The Prosperous Era of Longwan

For river repair work, the Ministry of Works was supposed to provide the bulk of the work, and the Ministry of Household Affairs was responsible for the vacancies. However, Zhu Heng put his mind towards water transportation.

The financial revenue of the Ministry of Industry in the Ming Dynasty mainly came from the silver exchange for work materials and the income from bamboo and wood in various places, while the revenue of the Ministry of War mainly came from the firewood and direct silver of officials in Beijing, which were collected and stored in the Arsenal Department of the Ministry of War, and distributed by the Ministry of War to those in Beijing. The income of officials, as well as Taipu Temple, mainly comes from horse-priced silver obtained by exchanging silver for warrior horses from various places.

The income of these three yamen actually amounts to hundreds of thousands of taels every year, but since they are not subject to interference from the Ministry of Accounts, they are never disclosed to the outside world.

That is to say, in the middle and late period of Wanli, Emperor Wanli tried his best to get money from the Changying Treasury of Taipu Temple, which amounted to more than 20 million taels. From this, we can actually know that the so-called "poor" of the Ming court was only reflected in the accounts of the Ministry of Household Affairs. There is no money, but it’s not that you can’t get it out, it’s just that you “saved” it improperly.

Of course, although the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War had a lot of revenue, most of it had to be disbursed every year, and the balance was not much. Moreover, it was common practice for various government offices to complain to the court about poverty, so Chen Yiqin and Yin Shizhen did not take it seriously.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has been a clear system for the official positions of various government offices. In fact, small governmentism has been implemented.

Small government, sometimes called minimal centralization or minimal government, is a view that in a free society, the size and role of government should be minimized as long as it is able to protect everyone's freedom and prevent infringement of freedom. Just act, thereby maximizing everyone’s freedom.

In fact, from ancient times, we can see how the imperial court maintained its rule through measures such as "imperial power does not go to the countryside" and "people do not appoint officials and do not investigate".

Therefore, the central government of the Ming Dynasty pursued "living within one's means", that is, collecting the minimum taxes to maintain the operation of the central government.

Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty, it was normal for the total amount of taxes over the years to always hover between 2,500 and 3,000 stone, which was called "original amountism."

In this era, there was no idea of ​​​​supporting economic development through fiscal expansion. Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, set the world's taxes to each county, so no matter how much land there was in each place, as long as it was paid to the ministry according to the tax set by Zhu Yuanzhang, their task of collecting taxes Even if it's done.

The showdown between various ministries is also divided according to local taxes, so the income has always been stable.

What you earned last year should be about the same this year.

If things go on like this, inertia breeds in the court. When big things happen and big projects are needed, they can only scrape money from the Ministry of Revenue and other yamen instead of thinking about how to increase revenue.

After all, the terms and conditions are there, and if you want to increase the revenue of the yamen, it means increasing the tax. This is "competing with the people for profit," and it is an act despised by the scholar-bureaucrat class.

"The Ministry of Industry and Finance is short of money for river workers. You can consider asking the Ministry of Household Affairs for transfer. Don't stretch your hands randomly, as it may cause trouble."

Chen Yiqin glanced at Wei Guangde and whispered.

Of course Wei Guangde understood that doing more is worse than doing less. If you don't have money, the correct answer is to go to the household department. This is what all yamen are doing, so he immediately nodded in agreement.

In the back hall of the governor's office in Suzhou Yingtian, Hai Rui was sitting behind a desk with a gloomy look on his face. On the desk in front of him was an official document forwarded from the Nanjing Ministry of Officials.

At this moment, he already knew that his appointment as governor of Yingtian had come to an end. The new governor of Yingtian, Zhu Daqi, appointed by the imperial court, was on his way and would arrive in Suzhou soon to complete the handover procedures with him.

Then, his new position was decided, as the Governor of Nanjing Grain Storage and Censor. After the handover here, he would immediately rush to Nanjing to hand over the job.

He was in a bad mood at the moment, of course not because the court suddenly changed his position, but because he was even more dissatisfied with Xu Jie.

The reason is very simple. In the past half a month, Xu Jie's attitude in his letters has softened significantly.

Before, Hai Rui thought that Xu Jie couldn't bear the pressure and wanted to negotiate peace with him, so that everyone could resolve the matter through discussion.

But now it seems that he has been tricked by Xu Jie, and this is simply a delaying tactic.

Using his original relationship in the court to transfer him, the new guy would not pursue the matter further.

"well"

At this time, Hai Rui could only sigh and could do nothing else to put pressure on Xu Jie, because the contents of the official document had been spread throughout the governor's yamen, and everyone at the top and bottom knew that he was about to be transferred. At this time, even if he issued an order to let the yamen If you go to Zizhiyuan to arrest someone, you might be tempted to let the Xu family go on purpose.

"Sir, the files have been sorted out."

At this time, the master came in from outside the door, stood in front of the desk, bowed and said to him.

