Bachelor

Chapter 317 Coping
The so-called allusion of Wu Zetian smothering his own baby comes from "Zizhi Tongjian". According to the above records, Wu Zetian was originally a talented person of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty.Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty came to the throne, recalled to the palace and sealed it as Zhaoyi, and was named Concubine Chen, and dealt with the Queen and Concubine Xiao Shu in the harem many times.At that time, Concubine Xiao was deeply favored by Emperor Gaozong and threatened the status of Queen Wang.

Therefore, Queen Wang formed an alliance with Wu Zetian, causing Concubine Xiao to be relegated to the cold palace.

But Queen Wang never expected that her ally, after defeating Concubine Xiao, would aim at herself.

This year, Wu Zetian was 27 years old before she gave birth to a princess for Gaozong.Only one month after the birth of Wu Zetian's eldest daughter, after Queen Wang came to see her daughter, she "strangled and killed her" and smothered her to death in her infancy, and framed the incident as the work of Queen Wang.Gaozong was furious, so he demoted the queen and queen to common people.Wu Zetian also sat on the throne of queen because of this, and has since embarked on the political stage.

Jiajing was narrow-minded and extremely suspicious.

Coupled with the fact that he is extremely diligent, in Sun Dan's view, the boss Zhu Houcong of Daming Company is like a Ming Dynasty version of Yongzheng.It's just that Emperor Jiajing didn't fall in love with the early court much after the imperial power was stabilized in the middle and late stages.However, not going to the early court does not mean that he ignores government affairs.As an emperor, except for a fool like Emperor Hui of Jin, all of them valued their own power and position very seriously, because the profession of emperor could not tolerate any delay, once something happened, there was only one dead end.Unlike the ministers who have lost power in the court, they are really at the end of their ropes, and the worst is to resign and go home to retire.The fact that the emperor has not retired is like getting on a crazy forward train. Only when he stops breathing can he breathe a sigh of relief.

The reason why Jiajing’s evaluation in history is not as good as the later Yongzheng’s is because the political atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty was loose. The ministers took it for granted to scold the emperor, and the emperor was the original sin. Dirty water to show their integrity.Even the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, such as Jiajing, who was narrow-minded and the most face-saving, had nothing to do with public opinion.If it were changed to the Qing Dynasty, it would have been hacked and killed long ago, and after decades of literary prison, it would naturally be the sound of thousands of beaks, singing praises.

Sun Dan was also sure about the emperor's suspiciousness, which was rare in the Ming Dynasty, so he said this leisurely.

This sentence is more powerful than saying one thousand words and ten thousand words.

In an instant, Boss Zhu of Daming Company's head raced around countless times, and he immediately understood what was going on.

He stood up abruptly, looked at Sun Dan fiercely, his chest heaved violently, and he no longer had the fairy-tale demeanor of the past.

Sun Dan also knew that he was talking nonsense with his eyes open. Only in this way could he rescue Empress Chen from adversity, and also keep the political group headed by him, Empress Chen, and Bi Yun safe.Only in this way can the entire deteriorating situation be completely reversed.

Sun Dan didn't panic either, the emperor now had an idea of ​​himself, if he had any strange expression on his face at this moment, I'm afraid something bad would happen.

He looked back quietly and calmly: "Your Majesty, I just feel that there are many doubtful points in this matter that I can't see through."

"Suspicion? Say!" the emperor shouted again.

Sun Dan: "Although I feel that there are many things that are a bit strange, I should not say these things. After all, the criminal Lu Fang is a student of the minister, and Lu Fang is the personal eunuch of the empress, and the minister has been with the empress recently. Talk about Lao Zhuang. To avoid suspicion, I should avoid it."

"Avoidance, this is your Sun Dan's style? Why didn't you know how to evade when you made such a fuss with Guo Xun's family in Fangshan? Why didn't you evade when you bypassed the government and started a weaving bureau in Fangshan?" The emperor shouted again .

Sun Dan spread his hands, "I have something to do and nothing to do."

The emperor suddenly laughed, but his face relaxed, and he sat back on his seat: "Okay, you, Sun Dan, are playing tricks for fear of offending others. I can see the doubts in what you said."

Sun Dan: "Your Majesty is wise, all the things in this world are in Long Live's chest."

