Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 56

Chen Tingjing was going through ups and downs in Yangqu, but the method of coordinating large households that the court received from him was like a treasure.After reading Chen Tingjing's brochure, Mingzhu nodded and said, "This is really a good idea! If the provinces can refer to it, it will definitely solve the worry about military pay!"

Gao Shiqi said in a low voice: "Master Mingzhu, Shiqi also read this booklet. It's a good idea. But such a good idea should be proposed by you!"

Mingzhu smiled and said: "Shiqi, this old man is not a person who asks for credit and rewards, and he will not be greedy for merit. I'm afraid there may be a mistake in a hundred secrets. I have to think about it."

As Mingzhu said, she hid Chen Tingjing's folder in the cage.Gao Shiqi nodded and said nothing, he had already figured out Mingzhu's temperament, and the matter that the Martial Arts University scholar said to think about it, most of it would be yellowed.

Two days later, Gao Shiqi received another brochure from Chen Tingjing. After reading it, he hurriedly reported to Mingzhu: "Master Mingzhu, Chen Tingjing quickly wrote the brochure again, saying that the method of coordinating large households cannot be implemented."

Mingzhu took Chen Tingjing's brochure, read it and asked, "Has Zhang Ying read this brochure?"

Gao Shiqi said: "Zhang Ying is not on duty today."

Mingzhu said: "Oh, no wonder I haven't seen him yet. I didn't intend to hide it from Zhang Ying, so let's not show it to him for now."

Gao Shiqi asked: "What is Master Mingzhu's plan?"

Mingzhu said: "I've been thinking about it for the past two days. It may not be a good idea to coordinate the big households. As long as the government is well-regulated and the big households are not allowed to exploit the people with excuses, it will be fine. Is that how it's done?"

Gao Shiqi hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Lord Mingzhu, you have a good opinion! The "Sixteen Points of the Sacred Edict" educates the world, most of the wealthy families are well-educated and reasonable, and they are well-mannered. They are all models of reading the Sacred Edict!"

Mingzhu said: "So, Chen Tingjing's later excerpt is clearly unreasonable."

Gao Shiqi asked: "Then we should tell the emperor about the method of coordinating large households?"

Mingzhu said: "I will immediately ask the emperor to send it to other provinces for reference! This is the credit of Chen Tingjing, you and I should be the beauty of adults!"

Seeing that Mingzhu said so, Gao Shiqi said nothing more.Mingzhu said again: "Zhang Ying is an honest man, don't let him know about Chen Tingjing's back story!"

Gao Shiqi nodded in agreement, and hid the notebook.

The emperor is summoning Fan Chengyun, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and Samuha, Shangshu of the Ministry of Households, to intervene in the war in Yunnan.Fan Chengyun was very anxious, and said: "Qizuo Emperor, I am going to suppress the army in Yunnan. The front line of Sichuan is blocked by snowstorms and cannot move forward. The front line of Guangxi encounters rebellious rebels, and the battle is very urgent. The most urgent thing right now is food and pay, Sa Mucha always said that the household department is in short supply, and the urgently needed supplies cannot keep up!"

Samuha said: "Show the emperor, Fan Chengyun is slandering the humble minister. In the past few years, the tax, money, tax and food have not been put into the treasury in full, and the court's expenses have increased every year. The Ministry of Households has done its best!"

The emperor said angrily: "It's useless for you to argue in front of me! You have to find a way!"

Fan Chengyun said: "This year's blizzard in Sichuan is a rare event in a century. It is really unexpected. The soldiers are in a dilemma. They can only wait in the garrison, and they are about to sit and eat. Wu Sangui concentrated his troops to deal with our Guangxi all the way, and the battle in Guangxi became more intense. Without sufficient supplies, the war will be unsustainable."

The emperor asked Samuha: "The money and food have not been put into the treasury in full, so you, the secretary of the household department, have nothing to do?"

Samuha said: "For this matter, the emperor took off the black hats of several governors last year, but there is still nothing to do!"

The emperor was furious: "Presumptuous! I want you to find a way, but you are trying to blame me!"

At this moment, Zhang Shande bowed and approached, and said: "Your Majesty, the great scholar Mingzhu has an audience!"

The emperor nodded.Zhang Shande understood what the emperor meant, and went out to invite Mingzhu to come in.After Mingzhu finished his visit, the emperor asked: "Mingzhu, you have served as Minister of the Ministry of War. I am discussing with them about the military salary. What good idea do you have?"

Ming Zhu said: "Qi Zuo Emperor, Ming Zhu couldn't think of any good idea, but Chen Tingjing came up with a good idea!"

The emperor was overjoyed, and hurriedly asked: "What can I do? Come and listen!"

