Chapter 382

The court assembly broke up in discord, but Emperor Emperor Yongning fell into panic.

Although Lu Guohang's impeachment was all nonsense, the fact that the noble faction is powerful is also a realistic problem.

It is not just the noble faction that has grown powerful, but also the even more troublesome Liaodong faction.

Seeing the Emperor lost in thought, the remaining Grand Secretaries and the Ministers of the Six Ministries also secretly lamented.

A clever person's schemes are not as good as a fool's sudden inspiration.

It is fine to sow discord between the Emperor and the nobles, but this must be done at the right time.

The world is not yet peaceful, and it is precisely the time when people are needed to sell their lives; doing such things at this time is undoubtedly destroying the Great Wall.

These civil official representatives, plotting all day, only want to reduce the power of the noble faction, not to kill them off.

Regardless of whether they are willing to admit it, the noble faction is now the pillar of the Great Dayu Dynasty, no longer the "wine bags and rice sacks" they describe.

Everyone is a vested interest holder and has no intention of flipping the table.

Lu Guohang's public impeachment is equivalent to putting the conflict on the table.

At this point, the original plan to reduce power can only be forced to stop.

Not only can they not weaken their power, but they must also find ways to appease the meritorious officials.

Taking any radical measures at this time could potentially cause the noble faction and the imperial court to drift apart.

An independent Liaodong faction is already enough to drive everyone crazy; forcing the noble faction to the opposite side would make life impossible.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang has submitted a memorial.

He hopes to resign from the position of Governor of the two Guang regions and recommends the Marquis of Marquis Hanshui to serve as the Governor of the two Guang regions."

Minister of Personnel Yue Mingyu stepped forward and said.

Originally, this memorial should have been discussed in the court.

But the accident at the grand court assembly caused the matter to be shelved.

"Granted!"

Emperor Emperor Yongning said with an expressionless face.

Such a personnel appointment, if it were before today, would certainly have involved a fierce struggle.

Placed in the current situation, there is not even a need for discussion.

The development of the noble faction cannot be separated from the Emperor's support.

The Emperor wants to sit firmly on the throne, which also cannot be separated from the support of the nobles.

Even if he feels wary deep down, for political needs, he must show trust in the noble faction at this time.

"Draft an edict: confer upon the Duke of Cheng the titles of Specially Promoted Guanglu Grand Master, Left Pillar of the State, and Grand Tutor.

Confer upon the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang the titles of Specially Promoted Guanglu Grand Master, Left Pillar of the State, and Grand Preceptor.

Confer upon the Marquis of Zhenyuan the titles of Specially Promoted Guanglu Grand Master, Right Pillar of the State, and Grand Guardian.

Confer upon the Marquis of Marquis Hanshui the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince..."

A series of conferrals made the civil officials drool with envy.

The positions of the Three Dukes are the lifelong pursuit of everyone.

Don't look at these as mere honorary titles; any official who can receive such a conferral in the Great Dayu Dynasty is a famous minister of their generation.

Under normal circumstances, one might not appear in decades.

Even if they wanted to oppose it, they couldn't find a reason.

The three people being conferred have not only made great battle achievements in military affairs but also have significant results in handling local government affairs.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The officials responded reluctantly.

Envy is envy, but the results they achieved truly deserve this treatment.

Using this conferral to appease the noble faction is undoubtedly the best choice at the moment.

"Enough!

I don't want to hear these empty words.

Let everyone discuss the tax system issue of the eight southeastern provinces.

Senior Grand Secretary, speak your opinion first."

Emperor Emperor Yongning waved his hand and said.

Half of the contradictions in the Great Dayu Dynasty lie in the lack of money.

Having finally collected the taxes, he is naturally unwilling to give them up.

However, the opposition of the officials is also a thorny problem.

If it cannot be handled properly, it will inevitably lead to more problems later.

"Your Majesty, the new tax law of the eight southeastern provinces conflicts with the Great Dayu Law in many places.

Considering that this was an extraordinary choice made under special circumstances, there is no major problem.

The officials below have finally adapted to the new tax law; if it is changed back in a hurry, it is easy to cause chaos.

I believe it is better to try it out for a period of time, and when the time is ripe, consider whether to change it back."

