This chapter is a bit unpleasant
"Hiss—" The young eunuch narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. Although he was not the one who entered the cold water, he probably knew what it felt like to enter the cold water at this time of year. They would also wash their faces with cold water as a reminder, but soaking like this was really too BH. They all felt cold for the emperor.
Holding his breath, the young eunuch watched Yinreng sink into the tub, section by section, and felt his body gradually getting colder. He shivered, shook, felt the heat in the room again, and slowly exhaled again.
The older eunuchs probably knew what was going on, but only the younger ones felt colder. The emperor was too cruel. Liang Jiugong was on duty today. He didn't dare say a word, just pretending not to understand. Anyway... we are eunuchs.
He kept repeating in his mind: Your Majesty, please come out as soon as possible! If you get cold, I will be killed too. He did not dare to make any evil ideas in this matter - the emperor did not want to break the rules. If you talk too much, he will take it out on you. He would not consider you "loyal to the master" even if he beat you to death.
Yinreng sank into the cold water, closed his eyes, and his breathing became a little unstable.
Sadness is inevitable when parents or relatives die. If the father dies right before the son goes to bed, it's even worse than just beating drums and setting off firecrackers. Three years of mourning (actually 27 months) is, in another sense, quite inhumane. Grief eventually ends, and for a young man in his prime, two years or more tests more than just his character.
Yinreng's relationship with Kangxi was so deep that he preferred to stay with him for 27 months. He used his bloody experience to prove to everyone that matter is primary and consciousness is secondary. To use secondary to resist primary, one must use material tools.
For example, cold water.
This made Yinreng feel deeply ashamed. He wasn't someone who didn't know how to play; when he did, his integrity was completely shattered (once again proving that Comrade Soetu's ability to judge people was a tragedy). He was just unlucky enough to have a wife who put all her cleverness on him, and only then was he forced to think he was "upright."
Yet, all his shattered moral integrity was rekindled in front of his father. No matter how much unease there was between father and son, family affection prevailed overwhelmingly. Now that his body had reacted before the mourning period was over, Yinreng could not help but feel humiliated and furious.
He is very dissatisfied with himself!
He's a rather self-centered guy. No matter how nice he appears, some things in his bones won't change. "I couldn't do what I wanted to do, and it was all because of my own faults" is the reason he accepts his incompetence.
Soaking in cold water in the chilly spring weather was unpleasant. Yinreng suppressed his shivers and soaked for a long time, so long that Liang Jiugong had to open the back door and bypass Jiaotai Hall to head straight for Kunning Palace before he slowly climbed out. Coming out of the cold water, the heat in the room heated him, and his muscles trembled uncontrollably, causing him to sneeze several times.
Liang Jiugong spread out a large bath towel and wrapped Yinreng in it, expressing his incomprehension: "Your Majesty, if you feel hot, your servants can just open the window. Why bother?"
Yinreng waved his hand and spoke very briefly: "Change clothes." If he said two more words, he would definitely not be able to form a complete sentence. It was too cold.
What are you changing into? You're not wearing anything...
After changing into warm clothes, Yinreng lay down on the kang, and his hands and feet gradually regained feeling. When the numbness and swelling subsided, he stood up and stretched his hands and feet. Yinreng said decisively: "Send the message to Prince Yong, Ma Qi, Li Guangdi, Mu Helun, and Shi Shilun."
It's often said that a person's energy is limited and it's impossible to do everything. If you focus your energy on one aspect, you'll inevitably neglect other aspects. Similarly, if your energy can't be released elsewhere, you'll have to focus on one point and exert your energy.
As an emperor, everyone hopes that he will focus on serving the country and the people, which is easy to understand. Similarly, as a person, the emperor also has his own hobbies. Even if he doesn't have any other hobbies, he still has to have some private life.
The tragic emperor is in mourning. With all these factors interacting with each other, there is only one thing Yinreng can do now - to mess up the government and the ministers, and be a good emperor who is diligent in making trouble.
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In the eastern wing of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the emperor and his ministers all wore constipated expressions. Normally, during the New Year, visiting relatives and friends, drinking and watching operas—a simple life of ease and comfort. Even the most serious people needed to relax and unwind at this time. Even for Prince Yong, whose father had been dead for less than three years, avoiding opera and drinking didn't prevent him from enjoying the new year's atmosphere.
