Jingming

Chapter 308
The current right servant of the Nanjing household department is a loser in the process of restructuring the government office in Beijing.

He also wanted to be transferred to Beijing with the previous "Nanjing Jiuqing", even if it was still just a right servant, he would have an important department to directly handle.

But he still stayed in Nanjing, and at this moment, the six departments in Nanjing, except for Jia Yong and the Minister of the Ministry of War, were all people who had previously served as Zuobu political envoys or governors in various provinces.

The provinces have set up governors, and they were transferred to Nanjing. The reason is self-evident: if they continue to work in the local area, I am afraid that it will hinder the new law.

Yang Tinghe, Jia Yong, and Xia Yan all saw the glance of the right servant from the Nanjing household department at the minister of the Nanjing household department, and then he said calmly: "After clearing the land and land in all provinces this year, there are many things to rebuild the yellow book. I'm not sure, I'm afraid I'll miss a big deal. The servant boy is fair and honest, Xia Youdu, don't get angry."

Xia Yan narrowed his eyes slightly.

I'm angry?

At this moment, Yang Tinghe's eyes were also focused.

Then, he picked up the teacup, took a breath of hot air, and said first, "Remaking the yellow book will be next year. Xia Shangshu, Tong Shilang is naturally a public heart, everyone is a public heart, and no one is angry."

After taking a sip of hot tea, he put down the teacup, but his voice became a little colder: "Could it be that the provincial books have not arrived yet, and the Nanjing household department is already busy remaking the yellow books?"

The words that attracted Yang Tinghe and Xia Yan's attention were Qing Zhang's land and yellow books.

In Houhu, Nanjing, there is a yellow book library that records the "family property" of the Ming Dynasty.

In this yellow book library, Daming's land and population information is hidden, and the transaction records of each piece of land are also kept.

The daily management of this yellow book library is mainly from the Quartet.

The person in charge of updating and checking the yellow book is the Nanjing household department, and a head of the sixth grade is in charge of this matter.

The person in charge of supervising the daily affairs of the yellow book library is Nanjing Huke Gishizhong, Cong Qipin.

The person in charge of guarding the keys and opening the door is the eunuch guarding Nanjing.

Those responsible for guarding, guarding, and patrolling were sent by the pro-army Sanwei stationed in Nanjing.

According to the rules, the petty officials and craftsmen who stayed in the yellow book warehouse on Houhu Island for a long time could not leave even if they were sick, and doctors went to the island for diagnosis and treatment.

The yellow book library is so important, why is Xia Congshou, the Shangshu of Nanjing household department, pointing out this content?
If Yang Tinghe asked rhetorically, it was the system for updating the yellow books in the yellow book library.

Unlike the previous dynasties, information such as land and household registration and population in the Ming Dynasty was "declared" and summarized from bottom to top.The household registration system of all dynasties is "from top to bottom", that is to say, statistics are carried out by the imperial household department, provinces, prefectures and counties from top to bottom.

The yellow book of the Ming Dynasty was first distributed by the government to every household with a "list and confession form".Each lijia then sent the bottom book to the county, and the county made the county's yellow book based on the county's bottom book and sent it to the government office.The prefecture and the chief envoy are the same, and finally sent to the Nanjing household department.

In theory, there are four yellow books in each county.

At present, all provinces are still at the stage of clearing the land, and some places have not even started-the farming season cannot be missed.

The intention of Xia Congshou to bring up the yellow book is very worth pondering.

"The yellow book has not been made for a long time, and the new officials, officials, and book offices under the household department have to practice their hands. The yellow book must be coherent. The lower officials have ordered people to check the yellow books in the warehouse to see if there are any insects that have been damaged. After the statistics are calculated, the provinces have to write the corresponding content on the bottom book and send it to Nanjing to complete the old book."

He is a majestic Shangshu, a second-rank official, and theoretically only responsible to the emperor.Now, Yang Tinghe's self-proclaimed subordinate official, but his tone has a rhetorical question.

Yang Tinghe asked unhurriedly: "Are there any preliminary statistics now?"

"Getai knows that there are more than 79 volumes in Hongzhi's three-year statistics. The shells are not preserved, and as many as 64 volumes are moth-eaten or rotten to varying degrees, and less than two out of ten are intact. Today's preliminary statistics show that the situation of more than one million volumes is also intact. Less than two out of ten. Your majesty has already reported that this time, both the old volume and the new volume will be remade. [-]% out."