Wan Wan Junhui said, biting the bullet.

Tax reform is a great undertaking that no Great Dayu Emperor has been able to complete.

The success of the eight southeastern provinces was entirely an accident.

The rebel forces severely damaged the gentry group, reducing the resistance to tax reform to a minimum.

Under the threat of the rebel forces, countless gentry chose to compromise temporarily.

To let him push for reform under pressure, Wan Wan Junhui lacked that courage.

But now that a fait accompli has been created, the situation is different.

The opposition of officials in the court actually depends on the situation.

The opposition from officials in the northern provinces is opposition to promoting the reform results of the eight southeastern provinces to the whole country.

If it is implemented only in these eight provinces without harming their interests, everyone hopes that the imperial court's finances will improve.

Even within the eight southeastern provinces, the stances of the officials are different.

This tax reform harmed the interests of the gentry, but it actually depends on the situation.

Not all gentry are engaged in commercial trade; there is no lack of traditional farming and reading families.

These "conservatives" despise merchants the most and advocate emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce.

They are not so resistant to the imperial court's additional commercial taxes.

Besides, there are some gentry who lost in previous competitions, and they are also happy to watch the fun.

After all, the tax reform stirred up by the noble faction did not touch the land.

If it were before the reform was pushed, they might have followed the opposition, but now it has become a fait accompli.

The newly added tax revenue is mainly used for military and post-war reconstruction, and they have also become beneficiaries.

Just look at the officials' previous performance; although some clamored for disarmament, it did not become the mainstream.

Among them, the most opposed to disarmament are the officials of the eight southeastern provinces.

Having experienced the fires of war personally, they know the value of peace.

That those who oppose tax reform and those who oppose disarmament turned out to be the same group of people is enough to prove that their opposition is not intense.

Insightful of human hearts, Wan Wan Junhui decided to take a gamble.

With the imperial court's fiscal revenue soaring, most of the troubles faced at the moment can be solved easily.

Once the situation improves, he, as the Senior Grand Secretary, can work for a few more years; there is no need to resign and return home so early.

Having enjoyed the charm of power, no one wants to give it up unless absolutely necessary.

"Your Majesty, the Senior Grand Secretary's words are reasonable.

The situation in the eight southeastern provinces is special, and it is not advisable to make major moves in a short time.

For the sake of the country, we can only let the merchants of the eight southeastern provinces suffer for a while.

It can be limited to three years, and after the situation stabilizes, we can discuss this issue again."

Gu Gu Jiaxi followed up and echoed.

The Emperor's meaning is clear; he certainly doesn't want the money he has in his hands to slip away again.

Regardless of how many problems exist in the tax reform, they are not worth mentioning in the face of more than 30 million taels of silver per year.

With Emperor Emperor Yongning's personality, even if the officials oppose it, he will likely fight hard.

After all, the tax reform was stirred up by the noble faction, and they certainly support it.

The more than 300,000 recruited troops in the eight southeastern provinces are the biggest supporters of this system.

Local backlash can be suppressed by force.

With this help, the Emperor has the confidence to confront the officials.

Knowing that the Emperor has chips in his hands and the Senior Grand Secretary has taken the lead, Gu Gu Jiaxi immediately decided to follow.

"Grand Secretary Gu, these words are inappropriate!"

"The eight southeastern provinces have just experienced the fires of war, so how can we reduce some taxes instead of continuing to extort!"

Qiu Hu Ruiyang immediately opposed.

In fact, he didn't want to be the villain either.

Tax reform harmed the interests of the gentry but was beneficial to the imperial court.

Being able to sit in the position of the Cabinet, the consideration of problems is no longer limited to a corner of the land but must also take care of the world.

But as an official from the eight southeastern provinces, at such a time, he cannot betray his own class.

The complex inner heart made his stance not firm when opposing.

The reasons for opposition found were also perfunctory, more like completing a task.

Seeing this scene, the officials who were originally swaying and unable to make up their minds made a choice in an instant.

After a battle of wits, the supporting faction gradually gained the upper hand, and just when everyone thought the situation was settled.

"Ministers, since you all think the tax reform in the eight southeastern provinces is good, can it be promoted to the whole country?"

