Chapter 165: I've wronged you (Subscribe)
Inside the Wanshou Palace.

Yan Shaoting let out a mournful roar.

But it made Jiajing suddenly shocked and his face was full of surprise.

Lu Fang, who had been in charge of recording, also put down his ink pen and looked over.

And in the sight of the two people.

Yan Shaoting raised his head with a flushed face, looking like an outstanding young official of the Ming Dynasty, full of grievances and having no place to vent.

Yan Shaoting let out a breath silently.

I'm holding my breath.

I almost fainted.

Jiajing's expression also kept changing, and he took a deep breath.

"Say!"

"I'm here!"

Yan Shaoting bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the Central Plains has undergone many reforms since ancient times. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were reforms by Shang Yang, Li Kui, Wu Qi, Zou Ji, Shen Yang, and Yue Yi. Only a country that reformed can become a hegemon.

"Then, the three emperors of Han, Wen, Jing and Wu, rested and recuperated, worked hard and established the Han dynasty for 400 years.

"It was not until the Kaiyuan Reform of the Former Tang Dynasty that the country gained the name of the Great Tang Dynasty.

"In the Song Dynasty alone, there were the Qingli New Deal, the Yuanfeng Reform, the Xining New Deal, the Zhezong Succession, the Tianjuan New System, and the Zhenglong Official System.

If a country wants to have a long-term foundation, it must constantly innovate, eliminate accumulated problems, and promote new things. The Zhou Dynasty lasted for 800 years, and the well-field system is no longer in use today. There is no law that lasts for ten thousand years. Talented people emerge in every generation, and each of them leads the trend for hundreds of years. "

If it follows the eight-legged essay of the imperial examination.

Yan Shaoting's words are the opening remarks that hit the point.

After saying this, Yan Shaoting took the opportunity to take a breath and glanced at the corner.

Lu Fang was still writing furiously.

It seems that everything Yan Shaoting said in the Wanshou Palace today must be recorded.

Jiajing loved reading.

It's not only about Taoist lessons, but more about the words of historians from past dynasties.

He was aware of the innovations that Yan Shaoting was talking about.

But only the last sentence.

"There are talented people from generation to generation, and each has led the way for hundreds of years."

"good words!"

"Good sentence!"

Yan Shaoting then continued, "I just lost my voice and dared not say what Your Majesty asked. In fact, I have read history and the Spring and Autumn Annals, and I know that it is not easy to reform a country."

Speaking of it.

He paused.

Because he wanted to specifically name and whip the corpse of a certain Song.

Jiajing also looked at him with expectation and approval.

He was always lenient to officials of Yan Shaoting's age. Young people like these should be more aggressive. But if they didn't know that the country was not easy, and kept shouting for reform in the court, it would not be good.

You can understand that national reform is not easy.

It is already commendable.

Yan Shaoting said: "During the Qingli New Deal of the previous Song Dynasty, Fan Wencheng worked hard, Han Qi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu and others worked together at the beginning, and the new deal was quite effective, but later it was criticized by the old party.

"Fan Wencheng was even falsely accused of forming a clique, and the new policies, which were in full swing, came to an abrupt end within a year.

"Since the first year of Xining, Wang Anshi has repeatedly requested reforms, including ways to enrich the country, strengthen the army, and recruit officials. Although there are many drawbacks, they have also ushered in a period of prosperity and renewed the government and the public.

"However, the Xining New Deal triggered the reunion of the old and new parties in the former Song Dynasty. The court tended to suppress and attack each other. In the ninth year, Wang Anshi resigned and surrendered, and the New Deal was stopped.

When Song Zhezong ascended the throne, Sima Guang ruled the country and abolished all the policies of the Xining New Deal. From then on, the dynasty ended without any illness. "

Correct.

It’s Sima Guang who smashed the jar!

Jiajing also gradually fell silent.

Fan Wenzheng is known throughout the ages as the kind of minister that many kings hope to have.

