The city of Beijing ushered in a festival, and the imperial court naturally held a three-day banquet, with singing and dancing, and the emperor and his ministers celebrating together.
In the early dynasty, everyone from the civil servants and generals to the officers and men of various ministries were given rewards, or promoted to official positions, or given land rewards, and the gold, silver, copper, coins, and silk from the internal funds were flowed out by the carloads.
But Zhu Yixi was happy and didn't mind at all.
After twenty years of accumulation, Gein's internal money has exceeded 10 million. Money begets money and keeps accumulating. These are just a drop in the bucket.
After the banquet, the emperor was in great spirits and went to the queen and concubines one by one in the evening, leaving no one behind.
After several days of having fun, Zhu Yixi felt very tired, as if he was even more tired than fighting on the front line.
It's like taking a holiday during the New Year. After the New Year, everyone becomes weak.
The smell of the banquet had not dissipated, and Zhu Yixi did not go to court, but returned to his usual place of fishing at Qianqing Palace or Haizi.
There is a pile of unprocessed archives of important memorials and files on the table.
Although the cabinet thing can solve many things through voting, it has one flaw: it just turns the application into a multiple-choice question.
This is much stronger than the emperor's arbitrariness.
After all, people are not born with knowledge. How can the emperor, who has been pampered and privileged for many years, be as good as this group of people who have studied hard since childhood?
Listening to his words is better than the emperor.
This is also what scholars all over the world think about.
The emperor was only responsible for the sacrifices and seals, and left the rest to the civil servants.
However, it is good to turn the application questions into multiple-choice questions. The key is that there are only two choices in this multiple-choice question, yes or no.
In other words, the emperor can only accept or reject the cabinet's opinions. If he is dissatisfied, he can only change the cabinet minister.
Under normal circumstances, this group of civil servants would naturally be afraid of losing their official positions and thus submit.
But once there is a party, it's over.
Some people will abandon their immediate interests in order to seek revenge.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Yixi was very dissatisfied with this. He followed the Qing Dynasty and adopted a divisional strategy. The eight departments were respectively in charge of the elders.
One pavilion boss is in charge of several departments.
However, although they are in charge, the chief minister of the cabinet has always been fixed. He must be in charge of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Household Affairs, and control the power of collecting taxes and hoarding money and grain.
The second assistant was directly in charge of the Ministry of Rites, the imperial examination, and the military examination.
The remaining group assistants are either the Contribution Department, the Works Department, or the Civil Affairs Department.
If you have a strong first assistant, you can compete for three or four divisions.
In terms of the most critical personnel power, the cabinet chiefs and assistants all have a say.
For example, when recommending a local governor or governor, the cabinet elders made suggestions respectively, thus turning the single-choice question into a multiple-choice question.
From this, the imperial power could be calm and unhurried.
This is also part of Shaowu's New Deal.
Thinking of this and these memorials, Zhu Yi narrowed his eyes and said, "Let Feng Xianzong come to see me."
Liu Afu hurriedly said: "I obey the order."
So, Zhu Yixi sat on a couch behind a few beds and waited for the person she wanted to see.
He closed his eyes to rest and let his thoughts wander.
There was no one on duty in this place, and even the palace people stood far outside the door. Everything became quiet, and the impetuous mood seemed to gradually subside.
At this time, Manqing was truly destroyed.
The long-cherished wish of many years is about to come true, which is so intoxicating.
This kid from Shunzhi is really an invincible little strongman. He can even take root in Lake Baikal and try to recreate the old ways of Genghis Khan and unify all the Mongolian tribes. How can I let you succeed?
To be defeated today, we can either go north or west. There is no two ways at all.
At that time, Russia will be their disaster, or they will be Russia's disaster.
Hard to say.
After all, the Manchu Qing Dynasty was a semi-feudal society, and its organizational strength and political level far exceeded that of Russia.
But only the firearms and population are inferior.
It's like tigers fighting each other, not knowing whether they are true or false.
But for me, Daming, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
As long as it takes root in Eastern Europe like an unbeatable little power, it will be difficult for Russia to compete with me for Siberia in the future.
Great kindness!
Suddenly, Zhu Yixi frowned, stood up, and came to the world map behind him that he had filled in in various ways.
Lake Baikal, the Volga River, the Black Sea, and even the Kazakh Khanate are all the old lands of the Golden Horde.
The Manchus and Qing Dynasties were originally a mixture of Jurchens and Mongolians, and both language and customs were absorbed by Mongolia.
This is a glimmer of hope.
"I hope so!"
Zhu Yixi chuckled and said: "If you compare the Manchu and Qing Dynasties with Russia, I would rather the Manchu and Qing Dynasties win."
After smiling like this, Feng Xianzong arrived a moment later.
As the second assistant, Feng Xianzong was relatively young, now only fifty years old. He once sought refuge with the emperor in Luoyang.
After so many years, one step at a time, I finally reached the position of Tsusuke.
