Chapter 688: Realization begins after forty years, everything is determined by God and not by man
Zhang Juzheng was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty before the sixth year of Wanli. In the sixth year of Wanli, the emperor got married, and Zhang Juzheng began to return to power. Now Zhang Juzheng is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In Zhang Juzheng's view, the success of the New Deal never lies in the height of the temple, but in the world, no matter how high the temple is, no matter how many calculations and plans are made, they will all go wrong during the implementation process.
The examination method can only make the execution smoother to a certain extent, but deformation is inevitable. This is the contradiction of the one-whip method.
Top-down error correction is naturally important, but bottom-up error correction is even more important.
So Zhang Juzheng approved a short imperial edict from the emperor, which gave the people the legitimacy to fight for their rights as human beings.
Similarly, we must be vigilant in this development process. The bottom-up correction force must not be controlled by powerful and right-wing mouthpieces. This will affect the poor coolies to express their real demands. Similarly, it will also affect the court's decision-making.
But Zhang Juzheng believed that the method His Majesty the Emperor dug out from the pile of old papers in Da Gao was very useful.
The emperor's decree cannot change anything. It can only give the poor people the legitimacy to make troubles. Most people in the Ming Dynasty will still follow the trend, endure the suffering, and continue to be cruelly exploited.
However, this imperial edict is the only basis.
"So, since the first year of Wanli, the amount of silver collected in the name of imperial grain has exceeded 10 million silver in Nanya Fourteenth House alone?" Zhu Yijun looked solemn after reading Wang Guoguang's memorial. .
This number is simply too huge.
Since the degree bypass, the Ming Dynasty has discounted grain prices in various places every year. Every stone of rice in Nanjing is five coins of silver, and ten million silver is approximately equivalent to 20 million stones of rice, and it is not the future. The hulled brown rice is the grain sent directly to the capital. One stone of rice weighs 150 kilograms, which is about 3 billion kilograms of rice.
This is still an official scale. Judging from the fact that when the Nine Battalions of Zhejiang went on patrol to fight the flood, people rushed to borrow the scales of the soldiers, this number must go up.
This is an exorbitant levy and miscellaneous tax in addition to the official tax. Its scale is shocking.
"Your Majesty, this can still be found." Wang Guoguang added that there are still accounts, and as for those without accounts, it is impossible to count them. Not to mention that the court wants to know, Nanya up and down I can’t even tell how much money I got.
"Now I have to continue to pay." Zhu Yijun was silent for a moment and decided to increase his efforts. If he didn't increase his efforts, he would still be the same after leaving Nanya, and there would be no change.
“It is imperative to implement the law. It is the imperial decree to organize the various servants into the fields and collect them from the fields. Likewise, it is necessary to let the people know that these exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes should not be paid. , At least it is not what Your Majesty wants. The local government can no longer carry His Majesty's dragon flag and do evil. "
"Good reputation belongs to oneself, and bad reputation belongs to others." Wang Guangguang did not. It is unrealistic to think of taking a big step and eliminating all exorbitant taxes and levies in one step.
Realistically speaking, these various exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes cannot be collected in the name of the court or the emperor. This is already a huge improvement.
To really solve it, people need to realize that this is not the tax they should pay and resist. Only with this awareness can we continue.
"It makes sense." Zhu Yijun agreed with Wang Guoguang's advice. As an emperor, he must put an end to unrealistic goals, because this kind of utopian and wishful perfection is destined to cause greater harm. Take the road step by step and eat the food one bite at a time. .
The wishful thinking of the ruling class is even more destructive than stupidity.
“Of the three things that the craftsmen are most concerned about, two of them are related to the Ministry of Punishment. It’s time to clean up those bastards who are lying on the bodies of the craftsmen and sucking blood. I think that a month-long crackdown will be able to Effective containment." Wang Chonggu decided to carry out a Spring Thunder operation to eliminate all comprador brokers and gangsters in a physical sense.
Zhu Yijun strongly agreed with Operation Spring Thunder. He thought for a moment and added: "It must be noted that these miscellaneous people often have dual identities. For example, while these miscellaneous people are brokers and compradors, they are also often powerful servants. , these servants cannot be let go. When the monsoon comes in April, it is time for sailing ships to sail to the ocean again. I told Liu Ji, the special ocean envoy, that I can bring less cargo and all the exiles must be sent to Java this year."
