Mainstream mode is difficult
Because the land tax system was so implicit, the gentry and landlords reacted with similar restraint. They outwardly praised it, though they were already cursing it in their hearts. Even if they were unhappy, they would only engage in minor actions in private, such as legal and illegal tax avoidance.
Unlike the land-based tax system, the directive for officials and gentry to serve as officials and pay taxes together was very clear. If they still tolerated this, they would be in trouble! The officials and gentry were furious. If the gentry only complained about their own small areas, the officials would directly submit a petition and express their opposition in a national publication.
Officials were supposed to pay taxes and perform their duties, but at the same time, they were already officials, already performing their duties, and officials had more options for taxation. In fact, this decree had less impact on the officials' actual interests than the public collection of fire consumption, but the fact of face was so important that they could not help but be motivated.
Many officials advised Yinreng to "think twice," and some even approached officials from the Ministry of Revenue and even the two Fourth Masters. The central idea was nothing more than: the officials and gentry are the foundation of state rule, and we must not let them down! Some of them had selfish motives, while others were simply frustrated.
We are scholars, and those who work with their minds rule others. Now the disciples of the sages are "enjoying" the same treatment as a bunch of messy guys. It's such a shame!
It even got to the point that many bannermen wrote to the emperor: Doing this will cause big chaos, and the reputation of scholars is the most important.
Yinreng was furious: "Who am I doing this for? Is it just for myself? You are bannermen, you don't pay taxes, but I give you subsidies. Do you think this money just fell from the sky? The bannermen's population is surging, the country is in trouble, and we're running out of money. If I don't expand the tax base, do you think I'd stop giving you subsidies?"
With a sullen face and a cold smile, Yinreng summoned the petitioner and, in a gentle tone, explained the actual situation: "The country is indeed facing a difficult time. We should all share the hardship. I have even reduced my food allowance. You also said that the gentry should not be required to serve and pay taxes. Why don't we all reduce our taxes together? How about this? From now on, the Eight Banners will only receive 70% of their money and rice. Submit a petition," he said with a sinister smile. "If you submit it, I will approve it. Otherwise, give me some ideas on where to reduce the amount or where to increase the tax. As long as it is feasible, I will approve it."
You don't know how expensive firewood and rice are if you don't manage the household, and you still give me fucks! Are you looking for death? Okay, my method is not good, you come up with a solution! "What's wrong? I eat the emperor's salary and worry about the emperor's worries. The country has supported the bannermen for decades and your family! Give me a solution! You say!"
The man below was paralyzed. He was one of those deeply influenced by Chinese culture. He'd been educated, and while a bit naive, he wasn't completely naive. He quickly figured it out: What the hell does this have to do with me?! They're not charging me any money! If he really wanted to save face as a so-called scholar and submit a petition to reduce the taxes and levies of the bannermen, the neighbors would gang up on him and raid his house! There would be protests against any reductions, and the situation wouldn't be much better than just giving the bannermen a discount. Do you know what kind of trouble that would cause?! The same goes for raising taxes.
He immediately kowtowed and said: "It is my fault for thinking too much. I just thought that the officials of the dynasty have already served the country, and asking them to serve as errand boys again... One cannot split a person into two parts to serve as an errand boy, this..."
Yinreng picked up a nearby paperweight and threw it at him. Luckily, he missed the man's head, but he did hurt his shoulder. "Have you read the court bulletin carefully? Go back and read it thoroughly before you speak to me!"
“Yeah.”
"Come back! If there are any who share your thoughts, go meet them and spread what I said today! If anyone submits a memorial again and wants to 'persuade' me, you can do so, but they must also come up with a method. If they can't, I'll just assume they've eaten too much and help them go hungry for a couple of meals to cool down their heat!"
“Yeah.”
Despite the chill of spring, Yinreng was still seething with rage. At least the voices of discontent among the Bannermen had almost died down, and Yinreng had managed to suppress the opposition from the core of his interest group.
