The Rise of Ming Dynasty 1646

Chapter 698 The Counterattack of the "Tax Resistant Faction"
Zhu Linming watched with great interest the exciting scene of Chaoshang.

Except for Zeng Jian, Song Yingxing and a very few who supported paying taxes, and Yang Tinglin, Lu Zhenfei and other officials who kept their identities and did not express their views, almost all courtiers rushed to complain about the disadvantages of Chen gentry's payment of food.

Zhu Linmi waited for them to "perform" for a while, then pretended to be helpless, waved her hands and said, "Okay, don't talk about it! Let's talk about the tax collection another day, and the court will be dismissed."

All the courtiers happily left the Wenhua Palace, pointing at Zeng Jian, Song Yingxing, Xu Erlu and others along the way, "What's the limelight, now you know what it means to turn your back on people's hearts?"

"Hmph, want to shoot the horse? The result is not disheartened..."

"How dare you betray everyone, and you will have good fruit to eat in the future!"

Especially those who took the lead in resisting the tax were even more proud at this time, "Exemption of grain is a practice that has been implemented for more than ten years. How can we change it?"

"Look at the court today, even the emperor is not easy to offend the public."

"As long as we insist, this tax will never be added!"

"That's right, this precedent must never be set..."

"In my opinion, the Holy Majesty is just trying to test it. Seeing that everyone strongly opposes it, it will be over after a while."

Someone even whispered viciously: "If the imperial court insists on paying our taxes, who will work hard to prepare for the Northern Expedition?"

"Hmph, the Northern Expedition? Maybe the government and the people are in turmoil..."

In fact, Zhu Linming had expected the scene in the hall just now, and he even expected it to be more "lively".

You know, in history, after the Manchu Qing ruled China, how many officials and gentry in the south were killed for paying taxes, so that these iron cocks had to "bleed".

If the Ming Dynasty had been unified and the political power was stable at this time, in fact, he would not mind beheading a group of officials who dared to speak against the court. After all, there are Dragon Guards and Poluying camps there, who would dare to assassinate them?
But right now, the most important thing is to deal with Jianlu. The Ming army is almost bloody on the front line, and there are millions of refugees waiting for the court to rescue them, so the rear must be stable.

Therefore, he can only use some less radical means to complete the tax reform.

At this time, he had put away the indignation and helplessness he had shown at the court meeting, and turned to Ma Wensheng calmly and said, "Did you remember those who took the lead in making a fuss just now?"

Ma Wensheng checked again with the little eunuch who had already arranged, and brought a piece of paper over, "Long Live Lord, they are all here, no one will be left behind."

Zhu Linmei took it and glanced at it, "Hou Maoyi, An Yucai, Sun Ping, Xue Rongtian, Yu Yongwei..." The twenty or so people who yelled the loudest just now were all there.

Even in the second line, he saw Huang Jingfang, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials!
At noon, the Ministry of Officials received the emperor's reply to the appointment of Huguang local officials.

It was completely different from the list drawn up by Yang Tinglin before, and even the emperor gave detailed candidates for the seventh-rank officials.He carefully looked at these names that were actually given, and couldn't help but smile wryly - aren't these all people who have submitted their forms in the past two days to pay their taxes voluntarily?Especially this Qian Chengzhi, just a few months after becoming a Jinshi, he was awarded the title of Tongzhi of Changsha Mansion, and he is a local official of the sixth rank!

He read the list of more than 50 people, and at the end there was Zhu Zhu: The Huguang area was initially determined, and a thousand things were waiting to be done. ask.

He handed the memorial to his two assistants, Lin Lanyou, the left servant, and Huang Jingfang, the right servant.

"What do you think?"

Li Lanyou frowned and said, "Mr. Ge, there has been a lot of noise recently about officials paying for food. If all the people on this list pass, the officials may become the target of public criticism..."

Yang Tinglin said helplessly: "Then you see who to keep and who to check off?"

The appointment and removal of officials in the Ming Dynasty is actually completely different from that in film and television dramas. The emperor usually only mobilizes individual high-level officials. Local officials, especially officials below the sixth rank, are basically appointed and dismissed by the Ministry of Officials.

Even if it is a candidate appointed by the emperor, if the official department insists on it, this person really cannot be the official, which shows how powerful the official department is.

Although the Ministry of Officials generally would not fight against the emperor, but the current situation made Yang Tinglin have to worry again and again.

Huang Jingfang suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Yang Ge, I think it's okay for these people to be released."

"Oh? What do you say?"

Huang Shilang only said vaguely: "If no one in Beijing submits the tax again, won't this turmoil pass?"

Yang Tinglin slapped his head when he heard this, yes!These people are all "voluntary taxpayers". If they go to the local government to take office, Nanjing's support for paying grain will inevitably be greatly reduced. Maybe the "tax-resistant faction" will have to thank themselves.On the other side, he sold the emperor's face again, it's like taking both sides!

He immediately ordered Lin Lanyou and Huang Jingfang: "Immediately handle the official documents for these people, and send them to leave Beijing to take up their posts as soon as possible!"

"The subordinate obeys the order."

It was night, at Master Zhang's birthday banquet at Guozijian Jijiu, Huang Jingfang and a group of "tax-resistant" officials gathered in the southeast corner of Zhang's mansion to discuss in a low voice.

"Your Majesty's action is fast enough." Someone chuckled, "However, in my opinion, this is really a bottom line for myself."

"The Holy Majesty wants to use Huguang's vacant position to show the courtiers benefits, so that those who want to climb up will support and pay for food. However, this method is not feasible."

"Hehe, that's right. Although Huguang has a lot of real shortages, it still has to take care of some of the local clans. There are also quite a few officials who are sidelined. After all, at most eighty or ninety positions can be placed."

"Now the first batch of people who want to voluntarily pay the food have gone to Huguang to take up the post, and there are only [-] or [-] seats left. Everyone is watching, and knowing that it is not their turn, who is willing to come forward to pay taxes?"

Huang Jingfang knocked on the tea bowl in his hand, thinking: "Master Hu has reminded the lower officials. In my opinion, it's better for us to eat the remaining 20 real shortages."

Everyone looked at him together, "Master Huang is saying..."

"We arrange confidantes to voluntarily pay food, and wait for the emperor to assign them Huguang official positions. Ah, don't worry, the emperor will approve it.

"When the remaining shortages are exhausted, no one will think about it anymore. Then we took advantage of the situation to create public opinion and asked the court to exempt scholars from taxes. When the courtiers see that Huguang has no profit, they will definitely support me!"

"Great trick!"

"Master Huang's high opinion!"

"Okay! The officer will go to the contact person to submit the form."

……

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Song Yingxing presented to the emperor the memorabilia of more than 30 people who suddenly reported that they had to pay taxes, and said hesitantly: "Your Majesty, many of these people tried their best to resist the tax at the court meeting yesterday, but now they suddenly changed their nature. I'm afraid it's weird..."

Zhu Linming looked through the memorial and was quite puzzled.These individuals have a lot of fertile land in their homes. It stands to reason that even if they found out in conscience and decided to pay taxes according to the law, they shouldn't be so concentrated and tidy.

(End of this chapter)