Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Zhu Yunhuan ascended the throne and became emperor, and the Ming Dynasty now began to enter the stage of "generation change" in an orderly manner.

This naturally means that a series of arrangements have to be made for many things. The good news is that Zhu Yunhuan had a profound influence on the court before, so the transfer of imperial power now seems very smooth.

After Ru Hong left, Yu Xin was called to Wuying Palace. The Ming Dynasty's purse has been under great pressure recently.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Xia Yuanji and asked, "How did you discuss the treasure note issue with Minister Yu?"

Xia Yuanji quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I think it will take at least five years to make the Baochao circulate throughout the country. Although the court has been gradually relaxing the rules in the past two years, the current situation of the Baochao has not improved."

There is nothing wrong with this statement. In the final analysis, it is a matter of "it's hard to reverse the situation". Since the founding of the country, the people have been using banknotes to make money, so that the banknotes have been depreciating continuously and the people have lost confidence in the banknotes.

It only takes a moment to lose confidence, but it will take time to rebuild it.

Yu Xin also said quickly, "Your Majesty, the court has now begun to recall the treasure notes and use various methods to maintain the treasure notes. The salaries of court officials and the expenses of the royal family are also mostly paid in treasure notes."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and nodded, "This is the best arrangement. We can't just let the people bear the burden. If these dignitaries start to collect and use treasure notes, the effect will be much better. The most important thing is to keep an eye on the prefectures and cities. The court's recognition of treasure notes is the foundation!"

Yu Xin and Xia Yuanji naturally understood this truth. The Baochao was previously disliked by the people because the imperial court treated the Baochao as money when it issued it. However, the people wanted the government to take back the Baochao as money, but they would not accept it.

Zhu Yunhuan continued, "I was just discussing with Minister Ru whether we should consider increasing the salaries of officials. I know how hard it is for officials. We had no other choice before, as the country was in trouble and the people were in need. Now that the court's finances are better, we should not continue to let the officials suffer."

Yu Xin's reaction was similar to Ru Hong's. He obviously did not expect the emperor to take the initiative to bring up the issue of salary increase.

You should know that Emperor Hongwu used to let some officials provide their own government offices when they took office. He tried to save as much as possible and was almost unwilling to spend any more money on officials.

Although all officials understand that the salary is low, they still rush into the officialdom for various reasons.

But now if the court is really willing to increase the salaries of officials, that would naturally be the best thing. Who doesn’t want more money? Who doesn’t want to have more income legally and reasonably and live a better life?

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Yu Xin and Xia Yuanji and asked, "The court is going to dredge the canal and renovate the Eastern Tomb next year, and there are many other things to do. If we increase the salaries of officials now, will the finances be sufficient?"

This was something that Zhu Yunhuan was very worried about. Increasing the salaries of officials was not something that could be solved by just saying it casually. It required real money, actual grain and banknotes.

After all, part of the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials were directly given as food and so on.

Yu Xin immediately said, "Your Majesty, I think that although the salaries of officials are low, the court will also give them a lot of subsidies."

This is also true, the court will still provide subsidies.

For example, during the time of Zhu Yuanzhang, the initial salary was always paid in the form of rice, which was later adjusted to rice and banknotes.

Although adjustments were made in the 13th year of Hongwu, and the salaries of officials above the fourth rank were increased significantly, the salaries of middle and low-level officials were not high.

However, subsidies such as fire consumption fees are only a temporary solution and do not address the root cause. They are still not enough to improve the treatment of officials.

Yu Xin continued, "Your Majesty, I think the salaries of officials above the fourth rank are sufficient for now, but the salaries of officials below the fourth rank are too low, and many of these officials are in trouble."

Zhu Yunhuan naturally understood this, and nodded with a smile, saying, "I am not planning to increase the salaries of high-ranking officials. Officials below the fourth rank are mostly people-friendly officials. They are low-ranking but powerful, and if their salaries are too low, it is indeed easy for them to have some crooked thoughts."

After hearing what Zhu Yunhuan said, not to mention Yu Xin, Xia Yuanji and Daoyan also agreed. They were well aware of this kind of situation. These problems were like lice on a rabbit's head, which were too conspicuous.

Zhu Yunhuan then said, "There is no need to publicize these things now. Remember to discuss it with Shangshu Ru in private, and the monk can go and listen."

Yu Xin and Dao Yan hurriedly accepted the order. They now knew that this was a phased matter, so they would hold some closed-door meetings first, and then report to the emperor when there were preliminary results.

