The Prosperous Era of Longwan

The Zhejiang war report was sent to the capital, but it did not get the joy of the entire court that Hu Zongxian expected.

Over the years, such memorial documents have been delivered every year, but the next year the Japanese pirates still appeared on time to plunder the coastal prefectures and counties.

This is also the reason why the officials in the capital have a bad attitude towards Hu Zongxian. They performed well and killed countless enemies, but the Japanese pirates came again the next year. What does this mean?

It was clear at a glance that Hu Zongxian also committed the same mistake as those generals in the border town and falsely reported military exploits.

The officials below all think so, not to mention the people above. They have more channels to obtain information. Even if they know about the nine battles and nine victories in the Battle of Taizhou, they don't have to wait until the end of the year. The Japanese pirates will come as promised in September and October.

The approval of the cabinet and Emperor Jiajing also reflects the attitude of the superiors, who asked the Ministry of War to check and verify the merits, and then the matter would be over.

However, Yan Song still asked his son to write another letter to Hu Zongxian who was far away.

Let’s not talk about whether to eradicate the Japanese pirates or not. Quickly destroy the Fujian rebels. This is the focus of His Majesty’s attention.

With the arrival of copper materials from Yunnan, although some were divided by the inner court, there was still living money after all. Some of the salary arrears of the previous officials were repaid, and the previous documents sent by the Ministry of Revenue to raise money and sent to various places were also responded to.

Yan Maoqing, the censor of the salt law capital of the Prime Minister, reported that the amount of salt courses in Zhejiang Province and Zhejiang Province is 440,000 yuan. It is strange that the current class is blocking private traders' public activities. The unobstructed eyes have been waiting for years to cause harm. The husband is correct and the other is more than two Huaihe Rivers. Changlu is a common practice in Shandong. The old line in central Zhejiang sells 300 kilograms of small salt, and the nearby line brings 400 kilograms of large salt. The packages are priced at a high price and businessmen are not willing to go there. Now it is better to divide the remaining two packages at 280 catties each. In order to make full use of the profit from the surplus salt, each quotation was priced at three cents and five cents in Hangzhou.

Yan Maoqing, courtesy name Jingqing, was born in Fengcheng, Jiangxi Province. He was a Jinshi in the 20th year of Jiajing's reign. He was promoted to censor by a traveler and gradually became censor of the capital.

It is rumored in later generations that Yan Maoqing attached himself to Yan Song and became the Prime Minister of the Salt Transportation Department of Liangzhe, Lianghuai, Changlu, and Hedong. He was a famous corrupt official in the Jiajing Dynasty.

In this report, Yan Maoqing also wanted to adjust the salt law system of the two Zhejiang provinces and impose restrictions on salt packages and local salt prices, in order to combat illegal salt sales.

To this, both the cabinet and Emperor Jiajing agreed.

However, the imperial court had different attitudes towards Yan Maoqing's memorial, but King Yu's attitude also made Wei Guangde feel helpless.

Perhaps influenced by rumors in the official circles, it seems that Yan Maoqing is a member of the Yan Party, and the so-called salt law reform is just to gain greater benefits.

"Your Highness, the court appoints people not based on their integrity or corruption, but based on their results."

One day, when King Yu was talking about the salt law adjusted by Yan Maoqing, and he couldn't help but complain that this reform might increase the salt expenditure of the people in Zhejiang and South Zhili, Wei Guangde couldn't help but say.

"What's the price of salt from the salt farm? What price did he set?"

Of course, King Yu was not unreasonable. The salt price set by Yan Maoqing this time was indeed higher than the previous salt price, which seemed to increase the burden on the people.

However, salt administration was the most profitable industry in the Ming Dynasty. Wei Guangde had the idea of ​​getting involved in it back then, but now, his original dream has long since disappeared, and now he wants to become a cabinet minister.

He wakes up and holds the power of the world, but he lies drunk on the knees of a beautiful woman.

