Chapter 301 The sins of the clan
Kang Hai and others are indeed a little ashamed. They are all elites who have come from the imperial examination. They have also made their way through the officialdom to the point where they are today's most respected ministers. The flattery of their colleagues and their own experience make them instinctively feel that they are The pillar of the country governs the country by adhering to the belief of worrying about the world's worries first and enjoying the world's happiness later.
However, they did not expect that governing the country would require officials to know the empire's coal output, the number of mines opened and the number of people who died in mining accidents every year, and to deal with the loss of mineral resources.
Kang Hai also had to admit that the questions Emperor Zhu Houzhao was asking now were indeed very important, and even the neglect of his own courtiers today would lead to collapse tomorrow.
"I can punish you for any crime. The law does not stipulate any punishment for courtiers who do not behave well in politics. I just want to warn you that as a ruler, you should prepare for a rainy day. Although some things are difficult, you must do them. You must dare to be the first for the world. , Even if you can’t do anything for the time being, you must learn to investigate and be aware of it.”
When Zhu Houzhao saw that all the courtiers lowered their heads, he could not turn an imperial prelude into a criticism meeting, so he softened his tone.
Kang Hai and others also breathed a sigh of relief: "I will obey the imperial edict!"
"Okay, let's get back to the subject. Let's talk about the issue of land use outside the Great Wall. Now I and the ministers have reached an agreement. We know that the only valuable way to develop land at present is to develop minerals to solve the problems caused by the current use of steam engines. The problem of rising demand for ore;
However, at present, we encounter a problem that if the minerals that have been mined in the pass are not stopped, it will be difficult to achieve this goal. After all, once the mining in the pass is not stopped, people in the pass will not buy the mines outside the pass, and businessmen in the pass will not They will be willing to come to mine outside the Great Wall. Now tell us whether it is possible to prohibit mining. ”
After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, he looked at the ministers present.
After the ministers present thought about it for a long time, Zhang Cong stood up and said: "Your Majesty, as Shou Kui said, now the mining in the pass, both the gentry and the common people, make a living from it. If the court bans it, it will be equivalent to cutting off their livelihood. I think this is the case. It will only force the people to rebel.”
"What about the mining tax? I can allow them to mine in the pass, but they must pay the tax to make up for the court's losses. At the same time, a pension system will be established to provide heavy pensions to the miners who died," Zhu Houzhao asked.
"I'm afraid that the gentry and the common people will also revolt because of the tax resistance," Xia Yan replied at this time. He had to admit that the emperor's idea was right, but he also had to admit that the mining in Guan Nei was prohibited or allowed. Simply collecting mining taxes will trigger civil unrest.
"Are we just going to watch the cultivated land being destroyed by mining, just watching the public mineral property be lost, and let these private officials and gentry get rich through mining to the point of intimidating the court? We must find a solution to this matter. There is a way, ban mining or collect mining taxes, choose one! ”
Zhu Houzhao said something angrily.
Kang Hai couldn't help but hang his head. Although he was the chief minister of the cabinet, he really didn't dare to choose any of the methods, because he knew that no matter which one he chose, he was going against the gentry and the people of the world. If a big change really happened, He, the first assistant, will be blamed.
Zhang Cong and Xia Yan also fell into deep thought. Naturally, they both understood that no matter which one they chose, they would challenge the entire interest group.
But they also know that if this matter is not done and left alone, the Ming Dynasty will be ruined by these gentry and people who mine privately. Now the Ming Dynasty will have to give up many strategic military locations and mineral resources outside the Great Wall. Rich territory, but in the long run, more and more landless refugees will appear in the Ming Dynasty. Once a famine occurs, if the court is unable to provide relief due to a sharp drop in money and grain income, the resulting uprising will become terrible.
"The private mining of the gentry and common people in the pass is like a stubborn disease that grows on our Ming Dynasty. If it is not solved now, it will become more difficult to solve in the long run. By then, it will even make my Ming Dynasty seriously ill!"
Wang Tingxiang, the Minister of Household Affairs, added at this time.
Zhu Houzhao nodded and said: "Ruling a big country is like cooking a small delicacy. Naturally, we cannot decide how to do it all at once. The best way is to let everyone in the world discuss it. After all, this world of peace and prosperity is not mine." What one person needs to safeguard also needs to be safeguarded by the people all over the world. However, this is obviously unrealistic. The common people are mostly busy making a living, while the scholars are mostly scholars, and the businessmen only focus on profit, and the discussion will not produce any results. This still requires us, the rulers, to make a decision. The most reasonable result, so I decided..."
