When Zhou Yafu's carriage arrived at Weiyang Palace, Chao Cuo's carriage also arrived.∈↗
"Prime Minister!" Chao Cuo nodded slightly in greeting.
"Chao Yushi..." Zhou Yafu returned the favor with his hand. Zhou Yafu could not say he had a good impression of Chao Cuo, nor could he say he had any ill will.
On the other hand, as a minister in the same palace, Zhou Yafu still needed the cooperation and cooperation of the imperial censor's yamen in many areas.
"Your Majesty summoned you and me to the palace today. Does the Prime Minister know the reason?" Chao Cuo walked up to Zhou Yafu and asked, holding his hands in his hands.
Zhou Yafu shook his head: "Heaven's heart is unpredictable! However, I think it must be related to the above plan or the five baht money!"
Although today's political thinking sometimes seems very jumpy, most of the time it is still predictable.
For example, now, almost overnight, there is a saying that has become familiar to everyone, from nobles to nobles and ministers, to peddlers and foot soldiers.
This sentence is: Hong Fan's Eight Policies, one is food, the other is goods.
Before today's emperor became prominent, this sentence was used to describe the late emperor's ambitions.
When I ascend the throne today, this sentence has become something that people from all walks of life in the world who want to make progress must understand and be familiar with.
If you don’t even understand the importance and political sensitivity of eating two things, then don’t hang out!
Based on what Zhou Yafu saw and heard, this year's plan, the first sentence of the memorial for the plan of the forty-one counties and fifteen countries in the world is: I am ignorant and died before I heard about it. The eight policies of Hongfan are: one is food, the other is goods, enough food.
If the people are safe, if goods are sufficient, the world will be at peace.
Don’t be too crazy about flattering everyone.
In Zhou Yafu's opinion, although this situation is a bit disgraceful, it is better than the situation during the late emperor's time when the county guards and the princes and princes were tit for tat and opposed to each other!
Today's political thinking, generally speaking, still continues the tradition of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, suppressing and attacking the powerful, supporting and protecting the small and medium-sized landlord class, and continuing to implement the Han Dynasty's policy of "strengthening the foundation and weakening the bottom".
Although it is a bit radical in some places, which generation of Emperor Liu doesn't like to make trouble?
Even Emperor Hui, who was like a good boy, had tentatively tried to implement some of his ideas?
However, the prime minister in power at that time was Cao Shen.
Therefore, Emperor Hui was undoubtedly beaten to death by Cao Shen, and he never dared to interfere with the Prime Minister's administration again.
Zhou Yafu knew very well that he was not Cao Shen, and he was not Emperor Hui either.
Therefore, he could only tolerate Xin Jun's minor problems.
Chao Cuo nodded after listening to Zhou Yafu's words.
Every generation of Liu's emperors had actually been studied thoroughly before they even ascended the throne.
For example, before the late Emperor ascended the throne, his ministers had a pretty good idea of his temper and temperament.
It's just that today, the crown prince has been in office for less than a year. Because of the sudden death of the late emperor, he was pushed to the throne. Therefore, the officials did not know him carefully enough.
This led to all the speculations and speculations of the officials today.
Otherwise, during the reign of the late emperor, the ministers would often know what the emperor was looking for before they even entered the palace. Then, they would start drafting the manuscript. By the time they met the emperor, they would have almost completed a colorful memorial.
alright.
"Prime Minister, Censor!" Just when Zhou Yafu wanted to communicate more with Chao Cuo so that he could deal with it during the meeting, Simamen's palace opened, and the emperor's trusted eunuch Wang Dao came out with a smile and bowed respectfully:
"Your Majesty ordered your servants to welcome the second prince here!"
"Thank you!" Zhou Yafu and Chao Cuo nodded slightly in greeting.
But Wang Dao hurriedly smiled and bowed and said: "This slave does not dare to accept the courtesy of the Second Duke!"
Wang Dao started to study recently, and after studying, he understood many truths.
He also saw his position clearly.
He is just a servant of the emperor, but the two people in front of him are ministers of society.
To be fair, his status cannot even reach the soles of these two shoes.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, he first favored and trusted the eunuch Zhao Tong, and even traveled with him in the same carriage. However, Yuan Ang just said a word and Zhao Tong died without even knowing where he died.
Then Taizong favored Deng Tong and gave him countless power and wealth.
However, once Deng Tong offended the then Prime Minister Shen Tujia, he was slapped by Shen Tujia until his face was swollen, and he was almost beheaded by Shen Tujia with the power of the prime minister - if Emperor Taizong hadn't arrived, even so
, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen did not have any words of blame for Shen Tujia, and even took off his hat and thanked him: This is my jester, please forgive him!
