After breakfast, Chongzhen asked: "Wang Daban, where are you?"
Wang Chengen said: "Go back to Long Live Lord, we have just arrived at Liucheng."
"Have you arrived at Liucheng?" Chongzhen said and stood up and walked to the porthole.
Last time I went north to Xiazhen, I was walking in such a hurry that I didn’t even have time to observe the canal bank.
This time I went south much more leisurely, and finally had time to observe the sentiments of the people on both sides of the canal.
However, the scene before Chongzhen was even more dilapidated and depressed than he expected.
"Wang Daban, I remember that this Liucheng was once a big port along the canal." Chongzhen said quietly, "I didn't expect it to be in such a dilapidated state."
Wang Cheng'en said: "I once read a travelogue about a scholar who went to Beijing to take the exam during the Wanli period. In the article, he described in detail what he saw in Xuzhou, the tea city and the remaining city. The description of the remaining city was particularly special.
In detail, the boats on the canal were blocked, the shops along the street were lined up, and travelers and merchants traveling from north to south were crowded together. When I think about it, I can still see in front of my eyes the prosperity of all industries described in the article."
"But now it has become a ghost land infested by wild dogs."
Chongzhen sighed: "I can't even see a single traveling merchant."
"Has the land of the Central Plains been so devastated?" Zhu Cixiang's figure suddenly appeared next to Chongzhen, looking out the window with inexplicable sadness in his eyes.
"This is all caused by thieves." Zhu Cijiong said through gritted teeth.
"It was caused by bandits, but it was not caused by bandits." Chongzhen said solemnly.
Zhu Cixiang and Zhu Cijiong both cast confused looks at Chongzhen. What did their father mean by this?
"Hong'er, Jiong'er, if you do something bad you should admit it." Chongzhen said with a serious face, "First the Ming Dynasty exploited the common people, and then the common people rose up."
"Before the intruders broke out, Mi Zhi was just a diligent postman."
"If the imperial court hadn't cut off the couriers, thieves would not have become thieves."
"If the imperial court hadn't imposed an additional three wages, the common people would not have revolted."
"So, the root cause still lies with the imperial court. It was because the imperial court ran out of supplies and then imposed arbitrary taxes, forcing the common people everywhere to really struggle to survive, and then they revolted, and then there was a loss of life."
Chongzhen's tone was very calm when he said this, but Gao Qiqian and other eunuchs felt that their views were shattered.
Is this really what the Lord Long Live said? You were not like this before. When did you learn to reflect? How could you make such a profound self-examination?
"Why is it the imperial court's fault instead?"
Zhu Cijiong pouted, confused.
Zhu Cixiang sighed: "After all, it's because of the lack of national funds."
"That's right, governing a country is ultimately about money." Chongzhen said, "Hang'er, remember, in the future, you don't have to imitate the ancestors of Taizu and personally do everything to govern the country. You only need to firmly hold on to financial power and military power."
"But, don't most of the financial power belong to the Ministry of Household Affairs, while all the military power belongs to the Ministry of War?" Zhu Cihong was puzzled.
"Yes, according to regulations, financial power does belong to the Ministry of Household Affairs, and military power does belong to the Ministry of War. So unless you have the ability to kick away the civil servants, you can only avoid them." Chongzhen said solemnly.
"It's definitely not possible to kick the civil servants away, otherwise who will govern the world?" Zhu Cihong said.
"Xinger, you are right. It is absolutely impossible to kick away the civil servants. After all, there are so many states and counties in the world, and there are hundreds of millions of people who need them to pastor the envoys." Chongzhen said, "So we can only bypass the civil servants.
group."
"Bypassing the civil servants?" Zhu Cixiang thought thoughtfully, "How to bypass it?"
At this point, some words were not suitable for others to listen to. Chongzhen immediately drove the few out of the cabin and asked Wang Chengen to guard the cabin door. No one was allowed to approach without his permission.
"Xun'er and Jiong'er, my father will make peace with you two today."
Chongzhen said: "Our civil servant group in the Ming Dynasty is actually the same as the guard system created by Taizu. It is already completely rotten. It will be hopeless if it disappears. It will no longer embarrass the official. Now they
His only role is to be a paper decorator to decorate this dilapidated house of the Ming Dynasty that is about to collapse, nothing more."
Zhu Cixiang said with some sadness: "Father, isn't it bad to say this about the Ming Dynasty?"
"Is what your father said wrong?" Zhu Cijiong agreed, "The Ming Dynasty is a broken house that is about to collapse, but you don't want to admit it, brother."
Zhu Cixi remained silent.
Chongzhen smiled and advised: "Don't be sad, Xinger. It doesn't matter if the house is broken down or it can't be repaired. As long as we, father and son, are here, we can build a new house."
Zhu Cixiang said: "Father, are you saying, tear it down and start over?"
"No, the old house cannot be demolished." Chongzhen waved his hand, "but a new one can be built."
After a pause, he added: "That is to say, we will bypass the corrupt and embarrassing civil servants and start from scratch to create a simple, efficient and clean administrative system."
Zhu Cijiong said: "Father, I'm afraid this won't be easy, right?"
