Take canal transport, for example. Every time traveler knows that it is inevitable that it will be replaced by sea transport. But who, except for a fool, would dare to abolish it outright?
This concerns the food problem of hundreds of thousands or even millions of people. Without a more appropriate resettlement solution, aren't you afraid of causing unrest among the residents?
The abolition of the post stations forced out a Li Zicheng, but the grain transport involved bigger problems and more people than the post stations.
Of course, Zhu Youxiao was not indifferent to everything. He was now focusing his energy on two major tasks: training the army and governing the officials.
Without a strong army, we cannot resist foreign aggression and cannot carry out reforms with peace of mind; without good administration, no policies or measures can be effectively implemented.
As for finance, although Li Qiyuan's reforms are not as satisfying as drastic changes and cannot fundamentally solve the problem, they can produce results as soon as possible. The growth rate will not be too large, but it will not encounter too much resistance.
Give me a year to train a few new troops, stably blockade and control the Jiannu, and then rectify the administration of officials to make it clearer and more stable, and consolidate the imperial power...
Seeing Li Qiyuan bowing and accepting the order, Zhu Youxiao secretly made up his mind.
Han Yu hesitated, then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, in the debates over the 'discord between the governor and the governor' and the 'Li Sancai corruption case,' some censors are indeed suspected of being involved in factional strife and should be reprimanded. However, if too many are dismissed, there is a risk of silencing the channels of public opinion."
Zhu Youxiao used the "Li Sancai corruption case" to overthrow a group of officials, most of whom were members of the Donglin Party. But he did not want to stop. With the Guangning War over, it was time to deal with a group of censors.
In the controversy over the "discord between the governor and the governor", Yao Zongwen, Liu Guojin and other trolls stood out, which also gave Zhu Youxiao the opportunity to see the true faces of these guys.
This is a group of trolls who form cliques and support each other. They are mainly members of the three parties, including the censors Xu Zhaokui, Qiao Yingjia, Liu Guojin, Zheng Jifang, etc., as well as the attendants Wang Shaohui, Yao Zongwen, Xu Shaoji, Zhou Yongchun and others. They are quite powerful, and many ministers are afraid of them and try to avoid them.
Although Han Yu also disliked this group of guys, dismissing so many censors at once was unprecedented and might cause a shock in the court and public discussion.
Moreover, the emperor's bare-handed action, directly suppressing and demoting officials, was suspected of destroying his own reputation. It seemed that only Zhu Baba didn't care about that and didn't care about the literati's dirty pens.
Zhu Youxiao, however, had made up his mind. He spoke out, "The censors are supposed to supervise all officials, but they are using this as an excuse to form cliques and attack others to satisfy their own desires and settle personal grudges. What's the point? Is it that only Li Sancai is corrupt, but we've never heard of the censors reporting or impeaching others? How can these people, who are just sitting there doing nothing but eating their fill, be allowed to occupy the court?"
Seeing Han Yu's embarrassment, Zhu Youxiao slowed down his tone and said, "Mr. Han, since I ascended the throne, I have been extremely cautious, fearing that I would fail. However, I have often seen officials in the Ministry of Personnel repeatedly causing chaos and making reckless noises, completely neglecting the country and the people."
After a pause, Zhu Youxiao set the tone in a deep voice, "Party strife harms the country, and willful and reckless talk should be stopped! The imperial edict will be issued and made public."
Xu Guangqi raised his eyebrows, agreeing deeply, then lowered his head slightly, thinking about how to turn the wooden gun given to him by the emperor into a weapon to kill the enemy, and how to arrange for the Portuguese to demonstrate artillery outside the city in a few days.
Sun Chengzong was thinking about tomorrow's palace examination and the emperor's special instructions for the military scholars and candidates to meet with the emperor.
Li Qiyuan frowned slightly, anxious to see where the emperor had modified his suggestions, and how to quickly straighten out the work of the Ministry of Revenue and enrich the national finances.
