Chapter 316 Dismissal of high-ranking officials due to taxation
The miners did not expect that the tax collectors from the Internal Revenue Service would actually shoot. The timid ones began to run away, while the bold ones just stood there stupidly.
The tax collectors of the Internal Revenue Service did not shoot again. After all, those who obstructed law enforcement were the people of the Ming Dynasty and not the foreigners. There was no need to massacre them.
These tax collectors from the Internal Revenue Service came to the mining area with only muskets.
At this time, the miners standing at the gate of the mining area no longer had the courage to confront the IRS tax collectors, and consciously gave way to half the passage.
The tax collectors from the Internal Revenue Service walked in, cut the mining ropes, filled the mine holes, and put a seal on the gate, and all the mined minerals were transported away.
Even the wounded miners lying on the ground were taken away for treatment.
Only the other miners and Xu Guangzuo were still stunned.
For Xu Guangzuo and the miners, the current behavior of the imperial tax collectors was shocking.
Because no matter how fierce the government is, they will always be a little afraid when facing mass incidents for fear of provoking a popular uprising.
But now, the IRS is not intimidated by the fact that so many miners are occupying the mines. Instead, they are enforcing the law.
Zhang Cong actually didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. He knew that imposing heavy taxes would offend not only the gentry but also the people, but he had to offend him! Otherwise, increasingly huge military expenditures will bring down the empire sooner or later.
Therefore, Zhang Cong continued to force the tax collectors of the National Taxation Bureau to continue to collect taxes from various minerals, and the Ministry of Mines continued to put pressure on provincial governments.
But the backlash has become stronger.
In addition, Zhang Cong's shooting of civilians who obstructed law enforcement directly caused an uproar.
The first was Xu Guangzuo. Xu Guangzuo personally went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to sue Zhang Cong for tacitly allowing the officers and soldiers of the IRS to kill people without permission.
Jin Xianmin, the censor of Zuodu, was also very horrified after hearing this. He immediately asked to see Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, Zhang Cong, the deputy minister of the cabinet, tacitly allowed the officers and soldiers of the State Administration of Taxation to kill the people and ignore the king's law! I ask for your Majesty's permission to punish the officers and soldiers of the State Administration of Taxation who kill the people. Severe punishment, punish the second assistant Zhang Cong!”
Zhu Houzhao was speechless for a long time when he took the evidence that Jin Xianmin brought up through Xu Guangzuo. He naturally knew that imposing heavy mining taxes would definitely lead to conflicts between the government and the people, and casualties would be inevitable. He would also be very reluctant to see a commoner who did not violate the law be killed. , but he also knew that he could not punish Zhang Cong for this, nor could he even punish the officers and soldiers of the National Taxation Bureau, otherwise they would never dare to enforce the law strictly for Ming Dynasty again.
Therefore, Zhu Houzhao said after a long time: "Jin Qing, please be patient. I will summon Zhang Cong now and ask him to explain the situation to you. If it is true that people from the Internal Revenue Service are brutally enforcing the law and killing people for no reason, naturally they are in accordance with the law." It can be handled as it should be, but if the people resist taxes and violate administrative orders, and the law enforcers are forced to fight back in self-defense, it is another matter. "
Zhang Cong was passed into the palace, and when he saw the unkind look in Jin Xianmin's eyes, the censor of Zuodu, he could guess what was going on. But after Zhu Houzhao handed him Xu Guangzuo's impeachment memorial, Zhang Cong also explained it to Zhu Houzhao. situation.
"It seems that the miners violently resisted taxes. It was just out of self-defense that shooting the assailant was not considered a crime. Let's forget about it. However, Zhang Cong, you have to give orders and let the IRS officials try to avoid bloodshed." ! ”
After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Zhang Cong raised his hand and said, "I obey your order!"
