Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 179 Zhu Youjian has figured it out! On the 9th day, he reformed it and took off!
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for this red embellishment. I am truly unworthy of such recognition!"

The voice was full of confidence and triumph, which contrasted sharply with the heavy and oppressive atmosphere in the hall.

Almost instantly, everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound.

From the crowd, a figure rose from his seat, smiled, and bowed respectfully towards the throne.

It's Howard again!
Zhu Youjian looked at him, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

How old are you?

This is a fiscal and tax policy, a matter of national importance. Your official records don't even include a single entry from the Ministry of Revenue. Do you understand why?

Seemingly sensing the young emperor's doubts on the throne, Huo Weihua bowed again and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 41st year of the Wanli reign. I first served as the magistrate of Jintan County, and then as the magistrate of Wujiang County..."

It's that familiar opening line again.

Zhu Youjian sighed inwardly, "I already know. You really don't need to say it every time..."

However, Huo Weihua's next words made Zhu Youjian sit up slightly.

"Both county magistrates served in areas with complex taxation in Southern Zhili."

"During each term of office, I personally measured the fields, checked the household registration, and also carried out water conservancy projects and equitized taxes and corvée labor. I am confident that I know the details of these matters best!"

Huo Weihua's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his voice rose accordingly.

"The ills of the people are certainly not caused by a mere nine percent tax!"

"Of the five million taels of silver levied by the imperial court for Liaodong, the amount that was added at each level and passed on to the people was far more than several hundred million!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!

Huo Weihua, however, disregarded everything and bowed deeply to the throne, his voice booming like a bell.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to point out the grave flaws in the nation's finances and taxes!"

Zhu Youjian's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Bi Ziyan in the front row.

But Bi Ziyan was completely unaware that he had been "stealed from the spotlight," and was just looking at Huo Weihua with a serious expression.

Zhu Youjian sighed inwardly.

Fine, Huo Qing, since you've already seized the initiative...

This opportunity is something that comes to those who arrive first.

"Granted." Zhu Youjian nodded slightly and uttered two words.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Huo Weihua took a deep breath and looked around at everyone.

He could feel the gazes coming from all directions—some astonished, some admiring, some disdainful, but mostly scrutinizing him as if he were a madman.

But he didn't care.

Since we've already staked everything on this, why not take this gamble to the very end?!
A true man should not live to be fed in five tripods, but should die to be cooked in five tripods!
Huo Weihua cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:

"Aren't the officials Your Majesty uses to govern the people the local magistrates and governors?"

"I dare not say that everyone is greedy, nor do I need to discuss those who fill their own pockets. I will only talk about those who openly and legitimately use it as funds without any fear."

"A single pilgrimage, a single examination, or even a promotion or transfer—each of these costs five or six thousand gold coins?"

"Based on this total of 1,500 prefectures and counties across the land, if the state were to select a governor, millions more would have to be dispatched throughout the country!"

Zhu Youjian quickly calculated in his mind.

5000 x 1500 = 750 million.

Dividing by the three-year term, the result is 250 million.

So that's what Lord Huo was thinking.

Zhu Youjian's original idea was to compile statistics on the regular silver payments of county magistrates throughout the country.

However, they are similar in purpose.

Huo Weihua unleashed his full firepower, not content with criticizing the county magistrate, he continued to attack the imperial inspector:
"Isn't the one Your Majesty relies on to purify corrupt officials the Imperial Inspector?"

"I dare not say that everyone is greedy, nor do I dare say that anyone accepts bribes. I only speak of those who are justified in doing so, openly taking it as an old rule and not knowing the consequences."

"The expenses for investigations, the benefits of procuring information, and even the exchange of letters and handkerchiefs as gifts of thanks and recommendations can amount to as much as twenty or thirty thousand taels of gold!"

"If we take this into account, the difference between the North and the South is such that if the country needs to send one more censor, then the whole country will have to pay an additional million!"

