Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

As night fell, only a few stars twinkled in the pitch-black night sky.

Inside the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, the flickering candlelight cast long shadows of the people.

Today, Zhu Jian threw out silver coins in the main hall, which was something no one expected. But there is something more important than silver coins, and that is the issue of salary.

The salaries of officials have been suspended for some time. Although these people can still make ends meet, a solution is needed.

Zhu Jian's gaze swept over the crowd, and he asked curiously, "My esteemed ministers, during your time in Nanjing, have you experienced the prosperity of Jiangnan?"

"Your Majesty, I have already sensed it!" Yang Sichang responded first.

Zhu Jian asked again, "During this period, the salaries of all officials have been suspended. Do any of you have any complaints?"

"There are certainly complaints, but none of the court officials have said anything!" Fan Jingwen chimed in from the side.

Zhu Jian nodded slightly and then asked, "How much silver did Grand Secretary Cheng raise in Jiangnan?"

"More than 800,000 taels!" Cheng Guoxiang replied without hesitation.

How much is the salt and tea tax in Jiangnan?

Cheng Guoxiang thought for a moment and replied, "The salt tax is approximately two million taels!"

"Due to issues with tea permits, tea tax can no longer be collected..."

The current tea tax is similar to the salt permit system of the Kaizhongfa, prioritizing border control over finance. Merchants used to exchange tea for warhorses in the border regions and then obtain tea permits from the court to conduct trade. Now, the tea-horse trade has basically disappeared.

Zhu Jian squinted, tapping his fingers on the table as he pondered: Salt is untouchable right now; it's essential for people's survival. Tea, on the other hand, is different. Ordinary people can't even afford enough to eat, let alone drink tea...

Judging from the stability maintenance situation in various places, Dongcha is the best. There are networks in various places, which can fully meet the salary needs of all local officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

Just then, Zhang Zhifa stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the annual salaries of all officials in the provinces, prefectures, and counties of the Great Ming Dynasty are estimated at over five million taels of silver, and the expenses for the imperial clan are also estimated at over five million taels. As for the military and other issues, I am currently unaware of them!"

Zhang Zhifa had already done the accounting in Nanjing at the end of last year, and these were basically transparent accounts. As for the army, its connection with the cabinet and the Ministry of War had been completely severed, and it was now under the jurisdiction of the Military Affairs Bureau, so it would naturally not be reported to the cabinet anymore. Therefore, as the Grand Secretary, he did not know the specific annual financial expenditure and number of personnel of the army.

"I intend to reform the tea tax! It will be used to pay the salaries of officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces!" Zhu Jian said, then stared quietly at Zhang Zhifa to see what attitude the Grand Secretary would have.

"Your Majesty, private tea sales are rampant, and official tea permits are in the hands of some nobles. The Cabinet or the Ministry of Revenue alone cannot collect them!" Fan Jingwen said truthfully, and he specifically mentioned the word "nobles." For a high-ranking official like himself to name such nobles, they must be members of the imperial family.

"Who are these benefactors?"

Before Zhu Jian could finish speaking, Fan Jingwen hurriedly replied, "The consort of Princess Yongping, the heir of the Prince of Yi's mansion, the Prince of Guanghuai, the Marquis of Poyang, and twenty-seven other noble and imperial relatives, large and small!"

He paused, then stammered, "And...and..."

"What else?"

Fan Jingwen gritted his teeth and said, "And the eunuchs in the palace!"

"Who?"

"Zhang Yixian, Li Ruzheng, Han Zhiwen!"

"Cao Bianjiao! Cao Bianjiao!" Zhu Jian shouted loudly.

Cao Bianjiao, who was on duty in the Wenhua Hall, heard the emperor's voice and hurriedly entered the hall: "Your Majesty!"

"Send word to Wang Dehua! Zhang Yixian, Li Ruzheng, and Han Zhiwen's homes are to be confiscated, and their entire families to be exterminated! The spoils are to be disposed of by the Eastern Depot!"

"Furthermore, let Wang Chengen come to Nanjing again!"

"As you command!"

Just as Cao Bianjiao turned to leave, he heard Zhu Jian's voice: "Send an imperial edict to Sun Chuanting, ordering General Ma Ke to bring 50,000 new troops to Nanjing!"

