Chapter 223: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkeys

"What the Second Grand Secretary says makes great sense. Most of the Ming's commerce today comes from Jiangnan, and the land of the Three Wu bears directly on the dynasty's rise and fall. If levying a commercial tax should destabilize the people's hearts there, the result would likely run contrary to our wishes. His Majesty's concerns are also viewed from the overall situation, but the privy purse is presently quite well supplied, and His Majesty has himself said: the wealth of the empire should serve the empire's use. At a time when the realm has just been pacified, why must His Majesty stir up fresh trouble? The sage rulers of antiquity all said that when the people are prosperous, the state is strong. Since His Majesty is a capable enlightened sovereign, this principle must not go unheeded!"

Grand Secretary Zhang Zhifa stepped forward and spoke with fervor, clearly siding with Wang Yingxiong and Hu Dake—and what he said carried real weight: Your Majesty just said the wealth of the empire should serve the empire's use, and now, not even a few days later, are you going to go back on your word? Your little treasury is already overflowing with silver—why must you go snatching food from the mouths of the people?

Zhu Youjian was nearly amused into anger by this old fool.

Zhang Zhifa's argument was so familiar—the people of Jiangnan were being represented without ever knowing it: as if taxing merchants meant taxing the common folk of Jiangnan. In their eyes, for the court to levy taxes on the gentry-merchants of Jiangnan was to contend with the people for profit, while hoarding wealth in the hands of Jiangnan's gentry would make the people rich and the state strong.

"Do the two Grand Secretaries mean to say that levying a commercial tax will destabilize the hearts of Jiangnan's people? That merchants are the cornerstone of Jiangnan's stability? Though I have long dwelt deep in the palace, I am not wholly ignorant of affairs beyond these walls. The great merchants and magnates of Jiangnan are numerous, to be sure, but their total number is an extremely small fraction of the entire population of the Three Wu. Would this small segment truly gather in crowds to defy the court over a commercial tax? Then let me see who dares such audacity! I am no man who cannot see reason—many merchants have amassed their fortunes through hard toil, and I bear them no envy. But have my ministers considered this? It is precisely because the Ming has enjoyed two hundred years of peace that such merchants have the security to do business undisturbed. Yet whence comes that stability? Was it not bought with the lives of countless officers and soldiers? If not for the imperial armies extinguishing bandits within and repelling the Tatar foe without, tell me—how would these rich merchants safely move goods between north and south and turn their profits? If not for the imperial armies pacifying the roving bandits, you could load a boat with goods in Suzhou or Hangzhou and set out for the capital to sell—only to meet bandits on the way and lose both goods and life! I ask you plainly: when such people enjoy in peace a security others bought with their lives, should they not bear their fair share of obligation in return?"

Zhu Youjian did not directly point at the background of Jiangnan's gentry; he simply argued the matter on its merits: since someone has made enormous sacrifices for you, you ought to render corresponding recompense. For over two hundred years the court has not demanded this of you—but that does not mean you may take it as your due without a second thought.

You say taxing will destabilize Jiangnan—do you mean to tell me those gentry who wallow in luxury day and night would actually dare to rebel?

Wang Yingxiong and Zhang Zhifa exchanged glances. They had not expected that their tried-and-true rhetoric would today prove utterly useless against the Emperor. Clearly, the Emperor was set on levying the tax, come what may.

What was to be done? The new levy meant no small loss to their own family interests, and accumulated over time, that was a vast fortune. To watch silver that should have been their own snatched away by the Emperor—how could it not pain them to the bone?

"The enlightened rulers of antiquity prided themselves on heeding remonstrance; whenever a matter touched the national economy and the people's livelihood, they listened carefully to others' views, then discerned right from wrong before deciding. His Majesty's decision seems tinged with obstinate self-reliance, lacking a clear recognition of the evil consequences of this commercial tax! All goods the north requires must be supplied by Jiangnan. Should the merchants of Jiangnan jointly halt their shipments, within little more than a month the capital's populace would surely face shortages of daily necessities! At this moment when hearts in the realm have just begun to settle, if this should spark unforeseeable calamity, I fear it would not bode well for the altars of state!"

Wang Yingxiong still would not give up, persisting in trying to force Zhu Youjian to change his decision with extreme rhetoric.