After finishing speaking, Huo Weihua cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and calmly said:

"The loopholes in the law are not due to human evil, but to the laziness of the system. Laziness breeds abuses, abuses breed corruption, and corruption endangers the nation!"

"What I have said above is all what I personally witnessed during my various posts in local government and prefectural government. Every word is true and every statement is factual!"

Inside the main hall, you could hear a pin drop.

Are these things secrets?
of course not.

Every single one of us here knows this, doesn't we?
Has anyone said these things?

Yes! And more than one!
The most famous one is Hai Rui!

What was the result? He was impeached and became an enemy of the entire court. In the end, he lived in seclusion in the countryside for more than ten years. Even Zhang Juzheng, who held immense power, dared not employ him!

How short-sighted you are, Lord Huo!
Zhu Youjian took all of this into view.

He remained silent for a moment, just when everyone thought he was about to rebuke Huo Weihua for exaggerating or for being outraged by the corruption in the world.

The emperor on his throne suddenly smiled.

That smile, like a spring breeze breaking through the ice, instantly eased the heavy atmosphere in the hall.

Although these words were more intense and radical than he had anticipated.

But so what?
The soldiers have already started the attack, so why wouldn't the commander-in-chief dare to follow suit?
No leader in the world acts like this!

"Huo Weihua," Zhu Youjian's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Huo Weihua's expression was solemn. He cupped his hands again and said, word by word, "To offer advice to the country and to be loyal to the country, I dare not hesitate to sacrifice my life!"

it is good!
Huo Weihua, as long as you don't change your attitude today, even if your talent is only slightly above average in the future, I will definitely guarantee you the position of Duke in my lifetime!
Zhu Youjian clapped his hands and laughed, "I'll remember what you said!"

His laughter ceased, and his gaze swept across the assembled officials with lightning speed.

"Those who think Huo Qing's words are false or deceitful, raise your right hand."

The classic hand-raising technique uses proactive opposition to exert pressure.

Naturally, no one in the hall raised their hand.

Even those officials who held Huo Weihua in contempt dared not openly stand up and deny this bloody fact.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, gesturing for Huo Weihua to sit down, before slowly speaking.

"Indeed, the current dynasty's tax rate is one-thirtieth, how lenient it is."

"However, after more than two hundred years of peace, how could the clerks and officials of this land possibly accept only one-thirtieth of the bribe?"

"As long as the people have enough to eat and enough to cover their bodies, and as long as they do not rise up in rebellion, those people will only gnaw at them like a malignant tumor, squeezing out every last bit of their flesh!"

His tone became deep and somber, as if he were stating a cold reality.

"Therefore, the dynasty levied a tax on Liaodong. These nine coins, seemingly taken from the common people, are in fact a demand from the countless clerks and officials of the land for the food they have already devoured!"

"So, will they restrain their greed and hand over these nine coins because of the difficulties the country is facing?"

Zhu Youjian asked and answered himself, his voice suddenly turning stern.

"As it turns out, they won't!"

--bump!

Zhu Youjian picked up the Emperor's Sword, still sheathed, and slammed it heavily onto the imperial desk!

He suddenly stood up and looked down at the officials in the hall.

"Therefore, in my view, the matter of the nation's finances and taxes is essentially a war!"

"An invisible war!"

"What we're collecting isn't the nine coins from ordinary people, but the embezzled fees from clerks! It's the 'corrupt practices' that officials talk about!"

"Gentlemen, do you agree with this statement?!"

He gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharp as a knife, slowly sweeping over each person.

"Those who disagree, raise your hands!"

The hall remained deathly silent. The ministers wore various expressions, some shocked, some deep in thought, and some terrified, but still no one raised their hand.

"it is good."

Zhu Youjian nodded and sat down again.

"We've explained why the dynasty needs to collect taxes, and where those taxes will be collected. Now, the last and most crucial thing is—"

"How to collect taxes."

His gaze finally returned to Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, who had been left standing there since the beginning.

"Minister Guo, I ask you, do you know when the imperial granary was established?"