"Seventy percent?" Yang Tinghe's tone was not very good.

"At least 12%." Xia Congshou still looked very confident, "Every time the yellow book is remade, about [-] new copies will be made. Now that the new law is implemented, how many hidden fields and escaped men will be tracked down this time is unknown; if the official land is sold, how much more will be recorded in the yellow book? This new book, I am afraid that at least [-] copies will be needed."

He looked at Xia Yan: "If we don't start preparations now, how can we create a new book as soon as possible? The Jingcha should follow the routine, but this time, the Nanjing Jingcha, the advice and visits from the colleagues in the department and the intrusion are heavy. It's not just the Ministry of Households that feels it. It's just that the Ministry of Households really has a heavy responsibility on its shoulders."

After teasing Xia Yan, he bowed his hands to Yang Tinghe again: "Getai, according to the new regulations, the county will no longer distribute the silver for the reconstruction of the yellow book. The official's rough estimate, based on the two taels of silver required to make one book in previous years, is four copies of a book, and the new book may need to allocate a million taels of silver. It will take another nearly 50 taels to remake the old book for inventory. At the National Policy Conference and the State Council, the counselors and ministers of state took the matter of the yellow book lightly!"

Huang Zuo had been a magistrate in Guangdong, and he knew that Xia Congshou's estimate of the cost of a book of two taels of silver was not wrong.

That's already a pretty cheap cost.

Remaking the yellow book is not just copying.As one of the most important archives of the Ming Dynasty, there are requirements for the paper used, framed and preserved.Although it is no longer possible to make "copper plate books" like the Taizu and Yongle years, the cost should not be underestimated.

Even if you don't want to increase the burden on the people, the officials in the counties still need to spend time and energy.Can this be done without special funds?

But now Xia Congshou's last sentence shocked all the officials in Nanjing at the meeting.

There seems to be something in the words.

With the strength of the imperial court, the more expensive the yellow book, the more expensive it is. Is there such a thing as "thinking lightly"?
The yellow book is not just the yellow book, the yellow book is the basis for taxation, and the yellow book is also the basis for a large number of local governments to adjudicate many land disputes.

Yang Tinghe nodded: "Since the Xia Shangshu has already been published, the court will definitely discuss it again. According to Xia Shangshu, among the more than one million volumes in the treasury, eight out of ten have been damaged?"

"Since the lower official is appointed as the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing, the first thing to do is to inquire about the yellow books. The root cause is that in the first year there was a severe wind and flood, and the second is that in the past ten years, first there was the chaos in Chenhao, and then your Majesty's Royal Palace. People in Nanjing are uncertain, and officials are also quite slack."

What Xia Congshou said in his words: I have just arrived, so the maintenance of the yellow book library has nothing to do with me.

But everyone only heard the words "people's hearts are uncertain" in his words.

After the coordination meeting ended, Xia Yan stayed behind, and after passing the pass, he entered the official hall where Yang Tinghe met the guests, and couldn't help asking: "Getai, Xia Shangshu is relying on the yellow book library to be self-reliant, what reason is there to be so bold?"

"You want to impeach him?"

Xia Yan controlled his emotions and looked at Yang Tinghe.

It seems that only one signal is needed: if His Majesty and Yang Tinghe need it, he can impeach Xia Congshou immediately.

"Don't Gongjin understand?"

Xia Yan actually figured it out, he came to test his attitude.

Yang Tinghe smiled: "Since he has presented the report according to the facts, let's wait for His Majesty's will, and wait for the National Policy Conference and President Fei to come up with a strategy."

Xia Yan failed to show any attitude, but Yang Tinghe's smile still conveyed the message.

Walking out of the gate of Governor Yingtian's courtyard, Xia Yan looked back, his eyes actually looked beyond the courtyard, faintly looking further north.

Obviously, the imperial court had a strategy long ago, right?
It's just that I'm not qualified enough to know.

He turned his head and walked towards his sedan chair.

But that doesn't mean he can't understand the mystery!
……

Among the various ministries in Nanjing, which one has the greatest power?
In the past, it was the Ministry of War.Because the actual highest authority in Nanjing is the meeting of the Garrison Office, and the Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing can be a counselor for maintenance.

But now it is subtle, the meeting of the garrison hall has not been abolished, but there is an extra Governor Yingtian Department in Nanjing City, and the Governor's name is Yang Tinghe.

The Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing was the former right servant of the Ministry of War in Beijing.