Mingzhu said: "Chen Tingjing found out in Yangqu, Shanxi that there is a good way for large households to coordinate money and food, and the money and food in Yangqu are put into the treasury every year as scheduled! Chen Tingjing knew that the court's top priority is to raise military salaries, so he wrote a note and sent it back quickly! Chen Tingjing's memorial is here, respectfully invite the emperor to read it!"

Zhang Shande took the memorial and presented it to the emperor.Looking at the memorial, the emperor was overjoyed to shoot the case repeatedly, and said: "Okay, the grain and taxes are paid every year, but there is no need for the government to send people to urge them to pay!"

Mingzhu said: "It's exactly what the emperor's "Sixteen Items of the Holy Edict" enjoined, to save money and food!"

The emperor couldn't help but stood up and walked back and forth in the hall: "I want to reward Chen Tingjing well! I also want to reward that Dai Mengxiong well! Hey, Mingzhu, you Minister of the Ministry of Officials, do you know which department Dai Mengxiong is?"

Mingzhu replied: "Qizou the emperor, Dai Mengxiong's supervisor and magistrate all donated!"

After hearing this, the emperor applauded: "Donation? You see, there are often scholars who write articles scolding the imperial court, saying that the imperial court sells officials and ranks! Could it be that there are no good officials bought with money? Dai Mengxiong is a good official! And what? Talent can be of great use!"

The three ministers including Mingzhu praised the emperor's wisdom.The emperor said again: "At present, the imperial court needs money, and they can't increase apportionments to the common people for no reason. Rich people donate money to help the imperial court solve their urgent needs, and at the same time, they can serve as officials well. What's wrong with that?"

Mingzhu said: "Your Majesty, I think that the method of coordinating large households should be sent to all provinces for reference!"

The emperor rubbed his hands together and clapped his hands together, nodded again and again, and said: "Okay! Go ahead! Send this method to all provinces for reference! It's really the blessing of the ancestors! Chen Tingjing went to Shanxi and found a good way to coordinate the large households in Yangqu! All provinces refer to this method." This way, you won’t have to worry about money and food not being able to enter the treasury, and the military pay will be guaranteed! The eradication of Wu Sangui is just around the corner!"

Mingzhu looked at the emperor happily, and said again: "Your Majesty, I still have something to say. Chen Tingjing has made a great contribution this time, and I think he should be allowed to repay the merit and return to his original position!"

The emperor laughed and said: "It's not just the official reinstatement! I want to reward him heavily! People donated to build the Dragon Pavilion in Yangqu, and the method of big households coordinating money and food is also in Yangqu. It can be seen that Dai Mengxiong has a good way of governing the county! I want more Great rewards to Dai Mengxiong!"

Two days later, Mingzhu ran to the Qianqing Palace to see the emperor with a look of sincerity and fear.After hearing Zhang Shande's report, the emperor didn't know what happened again.Mingzhu lowered her head and entered the palace, went straight to the Xinuang Pavilion, knelt in front of the emperor, and said: "The emperor forgives the sin!"

The emperor asked: "Mingzhu, you are well, what is your crime?"

Mingzhu kowtowed and said: "That big family's overall plan will never work!"

The emperor was shocked, and asked: "Chen Tingjing personally saw the planning of the big household in Yangqu, and the ticket on Chen Tingjing's booklet was supposed to be written by you, why is it suddenly impossible?"

Mingzhu said: "I'm a poor minister, and I deserve death! It was Chen Tingjing himself who said that this method could not be implemented. Chen Tingjing planned things carefully. After he reported the method of coordinating large households, he found out that there was fraud in it, and then sent back a note. This Zhezichen only saw it, and he knew that something was wrong! You can't blame Chen Tingjing, you can only blame Weichen!"

The emperor slammed the book on the ground and said: "This is what makes me unable to step down! Chen Tingjing! I always say that he is mature and prudent, how can he take big things as a trifle! The official documents sent to the provinces the day before yesterday, let me accept them today Come back and make it void? Change the decree from day to day, who will listen to what I say in the future! Who will listen to the court's decrees!"

Mingzhu cried and said: "Your Majesty, if you don't take back the method of coordinating large households, it will harm the common people!"

The emperor opened his long eyes, and said: "No! I can't take it back! Mingzhu, do you intend to make me look bad?"

Mingzhu kowtowed to plead guilty, not daring to raise her eyes.The emperor calmed down and calmed down a little, before he said: "The decree is that the provinces shall not force the big households to coordinate, it is all voluntary; any big households who voluntarily coordinate the imperial grain and national taxes shall not use the excuse to exploit the people, and those who violate it will be severely punished!"

Mingzhu led the order and retreated, but still heard the emperor yelling and cursing inside.