Jin Xianmin was also a little surprised when he saw this. He thought that His Majesty has always loved the people. Why did Zhang Cong not be punished today when Zhang Cong caused the people to bleed? However, Jin Xianmin knew that this matter could not be let go. After all, this heavy tax on mining has offended many people. For the interests of the Ming Dynasty and the country, he had to take the risk of offending Zhu Houzhao:
"Your Majesty! I think this matter cannot be punished legally! Nowadays, the tax collection by the Internal Revenue Service has caused public anger and bloodshed. If it is not handled properly, it may trigger a civil uprising!"
"This is not something that you, Zuodu Censor, should be involved in. Please step back."
Zhu Houzhao only said this lightly.
Needless to say, Jin Xianmin also knew that Zhu Houzhao knew that the current heavy tax on mining would cause a civil uprising. However, failure to do so would cause great changes in the world in the future. He could only use imperial power to force these officials to accept the reality.
Jin Xianmin was scolded by the emperor, and he knew that it was pointless to continue talking, so he had to retreat, but his face was still red from suppressing it. He was obviously very unwilling to let Emperor Zhu Houzhao indulge Zhang Cong in this way.
But at this time, Gu Dayong ran in: "Your Majesty, Kang Hai, the chief minister of the cabinet, wants to see you!"
Zhu Houzhao nodded and let Kang Hai walk in first without letting Zhang Cong step back.
As soon as Kang Hai came to Zhu Houzhao, he prostrated directly on the ground: "Your Majesty, I ask your Majesty to stop collecting mining taxes and remove Zhang Cong! Severely punish those who kill the people!"
Zhu Houzhao was quite surprised, thinking that it would be understandable if someone else did not support Zhang Cong at this time, but Kang Hai, the chief minister of the cabinet, participated in the court meeting. Knowing the reason for Zhang Cong's actions, why did he also start asking him to remove Zhang Cong? , listen to the mining tax.
"Kang Hai, do you know what you are talking about now? I don't want these words to come out of your mouth," Zhu Houzhao said coldly. Kang Hai stood up and said: "I understand, but Your Majesty, imposing heavy mining taxes in the customs is a harsh rule. Now the officers and soldiers of the National Taxation Bureau are directly involved in bloody conflicts with the people. I am worried that if this continues, the world will really be in chaos! Please also ask Your Majesty, think again! Now the people of the world only hate Zhang Cong. Therefore, I know that Zhang Cong is wronged, but I also ask your majesty to punish Zhang Cong! Otherwise, in the future, the people of the world will hate your majesty because of Zhang Cong!" >
Zhang Cong did not speak and remained silent. He did not hate Kang Hai because of this. He knew that Kang Hai's opposition to him was out of good intentions. After all, he could still save his head if he were to deal with him now. If the heavy mining tax collection he was leading now really Causing great changes in the world, his own sin was not just as simple as losing his head.
After Kang Hai said this, Zhu Houzhao did not look at Kang Hai, but glanced at Zhang Cong. He saw that Zhang Cong was silent and knew that Zhang Cong must have been shaken.
Zhu Houzhao is the emperor. As an emperor, he naturally thinks differently from ministers such as Kang Hai. He knows that if he is shaken, Zhang Cong will be shaken even more thoroughly, and the issue of levying heavy mining taxes will end in an anticlimax!
Therefore, Zhu Houzhao slammed the table and asked Kang Hai angrily: "Have you finished speaking? When you have finished speaking, get out with me! Do you know that you, the chief minister of the cabinet, should be responsible for this matter? I have done this for you, and you know better than anyone else that although it offends the people of the world, it will benefit the country for centuries!
Zhang Cong came to be this evil person, but you, as the chief minister, did not take the responsibility to support him, but backed down first and asked me to remove Zhang Cong! Get out of here, I don’t have a cowardly chief assistant like you! ”
Kang Hai hadn't seen His Majesty get so angry for a long time, and he was so angry at himself. He was so frightened that he crouched on the ground and put his head on the ground. He was so panicked that he just nodded stammeringly: "I know the crime." ! ”
Zhang Cong couldn't bear to see this and stood up quickly: "Your Majesty, Shoukui is not ignorant of his reasons. He is also considering the overall situation of the court. I also ask your Majesty to forgive Shoukui. Moreover, what Shoukui said is not for the sake of your Majesty and your subordinates." .”
