Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

"This move will surely shake the foundations of the nation and disrupt the hierarchy!"

"The banditry in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions was largely supported by merchants, which shows the cunning and wickedness of these merchants."

Zhu Xiong Ying had anticipated Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude.

Therefore, he had already prepared a set of arguments in his mind to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Xiong Ying gritted her teeth and said, "Grandpa, Master said that not all merchants are like this. As long as they are well controlled, raising commercial taxes can increase tax revenue and treasury funds."

Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?

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My dad... he's always been very insightful. When faced with difficult problems, he can always come up with brilliant solutions that will surprise others. Maybe he'll do the same with this one.

Zhu Yuanzhang seems to be in an even more volatile temper today; I wonder who offended the old man.

Zhu Xiong Ying has a good history background. This was a requirement imposed by Zhu Yuanzhang. Every descendant of the Zhu family had to study history from a young age to learn from the past and prevent the Zhu family from making the same mistakes.

Fu Youwen quickly replied, "Your Majesty's words are ready to be heard."

Although he disagreed with raising commercial taxes, he took to heart what his grandson said about the dangers of the Ming Dynasty's paper money.

Zhu Yunwen pursed his lips and looked at Chen Hong, asking, "Did Grandfather say anything else?"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's face was terribly gloomy, and he suddenly stood up: "Enough! You're being insolent! You brat!"

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, convinced of their "correct decision," went to confront Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang eventually gave in; all the preceding groundwork was to lead to this statement.

Huang Zicheng stood in Kunning Palace, speaking righteously and with an angry expression.

"Yes! It's true that Grandpa was born into a poor peasant family. People say that Grandpa looks down on merchants because he hates the rich. But we're the emperor now, why would we hate the rich?"

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has just seized the country from the Mongols, and a large amount of land is lying idle. If we don't establish a class system, who will reclaim the wasteland and who will farm it? Are we going to rely on those merchants who have tasted the benefits?"

Zhu Yunwen clasped his hands and bowed, and after finishing his greeting, he said, "The memorial that I discussed with my two teachers yesterday has now been submitted to my grandfather. This is not for personal gain, but for the sake of the people of the world!"

Grandpa retorted, but afterwards he felt that Father was more right and immediately adopted Father's decision.

This was not an intentional favor to merchants, but rather a bestowal of grace upon them by the emperor, provided, of course, that commercial taxes could not be raised too much.

Both of them were in exceptionally good spirits.

It is an unparalleled honor that the grandson of the emperor, Zhu Yunwen, was so devoted to the country, and that his teachers were fortunate enough to participate in his cause.

Chen Hong hurriedly said, "Masters, His Majesty is in a bad mood."

I wonder if Grandpa is feeling sad.

Zhu Yuanzhang announced to the public: "Issue an imperial edict to summon Fu Youwen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

"Teacher, should we reconsider? There might be a reason why Grandfather said that that we haven't taken into account."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and immediately decided: "Approved, I'll get it done for you!"

They all stood up to the emperor for the sake of their own perceived right decision.

Zhu Yunwen hurriedly said.

Zhu Yunwen arrived at the school early this morning. He returned home last night and began writing a memorial to raise funds for the country. I suppose his grandfather has already seen it today.

Fu Youwen fell silent.

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai arrived with Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Xiong Ying had a deep memory of that incident, so now he wanted to use the same method to persuade Zhu Yuan Zhang.

Without Fu Youwen needing to remind him of anything, Zhu Yuanzhang already knew what he meant.

His grandfather had told him before that this was a closed agricultural society, and foreign trade had not yet taken off. The Ming Dynasty was basically self-sufficient. If the status of merchants were elevated, it would be tantamount to destroying the foundation.

He began to understand his grandfather's predicament.

"This Ming Dynasty will go to a different extreme because of every decision we make. Child, you still don't understand."

Kunning Palace.

Chen Hong turned pale with fright, picked up the memorial, and hurriedly said, "This humble servant takes his leave, this humble servant takes his leave."

Zhu Xiong Ying said seriously, "Merchants can't make money? Grandpa, you're wrong. I've been traveling back and forth between the palace and Tianyun Temple these past few days. I've seen many merchants on the road. I even saw some of them buy a beautiful hairpin for a few coins and then sell it for ten taels of silver."

The child is right. It's our turn to express our thoughts, so why should we get angry with him? Can't we just calmly lecture him?

He thought of the past history, from the Qin Dynasty to the present Hongwu Emperor, no emperor had ever failed to suppress commerce.

Did I scare the child just now?

Hey.

"It is our honor to be able to serve Your Highness," the two replied.

"Don't say we didn't give you time; those messes in Yunnan didn't give us time either."

"On the other hand, can an old farmer earn ten taels of silver a year? He has to pay at least four taels of land tax a year. What does it mean to put the cart before the horse? This is it!"

