Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Chapter 140: Giving You a Chance Was Useless

Xing'an bowed and entered: "Your Majesty, Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue, requests an audience."

Zhu Qiyu put down his book: "Announce."

A moment later, Jin Lian stepped into the hall, bowed, and said, "Your subject, Jin Lian, Minister of Revenue, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Qiyu raised his hand: "Minister Jin, you may dispense with the formalities. Please take a seat."

Jin Lian did not sit down, but took out the memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."

This is my draft memorial regarding the annual revenue and expenditure for the first half of the first year of the Jingtai reign (1464), which I humbly request Your Majesty's review.

Xing'an received it and forwarded it to Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu opened the memorial and scanned it line by line.

Total revenue for the first half of the year:

The land tax was converted into 8.4 million taels of silver.

The salt and tea tax amounted to 680,000 taels.

Commercial tax: 180,000 taels.

The military settlements recovered 213,000 taels of silver.

Other miscellaneous items totaled 120,000 taels.

The total is 9,593,000 taels.

Total expenditures for the first half of the year:

The military pay for the nine border regions amounted to 2.4 million taels of silver.

Eight hundred thousand taels of silver for the Beijing garrison.

The official's salary was 600,000 taels.

The imperial family members were all entitled to a stipend of 400,000 taels of rice.

The cost of river works and grain transport is 300,000 taels.

Two hundred and fifty thousand taels were allocated to provide disaster relief to displaced people.

Other items totaled 150,000 taels.

The total is four million nine hundred thousand taels.

"After offsetting income and expenditure, there is a surplus of 4,693,000 taels."

After reading it, Zhu Qiyu's eyes showed surprise: "A surplus of four million six hundred and ninety thousand taels?"

Minister Kim, this is significantly more than your initial budget at the beginning of the year.

Jin Lian bowed and said, "The main reason is that the collection of arrears in salt and tea taxes has been effective, resulting in more than 100,000 taels more than expected."

The amount recovered from military settlements was 70,000 to 80,000 taels more than expected.

In addition, expenses were well controlled, saving approximately 200,000 taels compared to the budget.

Zhu Qiyu closed the memorial and said, "Minister Jin, you've worked hard."

Jin Lian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not complain of hardship. I have another matter to report to Your Majesty."

Seeing his solemn expression, Zhu Qiyu gave Xing'an a wink.

Xing'an then led Zhu Jianshen and the other two away.

After they left, Jin Lian reported to the commander of Yongqing Guard, Zhou Ang, on the obstruction of the military settlement clearance, the obstruction of the counting of monks' and Taoist ordination certificates, and the situation of various places outwardly complying but inwardly resisting.

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "I understand."

Go back and continue your investigation, and do what you were supposed to do.

I will send people to investigate the matter of Yongqing Guard.

"I want to see who is obstructing the implementation of the Sixteen Policies."

Jin Lian bowed deeply: "Your subject obeys the decree."

A few days later, the court assembly was held at Fengtian Gate.

Xing'an, as usual, sang: "If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

As soon as the words were spoken, a man stepped forward and knelt down: "Your Majesty, Zhang Peng, Supervising Censor of Fujian Circuit of the Censorate, has a memorial to present!"

Zhu Qiyu looked at the young censor in his early thirties and nodded slightly: "Speak."

Zhang Peng loudly proclaimed, "I impeach Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue, for deceiving the emperor, disobeying imperial orders, and oppressing the people. His crimes are unforgivable!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

Zhang Peng continued, "His Majesty issued an edict to the whole country at the beginning of his reign."

In the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, the autumn grain tax was reduced by 30%.

Hebei, Shanxi, and other areas affected by war were exempted from taxes for one year.

This is Your Majesty's benevolent rule, and all the people are grateful and supportive.

However, since Jin Lian took office as Minister of Revenue, he ostensibly managed finances, but in reality, he amassed wealth through corruption.

The so-called Sixteen Policies were implemented under the guise of clearing up military settlements and recovering arrears, but in reality, they increased taxes and exploited the people.

As far as I know, tax revenue in Shandong, Henan, and Beizhili this summer has increased rather than decreased compared to last year.

What is this if not disobeying imperial orders and oppressing the people?

Your Majesty, I implore you to investigate this matter thoroughly, dismiss Jin Lian, and rescind your decree to reassure the people!

After saying this, Zhang Peng collapsed to the ground and refused to get up.

