At the end of the last court session, it snowed heavily outside the court. Under the heavy snow, the entire Forbidden City was enveloped in a white world.
Red walls, yellow tiles, white ground.
Inside the Forbidden City, the imperial guards were patrolling with weapons in their hands…
Zhu Houzhao walked out of the Xuanzheng Hall. The civil and military officials had already left the Meridian Gate. There was no one else in the huge palace except for the imperial guards and the imperial guards.
Zhu Houzhao stood outside the Hall of Public Announcement. In front of him was a white jade square. At the end of the white jade square was the Golden Water Bridge.
Zhu Houzhao looked down at the entire White Jade Square. The stairs in front of him was a stone wall carved with a dragon. This stone wall was a whole piece of stone with a five-clawed golden dragon carved on it.
It was snowing heavily. Zhu Houzhao walked into the snow, letting the snowflakes fall on his shoulders and head.
Zhu Houzhao walked step by step, measuring the world!
He left a trail of footprints behind him, winding all the way to the Hall of Public Announcement…
He was the Emperor, the most powerful man in the Ming Empire, but who knew how difficult it was to carry the people of the world!
No matter if the sky collapsed or the earth collapsed, he would use his shoulders to carry everything!
Even though he was only fifteen years old, he wanted to use his own shoulders to carry this empire!
This was what an emperor was like!
Others could cry.
But he couldn't!
Because he was the Emperor!
Others could complain.
But he couldn't!
Because he was the Emperor!
Others could slack off.
But he couldn't!
Because he was the Emperor!
If he slacked off, he would lose the entire country, and the people of this country would fall into chaos!
Zhu Houzhao returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
……
For more than ten days, Zhu Houzhao continued to read the memorials, apart from sleeping early and waking up late.
Apart from the East Chamber's memorial, there was also the West Chamber's Yu Huatian's memorial and the cabinet's memorial.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Zhu Houzhao invited all the civil and military officials to a banquet at the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The gifts given to them were also carefully selected.
The imperial court also announced a general amnesty.
Except for those sentenced to death and those with a sentence of more than three years, those with less than three years were released.
Great Ming's taxes were also reduced from one stone per household to three buckets per household.
The substantial reduction of taxes in the Ming Empire made the people cheer.
But the Minister of Revenue was worried.
The tax rate was reduced from one stone to three buckets.
What kind of concept was this?
One stone was equivalent to ten buckets of rice.
In the second year of Zhengde, the tax rate was reduced from one stone to three buckets. This kind of large tax reduction would probably use the country's foundation.
When the Minister of Revenue made a suggestion to the Chief Assistant of the Cabinet, Liu Jian smiled and said,""Your Majesty is wise. How can ordinary people like us guess your thoughts? Just do as I say."
The Minister of Revenue had no choice but to lower the tax rate. Starting from the second year of Zhengde, the tax rate was reduced from one stone to three buckets.
At the same time, the Ministry of Revenue also issued a business tax. A hundred coins for traveling merchants and ten coins for taxes.
In other words, selling an item worth 100 copper coins would require a tax of 10 copper coins.
In the Minister of Revenue's opinion, this business tax would not be able to collect much money. After all, since ancient times, merchants had not been the main tax collectors…
After Zhu Houzhao heard the Minister of Revenue's evaluation, he smiled but did not say anything.
Even the officials in the court thought that the business tax was dispensable…
They couldn't be blamed for this. After all, since ancient times, China had placed emphasis on agriculture and suppressed commerce. The status of merchants had never been high. Collecting taxes from merchants 'pockets was only implemented during the Song Dynasty...
Zhu Houzhao heard the misunderstanding of the officials and thought,""You guys watch carefully. I want you to see what it means to collect taxes. I want you to see what a big tax collector is. I really don't care about agricultural taxes…"
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Houzhao was considering lifting the ban on the sea and building a port.
Ming Taizu ordered that " no one is allowed to go into the sea." This was the beginning of the sea ban. However, the Ming Empire's sea ban policy was sometimes relaxed and sometimes strict.
In Zhu Houzhao's view, customs tax was also a large tax. Now, there were many fishermen and private boats at the border of the Ming Empire. If these people did not pay taxes, it would be a pity.
However, it would take some time for the customs to be reorganized, because Zhu Houzhao wanted to build an invincible fleet in a short period of time!
The navy of the Ming Empire was very strong, but it still couldn't satisfy Zhu Houzhao's taste. The navy that Zhu Houzhao wanted was invincible!
Let all the world's naval powers submit to the Great Ming Navy!
