Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Wan An and others' scalps exploded instantly, and they looked at Zhu Youtang as if they were looking at monsters.

When they were all thinking about how to implement official governance and how to educate the people to learn measurement methods, the emperor in front of them directly jumped out of this thinking convention.

The emperor's stick did not punish the good guys, but fell firmly on the real bad guys, hitting just seven inches without any bias.

Once these "unruly people" do something like Hidden Field, they will have to pay a corresponding price. It is undoubtedly much better to swallow the consequences of being unable to obtain fame for the third generation than thinking about how to prevent it before.

What is a miracle doctor? This kind of direct attack on the root of the disease is the real cure.

Zhu Youtang was completely unaware of the exquisiteness of the system of dishonest people. After all, this system of dishonest people was very common in later generations.

If the rich refuse to pay taxes, the country will naturally deprive them of their rights to fly and high-speed rail. Nowadays, if wealthy households want to hide their salt fields, they can not only deprive them of the right to become an official, but they can also be ordered not to ride in sedan chairs or ride horses.

In fact, the most terrifying thing about the Diaomin register is not that it deprives them of the right to serve as officials, but that they will bear the same obligations as ordinary people.

Sima Guang, a politician in the Northern Song Dynasty, summed it up well: There are people who die because of service, but there are people who die because of wealth.

The word "servant" here naturally refers to corvee service. The important participants and those who died in "sending a thousand people into the mountain and five hundred out of the mountain" were the corvee service members of the Ming Dynasty.

No matter how powerful these wealthy households were, since they were deprived of the right to obtain honors by the imperial court, they could no longer consider themselves scholars and naturally had to obediently serve in corvee labor.

However, corvee service is deadly, and those with thin arms and legs are more likely to die.

Why did the population of the Ming Dynasty show a downward trend from the middle to late Chenghua period, especially in the last few years when Emperor Chenghua was physically and mentally exhausted?

It was during this period that the officials and gentry were annexing land on a large scale. Since a large number of people were without taxes, the corvee work of ordinary people increased. As a result, some overwhelmed people had no choice but to flee their homes and work as slaves in the homes of famous people, thus falling into a vicious cycle. middle.

Zhu Youtang has always been aware of the existence of these problems, but the daily operations of the Ming Dynasty court required financial support, and the court's grain tax of 2,600 shi had to rely on the gentry class.

If you don't get some capital from the salt government first and train your Beijing army well, there will only be two results if you let the dog out hastily: the dog will go home with its tail wagging its head after being full, or it will be beaten to death with sticks.

The reason why the list of unruly people is being thrown out now is that, firstly, the rich households in Zaohu are soft persimmons; secondly, the salt administration matter has been dealt with, and it is time to focus on grain tax; thirdly, the time is just right to throw it out now.

The unscrupulous people who can really hide the salt fields are never ordinary people. Since these wealthy kitchen households are enjoying the blessings brought to them by the empire, they also want to go out of their way to steal the empire's salt profits. Why should the court not punish them?

For an official who dared to stand up and speak for them, even if he had someone drag him out of the Meridian Gate and kill him with a cane, other officials would not dare to accuse him.

Zhu Youtang felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere among the ministers, and immediately suspected that he had taken too long a step. He couldn't help but frowned slightly and said, "Isn't this method feasible?"

"This method is great!"

"Your Majesty is wise and is a blessing to the people!"

"I'm waiting for a sudden enlightenment and enlightenment!"

…

Officials such as Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, came to their senses one after another. While marveling at the emperor's unparalleled wisdom in governing, they also hurriedly expressed their stance.

This is not a list of unfaithful people, it is clearly a life sheet.

If this book is promulgated, which official and gentry family will dare to hide their fields again in the future?

Once they are found out, they will not be able to get ahead for three generations, and they will disappear directly among the gentry class. Just thinking about this consequence is terrifying.

Xu Qiong wanted to flatter her, but suddenly she found that she was at a loss for words. All she could think of was "Your Majesty, you are awesome", but she couldn't say these words.

The dignified minister of the Ministry of Rites and Ci Chen, the impact of the Diao Min Register can be seen.

