Chapter 841: Blowing up the muddy waters of the capital
Boom!
Dong Lei's voice was a little muffled. In the duty room, Lu Song was drinking tea and looking down at a document on the table.
The document comes from the south, and it contains some forward-looking reports on this year's taxes.
The first part uses a bunch of flowery words to express the optimistic attitude towards the pre-war finances, and then a bunch of obscure and dissatisfied words are used to form complaints.
——This year is difficult!
Xu Jie was sitting opposite, holding a teacup in his hand, with a calm expression, "This year has not been easy."
"It wasn't easy. My Ministry of Revenue has worked hard and finally no big mistakes were made." Lu Song did not mention the matter of Chen Yao, which was a shame for the Ministry of Revenue.
“I’m afraid it will be even more difficult next year.”
"Yes."
There was a long silence between the two, and Xu Jie spoke up, "What you said today will cause a lot of controversy."
"Your Excellency." Lu Song said calmly, "You and I both know what the Ming Dynasty is like now. I know it better than you do. How much money and grain the Ministry of Revenue handles every year, how much goes in and out, how much increases and decreases, every single one of them is here."
Lu Song pointed to his temple and said, "The Lord said that next year will be more difficult. I have been saying this since the moment I entered the Ministry of Revenue. As of today, I am wondering when the Ming Dynasty will be easier."
Xu Jie spoke very slowly, as if every word was carefully considered. "I'm not afraid of difficulties, but I'm afraid of even greater difficulties. Taxation is the cornerstone. Once the cornerstone is shaken, the earth will shake."
"Your Excellency used the metaphor of the cornerstone to describe the scholar-officials, and I think it is... appropriate. However, this cornerstone is now shaky and I don't even know it." Lu Song took a sip of tea, "If this continues, in ten or twenty years, the Ming Dynasty will surely be unable to continue."
Historically, when Prince Yu ascended the throne, the Ming Dynasty's finances were already unsustainable.
So the opening of the Longqing Gate was accidental, but more of it was inevitable.
The same was true of Zhang Juzheng's reforms.
"There will always be a way." Xu Jie said gently: "It is better to proceed slowly."
"I thought so too, but Your Majesty obviously can't wait any longer." Lu Song smiled bitterly, "As soon as Your Majesty said the word tax today, I knew that things were going to be troublesome."
"It's not a trouble, it's a big trouble!" Xu Jie was slightly angry. "After the great victory, the emperor and his subjects should have been in harmony and moved forward hand in hand. But His Majesty couldn't wait to throw out the new policy. The new policy is fine, after all, it's well known. But he..."
"Lord!" Lu Song interrupted Xu Jie and said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Your Majesty is a little anxious. But you are serious. Since you have spoken, there is absolutely no room for retreat. In this matter, we should help you."
For the first time, Xu Jie showed his disappointment. "Do you know what the consequences will be if today's incident spreads to the world?"
“Public opinion is boiling.”
"No, it's boiling!"
Xu Jie said in a low voice, "The local gentry will be furious. You and I both know what will happen next. Those people..."
"Is it right?"
"..."
"That's all, right?"
"..."
"The elder uses the word 'cornerstone' to describe those gentry and officials. What is the cornerstone? The backbone! But is Your Majesty wrong to start with taxation? Or is it right that those backbones are furious?"
"Now that you and I are in the position we are today, we should know that there is no absolute black and white, no absolute right and wrong in the world."
"Yes. But the Ming Dynasty has reached a point where it has to change. If it doesn't change, it will just be waiting for death!"
Xu Jie was silent for a long time, "We shouldn't cut their flesh."
"Whose flesh shall we cut, then?"
Xu Jie was silent.
Lu Song suddenly wanted to laugh, so he started laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
The laughter is sad.
"Your Excellency's intention is to continue to exploit the people, right?" Lu Song's eyes were filled with disappointment. "But what have the people done wrong? Why are they suffering? They have long been overwhelmed, Your Excellency! If you increase taxes again, as Your Majesty said today, war will break out!"
"Slow down." Xu Jie was still gentle, "Slow down first. The people are gentle. Use them to slow down first, and then slowly move forward."
"Slow down, it seems someone said this during the Hongzhi period, and then it slowed down to the present moment."
"So you support this?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Xu Jie continued with a smile, "This matter is a matter of opinion. I...will go back now."
He stood up, and Lu Song sat down and did not see him off. As the Minister of Revenue, he did not enter the Political Affairs Hall because he did not have the opportunity. If it were based on seniority and achievements, there would be no obstacle for him to enter the Political Affairs Hall.
Therefore, Xu Jie had no qualifications to act like a senior minister in front of him.
After a long time, Lu Song lowered his head and began to handle government affairs.
Xu Jie returned to the Ministry of Rites, and not long after, someone asked to see him.
"Lord, the outside world is quite dissatisfied with Lu Song."
The visitor's eyes were sharp.
Xu Jie was silent for a long time, "I understand."
After leaving the government office, Lu Song packed up the documents and asked his nephew Lu Ping to go home first.
"Where are you going, uncle?" Lu Ping was a little surprised.
In the past, after Lu Song got off work at the government office, he would go home immediately, saying that he was craving for the home-cooked meals.
"Go and relax."
In the afternoon, the winter sky in the capital was a little gray. Lu Song was leading his horse and wandering around aimlessly.
All he could think about were the words Xu Jie said today.
Can't you just slow down? Slow down?
Lu Song wanted to slow down the process, but as the Minister of Revenue, he knew the consequences of delaying further.