Guo Yunhou was somewhat taken aback by this sudden question.

He frowned, pondered for a moment, and then hesitantly replied, "Perhaps... at the beginning of the founding of the nation?"

"This is something from old documents, no wonder you don't know it." Zhu Youjian shook his head, not blaming him.

He turned to his head and said, "Gao Banban, read the results compiled by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to all of you ministers."

"According to the order."

Gao Shiming stepped forward in response, holding a prepared document in his hands.

His words caused a stir in the hall.

"By order of His Majesty, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has consulted the historical evolution of the Taicang Granary and thus produced this article, 'A Study of the Imperial Ming Taicang Granary'."

"The Taicang Treasury was established in the seventh year of the Zhengtong reign..."

what? !

Upon hearing this, Guo Yunhou's pupils constricted sharply, and the entire court was in an uproar.

It wasn't established during the reign of Emperor Hongwu or Emperor Yongle; it was actually established nearly a century after the founding of the dynasty!
Gao Shiming continued reading steadily without pausing.

"Initially, the Taicang Treasury was merely a storehouse for silver left over after the sale of horse fodder from Southern Zhili and grain from the Beijing granary, with an annual income of only a few hundred thousand taels."

"In the tenth year of the Chenghua reign, local silk was converted into silver and brought into the Taicang treasury, amounting to tens of thousands of taels each year."

"In the sixteenth year of the Chenghua reign, the fines embezzled by the Ministry of Justice were transferred to the Taicang treasury, amounting to tens of thousands of taels each year."

"In the eighteenth year of the Chenghua reign, the surplus of wheat and rice from the summer and autumn harvests was converted into silver and put into the Taicang granary, amounting to more than 200,000 taels per year."

"In the nineteenth year of the Chenghua reign, the salt tax revenue from Zhejiang and Jiangsu was collected into the Taicang granary. Subsequently, the revenue from Lianghuai and other regions followed, amounting to more than one million taels per year."

"In the first year of Zhengde's reign, half of the household's food and silver went into the imperial treasury and the other half into the imperial granary, along with 50,000 taels of wheat."

"In the seventeenth year of the Jiajing reign, it was established that silver was deposited into the imperial granary, with an annual income ranging from several hundred thousand taels."

"In the twenty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign, customs and ship taxes were deposited into the Taicang granary, with an annual revenue of several tens of thousands of taels."

Gao Shiming finished reading in one breath and concluded:
"Therefore, since the establishment of Taicang, it has been 184 years, during which time there have been more than ten major and minor changes."

"Its annual revenue, initially tens of thousands of taels, has accumulated over time to reach the current amount of three million three hundred thousand taels."

Having said that, he bowed and quietly withdrew.

Zhu Youjian then looked at Guo Yunhou, who was still in shock, and slowly said:
"Minister Guo, do you know why I ordered the Directorate of Ceremonial to investigate the history and changes of the Taicang granary?"

Guo Yunhou shook his head blankly.

Zhu Youjian sighed.

"Since it is war, we must see if the armor and weapons are sharp and if the military system is appropriate."

"Is it possible to take chariots from the Spring and Autumn Period and ride them across the towering mountains of Yunnan?"

"Can we use the infantry formations from the Tang and Song dynasties for the modern era of increasingly sophisticated firearms?"

"By learning from the rise and fall of the past, we can examine the gains and losses of the present."

"This is also why I ordered the Hanlin Academy to organize and compile the ancient scriptures into a book!"

"The emperors and civil officials of the Ming Dynasty have long been aware of the problems with the nation's finances and taxation, and have already begun to reform and adjust them!"

"This is the truth I discovered from these old documents!"

"Learning from the past is a guide for the future. History books are full of wise words!"

Zhu Youjian stared intently at Guo Yunhou.

"So, Minister Guo, do you now understand what I'm about to do?"

If Guo Yunhou still doesn't understand after all this, his position as Minister of Revenue is over.

