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

Three days later, a warm breeze swept across northern Zhili.

Li Banghua and Fan Jingwen, the Minister of Revenue, carrying the newly planned map of the Ming Dynasty, strode into the Wuying Hall: "Your Majesty, we have drafted a plan!"

He then laid the map he was holding flat on the table.

"How many reclamation areas?" Prosecutor Zhu asked as he stood up and looked at the map.

"There are a total of seventy-six reclamation areas! They are distributed in Beizhili, Shanxi, Shandong, Huguang, and Nanzhili! Shanxi has the most, with twenty-six, Huguang has twenty, Beizhili has fourteen, Shandong has eleven, and Nanzhili has five!" Fan Jingwen, the Minister of Revenue, responded from the side.

Zhu Jian slowly scanned the map and nodded slightly.

"Li Banghua intends to select newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to go to these reclamation areas. No officials other than those who passed the Jinshi examinations this year are allowed to reside in the reclamation areas. Anyone found concealing this will be punished, and their entire family will be executed. Those who recommended them will be punished equally! Except for the three seventh-rank officials, all other officials in the reclamation areas will be appointed according to the eighth-rank standard! There are no clerks in the reclamation areas; everyone is an official!"

"As you command!"

"From now on, all 76 reclamation areas will fully recruit and settle displaced people for farming! A household registration system will be established for the reclamation areas, and those registered within the reclamation areas will be considered as people without any land or property! This matter must be communicated to the displaced people who are registering in the reclamation areas!!"

Zhu Jian didn't want others to seize the resources in the reclamation area. As long as you go to the reclamation area, even if you have 10,000 acres of land outside the reclamation area, it will not be yours. But this has no impact on the refugees who can't survive, because they have nothing but a dying life!

"Yes!" Li Banghua responded softly.

"No merchants, salt, cloth, or other goods are allowed in the reclamation area. These materials are all state-run. Any private salt, cloth, or grain merchants will have their property confiscated. After verification by the Military and Political Bureau, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will go to the reclamation area to behead them on the spot, confiscate their property, and exterminate their entire family!"

Inspector Zhu implemented a production rationing system in the reclamation area. Anyone who tried to profit there was a fearless individual; regardless of rank or status, all were subject to confiscation of property and extermination of their entire family. Inspector Zhu didn't discriminate based on rank; he merely imprisoned the official and treated him well, while the official's descendants continued to live lavishly off this ill-gotten wealth…

In chaotic times, harsh punishments are used to pacify the people. If all the officials in the Ming Dynasty were executed now, there would certainly be innocent ones. But executing every other official would inevitably result in some escaping justice. However, the Ming Dynasty has already ruled for 270 years, and this is generally the case for most dynasties, though there are exceptions. Some dynasties have ruled for 60 or 70 years in the same way as the Ming Dynasty, only without natural disasters or external threats…

"Your Majesty, these lands belong to the imperial court. When displaced people cultivate them, should their harvest still be paid 80% to the people and 20% to the tax authorities?" asked Fan Jingwen, Minister of Revenue.

Collecting taxes was the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue, so he needed to get to the bottom of it.

After listening, Inspector Zhu nodded slightly: "The people in the reclamation area have no taxes or corvée labor; 80% of their income comes from their labor, and 20% is land rent! As for salt, cloth, etc., they are exchanged for grain or sold to the reclamation area garrison commander at market prices! The specific proportions will be based on the real-time prices in each province!"

After speaking, Zhu Jian thought for a moment and then said, "Under the Military and Political Bureau, establish another Price Bureau, composed of this year's Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). They will travel to all provinces of the Ming Dynasty every half month to record the average prices over fifteen days, and send personnel back to the Price Bureau of the Military and Political Bureau monthly! The prices will be based on the prices of grain, salt, tea, and cloth!"