Seeing everyone's good response, Zhu Youtang immediately made the final decision: "Since the ministers have no objections, then the matter is finalized! The various yamen coordinated with each other. The Ministry of Rites published "Elementary Geometry" and distributed it to kitchen households everywhere, and the Ministry of Officials issued a Each branch of the Yamen added a Geometry Instructor, the Ministry of Punishment re-created the metric meter and circulated it in the local yamen, the Yamen at all levels set up the metric stone of the Ministry of Industry for the people to learn from, the Ministry of Household... A register of dishonest people who built stoves was promulgated throughout the country. Those who register will be exempted from meritorious service, and the third generation will not be allowed to take part in the imperial examinations, will not be allowed to travel in sedan chairs or horses, and will not be allowed to hire substitutes for corvee service!"

ah?

The foregoing matters were accepted by all the officials present.

Just when corvee was mentioned, many people couldn't help but stare, wondering why corvee was suddenly mentioned.

However, they soon figured out that since those who were registered had lost their fame and could no longer take the imperial examination, they could no longer belong to scholars.

But...it's so cruel. Fortunately, I am on the imperial court's list of exemptions, otherwise the arrogant person might jump out.

call!

Liu Zhong let out a long breath. Although he was just an eighteen-year-old young emperor in front of him, he suddenly felt that he was too young.

"I'm waiting for you to receive the order!" Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and others knew that the weather had really changed, so they bowed their hands respectfully.

It is conceivable that once this list of unruly people was promulgated, it was probably not only the unscrupulous households who were frightened, but also the officials and gentry across the country who had hidden their property.

After all, once the unruly people were registered from the salt fields to the farmlands, it would be fine if they had the ability to avoid being traced by the court, but it would be a disaster if they were really found out.

I'm afraid that on the day the Diao Min Register was promulgated, some officials and gentry had already taken the initiative to report to the Yamen. After all, in order to avoid a little tax and some corvee, it is really not worth it to end up ruining your career and possibly even dying in service.

Zhu Youtang had just finalized the matter, but he found Liu Zhong looking like he was about to make a move, so he solemnly said: "Liu Qing, let me give you a message!"

Du Ming, the Minister of Punishment, and other officials all noticed Liu Zhong's unwillingness to give up. They vaguely felt that Liu Zhong still refused to give up his father-in-law's land, so they turned to look at Zhu Youtang.

"I am all ears!" Liu Zhong expressed sincere admiration for the emperor in front of him, even if he said with a cup of his hand.

Zhu Youtang still had high hopes for Liu Zhong in his heart, but he still seriously warned: "If you don't plan for the world, you can't plan for a moment; if you don't plan for the overall situation, you can't plan for a region! Go back and study it carefully!"

The salt tax was only the second largest tax in the Ming Dynasty, and the biggest driving force to maintain the operation of the entire Ming Dynasty was actually the grain tax.

The decline in grain taxes is visible to the naked eye. Especially after Jingtai, the civil servant group gradually grew bigger, so that the grain taxes collected by local governments became less and less. This was obviously contrary to the increasing area of ​​cultivated land.

Although he really wanted to immediately start a nationwide purge and find out all the powerful officials and gentry in Hidden Fields and punish them severely, he could not rush this matter.

Not to mention that this move is easily counterattacked by the entire official and gentry class, and it is easy for oneself to make the decision, but if it is to be implemented locally, someone needs to implement it.

He never believed that the rectification of the salt policy was able to achieve miraculous results this time because of his own contribution. The person who really made the contribution was Wang Yue, who was responsible for the specific operations.

It's just that there is only one Wang Yue, but there are more than 1,400 counties in the Ming Dynasty, which does not include the state offices. It is not something that Wang Yue can handle at all.

What's more, Wang Yue still has to continue to rectify the salt administration and clean up the accumulated waste in the local area. In addition, he has other arrangements for Wang Yue, and now he is unable to do anything at all.

For this reason, it is not advisable to rush into clearing the land, and it is impossible to implement it all at once across the country.

Before he found a suitable candidate, he had no intention of carrying it out haphazardly. Trusting someone else would only waste the good situation he had finally created.

"I am taught by you!" Liu Zhong felt that these words were very wise and immediately saluted respectfully.

Wan An and Liu Ji exchanged glances. The mere fact that Zhu Youtang could say such wise words proved that the emperor in front of him was indeed far more intelligent than ordinary people.

Combined with the list of unruly people just thrown out, perhaps the emperor in front of him is not as good as Taizu and Taizong in terms of martial arts, but in terms of wisdom in governing the country, he is already the first emperor since the Ming Dynasty.

It was the first time for Qiu Jun, the newly-appointed right minister of the Ministry of Rites, to attend such a high-level meeting in Yangxin Palace. He was so close to the new emperor that he couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise.

