Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 269 Gentleman
In the hall, all the ministers looked at the calm Regent, and everyone was shocked.
Zhang Huangyan opened his mouth slightly, with a look of shock on his face, but when he came to his senses, his body began to tremble slightly.
Zhang Huangyan looked at His Highness the Regent above him, and felt that His Highness the Regent was now covered in a hazy glow, like Yao or Shun. Zhang Huangyan felt that the countless benevolent emperors and saints recorded in history books were now overlapping with the figure of the young man above him.

It can only be said that young people are easy to deceive. Zhang Huangyan's heart trembled. He felt that the well-being of all the people in the world and the hope of the past generations were now all on him.
This made him almost breathless, and he was so excited that he couldn't even begin to tremble. Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the country, and pacifying the world, Zhang Huangyan felt that the moment he had been waiting for half his life had finally arrived.
Zhang Huangyan suddenly stood up, knelt down deeply, and said in a deep voice:

"I am willing to enter Yunnan Province. Even if I die, I will help Your Highness realize this great wish."

"Why talk about being torn to pieces? This small prefecture cannot limit Zhang Qing's talent. This world is the place where Zhang Qing can display his talent."

Zhang Huangyan kowtowed again to express his gratitude after hearing this, and was then called back by Zhu Lang. Only then did everyone in the hall come back to their senses.
After all, Qu Shisi was an experienced person. When he reacted, he immediately discovered the core of Zhu Lang's new system.

Zhu Lang's new system sounds quite grand, and the slogan of "never increasing the number of conscriptions and never increasing the conscription service" is also loudly shouted.

But in reality, the corvée expenses of the county government were settled, and then included in the land tax, and the corvée was replaced with silver, which deprived the local county government of the right to impose additional levies.
The new system of using silver to replace labor service has actually been in place for a long time. Since the Single Whip Law, using silver to replace labor service has become the norm. The restriction of the county government's power to arbitrarily increase taxes will certainly make the local county government dissatisfied, but I'm afraid that not many serious ministers in the court will oppose it.
The local county magistrates arbitrarily increased the number of clerks, which not only dissatisfied the common people, but also disturbed the gentry.

The real point that will cause unrest in this new system is completely hidden between a few words.
Qu Shisi had a serious look on his face, and without caring about anything else, he looked at His Royal Highness the Regent above him and spoke directly.

"Your Highness, is this new system going to require all landowners, regardless of whether they are gentry or common people, to pay six dou?"

This is the biggest problem with this new system. Although the Ming court had a heavy workload, the gentry did not have to serve in the army. They had a large amount of exemptions.
As long as the gentry paid the symbolic land tax in the early Ming Dynasty, they would not be subject to any additional labor service.
This is why so many people would rather give up their own land and offer it to the gentry as tenants, because the land under the name of the gentry does not need to be subject to military service.

The rent these tenants paid to the gentry was at least half of the annual yield per mu, but the fact that they did not have to serve in the army was enough to offset the rent they paid each year.
This is the most important point of this new system. In addition to limiting the power of local county governments to levy taxes, the most important point of the new system is to levy taxes on the gentry.

This was actually to forcibly collect the service money that could not be collected from the gentry in the past by tying it to the land, so as to increase taxes and reduce the burden on ordinary people.
Zhu Lang took a deep look at Qu Shisi, who looked serious, and then he spoke

"Yes, regardless of whether you are a gentry or a commoner, all your land will be taxed at six dou."

Qu Shisi looked at His Royal Highness the Regent, who had a calm expression, and immediately said:

"I know that Your Highness cares about the suffering of the people, but this matter is of great importance. Once this system is implemented, it may cause unrest in the court and turmoil in the world."

In the lobby, Zhang Huangyan, Liu Xiangke and others quickly reacted and their expressions changed.

After Qu Shisi pointed it out, they immediately realized that His Highness's new system was actually taking money from the gentry.
They are His Highness's confidants and have a bright future. They can support His Highness's new system, but how can other officials in the court give up?
Once the new system is implemented, the burden on the gentry and officials in the court will increase several times in an instant, which will almost certainly cause chaos in the court.
Zhu Lang had a cold expression on his face and said

"So now is just a trial. I need to know how much tax to collect in order to meet the needs of the county government and maintain the income of the court."

"The world is in turmoil. Isn't it turbulent enough now? The reason why the Ming Dynasty has reached the point where it is today is because the methods of the past are no longer feasible. If the Ming Dynasty still wants to restore the country and return to the old capital, then we must find a new method."

"This matter concerns the well-being of all people in the world, and even more so, whether the Ming Dynasty can survive and continue to exist, and build a foundation for a hundred generations."

"Now that the world has become like this, if the gentry in the court are still unwilling to give up some of their benefits, then what use is there for me to have them? If they are unwilling, I will replace them with a group of people who are willing!"

"As long as the Lin'an experiment shows results, even if it means killing 10,000 people, this matter must be carried out."

