Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 114: Duke of Ying: The fake emperor usurped the Ming Dynasty, it’s time to tell the truth

early morning.

When Zhu Qizhen walked out of the Qianqing Palace, he was greeted by a gust of cold wind that cut his cheeks like a sharp blade and almost sent him back.

The first light of morning seemed to be a bit chilly, unable to dispel the coldness of the palace. Frost was all over the ground, silvery white, covering the palace bricks and the imperial road. Every step made a tiny and lonely sound.

On both sides of the imperial road, bare trees swayed in the cold wind, their branches exposed, like an old man's fingers, withered and trembling. The once lush green leaves had now been eroded by frost and turned into withered yellow leaves, falling with the wind and covering the ground.

In the distance, in the shadow of the palace wall, the occasional cry of crows could be heard, and the sound seemed particularly mournful in the quiet morning. The entire palace seemed more lonely and heavy than ever on this frosty morning, as if even time had frozen in this severe cold.

Frost kills the grass!

Zhu Qizhen did not take a sedan chair, but walked to the front of Fengtian Hall. He stood on the steps and looked at the ministers who came to the imperial road to attend the morning court.

Some of the old ministers, their hair and beards were as white as frost, staggering forward in the cold wind. Zhu Qizhen sighed in his heart: "The frost will kill all the grass, please don't take my old ministers with you."

On the imperial road, the cabinet chief minister Wang Zhi and the minister of rites Hu Yi walked slowly. They were both nearly eighty years old. Wang Zhi raised his eyebrows at Hu Yi and said, "Brother Hu, can you still bear it with your body?"

"Old Wang, I may not hold a higher position than you, but I will definitely live longer than you." Hu Yi snorted.

"We two old men are blocking the way for the young people." Wang Zhi laughed as he walked. "Old men who are still alive are thieves. Haha, I wonder what they think we stole from them?"

Hu Yi was already a little out of breath, his eyes full of sarcasm: "Those young people know nothing! Lord, even if I die, you have to hold on for a few more years."

Wang Zhi blew his beard and glared: "What are you talking about?"

Hu Yi sighed softly, looked towards the Fengtian Palace, and said, "Your Majesty is also young. You have been protecting His Majesty from the wind and rain for two years."

The two of them stopped on the imperial road and stood in the cold wind, but it was as if they saw the morning sun, and their turbid eyes became sparkling.

"Why don't you block it?"

"I am not as high-ranking as you."

"Hey, how about you join the cabinet too?"

"Let's block it together, okay? The two of us are old and we don't have many years left to live."

……

early morning.

Xu Youzhen, the Minister of Revenue, reported on the tax collection in various places. All provinces in the Ming Dynasty were sending tax grain to the capital, but there was no news from Henan.

Shang Lu, a member of the cabinet, stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, Liu Dingzhi has been blindly promoting the new policy. Could it be that he has forgotten the important matter of collecting taxes and grain? Then what is the use of him as the governor? He has not submitted a single memorial. Please punish Liu Dingzhi for dereliction of duty."

A group of ministers stood up and agreed to punish Liu Dingzhi.

"Fuck your mother!"

Zhu Qizhen cursed in his heart, "Why are you so warlike, my ministers? Every morning, you always yell about punishing people for crimes. Either this crime or that crime."

"The court has not restricted the time for each place to pay taxes and grain." Zhu Qizhen still smiled, "We are just waiting. Each place is different. As an emperor, I can't punish ministers at will. Who would dare to go out and do practical things in the future? As long as you do things, you will encounter problems. Unless you don't do anything, everyone can talk."

He said this with a smile, but it was actually sarcasm.

You bunch of ministers, you stay in the Fengtian Hall every day and do nothing, yet you have the nerve to punish others?

"Your Majesty has confidence. We are waiting for Liu Dingzhi. We are just afraid that we will have to wait until it snows heavily." Duke Chengguo said indifferently.

He wanted to laugh at Your Majesty.

Not only him, but also the ministers who opposed the new policy were waiting to see the joke. If Liu Dingzhi confiscated the tax grain, the new policy would be a joke and would definitely not be implemented.

Zhu Qizhen knew what some ministers were thinking, and he could only endure it.

……

Qianqing Palace.

