I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 136 Bandit-like Minister Yin Zhengmao vs. Parasite of the Ming Dynasty, Prince Zhou's Mansion
In March, the capital city is full of spring.

Along the Jinshui River, willow branches sprout green leaves; outside Zhengyang Gate, all kinds of goods gather.

An old man enthusiastically hawked cloth shoes woven by his wife in front of a chessboard-shaped street stall; a fishmonger skillfully gutted a bluish-gray carp near the Guandi Temple on Chengxia Street; and a peddler carrying his wares on a shoulder pole was chased by a group of children…

The ordinary people in the city were busy preparing food for their families.

While listening to the scholars around him discussing who would be among the top three in this year's imperial examinations and the progress of the Henan fake archer incident.

They don't know much.

But you can tell whether the world is gradually getting better or gradually getting worse.

At the same time, the young Wanli Emperor also prepared the essay topics for the palace examination.

Shen Nian's words, "A prosperous age is one where all people in the world can have enough to eat," greatly excited him.

The young Wanli Emperor at that time was unaware of just how difficult it would be to achieve this, but he knew that if he did, he would become the most outstanding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Overnight.

The young Wanli Emperor felt he had a clear goal to strive for and that he still had much to learn about government affairs.

only if.

Only after assuming personal rule can he control everything and achieve great things.

Shen Nian spent nearly two years transforming the young Wanli Emperor, who disliked politics and was content to act as a "mascot," into a young emperor who longed to rule in his own right and make a difference.

……

March 11th.

This refers to the fourth day after Yin Zhengmao, the Minister of Revenue, arrived in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan.

He left all the dismissed provincial officials in Henan standing aside.

First, we entered Xiangfu County.

Magistrate Wu Qing of Xiangfu County, who was not telling the truth, was flogged twenty times outside the yamen and in front of the people, in an attempt to force a confession.

Then, the lower-level officials and clerks were interrogated one by one, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, together with the Imperial Inspector Zhang Jian, were ordered to collect fake bows and fake dragon scale registers in various counties of Henan.

Yin Zhengmao's actions had a bandit-like quality.

He directly used torture on officials who did not know the answer or even refused to answer when asked questions.

Those who still do not confess even after being tortured.

He then ordered his officials to search people's homes, encouraged the people to report on him, and even tried to induce or deceive them into confessing.

In Hai Rui's eyes, all these tactics violated the "Great Ming Code".

But it is extremely efficient.

Just last night, Yin Zhengmao confirmed that the forgery of the bow and the false measurement of land were not just a matter of Xiangfu County, but a matter of the entire Henan province.

None of the provincial officials who were dismissed and placed under house arrest were innocent.

After confirming this, Yin Zhengmao's next task became clear.

He came to Henan by imperial decree.

It's not just about punishing these officials who outwardly comply but inwardly defy the law and only care about their personal career advancement; it's also about ensuring that the land surveying operation in Henan proceeds normally.

The biggest obstacle to the land survey in Henan is not officials, but the imperial clansmen.

The Henan princes appear to have been uninvolved in this matter.

In reality, if it weren't for their powerful and domineering influence within Henan's territory, the provincial officials in Henan would not have taken the initiative to show favoritism towards them.

These days.

At Yin Zhengmao's instruction, Shi Qing, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had already arrested more than ten people from the Prince of Zhou's residence.

The reasons are varied.

Some lend money at exorbitant interest rates, some shortchange tenants on monthly payments, some engage in market manipulation and monopolistic practices, and some resort to forced buying and selling and oppressing the people...

The purpose of doing so was naturally to gather evidence of the illegal activities of the Prince Zhou's residence, and to instill fear in them first.

Just yesterday.

Zhu Zaiting, the ninth Prince of Zhou and the head of the Zhou Prince's Mansion, the largest clan in Henan, finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He invited Yin Zhengmao to a banquet at the Zhou Prince's Palace.