He also realized why he had not received a reply from His Majesty in the "Advocate for the Great Learning" written by him. He was afraid that the theory he advocated could not be judged by the emperor at all.

Liu Jian, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, looked at the emperor who dominated the audience with complex eyes. The image of the honest and innocent student was getting blurry, while the wise and powerful emperor in front of him became clearer and clearer.

After all, he still missed it, and now the emperor is drifting away from him.

The other six ministers who came here for the first time also fell into deep thought when they looked at the emperor's governing wisdom in front of them.

The Wuxun Group has been taken care of by His Majesty. If they continue to follow Xu Pu, they will definitely end up with no good fruits.

Zhu Youtang ignored the thoughts of these ministers and continued to talk about business: "Li Qing, how are you clearing up the accumulated diversions in the Huaihe River?"

Jia Jun, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and others turned to look at Li Si, the minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. They were also curious about the progress of clearing up the backlog. In fact, they were mainly concerned about the next harvest of the salt tax.

If Chen Kun, the left minister of the household department, and Liu Zhong, the right minister of the household department, knew the truth, the corners of their mouths could not help but raise an arc.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the results of clearing out the accumulated money are very good! Wang Yue has confiscated nearly three million taels of stolen silver. Now, in accordance with your Majesty's instructions, he has begun to sort out the accumulated money. It is expected that all the old and old accounts will be cleared this year! In addition, , the clearing of the salt fields in the two Huaihe Rivers was completed, and the local salt storage was sufficient. Today, the price of salt among Jiubian salt merchants has been twice that of Taizu's time. Because the salt production in the two Huaihe Rivers has increased, it is expected that the court's salt profit this year will be too high Four times as much as the time of the ancestors!" Li Si smiled from ear to ear, appearing to report the report truthfully.

This time, the government was handed over to Prime Minister Wang Yue, and the court could be said to have won.

The imperial court not only brought out a bunch of maggots from the salt administration system, but also recovered a quarter of the hidden salt fields through measurements. In addition, it also received three million taels from officials such as Li Zhiqing and the salt merchants.

Precisely because there is so much silver, it becomes easy to clear out the accumulation of money over the years.

All the discounted salt coins issued by the Lianghuai Capital Transshipment Department will be returned at the original price. The salt coins obtained through Jiubian Zhongyan can enjoy half-price purchase of new coins or discounted coins, and all the salt coins of the royal family and relatives will be refunded. void.

Although the removal of Yanyin may consume all three million taels of stolen silver, the actual revenue from the salt tax has now reached four times that of Taizu's period, which has simply opened up a tap with endless water for the Ming Dynasty's finances.

In the long run, this is undoubtedly a very good deal.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, said with emotion: "The salt tax is already four times what it was at the time of Taizu. Isn't this terrible?"

"If that's the case, wouldn't this year's finances be great?" He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, who had been silent today, his eyes suddenly lit up and he looked very happy.

Du Ming, the Minister of Punishment, was a serious person, so he asked curiously: "Li Shangshu, how come there are three times more people than in the Taizu period?"

"There are many people eating salt today, and salt is easy to sell, so salt merchants will naturally pay higher prices!" Zhang Ying, Minister of the Ministry of War, who was born in Songjiang in a prosperous land, responded naturally.

Zhu Youtang studied industry development trends in his previous life, so he naturally knew that this was not the whole truth.

The reason for this situation is that, on the one hand, competition among the increasing number of salt merchants has intensified, and on the other hand, after so many years of monopoly and other reasons, the people have accepted higher salt prices, so the cake of the salt industry has become bigger.

However, some things are impossible to avoid. Although the court can suppress the price of salt through administrative interference, doing so will only allow salt merchants to make huge profits from it.

Now the court only needs to respect the market, maintain a reasonable salt price and ensure that the people have salt to eat.

In fact, a higher salt price is beneficial. Only a higher salt price can generate a sufficient premium, thereby stimulating the enthusiasm of salt merchants in various places to sell salt.

Only by sustaining sufficient profits can Daming's salt be taken to the countryside and delivered to villages scattered across the country.

Zhu Youtang naturally had no reason to refuse this fat meal. After all, he had enough money in his hands to better develop his army, and he also had the confidence to rectify the grain tax.

Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and others listened to Zhang Ying's explanation and nodded slightly thoughtfully.

When Li Si saw Zhu Youtang's unfazed appearance, he secretly admired him and said nothing more.