Zhu Qiyu remained expressionless after hearing this.

A month ago, Zhu Qiyu began to receive memorials impeaching Jin Lian.

But he kept all of them hidden, and unexpectedly they impeached him again in public today.

This is practically a coup!

Zhu Qiyu nodded, and just as he was about to speak, another person stepped forward: "Your subject, Li Jun, Supervising Censor of Henan Circuit of the Censorate, has a memorial to present!"

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Zhu Qiyu looked at him and said, "Speak."

Li Jun: "I impeach Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue, for being greedy for merit and wealth, and for disrupting the old regulations."

Ordination certificates for monks and Taoist priests were originally under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites.

Jin Lian overstepped his bounds and sent people to various temples and monasteries to count the monks and nuns, harassing the locals and disturbing the people.

As a result, some temples and monasteries closed their doors to visitors, and some monks and nuns fled to the mountains.

What is this if not a disruption of the established order?

Your Majesty, I implore you to severely punish Jin Lian as a warning to others!

Zhu Qiyu remained expressionless: "Anything else?"

Before he finished speaking, a third person stepped forward: "Your subject, Wang Xuan, Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, has a memorial to present!"

Your subject impeaches Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue, for embezzling from officials and abusing his power.

The salt and tea taxes were originally the responsibility of the Salt Transport Office and the Tea and Horse Transport Office.

Jin Lian, however, appointed a special official to intervene in the matter.

Salt and tea merchants were thus gripped by fear; some salt merchants closed their businesses, and some tea merchants fled.

The fifth person, the sixth person, the seventh person —

A dozen or so people stepped forward, all of them impeaching Jin Lian.

The charges were varied, but the core issue was the same: Kim's sixteen strategies had affected the interests of too many people.

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy.

Those officials who did not step forward to impeach him either kept their heads down and remained silent, secretly observed Zhu Qiyu's expression, or simply watched coldly from the sidelines.

Kim Yeon himself stood in the column with a normal expression, as if he were not the one being impeached.

Zhu Qiyu waited until everyone had finished speaking before slowly asking, "Have you all finished?"

The hall was completely silent.

Zhu Qiyu looked at the censors and officials who had impeached him: "Zhang Peng, you said that Jin Lian is exploiting the people."

I ask you, has the Ministry of Revenue increased the land tax by even a fraction in the past six months?

Have any miscellaneous taxes ever been increased?

The edict reducing or exempting taxes is still hanging in the Office of Transmission.

Minister Jin investigated military farms and recovered outstanding arrears, focusing on the officers of the garrisons who had secretly occupied land.

They are chasing after old debts that have been outstanding for many years.

What does this have to do with ordinary people?!

Zhang Peng's face turned deathly pale: "Your Majesty—Your Majesty—"

Zhu Qiyu ignored him and looked at Li Jun: "Li Jun, you're saying that Minister Jin overstepped his bounds by investigating the ordination certificates of monks and Taoists, right?"

Li Jun said, "Yes, this matter should be handled by the Ministry of Rites."

Zhu Qiyu interrupted him: "Minister Hu, is that so?"

Hu Dan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Minister Jin did not send any officials from his department to participate in the verification of the ordination certificates."

Zhu Qiyu looked at Li Jun: "Did you hear that? Or do you believe that Minister Hu and Minister Jin are in cahoots?"

Li Jun prostrated himself on the ground, refusing to rise: "Your subject—Your subject dares not—"

Zhu Qiyu then looked at Wang Xuan: "Wang Xuan, you said that Minister Jin has encroached on the interests of the officials and interfered with the salt and tea tax collection."

If the relevant departments can collect and pay taxes on time and in full every year.

Do I really need to come and collect it now?

"If I don't hold them accountable for their dereliction of duty, they can just laugh to themselves!"

Wang Xuan's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Zhu Qiyu asked them one by one, and each one was left speechless.

Finally, he returned to his throne and coldly swept his gaze over the assembled officials: "Your impeachment memorials have already been submitted."

I have already investigated and clarified the issues you raised in your memorials.

I'm keeping them all in reserve to give you an opportunity and to save face for you.

Don't think I don't know what you're thinking.

Since you're going to throw away this pretense today...

"Alright, Xing'an!"

Xing'an, who was standing to the side, bowed and said, "Your subject is here."

Zhu Qiyu said sternly, "Issue my decree: Commander Lu Zhong of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is to enter the palace immediately."