"If there is resistance, kill without mercy."
"Tiqi will come to do it. If Tiqi can't do it, please ask the Beijing camp to implement the policy in place. I promised the craftsmen, if it doesn't work, The craftsmen will probably scold me for being an emperor who is talkative and weak in his work.”
Except for military matters, Zhu Yijun’s instructions are very specific and not vague. Good job.
Zhu Yijun's method for dealing with these brokers and compradors is the feudal iron fist: catch them, throw them to Java, and kill them if they resist.
Zhu Yijun looked at Zhao Mengyou and said: "Let Tiqi out, visit everywhere, look for clues and answers from the people and craftsmen, ask more people, they all know that these brokers must be compradorized, After uprooting and cutting off one of the hands of the powerful local virtuous gentleman, they realized that there are some things they cannot do. What I said is an iron rule, and the red line I drew must not be crossed. "
"Many of the Yingtian Mansion's yamen are yamen. They are inextricably linked to the local gentry. There is no need to use yamen, so Tiqi can do it."
"We will definitely catch them all within a month!"
Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment and said: "The craftsmen mentioned the need for these brokers and compradors to recruit workers. Seeds without soil cannot germinate. Since such brokers and compradors appear, naturally There is a demand. Overthrowing brokers and compradors is one aspect. How to eliminate them in the entire employment process is another aspect."
Zhu Yijun nodded in approval and said with great conviction: "Sir, you are right. , only waving fists will make these powerful people look down upon me, thinking that I am just a child with arrogant teeth, and the soil where I grow up needs to be destroyed.”
“Just follow the laws of the official factory.” He smiled and said: "After all, I am also the leader of the Labor Party. Your Majesty, Yuan Fu does not need to worry too much."
As for the craftsman, if he, the leader of the Labor Party, does not exert his strength at this time, who will recognize him as the leader?
"Oh? Wang Cifu already has an idea?" Zhang Juzheng was stunned. This should have been a difficult question, so Zhang Juzheng mentioned it when he met the saint.
Wang Chonggu thought about it for a while before saying: "Yuanfu is not in the official factory, so I don't know. Take the Yongding Woolen Factory in Beiya as an example. The two woolen factories have a total of 13,000 weavers and craftsmen. There are about a thousand people, but it is obvious that such a small number of people cannot complete the weaving of 1.1 million pieces of woolen goods a year. Nearly a thousand workshops upstream and downstream of the woolen factory have been formed around the woolen factory. These private mills are also included, which is the face of the government-run woolen mills."
"Similarly, the government-run woolen mills are the roots, and these private mills are the branches and leaves."
"I. The idea is very simple, that is, to give play to the leading role of the official factory. "
It is easy to form an industrial cluster near the official factory, just like the economic entity of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the economic entities of the five major shipping companies. , and the scale of official factories is smaller and not so concentrated, but it does not mean that there are none. These industrial groups will definitely form a clustering effect, and most of the craftsmen engaged in this type of work gather in these places.
Then the official factories must play a role, communicate with private factories, and act as a medium for craftsmen to work.
“To put it bluntly, aren’t these brokers and compradors just for introducing work to these craftsmen? After being introduced by the official factory, the craftsman has a natal family. If he is bullied, he can still go to his natal family to file a complaint. It can prevent those who are despicable, short-sighted and do not cultivate skilled craftsmen from being eliminated. Lingluo silk and satin are all silk, but the price and profit of this satin are much higher than that of Ling." Wang Chonggu concluded.
Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and said with some uncertainty: "What if these private workshops are unwilling to accept the introduction of the official factory?"
"This is not up to them. They are really opposed to it. Okay, then don’t give them orders and starve them to death, or directly expand and eat them. The current scale of the official factory is to prevent excessive bloat and rigidity, so it is maintained at its current scale." Wang Chonggu is His Majesty. An introduction to what dominance is.