Yan Shaoting sighed deeply: "I am a minister in the court, and I have been favored by Your Majesty, but after all, my words are insignificant. The reform method must be implemented in the court and the country, covering all people, including scholars, farmers, merchants and workers.

"Today, I raised the issue of the surplus salt in the Lianghuai Salt Administration, and Elder Xu and others suppressed it with the established laws of our ancestors.

"When I read the history of Song Dynasty, I felt as if I were Wang Anshi, and I attacked Sima Guang with the established laws of our ancestors.

"In the early Song Dynasty, whether it was Fan Wencheng or Wang Anshi, they were in power in the court, and they had countless like-minded people, but it was also extremely difficult. I am only a man of two arms, and I still say one thing, and I will refute it for violating the laws of our ancestors.

"I am terrified!

"I am not an experienced official, but I am lucky to be an official. I am full of patriotism and I want to repay your majesty's kindness.

"I am terrified!

I dare not talk about reforming things, causing unrest in the government and the country, or even implicating my family and affecting your majesty’s wisdom.”

After beating Qian Song and Sima Guang.

When Yan Shaoting spoke again, his face turned red and his eyes were filled with endless frustration.

This moment fell into Jiajing's eyes.

What is it?
This is a young official of the Ming Dynasty who is wholeheartedly devoted to repaying the emperor's kindness and caring about the country and the people of the Ming Dynasty, but he is unable to do anything because of the accumulated malpractices in the court and the country.

What a nice child.

Every day I think about how I can serve you.

But there is nothing to do.

Lu Fang, who had already finished recording, put down the ink pen in his hand and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Yan Shidu is loyal to the country!

Just like us eunuchs, our hearts are entirely devoted to our masters, but when we are in the court, we cannot do as we please.

The master has been silently enduring the frustration for so many years.

The same is true for Yan Shidu now.

Jiajing sighed silently.

With a complicated look in his eyes, he looked at Yan Shaoting.

"The utmost sincerity and filial piety."

"It must be my blessing!" All the past events emerged in Jiajing's mind one by one.

On April 21st of the 16th year of Zhengde, he stepped into Beijing from Anlu, Huguang, with high spirits.

But everything that happened afterwards made him feel just like Yan Shaoting at this moment, feeling aggrieved and unable to speak out.

but.

Jiajing also thought of the Xining New Deal of the previous Song Dynasty that Yan Shaoting had just mentioned. Once Song Zhezong came to power and made important use of Sima Guang, all the New Deals were abolished.

Jiajing couldn't help but feel a little more emotional.

I only have a few years left.

Even if I seek reforms now, when the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty ascends the throne, will my reforms survive?
If the time comes, he will be deposed with a piece of paper.

Isn't this saying that the reforms he is carrying out are ridiculous?
Even if he had already passed away by then, he would still be cursed.

There were some gleams of light in Jiajing's eyes.

He looked at Yan Shaoting and sighed deeply.

"I am sorry for the injustice done to you, my dear."

"Get up."

Although Yan Shaoting knew the result, he still sighed inwardly when he heard these words.

In the end, the old Taoist priest still didn't dare to reform and innovate.

In his opinion, he was now talking about reform in order to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country.

Naturally, the one who suffered the injustice was Yan Runwu.

Yan Shaoting stood up with his hands clasped, and bowed his head: "I am not wronged! I just don't want Your Majesty to be humiliated, and I don't want our Ming Dynasty and our ancestors to fall into a desperate situation."

Jiajing waved his hand.

"What you did was very good, don't blame yourself."

"I……"

Jiajing hesitated a little and looked around the hall.

Then, he continued to speak.

"Just now you mentioned a lot about the reforms of past dynasties and brought them to this dynasty. Although... I think you must have some ideas in mind about the reforms and innovations."

curious.

Although Jiajing was reluctant to implement reforms, he was still curious and wanted to know what reforms Yan Shaoting was preparing.

Yan Shaoting was also stunned for a moment.

