You can't say it, because if you say it, you will be doomed!
To put it bluntly, it means severing oneself from officials and gentry.
But, do you dare not to say it?
Just when Li Zhigang was sweating profusely and feeling helpless, Zhu Yunxi spoke again, "Li Aiqing, I asked you to come, I want to use you!"
Li Zhigang raised his head sharply. The emperor was still sitting in front of the mirror. His long hair was pulled up by the emperor, and then fixed in a bun with a wooden hairpin.
"I want to use you greatly and reuse you!" Zhu Yunxi slowly turned his head and looked at Li Zhigang, "Are you willing to take the responsibility?"
Suddenly, a surge of blood surged to the top of his head.
Li Zhigang kowtowed heavily with a bang.
"The tax exemption was originally a special reward given by Emperor Taizu Gao because he felt that the gentry in the world had a hard time living at home! The original intention was that the scholars would live in poverty, and the court would suffer some losses so that their lives would be easier. But what about now?"
"The privilege of tax exemption has become a means to enrich one's own pockets by profiting from it! When you read the books of sages, you know clearly that land tax is the lifeblood of the country, but you still benefit yourself at the expense of the country. Have you read all the books of sages and sages into the belly of a dog?"
"Not only do they rely on tax exemptions, they wantonly put land in their names. They even use their prestige in the countryside to confront the government. If they are not satisfied with anything, they will pay taxes and have less food, and they will have the government beg them!
"
Speaking of this, Zhu Yunxi looked at Li Zhigang again, "You should know these shortcomings better than me!"
The hall was silent except for Li Zhigang's violent breathing.
"Yesterday, I proposed that the officials and gentry should be responsible for paying for the food. I thought that the ministers in the court would agree. Who knows, everyone has their own plans. Not only do they not want to implement the New Deal, but they also prevent me from offending the scholars in the world!"
At this point, Zhu Yunxi sneered repeatedly, "Humph! If I can give them the tax exemption, I can get it back!" He said, squinting his eyes, "But I can't do this new policy alone!"
Immediately, he laughed at himself and said, "Even though I am an emperor, my imperial edict is nothing if it comes out of the Forbidden City! So I need someone to help me! The first thing I think of is you!"
boom!
Li Zhigang was sweating profusely and kowtowed heavily again.
"You don't need to say anything else, just say, can I trust you? Can I use you?"
Li Zhigang raised his head without hesitation and said loudly, "Yes!"
He didn't dare to say he couldn't, and he couldn't say he couldn't.
From the moment he entered the palace, his only path for the rest of his life was to help the emperor implement the New Deal.
If he does his best, I don't dare to say what the future will be like, but he will definitely have a good situation for more than ten years.
If he dared to hesitate even a little bit, then today would be the end of his career as Li Zhigang.
There is no need to choose between the two, and the emperor has no right to choose.
The path now is to follow the emperor to the end.
He also has no time to regret. He knows what he will face when implementing the New Deal and what the final outcome will be. But people like him know that there is no regret medicine in this world and know his own position better.
The emperor chose him to make a sword, and he would make a good sword even if his body was shattered into pieces.
The emperor chose him to be a dog, and even if he was turned into dog meat, he would still be a good dog.
At least, he can kill and bite before the final fate comes.
As for the end... Xu Xu Tuzhi didn't turn around.
"Okay!" Zhu Yunxi laughed, "What I want is your cheerfulness!" He said, raising his arms, "Stop kneeling and stay flat!"
"I thank Tian'en!" Li Zhigang stood up with one hand on the threshold, and suddenly realized that the floor tiles were covered with his own sweat.
"Don't worry!" Zhu Yunxi said again, "As long as you don't let me down, I will never let you down!"
He knew what the other party was worried about, so he continued to smile and said, "I am bound to win if we implement the New Deal. I know your difficulties and will remember your good deeds. I am not a king who kills rabbits and kills dogs, nor am I just a master who kills donkeys. You
Good job, I..." At this point, Zhu Yunxi pointed to his heart, "Keep it all in mind, I won't let you suffer!"
"Long live your loyalty, I will die before you die!" Li Zhigang raised his head and looked at Zhu Yunxi's profile.
"With your qualifications, six ministers are enough!" Zhu Yunxi smiled, "But after all, you haven't made any great achievements yet..." After saying that, he paused and continued, "I will make you the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs!"
