It was already early May when the prince returned to the capital, having resigned from his duties as governor of the Northeast for nearly three years.
He was quite relaxed about this,
At the age of twenty-two, he has traveled all over from Qinghai-Tibet in the west, to Guangdong, Guangxi, and Northeast China, and he has no idea how many layers of wind and frost have accumulated on his face.
"Your Highness, the capital has arrived!"
The sound of steam was heard. In the luxurious private room, Prince Zhu Cunqu leaned on his chair and closed his eyes to rest.
The eunuch on the side reminded him softly.
"No hurry!" Zhu Cunqu said calmly without opening his eyes: "There are many people at this time, let the common people go first, and we will go last!"
After a while, everyone left, and the group got out of the box and left the station.
What was counterproductive was that the prince's short stop led to the bus following behind him, forcing him to make an emergency rescheduling.
After boarding the carriage, Zhu Cunqu was actually in a bad mood.
Zhao Shu passed away two years ago. This old man who gave him many advices had an extraordinary status in his heart, but he was unable to return to Beijing at that time.
As soon as we drove into the outer city, we heard the sound of suona and a procession of people wearing linen and mourning clothes were walking on the streets.
Looking at the long queue, Zhu Cunqu raised his eyebrows: "What's going on in the capital recently?"
This was obviously a question to the groom, who was also unambiguous: "Since King Wencheng of the East China Sea passed away last year, a lot of nobles from the capital have left. There are people leaving every month, and it's very lively..."
Can it not be lively?
Monks and Taoists came and went to reminisce, and there were countless banners and flags hung. All kinds of banquets naturally came and went.
The nobles in the capital were even more busy. They had to go out to have dinner and give gifts every now and then. They were very tired.
When the prince heard this, he thought to himself: "This hero of Shaowu and Zhongxing has been greatly weakened. How many of the ten great princes are left?"
You Shiwei was the first to leave, followed by Wu Sangui and Chen Yongfu.
Nowadays, among the nobles, the top ten princes are rearranged. The first one is Zhu Meng, the Duke of Xuan, followed by Li Jizu, the Duke of An, Li Jingwu, the Duke of Yi, Liu Tingjie, the Duke of Cheng, Yan Guochao, the Duke of Yong, Li Dingguo, the Duke of Jin, and Li Dingguo, the Duke of Jing.
Gaoyigong.
As well as the newly recruited Duke of Ping, Chen Dong, and Duke of Chang, Zeng Ying.
The one person who was still missing was left to Xin Wencheng, who was conquering the Kazakh Khanate.
As a hero, Xin Wencheng was born in the Qin army and followed Li Jizu. Later, he was recommended by Li Jizu and was re-employed by the emperor to garrison Qishan Fort for several years.
Later, for his repeated military exploits, he was granted the title of Marquis and became the first general of Jilin, which can be said to be both civil and military.
Now that even Zeng Ying and Chen Dong have become princes, how can Zhu Yixi not take care of them?
In the spring of the 31st year of Shaowu's reign, Xin Wencheng was appointed as the General of the Expedition to the West. He controlled the soldiers and horses of the Beijing camp, as well as the patrol camps of Anxi and Shanxi, and sent troops to the Kazakh Khanate.
Not surprisingly, he will receive the title of Duke of the Country.
Among the ten great princes, they would rather leave one empty to wait for him than let people like Duke Qian and Duke Ding fill up the list.
“It’s time for the older generation of nobles to fall behind!”
Zhu Cunqu murmured in his heart.
At this time, he could not even mention a trace of coveting military power.
The older generation of nobles withered away, but the new generation of nobles who couldn't stand it still united closely with the emperor.
The nobles controlled the local patrol camps, and the emperor personally controlled the Beijing camp and the border troops. There was no loophole to catch.
And when he comes to Beijing this time, he is afraid that he will receive a new mission. Where will he go?
Northwest? Or southeast?
After entering the mansion, he freshened up and took the steam train to Yuquan Mountain.
Here, he met the emperor's father, who was getting older.
"Thank you for your hard work, my son!"
Zhu Yixi looked at the mature and steady prince and felt a little satisfied: "The imperial court has learned that Jilin has been developed properly. Although the pace is large, it is not chaotic. It all depends on you to maintain it!"
"I don't dare to be a son-in-law!" Zhu Cunqu bowed his head hurriedly, showing unusual humility.
"You deserve it."
Zhu Yixi chuckled and said: "You have experienced more than ten years in the local affairs. Now it is time to enter the court and think about the government's administration. Only in this way can you understand everything and integrate the inside and outside."
This was completely beyond his expectation.
Only by staying in a place can you understand the happiness of the capital city. The food, drink and entertainment are not at the same level at all, and the comfort level is also several levels behind.
Compared with other places, Beijing is simply a paradise on earth.
"My son, my son is willing." Zhu Cunqu suppressed the excitement in his heart: "Always by the side of his father, the emperor and his mother, the son can also fulfill his filial piety..."