Zhu Houzhao paused here, and the courtiers turned around and asked, "Your Majesty, please give me your instructions!"
Although it is rare for civil servants to be pure and pure in the world, in today's Ming Dynasty, the quality and ability of civil servants are not like those in the late Wanli period in history. They only knew how to make profits for their own small groups. They even began to consider their next family, as in the Chongzhen period. At this time, the civil servants still had the interests of the court and the people at heart.
Even in history, after 50 or 60 years, a group of civil servants will appear in the civil service class who will revolutionize their own class. No matter how unrealistic the things they reform are, they will betray their own class and harm their own interests. Even great people can still extend the life of the dynasty for decades even if they fail.
Zhu Houzhao believed that there could be such civil servants in the early Wanli period in history. In the 19th year of Zhengde, there should also be such civil servants, maybe even more. In fact, they already existed. For example, Ma Wensheng, Jiao Fanghe and others stood in the court at this time and repeatedly Zhang Cong and Xia Yan demanded that noble officials and gentry be prohibited from accepting donations.
At this time, Kang Hai, Zhang Cong, Xia Yan and other court officials also admitted that what His Majesty the Emperor said about the private mining of mines by the gentry and common people in Guan must be resolved, and they all admitted that they did not dare to face the difficulties even though they thought about it. It's an act of malfeasance, but they really don't know what to do. , now the only thing they can be sure of is to unswervingly follow your decision, the emperor, and always take your instructions as the core. Since your majesty, the emperor, will take the lead in dealing with this stubborn problem, ministers like themselves will naturally follow without hesitation. Be the vanguard behind you.
"I have decided to let you go out for a walk according to the previous example. First Assistant Kang Hai, I know that you are not good at general affairs, so you will stay in Beijing and continue to preside over the affairs of the Academic Department and the Ministry of Etiquette. Second Assistant Zhang Cong, you have stayed outside the Great Wall, but Now I want you to patrol within the pass, exit Tongguan and enter the pass again. Shu, from Yunnan and Guizhou to Guangxi, from Huguang to southern Jiangxi, northern Fujian and western Zhejiang, and then back to Beijing. Most of these places are barren mountainous areas, and the people mostly make a living by mining. Go and investigate them, ask them what they think, and find a way The best solution! ”
After Zhu Houzhao said that, Zhang Cong had to admit that His Majesty the Emperor was indeed more thoughtful than himself and would make a decision first to investigate before making a conclusion.
Before becoming an official, he had always believed that the Dongchang was an institution that should not exist even more than the Jinyiwei, because the Dongchang had no other meaning than setting up private courts to undermine imperial decrees, but now he no longer wanted His Majesty the Emperor to ban the Dongchang. idea.
He had to admit that Dongchang was currently investigating and counting various data, such as the number of deaths in mining accidents, the number of widows illegally executed by gentry clans, and the number of female infants abandoned by the people. These were all very important to the empire's governance. Before knowing these data, , Zhang Cong didn’t know that handing over the grassroots administrative power below the county level to the village tyrants and gentry would have such serious consequences, nor did he expect that the patriarchal mentality would lead to such a cruel thing.
"I obey the decree!"
Zhang Cong accepted the decree, and he also admitted that whether these mining industries in the pass are banned or opened, the most important thing to pay attention to in collecting mining taxes is not the gentry but the people in these areas with underdeveloped agriculture and industry. Poor mountains and rivers lead to unruly people. If these people lose their only economic security, rebellion is certain.
"Sanfu Xia Yan, you have been in the south recently and are familiar with the maritime trade situation, but now I want you to patrol outside the Great Wall and survey the minerals outside the Great Wall. If mining is opened outside the Great Wall and mining within the pass is banned, will it be able to meet the needs of Daming's mineral resources? Let's see. Look at the mining outside the Great Wall, If it is a private businessman, how much cost will be used to calculate how much loans the court will need to prepare? In addition, we will see how many miners can be employed, and by the way, compare whether it is better to operate it privately or to let the court only tax taxes."
