Chapter 322: Zhang Weixian Drops the Rock on His Own Foot

Zhu Youxiao glanced at Zhang Weixian, his expression somewhat unreadable.

Clearly Zhang Weixian had sold out Duke of Ding Xu Xi without hesitation, but Zhu Youxiao felt that what Zhang Weixian said was true.

What Duke of Ding Xu Xi had done, Zhu Youxiao had originally felt was improper, and now suddenly running to him to expose it like this seemed particularly abrupt—the whole thing simply didn't connect.

It looked like he was imitating Duke of Cheng Zhu Chunchen, but Zhu Youxiao knew full well that Zhu Chunchen had been set up by him.

In this era of the Great Ming, who would casually imitate Zhu Chunchen for no reason?

Even if someone did imitate him, it wouldn't be the Duke of Ding. There was clearly something going on here. Hearing Zhang Weixian's account, Zhu Youxiao felt that was exactly how it was.

But Zhu Youxiao also knew that things certainly weren't as lightly described as Zhang Weixian made them out to be—at least it wasn't like Zhang Weixian said, that he had merely offered advice.

Duke of Ding Xu Xi wasn't stupid either. How could he have come running to claim merit, or gotten involved in this matter, just because of a few words from Zhang Weixian?

Clearly Zhang Weixian had been intimidating him, scaring Xu Xi half to death, and the result was the opposite of what he intended.

After Xu Xi was frightened, he felt it was better to get the credit into his own hands, so he came running here to expose it.

After he himself had leaked the information, Zhang Weixian panicked.

But Zhu Youxiao wasn't prepared to keep investigating these matters, nor even to look into them deeply. What the truth of the matter actually was didn't matter much to Zhang Weixian, nor did it matter to him—the key question was, what was to be done about this matter now?

Touching the salt trade.

This was a question Zhu Youxiao had considered before; he had also thought about getting money from salt. But Zhu Youxiao knew in his heart that the difficulty was simply too great, which was why he had never made a move, wanting to get past the matters at hand first before discussing it.

But now it seemed it might be time to act. Since Zhang Weixian wanted to do it, he could let him go do it.

So Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhang Weixian and said, "Alright, sit down and talk."

Only after Zhang Weixian sat down did Zhu Youxiao continue, "Tell me your thoughts."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Weixian hurriedly said, "Your servant wishes to begin investigating from the salt nest monopolies."

Zhang Weixian had only gotten that far when Zhu Youxiao waved his hand.

Starting the investigation from the salt nest monopolies meant moving against the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives by marriage. Zhu Youxiao naturally wouldn't have anything to say about that, nor would he begrudge them, but this direction wouldn't work.

First of all, the matter of salt nest monopolies had originally begun during the Hongzhi Emperor's reign.

Subsequently, successive emperors over-issued salt certificates and bestowed them upon many meritorious nobles and relatives, as well as the princely houses already enfeoffed across the realm. These people were the main body of the nest monopolists. Plainly speaking, this was something the imperial family itself had cooked up.

If you start investigating from the nest monopolies, that's equivalent to investigating from your own body. Although the investigation would be comparatively easier, the disturbance would be enormous, and it would even be easy to drag up the dirty laundry of the previous emperors.

This was a very improper direction. If something actually came of it, it would easily leave one stuck on a tiger's back, unable to dismount—and if you couldn't wrap things up by then, you'd be in trouble. This was something Zhu Youxiao would never do.

Zhu Youxiao glanced at Zhang Weixian without changing his expression.

Clearly Zhang Weixian had also been influenced by Zhu Chunchen, both wanting to make their move against the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives.

Thinking about it briefly, Zhu Youxiao understood—Zhang Weixian's plan was to kill several birds with one stone.

Moving against the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives would, first, expand the scope of that case, making it easier for him to investigate; second, it would set himself apart from the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives, preparing for his next promotion; and third, it was about consolidating the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives—after the warning blows came the wooing.

But Zhang Weixian's calculations were very fine indeed; if he actually did this, the trouble would be enormous. Zhu Youxiao couldn't possibly let him do it.

After thinking it over, Zhu Youxiao said, "The salt nest monopolies involve too much. We cannot act rashly. Besides, back then many of the salt certificates were bestowed by successive emperors. What to do? Take them back?"

"Wouldn't that be slapping our own face? We cannot do such a thing." Zhu Youxiao sighed softly and said, "This matter of salt, when all is said and done, is a problem of the system itself."

"The grain-for-certificates policy of the founding emperor, Taizu's brilliant policy, was turned into a complete mess by later descendants."

"Why was the grain-for-certificates policy originally established? Wasn't it to prevent salt merchants from manipulating things, and at the same time to prevent the border garrisons from running out of food? By binding grain and salt together, as long as salt still had a day of profit, the Great Ming's borders would never lack for grain."

"But what happened later? With more salt came more money, and many people's eyes fixed only on the money. Everyone was pushing, everyone said that the silver-for-certificates policy was better."

"As long as silver was paid for certificates, the court would gain considerable revenue, and with that silver they could do more things. But in reality? Was that actually the case?"

"Those civil officials who advocated the silver-for-certificates policy—their families were all in the salt business, every single one of them big salt merchants. No need to deliver grain, no need to farm—just shuffle some silver around and you could buy salt. What a wonderful thing that was, wasn't it?"

"Chief Grand Secretary Zhang Siwei of the Grand Secretariat, Shaanxi Governor-General Wang Chonggu—every single one of them was a grand frontier official, their mouths full of loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and filial piety, yet their families were all big salt merchants."