Yang Tingyi, the former left servant of the Ministry of War, was the governor of Jiangxi, and the right servant was appointed as the minister, counselor, and maintenance of the Nanjing Ministry of War. The Beijing Ministry of War is actually weak for the time being—both are new officials.The purpose, of course, is to make way for the military affairs conference and the five prefectures whose power has been expanded a bit, so that the emperor can better control the military power.

So now, the military power in Nanjing is also well held by the emperor—Guo Xun is in the Zhenwu camp, Xu Pengju is serving as the admiral of Caojiang, the Minister of the Ministry of War was directly promoted to Nanjing by the emperor over Zuo Shilang, and Yang Tinghe is in charge of the new law.

In addition to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Households can fight.

Needless to say, the Ministry of Officials, Jia Yong, Huang Zuo, and Xu Jie were either Yang Tinghe's former disciples, or the emperor's new court officials.

Under the current situation, the Ministry of Household Affairs is the hardest nut to crack in Nanjing.

In the household department yamen, after Xia Congshou and Tong Rui came back, they took their seats in the official hall.

"Brother Shiqi is quite dissatisfied today?"

Tong Rui replied indifferently: "I dare not."

"What's the difference between you and me? Brother Shiqi didn't work in the household department in the past, but his official career started from the household affairs department. In the four years of the Ministry of Industry, he supervised the construction of Kangling, Rijingmen, Yangxindian, Qingning Palace, etc., how hard it is? It's nothing more than being able to be a member of the staff. When he was transferred to Nanjing, he was still the servant of the household department. I often complained about brother Shiqi."

Tong Rui didn't respond, but just looked at Xia Congshou: "Nowadays, all ministries in Nanjing, such as the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of War, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, only want to be able to make meritorious service. What Xia Si Nong said before, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing behave differently."

"Don't worry, it's just the beginning. Didn't I go to school?" Xia Congshou smiled, and then restrained his smile, "It's two liang of silver for one book. Brother Shiqi must tell those businessmen that if they want to continue to do the work of the Nanjing Ministry of Households, they must give up their profits this time! We must never do things like mixing honey with paper! Once the Jiajing Dynasty, I'm afraid that the yellow book will have to be searched from time to time, and you and I must not leave anything to talk about!"

The paper used in the yellow book is not only not as strict as the quality requirements in the early days of the country, but a new way of playing has emerged.

Since the yellow book is filled out from the bottom up, and then checked and summarized, it is also convenient for a large number of local people to tamper with the yellow book.

Since the yellow books in four volumes can confirm each other, and Daming has been cultivating fertile land, why is the total number of fields always decreasing in a reasonable and legal way?

Not easy to check.There are more than one million volumes in the yellow book library, which is like a vast sea, and the statistical work is done by officials. Isn't the number in the hands of the emperor reported to the lower levels?

No one in Daming could truly and accurately grasp the data on the land and population, and neither could Xia Congshou.

Because too many old yellow books have been broken.In order to facilitate doing some things, there have even been active and man-made honeyed papers for more than a hundred years.Stored on the shelf for a long time, this paper mixed with honey is particularly attractive to insects and ants-unknowingly, many old accounts are "formatted".

If there is no corroboration, many things will be easy to handle.

Xia Congshou obviously had an attitude of "loyalty to the emperor and use his work", and he pointed out that this kind of paper should never be used, in case Zhu Houcong would search it as needed.

But is he really thinking about Zhu Houcong?
Tong Rui nodded: "I have successively served as the left councilor of Zhejiang, the left councilor of Shaanxi, the political envoy of Guangxi, the right minister of Huguang, the governor of Shuntian government office, and the right minister of the Ministry of Industry. Xia Sinong is relieved of such a small matter. But this time, I am the only one in the Nanjing Ministry of Households who expresses the importance of Nanjing, and the Ministry of Rites will not mention it.

The Nanjing Ministry of Industry originally only had Baoyuan Bureau, which minted coins, and Yanyin, which participated in the printing of Nanjing Household Department.Now that Baoyuan Bureau has become an enterprise, apart from some other small projects in Nanjing, the Nanjing Ministry of Industry only has Yanyin to wear this half pair of shorts.

Tong Rui, who had stayed in the Ministry of Industry in Beijing, knew this very well: Could it be that the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing is still prepared, and it is only prepared to repair the old forbidden palace hall, imperial tomb, and city wall that Nanjing accidentally encountered disasters?
"It's all about not seeing the direction of the wind and not taking the lead. My household department is the most important in Nanjing now, let's see what the court wants." Xia Congshou comforted him, "Don't worry, the Nanjing household department is not slack, and it is indeed doing its best. Your Majesty must know this."

