In the seventh year of Hongwu, the legitimate eldest grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, the great ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, was born.
He who resides as the legitimate heir will surely ascend to t...
As a diligent emperor, Zhu Yunying never slacked off; he was always a very hardworking person. He was a worrier and liked to concern himself with every little detail.
Even if you don't do everything yourself most of the time, you still need to have a thorough understanding of these processes.
Creating a comfortable environment for his grandfather and son, allowing the elderly to enjoy their retirement and the children to grow up happily, are things that Zhu Yunying should do; this is his responsibility and obligation.
Zhu Yunying was very concerned about matters like the autumn tax, and the court attached great importance to it.
Zhu Yunying was generally satisfied. Although taxes were slightly reduced compared to the past, the overall tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty still increased.
Especially considering that Zhu Yunying reduced taxes in the Jiangzhe region, a major tax-paying area of the Ming Dynasty, but the overall tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty can now increase slightly, this is undoubtedly good news.
This was no small matter. Many people had some grievances against Zhu Yuanzhang, especially the people of Suzhou. They all believed that the heavy taxes imposed on them were Emperor Hongwu's revenge on the people of Suzhou for helping Zhang Shicheng defend the city. They never considered the desolation and poverty in other parts of the Ming Dynasty.
It can only be said that being born in a prosperous and wealthy place is not necessarily a good thing. The people of the Jiangnan region are now much more relaxed because the Ming Dynasty is now treating everyone equally and will not impose particularly heavy taxes on them.
Zhu Yunying was in a good mood. Steady progress was one thing, but seeing the benefits of the land tax reform was another.
Zhu Yunying also knew that many things could not be rushed. Although it seemed that the land tax reform had been successfully implemented, he absolutely could not be complacent at this time and still needed to continuously solve some problems.
The benefits of the land tax reform have certainly been recognized by some, but it has also exposed some problems. Therefore, it is clearly inappropriate to immediately implement the land tax reform across the entire Ming Dynasty; a gradual process is needed.
Zhu Yunying believed he had some patience. He knew that the Two-Tax System had been in place for hundreds of years, and that it would take a day or two for not only civil and military officials, but also local officials, gentry, and common people to change their minds.
Moreover, the implementation of the land tax reform in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and the two capitals has left many officials somewhat overwhelmed.
This will take some time; more officials need to adapt to these changes in operations, and of course, the people also need to adapt.
The people in the Ministry of Revenue are also working hard to train some officials to truly adapt to the land tax reform. This matter can only be improved as it is done, and lessons need to be learned from the problems that arise, and some minor shortcomings need to be addressed.
Zhu Yunying could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The first shot wasn't particularly impressive, but in any case, the matter was progressing smoothly, and Zhu Yunying no longer needed to worry about too many obstacles.
As long as his policies appear to be correct, even if they may indeed infringe upon the interests of some people, they are still relatively correct things, and Zhu Yunying can justify them under the guise of righteousness.
The emperor needs to save face, and so do the civil and military officials. Even many scholars seem to care even more about such things, such as their reputation. They want both substance and face.
With the land tax reform in place, it seemed that the system could be implemented in an orderly manner, which naturally made Zhu Yunying quite satisfied, and he even felt a little proud and pleased.
As a wise emperor, Zhu Yunying was not incapable of making mistakes; however, even such an emperor needed to continuously prove his abilities. A wise emperor clearly cannot be complacent; he needed to make sustained efforts.
After a day of handling state affairs, Zhu Yunying would be quite satisfied. Most importantly, he understood very well that this matter was not the end; it was merely the beginning. Ultimately, governing a country requires continuous effort and ongoing work, and there can be absolutely no slackening.
When Shuangquan arrived at the Wuying Hall, he said obsequiously, "Your Majesty, His Majesty requests that you dine at the Qianqing Palace."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded, saying, "Remember to have someone get some crabs and warm a pot of yellow wine. This is the perfect time of year to eat crabs."
"Your Majesty, everything is prepared in advance," Shuangquan immediately reported. "They are all crabs from Gucheng, and they are very fresh. They are all female crabs weighing four ounces each. I went to check and prepared to steam them."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs would become famous later. However, Huajin Lake hairy crabs, Shengfang crabs, and Gucheng Lake hairy crabs also had very good reputations. As for eating crabs, it wasn't just Zhu Yunying who started it; Li Bai, during the Tang Dynasty, also enjoyed eating crabs.
However, the custom of eating crabs became increasingly popular in the Ming Dynasty. Many literati and scholars considered enjoying crabs a cultural experience, and when appreciating chrysanthemums, composing poems, and eating crabs, everyone had a set of special tools. This is the legendary "Eight Pieces of Crab Gear," which was started by Zhu Yunying.
This is a classic case of "what the superiors like, the inferiors will follow even more fervently," even though many people think Zhu Hongwu (Emperor Hongwu) was of humble origins. But now, Zhu is the emperor, and Zhu is the most prestigious surname in the Ming Dynasty; many people are eyeing the imperial family.
There was no way around it; Zhu Yunying loved eating crabs since he was a child, and many people worked hard to ensure he could enjoy them even more. Even the frugal Empress Ma was never stingy when it came to her beloved grandson eating crabs.
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