"They are happy to be slaves to the Tartars, but they are unwilling to pay taxes like ordinary people. The Tartars' knives are sharp, and my sword is not bad either!"

Qu Shisi looked at the indifferent Regent above him, with a look of shock on his face, but he did not come back to his senses for a long time.

He originally thought that he was already very familiar with this regent whom he personally appointed, but it was not until this moment that he discovered the other side of this regent. This regent was ruthless to the Tartars, but he was also ruthless to the people in the court.

Qu Shisi had no personal interests in this matter. He was from Suzhou Prefecture, which was now occupied by the Qing invaders. The Qu family's wealth and property had long been lost. Even if the Qu family's property was still there, he would not oppose this matter for the sake of his own property.
The world has come to this point. As long as the Qing invaders can be driven out of the Central Plains, the Ming Dynasty can be revived, and the old capital can be restored, Qu Shisi will never regret it, even if he is shattered to pieces.
He knew that His Highness's new system was absolutely beneficial to the court and the people of the world, but at this moment, looking at His Highness the Regent with a resolute expression, Qu Shisi began to worry deeply.

He has been through a lot of government affairs and is no longer the passionate young man he once was. When he was young, he read all the words of saints and thought that if he justified his righteousness, everyone in the world would follow and support him. But there is no such simple thing in the world.
There are many things in this world that are not black and white. Even if everyone knows that many things are right, due to various unspeakable hidden twists and turns, everyone may end up opposing the right thing.

Although His Highness's new system has not yet begun, Qu Shisi only heard the beginning and already felt that once this matter was launched, it would probably cause a bloody storm in the court.

Qu Shisi had a worried look on his face, but Zhang Huangyan was excited again when he saw the indifferent Regent above him.
This is the image of a sage king and a heroic ruler in his mind. A gentleman is upright and would not change his ways just because of a few villains and bandits!

Your Highness's new system is the right way to benefit the people of the world. If there are people who are just guarding their own houses and pursuing their own private interests, and do not know the way of heaven and the human heart, the country and the people will suffer.

Then we should sweep away all these old-fashioned people. There are so many scholars and gentlemen in the world. People with insight will definitely see what is the right path. Once these selfish people are eliminated, why worry that gentlemen in the world will not follow the right path?

Zhang Huangyan hoped that the benevolent people in the world would come to the court to assist in the administration and support the new system, but Zhu Lang was not as optimistic as Zhang Huangyan.
Seizing someone's wealth has always been a matter of life and death. In such matters, there are only the gentry class who oppose and obstruct in every way, but no benevolent and noble people who are loyal to the country. A few ministers and scholars who have a sense of justice and do not care about personal gain cannot promote the new system.

Zhu Lang was well prepared for this. If he wanted to replace a group, he could only establish a new group of beneficiaries.

All the gentry can rely on is the emperor and the literati to rule the world. The emperor certainly relies on the literati to rule the world, but the emperor can also decide who the literati are! The advantage of the monarchy lies here. If you are the one, you are the one, and if you are not the one, you are not the one either. In the past, the gentry could still check the monarchy with the so-called imperial system, but now the Ming court is almost destroyed. What ancestral system is there?

In this chaotic era, many things that were unacceptable in the past have become acceptable to the world. If the King of Rebellion could tolerate it and the Tartars could tolerate having their heads shaved, then they should naturally be able to tolerate the new system of the court.
It is not a rule in troubled times not to punish scholars and officials. The Tartars can kill so many people, so Zhu Lang can do the same.
Zhu Lang looked at Zhang Huangyan below, thought for a moment, and then said

"This time, Lin'an Prefecture is trying out a new system. Do not use officials from Yunnan Province, and do not invite any famous scholars. Yunnan Province has just experienced a rebellion. After suppressing Sha Dingzhou's rebellion, you can hold a special examination in the name of the court."

"In the name of recruiting military garrison officials, we are recruiting officials needed for the new system of Lin'an Prefecture. This time, there is no limit on identity. Students, officials from various prefectures and counties, and talented people from the public who can read and write can all come to take the exam."

"Zhu Xuexi, the literacy system has been implemented in the Tengxiang Army for half a year. This time, Lin'an Prefecture will try out the new system, and half of the positions for the 100-household officers and 1,000-household officers needed for the Lin'an Prefecture military settlement will be reserved."

"You should also hold a special examination in the army, and select a group of soldiers with the best literacy from the Tengxiang Army, the Zhongzheng Camp, and the Western Army, and let them manage these military settlements."

The gentry and officials of the world formed an impenetrable network through the imperial examinations of the same year, so that no matter who the king wanted to use, he would eventually use them. In this case, Zhu Lang created a new group of gentry.

Why did Zhu Lang send missionaries to teach calligraphy in the army? It was to train a group of literate personnel in the army.
These people may not be as good as the civil officials who passed the imperial examinations, but as long as they can read and understand official documents, they can at least be useful. It takes a lot of outstanding ability to check the grain register and record the weight of the land.