After Zhu Houzhao said that, Xia Yan also received the order. When he was holding the title of Minister of Nanyang, he had his own team of staff who were familiar with various government affairs, including those who were familiar with navigation, some who were familiar with money law, and some who were familiar with exploration. There are also people who are familiar with statistics, so he does not feel embarrassed when Zhu Houzhao gives him such a task.
"Of course, the fact that the first assistant Kang Qing stayed in the capital did not pay any attention to this matter. The capital is mostly composed of noble gentry. You can also ask their opinions. I know that these people are all wealthy people. Each one of them has either made meritorious service to the Ming Dynasty or not. If you are related to the royal family, it will make them feel uncomfortable to use their knives, but it will let them know that the people can live without the Ming Dynasty. At worst, they can continue to be ordinary people in another dynasty, but they cannot live without the Ming Dynasty.”
After Zhu Houzhao said that, Kang Hai also accepted the order.
Zhu Houzhao then said: "I have another decision. The Ministry of Household Affairs must establish an audit office and add a minister to be in charge of the audit office. It will be responsible for the audit and control of state-owned assets, not only minerals but also forests, land, Sea areas, etc. This class was set up by Wang Tingxiang, the Minister of Household Affairs. Son, the official title of Zuo Shilang of the Accounting Department of the Audit Office, recommended by the cabinet, ministers of various ministries, and imperial censors. I hope that by the 20th year of Zhengde next year, I can know the actual output of steel and coal every year in the Ming Dynasty. There are also known reserves of various minerals, etc.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Tingxiang hurriedly accepted the order, thinking that now he would have to go to major universities to recruit students who were good at arithmetic and geography. It became increasingly difficult for Confucian scholars to be useful.
But at this time, Jin Xianmin, the censor of Zuodu, couldn't help but stood up: "Your Majesty, if you order your ministers to visit the place, you can ask about the sufferings of the people and learn about the hidden dangers of the country, but I think it is not appropriate for central ministers to go out of the capital. member Crossing the border is a tiring thing for the people. Normally, the censor patrols the place, so that the people will not suffer from the conscription. Now, when the ministers go out to patrol the place, they may make the local officials and people panic, and the people will suffer from their harassment. "< br>
Zhu Houzhao also understood what Jin Xianmin meant. He also knew that whether it was him, the emperor, or the courtiers in front of him, once they went out to inspect places, local officials and people would inevitably have to work hard in every possible way. In Zhu Houzhao's memory, the visits of future generations of leaders would cause problems in schools or Companies and units closed classes and businesses early for cleaning and blocked traffic to strengthen security, not to mention the Ming Dynasty today. "What you said makes sense, but cabinet ministers cannot be listed in temples like Arhats without knowing the common affairs. Although it is inevitable to disturb the people, it will not cause any harm as long as the cabinet ministers follow the rules of the imperial court. And I will give strict orders again now, Civilians must not be conscripted for free, and all expenses must be paid from public funds, so that even if they temporarily disturb the people, they can benefit temporarily. ”
When Zhu Houzhao said this, Jin Xianmin could not say anything else.
The ministers left the Royal West Garden one after another, and Zhu Houzhao also lost all his fatigue. He lay on the Dragon Tower and stared at the blue sky in a daze. He still thought that outside the Great Wall was the snow-covered land beyond the Great Wall. He didn't want the Ming Dynasty to be real. Because the mining industry cannot be rectified within the pass, the land outside the Great Wall in the north will have to be abandoned.
But Zhu Houzhao also knew that rectifying the mining industry was not something that could be accomplished overnight. He very much hoped that Zhang Cong and Xia Yan could find the best way to rectify the mining industry. He also hoped that with the establishment of the Audit Office of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ming Dynasty would be able to We have more scientific basis for dealing with national issues, and we also know which aspects need reform.
Zhu Houzhao closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze coming from outside the palace door, which seemed to carry a hint of the body fragrance of the palace maid. At this time, Zhu Houzhao felt someone pressing his shoulder, and couldn't help but grab the jade hand on his shoulder, and When he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Queen Xia, so he raised his head and pressed her lips against Xia's plump lips.
Xia's familiar face turned over and fell into Zhu Houzhao's arms, and they danced together under the warm winter sunshine.