He stared incredulously at the young emperor before him, finally recovering from the heavy pressure of the previous "excessive spending and annual reserves".

This new ruler came prepared!

Guo Yunhou bowed deeply before the throne. "Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty... do you believe that the Ministry of Revenue should be reformed?!"

"Indeed!" Zhu Youjian slammed his hand on the imperial desk and exclaimed, "That's exactly it!" "The Taicang is changing, and isn't the Ministry of Revenue changing as well?"

"The Ministry of Revenue, established at the founding of the dynasty, has thirteen administrative offices, each in charge of the taxes levied on the provinces and municipalities of the country!"

"But now, the Shandong Bureau also manages the salt tax, the Guizhou Bureau also manages the customs and paper money, the Yunnan Bureau also manages the canal transport, the Northern Zhili region has been transferred to Fujian, and the Southern Zhili region has been transferred to Sichuan..."

"How could the mighty Ministry of Finance of the Ming Dynasty have become so absurd and ridiculous!"

Zhu Youjian stared at Guo Yunhou and asked, word by word:

"Minister Guo, in the past, you were often referred to as the 'Minister of Accountability.' Do you think that the current Minister of Revenue can still be called the 'Minister of Accountability'?"

Guo Yunhou's face was full of bitterness, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Of the nation's taxes, only two or three out of ten go to the Ministry of Revenue. How can I, your subject, be called the 'Minister of Accounting'?"

"I say you are, and you are!" Zhu Youjian's voice was resolute. "Grand Chancellor Guo Yunhou, receive the order!"

Guo Yunhou trembled, remained silent for a moment, and then, with all his might, solemnly replied, "Your subject... is here!"

"Today, I give you, Ministry of Revenue, three matters to attend to!"

"Firstly, it is called 'restructuring'!"

"One department is responsible for managing the money and grain of all provinces, facilitating the exchange of goods and resources, and coordinating the overall allocation of resources!"

"One department is in charge of the nation's finances, ensuring that expenditures are based on income and expenditures, and making decisions on economic fluctuations!"

"One department shall be in charge of the military pay for the nine border regions, ensuring that it is paid on time and in full, and preventing any deductions!"

"Establish a single department to manage the new policy's finances and taxes, with independent accounting, to observe its effectiveness!"

"One department shall be in charge of all the granaries in the country, investigating their actual condition in order to prepare for famine years!"

"The remaining taxes, such as those for grain transport, salt tax, and commercial tax, should also be calculated separately by each department. Let's not continue to be in such a chaotic and disorganized state!"

"Since every dynasty has made changes, let's not talk about ancestral rules that will never change! Let's be down-to-earth and make changes using the most correct and effective methods!"

"Is this even possible?!"

Guo Yunhou felt a surge of pride and shouted, "Your Majesty! The Ministry of Revenue has done it!"

"Secondly, it is called 'opening the register'!"

"All prefectures and counties, military garrisons along the nine borders, military towns, and border granaries throughout the land, including the amount of taxes collected, the amount transported, the amount transported by civilians and the capital, the amount retained, and the purpose of the transport, with any delivery receipts available! Please compile a list of all these details!"

"For those in remote areas, a report will be issued quarterly! For those in nearby areas, a report will be issued monthly!"

"At the end of the year, all those who owe taxes shall be listed and submitted to the Ministry of Personnel and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs for joint evaluation and handling!"

"Is this even possible?!"

Guo Yunhou took a deep breath, feeling as heavy a burden on his shoulders, but he did not hesitate for a moment and gritted his teeth, saying, "Ministry of Revenue, you can do it!"

"Thirdly, and most importantly, is the 'strict selection'!"

"The new policies in Beizhili are like drawing on a blank sheet of paper, making them the easiest to implement."

"However, the other thirteen provinces in the country have different circumstances and varying degrees of complexity."

"The Ministry of Revenue shall take the lead, with the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate assisting, to examine and select the current Left Provincial Administration Commissioners of each province, and determine their merits!"