In the end, I just drank tea leisurely: "My memorial is submitted, and the news will naturally spread. Under the national policy of Qingzhang Tiantu, Brother Shiqi, let's see, how many people in the government and the public will secretly help me. Nanjing is where the country is located, and now it is just a matter that must be done in Nanjing. Even if there is only one thing left to manage the yellow book, the Nanjing Ministry of Households cannot afford to lose!"

Just like what Xia Congshou said, when his memorials arrived in the capital, because they were purely government affairs, they naturally had to go through many yamen such as the Tongzhengshisi, the Beijing Household Department, the State Affairs Hall, and the Beijing Household Division.

Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that the yellow book should be made every ten years.The total number of Daming's land and land on the yellow book is getting smaller and smaller, and the population is also getting smaller and smaller. Xia Congshou said that this time more land and people will be cleared.The old books in the past must also be cleaned up and rebuilt, so as to clear the land and facilitate the verification of many land dispute cases during the implementation of the new law. These are all pragmatic proposals.

But it costs 150 million taels of silver, which is 90% more than the nearly [-] taels of silver in one set of [-] volumes, a total of four sets, one volume of [-] taels of silver, and some other expenses.

Should the money be spent?

"Has no one agreed yet?" Zhu Houcong asked curiously.

"Return to Your Majesty, no."

The one who answered him was Wang Shenzhong, the newly-appointed accompanying scholar of the imperial study.

Today is not what it used to be, and the "influence" of the accompanying bachelor in the imperial study has dropped greatly, and he is really just a secretary.

Wang Shenzhong is here to help Zhu Houcong sort out the memorials sent to the imperial study by the envoy of the general administration, and at the same time he has another job-to connect with his fellow villager Lin Xiyuan about many contents in the Ming Pao.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong sighed a bit: "It is clear that the frequency of communication has increased greatly in the past few days. Everyone cares, but they are still looking at the direction of the wind."

"... I'm ashamed, I don't understand."

Zhu Houcong looked at him with a smile: "Then think about it slowly, or ask Maozhen for advice."

At the national policy meeting, Yan Song's "switch" proposal was still being discussed.

But Yang Tinghe went to sit in Nanjing. With the reform of government offices in the imperial court and the local government this year, the only government offices in Nanjing that did not move really couldn't sit still.

The one who took the lead was indeed the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs.

It was really not the collection and transshipment of grain and tax in the four provinces in the south of the Yangtze River, but the yellow book library.

In a bank of yellow books, there is an unknown amount of filth from resigned and serving officials.

Will those pages and data that have been smeared, changed, or disappeared be uncovered during the Ming and Qing dynasty?Can the countless land disputes among the people be directly and harshly judged when no evidence can be found?

The land of the officials and gentry's family can no longer evade taxes, but the land that has been transferred to them through various methods over the years is naturally still better for them-there is a lot of land, and you can always collect an extra three or five shi of grain.

Don't first find the evidence and collect it as official land because of the flaws in the yellow book library, and then sell it to ordinary people.

The Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs must exist, must "communicate well", and must support it!
After the news spread, the eyes of many officials and gentry in the world gathered in the back lake of Nanjing.

Nearly a thousand warehouses stand quietly on the island in the middle of the lake.In the warehouse, the yellow books stacked on the three-tiered shelf did not say a word.

After nightfall, insects, ants, and mice still live here "abundantly" just like their ancestors have done for hundreds of years.

The lake water around the island is not shaken by the footsteps of the patrolling guards, but only by the wind.

The weather in summer is changeable, there will be thunderstorms and gusts tonight, and the water surface will be high and fast.

"Be vigilant, guard against heavy rain, lightning and fire, and prevent flooding!"

The head of the Nanjing household department works very seriously.

No one has the guts to burn this place, and the protection will definitely protect it, although in fact, it may not be a big deal if this place burns down.After all, there are four copies of the yellow book, and there are also white books that are frequently updated in the local area.

But you have to know, how many versions of the yellow book and white book in other prefectures and counties have been updated in the past few years when the new law was tried out in Guangdong and Shandong?If there is a dispute, and the complaint continues, the yellow book of the yellow book library must be called to verify.

At this time, if the yellow book library is burned, this trouble will come next. The key is why it happened to catch fire at this time?
Can't burn, absolutely can't catch fire!

