Mixed with salted fish in Hongwudang

Chapter 423 We are holy, are we merciful?
Old Zhu was completely overwhelmed by the data Zhu Yunxi brought out.

As long as he thinks about how he has been working hard and conscientiously governing the country for so many years, he will be so wronged that he wants to cry.

In his mind, if he doesn't double the country's arable land in the past ten years, he can at least double it, right?

However, reality slapped him hard.

A full ten years have passed, and the increase in the amount of cultivated land in the entire Ming Dynasty is only a mere 20 hectares, not even a fraction!

"Zhu Yunxi, how did you get this data, is it accurate?"

"Grandpa Huihuang, this is the data compiled from the yellow book you ordered to revise in the 24th year of Hongwu!"

"When did it happen?"

"Why didn't you let us know earlier!"

Old Zhu glared at Zhu Yunxi with some complaints, and Zhu Yunxi rolled his eyes and said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your sympathy. I will do my best and die..."

No one knows where all the land has gone, but there is less land, and it's an abnormally small amount.

"You never asked..."

"Otherwise, we will kill all of you!"

As soon as Zhu Yunxi's words came out, there was a gasp in the entire court hall.

"Twenty stones free of food for the third grade, and twenty dings for the people!"

Zhu Yunxi looked at the officials below and sneered.

"Guochao has never said that scholars will be exempted from taxes. His Royal Highness the Emperor Taisun is too alarmist!"

"You are not greedy!"

"This preferential exemption regulation is only for the Gyeonggi region, and there are more preferential exemptions for remote provinces than this!"

"no!"

When a group of officials heard this, they kowtowed in fright and begged for mercy.

"Five products free of food and fourteen..."

"Four grades are free of grain and sixteen stones, and people are free of sixteen stones!"

Chen Zongli had actually heard about this, but at this moment he could only grit his teeth and pretend he didn't know.

"The yellow book is related to the foundation of the imperial court. You, the minister of the household department, didn't even write a letter to remind us. This is a heinous crime!"

"You have to ask these ministers of yours!"

"Your Majesty, please allow me time to ask the people in my hometown..."

Everyone fell into silence when they heard this, and after a while, a weak voice sounded.

Lao Zhu was even more aggrieved when he heard this, and said with a bit of grief and indignation.

"Although the emperor's grandfather has never issued an edict to exempt taxes, the local system has long been established."

Lao Zhu did suspend the imperial examination for a time in his early years. The main reason was that the imperial examination officials were too easy to form groups and were not easy to control.Only then did he suspend the imperial examination and let local officials recommend talents to become officials.

"do not have it?"

Hearing Da Sun mention this matter now, it feels like someone is hitting him in the face with the sole of a shoe.

When everyone heard this, they were so frightened that they sweated profusely, and some timid ones even fainted directly.

"you know?"

Zhu Yunxie looked at the crowd with a smile when he heard the overwhelming opposition.

Hearing Dasun's angry roar, Lao Zhu had a helpless wry smile on his face.

"Returning to Your Majesty, Weichen's family only has [-] acres of Susukida, and it is handed over to the clan brothers and nephews to cultivate it. There is no half-acre discount..."

"We are not greedy!"

"I really don't know about this!"

When Lao Zhu heard this, he looked in the direction of the speaker angrily, and seeing that everyone lowered their heads, unable to tell who said it, he turned his head angrily.

"This one is the land occupied by famous scholars, accounting for about 5.00% of Daming's land."

"Whoever's writing does not match the reality, we will peel off the skin and twitch the person!"

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

"Thirty stones of first-class premium immunity food for Beijing officials, and thirty dings for people!"

"Your Majesty decreed in the tenth year of Hongwu that the family of food and salary and common people, high and low, should be in charge of the affairs of the common people. Separation is not the way of persuading scholars to treat virtuous people. Since today, when Baisi sees that any official's family has land, he will be exempted from corvee and labor in addition to rent and tax."

Because they are more or less enjoying this customary preferential policy, almost no tax is paid on the land owned by the family, and the family members do not serve corvee!
The more Lao Zhu looked at it, the more ugly his face became, and he subconsciously clenched his murderous fists.

His Majesty the Emperor was clearly going to let them go, and they were so moved that their foreheads were smashed.

Therefore, after persisting for not many years, he restarted the imperial examination system and continued to create official talents for Ming Dynasty.

"Nine grades free food six..."

After all, it is Chen Zongli, a good old man, a good minister of the people!
"Your Majesty, Mr. Chen is right. The ministers have been working as officials in the capital since they were selected as Scholars. They have never been back to their hometown. How do they know what their hometown is like now?"

As soon as Lao Zhu heard this, he knew that no one was to blame for this matter, and he could only blame him, the emperor, for forgetting about it.