"yes!"

Seeing that the emperor was about to use force, Zhang Zhifa quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, these nobles must not be slaughtered indiscriminately!"

"Do you have business dealings with them?"

"I did not!"

"Then why can't you move?"

"These people are involved in too many areas, and many of them have connections with the capital. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!" Zhang Zhifa was indeed anxious because these people were different from the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Dai. They were not concentrated and could not be captured all at once. If someone rebelled, troops would have to be dispatched to quell the rebellion. Moreover, they had intricate connections with the nobles in the capital!

Zhu Jian waved his hand: "I want to reshape the tea permit system, not confiscate their property!"

"My mind is made up. Yang Sichang will stay; the rest of you may return!"

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Zhifa continued to offer his advice.

"Let's go back!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhifa sighed deeply: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

After everyone left, only Yang Sichang and Zhu Jian remained in the Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Jian gestured for Yang Sichang to sit down: "Sichang, it's not that I don't want you to return to the capital, but Southern Zhili is too important. I wouldn't feel at ease if anyone else were here. Only with you here can I feel at ease!"

Yang Sichang belonged to the Iron Pole Emperor Party, and Zhu Jian felt it was necessary to reassure Yang Sichang to avoid hurting his feelings, since Yang Sichang had supported him all these years, regardless of right or wrong.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust!" Yang Sichang felt that Zhu Jian was planning something big, but he couldn't figure it out. Since he couldn't figure it out, he would just do as the emperor said, and he couldn't go wrong!

"Fan Jingwen just mentioned eunuchs and nobles, but he didn't mention which gentry and merchants were involved. Don't you find that strange?"

Although Fan Jingwen claimed to be apolitical, some scholars in history have classified him as a member of the Donglin Party. Although Zhu Jian respected his integrity, it did not mean that he would follow everything he said. The execution of the three eunuchs was merely a warning to Wang Dehua and his ilk, to prevent them from becoming arrogant, and it could be considered as killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

Xun Gui doesn't need to carry out a large-scale massacre. The events involving the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Dai, the Prince of Chu, and the Prince of Xiang have already frightened them. As long as he sends someone to demand tea permits and gives them a warning, they will definitely stop. They can still settle this score. So what Zhu Jian needs to do is to deal a heavy blow to these merchants, eliminate an entire merchant group, like the Shanxi merchants, and kill all those connected from top to bottom!

The crime of illegally selling tea is a good charge. When the truth comes out, other charges will follow. Prosecutor Zhu doesn't believe these merchants are clean, especially in Jiangnan, a famous place of pleasure. How can things be peaceful there?

But before the arrival of the 50,000-strong army, Zhu Jian will definitely keep a low profile, after all, he only has 20,000 troops at his disposal!

Yang Sichang was taken aback upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he exclaimed in surprise, "Fan Jingwen is very close to Qian Qianyi and others, so he provided them with cover!"

He then added urgently, "Your Majesty, I humbly request that you move your residence to Fengyang. As the Governor of Southern Zhili, I will take charge of this matter there to prevent any unforeseen circumstances!"

"An accident?" Zhu Jian sneered. "I've never heard of merchants causing any trouble!"

"I appreciate Sichang's kind intentions!"

Zhu Jian wasn't afraid of these merchants. If they really had any backbone, why did these people go crazy and surrender after the Jurchens marched south and massacred Yangzhou? They didn't do anything to help either of the two places at all!

To think that these people are a united front is wishful thinking. No force is a united front. Even now, as the emperor, he cannot achieve that. As soon as the army stops receiving its pay, soldiers will immediately desert or mutini!

Zhu Jian pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Here's what we'll do: Si Chang, as the Governor of Southern Zhili, host a banquet for some local tea merchants who have fallen on hard times or been suppressed and swallowed up by others. See what their attitude is, and whether we can recruit them. Once we've taken down these smuggling tea merchants, the Governor's Office will step in to support these suppressed and impoverished tea merchants! If necessary, I will meet with them, but don't make any promises now!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Yang Sichang immediately understood Zhu Jian's intention; the Emperor wanted to become the backer for these tea merchants who had no connections and were suffering from suppression...

It seems these unlucky shopping malls are about to turn their fortunes around...