Chapter 125: Do You Remember What I Said?

Zhu Youjian turned the policy paper to the section on finance and taxation.

The first thing that caught his eye was the measures and methods for financial accounting, statistics, and oversight.

To be frank, he had not altered the Great Ming's accounting system much.

In his half-baked opinion, the Four-Column Settlement Method was already quite good; in his later life he had never studied accounting either, so even if he wanted to offer guidance, he would not know where to begin.

The palace procedures for requisitioning and disbursing goods and funds, refined over more than a century, were also quite mature.

The problem lay not in the system, but in human hearts.

When the world declines, the speed of corruption among the inner palace eunuchs only outstrips that of the outer court — faster and more ferocious.

Among civil officials, perhaps five out of a hundred might still be slightly honest — and that has nothing to do with morality; purely that their families are wealthy.

But among eunuchs… are you mad? You've already sunk to the point of becoming a eunuch, and you still talk about incorruptibility?!

Zhu Youjian did not expect every eunuch in the palace to instantly transform into a sage like Hai Rui; that was unrealistic.

Fighting corruption is not something that can be accomplished in one stroke — not a matter of seizing a bunch of corrupt officials, executing them all, and then no one dares to be corrupt anymore.

Only by seizing them every day, every month, by turning supervision and punishment into a constant state hanging over everyone's head, can one see even a sliver of effect.

Even if the degree of corruption were merely reduced from ninety percent to seventy percent, that would be a monumental victory.

Therefore, the only major change Zhu Youjian made was to forcibly introduce two mechanisms: "budget establishment" and "approval and write-off."

Henceforth, the palace must formulate a general budget at the beginning of the year, then adjust and confirm it every quarter and every month.

This policy paper had taken nearly half a month, revised again and again, yet still failed to satisfy him — and the greatest sticking point lay right here.

Once finance and taxation are touched, personnel and oversight must move in tandem; the three are entangled — change one, and all must change.

And yet!

Zheng Zhihui had submitted one utterly nonsensical budget after another!

Zhu Youjian sneered inwardly.

The gold-flower silver was in arrears every year, with barely eight hundred thousand taels actually arriving; he had no expectations for it for now and planned to deal with it when the reforms truly began.

The imperial estates covered twenty-seven thousand qing of land, yielding an annual income of one million two hundred fifty thousand taels — of which fifty thousand taels actually reached the treasury. He had swallowed that too, merely waiting until after spring to settle accounts.

But these ten palace storehouses were right under the blade of his knife — and they still dared to fob him off like this!

After being sent back for revision many times, Zheng Zhihui informed him that through extensive palace cost-cutting, the ten storehouses' annual supplies could be reduced by… sixty thousand taels!

Yet Liu Ruoyu's report was that Zheng Zhihui had taken money from the supervisors of each storehouse; the exact sum was unclear, but it was estimated to be above ten thousand taels.

What the hell!

He was treating His Majesty like a fool!

If he could not touch the officials of the outer court, could not touch the landlords of the countryside — could he not even touch the dozen or so seal-holding eunuchs within the Forbidden City?

This thought had ignited the moment he saw the first perfunctory fiscal proposal.

And this fury, as Zheng Zhihui repeatedly prevaricated and equivocated on the matter of the ten storehouses, had ultimately burned hotter and hotter.

Today was the day it would explode.

Zhu Youjian slowly raised his eyes from the policy paper and swept his gaze over the men standing in attendance below the dais.

Zheng Zhihui, the brush-holding eunuch responsible for finance and taxation, already had fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples.

"Your turn, Zheng Zhihui."

The Emperor's voice was very calm, betraying neither pleasure nor anger.

Zheng Zhihui, hearing this, hurriedly stepped out from the ranks, knelt on the ground, and was about to open his mouth to report.

But Zhu Youjian raised a hand, stopping him.

"No need to elaborate. I have already read this policy paper of yours several times."

Zhu Youjian's tone remained flat, yet carried an authority that brooked no doubt.

"I ask; you answer."

Zheng Zhihui swallowed the words that had reached his lips, a sense of ominous foreboding instantly rising in his heart. He could only kowtow in terror and say, "This slave… obeys the decree."

Zhu Youjian wasted no words. He casually flipped the policy paper to a page and tapped a line with his finger.

"My first question: why, in the budget for the first year of Yongchang, does the palace still require one hundred twenty thousand jin of yellow and white wax annually?"

As soon as the question was out, the atmosphere in the hall chilled several degrees further.

Zheng Zhihui opened his mouth, then stammered in defense, "In reply… in reply to Your Majesty, the palace halls are numerous; daily illumination, sacrificial rites and ceremonies… the usage is not inconsiderable. This… this is already a reduced figure."

At these words, a faint, icy sneer tugged at the corner of Zhu Youjian's mouth.

He did not look at Zheng Zhihui, but instead gave a slight nudge of his chin toward Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming understood at once and, without a trace of emotion, spoke: "Your Majesty, during the Tianqi era, Eunuch Wei once decreed the prohibition of palace lanterns. Since then, the open account for yellow and white wax in the palace has been no more than twenty thousand jin per year."