Wei Guangde just smiled and said, "What your Highness saw was the salt price reported by the officials, but can the people actually buy salt with that little money?"

"What do you mean? Do they dare to deceive the emperor?"

King Yu raised his eyebrows and asked sharply.

“The price that the imperial court knew was the price at the salt farm and the price at which salt merchants transported the salt to the local area. Local merchants subcontracted the salt and had to sell it at a higher price, so the price that the people paid for salt far exceeded the imperial court’s price.

Yan Maoqing's method is just to make things that were previously hidden public and put them on the bright side. The interest relationships here are complicated and difficult to explain at all.

But Your Highness, have you calculated how much the court's salt lessons can be increased after the implementation of this law? "

Wei Guangde replied.

“What’s there to say about competing with the people for profit?”

King Yu shook his head.

Hearing what King Yu said, Wei Guangde felt uncomfortable continuing, but after thinking about it, he still said something.

"Before Yan Maoqing took charge of the salt administration, the four salt transportation departments of Zhejiang, Lianghuai, Changlu, and Hedong collected 600,000 taels of silver every year, and Maoqing increased it to one million taels."

Wei Guangde shut up after saying this, and King Yu did not refute.

The matter of silver was undoubtedly the top priority of the Jiajing Dynasty.

Wei Guangde said earlier that the standard for appointing people in the court is not based on moral character, but on results. King Yu knew that it was fulfilled here.

The underlying meaning of Wei Guangde's words is nothing more than that the salt farm in charge of Yan Maoqing makes money, and if he pays more money to the court, he will naturally be considered a useful official.

"Well, he, Yan Maoqing, is from your hometown, so I can understand him when he helps me speak."

Finally, King Yu said perfunctorily.

When the words came into Wei Guangde's ears, he felt speechless. He spoke for Yan Maoqing. He was simply telling King Yu that the quality of officials and whether they can be used must be based on the interests of the court. At least within the scope of Yan Maoqing's salt field, local officials did not If the price of salt is too high and the people are living in dire straits, then we shouldn’t be too harsh on them.

The common people definitely want to use high-quality and low-price products, but with the existence of government and businessmen, is it possible?

In fact, as long as one degree is suitable, it will be enough.

The situation in the Ming Dynasty was similar. The system must have flaws, but if we really want to carry out drastic reforms as some people think, I am afraid that not only will the people not support it, but they will rebel.

The system of the Ming Dynasty was actually suitable for this era, at least for the early Ming Dynasty. However, it was not adjusted in time after the development of people's livelihood and failed to keep pace with the times. This is the root of the current problems of the Ming Dynasty.

In the early Ming Dynasty, all industries were withered, and commercial taxes really could not collect much money. The finances depended entirely on agriculture, so Zhu Yuanzhang was right to emphasize agriculture.

But now, the imperial court has become bloated, but its finances still rely on agricultural support. Industry and commerce that were not profitable before are now prosperous and have become the most profitable industries, but they have not shared the burden borne by the farmers at all. This time it is a problem The crux of the matter.

Refining troops and streamlining administration is easy to implement but difficult to implement, so we can only expand financial resources and work hard on industry and commerce.

In later generations, finance was entirely supported by industry and commerce, and agriculture not only did not bear taxes but also received subsidies.

Wei Guangde knew this but couldn't explain it. Because of the limitations of the times, today's industry and commerce are far from meeting those conditions, even in another two hundred years. It is useless to say more.

However, Wei Guangde still had to respond to what King Yu just said, otherwise it would be bad if he mistook him for a township party.

"Your Highness, my evaluation of Yan Maoqing is only based on his political performance in charge of the salt farm, not because he is from Jiangxi."

Wei Guangde argued.

"Well, I understand, but when he won the salt field, the chief assistant should have considered his identity as a Fengcheng native."

King Yu sighed and said: "Actually, I understand that, the minister below is not like this. Naturally, my fellow countrymen have to take care of him. At least Yan Maoqing has made great achievements in state affairs. As for his character, let's not talk about it."

