My uncle is Zhu Di

Chapter 189 What to do?
Jian Yi agreed to Xia Yuanji's suggestion and put the Daming Daily under the control of the Ministry of Rites. Soon Xia Yuanji left. Jian Yi sat there thinking about things. At this time, Ouyang Yun, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, asked for a meeting.

Jian Yi asked Ouyang Yun to come in. After Ouyang Yun came in, he bowed to Jian Yi and asked, "I wonder if you have read today's Daming Daily?"

"Yes, I've seen it!" Jian Yi nodded.

"Sir, do you think this is appropriate? Those officials have been infamous for all eternity through the publicity of the Ming Daily. Does that mean that from now on, all the officials of our Ming Dynasty will be seen as corrupt officials by the people?" Ouyang Yun said a little excitedly.

Jian Yi looked up at Ouyang Yun.

"Sir, we should oppose the Daming Daily. Otherwise, no one will dare to do anything." Ouyang Yun bowed to Jian Yi.

Jian Yi thought for a moment, stroked his beard and said, "Xia Yuanji came just now and asked me to submit a memorial to the Ministry of Rites to teach the Ming Daily. I agreed and am writing the memorial now. If you have any ideas, you can also write a memorial."

"Well, sir, if that's the case, I will also write one." Ouyang Yun felt relieved when he heard it, and bowed to Jian Yi.

"You should stay out of this kind of thing and don't come to ask me. If you want to work with Xia Yuanji and the others, you can go find them. I don't object to the Daming Daily. I object to the Daming Daily not being under the control of the Ministry of Rites. So, if you want to cancel it, you can write it yourself, or you can go to Xia Yuanji and the others to discuss it." Jian Yi looked at Ouyang Yun and said, Ouyang Yun bowed to Jian Yi.

After a few more words, Ouyang Yun went out.

Jian Yi sighed and wanted to pick up the brush to continue writing, but he couldn't write anymore. Jian Yi felt that something big was going to happen. How did those civil officials do things? Jian Yi knew it. The key was Xia Yuanji, who was so close to those civil officials. If Zhu Di knew about it, how would he deal with him? Xia Yuanji was a capable person and managed the Ministry of Revenue very well.

"Lord Haozhou, Xu Qin, I want to see him." Jian Yi murmured again. He had heard what Xia Yuanji said today and wanted to have a long talk with Xu Qin. Thinking of this, Jian Yi stopped writing, closed the memorial, put it in his arms, and went home to write. He wanted to see Zhu Di first.

Everyone knew very well what kind of person Zhu Di was. When civil officials and military generals came into contact with each other, it was best to greet Zhu Di first.

Soon Jian Yi arrived at the imperial study. When Zhu Di learned that Jian Yi was coming, he immediately had someone bring him in.

After Jian Yi entered the imperial study, he first saluted Zhu Di and then Zhu Gaochi.

"Well, Yizhi, is there something wrong?" Zhu Di asked with a smile.

"Yes, I have something to discuss with Your Majesty about the Ministry of Personnel." When Zhu Di heard about the matter of official administration, he also stood up and said, "Let's go to the side room and talk over tea. Let them handle the memorials here. Boss, come over here too."

"Yes!" Zhu Gaochi and Jian Yi immediately bowed.

Soon the three of them arrived at a wing room not far away. Zhu Di sat down on the main seat and said, "Everyone, please sit down."

Zhu Gaochi immediately moved a chair for Jian Yi, but Jian Yi was afraid and hurried over to move it.

Zhu Di smiled and said, "Let the boss move. I often tell you that Jian Yizhi is the pillar of our Ming Dynasty. The administration of our Ming Dynasty depends on you. You are upright, impartial, and not corrupt. This is not just what I say. The ministers also admire you very much."

"I am ashamed. In the past few years, I have felt more and more tired, and it has become more and more difficult to select officials. It is only the Jinshi candidates in each subject that are slightly easier to arrange. But when I want to promote officials who have served as county magistrates, I am very cautious, for fear of promoting some corrupt people who might delay important court affairs and bring about criticism from the people." Jian Yi stopped and bowed to Zhu Di.

"Sit down, sit down, sit down and talk!" Zhu Di pressed his hand towards Jian Yi. The maid brought tea. Zhu Di continued, "I have also discovered that in recent years, there are more and more corrupt officials. After investigation, many people on the list submitted by the Ministry of Personnel are unreliable. Hey, I still don't understand why. Do they have to force me to learn from my father and punish them severely? But I don't want to."

Jian Yi bowed to Zhu Di and said, "Your Majesty is merciful. You can't kill them all. But today, I heard what Xia Yuanji said about Xu Qin, and I was deeply moved. Today, I came here to ask for your instructions. I want to meet with the Earl of Haozhou and discuss the problems of the Ming Dynasty's administration with him."

"Oh?" Zhu Di did it immediately after hearing it and looked at Jian Yi.

Jian Yi then repeated what Xia Yuanji had said to Xu Qin. When Zhu Di heard it, he thought of what Xu Qin had said to him before.