"Afterwards, the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, together with their respective leaders, recommended capable officials and clerks, weeding out the inferior and selecting the superior, and sent them to various provinces to rigorously urge the completion of taxes!"

Zhu Youjian's tone became extremely serious.

"This matter is even more difficult than the new policies in Beizhili! The selected personnel must have experience in local administration and be able to act decisively and swiftly!"

"The taxes we collect should not come from the people, but from the hands of petty officials! They should come from the layers of exploitative and corrupt practices!"

"Its difficulties and dangers are the most important aspects of the new policy! Therefore, my reward for it is also the most generous!"

Zhu Youjian slowly stood up, looked around at everyone, and said, word by word:

"Anyone who can clean up the taxes of a province without causing the people to suffer will be rewarded with ten to twenty additional taxes, depending on the location!"

These words caused an instant uproar throughout the hall!

Twenty dishes?!

One-fifth of an earl?!

The breathing of countless ministers became rapid instantly. They looked at each other, their eyes burning with a flame called "ambition".

In the previous reforms in Beizhili, the ranks of officials were all low, with the highest-ranking prefect being only a fourth-rank official. Most important officials in the court could hardly join the ranks.

The highest position, Governor-General of Zhili, is desirable, but there is only one person holding it, making the pie far too small.

But the current Provincial Governor is a high-ranking official of the second rank!
This is practically a tailor-made path to success for all high-ranking officials in Beijing!
If I do a good job, I'm a shoo-in for the position of Minister of the Six Ministries next year, or even a chancellor!
Thirteen provinces, thirteen opportunities!

This is simply... a dragon gate specially opened for them by the Emperor!
Zhu Youjian ignored everyone's reactions and stared intently at Guo Yunhou, asking slowly and deliberately, "Can the Ministry of Revenue handle this matter?"

Guo Yunhou was overwhelmed with emotion and extremely excited.

Reform, establish registers, and examine the provincial governors!

This is true strategy! This is the true strategy for the world!

He bowed deeply, using all his strength to say, "Your Majesty! The Ministry of Revenue can handle this matter!!!"

"it is good!"

Zhu Youjian burst into laughter.

"All matters concerning the new policies have been laid out. In the end, I will only mention two things."

He straightened up, took the sword back, and hung it back on his waist.

Upon seeing this, the officials in the hall also composed themselves and stood up.

"Firstly, after the meeting, everyone should go to Gao Shiming to collect their orders."

"The order contains detailed descriptions, objectives, and deadlines for all listed matters, as well as, most importantly—the number of red lines assigned to each task!"

"Secondly, this is my final admonition to you all."

Zhu Youjian's gaze became deep and cold.

“Since I ascended the throne, there have been few who can speak on state affairs, and many who impeach and attack me.”

"Who is behind each person, their students, friends, hometowns, and teachers? They are all listed on my desk, but I simply do not wish to say more."

"It is difficult to distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and it is difficult to understand people's hearts."

"I won't look at anything!"

"Only look at achievements!"

"Only look at achievements!"

"Only look at achievements!"

He repeated it three times, his voice shaking the roof tiles!

"Whoever can cleanse a province of evil influences for the nation shall be a count!"

"Whoever can train 50,000 elite troops for the country shall be a count!"

"Anyone who can manage a million-dollar annual revenue for the country shall be a count!"

"Merit, fame, fortune, and emolument—I have them all, and I will reward them all!"

"Anyone who is still hesitating and wavering, who is indecisive, may simply request to return to their hometown and save me some trouble!"

Zhu Youjian paused, his tone softening slightly, yet revealing a deeper meaning.

"I am waiting to see your own profound and insightful writings on governing the world, instead of having to issue decrees one by one as I do today."

That's all I have to say. Everyone, take care of yourselves.

Having said that, Zhu Youjian gripped the hilt of his sword, didn't look at the hall again, turned around, and strode towards the back of the hall.

By this time, the sky outside the hall was completely dark, while the candlelight inside the hall was bright and flickering.

