The end of the Ming Dynasty swept the world

Chapter 789 Outrageous Purchase Price
In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the eunuch Bingbi, the supervisor of ceremonies who replaced the emperor to approve the red, came into being, and the power of the eunuch reached an unprecedented height.

Now that Ding Yi is in charge, he must suppress the eunuch's power.

He only left more than 1000 eunuchs and more than 1000 court ladies in the Forbidden City, but he still felt that there were too many.

Don't look at the 10 taels of silver he needs to raise and dismiss the eunuchs and court ladies. In the late Ming Dynasty, because there were too many court ladies, the annual rouge money in the palace was as high as 40 taels of silver, and other expenses were even more expensive. Two tricks, Ding Yi actually saved a lot of money, but it's a pity that others don't think so.

"In the future, the number of eunuchs in the palace will be 1000. The number of court ladies will be 1000. It can only be reduced, not increased."

Everyone nodded quickly.

Ding Yi is now verbally saying that it will be written into the law in the future to prevent future generations from increasing at will.

Now there are more eunuchs and court ladies, but they are slowly being eliminated.

Ding Yi demanded that after the age of 20, all eunuchs, except the chief, should be laid off and go home until the number of eunuchs reaches 1000. Then, every year, it will be checked in advance. Assuming that 50 eunuchs turn 20 and want to go home, 50 replacements will be recruited, and the number will remain at 1000. people so far.

The same is true for palace maids. In the future, palace maids will be selected to be over 13 years old and under 15 years old. They will be released from the palace at the age of 18. At this age, they can remarry and maintain 1000 people.

Wang Xiangyao thought for a while: "My lord, will there be too few slaves in this palace?"

According to Ding Yi's request, after a few years, there will be one thousand eunuchs and one thousand court ladies in the imperial city, which is not even one-tenth of what it used to be.

"Not a lot. There won't be many people to serve in the future."

Ding Yi didn't have many wives, and he didn't plan to marry the 72nd concubine of the Sixth Court of Sangong, where so many maids were needed.

Then Ding Yi carried out the reform of the palace institutions.

During the Hongwu period, Lao Zhu divided the court ladies into six bureaus and one division, and later divided them into 24 divisions.

The six bureaus are Shang Gong, Shang Yi, Shang Fu, Shang Shi, Shang Sleeping, and Shang Gong.Shang Gong is in charge of the affairs of the Sixth Bureau.

Now Zeng Rou is Shang Gong, a sixth-rank female official.

There is also Gong Zhengsi, who is in charge of commandments and punishments, and Zeng Rou is also in charge now.

The authority of Yongle's rear six palaces was gradually taken away by eunuchs, and they existed in name only.

Ding Yi ordered to reorganize the five bureaus and one division.

The five palaces are divided into the Bureau of Shangyi, and Shangyi is a female official of the sixth grade. There are several people below, who teach etiquette;

Shangfu Bureau, Shangfu is the sixth-rank female official, and there are several people below it. There are treasures of palm clothes; there are palm ornaments; (Merge the former Imperial Prison, Shangyi Prison, and Huanyi Bureau)

Shangshi Bureau, Shangshi is a female official of the sixth rank, and there are several people below it. Some of them are in charge of the emperor's diet, some are in charge of soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, and some are in charge of rice, wheat, grain and meat.

(Merge the original Shangshan Supervision and Wine and Vinegar Noodle Bureau)

The Bureau of the Shang bedroom, which is the official sixth-rank female official, has a number of people below, who are in charge of the emperor's bed and the order of the concubines' entry into the imperial court, in charge of the bed curtain and mat, sweeping the tents, palming the chariot, and umbrella fans. (In addition, the mixed hall department (in charge of bathing) will be cut)

In the Shanggong Bureau, Shanggong is a sixth-rank female official, with several people below, in charge of building a hundred labors, in charge of clothes tailoring; (reduction and merger of the Inner Weaving and Dyeing Bureau and the Needlework Bureau)

There is also Gong Zhengsi, Gong Zheng is a fifth-rank female official, with several posts, responsible for command and punishment, and the management of the Fifth Bureau.

Zeng Rou is Gongzheng.

After this reorganization, Gong Zhengsi is the largest and takes charge of the five bureaus.