The Nanjing household department only wants to keep their leisurely and powerful life, and they don't want to mention Jiuzu Xiaoxiaole.

In the Beijing household department, Yang Shen, the servant of the right, finally completed his second errand after the examination.

In front of him were eighteen tables in the yamen of the household department.

There are ten people sitting at each table.

Most of these people are young.Looking at the oldest one, he was only 40 or [-] years old.

Now, Yang Shen stood up, holding a glass of wine: "I get along with you day and night. You are all from the first and second ranks of this subject. I am the chief examiner of this subject, but after three months, I and you can be regarded as the teacher-student friendship. But above me is His Majesty. This training course, this final examination paper, are all from His Majesty. I don’t avoid suspicion. One of you is the first and second rank of the three hundred new subjects of the Ministry of Households. You must know what His Majesty expects!"

"...The lower officials will keep this in mind!"

Yang Shen nodded: "Very good. Now that you have completed your studies, you will be appointed as an official, and you will not talk about the friendship between teachers and students. I will practice it for you today. After you leave, you will have to work hard for the next three years."

"I will live up to the expectations of Your Majesty, the Chief Minister, the Chief Sinonong, and the Younger Sinonong!"

The current Minister of the Household Department is Zhang En, the former Guangdong Zuo Buzheng who was promoted by Xu Gong.

He and Yang Shen are old partners.

Now, he gave Yang Shen the leadership of this occasion, after all, he also knew how much the emperor valued Yang Shen.

Yang Shen, the prince's guest, now has three hundred real students, the younger generation.

This year, the Ministry of Households has selected [-] new subjects, all of whom have been "taught" by Yang Shen for three months.The genius Yang Shen taught him the accounting method, arithmetic, many official document norms, and simplified characters that he had learned in Guangdong, as well as some things that the emperor frequently summoned him to teach.

Of these 300 people, a small half stayed in the Beijing household department, entered the general tax department, and entered other departments.

The remaining 160 or so people will have a new identity starting tomorrow: Special Supervision and Inspection Commissioner of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Land and Cleansing Department.

They will go to nearly [-] prefectures outside of Guangdong and Shandong in the Ming Dynasty, and they will be in charge of only one thing: the new yellow books of the counties and prefectures under the jurisdiction of each prefecture.

However, they will go to Nanjing first.

After all, the Yellow Book Production Office has always been under the management of the Nanjing Household Department.

Did the Jingcha delay the affairs of the Nanjing Household Department?

It doesn't matter, the new officials who have never been officials before are not included in the Jingcha, their hearts are fixed.

"Renfu, you are in the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing, and you are in the important position of the head of the Yellow Records Department of the Ministry of Land and Cleaning Officials in the Ministry of Accountancy in Nanjing. If there is something to do, just report it according to the facts!"

Zhan Rong, a first-class jinshi in the new department, responded awe-inspiringly: "Your official understands!"

The starting point is to be the head of the sixth grade. As a new Jinshi, he is the leader among the newly recruited officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs. What is rare is that he is very down-to-earth, and he has not entangled in the exam for next year's system.

Only then did Zhang En stand up with the wine: "Drink full! I wish you a long journey!"

When the sun rises, it will be the Wangri Chaohui on July [-]th.

Among the court counselors, many people have indeed prepared memorials today, intending to discuss the matter of the yellow book library at the court meeting.

Where the tax base of Daming Tian is, we must support it!
Then Fei Hong stood up and said, "I heard that the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing reported the repair and new construction of the Yellow Book Treasury, and the State Affairs Hall has approved this matter. I think that this money should be spent! The Ministry of Household Affairs has completed the preparations for the Department of Cleaning up Land and Officials. I request that the Ministry of Household Affairs in Nanjing set up a Department for Cleaning up Land and Officials, and set up the head of the Yellow Book Treasury, the treasury, and other personnel.

The court officials were stunned.

So fast?
Are you already ready?
What pit did Nanjing Hubu jump into?
Zhu Houcong just said solemnly from the throne: "This matter has been decided by the State Affairs Hall, and the chief assistant can implement it on his own."

It sounds like there is no need to go through Zhu Houcong's job at all, but after all, it involves the addition of a new department of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs.

Many people in the National Assembly Hall bowed their heads.

Beijing attaches great importance to and supports the work of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs.

The Nanjing household department will get a lot of money and a lot of new officials.

Don't thank you?

(End of this chapter)