As his words fell, Zheng Zhihui's face went deathly pale with a whoosh.

Only then did Zhu Youjian turn his gaze back to him, his voice abruptly turning icy.

"Wei Zhongxian could not read a single character, yet he still managed to suppress candle expenditure to twenty thousand jin."

"Zheng Zhihui, you studied for over ten years in the Inner Palace School — are you truly less capable than an illiterate?"

"Then tell me, where exactly did all those books you read go?!"

These words struck Zheng Zhihui's chest like a heavy hammer.

He could hold on no longer and smashed his head against the cold brick floor with a dull thud, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, spare my life! This slave deserves death! This slave deserves death!"

Cao Huachun and Liu Ruoyu, standing to the side, both felt their eyelids twitch violently and bowed their heads even lower.

Zhu Youjian gave a cold snort, utterly ignoring his kowtowing and pleas for mercy.

"I am not insisting on banning palace lanterns or quibbling over these few tens of thousands of jin of candles. What I am asking is: what kind of rubbish is this budget of yours!"

He picked up the thick volume and flipped it open casually.

"Annual revenue of three hundred sixty thousand bolts of wide white cotton cloth, and you project an annual expenditure of three hundred twenty thousand bolts?"

"An annual revenue of one hundred forty thousand bolts of plain silk, and you estimate an annual expenditure of one hundred ten thousand bolts?"

"An annual revenue of three hundred sixty thousand catties of cotton floss, and you estimate an annual expenditure of two hundred forty thousand catties?"

With every line he read, Zheng Zhihui's body shuddered.

Zhu Youjian shook his head, as if too weary to continue reading, and hurled the ledger heavily onto the desk.

Smack!

The crisp sound made everyone's heart clench.

Zhu Youjian leaned forward, elbows planted on the desk, fingers interlaced. His eyes, hawk-like, fixed deathly upon Zheng Zhihui, who knelt trembling on the floor.

"Raise your head."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a force that pierced straight through a man.

"Look at Us."

Zheng Zhihui raised his head, trembling. His forehead was already bruised and swollen from kowtowing, his face slick with cold sweat and terror.

Zhu Youjian spoke deliberately, every word distinct: "When We first ascended the throne, We told Wang Tiqian of Our two principles. Have you heard of these two principles?"

Zheng Zhihui's lips quivered. It took him a long moment to force out a few words: "I have… I have heard them."

"Repeat them."

"First, loyalty." Zheng Zhihui's voice carried a sobbing note, but he dared not refuse to answer. "Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty. Whatever we slaves see, whatever we hear — whether good or ill — so long as it is something His Majesty ought to know, then His Majesty must know it."

"Second, do not reach out your hand. You have received your stipend — do not reach your hand into the state treasury again."

Zhu Youjian heard him out, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew colder still.

"Then tell Us — which of these did you violate?"

Zheng Zhihui could bear the immense pressure no longer. His psychological defenses shattered utterly. He burst into wailing, kowtowing desperately: "This slave deserves death! This slave's crimes merit ten thousand deaths! This slave… this slave has violated both!"

"Ha."

Zhu Youjian let out a soft laugh.

"At least you still retain one last shred of loyalty toward Us."

"Otherwise, you would be rolling off to the Firewood Office right now."

At these words, Zheng Zhihui instantly understood there was still a path to survival. Tears and snot streaming down his face, he cried out: "Your Majesty is merciful! Your Majesty's grace is boundless!"

Zhu Youjian leaned forward again, his eyes utterly cold.

"We will give you one final chance."

His voice was indifferent.

"First: redo the budget for the first year of Yongchang for Us. Combine it with the plan for cutting redundant personnel. Account clearly for every sliver of silver, every bolt of cloth, every catty of candle wax."

"Do not palm off this dog-shit budget on Us again, and do not force Us to summon the civil officials of the outer court to do the auditing for you!"

"Second: every bit of the 'tribute' you have accepted from the various seal-holders and managing eunuchs over this past half-month — spit it all back out for Us, to the last penny, and go to Liu Ruoyu on your own initiative to register every bit of it clearly!"

Zhu Youjian paused, straightened his body, and picked up the teacup from the desk. His voice was low and distant.

"This is your final chance, Zheng Zhihui."

"Think carefully about exactly what kind of answer you must deliver to be worthy of this mercy from Us."

With that, he drained the now-lukewarm tea in the cup in one draught.

Zheng Zhihui collapsed limp on the floor, as if granted a great amnesty, yet also as if plunged into an icy abyss. He merely kowtowed without ceasing, babbling incoherently: "This slave obeys the edict… This slave will certainly cleanse his heart and reform… This slave…"

"Get out."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, not even sparing him another glance.

"Before you have done these two things properly, do not let Us see you again."

As if hearing celestial music, Zheng Zhihui scrambled and crawled his way out of the Inner Palace School.

Zhu Youjian let out a long breath and set the empty teacup on the desk.

He raised his head and only then noticed that Cao Huachun and Liu Ruoyu had risen to their feet at some point, their bodies bent, their expressions even more tense than Zheng Zhihui's had been moments before.

