Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 119: The New Life Movement frightened all officials!

After Mao Cheng said this.

Zhu Houcong smiled faintly.

In his opinion.

These officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Department of Rites really follow Tan Jin and knock on the wooden fish too much.

So the mind is lost.

otherwise.

These officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Department of Rites would not go so far as to cover up corruption in the imperial court for the sake of the benefit of their own departments.

of course.

He believed that Mao Cheng would not find such reasons to object. He was just deliberately showing off to the officials of the Ministry of Rites and deliberately giving himself loopholes to refute.

Because as the Minister of Rites, he also has to consider the attitude of the Ministry of Rites and the emperor's purpose.

Although, Zhu Houcong did not really intend to overly target monks, Taoist priests and nuns at this time, overly affect the financial resources of the Ministry of Rites and local government offices in managing monks, Taoist priests and nuns, and affect the financial resources of wealthy families in the world who made profits by lending money to temples.

After all, reforms have to be done one step at a time.

The most important thing now is to establish a new legal currency system.

Many things need to be slowed down first.

Some ideas for reform.

Even if Zhu Houcong brought it up and did it now, it would only be to confuse his opponents.

To achieve the goal of repairing the plank road in public and crossing Chencang in secret.

It's more of a negotiation.

First propose a new policy that is more difficult to accept, so that opponents will have to compromise and accept a relatively easier-to-accept new policy.

In short.

Zhu Houcong knew that governing the country required taking advantage of human nature and using some means.

Therefore, the less he planned, the more radical he deliberately acted.

Zhu Houcong said directly: "I'm sure you all know the story of covering your ears and stealing the bell. I don't need to elaborate. I just hope you won't be the one who covers your ears and steals the bell."

"No one in the world is stupid!"

"What Yuanfu said is true. People often make fun of monks, Taoist priests and nuns!"

"If we don't rectify this, I don't want people to make fun of the noble Ministry of Rites in the future, saying that the officials of the Ministry of Rites have also converted to Buddhism instead of Confucianism!"

Zhu Houcong asked Mao Cheng, "Grand Master, is that right?"

Mao Cheng resolutely cooperated and prostrated himself on the ground: "I am guilty of speaking foolishly! Your Majesty is right. This is indeed like trying to cover up one's own faults. Even if you can deceive the world, you can hardly deceive God."

"I ask Your Majesty to dismiss me from my post and punish me!"

The new year is approaching.

Zhu Houcong couldn't afford to dismiss the Shangshu at this time and cause unnecessary gossip.

Also.

He also felt that although Mao Cheng did not agree with him, at least he was afraid of him.

Nowadays, most people in the world are ritualists. If a civil servant were to replace him, he might not be as tactful as Mao Cheng.

After thinking so.

Zhu Houcong waved his hand and said, "Forget it! You are an old minister with rich experience and prestige, and you have contributed to the enthronement. How can I dismiss you for a minor fault? I will let it go this time. Next time, you must think carefully before answering."

Mao Cheng also said that it was a way of expressing gratitude.

Seeing that Mao Cheng's begging was unsuccessful, the Right Vice Minister of Rites Wang Jun and others couldn't help but show disappointment.

Zhu Houcong looked at the court officials and continued, "Speaking of this, I just thought that the New Year is coming soon, and next year will be the first year of Jiajing. We should have a new look! We should get rid of the old customs and welcome the new customs!"

"Therefore, I intend to issue an edict to the world, saying that next year is the first year of Jiajing and there should be a new dynasty and a new atmosphere. I want all the subjects in the world to launch a new life movement and get rid of those old bad habits!"

"It is intended to make people in the world clear about their identity and to do what they are supposed to do."

"Therefore!"

"We should request in the imperial edict that all provincial governors should launch a New Life Movement next year, just like Gui E did in the capital."

When Zhu Houcong got to this point, he asked his ministers, "What do you think?"

Most of the court officials were horrified after hearing this.

They didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor would promote this new policy, which not only tortured monks, nuns and Taoists but also cut off the financial resources of officials, to the whole country.

Naturally, the court officials were unwilling to do so.

This is because many temples in the world are private properties of officials and even monks and nuns are their private property, serving as tools for them to make money.

Imperial Censor Liu Gun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this cannot be done! Establishing governors is suspected of disturbing the people. They are necessary to regulate and supervise local areas and deal with civil unrest and disasters. Now suddenly launching such a campaign will only give them more opportunities to disturb the people, which will cause great unrest in the country."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal. The local areas have always been different from the capital. After all, the capital is under the emperor's feet, and officials dare not act arbitrarily. If the rest of the country does the same, it will only allow officials to exploit the people in the name of the New Life Movement!"

"So please think twice, Your Majesty!"

Wang Jun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, also said this.

"Your Majesty, please think again!"

Almost all the court officials came out at this time to present their opinions.

Zhu Houcong laughed secretly in his heart.

then.

Zhu Houcong added: "The governors are all recommended by the court, and the inspectors are also carefully selected by the Censorate. I think they are all honest officials. I trust them to do a good job!"

"Don't you think they are trustworthy?"

"If they are not trustworthy, then are you courtiers still trustworthy?!"

Zhu Houcong continued to pull. The Minister of Personnel Shi Yan had to say at this time: "Your Majesty, the governor is trustworthy, but the clerks are not."

"The governor has the power to deal with things at his own convenience, and he should severely punish the clerks who are not doing their job."

When Zhu Houcong said this, the ministers became more anxious. Many of them looked up at each other, hoping that someone could have a solution and quickly persuade the emperor to give up this idea.

