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However, things are not as simple as those in the Chongzhen phenomenon. This light novel is from

Officials and gentry paid food together. If they wanted to continue to implement it completely in the Ming Dynasty, they would not really see ministers such as Wang Zhongying, but the countless officials and gentry landlords who formed the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule.

For these officials, gentry and landlords, no matter whether they are in power or not, they need to collect grain from tenants or continue to collect grain. They do not need to pay any grain taxes, and no grain will be given to the court. Because no matter which dynasty, they are required to control the entire country, such as the officials, gentry and landlords, to rule the entire country.

Therefore, they do not care whether the court has reached the point of survival or death. At this moment, they only see that the policy of collecting food into one official and gentry will collect a large amount of food that should belong to them from them every year during the autumn harvest.

In this case, how could the lower-level officials, gentry, and landlords who regard food and property as more important than their own lives allow such policies that may cause them to lose money to continue to be implemented?

Therefore, the imperial edict that the imperial edict that the court planned to pay food together was just at the county level of the Ming Dynasty, and it was impossible to continue to pass on it. Not only that, many low-level officials, gentry, and landlords even wrote directly to the court tens of thousands of people, demanding that the imperial edict be taken back.

What's more, they directly organize tenants, or unite with each other, violently resist taxes, and use practical actions to express their dissatisfaction with the court's latest food payment policy.

Faced with the strong opposition from officials, gentry and landlords at all levels, Emperor Chongzhen was shocked directly.

However, under the decision of two factors, Emperor Chongzhen did not intend to stop and compromise...

The first factor is, without surprise, the most shortage of silver in the court. The joint payment of food between officials and gentry is the most direct and fastest way to solve the problem of silver.

As for the second factor, it was Chongzhen's sense of conceit in his heart. Wei Zheng, who was born as a bandit, could all pay food for officials and gentry in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. Why couldn't he, as the emperor?

As long as Wei Zheng can do it, as the emperor, he can do it.

Under the influence of these two factors, Emperor Chongzhen directly ignored the opposition from the lower-level officials, gentry and landlords. Emperor Chongzhen, who was full of anger because of these opposition voices, directly made the decision to mobilize the army and force the execution of the joint official and gentry to pay food together in the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

However, it disappointed Chongzhen...

One month after the imperial edict for the joint payment of food by officials and gentry was issued, the court not only did not receive the grain tax that should be paid from the lower-level officials and gentry landlords, but even the grain tax that the court should have collected from the hands of the people reached less than 50% of the previous years.

Faced with this result, Chongzhen was angry again...

Without saying a word, he issued an order directly, requiring the garrisons in various places to cooperate with the government and forcibly collect grain from the lower-level officials, gentry and landlords.

However, the subsequent development and situation were once again beyond the expectations of Emperor Chongzhen.

Because of the hereditary military system of the Ming Dynasty, all the garrisons and garrison troops were in the hands of local tyrants without exception. After the land annexation of the Ming Dynasty for two hundred years, most of the land in the local area was also concentrated in the homes of these military officers and powerful people. Among them, the garrison troops were the least.

In the past, the land he had acquired did not need to pay grain, and all the harvest belonged to him. However, after Chongzhen implemented the integrated grain collection of officials and gentry across the country, the situation was different.

Whether you are an officer or a powerful man with a scholar or other status, you must pay food according to the rules.

In this case, how could these local tyrants and officers holding military power slap themselves and send troops to force the grain and tax from themselves?

However, Emperor Chongzhen's imperial edict must be implemented.

In order to completely dispel Emperor Chongzhen's idea of ​​paying food together with officials and gentry, these powerful and military officers in the lower class joined forces with local officials and gentry to sever the imperial court and Emperor Chongzhen's army...

The imperial edict that the imperial court required local troops to force the collection of grain and taxes was issued less than two days ago. The urgent memorials from all over the country urged military pay, like snowflakes, were continuously sent to the cabinet and to the desk of Emperor Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty, at this time, the urgent report sent by Lord He, the court's officials and gentry paid food together, and local officials, gentry and landlords organized tenants and organized the government to collect taxes... What's more, some local tyrants and gentry landlords have begun to gather people to cause trouble, attack the county government and resist taxes violently..." At the morning court meeting, a minister loudly reported.

As soon as the words fell, Emperor Chongzhen asked, "Army, where is my army?"

"I spend so much money to support them every year. At critical moments, I will stand up for me to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty..."