Zhu Youjian laughed aloud.

"Sit down. There is no need to be so afraid."

After the thunder, comes the rain and dew.

He pointed at Liu Ruoyu, his tone carrying a measure of approval: "Ruoyu, you have done well."

"In barely half a month since setting things in motion, you have already uncovered Zheng Zhihui's bribery. The results speak for themselves."

Liu Ruoyu was overwhelmed by the unexpected praise but dared not claim credit. He hastily bowed and said, "It is all thanks to Your Majesty's guidance. This slave merely carried out the edict; I dare not speak of merit."

Zhu Youjian shook his head.

"Methods are one thing; doing the work is another. We also gave Zheng Zhihui the method for the budget — and how did he repay Us?"

Liu Ruoyu's methods, aside from the routine dissemination of palace regulations and tightening of palace discipline, boiled down to two things: "rewards for reporting" and "monthly discussion meetings."

The matter of reporting had originally been set with a reward of silver.

After reviewing it, Zhu Youjian felt something was off.

Simply giving money — it would be very difficult for this to generate any real momentum.

For no other reason than this: a single full meal versus a full belly for life — everyone understands the difference. Add to that the ostracism and persecution they would face afterward, and every junior eunuch could weigh the stakes clearly in his mind.

After it was sent back, Liu Ruoyu's second version of the plan corrected this.

The silver reward was changed to a reward of a future.

"Those who report shall not be rewarded with silver, but shall directly enter the Inner Palace School to study, be entered into a separate register, and receive priority in promotion."

By directly extracting the reporter from his original environment and providing a more attractive reward, the effect was entirely different.

As for the method of monthly discussion meetings, that plan had come entirely from Zhu Youjian.

Each month, eunuchs in key positions would be selected for isolated conversations — whether casual chats, inquiries, or solicitations of reports.

Combine the prisoner's dilemma with a 360-degree evaluation, and it works every single time.

Zhu Youjian offered a few more words of encouragement and praise, then began laying out the follow-up work.

"Shortly, you will organize the list of bribe-payers that Zheng Zhihui provides." He looked at Liu Ruoyu. "And while you're at it, compile the list you've uncovered of those leaking palace secrets as well."

"This slave obeys the decree."

Zhu Youjian turned his gaze to Cao Huachun.

"Liu Ruoyu is only responsible for oversight. The final rewards and punishments will be handed over to you to carry out."

Cao Huachun's heart tightened. He bowed and awaited his orders.

"Those guilty of corruption — throw them all into the Firewood Office."

"As for those who leaked palace secrets…" Zhu Youjian's voice paused, as if he were weighing something.

The air in the hall seemed to congeal once more.

A moment later, he appeared to have made up his mind, abandoning the notion of punishment without prior warning.

"Those uncovered in this batch are all to be expelled from the palace."

His voice turned icy, carrying a killing intent that brooked no doubt.

"But pass the word down: from this day forward, anyone uncovered again, regardless of the classification level of what they leaked…"

Zhu Youjian gritted his teeth and spoke, each word deliberate:

"All are to be executed! Not a single one spared!"

"This slave obeys the decree!"

Cao Huachun and Liu Ruoyu felt a violent jolt in their hearts. They acknowledged the order in unison, their voices tinged with a tremor.

In this era, Zhu Youjian could extend the tolerance of a modern man to most conduct.

Only in matters touching his personal safety would he impose the harshest of measures.

On the matter of security, there was no room whatsoever for compromise!

With this discussion concluded, the three matters of inner palace personnel, finance and taxation, and oversight were all settled for the day.

The entire first phase of inner palace rectification work would continue until the first month of the new year.

By the first day after Zhu Youjian changed the reign title to Yongchang the following year,

the palace should have produced a number of literate and numerate skilled hands — whether five hundred, a thousand, or two thousand was still uncertain and would depend on the efficiency of instruction.

The several thousand eunuchs eliminated and sent to the Firewood Office would also gradually accumulate grievances, awaiting a window for release.

How much money the Ten Warehouses fiscal audit could save remained unclear, but a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand taels seemed likely.

The culture of leaking secrets and corruption within the palace should also see some slight improvement. As for how much it could change, that would depend on whether it could be sustained.

Most crucially, certain elements within these personnel, fiscal, and oversight arrangements were themselves advance pilot tests he was conducting for the reform of the outer court.

Any method or system that passed verification could be directly transplanted for use in the outer court.

The Forbidden City was, in a sense, a small state — yet without the complexity of a real state — making it the perfect simplified testing ground.

Did the officials of the outer court think that forms, action items, and statecraft documents were the whole of it?

A wicked grin spread across Zhu Youjian's mind.

Far too naive, you oxen and horses of the Great Ming!

Attached, the inner court revenue table is as follows:

This is from the sixth year of Wanli. I could not find the one for Tianqi, but the difference should not be too great. The Ming emperors never loosened their grip on these in-kind taxes — the amounts would only increase, not decrease.

Except that as soon as Chongzhen ascended the throne, he exempted the Jiangnan textile tribute…

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