Today, we compare ourselves to Emperor Taizong Xiaowen everywhere.
Wang Dao knew very well that if he offended an important minister at the level of Jiuqing, I am afraid that the emperor would not care about his old relationship with Conglong.
Not to mention the two people in front of me, one is the prime minister of the current dynasty, a minister of Gu Ming left behind by the late emperor's decree, and the other is a censor who has no intention of killing people.
Zhou Yafu ignored Wang Dao's humility and asked Wang Dao directly: "Do you know why your Majesty called us here?"
As the prime minister, Zhou Yafu had the power to know everything except the details of the emperor's harem life.
Wang Daodui said with a smile: "The slaves are just servants under your Majesty's side. They don't understand the important affairs of the country. However, listening to your Majesty's whispers, it seems that the two Ming Gongs are summoned to the palace this time for the sake of salt and iron..."
"Salt and iron?" Zhou Yafu's eyes flashed with surprise.
Chao Cuo, on the other hand, was so happy that he just danced.
After the Wu-Chu Rebellion, the policy of reducing vassal states gradually gave way to the milder policy of extending grace. Especially after Jinshang ascended the throne, the policy of extending grace immediately replaced the simple and crude policy of reducing vassalage.
For Chao Cuo, this was simply something more difficult to accept than Tao Qing's betrayal of him.
For Chao Cuo, his vitality is always filled with one idea, that is: do something big!
The policy of reducing vassal status is the product of this concept.
Unfortunately, it is now bankrupt.
Therefore, Chao Cuo has been in a state of confusion in the past year.
But the words salt and iron were like meteors piercing the darkness, instantly igniting all Chao Cuo's passion.
Since losing millet and donating his title, Chao Cuo felt that he had never been so excited and passionate.
He found a new goal: salt and iron!
Sixty percent of the world's big businessmen and landowners made their fortunes from salt and iron.
Even Liu Bi was able to rebel because of Wu's salt and iron.
Moreover, as a Legalist bureaucrat, Chao Cuo has always had a sharp nose.
Since the emperor wants to discuss salt and iron, he still discusses it with the prime minister and the imperial censor, so this shows that the emperor wants to bring salt and iron under the eyes of the court, at least to make salt and iron an item under the supervision of the government.
There is no doubt that this is the legalist view.
Centralized power, with the emperor in charge of heaven above, earth below, and the people's food, clothing, housing, and transportation in the middle, covering everything.
In the eyes of Legalists, the entire society should operate according to the rules and procedures designed by them.
What's more, in terms of hostility and hatred towards the business class, Legalists are second, and absolutely no one dares to be first.
For Legalists, merchants are neither legal nor reasonable and should be completely eliminated. Things like commodity circulation and goods trade should still be left to the government.
It's a pity that it's no longer Qin Ji, but the Emperor Liu is sitting on the imperial couch in Weiyang Palace.
Although the old Liu family looked down upon businessmen, they were unwilling to kill them.
Even during the reign of Emperor Taizong Xiaowen, in order to appease the world, he loosened the shackles on the merchants of Guanjin and Shanzeyanchi.
"If the emperor wants to strictly control and even specialize in salt and iron..." Chao Cuo felt his whole body groaning with excitement whenever he thought about this matter.
But Zhou Yafu next to him was extremely calm.
The foundation of the salt and iron affair lies in Emperor Taizong Xiaowen’s Chishan Ze Salt Pond Order.
In other words, as long as the emperor announces that he will no longer use mountains and lakes to benefit the people, all salt and iron merchants will rush to the streets.
But this is impossible!
Emperor Liu opened the Shanze Salt Pond, which originally belonged to the emperor himself, and allowed people to enter the mountains for mining, hunting, logging, and boiling salt. This was one of the pillars of Liu's regime and the key to the people's surrender to Chang'an.
Moreover, people have been accustomed to going into the mountains for hunting, logging, and mining for decades. If people are suddenly prohibited from doing so, I am afraid that the entire society will be in turmoil!
The Han Dynasty regime could not afford such a high price!
What's more, if the system established by Emperor Taizong Xiaowen wants to be overthrown, the East Palace will probably be the first one not to agree!
Therefore, Zhou Yafu suddenly became worried. (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature for better and faster novels!
ps: I have been thinking about it all day today, and almost all my time was spent on checking information and sorting out the clues.
Please allow me to tidy it up a bit.
After all, the answer to this kind of national affairs cannot be answered by just a slap on the butt. I need to look up the Salt and Iron Treatise, the Old Etiquette of the Han Dynasty and various papers to consider it comprehensively.
Although it is an online novel, I still hope it can be more rigorous~