You know, he is just a judge, and he can only rise so quickly in troubled times!
"His Majesty--"
Feng Xianzong sat upright, with a thin face and full of Confucianism. With his big eyes, he looked like a Confucian scholar who had read many poems and books.
"sit!"
Zhu Yixi said casually.
"Is there anything important going on in the court now?"
Feng Xianzong looked at the mountain of memorials that had not been turned over, and was suddenly enlightened.
"As I saw, the major event is that not long ago, Li Si, the leader of the Kang Kingdom, reported to the court that he wanted to come to Beijing to pay tribute in person."
"According to my estimation, Li Si has a profound intention in coming."
"oh?"
Zhu Yixi was slightly surprised, and he said calmly: "Where are you coming from?"
"The old minister estimates that the state of Kang wants to surrender to the Ming Dynasty."
Feng Xianzong's words were truly shocking.
Before the emperor could react, he continued: "The veteran has been in charge of the Ministry of War in the past few years, and Sichuan has been constantly reporting news about Kang."
"Over the years, the discipline in the country has made each one more and more unruly. Father, son, and brother passed it down on their own, and only reported it later. It has been passed down for two generations."
"Although the country's capital is thick, its troops and horses are not as good as those of the Jiedushi, not to mention that there are foreign enemies defending the country of Tibet."
"oh?"
"The leader of Wei Zang died, and the new leader succeeded to the throne. He is already eyeing the lost old land. At this time, Kang State is already suffering from internal and external troubles."
The impression of Kang Guo appeared in Zhu Yi's mind.
What impressed him most was that the daughter of the Qin vassal clan got married and gave birth to an eldest son.
Xikang area.
There are few poor people on the land, and the Ancient Tea Horse Road is their lifeline.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty had great control over Kang State.
Those Jiedu envoys were all married to Sichuan, and coupled with the trade on the Tea Horse Road, the entire Kang state was completely dependent on the Ming Dynasty.
Once the road was cut off, Kang State was immediately at the end of its rope and could only live in poverty on the plateau.
"What does the cabinet think?"
Feng Xianzong said: "The words of the chief minister are feasible. After all, the people of Kang State are my descendants of the Ming Dynasty. Once they surrender, they can take advantage of the situation to recover Wei Zang State."
"Although Uizang is an internal vassal, it is actually an external vassal. Although he pays tribute diligently, he is of Mongolian origin. He is naturally dissatisfied with the imperial court and has always coveted Xining Prefecture in Qinghai."
"only……"
"Just what?" Zhu Yixi said calmly.
"It's just that I thought that for the Battle of Beihai alone, Chaotian's expenditure would be no less than 10 million yuan, plus some rewards and losses, 20 million yuan is probably not bad."
"If we add the governors of Beihai and Horqin and other places, 30 million is certain, and the imperial court has no spare power to deal with the southwest."
Feng Xianzong looked cautious, but his words were particularly bold: "In my opinion, we only need to wait another one or two years for the imperial court to hone elite plateau troops suitable for the southwest. By then there will be more surplus, and it will be time to recruit them."
There is nothing wrong with this statement, but when you think about it carefully, it has a lot to say.
The chief assistant is introduced at the front, and the ministers and others are mentioned at the back.
It is not difficult to guess the context of the contact. Others thought it should be postponed, but Zhu Mou asked for arrangements as soon as possible.
This is the conflict between cabinets.
On the surface, it looks like there is no conflict at all.
Speech skills and Chunqiu calligraphy.
Zhu Yixi has been the emperor for many years and naturally knows this very well.
His expression remained unchanged, and he guessed a little bit about Zhu Mou's thoughts.
It's nothing more than eager for quick success.
On the surface, with the peace of the world and the growth of population, a large amount of wealth began to circulate, and taxes naturally continued to increase.
The tax revenue generated by the 200 million people of the Ming Dynasty in a year has exceeded 100 million silver dollars.
Half a silver dollar per capita.
Among them, land accounts for 40%, commercial taxes account for 40%, and foreign trade accounts for 20%.
The decisive factor is also foreign trade.
China is short of precious metals, and its continuous export of goods has resulted in a large amount of gold and silver, making the silver standard more stable.
However, Zhu Yixi knew that the gold standard was the way to go. Although the conditions were not mature, he still created a large number of gold coins and allowed them to circulate.
The Ming Dynasty now implements the gold and silver standard.
Precisely because the conditions are so favorable, after regular expenditures every year, there is still a surplus of 2,000 to 30 million silver dollars.
But the Ming Dynasty was so big that disasters occurred almost every day.
The reduced taxes, supporting money and grain, and the increasingly large army all devoured money.
After excluding all expenses, the actual surplus is less than 10 million.
This battle wiped out nearly three years of surplus, leaving only 80 million in the Ming Dynasty's treasury.
Considering the fragility of agricultural society, once there is a major disaster that spreads across several provinces, 80 million people will be in danger.