Then he fell ill!
The emperor is ill!
This is the truth. If you are an emperor and don't want to be sidelined, lose power, or be forced to abdicate or be forced to abdicate, at best the country will be in chaos, it is best not to get sick, especially... don't be sick for a long time, just have a headache or fever occasionally.
If you don't strive for progress, you'll be sick. If you're even more eager to show your abilities, being sick means you've already lost half of your battle. Even worse, when you encounter significant resistance, if you become sick, it's more than just a loss. If you don't quickly rally yourselves, the collapse of your government and the destruction of your people are commonplace.
Yinreng was in such a situation. He didn't want to get sick from the bottom of his heart, but he was helpless. He was only sick now, which was a favor from heaven. Since he ascended the throne, he had encountered a lot of things, and he was busy and exhausted all day long. It was reasonable for him to get sick at this time.
It's just that I got sick at a very bad time.
Yinreng, his forehead wrapped in a handkerchief, felt a fever, and he didn't even have the energy to pound the bed. Shujia simply moved into the Qianqing Palace, clearing the western side halls once again, and the princes divided into shifts to attend to him. Concubine Mao and Concubine Qian, however, were torn between the two. The difference in status necessitated a certain level of caution between the imperial concubines and the princes.
Although Shujia often worried about things, this time she wasn't worried at all about Yinreng's illness. Yinreng was in his prime, and by no means looked like he would die young. Whether it was the royal family, relatives, or court officials, their concerns about the emperor's health were mostly due to the new policies.
Yinreng, however, left everyone feeling depressed. He was ill for over a month, with relapses from time to time. The emperor had no holidays. Even on statutory holidays, while other departments could take time off or have staff on duty, the emperor was alone. Whenever there was a major event, he had to work.
Just as he was getting better, he was already reading memorials and attending court. The work and fatigue inevitably worsened his condition. This happened twice before Shujia finally took a hard line: "You've recovered once, so what can't you do? Your current condition is just putting you at a disadvantage."
Yinreng leaned against the headboard, a table on the kang placed in front of him, piled with memorials. His voice was a little weak: "The emperor is ill and can't afford to return home. If I sack my court for more than three days, I don't know what rumors will spread outside."
Shujia was silent.
If the queen is like this, no one else can stop her.
As usual, Yinreng returned to work as soon as his condition improved. When people are ill, their psychology is always fragile. Sometimes they become weaker, and sometimes they become more paranoid when stimulated. Yinreng was the latter. He implemented his new policies with an even stronger iron fist.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Across the country, complaints abound.
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The 12th year of the Changtai reign marked a turning point in Yinreng's reign. Prior to this, his policies, starting from his accession to the throne, were characterized as "benevolent," naturally drawing widespread praise. At the beginning of the 12th year of the Changtai reign, an imperial decree requiring officials and gentry to serve as officials and pay taxes together was issued, effectively putting a negative sign before all the previous praise for him.
Jiang Ting had lived in Suzhou for several years, enjoying a comfortable life, but he never expected such a catastrophe to strike. The Third Weaving Master had been tasked with monitoring Jiangnan during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, and Jiang Ting didn't dare neglect his duties, paying close attention to public opinion. Previously, he'd praised the emperor in every possible way, and he'd happily written to Yinreng.
Today, a bolt of lightning struck from a clear sky. He had heard someone was speaking ill of the emperor! The Qing court, hailing from a "barbarian" background, was highly sensitive to literary inquisitions. Even during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, known as the benevolent and holy ruler, literary inquisitions were rampant. Jiang Ting didn't dare take it lightly and quickly dispatched someone to investigate.
The revelations were even more shocking. Quite a few people were cursing the court and speaking ill of the emperor. As foreign rule grew stronger, discontent only grew. The foreigners' relatively brutal and brutal methods, combined with the corrupt officials who had survived the old system, had caused the level of harm to the people to rise exponentially. Natural disasters, hunger, and even the Third Prince Zhu were exposed! This reflected the most basic sentiments of the people and demonstrated the need for reform.