At night, the emperor secretly summoned Zhang Ying in the Qianqing Palace and said, "I have been very irritable these days! I can't eat well, and I can't sleep well! The war in Yunnan is urgent, and the court has no good way to raise salaries. It's hard to get a big family to coordinate, but it's evil officials A bad way for the evil gentry to exploit the villagers!"

Zhang Yingzuo said: "My minister thinks that the method of tax collection is important, but the most important thing is whether the people can get anything. The imperial court lightly corvees and pays lightly, and rests with the people. This is the foundation of the country's stability. As long as the people's livelihood is rich, The imperial court is not worried about lack of money and food."

Although the emperor nodded, his mind was elsewhere, and he said: "I have summoned you now, and I want to talk about Chen Tingjing. You haven't seen the two excerpts of Chen Tingjing before and after, how could it be such a coincidence?"

Zhang Yingdao: "It happened that I was not on duty in those few days. I can only say that I didn't see it. If I make other guesses, I can't talk nonsense."

The emperor said: "I and you are the only ones here, so don't worry about the walls having ears. Tell the truth, is it really a coincidence?"

Zhang Yingdao: "The south study room is full of the emperor's trusted ministers, Zhang Ying dare not make random guesses."

Hearing this, the emperor was a little angry, and said: "Zhang Ying, Zhang Ying, I really don't know whether to call you an honest person or a good old man!"

But Zhang Ying said calmly: "It's not something that I have seen and heard personally, I will never talk nonsense!"

The emperor said: "Chen Tingjing personally saw and heard about the planning of the big family in Yangqu, but he turned around and slapped himself in the mouth again! This Chen Tingjing, he made me very ugly!"

Zhang Yingdao: "Chen Tingjing definitely didn't do it on purpose!"

The emperor said angrily: "If he dares to do it on purpose, I will kill him immediately!"

The emperor was furious and walked up and down impatiently.Zhang Ying paid attention to the emperor's expression, and seeing that the emperor's anger had calmed down a little, he said: "I dare to ask, how does the emperor want to deal with Chen Tingjing?"

But the emperor said: "I heard it, you want to intercede for Chen Tingjing again!"

Zhang Ying said: "I guess, the emperor summoned his ministers to meet him because he wanted them to intercede for Chen Tingjing."

The emperor was surprised when he heard this, and sat down to look at Zhang Ying.Zhang Ying also said: "The emperor is angry with Chen Tingjing, but also knows that Chen Tingjing is loyal. The emperor does not want to deal with Chen Tingjing, but it is really difficult to calm the anger in his chest, so he called his ministers to speak."

The emperor shook his head and said, "No! No! I want to punish Chen Tingjing severely!"

Zhang Yingdao: "The emperor knows that he cannot punish Chen Tingjing, so he is very upset!"

The emperor was even more surprised, and asked: "How do you know that I can't punish Chen Tingjing?"

Zhang Ying replied: "The emperor did not take back the method of coordinating large households sent to all provinces, which means that Chen Tingjing's previous proposal was not wrong; if the emperor retracted the method of coordinating large households, he approved Chen Tingjing's latter proposal. Therefore, no matter what, the emperor has no reason. Punish Chen Tingjing!"

The emperor let out a long sigh, leaned lazily on the back of the kang, and said, "Zhang Ying, you have spoken the truth in front of me today!"

Zhang Yingdao: "I say something that deserves death. Others regard the emperor as a god, but I always regard the emperor as a human being. If you measure people's hearts, things will be seen more clearly, and you will dare to speak if you have something to say."

The emperor sighed and said: "Zhang Ying, your words may be hard to hear on weekdays, but today I feel warm in my heart. I am too cold at a high place!"

Zhang Ying said again: "Qi Zou the emperor, the people donate to build the Dragon Pavilion, please also prohibit the court!"

The emperor looked at Zhang Ying silently for a long time, and then said: "You know that Chen Tingjing will prevent the people from building the Dragon Pavilion, so you deliberately recommend him to the Prime Minister. You have good intentions!"

Zhang Yingdao: "The good intentions of the minister are the loyalty to the emperor!"

The emperor thought for a while, and said: "Okay, wait for Chen Tingjing to come back and ask how the situation of the Dragon Pavilion in Yangqu is going, and then make plans."

Zhang Ying kowtowed: "The emperor is wise!"

The emperor said again: "Zhang Ying, when Chen Tingjing comes back, tell him not to bring up the matter of withdrawing the method of coordinating large households."

Zhang Ying asked: "Why is this the emperor? This method will not work!"

The emperor looked away and said: "The court is short of money!"

Zhang Ying wanted to say more, but the emperor waved his hand and said, "I'm tired, you can go back."

(End of this chapter)