Previously, the policy targeted some high-ranking officials. Now, with the autumn tax collection complete, many lower-level officials are probably starting to worry about their jobs or whether they'll live to spend the money they embezzled.

Zhu Yunying reiterated his tone, saying, "Since the Yuan Dynasty, official corruption has become rampant. The retired emperor was a man of great talent and ambition, and he eradicated many of these long-standing problems. Now that I have ascended the throne, my beloved ministers must not bring shame upon me, nor let the people of the world think that our Great Ming can tolerate corrupt officials!"

Let's intensify our efforts. While it might not result in the massive bloodshed of the Hongwu era, many people will likely fall from grace.

Even if some people are skilled, clever, or lucky, some corrupt officials may still manage to escape, but it is believed that efforts will be made to curb the resurgence of corruption in the bureaucracy.

Yu Xin stepped forward at this time; the position of Minister of Revenue is not easy to hold, and he should step forward now.

As the Minister of Revenue, he was naturally considered the emperor's purse. However, various government departments needed to ask him for money, and many national affairs required large sums of money. The national treasury didn't actually have an endless supply of silver, so careful budgeting was necessary.

Therefore, if he saw that taxes that should have been deposited into the treasury were being withheld, or that the amount of taxes deposited into the treasury was insufficient, this was clearly something Yu Xin could no longer tolerate. He needed to learn not only how to spend money, but also how to make money; this was what the Minister of Revenue should be doing.

"Your Majesty, local prefectures and counties have already been intercepting taxes, and this time when the court collects taxes, there have been many cases of people absconding." Yu Xin's words immediately brought the good days of many people to an end. "Previously, there were also discrepancies in the Yellow Register when the Ministry of Revenue paid taxes."

This was something that Zhu Yunying could not tolerate, and it was a fundamental reason why he wanted to reform the tax system.

The current two-tax system often uses the Yellow Register as the basis for tax payment. The Yellow Register, which records household registration, is the basis for tax collection.

However, some poor people cannot pay their taxes, or some wealthy households learn to hide their population, all of which undermine the Ming Dynasty.

Even though the Ming Dynasty had just been established and had conducted several censuses on population and land, there were still many 'clever' people who knew how to exploit loopholes. Some even colluded with officials and merchants to shift some taxes onto the poor and powerless common people.

Officials and gentry used their privileges to conceal the population figures, while cunning individuals claimed to be from other places to evade the system. As a result, the poll tax still existed, and the burden fell on poor farmers.

Or perhaps the government, in pursuit of excess quotas, exaggerated the figures during the compilation and review process, resulting in favoring the poor over the rich. The increased excess quotas for poll tax meant that the lower and middle classes had to bear a greater share of the poll tax burden.

Zhu Yunying became even more serious and said, "The Ministry of Personnel and the Three Judicial Offices must take these matters seriously. The Ministry of Revenue must collect all taxes due, lest those cunning individuals find an opportunity. The Military Governor's Office must order all local garrisons to severely suppress any tax resistance without leniency."

This startled many people, because in their view, paying taxes was solely the government's responsibility. They believed that tax resistance could be handled by yamen runners, clerks, or grain officials; why would it require the mobilization of military garrisons? That was tantamount to rebellion!

Zhu Yunying's words left everyone looking at each other in surprise, realizing that Emperor Yingshi was serious, and that he appeared to be quite enraged, instantly increasing the pressure on everyone.

Ru Chang quickly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if the garrisons are mobilized, it could easily incite a popular uprising."

Ru Chang's words also reflected the concerns of some people. With the military being deployed, such a violent institution could become a source of reliance for some, allowing them to act more lawlessly and recklessly.

Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "That depends on whether my Three Judicial Offices perform their duties diligently, and whether my Ministry of Revenue is loyal to its responsibilities. My Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot shouldn't be idle either."

This increased the pressure on many, as mishandling the matter could incite a popular uprising. Failure to satisfy the emperor could lead to another bloody power struggle in the court, and the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard might regain their influence!

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