The masses are simple-minded, and their thinking is relatively simple. Generally, the people who can most influence them are the grassroots gentry, and Yinreng just happened to have offended all of them. And it just so happens that the gentry are the ones who control the pen.
Compared to the various preferential treatment afforded to the Bannermen, the Han Chinese fared far worse. The so-called elite among the Han had endured the shaving of their heads and changing of their clothing, so that the Qing court could grant them preferential treatment, allowing them to continue their studies and official positions, and enjoy privileges. They even pretended to be powerful, using feather dusters. They had been pretending to be powerful, even reluctantly, but now that their preferential treatment was being revoked, the "elites" were furious.
They are furious, but they lack the courage. When someone steps forward, they're willing to throw a few punches and help spread rumors. They complain privately, deceiving themselves that they possess integrity and are merely acting on the sidelines. Officials continue to do their jobs, enjoying their privileges, and swearing at their mothers. Their behavior is comparable to the traitors during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression who claimed to be saving the country through a roundabout way, but were in reality mere political opportunists.
Their strength lies in not wanting to show up in public and making shady moves behind the scenes.
People's lives should not have been good enough. Even though Yinreng was trying his best to make the most of the resources, the salt law was the most beneficial to the people among all his new policies, and the nationalization of fire consumption was also a good thing. The others more or less had some common problems of new things - loopholes.
The consequences are borne by the grassroots people. Their own interests are damaged, and the government's propaganda work is not done well. When they hear the gentry say that it is the court's fault, they think so and start spreading rumors.
The rumor was written in easy-to-understand, eye-catching language, allowing those who felt unhappy to speak it out for a bit. The content of the rumor was also simple. Those with a higher level of education would discuss things like the differences between the barbarians and the Chinese, while the popular form of entertainment for the rural masses was the story of how the late and current emperors were incredibly lucky! Kangxi, accompanied by his son, was paraded through the streets, unlucky not only for his parents but also for his wife; Yinreng was even more cruel, having been born unlucky for his mother.
In folklore, the two emperors became stars in the sky—the more brutal kind. Meanwhile, the Bannermen were also implicated in many unpleasant plots (sometimes not quite), and the officials in the court were no exception; every one of them was a bad guy.
Jiang Ting broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. He had to report this! He hurriedly wrote a secret memorial and submitted it, asking: What should we do?
Secret memorials must be opened and read by the emperor himself.
After reading it, Yinreng fell backwards, his face flushed red, but he couldn't say anything to refute it.
He wasn't a fragile person, nor could he be killed by a few vicious words, but this time the scolding was truly heartbreaking! Yinreng's biggest knot was his mother. The idea of serving the country and the people was not understood by everyone. After decades of supporting scholars, they still didn't take the court seriously. And those ignorant people, was he doing this to benefit only himself? He exempted their taxes, and then he did this! What ungrateful guys.
I was already sick from exhaustion, and hearing such news made things even worse.
He raised his hand and found it was shaking. No matter how hard he tried to control it, Yinreng could not control it. He could only give up and hide his hand under the quilt. He wanted to raise his voice to call for help, but for a moment, no sound came out. Wei Zhu was a smart man and hurried forward: "Your Majesty, what do you want to tell me?"
Yinreng kept thinking, "You're scolding me, you're slandering the emperor, I'm not what you say! This is ridiculous! No, even if it's ridiculous, I have to control this momentum. This is a challenge to the new law, I must not be shaken."
Wei Zhu's shout startled him. He let out a long breath and said in a trembling voice, "Call the prince!"
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Wei Zhu was torn between a rock and a hard place, unwilling to abandon the emperor and unwilling to give up the opportunity to curry favor with the crown prince. Finally, he gritted his teeth and sent a young eunuch to fetch Hong Dan, while he himself stayed with Yinreng. After a moment's thought, he asked again, "Master, shall I have someone call the imperial physician?"
