April 14, early morning
The imperial envoy was ordered to go to the palace to meet the saint and return the amulet.
…
I don’t know why, but in recent years, winters have become colder and summers have not been so hot. Now that summer has just begun, it is even a little cold.
In this regard, people from the Ministry of Rites and Qin Tian Jian are already considering whether the calendar should be revised again.
Xu Jie was led by Li Jin and walked through the palaces in the Forbidden City and felt even cooler.
As he looked over along the way, he felt that the imperial city was much better guarded.
Apart from anything else, when he was still working in the Forbidden City, the vendors setting up stalls outside the Meridian Gate have now disappeared.
Xu Jie followed Li Jin all the way to Xiyuan.
After he entered Zhixiyuan in the 31st year of Jiajing reign, he served Emperor Shizong here for fourteen years.
Now, after six years, I see the familiar flowers, trees, pavilions and palaces in Xiyuan again, and I can't help but feel lost.
In the past fourteen years, he has walked this road countless times, and his official career has also started from here.
Grand Bachelor of Dongge, Grand Bachelor of Wuyingdian, Grand Bachelor of Jianjidian...
In this way, step by step, step by step, he climbed to the highest peak of power in his life.
While I was reminiscing, I was suddenly interrupted.
"Master Xu, Your Majesty is not in Chengguang Hall, please come this way." Li Jin stopped Xu Jie who was about to turn towards Chengguang Hall.
Xu Jie was startled.
Yesterday he not only visited Zhang Juzheng, Xu Jie's disciple and former official, but also many of them.
He studied the emperor's speech habits, daily likes and dislikes, and behavior style from different angles.
It is obviously a common practice to receive foreign ministers in Chengguang Hall. Why did the place change today?
Xu Jie's brain was spinning rapidly, thinking about the emperor's intentions.
Li Jin walked in front and explained thoughtfully: "Your Majesty held a banquet, conducted archery, and offered sacrifices yesterday, and also took Governor Gu to inspect the martial arts of Jingwei. He is a little tired, so he needs to sleep more this morning."
Xu Jie suddenly said: "So you are going to Wanshou Palace?"
Li Jin nodded with a smile and stopped talking.
Xu Jie's heart gradually sank.
Now he is here as an imperial envoy to return the talisman.
Whenever the emperor plans to use him, he should at least treat him with courtesy.
Now, he was summoned to the palace just because he wanted to sleep more and be lazy.
This contemptuous and casual attitude...Xu Jie had a bad feeling.
He raised his head and glanced at the Longevity Palace in the distance, then lowered his head and followed Li Jin in a dull tone.
If the defense of the Forbidden City has improved slightly, then the Xiyuan can be said to be very tight, especially the section to the Longevity Palace, where there are really one guard every ten steps, and one guard every hundred steps.
This kind of strictness is best reflected at the entrance of Wanshou Palace...
Xu Jie looked at the Jin Yiwei in front of him in disbelief. He actually wanted to come up and inspect him!
What a shame!
For civil servants, this is no different from obscenity!
Xu Jie was determined not to accept this kind of thing. He stared at the Jin Yiwei and said bitterly: "Have you finished searching!? Get out of the way after searching!"
Jiang Keqian took two steps back, handed over his hands and confessed, and continued to guard the entrance of the Wanshou Palace.
Xu Jie snorted coldly, dusted off his robe, and walked into the Longevity Palace.
He slowed down his pace so that he could adjust his mentality a little more.
Yesterday, he paid many visits and had a rough idea of ​​the emperor's character.
It boils down to one sentence: as long as he is still useful, he will not end up like Xia Yan.
And this is probably my last chance.
The next response is crucial to him.
It is necessary to show your talents to the emperor, let the emperor see your insights, and let the emperor understand your role in the Ming Dynasty.
Just like...meeting Emperor Sejong for the first time.
Thinking of this, Xu Jie couldn't help but look up and down at this familiar palace, and a strange feeling emerged in his heart.
He inquired about the new emperor in many ways yesterday, and the more he learned about him, the stronger his sense of déjà vu became.