I was suddenly dragged into the Palace of Heavenly Purity. When I arrived at the door, I saw several people who had come for the meeting together, and I knew what was going to be said.
We've just passed the Lantern Festival, and the Lunar New Year isn't even over yet, and we're already being dragged into some incredibly depressing discussion. The country is running out of money, the provincial treasury is even more depleted than the national treasury, and taxes are practically impossible to collect. Damn! How could we not have noticed all this going on in the past?
Entering the East Side Hall, his constipated face could no longer be called constipated; it had to be called concerned for the country and the people. Two more people were in the room today: Hongxi and Hongdan. Well, this little gathering was quite high-class. After exchanging greetings, Yinreng offered them seats.
The emperor was concentrating on tax reform. This was the most important issue concerning the state system at the moment. It was related to whether everyone (the current ruling group) could maintain stable rule. It was of paramount importance.
The nation is currently plagued by problems, and it's time for the emperor and his ministers to work together to clean up the mess, allowing everyone to reap two years of benefits. Those summoned understood this principle, feeling both valued and frustrated. The nation's ills were well known, but the late Kangxi era focused on mitigating them, akin to "stirring the pot to stop the boiling." Now, when it comes to "removing the fuel from under the cauldron," the task feels overwhelming.
I must express my sincere disdain for the current ruling elite—almost none of them have ever been involved in such major decision-making. Everyone is a complete novice in this matter, and most importantly, there's no professional management system or economic policy experts. How can reform be easy?!
This is not an empty statement. Even Yinreng, who served as regent several times, did not participate in similar policy making. In other words, this country has not seen such changes for decades.
Although they had defeated a large number of people, they did have major strategic changes when they were outside the Great Wall. For example, they formed an alliance with Mongolia and used both persuasion and fighting to prevent Mongolia from being a hindrance. Another example was the change from only emphasizing the Manchus and not treating the Han people as dry food to the establishment of the Han Army Flag. Such policies enabled the Later Jin Group to expand rapidly.
After entering the Pass, there were changes. From a period of widespread massacres to the establishment of imperial examinations and the promotion of outstanding talents, the Qing court gradually gained a firm footing. It can be said that after the Shunzhi reign, national policy remained largely unchanged. The greatest upheaval during the Kangxi reign was the several wars fought. Although these were fought on domestic soil, they could be classified as "external threats."
As for internal troubles, at most, there were disasters, and relief efforts; the Yellow River flooded, and dams were repaired; Prince Zhu III caused trouble, and he was arrested and beheaded. These were all serious troubles, but only "temporary." The impact of the matter under discussion would affect future generations.
I threw myself into it with great enthusiasm, but six months later, I discovered a mountain of problems, each one annoying. Nothing was going according to plan, and here came the problems.
Like all responsible reformers, the imperial court required repeated deliberation, pilot testing, and then widespread implementation before implementing any reforms. Without a think tank of economic experts, they conducted their own deliberations. Because the implementation team had yet to be in place, the current deliberations hadn't been expanded, limited to a few people in the room. Even these few could already discern the resistance to reform.
Yinreng was a staunch reformer. The country was nominally his, and he had to make a living. He first asked Prince Yong, "How is the matter of Kuoyin going?"
Prince Yong was his brother and a member of the same family. Apart from the "succession fight", he was basically in agreement with him on other matters. He was also the direct person in charge, so he was even more anxious than Yinreng: "It's only one-third. When the order was issued, it was already autumn and winter, and the people under him were busy collecting rent and taxes for this year. How could the common people be willing to report their excess land and population when paying taxes?" The implication of his words was quite indignant. "This spring, I will keep an eye on this matter to see how they can play tricks!"
Yinreng was filled with regret after hearing this, having forgotten about this matter. Li Guangdi's excuse only worked in turbulent areas. In other places like Jiangsu and Zhejiang, who would say, "I still have several hundred acres of land that hasn't been counted, so I'll give you a little more" when paying taxes?
In short, it's easier to do in less developed areas, but it's quite difficult in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For centuries, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have been among the most educated regions in the country, with many intelligent and privileged people. Asking them to truthfully declare their assets is truly difficult.