The dim candlelight illuminated the faces of each minister, stretching and distorting their varied expressions—excitement, greed, fear, or contemplation—creating a bizarre and grotesque panorama of demons.

Snapped!
A crisp crack of a whip from a member of the Imperial Guard startled everyone awake.

All the officials in the hall, whether cabinet ministers, ministers, nobles, or military officers, rose from their seats and knelt down in front of the figure that disappeared into the darkness.

The roar of mountains and the roar of the sea echoed through the night sky above the Forbidden City.

"Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long, long live the emperor—"
-
I've run out of space to write this down, damn it... I'll stop here.

Huo Weihua's "Hai Rui-style" performance today misappropriated original historical materials.

The original historical source is: a memorial submitted by Liang Tingdong, Minister of War, on the 26th day of the eighth month of the third year of Chongzhen's reign.

I won't post the original text, but it's even more scathing than this chapter.

My original deductions regarding various reforms, anti-corruption efforts, and land surveys were very cautious.

I'm always worried that some civil official group, landlord, palace assassin, or Liaodong military leader will try to take my life.

The more I looked at historical materials, the more I realized that what I did was nothing.

Historically, there were even civil officials who suggested that taxes were being collected too hastily, and that wealthy people could advance payments for the poor! Can you believe it?!
Please forgive me for using up the paid word limit to post historical materials. This is the first time I've done this in this book because it's so shocking and will determine my future writing direction.

On the third day of the ninth month of the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign (1644), Zhu Guangzuo, the Grand Canal Commissioner:
Because the advance collection of new taxes has burdened the people, he requested that a method of prioritizing the donations of the wealthy be adopted to alleviate the shortage of the poor, and cited the precedent already set in Jiangling.

Jiangling is 125 li long. The Liaodong tax is about 5,000 taels. The excess is reduced by 50 taels per li and 5 taels per jia.

At that time, County Magistrate Zhou Ruibao entered the Ministry of Personnel to carry out urgent measures, which were very difficult. I, as the subject, proposed that the 25 taels of silver in subsidies for the fourth year be exempted and paid in full as the fifth grade.

However, those with abundant grain, like myself, advised that it was unnecessary to collect all the grain. Instead, each person should pay five taels in advance, which would be equivalent to one jia (a unit of land measurement). If there were ten jia, ten jia would be collected; if there were a hundred, ten li (a unit of land measurement) would be collected. Extending this further, the amount could be several hundred taels, the more the better. With about several hundred people, the collection of grain in advance could be completed within four or five days.

The county magistrate followed suit, and the collection of taxes was conducted without disturbing the households, not on their behalf. However, it involved paying the due taxes several months earlier, which had four advantages: first, it exempted the government from urging payment; second, it prevented yamen runners from extorting money; third, it reduced the burden of debt interest in newly established villages; and fourth, it brought peace and tranquility to impoverished households. (This refers to a system already implemented in Jiangling County.)
If this law were to be implemented and all people were righteous, then there would be no suffering from premature taxation throughout the land. This is what is meant by "a little leniency and a day's relief will bring a little benefit to the people."

The emperor considered his method of leniency excellent and ordered the Ministry of Revenue to issue a circumstantial order, which was then submitted to the emperor. (What difference was there between Zhu Youjian's method of implementation and not implementing it at all?)

The people did not respond. (Sure enough, nothing came of it. Chongzhen's methods and execution rate...sigh, it's unbearable to watch.)
If I were in charge, I would give these wealthy individuals who act as intermediaries some benefits, honors, and opportunities, and I would include this in performance evaluations, then select pilot areas, and so on.

Then, they dispatched eighteen teams to investigate and verify from multiple perspectives whether things had truly been done properly.

Instead of following the example of Emperor Chongzhen, who "ordered the Ministry of Revenue to issue a general reprimand," he did not do the same.

Emperor Chongzhen even deeply agreed with Zhou Yanru's statement that "in ancient times, there were those who could keep the army's morale unchanged even when catching sparrows or digging for rats; why do people now make such a fuss at the drop of a hat?"

