Jiajing Chengming

Fei Maozhong gritted his teeth and had to agree.

Next, he really went to his room and thought about it seriously.

He really didn't understand why Xia Yan suddenly changed his attitude.

By the way, the rebel Fang Huai also learned the news that Zhu Houcong had ordered the expansion of the imperial examination system.

This made Fang Huai slam the table and stand up on the spot, saying angrily:

"Just after the enrolment exam, the emperor is expanding the enrollment. This emperor is really hitting the snake at its weakest part!"

"If he does this, isn't he afraid that more and more gentry will be exempted from military service, resulting in insufficient taxes and a complete financial shortage in the future?!"

Fang Liang followed up and said, "Yes, our Majesty never worries about not having enough money one day!"

"He can't possibly continue to discover gold and silver mines nearby."

"But even if we discover a lot of gold and silver mines, so what? Gold and silver can't be eaten directly! In the end, it all depends on the amount of food!"

"By then, there will be more and more people who do not produce. How will the people of the world be fed?"

Fang Huai, the rebellious scholar-official, began to worry about Zhu Houcong's future.

Not only Fang Huai was worried about Zhu Houcong, but Yang Tinghe was also worried about Zhu Houcong.

He retired and stayed at home, but he did not expect that Zhu Houcong was still adhering to the active fiscal stimulus policy, reform and expansion.

Yang Tinghe originally thought that the emperor would stop reforms and choose a conservative strategy for governing the country after the wealth from the Donglai gold mine was exhausted.

But he did not expect that after the emperor insisted on strict maritime bans and the creation of the imperial merchant system, which had offended the wealthy families along the coast, he extorted a large amount of money from the Japanese daimyo, discovered the Iwami Silver Mine, and then used the money to start royal family reforms and military reforms.

When Yang Tinghe learned from his disciple Sheng Yingqi, who came to Sichuan to visit him, that the emperor was going to expand the imperial examination system and was unwilling to forgive the officials who had committed crimes, he could not help but sigh.

"This is all the confidence that Iwami Ginzan gave to Your Majesty!"

Yang Tinghe said this.

Sheng Yingqi bowed and said, "Old Grand Tutor is right. The annual revenue of Shijian Silver Mine is tens of millions of taels. Your Majesty can use this as a tool to dilute the wealth of the world's extravagant families. Naturally, it will also be a disguised way to seize the profits of the wealthy families and enrich the country and protect the people."

Yang Tinghe nodded in agreement.

Although people like them don't know the concept of "economics", their understanding of economics is not really shallow.

After all, the social impact caused by excessive money supply has occurred several times in Chinese history.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, some scholars even proposed the concept of "stacking capital".

Therefore, Yang Tinghe and Sheng Yingqi both understood that if the emperor had more silver in his hands, it would implicitly mean that the wealthy and powerful families in the world would have less wealth in their hands.

Because the real wealth of the world's wealthy and powerful has never been the gold and silver itself but the number of poor people.

Once the emperor has more money, he will increase military pay, increase salaries, and provide disaster relief, so that the number of poor people will decrease or not increase significantly.

In short, because the emperor is the master of the world, he naturally has the responsibility to save the world, and he needs to distribute silver to the people to promote its circulation.

No matter what proportion of this silver is distributed to the lower-level military and civilians, as long as the income of the lower-level military and civilians is increased, it will be equivalent to diluting the wealth of the wealthy and luxurious families. Especially after a large amount of silver circulates among the people, the large amount of silver in the hands of the wealthy and luxurious families will depreciate.

Therefore, Sheng Yingqi said that Zhu Houcong would use this silver to dilute the wealth of the world's wealthy and luxurious families.

Only then would Yang Tinghe nod.

After Yang Tinghe nodded, Sheng Yingqi said to Yang Tinghe:
"Old Master, since Your Majesty was able to discover the Iwami Silver Mine, who knows, he might be able to discover other silver and gold mines in the future, or even open up more farmland!"

"Because I heard that the firearms used by the emperor's personal army are not afraid of rain, so the Tatars are no longer a threat!"

"In this way, it will undoubtedly be very easy for the emperor to expand his territory!"

"Also, I heard that the imperial court has already started selling firearms to foreign countries. You should know how much profit there will be!"

"I am really worried that if this continues, it will show how wrong, stupid, and selfish your original ideas were!"

"This will undoubtedly damage your reputation!"

"Not only your good reputation will be destroyed, but your philosophy of governing the country will also be overturned. The scholars and officials will have to rely on the emperor to survive!"

"This only proves that I was wrong! Sima Guang's theory cannot be regarded as a criterion!"

"Wang Anshi's theory is indeed unique!"

"We should follow our conscience and acknowledge that the policy of governing the country that Your Majesty insists on is the real policy for the long-term stability of the country!"

Yang Tinghe said with a helpless smile.

Sheng Yingqi was quite disappointed after hearing this and couldn't help but ask Yang Tinghe:
"Do you really want to see the emperor rule alone?"

"Naturally willing!"

Yang Tinghe replied with a smile. Then.

Yang Tinghe added with deep emotion: "As long as it benefits the country and the people, it doesn't matter how the world is governed! Moreover, the story of the two Song dynasties has shown that if the king and the literati rule the world, it will only benefit the foreigners and make them stronger. Maybe if the Ming Dynasty wants to maintain long-term peace and stability, it is really only suitable for the emperor to rule alone. Otherwise, Emperor Taizu Gao would not have abolished the prime minister."

After hearing this, Sheng Yingqi asked, "Is what you said true or false?"