After Zhu Qizhen came back from the morning court, he ordered Cao Jixiang to send a brazier to Wang Zhi and Hu Yi. During the morning court, he saw two old ministers standing in the hall, shivering from the cold, and was really worried that they would faint.

Cao Jixiang left in a hurry with two eunuchs. Zhu Qizhen called the commander of the Imperial Guard, Shi Biao, to come over and asked, "What is going on in Henan? What tricks are Yang Guifang and Liu Dingzhi playing? There is no news from your Imperial Guard either?"

Shi Biao chuckled and said, "There is good news. Yang Guifang is on his way back to Beijing. I estimate that he will arrive in the next two days. Your Majesty, please don't blame me. He was the one who said he wanted to give Your Majesty a surprise."

"You must be frightened!" Zhu Qizhen glared.

He had always been confident in Yang Guifang. If there was any situation, Yang Guifang would have reported it long ago. He breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How is the progress of Zhang Ding's case? Have you found any clues about the person who forced him to death?"

Shi Biao shook his head: "There are only a few people who can do this. They are always strict in their work and will not leave any clues. I estimate that the person who forced Zhang Ding to death is probably dead."

Zhu Qizhen snorted coldly: "You continue to investigate, and make a big show. Keep putting pressure on them. I'm not afraid that they won't reveal their true colors."

"I have already sent people to monitor their residence." Shi Biao bowed, "There will always be clues."

Zhu Qizhen nodded with satisfaction.

In this regard, the Jinyiwei are professional. Professional matters should be left to professionals, and there will definitely be results.

"Now, some ministers are waiting to see me make a fool of myself." He chuckled, "In the end, let's see who makes the fool of whom."

Shi Biao's eyes were filled with murderous intent: "These people should be killed! Your Majesty, how about I go and arrest a bunch of them? The imperial prison has been quite empty recently."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

……

The sun came out and the capital city became much warmer.

A long convoy of vehicles entered Beijing, escorting one cart after another, with no end in sight. It turned out that the imperial envoy Yang Guifang was returning to Beijing from Henan, and his presence shook the nine gates of the capital.

"What are these things? It is said that they were presented to Your Majesty by the Governor of Henan."

"Isn't Henan poor? Sending so many gifts at once? The line should stretch from the city gate to the farewell pavilion."

"Yes, yes, this is a big deal. There is no such thing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

Yang Guifang sat high on his horse, full of vigor and ambition. He was determined to shake the entire capital. This time he escorted the tax grain from Henan and some tax silver.

This time, Henan implemented a new policy and collected taxes from the gentry and wealthy families. He was shocked to find that the taxes in Henan were more than double that of last year.

This volume is almost catching up with the wealthy provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. From this, we can see how much land the gentry and wealthy families occupied, and they did not have to pay taxes in previous years.

After Yang Guifang personally escorted the tax grain to Taicang, he came to the Qianqing Palace to pay homage to the emperor. Zhu Qizhen was also happy to see him: "You are finally back, tell me what's going on?"

"Your Majesty, the new policy has almost been implemented in Henan." Yang Guifang bowed, "Of course there are still some problems, which need time to resolve. However, the overall situation has been settled, and the people of Henan are thanking God for His grace. Your Majesty, you have finally let me know what the emperor's grace is."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead and said, "Don't be afraid of flattery. Tell me in detail."

……

The next day, morning.

Yang Guifang, who returned from Henan, told his ministers about the situation in Henan:

"This year's tax grain is more than double that of last year. Henan's deficit to the national treasury can be made up, and there will be a surplus next year."

"The price of grain in Henan is now 3.4 yuan, which is almost the same as the grain price in the bumper years in Jiangnan. In addition, the prices of silk, cloth, bamboo utensils, oil, vinegar, firewood, tea and vegetables in the Henan market have all dropped by nearly half."

"Most importantly, the Yellow River embankment has been repaired, and the people no longer have to worry."

Every word he said was like a slap in the face to those ministers who opposed the new policy. Not only was the new policy implemented, but it also achieved great success.

For a moment, the entire hall fell silent.

Zhu Qizhen stood up slowly, glanced at the ministers, and said loudly:
"Liu Dingzhi has done a great job. This is the kind of frontier official I want. He has done so many good things for the local area and the people. The more officials like him the better. Then I can rest assured."