The dominant position has a real impact. The official factory is a behemoth and plays an important role in the economy. This behemoth can crush countless private shops if it turns over. Wang Chonggu is not lying. As far as the Xishan Coal Bureau is concerned, if the Xishan Coal Bureau does not supply coal to any company, that company will immediately be eliminated by the cruel market and be eaten by tigers, leopards and wolves.
"It seems that many problems have been solved. So, Wang Cifu, what is the price?" Zhu Yijun saw the advantages, but he needed to know the disadvantages.
Wang Chonggu immediately replied: "Your Majesty, this is the expansion of the power of the official factory. Once the official factory becomes bloated and rigid, it will become a man-eating monster. If the scale of the official factory exceeds three, we must be vigilant. If it exceeds 50%, it will be intervened. If it exceeds 70%, it will be attacked. Otherwise, both official factories and private factories will lose their vitality. "
Wang Chonggu started from the woolen official factory to be wary of the unlimited expansion of official factories. This is a point that has been repeatedly stated. The disorderly expansion of any economic or political entity will inevitably lead to immeasurable consequences. This is a historical lesson. After all, in the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, a pound of coal dared to sell for 200 Wen. After all, in the Jin Dynasty, The party once dared to marry itself and use the golden letter to seal the marriage.
The price is that as the official factories expand their influence, the market will lose some vitality. Of course, this is an unstoppable necessity under the feudal monarchy.
"Today's Nanya will be tomorrow's official factories." Wang Chonggu said with a subtle expression: "But at least the official factories are scattered."
After Wang Chonggu abandoned his identity as the leader of the Jin Party, he discovered the dangers of regional party formation.
The original Jin Party is now Nanya.
"Your Majesty, we must actually solve the problems of the craftsmen. These methods only treat the symptoms but not the root cause. If we want to cure the root cause, we must find ways to turn the craftsmen into skilled craftsmen. With one skill, it is inevitable Haoyou said loudly, if you don't do it, others will do it. Then the craftsmen can also say that if you don't keep the master here, you will have to keep the master. "Wang Chonggu feels that what is done now is just superficial, and it is really necessary to cure the root cause, or to cultivate. Skilled craftsman.
Personal knowledge and experience are also personal fixed assets, and these fixed assets can be produced. This is the fundamental reason why Wang Chonggu said this.
Superficial articles must be done, because almost everything is from the outside to the inside, and quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes.
Confucianism like this who doesn’t even want to do superficial things and shouts that putting in internal funds can nourish the withered trees is an extreme. However, for the contradiction between everything, he can’t wait to do it immediately. Trying to solve all problems regardless of objective facts is another extreme.
For example, Li Zhi once made such a mistake. When he first arrived in Beiya, he loudly shouted the slogan "No taxation without representation", which was a typical example of disregarding objective reality.
How to find a balance among them will test the wisdom of His Majesty the Emperor.
Zhu Yijun flipped through the memorials played by Wang Guoguang, looked at them for a long time, and asked with a solemn expression: "What is the situation with Fu Xizhi, the minister of Nanya Hubu? Why does everything have to do with him?"
Chen Wuyin, the former magistrate of Xuzhou Prefecture, Shuhua, Dai Fengxiang, Qing of Dali Temple in Nanjing, etc., this time carrying the dragon flag and large banner to collect money, including levying a two-cent silver tax on weavers over the age of fifteen, all Related to Fu Xizhi.
According to the multi-directional method proposed by Zhao Mengyou, when there are more than three directions, it means there must be a problem.
The problem of Nanya is a systemic problem and a historical burden. It is also not that there are no specific people who committed the crime. The Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing and Fu Xizhi of the Governor Cangchang are involved in all aspects.
There is a particularly interesting thing here, that is, the unsatisfactory grandson of Nanjing President Yuan Hongyu, the gentleman he worshiped was the family scholar of the Minister of Household Affairs.
Fu Bi, the prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, was also a famous prime minister in the Song Dynasty. He had an authentic handwritten "Son's Tie" circulated in the world. The full text of this letter is: The son is naturally dull and dull, and he will never change anything. I am a very rare acquaintance in the capital, and I am very fortunate to see you frequently, and to give you advice one by one. This also begs Bing to go. But come on again.