Zhu Youtang recognized the ability of Li Si, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and nodded gently: "In the future, the Ming Salt Law will still be based on the Kaizhong method. There are still fewer troops and horses on the nine sides. We can increase the number of Zhongfa appropriately." The number of horses!" After a pause, he turned to look at Jia Jun, Minister of Industry, and said: "Jia Qing, if the refined iron from Wang Gong Factory is not enough, you can also apply for China Railway!"

The wonderful thing about the Ming Dynasty's Kaizhong method is that everything can be "middle". In fact, this can also reduce the procurement process, which is beneficial to the court's prevention of corruption.

"I accept the decree!" Li Si and Jia Jun said solemnly, knowing that Zhu Youtang still wanted to strengthen the military power of the nine sides through opening the Central Law.

Liu Jian, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, and other officials have slowly accepted Zhu Youtang's idea of ​​strengthening the army. Although they hope to share the blessing of peace, they can only accept their fate when they encounter such an emperor who is both civilized and martial.

In fact, they have no reason to stop it. After all, the little prince Datin Khan in Mongolia is becoming more and more powerful, and the Annan Li Dynasty in the south also has wolf ambitions. There are even large groups of bandits in Ganzhou Prefecture, which determines the need to strengthen military strength. .

What's more, the current military expenditures do not come from salaries, but from the Ming Dynasty's own taxes, which does not actually increase the burden on the people.

That's why they can disagree in their hearts, but they have no reason to object.

Zhu Youtang saw that the salt matter had been properly handled, so he turned his attention to overseas, and immediately spoke eloquently: "Today's world is actually different from that in the early Ming Dynasty. In the 13th year of Chenghua, Japanese pirates robbed warehouses and burned houses along the coast of Zhejiang. , with corpses and blood bleeding like mausoleums in the valley, more than half of the land in one township was affected; in the coastal areas of Guangdong, Guangdong merchants had close contacts with foreigners, and the number of foreigners coming to China was increasing day by day. Today, the Ming Dynasty and the four seas are actually one. Gao Heng, the son of the former chief minister, raised his family Escaped to the sea by boat, why is this? Southeast merchants are also very close to overseas! Taizu ordered Pianban not to go to the sea. At that time, he had just expelled Beiyuan, and the people in the country needed to recuperate, so he had to do it. Taizong ascended the throne, Zheng He made seven voyages to the Western Seas in order to explore the reality of the countries in the four seas. Nowadays, there are more and more ships traveling between the four seas. The late emperor is also worried about Japanese pirates and is also worried about powerful enemies coming from the Southeast Asia. I am now opening a market in Tamna Island. One is The second is to use Tamna Island as a barrier to prevent Japanese pirates from disturbing our people in the southeast! What happened in the 13th year of Chenghua cannot be repeated. The Ming Dynasty must also be prepared for danger in times of peace. I have just given Liu Zhong's words, Now I also give this to you: If you don’t plan for the eternity, you can’t plan for a moment; if you don’t plan for the overall situation, you can’t plan for a region!”

Although his true intention was to use Tamna Island as a springboard for the Ming Dynasty to attack Japan, if he threw it out like this, he would definitely be blocked, and he would also be programmed to become a warlike and meritorious emperor.

Although the reputation is bad, it is not a big deal, but in the long run, people still cannot easily blame it, so for the sake of safety, they have adopted a defensive banner.

What is wisdom in governing is probably like the art of war: there is reality within the imaginary, and there is emptiness within the reality.

Liu Jin was always by his side. He was about to add new sandalwood, but for a moment he couldn't help but look absently at the wise emperor.

Four eunuchs in charge, including Zhang Hu and Zhao Hu, came here on duty. After hearing what their master had said, they secretly wrote down these wise words.

Those who do not plan for the eternity cannot plan for a moment;

Those who do not plan for the overall situation cannot plan for one area.

…

Zhu Youtang's voice was the only voice in the entire Yangxin Hall, and these remarks made all the important ministers present listen, and they also vaguely understood the emperor's painstaking efforts.

I originally thought that the Ming Dynasty and the imperial court opened a market on Tamluo Island, and also asked the Ming Dynasty to reset the market shipping department to open the sea. This was a nonsense move by the emperor.

When I heard the true strategy of my emperor, I felt more than admiration.

From the perspective of the overall situation and eternity, it is very necessary for them to establish the Ming Dynasty garrison on Tamna Island. This will make it easier to block the Japanese pirates, or even directly cut off the Japanese pirates' retreat.

As for the cost of building a stronghold on Tamna Island, although it is not small, compared with the losses along the southeast coast and the massacre of the people, this investment is simply not worth mentioning.