"Minister of Revenue Ye Qi, who proposed the silver-for-certificates policy during the Hongzhi reign—his family also sold salt. Presumably all the ministers of that time knew about these things, didn't they? But who raised it? Who spoke up?"

"Everyone was straining to get rich, holding their breath to squeeze money out of salt. As for the court's revenue, or what the border troops ate—who cared?"

"By the fifteenth year of Hongzhi, the court was already in chaos, the fiscal deficit expanding, the government unable to make ends meet. By that time Ye Qi had long since retired to his hometown. Who was left? It was Minister of Revenue Si Zhong. He wanted to reform the salt administration, but in the end he too could only retire to his hometown, ending in dismal failure."

After saying this, Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhang Weixian and said with a smile, "These things that everyone in the realm knows—in the end they must be kept from the Emperor. Otherwise, how would everyone make their money?"

Hearing Zhu Youxiao say this, Zhang Weixian's face turned pale, sweat pouring down like rain.

In fact, Zhang Weixian hadn't lived through these events, but he knew very well in his heart that the salt administration reform of that year was, plainly speaking, a feast of wealth.

Civil officials, meritorious nobles, and imperial relatives all remembered making a fortune from that reform. The salt administration was reformed in the fifth year of Hongzhi, and by the fifteenth year of Hongzhi, the Great Ming could no longer hold on.

In just ten short years, the national finances were on the brink of collapse. The border troops had no money or grain, and the court's salt tax was shrinking year by year. The few extra million taels collected weren't even enough for those meritorious nobles and imperial relatives to use for their nest monopolies.

The already fragile court finances nearly collapsed outright.

Zhu Youxiao also knew very well that it wasn't until the Zhengde Emperor ascended the throne, favored Liu Jin, and gathered wealth from all directions that the Great Ming managed to catch its breath—otherwise it would have collapsed.

As for the results, everyone could see them: the Hongzhi Emperor was a benevolent ruler; as for the Zhengde Emperor—he died without heirs, drowning in a lake.

The court ministers' assessment of the Hongzhi Emperor was extremely high. On the other hand, the Chenghua Emperor before him and the Zhengde Emperor after him both received rather poor assessments.

The Chenghua Emperor kept Wang Zhi; the Zhengde Emperor kept Liu Jin; the Hongzhi Emperor was diligent in governance and loved the people. The Chenghua Emperor's assessment was far inferior to the Hongzhi Emperor's, and the Zhengde Emperor needed no further mention.

Then think of the Tianqi Emperor and the Chongzhen Emperor.

Zhu Youxiao let out a long sigh.

"Alright, this is a matter from so many years ago. Even if blame were to be assigned, it wouldn't fall on you." Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhang Weixian and said slowly, "Sit down and talk."

Only after Zhang Weixian sat down did Zhu Youxiao continue, "The Great Ming has been around for over two hundred years. Many things are already on their last legs, rotten beyond repair, yet they've sunk deep into the marrow. How easy do you think it is to move them?"

"Salt—it must be touched. But it absolutely cannot start with the meritorious nobles and imperial relatives. If you truly want to investigate, then this time come with Us to Shandong. Once you arrive in Shandong, turn toward Lianghuai. I believe you'll certainly be able to find something there. Then it'll be up to you whether you dare to act."

Hearing this, Zhang Weixian hastily stood up and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. No matter who is implicated, your servant will be utterly impartial and will absolutely never bend the law for personal gain."

"Alright, then go back and prepare." Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhang Weixian and said.

Coming out of the Western Park, Zhang Weixian's face instantly turned black. He felt terrible all over.

In his heart he cursed Xu Xi to the bone, and at the same time felt chilled to the bone. The matter had been botched!

He had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot!

Zhang Weixian's original intention was merely to make a move on the salt monopoly. Let the Emperor see his loyalty, and in passing make a simple break from the hereditary nobles and imperial in-laws, thereby achieving his political goal of advancing further in the Staff Office; integrating the hereditary nobles and imperial in-laws while leaving a good impression with the military side.

But His Majesty clearly did not want him to do that. What His Majesty wanted him to do was to overturn the salt administration and preside over the entire salt administration reform.

What kind of task was this?

How many people in the Great Ming had grown rich off salt?

Ordinary local folk, salt merchants, officials at every level, hereditary nobles and imperial in-laws, even the armies of various regions—everyone reached their hands into salt, everyone grew rich from it.

If he wanted to touch salt, he would offend everyone. The reason Ye Qi's salt administration reform had succeeded back then was because it followed the will of the people—everyone was waiting for it to change.

Officials at every level, salt merchants from every region, and among the hereditary nobles and imperial in-laws, led by the Marquis of Shouning, Zhang Heling, all waited with eager anticipation. Under those circumstances, naturally the salt administration reform was something everyone looked forward to.

But if he were to preside over the salt administration reform, that would be courting death, plain and simple.

Thinking of this, Zhang Weixian truly did not know what to say anymore. Matters had completely deviated from his original intention—this was absolutely not what he wanted.

But now His Majesty had already set his sights on him. What was he to do? Tell His Majesty he did not want to do it?

Would that not be courting death?

Earlier he had spoken with such righteousness, and then to shrink back or even retreat—how would His Majesty see him? Everything he had done would all be wasted.

It was all Xu Xi's fault!

What a fool who could never accomplish anything but always managed to ruin everything!

Zhang Weixian truly wished he could kill Xu Xi!