After hearing the words, Lao Zhu immediately looked at the grandson. After seeing Zhu Yunxi nodding heavily, Lao Zhu's face suddenly became serious and deep.

"When we find out later, you dare to lie to us, let's see how we deal with you!"

Chen Zongli stopped suddenly when he said this, and looked at everyone in puzzlement, and then at Zhu Yunxi.

As soon as Chen Zongli saw the angry look in Old Zhu's eyes, he knew what the old man was thinking.

"You really deserve to die!"

"Furthermore, the emperor's grandfather has never cared much about the imperial examination. In the early years of Hongwu, it was suspended for ten years. There are not many scholars with fame..."

"We remember that we gave preferential treatment and exemption to scholars, but it was only exempted from corvee, not tax exemption!"

"But what about 50 years from now, 100 years from now, 200 years from now?"

However, when he thought of how he had spent all these years killing corrupt officials, Lao Zhu felt lucky again.

When everyone heard this, they were all moved and wept.

"If some local officials intend to curry favor and cooperate with their clansmen to embezzle the imperial court's grain tax, the ministers of the imperial court may not know about it!"

"Instructors, supervisors, recruiters, and students are all exempted from food for two stones, and every person is two ding!"

After Lao Zhu said this, he tossed his robe sleeves and announced his retirement, and Zhu Yunxi quit on the spot.

Seeing what the emperor said, Chen Zongli could only kowtow to apologize.

"Yep!"

After Lao Zhu uttered this deafening dragon roar, the huge hall fell into dead silence again.

"Yes!"

"Look, everyone, the whole land of Ming Dynasty is this circle!"

"I want to protest!"

Zhu Yunxi also heard this complaint, and looked at the civil official group with a sneer.

After Lao Zhu beat Chen Zongli, he looked viciously at the officials below.

"Just talk about things, why talk about those old sesame seeds and rotten millet!"

"How much money have you taken from the imperial court?"

"It doesn't seem like much now, but think about it, Hongwu is only 26 years old, and the Ming Dynasty has only been founded for more than [-] years!"

"Six products free of food and twelve..."

Lao Zhu sneered a few times and then roared angrily.

"Grandfather, grandson doesn't mean to offend you, grandson is just stating the facts!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have heard what I have never heard, and I have seen what I have never seen!"

"Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to write down how much land tax they have been exempted!"

After Zhu Yunxi finished speaking, he looked at Grandpa Huang proudly, thinking that Grandpa Huang must be thinking the same as himself.

One thing to say, he will not take the blame!

Fortunately, I killed a lot, otherwise all of Daming's land would have been taken by those people!
After hearing Zhu Yunxie's remarks, Chen Zongli and the others frowned and stepped forward and said.

"Your Majesty is merciful!"

"The number of famous scholars in Ming Dynasty will reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions!"

It was the first time for everyone to see such a novel statistical drawing. Although few people understood it at first, after looking at it for a while, the shrewd Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Chen Zongli, roughly guessed what the picture represented.

But don't blame anyone, he always feels a little uncomfortable.

When the other officials heard this, they hurriedly spoke in agreement.

"Ha ha……"

"You can shut up!"

"hiss……"

"Scholar's examination is held every two years, three years for candidates, and three years for Jinshi. The number of people admitted each time is no more than a hundred. Even if it takes 100 years, there will only be [-] imperial examinations. How can there be millions of achievements?"

After all, Chen Zongli was an honest man. Although he didn't take much advantage of the court, he knew the nature of the officials behind him too well.

"What is this?"

As Zhu Yunxi said, he ordered people to roll up the icons on the screen to reveal the contents below.

The officials in the court didn't take Zhu Yunxi's exposing of Lao Zhu's scars seriously, but Lao Zhu, the authority, couldn't bear it.

Zhu Yunxi looked at Chen Zongli and Lao Zhu with a smile.

"In addition, we will immediately dispatch the Imperial College Health Officer to check the yellow book for us again. If there are any mistakes, omissions, and inconsistencies, we will seriously investigate the crimes of the upper and lower joint personnel..."

"Come here, tie up Zhu Yunxie, and bring this screen together to our Hall of Mental Cultivation!"

"Who made this rule for our Ming Dynasty, why don't we, the emperor, know!"

"We don't remember that such a decree was issued. Who said that people with high reputations are exempted from taxes!"

Old Zhu snorted coldly.

When everyone heard this, they could only bury their heads lower, and then hummed.

Lao Zhu is categorical and authentic.

"The reason why I mentioned this is mainly to tell you that the founding of the Ming Dynasty was short, and there were not many honors given to scholars. There were only more than a thousand people, and there were no more than ten thousand scholars."

"I know!"

Lao Zhu still had a lot of trust in Chen Zongli, because he had not been an official for a long time, and he hadn't had time to become corrupt.Secondly, he has killed eighty if not a hundred ministers over the years, so Chen Zongli should be alerted.

