Jingming

Chapter 198 You have to stare at Yan Song
When the governor first arrived in the jurisdiction, he had to take care of many things.

In addition to meeting the main officials of the prefectures and counties under his rule, he also naturally showed his face in front of the people.

Shao Xi looked solemn.

Yang Shen was visiting the gentry in Guangdong, so what is the meaning of Yan Song, the governor, who went to the fields to care about the people's harvest?

As an official in the Ming Dynasty, unless he was promoted to a trial or some other temporary circumstances, those above the seventh rank rarely took the initiative to deal with the poor people directly.

The appearance of Yan Song now is hard not to remind people of the appearance of Yang Shen squatting in the field in the "Lingnan Travel Collection" that has been published by the three great talents in Wuzhong.

Didn't the news from Jiangxi say that Yan Song had a happy chat with officials and gentry from all over the country?
Yan Song is the governor, as long as he doesn't do something out of line in Zhejiang, no one can stop him.What's more, he just took people to the outskirts of the county "on a whim", and when he met the first old farmer working in the field, he summoned him to ask.

This picture of a timid old farmer surrounded by officials, big and small, and their entourage is too Guangdong.

Yan Song looked at the farmland that was about to start harvesting and nodded with a smile: "Brother, don't panic, you didn't say anything wrong or nonsense. I will come to Jiangshan County next year and ask how your life is going." So, is there anyone bullying you?"

After finishing speaking, he glanced at the officials of Quzhou Prefecture and Jiangshan County.

Back in the county seat, the governor is going to rest in Jiangshan County today.

Yan Song, who made a gesture, did not continue to put on airs at the dinner party.

He frankly accepted the arrangement of Quzhou Prefecture and Jiangshan County.

During the banquet, when Shao Xi asked him to proclaim his holy will and admonish the local officials in Zhejiang, Yan Song sat for a moment and then said: "Zhejiang, a place with seven mountains, two waters and one field, is smaller than Guangdong, and it should be taxed every year. But it is more than three times. The difficulty in this is that it cannot be said that Zhejiang has not done its best."

From Shao Xi down, everyone couldn't help but feel relieved when they heard it, but they didn't dare to relax completely.

Because Yan Song hadn’t finished talking: “In addition to supplying the guards’ salaries and officials’ salaries, the grain left in Zhejiang also has Guduo’s rations, teachers’ and students’ rations. Miscellaneous income includes sacrifices, imperial examinations, transportation, calligraphy and handicrafts, etc. Relief, relief... The drinking ceremony, celebration, welcome and send-off in this township, as a rule, cannot be paid for by the reserved grain, but can only be paid for by the reserved money. Nowadays, there are money, banknotes, and silver for miscellaneous affairs, and the total amount is not large. , Today is the gentry and wealthy family in Jiangshan County spending money, right?"

"... Futai came to Zhejiang from Jiangshan County to experience the situation and care for the village. The people in Jiangshan County are sincerely happy, and a little wine is not enough to call it a waste."

Yan Song smiled slightly: "If the law on the treatment of officials can be implemented in all provinces, the many expenditures between the top and bottom of the government office will not need to be spent by gentry and wealthy households. As the saying goes, it is good to eat people's mouths. , I know it from the facts. Come, this first glass of wine, I will respect all of you first."

"Don't dare! Don't dare! Fu Tai's words are serious!"

"Fortunately" to attend the table, the representatives of wealthy gentry and wealthy households in Jiangshan County got up quickly.

All the officials in Zhejiang couldn't help but ponder in their hearts: the governor knows the place very well.

So is it just him who understands, or does His Majesty and Elder Yang also understand?
Yan Song clarified the difficulties in local operations in just a few words, and it was also another reason why officials and gentry were not urged to pay taxes and not be shown off in corvee: local gentry and wealthy households often came to help bear local financial expenses.