What's going on.

You, the old Taoist priest, are unwilling to innovate, and you still want to listen to my method of innovation?
Isn’t this free prostitution?

However, what he had experienced in the court during these days, which he had sorted out bit by bit, and the innovative methods he had summarized by learning from the methods of later generations, were still going over in his mind.

But Yan Shaoting didn't intend to say it.

Regardless of whether it was the equalization of land tax, the integration of officials and gentry, the public ownership of fire consumption, or the administration of civil and military officials, the reorganization of the capital's army, and the opening of the sea for commerce, not to mention the abolition of preferential treatment for meritorious service, the abolition of royal family privileges, and the reform of the official selection system.

Which one do you want to tell me now?

Both myself and the Yan family can pack our bags and go back to our hometown in Jiangxi together.

However, the reason I put on a big show in front of the old Taoist priest today, besides complaining, was also to get some benefits.

Yan Shaoting felt that his hint just now was already very obvious.

It depends on whether the old Taoist priest has this awareness.

But now the old Taoist priest wants to know how to reform, he can’t just say nothing.

After thinking it over for a while, Yan Shaoting spoke slowly, hoping to satisfy the old Taoist's curiosity after practicing Taoism.

"Reply to Your Majesty."

"I have been an official in the court for a long time, but I have only been doing my job for a short time. I dare not say in front of the emperor that I know the pros and cons of everything in the world, and I dare not say that I can make all the suggestions for reform and change the system."

"Your Majesty asked me for advice, and I can only answer that if we want to reform the system, the first thing to do is to govern the officials. Whether it is the problems caused by the increase in silk production in Zhejiang and Nanzhili this year, or the corruption in the military supply in Beijing, or the changes in the salt inspection in Lianghuai today, they are all due to the governance of officials."

"When the administration is clean and honest, new policies and reforms can be implemented without any hindrance, and the government can be smooth and the people can be united."

Yan Shaoting thought of the administration rectification that Lao Gao started after he became the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and then extended it to the performance evaluation system that Lao Zhang implemented after he became the Prime Minister.

However, the core of this thing is to urge local officials to complete the tasks set by the court.

The most important thing is to collect taxes.

The method is feasible, but it ignores the people.

If we add people's livelihood issues and incorporate the vitality of local people into the performance evaluation system, it can be considered perfect.

Yan Shaoting raised his head and glanced at the old Taoist priest.

This seems to be something that can be said.

but.

The old Taoist priest doesn’t deserve it!
Yan Shaoting immediately changed the subject and said: "Only when the administration is clean and honest can the new policy be implemented. If we want to run the economy and enrich the country, we should stabilize the people's farming and pay more attention to the business skills.

"How much money and grain do ordinary people have? Merchants are rich enough to rival a country. When our dynasty was first established, it was out of pity for all industries in the world that the taxes on agriculture and commerce were much lower than those in the previous Song Dynasty.

"Now that our dynasty has been in existence for two hundred years, all the merchants are extravagant, wearing coarse linen clothes outside and silk and satin at home. If you are a powerful local tyrant, you will be considered overbearing and tyrannical in front of the government.

“The imperial court encourages merchants. Although we cannot seize their capital, cut off their foundation, or destroy their business, we must strictly investigate merchants and impose heavy taxes on them!

"I have estimated that if the heavy commercial tax is implemented throughout the country, in the long run, the tax revenue collected by the state treasury from merchants will far exceed the tax revenue collected by the people from farming."

The Ming Dynasty really had a deformed economic system.

When the country was first founded, it was indeed for the purpose of recuperation and development, and most industries were tax-free or low-tax.

The tax rate for business is only 1% of 30%.

In the end, even the one-thirty tax could not be collected.

The money did not reach the court, and the army was short of money and food.

The country was destroyed.

Those gentry and businessmen simply turned around and said that they were itching to do something.

Cut your hair and kneel down.

Still rich.

It's so shameless!
…………

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(End of this chapter)