A journey to the heavens starting from the Red Mansion

Chapter 117 Emperor Qianqing

The next morning.

Imperial City, Daming Palace.

In the Yangxin Hall, Emperor Qian Qing looked at the secret fold that was brought up, frowned, and said with some surprise.

"Huang Yushi, who was born in Huaiyang, died? Why did the dignified Yushi Zuoqiandu disappear so quietly?"

Dai Quan, the eunuch in charge of Daming Palace, bowed and replied.

"Long live my lord, I didn't find it last night. Magistrate Wu of the Taiyuan Hospital has sent someone to take Wu Zuo for examination. It was not homicide, but death caused by anger. Although Huang Yushi's death was so sudden and unexpected, it should be It’s not someone doing evil.”

"On this point, the response received from Judge Wu of Taiyuan Hospital is that he may have died due to old age, frailty, and excessive mood swings. There is absolutely no conspiracy among them."

"but……"

Emperor Qian Qing looked solemn and asked: "But what?"

He is suspicious by nature and never believes that a person who is doing well will suddenly die suddenly.

Dai Quan replied hurriedly.

"However, before Huang Yushi died, he cursed angrily in the study, smashed the study, and shouted loudly that Ding and Lin Ruhai were not at odds with each other, and then died of anger."

Emperor Qianqing said curiously.

"Why did Huang Wenlin mention Lin Ruhai? Is there any conflict between these two people?"

Dai Quan hesitated for a moment, but when he saw Emperor Qian Qing's eyes suddenly becoming sharp, he was startled and said hurriedly.

"Perhaps it was because Huang Wenlin had a concubine who was born in a Huaiyang salt merchant family, and the interests were deeply entangled. Lin Yushi was appointed by Long Live Lord to Yangzhou to serve as the salt inspector. I heard that Lin Yushi's work style was very violent. It might offend him.”

Emperor Qianqing was furious when he heard this, slapped the imperial case and cursed.

"Death well, these homeless beasts, are they going to repeat the mistakes of the Donglin Party? Now Jiangnan merchants cannot raise taxes, and even the salt tax must not be raised."

Recalling the sanctimonious ministers in the court, Emperor Qian Qing sneered. Although he said no more, his eyes twinkled.

In many people's impressions, ancient emperors had supreme power. The emperor could kill whoever he wanted and do whatever he wanted. There was nothing the emperor could not do.

In fact, things are really not that simple.

For example, Emperor Chongzhen in the last years of the previous dynasty could not collect taxes in Jiangnan, so he had no money to suppress the peasant uprising and resist the attack of Hou Jin, and he died and the country was destroyed.

Before his death, Chongzhen once said: All civil servants can be killed.This shows his hatred for civil servants.

Chongzhen was the majestic Ming emperor. Why couldn't he collect taxes in Jiangnan? What does it have to do with "civilians"?

People with high status enjoy the privilege of paying less tax or being exempted from tax.Jiangnan is the richest place in the country, supporting the most scholars and the most people who have passed the imperial examination and become officials.

Therefore, although many big families in Jiangnan owned a lot of land, they paid very little tax to the court.

If the large families did not pay taxes, the taxes would naturally fall on the ordinary yeoman farmers.

The peasants couldn't bear it, so they sold their land to the big landlords, and the whole family went to the landlord's house to work as slaves.

As a result, the imperial court received less and less tax from Jiangnan.

Since we cannot collect agricultural taxes, can we collect commercial taxes?Nope either.

The Donglin Party, as the spokesperson for the interests of Jiangnan landlords at that time, said that the court could not compete with the "people" for profits.

The Ming Dynasty received neither agricultural taxes nor commercial taxes in Jiangnan.

The tax burden had to be passed on to the northern farmers. The northern farmers could not survive and had no choice but to rebel.

Lin Yao said that in the early days of the Manchu Qing emperor, a group of Manchu nobles helped him, using butcher knives to prevent the tough-talking and soft-spoken civil servants from forcing themselves. However, the Ming Dynasty emperor was just a lonely man.