The new emperor now seems to be carved from the same mold as his imperial grandfather when he was young!
Especially when Xu Jie set foot in the Longevity Palace, this feeling became more and more lingering.
It was also a young man who succeeded to the throne.
He also secretly controls Jin Yiwei.
In the same way, the chief minister who was in power was defeated in a fight, and a new chief minister who was compatible with both king and minister was raised.
The same intention is to reform the past and eliminate the accumulated shortcomings.
Similarly, I live in a small house in Xiyuan.
Even the layout of the Longevity Palace still retains the style of the Jiajing period...
Just thought of this.
clang!
Suddenly, a familiar sound of a copper chime sounded in the Longevity Palace!
It was like snow filling the sky, making Xu Jie feel cold all over in an instant!
The sound of the chime echoed in the Wanshou Palace and also echoed in Xu Jie's mind.
He looked towards the main hall in astonishment.
It was a little far away here, and Xu Jie could only vaguely see a platform protruding from the center of the hall, about knee high. The surrounding ground was engraved with Tai Chi Bagua patterns - this Tai Chi Bagua platform was the seat of Emperor Sejong.
When the time comes, order people to build it.
Emperor Shizong often sat cross-legged here and summoned ministers through the gauze curtains.
At this time, there was naturally no gauze curtain. Instead, there was a screen, and in front of the screen was the imperial desk.
Xu Jie could only see a figure across the imperial desk and the screen, half-lying on the Bagua table, and slowly sat up.
clang!
The sound of the copper chime sounded again.
Xu Jie finally saw clearly that it was the figure, holding a pestle in his hand, and with a slight wave, it hit the bronze chime, far away.
It was as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes darting straight, as if he wanted to see clearly the figure behind him through the imperial desk and the screen.
At this moment, Xu Jie seemed to have returned to the time when he first entered the Longevity Palace during the Jiajing period!
At that time, he also stepped into the Wanshou Palace to meet the Saint with such caution.
At that time, there was also a figure with a vague face sitting on the Bagua stage.
At that time, there was also this clear and distant sound of the chime.
The scene was like a chaotic universe, making it almost impossible for Xu Jie to distinguish between reality and illusion.
He stared at the Bagua stage, moved his steps with difficulty, and walked forward slowly.
This year, Xu Jie is exactly seventy, and he has reached the year of the siege of the rod.
There are too many memories of seventy years, and he has gradually become blurred.
But at this moment, he suddenly felt all his memories rushing back to him.
If he walked through Xiyuan, it was from the day he entered the cabinet, and he recalled step by step how he reached the position of chief minister...
So at this time, every time he takes a step, he can't help but recall from the age of seventy.
From his insecurity in the late Wanli period, to his discouragement and resignation during the Longqing period, to the turmoil during the Jiajing period...
Xu Jie felt as if he was one year younger with every step he took.
It was as if his white hair had turned back to black, as if his rickety body had slowly become straighter, as if his old breathing had become strong again.
Xu Jie vaguely remembered the scene when he protected King Yu from ascending the throne, and the mountains roared and the tsunami roared, and he was still strong.
His slow pace became more and more brisk.
Xu Jie remembered that he was in charge of the cabinet alone and had all the power, and that he was exactly the same age at that time.
He lifted up his hem and walked forward quickly.
Xu Jie seemed to have seen the back and forth between himself and Yan Song again, serving Shizong's companion like a tiger. That was the age when he gradually understood his destiny.
Suddenly, the hem he lifted up gradually turned crimson.
Taking a closer look, he seemed to be wearing a scarlet robe again... Oh, it seemed like he was summoned to Xiyuan by Shizong for the first time.
Xu Jie's ears seemed to be ringing with the words "Ming Shaobao and Taibao of the Crown Prince, Xu Jie, Minister of Rites, lead Dongge University Scholar to work in the cabinet!".
Bizarre and bizarre images intertwined before my eyes.
Strange scattered sounds echoed in my ears.
clang!