Fu Bi’s short words of more than 40 words expressed the helplessness of an old father. Of course, Fu Bi also knew that this was not good, so he asked his friends to burn it after reading it (C). Of course This friend was reluctant to burn Fu Bi's handwriting, so he kept it. Fu Bi had to work hard all his life, but finally asked for a relationship with his son. Yuan Hongyu was honest throughout his life, but when he got old, he had to run for his grandson.
"There is a case against him that I am still investigating, so I did not explain it in detail in the memorial." Wan Guoguang glanced at Hai Rui and then said with a solemn expression.
"This matter is very close. In fact, I can tell Your Majesty." Hai Rui sighed and said, "Your Majesty, this Fu Xizhi went to Japan to smuggle saltpeter."
"Huh? "Zhu Yijun put down the memorial in his hand and looked up at Hai Rui with an expression of disbelief.
The matter was so outrageous that Zhu Yijun had completely lost his self-restraint. He looked at Hai Rui blankly and asked uncertainly: "This Fu Xizhi is pouring saltpeter into the Japanese country?!"
"Yes." Hai Rui sighed and said, "This matter needs to be confirmed by the Nagasaki Governor's Palace, but our Ming Dynasty has irrefutable evidence. This is not his honor and disgrace alone, so the case is handled very carefully. Carefully, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Revenue, the Town and Shipping Department made repeated confirmations before they found out."
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment and said: "Is he crazy?"
The annual output of saltpeter in the Ming Dynasty is 500,000 kilograms, while the saltpeter imported from Bangladesh in the Ming Dynasty is about 1.3 million kilograms. Only with saltpeter can you have gunpowder. Felipe’s confidence in becoming an empire on which the sun never sets is from Peru. Saltpeter.
Due to the Japanese invasion, there is a general tacit understanding among merchants along the southeastern coast. Even the saltpeter for making fireworks and firecrackers, and the hoarfrost from the cesspools, are not sold to the Japanese country. Smuggling saltpeter to Japan was something Zhu Yijun couldn't accept no matter what.
"The profits were so huge. The saltpeter he poured out was worth five cents per pound in the Ming Dynasty, but in Japan it could be sold for five taels of silver, a hundred times more. The profits were too huge, and they are still available now. We are investigating whether it was Shi Yaoyou who was under his protection who did this on his own, or Fu Xizhi's instructions." Hai Rui told His Majesty the current progress of the case.
As a Ming Gong, Fu Xizhi certainly did not have to do such dirty things personally. When the Ming Dynasty found out about this matter, it had to start with Japanese silver.
Since Hai Rui chased the stolen money and the Ming Emperor paid the bills in Nanya, Tiqi Yamen successively received about four million taels of silver, not imperial silver coins, but silver ingots.
The silver from the Japanese country and the rich silver from Peru are slightly different. The Japanese silver contains a small amount of sulfur due to process reasons, and it is made by the soot blowing method, while the rich silver mine uses the amalgam method. , there will be mercury residue.
More than 70% of the silver received by the Tiqi Yamen was Japanese silver. This caused some doubts in the minds of the two Tishuai, Zhao Mengyou and Luo Bingliang, who were very experienced in handling cases. The Japanese money flowing into the Ming Dynasty every year The silver is three million silver, and the rich silver is about six million silver. This 70% Japanese silver ratio is a bit too much.
With so much Japanese silver, Tiqi began to trace the source of the Japanese silver.
Smuggling was a very common phenomenon in the southeast of the Ming Dynasty. Since the opening of the sea in Wanli, this phenomenon has not stopped, but has become more serious.
After this investigation, several households in Nanjing were found. It was originally a private investigation case, but during the process of handling the case, traces of saltpeter exports were discovered. It is not a crime, but a rebellion.
Finally, the head of Fu Xizhi, the Minister of Household Affairs, was found.
“Your Majesty, the management of saltpeter is extremely strict. Whether it is saltpeter from Laojun Cave or imported saltpeter, every kilogram is recorded. Where does the source of these saltpeter smuggled by Haoyou on a large scale come from? It’s worth investigating. Is there any large-scale saltpeter production area in Ming Dynasty besides Laojun Cave?” Zhao Mengyou explained the process of handling the case.