"How can it be false!"

Yang Tinghe immediately brushed his sleeves and asked Sheng Yingqi a question in a stern voice.

Subsequently.

Yang Tinghe asked again: "Do you, Sheng Sizheng, still think that I am a disloyal minister?!"

"Don't dare!"

Sheng Yingqi hurriedly bowed in reply.

At this time, Yang Tinghe ordered his close confidant, Anfu, to send the guest away.

"Yes!"

Anfu came to Sheng Yingqi, half bent over and said:
"Master Sheng, our master is old, and the doctor said that he should not work too hard for too long. Please go back."

Sheng Yingqi had no choice but to leave Yang's house.

After Sheng Yingqi left, Yang Tinghe sighed:
"Your Majesty is indeed wise and intelligent. I, Yang, underestimated him after all. My vision is not as far-sighted as your Majesty's!"

Anfu listened from the side and said nothing more.

As for Yang Tinghe, before Sheng Yingqi came to see him, he had already known through various channels what the emperor was doing at the moment. He also knew that the emperor had set up inspection teams, inspection offices and envoys to observe customs and rectify habits, and had carried out reforms of converting clerks into officials and reforming the royal family.

Even in his hometown of Chengdu, Yang Tinghe saw with his own eyes that the establishment of additional inspection teams and inspection offices forced many powerful families to restrain their children and servants, and the number of troubles caused by all kinds of bullies, thugs, and even bandits decreased significantly.

Even Yang Tinghe himself had a conflict with the inspection team because of his nephew's illegal behavior, so he had to go to the government in person to plead for mercy. Then he severely taught his nephew a lesson in front of everyone, and personally asked for an order to deprive his nephew of his fame in the name of sacrificing his own family for the sake of justice.

At the same time, Yang Tinghe also witnessed with his own eyes the imperial envoy coming to the Shu Palace to check the situation of the royal family and supplement the salaries of the royal family in the Shu Palace.

He also saw with his own eyes that many members of the royal family who had been begging and committing crimes in Chengdu in the past disappeared because of this.

Yang Tinghe was even invited by the King of Shu to personally attend the opening ceremony of the clan school.

Yang Tinghe also noticed that after the establishment of the official in charge of observing customs and rectifying morals, academies began to be built on a large scale. In particular, the newly arrived Sichuan Governor Xiong Jia asked the official in charge of observing customs and rectifying morals to organize an essay competition with the theme of praising the emperor's virtues, and stated that those with excellent essays would be rewarded with various precious pens, inks, paper, and inkstones, and even precious printed books.

As a result, Yang Tinghe discovered that in Chengdu Prefecture, not only members of the royal family began to praise how good the emperor was, but many scholars also began to praise how good the emperor was.

Not to mention the common people, who no longer have to worry about being bullied by the powerful and wealthy families. Many of them are bold enough to file lawsuits and accuse the powerful and wealthy families of occupying their land.

Therefore, many powerful families frequently complained to Yang Tinghe, the local eunuch, that there were too many unruly people and the officials were too harsh.

Yang Tinghe severely reprimanded these powerful families, saying that this was a good thing. The fact that the people dared to speak up for themselves showed that they were willing to trust the government and the court, and that they were well educated. This was a normal performance in an era of revival. The officials' harshness towards the powerful families showed that the administration was more transparent, and the people-friendly officials were no longer afraid of the powerful.

"The facts prove that Your Majesty is truly a wise and enlightened ruler who can rival the three previous generations!"

"Even though I have not been able to assist Your Majesty much due to my illness, Your Majesty can still make the country strong and the people prosperous!"

"This also proves that my previous strategy of saving money, military expenditures, and reducing grain taxes while giving benefits to the wealthy was wrong! I shouldn't have deceived myself and forced the world to recognize that I was a famous minister!"

When Yang Tinghe read the "Dibao" in the evening, he also told his brother Yang Tingyi, who had returned home, about his current feelings, and then said: "So, I should write a congratulatory letter, and I should also write an apology letter to apologize for my previous stupidity!"

After hearing this, Yang Tingyi said, "Brother is really broad-minded and willing to reflect on himself. This is really rare!"

"However, I have to admit that your majesty is so good at governing, and it has indeed reduced many opportunities for our Yang family and you, my brother, to establish virtues and be virtuous after returning home!"

"Our Yang family originally wanted to build an academy to foster the literary spirit of Shu, but Xiong Fuyuan asked the Commissioner for the Supervision of Customs and Rectification of Morals to build the academy first with government funds."

"Originally, they wanted to set up a nursery to raise orphans, but Xiong Fuyuan ordered government orphans at all levels to adopt them and send them to the capital."

"Yes!"

"But there is nothing we can do about it. Since Your Majesty has established benevolence, we no longer need to establish virtue and be virtuous, and work hard for our hometown. Just rest in peace under the forest."

Yang Tinghe said with a smile.

At this time, Yang Tingyi suddenly looked at Yang Tinghe seriously and asked, "But brother, don't you feel depressed or desperate at all?"

"How can we, the great local officials, maintain our reputation if we cannot establish virtue and morality?"

"The people will then only know that we charge high interest, occupy a lot of land, and pay little land tax."

"If this continues, there will be more and more resentment towards us wealthy families, and gradually there will be more and more unruly people."

After Yang Tingyi said this, Yang Tinghe suddenly stood up and glared at Yang Tingyi coldly: "What are you talking about! Your Majesty is benevolent and generous, and the government has increased its efforts to help the people and support scholars without burdening the local sages. Is there anything wrong with that?!"

(End of this chapter)