To put it bluntly, the taxes that can be collected by the localities are the two types of currencies: physical objects, copper coins, and precious banknotes.To be serious, Daming now prohibits the circulation of silver.

In terms of the system, except for the part handed over to the court, the rest of the collected grain is useful; the government's expenditure can only be calculated from the remaining copper coins and treasure notes.Under the color-folding system, some real objects were converted into copper coins and silver, but no one dared to say that precious banknotes would not be discounted or accepted in official business.

But how worthless are treasure notes now?Over the years, if the local government does not set up many items to increase miscellaneous services, the actual purchasing power of the miscellaneous taxes collected will actually continue to decline.

As the days of peace get longer and longer, there will only be more and more welcomes, and the trend of leisure and luxury will naturally become more and more prosperous.As long as there are such banquets and welcomes, those who pay are all local gentry and wealthy households.

Yan Song only said that he was short-mouthed, but he didn't say that he was soft-hearted.

Over time, the current situation has naturally formed: although the gentry and wealthy households did not bear all the taxes, their actual expenditures were quite large.

It's just that if you add up the accounts, it's nothing more than that they finally got more fields, industries, and manpower, and the income is greater than the output.

In the end, the price was transferred to the poor people and to the court finances.

Now Yan Song is toasting to the gentry and wealthy households, and everyone hears him talking about tax expenses, but their hearts are in a state of turmoil.

"Your Majesty is actually broad-minded." Yan Song talked about other things, "Zhu Yunming wrote "Wild Notes" after drinking in the past, and it was used by rebels many years later. Although the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River talked about Taizong's old affairs the year before last, His Majesty just ordered Zhu Yunming admits that fallacies spread all over the world, and he still gives him the background of Jinshi. In the preface of "Journey to the South of the Five Ridges", Zhu Yunming expresses his feelings, and I really admire him. When I was in Jiangxi, I heard some scholars ridiculed the three talents in Wuzhong for being too late. , the song is flattering."

"...This generation's ignorance and fallacies just make people laugh." Shao Xi didn't understand why he talked about this again, so he echoed it, as if expressing his opinion.

Yan Song just smiled and cupped his hands to the north: "When Ben Fu was talking about daily life as an official, His Majesty always said that after thousands of years, right and wrong will have their own opinions. However, whether it is Ben Fu, or the other counselors, or Taihe Bo, in fact It is clear. Your Majesty holds the Great Ming Dynasty in his chest, and the two capitals and thirteen provinces with trillions of people. This is real. Although Your Majesty disdains to care about some ignorant scholars, he really forgets the teachings of the sages to the Confucian disciples. Very disappointed."

He paused before sighing: "It is because His Majesty was so angry that he killed Zheng Cunzhong, the son of Cantonese, that I begged His Majesty to welcome Lord Zhongwu to enjoy the Taimiao."

All the officials and gentry in the room suddenly stood up and bowed to him in salute: "Futai is an act of pleading for the Confucianism, and the meritorious deeds will be pursued by the sages, and the virtues will last forever!"

Yan Song raised a hand to invite them to sit down, shook his head and said helplessly: "Your Majesty is a young hero, but Ming Dynasty has been plagued by ills. Elder Yang Ge advocates reform, and His Majesty sincerely hopes that Daming will be rejuvenated, that the people will live and work in peace and contentment, and that the soldiers will be able to fight well. This time the Japanese pirates, with more than a hundred people in Zhejiang, seem to be in a no-man's land. How can His Majesty not be angry? Yang Ge lamented that the corruption of Zhejiang may not be inferior to that of Guangdong. Solve the worries of the king and bring peace to the people's livelihood."

The officials immediately expressed their opinions one after another, while pondering over his behavior and words today.

Then Yan Song had a new behavior. After toasting the officials for the second time, he led the crowd to toast the poor people in Zhejiang, and then he said goodbye and went to the post house to rest.

He only drank three glasses of wine during this carefully prepared banquet, which ended his first appearance in Zhejiang.

