly a case of installing four pairs of eyes representing the emperor and four swords hanging over the magistrate's head in the county government office!

The "Great Ming Royal Academy of Science and Technology" is an even more insidious scheme that will undermine the traditional imperial examination system's monopoly on officialdom from the very beginning!

Hong Chengchou was even more terrified, but he forced himself to continue reading.

"Secondly, we will rebuild the villages. We will abolish the lijia system that has been in place for hundreds of years and establish 'village offices' based on natural villages, which will be subordinate to the county government. Each village office will have a village head who will not be elected by the gentry or inherited by the clan elders, but will be directly appointed by the county magistrate!"

"The village chief's term is three years, with a maximum of one re-election. Candidates will be selected primarily from retired soldiers of the New Army or loyal veterans who returned to their hometowns after my ascension to the throne. Their duties include conveying government orders, registering households, mediating disputes within the village, and organizing farmland irrigation, etc., but,"

The emperor's voice suddenly rose in intensity, "There are two things they are absolutely forbidden to touch—the collection of taxes and the final judgment of major cases! Taxes are determined by tax commissioners who go to the countryside to conduct land surveys; laws are tried by the judicial authorities on a circuitous route. The village chief is merely my eyes and ears and hands at the lowest level, not a new local emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Chuanting was already somewhat unsteady on his feet.

The abolition of the Lijia system, the establishment of village chiefs, and the use of retired soldiers... This series of measures, like a giant iron clamp, aimed to uproot the clan forces and the deeply entrenched gentry networks that were deeply embedded in the body of the Ming Dynasty!

He felt as if he were listening to a madman telling a fantastical story.

But when his gaze met the cold and resolute eyes of the young emperor on the throne, the sense of absurdity in his heart was quickly replaced by a stronger sense of reality.

This is not crazy!
Given His Majesty's current overwhelming power and the terrified state of the gentry in Jiangnan... this... this might actually be feasible!

This method is like a meticulously woven net. Once it is laid out, those local gentry and powerful families who act arrogantly and are privately called "local emperors" by the people will probably be swept away one by one, leaving not even a trace of their bones!

"Thirdly, establish alternative official careers to prevent collusion," Zhu Youjian continued.

"I will issue an imperial edict that graduates of the Ming Imperial Academy of Sciences who pass the examination will be granted the title of 'Practical Scholar,' with the same merit as those who passed the imperial examinations and will have the same qualifications for official positions. Furthermore, those with practical backgrounds will be given priority in the recruitment of officials in specialized fields such as taxation, law, industry, mining, and water conservancy! I want the whole world to know that there is more than one path to serving the country!"

"Furthermore, all officials in the county government, from the county magistrate to the chief clerks of the four departments, shall be subject to a five-year rotation system, with strict avoidance of changes based on place of origin. The official positions are permanent, but the people holding them must be constantly changing! I want to ensure that none of them can settle down in one place, collude with local forces, or form cliques!"

After hearing this last piece of information, Sun Chuanting's mind went blank.

Sun Chuanting looked at the emperor on the throne as if he were a god or a demon. He opened his mouth, but found that he could not utter a single word.

The world is about to change completely.

(End of this chapter)