The Prime Minister Liang Chu said, "Your Majesty, being too strict is not conducive to stabilizing people's hearts, especially in the local areas. Monks, nuns and Taoists need to stabilize people's hearts for the court. If you are too strict, they may be uneasy and evil cults may grow. The capital should be strictly controlled as a model for the rest of the country. In my humble opinion, it is not appropriate to do this for the whole country. After all, Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and you need stability in addition to innovation."

Zhu Houcong nodded after hearing this: "But the Jiajing New Dynasty must have the appearance of a new dynasty."

"Your Majesty said so!"

"We must let the people of the world know that your majesty is determined to govern the country after changing the era name."

"In my humble opinion, it is better to establish the new currency system of the Jiajing Dynasty so that the world will know your majesty's intention to govern the country, and then believe that the country will prosper in the new dynasty."

"After all, the world has been short of money for a long time, resulting in a chaotic currency system. If we can reshape the currency system, it will benefit both the people and the merchants."

"If this happens, people all over the world will celebrate."

Liang Chu replied.

Zhu Houcong said, looking at the court officials: "What do you think?"

The court officials were silent.

Reshaping the currency system will certainly benefit the world.

but.

This is also equivalent to asking the powerful families in the world to return the monetary power to the court.

It is not conducive to the powerful families controlling the world.

To know.

Ever since Baochao, the only legal tender, completely collapsed due to excessive issuance, the Ming court, due to its own financial resources, had actually transferred the monetary rights to the world's wealthy families.

This allowed these powerful families to exploit the people of the world through their control of silver, cotton cloth and grain.

Especially silver.

Now, bureaucrats all over the world are consciously or unconsciously using silver to replace taxes in kind, and even using corvée labor to pay silver.

This means that silver is gradually becoming the de facto mainstream currency.

Most of the silver was controlled by the wealthy families, who became the "central bank" of the Ming Dynasty. They could decide how much silver circulated in a region or even in the entire country, and thus control prices and even the fate of the entire empire.

Therefore, asking the powerful families in the world to hand over their monetary rights is equivalent to asking them to give up their power and benefits to the court.

Fortunately.

Now it is just the beginning of Jiajing's reign.

The great voyages of discovery had not yet begun.

Western pirates had just arrived in Guangdong, along the coast of the Ming Dynasty.

Silver has not yet entered in large quantities.

Many wealthy families still have limited silver in their hands, and their control over Ming Dynasty's finances is not that strong.

Most of the bureaucrats in the court have not yet been controlled by the big financial groups behind them. Even if their families are also engaged in business, because the merger situation has not yet become as serious as in the late Wanli period, their ambitions are not that big, and they are not that resistant to the court's reshaping of the currency system.

otherwise.

Historically, there was no campaign to mint official coins in the early Jiajing period.

So, they just kept silent and just started thinking instead of immediately finding reasons to object.

Zhu Houcong then continued: "If we don't try out the new money system in Shuntian Prefecture and then promote it throughout the country in the future, we should promote the New Life Movement!"

"His Majesty!"

"I think what Yuanfu said is a statement that is for the benefit of the country!"

"Reshaping the money system is more likely to gain support from people all over the world than the New Life Movement!"

The Minister of Personnel Shi Yao hurriedly spoke at this time.

The Minister of Finance Sun Jiao also said: "I agree. The money system of the country is in chaos. If it is not restructured as soon as possible, it will be a disaster for the world in the future, allowing the powerful to control the court after a large-scale annexation!"

Zhao Huang, the Minister of Industry, also said: "The currency system is not strong, and the common people have many inconveniences. They often have to rely on the rich for money. Therefore, I think that reshaping the currency system is indeed more beneficial to the common people than the New Life Movement. It shows that your majesty is promoting the new policy to relieve the difficulties of the common people and better demonstrates your majesty's benevolence!"

Zhu Houcong nodded.

The court officials heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this, thinking that as long as there was no New Life Movement, everything would be fine.

Whether out of public or private motives, allowing officials to take advantage of the situation to persecute monks and nuns and seize profits from wealthy families is a worse thing for them.

After all, reshaping the currency system does not stop the wealthy from making profits by lending money through temples, but the latter is equivalent to allowing the governor to prevent the wealthy from making profits by disciplining monks and nuns.

Zhu Houcong asked: "In this case, do you need me to lend you money from the treasury to make up for the deficit next year? Do you have any surplus to support the court to use the silver from the confiscation and rectification of the salt administration to mint coins?"

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Personnel has a surplus this year, and there are about 600,000 taels of silver left, which is enough for next year's expenses."

Minister of Personnel Shi Yao said.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has also saved money this year. After all, the salt profits have increased greatly. Although various expenses have increased greatly, it is just enough to cover next year's expenses."

The Minister of Revenue Sun Jiao also shared in the proceeds.

Yang Tingyi, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, also said: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War also has a surplus of 2 million taels of silver from military farms, which is just enough for next year's expenses!"

The Minister of Works also said: "The Ministry of Works will have a surplus of more than 1.2 million taels of silver from the bamboo and wood tax this year. Although it is not enough to cope with next year's projects, if we save a little, it will be just enough for next year's expenses."

The Minister of Rites Mao Cheng also said: "The Ministry of Rites has more than 500,000 taels of silver from the monks and Taoist priests, which is enough to reward the envoys next year. The remaining amount is just enough to cover other expenses. There is no need to borrow additional subsidies from the treasury."

Minister of Justice Lin Jun also said: "The Ministry of Justice still has a surplus of about one million taels from corruption and fines. If we save a little, we can cover next year's expenses and we don't need subsidies from the treasury."

Liu Chun, the Minister of the Imperial Household, said: "The Imperial Household has a surplus of 1.6 million taels of silver from buying horses."

For a time, all departments stopped saying that they had deficits and said they did not need any funding from the emperor.

(End of this chapter)