As dusk fell, the first piece of winter snow fell on the red eaves. The sky in winter always gets darker earlier than in summer. Zhu Houzhao also pulled away from Queen Xia's body, got up and walked into the wooden barrel that Gong'e had prepared, soaking Hot water exuding the fragrance of flowers , while letting Queen Xia, who had just received the rain and dew, pour hot water on her body with her soft jade hands, and stroke her body every time she poured it, she also listened to Queen Xia's question: "How many cows have been bred in Xihua Mountain now?" br>
"There are already tens of thousands of cows. Now we have to go to new pastures, otherwise there will not be enough to graze these cows," Queen Xia replied.
"I plan to give the grassland of Hulunbuir to your Xihuashan Dairy Industry. You ask the people from the Royal Horse Supervisor to go to Hulunbuir to breed cows and see how the people of the Ming Dynasty can drink milk in the future. By then, the animal husbandry of these grasslands will be better." There is also new room for development! ”
When Zhu Houzhao said this, Queen Xia couldn't help but smile: "So, the milk that I am responsible for producing can also make some contribution to the Ming Dynasty."
"That's natural, but the milk produced by your queen can be drunk." In the inner court, Zhu Houzhao changed his seriousness in front of the ministers and began to joke with the queen, while the queen Xia blushed and said Zhu Houzhao pushed away: "That's what happened just now. Your Majesty, can you be more restrained?"
"After coming back from Mobei, I haven't experienced the taste of this place for several months, so it is inevitable that this will happen." After Zhu Houzhao said this, the queen just glared at Zhu Houzhao with a look that was not angry, then widened her phoenix robe and walked into the barrel.
"I plan to go to Jiangnan," Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but said to the queen early the next morning.
The Queen was a little surprised: "Why is Your Majesty going to Jiangnan?"
"The cities and towns in Jiangnan are developing very rapidly, with a high urban resident rate and a high number of workers. The proportion of land used for cash crops exceeds that of food crops. It is also a place with the largest number of gentry. In the future, will the Ming Dynasty be able to completely transform China's existing farming system? The key to civilization is here, I have to take a closer look!”
Zhu Houzhao remembered very clearly that there must be a special topic on the development of towns in the south of the Yangtze River in the history of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it was called the sprout of capitalism by many people. Now he wants to see, with the advent of the age of geographical discovery, what history books What exactly is the sprout of capitalism in Jiangnan, and whether it is no longer just a sprout under his own influence.
One of the two cabinet ministers went out of the inspection pass, and the other went out of the inspection pass, and they both showed their identities. Zhu Houzhao could guess that this must have attracted the attention of most people in the world, and he took advantage of this to secretly go to Jiangnan.
Only after Zhu Houzhao arrived in Tongzhou did he inform Kang Hai, the chief minister of the cabinet, that he had left Beijing, so as to avoid letting Kang Hai know in advance and causing some officials to prevent him from leaving the capital.
However, Kang Hai didn't feel too surprised or nervous after knowing that Zhu Houzhao left the capital. After serving in the court for many years, he had become accustomed to the fact that Emperor Zhu Houzhao often left the capital. Now he had to pay attention to the dignitaries' private affairs among the people in the pass. Mine reaction.
"From Kong's point of view, whether it is strictly prohibiting mining or collecting mining taxes, it is difficult to do it. After all, no matter what you do, you are competing for profits with the people. As for the safety of the country, you and I should not say anything. Since ancient times, you and I, scholars, Even if the country changes dynasties, it will still be reused, so why risk the disapproval of the world? ”
Kong Wen, a scholar who traveled among the important ministers and dignitaries in the capital, and Kang Tian, a disciple of Xiang Kang Hai, said.
"That's what we say, but according to our master's wishes, since he is a royal minister, he naturally has to perform royal duties. Changes in dynasties will inevitably lead to disaster. Everyone wants a peaceful and prosperous age. How can we just sit back and watch because we dare not compete with the people for profit? The world will be in chaos in the future, not to mention that my master is still the chief minister, so he will naturally work more for the peace of all people! It is not foolish to be loyal to the Zhu family!" Kang Tian also replied softly.
"The chief minister understands the righteousness well, and Kong admires it. However, no matter how the mining industry is done, it is not good for the country. Inaction is the best. Kong believes that Mr. Zhang and Mr. Xia will understand the difficulties when they go on patrol." Kong Wenhe said.
