golden scales

Wu Yi has seen the tragic end of bankrupt farmers.

In the year of the Jiashen state change, he returned to his hometown in Suzhou from Beijing.Let alone Jiangbei, it's a purgatory on earth.Even if he entered the Wujiang area he had known since he was a child, people still died on the streets.Sitting on the small rocking boat full of childhood memories, Wu Yi watched with his own eyes the boatman numbly using the oar to push away large and small corpses on the water.

"It's not a disaster year, how can so many people die?" Wu Yi still felt a little numb when he recalled it.

"I owe debts, the land is gone, my wife and children are sold, and my livelihood is cut off. What can I do if I don't jump into the river?" one of them.This year when the north was attacked by soldiers, the big households in the south were particularly vicious, and they refused to sell any kindness.Many families with solid foundations couldn't make it through, and the whole family committed suicide.

"The Chen family who sells sugar in the town also has a solid foundation. His family sells sugar! I passed by his door the day before yesterday, and when I saw a board, many people surrounded them and shouted. It turned out that the debt owed by the boss was not paid. On the day, he couldn't get back what was owed to him, so he simply bought arsenic and mixed it in sugar water. All six members of the family died.

"The ones shouting at the door are all depositing money in his locker, greedy for the interest, and now it looks like someone will hang himself when they go home." The boat boss whispered the news of the town, which made Wu Yi very worried.

Wu Yi didn't know that his family also had foreign debts and received usury loans. Some people also sold themselves because they couldn't pay the money.These are all Zhuangtou's affairs. Although he is a Jinshi, the family's financial affairs are in the hands of his parents. He only needs to stand on the commanding heights of morality and sympathize with him.

Since the National Revolution, the situation in Jiangnan has become worse day by day.At first, it was only these small households that went bankrupt, and later even wealthy families in the city were inevitably ruined.When those big families pressed for debts, there was an extra argument: "Now the emperor is fighting in the north, so why don't you want money? If the army hasn't come over now, send the money over by yourself first, and you can live a good life after the war. If The army has fled to the south of the Yangtze River, but not even a single tile is left for you."

The reasoning goes like this, as long as the crown prince does not cross the river.The wealthy Jiangnan family felt that there was still hope in the world, so they tightened their belts and wanted to send the grain tax over.Of course, the crown prince has crossed the river now, and he has killed all the way from Nanjing to Zhejiang.Even the relatives who fought with the Zhu family in the world were destroyed, and people were really panicked.

I don't know when ordinary people will be able to survive.

……

When Wu Yi mentioned the emotional part, tears flowed down uncontrollably.After he poured out all the sufferings of the people that he had seen and heard over the years, it was as if a huge stone had been lifted from his heart, and he felt relieved for a while.He wiped away his tears, bowed and said: "I should be punished for the crime of disrespect, but I really can't express my heart."

"Very good." Zhu Cihong spat out the two words expressionlessly, even the servants who had followed him for many years could not taste any attitude of the crown prince from it.In many cases, the crown prince is like an old eunuch who is seven or eighty years old.No one can figure out his depth at all.

Zhu Cihong stood up and reaffirmed: "Very good." Everyone looked up at him hesitantly, wondering where this "good" came from.

"Since I went south, more than one person has cried for poverty, but I have never taken it seriously." Zhu Cihong walked in front of Wu Yi.Said: "I believe you."

Wu Yi looked at the crown prince in astonishment, thinking about why he could get such great favor.

"Because if the country had not been corrupted to the bottom, such things as national change would not have happened." Zhu Cihong patted the young scholar on the shoulder and said, "And the country's corruption must be caused by the officials' wanton gluttony, which harms the public and private interests. It is a thousand-year-old iron law, and you can know it without even thinking about it. Next are all kinds of officials, handymen, public servants, and public servants. If they don’t follow suit, they themselves will not be able to live a good life. After eating, Xiaomin will be eaten until there are no bones left."

"Your Highness..." Tears welled up in Wu Yi's eyes again, and there was only one voice in his heart: So His Highness knows it all!

"I have a lot of infamy, among them is treating my subordinates harshly and disrespecting ministers." Zhu Cilang looked around and said, "You can tell from your heart, although the workload in my hands is more heavy, but which one is less in salary, bonuses, and vacations? Is it natural for officials to take money and not work hard? As for those ministers and relatives who were exiled by me. Think about it carefully, is it because I want to impose crimes? Which one is not because I am too cruel to the people, so I have to use ruthless hands to get rid of them? ?”

"However, the country gentry, noble relatives, and ministers of the Ming Dynasty have some public hearts, and they are not just greedy and plundering. Why can't I tolerate them?" Zhu Cihong bluffed his arms: "Mencius said that solitary happiness is not as good as public happiness. Don't I understand this truth? It's just for the people. Bangben, any silverfish that harms our Bangben should not be hated by my family, but should be punished by everyone in the world!"

After saying this, Zhu Cihong finally poured out the suppressed resentment in his heart, and said, "Wu Yi, your family is also a Wujiang surname. You are also a Jinshi, the mainstay of your family. Is there anyone in your family who uses your banner to gather and annex? Has no one used your post to take the lawsuit? Has anyone relied on your official voice to send usury, forcing small households to sell their sons and daughters?"