The other two royal family members were too young to be qualified and could only attend as observers.
As a high-ranking official during the ruling period, Ma Qi supported tax reforms to increase revenue. A large portion of these taxes was used to pay living expenses for the bannermen. As a bannerman, Ma Qi, besides caring about the country, was also deeply concerned about the interests of his own interest group.
He had also been following this matter, and now he spoke very clearly: "Since the emperor wants to bestow unprecedented grace, increase the population in prosperous times, and never increase taxes, we must find out how many people have benefited from this grace. Furthermore, this tax collection is different from previous ones. It's not just the population that is collected," anyway, they can't pay it back even if it is collected, "but also the land. With more land, the silver for the capitation of people per acre will be less, and the tax will be lighter." With more land, the national income will increase, and everyone's living expenses will be guaranteed.
Yinreng nodded repeatedly and said to Prince Yong, "You keep an eye on this matter. Don't make a rough idea of it before this summer. Other places don't matter, but the financial revenue in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas is important. The population and land area there must be clearly understood. Choose another place and try it out first. Once it's successful, spread it all over the country." He said it with great confidence.
Prince Yong responded generously: "I understand. The distribution of the capitation tax per mu has to be divided into several categories. Jiangsu and Gansu cannot be the same. The grain production in the northwest is not as good as that in the south of the Yangtze River. The distribution of the capitation tax also has to be divided into different situations." Although he was in a hurry, he did not lose his mind. He had considered it carefully.
Yinreng nodded and said, "That's right."
Shi Shilun agreed to exempt the Ding silver tax, and the remaining Ding silver was distributed among the land tax. Whoever owned land would pay the tax. Shi Shilun was very satisfied with this: "Many of the common people are alive because of Your Majesty!" He was a righteous man, and this righteousness was well-founded. His father was Marquis Jinghai, Shi Lang.
Li Guangdi remained silent, listening to the chatter of these people, but he was furious. It sounded like they were asking the gentry to pay taxes too? Damn it! Are you looking for trouble?!
Li Guangdi initially thought they were just talking nonsense, but the more they talked, the more it sounded like the truth. At the end of last year, he had simply said, "Jiangsu and Zhejiang are blessed with talented people, many of whom have passed the imperial examinations, and a significant number serve as officials in the imperial court. If we can enumerate the hidden land, can we still take it away from them? And if we enumerate the hidden households, can they afford to pay the tax?"
As a result, these people really listened to it. Not only did they listen to it, they also came up with a solution: those who don’t have money to pay can put it aside for now, and the rich will have to bleed!
Oh no, oh no! Li Daxueshi regretted it so much that his intestines turned green. If he had known earlier, he would have retired and returned home. Now he got involved, he really lost his integrity!
You're investigating hidden land and household registrations, but why are you still collecting taxes? Scholars and officials enjoyed special privileges back then. If you became a scholar, you were exempt from taxes yourself. If you were a Jinshi (Jinshi) or an official, you could guarantee tax exemptions for one to many people in your family. Furthermore, you also had the privilege of exempting some property from tax.
You're going to take away their privileges now? They haven't paid taxes in hundreds of years, and now you're taking money out of their pockets? How many of them would be willing to do that? They still have knowledge, culture, social status, and can influence public opinion.
The words of a scholar are more ferocious than those of a shrew. A shrew only curses, and that's it; she can't do anything to you. How did Qin Hui, Yan Song, and others become so infamous? It's because scholars had nothing better to do, so they wrote books to curse. For generations, as long as the books are around, people will read them, and once they've read them, they'll spread.
By then, no one in this room will be able to escape; they will all be scolded to death! Li Guangdi knew this, so he had always played dirty in this matter, with an extremely indecisive attitude and unwilling to put his heart into it. Now that the situation seemed wrong, he could no longer shirk his responsibilities and had to step forward to explain the truth.
"We can't rush this," Li Guangdi thought for a moment, gaining a deeper understanding of the matter. Aging is a skill, and years aren't wasted. If this were done openly, it would only tarnish our reputation. "It seems we must demand that all the gentry pay taxes and levies. How will they comply? How will it appear that the state favors the officials? Official salaries are already low, and if we have to pay taxes and levies, what will happen if they refuse to serve? Then there are the scholars who pride themselves on their talent and fame. Now we're asking them to be treated like commoners. How can they accept this? I'm afraid the government will be in turmoil."