The bronze chime sounded again, and Xu Jie suddenly raised his head.
I saw the imperial desk and screen in front of me slowly disappearing, turning into gauze curtains. The figure behind seemed to be wearing a Taoist robe embroidered with a thousand-character scripture, looking at me through the curtains.
The self who had not yet been given a seat, bowed to the ground respectfully, and paid homage to Emperor Sejong.
It turned out that I had arrived at the ninth day of March in the 31st year of Jiajing reign, the day when I first entered the Longevity Palace.
Xu Jie stood in the main hall, the world was spinning and he was in a trance.
Relying on his memory, he walked to the original position, lifted up his hem, and bowed to the end, his throat trembling: "I, Xu Jie, kowtow to Your Majesty."
He seemed to be worshiping the Emperor of Heaven, and more like he was worshiping the life he had lived.
The two figures slowly overlapped, and the Wanshou Palace was silent for a moment.
It took a long time before there was any movement.
The figure behind the screen put down the jade pestle he was playing with on a whim and stood up.
When I got up, I bumped into the screen, causing it to sway slightly. There were wooden plaques with names engraved on it, which collided with each other and made a crisp sound.
Amidst the pleasant collision of wooden signs, the figure slowly revealed its true form.
Zhu Yijun was dressed in Yan Bian uniform, but without a crown, and walked out from behind the screen calmly and casually.
He had just half-lyed down to rest. He tied his long hair back with a wooden hairpin and let it flow freely.
He put his crown and hat on the case, and Shi Shiran sat down behind the imperial case.
He slowly leaned his head on the back of the chair, closed his eyes again and rested his mind.
It's sleepiness and contempt.
Zhu Yijun's lips moved, and his voice sounded like he was half asleep, murmuring: "Come and wait on me."
Li Jin, who was on the side, had just wanted to serve the emperor and put on the crown, but he immediately stopped after hearing this.
He then picked up his crown and hat and walked to Xu Jie's side.
Xu Jie's body froze.
He is a scholar, how could he not hear that the emperor was insulting him?
If he doesn't react at this time, in the later annotations of the Book of Rites, the food that comes is probably going to be extended to the servant of the next level!
Xu Jie slowly raised his head.
He saw the names of ministers hanging on the screen.
He saw on the imperial case the memorial he had entrusted Zhang Juzheng to submit.
I also saw the emperor with disheveled hair who was resting behind the throne.
A brief silence.
Xu Jie's expression did not change, he gently stretched out his hands and picked up the crown and hat.
He straightened up, walked behind the royal desk, and crowned the emperor himself: "I heard that Your Majesty was crowned a man of state in February last year."
"As the saying goes, crowning, ceremonials, and promotions are the way to achieve moral integrity, and to be respectful and dignified is the way of the people."
"Today I saw Your Majesty for the first time, and I felt His Majesty's virtue and majesty, which made it difficult for me to move forward. At this time, I am even more fortunate to be wearing a crown for you, and my appearance is so handsome, I am really frightened."
"When your majesty becomes famous in books and silks in the future, and his name is passed down to eternity, I may be lucky enough to get some pen and ink for this matter. God's grace is so great that I am ashamed to receive it."
Xu Jie crowned the emperor while expressing his love.
The tone is sincere and sincere, and the emotions are revealed naturally, which is really moving.
After saying this, Zhu Yijun finally opened his eyes.
He looked at the veteran minister from three dynasties in front of him, with half-white beard and hair, regular facial features, and a rather celestial spirit.
After being humiliated, his expression did not change, and he still looked sincere and sincere.
Zhu Yijun couldn't help but secretly praise him.
Regardless of other things, this appearance, conversation, and character are all the best choices.
No wonder he was liked by Emperor Sejong.
Zhu Yijun laughed inexplicably, but then stopped laughing.
He just raised his head, leaned on the back of the chair, and asked casually: "Xu Jie, you have been an official for more than forty years and have bathed in the emperor's grace. Why are you carrying my bowl and smashing my pot?"