"Go to the Ministry of Finance!" Zhu Yixi waved his hand:
"From today onwards, you will be the Minister of Finance, and you will be responsible for regulating the taxation of the Ming Dynasty. The situation in each province is different, which will test your skills!"
In this way, the situation in Jilin was discussed again, and it took half an hour before the prince left the palace.
He calmed down, forgot about the emperor's aging face, and began to plan in his mind how to manage the financial department.
At this time, he was like an ordinary official. After suddenly ascending to a high position, he couldn't wait to grasp the power and prove his ability to the superiors.
Being able to supervise the Ministry of Finance is a great improvement for Zhu Cunqu.
In the pre-Ming Dynasty, after the prime minister was abolished, the prince usually took the prime minister's place and gained the power to govern.
It was not until Yingzong succeeded to the throne that the power of the cabinet greatly increased and evolved into a new center of power.
"Today it's the eight ministries, tomorrow it's the cabinet, and then it's time to supervise the country!"
Zhu Cunqu felt that he would not reach heaven in one step, but would have to suffer for several years until the emperor was really old and unable to do what he wanted.
For example, sixty years old.
Not long after he returned to the East Palace, the Crown Princess was wearing a red palace dress and was busy preparing gifts. The hollow lace made him quite curious.
"What? Who are you preparing a gift for?"
"My Highness, who else could it be? Your younger brother!" Mrs. Zeng smiled bitterly and shook her head: "The emperor's forty-ninth son is one month old, so we are not allowed to take gifts?"
"In the past ten years alone, I have given out full-moon gifts almost thirty times. Princesses and princes cannot miss one, otherwise they will be disrespectful to their status as crown princess."
"Fortunately, His Highness is an official in the local area, otherwise the East Palace would really have given gifts to the poor!"
"Forty-nine?" Zhu Cuququ was stunned: "Father is still so brave?"
"Take a break these past few years!" Mrs. Zeng said with a wry smile: "There are only two or three princesses and princes a year. Before, there were five or six a year."
"That dress of yours?"
"This is it? The lace trim comes from Europe. It's very beautiful!"
"Don't be new or different!" Zhu Cunqu's voice deepened.
"I know, it's spread all over the palace, my mother and I have several of them, and my father even praised me, otherwise who would dare to wear them!"
Mrs. Zeng said softly, twisted her waist and left, turning back halfway and saying:
"Master, you are back just in time, but you have to teach your naughty son."
Zhu Cunqu was stunned for a moment and watched the latter leave.
He has been too busy in the past few years and has neglected to manage his children, but he is not too panicked. After all, Dongnuange Academy is here.
Therefore, his naughtiness is in the mansion.
As a prince, Zhu Cunqu did not have many heirs, especially when compared with his father, they were far behind.
Today, there are only four sons and three daughters who have survived. They are still healthy and will not be a problem if they live to adulthood.
The number of concubines is only fifteen or sixteen, not too small, but not too many. There are only three Mongolian concubines.
The youngest son had just turned three years old, and the third son was five years old. They were still playing in the East Palace. When they saw their father back, they looked strange.
The three daughters have good memories. The eldest is ten years old, the second daughter is seven years old, and the youngest is four years old. When they see him, they will run into his arms and act like a baby, and they are not afraid of people.
This allowed Zhu Cunqu to enjoy a rare moment of father-son affection.
In the evening, after school, the eldest son Zhu Fuyi saw his father, who was eyeing him eagerly.
"Dad!" He lowered his head disciplinedly and knelt down close to him.
"I really have you." Zhu Cunqu scolded:
"As the saying goes, a gentleman stays far away from the kitchen because he can't bear to see anything happening. How about you boil the ants' nests with hot water and chop off the trunks of the insects with a knife? Do you have a compassionate heart?"
"Is this how the master taught you the way of the sage?"
"If it is, I will go to Dongnuang Pavilion and settle the score with them!"
"Dad, I was wrong..." Zhu Fuyi lowered his head and did not dare to speak.
"Humph, at such a young age, you don't know how to be benevolent towards life. Why don't you think it's a small thing and don't do evil?"
Zhu Cunqu picked up the ruler and said sternly: "Put your butt up!"
"Pah, pah——"
After being whipped three times, Zhu Cunqu said earnestly: "Be aware that this matter can be big or small. If this spreads to other dynasties, you will reap the benefits!"
Zhu Cunqu had high hopes for his thirteen-year-old eldest son, and his reputation must not be tarnished in the slightest.
He even thought about asking the emperor to confer him the title of grandson, which would provide a double security.
This is not an unfounded worry. In fact, in all dynasties, the second successor is too dangerous.
The next day, Zhu Cunqu entered the outer dynasty and sat in the Yamen of the Ministry of Finance. He was truly the head of the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Finance was split from the Ministry of Household Affairs, and was divided into three departments, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs. Over the years, it has been under the personal jurisdiction of the chief minister, and this has gradually become a common practice.
