The edict reprimanding Li Jiyou in Annan was issued from the Qianqing Palace as soon as the imperial meeting ended.
There was also another edict, in which Yang Shiqi, the pacification envoy stationed in Burma, was appointed as the imperial envoy to go to Annan to announce the decree.
At the same time, there were two secret edicts sent to Zhu Di, who was training troops in Guangdong and Guangxi, and Wu Lun, the chief military officer of the Burmese camp.
~~
"Your Majesty, I don't have that much patience!"
Outside the Meridian Gate, the original duty room of the patrol army was temporarily requisitioned by Zhang Wei, the Minister of Household Affairs, and others who had just resigned from the Imperial Palace.
Because it was getting late when the meeting ended, and these central ministers of the Ming Dynasty had to work early tomorrow and had to run errands before dawn, so they simply did not go back and rested outside the Meridian Gate.
The servants of each family brought new bedding, a change of clothes and sanitary ware to the master, and also prepared a midnight snack box.
Zhang Yan held half a bowl of white porridge with fried bean sprouts in his hand. He ate bite after bite and said, "Even if the emperor is patient and waits for Annan to commit the crime, those warriors can't wait!"
As he said that, he put down the bowl and sighed, "When the news reaches Guangdong and Guangxi, the fourth prince may want to take advantage of it and take the initiative to provoke Annan!"
Hou Yong, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, slurped the mutton soup cakes in the bowl and chewed the crunchy sugar and garlic. After eating three times, five times, five times and two times, he picked up the strong tea and said with a wry smile, "Just wait and see what happens!"
Rujun, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, frowned and thought deeply, "I'm afraid that the wind will stop when the trees are still!" He said with a wry smile, "At the beginning, Emperor Taizu Gao had decided on fifteen countries that would not be conquered, but now it seems... haha!"
Everyone knew what he meant when he said "hehe".
Yes, Emperor Taizu Gao originally decided on fifteen countries not to be conquered. But now it seems that these fifteen countries not to be conquered are more like a list of accounts that his old man left to the emperor.
The emperor now takes this list and goes to each house one by one...
"It's not a big deal to fight!" Hou Tai, the Minister of Punishment, only ate half of the bun, then sat aside with a tea bowl and said, "We can't stop it, and it's useless to stop it..."
These words made everyone remain silent again.
His words can't be stopped, and it's useless to stop him. In fact, he is not talking about the emperor's arbitrariness, but the current situation of the court.
Everyone here, except for Xin Yande, who is younger and has never experienced war, almost all of them have come from the war years. They are well aware of the pain of war, and they are even more aware of the harm of war.
In war, people will die.
The Ming Dynasty’s invincibility was achieved in exchange for how many mothers lost their sons, how many women lost their husbands, and how many children lost their fathers!
Behind the illustrious martial arts are always the blood and tears of the common people.
In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the war on the northern grasslands was forced to keep the enemy at bay.
But now, it is a naked annexation!
And both the government and the people applauded this annexation!
The new generation of officials have never seen or participated in war, and do not know the harm of war. They only see the Ming Dynasty's invincibility and the supreme glory brought by war after war...
Even if these central ministers did not agree with the use of troops against Annan, as long as the usurpation of the throne by Annan Li Ji Ya was revealed to the world, the whole Ming Dynasty was bound to be filled with shouts of fighting and killing.
Today's Ming Empire, from the emperor to the officials to the common people, are all warlike people. Not to mention those lions who have been idle for a long time and feel uncomfortable, and those who worry about their titles all day long. A nobleman with no hope of promotion.
"It's still money and food!" Du Yushi Yan Zhenzhi suddenly sighed, "The emperor has allocated four million silver dollars from the inner treasury. This money must have been prepared! Li Zhigang is planning eight million in Jiangnan. I don't know if he can.
....”
"Ha!" Zhang Yan suddenly smiled, "Li Yixing is capable. If he dares to say this, he will definitely be able to do it!"
"Haha!" The surroundings were suddenly filled with laughter.
Among the laughter, only Xin Yande looked very worried.
He looked at the crowd and said, "Masters, Li Zhigang wants to raise 8 million for military expenses in the Jiangnan provinces! That's 8 million, not 800,000! What name does he use to collect it?" He said, frowning, "The taxes that should be paid
After all the payments have been made, we still need to raise an additional eight million, isn’t that... isn’t that an additional apportionment?”