"Stop complimenting me." The emperor snorted: "If you don't want to say it, I will say it for you. One doubtful point, Lu Fang has only been with the queen for a few days, and in such a short time, it is not enough to be won over to even his life." Doubtful point [-], Lu Fang belongs to the empress, and he poisoned Concubine Zhang. Doesn’t this make everyone think that the empress instigated this matter? The empress is not so stupid Well; doubt three..." He couldn't continue, just now when Lu Fang was caught, Huang Jin yelled to be beaten and killed, and Lu Fang was about to be sentenced to death on the spot, and he didn't mention the matter of interrogation at all... Could it be... ...they want to silence...

The more the emperor thought about it, the more startled he became, and his eyes blurred.

Then there was another burst of unusual anger, these people were all his old people when he was in the dragon, and now they are rich, but they are fighting endlessly, and they will not stop for a moment.Who to do, who not to do, is a difficult decision for him.

Although Emperor Jiajing was shrewd, he had three major shortcomings: narrow-minded, face-saving, and protective.

Of course he was extremely annoyed by his old friends, whether it was Huang Jin, Sun Dan or the concubines of the two palaces.Who can be dealt with, who is not dealt with, no matter how to deal with it, letting people outside the palace know is a big joke, and it will be a great damage to the majesty of the emperor.

Now, Emperor Jiajing is arguing endlessly with his ministers about the imperial examination, so he naturally doesn't want to lose face and anger in housework.

Moreover, not to mention the concubines of the two palaces, they are their husbands and wives in need.Huang Jin is his big companion since he was a child, and he has a very good personal relationship.As for Sun Dan, Emperor Long Qian's first counselor, it can be said that without Sun Dan, there would be no Jiajing today.

The emperor is a very protective and nostalgic person, and he also values ​​feelings. These people are his confidantes, so naturally he doesn't want to do anything to them.

Forget it, just treat it as a book of confusion.Although I know that Huang Jin and Concubine Zhang must be responsible for this matter, how can they kill me?
Jiajing felt sad in his heart, and he raised his spirits and asked, "Sun Dan, how do you think this matter should be handled?"

Hearing the emperor's words, Sun Dan was overjoyed, knowing that he had succeeded in making the emperor suspicious of Huang Jin and the others. Not only did this pass pass smoothly, but also planted the seeds of suspicion towards Huang Jin in the emperor's heart .

He pretended to be cautious, and replied: "Your Majesty already has a holy judgment. Isn't it the best solution to hand Lu Fang over to the Criminal Ministry for interrogation?"

The emperor nodded: "That's right, let the Ministry of Criminal Justice interrogate it, and you don't have to bother."

In fact, family ugliness should not be publicized, and now the case is full of doubts, and the emperor does not want to delve into this matter without solid evidence, which is why he handed Lu Fang over to the Ministry of Criminal Justice.If it is handed over to Jin Yiwei, with the means of the Beiya, it will naturally be possible to find out the truth.Although Lu Bing is sensible, he is also his old man, so he will inevitably not be affected.Sun Dan and Huang Jin made such a quarrel, and the emperor is no longer willing to see it. If Xiaoluzi's feet are wet by the river again, it will hurt the loved ones and hurt the enemies.

Hey, let the Ministry of Criminal Justice to toss about, forgive the few people in the Ministry of Criminal Justice who don't have the guts to enter the palace to investigate the case.As long as this case is dragged on for a year or two, so that everyone will forget about it, and find an auspicious day to kill Lu Fang, it's just a matter of winking.

Sun Dan: "Your Majesty is wise, I will retire." I am about to step down.

The emperor was sitting weakly on his seat. Seeing that Sun Dan was about to leave, he quickly lifted his spirits: "Wait, I still have something to ask you. Tell me about Fangshan, so I can cheer me up." He was in a bad mood, Hope to hear some good news.

Sun Dan roughly talked about Fangshan's affairs, and said: "The minister's idea of ​​emphasizing commerce in Fangshan conflicts with the national policy of emphasizing agriculture and mulberry. I hope His Majesty will punish him."

Jiajing frowned: "I probably know something about you in Fangshan, and I don't want to discuss with you the importance of agriculture and commerce. Let's talk about your tax reform."

Sun Dan said: "Your Majesty, the market in Fangshan has been prosperous during this period, and this year's Xia tax officials have already collected ahead of schedule."