Many of the original 24 yamen in the palace were merged into the five bureaus, and most of the small eunuchs were also merged into it.

The so-called pairing of men and women is not tiring, such tasks that require strength can be done by the little eunuchs for the maids.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were twelve supervisors, four divisions, and eight bureaus serving the royal family, collectively known as the 24 yamen.

Ding Yi merged some of them into the female official five games.

The rest were also cut and merged.

Become the eunuch five bureaus and one division.

The most important supervisor of ceremonies was cut down, and there was no more supervisor of ceremonies.

The functions of the Royal Horse Supervisor have been reduced. The original functions of the Royal Horse Supervisor include being responsible for the mobilization of the troops of the Dragon Guards and Tiger Guards, protecting the safety of the emperor, cooperating with the Jinyi Guards to be responsible for the necessary guards of honor, and being responsible for the management of the royal horses and pastures. village.

Ding Yi cut off the racecourse and turned it into military use, which is under the unified management of the army racecourse. There are more than a dozen horses left in the palace to ride and play.

Originally, the horse inspector, who had a relatively large authority and a large number of people, now only has a few people left to raise horses for the emperor.

The original internal official supervisor (purchasing all the emperor's utensils, including beds, tables, cabinets, etc.), the divisional supervisor (in charge of rain gear, curtains, ceremonial guards, etc.), the Duzhi supervisor, the Zhidian supervisor, the Jingong supervisor, plus the imperial horse supervisor, Xi The Salary Division and the Bell and Drum Division were unified and merged into the Logistics Bureau.

In the logistics bureau, there is one eunuch with palm seal, the sixth grade, and the former internal official supervisor, divisional supervisor, and Duzhi supervisor will be abolished and merged.

In the Yinbao Bureau, there is one eunuch who is in charge of printing, and is the sixth grade. It was merged by the former Shangbao Supervisor and Yinshou Supervisor.

Finance and Banknote Bureau, one eunuch with palm prints, six grades, composed of the original treasure banknote department, silver production bureau, and inner treasury (merged with the emperor's private treasury), mainly responsible for the emperor's income statistics, salary distribution of all personnel in the palace, and review of purchased items pay.

Bingzhan Bureau, a eunuch with a palm seal, is the sixth grade, and was merged from the original Bingzhan Bureau and Scarf and Hat Bureau.

Siyuan Bureau, a palm-printed eunuch, six-rank, maintained by the original Siyuan Bureau (responsible for the cultivation of melons, fruits and vegetables in the palace).

In addition, the Inner Palace Division was established, with a palm print eunuch of the fifth rank, and a deputy palm seal of the fifth rank.Responsible for the management and punishment of the Fifth Bureau of Eunuchs.

After Ding Yi's reorganization, the number of yamen in the imperial palace has been greatly reduced, and many offices with somewhat repetitive functions have been eliminated and merged.

Now it is equivalent to five bureaus for court ladies and five bureaus for eunuchs, each side has a division commander.

On the maid's side, Zeng Rou is in charge of every palace and is in charge of the five bureaus.

Eunuch here?

Ding Yi looked around: "Wang Xiangyao, you are the eunuch in charge of the Inner Palace Division."

Wang Xiangyao was overjoyed, and hurriedly knelt down to thank him, although this eunuch is only fifth rank, he is now the biggest eunuch leader in the palace.

Zhou Xiangwen, who had a good relationship with Zeng Rou, was the deputy eunuch in charge of the Inner Palace Department, and Ding Yi's personal servant Zhong Xian was also the deputy in charge of the Inner Palace Department.

Ding Yi didn't come up with this, it was brought up by Zeng Rou himself yesterday.

Zeng Rou is a smart woman.

She is now in charge of all the five bureaus of court ladies, so Zhou Xiangwen, who has a good relationship with her, must not be in charge of the five bureaus of eunuchs.

Ding Yi made the rules again.

Except for the emperor, each concubine in the future harem can only be equipped with four maids and four eunuchs.

Each princess and prince can only be equipped with two maids and two eunuchs.

After Ding Yi's cuts and mergers, the number of people in the palace was greatly reduced, and the tens of thousands of eunuchs and maids were reduced to only 3000 or [-].