Seeing that no one else spoke, Han Yu sighed inwardly, bowed his head and left.
Officials hate and fear censors, and most of them do not have a good impression of them.
Because impeachment is too deceptive. It may be based on hearsay, or the censor may just make up a story at home because he is so angry at you that he slaps his butt.
But for the impeached person, since it concerns his integrity and reputation, he must prove his innocence with a seamless chain of evidence from the aspects of motive, process, evidence, witnesses, etc.
For example, a censor impeached you for farting during court. It was a muffled fart, so you couldn't hear any sound, but you could smell it.
Then you have to quickly explain that I didn't fart, I just went to the toilet this morning and didn't fart; or you can ask that person, he was standing behind me when I was in court.
Or maybe someone really farted, but it definitely wasn't me. The position I was standing in, and the direction of the wind...
When the censor opens his mouth, you're like Conan. It's so annoying. Some people really can't defend themselves and simply quit their jobs.
But for Zhu Youxiao, the accusation of forming a clique and falsely accusing others of him was easily cleared away.
When it comes to dealing with you, a bunch of censors who are only good at talking and speaking, I am too lazy to use any conspiracy or tricks. That would be an insult to your intelligence.
Zhu Youxiao pursed his lips slightly, stood up and ended the meeting in the side hall.
……………….
"Imperial edict to the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate: Since I ascended the throne, I have been constantly vigilant, fearing failure. I have often seen officials in the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate repeatedly rioting, completely uncaring for the country and the people. They act recklessly, clamoring and litigating endlessly, yet I have not seen any remarkable plan for recovery."
"It is difficult to dispel the public opinion of right and wrong. Ever since the Nu chieftain launched the rebellion, the military and civilians have suffered greatly from the conscription and the transfer of funds. This is all due to prejudice and partisanship, which has led to discord between the governor and the governor. This is why we suffered the defeat at Shaling and the siege of Guangning. I deeply resent it."
"The new generation has taken over as our eyes and ears, completely lacking impartiality and focusing solely on revenge. They are acting recklessly and disrupting state affairs. From now on, all officials must be humble and dedicated to their duties, working together for national affairs. If anyone forms a clique to spread false accusations again, I will follow my ancestral rules and show no leniency."
The imperial edict issued in the court bulletin and published in the "Da Ming Forum", as well as the dismissal and expulsion of censors such as Yao Zongwen and Liu Guojin, once again shook the capital.
Punishing so many censors at once, and with such severe penalties, was unprecedented in many years. It seemed that only during the Great Etiquette Controversy had a larger number of officials been punished.
Moreover, many of the censors punished this time had impeached Li Sancai and had engaged in heated debates with the pro-Li faction after the corruption case broke out.
After carefully reading the edict, everyone understood the emperor's true meaning.
Whether it was the Donglin Party, or any of the other five factions, such as the Zhejiang, Qi, and Chu factions, the emperor showed no partiality and had no intention of prioritizing any particular faction. Furthermore, he deeply detested factional attacks and would not tolerate them.
Of course, the emperor did not intend to target any particular party. Those who were loyal to the country and fulfilled their duties would be employed by the court as usual.
Zuo Guangdou and Fang Zhenru were considered the backbone of the Donglin clan. They were respectively the governors of Shaanxi and Henan, and were high-ranking officials in certain regions. Yang Lian was also transferred to be the governor of Shanxi, and the task of rectifying the Beijing camp was taken over by Li Banghua, the former right assistant minister of the Ministry of War.
Xiong Tingbi was a member of the Chu Party, right? Tao Langxian was also somewhat related. One had just been commended and was appointed as the Governor-General, while the other entered the cabinet as the Minister of Personnel.
Yuan Keli and Sun Chengzong were ideologically inclined towards Donglin, but the emperor still respected them as his teachers. One of them entered the cabinet and the other became a provincial governor.
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