Emperor Emperor Yongning's words made the officials half-dead with anger.

No matter how much you want to reform, you have to choose the time!

The most important thing now is to preserve the fruits of reform, not to rush to promote it to the whole country.

The eight southeastern provinces were able to succeed because there were more than 300,000 troops pressing down on them.

The gentry who dared to clearly oppose were all physically eliminated.

If it were changed to other places, even if the imperial court issued a reform order, the government decree would not be able to leave the government office.

No matter how good the policy is, if no one implements it, it will eventually be a mess.

Except for damaging the prestige of the Emperor and the imperial court, there is no substantive benefit.

"Your Majesty, this matter must not be done!"

"Oranges grown south of the Two Huai River are oranges, but north of the Two Huai River they become trifoliate oranges."

"Taking customs tax as an example, if you want to collect it, you must first have overseas trade.

Our dynasty's maritime trade is concentrated in the south, so we can collect huge taxes.

If changed to the northern provinces, I am afraid that even the cost of tax collection is not enough, and setting up government offices is a waste.

Local governance should be adapted to local conditions and cannot be generalized!"

Wan Wan Junhui hurriedly refuted.

The Emperor's sudden inspiration is really fatal.

He dared to bet that after today's events spread, it would inevitably cause an uproar in the court.

The officials of the northern provinces who could have been won over would also be pushed to the opposite side.

If you really want to reform, just do it quietly; why say it out loud!

If nothing else, the current situation in the Shu region is suitable for promoting reform.

Just give the Marquis of Zhenyuan a secret edict, and he can directly copy the reform results of the eight southeastern provinces.

After creating a fait accompli, the imperial court only needs to default to the reform results.

Similar operations can also be done in Shanxi.

Civil officials cannot promote reform, but the army can.

In the future, whichever province has a rebellion, promote reform in that province.

After decades, tax reform can be promoted to the whole country.

Having completed this great undertaking, everyone can achieve success and leave a name in history.

The great situation was all ruined by Emperor Emperor Yongning's words.

Deep down, Wan Wan Junhui was so angry he wanted to kill someone.

Without any hesitation, the officials once again unified their stance and pushed Emperor Emperor Yongning back on the spot.

……

Lianzhou Port.

As the sound of the ship's whistle rang out, the eyes of the prisoners of war gradually became moist.

After this departure, whether they can return to their homeland in their lifetime is an unknown.

But there is no way; life in Among Guangxi, although a little better than farming at home, has a pitifully low political status.

As exiled criminals, they are despised wherever they go, and their families are implicated.

Unless necessary, they all move in their own labor areas and never go to the military household areas to visit.

Even if they don't say it, their families are still full of envy for the military household areas separated by a wall.

It is also labor, but others farm the military fields of the garrison and enjoy high-income sharing.

The garrison also provides livestock and seeds, and in disaster years, the garrison is even responsible for the bottom line.

If someone in the family serves in the army, there is also a subsidy of money and grain.

As long as they don't have too many children, they can have enough coarse grain and vegetable buns in their daily lives.

During festivals, when improving food, they can also eat a meal of meat.

The standard of living is even a few points better than the rich households in their original villages, similar to some small landlords.

These prisoners of theirs are miserable; not only is the food standard lower, but they are usually barely seven or eight percent full.

Fortunately, the garrison vigorously promotes high-yield vegetables, and they also benefit from it, otherwise life would be even more miserable.

If you want to eat meat, unless you make a contribution, it is an extravagant hope.

Even so, the families who followed them quickly accepted the reality.

They originally lived at the bottom, and their standard of living after exile was even a little better than before, so what else could they hope for.

The most critical thing is the debt on their bodies, which doesn't need to be repaid now.

If they hadn't joined the rebel army and seen some of the world, they would probably be content with the status quo.

But precisely because they have seen the world, they are unwilling to be content with the status quo.

The military households next door are the objects of their envy.

Not only is the daily standard of living high, but there is also hope for upward mobility.

Joining the army, once you make a contribution, the fate of the whole family will change.

Now that there is a choice, even if it is to fight for their lives in a foreign land, countless people are signing up.

For a serious crime like rebellion, even if the Emperor grants a general amnesty, there will be no share for them.

Entering Annan to fight for their lives is their only chance to change their fate.

