Go back to the Ming Dynasty to be a thousand households

Chapter 99 Becoming famous all over the world in one fell swoop ([-])

Inside the East Nuan Pavilion, Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun and a group of cabinet ministers were sitting upright, listening carefully to what Yang Dawei, a thousand householder of Jinyiwei, told Wuzhai Fort in Wuguan, Zhenning, Shanxi.

Compared with the previous few days, today all the cabinet ministers in Dongnuan Pavilion are basically present, which shows that the emperor and ministers attach great importance to today's matter.Among these people are Shen Shixing, the chief assistant of the cabinet and the minister of the Ministry of officials, Xu Guo, the second assistant and minister of the Ministry of rites, Wang Lin, the minister of the household department, Shi Xing, the minister of the military department, and Zeng Tongheng, the minister of the Ministry of industry.They are all Qilin gowns made of the same color of red ramie silk and silk, with a wide collar, slanted collar, loose sleeves, and a pattern of cranes flying in the clouds on their chests.

In addition, Shen Shixing, the chief assistant of the cabinet, even wore a nine-python five-claw python robe with a jade belt around his waist. This python robe is similar to the dragon uniform worn by the emperor. Eunuchs and ministers are bestowed with special rewards, and it is considered a great honor to receive such gifts. Shen Shixing was awarded the boa robe in the 13th year of Wanli.

Of course, in addition to these cabinet ministers, there was also Liu Shouyou, the governor of Jinyiwei, who was wearing a flying fish suit, and his face was beaming at this time.A few days ago, that is, on September 9, the matter of the bumper harvest in Wuzhai Fort caused controversy among the cabinet ministers in the Dongnuan Pavilion, and then quickly spread to the outside world. The officials in the capital were discussing in an uproar.

Everyone's first reaction was unbelievable. In this year, when the inland states and counties are in depression, there is still a bumper harvest for a bitterly cold military fort?Everyone couldn't believe it. For a while, the matter about Wuzhai Fort and Huang Laifu, a thousand households in Wuzhai Fort, became a hot topic among everyone. After a stop, everyone followed their own ways and asked people to ask in the direction of Wuzhaibao what was going on.
Regarding the matter of Wuzhai Fort, Liu Shouyou, the governor of Jinyiwei, was naturally more concerned, because a few days ago, several cabinet ministers openly questioned himself in front of the emperor, which was related to his future. After Yang Dawei arrived in the capital yesterday, Liu Shouyou recruited him for questioning, and he knew it well at this time, with a very relaxed expression on his face, he couldn't run away from the comment of his subordinate's ability to handle affairs.

At this time in Dongnuan Pavilion, Wanli Emperor Zhu Yijun was also in a very happy mood. While listening to Yang Dawei's narration, he looked at the expressions of the cabinet ministers from time to time. Seeing that everyone had different expressions on their faces, he was secretly happy. beautiful.

After Huang Laifu's matter is confirmed, if there are still officials and civil servants who make irresponsible remarks about the natural disaster, then he will not be polite, and will directly use the excuse of incompetence and dereliction of duty to give those civil servants some color.No, under the same natural disaster situation, Wuzhaibao, a bitterly cold place, can have a good harvest, but those rich lands in the interior have no harvest. What shame do they have?

He looked at Yang Dawei who was talking at this time. He was a rough and honest middle-aged man. He was sitting on a small brocade couch and described everything in Wuzhaibao in a rather nervous tone. From reclaiming the land to a bumper harvest, all kinds of things, big and small, are described one by one.In addition, Yang Dawei also talked about the large livestock farm in Wuzhai Fort. He said that in a short time, Wuzhai Fort would be full of pigs and sheep again, and it would be another scene, which attracted the attention of everyone in the pavilion.

Yang Dawei's words were very simple, without any gorgeous tone, but because of this, they were more convincing. For a while, the pastoral and fiery scenery of Wuzhai Fort made several cabinet ministers yearn for it.

Finally, Yang Dawei said: "This is the situation in Wuzhai Fort that I have seen. There is also a local song, which is said to be written by Huang Laifu, a thousand householder in Wuzhai Fort. It describes the local situation very well."

"Oh." Emperor Wanli was very interested, and said: "This Huang Laifu is a talent, he can also compose ballads, what kind of ballad is it, can you sing it?"

Yang Dawei said a little timidly: "When I am free, I will hum a few words, but...the singing is not good, I am afraid that the emperor and the ministers will laugh at me."

Emperor Wanli smiled and said, "It's okay, just sing, no one will laugh at you."

Yang Dawei blushed and said: "Then the humble minister will sing."

He stood up, imitating what Liu Yumei looked like to him, opened his posture, opened his mouth, widened his eyes, stretched out his hand, and sang loudly: "The fragrance of flowers in the flower basket, listen to me sing, sing!" I came to Wuzhai Fort, a good place for Wuzhai Fort, a good place for beautiful scenery, crops everywhere, pigs and sheep everywhere... In the past, Wuzhai Fort was full of barren hills and there was no human habitation. Today's Wuzhai Fort The fort is different from previous years. It is not ordinary. Today's Wuzhai Fort is different from previous years. It is no longer the old look, it is a good Jiangnan in northern Shanxi..."
Yang Dawei sang like ghosts and wolves, and with that appearance, Emperor Wanli couldn't help laughing. Several cabinet ministers also smiled at each other, and even the eunuchs and maids on duty secretly covered their mouths. laugh.