Ostensibly, it was a reward for the imperial envoy, but in reality, they wanted to find out whether Yin Zhengmao's investigation into this matter would implicate the Prince of Zhou's residence.

……

As dusk approached, the weather became cool.

Yin Zhengmao, the Minister of Revenue, arrived with several constables in front of the grand and imposing Zhou Prince's Mansion in the south of Kaifeng.

Zhu Zaiting held the title of Prince, which placed him in a supreme position in Henan.

Although he had no real power or soldiers, even the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng had to kowtow and pay his respects when he met him.

The current feudal lords.

They were born with a name bestowed by the imperial court, and were granted a salary by the imperial court. They did not engage in the occupations of the four classes (scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants).

They rely entirely on the imperial court for support.

The imperial court allocated land, money, and labor services; there were public funds for weddings, funerals, and other important occasions; and there were also various rewards from time to time.

While supplying local specialties to the capital, a portion should also be provided to them.

Even if a member of the imperial family committed a serious crime and was demoted to a commoner, he would still be provided with sustenance and food.

It can be said that the way of kinship is very strong, and its depth far surpasses that of previous generations.

The reason why the imperial court treated the imperial princes so well.

The hope is that they can stay in one place and live a peaceful life, rather than causing another "Jingnan Campaign".

In short: just feed and provide for them, let them eat and drink their fill, let them enjoy life, and let them live a life of mediocrity.

The initial idea was good.

However, as things stand today, the imperial clans have become the biggest problem for the Ming Dynasty's fiscal expenditures.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the official salary of the Prince of Zhou in Henan was around 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), while today it is at least 500,000 shi.

The second year of the Wanli reign.

The Ming Dynasty's total tax revenue was 2600 million shi (a unit of dry measure), while its official expenses reached 900 million shi.

This ratio is alarming.

The reason for this was that the imperial princes of the Ming Dynasty were too prolific in procreation!

According to the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, even those who are descendants of the sixth generation or younger, as long as they are ten years old or older, can still be granted the title of Fengguo Zhongwei, an eighth-rank official, with an annual salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain).

This is the core reason for the explosive growth of the population of the imperial clans.

During the Hongwu era, there were fewer than 100 members of the Ming imperial family, but by the 28th year of the Jiajing reign, the number had exceeded 10,000, based solely on the records in the imperial genealogy.

Yin Zhengmao clearly remembered that the number of imperial princes and vassals counted in the second year of the Wanli reign had exceeded 30,000.

The children born to the princes and nobles were not children, but rather children who received an annual stipend of two hundred bushels of grain and various privileges.

As a result, all the princes and vassals were desperately taking concubines and having children.

Some even impersonated legitimate sons by claiming to be born out of wedlock, or adopted sons by claiming to be born out of wedlock, in order to swindle money from the imperial court.

Although the imperial court implemented measures such as limiting and restricting salaries, it still could not keep up with the rate at which the princes and nobles had children.

The princes and nobles were used to a life of extravagance.

Not content with their official salaries, they gradually began another method of accumulating wealth: land annexation.

The land owned by princes and vassals was exempt from taxation.

This led to the continuous annexation of farmland by the imperial princes, and even some wealthy merchants and clans registered their land under the names of the imperial princes.

The current Zhou Prince's Mansion, spanning nine generations, now owns land that accounts for one-third of the arable land area of ​​Kaifeng Prefecture.

At this rate, in another hundred years, all the fertile land in Kaifeng will belong to the Zhou Prince's Mansion, and the people of Kaifeng will either become tenant farmers, vagrants, or even rebels.

It can be said that the current imperial princes are parasites and bloodsuckers of the Ming Dynasty.

However, resolving the issue of the imperial clan and its vassal states is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

With the support of ancestral rules, even the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng did not dare to abolish the privileges of the imperial clan.

……

In front of the Prince Zhou's residence. As soon as Yin Zhengmao alighted from his carriage, he saw Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, who was about sixty years old and dressed in princely robes, leading a group of people from the residence to greet him.