I've already told you the consequences, Emperor. Consider this for yourself. If you want to reform, fine, but be prepared to be scolded.
Most importantly, Shi Shilun had built a reputation among the people for decades. Even if the scholars said he was bad, the common people wouldn't believe him. He was also the son of a noble family, so he had connections and support. The other few were either members of the royal family or Manchu nobles. Even if they changed their ways, they wouldn't pay taxes. The state protected bannermen; this was a fundamental, unwavering national policy! And he had the protection of the literary inquisition, which protected him from criticism.
The only one left to be scolded must be Li Guangdi himself.
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At first, the Yinreng brothers hadn't really thought of this. In their minds, the imperial power was supreme, and whether you were a peasant or a gentry, you were all my slaves. With this mindset, they couldn't think things through. When they heard what Li Guangdi said, the two brothers were also stunned.
The silence lasted only a few seconds, and then King Yong asked Li Guangdi: "Is there any other way? Don't you know what the current situation of the national treasury is? The mergers and acquisitions are getting more and more serious. For several years, taxes have not been collected in full. We must change it." They have to pay whether they like it or not!
How many years has this "tax arrears exemption" been in effect? The so-called tax arrears are taxes owed to the state. They are owed every year and are obviously uncollectible. The emperor exempted this part of the tax just to do a favor and make the accounts look better.
I don't care if you curse me or not; my priority is to eat. So what if you curse me? How many people were beheaded during the Literary Inquisition? They were all intellectuals. So many people were executed at the beginning of the Republic, many of them from the Jiangnan region. This is what I'm going to do, what can you do about it? The Bannermen will undoubtedly not oppose this reform, because it doesn't affect their interests, and at the same time, their interests will be protected.
Li Guangdi was silent. He knew the state of the national treasury. Zhang San had two acres of land and couldn't make ends meet. Fortunately, Li Si had a status that exempted him from tax. Zhang San took his wife, children, and land and registered them under Li Si's name, claiming to be a servant of Li Si's family. The land was also Li Si's. From then on, he only had to pay Li Si a protection fee and no longer cared about the state. Zhang San insisted that he couldn't make ends meet. He had sold his land and his people to Li Si, and there was written evidence to prove it. What could you do to him?
There is more than one Li Si and more than one Zhang San in this world.
None of you here can "beat the landlords and divide the land", so how can you suppress mergers and acquisitions?
If they want to collect more taxes, they have to collect them from Li Si. Li Si is part of the ruling class/the foundation. If they don't want to pay, they will hide their land and property. Therefore, before reform can be carried out, they must first conceal their property.
Shi Shilun was even more ruthless and said directly: "Grand Secretary Li has spoken, and I cannot pretend to be ignorant. According to the system of this dynasty, bannermen are also exempt from taxes." When the time comes, everyone will register their land under the names of the bannermen families, and the country will still not be able to collect taxes.
He said this because he saw Yinreng was young. If it were Kangxi, he would never say it. The biggest difference between the young emperor and the old emperor appeared at this moment. The young people were energetic and dared to break some conventions.
"We also have to be careful about charging and stop thinking about it, so as not to make it difficult to act in the future."
Mu Helun was the Manchu Minister of Revenue, who had been silent until then. Now he was unhappy: "The Bannermen followed the emperor into the Pass, and they are different from the common people."
Ma Qi looked at Mu Helun, opened his mouth, then closed it again. He realized something: property tax was a must. Take his family, for example. Since the conquest of the Qing Dynasty, their wealth had been increasing steadily thanks to the efforts of their male offspring, and this was all exempt from tax. He didn't know the details of other Manchu clans, but he could make some guesses.
From a personal perspective, not collecting taxes is certainly a good thing; it lowers production costs and facilitates expansion and competition. Ma Qi, now a member of the Politburo, must consider the bigger picture. With this perspective, the problem becomes clear: if the powerful families expand, coupled with tax exemptions, they will encroach on national revenue, weakening the imperial court and strengthening the powerful families.