……
The various policies of the second year of Zhengde made the people boil. The people of Great Ming cried tears of joy. The Great Ming Dynasty finally welcomed a sage king.
Not only did they defeat the Tartars, but they also showed the might of the Ming Dynasty.
They even reduced taxes, punished eunuchs, and dismissed corrupt officials. The entire Ming Empire was united!
The various decrees of the imperial court were carried out in an unprecedented manner!
The affiliated countries around the Ming Empire also felt that the Ming Empire had welcomed a hero and worshipped him.
In the second year of Zhengde, the world was pardoned! The four sides submitted, and all countries came to pay their respects!
……
East Chamber!
Cao Zhengchun's eyes were bloodshot!
"These remnants of the White Lotus Society have indeed snuck into Beijing!”
"Find them all! If you can't find them, don't come back!”
Cao Zhengchun flew into a rage in the East Chamber.
At this moment, he wished he could immediately find the White Lotus Society and personally deal with these rats!
……
On the 15th day of the first lunar month, the citizens of the capital began to get busy with the Lantern Festival.
The Spring Festival and Lantern Festival were the liveliness of Beijing.
The lanterns lit up the night sky, and all kinds of lanterns and lights were hung up…
The Ming Empire was filled with the joy of the new year.
Zhu Houzhao paid a visit to the Empress Dowager in Cining Palace and bought three new clothes for her. The Empress Dowager was very happy.
During the conversation, the Empress Dowager also asked about the beautiful women of Jinling Pavilion.
"Emperor, it's been a while since the beautiful ladies of Jinling Pavilion entered the palace. In such a long time, you've only flipped the board once. Are you not satisfied?"
After the Empress Dowager said this, Zhu Houzhao suddenly remembered this matter.
Time flew by, and a month had passed.
Zhu Houzhao was busy dealing with government affairs all day long. He wanted to bring down the aristocrats with the cabinet and courtiers, so he naturally did not dare to take it lightly.
This was a big matter. If it was done well, the Ming Empire would have a new face. If not done well, the world would be in chaos!
Naturally, he had forgotten about the matter of the Xiunu.
Zhu Houzhao remembered that he flipped through a sign that day and a very young girl came. Zhu Houzhao only remembered that she was from Jin Ling City. What was her name?
Zhu Houzhao racked his brains for a while. A month had passed, and he had already forgotten her name…
He couldn't remember what she looked like too clearly.
"Reporting to mother, your son has been too busy dealing with public affairs recently. Zhen took some time to flip through a sign…"
" Mm, that's for the best. Today is the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. There will be a lantern festival. Standing on the observation platform, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Lantern Festival. The emperor should go and take a look…"
"Mother, go with your son."
"The weather is cold, this widow can't stand the wind. Find a few beautiful women to accompany you to the scenery.”
"Your son will obey your decree."
After Zhu Houzhao walked out of the Cining Palace, he thought of the beautiful girl he had seen a month ago. He remembered that he had given her the title of beauty, but he had completely forgotten her name.
Forget it, he didn't want to think about it anymore. Zhu Houzhao ascended the city wall, and many guards greeted him.
The observation platform that the Empress Dowager had mentioned was not fun at all. Zhu Houzhao still liked to climb up the city wall and look out from the city wall. He could see the poor and sad music of the people.
After Zhu Houzhao reached the top of the Forbidden City, he turned his head and saw a beautiful figure standing in a plum forest.
Her figure was thin, handsome, and tall.
The clothes she was wearing were not the clothes of ordinary palace maids, but the clothes of female officials...
In order to keep out the cold, she wore a red cloak, which was even more vibrant in the Fragrant Sea Plum Blossom Forest…
Zhu Houzhao looked at her figure and felt as if a lifetime had passed. It was as if he had traveled 500 years and seen a woman from the future.
In the midst of the Merlin, she raised her head unintentionally.
She accidentally caught a glimpse of her and allowed Zhu Houzhao to see her beautiful face.
"What a unique woman."
After Zhu Houzhao praised him, he turned to the guard beside him and said,"Who is that female official?"
" Your Majesty, she's the palace's female historian, Xiahou Wan 'er…"
Zhu Houzhao turned his head to look outside the city. At this moment, the folk lantern festival had already begun, and the fireworks had already bloomed.
"Let her climb up the city wall and watch the fireworks with me!" Zhu Houzhao said casually.”
Zhu Houzhao looked at the beautiful scenery and felt unprecedentedly relaxed!
"Yes!"
The eunuch went down to the city to find Xiahou Wan 'er, the female historian.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。