"Ah, it's just the beginning of the new year, and the summer tax has already been completed?" The emperor was a little surprised, and then became a little excited: "In previous years, the summer tax in various places was collected in advance, and many of them were not completed as scheduled. Last year, many The provinces are all in arrears. The summer tax can only be paid after the autumn harvest, but the autumn tax is owed again. In this way, it will always be half a year short of payment, and the country's annual income will be reduced by half. Sun Dan You have done a good job, whether it is supporting business or rewarding farmers, as long as you can pay taxes on time, go ahead. I only look at your tax figures."

After Jiajing took over the mess left by Emperor Wuzong, he never had any extra money on hand, and when he thought of money, his head was as big as a bucket.

He rubbed his hands happily: "If all magistrates in the world are like you, I don't have to worry so much. It's a pity, Sun Dan, you only have the honor of raising people. If you really win the Jinshi, with your ability, I will make a chief executive If I entrust the envoy to you, after half a year, my money will be loose."

Sun Dan was also a little happy in his heart, as long as he kept making money for the emperor, his weight in the emperor's mind would become heavier and heavier.As for the emperor's dissatisfaction with him just now, it was nothing at all.

The king is not a normal person, especially for a shrewd emperor.

He can be dissatisfied with a minister, but as long as the minister is an operator, he can still use it.

Compared with the dignity of the country and the emperor, his personal likes and dislikes are not worth mentioning at all.There are jesters all over the world. As long as the emperor needs it, just shout, and a large group of people will rush up like flies.However, officials who are fair, loyal, capable, and honest are not common.

Sun Dan thinks that he is also a shrewd and capable person, as long as he is given a chance, he will definitely become an indispensable assistant to the emperor.

Now is no longer the time to hide your clumsiness, you need to perform vigorously in front of the boss and reflect your own value.As long as the boss is not an idiot, he will know the importance of employees like me to Daming Company.

Sun Dan: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust. However, there is another piece of good news. If there is no accident, Fangshan will be able to collect this year's autumn tax in advance next month. If His Majesty agrees, Fangshan is willing to bear the entire Shuntian Prefecture Jiajing for one year. all taxes."

Jiajing was startled: "You are willing to bear all the taxes of Shuntian Mansion. In this way, your annual tax in Fangshan can be equivalent to that of a remote chief envoy. Is this possible?"

Sun Dan nodded: "It's entirely possible, Your Majesty, don't worry, and listen to the minister to report slowly." He said calmly: "The Weaving Bureau now has more than 3000 sub-machines, and each loom charges three to five yuan a month. The tax is about 1 taels a month, and one hundred thousand taels a year. This is still a part of it. The woven silk has to be charged 50% of the commercial tax during the sales process, and it can be withdrawn when buying raw silk. Ten percent. There is only one weaving bureau, and after a year, I can contribute [-] to [-] taels of tax to the country."

Jiajing's eyes turned green when he heard this. As far as he knew, the Ming Dynasty had been prosperous and stable since the Jingtai year, but after so many years, the country's annual fiscal revenue was only more than two million taels.The 200 million taels is only enough for the country's normal expenditure. If it is lower than this figure, the government is in danger of malfunctioning.

When Wuzong arrived, because of the country's continuous use of troops, the financial deficit was very large, and it gradually failed to make ends meet.Up to now, not only can't even keep the bottom line of 200 million taels, but the local government has owed taxes to the court for several years.Fortunately, in the past few years, the weather has been smooth and there have been no major disasters. If there are several droughts and floods, and the country is unable to rescue the disaster, won't it lead to civil unrest?

This is what Jiajing has been worried about since he came to the throne, but he couldn't think of a way to improve his finances.

In fact, in real history, during the Jiajing period, the number of Taicang in the imperial court remained at more than 200 million taels, hovering around the warning line of 200 million.By the first year of Longqing, that is, the second year after Jiajing's death, the number had reached the verge of deterioration.The annual revenue of the imperial court was 200 taels, but the expenditure reached a staggering 5503 million taels.It can be said that the imperial court's finances have completely collapsed.

This is also the origin of "Jiajing Jiajing, every family is exhausted".

Only after Zhang Juzheng's reform did the country's fiscal and tax revenue increase significantly.Wanli reached a gratifying 14 million taels in 3809 years.

This shows how poor the emperor of Jiajing was.

It can also be seen from this how much Emperor Jiajing longed for money.