How can other people eat it?
Yan Song let them figure it out on their own, and called Xu Jie over when they returned to the posthouse.

"Newly married Yaner, unable to return to Beijing to enter the Imperial Academy, but I was called to Zhejiang to have an experience, do you feel unhappy?"

Although Xu Jie was placed in the first class by Yan Song this time, for unknown reasons, he was changed to second in the second class by His Majesty, which was the same as Yan Song's ranking back then.In the last subject, His Majesty did not change the ranking at all, and this time only Xu Jie's ranking was moved.

Yan Song felt that the emperor meant that he knew the relationship between Xu Jie and him, so he deliberately pointed him out, although Yan Song still didn't understand what the emperor wanted to point out.

As for Xu Jie, being able to rank second in the second high school is already quite good.It was true that he could go directly to the Imperial Academy to be a scholar, but now Xu Jie just said gratefully: "Students will not be happy? The experience of the chief minister is from the sixth grade, and he can be called the number one scholar. The students only I'm afraid I won't be able to do my job well, so that the experienced officials will be convinced."

"One is Qingliu, and the other has entered the local area. I can't say which one is better." Yan Song said with a smile, "There is only one member of the Experience Department under you, and you are in charge of sending and receiving official documents. What are the concerns about the documents sent by Beijing officials such as Xunyan, Xunyan Yushi, etc.?"

Xu Jie replied modestly: "To be supported by a mentor, students only hope to live up to the expectations of their mentor and learn more."

"The first thing you have to learn is that you shouldn't come today." Yan Song put away his smile, "Since you have worked in the vassal yamen experience department, how many official documents have you exchanged in Zhejiang? Come to meet me?"

Xu Jie was stunned, and hesitantly said: "But Fantai has a life..."

Yan Song sighed: "Although you were recommended by me, you didn't know how to shirk and avoid suspicion. Firstly, you were taken advantage of, secondly, you delayed your official business and added some reputation to yourself as a teacher, and thirdly, it made it impossible for me to investigate Zhejiang as soon as possible. All affairs, and leave a ground for impeachment in the future."

Xu Jie, who had just entered the officialdom, was a little panicked.

"Just talking to you, it's not a big problem." Yan Song smiled again, "Can you understand these three points?"

If Zhu Houcong knew that Yan Song was teaching Xu Jie here, he would probably feel very strange.

But for Yan Song, except for Xia Yan, Nie Bao, Xu Jie and others, his accumulation is not deep after all.As for Xu Jie's potential, he was quite optimistic, so he wanted to support him more.

Now Xu Jie thought for a while before saying: "Being used is not only to dismiss the students, but also to ask Zhejiang to take care of some old affairs before the teacher arrives, and also want to use the students to test the attitude of the teacher after he takes office?"

Yan Song nodded: "I didn't have anything to say to you during the day. Now that I have summoned you, you might as well tell them plainly that I just don't care about any bad things happening in Zhejiang for so many years. You, Xu Jie, are my Yan Put it on the nail of the vassal yamen!"

What he said was quite domineering, Xu Jie couldn't help but shudder.

"Why do you understand that as a teacher, you only call you again at night?"

Xu Jie didn't shake his head immediately, but began to think carefully again.

Yan Song waited patiently for him to think, and Xu Jie replied after a while: "If you don't reveal this in front of the gentry during the day, it is to let the gentry think that your mentor has no intention of cleaning up and promoting new officials in Zhejiang. When you summon at night, you just tell the Zhejiang Third Division. Some things don’t need to be avoided, why don’t you discuss it with your teacher first in private?”

"Excellent comprehension." Yan Song nodded approvingly, "Don't think that the place is not as noble as the Imperial Academy. In the future, without the experience of governing the place, I'm afraid there will be no chance to participate in national policy."

Xu Jie was shocked: "Students want to be taught."