"Some of you keep talking about ancestral rules and opposing 'serving together and paying taxes together'. Haha, if we had always followed the ancestral rules, we would still be in the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty."

"You are talking to me about the saints again. The second saint said, 'The people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important.' If I can be less important, why can't the gentry change?"

"You usually go in and out of government offices, always saying 'worrying about the world before worrying about yourself, and rejoicing after the world rejoices', but when it comes to your own interests, what do you do? Do you forget everything?"

"My dear ministers, please give scholars and gentry some face! Don't let the people of the world look down on you, and don't let future scholars be ashamed of you."

All the ministers bowed their heads.

……

Zhu Qizhen looked down, and with a sense of pressure, he said in a deep voice: "I have decided to implement the new policy throughout Ming Dynasty starting next year. The cabinet should come up with a detailed strategy."

"I obey your order." Wang Zhi, the chief minister of the cabinet, bowed.

Zhu Qizhen stood on the Danbi and continued, "The localities have their own new policies, and the court should also have new policies. I have decided that after the New Year, the 'Performance Evaluation System' will be implemented to evaluate officials at all levels."

Many ministers were confused after hearing this. What is the performance evaluation system?
The ministers in the cabinet had known about this for a long time. The emperor had discussed it with them. Originally, the emperor's package of new policies was to be implemented all at once, but in the end it was decided to do them one by one.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Zhi, stepped forward and gave a brief explanation to the ministers about what the performance evaluation system was, which actually consisted of two parts.

Limitation of examination matters:

The six ministries and the Censorate set deadlines for the tasks that their officials should do and recorded them in three separate account books.

One copy was kept as a copy, one copy was sent to the six departments, and one copy was presented to the Cabinet.

Every month, the six ministries and the Censorate will check the account books and cancel each completed item. If not completed, it must be reported truthfully, otherwise the person will be punished.

Evaluation at each level: Superior officials regularly evaluate their subordinates, and the evaluation results serve as the basis for promotion, demotion, reward or punishment.

The six departments require the six ministries to report on the implementation status every six months. Violators will be subject to discussion and punishment based on limited cases.

The cabinet verified the inspection work of the six departments, forming a complete system in which the cabinet led the supervisory agencies, which in turn supervised the six ministries of the court, and the six ministries commanded civil and military officials as well as local officials.

"This……"

After hearing this, some officials who usually slacked off looked very unhappy.

Zhu Qizhen, sitting on the dragon throne, seemed to have his eyes passing through the Fengtian Hall, outside the capital, and to all parts of the Ming Dynasty.

God has made me the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Well, then let me make the Ming Dynasty great again.

……

After court, Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen summoned the cabinet and the six ministers to hold a small court meeting. He was so happy that he almost put his feet on the imperial table and discussed matters with the ministers while shaking his legs.

"My dear ministers, the situation in Henan shows that the new policy is feasible." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "So, I hope to implement it with all my strength next year. You should come up with a detailed plan and submit it to me."

The cabinet chief, Wang Zhi, frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the situation in different places is different. We still have to proceed step by step..."

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said, "I know, that's why I asked you to come up with detailed rules and implement them according to the local conditions. I won't rush you. Isn't it more than three months before the New Year? How about we discuss this rule before the New Year?"

"I obey your order." Wang Zhi nodded.

Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on Shang Lu, who lowered his head, and said, "Shang Aiqing, you can also say a few words."

Shang Lu had always been against the new policy, especially the one about "serving as a government official and paying taxes as a government official". When he was directly called out, he raised his head, stiffened his neck and bowed: "I still oppose 'serving as a government official and paying taxes as a government official'. The court should support scholars."

"Raising a bunch of parasites, setting up a small inner treasury, and secretly embezzling the imperial tax grain?" Zhu Qizhen asked back.

Shang Lu's old face turned red and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Zhu Qizhen looked at him, and suddenly didn't want to ridicule him anymore, so he sighed softly:
"I know that governing a country requires scholars, but how can ordinary people know how to govern a country? I also know that scholars are narrow-minded. I have violated their interests. A hundred years later, those scholars still don't know how to frame me. But I can't control these things anymore!"

"When Liu Dingzhi was still imprisoned, he told me that someone in this world would have to get his head broken and bleed, and he wanted to use his blood to open the emperor's eyes."