So even though he was under the watchful eyes of the public and even though he knew he would be criticized and even attacked by the literati, he still agreed to launch the tax reform.
Those people will sneer at you!
Lu Song smiled bitterly.
Which is more important, family or country? Or doctrine or country?
He wanted to revive Confucianism, but he could not avoid Xu Jie, the big shot who was promoted by the literati.
Xu Jie's attitude today was somewhat ambiguous, but people like Lu Song could see what this elder was thinking at a glance.
Xu Jie did not dare and could not oppose Emperor Jiajing's words in public, but he could secretly create trouble for the new policy or provide shelter for those people and forces that caused trouble for the new policy.
Which side do you stand on, Lu Song?
This is why Xu Jie came today.
Question Lu Song.
"Mom, I want to eat."
On the left, a little girl is hugging her mother's thighs and looking up at her.
"That's just a little, your brother hasn't eaten yet!" The woman looked quite fierce and raised her hand to slap him. Lu Song frowned, but the slap finally landed lightly.
"Mom, wuwuwu!" The little girl wailed and peeked at the woman's expression through gaps between her fingers.
The woman cursed, "You're just a debt collector! Give it to me!"
The woman tried to break off a small piece of maltose in her hand, but she couldn't. She put the maltose in her mouth, bit off some of it, and stuffed it into her daughter's mouth. While licking the remaining maltose in her mouth, she cursed: "Nowadays, the world is getting more and more difficult. If the price of grain doesn't rise next year, it will be fine. If it does, the whole family will starve!"
The little girl held a candy in her mouth, tears still hanging from the corners of her eyes, "Mother, everyone says that His Majesty is good! He will definitely give us some to eat."
"What a waste!" the woman cursed, "Your uncle works at home farming, but he comes here every year to complain about being poor. Those petty officials are like wolves and tigers, raising taxes every year. Your uncle works hard all year, but in the end he can't even fill his stomach."
Lu Song's heart moved, and he stepped forward and asked, "This lady."
The woman was startled, and seeing that Lu Song had an extraordinary demeanor, she quickly squatted down and said, "Greetings, sir."
Lu Song smiled gently and said, "It is said that there has been no tax increase in recent years. May I ask, my lady, is what your brother said true?"
The woman was a little scared at first, and when she heard this, she slapped her thigh, "Oh my! Could it be true? My brother also asked about it, but he was a fool and didn't know how to cover up before asking again, so he was beaten up. The clerk said that this was the order of His Majesty, and anyone who didn't pay it deserved to be beaten to death.
My brother went home with injuries and cried all night, saying that Your Majesty was merciful... Then he had to sell the silver hairpin that his mother had given him as a dowry, and only then was he able to pay the tax."
Lu Song stood there in a daze.
Raising taxes is a serious matter, and it concerns the stability of the country. If the emperor wants to raise taxes, he must consult with his ministers. It is not true that the emperor and his prime minister can make the decision.
The prime ministers did not dare to act arbitrarily, otherwise they would be denounced by the people of the world.
"You are a nobleman. You are well fed and well clothed, which is comfortable, but who cares about the lives of us common people? Look at your horse... Look at your clothes. It is possible that my brother's taxes are spent on you. Bah! Hurry up and leave!"
The woman took advantage of Lu Song's daze to scold him, but fearing she would be caught, she quickly picked up her daughter and ran away. She laughed as she ran, and then cried.
"How can we live our lives? How can we live our lives..."
"The common people are suffering!" Lu Song murmured.
He led his horse and walked unsteadily in the alleys of the capital.
The main road is just ahead, and as soon as you get out there, the sound waves hit you in the face.
“Here are the steaming hot buns!”
"Baked pancakes, freshly baked pancakes, so crispy!"
Lu Song looked up and saw the worldly atmosphere in front of him, and his heart couldn't help but be lifted.
"There's still time!" Lu Song said to himself.
"Old thief!"
A loud shout came from the side, and then a dark shadow came towards them.
Bah!
Lu Hui was hit on the face and her nose started bleeding immediately.
What hit him was a small porcelain bottle. The person who did it was diagonally opposite him. He looked at Lu Song blankly, then turned and ran away.
"You old thief, you will die!"
Lu Song was attacked!
When the news reached the palace, Emperor Jiajing sneered, "Those people only dare to stab me in the back, just like they did back then."
Rui Jingxian said: "Your Majesty, I and the East Factory are ready to fight at any time, just waiting for your order."
The new policy is a good thing for Rui Jingxian. When should he take the opportunity to step forward while Lu Bing is still lying down?
Emperor Jiajing said calmly: "Let them fight and I will just watch."
For Emperor Jiajing, Lu Song was a good minister, but for the new policy, what Emperor Jiajing needed was a Confucian with many internal contradictions.
Jiang Qingzhi sighed upon hearing the news: "Don't those people know that this is pushing Lu Song towards the new policy?"
Xia Yan said sarcastically: "They know that they are the ones whose flesh is being cut. Confucianism and Confucianism are all burdens at this moment. They will follow whoever gives them benefits. Anyone who wants to cut their flesh, even if it is an emperor or a Confucian giant, is their enemy."
Jiang Qingzhi touched his chin and said, "Since the war has begun, don't be polite."
The next day, Jiang Qingzhi submitted a memorial.
The content is simple.
Four words.
——Check the land!
Xia Yan said that these four words were like thunder that would blow up the muddy water in the capital.
However, Jiang leisurely took the emperor and some important officials to the Mohist base outside the city.
Go and see the truth.
(End of this chapter)
