Chapter 106: Winning the first battle; good plans and good governance

The so-called "three *geng* days after the summer solstice mark the beginning of the dog days"; after the summer solstice, the weather becomes increasingly hot and dry.

Because of the hot weather, at the beginning of the fifth month, the Emperor followed the request of the *Jingyan* officials, and the *Jingyan* was temporarily suspended.

Furthermore, it was decided that in the future, the *Jingyan* spring lectures would start on the twelfth day of the second month and be suspended on the second day of the fifth month; the autumn lectures would start on the twelfth day of the eighth month and be suspended on the second day of the tenth month.

This is to be a permanent rule, and there is no need to request it one by one.

In other words, the little Emperor is on summer vacation.

Unfortunately, summer vacation is not for enjoyment.

Precisely because the Emperor stopped the classics lectures, the number of times the cabinet requested the Emperor to go to the Wenhua Hall to listen to government affairs, as well as the number of ministers running to the West Garden to report, have clearly increased.

For example, today, while Zhu Yijun was still eating lunch, Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu were already waiting at the Chengguang Hall.

Seeing the Emperor enter, the two hurriedly saluted: "Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun waves his hand to signal them to stand up.

He sits behind the imperial desk, takes a breath, and says: "The Chief Minister and Minister Wang came in a hurry; is there something important?"

The two look at each other, and Zhang Juzheng nods to signal Wang Chonggu to report first.

The latter follows suit and takes a step forward.

After entering the Cabinet, Wang Chonggu is quite high-spirited.

His frontier temperament has settled down a bit, making him look much more experienced and steady.

He shows a smile and says loudly: "Your Majesty! A great victory!"

Zhu Yijun immediately reacts and asks: "Did the Duoyan Guard invade the border again? What is the result!?"

His tone is full of surprise.

Wang Chonggu is used to the Emperor's exquisite mind, picks the important parts, and reports the matter.

Zhu Yijun listens seriously to Wang Chonggu, nodding from time to time.

At the beginning of the fifth month, after the Duoyan Guard's envoy went back, he also brought the news back to the tribe.

Although the imperial court rewarded the Duoyan Guard, it was in the name of the nominal chief, Chang'ang.

They did not reward the current real power figure of the Duoyan Guard, Dong Huli.

This is just that; the imperial court still rewarded silver.

As for grain, cloth, etc., there was none—if they wanted grain, they needed Chang'ang to come forward and purchase it from the Great Ming border towns.

Power is influence; Chang'ang took advantage of this to win over tribal elders and conquer people's hearts.

Dong Huli naturally wouldn't sit idly by.

At this time, Dong Huli actively leaning towards the Great Ming Dynasty is not necessarily not a way out.

But he chose another direction—that is, external war to divert internal conflicts.

Ancient methods are enduring precisely because their effects are almost like objective laws, and they have never failed.

The best way for nomadic peoples to consolidate power is naturally a successful plunder.

Whether it is people, grain, or coarse salt.

As long as the plunder is successful, their prestige and status in the tribe will rise.

Internal threats will also be resolved.

Unfortunately, Dong Huli's calculations were good, but his luck was bad.

This time, he happened to meet Qi Jiguang, who was waiting for the rabbit and was fully prepared.

Wang Chonggu is still beaming: "Dong Huli's Tatar bandits, over 4,000 cavalry, invaded from the two routes of Panjiakou and Longjing Pass, and happened to run into Qi Jiguang."

"In this battle, the border army beheaded over 300 enemies, wounded countless bandits, and the Tatar chief Zhekelulanle was beheaded! Dong Huli fled in a panic!"

Panjiakou, Longjing Pass?

Zhu Yijun is stunned, which is somewhat beyond his expectations.

How does he remember... in history, Dong Huli invaded from Jieling and Taolin.

He even specifically instructed to strengthen the military defense there.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun suddenly reacts—it turns out he seems to have "carved a mark on the boat to find the sword"!

Since he specifically increased troops, the enemy's scouts are not fools.

Zhu Yijun touches his nose somewhat awkwardly, fortunately, outsiders don't know.

He also secretly reminds himself.

Water has no constant shape, and soldiers have no constant situation.

He was born in a peaceful era, how could he know how to fight?

Especially involving military affairs, things in history may not be accurate.

Since he doesn't understand, he shouldn't engage in micro-management, otherwise, it will easily become Chang Kaichen.

Besides trusting veteran generals like Qi Jiguang and giving them support in the temple, he should rely on the profound accumulation of the country and use the magnificent trend to crush the enemy.

Zhu Yijun takes a deep breath.

"I examine myself three times a day."