So he nodded and said, "Yizhi, Shakyabao and I have said something similar, but there is a problem, that is, once the high salary is maintained, the taxation of our Ming Dynasty will be difficult to support. However, I will also talk to you, and you should also investigate it. Only the three of us know about this matter. Of course, Shakyabao also knows about it. It was Shakyabao who reminded me."

Zhu Gaochi and Jian Yi immediately bowed their hands. Zhu Gaochi was very curious about what Xu Qin had said. Zhu Di then told them all about the corvée, labor service, and taxes of ordinary people that Xu Qin had mentioned.

Especially what Xu Qin said, where is the money? Where did the money go? The people handed in so much money, and most of it disappeared. Whose pocket did the money end up in?

When the two heard this, they looked at Zhu Di in amazement, and then they were horrified.

"So, I also want to ask, where is the money? Where did the money go and who pocketed it? I was the one being scolded, but they took the money. Tell me, am I wronged?" Zhu Di sat there and said angrily.

Zhu Gaochi and Jian Yi knelt down immediately. Zhu Di did not want to ask them to stand up. Instead, he continued, "The people have suffered. They have paid taxes, performed labor service and corvée labor, and paid such a high price, but the money is gone. The taxes assessed by the Ministry of Revenue every year are all correct, but why has no one asked the people how much tax they have paid, how much they have paid to the government each year, how much difference there is, and where the money has gone?"

"I have failed in my duty. I did not investigate the matter." Zhu Gaochi said immediately.

"It has nothing to do with you. I didn't think about it either. If Shakya Bao had reminded me, I really didn't know that the people had to pay so much money. I thought the people only paid the approved taxes, but who could have thought that approval is one thing and the people paying is another." Zhu Di sat there and said coldly.

"I have failed in my duty. I don't know much about it. It's just that when the Ministry of Personnel was evaluating, it found that the income and expenditure of some officials were seriously mismatched, so we didn't dare to promote them. Now I think that's the problem." Jian Yi said while kneeling there.

"Get up!" Zhu Di asked them both to get up at this time, while he sat there stroking his beard.

After Zhu Gaochi and the others stood up, they stood there. Zhu Di waved his hand, motioning them to sit down, and then the two of them sat down.

"Officials from the six ministries all opposed my establishment of the Trade Bureau, and now they are also opposing my establishment of the Ming Daily! I didn't understand it before, but now I think I understand. They want to deceive me, to undermine me, and to put all the money in the world into their pockets. I will take the blame. They have a nice idea." Zhu Di sat there and said with a sneer.

"Your Majesty, it is a good thing for the Trade Bureau to go out to sea. It can solve the problem of many people in our Ming Dynasty and allow the people to earn more money. However, as for the Ming Daily, I think that the Ministry of Rites should also be involved. Otherwise, there will be no problem now, but what should we do if it gets out of control at that time?" When Jian Yi heard Zhu Di mention these two points, he also bowed and said.

Zhu Di glanced at Jian Yi and said nothing.

Zhu Gaochi said quickly: "My father's meaning is that we should do it this way for now. We don't know what will be accomplished. There is no need to increase the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. When everything is stable, we can discuss this matter later."

"Well, if that's the case, I have no objection." When Jian Yi heard what Zhu Gaochi said, he didn't dare to continue speaking. He also understood that Zhu Di understood the pros and cons of the matter.

"Let's talk about the Ministry of Personnel and official administration now? Do you agree with what Xu Qin said?" Zhu Di asked.

"Yes!" Jian Yi said with a bow.

"Where will the money come from? It's impossible to rely on the taxes of our Ming Dynasty. We can't ask the Trade Bureau to make money to subsidize them, right? Wouldn't our Ming Dynasty be doomed? If we get money from the Ministry of Revenue, have you ever considered whether those civil officials will object? To what extent will they object?" Zhu Di sat there, staring at the two of them and said.

Zhu Gaochi's forehead was already covered with sweat, not because he felt guilty, but because he was afraid, really afraid. If Zhu Di did as he wanted, all the ministers would oppose it, and this matter would certainly not be implemented. However, if it was not implemented, the Ming Dynasty would surely become weaker and weaker, and the emperor would be controlled. From then on, the civil officials would have the final say in the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor would be just a decoration.

Zhu Di saw that Zhu Gaochi's forehead was sweating and knew that Zhu Gaochi understood.

But Jian Yi didn't dare to say anything. He didn't dare to talk about such things. Before, he just thought about increasing the salaries in the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Di asked where the money came from. He also pointed out that the people now paid so much tax, far exceeding the taxes approved by the court. Where did the money go?
This was a fatal question. Fortunately, it was only the first time Zhu Di asked it. I could pretend that I had not thought it through and I could not come back, or if I came back I could say that I had not thought it through.

"Boss, tell me, what should we do about this?" Zhu Di asked, staring at Zhu Gaochi.

"Dad, this matter, this matter, this matter should, should, Zhu Gaochi glanced at Jian Yi!" Zhu Gaochi glanced at Jian Yi next to him.

Zhu Di stopped asking questions and looked at Jian Yi and asked, "Yizhi, what do you think we should do?"

Jian Yi stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have not thought it through for the time being!"

(End of this chapter)