Fu Youwen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had already paid homage to Zhu Yuanzhang by this time.

Zhu Yunwen hurriedly pulled Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai up: "It is my good fortune to have two such wise teachers."

At my age, why can't I control my temper?

Moreover, this matter was mentioned by the child's master, so it might have been the father's idea.

He just scolded his grandfather.

"Hurry up and give us a solution, right now!"

"Grandpa may not care about face, but what do we need face for? As long as the people are doing well, Grandpa can be shameless. But I'm afraid this country will become a castle in the air, all show and no substance, because of people's greed..."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and sighed, then walked dejectedly out of the Fengtian Hall.

"Perhaps, Master is wrong this time."

The old man is determined to raise commercial taxes, but if he can't find a reasonable and legal excuse, he can't just raise them arbitrarily.

He was known for his fiery temper. If it had been any other prince or grandson, even Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuanzhang would have already taken action.

Zhu Yuanzhang calmly took a sip of tea, a stark contrast to his earlier fury.

"Your Highness, Your Highness Yunwen!"

This gave rise to many legendary literati, such as Fang Xiaoru, who was executed along with ten generations of his family, Yu Qian, the Junior Guardian of the Ming Dynasty, and later Hai Rui, among others.

The imperial court's great victory over the remnants of the Yuan dynasty and the relief of Yunnan was a cause for national celebration. The emperor, in a show of leniency, raised commercial taxes for merchants to share in the national jubilation.

"His Majesty!"

He understood.

Huang Zicheng snorted, "Your Highness, rest assured, this plan has been pondered by Scholar Qi and me for a long time, and it has no flaws!"

Zhu Yunwen's memorial was the culmination of Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai's hard work, yet Zhu Yuanzhang never expected it to be so utterly worthless.

next moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang cursed, "You know you're guilty? You know you're guilty my ass! We hired you to make money, not to confess your crimes!"

The intellectuals of this era possessed a strong sense of integrity; as long as they were in the right, they would not back down even when facing an emperor.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened and examined it very carefully. His eldest grandson, Zhu Xiong Ying, had an idea for making money, and he also wanted to see what Zhu Yunwen thought.

"No! This matter cannot be dealt with hastily. Let's go to Kunning Palace to demand justice from His Majesty!"

"I have met His Highness."

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished scolding, he said, "Alright, since you have no solution, I'll tell you a method. You can see how to implement it."

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai snorted, "The rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen. His Highness Yunwen knew that the Ming Dynasty was short of money, so he disregarded his hard work and submitted a memorial to the emperor overnight. His Majesty's actions are truly not in line with the way of a virtuous ruler."

111.253.201.195

“This…” Fu Youwen was sweating profusely, unable to come up with a specific solution for the moment. Faced with Zhu Yuanzhang’s furious rage, he could only remain silent and let Zhu Yuanzhang accuse him.

"This move is tantamount to sending a message to the outside world that the court intends to elevate the status of merchants. I'm afraid..."

"Yunwen greets both teachers."

….….….….….…

the other side.

Zhu Yuanzhang is gone, his departing figure exuding desolation.

After all, the whole world is watching.

"Silly child, Grandpa knows you mean well, but if governing a country could always be done according to plan, how easy would it be for Grandpa?"

As Zhu Xiong Ying gazed at the forlorn figure of Zhu Yuanzhang, her heart ached with increasing sorrow.

"Someone is coming."

Fu Youwen hesitated for a moment, his head bowed, and remained silent.

Since land consolidation is rampant now and the status of merchants is rising, why wouldn't they be happy to do it?

Human greed drives many envious ordinary people to abandon their farming jobs and go into business.

Zhu Yuanzhang insisted, "Nonsense! How much money can merchants make? The foundation of the Ming Dynasty lies in agriculture, not commerce!"

Zhu Yuanzhang cut to the chase: "The national treasury is short of silver. You are the head of the Ministry of Revenue. Besides printing more paper money, tell me, how else can we replenish the national treasury?"

"Such great benefits are right at your fingertips, but you refuse to break free from that old-fashioned peasant mentality, Grandpa. That's just being old-fashioned."

Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and tossed the memorial to Chen Hong: "Get out of here! Tell him to focus on his studies and not meddle in national affairs!"

As the two argued, the father, Zhu Biao, became so enraged that he directly rebuked his grandfather for what he had done wrong.

Children, don't they also think about themselves and others?

This memorial was written by Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai with painstaking effort.

Fu Youwen was about to retort subconsciously, but then he suddenly realized that this was exactly what the old man had been planning for so long.

He was prepared from the beginning to agree to whatever the old man said.

"If no one farms the land and no one reclaims the wasteland, where will we get food?"

