Whether it is corruption or collusion between officials and gentry, it is all a matter for civil servants.
Li Jinglong always lowered his head and looked at it as a joke.
But at this moment, while watching the joke, I once again re-evaluated his family, the imperial envoy Li Zhigang, who has been in the limelight recently.
"If other people encountered such a thing, it would be a case of official corruption. But Li Zhigang has a unique vision and far-reaching intentions."
"Judging from the implementation of the New Deal, he turned the corruption and fraud case in the official warehouse into a vicious act in which local officials colluded with officials and gentry to harm the country and the people in order to enrich themselves and deceive the emperor, the country and the people."
"It has turned an isolated case in Yangzhou into a common malpractice in all provinces south of the Yangtze River!"
"The corruption in the officialdom was combined with the local officials and gentry, and it became a crime that had to be punished."
"This move is so cleverly calculated every step of the way!"
"No wonder he asked me about the situation of Jiangnan grain merchants for days when he was in Beijing... He must have prepared a backup plan a long time ago!" Thinking about it, Li Jinglong couldn't help but admire this leader.
"The New Deal or local corruption is rooted in the collusion between officials and gentry!" Li Jinglong said in his heart, "It's not that others can't see it, but even if they see it, they don't dare to say anything more. Because of this
It’s not just a few officials involved, it’s a large group of people.”
"Not only did Li Zhigang see clearly, but he also dared to take action and knew how to do it. This is what makes people admire him!"
"High, really high! Pursuing the officials and gentry who help others to pay taxes on their fields is a knife, the official warehouse is the second knife, and the investigation of the officials and gentry who are involved in the grain tax and profiting from it is another knife!"
"Three knives, one more ruthless than the other! What is the ultimate goal of the New Deal? It is to deprive officials and gentry of their privileges."
"If we want to deprive them of their rights, we must make their harm known to the world. For the ultimate goal of the New Deal, what does it matter even if the process is bloody?"
"Li Zhigang is not only a good dog, but a vicious dog that can bite people to death!"
While Li Jinglong was thinking about it, Zhu Yunxi looked at the ministers and spoke again.
"You have always advised me not to be too ruthless in governing the country and not to imitate the great ancestor of Emperor Gao! But now look at what my generosity has brought about?"
"It's just a matter of lying to me. I know that outside of the Forbidden City, my words will mean nothing!"
"But you deceived me, and you still wanted to cheat on the food tax? Is this the Ming Dynasty attacking them?"
"I did a rough calculation, taking Yangzhou as an example. I didn't even consider their corruption in selling grain. Even their various losses every year, as well as the money and grain stolen by the officials and gentry, directly accounted for the Yangzhou government's tax revenue.
Thirty and a half percent!”
"If there are other state capitals in the world, even if the number is half less than that of Yangzhou, it will add up to an astronomical figure!"
After saying that, Zhu Yunxi looked at the ministers again, "Tell me, where is the root of this matter?"
The ministers were silent.
Suddenly, a voice sounded, "I think the root cause of this matter lies in the grain collection system of the Ming Dynasty!"
Everyone looked over in surprise and found that the person speaking was actually Xie Jin, the bachelor of the East Palace.
Xie Jin stood up and said, "Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the grain chief system has been implemented!"
"At the beginning, Emperor Taizu Gao announced to the world that counties and villages in various places should elect highly respected people to serve as grain chiefs to help the court collect taxes!"
"Emperor Taizu Gao's intentions are good. He is a highly respected elder in his hometown. What he does will surely make the people admire him. He will treat everyone equally and not cheat!"
"In the beginning, this policy achieved remarkable results. On the one hand, provincial government officials used clever tricks to enrich their own pockets, and on the other hand, it made grain collection more efficient."
"But since Hongwu 20 years ago, the local grain chiefs have changed from highly respected people to landlords and gentry!"
"The government gives them the amount of grain tax for this year, they go down to apportion it, and then they collect it. But often, in order for the grain tax to reach the amount required by the court, the local government turns a blind eye to everything they do!"
