Chapter 553: Exploiting the topic to play (seeking a monthly ticket)
Tang Yin has been doing well in the court recently.
Tomorrow he will attend the court meeting for the first time.
As a member of the household department, he was not qualified to participate in the court meeting. However, because of the Huangzhuang system he controlled, a large number of old officials from Prince Xing's Palace followed him for dinner. This was a major matter involving the stability of the court, and the disposal of the Huangzhuang had not yet been completely settled.
After settling down, he needed to report to the court occasionally on the progress of the work.
Tang Yin thought that he would report on his duties at the court meeting as a sixth-grade Beijing official. Even if he was unruly, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep well for two days.
During the day, Zhu Hao came to talk to him about the bank account. When he saw Tang Yin with two big dark circles under his eyes, he probably knew that the old guy was not very reserved.
"Sir, in my imagination, it will be a bit difficult for you to become a pillar of the Ming Dynasty in the way of an orthodox civil servant. It is better to find another way and gradually become the mainstay of the Ming Dynasty by managing merchants and diplomatic relations..."
Zhu Hao brainwashed Tang Yin.
Tang Yin looked at the busy traffic outside the window. It was not yet noon, and Zhu Hao had obviously returned from the Hanlin Academy early.
The place where we were talking was at Zhu Hao's hotpot restaurant.
"Why are there so few people?"
Tang Yin answered the question incorrectly.
"Oh, I opened two more branches in the capital, which diverted some of the customer flow. The evening market here is more lively, and sometimes extra tables are added." Zhu Hao said.
Tang Yin stared: "You have already entered the Hanlin Academy, and you still care about business?"
"You are a fool if you don't make money."
Zhu Hao curled his lips and said, "I will help you sort out what you want to say at the meeting tomorrow and take a good look at it when you get back. The rest is up to you to adapt to the situation."
As the "big steward" of the Xingwang Palace system, Zhu Hao planned everything for Tang Yin.
Tang Yin took a booklet that looked like a lecture and sighed: "I really don't know what you think. Oh, by the way, what did you mean by managing merchants?"
Zhu Hao smiled.
The Ming Dynasty never paid enough attention to merchants. Merchants, peasants, and merchants had the lowest social status. However, history has proven that it was the very unpopular merchants who really pushed the world towards industrial civilization.
Businessmen pursue profit. Only by stimulating their passion for profit, providing them with a guarantee of social status, and allowing them to improve technology and develop productivity can the backward agricultural civilization progress little by little.
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "For example, in the future, the imperial court will set up a commercial department in addition to the six departments, and you will be the department hall, that's it..."
"Am I the kind of person who messes around? At least you have an idea and don't let us down in court tomorrow."
Zhu Hao smiled like an innocent child, "As for the bank affairs, I want to talk to you. In the future, His Majesty may hand over some authority of the inner government to you..."
…
…
Tang Yin was just the head of the household department in the court. Even if he had some power, he was definitely not an important figure.
But within the Xingwangfu system, his status is very high.
The emperor could not delegate the power of the court to Tang Yin, who had no official experience, but the emperor's own affairs, such as managing the inner palace, could be handed over to Tang Yin. Tang Yin was originally responsible for the imperial palace, which had a large amount of income, so he could be responsible for it.
The financial power of the inner government is also a matter of course.
But there is no concrete implementation.
The next morning.
In the court hall, Tang Yin was dressed in a sixth-grade official uniform and stood out among the ministers.
Many people are curious. How could Tang Yin, a famous talent in the Ming Dynasty, who once pretended to be crazy and acted like a fool to escape from Nanchang and ended up as a crazy and notorious man, jumped over the dragon gate and joined me?
It is said that he is a guest in Prince Xing's palace?
This old boy knows how to adapt to the changing circumstances!
Flee Prince Ning's Mansion and take refuge in Prince Xing's Mansion?
And then gain the respect of Emperor Xingxian with his ability?
Where does that leave Yuan Zonggao?
In other words, when Tang Yin arrived at Prince Xing's Mansion, was it Yuan Zonggao who was behind it?
It was Tang Yin's turn to come out and report on his work.
According to the article prepared by Zhu Hao for him, he first described the changes that had taken place within a month since he took over the imperial village, including the placement of Prince Xing's palace in the capital, etc., and then mentioned a very important point.
…
Xungui's land was annexed.
Yang Tinghe listened in and immediately felt that Tang Yin wanted to use the incident of Huangzhuang to involve the topic of suppressing nobles.
Xungui lived a very happy life during the Zhengde dynasty, mainly because Emperor Zhengde was fooling around and had no intention of taking care of these worms attached to the court system, and Jiang Bin, Qian Ning and others did not want to compete with the real powerful people.
The Zhang brothers took the lead, making the problem of land annexation in the capital and surrounding areas increasingly serious during the Zhengde dynasty.
During the Hongzhi period, only a small number of nobles occupied the good land around the capital.
But by the early years of Jiajing, more than half of the mature fields around the capital fell into the hands of the emperor, nobles and ministers. Landed farmers gradually became tenants, and many people even moved away from the capital. After the floods in Hebei, some
Through the experience of moving the surrounding people to the Central Plains.
In general……
There are many hidden dangers around the capital, and the biggest problem comes from land annexation.
At this time, Sun Jiao, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had not yet arrived, so when Tang Yin raised these matters, it was as if he was challenging the courtiers present, and there was no one in the Ministry of Revenue who could directly scold Tang Yin and tell him to shut up.