What's more, they still have the income from the shipping company to make up for this expense.

"Your Majesty is wise, please bear this in mind!" Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and others said with sincerity.

Seeing that everyone had accepted his strategy regarding Tamna Island, Zhu Youtang immediately turned to look at Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, and said: "Xu Qing, has North Korea already responded?"

"Reporting to your majesty, the King of Korea has agreed to rename Tamna Island to Sanzhi Island. The Ming Dynasty and Korea will be divided into separate islands, and the military and political affairs will not interfere with each other!" Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, saw that business was being discussed, and immediately said seriously.

Zhu Youtang nodded lightly, knowing that North Korea would not stop the Ming Dynasty from settling on the island of exile, so he turned to look at Jia Jun, Minister of Industry.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Industry has sent Liu Zhongyu, a doctor from the Ministry of Industry, to Dan... to supervise the construction of the island. He will definitely build the port and the new city before the opening of the market, and will live up to His Majesty's expectations!" Jia, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, said: Jun knew that Zhu Youtang wanted to inquire about the situation of the Ministry of Industry, so he took the initiative to report it.

Zhu Youtang nodded lightly, then turned to look at Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and said: "Li Qing, the governor of the new city must choose a man who is capable of both literary and military skills. We must not let our Ming Dynasty hang on the overseas city without any loss! "

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The Ministry of Civil Affairs will definitely select the most suitable candidate and will definitely protect the overseas sky for the Ming Dynasty!" Li Yu felt that he was doing something related to the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, and he solemnly expressed his position.

Zhang Ying, the Minister of War, saw Zhu Youtang looking at him and couldn't help but feel secretly happy.

Zhu Youtang looked at the Ministry of War, but said calmly: "He Qing, the new city guards must pay more attention to the soldiers, and they must be mainly young people who have not yet married, whether they are soldiers from the guards or recruited from the Gyeongsang Province. The soldiers are all up to you, but you must ensure that these soldiers are ruthless enough to fight!"

When talking about "young people who have not yet started a family", he deliberately emphasized his tone. This matter is actually related to another big plan of his, but he can't say it yet.

"I accept the order!" He Cong noticed Zhang Ying who was about to make a move, and immediately and solemnly accepted the job.

Although he lost the opportunity to be promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War because of some mistakes he made earlier, especially when he was holding back when preparing to build the SHIELD camp.

It's just that the Holy Family is still there now. As long as I run errands for His Majesty honestly, what I lost will eventually come back, and the old guy in front of me will be replaced by myself sooner or later.

Zhu Youtang nodded slightly and then turned his attention to Li Si, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

"Your Majesty, now that the Ministry of Household Affairs has selected a location in Shanghai, Songjiang City Shipping Department will definitely be able to open as scheduled!" Li Si, the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, guessed Zhu Youtang's intention, and immediately made his attitude clear.

The Ming Dynasty established five municipal shipping departments, one of which was in Taicang Prefecture in Songjiang Prefecture. However, Zhu Youtang thought it was too far from Haikou, so he chose Shanghai County.

Compared with Taicang Prefecture, which is far away from the sea, choosing Shanghai County is undoubtedly more conducive to maritime trade. After all, Shanghai County is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River and can fully utilize its specific advantageous position in waterways.

The officials present found that Dianyi was indeed much more efficient. Now there was no need for various yamen to argue with each other. They only needed to divide the work here to get things done.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Zhu Youtang looked at Li Si and said: "Li Qing, you ordered the Baoquan Bureau's Daming gold coins and Daming copper coins. These coins are sold overseas. You also stipulated that the price should be bound to the exchange of cotton cloth, and The Shanghai Shipping Department will also collect this currency and make it the official tax currency!" After a pause, he looked at He Cong, the left minister of the Ministry of War, and said: "Servant He, the garrison you recruited will also issue this currency. If they You can choose to exchange it for silver or cotton cloth of equivalent value when you return home!"

If the Ming Dynasty wanted to become a true suzerainty, it would not be enough just to ask the surrounding countries to send an envoy to kneel down.

In addition to military deterrence, a true Celestial Kingdom must also have strong economic strength, and even more need to achieve a distant financial lead.

For example, the biggest reason why Zhu Di was able to achieve the Southern and Northern Expeditions and build a capital city on his own was that he had the backing of Ming Dynasty treasures.

It was precisely thanks to the strong financial support in the early Ming Dynasty that after gently opening the valve of Ming Dynasty Baochao, there was a steady stream of banknotes for him to squander.