"I am most curious—why does Grand Secretary Wang repeatedly speak up to plead for the merchants of Jiangnan? Could it be that Your Grace has some entanglement of interest in the matter? Since Supervising Secretary Hu of the Revenue Bureau is so single-mindedly devoted to the people, should such a loyal and upright minister go unpromoted, it would make me look blind to talent! Transmit my edict: Supervising Secretary Hu of the Revenue Bureau, being upright and decorous, and having discharged his duties faithfully in his remonstrance post, is hereby specially elevated to the post of Left Senior Administrator of the Zhou Prince's household! The post of Supervising Secretary of the Revenue Bureau shall stand temporarily vacant. If any of you have suitable candidates, put them forward freely, and after the relevant offices have examined them, they shall be promoted and appointed!"

Unable to contain the fire within him, Zhu Youjian issued the order by force after warning Wang Yingxiong.

Aren't you all in league together? Then I'll kill the chicken to scare the monkeys—take out that little underling who jumped out first!

Since that Supervising Secretary used his authority to block and return my edict, then let the post sit empty! There are plenty of people eager to sit in such a coveted position—and in the end, whoever obeys me gets to sit there!

Satisfied now?

A seventh-rank Supervising Secretary of the Revenue Bureau, promoted four grades at once, straight to a fifth-rank post—do I not show discernment for talent?

Little runt, daring to contend with me! Of the twenty-eight princes, only one household is gone now, leaving twenty-seven. Those princely households' fifth-rank Left and Right Senior Administrators and sixth-rank Chief Adjudicators—there's room enough to slot in over eighty officials. If you're not convinced, come on—these posts are all reserved for you!

I'll make you taste sheer ecstasy, see if I don't!

Wang Yingxiong and Zhang Zhifa stood dumbfounded. This was losing the wife and losing the soldiers too—they hadn't blocked the tax, and they'd lost an extremely important man from their camp in the bargain.

The other ministers in the hall who had remained silent felt their hearts pound with alarm even as their minds raced, thinking over who in their own pockets might suit this low-ranked yet powerful post.

The Emperor, breaking with his usual manner, had openly rebuked two Grand Secretaries and dealt a fatal blow to their vanguard. This wasn't a promotion—it was a stay of execution, wasn't it? This Hu Dake's political life was finished; so long as the current sovereign sat the throne, he would never have a chance to turn things around.

"Minister Wen, issue the directive for levying the commercial tax immediately to all provinces and the canal customs houses. The commercial tax shall be collected from this day forward! Any who refuse to pay shall not be permitted to ship goods via the Grand Canal!"

For transporting goods from Jiangnan to the capital and other northern destinations, only the Grand Canal route was the most economical in effort, money, and time.

Don't want to pay the tax? Fine—then take the overland route.

Over those thousands of li, you'd hire carts, horses, and laborers, pay for lodging and meals along the way, suffer the exactions of petty clerks on the road, contend with rain and floods and every manner of misfortune—by the time your goods reached their destination, even the cheapest merchandise would be prohibitively dear. Others shipping the same goods by boat would sell them far cheaper than you. Do you think anyone would still buy from you?

Wen Tiren stepped out with a beaming smile to receive the edict.

Seeing Wang Yingxiong and Zhang Zhifa humiliated, old Wen felt as refreshed as if he'd bitten into an ice-cold watermelon in the height of summer.

"Two fools! They don't even look at the situation before leaping out to oppose the Emperor! His Majesty's conduct these past few years has changed greatly from before—gone is that earlier suspicious, mercurial temperament; he acts with far more resolution and severity, bearing much of the style of the Founder and the Ancestor. Though I stand alone and friendless in the court, so long as I cling tightly to His Majesty's side, what can anyone do to me? This realm is still the Zhu family's realm! That I should share office with two men as stupid as pigs is a lifelong disgrace!"

Having thought this, Wen Tiren felt it wasn't enough—he needed to add a bit more poison to the two fools' cup. Strike while the iron is hot; kill while the sickness is upon them!

"Though the Second Grand Secretary hails from Bazhong, after passing the examinations he formed a marriage alliance with a certain Wang family, a great merchant of Suzhou Prefecture. This merchant Wang is a famed dealer in silks and cloth in Suzhou Prefecture, maintaining several shopfronts in the capital exclusively selling Jiangnan silks and textiles. The Second Grand Secretary's remarks just now were perhaps born of anxiety clouding his judgment. I humbly beg His Majesty to show compassion for this small private motive and not let resentment take root in his heart!"

Grand Secretary Wen struck directly at Wang Yingxiong's vitals: Your Majesty, do you see? If you levy this tax, you're reaching straight into the pockets of Grand Secretary Wang's in-law! The man ships vast quantities of goods from Jiangnan to the capital every year—do you think he'll be happy about this tax of yours?

And that bit about showing compassion for his private motive and not letting resentment take root—that was practically added just to make sure Zhu Youjian didn't forget to hold a grudge.