Ming Dynasty: Traveling through the harem, Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded

Chapter 5 Being an official in Ming Dynasty is not a good job
I thought that after finding Yang Chen's loophole, the other party would not be able to continue talking.

But who could have imagined that the descendants of the Ming royal family would find loopholes in their ancestral precepts, and then ask the court for money by giving birth to sons.

Zhu Biao was speechless when he found out that the incident of stabbing himself happened to his own family.

Even Queen Ma did not expect that later generations would use their clever brains to harm their own people.

One third of the taxes collected across the country was used to support clan members.

What a huge number.

As a dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was not only responsible for the royal family, but also for the people of the world.

There are so many places that need to develop water conservancy projects, and the wars that occur on the border every year require money to fill this big hole.

The imperial court is a huge political machine, and every time it runs, it must cost a lot of money.

However, in the late Ming Dynasty, so much money was actually used to support the prince for no reason.

In other words, all this money was wasted on the prince. How could Zhu Biao bear this?

He felt his throat extremely dry, then his pupils gradually dilated, and finally his body couldn't help shaking, his legs went weak, and he almost fell down.

Fortunately, Zhu Di was quick to act and supported his elder brother.

"Brother! What's wrong with you!"

Looking at the expression on his eldest brother's face, Zhu Di also understood that what Yang Chen said was indeed correct.

"Biao'er! What's going on? Don't scare me!"

Empress Ma, who had been sitting on the Diaoyutai throne confidently, could not help but panic at this moment.

I was still pondering whether what Yang Chen said was true, but I didn't expect that my son would be the first to give up.

Everyone looked at Zhu Biao, who grabbed Zhu Di's shoulder with one hand to leverage his strength to prevent himself from falling.

When he stood firm, he said with moist eyes:

"Mother, he is right. We only thought about our descendants in the next few decades, and did not think about how much of a burden this ancestral precept would put on the Ming Dynasty's finances a hundred years later.

If the ancestral precepts set by my father are really passed down, with the prince inheriting the throne and the prince giving birth to children crazily, the number of offspring of those who hold titles such as generals guarding the country will swell to a terrifying number.

Liu Sheng alone could give birth to more than a hundred sons.

If someone among the future generations could give birth to more offspring than this number, within a few generations, or even within a hundred years, the number of the Ming Dynasty royal family would skyrocket to ten thousand!

With just these ten thousand people, I'm afraid that the Ming Dynasty would consume one million taels of silver every year!

These silver coins are all taxes collected from the people, and they are used to support the prince! This is a strategy to destroy the country!

"Mother! Father's ancestral teachings are really weakening the Ming Dynasty's national destiny."

Supported by his younger brother, Zhu Biao looked at his mother with a pale face.

At first, Zhu Biao also felt that what Yang Chen said was too exaggerated.

But if he really followed the other party's line of thought, passing it down from generation to generation, after only five or six generations, the number of the Ming royal family had increased to a number that he could not count anymore.

In the end, the royal family could really drag down the Ming Dynasty and even make its finances the biggest burden.

Realizing that what Yang Chen said was true, Zhu Biao immediately explained the matter solemnly to his mother.

Otherwise he was worried that the other party would not take it seriously.

Zhu Di, who was supporting his brother, had not spoken a word since the beginning. He was capable of fighting in the battlefield, but he seemed to be lacking in knowledge.

Who made him like skipping classes since he was a child, and he took his younger brother with him.

But he could tell from the expression on his brother's face that the situation was indeed serious.

So he helped his brother sit on the chair next to him to prevent any accidents.

Growing up in a merchant family, Empress Ma's mathematical calculation ability was no worse than Zhu Biao's, and even better. She also realized that the rules set by her husband did have big loopholes.

From this moment on, she faced Yang Chen with a correct attitude.

"So, you are undoubtedly a time traveler. You come from the future and can tell us the loopholes of the Ming Dynasty. I will remember this favor." Although Queen Ma is the queen, she knows what's going on.

He will not be as arrogant as Zhu Yuanzhang, who is too proud to care about his reputation.

"Thank you, Queen, for your trust."

Yang Chen breathed a sigh of relief knowing that his identity was not in doubt.

At least you don't need to waste too much time on proving yourself.

Queen Ma had only one thought in her mind at this moment, which was to stop the situation from developing.

So he gave instructions to Zhu Biao.

“Biao’er, since you have discovered the problem, then as the regent prince, you must remember to mention this matter to your father at the court tomorrow morning and ask him to revise the ancestral system to prevent the Ming Dynasty from making the same mistake again.

This is not only for our family, but also for the people of the world."

Sitting in the chair, Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly.

"Your son will remember your mother's order."

The money in the national treasury cannot be used casually, even if they are from the royal family.

The royal family has its own fields and properties, and the money in the treasury is distributed according to needs.

If the clan members took too much money, if a major disaster occurred among the people and money was needed for disaster relief, not a penny would be available.

This is an act that will lose the support of the people.

By then, it would not be uncommon for the people to rebel.

Civil unrest generally marks the beginning of a dynasty's decline.

Zhu Biao must nip these problems in the bud!
Queen Ma was very confident in her son, so she looked at Yang Chen and asked with some thoughts in her mind:

"Yang Chen, since you are from the future, what are your thoughts for the future?"

After saying this, Zhu Di felt a pang in his heart.

"Mother, are you planning to make him a minister of the Ming Dynasty?"

No matter how he studies, Yang Chen's identity determines his importance.

The fact that he was supported by the prince was enough to prove his worth.

Faced with the question, Yang Chen was silent at first, and then spoke after a long time.

"What the Queen means is..."

Seeing that the other party understood what she meant, Queen Ma raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

"Yes, I hope you can become a minister of the Ming Dynasty and avoid the situations you just described from happening in the future."

Zhu Biao also looked at Yang Chen expectantly, hoping that the other party could make the right choice.

However, Yang Chen shook his head to refuse.

Even when he heard that he was invited to be an official, his originally calm expression seemed to fall in an instant as if he thought of something.

It seemed that being an official was something he disliked.

"Why? Are you worried that we don't pay you enough?"

Zhu Biao realized the importance of Yang Chen, and he didn't want such a talent to be lost.

The depressed Yang Chen looked up, his face was tangled, and finally he said frankly:
"I know you definitely want me to be an official and help the Ming Dynasty escape the tragic news of destruction.

But everyone in later generations knew that being an official in the Ming Dynasty meant waiting for death, and that death was very miserable.

No matter who they are, as long as they are officials, seven or eight out of ten will not have a good end, and the last few will even live a harder life than the common people who own land.

Your Majesty, you asked me to be an official. Isn't this asking me to die?"

(End of this chapter)