“Are these saltpeters imported?” Zhu Yijun realized the source of the saltpeter.
The saltpeter mines in the Ming Dynasty are not everywhere. The ones that are easy to mine are limited to Laojun Cave. The management here is very strict. It is possible to have a small amount. If it can reach the scale of smuggling, it definitely does not flow from Laojun Cave. After coming out, part of the imported saltpeter will be kept in Nanya, and the rationing area will be transported from Nanya.
“So, Fu Xizhi of the Governor’s Cangchang sold my saltpeter to the Japanese country. The imperial court split up the Nanya government to inspect the treasury, so they had no choice but to take risks and burn the warehouse with fire dragons. Even if they were tortured by me, they would still be punished. We are determined not to reveal that the saltpeter was sold to Japan." Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and sorted out the general context of the entire case.
Zhu Yijun was still surprised that Nanya's treasury was burning too fast, and the fight had to last for several rounds. Shilin made a fuss first, the ministers wrote memorials, Zhu Yijun cursed, everyone was following the rules After several rounds of internal fighting, the fire dragon burned the warehouse and started directly before the fighting began.
There is a shocking case of saltpeter smuggling hidden in the relationship.
"From what we see now, this is how it is." Zhao Mengyou's voice became a little softer when he spoke. His Majesty is usually kind to others, but it is still very scary to get angry.
"Tishuai, let's arrest Fu Xizhi. This is no longer a three-pointer. We can basically confirm that he is guilty. We will arrest him for questioning first and arrest all the people involved." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhao Mengyou and said very clearly: "Identified. The Duke of Wei did not tolerate it and just let it go. "
"Your Majesty, in fact, Duke Wei also felt that Nanya was too bad, so when the navy switched defenses to Nanya, Duke Wei gave up. He understands the corruption very well, but he can't do anything." Qi Jiguang said good things for Xu Bangrui.
Xu Bangrui is not the idiot that his father Xu Pengju was. The Japanese country had gunpowder. When the Japanese invaders invaded, it was Xu Bangrui who had to fight hard. In Qi Jiguang’s view, Xu Bangrui knew how to handle things. This kind of If he was involved in selling saltpeter to Japan, Xu Bangrui would not easily hand over Nanjing's defense.
Xu Bangrui welcomed the emperor to Nanya very much. He even actively cooperated with the imperial decree and was willing to come forward during the public trial. None of these behaviors seemed to be confrontational.
The most important thing is that Xu Bangrui asked the emperor to give monthly rations to the Ming army soldiers, wives and families. This should be implemented at least in the Beijing camp and the navy. This is the position.
Xu Bangrui is both a leader and a mouse, so there is no need to submit such a memorial. It would be unnecessary and would bring trouble to himself.
“You know people, you know faces, but you don’t know hearts. Just investigate and you will find out.” Zhu Yijun did not follow Qi Jiguang’s suggestion, but asked Tiqi Yamen to investigate thoroughly. Don’t shy away from Wei Guogong’s mansion and get to the bottom of it.
"I obey the order." Zhao Mengyou obeyed the order of the leader.
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty kept his promises, which is the second greatest virtue recognized by the Great Light Sect.
Your Majesty has eight great virtues. According to the teachings of the Great Light Sect, if you have one of these eight great virtues, you can settle yourself well; if you have three of them, you can get ahead; if you have five of them, you will be an honest and upright person. , are indispensable heroes in the world. If there are more than seven, they are saints in the world.
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not make promises easily, but every time he made a promise, he would fulfill it. This time, His Majesty promised to the Nanya craftsmen that within a month, these blood-sucking silverfish, broker compradors and wandering people would be eliminated.
It only took three days for the brokerage comprador to be caught. After thorough investigation, he boarded the ship directly at Pukou and sent him to Java. Seven days later, where the craftsmen gathered, no one wanted to take the child away. Teeth.
The comprador broker will be sent to Java, and the person holding the child will be beheaded in public.
As for the official factories that replaced brokers and compradors, they were implemented very quickly. The official factories did not think that this was asking for trouble, but took active action.
