"In the future, you will have more difficulties than me. There will also be more disturbances in the court!"
Ling Han's words were filled with melancholy.
"Please ask my mentor to teach me!" Han Kezhong said with cupped hands.
"In the eyes of outsiders, in addition to the founding nobles of Huaixi, the factions in the court today include the hard-working faction headed by me, the clear streamers of the Hanlin Academy, and a group of neutral people who do nothing but serve as officials!"
Ling Han said, coughed twice, then quickly picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, "But in my opinion, there is another group!" He said, looking at Han Kezhong, "That's you!"
"We?" Han Kezhong was puzzled.
"You are the practical group, but you are a separate group among the practical group!" Ling Han squinted his eyes and smiled, "Tie Xuan, Jing Qing, Xie Jin, you, Hou Yong, Zhang Yan, Lian Zining, and the three universities of Donggong
Shi. And recently, the emperor just replaced the chief secretaries of several provinces!"
These words made Han Kezhong even more puzzled.
"Old mentors, students and others..."
"I know you are not familiar with them, but you all have one characteristic." Ling Han said sternly, "They are all people who are in the emperor's heart and were promoted by the emperor himself. Tell me, why did the emperor promote you?"
Han Kezhong seemed to have some realization, "New Deal?"
"Yes, it's the New Deal!" Ling Han said again, "Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have been talking about preventing the old system of the Tang Dynasty. But at that time, the world was just beginning to change, and drastic reforms were not carried out, so many of the policies of the former Yuan Dynasty were followed.
Come down. For example, the military household system and the craftsman household system."
Military households have been serving as soldiers for generations, craftsmen households have been craftsmen for generations, and there are also humble households...
"There is also tolerance and respect for the gentry. These are all expedient measures." Ling Han continued, "But now it has been thirty years. Within thirty years, these shortcomings have become the rule. If you want to change it, you will have to touch the interests of many people."
"There are also land and tax revenue. There are many cases of land loss instead of increase in the annual reports of various provinces, and there are also large confusions in tax revenue. As for the population, the actual population and the Ministry of Household Taxation do not match up."
"These!" At this point, Ling Han looked at Han Kezhong, "They are all a serious problem for the emperor, and even more so for my Ming Dynasty! It's like a chronic disease, from shallow to deep, from light to severe. There are also the vassal kings, Jiangnan
Chaebol.”
"I'll ask you again, what is the New Deal?"
Han Kezhong thought, "Reform!"
“What is reform?”
"This..." Han Kezhong was speechless.
"Reform is the redistribution of interests and resources." Ling Han patted the armrest of the chair, "Just like the emperor's trial in Zhongdu, the Central Plains, and Zhejiang, you know this best.
Who are the opponents?"
"The big landowners, the big officials and the gentry!" Han Kezhong said, "The small landowners, middle peasants and poor peasants are the most happy!"
"Well, that's the point!" Ling Han continued, "This is why you, the ministers who are simply in the emperor's heart, are of your own sect!" As he said that, he smiled, "This was the case in the Yuan Dynasty.
The family of a big landowner must have official status, and the children of the family will obtain fame and make profits for the family."
"You must also know that many officials in the court and many famous people in the local area are from the families of high-ranking officials and gentry. If the emperor wants to implement the new policy, can it be done with these people?"
"Of course it's not possible, so I can only use you! And you help the emperor implement the New Deal, so naturally you are not tolerated by the officials and gentry, and are regarded as enemies by them!"
"The matter of the land is not only about the officials and gods, but also the powerful and even the vassal kings. When the time comes, you people will be isolated and helpless and will be regarded as a thorn in the flesh by others. So I just said that you will be more difficult than me in the future."
"It's even more difficult than Yan Zhenzhi. They are gentlemen but not party members. As for you, you are gentlemen and must be party members, and you are the enemy of the world."
Hearing this, Han Kezhong fell into deep thought.
He understands this truth. The ancients said that if you pluck a hair and benefit the world, you should do nothing.
As the saying goes, it is better to kill someone's wealth than to kill their parents.
After a long while, he said, "The New Deal is good for students. It will benefit the people and the country, and it will only harm the interests of the officials and gentry. Students are stupid. As long as it is beneficial to the country, just do it without guilt!"