Wang Chonggu doesn't know what the Emperor is thinking, still reporting the details of this battle one by one.

Speaking to the end, he starts to ask for merit: "The Cabinet and the Ministry of War believe that those who directed the battle, those who charged and broke the enemy, those who drove together, and those who provided remote support, should all be discussed."

"Especially Qi Jiguang, the General Manager, and Xu Xuegu, the Military Defense Assistant, as the first merit."

Not rewarding merit after winning a battle means there is no fighting power.

As for verification and review, it is naturally done by the Ministry of War and the Censors.

Zhu Yijun naturally has no reason to disagree, happily following: "Yes!"

Of course, Wang Chonggu didn't come here just for small things like asking for merit.

He pauses and says again: "Your Majesty, after this battle, there are quite a few influences."

"I hear that Chang'ang is now under house arrest by Dong Huli."

"And the Duoyan Guard leaders, the barbarian chiefs Wulusihan and the barbarian woman Boyan Zhulai, have announced that they will return the population originally abducted by the Great Ming, and bind and offer two members of the sinful tribe, Boyan Aduchi, begging for forgiveness and restoration of tribute."

"The Ministry of War believes that the matter is between two possibilities, please Your Majesty's holy decision."

This is the effect of a battle, and the Duoyan Guard is in chaos.

Dong Huli has to use extreme methods to suppress Chang'ang.

And other leaders also have different thoughts.

After speaking, Wang Chonggu also explains Wulusihan to the Emperor.

Wulusihan is one of the lords of the Duoyan Guard, Dong Huli's younger brother, Chang'ang's uncle, who listens to the tribal leaders but not the proclamation.

But this part is always a wall-grass.

During the Jiajing period, they repeatedly harassed the border, but if other tribes invaded the border, this part would secretly report to the border generals.

During the Longqing period, the imperial court tried to reward them, but Wulusihan often accepted the reward in the front, and continued to plunder in the back.

Now he just sees the situation is not good and starts to ride the wall again.

And the bound Boyan Aduchi is naturally the enemy chief whose hands were stained with the blood of the Great Ming border generals.

Zhu Yijun nods thoughtfully.

He has heard of the Wulusihan tribe.

In history, in the second year of Wanli, which is next year, Dong Huli invaded Xifengkou again, and Wulusihan followed the imperial court's orders to stop it.

In the third year, Chang'ang invaded the border and borrowed troops from him, and Wulusihan also sternly refused and secretly reported to the imperial court.

Subsequently, Chang'ang was defeated, and he even carried Chang'ang to the border to plead guilty.

Of course, as the Ming Dynasty gradually weakened, this part immediately turned against them.

Frequently assisting Chang'ang in plundering Liaodong and other places.

In short, it is a wild dog that cannot be fed, fearing power but not cherishing virtue.

Zhu Yijun ponders for a moment and says: "Just behead Boyan Aduchi to show the public; as for tribute..."

"If it can facilitate mutual trade, I will not be stingy with rewards."

White-plucking? Thinking beautifully!

Before, the imperial court didn't want to fight, but now Zhu Yijun doesn't mind this kind of small-scale war with small tribes—if you don't bleed continuously, how can you do business well? And how can you be safely assimilated?

Want rewards? Then really do some performance!

Wang Chonggu nods and agrees, then wants to retreat.

Zhu Yijun suddenly calls Wang Chonggu: "Minister Wang."

Wang Chonggu stands still again, bowing and listening.

Zhu Yijun thinks for a while and says seriously: "Tuman Khan keeps harassing the border; my meaning is, after the *Kaizhong* Law is restored, first fill the granaries of Jiliao."

"What does the Minister think?"

Wang Chonggu is shocked.

First fill the granaries of Jiliao, is this to pave the way for a great war?

Correspondingly, Xuan-Da naturally has to be ranked behind.

He meets the Emperor's gaze and falls into hesitation.

Zhu Yijun sees this, sighs, and says again: "Your father Wang Yao, uncle Wang Wenxian, and brother Wang Chongyi, since they are all righteous salt merchants in the northwest, might as well be able to do more."

"Take a part of the *Kaizhong* salt certificates of Jiliao."

This is helpless to induce with profit.

Sure enough, as soon as the voice falls, Wang Chonggu immediately bows: "I obey the edict!"

Zhu Yijun waves his hand to signal him to stand up.

Wang Chonggu sees that the Emperor has no more instructions, so he bows and retreats.

Zhu Yijun looks at Wang Chonggu's back, and after watching him leave, he sighs helplessly: "Even if you are a general and a prime minister, you can't wash away the merchant habits."