After Yang Dawei sang, he just stood awkwardly, and said coyly: "I know that the emperor and ministers will laugh at me."

Emperor Wanli held back his laughter and said, "You sing very well, please sit down."

At the same time, I had an idea in my heart. From Yang Dawei's words and the strange song about Wuzhai Fort, it can be heard that the Wuzhai Fort story is absolutely true, and the proud and beautiful scenery in the song is also from the heart. Intoxicated, this made him wonder why a mere military fort in Wuzhaibao could produce so much grain, and in the near future, there would be a harvest of pigs and sheep all over the ground, and there would be countless income.

And the three palaces near my capital, the Ciqing Palace, the Cining Palace, and the honest and upright officials, have a total of hundreds of hectares of land, and they are all fertile land, but the grains are in arrears every year. At that time, the annual silver income was only 280 taels, [-] cents, [-] cents, [-] cent, [-] cents, and it was far from Wuzhaibao.

Zhu Yijun, Emperor Wanli suddenly had an idea, whether he should send someone to Wuzhai Fort to find out the reason for the bumper harvest in Wuzhai Fort, and also, I heard that the small thousand households in Wuzhai Fort will make great efforts this year. By reclaiming the wasteland of Wuzhai Fort and surrounding military forts, I might be able to...

After Yang Dawei sat down respectfully, several cabinet ministers exchanged glances with each other, and the chief minister of the cabinet, Shen Shixing, smiled and said: "Your Majesty, it seems that the Wuzhaibao incident is true. This is the luck of Ming Dynasty, old minister. I would like to congratulate the emperor here, and just wait for the memorial of the officials of the local household department in Shanxi Town to come up, and Huang Laifu, a thousand households in Wuzhaibao, can be commended vigorously, as an example for the guards and officials in various places."
Emperor Wanli said lightly: "Of course."

On the other hand, Zeng Tongheng, a gray-haired Minister of the Ministry of Industry who was approaching his sixties, was very interested in the various large waterwheels in Wuzhai Fort that Yang Dawei described.

Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry once shared, Jinshi in the 38th year of Jiajing, successively served as the head of the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Rites, Wenxuan of the Ministry of Officials, doctor of Wenxuan of the Ministry of Officials, Taili Shaochao, Yushi of the right deputy, Taichangchao, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, Shangshu of the Ministry of Officials of Nanjing, etc. job.Zeng Tongxiang was relatively clean and honest as an official, and he usually paid attention to saving expenses. When he was the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, he supervised the construction of the Empress Dowager's Shougong, saving more than 30 taels of silver.When he was Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zeng Tongheng managed finances, supervised construction, tried his best to save money, and resolutely refused to pay any improper expenses.In the 33rd year of Wanli, Zeng Tongheng retired from old age and returned to his hometown. He died of illness two years later at the age of 75.

At this time, he questioned Yang Dawei carefully for a while, especially about the big water truck in Wuzhai Fort that Yang Dawei said just now, and said excitedly: "Your Majesty, the old minister thinks that the reason why Wuzhai Fort has a good harvest seems to be Because of this kind of waterwheel, deep water is drawn up from the ground, and even in times of famine, the farmland can be irrigated with water. The old minister implored the emperor to order Huang Laifu, a thousand households in Wuzhaibao, to pay tribute to the samples and drawings of various waterwheels. Craftsmen, etc., to promote the world and benefit the people all over the Ming Dynasty."

Emperor Wanli smiled and said, "Zuzao!"

Wang Lin, Minister of the Household Department, and Shen Shixing, Chief Assistant of the Cabinet, looked at each other, and Wang Lin said, "Just now I heard from Yang Qianhu that this Wuzhai Fort has collected 43 shi of grain this year, and it happens that the guards near Wuzhai Fort The farmland in the military town is short of harvest, so I ask the emperor to expropriate the grain in Wuzhaibao to help the local military town."

In recent years, the Ministry of Households has not been able to meet its annual income. On June 330 this year, Wang Lin also asked: "Because of the severe famine last year, several lines of reductions were made, and the annual income was only 100 taels. The output was 180 more than the income. More than 170 taels, Lai Laoku issued [-] million taels of silver. This year’s income is no less than [-] million taels. In addition to what has been issued, it is only more than [-] taels in the treasury, and only [-] million taels in the old treasury. How can all the expenses be paid out? , still less than one million taels. Today, the hole has been exhausted, and there is no source of recovery. And the annual income is decreasing, and the annual output is increasing. We should strictly cut redundant staff and save expenses..."

He believes that it is necessary to cut redundant staff and save expenses, just like some paid officials of Jinyiwei.The class of translation students, general affairs and preface of Honglu Temple in the Ministry of Rites.The cooks of Guanglu Temple, the craftsmen of the supervisory bureaus, the addition of the chiefs of the foreign assistants, the annual regulations of the nine borders, and the offering fees for the host and guest market rewards, etc., should be prioritized and cut gradually, so as to save money as a way to make money .

However, these suggestions of his were strongly opposed by all parties, and in the end they had to be left alone.Over the years, he has been troubled by financial matters. Seeing the bumper harvest in Wuzhai Fort, he naturally thought of expropriating grain, although the bumper harvest in Wuzhai Fort is still not decisive for Daming. If you want to requisition food and money, you won’t be able to collect much, but no matter how small a mosquito’s legs are, it’s still meat, isn’t it?For the money of the household department, Wang Lin decided to go all out.

(End of this chapter)