The annual expenditure of the palace has also been greatly reduced.

Ding Yi also raised the salaries of eunuchs and maids of honor. It is important to know that the Ming Dynasty was famous for knocking doors. Not only were the salaries of officials low, but also the salaries of eunuchs were even lower.

For example, if a fourth-rank official gets 100 taels of silver every year, a fourth-rank eunuch only has [-] taels. The reason for the court is that eunuchs have no family or children.

By the time of the Qing Dynasty, eunuchs with no rank were about two taels of silver, two buckets of rice and six hundred Wenqian per month, far exceeding that of the Ming Dynasty.

Ding Yi gave three taels of silver and no rice to the eunuchs and maids without grades, because the palace provided food, lodging and clothes.

Soon, there was a lot of praise in the palace, and everyone praised Zhenbei Wang Xianming.

It didn't take long for the reform in Ding Yi's palace. One day in mid-March, a bill from the Finance Bureau came to Ding Yi's case.

Ding Yi asked the Finance and Banknote Bureau to make monthly statistics of the palace's expenses, form a form, record it in the way Ding Yi did in Lushun, and hand it over to him for review.

Although the Finance and Banknote Bureau was only formed in early March, some eunuchs were doing these things.

In March, the bills for February were counted, which was also the first time he counted expenses.

Throughout February, the Forbidden City spent 12 taels of silver.

Among them, the disbandment of concubines and redundant eunuchs and palace maids is the bulk, followed by wages and consumption in the palace.

The palace consumes things added by the palace, including princes, princesses, etc. Ding Yi himself also added some items in small quantities.

Then there is the daily meal expenses and other consumption in the palace.

Ding Yi usually eats with Zeng Rou or the princess at most, and his requirements are not high, usually three or four dishes.

Sometimes the ministers are called to come over to eat together, and the dishes will be more.

But the food expenses on the bill are quite high. For example, on February 15th, braised mutton was priced at [-] taels of silver.

Not to mention other meat dishes, fish is more expensive, usually dozens of taels of silver, and so is beef, which is dozens of times more expensive than whole cattle.

He Zhongming, the eunuch in charge of the Finance Bureau, was recommended by Zeng Rou.

At this time, he stood cautiously in front of Ding Yi, lowered his head, not daring to look at Ding Yi.

"He Zhongming, how long have you been in the palace?" Ding Yi said suddenly, putting down the list.

Only then did He Zhongming raise his head, and said with an apologetic smile: "Go back to the lord, the servant has been in the palace for five years."

He Zhongming entered the palace at the age of 11 and is now 16.

"Readable?"

"The servants can read and write, all of them are taught by Zeng Gongzheng. Zeng Gongzheng treats the slaves as if they were younger brothers."

"What does your family do?" Ding Yi asked again.

"The servant's family is ordinary people, and they only know how to farm and raise cattle."

"How much does a cow sell for?"

He Zhongming was stunned for a moment, it must have happened when he was very young, he thought for a while: "I don't remember, it seems that I have never sold cattle."

If ordinary people have cattle in their homes, they will only use them for themselves.

Many have no cattle, where they will be sold.

"In the past few days, you often go out of the palace, go to various vegetable markets in the capital, and ask about the prices of vegetables."

He Zhongming's face changed drastically, he plopped, and knelt down: "I really don't know, I have never bought it before, so I will ask seriously." Almost crying.

"The Finance and Banknote Bureau has people and organizes them to go to the streets. All prices in the capital must be recorded, and every three days—every month, it will be updated once a month. If there are major price changes, remember to remind the king."

He Zhongming was sweating profusely and nodded desperately.

Ding Yi originally wanted to update it every three days, but thought that this was the Ming Dynasty, there was no computer or Internet, and he had to walk and ask by manpower, so he changed it to a monthly update.

But it's not easy. There are many shops in the capital, all kinds of sundries, and it is a huge project to inquire about all the prices.

It is even more difficult to update every month.

"We don't need all the goods. Everything purchased in the palace must be updated once a month, especially important things related to people's livelihood, such as meat, oil, rice, flour, salt, sugar, etc."

"Yes, my lord."

After sending He Zhongming away, Ding Yi immediately summoned Lu Chao, the commander of Jin Yiwei.

(End of this chapter)