Mingshi

Chapter 1504 Zhang Juzheng Visits

He beckoned to Xiaoer, and asked Xiaoer to bring the dishes to Zhang Juzheng's table, and he came to sit opposite Zhang Juzheng with a wine glass.Zhang Juzheng looked up and saw Luo Xin, he was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile and said:

"Let's not laugh at it."

"how so?"

Luo Xin put down the wine glass, picked up the jug and filled Zhang Juzheng with wine, then filled his own glass, then raised the wine glass, made a gesture, and drank it down in one gulp.Zhang Juzheng also picked up the wine glass and drank it down in one gulp, and said in silence for a moment:

"Xu Li is getting engaged."

The expression on Luo Xin's face was startled just right, Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes slightly and said:

"You do not know?"

"I don't know!" Luo Xin shook his head and said, "Nowadays, the officials and envoys are fierce, and I'm already devastated about the affairs of the scriptures and the canonization of the crown prince."

This time it was Zhang Juzheng's turn to be stunned for a moment, and then he gave a wry smile. At this moment, he believed that Luo Xin didn't know.How could he not know that there are countless officials and envoys staring at Luo Xin?And among those people, some of them were arranged by Xu Jie, and he, Zhang Juzheng, also participated in it.It is normal for Luo Xin not to have the energy to care about these gossips.

"I don't know whose son-in-law is so lucky to become the son-in-law of the chief minister of the cabinet?" Luo Xin picked up the jug and poured wine for both parties.

"You are no stranger, Zhang Siwei."

"Oh!" Luo Xin nodded and said, "This person is still talented."

A trace of hostility suddenly appeared on Zhang Juzheng's face, and he spat out a sentence with the smell of alcohol:

"Is he worthy?"

After saying this, he grabbed the wine glass and drank it down in one gulp, but was choked and coughed non-stop.

Luo Xin silently accompanied him to have a drink. After Zhang Juzheng stopped coughing, he grabbed the jug and filled it for Luo Xin, saying:
"No, drink with me."

After finishing the words, he put down the jug, picked up the wine glass and said, "I'll do it first as a respect."

After gulping it down, he grabbed the glass again and said, "Come again."

Luo Xin still has a lot of alcohol, so he silently drank with Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Juzheng didn't speak, just drank, and the two of them just drank one cup at a time.

"Come again!"

Luo Xin sighed, stretched out his hand to hold down the jug, Zhang Juzheng looked up at Luo Xin, Luo Xin also looked directly at Zhang Juzheng, and said in a concentrated voice:
"Taiyue, Xu Jie's daughter is not suitable for you."

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng remained silent, but suddenly exerted force on the hand holding the jug.Luo Xin said softly:

"Taiyue, you can't have your cake and eat it at the same time. You are a person with great ambition. If you marry Xu Jie's daughter, you will never have a bright future. Xu Jie is your teacher. A teacher trains and promotes students. It is a rule recognized by the Ming Dynasty, and no one objects to it, and everyone agrees with it. However, once you become Xu Jie's son-in-law, Xu Jie will avoid suspicion."

Zhang Juzheng's hand holding the flagon was even stronger, Luo Xin looked directly at him and said, "Fish or bear's paw, you have to make a choice."

Luo Xin withdrew his hand and looked at Zhang Juzheng.Zhang Juzheng suddenly grabbed the jug, poured it directly into his mouth, until he poured all the wine into his mouth, then looked at Luo Xin with a grin and said:

"No, I'm not as good as you."

After speaking, he lay down on the table and fell asleep.

Luo Xin couldn't help shaking his head and smiling bitterly, guessing in his heart that Xu Jie might have already seen that Zhang Juzheng and Xu Li had feelings for each other, so he cut the mess quickly and didn't give Zhang Juzheng a chance.

Luo Xin got up and paid for the food, then went out to find Zhang Juzheng's sedan chair, and asked Zhang Juzheng's servants to come in and help Zhang Juzheng into the sedan chair, watching the sedan chair leave, Luo Xin got into his own sedan chair and headed towards his mansion go back up.

The next day.

Luo Xin was reviewing the documents in his duty room when he saw the clerk come in and report that Zhang Juzheng had come.

Luo Xin was really surprised, Zhang Juzheng came to his place so blatantly, isn't he afraid that Xu Jie would think too much?Or, it was originally Xu Jie who asked him to come here?
Putting down the copy in his hand, he came out to meet each other, led Zhang Juzheng to his guard room, poured tea, looked at Zhang Juzheng, his demeanor and clothes did not reveal the appearance of being drunk yesterday.

After Luo Xin was also seated, Zhang Juzheng cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the solution yesterday."

Luo Xin shook his head and said, "It's a great joy to see brother Tai Yue recovering as before. Substituting tea for wine, it's a big deal."

Zhang Juzheng picked up the teacup, took a sip with Luo Xin, then put down the teacup and said:
"It looks fine on the surface, but my head is still buzzing."

"Hahaha..." Luo Xin couldn't help laughing.Then he said: "It seems that Brother Tai Yue has made a choice."

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but wryly smiled and said, "Do I have the right to choose?"

Master Luo was stunned for a moment, but then understood.Zhang Juzheng did not have the right to choose.Xu Jie betrothed Xu Li to Zhang Siwei.Zhang Juzheng wanted to choose love, but he couldn't choose, he could only choose career.

"Let's not talk about that, I'm here this time to discuss something with you."

"You said."

"I would like to reform the taxation. In the future, no grain will be collected, only cash."

There was no surprise on Luo Xin's face, Zhang Juzheng had reformed like this in history.In the past, the imperial court collected taxes by collecting grain.Moreover, the farmers are required to send the grain to the yamen in various places, and then the yamen will send it to the state capitals, and the state capitals will then distribute it.During this period, a lot of loss occurred, and the person who delivered the food also had to eat food, right?
Therefore, the loss is very large.

Inside the lobby.

The door was closed tightly, and sunlight came in through a gap in the middle of the door, leaving a slender and straight line of light on the ground, like a blade.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng's words were like the blade of a knife.

"No, you also know that Ming's tax burden is very complicated. Every state and county not only has land taxes, but also corvees, various tributes and miscellaneous errands. The government is troublesome, and the people are also troublesome, and the consumption is huge. But if we take all of them It is converted into two pieces of silver and paid, instead of being sent by the people themselves, the government will collect and escort it in a unified way, turning the previous several complicated filings into one filing, which will benefit the court and the people.”

"That's right!" Luo Xin nodded and said, "Those who have land have to pay land taxes, and places with special products have to pay tribute, and the tributes paid in each specialty area are different, and males are subject to corvee and so on. Layers upon layers of exploitation make the people suffer unspeakably, and once a small natural disaster occurs, the people will be displaced."

Zhang Juzheng's eyes lit up and said: "You support me?"

"Reducing the burden on the common people and benefiting the court to increase income is so beneficial to the country and the people. Why don't you support it?" Luo Xin said with a smile: "However, the biggest part of these tax burdens is the land tax. Do you want to follow the previous one? Head-to-head tax increase, or land-based taxation?"

"Collect taxes with the fields!" Zhang Juzheng said bluntly.

Luo Xin smiled lightly and said, "Does your mentor agree?"

"What do you mean?"

*
*
(End of this chapter)