Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 214 Chen Ce's Layout
If such a large population of royal family continues to grow, it will eventually become the last straw that breaks the camel's back for the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Ce wanted to help Zhu Houzhao solve this problem to ensure that he would have less pressure after ascending the throne.

Emperor Hongzhi could not solve these problems, but Chen Ce could.

Both he and Emperor Hongzhi had not much time left to live, but the difference was that Chen Ce knew he was racing against death, but Emperor Hongzhi did not.

Although Zhu Houzhao had just said that he wanted to ask for a marquis title for himself, Chen Ce now finally understood what Qi Jiguang said, "I have no desire for a marquis title, but I wish for peace at sea."

If Chen Ce wanted to change the future destiny of the Ming Dynasty at the beginning because his life was counting down.

But as he got along with Zhu Houzhao and their relationship grew deeper, he felt that everything he was doing now was more like paving the way for this unreliable guy, hoping that his future path to becoming an emperor would be smoother.

Chen Ce smiled and said to Zhu Houzhao: "It is difficult to solve the financial difficulties of the royal family, but it is also easy to solve them."

Zhu Houzhao opened his eyes wide and said, “That’s what I said!”

Whatever matter is a big deal to my father and the court officials, it’s nothing to me, little brother!

Look at how calm and composed this little brother is. It’s easy to say... If someone says this, wouldn’t you think it’s shameless?

Zhu Houzhao only believed what Chen Ce said, and he believed it without a doubt.

He held his chin up to his hand and listened very carefully, not daring to disturb Chen Ce's train of thought.

Chen Ce smiled and said, "Then let's talk about the one that is easy to achieve. It's just that the effect is slow and needs to be implemented step by step."

"Since the ancestral system began, each prince of the Ming Dynasty would be allocated a portion of land. After so many years of development, not only the land allocated by the court, but they must have also annexed a lot of land under their jurisdiction by various means, right?"

Zhu Houzhao said indignantly: "That's right! They ask for salaries from the court every day, and they cry and say that they haven't received their salaries for a long time. But even if the court doesn't pay them rice, they can still live comfortably with their land!"

A bunch of greedy royal pigs!
Chen Ce was neither sad nor happy, which was human nature. He was not angry, but just asked Zhu Houzhao: "They have concealed the land from the court, right?"

Zhu Houzhao clenched his fist and said, "More than that, I can figure out with my ass that they are hiding their land, and it's a lot! If they openly expose their land to the sun, how can they have the nerve to ask the court for wages?"

Chen Ce smiled and said, "Then go and measure the land. Let the court organize people to measure the land across the country, and measure the land of the royal family as well."

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he shook his head in disappointment and said, "Little brother, it's useless. Your idea is a bit naive."

"After years of development, they have found a way to effectively resist the imperial court's land measurement. The imperial court can't get any results from the measurement."

The final result is that the lands of those royal family princes must be consistent with the lands recorded in the clan office. They have ways to hide their other land resources.

So there is no point in measuring the land.

"At the end of the Chenghua period, the imperial court organized a land survey across the country. The Jinyiwei investigated these princes and found that each of them secretly owned tens of thousands of acres of good farmland. However, the results of the imperial court's survey were that many royal families did not even have land!"

"Do you think these people are deceiving the court and the emperor as if they were fools?"

Zhu Houzhao became more and more annoyed as he spoke, and finally he pounded the table viciously, venting his dissatisfaction in impotent rage.

The imperial court treated them well, giving them a lot of financial expenditure and salary every year, but they also concealed their land and annexed land to reduce the imperial court's tax revenue. They never considered the imperial court!
Of course Chen Ce knew these things, but people are driven by profit. When there is profit to be gained, who would consider the interests of the country and the family?

It is impossible to use your own thoughts to constrain the hearts of millions of people. Everyone has independent thoughts and his or her own interests to consider.

Chen Ce smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and said to Zhu Houzhao: "Yes, you are right. Every time they measure the land, they will cry and complain that they have no land and not much salary, so they have to ask the court for salary. So they have no choice but to do so. If the court does not pay them, they will not be able to survive."

After finishing speaking, Chen Ce narrowed his eyes and said to Zhu Houzhao: "This is the first step of my plan. If we can do this, the first step will be considered a success."

what?
Zhu Houzhao was confused. He thought Chen Ce was analyzing the situation with him, so how come his younger brother had already started implementing his plan?
"and then?"

Zhu Houzhao looked at Chen Ce in confusion.

Chen Ce said: "Wait, wait until Qian Yue is defeated."

Zhu Houzhao was almost confused.

If he doesn't figure out the whole matter, he won't be able to offer any advice to Emperor Hongzhi.

Chen Ce also knew this, so he wanted to explain it clearly to Zhu Houzhao.

Chen Ce changed the subject and said, "Aren't they complaining that they don't have land? Well, the southwest has it! The southwest has vast tracts of land!"

Zhu Houzhao was stunned for a moment.

Chen Ce said: "After the land survey results come out, if they still complain that they have no land, then we will map out the land in the southwest and give it all to them."

"Before that, the court was informed of its financial difficulties this year, which was not enough to cover their salaries."

"Allow them to go to the southwest to develop the land, and all the grain income they obtain will belong to them to make up for the royal family salaries owed by the court."

"Tell me, are they willing to go to the southwest, or are they willing to give up the court's salary?"

After hearing this, Zhu Houzhao was completely stunned, and then his face began to become extremely excited.

The southwest is already barren. If they are willing to develop the southwest, it will be beneficial to the court and will drive the economic development of the southwest.

But they are obviously unwilling to go to a place like the southwest. If Qian Yue is defeated again, it will be even more impossible for them to go to the southwest!
My dear brother, you are telling the royal family and nobles clearly that the court has no money to pay their salaries, but it will not treat them unfairly. There are large tracts of vacant land in the southwest. You can develop it. The court will not take any grain produced from the development. It will all be yours.

But the question is, will the royal family and nobles go?
The answer is obvious, no!

Chen Ce was afraid that Zhu Houzhao would not understand, so he summarized it for him: "The first thing the court should do is to tell the royal family about the financial difficulties and stabilize them. Then, we should measure the land and make them mistakenly think that the court is investigating the hidden land, so as to increase fiscal revenue and pay their salaries."

"In the end, the final plan was revealed. The choice was given to them. If they wanted a salary, the court would not provide any, but they could be rewarded with a large amount of vacant land in the southwest, allowing them to bring their families to the southwest for development and construction. Or they could choose to maintain the current situation and give up asking the court for a salary."

Aren't you complaining about not having much land to your name? Then the court pretends to be ignorant and plays along with you.

(End of this chapter)