The Ministry of Finance is responsible for tax collection and transportation in various places; the Ministry of Household is responsible for the hoarding of money, grain and materials, and is also responsible for supervising the Changping warehouses in various places.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs is in charge of key civil affairs such as household registration, population, forests, mines, territory, acres, etc., as well as one-year budget planning work.
As the saying goes, the Ministry of Finance collects money, the Ministry of Households collects money, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs spends money.
After taking the position of the Ministry of Finance, Zhu Cunqu felt deeply responsible for his great responsibility.
Among the eight departments of the imperial court, the Ministry of Finance has the largest number of people. It consists of the Land Taxation Department, the Commercial Taxation Department, the Miscellaneous Taxation Department, the Transshipment Department, and the Customs Department. Among them, the Transshipment Department is responsible for escorting taxes.
The Customs Department refers to the bank checkpoints on the canal, as well as the tax cards at various passes, lake crossings, intersections and other places.
At the local level, the Ministry of Finance was changed to the county tax bureau, and the province was the general bureau. It was directly supervised and managed by the Ministry of Finance and had independent taxation power.
Then it will be returned to the local government in a proportion determined by the imperial court.
Likewise, the huge local agencies have caused the number of officials in the Ministry of Finance to continue to rise. Today, the number has reached 10,000, and the annual salary consumed reaches 2 million yuan.
But it's all worth it.
The imperial court's current huge tax revenue relies on the Ministry of Finance to do its best to collect it.
The prince was sitting in the hall, and all the officials nodded.
In the huge Finance Department Yamen, there are more than a hundred people in charge, and all of them look smart and capable, just like accountants.
Not to mention the finance department, everyone's abacus is very powerful.
"Let Xiao Gui Cao follow you today!" Zhu Cunqu glanced at the trembling faces of everyone and said casually.
As soon as the prince came, no one dared to show off his majesty even though he had the heart of a bear and the courage of a leopard. The two servants were as obedient as two domestic dogs, almost drooling.
"Your Highness——"
"Just call me Shangshu!"
"Yes, Ministry of Finance!" Zuo Shilang bowed and smiled: "Now that the summer tax is coming, it is the busiest time of the year for the Ministry of Finance, especially at the local level..."
"Oh? Then what should we do?"
"The Transportation Department must prepare carriages and horses in advance; the Commercial Tax Department, Field Tax Department, and Miscellaneous Tax Department must also estimate this year's taxes and make strict statistics. Then compare them with the summer harvest income!"
"At the same time, compared with previous years, if there is too little or too much more, it needs to be checked to avoid errors..."
The Ministry of Finance was in the center, and it was probably very busy at that time, not much worse than the local government.
The crackling sound of abacus can be said to be endless.
The Ministry of Finance's pain is also here, it can only be seen but not spent.
The news about the prince's management of the Ministry has long been publicized in the imperial court.
There are many public opinions, but the emperor's decree has been completed, and no one can object to it, but can only agree with it.
In the cabinet, Yan Yingyuan, as the chief minister, is the most optimistic: "With His Royal Highness here, I will be much more relaxed."
"I'm just here for the first time, so I need the chief assistant to take care of me!" the prince said modestly.
Yan Yingyuan waved his hand: "The biggest problem in the Ministry of Finance is corruption. The National Taxation Bureau is corrupt, and the Department of Transportation is also corrupt. When you first take charge of the Ministry of Finance, you must act vigorously and resolutely. You can control a group of corrupt officials to establish your authority and put an end to corruption.
This is already considered a great achievement..."
Zhu Cunqu listened carefully and did not dare to be careless in the slightest.
This is his real appearance among the courtiers. He must show his true ability. How can he control the world if he does not control one department.
In fact, with the old government in charge of the Ministry of Finance, the status of the Minister of Finance continued to decline, and at the same time, the Minister of Finance became less important.
And once there is the support of the elder, the minister can call the wind and rain and do whatever he wants in the ministry.
Zhu Cunqu was in such a situation, and his chief assistant had unlimited support, which made him confident. He directly invited the censor of the Supervisory Council and took away several people on the grounds of fighting corruption.
The whole hall was shocked.
This continued for several days, and dozens of people were arrested in the Ministry of Finance, but it was still in good order and operating normally.
This suddenly boosted the prince's reputation.
Listening to the little tune and humming, Zhu Yixi soon felt the presence of the prince, and a kind of fear arose spontaneously.
This feeling of being welcomed by everyone is so scary.
Even though he reminded him in every possible way, the feeling was indescribable.
Politics is in his blood.
However, although she has regrets, Zhu Yixi dares to admit it and will not go back on her words.
A few days later, the emperor issued an order to confer the imperial grandson Zhu Fuyi as the grandson.
The emperor's grandson Zhu Fuyi, who was only thirteen years old, rose sharply in status, second only to the prince, and became the crown prince.
Both inside and outside the imperial court were in favor of this, and the East Palace was even more overjoyed.
At this point, the grandson, who had disappeared from the Ming Dynasty for nearly two hundred years, returned to the court again, and was praised by both the government and the public: