The next morning, Liu Jin formally submitted his request to Emperor Zhengde to resign, which once again surprised the civil and military officials.
Although Liu Jin had already mentioned his resignation last year, Emperor Zhengde refused simply. Everyone originally thought that since Liu Jin was young and healthy, it would take at least a few more years before he could resign.
I will resign again.
Unexpectedly, it was almost the end of the year, and it would be 1753 in the Yanhuang calendar (the fifth year of Zhengde), and Liu Jin once again proposed to resign and return home.
It seems that Liu Jin really doesn't want to be this official anymore, or maybe Liu Jin knows that it's time for him to retreat, so he is a little anxious to leave the center of this whirlpool of power.
The ministers were surprised and kept thinking in their hearts.
However, in everyone's opinion, even if Liu Jin resigned, Emperor Zhengde would not agree to Liu Jin's resignation. Even if it was just a superficial job, he would at least have to be retained again and again.
What's more, Liu Jin has always been the most valued and trusted minister of Emperor Hongzhi and Emperor Zhengde. It is definitely not that easy for Liu Jin to resign.
Unless Liu Jin's health is really bad or he is too old, it will really not be easy for Liu Jin to leave the court.
However, what once again surprised the ministers was that Emperor Zhengde agreed to Liu Jin's resignation on the spot and rewarded Liu Jin generously.
The area of the fiefdom granted to Duke Liu Jin and Liao was increased tenfold in one fell swoop, which was definitely a great favor. In addition, a lot of gold, silver, jewelry, silk, and other items were also given as a token of favor.
When the ministers heard that Emperor Zhengde had agreed to Liu Jin's resignation, they were all very surprised, and they even dared not imagine what they saw with their own eyes and ears.
"The emperor actually agreed to Liu Jin's resignation. Why on earth is this?"
Wang Shouren was thinking rapidly in his heart at this moment. He was not happy because Liu Jin resigned and could become the chief minister of the cabinet.
For Lao Wang, being an official and reaching his current position is actually enough, and not being the chief minister of the cabinet seems not to be very important anymore.
What needs to be thought about now is why Emperor Zhengde agreed to Liu Jin's resignation. This is something worth thinking about.
With Liu Jin's status and influence, coupled with his relationship with Emperor Zhengde, it was impossible for him to agree so easily.
"Why exactly?"
Wang Shouren was a little puzzled, and even with his wisdom, he found this matter puzzling.
"Liu Jin is only in his fifties, so why should he resign in a hurry?"
"Given Liu Jin's youth and physical condition, there is no problem even if he works for another 20 years. If he resigns now, there will still be decades left. How can he just read the newspaper at home?"
Zhong Fan also couldn't understand what Liu Jin was thinking in his head.
Others are eager to get into the center of power. Even if their bodies are failing, they are still reluctant to let go of the power in their hands, and they can't wait to seize the power in their hands until the day they die.
Look at the former Liu Jian, who is over 80 years old, but still reluctant to leave, and Yang Tinghe, who is over 70 years old and is in poor health, but still reluctant to resign and go home.
Look at the government and the public, there are many people with white hair and twilight years. None of them are willing to go home to retire, and they are all here to endure it. Why?
It's not just for the power in your hands, it's for greater power.
You, Liu Jin, are so lucky that you don’t know how to be blessed. You have been the chief minister of the cabinet for many years, and now you are only in your fifties and you are clamoring to resign and go home to take care of yourself. How can you take care of yourself in old age?
Emperor Zhengde was also the same. I don’t know what he thought, but he actually agreed to Liu Jin’s resignation and returned home. Was there something happening that was not known to outsiders?
"Liu Jin, resign now and go home to retire. If you lose your power, you will have a lot more troubles in the future. How can you retire leisurely?"
Yang Yun, the Duke of Australia, looked at Liu Jin and couldn't help but think about it.
At this moment, all the ministers in the court were thinking rapidly, thinking about Liu Jin's affairs, and what would happen to the entire court after Liu Jin left the court.
"Selling newspapers ~ selling newspapers ~"
"The chief assistant of the cabinet, Liu Jin and Liu Gong, asked the emperor to resign and go home to retire, and the emperor agreed and gave him a lot of rewards!"
"Sell newspapers! Sell newspapers!"
"Liu Jin and Liu Gong, the current chief ministers of the cabinet, resigned and went home to retire!"
Soon, newspapers officially published the news of Liu Jin resigning and returning home to retire. In an instant, the entire Ming Dynasty and even all over the world soon learned about the news and the fact that the current chief minister of the cabinet resigned and returned home to retire.
information.
Suddenly, everyone began to discuss this matter.
"Snapped!"
"Dear guests, today I will tell you the story of Liu Jin, Liu Gong, the chief assistant of the current cabinet!"
In a teahouse, as the newspaper reader Xing Mu slapped the table, the entire teahouse immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at the newspaper reader, looking forward to what he told about Liu Jin's deeds.
.
"Mr. Liu was born in a poor family. He lost his father when he was young and was raised by his mother Liu with all kinds of hardships."
"He was extremely intelligent since he was a child and studied hard. He passed the imperial examination at the age of nineteen and became the number one scholar at the age of twenty. He was a member of the Hanlin Academy at the beginning. Later, he followed the former British Duke Zhang Mao to conquer the Japanese country. He defeated the Japanese country in the first battle and wiped out hundreds of people who were invading the southeast coast.
years of Japanese invasion.”