Yang Jing, the imperial censor of Zuodu, glanced at Xin Yande and said, "Whether it's an apportionment, or a clever search for money! In short, Li Yixing is a capable person. Not only can he raise the funds in place, but he will not rob the poor people of the money!"
"It's hard to say!" Xin Yande shook his head and said, "We have always levied excessive taxes and plundered the people!"
Everyone just laughed but didn't speak.
Xin Yande was still young and had not seen through it.
Li Yixing held sole power in Jiangnan as an imperial envoy. On the one hand, he wanted to use the New Deal to overthrow the original grassroots officials and gentry. In the process, he, Li Yixing, could carry out liquidation without any worries, and he also had large households. He had ten thousand reasonable
The reason is to get money from those wealthy gentry!
On the other hand, the New Deal and opening up the sea complement each other.
In everyone's opinion, once the imperial court fully lifts the maritime ban, maritime trade will directly become the country's most important fiscal revenue. And with the temptation of opening up the sea, those wealthy gentry are eager to give Li Yixing money... and are even afraid of it.
It was not enough, so much so that the imperial envoy put a tick on his pen that they were not allowed to participate in sea trade and go to sea!
Thinking deeper... there are many things that you can only think about by yourself, you can only feel them but not talk about them.
The emperor had the idea of replacing the Chief Secretary of Guangdong a few years ago, in order to prepare for the opening of the sea, or to be precise, the collection of various taxes after the maritime ban was lifted.
Moreover, the Customs Department was separated from the local Chief Secretaries, and the Customs and Taxation Departments in various localities were also independent and directly under the central government.
It can be said that the emperor is playing a big chess game, and Li Zhigang is the important chess piece.
"My lords, it seems that it is not appropriate for me to raise military expenditures!"
The reason why the four provinces in Jiangnan jointly boycotted the examination was because of his troubles! If these eight million dollars make all parts of Jiangnan resentful towards the imperial court..."
"Zhang Butang!" Hou Yong suddenly interrupted Xin Yande and said to Zhang Yan, "You just asked the emperor whether the various incomes after the opening of the sea will go to the national treasury or the emperor's private treasury. The emperor did not give a direct reply.
!”
"That's right!" Rujun, Minister of the Ministry of War, also said, "This is not just a matter of money, it also involves the customs and taxation departments of various places!"
In the minds of civil servants, the emperor does not need money.
You are a fucking emperor, you have people waiting on you to eat, drink, and have sex. Why do you need money? Do you have any place to spend it?
What's more, in addition to the word "money" on the surface, it also involves a series of personnel powers and the management rights of various functional yamen.
There is a game between countries. In fact, there is also a game between the emperor and his ministers...
Xin Yande beside him was full of surprise.
How could he not see that Hou Yong and Ru Yu deliberately did not listen to him and deliberately changed the topic.
But after thinking about it for a while, he understood a little bit.
"These old foxes!" he thought to himself.
None of the people in the central committee wanted to see Li Zhigang. At this time, instead of objecting to their various actions towards Li Zhigang, they held a flattering attitude. What was the ultimate purpose? He already had the answer in his mind.
The more Li Zhigang does, the farther away he is from the center.
It's the old saying, don't worry about the fun now, be careful about making a list in the future.
From the perspective of being an official, this is a normal political struggle, and no problems can be found. This is a conspiracy, a conspiracy that made you, Li Zhigang, accused by thousands of people and reviled by thousands of people.
Xin Yande also looked down upon Li Zhigang, but he just felt uncomfortable.
Because for example, Li Zhigang's plan to raise military expenditures in several Jiangnan provinces was unreasonable and should have been opposed by a letter.
But the gentlemen in front of me, for a certain purpose, do not object.
Maybe they will turn this matter into one of the evidence against Li Zhigang in the future, but their original intention is to use political power instead of real state affairs!
Furthermore, Xin Yande had another idea in mind.
Although he is only the last person in the South Study Room, he is just a walker responsible for delivering documents.
But he was by the emperor's side day and night, and he knew the emperor's character better than the other princes in front of him!