Yinreng nodded.
When Hongdan arrived, the imperial physician had not yet arrived. He saw his father's face was horribly ferocious! After greeting his father, he came forward and asked with concern, "Father, what's wrong with you? Where's the imperial physician?"
Yinreng shook his head indignantly and handed the secret memorial to Hongdan with shaking hands: "Take a look."
Hongdan had a bad feeling when he saw Yinreng's expression. He took it and looked at it. He was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. After cursing, he saw no response from his father. He looked down and saw that Yinreng's health condition was not good.
Yinreng regained some of his spirit and said stiffly, "This is all because of the imperial edict issued last month!"
His reliable father fell ill, and there was widespread opposition from the people. The new policy had just been implemented, and it must be implemented, otherwise the country would be ruined! All of this made Hongdan feel a real sense of crisis for the first time.
Hongdan whispered softly, "This matter must be decided quickly." We can't delay, we can't wait for them to disappear.
Yinreng wanted to tear these people into pieces, and said coldly: "You do it." After all, it was not something that could be said out loud, so it was better to keep it secret.
Hongdan nodded calmly: "Son, I understand."
It was useless to understand; the secret couldn't be kept secret. Hongdan had to go back and figure out a way to deal with the rumormongers without exposing his grandfather and father to negative publicity. He had no advisors when he was trying to figure it out; things like this always had to be kept secret.
Before I could think of a solution, more bad news came!
When the Suzhou weaving faction arrived, some of those who got wind of the news were quick-witted. They'd already done something shameless more than once, so what if it happened again? So someone filed a letter of denunciation, and this one revealed everyone Jiang Ting hadn't even investigated—the intelligence on a traitor was always valuable.
From the living to the dead, a large number of people were listed, including officials in the imperial court who discussed the great defense of the barbarians. When this letter of accusation appeared, local officials did not dare to neglect it and sent it to the capital at full speed overnight, only a little later than Jiang Ting's secret memorial.
Yinreng said three times: "Okay, okay!"
In his heart, he was devoted to his country and his people but was not understood. Now he was surrounded by enemies and was seriously ill. His condition worsened and he was unable to attend to his duties.
Now the news could no longer be concealed. All the kings and ministers had arrived, and the attacks on the New Deal had been officially exposed. Meanwhile, the Emperor... was seriously ill, and everyone had to make a decision on the matter.
This situation is so similar to that of more than a decade ago! Before Kangxi's death, he also encountered such a private matter that could not be told, and he also became sick with anger, and then...
The emperor wouldn't just die like this, would he?!
Now, no one could offer words of forgiveness. Literary inquisition had always been a unique phenomenon of this dynasty, and now that an emperor had been implicated, who would dare speak up for these people?
Punish, must punish! And punish severely!
The sentencing standards were almost identical to those of the Zhuang family case, and Prince Yong was furious because he, too, was being criticized. Some people even said his reputation was worse than the emperor's because he was the one who came up with the bad idea and was brutal in collecting the debts.
Therefore, King Yong declared: "We must refute all these fallacies, otherwise it will seem like the court is at a loss for words, and is angry out of shame, and resorts to violence because it cannot win the argument logically! We have to beat them until they are convinced!" He paused and said, "Let them admit defeat on their own, convince them, and let them write a letter of regret!" It must be said that letting others slap themselves in the face is a good idea.
Because all the kings had gathered, including Yunzhi, he was more inclined towards scholars and could not help but say something like, "Scholars are not easy to offend. How much effort has the country put into winning over their hearts?"
Yunsi had a different opinion: "This is only a temporary solution, not a fundamental solution. The root cause is that the new policy has made people dissatisfied. As long as officials and gentry are required to work and pay taxes together, they will feel dissatisfied. Even if they have to pay taxes and work, they must be distinguished from ordinary people. We can't let them feel disheartened!" This was speaking for the officials.