Chongzhen nodded: "Of course it is not easy. If this matter is leaked, it will inevitably lead to a crazy counterattack by the civil servants. I am afraid that you, my father and my son will die without a burial place!"
When Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong heard this, their expressions suddenly changed.
"So, you are not allowed to leak a single word of what my father said today."
"Father, don't worry, we will never leak it out." The two brothers looked serious.
At the same time, I was also inexplicably excited to be recognized by my father. The fact that my father actually discussed such an important state matter with the two of them was enough to prove that he valued them.
Little did the two brothers know that they were actually tricked by Chongzhen.
This matter is actually not as serious as Chongzhen said.
Because even if you start from scratch, you can't get it right in one step.
So at the beginning, the civil servants didn't care at all.
The reason why Chongzhen said this was just to let the two brothers Zhu Cixiang strengthen their concept of confidentiality.
Zhu Cijiong couldn't help but ask again: "Father, how can we start a new business?"
Chongzhen turned his gaze to the window and said leisurely: "The first step to start over is to reset the secretary's office!"
"Ah, reestablish the Secretariat Supervisor?" Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong looked at each other. "Before the Song Dynasty, wasn't the Secretary Supervisor an official office responsible for national book collection and text editing? And it was also a subordinate organization of Taichang Temple, that's all?"
"Oh, this secretary is not that secretary." Chongzhen said with a smile, "It's just a name."
Zhu Cixiang said: "Father, even if it is just a name, the secretary supervisor must have an actual official, right? But once there is an actual official, can the civil servants not object?"
Zhu Cixiang's implication is that the civil servants will let you start a new business?
I'm afraid that as soon as there is some sign, they will pounce on me like a pack of mad dogs.
Just like the Jiajing Dynasty's great ceremony and the Wanli Dynasty's struggle for the country.
Chongzhen said in his heart that the prince is the prince, and his political sense was very keen, so he hit the nail on the head.
Unlike Zhu Cijiong who was a fool, he was very smart in military matters, but extremely slow in politics.
Chongzhen cast an appreciative glance at Zhu Cixiang and said with a smile: "So, we have to find a practical official for the secretary supervisor who can do a lot of things without causing opposition from the civil servants. It is best to get the support of the civil servants!
"
"How is it possible?" Zhu Cijiong lost his voice and said, "The civil servants are not stupid, how can they support you, my father, to start a new business and establish a yamen that may usurp the power of the six ministries."
"It's really impossible?" Chongzhen said with a smile, "Think again."
Zhu Cijiong said flatly: "There is no need to think about it, it is absolutely impossible."
Zhu Cixiang was also thinking hard, but he still couldn't figure it out.
"Okay, I won't play charades with you anymore. It is really possible for civil servants to support my father in setting up this agency." Chongzhen said, "Because although this agency has great power and many officials, it did not usurp the people of the six cabinet ministries at the beginning.
The administrative power is the administrative power of the Twelve Supervisors, Four Divisions and Eight Bureaus of the Inner Court!"
"Ah this?" Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong suddenly reacted.
I dare you to set up this institution to replace the twelve supervisors, four divisions and eight bureaus in the inner court!
If this is the case, it is really possible for the civil servants to support it, because the opposition between the civil servants and the eunuchs has been going on for a long time. The civil servants only dream of usurping the power of the eunuchs, right? Especially the Weaving Bureau,
Agencies such as mine supervisors and tax supervisors are a thorn in the side of the civil servants.
Zhu Cixi did not dare to refute his father, but weakly questioned: "Father, is this okay?"
"Hong'er, my father knows what you are worried about. It is simply that if there are no eunuchs to check and balance, the power of civil servants, especially the cabinet, may override the imperial power, right?" Chongzhen said.
"Yes." Zhu Cihong nodded, "This is exactly what I am worried about."
"Your worries are right." Chongzhen nodded. "If you are an emperor with strong abilities or a deep foundation, your power will naturally not be usurped by the civil servants. But if you are a weak or young emperor, your power will definitely be usurped.
However, if the emperor wanted to take back the power from the civil servants, he often had only the help of eunuchs."
"This is also the reason why Emperor Wuzong supported Liu Jin and your uncle the emperor supported Wei Eunuch."
"But you must remember that eunuchs, due to their physical defects, often lead to psychological abnormalities, so they do far more evil than the civil servants. Although the civil servants are corrupt, at least 50% of the 10% of the tax revenue can be attributed to
It is used by the state, but if the eunuchs are allowed to collect taxes, 10% of the tax revenue may not be 20% going to the Heavenly Family! My father has suffered greatly from this!"
"So, using eunuchs to check and balance the civil servants can be said to kill the enemy eight hundred and damage three thousand. It is really not a good idea."
"At that time, Emperor Taizu Gao left an ancestral precept for this. Unfortunately, Emperor Chengzuwen later set a precedent of reusing eunuchs. After arriving at Yingzong, it became out of control."
Zhu Cixi thought thoughtfully: "But without eunuchs, who will check and balance the civil servants?"
"This is actually very simple." Chongzhen said suddenly, "Just use civil servants to check and balance civil servants."
