Chapter 142: Immediately lock up the gentry who owes them less money
"Tell me what to do. All of you, my dear friends, are mature people who seek the country."
Zhu Houzhao looked at Ma Wensheng, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Wang Shu, the minister of official affairs, who were silent in front of him.
Ma Wensheng didn't know what to say. He couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead, and then looked at Zhu Houzhao, who had a smile on his lips. He was actually disgusted that Zhu Houzhao looked at him with such a semi-sarcastic look, as if he, an old minister, also It was as if he was despised by him. He didn't understand why the behavior of these gentry was really taken seriously by Zhu Houzhao. They were really a group of people who would not shed tears until they saw the coffin.
Wang Shu squinted his eyes and said nothing.
"I will personally lead the troops to raid several houses. These Jiangnan gentry may not know the power of the imperial court until they see swordsmen!"
At this time, Wang Yangming, the governor of Southern Zhili, suddenly stood up and was about to leave with his hands raised. The gentry had been unwilling to pay their taxes, which made him feel angry.
"Come back!"
Ma Wensheng shouted. As the chief assistant, it is natural for him to give orders to a governor. Therefore, Wang Yangming turned around and said, "Sir, chief assistant, do you have any advice?"
"You're so frizzy, His Majesty hasn't spoken yet. Why are you so anxious? Can you be more steady like your father?"
Ma Wensheng rudely criticized Wang Yangming in front of the emperor Zhu Houzhao, and then smiled politely at Zhu Houzhao and asked: "Your Majesty, I think these gentry may not necessarily be unwilling to make up for the tax. They may need the court to give them more face. After all, they are different from ordinary people. All the sage dynasties have always been courteous to the virtuous and corporal;
Wang Shouren is the governor of Nanzhili. Many of these Jiangnan gentry are disciples and former officials of his father Wang Hua. In my opinion, it is better for Wang Shouren to visit several famous Jiangnan gentry in person as the governor. As long as these Several Jiangnan gentry were willing to take the lead in paying back their taxes, and other gentry would naturally follow. The matter would be resolved, and the court would avoid a rift with them. ”
"Chief Assistant! Your Majesty! I asked you to persuade me, but I really can't do it. I have always believed that the king should bring peace to the world with a sharp sword! How can I persuade a thief to surrender with good words! I really can't do it. I don't even have the honor of my father. How can you be so open-minded to them if you don’t give it to them?”
Seeing this, Wang Yangming became very anxious. He had always been a proud man. He agreed very much with Zhu Houzhao's words that "the Ming Dynasty belongs to the age of young people" and he also wanted to do something big. Even the saints did not look down upon him. He became a saint, so that even the high-ranking officials of the Manchu Dynasty later looked down on him and wanted to be a good minister. Now that Ma Wensheng asked him to beg these Jiangnan gentry to give him gifts, it was even more uncomfortable for him than killing him.
"Your Majesty! I think this proposal of the Chief Minister is feasible. Since Wang Sheng wants to be a good minister in a prosperous age, he should have such a mind. If you can avoid bloodshed, the world's scholars will also be grateful to you."
Wang Shu also stood up and said something to Zhu Houzhao, and then walked to Wang Yangming on crutches and reminded him in the tone of an elder to his younger generation:
"When the time comes, those who should be called Shishu should be called Shishu, and those who should be called Shibo should be called Shibo. If you persuade me as a governor, this matter may be done!"
"Your Majesty!" Wang Yangming looked at the Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao. He really didn't want to beg the Jiangnan gentry to pay back their taxes. He even didn't understand why the government could directly beat and scold the people who owed taxes or even ransack their homes and kill people, but these gentry did this. I'm used to it. Even the Buddha said that all laws in the world are equal, but why did it change here among the gentry?
Zhu Houzhao felt a little pity for Wang Yangming. He could see that Ma Wensheng, Wang Shu and other veterans were insisting on giving face to these Jiangnan gentry, and it was impossible to force him, the emperor, to give in. It was better to force Wang Yangming, the governor who was directly responsible for this matter. Go and give in one more step.
But Zhu Houzhao really wanted to understand what the gentry thought. As the saying goes, knowing yourself and the enemy is always victorious. He had to find out where the bottom line of these gentry was and when they would compromise before using imperial violence. Will be willing to spit out some of the benefits that do not belong to them.
Therefore, Zhu Houzhao said: "Go, I will go with you in casual clothes, and you will also go in casual clothes. Let these Jiangnan gentry see that you, the Jiangnan governor, can not only kill people, but also condescend to give them face. If If they don’t pay the tax in full, you will definitely offend many of your father’s friends. It’s better for you to explain to your father then, so as not to get slapped with trouble when you go home!”