"Well, we got to the point!" Zhu Yunxi nodded appreciatively, "Keep talking!"
"I am also from a family of officials and gentry!" Xie Jin smiled mockingly, "So I know more or less about these things!"
"Why did the grain chiefs become gentry? Because they are big landowners and have the right to speak in the countryside. In addition, because they are gentry, they are more obedient in appearance, unlike those who are true, virtuous and highly respected people who do not rub dirt in their eyes.
So the local officials are willing to get close to them and they are obedient!"
After saying that, Xie Jin paused and said, "I would like to make a digression, is there anyone with true virtue and high respect in the world? Even if there are, if they are in the midst of interests, it will change their taste!"
"Well, go on!" Zhu Yunxi rubbed his temples and continued.
Xie Jin said again, "The grain chief falls into the hands of the gentry. In order to consolidate his own interests, he must join forces with other gentry. Only in this way can he establish absolute authority among the people!"
"In this way, requisitioning grain for the imperial court became a spoils-sharing meeting for the gentry and local officials. The imperial court asked for an amount of one hundred, but the government, fearing that it would not be enough, gave the chief of grain an order of one hundred and twenty."
"And in order to save his own share and the share of his comrades, the grain chief has to pay at least one hundred and fifty when reaching out to the people!"
Zhu Yunxi suddenly sneered, "Then give it to the government for one hundred... If the government complains to me about poverty, it will become eighty-five..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Xie Jin said, "In short, the current grain chief system in our Ming Dynasty is the source of the formal promotion of the local gentry to become bigger and collude with the government!"
"I have something I shouldn't say..."
Zhu Yunxi waved his hand, "But it doesn't matter!"
"Now that our Ming Dynasty is in a peaceful and prosperous time, the harm of this grain chief system has not yet become apparent!" Xie Jin said, "There is no lasting prosperity in the world. If the country changes in the future, it will be too late to regret it. There is no way to change it!"
These words really spoke to Zhu Yunxi's heart.
How did the Ming Dynasty in history end like this? That’s how it ended!
Taxes only fall on the common people... It's not that the emperor doesn't know it, but he can't collect taxes without the officials and gentry.
As for the officials and gentry, they naturally hope that the more chaotic the country, the better. The more chaotic they are, the more they can help the emperor collect taxes, and the more money will fall into their pockets...
In the end, the people really couldn't take it out, so they could only use the knife to rebel against his mother!
In the end, the Ming Dynasty fell. As for the officials and gentry, they either knelt down outside Nanjing to greet the Qing army, or they surrendered in large numbers and shaved their heads and changed their uniforms.
Xie Jin continued, "The New Deal's proposal for officials and gentry to receive grain from one body is precisely to solve the shortcomings of the system of gentry serving as grain chiefs!"
"The foundation of my Ming Dynasty is not the Qianqing Palace, nor the majestic Forbidden City..."
"It's about countless remote villages and countless fields... Corruption and fraud cases are unavoidable in any era."
"However, it is still possible to prevent officials and gentry from being corrupt in the belly of the people!"
"Whether it's official warehouses or grain collection, it's all about the people's belly, but it's also about the treasury of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Everyone!" Xie Jin looked around, "Although I, the Ming Dynasty, have gained a lot in business taxation, please don't forget one thing: Don't worry when your family has enough food!"
"If the people's stomach problems are not solved, the prosperous times will be nothing more than a mirror in the mirror!"
"Well said!" Zhu Yunxi praised, "What Aiqing said is so shocking!" He stood up and walked around, "Hey, those people who are kneeling outside the Meridian Gate and crying to me should really take a good look at your remarks.
!”
After being praised by the emperor in public, Xie Jin bowed his head in embarrassment.
But only he knew that when he lowered his head, he glanced at Li Jinglong.
The latter also gave him a meaningful look.
"Now that things have come to this, I hope that all of you, dear friends, will work together with me to eradicate these maggots from the tarsal bones of our Ming Dynasty!"