The Ming Dynasty started with caution

The cabinet was quiet, and Liu Jian sighed a few times.

On the desk were the memorials submitted to the palace this morning. The local prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture, such as Wanping and Daxing, sent memorials and impeachments to the palace.

Yan Chengjin opened the memorial from Wanping, and the county magistrate Yang Qu said that the abolition of salt permits would cause what kind of malpractice.

The memorials from Wanping and Daxing had to go through Shuntian Prefecture before they could be submitted to the cabinet, which meant that Liu Qing had read them.

Regardless of whether they were honest officials or corrupt officials, the abolition of salt permits was treated equally, and there were few voices of support.

The civil servant came in with a stack of memorials in a panic: "Mr. Liu, Baoding Prefecture sent them to Beijing urgently."

Most of the people in Baoding Prefecture were Shanxi merchants, and salt permits were the foundation of Shanxi merchants.

No need to look through, it was another memorial to persuade the court.

Yan Chengjin was very surprised: "No one supports the abolition of salt permits?"

Liu Jian's eyes widened, and his beard trembled with anger: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

I'm going to smash your rice bowl, are you willing? !

The family also runs a crude salt business. The court abolished the salt permit, which means that they have to switch to other businesses, otherwise, the family will fall into decline.

The problems faced by many gentry and officials are roughly the same as Liu Jian.

Li Dongyang will not, because his father was a military household, and what he was left with was only a military status that was not even as good as ordinary people, let alone a business at home.

Xie Qian was worried, and there was a voice of opposition from the world. If Your Majesty insists on his own way...

Yan Chengjin stood aside and turned over the memorials by himself.

Seeing that they were all impeachments of Zhu Houzhao, he was relieved.

There were hurried footsteps in the courtyard, and several young eunuchs rushed into the duty room: "Master Yan, we finally found you. His Majesty asked you and the three cabinet masters to go to Renshou Palace together."

Even the Queen Mother interfered in politics?

Li Dongyang and the other two looked at each other seriously, and got up to go to Renshou Palace.

In front of the Renshou Palace, the eunuchs in charge of the twelve prisons knelt on the gold bricks, and behind them were the big slabs of each prison.

Yan Chengjin suddenly realized that it was no wonder that His Majesty did not go to Fengtian Palace.

The two major forces in the palace advised together, which can be counted since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, in Renshou Palace,

the young eunuchs lowered their heads to their chests, not daring to make the slightest sound, and the atmosphere was serious and tense.

On the couch, Empress Dowager Zhou sat upright and sighed: "Emperor Gao killed so many people to make salt permits a strict law. You are the emperor, and I will not say much, but I am afraid that it will force the world into chaos."

"Grandmother Huang is worried too much. I am not determined to abolish it." Emperor Hongzhi felt great pressure.

Land, salt administration and sea ban are the most fundamental ancestral systems in the old system established by Emperor Gaozu.

Even if it does not harm the interests of the gentry in the world, it is difficult to abolish it with the threat of all officials.

Empress Dowager Zhou looked up in surprise: "Why did the prince suddenly ask to abolish the salt permit?"

"The prince was instigated by the Chief Censor of the Censorate. Stabilizing the salt price is imminent. Speaking of it, it is also my fault." Emperor Hongzhi's breathing became heavy.

After the circulation of Hongzhi silver notes, the gentry panicked, which led to the rise in salt prices.

At this time, Yan Chengjin and Liu Jian walked into the hall and saluted Empress Dowager Zhou and Emperor Hongzhi.

Empress Dowager Zhou looked at Li Dongyang and the other two, and blamed them a little: "The three masters are knowledgeable, how could they not know that abolishing the salt permit will involve the world and endanger peace?"

Li Dongyang lowered his head slightly and said nothing.

Liu Jian and Xie Qian nodded. Although it was Li Dongyang's advice, they did not add insult to injury and blame him out loud.

Yan Chengjin lowered his head and could feel the burning gazes of His Majesty and Empress Dowager Zhou.

"You are the Chief Censor of the Censorate, right? How can a minister in the court cling to the prince's regent? Raise your head!"

The voice of Empress Dowager Zhou became stern in vain.

If I had known this, I would have asked for leave and stayed at home. What a mistake... Yan Chengjin raised his head slightly and held it calmly.

"I have seen you?"

Yan Chengjin said: "The Queen Mother also praised me for my steadiness and promoted me."