For the Ming Dynasty official factory, is money or power more important? Of course power is important.
The land of Ming Dynasty has not changed since ancient times. With power comes money, so the Legislative Affairs Office is very enthusiastic about introducing work to craftsmen!
Because this is an expansion of the power of the Legislative Office of the official factory. For example, if these craftsmen are wronged, the Legislative Office can be responsible for mediating. As for the mediation process, how can the powerful right send away these plague gods? This is part of the price of the New Deal.
When Zhu Yijun fulfilled his promise, the Tiqi people were not idle, and finally investigated the case of Fu Xizhi, the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing.
It was not the powerful people who hid this from Fu Xizhi. In addition to providing protection and customs clearance documents necessary for customs clearance, Fu Xizhi also provided the source of goods. The saltpeter stored in Nanya's treasury was emptied out. , that's why there was such a drastic method of burning the warehouse with the fire dragon.
"Your Majesty, Tiqi has brought Fu Xizhi here." Feng Bao carefully reminded His Majesty who was reviewing the memorial. His Majesty asked to see Fu Xizhi by name. His Majesty could not understand why Fu Xizhi would do this for the sake of money. situation.
"Xuan."
"The guilty minister pays homage to your majesty. Long live your majesty. Long live your majesty." Fu Xizhi knelt on the ground in shackles and saluted very respectfully.
"Fu Xizhi, I don't understand, I don't understand why you do this. You won the Jinshi in the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing, and then became the deputy envoy of Huaiyang Coastal Defense. In the third year of Longqing, a small group of Japanese pirates invaded Gaoyouwei. , you even personally led the troops to defeat the Japanese. At that time, you were fifty-two years old, and you still had to charge into battle." Zhu Yijun closed the memorial, raised his head, and said with a frown.
Fu Xizhi personally killed two Japanese pirates on the battlefield. This is why Zhu Yijun wanted to ask. It is rare for a scholar to be able to charge into battle. As for killing two Japanese pirates, was it because he was greedy for his troops? Zhu Yijun also had no way of knowing his military exploits, but his willingness to charge into battle showed great courage.
What made Fu Xizhi become like this.
"Your Majesty, the guilty minister is old, hey." Fu Xizhi was silent for a long time before he kowtowed again and said in a low voice: "The guilty minister might as well have died in Gaoyouwei and still be a member of the Zhongyong Temple. The memorial tablet.”
“There are many things that cannot be offended.”
Fu Xizhi had a lot to say, but after thinking about it for a long time, the only reason he gave His Majesty was that he couldn’t help himself.
Just like Fu Bi, who has been strong all his life, writes a letter to a friend, just like Yuan Hongyu, who has been honest all his life, goes to Hai Rui to intercede, just like Fu Xizhi is now under shackles.
Fu Xizhi knelt on the ground and whispered: "The guilty minister has just been named on the gold list, and he is not afraid of anything. He is not afraid of any hardships he faces. Now, the guilty minister cannot and does not dare to do anything. Wife, children and children.”
I can't remember exactly when he started to look like he is now, becoming more and more bold and doing more and more excessive things.
"The guilty minister went to the Japanese country to sell saltpeter. In fact, he was greedy because he saw that the Japanese country would no longer be able to disturb the Ming Dynasty. The maximum price is fifty thousand kilograms of saltpeter a year." Fu Xizhi is not quibbling for himself. He was just stating the fact that there were a lot of things dumped into the Japanese country, and saltpeter was part of it, and he also strictly controlled the quantity.
"Has the Duke of Wei taken any money?" Zhu Yijun asked directly.
"No, the current Wei Guogong refuses to take it. His family is not short of this little money, but he probably guessed something." Fu Xizhi did not resist the investigation or curse. When His Majesty asked, he told the truth. He only wanted a quick death, and he did not fool the emperor with the cliché that the minister deserved death.
Does Xu Bangrui know? Xu Bangrui guessed that there was 50,000 kilograms of saltpeter missing from the warehouse. Of course Xu Bangrui would think about it, but Xu Bangrui had no identity to investigate this matter, and he couldn't do what he wanted to do.
So Xu Bangrui is sincerely happy when the emperor comes.
(End of this chapter)