"Also sort out all the other documents in the yamen and register them so that they can be handed over when the time comes."

Hai Rui ordered, "The treasury ledger should also be checked, and your monthly payments should also be calculated. They will be distributed in the next two days."

Now that he was leaving, Hai Rui didn't want to stay in Suzhou any longer.

It would be better to distribute the money that should be distributed before Zhu Daqi arrives.

The wages of some people in the yamen, because their positions were not established by the imperial court, so they did not have salaries, and all went to the governor's private account, and the money was paid out of the miscellaneous taxes collected by the governor's yamen for a reason.

This is why the emperors of the Ming Dynasty often turned a blind eye even though they knew that local officials used exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes to make money.

Officials' salaries cannot afford this large expenditure, so they all come from the people.

Now, the news may have spread outside the governor's office. Those people must be very happy that they are being played by Xu Jie.

While Hai Rui was fretting in the governor's office, Xu's mansion in Huating was decorated with lights and colorful, and it was very lively.

Of course it's not that Mr. Xu Ge wants to take a concubine or some other big happy event, but that Mr. Xu Ge is hosting a banquet today for the heads of nearby gentry families.

Hai Rui's resignation was a foregone conclusion, so there was no need to keep it secret. When Zhu Daqi returned to Beijing with the order, the messengers from the capital had already rushed back to deliver the good news.

At the banquet, Xu Jie and the guests exchanged glasses and had a lively conversation.

"Hai Gangfeng is just pretentious and deliberately made things difficult for Mr. Xu. Now he must be stupid and go to Nanjing to manage grain reserves."

"Xu Gong is too kind. If it were me, I would simply dismiss him from office."

Some people praised Xu Jie during the banquet, and others applauded loudly.

"Those fields were all voluntarily donated by the people. Now that I know that the imperial tax law has changed, I want to take the land back. How can it be such a good thing?"

"That's right, Mr. Xu got angry because of me."

When Xu Jie heard this, he did not have the smug smile on his face that ordinary people would have. Instead, he said solemnly: "Fellow village elders, I invite you all to the banquet this time because I have also heard that those ignorant people seem to have some problems." Steady signs.

As you may think, we accepted their contributions with good intentions and protected them, but now we want to regret it and let them take advantage of all the good things we have done together. ’

"That's right, that's right."

"It's exactly what Mr. Xu said. I can't swallow this breath either."

"If they didn't know that they would be drafted into the army, they would not be so kind. We went to communicate with the county government and exempted them from the draft. This was for the sake of the fellow villagers, but no one ever forced them to donate their land. You waited for me, but now you get a slap in the face, which is also bad luck."

"So, fellow villagers, when you go back, you have to explain the truth clearly to these villagers. If anyone does nonsense again, we are not easy to mess with. We can return the land. Do you really think they can hide from the corvee?

Although the new law of the imperial court states that people can exchange silver to pay for military service, the government still has to accept their silver. Do you think that’s right? "

"What Mr. Xu said makes sense, it's the county government."

Someone heard Xu Jie's words and knew that they were invited to this banquet just to appease the people and stop causing trouble.

However, they actually understood the powerful relationship without Xu Jie's reminder.

However, it seems that the new law of the imperial court is not as promoted by the people in the yamen before. It seems that there is room for manipulation.

Xu Jie looked at everyone and smiled and said: "The court has never said that corvee service is exempted. The prerequisite for collecting cash is that there are hired workers who can be recruited to perform corvee service on their behalf.

But if the imperial court cannot recruit hired workers, then they will have to go. Who can hide, and who dares to object? "

Looking around at the thoughtful people, Xu Jie smiled again and said: "As for the taxes collected, the county government has to transport things to the government office, and the government office has to transport them to the province, so workers are not allowed to be recruited. I really thought that would be enough. There is nothing we can do to treat them.”

After hearing Xu Jie's words, everyone nodded in unison.

As long as we get out, once we get outside, we can't help these slave laborers.

Even if they are killed, they can still be labeled as committing rebellion or evading taxes and duties, and they are not just allowed to do whatever the officials say.

"As for ordinary people, I have thought about it these days. If you want to restore your citizenship, we will not stop you. The contract you signed is still valid."

Xu Jie continued.

This is the carrot and the stick. No matter it was originally donated in the form of low-price land sales or mortgages, you will definitely not spit it out when you eat it.

The rest, it's easy to say, can be discussed.

Although he had the upper hand in this battle with Hai Rui, Hai Rui suffered from inexperience. After all, he was a county magistrate for two terms and had no experience as an official in the province or government. However, Xu Jie did not Just take it lightly.

After all, Gao Gong returned to the court and served as a cabinet minister.

The knot with the high-arched beams is a bit deep and difficult to resolve.

In fact, after Xu Jie returned to Huating, he wrote to Gao Gong who was idle at home, hoping to resolve the conflict between the two parties, but the result was not optimistic.

