Chapter 304: Seizing the Salt Administration, Reforming the Commercial Tax

Early the next morning, the assembled ministers came to Huangji Hall for the morning audience as usual, but when they looked up, the Chongzhen Emperor, who would ordinarily already be seated on the dragon throne at this hour, was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, the ministers were all abuzz with speculation.

"Why hasn't His Majesty come? By past custom, he should have arrived by now." Wang Shaowei, the Minister of Personnel, frowned slightly.

Hearing his superior speak, Vice Minister of Personnel Lu Guangzu quickly chimed in: "Your Excellency need not worry overmuch. This official has learned that yesterday His Majesty conferred with the newly appointed Grand Secretary, Lord Jiang, late into the night, and after leaving Huangji Hall, went straight to Noble Consort Rou's bedchamber — naturally he is extremely busy."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Wang Shaowei naturally knew that the Chongzhen Emperor's doting on that Uriankhai woman was beyond what any ordinary consort could compare to, and so he understood at once. He laughed: "It seems His Majesty truly was busy enough yesterday — not a single moment of rest from day to night. No wonder he hasn't come to the morning audience today."

As he spoke, Wang Shaowei caught himself and asked further: "A newly appointed Grand Secretary? What happened to Wei Zaode — was he called to account by His Majesty?"

"Not at all. His Majesty not only did not censure him, but instead added the title of Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent. This honor of a laureled retirement with full salary is unprecedented in previous reigns — truly enviable beyond measure." Lu Guangzu smiled and shook his head.

Hearing this startling news, Wang Shaowei nodded quietly, and began to ponder inwardly.

As the ministers were conversing, they saw Wang Dehua, the brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, come trotting over with small quick steps. Standing beside the dragon throne, he called out in a shrill voice: "His Majesty's oral decree — the morning audience shall be held later; await further orders!"

After shouting this, Wang Dehua walked over to Jiang Dejing's side. First he gave a fawning smile, then turned and said: "Gentlemen, this servant has already ordered the underlings to prepare the side hall. His Majesty still has matters to attend to — shall we move over?"

"Matters to attend to? What matter is greater than the morning audience!?" Chen Hong, a Hanlin Junior Compiler, said loudly, evidently quite displeased.

Hearing this, Wang Dehua cast him a cold glance. But Chen Hong was bold of spirit, and stubbornly stepped forward to speak again, only to be held back by Censor Lin Tong behind him. Lin Tong smiled and said:

"Pray forgive him, Eunuch Wang. Lord Chen's concubine ran off yesterday, and he is full of resentment — that is why he spoke rashly before you in the hall. Another day, the two of us will surely call upon your residence to atone for this offense."

"Hmph. The saying goes that eunuchs are petty-minded, but this servant has served His Majesty so long that even His Majesty knows I am not one to bear grudges." Wang Dehua gave a snort and said with a cold face:

"But let Lord Chen remember this: since this matter fell on me, I, as a man of magnanimity, will not stoop to petty quarrels — and so it passes. But if it had been Eunuch Li and the others instead, the days ahead would not have been so easy!"

After all, the eunuch faction now held great power, and Chen Hong dared not defy them too far. The Donglin Faction in the court had been nearly wiped out in the last mass purge — dismissed from office, sent into military exile, and most simply beheaded outright.

Those who remained now were mostly small fry. Even if a few figures of considerable renown in Donglin still existed, they did not dare show their faces, terrified that the Chongzhen Emperor might, in a fit of displeasure, exterminate their entire clans.

For one must know — this emperor was possessed by the spirit of Jie and Zhou.

Chen Hong said no more. Lin Tong, though a Censor, could only respond with an awkward smile and assent to Wang Dehua's self-praise, not daring to utter a single rebellious word to provoke him.

In truth, any discerning eye could see that Wang Dehua kept saying he did not mind, yet his expression and his words said otherwise — he was already deeply displeased.

After leaving Huangji Hall, Chen Hong, thinking of his family, regretted his momentary rashness bitterly. Lin Tong likewise sighed continuously, frustrated that he could not make iron of him.

Lin Tong said repeatedly that eunuchs now wielded power that reached the heavens, that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot enjoyed the deep trust of the imperial authority, and that Wang Dehua was among the most powerful of the brush-holding eunuchs — being marked by him was no good thing.

Under the Chongzhen Emperor's deliberate indulgence, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the imperial party, after two years of development, had already reached a point in the eyes of the Donglin Faction where they could do anything. Unless the emperor died a sudden death, there was simply no contending with them.

If anyone claimed Wang Dehua had no way of disposing of Chen Hong without anyone being the wiser, even ghosts would not believe it.

