Chapter 16 Wei Zhongxian Returns

If I had known earlier that these 300,000 taels would have been used to pay the military salaries in Liaodong, after all, it would have been possible to manipulate the system when paying the salaries.

It's just that getting money out of those soldiers' mouths is a bit awkward.

Chongzhen smiled and said, "There are frequent wars on the border nowadays. We can't impose additional taxes every time a war breaks out. The people can only grow one crop of wheat a year."

"Then..." Bi Ziyan felt a little regretful and was thinking about how to get back the 300,000 taels he had given out.

But Chongzhen said again: "However, I recently heard someone say something that makes a lot of sense: Every man has his share of responsibility for the fate of his country!"

"Fighting a war is always for the sake of defending our country. Since it is for the sake of defending our country, then the officials of the world should contribute money and effort!"

All the officials smiled happily upon hearing this. Bi Ziyan also smiled again and echoed: "What a great saying! Every man has his share of responsibility for the fate of his country!"

"These are simply the words of a saint. To be able to say such things, it is clear that this person must have great ambitions and can be an official in the court according to the Loyalty and Virtue Category!"

The reason why all the officials were so happy was that since every citizen has a share of responsibility for the rise and fall of the country, even if the emperor did not increase the Liao salary, he would probably just add a new item to collect money from the people.

In the eyes of officials, the so-called common people are just those mud-legged people who work hard in the fields!

Just as everyone pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what new reasons the new emperor would come up with to collect taxes.

Chongzhen was not in a hurry to reveal the answer, but smiled and said: "To accomplish this, we must have capable people!"

All the officials nodded their heads after hearing this. If they wanted to take life-saving food from the mouths of those peasants, they would need a ruthless and cruel person to be in charge!
Chongzhen nodded to Wang Chengen, and then he heard Wang Chengen shouting loudly: "Send Wei Zhongxian to the palace!"

boom!
All the officials suddenly felt a buzzing in their heads. Hadn't Wei Zhongxian been dismissed from his post by Chongzhen long ago and placed under house arrest in a mansion in the capital?
Moreover, news had long been circulating in the palace that the emperor had handwritten the eight charges against Wei Zhongxian, and it was said that he was preparing to take action against Wei Zhongxian in the next two days. So why was he summoning him to the palace now?
Cheng Jiming, Qian Qianyi and other Donglin Party members and their supporters were even more terrified and confused. Since Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, they had never stopped attacking the memorials impeaching Wei Zhongxian.

He saw that Chongzhen was determined to deal with the eunuch party and that Wei Zhongxian's downfall was inevitable, so he jumped out, hoping to show himself in front of Chongzhen and gain a reputation for not fearing the powerful.

If someone told them that Wei Zhongxian would not fall, even if they were given eight times the courage, they would not dare to jump out and attack the cruel and ruthless Wei Zhongxian.

Cheng Jiming and other Donglin Party members kept comforting themselves in their hearts, thinking that perhaps Emperor Chongzhen was going to take action against Wei Zhongxian.

However, Cong Zhen was saying that the tax collector should be a reliable person in the previous second, and summoned Wei Zhongxian to the palace in the next second. No matter how you understand this context, it doesn't seem like he wanted to deal with Wei Zhongxian.

Under the anxious gazes of the crowd, Wei Zhongxian strode into the hall with high spirits and even bowed to all the officials with a smile.

When he passed Cheng Jiming, he paused and said with a smile: "Minister Cheng, long time no see. We have been separated since the sixth year of Tianqi. I really miss you so much!"

Cheng Jiming shuddered, no longer showing the arrogance he had when he angrily scolded Cui Chengxiu. He just lowered his head and did not dare to answer.

After all, he still remembered clearly how he had returned to his hometown in disgrace from the capital, and the culprit was the person in front of him.

Wei Zhongxian did not dare to waste too much time. He just made a casual joke and knelt down towards Chongzhen, "Your servant Wei Zhongxian pays respect to His Majesty!"

"I have done too many wrong things in the past. From now on, I will turn over a new leaf and serve the court with all my heart!"

Chongzhen nodded, glanced at the expressions of the civil and military officials in the court, and especially lingered on Cheng Jiming's face. He then said to Wei Zhongxian, "Since I ascended the throne, the civil and military officials in the court have been accusing you of crimes. According to the laws of our dynasty, you should be cut into pieces!"

"For the sake of my brother, I will give you a chance to reform. You should work hard when you go to Jiangnan to collect commercial taxes this time. You must not be negligent or lazy. Remember!"

"I bow down to thank God for his grace. This time I go to Jiangnan to enrich the treasury of the Ming Dynasty!" Wei Zhongxian kowtowed with tears streaming down his face.

However, when the civil and military officials in the court saw the deep affection between master and servant, some were surprised while others were frightened.

Those who were surprised, such as Cui Chengxiu and Huang Liji, were once members of the eunuch party. Since Wei Zhongxian was placed under house arrest, they have been living in fear every day.

Now, not only is Wei Zhongxian free from trouble, but the new emperor is also going to send him to Jiangnan to collect commercial taxes. It can be said that he is being given an important position!
Since Wei Zhongxian was fine, it meant that the possibility of Emperor Chongzhen purging the eunuch party was infinitely close to zero. How could eunuch party members like Huang Liji not be happy?

However, there are always people who are happy and people who are sad in this world. People like Qian Qianyi and Cheng Jiming were extremely shocked and confused at this time.

What's going on? Didn't they say they wanted to kill the eunuch to establish their authority? Why did they reuse him and send him to Jiangnan to collect taxes?

Wait, Jiangnan, commercial tax?

Qian Qianyi could no longer hold back and stood up, "Your Majesty, collecting taxes from Jiangnan merchants is absolutely not allowed!"

"Why not?" Chongzhen looked at Qian Qianyi coldly.

Although Qian Qianyi claimed to be a man of integrity, he himself came from a prominent family in Jiangnan and had deep ties with the wealthy gentry in Jiangnan. It can even be said that he himself relied on the merchants in Jiangnan for support.

Now, Chongzhen wanted to collect commercial taxes in Jiangnan. If Qian Qianyi did not do something, he would probably offend the gentry in Jiangnan.

Qian Qianyi was shocked, but he still had to bite the bullet and said, "The sage once said, how can the royal family compete with the people for profit?"

Chongzhen sneered when he heard this and asked, "Since I cannot compete with the people for profit, then does the previous proposal by the Minister of Revenue to increase the Liao tribute count as competing with the people for profit?"

"Why didn't Lord Qian stand up and dissuade me then? Now that I want to collect taxes from those merchants and gentry, Love keeps saying that I am competing with the people for profit?"

Qian Qianyi opened his mouth and then said, "How can this be the same? The imperial courts of all dynasties have collected agricultural taxes from the people. This is natural and right."

"What a natural right!" Chongzhen sneered, "Do you know why Wang Er of Shaanxi rebelled?"

Qian Qianyi looked confused, wondering why Chongzhen suddenly mentioned a bandit.

Chongzhen said angrily: "It is because the court has imposed too many taxes and levies that the people cannot survive, so they are rebelling!"

"Do you still think this is natural?"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.

As an emperor, Chongzhen actually said in person that Wang Er of Shaanxi was forced to rebel because of the court's imposition of excessive taxes. Although this is true, it is not something an emperor should say.

(End of this chapter)