It is impossible for one person to confront the civil servant group without a high political level.What's more, Emperor Chongzhen was only 17 years old when he ascended the throne and had no political experience. It was normal for him to not collect taxes in Jiangnan.

Of course, it was not just Jiangnan that did not pay taxes at the end of the Ming Dynasty. When Li Zicheng came to the city, Chongzhen asked the dignitaries in Beijing to donate money, but few of them were willing to take the money. Even the state leader Zhou Kui was like this.

After the city was broken, Li Zicheng "raised" tens of millions of taels of silver under severe torture.

In the end, it was Qi Taizu who saved the day.

Taizu of the Qi Dynasty was famous in his hometown for his poetic talent since he was a child. Later, his reputation as a child prodigy spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River.

Just when people thought Zhongyong was hurt again, he founded a business at the age of 16 and became the richest man in Jinling at the age of 25.

In the year when he was established, he formally launched his army. In just four years, he swept across the land and annexed the eight wastelands, and then founded the country and changed the name of the Yuan Dynasty: Qi.

After Qi Taizu ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, his nature of "rejoicing in great achievements" has been criticized by today's literati.

During the six years of his reign, he conquered Tugunu, Gaoji, and Dongsang in the north, and conquered Qianxiang and Zhenla in the south. He even prepared to build giant ships to go to Nanyang to compete with the Hongmao Yi and Kunlun slaves for territory.

It is a pity that he did not live long. Before he could build a giant ship, he fell ill and passed away. This allowed Emperor Sejong to "set things right".

Not only did it shelve the plan to go overseas, which wasted money and people, but also withdrew all its troops from the countries in the southern and northern regions, which fully demonstrated the "benevolent style" of Da Qi.

Let’s not mention the merits and demerits of our predecessors for now.

Emperor Qianqing planned to follow the example of Taizu of this dynasty and raise money to strengthen the imperial power in his hands.

Win over the gradually declining heroes of Yuanping, the founder of the country, and divide the military power in the hands of the Supreme Emperor.Use sharp swords to silence the princes in the court.

The generals who hold great power today are naturally loyal to Da Qi and to the Tian family.But the object of their allegiance is the Supreme Emperor.

The Supreme Emperor passed the throne just after him. Although he ignored everything, he still had a great influence on the Qi court.

Unlike the emperors of the past dynasties, such as Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty who died in depression in Sichuan.

In addition to the old ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, the most important thing is that the military power of Da Qi is still firmly in its hands.

Although Emperor Qianqing did not believe that his throne would still be shaken, the emperor was the most insecure person in the world.

If he doesn't have enough military power to protect himself, he is afraid that he will fall into the water and die one day.

Huang Wenlin's life or death was of no importance to him.

There was also a scandal that made a dignified fourth-grade official angry to death, which really made the latecomers laugh.

However, these salt merchants actually colluded with the ministers of the DPRK and China in an attempt to prevent him from collecting salt taxes. How could he not be angry?
At this moment, outside the Yangxin Hall, the eunuch Xia Shouzhong hurriedly came in, holding two sealed lacquer boxes in his hands, and after entering the hall, he knelt down and said.

"Long live my lord, Yangzhou Prefecture has sent two urgent secret documents."

When Emperor Qian Qing heard this, his eyes narrowed.

Dai Quan stepped forward understandingly and glanced at Xia Shouzhong with a half-smile.

Then he took the lacquer box and looked at it carefully. Seeing that the seal was intact, he nodded to Emperor Qian Qing.

Then he opened the two lacquer boxes and took out the secret folder and handed it to Emperor Qian Qing.

Emperor Qian Qing unfolded Lin Ruhai's secret book and looked at it, and the frown on his face actually relaxed.

Waiting to see the figures on the financial and loan conversions of the salt merchants whose goods were copied by Mi Zhe, and the initial results of the salt tax policy.

"These salt merchants are really a pest to the country."

Emperor Qianqing compared it with another secret copy, and finally burst into laughter.

"Lin Ruhai is worthy of being a hero after Taizu Yuanping. He is loyal to the emperor and is truly a capable minister."

(End of this chapter)