Kang Hai learned from Kang Tian that Kong Wenhe's views on the mining matter were calm on the surface, but he was also helpless in his heart. He also hoped that the illegal mining among the people in the pass could be solved instead of letting it go unchecked. After discussing politics in the court, he has He knew very well what consequences would come from letting things go his own way, but he had to admit that even Kong Wenhe, a descendant of the saint, had such thoughts. It can be seen that the scholars in the world would rather allow the court to allow the people to mine illegally than to perish when the time comes. Be willing to sacrifice your own interests.
However, Xu Guangzuo, Duke of Dingguo, also expressed his opinion at this time and said to Kang Hai: "Xu believes that this mining industry cannot be banned. After all, many people in the world already make a living from it, so it is better to directly ban the mining industry." Mining tax, but the noble family should receive preferential treatment from the court, so it should be exempted from tax. ”
Kang Hai only smiled awkwardly after hearing this, thinking that Xu Guangzuo had made a good plan. He did not want Ming Dynasty to become impoverished due to the loss of mineral assets and the country would be destroyed in the future, but he also did not want to pay mining taxes and receive honors. It comes under the guise of receiving preferential treatment.
Zhu Houzhao couldn't laugh after receiving Kang Hai's secret speech about Kong Wenhe and Xu Guangzuo. He just threw a pebble in his hand into the canal. He could imagine what would happen whether it was a mining tax or a strict ban on mining. How great the resistance is. History has proven that Wanli’s mining tax supervisors and tax collectors were criticized miserably.
Now Zhu Houzhao has arrived in Linqing, an important canal town. Although he has not yet reached Jiangnan, he can already hear the continuous roar of steam engines in this canal town, as well as the white water vapor that almost covers the blue sky.
However, at this time, Zhu Houzhao discovered a ship full of coal moored at the pier of Linqing Town. Zhu Houzhao asked Jin Yiwei to inquire. After a while, Jin Yiwei came back and reported: "Your Majesty, according to the movers at the pier, He said, this is the coal from Yanshenggong Mansion. Yanshenggong has a coal factory in Dongchang and is now preparing to transport it to Baoding for sale. "
Zhu Houzhao was in an even worse mood. He thought that he had removed Kong Wenshao from the title of Yanshenggong, and the people actually called him Yanshenggong. It was really a hundred-footed insect that would not freeze even if it died. However, Zhu Houzhao now felt even more What interested him was Kong Wenshao's coal mine management. After all, he was currently troubled by the illegal mining of gentry and common people.
"Let's go and see the Kongjia Coal Mine", so Zhu Houzhao made a decree.
When Zhu Houzhao came to the Kongjia Coal Mine in Dongchang Prefecture incognito, he saw that the entire mine maintained its original forest landscape except for the east and west ends. The gentle slope in the middle had been dug full of holes, and under his feet The trampled fields have been filled with cinders, with only some of the field ridges exposed. There are about a thousand miners picking out baskets of coal under the whips of some supervisors.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but shook his head, thinking that even the Kong family was mining such a large coal mine, and he didn't know how many powerful people in the world were devouring state-owned assets, destroying farmland, mining and burning mountains.
"Let you escape. According to the rules of the government, all your hands and feet will be cut off and thrown into the coal pit to be buried alive!"
But at this time, Zhu Houzhao saw five or six ragged people in front of him being escorted by a group of Kong family slaves. One of them was whipping him with a whip and still scolding him. Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but ordered: "Go and find out, it's What’s going on?”
The next day, a guard in golden clothes ran back and reported: "Your Majesty, I am a citizen of Qufu. I heard that I wanted to go south to make a living, but I was captured by the Kong family and wanted to serve the Kong family. Because the magistrate of Qufu is a member of the Kong family, I can serve as a servant." The people of Qufu, but the Kong family only served the people but did not pay them wages, so many people in Qufu fled, most of them fled to Jiangnan. Workers, and the Kong family prohibited these people from fleeing, and stipulated in the clan agreement that people with the surname Kong in Qufu were prohibited from fleeing, otherwise they would be punished for betraying the clan! Most people in Qufu had the surname Kong, so this clan agreement can restrict the people of Qufu from fleeing, and it is still difficult to do so. Suppress the tendency to escape, but those who fail to escape will naturally be severely punished by the clan. ”
(End of chapter)