"Later, he accompanied the British Duke Zhang Mao in his expedition to Nanyang, leading an army of 100,000 to sweep through the various places in Nanyang. He added to the vast territory of several provinces in Nanyang for our Ming Dynasty, conquered the countries in Nanyang, and established a powerful empire in Nanyang!"
"In the 16th year of Hongzhi's reign, he led an army to conquer the Jurchen tribes in Liaodong. He defeated all the Jurchen tribes in one fell swoop, solved the troubles in Liaodong, and added a large granary in Liaodong to our Ming Dynasty."
"Later, he led an army of 200,000 people to march westward into the Western Regions, wipe out the remnants of the Tatars, subjugate hundreds of ethnic groups in the Western Regions, seize Hezhong, and establish two provinces, Western Region and Hezhong, to open up territory for our Ming Dynasty!"
"Starting from the 20th year of Hongzhi, Liu Jin was the minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He advocated tax reform, set up tax yamen, and reformed the taxation system of the Ming Dynasty. As a result, the treasury of the Ming Dynasty became increasingly full. Today, the treasury of the Ming Dynasty can collect nearly 2 billion tax dollars a year.
Two pieces of silver!"
"Later, Liu Jin became the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and presided over all tax reforms, implemented the budget system and the fiscal and taxation system, and included taxation in the assessment of officials in various places. This changed the financial difficulties and lack of money to do things in the Ming Dynasty."
"Promoted to the Minister of Rites, Liu Gong also advocated the reform of officialdom, appointing talents, selecting talents, being upright, refreshing, and upright. A large number of upright, hard-working, and talented officials were reused under Liu Gong, and they were gradually promoted.
, I have purified the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, and pay more attention to serving as an official for one term, benefiting the country, doing practical things for the people, and doing good things!"
"Later he was promoted to the cabinet elder. There were two cabinet elders, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang. Liu Jian and Liu Gong were old and no longer had much energy to deal with government affairs. Li Dongyang and Li Gong were in poor health and had no energy, so there were many things in the cabinet.
It fell on the body of Liu Jin and Duke Liu."
"Gong Liu was loyal and patriotic, dedicated to serving the public, and he was a son of a distinguished man. He was talented and far-sighted. During Liu Gong's reign, our Ming Dynasty carried out large-scale infrastructure construction, building railways, highways, bridges, reservoirs, buildings, ports, etc. on a large scale.
The famous Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, Changchun-Chengdu Railway, Asia-Europe International Railway, Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Beijing-Shanghai Railway, Yangtze River Dredging Project and other major projects were all completed during this period."
"Liu Gong attaches great importance to education, vigorously supports and develops education, and creates new learning. Almost all schools of new learning are built and maintained by Liu Gong. This allows countless civilians in the Ming Dynasty to have the opportunity to go to school and acquire knowledge.
Change your own destiny."
"Liu Gong vigorously built new colleges and universities, cultivated science and technology and technical talents, and promoted the progress of science and technology in our Ming Dynasty. This is how we have cars, trains, ships, telephones, movies, etc. that we see in our lives now.
"
"In terms of external affairs, Liu Gong advocates expansion and colonization. Liu Gong believes that the land of the world is limited. If our people of the Ming Dynasty occupy more land, our people of the Ming Dynasty will be stronger and other tribes will be weaker."
"The more wealth we have in the world, the richer we, the people of the Ming Dynasty, will be, and the other tribes will be poorer. The land and resources in the world are the wealth bestowed by God on us descendants of the Yan and Huang Dynasties, and we, the people of the Ming Dynasty, deserve it.
"
"During Princess Liu's reign, the Ming Dynasty continued to expand externally, conquering the Japanese pirates in the east, the island countries in the Southeast Asia in the south, destroying the Tatars and Jurchens in the north, and sweeping hundreds of tribes in the Western Regions in the west."
"We acquired Nanyang, Liaodong, the northern grasslands, the Western Regions, and Hezhong. Later, we included Central Asia, Northwest China, Nanyun, and Black Earth Province into the territory of our Ming Dynasty."
"Through maritime colonization and expansion, we also acquired Australia and the vast land of the Golden Continent. At the same time, we encouraged the princes of the Ming Dynasty to establish vassal states overseas, and encouraged individuals of the Ming Dynasty to establish colonies overseas."
"With the Ming Dynasty, many clan princes established vassal states overseas, and a large number of colonies bloomed overseas. The descendants of our Ming Dynasty occupied Tianzhu, East Africa, South Africa, West Africa, the Middle East and other places."
"The thirty years since the great changes in our Ming Dynasty were the thirty years when Liu Jin and Liu Gong shone. Today, our Ming Empire is prosperous, the country is rich and the people are strong, and the people have long forgotten hunger and cold, and have forgotten poverty and poverty.
Suffering and living a life of abundance.”
"All of this is closely related to Liu Gong. Liu Gong's contribution can no longer be described in words."
"Liu Gong is an eternal genius and an unparalleled capable person. He should be regarded as an eternal great man in the history of China!"
As the newspaper reader recounted Liu Jin's deeds over the past thirty years in one breath, many of the tea guests present truly understood Liu Jin, and understood Liu Gong, who had always been famous.
Understand who is behind the rapid changes in the Ming Empire in the past few decades.
"Wow!"
Soon, there was endless applause from all over the teahouse.