The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Emperor Hongzhi waved his hand and ordered Xiao Jing to step aside and opened the memorial in person.

He read the poem word by word, his face as dark as frost.

Xu Yuan came to the capital to appeal. It took half a month. More than half of the people in the three places fled, and the cultivated land was abandoned.

Seeing Emperor Hongzhi's ugly face, Li Dongyang guessed most of it: "Your Majesty?"

"Less than 50% of the original people have fled." Emperor Hongzhi sighed: "I don't know how to resettle these refugees. Where is Yan Chengjin?"

The imperial court is considerate of all officials, and the snow is no worse than that of the previous court.

Li Dongyang hasn't seen Yan Chengjin for several days.

Wu Kuan said: "He should be hiding in his house, writing ballads, or reading the Ming Dynasty Code."

After Yan Chengjin arrived at the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he only did two things, writing ballads and reading Ming Dynasty laws.

Emperor Hongzhi was disappointed: "It's been three months. It's time for the census of population and land to come out. Why don't we see the Ministry of Household Affairs reporting?"

"Well... it should be within the next few days." Xie Qian said.

Household Department, room value.

Xie Yu's ten fingers were wrapped with white cloth.

He had to snap his fingers tens of thousands of times every day, and no matter how fast his hands were, the pain still made him grin.

Wrap your fingers with white cloth to make it easier.

After calculating again, he said: "Master Chen, gentlemen, the population has been calculated."

A thick new yellow book is placed on the desk.

Your Majesty has been urging us, and today, we finally counted the population first.

Chen Qing opened the yellow book: "I will take a look at it first and send it to His Majesty in a moment. How...how could this happen? It's absolutely impossible. Did you make a miscalculation?!"

According to statistics from the Yellow Book, there were 50,908,672 people in total.

In the fourth year of Hongzhi's reign, there were 53,288,111 people.

The results of Xie Yu's liquidation were more than two million fewer than those in Hongzhi's four years.

In other words, national strength is in decline.

How dare you report this to His Majesty?

Chen Qing felt cold from the inside out, as if there was a piece of ice in his stomach, and the chill spread from his heart to his feet.

He stood there sluggishly.

The two head clerks of the household department almost died of fright.

In such a prosperous age, there are still two million people missing?

"Sir, what should I do? Is this calculation wrong?"

"The calculation is wrong. It must be a mistake. Please try it again later." Chen Qing ordered in a panic.

The two chief clerks were so shocked that they couldn't muster any strength.

Xie Yu bowed: "The student checked it twice, and there are no deviations. If there is really a problem, there is something wrong with the yellow book submitted."

If there is any discrepancy in the yellow book, it is a deliberate concealment, which is the crime of deceiving the emperor.

He knew clearly that no matter what he said, he could not let these dog officials put the blame on himself.

"Sir, why don't you...order a re-investigation?"

Chen Qing snorted coldly: "Do you know which yellow book made the mistake? If they are all rechecked, the factory guards will definitely know about it."

If the factory guard knows it, His Majesty will know it.

At this moment, Chen Qing just wants to become an official.

Your Majesty is a generous man. If he becomes an official, he will definitely not pursue the case again and will not offend the gentry.

But His Majesty may not let him go.

Ma Wensheng is almost ninety years old. He has repeatedly requested to become an official, but his Majesty has always rejected it.

But after thinking about it, Chen Qing quickly came up with a solution.

He left the palace and came to Yan's Mansion. As long as he was impeached by Yan Chengjin, he could safely serve in office.

Yan Chengjin is at home, making final preparations.

How can I report: "Sir, there is someone outside who claims to be the left minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and wants to see you."

Chen Qing?

Chen Qing is in charge of the household department and knows all about the yellow records in the capital. It is not surprising that he knows his residence.

But, what are you doing to come to him? Has the amount of liquidation come out?

"No, I said I contracted typhoid fever and asked him to go back."

Whether it's the population or the pornographic list, getting infected is extremely troublesome.

Soon, He Neng ran to the door and reported: "Our young master said that he is missing... he is ill and asked you to go back."

"I want to see him,"

Chen Qing grabbed the door and walked straight into the atrium. Knowing that he was an official of the imperial court, how could he not dare to stop him.