Call him by his name and ask questions without being polite at all.
The emperor's attitude is evident.
Xu Jie's manual movements stagnated for a moment, then he put on the emperor's crown and hat meticulously, and slowly retreated to the imperial case.
He bowed and apologized: "I don't dare."
Zhu Yijun shook his head: "If you only commit corruption, I can still tolerate you. There is no shortage of corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty, but... you wantonly annex land, and I can't suppress my murderous intention!"
Corruption is nothing more than ransacking a house, so you should save money for him.
But annexing land will really ruin the overall situation.
Land is the tax base of the central government. Just like what Zhang Juzheng stated to him last year, the great disadvantages of the world. Nowadays, large households hide acres and acres of land and destroy the tax base of the central government. This is the root of the decline of the future.
As the chief assistant, Xu Jie took the lead in doing this, which is an unforgivable crime.
Now that the central government is determined to clear the land, it has to show an attitude, and Xu Jie in front of him has a very good attitude.
Xu Jie's expression did not change, he knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Zhu Yijun looked at him and gestured to him.
General Xu Jie once again turned around in his mind what he had learned about the emperor's character, took a deep breath, and made a decision.
He raised his head and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, it is not the ministers who annexed the land, but the people who voluntarily donated it!"
Seeing that the emperor's face was ugly, he turned a blind eye and said, "Your Majesty does not know something. Although our official tax is only 1 in 30."
"But in addition to land rent, regular servants and miscellaneous servants, there are also various miscellaneous taxes and assessments by the local government."
"There are all kinds of miscellaneous taxes, including car fare, food money, treasury money, cattail basket money, money for gods and Buddhas along the river, etc., etc."
"The apportionments are endless, bridge construction, road paving, transportation, maintenance, the list is endless, often resulting in the destruction of people's homes."
"It is in order to survive that the people surrender to the name of the minister."
Zhu Yijun was furious: "You also know that it is the local government! As the chief minister, can you just go with the flow!?"
What local government can put pressure on Xu Jie?
It is precisely because of the confluence of the two that the central tax base collapsed!
Local governments did not dare to allocate funds to official households, so they could only go to poor people again and again, which greatly increased the burden on the people.
When the people saw this, they surrendered to the official households to avoid the corvee assigned to them.
The government completed its task, large households annexed their acres, and the people continued to live on.
The tax base of the central government was once again corrupted.
Xu Jie shook his head and said seriously: "Your Majesty, this matter has been deeply rooted in the bones of the Ming Dynasty. I cannot change it, so I will naturally follow the trend."
Zhu Yijun sat up straight, squinted his eyes, and looked at Xu Jie quietly.
Xu Jie said: "Your Majesty, our government spends tens of millions of taels over the years. Most of it comes from internal funds, and military expenses account for most of it. The rest can be spent on salary, disaster relief, sacrifices and other matters."
"For local areas, it is beyond our reach and the benefits are limited."
"Local government governs itself and has no money, so naturally it can only do the work of apportioning miscellaneous labor."
"Laying bridges and roads, repairing government stations, repairing river embankments and city defenses, and transporting grain and materials. Will these things stop because of the hardship of the people?"
"If these assessments can be exempted from the officials and gentry, if they don't fall on the common people, where will they fall?"
"Your Majesty, the country relies on local officials and gentry to govern the country."
"The prerequisite for restraining annexation is to take over the responsibility of governing counties and townships."
"Nowadays, the imperial power does not go to the countryside. It only suppresses annexation but cannot effectively govern the local area. Isn't this shaking the foundation of the country?"
"My lord, if you cannot shake the foundation of the world, you will naturally have to go with the flow."
"After the people contribute, the official taxes will be paid by the minister, and the miscellaneous services will be exempted by the minister's official status. As for the temporary apportionment of the government and the basic operation of the township, they will all be managed by the minister, including righteous fields, schools, and bridges.
Roads, transportation, dams, etc. have greatly reduced the burden on the people."
“Isn’t this an act of kindness to save one’s life?”
Chapter completed!