Invincible Zhengde

Chapter 138
After reading this question book, Xie Qian's face also became very ugly: "This question book is to limit the salt merchants who operate the salt business. The imperial court issues qualifications every five years, and each qualification needs to be purchased with money. , This is also generating income for the imperial court, I have to say that it is a good strategy, and once it is implemented, the imperial court’s salt class will definitely increase significantly.”

"The imperial court is currently very tight in various expenses. With this money, it can be relieved to a large extent. I am afraid that His Majesty will be tempted."

After hearing Xie Qian's words, Liu Jian smiled wryly: "Don't talk about Your Majesty, I'm already tempted. The person who came up with this plan is really amazing, a ghost."

The three of them were all silent, and after a while Li Dongyang said first: "The problem is that now Qi You is in charge of the Yantie Division, and it is the Yantie Division who decides the number of salt merchants. This means that the decision-making power is in the hands of Shou Ninghou. At that time, if the salt merchant wanted to operate the salt business, he might have to send another copy to the Marquis of Shouning, otherwise he would not be qualified to operate the salt anyway.”

"Once this policy is implemented, the salt road will completely fall into the hands of Shouninghou. At that time, these salt merchants will support Shouninghou, and even those scholars."

"We asked the Metropolitan Procuratorate to investigate other salt farms. According to this policy, we have done nothing. The other salt farms will still fall into the hands of Shou Ninghou."

This is a good strategy, but here is the problem. They don't want the power of the salt road to fall into the hands of the Marquis of Shouning. If this strategy is proposed by other officials, or it is the cabinet that can decide the number of salt merchants, This question is much better.Shou Ninghou stuck Yan Tiesi, and now they know Shou Ninghou's intention for Yan Tiesi.

If I had known this earlier, it would be too crucial to let Shou Ninghou hold Yan Tiesi no matter what, and it would be fatal.

"Your Majesty may find it difficult to refuse this strategy!" Liu Jian picked up the question book again, and then said: "The imperial court can control the salt merchants and increase the income of the salt class at the same time. There is really no reason to refuse. If If we stop it, I am afraid that it will make His Majesty dissatisfied with us, and the loss will outweigh the gain, we still have to think of other ways."

"Unless the Salt and Iron Division is not allowed to decide the number of salt merchants, but since the Salt and Iron Division has been established, how can others be allowed to intervene? If it passes the cabinet, I am afraid that it will be suspected of taking power by the cabinet."

Xie Qian said with a sullen face on the side: "This method and scheming are really terrifying. Since the establishment of the Yantie Division, it is estimated that the other party has been waiting for this day.

"At this point, I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to stop. It's better to start with the Ministry of Households and let Shangshu Zhong of the Ministry of Households decide the qualifications of salt merchants. Although the Department of Salt and Iron is in charge of salt and iron, it still belongs to the Ministry of Households. It is not a bad rule for the Ministry of Households to intervene." Li Dongyang spoke at this time, with an unprecedented solemn expression on his face: "We must not let the salt road fall into the hands of Shouninghou."

"The salt road is the salt road of the Ming Dynasty, and the salt class is the main source of income for the court. Once it falls into the hands of Shou Ninghou, the consequences will be disastrous."

Liu Jian and Xie Qian didn't speak. Both of them knew the meaning of Li Dongyang's words. The dictatorship of foreign relatives must be stopped. The imperial court will never allow foreign relatives to become bigger. It is a conflict of interests and a struggle for power. It cannot be withdrawn. Once it is withdrawn, it will be difficult to get it back.

"Everyone, this inscription was just sent by the Secretary of the General Administration, and it is the inscription by the envoy of the General Administration, Mr. Shen!" The clerk brought in a copy of the inscription, and then respectfully handed it to the three elders.

The three of them were all taken aback. It is naturally unusual for someone who can serve as a secretary in the cabinet. It is naturally unusual to interrupt the test book handed over by the three of them at this time.Of course, Liu Jian took the question book without letting him go. After a glance, Liu Jianzi shook his head, the expression on his face became even uglier, and he said after a long time: "Draw the bottom of the pot!"

Xie Qian and Li Dongyang looked at each other, and both of them saw the disbelief and shock in each other's eyes. The three of them had worked together for many years, and Liu Jian, the chief minister of the cabinet, was steady in every aspect. This was the first time he lost his composure.

"Liu Gong, can you let me take a look?" Xie Qian couldn't help but asked directly.

Liu Jian nodded, handed the title book to Xie Qian, and said, "We really want to find this out for the strategist of Marquis Shouning."

Xie Qian took a look at the title book, his eyes almost popped out. The title book was written by Shen Lu, the general political envoy, and the content was not complicated. The first thing Shen Lu questioned was the title book system. This time, Yangzhou What the private salt case exposed was the lack of the imperial court's supervision system. What are the imperial envoys of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the imperial envoys of various provinces, and the Ministry of Household Cleaning and Officials Department doing?
The garrison eunuchs did nothing, local officials protected each other, and the court became blind. The case of such a big private salt in Yangzhou lasted for so long and was so destructive that the court knew nothing about it.

Liu Qi, the transfer envoy of Yangzhou, has justice in his heart, but he wants to investigate the private salt case in Yangzhou, but he can only use himself as a thief, and he can only commit the crime together with corrupt officials and salt merchants. What is this?This is the sorrow of loyal ministers, and the court cannot go on like this.In order to solve this problem, Shen Lu, the Tongzheng envoy, proposed a new policy, that is, the secret music system.

Secret memorials are actually nothing new, Jinyi Weidong Factory has them, and important ministers in the court can also submit secret memorials to His Majesty.

It's just that this is only limited to the important ministers in the court. These people can see the emperor and pass the title to the emperor with their own hands, but others can't.

In this inscription, Shen Lu proposed the secret memorial system, which is to establish a new secret memorial channel, so that officials all over the world can play secret memorials directly to the imperial court.Of course, this is not something that requires a secret report. If you want to take a secret report, then you have to follow the instructions of the person in charge of your secret report like an ordinary business.

In it, Shen Lu also raised a few examples, such as this Yangzhou salt smuggling case, if there is a secret recording system, then Yangzhou transshipment envoy Liu Qi would not have to suffer such a serious crime.

Although Shen Lu's writing is well-founded, but who are the three cabinet scholars, they can see through the essence of this secret melody at a glance, which is to seize power.The essence of the secret memorial is to bypass the Shangguan, bypass the procedure, bypass the cabinet, and directly submit the inscription to the emperor.Is this a good thing?It depends on who it is for. If there is a secret report, more than half of the power of the cabinet drafting will be abolished.

The secret memorial was submitted directly to the imperial court, and the cabinet didn't even know about it, so what's the point of drafting it?Officials played close to each other, and everyone seemed to be sitting on a pegboard, and was impeached if they were not careful.

"It's really ruthless!" Xie Qian picked up the two test books and sighed: "This time we really have nowhere to go!"

(End of this chapter)