Yan Chengjin stood in the main hall and said to Chen Qing: "Master Chen comes here again, and I will call you Jinyiwei."

Chen Qing ignored him and said bluntly: "I heard that your bullets are very good? I would like to ask you to write a bullet to impeach me."

You asked me to write and I just wrote it?

Yan Chengjin didn't know why and asked: "Why is Mr. Chen like this?"

Chen Qing's reply left him speechless.

"I want to become an official." Chen Qing sighed, as if he had aged a hundred years.

Yan Chengjin never expected that his bullets could help people resign.

I have to find an opportunity to advise His Majesty to improve the retirement system. I should retire at the age of sixty-five.

"I'm sorry that I can't help. Master Chen, please come back and see us off."

Chen Qing was a little excited: "Why? I asked you to impeach, but you still haven't!"

"I'm thinking, sir, are you here to clean up the yellow book? I don't dare to help."

Yan Chengjin said it deliberately so that Jin Yiwei could hear it.

If Jin Yiwei passes it on to His Majesty, the matter will become clear.

From the heyday of Yongle to the Hongzhi Dynasty, the population and farmland had been declining sharply, or even halved.

Just looking at the numbers, it is getting further and further away from the prosperous age that Emperor Hongzhi expected.

I hope your Majesty will listen and not feel too guilty or sad.

Chen Qing returned to the palace and took the yellow book to Han Wen's room, "Brother Guandao, the population has been calculated."

Han Wen didn't expect it to be so fast, and His Majesty urged him again and again.

"This is good news. Let's report to His Majesty. How come Brother Lianfu..."

He realized that something was wrong and quickly opened the yellow book. When he saw the number, his heart skipped a beat.

"Is this... is it wrong?"

"My foolish brother is sending people to check. Before that, I will not report to His Majesty."

Although he was the inspector of the investigation, Han Wen was the director of the Ministry of Revenue.

At this time, Xiao Jing walked in and said, "Lord Han, Lord Chen, I heard from the Censorate that the yellow book has been settled. Give it to us."

Fengtian Hall,

Yan Chengjin stood in the hall. After the Jinyiwei reported to Emperor Hongzhi, he was also summoned to the palace.

Except for the Ministry of Revenue, all the six ministries were in the hall.

Emperor Hongzhi sighed: "It has been nearly four months since the settlement, and it is finally settled."

I have worked hard to govern the country. Now ten years have passed, although I dare not say that the world is living and working in peace and contentment.

It is impossible to be worse than my father.

Seeing the face of His Majesty, Yan Chengjin knew that he was looking forward to it, just like a diligent child always looking forward to the announcement of results.

"Your Majesty, why don't we discuss the disasters in various places first, such as the heavy snow in the northwest."

Yan Chengjin reminded in time that there are still people suffering in the northwest, so the gap will not be too big.

Emperor Hongzhi's face darkened. I am rarely happy, but this kid wants to poke my pain.

"If we don't discuss it, why hasn't the Ministry of Revenue come yet?"

The officials were also full of expectations and looked back at the door of the hall.

Xiao Jing's hurried voice came: "Reporting to Your Majesty, they are here!"

Han Wen and Chen Qing walked side by side, holding the yellow book in their hands.

"Your Majesty, the population and number of households have been settled."

It was time to check the results, and Emperor Hongzhi was a little looking forward to it: "Present it quickly and show it to me."

Xiao Jing hurriedly presented the memorial.

Han Wen and Chen Qing looked straight at Emperor Hongzhi with strong uneasiness on their faces.

The officials held their breath, and the hall suddenly became quiet.

Emperor Hongzhi opened the yellow book and stared at the number on it. Suddenly, his pupils gradually dilated and he fell down on the throne with a puff.

He really became a "stupid" emperor.

"Protect the emperor... Protect the emperor!"

"Call the imperial physician and summon Wang Ji to the palace quickly."

Xiao Jing and the ministers were in a mess.

Yan Chengjin picked up the yellow book and glanced at it.

Your Majesty worked hard to govern the country, and the population decreased by two million?

This kind of impact is like the top student in the school being admitted to a junior college. It is not something that ordinary people can bear.