Originally, this wouldn't be a big deal. At worst, the emperor would be replaced, and the powerful clans would remain powerful. However, the Manchus were a minority ethnic group, with a small population to begin with. They were all on the same page. Once internal imbalances arose, the national finances went bankrupt, and the imperial court collapsed, the powerful clans, no matter how rich they were, would be nothing more than fat sheep. Then, everyone would be finished.
Yinreng wiped his mouth, wiping away the nonexistent blood. "Understood. Prince Yong and Shi Shilun will continue to monitor the Kuoyin case. Ma Qi and Mu Helun, the two of you should discuss how the ding silver should be distributed among the land. What Prince Yong said is very important."
Mu Helun was delighted when the restrictions on contributions were not mentioned, and readily agreed. In this matter, the bannermen and landlords took advantage, while the common people (non-banner people) were deprived of their tax-free privileges, thus highlighting the bannermen's superiority. They could take advantage of this opportunity to recruit more people to contribute.
After looking at Shi Shilun, Mu Helun suppressed the pride in his heart. Shi was not someone easy to offend, so he should stop being so ungrateful after taking advantage of him.
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After dismissing everyone, Yinreng was left alone. Why was reform so difficult? This was just the discussion phase, and a host of intractable problems had emerged. What would he do when it came to implementation? As a bannerman emperor, safeguarding the interests of his own group was imperative. Balancing long-term and immediate interests was also a challenge. Similarly, offending the educated was a formidable prospect. Yinreng scratched his desk, pondering for a while, but no "eureka moment" came to him.
Taxes must be collected, taxes, taxes, taxes! After all this trouble, it's all about money! If only we could find a way to make money.
Yinreng paced the room and, not surprisingly, saw the Mizhu hanging on the wall.
Things are not peaceful right now!
This hanging screen was given by the Queen. I heard that it was presented as a gift by the Ninth Prince.
Yinreng suddenly became jealous of his ninth brother. The ninth brother's life was so simple, and the most enviable thing was that he was getting richer and richer.
It was certainly undesirable for the country to engage in commerce as a whole, but what if we could increase state revenue a little from commercial activities? Yinreng shook his head. There were actually quite a few checkpoints in the country. If taxes were added, it would be much easier for merchants to become refugees than for peasants to revolt.
No, I still feel uncomfortable. It just so happens that Lao Jiu is still living in the palace. It would be nice to bring him over to talk and take him for a walk.
"Call the Ninth Prince."
The Ninth Prince, enjoying his success and not participating in politics, was still respected by everyone. His second brother still covered his family's living expenses and tacitly allowed his money-making activities. Leveraging his status, Yinzhen frequently exploited privileges and power in his business ventures, but as long as the situation remained minor, Yinreng tolerated it—it was better than the Third Prince's orders to extort bribes from his followers.
Yunluo wiped his sweat with a handkerchief as he walked. Fortunately, he drank too much yesterday and was too lazy to move today, so the people from the Qianqing Palace did not catch him empty-handed.
Just some gossip again? Yunluo had seen through it all. He had a lot of brothers, and the third and fourth brothers were still vying for recognition. He also had so many nephews, so it wasn't easy for them to stand out. It was better to be practical like this. Because he didn't participate in politics, there were fewer conflicts of interest. His second brother often came to him to talk, and everyone saw that he and the emperor "got along well", so they respected him even more. This made Yunluo feel a little proud.
When we arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, we continued to gossip.
Yunluo was usually proud of his status. He was too embarrassed to tell others about how much money he had made through various legitimate and illicit means, but he also felt a little regretful if he didn't. Why should he be so reserved in front of his second brother? It also showed that he was "honest and non-competitive" and also served as a way to maintain their relationship.
Yunlu was very excited when he spoke, but Yinreng felt depressed when he heard it.
Halfway through, he found an excuse: "You're suppressing the price of tea and raw silk? Low grain prices hurt farmers, but the government still has to sell them at a fair price. You're suppressing the prices of tea and raw silk, so how are the small farmers supposed to make a living?"
Yunlu's heart skipped a beat and he said quickly, "Businessmen only care about the profits of a few cents. In fact, it's not much. They just do it for fun. I know you care about the people. How could you do such a thing? The bulk of the money is made from those Westerners. I only found out last year that we have more tea and raw silk, and they are better. If we increase the price this year, they will buy it!" He also said something like how much profit there is.
Proud, so proud.