"I want to say that there must be an emperor in this world who will stand up and tell the world that the emperor should share the world with the people."

"In fact, the gentry are also common people."

Shang Lu listened and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, I still want to remind you that it is not that easy! How can the gentry in Henan be compared with the gentry in Jiangnan? The resistance faced by the new policy will exceed your majesty's imagination."

Zhu Qizhen just laughed it off.

How could he not know? The Jiangnan gentry were so powerful that they could "hold the power of the government and seize the wealth of the common people." They lived together in clans, served as officials for generations, and intermarried with each other, which was a complex network.

The implementation of the new policy is difficult in the south of the Yangtze River.

……

British government.

After Wang Zhi and Hu Yi left the court, they came to see the Duke of England. Zhang Jingshu took them to the greenhouse in the backyard, where the Duke of England, Zhang Fu, was lying on a soft chair and taking a nap.

"Duke." The two men bowed.

But the Duke of England lay there motionless. Zhang Jingshu stepped forward and patted him gently, shouting, "Grandpa, Lord Wang and Lord Hu are here."

The Duke of England then slowly opened his eyes and called out to the two of them, "Xingjian, Yuanjie, please sit down. Alas, I am old and often feel sleepy, and my hearing is not very good anymore."

He addressed them by their given names, which seemed very intimate. Wang Zhi and Hu Yi looked at the white-haired Duke of Yingguo, and they could not help but feel sad. The Duke of Yingguo in the past was so wise and powerful.

"I called you here for nothing, just to chat." Duke Ying sighed, "We are the only three of us who are still ministers from Emperor Taizong's time. As for me, I don't know for sure if I will get to see Emperor Taizong someday."

Wang Zhi couldn't help but said, "My Lord, I wish you a long life. The Ming Dynasty needs you to keep it under control."

Hu Yi also nodded in agreement: "If we want to see Taizong, I have to go first. I am the most useless."

Duke Ying smiled silently on the surface, but in fact he was very happy. He said, "Why are the three of us old men fighting over this? I am not afraid of death, but I am worried about the Ming Dynasty."

Wang Zhi picked up the teacup and took a sip, his expression excited: "I am not worried anymore. Your Majesty has really matured. As long as this series of new policies are implemented, I believe that the Ming Dynasty will be prosperous."

Hu Yi also said, "Yes, Your Majesty has the decisiveness of Taizu and the kindness of Renzong. It is rare, really rare. I believe that Your Majesty will lead the Ming Dynasty to prosperity."

The Duke of England listened with mixed feelings.

But this emperor is a fake. He has actually won the hearts of the old ministers. If this continues, the Ming Dynasty will really be usurped by him.

"I really want to live a few more years to see the prosperous Ming Dynasty." Hu Yi continued, "The candidates for this special examination all admire your majesty. When they enter the officialdom, they will be a great help to your majesty."

Wang Zhi smiled and nodded: "Each generation has its own tasks. Our generation should gradually die out. I hope that Your Majesty will lead the younger generation to create a prosperous Ming Dynasty."

The Duke of England listened, took a breath, and coughed violently: "Cough cough cough..."

Wang Zhi quickly patted him on the back and said, "Duke, there's no need to be so excited."

British Duke: “!!!”

Why am I excited? I'm scared!

It's time to tell the truth. If I continue like this, I won't be able to face Emperor Taizong, Emperor Renzong and Emperor Xuanzong in the underworld. It was me who handed over the Zhu family's kingdom to outsiders.

……

Zhu Qizhen walked to Kunning Palace with a step that did not recognize his relatives. He walked back and forth in front of the empress dowager, and said in a boastful tone: "Mother, the new policy in Henan has been a great success. Today I will slap the faces of the ministers in the court. It feels great!"

The Queen Mother glanced at him and said, "Don't hang around in front of me! This is just the first step to success. Is it worth it for you to be so happy?"

Zhu Qizhen shrugged: "Shouldn't I be happy? Everything is difficult at the beginning. If I can succeed in the first step, I can also succeed in the rest. Hey, should I have a few drinks tonight? Shuangxi, bring me some wine."

Shuangxi went there quickly and was very obedient.