Suddenly, Li Zhigang's heart skipped a beat.
The regret, sadness and helplessness in my heart disappeared without a trace in an instant.
Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Personnel was the second highest ranking official in the world and a candidate for the Heavenly Official of the Ming Dynasty! His power was infinitely greater than that of his minister of rites.
The changes in his expression were all seen in Zhu Yunxi's eyes.
Zhu Yunxi continued, "As the left governor and censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, I will be granted the title of Nan Study Room!"
Li Zhigang was stunned!
This kind of promotion is equivalent to directly entering the core decision-making level of the Ming Empire.
What I have dreamed of for many years comes true at this moment.
And this is just the beginning. He believes that with the promotion of the New Deal, his status will gradually rise and he will play a decisive role in the government.
"I wonder who will dare to look down on me in the future!"
Li Zhigang gritted his teeth in his heart, knelt down and shouted, "My lord, thank you for your kindness!"
"Get up!" Zhu Yunxi smiled softly, "Remember, I use you because of your ability! Don't let me down!"
Li Zhigang knew the implication.
"It is indeed a big deal for officials and gentry to work together to pay taxes!" Li Zhigang said, "To put it bluntly, the reason why all the ministers disagree is because they themselves are members of the tax-free class. No one wants to poke fun at this.
Even if it’s a hornet’s nest, no one dares!”
"No one dares to face everyone in the world, and no one dares to be scolded by thousands of people! But in my opinion, this matter is not difficult!"
Zhu Yunxi was slightly surprised, "Oh, you said it's simple?"
“It’s not easy, but it’s not difficult either!”
If you have to do something, do it absolutely. This is Li Zhigang's motto.
He pondered and said, "No matter how dissatisfied the gentry are, they are also citizens of the Ming Dynasty. The so-called scholars have failed to rebel for ten years, and they are just talking about it. Besides, they are scholars!" As he said, he smiled,
"The most timid, the least united, and even more fond of fighting and plotting among themselves!"
Zhu Yunxi listened and kept nodding, "Go on!"
"In my haste, I don't have a complete explanation, I only have a clue!" Li Zhigang continued, "First of all, this policy cannot be implemented all over the country immediately. I think that the case of the Kong family in Shandong should be used as a guide!"
"Tomorrow I will write to the emperor, starting with the Kong family case, saying that there are hidden fields in Shandong, and I want the court to investigate thoroughly. Then..."
Speaking of this, Li Zhigang gritted his teeth and sneered, "The privilege given by Emperor Taizu Gao to the gentry is tax exemption, but there is a quota for tax-free land, ranging from scholar to Jinshi."
"Moreover, Emperor Taizu Gao never said that he would allow them to put other people's fields in his name for personal gain!"
In an instant, Zhu Yunxi understood everything. He looked at Li Zhigang with approval and nodded frequently.
"If we check the hidden fields of the Kong family, we will implicate other gentry who help others to get tax exemptions." Li Zhigang gritted his teeth and said, "Catch, then interrogate. Then expand the area of investigation, starting with the northern provinces..."
"Why start from the north first?" Zhu Yunxi asked.
"The gentry in the north is soft! The gentry in the south is hard!" Li Zhigang continued, "The more I investigate, the more shocking the matter will become, and the more I investigate, the more unstoppable it will be. After I investigate the north in half a year, I will report to you, the emperor!"
"As a censor, I will explain the illegal behavior of the gentry. Then the emperor can order the establishment of a yamen specifically to investigate tax exemptions for personal gain, and then I will start investigating the southern provinces!"
"Let's not talk about the New Deal, let's not talk about the officials and gentry working together to pay for the food, but first investigate the crime of using their tax-free privileges to help others name their property! From now on, everything is justified!"
What a talent!
Use the right person!
Zhu Yunxi really wanted to applaud Li Zhigang for his cruel idea.
Tax exemption is a privilege, and it is illegal to use your own privilege to help others name their fields.
We will not take away your rights first, but we will first investigate your sin, then trace it to its source, and then go straight to the source of the sin. This is the tax-free privilege!
"I can't handle this matter alone!" Li Zhigang whispered.
"You go and select people, then report back to me the list!" Zhu Yunxi laughed, "It's all up to you!"