"Why do you want to abolish the salt permit? I want to hear it."

The hall suddenly became quiet.

Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang cast their eyes on Yan Chengjin.

Quiet, still quiet.

Empress Dowager Zhou looked at Emperor Hongzhi in surprise: "Why doesn't he speak?!"

"This kid is brewing, please be patient, Grandmother." Emperor Hongzhi said unhappily.

Li Dongyang and the other two looked at Yan Chengjin with contempt, will you tell me? A chess game is almost over.

It was quiet for a while.

Yan Chengjin thought for a long time before he was slightly sure: "I am just talking nonsense, please forgive me, Empress Dowager!"

That's it?

Emperor Hongzhi was dumbfounded. He thought that this boy would make a long speech and argue with reason.

Li Dongyang and Liu Jian showed astonishment. Did it take so long to think about these three words?

You are worthy of it...

Empress Dowager Zhou had a good impression of Yan Chengjin. She knew that this boy was not a wicked person. She waved her hand and ordered: "The emperor decides, everyone retreat, let the companions of the twelve prisons disperse, I want to sleep for a while."

Emperor Hongzhi stood up, bowed slightly to Empress Dowager Zhou, and walked out of Renshou Palace.

Yan Chengjin and others followed closely behind.

Outside the palace gate, the companions of the twelve prisons saw His Majesty coming out and cried out: "Your Majesty, please put the world first!"

"Your Majesty, please put the world first! Do not abolish the salt permit!"

The harem was filled with voices like monks chanting.

Emperor Hongzhi was upset and signaled Xiao Jing to disperse them.

A group of ministers knelt in the Fengtian Hall, and there was no quiet place in the palace.

Back to the warm room,

Emperor Hongzhi had just sat down when Liu Qing of Shuntian Prefecture walked into the hall, holding a white cloth stained with red in both hands, full of worry: "Your Majesty!"

A foul smell of blood spread in the hall.

Yan Chengjin and Li Dongyang turned their heads and stared at the white cloth.

"What is this?"

Liu Qing sighed: "Ten thousand blood letters from the gentry of the capital city persuaded His Majesty not to abolish the salt permit."

Emperor Hongzhi was both surprised and not surprised. What was not surprising was that the gentry would take action, but what was surprising was that they actually resisted the court in the form of blood letters.

Li Dongyang stroked his beard and calmed down a little.

Yan Chengjin wanted to slip away,

but he had caused such a big disaster, how could Emperor Hongzhi let him go so easily?

"Mr. Yan, I don't believe you didn't expect this to happen, why did you let the prince make suggestions!"

If this guy hadn't made many contributions, no one in the court could replace him, and he was as clean as water, Emperor Hongzhi would have put him in prison long ago.

But at this moment, Emperor Hongzhi was also suppressing his anger.

Liu Qing glanced at Yan Chengjin, it turned out to be you, kid?

The hall was quiet for a moment. Yan Chengjin thought for a moment before he said, "May I ask your Majesty, are gentry important to the court?"

"Gentry is important to the court, of course!"

"May I ask your Majesty again, why are they important?!"

Emperor Hongzhi frowned, but still patiently said, "Gentry controls silver. The court's expenses and the nine borders cannot be separated from silver!"

Looking at Yan Chengjin, how could this kid not understand such a simple truth?

Yan Chengjin bowed and saluted, "Yes, take salt permits as an example. Shandong eats sea salt and Shanxi eats brine. Salt is extremely scarce in the Ming Dynasty and needs salt permits to be sold.

Merchants and gentry make huge profits in the transportation and salt trading business.

May I ask, what will happen in a hundred years or even two hundred years?"

The court is controlled by the gentry because the gentry have a lot of silver.

And selling salt will make the gentry have more and more silver.

Liu Jian suddenly had an idea and was puzzled: "You mean, the gentry will increasingly restrain the court?"

Mr. Liu, you are wrong. In two hundred years, the Ming Dynasty will perish.

One of the reasons is that there is no money to fight the war, which is the result of letting capital gradually become greater than the court.

But even if Yan Chengjin had ten backup plans, he would not dare to say so.

"Mr. Liu is right. The court will be increasingly restrained by the gentry.

Why not let the court control the silver and restrain the gentry?

The court's salt trade can not only stabilize the salt price, but also collect a large amount of silver to fill the treasury. Why not?"

The calm voice echoed in the hall and rang in everyone's ears.