The ministers sat in the side hall until their backsides ached and their whole bodies were sore. Only at the hour of Si did they finally see a grim-faced Wang Dehua arrive to announce the summons. Hearing that they were to be received, the ministers felt as if pardoned from a sentence, and hurriedly made their way to Huangji Hall for an audience.

Because of the earlier incident, Chen Hong did not feel the time passing slowly like the others. He sat restless the whole while, and had even gone privately to find Wang Dehua — but this brush-holding eunuch simply acted as if he did not exist, not even deigning to acknowledge him.

Few among the ministers had noticed the earlier incident. Upon arriving at Huangji Hall, they finally saw the Chongzhen Emperor leaning back on the dragon throne, yawning. After kowtowing and shouting long live the Emperor, that day's "morning audience" formally began.

First, Wang Dehua read out the imperial decree drafted by the Directorate of Ceremonial: Wei Zaode was to be elevated to Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, and it was announced that Wei Zaode, the eighteenth Chief Grand Secretary of the Chongzhen reign of the Great Ming, was to retire with full honors, having accomplished his service.

This day was the last of Wei Zaode's official career, and the last time he would attend court as Chief Grand Secretary. After receiving the decree, Wei Zaode was deeply moved, crying out several times that the Emperor was sagely, before striding away with broad steps.

Next, Jiang Dejing, the Second Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, was promoted from Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion to Grand Secretary of the Jianji Hall, succeeding Wei Zaode as Chief Grand Secretary — becoming the nineteenth Chief Grand Secretary of the Chongzhen reign of the Great Ming.

"Your minister thanks Your Majesty — long live the Emperor, ten thousand thousand years! Your minister and the Grand Secretariat have a memorial to submit!" The second half of Jiang Dejing's sentence after receiving the decree and giving thanks was to present the memorial the Grand Secretariat had drafted through the night — throwing the entire court into shock.

"Upon investigation by the relevant offices, private minting of copper coinage has run rampant among the people. Local officials, for petty profit, often lend their full efforts to it. The Grand Secretariat has deliberated and proposes the establishment of an Imperial Bank, to take overall charge of currency exchange, lending, and deposit of silver!"

"Since the fifteenth year of Wanli, miscellaneous taxes and levies have multiplied. Taxes such as the warehouse tax have failed to achieve their effect, and instead have become oppressive exactions harming the people. The Grand Secretariat has deliberated and proposes the establishment of a National Tax Bureau, temporarily under the Ministry of Revenue. From now on, tenant farmers need not pay taxes, so as to lighten the corvée burdens on the people!"

"Upon investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Denglai and Jiaozhou have engaged in much illegality, making salt from the sea and converting private trade into official monopoly. It is requested that the Jiaozhou Patrol Inspection Office be abolished. Furthermore, the garrison salt fields of the Nine Borders have long lain waste, leading to local private buying and selling, forming factions and cliques, truly endangering the peace of the neighborhood. The Grand Secretariat has deliberated and proposes the establishment of a Salt Administration Bureau, to bring all salt affairs under the court's control, yielding an annual revenue of over eight million, five hundred ninety-nine thousand taels!"

Jiang Dejing's words reached every minister's ears with perfect clarity. Their expressions shifted from initial shock to incomprehension, to dazed bewilderment, and finally to seething anger they dared not voice — a truly splendid spectacle of changing faces.

The Chongzhen Emperor watched the transformations of his ministers below from his seat, his heart blooming with delight.

After Jiang Dejing finished speaking, the court fell utterly silent. The saying goes that a new official lights three fires upon taking office — but this Jiang Dejing's fire burned far too fast and too fiercely!

Commercial taxes have existed since antiquity and are long-established practice — why the hell do you want to set up a National Tax Bureau? Is the realm of the Great Ming not chaotic enough, that you must stir up blood and storm to be satisfied?

Aside from the tax bureau, the ministers had not yet figured out what this "bank" thing was for, so they could not attack it. As for the Salt Administration Bureau — that was a secret passed from mouth to mouth, deliberately kept from the Chongzhen Emperor.

But you, this new Chief Grand Secretary — on your very first day in office you drag this secret, kept for decades approaching a century, out into the open, and even brazenly propose to bring all private salt and the garrison salt of the Nine Borders under the court's control.

Hardly a man present was untainted by private salt dealings. The officials beneath them had taken no small amount of tribute silver from private salt merchants — and silver, once received, could never be returned.

In other words, if the Salt Administration Bureau Jiang Dejing proposed were established and private salt were nationalized, that would be one less means of lining one's pockets — and that would never do!

Then there was only one way to handle this matter: make sure the Salt Administration Bureau and the National Tax Bureau never get established!