This is Yan Song's own judgment.In addition to the participation of the chief of the imperial study and the accompanying reading, the emperor's real training team from the bottom must be sent to the local area to record events, instead of staying in the capital all the time.

The scholars of the Hanlin Academy and even the scholars of the Hanlin Academy, apart from studying history and waiting for edicts like in the past, are not so noble now—His Majesty even selected three people to learn arithmetic from Wang Wensu.

Outside the imperial study room, no one knew that the emperor himself was the one with the broadest thinking and the real source of the new law.

He is just too young to be able to conquer the world with his own prestige.Once the official system in Guangdong is changed, it is obvious that those who can go up and those who can't go down.In the future, literary fame, reputation, and prestige may still be useful, but in front of His Majesty's ambitions, talent is definitely the first.

His Majesty has kept Wang Qiong and the others, probably because they can do things.

Being able to do things is the key.And if he wants to do well in the many major events arranged by His Majesty in the future, Yan Song can't rely on himself alone.

So he continued to ask Xu Jie: "What do you understand when you walk and talk as a teacher today?"

At this moment, Shao Xi was also pondering.The paper was spread out in front of him, and the pen had already been dipped in ink, but he put it down again with a frown.

I went to inquire about the farming affairs, and reminded the Quzhou government not to trouble the old farmer.To say that he will come next year means that he will stay in Zhejiang for a long time, not just for the Japanese mission to fight for tribute and looting.

Respect the gentry first, then the local officials in Zhejiang, and finally the common people, and then take advantage of the fatigue of the journey to rest.The deep meaning of those words spoken during the banquet may not be as simple as thought before.

Now he even summoned Xu Jie, a new Jinshi who he recommended to Zhejiang, alone.

The gentry is very important, so it comes first?No, he pointed out that rich gentry and wealthy households paid for the pick-up and drop-off at the places he pointed out, and it was difficult for them to understand, but in fact he told them: if the wealthy gentry pay more, they naturally want more.With the seven mountains, two waters and one field in Zhejiang, the people can get less and less.

What about the officials caught in the middle?He talked about His Majesty's mind, about the three great talents in Wuzhong, about His Majesty's disappointment with Confucianism, about asking Yu Qian to enjoy the Taimiao, and about the treatment of officials... Shao Xi was really confused.

Does His Majesty mean not to ask about the past and to be considerate of the difficulties?He only mentioned Yang Tinghe's anger against Zhejiang once, and the new law only mentioned the law on the treatment of officials. How good is Yang Tinghe's disciple who must be called His Majesty?

The foothold is the common people again.The implication is that His Majesty really cares about only two things: whether the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and whether the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty can conquer and fight.Of course, it also includes whether Daming is rich or not, and whether it can guarantee that Ming soldiers can conquer and fight in terms of money and food.

The young hero must seek change...

Judging from Yan Song's situation in Jiangxi, he may not really be a complete new party.Did Yang Tinghe take advantage of His Majesty's desire to enrich the country and strengthen the army?
Shao Xi pondered: the new party occupies the National Policy Conference, if the new party does not go, it may be difficult for someone like Yan Song who was personally promoted by His Majesty to enter the cabinet - the current cabinet is no better than before.Although more people participated in the discussion of state affairs, but in terms of real power, they have already obtained the right to review many internal affairs of the six ministries.

He finally picked up his pen again and wrote the letter coherently.

Yan Song arrived in Zhejiang in the golden autumn, and he was indeed busy paying attention to Qiuliang first.

Of course, when he was in Ningbo and Shaoxing, he also inquired about the whole story of the Japanese tribute envoys' scrambling for tribute and looting, and how the two places dealt with the people who died and suffered disasters.

No one knows whether he has handed over the memorial to Jingli to explain the situation.

This string is tense, and Zhejiang does not dare to have any problems with the autumn grain.

And at the end of October, a team of very special people was escorted to Beijing.