If it were to be brought up for discussion in the court now, it would inevitably cause discussion among many officials, as it also concerns their interests.

So it is better to keep a low profile for the time being. This can indeed help avoid some unnecessary troubles. Maybe if there are fewer people around, you can get to know some results earlier.

Yu Xin then said seriously, "Your Majesty, if there is no war next year, there is no need to worry about the finances. Although the expenses are high, it is enough for the time being."

"There will be no war next year. I know this." Zhu Yunhuan also understood Yu Xin's worries. "But you should not take it lightly. If there is a rebellion, we must send troops."

Yu Xin also quickly spoke up, "Your Majesty, I understand."

What Yu Xin is most worried about is that the Ming Dynasty will continue to send large armies to the north. If this situation really happens, then military expenditures and other expenses will naturally not be reduced.

After all, since the reign of Emperor Hongwu, the main threat to the Ming Dynasty came from the north. Even though the Mongols were driven further and further north, the imperial court still did not give up the pursuit and weakening of these enemies.

As for rebellion, there is nothing we can do about it. Whether it is Jianchang Wei, Wuliangha Wei, etc., if these surrendered forces rebel, the imperial court must suppress them when it is time.

"Chen Xuan and Minister Yan are definitely preparing to ask for money and people, so we should make arrangements here as soon as possible." Zhu Yunhuan said, "It is enough to just determine the location of the imperial mausoleum. There is no need to start large-scale construction."

Yan Zhenzhi and Chen Xuan will be responsible for dredging the Grand Canal, which is a huge expense and is inevitable.

The imperial court is now stretched to the limit, so if it does not intend to empty its coffers, it can only think of finding solutions from other places.

The upgrade of the Eastern Mausoleum to the Imperial Mausoleum cannot be delayed, but it does not need to be completed all at once. As for Zhu Yunhuan's Imperial Mausoleum, there is no rush to start construction. After selecting the site, just send some people there. It does not cost much.

Yu Xin mustered up the courage to speak, "Your Highness, there are many ships in Taicang. I heard that there are a lot of porcelain, silk, tea, etc. shipped to Taicang. If we can get more gold and silver from overseas, the national treasury will have a surplus."

"Why, are you targeting me already?" Zhu Yunhuan joked, "You know the last time we went out to sea, they were all generals and soldiers, destroying a country and eliminating bandits, you can't take them seriously." When the emperor became shameless and refused to admit his mistakes, Yu Xin, the money bag of the Ming Dynasty, could only sigh helplessly.

There are some things that everyone knows well. The fleet did bring back countless gold, silver and treasures from overseas before, and many people were eagerly looking forward to getting a piece of the pie.

But even now, the emperor still insisted that it was a pure military action, to eliminate pirates, eliminate disloyalty, etc. It was not a serious trade, so the civil servants should not worry too much about it.

Everyone is trying their best to get a piece of the Maritime Customs, and all forces want to take a bite, because everyone knows the benefits involved.

Seeing Yu Xin's unwilling look, Zhu Yunhuan comforted him and said, "This time we sent officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple, and we'll talk about it later."

Yu Xin had no idea when this big pie would be realized. But the good trend was that His Majesty did not intend to let the royal family, clan members and nobles get the benefits, but still took the court into consideration.

Even when the fleet returned last time, some gold and silver were collected into the national treasury. The "confiscations" were also the property of the court. It was just that Yu Xin and others wanted to get more.

From the current perspective, we can only be more patient, wait and see. It is obvious that the emperor will not easily hand over the affairs of the Maritime Customs and maritime trade to the civil servants for control.

Even though Yu Xin was somewhat dissatisfied with this, there was really no better solution at the moment.

It was difficult for the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty to be tough even when facing the noble group, let alone the imperial power. What's more, this emperor was a powerful emperor who kept the noble group firmly in his hands.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

"Let the princes-in-law come over." Zhu Yunhuan said to Zhang Fusheng, "Let Fu Zhong come with you, quickly."

Zhang Fusheng understood what he meant. The so-called consorts were naturally Geng Xuan and Zhang Fu, the two of them were the emperor's brothers-in-law. Their status was already special, and now it is naturally even more special.

After all, the emperor was close to his two sisters, and everyone knew this. There were only five women with power in the Ming Dynasty, in addition to the queen, there were two aunts and two sisters.

Looking at Fu Zhong and the others, Zhu Yunhuan made direct arrangements, "You three go back to your hometown to offer sacrifices, and take the princes who have not yet been enfeoffed and my brother. The prince of Jingjiang will also go with you. After the spring comes, let them farm and understand the hardships of people's livelihood."