"You don't have to plead for him! As a chief minister, I don't know the harm of changing orders day and night, but I am afraid of difficulties and shrink back. Ask yourself to become an official! What's the use of staying in the court!"
Zhu Houzhao's words were equivalent to removing Kang Hai from the position of chief minister of the cabinet.
Of course, Zhu Houzhao was not really angry at Kang Hai in his heart. He just used the matter of deposing Kang Hai to express his position to Zhang Cong and the outside world. As an emperor, he still supported Zhang Cong. Zhang Cong's holy family is no longer comparable to others. Even if If Kang Hai, the chief minister of the cabinet, wants to slander Zhang Cong, he will also be dismissed from office.
really.
As soon as the news of Kang Hai's dismissal spread out of the palace, the entire government and the public were shocked, especially after learning that Kang Hai was dismissed because he opposed Zhang Cong, they were even more surprised!
"The Emperor, who is destined to be blessed by heaven, issued an edict... Zhang Cong, a bachelor of the Jianji Palace, was given the title of Grand Tutor, and was given the royal sedan chair in the Forbidden City!"
When the decision to succeed Zhang Cong as the first minister of the cabinet was announced, the government and the opposition were even more shocked, but they also knew that the current heavy mining tax levy was irreversible.
……
Zhu Houzhao knew that he dismissed Kang Hai and promoted Zhang Cong, who had been criticized by the world, to the position of chief minister regardless of the feelings of the people. This was tantamount to adding fuel to the fire when the public's anger was raging, and it was tantamount to putting Zhang Cong under even more intense pressure. Roasted on the fire, he may even be hated by the people in the world.
But as the emperor, Zhu Houzhao knew that he had to be more determined than anyone else at this time, so on the surface, he still showed favor to Zhang Cong with confidence and even called Zhang Cong as sir.
Zhang Cong knows that the emperor's respect is not something he can enjoy casually. The more the emperor respects him, the more the emperor needs him, and the more jealousy and resentment he will attract. It can be said that the emperor's respect is the emperor's. A time bomb for yourself.
But with the examples of happy endings such as Ma Wensheng and Jiao Fang, Zhang Cong still feels that today's Ming Emperor is different from previous emperors, and what he has to do now is to live up to the emperor's absolute trust in him.
Because of this, Zhang Cong will be more decisive in what he does next.
Zhang Zheng, the governor of Jiangxi, who had always been an upright official, refused to obey the edict, refused to establish a mining agency, and blocked the IRS from collecting mining taxes.
Zhang Cong had no choice but to ask for an order to dismiss Zhang Zheng.
Zheng Yue, the minister of Dali Temple, was forced by Zhang Cong to write tens of thousands of words to impeach Zhang Cong because he could not pay the taxes, and then drank poison and committed suicide.
Everyone in the government and the public was shocked when they heard this.
Even if it involves the army, Zhang Cong has no intention of backing down and compromising.
"Tell Commander-in-Chief Li Long that he uses his officers and soldiers to mine for profit, but does not pay them. Now, instead, he has deducted the military pay issued by the imperial court to his officers and soldiers! The imperial officers and soldiers are to defend the border and defend the enemy for the imperial court, not Li Long's. Home Slave! The mine belongs to His Majesty the Emperor, and it is not his private property for personal gain! He is required to close the silver mine within three days, otherwise, I will order him to be dismissed from his post by the Ministry of War! "
After learning from Gansu Governor Xu Wei that Ganzhou Commander-in-Chief Li Long refused to pay mining taxes, Zhang Cong directly issued a strict order to Governor Xu Wei.
(End of chapter)