Yinreng was unhappy and coughed, "Don't always talk about money!" You have money, but I'm worried about it. It's unbalanced, absolutely unbalanced. "Hongzheng is already seven years old this year, why haven't you submitted a memorial to the emperor to discuss his studies?!"
Little Hongzheng, whose birthday was in November of the 45th year of the Kangxi reign, was young, and would only be six years old this November. Yinreng was just looking for trouble.
Yunlu was puzzled, thinking that Yinreng was just bored. After all, he was concerned about him, so Yunlu seriously admitted that he was wrong: "Didn't your humble servant ask you in person? Tomorrow, your humble servant will make up the petition, and you should just agree to it now~"
He was fat and plump, which was quite comical. Yinreng chuckled and said, "Forget it, go back and write the memorial. I won't approve it unless I see it. Go away, go away. Just looking at you makes my head hurt!"
Yunluo left with a brilliant performance. Yinreng thought: "It would be possible for the Imperial Household Department or the Ministry of Revenue to provide the capital and let merchants trade and earn interest. This kind of thing has happened before, but on a smaller scale. It seems to be a good way to make money right now."
Yinreng saw the word "monopoly" in Yunlu's description. If there is a monopoly, there must be money to be made. Even if the National Development and Reform Commission raises oil prices to the sky, you have to buy things at the prices set by it.
After rubbing his hands, Yinreng's face, which was originally full of smiles, became gloomy again - the emperor had no money.
While the treasury isn't nearly empty, we must prepare for war and famine. Not to mention famine, recent news suggests unrest in the northwest. If the situation escalates, we might have to send troops. Military expenses aren't something that can be easily funded.
Yinreng slowly put down his hand.
As a crown prince, he worried about money; as an emperor, he still worried about money. Yinreng was certain that the God of Wealth had a grudge against him. It was all a pile of unsolvable problems. Couldn't there be something I could solve with a single stroke of my hand?
The emperor, who was worried about money, finally stopped being so arrogant and walked out quickly: "Call a few guards to practice with me."
The guards were quite unhappy. Accompanying the emperor in martial arts training was basically like acting with him. For example, when Kangxi waved his arm, twenty or thirty people standing in a row had to follow his gesture and fall down, pretending to collapse.
It's a real test of your acting skills.
I thought Xinjun was very busy and had no time to play this game, but I didn't expect that what was coming could not be avoided.
They stood in a row dejectedly, only to find that Yinreng had changed his clothes. This guy had changed his father's style of a chivalrous warrior and a warrior, and now liked close combat!
Damn! This life is unbearable!
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As for this person, if you want to be lazy, there is nothing in the world that can labor you; if you want to worry, then there is an endless amount of worry. How true!
So, whenever Yinreng wanted to get something done, there would be things that would require him to worry and work hard.
After three consecutive victories in the "fights" with the guards, Yinreng's good mood only lasted until the next day, when something happened at court. He could still resolve the situation with a single blow, but he did so with a single blow.
He wanted to "build", but God gave him some "destruction" to deal with.
First, on the 17th day of the first lunar month, the Ministry of Justice reached a conclusion on the Dai Mingshi Nanshan case [1], and the result was extremely tragic.
"Dai Mingshi...should be immediately executed by lingchi. The deceased Fang Xiaobiao...should have his remains filed. All of Dai Mingshi and Fang Xiaobiao's grandfathers, grandchildren, brothers, and uncles' and brothers' sons, who are sixteen years of age and older, shall be found...and immediately executed. Their mothers, daughters, wives, concubines, sisters, sons' wives, concubines, children under fifteen years of age, and uncles' and brothers' sons shall also be found and enslaved by the families of meritorious officials. All of Fang Xiaobiao's clansmen, regardless of whether they have completed their service or not, shall be thoroughly investigated one by one, and all those with official titles shall be dismissed. With the exception of married daughters, all children shall be brought to the tribe and sent to be settled in Ula, Ningguta, Baiduna, and other places."
This is just the "main culprit". Those who wrote the preface, such as Fang Bao, were all executed immediately. Those who knew about it but did not report it were also dismissed from their posts.
A bloody storm.