This can be described as giving Yin Zhengmao a lot of face.

He strode forward, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "Minister of Revenue Yin Zhengmao greets Prince Zhou!"

Zhu Zaiting stroked his beard and quickly came over to help Yin Zhengmao.

"Minister Yin, there is no need for such a grand ceremony before my gates. I never expected that such a fraudulent and harmful act would occur in Xiangfu County. I am deeply saddened. I have heard that they are even using my name to deceive the people. I have never taken the slightest advantage of the people!"

Zhu Zaiting’s first words were to state that this matter had nothing to do with him.

Yin Zhengmao stood up, smiled politely, but did not reply.

Then, the two walked into the courtyard, one after the other.

More than thirty officials, servants, and maids from the royal palace on both sides bowed to Yin Zhengmao.

It was a grand affair.

……

A moment later, the two arrived at the backyard restaurant.

Zhu Zaiting sat at the top, and Yin Zhengmao sat at the bottom left, one person per table.

The moment the two sat down, pretty maids began to serve dishes. Golden cups and silver goblets, delicious food, one dish after another, piled up into a small mountain.

Even the chopsticks were inlaid with gold and ivory.

In the Ming Dynasty, some dishes at banquets were not meant to be eaten but rather to be displayed; they were piled up so high to demonstrate status and position.

In addition, a line of singers stood on the left side of the door, and a line of actors stood on the right side of the door.

You can listen to music or opera; the titles of the music and the list of operas are already on the table.

This is the daily life of a prince of the imperial family.

This meal was worth at least five hundred taels of silver, equivalent to half a year's salary for Yin Zhengmao.

If Hai Rui were to participate in such a scene, he would definitely not touch his chopsticks. He would most likely leave after finishing his business, or perhaps he would already be mentally preparing his impeachment proposal.

But Yin Zhengmao was a man who had once lived a life of extravagance.

He felt right at home.

She skillfully selected two of her favorite songs, then chatted politely with Zhu Zaiting while enjoying the food.

He did this partly out of his personality, and partly to reduce Zhu Zaiting's hostility.

Although the scale of this banquet at the Prince Zhou's residence exceeded the prescribed limits.

However, if he were to impeach him, Zhu Zaiting could simply say, "We cannot disgrace the Zhu family," and the Imperial Clan Court would not even reprimand him.

This was the privilege of the imperial clan.

……

Half an hour later.

After the two finished eating and drinking, and listened to the music, they went to the tea room.

Now is the time to speak.

Seeing that Yin Zhengmao was enjoying his meal and drink to his heart's content, Zhu Zaiting couldn't help but smile and say, "Minister Yin, how's the investigation into the false land survey going? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

now.

Zhu Zaiting already knew that all provincial officials of the fifth rank and above in Henan had been dismissed and placed under house arrest, and also knew that the young Wanli Emperor had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

But he didn't think it would implicate him.

Because everything was instructed by officials in Henan Province.

He knew that the provincial officials were forging the bows because they feared that the Prince of Zhou's mansion would use underhanded methods to obstruct the land survey, making it difficult for them to complete their task.

If the officials of Henan Province truly followed the imperial decree and confiscated the lands of the Prince of Zhou that did not meet the requirements.

Zhu Zaiting would indeed try various methods to stop it, because the land was the lifeblood of the current Zhou Prince's Mansion.

Zhu Zaiting was quite satisfied with the Henan provincial officials' idea of ​​"forging the bow and arrow".

Even if the Zhou Prince's Mansion still suffered some losses by doing so, it was within his acceptable range.

Now, Zhu Zaiting only hopes that Yin Zhengmao can limit this matter to Xiangfu County.

In this way, the Zhou Prince's Mansion would not suffer huge losses, and the land survey could continue.

He believed that the imperial court's attitude towards the imperial relatives and vassal states had always been: as long as things were outwardly acceptable.

This time will certainly be the same.

Some harsh words were only meant for the common people and would not cause any real harm to the imperial clan.

"Ugh!"