.
Besides, what Tang Yin was talking about was the current social situation, which was in line with the style of civil servants criticizing the current ills. Why interrupt him?
But Yang Tinghe felt very unhappy after hearing this.
The new emperor's purpose of suppressing the nobles was to consolidate the imperial power and make the emperor's power more stable, which was not a good thing for civil servants. Therefore, on this issue, Yang Tinghe felt that he should maintain the same position as the nobles in order to serve the interests of the civil servants.
.
"Hubu, what do you think?" After listening to Tang Yin's story, Zhu Si turned to look at Qin Jin, the minister of Hubu and in charge of the affairs of the Hubu department.
Qin Jin knew very well that the Ministry of Household Affairs had gradually become the new emperor's favorite. Even though he could stand on Yang Tinghe's side on issues such as the Great Rites Conference, he had gradually lost his right to speak when it came to the internal affairs of the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Qin Jin said: "Your Majesty, the emperor's relatives have occupied land all the time. Previously, the imperial court has issued an edict, ordering the emperor to personally investigate. Recently, the occupied lands must be returned. Those who have been in the past... also have to report to the imperial court. It is still in progress.
However, due to its age, it is difficult to dispose of it at the moment."
In matters like this, Qin Jin obviously didn't want to offend anyone and was trying to muddy the waters.
Previously on the affairs of Huangzhuang, the emperor put forward a statement that the establishment of Huangzhuang was an old matter and did not start from the Zhengde Dynasty. It was not easy to solve it at once and it should be done step by step.
Qin Jin copied it, which means that the matter of annexing land by honorable nobles did not happen in a day and cannot be solved in a short time.
That's what it is.
The land acquired by nobles "out of their ability" was either directly robbed, or the landowner was framed and convicted, or the land was bought and sold at a low price, or purchased at market price. In short, the land fell into other people's hands.
Yes, why should someone have to self-examine or even return it after an imperial edict?
Even if someone does take out the land and return it, or report it to the police, they are just trying to settle the matter, and it is definitely not clear. Emperor, can you have some social experience?
What you eat into someone's mouth cannot be spit out.
Zhu Sidao: "I have asked people to check the military expenditures in the northwest in the past few years. Not to mention that it is huge and the national treasury cannot cope with it every year. But I said that before the 14th year of Zhengde, the military supply dispatch in the northwest was pretty good. But after last year, especially in the northwest,
It's Xuanfu's warehousing and other matters, which can be said to have taken a turn for the worse."
Zhu Si gave an introduction, meaning that the northwest's finances have collapsed in the past two years. Think about what happened.
Of course people present will think about it.
But who can figure it out?
All of them are Confucian officials like old scholars. None of them understand economics. As for officials who specialize in warehousing and transportation, there are also very few. Each of them is more like a politician who reads books from sages and studies officialdom intrigues.
, As for the finances of the Ming Dynasty...that is not within the scope of our research.
Regarding this matter, not even the cabinet members, even Yang Tinghe, could explain the reason for a while.
Before the financial collapse of the Ming Dynasty, the civil servants mostly blamed Emperor Zhengde for his mischief, and Jiang Bin, Qian Ning and other sycophants acted recklessly, and did not study in detail how the finance collapsed.
"I asked, before the grain was released, there were a large number of merchants cultivating land in the northwest. In Xuanfu and other places, there were a large number of fields outside the city. They even dredged the river every year just to irrigate the fields. Fruits, vegetables, and trees in the northwest were also planted.
They can keep up with it, and trade and other matters in the northwest have always been smooth.
"But since twenty years ago, a large number of merchants from the northwest have moved inward, and 70% of the farmland in the northwest has been abandoned. In some places, 10% of the fields outside the city have been abandoned. All food needs to be transported from the interior, and official roads
It was also in disrepair and no one took care of it.”
Zhu Si pointed out a problem that has been common since the middle period of Hongzhi.
It was the desolation of the northwest merchant villages that made Jiubian completely a parasite of the Ming Dynasty. Not to mention self-sufficient, it even seemed to be completely dependent on the Ming Dynasty's finances.
Jiang Mian came out and said: "Your Majesty, the reform of the salt system in the Ministry of Revenue was managed by the two former emperors. Although there are certain shortcomings, the Taicang treasury is sufficient to cope with the dispatch of the northwest."
"Really? Then why are there so many reports about the shortage of money and food in the northwest recently? Are the court affairs that I see the same as what you see?"
Zhu Si had long been taught by Zhu Hao's words and deeds, and even in debates, he was able to penetrate his weaknesses.
At present, the civil servants have obviously suffered a loss in terms of the ceremony. Not only did Empress Dowager Jiang enter the palace, King Xingxian was also granted the title of Emperor Xingxian. Even without adding the title of emperor, this was a big blow to the civil servants, and they wanted to win back the victory.
The best way is to use the control of the court to put the emperor into financial crisis.
As long as you don't have money, people from all over the northwest will ask you for money. If you want to be a wise king and a holy master, don't you have to obey us?
Zhu Si finished his words.
Yang Tinghe immediately felt that Zhu Si was deliberately talking about Northwest Shangtun, and it was obvious that he wanted to silence the civil servants first.
I have found the reason. It is because of the reform of grain development, which has caused the northwest to be in a state of shortage of money and grain. You can either come up with a solution or shut up!