That's fucking amazing! Rich kids who've never gone hungry are just different.

Even if I (Emperor Yongchang) had not made any attempt to advance technology, I could have easily beaten Emperor Chongzhen just by relying on my methods and my normal understanding of human nature.

The Ming Dynasty died during the Little Ice Age, from the decay of the entire dynasty at its end, and also from the incompetence and personality of Emperor Chongzhen...

……

As for the comment section where someone said that if you go to Liaodong to check the accounts, there will be a squad of assassins and the military leader will surrender to the Later Jin.

Let me explain~
From the first year of the Tianqi reign to the seventh year, a number of people investigated the accounts. Regardless of what they found in the end, dozens of military leaders were dismissed from their posts and imprisoned.

Which civil official died on his way to audit the accounts? Which military leader surrendered to the Later Jin?

In fact, the military leaders' approach was to send their trusted confidants to be stationed in the capital, paying them well and ensuring they had access to all the information.

Then when the real pay was settled, everyone sat down and had a good talk, divided the spoils among themselves, and then some unlucky people were thrown out.

This is the logic of a normal, rational officialdom.

To put it bluntly, in 1627, the prestige of the Ming Dynasty was still intact. People were greedy, but the central government's authority over life and death remained.

……

Therefore, I hereby officially announce~
The protagonist, Zhu Youjian, has figured it out.
From now on, actions will truly follow the "巳日乃革" principle—go for it!
I will no longer write stories where "the protagonist wants to do something but can't because of this or that".

Aside from those who immediately propose abolishing the imperial examination system or launching a nationwide land survey without any prior preparation, we should be cautious about such proposals.

As for the rest—anti-corruption, official corruption, tax reform, and tax increases—anything within the normal understanding of the Ming Dynasty world would be carried out directly.

They only write things like, "The protagonist wants to achieve something, but due to corruption and bureaucracy, he ends up going against the grain or failing to achieve his goal."

The road may be winding, but the future is bright. If we can win people's hearts, establish clear rewards and punishments, and engage in relentless fighting, coupled with the proper distribution of benefits, the outcome will ultimately be good.
In short, loosen the shackles on the protagonist.

In the future, when I write about villains, I will only write about "moral villains," such as Liu Zongzhou.

Or they could be "lower-level villains," such as officials who, even after xxx days, remain unrepentant.

But I basically won't write about those who are scheming, disregard their own interests, insist on opposing the new policies, or even risk their careers to do something like "double the amount."

I asked all my friends in officialdom, and I've never seen such a magical person in the bureaucracy.

At most, it's just soft resistance, delaying tactics, and so on...

"Double it again? What a load of crap! Don't you want a promotion? Don't you want to get rich? Doesn't the guy you're clinging to have KPIs to meet? Did he even agree to this? Your brain is full of holes."

(Here, "double" means he deliberately used it to sabotage the new policies. I won't include those who recklessly pursue political achievements, causing trouble and corrupt officials continuing to exploit them; those are normal political phenomena.)
In everything we do, we must consider the benefits and clearly understand the gains and losses.

When the central government is determined to push through a certain policy, it's better to look at where your own growth potential lies instead of doing something twice as much.

Not to mention the landlords' rebellion in Southern Zhili...

Even in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen's reign, when the dynasty was nearing its end, Jiangnan was still obediently paying taxes, and there was no sign of a rebellion in Jiangnan.

The more property a person owns, the weaker he or she is.

The proletarian men of Shaanxi were far more formidable than any Liaodong military leader or the local lord of Southern Zhili.

If you still feel that what I wrote is too illogical, you can try a different approach.
Just treat this book as a lighthearted, enjoyable read, haha.

Finally, here's a [brain storage space]~
I calculated that I used about 1,700 words of your VIP content, and I'll give you back a free chapter later when I have time.
Zhu Youjian, debts must be repaid! No need to worry~
(End of this chapter)