The empress dowager kept Zhang Suying by her side. When the empress dowager was lonely, she would chat with the empress dowager.
Zhu Houzhao returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
For Zhu Houzhao, the world was still in chaos, and the powerful Tartar army was still wreaking havoc at the border. How could he be in the mood to enjoy a gentle home?
Moreover, Su Ying was Zhu Houzhao's cousin and the Empress Dowager was her aunt. If Zhu Houzhao and Su Ying were to fall in love, the Empress Dowager would definitely make her the Empress, the mother of the country!
Zhu Houzhao didn't want to do this, and he didn't want the Empress Dowager to decide his marriage.
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Houzhao was reading the memorials submitted by the cabinet.
The memorial submitted by the Minister of Revenue reported the surplus of the Ming Dynasty's treasury.
In the first year of Zhengde, the Ming Dynasty's national treasury had a total of three million taels of silver, fifty thousand taels of gold, three hundred and fifty thousand bolts of silk and satin, and eight million stones of grain.
In the first year of Zhengde, there were 18.9 million households in Ming Dynasty, with a total population of 89 million.
The household register of Da Ming only recorded the head of the household. Even if a clan had hundreds of people, it would still record the head of the household as one household.
And Great Ming's tax was also collected by household.
Even for a large household with hundreds of people, the tax was equivalent to a household with three children.
Moreover, the tax rate was so low that it made one's hair stand on end.
Zhu Houzhao flipped through the memorials of the Minister of Revenue. The current Great Ming tax system was still the household registration tax, and the annual tax was less than 10%.
The three million taels of silver in the national treasury were saved by the old emperor. Zhu Youtang only had one wife, no concubines, no large-scale construction, no luxury, no delicacies.
In his life, he spent most of his time in the imperial court or in the Empress 'Palace.
It wasn't easy to save three million taels of silver when Great Ming's taxes were so low.
Zhu Houzhao flipped through the memorials of the Minister of Revenue and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
In the first year of Zhengde, there were five hundred and thirty-two vassal kings in Ming Dynasty. Among them, there were one hundred and twenty-five who inherited the throne, one hundred and fifty-three who inherited the title of Duke, and two hundred and thirteen who inherited the title of Marquis…
These nobles not only had the royal bloodline of the Zhu family, but also the descendants of the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty. Although Zhu Yuanzhang had killed all the heroes, those who had followed Zhu Di to rebel had all been conferred titles.
These titles were passed down from generation to generation and never had to pay taxes.
The more Zhu Houzhao looked, the more shocked he became.
Not only did these nobles not have to pay taxes, but they also had the right to collect taxes locally. There were thousands of heirs to the nobility…
These were not ordinary thousands of people. Each of them represented a noble family, and they held a large amount of land that was not subject to taxation in their hands…
Other than these people, there were also aristocratic families. The aristocratic families with hundreds of people occupied thousands of acres of fertile land. They actually paid taxes according to their household registration, paying the same taxes as a family of three.
The more Zhu Houzhao looked, the angrier he became.
Which one of the officials in the court wasn't from a wealthy family?
The taxes they paid were actually equivalent to that of an ordinary farmer…
Zhu Houzhao was looking for business tax on the memorial.
However, the most important tax was not included!
The merchants of the Ming Dynasty actually didn't pay taxes. The reason was that the merchants of the Ming Dynasty had a low status and the national policy of the Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce!
All the taxes were on the farmers.
The richer the rich, the less taxes they had.
The poorer the poor, the heavier the taxes. Ordinary farmers actually paid the same taxes as aristocratic families.
For example, the Kong family in Shandong had been around for nearly two thousand years. The family was prosperous and had ten thousand mu of fertile land. There were descendants in the court who were officials and paid three stones of taxes every year.
For example, the Lu family of Fanyang had been passed down for more than a thousand years. Every generation had a famous official, a thousand fertile fields, and an annual tax of three stones!
Ordinary farmers only had one mu of barren land, and the annual tax was one stone!
Tenants did not have fertile land. They rented the land and did not pay taxes. Every year, they paid three stones of rent to the boss and kept one stone for themselves. Even if the boss had thousands of fertile land, he would only pay three stones of rent!
Pa!
Zhu Houzhao slammed the memorial on the table, causing the eunuchs and serving girls outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity to tremble in fear!
"My empire was destroyed by you bunch of maggots!”
Zhu Houzhao's killing intent had already risen. He would never allow anyone to ruin his country!
Zhu Houzhao thought of Zhang Juzheng's reform. How did Zhang Juzheng reform?
Investigate and measure the land of the world and implement a whip law?
What was a whip technique?
It was very simple. They would no longer collect taxes according to households, but according to the land. One mu of fertile land was there. How much fertile land there was, how much tax would be collected?
As such, the large landowners could no longer evade taxes.
Zhang Juzheng's reform continued the Ming Empire's precarious situation.
"Zhang Juzheng, oh Zhang Juzheng, in this world, who is my Zhang Juzheng!”Zhu Houzhao stood up and sighed.
"Send the decree, summon Cao Zhengchun into the palace!"
After Cao Zhengchun heard that the Emperor had summoned him, he immediately entered the palace.
"I, Cao Zhengchun, pay my respects to Your Majesty.”
After Cao Zhengchun entered the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Houzhao put down the memorial in his hand and looked at Cao Zhengchun, saying,""Zhen will give you a secret edict."
"I accept your decree."
Cao Zhengchun walked forward carefully, and Zhu Houzhao handed the secret decree to him.
"Open it and take a look."
Cao Zhengchun held the secret edict in his hand. After flipping it open, his expression changed drastically. There were only a few words on the edict: "Investigate the land taxes and property of all the officials in the court, and investigate the land taxes and taxes of the vassal kings!”
Two words appeared in Cao Zhengchun's mind: Cut the vassals!
"Cao Zhengchun."
"Your subject is here."
"You know what to do."
"Your Majesty, I will not disappoint Your Majesty. I would rather die than slack off!”
"Alright, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Cao Zhengchun left the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Zhu Houzhao looked at Cao Zhengchun's humble figure and did not look down on him. Cao Zhengchun might look submissive in front of the Emperor in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, but in fact, Cao Zhengchun was very influential outside the Palace. The methods of the East Chamber were not something that ordinary people could predict. Most importantly, Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the East Chamber, was ruthless enough.
Zhu Houzhao was more pleased.
This was in line with the image of the East Military Department in his heart, spying on the world!
In front of the emperor and in front of power, he seemed humble, but as long as he left the Forbidden City, his power would be overwhelming!
His power and eyes were all over the royal court.
This was the East Chamber.
All the civil and military officials in the court were afraid of him, but he was the eyes and ears of the Emperor.
Everything he had was given to him by the Emperor. Therefore, he had to do what the Emperor instructed him to do, and he had to do it beautifully.
After Cao Zhengchun left the Forbidden City, he began to arrange for his forces to investigate the wealth of the officials in the court. He knew very well what the Emperor was thinking.
The Emperor was going to clean up the corrupt officials in the court.
Sigh--
Cao Zhengchun looked at the house full of gold, silver, and jewelry. He was very reluctant to part with them, but he had to give them up now. Cao Zhengchun had seen the Emperor's determination. In the face of power and wealth, he chose power without hesitation.
After he sealed all the banknotes, jewelry, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques, he entered the Forbidden City again. However, this time, he did not go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Instead, he went to the Palace of Ci Ning, where the Empress Dowager lived.
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