When Wang Chengen saw Chongzhen's answer, he immediately said happily: "Wait a minute, the emperor, our family will go to inform the inner cabinet." Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info"

In the early Ming Dynasty, the emperor was responsible for the diet of Guanglu Temple, at this time there was no imperial dining room, and the imperial dining room was only available in the Qing Dynasty.

Don't underestimate this eating institution, it's a fat shortage. Taking livestock as an example, the palace has to buy more than 100,000 heads of livestock a year, including 20,000 pigs alone, 50,000 chickens and geese, more than 10,000 sheep, and more than 40 cattle.

Later, because the food cooked in Guanglu Temple was really not in line with the emperor's appetite, and many eunuchs, the cooks at home were good cooks, so slowly, the emperor handed over the food to the eunuchs to handle, and later there was a special internal cabinet.

Soon, a few dim sum dishes were put on the table, Chongzhen because of his simple nature, so the requirements for food, clothing, housing and transportation are not very high, just say that these snacks are just like ordinary rich and noble people, but they are only slightly exquisite.

Chongzhen picked up a piece of pastry, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, and Wang Chengen stood aside to serve at any time.

Looking at Chongzhen's appearance, Wang Chengen couldn't help but be happy in his heart, since the moment Chongzhen was born, Wang Chengen has served left and right, and in his heart, Wang Chengen has always treated Chongzhen as his own relatives. Watching Chongzhen work like this every day, he naturally couldn't help but worry about Chongzhen's body, so Wang Chengen has always taken care of Chongzhen meticulously.

It is precisely because of such feelings that Wang Chengen has always been unswervingly on Chongzhen's side. When Wei Zhongxian was in power, Wang Chengen actually belonged to Wei Eunuch's party, but when Wei Zhongxian wanted to be unfavorable to Chongzhen, Wang Chengen resolutely and decisively supported Chongzhen. Without his support, then whether Chongzhen can successfully ascend to the throne is still two words.

Chongzhen was also brought up by Wang Chengen since he was a child, so he also trusted and relied on him very much, otherwise with Chongzhen's character, if he had anything to do with Wei Zhongxian, he would have no chance of survival.

Soon, the dim sum was almost used up, and the time for the court meeting was approaching, so the eunuchs and maids serving on both sides of the left and right tidied up their clothes for Chongzhen, and then Chongzhen strode towards the Fengtian Temple.

In the Fengtian Palace, hundreds of civil and military officials have already stood in line according to their respective ranks, just waiting for the emperor to come in person.

At this time, only one eunuch shouted loudly: "The emperor has arrived." ”

The civil and military officials immediately knelt on the ground and bowed three times and bowed nine times, and the mountain shouted: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live." ”

At this time, Chongzhen walked up to the royal platform, sat on the dragon chair, and said, "Zhongqing's family is flat. ”

"Thank you, long live my emperor, long live long live." The crowd shouted again.

Then Chongzhen said: "Can the Zhongqing family have a performance today? ”

At this time, Qian Qianyi, a waiter of the Ministry of Rites and a famous man in later generations, stood up and said: "Your Majesty, there have been floods in the Jiangnan area several times, so that the people's livelihood has suffered and business has been frustrated. ”

After Qian Qianyi finished speaking, he immediately glanced at several officials next to him, and those officials understood and immediately stood up to second, and there were as many as seven or eight people, who claimed that the people's livelihood in the Jiangnan area was withering and asked Chongzhen to reduce or reduce taxes in the Jiangnan area.

At this time, the head of the household department Bi Ziyan couldn't help it, if the Jiangnan tax is exempted, then the imperial court will lose a major source of tax revenue, Jiangnan tea tax a year is more than 600,000 taels of silver, so many taxes, how can it be said that it is exempt! As the head of the household, how can he sit back and watch!

So Bi Ziyan stood up and said: "Your Majesty, this matter must not be done, the wealth of Jiangnan is known to the world, if there is still a need for tax reduction, what about the northern land?" Moreover, once it is reduced, if you want to levy it again in the future, it will be difficult, and I hope the emperor will think twice. ”

Qian Qianyi immediately sneered at each other and said: "Master Bi seems to have lived in the court for a long time, and he no longer knows the suffering of the people, do you know how many merchants in Jiangnan are closed now?" How many guys have lost their chance to survive? If the imperial court ignores it, it will definitely lose the hearts of the people in Jiangnan, and I hope that Lord Bi will not take the small and give up the big! ”

Bi Ziyan did not back down, and said indignantly: "What Lord Qian said lightly, do you know how much the court uses now?" Saying that elsewhere, it is Liaodong alone, it will cost the imperial court three million taels of silver every year, if the imperial court can't issue silver in the future, can you still find your money? ”

At this time, an official who supported Qian Qianyi said: "Lord Bi's words are wrong, there is a saying in ancient times, if you win the hearts of the people, you will win the world, if you even give up the hearts of the people, then everything will be empty, even if there are mountains of gold and silver, it will be a flower in the sky." ”

The official said, knelt down and said to Chongzhen: "I also ask the emperor to grant permission to reduce or exempt the Jiangnan tea tax to win the hearts of the people in Jiangnan." ”

After this person finished speaking, those officials who supported tax reduction and exemption also knelt down and asked for Chongzhen's permission, and for a while, more than half of the officials in the court knelt down.

At this time, Qian Qianyi couldn't help but feel proud in his heart, now that the officials who support tax reduction and exemption have gained the upper hand, how can a person who is strict with himself be able to stop it!

Bi Ziyan and how can he admit defeat, he has been proficient in arithmetic since he was a child, and has been in charge of the household department for many years, and knows the income and expenditure of the Ming Dynasty well, once the Jiangnan tax is reduced, the Ming Dynasty's finances will deteriorate dramatically, so he argued with reason: "Your Majesty, now there is a great drought in the north, and there is an urgent need for silver relief in the future, once the reduction is reduced, where will the silver come from!" The emperor must not believe what they say, this is a curse for the country! Please think twice. ”

At this time, Qu Shiyun also stood up in the middle of the matter, supported Bi Ziyan, and said to Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, Lord Bi is reasonable, there are clouds in ancient times, there is heaven above, and there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below, if even the land south of the Yangtze River still needs to reduce taxes, then what reason is there to collect taxes from other provinces and places!" In other words, the tea tax is collected by the rich, so what does it have to do with the small people! Take 10,000 steps back, even if you want to reduce it, it is a reduction or exemption from agricultural tax, not tea tax! Please also ask the emperor to think twice. ”

Qu Shiyun's words were so loud that he deserved to be a figure who has been famous for hundreds of years, and his righteousness shocked the officials who supported the tax cut.

At this time, even Chongzhen had to reconsider whether to reduce taxes for the land of Jiangnan, because it was really self-strict, Qu Shiyun's words were reasonable, if the tea tax was reduced, the benefits would also be those rich, and ordinary people would not get any benefits at all, so how could this be said to win the hearts of the people in Jiangnan?