Zhu Jian was tasked with gaining initial control over local prices, which also served as the eyes and ears of the imperial court. The original price system of the Ministry of Revenue had collapsed, and the connection between the local governments and the Ministry of Revenue was in a state of disarray. Reorganizing it would take too long, so a new price system had to be established. Furthermore, the influence of the local governments on the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) was minimal, as they were not subordinate to each other…

Upon hearing this, Li Banghua and Fan Jingwen nodded slightly and said in unison, "Your Majesty, we obey!"

Just then, a young eunuch rushed into the Wuying Hall and hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, a fire has just broken out at the Beixin Granary and the Lumi Granary!"

Upon hearing this, Prosecutor Zhu was taken aback and said incredulously, "A fire?"

"Yes! Eunuch Wang has already led the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to put out the fire, and sent this servant to inform you!" the little eunuch said hurriedly.

Upon hearing this, Fan Jingwen hurriedly knelt on the ground, beads of cold sweat instantly forming on his forehead: "Your Majesty, as the Minister of Revenue, I failed in my supervisory duties, resulting in a fire. I beg Your Majesty's punishment!"

"How much grain is in the two granaries?"

"The Ministry of Revenue's ledgers show 10,370 shi!" Fan Jingwen quickly replied.

"How do you remember it so clearly?" Prosecutor Zhu asked again.

"Your Majesty...yesterday I saw that the grain records in the two granaries were excessive...I wanted to...want to take some out to relieve the disaster victims in Daxing County...I specially sent someone to inspect..." Fan Jingwen stammered.

"Get up. If you don't send anyone and just take the grain, the granary won't catch fire!" Zhu Jian said softly.

In Zhu Jian's eyes, this was someone trying to play the "fire dragon burning the granary" trick on him.

"By imperial decree, Zhou Yuji, Cao Bianjiao, and Liu Guoneng shall each lead ten thousand soldiers into the city! Sun Chuanting shall lead the new army to take over the Beijing garrison!"

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will go and convey the decree immediately!"

After finishing his sentence, Zhu Jian leaned close to Fan Jingwen's ear, who was still too afraid to stand up, and whispered, "Minister Fan, I know you are incorruptible and never accept any benefits, but you should not easily inspect the granaries in the future! There are too many things involved; moving one thread can affect the whole situation!"

"I...I obey your order!"

Zhu Jian patted Fan Jingwen on the shoulder again: "Get up. You didn't do anything wrong! You just didn't think things through! Come with me to Beixincang!"

Following the precedent set by Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian), the Minister of Revenue, being the most responsible party, would certainly be held accountable. However, Zhu Youjian knew the complexities involved and was also aware of Fan Jingwen's character. Therefore, Fan Jingwen simply hadn't considered things carefully before acting...

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Fan Jingwen stood up and staggered after Zhu Jian, accompanied by Li Ruolian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to Beixincang.

Before long, Zhu Jian arrived at the granary, which was still burning with fire.

Smelling the pungent odor and hearing the crackling fire and the collapsing granary, he asked, "Wang Dehua, is there a eunuch stationed at this granary?"

Upon hearing the emperor's voice, Wang Dehua turned around abruptly and, seeing Zhu Jian, immediately bowed and knelt, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty! There was a eunuch stationed at this warehouse, and I have already imprisoned him in the Eastern Depot!"

Before Wang Dehua could finish speaking, the head eunuch of the Eastern Depot rushed to Zhu Jian and Wang Dehua, knelt down, and said, "Your Majesty! The eunuch stationed at the granary was...frightened to death on the way..."

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Dehua's throat bobbed, he closed his eyes, and lowered his head even further... He felt he was doomed...

"Scared to death?"

"Can a person really be scared to death?"

"Your Majesty, it was...it was this servant who personally escorted them back. The eunuch stationed at the warehouse vomited green liquid on the way and then died..." the East Depot's chief eunuch replied tremblingly.

Upon hearing this, Prosecutor Zhu clapped his hands lightly, exclaiming, "Good! Good! Good!"

"The Eastern Depot Admiral scared people to death..."

"I'm guilty, I'm guilty!" The eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot hurriedly begged for forgiveness...