Zhu Youtang's building of Ming Dynasty into the world's textile industry center was only the first step. The reason why Britain was strong back then was that he relied on the textile industry to become the world's financial center.

Since the surrounding countries are so weak, he naturally has to implement the currency belonging to the Ming Dynasty.

Not only must the Ming Dynasty currency become the official currency of various countries, but it must also become a world financial center so that it can obtain a steady stream of seigniorage.

In fact, this is not nonsense. After North Korea Tongbao did not have strong enough financial support, the most popular general equivalent in the court was five liters of cloth.

The war-torn island countries such as Japan and Luzon did not have their own currencies at all. Although the Le Dynasty minted coins, they were in small quantities and the workmanship was rough. The entire Asian region did not have a strong currency.

Because of this, the current conditions of the Ming Dynasty are very favorable, and it can rely on its dominance in the trade of cotton and other commodities to become a world financial center, thus seeking more benefits for the country's residents.

"I accept the decree!" Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs, and He Cong, the Left Minister of the Ministry of War, could not understand Zhu Youtang's intention for a while, but they still respectfully raised their hands.

After the matter was discussed, everyone dispersed.

There are a lot of points to digest today, but what is certain is that the Ming Dynasty's giant ship is sailing under the control of an excellent helmsman.

Three days later, Liu Zhong, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, came with Shu and met in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, I have thought about it for three days, and finally I have an idea: you are the one who plans the plan. Now I come to ask for an order to clear the land of the local government, increase taxes and grain for the court, and reduce the burden of corvee for the people!"

"Due to the tyrannical annexation of land by the officials and gentry in the world, the bankrupt people were displaced and could only work as slaves for the rich as tenant farmers. The people with land had to bear the heavy burden of corvee service and had to hold their land and donate it to the families of the officials and gentry. I checked the population account books of the past five years and found that those who have fled have already Up to a million!"

"Today, there are so many powerful and powerful officials and gentry who are hiding in the fields and escaping from service. They do not pay the court taxes and do not bear the local corvee. This is the real greatest harm to the Ming Dynasty. They should be crushed and ashes thrown away!"

…

Liu Zhong came with determination this time, and also had a deeper understanding of another meaning of Hidden Field, and expressed his opinion to Zhu Youtang in the attic.

After a while, Liu Jin appeared in front of the guardrail and asked Liu Zhong below: "Your Majesty asks: Do you know that this is difficult and dangerous? Do you know that failure will not be good for the long-term plan?"

"I know that Your Majesty has a long-term plan. However, the people today are suffering from the fact that the powerful officials and gentry have been hiding in the fields for a long time. If it is delayed for a day, the people will suffer a little! Your Majesty has something to say: empty talk will harm the country, but hard work will make it prosperous! I am willing to serve your Majesty's sword and follow the example of King Yue. I'll cut off the first enemy of food fraud for Your Majesty! A swordsman is fearless and ignores hardships and dangers; a swordsman will kill every obstacle, and everything can be accomplished!" Liu Zhong knew that this was his chance, and he said as if he was ready to die.

He was one of the few Jinshi who came from a peasant family in this dynasty, and he had been ostracized a lot since he became an official. Fortunately, he met the Mingjun Emperor Hongzhi. Whether it is for the emperor or for the people in hardship, he has every reason to become the next Wang Yue.

Zhu Youtang came to the guardrail and looked at Liu Zhong, whose true feelings were passing by below. He vaguely saw a knife belonging to the Hongzhi Dynasty, and said calmly: "Go back and wait for the order!"

"I obey the decree, I retire. Long live my emperor, long live, long live!" Liu Zhong was named after the word "loyalty". At this moment, he felt that he was loyal from the inside out, and he kowtowed heavily. road.

Zhu Youtang looked at Liu Zhong who was retreating, but he let out a sigh of relief.

He didn't know if he was acting too hastily, but one thing was certain: the person he was waiting for had appeared, and the Right Minister Tobe did have a strong will to do things.

In fact, Liu Zhong probably didn't know that the emperor actually knew about his father's death due to corvee service.

Zhu Youtang hopes that Liu Zhong can become Wang Yue. After all, Wang Yue is a person who can really achieve things, but he doesn't want Liu Zhong to imitate Wang Yue. After all, that will lead to many deaths!

At the end of April in the first year of Hongzhi, Liu Zhong, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was transferred to Huguang and served as the first governor of Huguang in the Ming Dynasty.

This volume is over!