It is impossible for Gao Gong in the capital not to know about Hai Rui's trick for him, so he still has to keep an eye on things. At least as long as the people don't make trouble, he can rest in peace in his hometown.

Xu Jie is like this, pursuing perfection in everything he does, leaving no flaws.

Of course, for Gao Gong, although he can't do anything about factors beyond his control, he will find ways to mitigate them.

It's just a pity that when you encounter a stubborn donkey, you can't even try to repair the relationship.

Of course, there are not many officials like Gao Gong. What everyone values ​​​​is fighting in the court to the death. After becoming an official, they just smile and forget their grudges. There are no unsolvable knots in the world.

Yan Shifan had just caught up. If they hadn't sought a comeback and encouraged Hu Zongxian to compete for a cabinet position, the Yan family would still be a wealthy family in Jiangxi, and no one would bother them.

"The edict to change the commander-in-chief of the third battalion to admiral must be drafted as soon as possible. There is also the edict to summon Ge Shouli and Cao Bangfu to return to the capital. Uncle, you will be responsible for it personally and will be sent out today."

On the road back to the cabinet from the Qianqing Palace, the cabinet ministers were walking back. The high arches on the road began to make arrangements, without any concern for the face of the first assistant Li Chunfang and the second assistant Chen Yiqin.

"Okay, I will draft the decree immediately after returning to the cabinet, and then send it to the public officials for review."

Zhang Juzheng didn't know whether he didn't notice it or turned a blind eye on purpose. Anyway, he answered cheerfully at this moment.

Wei Guangde and Yin Shizhen, who were walking at the end, just looked at each other and said nothing.

In recent days, Gao Gong seemed to have reached the limit of his tolerance. In cabinet meetings and even imperial meetings, he repeatedly made decisions before Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin. If others had any opinions, he would often criticize them as worthless.

Wei Guangde was also caught by Gao Gong and approved. The reason was that Wei Guangde wanted to help Jiangxi divert a batch of flood control money and grain from the Ministry of Industry to build dams on the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake.

This year, the Ministry of Industry's labor and materials bank is destined to be insufficient because of the construction of the Huanghuai Dam, and it needs support from the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse.

More money and less money is actually not a big problem, at least in Wei Guangde's view, not to mention that all the letters from the Jiangxi Chief Envoy have been delivered to him.

Naturally, it didn't work out. After the imperial court officially ordered Pan Jixun to prime the river, Gao Gong took a very strict look at the money of the Ministry of Industry. He cut off all other major projects and could only support the Huanghuai River project.

Of course, Wei Guangde knows that he can't win.

The imperial court was short of money, so the little money and food had to be used wisely, that is, first of all, ensuring the stability of the Huanghuai River system and the smooth flow of water transportation. For other river projects, the localities were asked to raise money and food on their own.

Chen Yiqin also had a dispute with Gao Gong at the cabinet meeting before. The imperial court asked the Ministry of Household Affairs to allocate silver to purchase jewelry and jade. Liu Tiqian resisted again, and Chen Yiqin seconded the proposal. However, this time Gao Gong's attitude was different from usual, and he chose to support the emperor. requirements.

Although they failed in the end, the two also had their first disagreement in the cabinet.

Of course, the most embarrassing person in the cabinet was actually the chief assistant Li Chunfang, and Gao Gong did not give him any face.

According to rumors, Gao Gong once discussed the ranking of the cabinet at a banquet with his disciples. He and Chen Yiqin were both Jinshi in the 20th year of Jiajing, while Li Chunfang, Zhang Juzheng and Yin Shizhen were only Jinshi in the 26th year of Jiajing. Wei Guangde was even more It's unbearable. He was a Jinshi only in thirty-five years. The ranking of the cabinet should also be based on the year and seniority.

In the imperial examination era, emphasis was placed on seniority in the first year of the academic examination. If we were to rank seniority, Gao Gong was undoubtedly the senior and most senior, followed by Chen Yiqin, followed by Li Chunfang, Zhang Juzheng, Yin Shizhen, and Wei Guangde last.

And now?

Chen Yiqin's second assistant is reasonable, but he cannot be ranked in front of him, let alone Li Chunfang.

Not to mention, there is still a market for Gao Gong's statement. At the very least, there is a reason for Gao Gong's position to surpass Chen Yiqin, because even based on the time he entered the cabinet, Gao Gong entered the cabinet one step before Chen Yiqin and one year later than Li Chunfang. Year.

But here, he ridiculed Li Chunfang for being the "Prime Minister of Qing Ci", who relied on flattering the late emperor to get into the cabinet first, but he had forgotten that he had actually done several famous Qing Ci works for Emperor Jiajing.

Just when a few people were about to reach the cabinet, a person ran into the Huiji Gate. He got closer and saw the people clearly, and the man shouted: "Several cabinet elders, Datong police." (End of this chapter)