Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

Zhang Shikang did not deny that the salt policy of the Ming Dynasty had played a significant positive role.

But times have changed. When this policy has become a tool for bureaucrats to make profits, it must be changed or abolished.

"Your Majesty, I also believe that the current salt policy is no longer in line with the national conditions, but how to change it specifically requires long-term consideration." The Minister of Revenue Hai Zhongqi was the first to speak.

Although Hai Zhongqi had been the Minister of Revenue for less than a year, he had worked as an official in the Salt Inspection Bureau in his earlier years and knew that what Zhang Shikang said was absolutely true.

After all, salt is an important material that the common people cannot do without, but over the years it has become a tool for salt merchants and officials to seek personal gain. The share of salt that the court can get is less than one-tenth of their embezzlement.

"This requires some long-term planning. I have already thought about it. We will abolish the salt merchants and let the Ministry of Revenue take over everything from production to sales.

Moreover, salt should be sold at a reasonable price that does not result in losses.

"My dear ministers, I am not kidding you. The court has many ways to make money. There is no need to always think about making the people suffer." Zhang Shikang said casually.

However, the new policy he casually mentioned made all the cabinet ministers present frown.

It’s not that this policy is so brilliant, but why Guan Junhou can always come up with reform methods so quickly.

In terms of character, they kept their distance from powerful officials like Zhang Shikang, and even disliked them.

But in terms of ability, there is nothing wrong with them. Although what they have done in the past two years has been extremely sloppy, one could even call it brutal.

But in terms of results, whether it is generating revenue or saving expenditure, it is all good for the court.

"I think what Marquis Guanjun said is absolutely right. What do you think, fellow ministers?" This time, Emperor Chongzhen expressed his own opinion first.

This is all because of what Zhang Shikang said: If the imperial court wants to make money, there are many ways to do it.

Because Emperor Chongzhen knew very well in his heart that Zhang Shikang would not lie to him, and too many things could prove it.

Emperor Chongzhen had no objections, so Li Banghua and others certainly did not raise any objections, so the salt policy reform was quickly passed.

If this reform had been proposed at this time last year, Zhang Shikang would have known with a guess that it would have aroused unanimous opposition from all the court officials.

Because those court officials were all vested interests, the huge profits made by the salt merchants would be divided into many parts tacitly. All officials in Beijing would get a share, except the court.

Their reasons were even very high-sounding, such as not competing with the people (salt merchants) for profits, ancestral system, and they stood on the moral high ground and quoted from classics.

However, now those people have gone to see their ancestors and can only talk to their ancestors about the ancestral system.

The reform of the salt administration will inevitably cause salt merchants to lose their most direct source of income, but who cares?

Today's cabinet ministers such as Hai Zhongqi are famous for their integrity. The salt merchants are particularly vicious in corrupting officials, and they are very disgusted with them.

From the perspective of Emperor Chongzhen, everything would be fine as long as they did not continue to exploit the lower-class people.

After this reform was passed, Zhang Shikang turned the page in the document in his hand.

“The annual fiscal expenditure of our Ming Dynasty can be roughly divided into official salaries, royal family expenditures, imperial family expenditures, military pay and food, and disaster relief expenditures, etc.

Then we will go through them one by one." Zhang Shikang said very calmly.

The document in his hand was the package of reform plans he had mentioned before.

After he completely eliminated the Donglin Party group, there was almost no resistance to reform.

Now that he and his brother Chongzhen hold military power, the treasury has never been so full, and the Zheng family can temporarily provide food support. If they don't reform now, when will they?

Li Banghua and others straightened their bodies when they heard this, and the Minister of Revenue Hai Zhongqi even took another look at Zhang Shikang.

Putting aside Zhang Shikang's identity as a powerful official, although this guy is incredibly young, he is very much in line with his thoughts on the issue of institutional reform.

What matters is not affecting the interests of the grassroots people.

"Let's talk about the royal family expenses first. Your Majesty, don't get angry later. This is all for the court." Zhang Shikang licked his fingers and turned to the next page of the document book.

Emperor Chongzhen frowned. What this kid said was really...unpleasant to the ear.

"Sir Hai, although the royal family is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court, the Ministry of Revenue should keep records of the population of the royal family, right?" Zhang Shikang turned his head and looked at Hai Zhongqi.

Hai Zhongzhong didn't even raise his head and answered:

"The population of the royal family registered by the Ministry of Households is over 268,400 people."

Zhang Shikang cast an admiring look at Hai Zhongqi.

It is said that honest and incorruptible officials are the most awesome. These people act uprightly and only follow the law and efficiency when doing things. They are not afraid of impeachment by others. A representative figure among them is Hai Gangfeng.

And this Hai Zhongqi was almost a replica of Hai Rui. He was so poor that his official uniform was patched up, but no official in the court dared to point fingers at Hai Zhongqi.

Zhang Shikang eventually received a cold stare from Hai Zhongqi, but he didn't care. He believed that the honest officials who didn't flatter others were the ones who truly cared about the people.

"As I said earlier, last year, the salaries of the royal family accounted for 30% of the total expenditure of the Ming Dynasty. This is very unreasonable and must be changed."

After Zhang Shikang said this, none of the cabinet ministers present dared to agree.

Only Zhang Shikang dared to affect the interests of the royal family. Li Banghua and Ni Yuanlu looked at each other secretly. It should be said that they now liked Zhang Shikang quite well.

The imperial court's finances have long suffered from the royal family.

"Shikang, the salaries of royal family members were reduced during the reign of Emperor Shizong, and again during the reign of Emperor Shenzong. If they are increased again, even General Zhenguo will have difficulty feeding himself." Emperor Chongzhen said helplessly.

The tragic fate of those lower-class royal family members was due to the fact that the Chongzhen Dynasty could not afford to pay their salaries, as well as the fact that the royal family salaries had been reduced several times before.

“Your Majesty, I didn’t say that we won’t give them a chance to live, but why does the court only care about the princes and dukes and not the lower-level royal family members?

Are the lower-level royal family members no longer royal family members?

Don't worry, Your Majesty, my changes are intended to save money and allow the lower-level royal family to have a way out. "Zhang Shikang consoled.

"Oh? There is a solution that can satisfy both parties? Tell me about it." Emperor Chongzhen said with a look of delight on his face.

“I think that the restrictions on the lower-level royal family members should be lifted, so that they can farm, engage in business, or take the imperial examinations to become officials.

Of course, members of the royal family also received treatment, but generals of the rank of Zhenguo and below were only given food for their basic needs.

There was a price to pay for lifting the ban, which was the cancellation of most of the so-called privileges. For example, the court no longer bore the expenses of weddings and funerals, and the highest position an official could take through the imperial examinations was to be a county magistrate.

Only one privilege was retained, which was that one did not have to kneel before the judge when in court.

Oh, that is to take the power of rule of law back from the clan government and return it to the local government."

Zhang Shikang's records in his notebooks were rather messy. Sometimes he himself could not recognize the words, so he just talked about whatever came to his mind.

In view of the special status of the royal family, other cabinet ministers just listened and did not dare to express their opinions easily.

This change was actually the result of a private discussion between Zhang Shikang and Emperor Chongzhen. After all, Emperor Chongzhen was the chief representative of the royal family.

"I think there is nothing wrong with this. What do you think, elders?"

……