No one will get rich after joining the salt administration. Wei Guangde understands this and does not want to continue to dwell on it.

If King Yu really wants to find upright officials to fill the court, he is afraid that only new recruits will be left in the officialdom, because they have not had time to be greedy.

Well, even Qingshui Yamen can make some money from office expenses. Wei Guangde knew this when he was in Hanlin Academy, but he didn't bother to do it with the little money.

The capital has always been the capital, and every day it was sent to the capital like water from various places. The situation in various places in the Ming Dynasty was also known to the upper echelons of the imperial court in this way.

Only two days after this incident, another memorial from Zhang Yuanchong, the censor of the governor of Jiangxi Province, was sent, causing the somewhat stable officialdom to start turbulent again, with undercurrents surging.

Zhang Yuanchong, the censor of the governor of Jiangxi, reported that from December last year to the leap month of this year, bandits from Fujian and Guangzhou broke into Jiangxi from Guangze, Ninghua and other places, peeked into Xincheng and Guangchang, and looted Wan'an and Taihe. Please tell me to the south. Ganjunmen assisted in the suppression.

Li Tinglong, the censor of the Fujian patrol, also reported that the bandits Lu Shangsi, Li Zhanchun and others, together with the remnants of Japanese pirates in Fuxing and Zhangquan, went out to plunder. From the north of Jianning to the south of Funing, there were no robbers.

Zhang Yuanchong's memorial mentioned for the first time that Zhang Lian's rebel forces had begun to invade Jiangxi. Before, they only contacted local people to cause rebellion, but now they have sent troops into Jiangxi to plunder.

Li Tinglong, the censor of Fujian, reported directly that Jianning and Beifu had become gathering places for thieves, and they also collaborated with Japanese pirates to plunder everywhere.

Just now, Hu Zongxian reported that Fujian and Zhejiang had defeated the Japanese pirates. The back-foot censor reported that the mountain bandits were colluding with the remaining Japanese pirates. This was undoubtedly a slap in the face to Hu Zongxian. The verification process of the Ministry of War was also directly affected by a note from Xiyuan. Stop.

For more than ten days, Jin Yiwei quickly checked the reports from Zhang Yuanchong and Li Tinglong. Naturally, Jin Yiwei was still conducting the investigation at various police stations, and the news was quickly passed back.

At this time, Emperor Jiajing would not believe the reports from the officials below. He only trusted the reports from Jin Yiwei.

Later, Wei Guangde and others got the news in Prince Yu's Mansion. Xiyuan issued several imperial edicts in succession, instructing the Minister of War, Governor Hu Zongxian, Liu Tao, the imperial censor of Fujian, Yang Yizhi of Southern Ganxi, and Zhang Nie of Guangxi and Guangxi to pacify Zhang Lian's rebels and issued a decree. The Ministry of War discussed the situation and blamed the ministers for the rampant banditry that caused harm to the three provinces. Since they were too lazy to devise strategies to exterminate the bandits, they were ordered to punish the thieves and kill them. If things went wrong again, the censor named them to take part in the serious punishment.

When the news spread, the officials in the capital talked a lot, and they all said that it was fortunate that no commendation had been issued yet, otherwise the court would have lost face by praising him first and then issuing instructions.

However, before the officials in the capital could see the fun, the capital was also in trouble.

Of course, this joke is not funny at all.

Zha Bingyi, whose courtesy name is Xingfu and nickname is Jinchuan, was born in Haining County, Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. He was a Jinshi in the 17th year of Jiajing's reign, and became a doctor in Yazhong and Yin of Shuntian Prefecture.

After more than 20 years in the imperial court, reaching the third rank was actually considered a good official career, but such an official suddenly died in office.

According to the imperial physician, he died of illness due to exposure to heat.

However, everyone familiar with the matter knows that Mr. Zha Bingyi was not in good health before. He had not been doing much in the past two years as Taipu Temple Minister. He did not know what he thought, but he actually used various tricks to win the official position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin. .