"Third brother, why are you here too?

Didn't we agree that you would stay at home to take care of the family, and I would come out to fight for my life!"

Looking at the familiar face, the middle-aged man with a sallow complexion immediately questioned.

Influenced by clan concepts, everyone attaches great importance to the inheritance of incense.

Even if fighting for their lives, they wouldn't put everything on the line.

"Big brother, I signed up behind your back.

Mom and Dad both agreed.

As for family matters, if we go out to fight for our lives, the garrison will take care of it."

The young man immediately replied.

This exile was mainly caused by their joining the rebel army, implicating many relatives.

If trouble is caused, it always needs to be solved.

Even if they were not arranged together, their simple logic also believed that the trouble they caused should be borne by themselves.

Even if they didn't say it, he saw his parents crying in private more than once, saying they had no face to face their ancestors.

There is only one such opportunity, and he doesn't want to let it go.

Even if the eldest brother came out, there is only one person after all, so how many heads can he get?

If they cannot get everyone pardoned, what face do they have to go back.

"Sigh!"

"You shouldn't have come!"

"In case of an accident, the family incense will be cut off."

The eldest brother's emotion did not gain the young man's approval.

"Big brother, in our situation, even if we stay at home, the incense will be cut off anyway.

Who would consider us from a decent family!"

As if resonating, the prisoners of war on the ship shed tears one after another.

Poor people are not worthy of having descendants.

Let alone now, even before exile, they were also a group of bachelors.

A few who were married also relied on looting to accumulate wealth after joining the rebel army to get married and have children.

Precisely because they had nothing, everyone dared to fight for their lives.

"Alright, put away all your tears for me.

Bringing you out this time is not only to make up for crimes with meritorious service but also to seek wealth.

The imperial court has promised that we will get half of the looted wealth.

If you are worried about your family's incense, then grab a few more women and go back to give birth to them slowly.

The Annan people are all soft-footed shrimps and are very easy to bully.

As long as you are willing to fight bravely, you will have military merit, land, and women!"

……

The leader of the team immediately turned on the big bluff mode.

The method was a bit rough, but the effect was quite good.

When people are at a low point, what they need most is hope.

Even if the road to success is full of various risks, everyone is still willing to fight for it.

……

Zhennan Pass.

The farce that happened in the capital has not yet spread, and everyone is still immersed in the joy of victory.

The end of the Jiangnan war not only means that reinforcements are coming but also represents resource tilting.

The Annan war has been in a defensive state until now.

In addition to strategic needs, there is no lack of resource considerations.

Relying solely on the power of the two Guang regions, it is not difficult to defeat the Annan people militarily; the difficulty is how to annex Annan.

"The dust has settled, and everyone can relax.

The progress of the war is smoother than expected.

A portion of the military expenses raised in advance remains.

In addition to being used for post-war reconstruction, we also got a share.

1.5 million taels of silver and 800,000 shi of grain will be transported to Among Guangxi within three months.

I have already coordinated, and the Governor's offices of Min-Zhe and Jiangnan have both promised to provide us with supplementary pay.

The specific amount of supplementary pay will be determined after the autumn tax collection is completed.

Next, we can let go and fight a battle with the Annan people!"

Li Mu said to everyone with great spirit.

Those participating in the meeting were all the foundation he had painstakingly built.

Loyalty is not lacking, but the vision is truly limited.

There is no way; the small living environment has limited their vision.

After entering the army, they began to make up for it later.

Knowledge level can be learned, but inherent cognition is not so easy to change.

Most people hold opposing opinions on managing Annan.

Living well in the Great Dayu, no one wants to go to the remote "Annan".

The strategic plan can be pushed forward entirely by Li Mu's persistence.

Even now, most people only support it on the surface and do not hold hope for managing Annan in private.

This is the trouble caused by reading.

The description of Annan in books is either remote or rampant with "miasma".

Even though Li Mu repeatedly guaranteed that Annan's land is fertile, everyone still has no bottom in their hearts.

Many people worry that the spies below sent back false intelligence to fool their Marquis.

In case Annan is not rich enough to obtain tax revenue locally in a short time, the war expenses will become a heavy burden that crushes this group.

(End of chapter)