This made Fu Youwen realize that the old man had a plan all along.

Upon arriving at Kunning Palace, the old man was about to spend some time with Empress Ma to vent his anger when Chen Hong presented Zhu Yuanzhang with Zhu Yunwen's memorial entitled "Increasing the Printing of Precious Paper Money".

The two made up their minds, just as Fu Youwen was about to leave.

Are they stupid?

This memorial was a request for him to increase the printing of Ming Dynasty banknotes.

The two bowed with their hands clasped in greeting.

Nobody has ever done this before!

History is full of brilliant and outstanding people, but none of them did this, which shows that there is really a problem with this path.

As the three were talking, Chen Hong walked over anxiously.

But seeing the boy's fearless demeanor, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to do it, and finally gave up in frustration, looking dejected.

Before Zhu Yunwen could say anything, Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai said somewhat angrily, "Your Highness has devoted himself to the common people and the Ming Dynasty, working tirelessly and selflessly. Why is Your Majesty acting this way?"

Chen Hong looked somewhat helpless and said with a wry smile, "His Majesty rejected your memorial and was furious, telling you to focus on your studies and not worry about state affairs."

Hearing his two teachers speak up for him like that warmed Zhu Yunwen's heart.

"His Highness Yunwen is wise; it is a blessing for all the people of the world!"

but….

This merchant…

Fu Youwen's eyes flickered, but he still forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, the court's every move is being watched."

Zhu Yuanzhang calmed down and closed his eyes to ponder for a long time.

It's all because of the disaster; we're upset. Our grandson has suffered an undeserved calamity!

Yes, raising commercial taxes can increase tax revenue, but it also means that the imperial court has recognized the status of merchants.

If they could become emperors, could they really not see how profit-driven merchants were?

It's not that I can't see it, it's that I can see it and know I can't do it this way.

Zhu Yuanzhang, with his hands behind his back, slowly left the hall.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face was filled with extreme anger, and he raised his hand high, wanting to teach this unfilial grandson a lesson.

Hey….

I shouldn't have gotten angry, I really shouldn't have gotten angry.

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted, "We raised you as the Vice Minister of Revenue so that you could serve us and the country. Why are you hanging your head like that? If even the Ministry of Revenue can't do anything, who else can we rely on?"

Inside the school, Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai respectfully bowed to Zhu Yunwen.

As soon as he finished speaking, the two scholars from the Hanlin Academy and teachers at the Imperial College nodded repeatedly, their eyes showing satisfaction.

….….….….….…

Zhu Yuanzhang strolled into the palace with his hands behind his back, feeling a tightness in his chest.

After hesitating for a long time, Fu Youwen suddenly said, "Your Majesty, the court has won a great victory in the campaign against the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty and has been relieved of its duties in Yunnan. Perhaps we can take advantage of this to implement policies and enrich the national treasury."

Although he didn't do it just now, he still felt somewhat guilty.

Even when facing the emperor, these scholar-officials would not yield.

Fu Youwen hurriedly said, "Your humble servant knows his crime."

To everyone's surprise, after reading it, Zhu Yuanzhang, whose anger had already subsided somewhat, suddenly became furious again.

He never treated Zhu Yuanzhang that way; it was only once that his father, Zhu Biao, disagreed with his grandfather.

Is he trying to intimidate me first, so that I can convince myself to agree to his method?

As the Vice Minister of Revenue, Fu Youwen was well aware of the national treasury's shortage of silver, especially now, when the treasury was even more strapped for cash.

And now.

Then it was handed over to Zhu Yunwen, who then delivered it to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Ignoring everything else, the two grabbed Zhu Yunwen and headed towards Kunning Palace.

Looking at her grandfather's lonely figure, Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly felt a pang of sadness, her nose tingled, and her eyes reddened.

If things continue like this, with so much wasteland in the Ming Dynasty, who will be willing to reclaim it? Who will still be willing to honestly and diligently farm the land?

Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him, saying, "We don't need your reminders. What we need you to do is to reasonably come up with ways to raise commercial taxes, not to tell us about the consequences and difficulties!"

Chen Hong shook his head.

As he walked, he said, "Hey, Xiong Ying, you, as his grandfather, really can't see the purpose of merchants?"

Chen Hong hurriedly left Kunning Palace.

"I think you're just concerned about saving face, because you personally defined the class system, and you don't want to contradict yourself or break the rules you set!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was drinking his morning tea when he said, word by word, "It's very simple, raise commercial taxes."

Zhu Xiong Ying confronted Zhu Yuan Zhang.

However, he also knew that Empress Ma was still unconscious, so he dared not speak too loudly; he understood this basic tact.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, then looked at Zhu Yunwen, who stood with his head down in the main hall, and said coldly, "Speak!"