The consensus reached by the court is that a full two-year surplus must be used to face all unknown disasters.
For example, at this time, the Ming Dynasty spent 70 million silver dollars a year, so it would take at least 140 million to be as stable as a mountain.
Eighty million is indeed dangerous.
"really."
Zhu Yixi sighed: "Whenever there is a natural or man-made disaster, the people will suffer. It would be better to have more surplus."
"Your Majesty sees it clearly." Feng Xianzong hurriedly agreed: "Now the southwest has become a ripe fruit, and it is up to your Majesty to decide when to pick it."
"The imperial treasury has its own rules, and it is absolutely forbidden to use Yin to eat Mao's grain, as before."
Qian Ming? Didn’t it die because of lack of money?
Zhu Mou seemed to think that the emperor was so happy about his achievements and tried to figure out his thoughts, and wanted to solve the southwest problem in one go, thus adding more prestige to the emperor.
A little expense of money is nothing.
Besides, it’s really dangerous in the end, isn’t there still money inside?
This is a matter kept secret in officialdom.
The canal banknotes collect nearly 10 million yuan a year, and customs offices are located all along the coast. Maritime trade is so prosperous that they can collect at least 20 to 30 million yuan.
Rich internal funds.
What are you afraid of if you borrow one or two when the time comes?
After all, it was for the sake of the Zhu family. No matter how stingy the emperor was, he could always squeeze out one or two.
Speaking of the previous dynasty, Zhu Yixi suddenly thought of internal money for some reason.
"A bunch of corrupt officials want to worry about my private treasury."
"Zhu Mou has been in the officialdom for so many years, maybe he has been contaminated by these vulgarities, right?"
The emperor's expression remained unchanged, but became inexplicably gloomier.
Seeing this, Feng Xianzong lowered his head even more, as if he were a transparent person.
However, in private, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
The emperor was fond of money and money-oriented, so he was indeed not bad at all.
"I intend to establish Beihai Province, with a governor on duty to control the area and guard Beihai in the Ming Dynasty."
The emperor suddenly said: "For the Feng Qing family, I wonder if you have any candidates?"
When Feng Xianzong heard this, he felt happy.
Sure enough, the benefits came.
But immediately, he calmed down and said sincerely: "I don't have a good candidate for this matter at the moment. All major events in the world are in your Majesty's mind. There is no wiser person than your Majesty. In my opinion, Qiankun's arbitrary decision is the best..."
"Yeah!" The emperor snorted, seemingly satisfied but also mixed with dissatisfaction: "Go down!"
"I excuse myself."
Feng Xianzong stood up quickly and retreated calmly.
Zhu Yixi looked at his back and murmured: "The cabinet has really changed, it seems that Zhu Mou can't control it!"
After leaving Qianqing Palace, Feng Xianzong broke out in a cold sweat.
"Your Majesty must have noticed it."
He thought to himself: "But it's okay, this can be regarded as a declaration of intention."
"Although Zhu Mou is not making people angry these days, it is still inappropriate. How long can the past kindness last?"
Thinking of this, Feng Xianzong waved his sleeves and sneered: "I won't be able to last for a year!"
Wenyuan Pavilion, in the cabinet.
Zhu Mou was lowering his head and thinking about political affairs.
After becoming the chief minister of the cabinet, he not only took charge of the Ministry of Finance, but also took control of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The second assistant, Feng Xianzong, only had the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Industry.
Du Yinxi was in charge of the Ministry of War.
Yan Yingyuan was in charge of the Ministry of Punishment.
On the surface, he seems to have a lot of power.
But in fact, the three departments of Caiminhu are basically controlled by the former Yan Yingxin, who has a lot of connections here. It is not easy for him to clean up the affairs as soon as he takes office.
Otherwise, you will be laughed at by officials and look too ugly.
In the past, he would not care about anything and everything, even if it was a joke.
Of course, the most critical thing is that when the war breaks out, the three departments cannot cause trouble, otherwise it will be detrimental to the situation temporarily.
But now that the Beihai War is over, we can regroup.
"Kui Xiang, Cifu has gone to Qianqing Palace."
Yan Yingyuan walked over and said softly when he saw no one was around.
"Just go and go."
Zhu Mou said indifferently: "Liheng, look at it, the war in the southwest is about to start, these three ministries are so angry that they still shirk the important affairs of the cabinet, saying that Beihai is not over yet."
"The three ministries are so bold that they simply don't take my cabinet seriously."
Yan Yingyuan was stunned by these words, knowing that he wanted to clean up the backbone of the three departments to make room for his own party members.
"That's true." Yan Yingyuan agreed with this matter.
In the officialdom, ups and downs are normal, and it is normal for an emperor to have ministers, let alone the chief minister.
"It's just that, Mr. Kui, the Beihai hasn't stopped yet. Isn't the war in the southwest too urgent at this time?"