Yinreng simply allowed them to be "lenient", specifically, those who were sentenced to death by slicing were commuted to beheading, and those who were exiled remained so. For example, Fang Bao, who had some literary fame, was originally sentenced to beheading, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
Literary inquisition, I will kill you without hesitation. However, the judicial process has not yet been completed. To demonstrate democracy, even though he has already made up his mind, Yinreng still wants the Grand Secretary to discuss the matter further.
However, through this incident, Yinreng finally found his bearings. With a murderous look on his face, he declared, "Gentry and the gentry all pay taxes! Even if the state favors them, it won't necessarily benefit them!" The final word was in place, and there was no need to argue any further. If you still complain about the preferential treatment, then I won't give it to you. What can you do? Not become an official? Are you willing to do that?
Dai Mingshi was so unlucky not only because his book violated taboos, but also because he was an editor at the Imperial Academy. In Yinreng's view, if a state employee was anti-Party and anti-social, he would be executed without further ado.
He cursed again and again: "You have no conscience! You have read so much that your books have all gone to waste! It's useless to raise them!"
That being said, he still needed scholars to govern the country, and he attached great importance to this imperial examination. In order to select talents, he finally appointed Zhao Shenqiao to be put in solitary confinement - being the chief examiner required solitary confinement for a period of time.
Tip: Dai Mingshi is Zhao Shenqiao's partner.
Sometimes it’s really hard to evaluate a person!
Yinreng certainly wasn't among those who harbored conflicting feelings toward Zhao Shenqiao. In his eyes, Mr. Zhao was a good comrade. His integrity, integrity, and ability to expose the misconduct of his colleagues were truly commendable. He was truly confident in the newly minted Jinshi chosen by Zhao Shenqiao.
The fact turned out to be just as he thought, "those who excel in study will become officials." Even though great scholars like Dai Mingshi were facing the risk of being beheaded, having their property confiscated, and being exiled, many students still came to Beijing to take the exams.
Regarding this, Yinreng said to Hongdan in a good mood: "Did you see it?"
Hongdan nodded.
He reached out and patted his son's shoulder. "Of course, public opinion is important. Who doesn't want to leave their name in history? But remember, don't be led astray by sour scholars! Those who are educated but become thieves are even worse! Also, you are the one making the decision. Discuss it clearly and act decisively. Listen to advice and don't be afraid of what others say."
Watching the officials from all over the country coming to Beijing, "all falling into my trap", Yinreng happily educated his son, and then he received news: Grand Secretary Zhang Yushu died again.
Zhang Yushu had taken a few days of sick leave before the New Year. Yinreng, seeing that he was old, had appointed Wang Fan as Grand Secretary so that he could take over at any time if Zhang Yushu resigned. Now, Zhang Yushu didn't have to resign; he died in the line of duty.
Sending people to pay tribute was another busy process.
In order to form a sharp contrast with Dai Mingshi, Yinreng was extremely concerned about Zhang Yushu's descendants. He sent Yunzhi to attend the funeral and gave money to the Zhang family to arrange for their descendants. He also asked them to record the names of Zhang Yushu's descendants, preparing to take care of them when they were in mourning.
At the same time, he also remembered that Xiong Cilü had been dead for several years and it was time to pay his respects to his father. He also brought Xiong Cilü's son to the capital, intending to give him an official position as appropriate.
Yinreng was quite satisfied with his actions, and the effect was obvious. His spies did not report any dissatisfaction with the court. Instead, they all said that the emperor was a good man, very kind to Zhang Yushu, Xiong Cilü and others, and that the examiner he chose was fair.
Yinreng was very happy and brought his son to be educated.
"If you let them see the benefits, they will rush forward. In this respect, scholars are no different from villains."
"Let them know fear, and they will be cautious in what they say and do."
"Alternating between tension and relaxation is the way of civil and military affairs. It is the way to govern a country and also the way to employ people."
Hongdan was just a little confused: "Isn't Khan Ama's sentence for Dai Mingshi and Fang Xiaobiao a little too harsh? Fang Xiaobiao was a puppet official under Wu Sangui, but the case was not pursued back then, and now it's brought up again..."
"Stupid!" Yinreng scolded him. "If we don't pursue this matter, he should have behaved himself. Now that he's not behaving, don't blame me for digging up old scores. I've turned a page in the account book. You can't see it now, but the book is still there."