Wu Yi was in a cold sweat when he was questioned, and was about to plead guilty, but was supported by the crown prince.I just heard him say: "Even if there is, I don't think you know it. If you knew, you wouldn't tell me about the hardships of these ordinary people. I can tell you one more thing. Daming's "Tax Law" has been In 18, the cabinet began to discuss, but it has not been issued yet. Why? Mr. Jiang Ge is unwilling to countersign. Mr. Jiang Ge is outstanding in everything from knowledge, character, officialdom, and handling of affairs, but why in this matter? Will you not let go?"

Wu Yi didn't know there was such a thing, and was shocked.

"Because he can't betray his blood relatives." Zhu Cihong simply said: "In this world where filial piety is the foundation, he can't, you can't, and I can't either. So the people deserve to be fished and tortured to death? In fact, the people also He refused to obediently starve to death, that's why he had Wang Jiayin, Gao Yingxiang, Li Chuang and Xian Bandit, and even the slave change not long ago."

"Why can't we curb some greed, let the common people live and work in peace and contentment, the rich and powerful always protect their families, and the heavenly family will be governed, so that the world will be peaceful in the end, so that the world of Datong can be approached?" Zhu Cihong stared at Wu Yi.

Wu Yi seemed to feel a hot current coming from his dantian, which made him excited.The dead knot that had troubled him for a long time was suddenly broken, and he responded: "Your Highness's words are absolutely true! Tianjia, Shijia, Minjia, it shouldn't be like you have me and you have nothing, and you live or die! The sage established religion precisely for the sake of the people's well-being, Everyone gets what they want. The propriety is the same. It is someone who behaved indecently, which led to today's embarrassment. I think that His Highness's strict laws and disciplines are just to cut off the claws of indecentness, so I can do it!"

"Since the cabinet can't come up with a tax law, let's start with Zhejiang." Wu Yi said: "I am willing to go door-to-door to collect public opinions and promote the promotion of this law in Zhejiang."

Originally, Zhu Cihong did not want important laws of the country to be produced from the bottom up. This would likely cause judicial chaos similar to that in the United States, increase judicial costs, and even bury the hidden danger of "inter-provincial self-government".However, Zhejiang has always been the hometown of China, and it is also an important city of wealth. If it is properly relaxed under the supervision, it will be the entry point to break the deadlock.

"It's just Your Highness," Wu Yi raised his head, "I heard about a small matter..."

"Say."

"I heard that His Highness recruited Canniang that day and promised to give her family the net profit from selling silk in the previous year. Is there such a thing?" Wu Yi asked.

"Yes, because the situation in different places is different, it is not appropriate to set a unified price, and only the income of the family in the previous year shall prevail." Zhu Cihong said.

"But the official price given by the states and counties is ten taels of silver per person." Wu Yidao: "When we go to each family in the village, the more can get six or seven taels, and the less can only get one or two taels! How can this situation be eliminated?"

Zhu Cihong couldn't help but secretly resented, and said with a calm smile, "This is also in Zhejiang, go to Shandong and Henan to see if there will be such a thing."

Wu Yi was stunned: "Your Highness is saying that Jiangnan officials are particularly greedy?"

"People's greed is the same, but there are some things that can restrain greed." Zhu Cihong said: "For example, awe, such as honor. It is not only the responsibility of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to commend industrious and honest officials and severely punish mediocre moths. On weekdays, you should check yourselves and police yourself, it will be too late when the Metropolitan Procuratorate arrives."

"I originally wanted to wait for the second half of the year to find a strong chief envoy for Zhejiang, but since you have a heart for the people and seem to have some illusions about reasoning, you might as well let you take the post of chief envoy temporarily. I'll see the effect in October." Zhu Cihong said.

Wu Yi was worried that his name would not be right, but now that he has the title of chief minister, it is much easier.

"In addition, I can give you a suggestion about the bankruptcy of farmers that you are worried about." Zhu Cihong said: "Construct large-scale construction and use work as relief. It is not terrible for farmers to lose their land. What is terrible is that they will lose their jobs once they lose their land. Zhejiang Water Network dense, plains and mountains coexist, how many people can find work just by building bridges and paving roads?"

"But the library is empty..."

"Collect taxes from the rich, and steal the homes of corrupt officials." Zhu Cihong said with a smile, "And you can report the money."

The first two gave Wu Yi a chill, but the purpose of the last "report" was unclear.

"You can choose some young and capable young people who are passionate about people's livelihood. First go to the School of Administration to learn the rules, and it will be much more convenient for you to govern. Well, yes, Liao Xing, your Zhejiang envoy, is a capable official. He runs the Henan Administration. The effect of the academy is very good. You might as well walk around with him more." Zhu Cihong said again.

When Wu Yi heard Zhu Cilang mention Liao Xing, he couldn't help but blush.He and Liao Xing's Tixue Academy are separated by a fire lane, so it can be said that you can't look up and look down, but because Liao Xing's notoriety is so obvious, he hasn't spoken a word to Liao Xing so far.It sounds like the Crown Prince attaches great importance to Liao Xing, and it seems that he has no choice but to date him.

Ps:

Ask for a recommendation ticket, ask for a monthly ticket~~~!It has fallen to No.9. This is the rhythm of falling from 6000 yuan to 1 yuan. The loss is huge~~~Please help.