The same is true for selecting students and clerks. They are not accepted by the scholar group as miscellaneous groups, and they are not even considered miscellaneous groups.
These people cannot integrate into the scholar group. If they are appointed as officials, they can only rely on Zhu Lang, and they will wholeheartedly promote what Zhu Lang wants to do.

Selecting new scholars may seem simple, but it is difficult to do in normal times. When the dynasty is peaceful, the establishment of a special department is enough to arouse opposition from the whole dynasty.
Although the Ming court lost most of the country, it also greatly weakened the control of civil officials over the court. Military officials began to gain the upper hand in the court. This is why Zhu Lang was able to successfully establish the Military Affairs Office in the court.
Zhu Lang looked at Zhang Huangyan below and said

"Go ahead and try. As long as you are fair-minded, I can guarantee you nothing no matter what the situation is."

"If we take away the land of Lin'an Prefecture and make the gentry of Lin'an Prefecture pay taxes together, these people will definitely cause trouble."

"Don't be afraid of chaos. It's just a prefecture. If someone secretly colludes to cause chaos, we can treat them as rebels and eliminate them. After all, it's a den of thieves, so it's normal for there to be some remnants of bandits."

"Ma Bao, cooperate with Governor Zhang. If anyone causes trouble when the new system is being tried in Lin'an Prefecture, you should send troops to suppress them."

"I have given them a way to live. If they want to gamble their lives for that little money and food, then I can't blame the court."

"Subordinate to the order"

Zhang Huangyan looked at the murderous Regent from above and was a little slow to react for a moment. He only felt that it was inappropriate to label the gentry who opposed the new system as traitors.

But Ma Bao, who was standing by, stood up immediately and accepted the order respectfully. Zhang Huangyan also came to his senses at this time and immediately responded.

Zhu Lang looked at Qu Shisi who was about to persuade him again, but waved his hand and said

"Lord, if I am reckless and wanton, you should give me advice and suggestions. This is a matter of public interest and will benefit the people of the world and the country."

"Lord, you must support me in this matter."

"I have made up my mind on this matter, and there is no need to persuade me anymore."

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he looked at the people below and said

"Also, everything we said today is a secret of the court. You are not allowed to mention a single word to outsiders. If today's events are spread out in advance, don't blame the court for being ruthless!"

Seeing the cold expression on His Highness's face, everyone in the hall was startled and immediately stood up and responded in unison.

The ministers in the hall dispersed. Civil officials such as Qu Shisi were worried, but military officials such as Jiao Lian and Ma Bao did not take the matter to heart.
They are His Highness's imperial guards, and they only need to follow His Highness' orders. If His Highness asks them to send troops, they will send troops. Other matters in the court have nothing to do with them.

The Ming court negotiated the pacification of the Western Army. Under the pressure of the Ming army at Luomeng Pass, the Western Army did not dare to delay any longer. Three days later, Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu each arrived in Guiyang with 500 troops and took over the remaining Western Army.
Sun Kewang was extremely dissatisfied with the fact that the Ming court handed over these Western Army soldiers to Li Dingguo and others, but Sun Kewang was also helpless. The Ming court did not breach the contract and did return the soldiers to the Western Army, but did not give them to Sun Kewang.

Even Sun Kewang's private complaints seemed inappropriate. Li Dingguo and the other two were the purest descendants of the Western Camp. If Sun Kewang complained at this time, it would not be dissatisfaction with the Ming court, but dissatisfaction with Li Dingguo and the other two.

After Li Dingguo arrived, all the soldiers of the Ming court who were sent to Yunnan to suppress the rebellion gathered. Li Dingguo's troops reorganized the Western Army with 6,000 men, Ma Baoteng's army with 3,000 men, the Central Army Deputy General Xu Gaogui's army with 2,000 men, and Gao Yigong's Loyalty Camp with 3,000 men, a total of 14,000 people set out to Yunnan to suppress the rebellion.
Among these 14,000 people, Ma Bao led three Ming armies with 8,000 people, and the Western Army had 6,000 people, which was just enough to suppress the Western Army in terms of numbers.
After Li Dingguo and others left, Sun Kewang and other Western Army soldiers also began to withdraw from Bozhou and went to Yongning Luzhou, which was allocated by the Ming court. After the Western Army withdrew, Jiao Lian also led two imperial guards and the Gui army, totaling 15,000 people, to station in Bozhou City.

Less than ten days after the Ming army took over Bozhou, the Qing army had crossed the Zuan River and arrived at the city of Bozhou. As the Qing army's cavalry scouts identified a large number of Ming troops in Bozhou, the main force of the Qing court also gathered at the city of Bozhou.
The armies of the Ming and Qing dynasties gathered and confronted each other outside Bozhou. At this time, Ma Bao, Li Dingguo and others had already moved south, crossed the three states of Anshun, Yongning and Pu'an, and officially entered the territory of Yunnan Province.

(End of this chapter)