The cabinet did not sleep day and night. During this period of time, the three cabinet elders had devoted themselves to Zhu Youtang's great feat of reforming the land tax.
Zhu Youtang only mentioned the prototype, but the cabinet saw unlimited opportunities.
This was a chance for a scholar to leave his name in history!
Once it was done, his Hongzhi Cabinet would be remembered for eternity.
"Your Majesty has far-reaching plans." Liu Jian took a sip of tea, and his eyes shone with an unprecedented shrewdness.
"Please tell me, where should we start to reform the land tax?”
Li Dongyang pondered for a long time before cautiously saying,""The Sage Son of Heaven's intention is to eradicate the disease.”
"Ever since the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, not only the royal family, but also many gentry families have all kinds of methods to avoid land taxes.”
"This stubborn illness has to be changed."
Li Dongyang changed his tone and said sternly,""I think the focus of this land tax reform is on the way taxes are calculated.”
"The Emperor's meaning is very clear. He doesn't collect taxes according to the number of people, but according to the land. Therefore, the first task is to order the officials and the various prefectures to re-measure the land of Great Ming!”
"The Sage Son of Heaven has a lot in mind, but this might not be enough to satisfy his appetite," Liu Jian said in a deep voice.”
"The emperor is right, this old man is Da Ming's housekeeper, so I have to share the emperor's worries and manage this world well.”
"Then this old man will ask you, the Great Ming separated taxes and corvee, and the problem of taxes was solved this time, but what about corvee? How would they collect the local products and local tributes?”
"Many gentry in the Ming Dynasty are still exploiting the people and making them bear the burden of corvee.”
"How can we prevent such problems? We have to consider all of this and show the regulations to the emperor!”
……
On this night, for the past half a month, the three cabinet elders had been discussing, revising, and revising the Ming Dynasty's corvee and taxes. They had repeatedly confirmed that there were no loopholes in each item before writing a draft on the memorial.
Half a month later.
It had been three months since Zhu Youtang ascended the throne.
The mourning period was over.
Empress Dowager Zhou was anxious.
As the ancestor of the harem, he had to think about the future of the Zhu Ming Dynasty. He needed to choose a concubine for Zhu Youtang and appoint the Ming Empress.
Of course, the most important thing was that she still wanted to hug her imperial grandson.
This was a matter of the harem, and it was a major event passed down by the ancestors.
Zhu Youtang couldn't refuse, nor did he have any reason to refuse.
He didn't worry too much about the Empress Dowager's consort selection and left everything to the harem.
In June of the first year of Hongzhi.
Following the Empress Dowager's decree, Ming began to select concubines to enter the palace.
In the two capitals and thirteen provinces, beautiful women from various families enthusiastically reported to the government.
Who didn't want to become the imperial concubine of the emperor's harem?
Even if they entered the palace and were not chosen by the emperor, it would still be a name for the family. Why would the family worry about not being successful?
Therefore, countless women began to dream of choosing consorts.
However, the process of choosing a consort was too tedious and harsh.
As long as there was a single flaw in the womenfolk, they would be eliminated in the various prefectures and counties, let alone send them to Zhili Province.
Many people wanted to give gifts to the government and get in through the back door.
However, which local government dared to accept gifts now?
Firstly, it was a great sin to send some crooked melons and broken dates into the palace.
Secondly, Zhu Youtang suppressed corruption with lightning. Who dared to commit crimes under the pressure of the emperor?
Therefore, this group of beautiful women were definitely the most graceful women of the Ming Dynasty!
……
In June of the third year of Hongzhi, the Great Court met.
The officials waited for a long time in the Hall of Heaven's Tribute.
Zhu Youtang arrived late.
"Xuan Chao!"
A eunuch's sharp voice rang out. The officials were paying their respects to the emperor, shouting long live.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
Zheng Shi, the left vice-censor of the Imperial Censorate, stepped out with a platinum board in his arms.
"Speak."
Zhu Youtang's calm voice sounded.
Zheng Shi raised his head and said," Congratulations to the wise Emperor. Commander of Datong, Censor of Zuo Qian, Yang Yiqing, has defeated the Tartars. He has defeated more than ten thousand enemies, seized five thousand warhorses, and captured more than twenty thousand Tartars alive.”
Zhu Youtang had long known about these things from the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Yang Yiqing was a talent that could be used. The morale of Great Ming that had been exhausted for many years had risen because of this battle.
Zhu Youtang's brows showed some joy, but before he could speak...
Zheng Shi spoke again,"This subject impeaches Yang Yiqing. Killing the captive and making him a slave is damaging to the might of the heavens!”
At that time, Zheng was the left deputy censor of the Ducha Yuan, and he was the third grade.
Yang Yiqing was also from the Imperial Censorate system. He was now the Imperial Censor of the Left Qian, a rank four official.
The Ming Dynasty reformed the official system of the previous dynasty and abolished Yushitai as the Ducha Yuan.
The Imperial Censorate of the Ming Dynasty had a very high authority.
Zheng Shicai was promoted from Guangxi Chief Secretary Zuo to the court.
As Yang Yiqing's superior, he had his own selfish motives in impeaching him. Although he was speaking of righteousness, he was actually trying to make Yang Yiqing suffer.
"In the third year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu defeated the Northern Yuan court and Northern Yuan surrendered. Emperor Taizu decreed that no captives were allowed to be killed.”
"Yang Yiqing has disregarded the laws of our ancestors. This subject implores the Emperor to order him to be brought back to the Imperial Court and stripped of his position as the commander of Datong.”
In reality, when Yang Yiqing was a vile spawn in Jiubian, he had thought that he would not be able to stay long as a border governor.
Therefore, he had to establish his military prestige at the fastest speed possible.
It gave the Ming army some backbone.
In this way, even if they went far away to Datong, this important town would have a backbone, and the buildings of Jiubian would not be crooked!
As Zheng Shi's words fell, the Hall of Heaven's Tribute suddenly fell into an endless silence.
Everyone was silent out of fear.
Zhu Youtang's expression was still calm, and no one knew what he was thinking.
After an unknown amount of time.
"Minister Zheng, you were promoted from Guangxi, right?”
Zheng Shiling was moved to tears. He really didn't expect that the Emperor would care so much about his background.
"Replying to the emperor, I was born as the chief secretary of Guangxi.”
Zhu Youtang nodded." Guangxi is close to Annan. You should know the cruelty of war.”
"Big Ming's spine is crooked. Yang Yiqing is helping this one find back his spine.”
"He's an official, and the nine sides need him. But he's not good at being an official, unlike you.”
"You have gangs and classmates. If you're in trouble, someone will speak up for you.”
"If Yang Yiqing can't reach the Imperial Court, no one will speak up for him. No one will support him.”
His tone changed.
Zhu Youtang said sternly,"Then I, the emperor, will support Yang Yiqing!"!!”
"When the Tartars ravaged the Central Plains and plundered the emperor, you said you wanted to appease them.”
"When the Tartars retreated to Mobei, you said they were afraid.”
"When the Tartars killed the sons of my Ming Dynasty, you said that only a few people died.”
"What about now? Yang Yiqing had only killed a few people and enslaved them. What was wrong with that?”
"The Minister of Personnel Affairs will go back and draft the decree." Zhu Youtang's tone had already regained its calmness." Let Zheng Aiqing return to Guangxi. Since you, the censor of the Left Capital, can't understand, let Yang Yiqing do it."”
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