Recommended Reading: At dusk that day, Zhu Youzhen returned to the Forbidden City with the rotten half of Huang Taiji's head, and kept this thing fresh with ice cubes and put it in the freezer for proper and secret preservation. In fact, he originally wanted to celebrate the successful assassination of Huang Taiji with great fanfare, especially to hang Huang Taiji's rank outside Zhengyang Gate, so that the people of the world would scold and relieve their hatred. In that way, not only Yan Ling and the others could get the honor they deserved, but also greatly boosted the morale of the Ming army and people.

But after weighing it again and again, Zhu Youzhen still gave up this idea. Because if it is hyped up, the Ministry of Intelligence will undoubtedly be exposed to the world, not to mention that it will bring many difficulties to carry out similar tasks in the future, and it is difficult to explain the new agency in the official group. Zhu Youzhen wanted to spend a few more days with Da Yu'er, but these ministers didn't let him stop, and vigorously agitated for a boycott of the three salaries, and Zhu Youzhen had to rush back to fight with them.

The next day was the morning meeting. After Zhu Youzhen was promoted, the ministers were really difficult, and the ministers of the Donglin Department first asked Zhu Youzhen if he had read the draft of the three salaries, and he was not polite at all. Bi Ziyan once again strongly opposed the boycott of the three salaries, but he couldn't say anything about the dozens of mouths of the Donglin Party with one mouth, not to mention that there were dozens of excerpts from local science and Taoist officials, and most of them advocated the boycott.

Zhu Youzhen watched the ministers arguing quietly, until they all spoke dryly, and then said slowly: "The addition of the faction is a special case, not a rule. These three salaries were all added during the Apocalypse, and the initiators were still a party of eunuchs, although the court was short of money, but it could not point to these additional distributions to live. I felt that the vote was very reasonable, and I was even clearer in my heart when I listened to the discussion just now. ”

The minister of the Donglin Department was overjoyed when he heard this, it seems that the emperor has agreed to strike the three salaries!

Zhu Youzhen continued: "However, the words of the household department are also reasonable, the three salaries account for too large a proportion of the imperial court's income, and they cannot be eliminated, otherwise the household department will really not be able to bear it." I don't think it's as good as this: first, the thistle and training salaries, which are less of the three salaries, will be exempted, and the Liao salary will be reduced by one million taels per year for a period of five years, and the levy will be completely suspended after five years. What do you think? ”

As soon as the ministers heard this, the emperor had already given in, and the reduction in the first year had already accounted for half of the original amount, and it would be completely waived after five years. Although this result is not enough to satisfy them, it is better to accept it when it is good, and don't push the emperor and the household department too much, so they praise it one after another.

originally thought that this matter would end like this, but Zhu Youzhen asked Li Biao with a smile: "Lord Li, the average amount of silver per mu for the three salaries is nine cents, totaling nearly seven million taels, which is indeed a lot."

Then can you tell me how much silver is converted to more than 3 million taels per mu of the imperial court's annual income? ”

Li Biao was stunned for a moment, did not understand Zhu Youzhen's meaning, and replied casually: "Back to Your Majesty, based on this calculation, the average per mu is less than five centimeters." ”

"Well, nine centiths plus five centiths, that's one cents and four cents." Zhu Youzhen said with a smile, "Some time ago, I sent the officials of the Department and Dao out to the place and asked them to discuss the expropriation of land in various places, but there are not many of them playing back now." I also deliberately looked at the account books of the household department in each year of the Apocalypse, and the thirteen provinces in the country plus the north and south Zhili, Huguang and North Zhili, which have the lowest tax rates, are also higher than one point and four percent, and some are as high as seven or eight points, with a national average of nearly four points. Every cent and four cents of silver are ten million taels, shouldn't four cents of silver be nearly thirty million taels? Can Master Li explain to me what the big gap between 10 million taels and 30 million taels is? ”

Li Biao is a typical Confucian of science, quoting scriptures and classics, but when it comes to the specific number of Tianfu, he is blind and can't answer for a long time. Or Bi Ziyan relieved him and said: "Your Majesty, Tian Fu is the responsibility of the household department, and it is more appropriate for the minister to answer." The income of the imperial court is divided into two parts: natural color and folded color, and the folded color is also folded silver, which is more than three million taels. The natural color is the real kind of rice grain, which is levied in summer and autumn, and the general summer grain is 4 million stones, and the autumn grain is 22 million stones. With the price of rice in Jiangnan less than one or two taels of silver, it is more than 20 million taels, plus the annual income, it is not much different from the 30 million taels that His Majesty said. ”

"Lord Li, look at it, you all opposed Master Bi just now, but now you still have to answer for you." Zhu Youzhen teased for a while, and suddenly sank his face and said, "Even if this is calculated, the average tax rate of the national field tax is thirty taxes and one, and the three salaries are less than twenty taxes and one, is this tax burden heavy?" Even if the yield per mu is only one stone, and only five liters of rice are taken out for 100 liters to be handed over to the field, how can this not be afforded? How can this be explained that tenant farmers pay land rent, and fifty, sixty, or even seventy or eighty percent can barely make ends meet?

"I still remember hearing in the Japanese lecture that the rule of Wenjing in the Han Dynasty was only thirty taxes and one, and the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty were rich, and the standard of Tianfu was much higher than this. How did it come to me that it became a tyrannical expropriation and a poor livelihood? Even such a little bit of Tian Fu is too much to be willing to pay, so how much is appropriate? Isn't it better not to hand it in at all? The imperial court does not want silver for officials, does not need silver for military training, and does not need silver for war? Who's going to pay for all this money, Master Li, you come and tell me! ”

This sudden, barrage-like questioning completely stunned Li Biao.

He hurriedly picked up his clothes and knelt down, sweat was already on his head, but he couldn't answer a word. The other ministers were also silent, some of them really didn't know, and some of them knew and refused to speak, and for a while, the court was so quiet that they could even hear a needle dropping.

Zhu Youjian calmed down all the ministers, and then slowed down his tone and said: "I know that after a long period of peace in all dynasties, there will be a lot of maladministration, especially the most servitude maladministration, and the same is true of my Ming Dynasty. Although Tian Fu and Jiapai are not much, when they really get to the bottom, ordinary people are indeed extremely burdened, and it is even difficult to make a living. But if you can eat, how can there be so many thieves and bandits?

"That's why I asked the officials to go deep into the prefecture and county, investigate the accumulated malpractices and public conditions, and report them in detail, so that I can know where the problem is, so that I can prescribe the right medicine and eliminate the accumulated malpractices. But look, what are these movements? It's all trivial! Look at this article in the "Beijing Times", how many drawbacks are involved! Although it is a matter of writing about a county, will these drawbacks be unique to the county? Come on, come on, all 'Aiqing', you all take a good look! ”

The female official immediately distributed dozens of copies of the "Beijing Times" of the day to everyone and circulated them to everyone. Many ministers gasped after reading it, thinking that I don't know how many people will be unlucky this time!

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