Then the officials reported him, and the emperor approved him. He died five days after taking office.

After hearing this news, King Yu couldn't help but get angry, "How did the Ministry of Personnel do it? Didn't they first find out whether those people were in good health before arranging official positions?"

In King Yu's view, if you are not in good health, you should recuperate. Why bother occupying an official position and die in an official position? It seems that the court does not care about officials.

"This is strange."

However, Yin Shizhen shook his head and said to King Yu: "I know this, Mr. Zha. In the 26th year of Jiajing, Wang Gao, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, was imprisoned. Zha Bingyi and his colleague Li Rujin came to rescue him and impeached Zhang Lu, the deputy envoy to the Huaihe River, for bribery. Taichang Shaoqing Yan Shifan and others stole their father's power and took bribes.

He was punished for this at first, and he was not from the same family as the Yan family, but Ouyang Shangshu promoted him. "

The Yin of Shuntian Prefecture is of the third rank, but the Minister of Taipusi is of the third rank, and in terms of authority, the Yin of Shuntian Prefecture is much larger. However, this seems strange.

"Could it be"

Wei Guangde didn't think there was anything wrong at first, but after Yin Shizhen said this, he felt something was wrong. He suddenly thought of something and couldn't help but speak.

"Could it be something? Just say whatever comes to mind."

Yin Shizhen glanced at Wei Guangde and asked directly.

"I'm just guessing whether it's the Taipu Temple's idea over there. After all, the horse market and Chang Yingku are both profitable places."

Wei Guangde thought about it and said what he had just thought.

The horse market is naturally a policy that the Ming Dynasty has implemented since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It trades with neighboring countries to obtain war horses.

At first, Zhu Yuanzhang made great efforts to build a horse farm, hoping to cultivate a large number of war horses by himself. He even started raising official horses by private citizens. The government assigned the task of raising official horses to each household and gave certain preferential treatment conditions in exchange. It can be seen that Even though the business seems to be not losing money, in the end both the officials and the people are tired and find it difficult to make ends meet.

Later, this showdown task directly became a kind of tax. The local government collected the fodder money and sent it directly to the Taipu Temple. The Taipu Temple used the money to buy fodder to raise horses.

This money is one of Chang Yingku's main income.

But the horse market business Wei Guangde mentioned is another matter.

By purchasing horses from the horse market, corrupt officials will sell horses that meet the standards of war horses and are of high quality to the market to earn a lot of money, while they will send weak and old horses of poor quality to border towns as war horses.

"This is just a guess, but we can't be sure. We'll know who will succeed Taipusi Qing."

Wei Guangde hurriedly explained that of course he didn't know whether there were these twists and turns, so he made it clear to avoid misunderstanding.

"Send a message to Master Gao and keep an eye on this matter."

King Yu nodded, but still gave instructions to Li Fang.

When Wei Guangde left Prince Yu's Mansion and returned home, he received news from his family on the way that the wife of Chief Assistant Yan Song, Ouyang, had died.

Hearing the news, Wei Guangde was both a little sad and a little happy.

It's sad because Wei Guangde still goes to Yan's house during the holidays. Although Yan Shifan is picky and picky about him, Yan Song and his wife Ouyang are pretty good to him.

Fortunately, he suddenly felt as if the burden on his shoulders was lightened, because Yan Shifan wanted Ding You.

The death of Yan Song's wife naturally had no impact on him, but the situation was different for Yan Shifan, his son. He was ordered to return to his hometown Dingyou for twenty-seven months.

I diverted to Yan's Mansion, which is what I should do.

On the second day, Emperor Jiajing sent an order to his second assistant, Xu Jie, "I heard that Song's wife cannot bear fruit, and there are not many couples in their eighties. There are ritual ministers to discuss the ceremony, but this will not be the case in the future."

Of course, Yuan Wei was different from Wu Shan. After Xu Jie came over, he proposed, "The story should be treated with caution."

Then the two discussed a rough charter, and Xu Jie was sent to Xiyuan.