When Yin Zhengmao heard Zhu Zaiting's question, he first sighed deeply, then shook his head slightly.

After shaking his head, he took two sips of tea, paused for a moment, and then said with a troubled expression, "Your Highness, the Zhou Prince's Mansion may not be able to escape this calamity!"

"What? What calamity?" Zhu Zaiting was somewhat bewildered.

"Just last night, all the provincial officials, including the Governor of Henan Shi Mengzhong, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Henan Zheng Yunying, the Left Vice Commissioner of Henan An Jiashan, and the Left Councilor of Henan Xu Daren, confessed."

"They claim that forging the bow and arrow was your idea, and you even threatened them that if they didn't do as you said, you would throw the entire Kaifeng Prefecture's commerce and people's livelihood into chaos, and make their performance evaluation rank last among all provincial officials!"

"What? Nonsense, utter nonsense! I have no power or influence, and I spend all my time in my residence. How could I possibly command these provincial officials?"

"Do they dare to say where and when I said these words? I wanted to confront them, but they've tried to smear me. How despicable!" Zhu Zaiting was extremely agitated.

It is a major taboo for local officials to associate with princes.

"I believe that whether they framed you or not is no longer important. What is important is whether Your Majesty is willing to believe these words!"

"What does this mean?"

"Your Highness may not know this, but before I left the capital, Shen Nian, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, offered His Majesty a plan to 'make an example of someone.' He believed that if the matter of falsely measuring land involved the entire Henan province and the Henan vassal states, it would be a good thing."

"Good news?" Zhu Zaiting asked, puzzled.

"Fortunately, the court only needs to severely punish the Henan princes and the Henan provincial officials, and the land survey will be implemented smoothly throughout the country in the future, and other princes will not dare to obstruct it."

“Henan is located in the Central Plains, and you are known for your good temper, so the probability of you causing trouble is very small! This is also the main reason why His Majesty specifically instructed me before my departure to severely punish any vassal states that do not cooperate with the land survey.”

Yin Zhengmao fabricated the story that Shen Nian came up with this plan because Shen Nian's current position by Xiao Wanli's side was exactly that kind of role.

Most people are aware of Shen Nian's reformist tendencies, which are "concerned with the people rather than with officials."

"Is that the young scholar Shen Nian who repeatedly offered advice that made things increasingly difficult for local officials?"

“Exactly!” Yin Zhengmao nodded.

Many local officials had a bad impression of Shen Nian, so the image of Shen Nian that reached Zhu Zaiting's ears was this one.

Zhu Zaiting couldn't help but frown.

He believed Yin Zhengmao's words without a doubt, after all, how could a second-rank official in the imperial court lie to a prince!

The "chicken" in the idiom "kill the chicken to warn the monkey" clearly refers to him.

The emperor was the absolute nemesis of the imperial clans.

Zhu Zaiting believed that the young Wanli Emperor would use this incident to severely punish the Zhou Prince's Mansion for other reasons as well.

For example, the biggest beneficiary of this fake land survey was the Zhou Prince's Mansion; however, the Zhou Prince's Mansion did not have a good reputation among the people of Kaifeng.

Also.

The fact that the young Wanli Emperor could accept Zhou Fuzi's complaint while holding the "Great Proclamation" is enough to show that he was an emperor who dared to use severe punishments.

Zhu Zaiting became increasingly depressed as he thought about it.

Seeing Zhu Zaiting's anxious expression, Yin Zhengmao knew that the latter had fallen into the trap he had set.

Next.

He could then logically get this Prince Zhou to voluntarily "pay to avoid disaster" and, in order to avoid severe punishment, relinquish some illegally acquired land.

This is Yin Zhengmao's ultimate goal.

His arrival in Henan and his efforts to ensure the smooth progress of the land survey were considered a mere formality.

However, if he could persuade the Henan princes, led by the Prince of Zhou, to not only abide by the land survey policy but also return some land to the people, he would have made a great contribution.

(End of this chapter)