Fu Zhong and others immediately understood that sacrifices were naturally indispensable. Before the emperor ascended the throne, he arranged for people to go back to worship their ancestors. Now that he has ascended the throne, he naturally needs to send people back.

The return of these royal family members to their hometowns is in line with the Ming Dynasty's consistent style. Before the princes were granted titles and became fiefs, they basically had to stay in their hometown of Fengyang for a period of time.

Military training, military parades, farming, etc. are also a form of training and education, allowing members of the royal family to know that it is not easy to gain the throne.

As for the royal family members being punished and sent back to their hometowns after committing crimes, it goes without saying that Fengyang is the birthplace of the dragon. If some royal family members really need to be punished, Fengyang, their hometown, is naturally the best choice.

After arranging these things, the Minister of Rites Chen Di came to Wuying Hall again and reported in detail on a series of matters including the follow-up conclusion of the enthronement ceremony.

Naturally, there is also the Zhengdan Festival that is about to begin, which is the so-called grand court ceremony. This is the most important festival, and this is the node for officially starting the first year of Chengkang.

Naturally, all matters need to be arranged clearly, and everyone will be alert to these matters. After all, it is the first day of the new emperor's accession to the throne, and the symbolic meaning is also different.

It was not enough to just listen carefully to Chen Di's report. It was not enough to have Daoyan and Xia Yuanji listen in. Zhu Yunhuan summoned some old scholars and academicians, and he did not dare to be careless about matters of etiquette.

In the final analysis, the most important affairs of a country are sacrifices and war. He is very clear about this principle. If he does not pay attention to these matters, it would be unreasonable.

After the day's political affairs were basically handled, Zhu Yunhuan said, "Let's invite the princes and sons to come, and give them a banquet so that we can have a good reunion. Go and tell the emperor if he is willing to come."

The young eunuch went to report to various places. Zhang Fusheng asked with concern, "Your Majesty, is it hot pot today, or some other banquet?"

"Let's have some hot pot. It's freezing cold, so we should eat some hot pot to warm ourselves up." Zhu Yunhuan couldn't help but complain, "This damp and cold weather is really uncomfortable. Let's send someone to the Prince of Kaiping's mansion to ask more questions."

Zhang Fusheng and others had become accustomed to it. The wife of King Kaiping had always been in poor health, and the emperor and the empress would send people to ask about her almost every day, if not three times a day.

Needless to say, the Imperial Hospital had imperial doctors on duty, fearing that something might have gone wrong. But everyone knew that some things could not be changed by hard work.

Zhu Jihui and others came, and they were overjoyed. "Your Majesty, long live your Majesty."

Zhu Yunhuan joked, "Jihui should stand up first, and let them kneel down. They are all my brothers, so they should greet their elder brother."

Zhu Gaochi's face flushed red, but he couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, I am a few months older than you. It doesn't matter if we play around in private. It doesn't matter if Your Majesty has been calling me by my name since I was a child. There is just a certain order."

"Yunwen is one year older than me, and I have been calling him by his name since I was a child." Zhu Yunhuan then looked at Zhu Jihuan, "I seem to have been calling you by your name since I was a child, and I don't know how many beatings I received for this."

The other people couldn't help laughing as well. It was certainly not them who would beat Zhu Yunhun. They were just sons of princes studying in the imperial city at that time. The one who could beat Zhu Yunhun was naturally their uncle the emperor.

After a simple greeting, Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "This year the fleet will go out to sea. If each government contributes money and manpower, we will definitely gain something."

Zhu Jihui and others smiled happily, and then they flattered him, saying, "Your Majesty is far-sighted and far-sighted. We are far behind. We always thought that there were barbarians overseas, but we didn't expect there were so many gold and silver treasures."

"Everyone in the court is watching us. We can't just think about the royal family." Zhu Yunhuan emphasized, "You and I grew up together, and I am close to my uncles. But now I am the emperor, and I should also consider the country."

Zhu Jihui and others immediately felt something was wrong. Could it be that His Majesty was planning to reduce the treatment of royal family members again?

No, the supply has decreased, and everyone is thinking about finding some new income from overseas. They have just tasted some sweetness and are still very enthusiastic.

Why is it that the current emperor always targets members of the royal family and is always thinking about reducing their benefits?
His Majesty the Grandfather always thought of his children and grandchildren first when it came to benefits, but now the Emperor Chengkang is thinking of the country first! (End of this chapter)