Hongdan:......
Then Yinreng taught him some "ways to control subordinates." He was truly lonely. Besides attending to state affairs, he wrestled with guards and got provoked by his conversations with the ninth son. The rest of the time, he spent educating his son, which he considered not being idle.
Over time, Yinreng also developed a talkative attitude, but you had to listen to him when he spoke. The only person who dared to doze off in front of him was the old lady in Ningshou Palace.
While the father and son were talking, Li Guangdi came in, sweating profusely. Yinreng was very surprised: "Are you hot? Is there something serious?"
At this age, Li Guangdi had already mastered the art of cultivating his Qi, and usually had the bearing of a prime minister. Now he came in sweating profusely. Yinreng looked out the window. It was February, but it wasn't hot. This meant something big was going on.
Li Guangdi took a breath, then handed over the memorial in his hand: "Jiangsu Governor Zhang Boxing implicates the Governor-General of Jiangnan and Jiangxi, Galin, for obtaining 500,000 taels of silver and selling Juren candidates for personal gain, including Cheng Guangkui and Wu Mi, and refusing to investigate. Please remove Galin from office and conduct a rigorous trial. Galin, the Governor-General of Jiangnan and Jiangxi, implicates the Governor-General of Jiangsu, Zhang Boxing, for falsely accusing him of selling Juren candidates for 500,000 taels of silver and requesting a confrontation."
Jiangsu is a major tax-collecting region, and now the governor and the governor-general are attacking each other. It's a lot of fun! Just attacking each other would be fine. When Zhao Shenqiao was the governor of Pianyuan, he even had a big fight with the admiral. The problem is that Zhang Boxing is a Han official, and Galin is a bannerman. This matter can only be judged by the emperor. No wonder Li Guangdi was sweating.
Hongdan looked at Yinreng, reached out to take the memorial from Li Guangdi, handed it to his father, and then wisely remained silent.
Yinreng was grinding his teeth! He quickly flipped through the memorial and realized that Li Guangdi had only picked out minor offenses. Both of them had listed various "illegalities" and "derelictions of duty" by the other.
Zhang Boxing's character is worthy of recognition. On the contrary, Galin is not a good person (he used to have a good relationship with Soetu, but Soetu's social status is really worrying).
But Galin was an able official, and Zhang Boxing was sometimes even less capable than him.
Come on, now is not the time to discuss character. The current problem is that both of them have been reported, and according to regulations, they have to resign first to be fair.
The position of Governor of Jiangsu is vacant and there is no one to serve as Governor-General of Liangjiang. What should we do?
He slammed the table hard and said, "I really owe them in my past life!" Yinreng was furious. "Dismiss him immediately! Send Zhang Penghe to investigate! Let the Jiangsu Provincial Governor take over the post of Governor."
Li Guangdi received the imperial edict and slipped out with agility unbefitting his age. Yinreng began writing a letter to Li Kai: "How come you didn't know about the impeachment by the Inspector General? Why didn't you report it?" He asked Li Kai to report it quickly.
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The emperor received only bad news and became anxious and angry.
The Queen was overjoyed: "What a great event! Zhao Guoshi, go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and tell the Emperor. Xi Que and Hua Mei, you two go to the Palace of Tranquility and Longevity and tell the old ancestor!"
Li Jiashi beside her was also beaming. The eldest princess and others surrounded Gegentana and said, "Sister-in-law, you are so happy."
Now that Hongxi has fulfilled his filial duty, he no longer has to take cold showers like his father did. He also has a wife, so it is reasonable for Gegentana to become pregnant.
The author has something to say:
[1] This is the Nanshan Collection Case, one of the three major literary inquisitions in the early Qing Dynasty. The whistleblower: Zhao Shenqiao.
The three major literary inquisitions: the Zhuang Ming History case, the Dai Mingshi case, and the Lü Liuliang case.
The former was exposed by Wu Zhirong, and the latter was exposed by Zeng Jing who was nosy and was eventually reported by Yue Zhongqi.
Sigh, in the early days of literary inquisition, the people who were accused were all Han people.
Reform, as long as you think carefully and objectively, will only present various difficulties during the argumentation process, and once implemented, you'll discover... what you thought of during the argumentation process is only the tip of the iceberg.
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