The envoy of the Korean king Li Yi, who had been canonized by the envoy of Zhu Houzhao, sent a team of members of the mission under the command of Zongshe Qiandao.They broke away from the team after encountering a storm at sea, drifted confusedly to the surface of the North Korean sea, and were caught.

Several months had passed, and it was not that there was no communication between Daming and North Korea. Li Yi hurriedly sent them to the capital to show his favor to the new emperor of Ming.

"Is this case going to be properly tried?" Zhu Houcong said indifferently in the imperial study room, "To loot places, these people should be escorted to Zhejiang to be the leader of the public."

"Then Song Suqing is also taken away?" Li Chongsi asked, "After all, he came with the congratulatory letter from the Japanese king. Besides, Ryan and others were escorted to Beijing. I am afraid that Zhejiang people are worried about what else he will confess. Come on. This case, it is better to delay first. "

"The Shibo Division has been abolished, what are you waiting for?" Zhu Houcong glanced at him, "There is no need to say more about the Japanese king here, and the Ashikaga Shogunate can no longer restrain the daimyo from all over the world, let's wait for them to compete. To let Yan Song do better in Zhejiang, punishing Ryan and the others without beheading is already a pity for the people who died in Zhejiang, so use the heads of these Japanese pirates and Song Suqing, who has no family, and others, to comfort Yan Song. People in Zhejiang have more prestige."

Song Suqing thought that she could speak eloquently in the capital, so Zhu Houcong handed him over to Luo An directly.

After the torture, Song Suqing's purpose of doing things became clear to Zhu Houcong: what Ogata Muyi is nonsense, and Tao Yiqing is a native Japanese.He just wanted to use this incident to make Daming nervous, and give Xinchao Kanhe to the Hosokawa family.But this ebb and flow, the Ouchi clan lacked the benefits from the tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty, and would face the siege of the Hosokawa clan, the Mori clan, etc. afterwards.

Relying on the convenience of being able to control the Ashikaga Shogunate more easily, the Hosokawa family had great ambitions to unify Kansai first and then overthrow the Ashikaga Shogunate.In addition, Iwami-san was really involved, because Ming people like Song Suqing were active in Japan, and they were already planning to increase the silver production of Iwami-san by means of ash blowing, which became another focus of the dispute.Mount Iwami is located in the territory of the Maori family, and the Hosokawa clan sits on the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

Zhu Houcong only hoped that they would consume each other a little more now.As for fighting more wars, the Japanese soldiers will be more powerful in the future, wouldn't Ming's weapon technology improve?

The benefits of cutting off tribute are many.

Now, Zhu Houcong, who had finished the national policy meeting, called Xie Changjie over.

"I told you before, do you understand?"

Xie Changjie stood there: "Although I haven't fully figured it out yet, I would like to listen to Your Majesty's instructions."

"It's normal for you to be dizzy back then, and you couldn't figure it out." Zhu Houcong looked at him, "I didn't become the owner of the Shibo Department, but the punishment I received was even heavier. I won't care about the past. Now Go to Zhejiang, help Yan Song, and at the same time let Zhejiang officials see that you are staring at him. This is a sense of proportion, if you have no idea, ask Yan Song."

Xie Changjie didn't care about the fact that he had become a seventh-rank inspector censor now, and in the former residence of the former minister, he actually became worse and worse.

He asked carefully: "Your Majesty, then you asked me to really stare at Yan Song, I... don't understand."

After all, it sounds like it's just a performance with Yan Song.

Zhu Houcong smiled: "What you're really staring at him is whether he will really get greedy because of acting."

"... I understand." Xie Changjie knew that Yan Song had been given the task of being a market secretary.

But is His Majesty worried about Yan Song's integrity?He is now emulating his great-grandfather Yan Qingcai.

　Recently, I have been too busy with work, so the two days have been a little less, and I will make up for it at the end of the month.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)