As Zhu Houzhao spoke, he left the duty room one step ahead of Wang Yangming, and Wang Yangming followed him.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"
Ma Wensheng and Wang Shu stood up and said goodbye to each other. Immediately, Ma Wensheng couldn't help but look at Wang Shu: "Prince, do you think these gentry will give Wang Shouren face?"
"I hope it will happen. If not, these gentry will have no choice but to be severely executed. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty will be burdened by them in the future. They do not pay taxes, do not serve in the military, do not cultivate the fields and weave, only study and build a career. Such people are becoming more and more popular. If there are too many, how will the world support them?”
Wang Shu said.
……
At this time, Zhu Houzhao and Wang Yangming had arrived at the residence of Su Ming, the minister of Guanglu Temple in Nanjing, who had become an official. This Su Ming was the same year as Wang Hua and had already become an official at the beginning of Hongzhi. Wang Yangming was now visiting. Su Ming was also very enthusiastic and hurriedly welcomed Wang Shouren in person. Coming in:
"Publicly speaking, Mr. Su has to call you "Parent", and privately speaking, Mr. Su has to call you "nephew". I wonder who this is?"
Su Ming pointed at Zhu Houzhao and asked Wang Yangming.
"My nephew's staff and friend Zhu Shou", Wang Yangming asked directly: "My nephew came to visit today for no other reason than to ask my uncle for advice. The imperial court is now recovering the unpaid gifts owed by the people in Jiangnan, and In order to show favor, only those who have accumulated more than 500 shi of Fu since the first year of Zhengde are pursued, and the limit is three months. But why has no one come to pay the Fu after three months? "
"My nephew is new to this place, so naturally he doesn't know the depth of the water here. Although you started a big case and killed more than fifty gentry in a row, everyone knows that you have the evidence of guilt, and not all the gentry are involved. ;
Now the imperial court wants to recover the Fu, but it requires almost all the gentry in the entire Southern Zhili to pay the Fu. How can we, the gentry, obey the request? Is it possible that the imperial court really wants to lose the entire Southern Zhili for a mere few hundred or even thousands of stones of grain? The heart of a scholar? In other words, is it possible that scholars like us are not worth hundreds or even thousands of stones of food!
Since you are an official of the imperial court, you should be courteous to the virtuous and virtuous servants of the imperial court and treat the gentry preferentially. You should not help the tyrants to commit evil! ”
When Su Ming said that he was helping the emperor to do evil, Zhu Houzhao looked at him deeply.
However, Su Ming did not notice. At this time, Wang Yangming asked again: "Paying taxes is the duty of the people. Otherwise, how can the imperial court provide disaster relief, regulate rivers and raise the army? Is it really going to sit back and watch the world perish because of this?" Uncle, my nephew is also a scholar and he knows that once this tax comes only from the people, the burden on the people will inevitably increase, and the world will inevitably become poor and the country will be poor. "
"Therefore, officials should advise the emperor to be frugal. This world belongs to the family of emperors. If the emperor is not frugal and does not treat the people with kindness and justice, and destroys his family's country, it is his own fault. We scholars should lament his misfortune. If he suffers from it, As long as you are loyal to your kindness!" Su Ming said.
Zhu Houzhao took another deep look at Su Ming.
Wang Yangming suddenly stood up excitedly, pointed at Su Ming and said: "Uncle Shi, my nephew disagrees with this statement. The world should not only belong to one family, let alone us scholars, farmers and craftsmen, we are all Han people. Coming from the same ancestors, we should not let the world Chaos, and even loss of life, not to mention that we are still scholars and have no worries about our livelihood, so we have an even greater responsibility to maintain a peaceful and prosperous age. Now that my nephew is visiting, he is also here to persuade my uncle to make up for the arrears as soon as possible, otherwise there is no need to blame the king. The law is ruthless!”
Seeing this, Su Ming suddenly slapped the table: "What do you want to do! Wang Shouren, since Su is your uncle, I would like to advise you not to persist in your stubbornness and offend the world's scholars in the future. Wang Shouren and even the Wang family will be reviled for eternity!" ”
"In that case, Uncle Shi will be waiting for his house to be confiscated and questioned!"
Wang Shouren said and walked away, and Zhu Houzhao also followed and patted Wang Yangming on the shoulder: "Immediately issue an order to all prefectures and counties to seize the gentry who owe money and arrears, and those who owe money will have their homes confiscated three times to make up for it. If Anyone who resists will be shot without mercy! Any local officials who show signs of neglect will also be dismissed from their posts and questioned!”
Thank you book friend for the 1,000 starting coin reward for smuggling an aircraft carrier
(End of chapter)