Seeing what Dasun said, Lao Zhu couldn't help casting his angry eyes on Chen Zongli, Minister of the Household Department.

Unexpectedly, when Lao Zhu listened to his words, instead of encouraging himself, he gave himself a vicious look instead.

But because of his capriciousness, he finally bowed to the imperial examination system, which always made him feel ashamed.

"This triangular area is the amount of land counted by Hongwu in 24 years, accounting for about one-third of the entire circle."

"My minister is guilty!"

"It's not enough to give them the whole of Ming Dynasty!"

"And the amount of tax exemption for different titles is different..."

Zhu Yunxi removed a piece of paper from the screen again, revealing a circular percentage distribution chart.

As soon as Zhu Yunxi heard this, he knew that these people's grandsons were colluding with the cheating grandpa, and he was so angry that he cursed on the spot.

"But the brothers and nephews of the humble ministers did enjoy the glory of the ministers and enjoyed the pain of being exempted from corvee..."

"Come on!"

"That's not much..."

Lao Zhu dropped Chen Zongli, and then looked at the other officials sullenly.

Just as everyone was bearing Zhu Yuanzhang's might, a boy's voice suddenly appeared above the hall.

"I wait for the death penalty..."

"One year's fine..."

"Second grade free 24 stones, free 24 dongs!"

"The ministers have always been law-abiding, and have never been corrupted by ink..."

"Eight grades free of food and eight..."

This rebellious grandson is really going to piss me off!
If he was asked to list them down, the officials of Daming would have to kill them all!

Hearing this, Chen Zongli hurriedly followed the Tao.

"His Royal Highness, your words are too alarmist, right?"

"Although they only occupy 5.00% of the land now, after a hundred years, they will occupy 5.00% of the land!"

"I'm not convinced..."

"You think beautifully!"

If all the officials are really killed, who will govern such a large empire and who will upload it?
Zhu Yunxi was very angry, but the officials were very happy.

"I remember that Ming Dynasty didn't have a tax exemption clause, right?"

Lao Zhu didn't want to blame Chen Zongli at first, he just wanted to find someone to take the blame.Now that Chen Zongli has pleaded guilty, he will be knocked down with a light punishment.

"Chen Zongli's words are mature and prudent words!"

"Tell us, where did our Daming's land go?"

"Yep!"

Those are a group of people who feel panicked if they don't take advantage of the advantages!

"Your Majesty, please be strict!"

"According to the order!"

"Your Majesty, Beijing officials have left their hometowns, and some have been in Beijing for more than ten years. How can they know everything about their hometown?"

"Bold!"

"Then where did our Daming's land go?"

"Grandfather, your treatment is unfair!"

"If we can correct it in time, let's forget the past, otherwise don't blame us for being cruel!"

Lao Zhu's scalp was numb when he heard it, and he felt like the world was falling.

Sure enough, what Zhu Yunxi said next confirmed his guess.

As soon as Chen Zongli said this, Lao Zhu's long eyes immediately stared.

"Shut up!"

"Besides, this thing is piled up in the warehouse of Xuanwu Lake, and it is almost full of insects. I thought you kept forgetting about this thing..."

When Lao Zhu heard this, he looked at Ni Sun angrily.

"Everyone, I have a different statement here!"

"Really not?"

"Your Majesty, when the old minister took over the Minister of the Household Department, these things were piled up in the warehouse. After the crown prince's funeral, and the Northern Expedition, the Household Department was so busy that there was no time to sort out the yellow books..."

"Seven products free of food and ten..."

However, the talents recommended by the local government are mixed, and many of them do not have the ability to be officials at all.

The officials kneeling below broke out in a cold sweat after seeing the chart.

"Everyone of you, be careful, don't let us find out the evidence of your embezzlement of ink land!"

"Then how much land has your family planted, and how much rice grain has been reduced or exempted?"

"Don't you just want to communicate with your family members, Grandpa Huang will not be fooled by you!"

"Weichen will write a letter and let them serve corvee like other peasants!"

"Let's just trust you!"

"We'll give you half a month to go back and find out how much your family has taken advantage of from the imperial court!"

"capital offense?"

"Grandfather, grandson still has a lot of information that hasn't been listed here. There are also princes, son-in-laws, and military generals..."

Lao Zhu coughed in embarrassment and scolded angrily.

Old Zhu only listened to Zhu Yunxie read a few words, then curiously went up to the front to look at it, and asked after reading it.

"Your Majesty, spare your life!"

"Chen Zongli, do you know about this?"

Amidst the compliments from civil and military officials, Lao Zhu sat on his shoulders and walked out of Fengtian Hall leisurely.

"Our Shengming?"

"Are we merciful?"

"Ha ha……"

(End of this chapter)