"If you consider others and want to live in peace, then the New Deal will not be promoted. The chronic diseases you mentioned will still plague the Ming Dynasty!"
Ling Han looked at him quietly, "Then are you ready?"
Han Kezhong smiled and said, "It's not just the students who think so. When Zhejiang Shitiebu Zhengjing was talking to the students, he also said that the country can obviously have a better way, so why should it go down the dead end of previous dynasties?"
"Resentment is unavoidable, so what if we do something for the country and the people and cause resentment?" Han Kezhong said again, "Besides, you also said that students and others are the emperor's ministers. Reform is led by the emperor and implemented by students and others.
..."
At this time, Ling Han suddenly waved his hand.
"You have to understand that the New Deal is not just about land. Before the New Deal is implemented, the court will inevitably be in turmoil. With the interests of many parties entangled, can you be alone?" Ling Han said, "What I want to warn you is not how to do things, but how to stand.
In an invincible position!"
"Teacher, please speak clearly!" Han Kezhong said with cupped hands.
"You guys, although you are not a party in name, are actually a faction of your own. But among the new reform officials, you must not keep talking." Ling Han narrowed his eyes and said, "I warned Yan Zhenzhi not to get too close. It's up to you.
This is a bit more serious."
"You must be selfless and selfless and deny even your relatives!" At this point, Ling Han looked at him and said, "Even if you are a minister of reform who is of the same faction as you, you must keep a respectful distance from him. He is commonly known as a lonely minister."
Han Kezhong understood this, but he didn't seem to understand it either.
"Reform does not happen overnight, nor does it happen in one generation or two generations." Ling Han continued, "The current situation is like chess, who is playing chess?"
"Emperor..."
"Yes, the emperor is playing chess, and our ministers are the chess pieces on the chessboard!" Ling Han warned earnestly, "Go wherever the emperor tells you to go. Don't ask about right or wrong, and don't talk about right or wrong with others."
"You, me, and the courtiers are all just pawns crossing the river! You can only move forward, not backward! Once you retreat, even the emperor will tolerate it, but no one else will!"
Han Kezhong looked solemn and said, "Students understand." He said with a smile, "This has been the case since ancient times. Be a good person before doing something. If people don't do well, there will naturally be people who will stop them from doing things. But sometimes you can't be a good person if you want to do things. No matter how you say it, you can't have the best of both worlds.
."
"Therefore, we can only run to the dark side. Even if we hit the wall, we can't regret it. The teachers' hard-working students know that the difficulties that the New Deal will face, and the students know even more."
"Actually, students have already thought about it, why would they want to benefit the world? Since they have to live up to their status as scholars and want to do good deeds for the country and the people, students can only run into trouble!"
"Okay!" Ling Han nodded heavily, "You have courage!" He said with a wry smile, "It's just that I may not be able to see the day when your reforms are completed!"
~~
Han Kezhong is gone. He has simple interpersonal relationships in the capital. Apart from Ling Han, his nominal mentor, he has no one else.
Ling Han was still sitting on the chair, looking at the charcoal fire that was about to go out.
"Hey, nothing is permanent in this world, and there is no permanent reason!" He sighed in his heart, "Hey, what a good boy, but he's just a little bit off!"
At this time, Ling Han's eldest son, Ling Pu, came in from outside and said, "Father!"
"Have you prepared everything!?"
"You are ready. The gifts given by the emperor over the years, as well as the tax-free land deeds awarded by the Supreme Emperor back then, as well as the population tenants, my son are all ready!"
"Get ready. After I meet with the emperor tomorrow, you can hand it back to the Ministry of Finance yourself!"
"Then... what if the household department doesn't accept it?"
"Yes!" Ling Han seemed to be tired and closed his eyes, "I will definitely harvest it!" As he said that, he opened his eyes suddenly and looked at his son, "Is there someone else in our family who has put the land in his name?"
Next, use it for tax exemption?”
"There are some over there in my hometown, about one thousand two hundred..."
"There won't be a single ridge in the future!" Ling Han said, "Immediately give me a detailed account of how much money your family has earned from tax exemptions over the years. Be sure to make a detailed account."
"What do you want this for?"
"I don't want it!" Ling Han smiled bitterly, "Someone wants it!"