Yunxiang said in a deep voice: "The new policy cannot be abandoned halfway, this case needs to be resolved quickly." This did not say the substantive content.
Looking at these uncles and kings, Hongdan suddenly felt a little uncertain.
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Yinreng opened his eyes again. Shujia was sitting at the head of the bed, watching him. Seeing him awake, her eyes were filled with surprise. She was regretting and feeling scared. She shouldn't have been so arrogant before! She thought he would be fine, but she didn't expect him to be so ill. She had heard the details of the incident and understood what the death of Empress Renxiao meant to Yinreng. He almost escaped from Kunning Palace because of this reason!
"Thank God you finally woke up."
Yinreng smiled with a strained expression, his face somewhat gloomy. Seeing Hongdan standing beside him, he asked, "What's going on?"
Hongdan looked embarrassed: "Khan Ama suddenly fainted, and my son has to put everything aside first."
Yinreng's face was already showing anger, and Hongdan added: "Once you lie down, the kings outside will come to pay their respects..."
"I understand." He was sick, angry, but not stupid. Yinreng knew from just one sentence that the matter could no longer be concealed, and he became even more discouraged. He forced himself to stand up, but found his body very heavy.
He blinked, looked at his wife, then at his son. In an instant, his political qualities returned. He had been frustrated twice in one day and was in a period of depression. He suddenly felt that he had to prepare for the worst.
Hongdan had the ability to handle government affairs, but his age was a disadvantage. Twenty years old was not considered young in that era, and he had already served as regent. Even if he had ascended the throne immediately, he wouldn't have needed a regency, a regency, or a surrogate. However, his father left behind a crisis-ridden mess. While it wasn't a bad one, it required careful handling, otherwise "a small mistake can lead to a huge error."
He also had several "uncle princes" in their prime, possessing political capital, untouched by the attacks, and possessing powerful connections. Could these men persevere? The fourth brother might, but what about the others? Perhaps they would play the game of compromise, perhaps, driven by political instability, helping him issue a "repentant" edict to maintain stability, thereby winning over the scholars and allowing the country to continue its decay until its destruction. Yinreng was convinced that Shunzhi's posthumous edict was not written by him, but rather by Empress Xiaozhuang and his ministers! No wonder Kangxi, upon assuming power, sought to overturn his father's verdict.
When Yinreng ascended the throne, he faced no pressure from his "uncle prince" status because all of Kangxi's brothers had died, leaving few members of the imperial clan with high seniority. Many clans had been weakened, a prime example being the An Wang line. Yinreng, nearing forty at the time and with twenty years of political experience, was well-placed to maintain control.
However, Kangxi was known for his protectiveness and his strong support for his sons. While their brothers were emperors, Kangxi's sons could be suppressed. Once their nephews became emperors, and they weren't severely punished, the situation would be uncertain. They might not necessarily be trying to seize the throne, but continuing to expand their power was inevitable.
It's almost unstoppable.
If Hongdan relied on his own strength, he wouldn't necessarily lose; he could ultimately achieve victory. However, it would be extremely arduous and could severely damage the family's vitality. If this were to undo the new policies' progress... this country couldn't wait. If it were to end, others might still have a chance at survival or even guaranteed prosperity, but the Supreme's family would surely be devastated.
Every parent in the world wishes their children a smooth life. Even when it comes to raising their children through setbacks, they do so within their control, ensuring they can pull their children back from danger. Yinreng was no exception. Facing this crisis, he needed to find a supporter, a signboard, a banner for his son.
There must be a force that is stronger than the uncles and kings in terms of etiquette and law in some way, to serve as a backing for Hongdan to rely on. This can be in terms of ability or in other aspects.
In the end, Yinreng chose his status and chose Shujia. Shujia must be loyal to her son. Moreover, he believed that she would uphold his philosophy. A wife is not a mother, who can slap her son! He had to give Shujia a certain amount of authority to prevent such things from happening. Being a future empress dowager was not enough.