Seeing that the emperor's expression changed drastically, Sun Dan added another fire: "This is still the beginning. In Yichen's opinion, as long as the weaving situation goes well and the silk can be exported overseas smoothly, it is not difficult to reach the scale of weaving in the south of the Yangtze River. A million taels is also possible.”

"Okay!" Emperor Jiajing patted the armrest excitedly: "Well done, I knew that you, Sun Jingyuan, are good at managing money. You can do this in a county that is entrusted to you. You have greatly improved my reputation. Those ministers You have always regarded yourself as a national scholar, and you have been entangled with me in the imperial examination, but what good is it for the country and the people? I want to reward you and let them all see, what is the real peerless national scholar/"

He stood up from the chair and walked around the room happily. The big incident caused by the dispute between the two palaces and concubines just now was not so important to him.The lingering displeasure towards Sun Dan in his heart was also blown away by this astonishing number.

Now the emperor looked at Sun Dan more and more pleasing to his eyes, and thought: I don't care who is right or wrong in this matter, as long as I can dig money for me, it will be my humerus, and I will never let him down.

Sun Dan still had no expression, just bowed and said: "The honor of the minister is also the honor of His Majesty. However, the minister only knows how to do things and share the worries of the king and the country. As for other things, I don't think much about it. The minister is dull. A dull man."

Jiajing was in a good mood, he helped Sun Dan up, and praised with a smile: "What a person who only knows how to do things. There are many people who talk about things in this court, but there may not be many people who do things. Don't worry, do it. I will watch it." !"

Afterwards, it was natural that the monarch and his ministers got each other, and after some words, Sun Dan resigned.

The matter of Lv Fang's drug administration was settled satisfactorily because Sun Dan was there to mediate and Empress Chen was not involved.

Judging from what the emperor meant, Lu Fang didn't have any worries about her life in the short term, and she might have to spend a few years in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, so she could only slowly figure out a solution.

It's a pity that Lu Fang, such a talented young man, just quit the political arena, and he will never have the chance to take the position of eunuch who is in charge of rites and seals in the future. It's a pity.

"Hey, it's useless to think so much now, let's save Lu Fang's life first." Sun Dan murmured, "This is really weird. It was obviously Chen Hong who got the musk, but why did Lu Fang become the one who gave the medicine later?" Fang?"

No matter what, Sun Dan couldn't figure it out.

After leaving Yuxi Palace, Sun Dan remembered the wink Chen Hong gave him earlier, and knew that this kid had something to say when he came down.

Sun Dan was not in a hurry to leave Xiyuan, so he used an excuse to go back to Da Nei Shutang.

Now, Xiyuan is under martial law, if he goes out, Chen Hong will never find a chance to go out to look for him.

Sun Dan could only guard in the inner study hall.

The students in Neishutang had already finished school and returned to their residences. Only two teachers were on duty there.Seeing that Sun Dan came and sat there for a long time and didn't seem to have the posture of leaving, he felt strange, so he came forward and waited carefully.

Sun Dan: "I'm going to take the exam next month, and I want to find a quiet place to study, so I'll be on duty tonight, you guys go back."

When the two instructors heard that Sun Dan was willing to be on duty for them, they were all happy, and after a few words of humility, they left with smiles on their faces.

The so-called general examination is the central examination of the imperial examination system in the Ming Dynasty. Only after passing this test can scholars be awarded actual official positions by the court, and they can be regarded as having achieved a positive result.As for the subsequent palace examination, it is just to set the rankings for the candidates who passed the examination.

The examination was held in the Gongyuan in the southeast of the inner city of Beijing.The two chief examiners of the general examination, the university scholars who were born as Jinshi, and the officials below the Shangshu and above the deputy governor and above, were appointed by the Ministry.There are also eight fellow examiners, most of whom are served by Hanlin.

Of course, the one-year examination in Jiajing was Enke, and the emperor himself was the chief examiner.

According to the usual practice, the exam is scheduled for the beginning of February, which is only a few days away from now.

Sun Dan didn't pay much attention to the exam. With his ability, it shouldn't be difficult to pass.However, it is still necessary to review the homework in advance. I have been too busy recently and haven't touched the books for many days.

Just picked up a copy of "Zhu Zi's Annotated Analects" and couldn't read a few pages, when Chen Hong came.

As soon as he entered the door, Chen Hong suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and cried loudly: "Sir, the students should die, the students should die!"

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(End of this chapter)