Just when Chongzhen was about to continue cursing, the minister who had just spoken quickly continued to report: "Your Majesty, my memorial has not been finished yet..."

"After receiving the imperial edict from His Majesty that local garrisons were required to cooperate with the collection of grain and taxes, Henan patrols had already drawn local garrisons as required to quell the disturbances and forcibly collect food and food. However, these local garrisons actually resisted the order and refused to send troops..."

"According to the Henan Advisory Report, the families of these local garrison officers have countless acres of land. They are also the target of collecting and taxation for the officials and gentry to pay grain together... violent tax resistance in many places is caused by these people."

"In addition, they also took this opportunity to ask the court for the food and wages that the court had not allocated to them in recent years. If the court did not replenish their food and wages, they would never send troops..."

"Bold... Arrogant... Dare to threaten me... I should kill them all... Destroy their nine clans... Let them know that I am still the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and they have no room to bargain with me..." As soon as the minister finished speaking, Emperor Chongzhen, who had an angry face, began to curse in the court...

Of course, no matter how much he scolded, Emperor Chongzhen did not forget what he should do now.

After taking a deep breath, he asked the minister in front of him: "If such a big thing happened, has the Henan Governor submitted a specific solution... If something happened in the local area, the court and I have to solve it. Then what's the use of me, the Henan Governor."

The minister nodded and affirmed: "There is indeed a solution in the memorial...but, in the end, the court still needs to come forward to solve this problem."

Emperor Chongzhen frowned and asked, "What's the solution..."

The minister replied: "The Henan Governor's method is to make up for the money and grain owed by the imperial court to all the garrisons and guards in Henan as soon as possible... As long as the imperial court replenishes these food and wages as soon as possible, the Henan Governor has a way to ensure the stability of Henan."

"After statistics, in the past three years, the imperial court owed a total of 320,000 taels of silver in Henan. In terms of grain, a total of 80,000 troops in the military garrison were owed a total of 150,000 tons of grain..."

"Why are there so many?" Hearing this data, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but exclaim.

At this time, the Minister of War, who had just taken office, stood up and affirmed Emperor Chongzhen.

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, all the words of the governor of Henan in the memorial are true and there is no false..."

"In the past three years, because most of the imperial court's military expenditure has been distributed to the border troops, there are almost no combat troops, so there are not much military expenditures..."

"According to the convention, the pay paid to local garrisons is distributed according to 80% of the total pay... As for the garrison troops, only less than 60% of the total payment..."

"Three years have passed, and it is natural to owe it 320,000 taels of silver and 150,000 dan of grain."

Three hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver were not much for the current Emperor Chongzhen. However, 150,000 tons of grain was a very big burden.

According to the current price of grain, 150,000 dan of grain, if purchased at market prices, it will cost at least 600,000 taels of silver.

Adding to the 320,000 taels of silver, it is more than 900,000 taels.

Nine hundred thousand taels of silver were definitely a very big burden for Emperor Chongzhen, whose grain tax had not been collected.

Just as Chongzhen's face became more and more gloomy, another minister followed him and stood up.

He loudly reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I have something to report..."

"Weichen also has a memorial here, which comes from the governor of Shandong..."

"Since the imperial edict of officials and gentry to collect food together, the governor of Shandong also faced the same problems as the governor of Henan."

"The lowest-level officials, gentry, and landlords unite with each other, organize tenants, and violently resist taxes..."

"What's more, they also began to refuse to pay the taxes that should have been paid to the court."

"In addition, the local garrisons in Shandong also face the same problems as those in Henan. If the court does not immediately issue the food and wages owed by the court, these local garrisons may use violence to fight the court's policy of collecting food into the court's official and gentry."

"According to the latest statistics of the Shandong Governor, within three years, the court owed a total of 380,000 taels of silver for all garrisons in Shandong Province."

"In terms of food, because the number of military troops in Shandong is more than twice that of the governor of Henan. Therefore, the court owed a total of 320,000 dan of food for all military troops in Shandong..."

"Hiss..." As soon as the minister finished speaking, a breath of breath rang out in the court.

Because all the food and silver are added up to one million taels.

As for the current Ming Dynasty, even if the entire palace was sold, it would not be able to buy a total of 2.5 million taels of silver.

More importantly, this is just the food and money owed by the imperial court to the two provinces. If the entire Ming Dynasty was added up, everyone dare not imagine how much money would be.

As for Emperor Chongzhen sitting on the dragon throne, the anger on his face had disappeared without realizing it, and was covered by a trace of loss and despair.
Chapter completed!