The empress dowager bit her red lips. This guy has been in Kunning Palace for a long time. All the palace maids listen to him. Where is my dignity?

After a while, the food and wine were served.

Zhu Qizhen sat opposite the Queen Mother, the candlelight flickering, as if they were having a candlelight dinner. Zhu Qizhen raised his glass and said, "Mother, come, drink to me."

The Queen Mother raised her cup helplessly, took a sip, and said calmly: "Don't be complacent, the trouble is still to come, the key to the new policy lies in Jiangnan."

"I am only proud of your Kunning Palace." Zhu Qizhen took a sip of wine and said, "The cabinet ministers are all warning me. I know the difficulty lies in Jiangnan."

The Queen Mother glanced at him, and her voice was a little less cold than before: "It is a blessing for you to be an emperor to have ministers who speak frankly. It is also the foundation for you to implement new policies."

Zhu Qizhen ate with big mouthfuls, without even looking up, and asked, "Are there any ministers who are deliberately trying to trip me up?"

The Queen Mother didn't seem surprised at all, and frowned slightly: "The word human heart, is it that simple?"

Zhu Qizhen suddenly put down his chopsticks, raised his head and looked straight at the empress dowager, and said with a wry smile: "The authorities know it is a play but can't get off the stage, and the onlookers are laughing in their hearts but looking forward to the performance. This is the royal family, this is the emperor. I understand it more and more."

The Queen Mother avoided his gaze and changed the subject, asking, "How is Enke?"

Zhu Qizhen took a sip from the wine glass and said:
"The so-called "Enke" is to show favor to scholars all over the world and win the hearts of scholars all over the world. In fact, the first priority of the imperial examination is neither to select talents nor to educate the world."

"Imprison the patriots, let all the smart people in the world enter the cage of eight-legged essays, let them study the chapters and sentences, and study the classics until they are old. In this way, these people will not have wild ideas, nor will they be deceived by crooked ways. When the scholars are settled, the next person in the world who wants to rebel will only be a bandit."

"The emperors of all dynasties have such good intentions! I just need to follow their instructions, what else can I do?"

The Queen Mother was secretly shocked. This fake emperor was becoming more and more adept at the ways of the emperor. She also put down her chopsticks, raised her eyes and asked coldly, "Since you understand everything, why am I still unhappy when I see you?"

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands: "I am cheap!"

After he finished speaking, he wiped his mouth, stood up and left. The Queen Mother looked at him and instantly became angry. She said to Shuangxi beside her: "Hey, what's his attitude? He got mad outside, and now he's here to vent his anger?"

Shuangxi pursed her lips and said carefully: "Queen Dowager, His Majesty is probably under too much pressure, please forgive him."

The Queen Mother glared: "When did you start to turn your elbows outward?"

……

The weather is getting colder and colder.

Zhu Qizhen rarely went out, and stayed in the warm room of the Qianqing Palace, feeling very comfortable. He had been reading the information about the gentry in Jiangnan recently, and he was really shocked when he saw it.

"It is powerful enough to control the government and seize the wealth of the common people."

This is not an empty statement. At the county level, the power of the gentry may be greater than that of the emperor. In a county government, only the county magistrate and the county magistrate are appointed by the court and receive salaries from the court.

In the county government of the Ming Dynasty, there were six masters, namely the eldest master was the magistrate, the second master was the county magistrate, the third master was the chief clerk, the fourth master was the head clerk, the fifth master was the foreman of labor, and the sixth master was the jailer.

Except for the county magistrate and the county magistrate, the remaining four masters were all supported by the county government. According to the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials, it was difficult for the first and second masters to support themselves, so wouldn't it be even more difficult for the rest of the masters?
For them, promotion was hopeless, so they simply found ways to make money. To the court, these clerks were nothing, but to the people, they were the court itself.

These masters have low incomes but real power, and one can imagine what these clerks will do with their eyes closed. They will definitely flatter the gentry and squeeze the people to death.

"Henan was successful because they first cleaned up the bureaucracy and poured in resources, which led to their success." Zhu Qizhen said to himself, "If we implement it nationwide, the difficulty will increase exponentially. I can't send trusted imperial envoys to every place."

He rubbed his face with his hands.

At this time, footsteps were heard, accompanied by a charming voice: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

(End of this chapter)