He doesn't want to be "condemned"! Maybe he'll even "call himself" an unlucky person! He's not wrong! He doesn't want it!
"If I succeed, you help my son!" "In everything, listen to your mother!"
Hongdan's eyes widened in disbelief. It was a Qing court custom that the harem was not allowed to interfere in government affairs. How could it be broken just like that?
The opportunity to rule the country, a dream dreamed of by countless time travelers, fell on Shujia's head. Although Yinreng did not want her to participate in politics, he just wanted her to sit on the throne more firmly and serve as a support for his son. However, once the door is opened, there is no way to close it easily.
Shujia was dizzy and dazed by the huge discus falling from the sky. She was at a loss.
She is not happy at all!
When she first came here, she thought about this shabby dynasty, with all the territorial cession and indemnity payments, and she didn't have a single favorable impression of it. After marrying Yinreng, she worried about the future of her family, and she couldn't breathe a sigh of relief until Yinreng ascended the throne. In fact, she was only truly safe after Yinreng's death.
Speaking of which, she once had a dream to enrich the country and strengthen the military, and to influence politics.
Whether it was safety or development, the premise was surprisingly that her husband must die. Yet, when this possibility truly presented itself, she was filled with sorrow. Tears fell uncontrollably: "What's wrong with you? You're saying this right now! It's true that when you're sick, you start to overthink things! You'll be fine."
Her mind was in a mess. She had no idea how long Yinreng could live, but she subconsciously refused to think about this possibility.
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Yinreng wasn't dead, after all, but he was gravely ill. The other princes even thought he was losing his mind due to illness! The crown prince already had a wife and children, so why did he need a queen to rule the country? Even if he did need regents, what about the other princes and grand secretaries?
But the order was announced by Yinreng himself, and he also issued an order that those who wrote rebellious letters, such as Cha Siting and Wang Jingqi, and those who had caused widespread harm, such as Lü Liuliang, should be executed without any discussion. Those who spoke ill of the emperor were to be dealt with together with Cha, Wang, Lü, and others.
This time, however, there wasn't a hot-blooded Zeng Jing. He, too, spoke ill of the imperial court, but didn't achieve such a high level of historical fame, likely due to his relatively young cultivation when the incident occurred. He simply became another implicated name, shouldering joint responsibility.
The appearance of this order proved that the emperor's mind was still clear.
Another order was that the new policy must be maintained.
The kings suddenly realized that this queen was actually an overseer!
Yinreng's worries were not wrong. Some of the princes were already wavering. If he really died, even if Hongdan saw that the country was in a bad situation and wanted to continue reforms, he would be forced to compromise under the circumstances! Sometimes, the demise of a government is not just because the successor does not want to persist, but it may also be because of the unavoidable actions taken under the change of power.
Husband and wife are one, and the wife is the equal. If the husband has a bad reputation, the wife is also responsible, and the empress must protect the emperor. Do what you can.
After thinking this through, I felt that the emperor was using the status of the empress to suppress the kings of the outer court, and I had no choice but to accept it - they really fell for it.
Given that the emperor was still hanging on by a thread, the kings and ministers reluctantly obeyed. However, intentionally or unintentionally, they consulted Hongdan before anything else. At the same time, they posed a difficult question to the empress: How should the new policies be implemented? It's like cooking. You can't just say "serve the meal" and expect it to arrive. You need firewood and rice, right?
This is a deliberate problem.
Shujia looked at the memorial written down below, her face turning pale and blue. The princes were right. She really... didn't know how to operate!
The author has something to say: Ahem, let me clarify that the Second Empress was not authorized to be regent, but was only qualified to participate in politics. It was mainly used to check and balance the other princes. Just imagine, there was no Nine Dragons Fight for the Crown Prince, and only the Second Prince Zhi was killed. Checks and balances are still very important.
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