There is only him and Zhang Juzheng in the hall, so it doesn't matter if he complains.

He really can't help it.

The merchant habits on Wang Chonggu are too heavy.

Other things are handled officially, which is not a loss for a capable minister.

But once it involves damaging his private property, he starts to be two-faced and unwilling.

He has to be promised some benefits to make up for it before he can willingly handle the matter.

Zhang Juzheng, who is standing below, doesn't take it to heart.

He has been in the Cabinet for many years, who hasn't he seen?

Wang Chonggu is already good; at least most things can be handled steadily, which is already very rare.

Zhang Juzheng says comfortingly and remindfully: "Your Majesty overstates, the merchant flavor on Minister Wang is at least lighter than his nephew."

Wang Chonggu intervened and occupied a seat in the Cabinet, leaving Zhang Siwei neither up nor down, only able to continue to manage Cabinet affairs, and never able to become regular.

Over these days, his temperament has become visibly gloomy.

Private small actions go without saying.

Zhang Siwei, as the big manager of the Jin merchants, has been pressured by this junior on Wang Chonggu's relatives who do business.

Similarly, in the court, Zhang Siwei has also started to connect with people from the three Jin, not knowing what he is planning.

This situation makes one have to pay attention.

Zhu Yijun sits up straight as soon as he hears this.

He sighs: "The Minister is right, it's not good to drag on Zhang Siwei's matter..."

He looks at Zhang Juzheng and says sincerely: "The Minister might as well discuss it in court."

Zhang Juzheng glances at the Emperor without a trace.

He understands in his heart that although he doesn't know what method the Emperor will use, he obviously wants to give Zhang Siwei some color.

After all, who enters the Cabinet is directly pointed by the Emperor, and there is no such thing as court discussion.

If things are abnormal, there must be demons.

However, seeing that the Emperor has a plan in mind, he is too lazy to ask—there are too many things, and he has no time to take care of all aspects.

Zhang Juzheng nods and talks about the serious business of this trip: "Your Majesty, it was previously agreed that in August this year, the *Kaocheng* Law will be implemented in provinces such as Huguang, Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi."

"Before this, I and the Ministry of Personnel have organized the gains and losses of the *Kaocheng* Law again."

"The *Kaocheng* Law has been piloted for almost a year now."

"I and the Ministry of Personnel have added and subtracted, patched and mended on the basis of the original *Kaocheng* Law, combined with the drawbacks of this year, and finalized a new draft, so that it can be expanded to the two capitals and five provinces."

"Please Your Majesty's imperial review."

Saying this, he takes a memorial from his sleeve and presents it respectfully.

Zhu Yijun reaches out to take it.

He points to the low stool placed nearby, which is a bit far: "I have let the palace people retreat, the Chief Minister should sit down."

Zhang Juzheng is already used to the Emperor's style in private, and silently moves the stool over—it's not that he doesn't want to stand to show respect, but last time he refused, and the Emperor moved the stool for him himself.

For an Emperor with this style, apart from accepting his emotional bribery, there is no other choice.

Seeing the Emperor flipping through the memorial he presented, Zhang Juzheng explains intimately: "After a year, the more tricky problem of the *Kaocheng* Law is still on the low-ranking officials."

"Resisting in their hearts, large in number, and frequently connecting privately."

Zhu Yijun expected this, and asks without raising his head: "Specifically?"

Zhang Juzheng sighs: "Nothing more than those means."

"Double it. Execute the orders of the Central Secretariat and the provincial government twice as much. After stripping the people, they say it is the order of the Central Secretariat and the provincial government, deliberately inciting public resentment and inciting the people."

"Change it. Government orders always have imperfections; they change when they reach the province, change when they reach the prefecture, and when they reach the bottom, the *Kaocheng* goals formulated are strange and varied."

"Empty it..."

Zhang Juzheng wants to say more, but Zhu Yijun has already finished reading the memorial.

He waves his hand and laughs self-deprecatingly: "Empty it, that is formalism, right? I know."

Zhang Juzheng stops.

He chews on this word in his heart, feeling a bit strange, but also feeling inexplicably appropriate.

Zhu Yijun closes the memorial without any negative emotions; he has long been used to such things.

Instead, he comforts Zhang Juzheng: "The Minister and the Ministry of Personnel's response is just prescribing medicine according to the symptoms, which is quite good; just follow this, and I will give the Minister the red approval later."

"Things that have been expected, the Minister doesn't need to sigh; this shows the significance of the pilot."

"The devil is one foot high, the Dao is ten feet high; each makes their moves, just take it slowly."

Having said that, Zhu Yijun looks at Zhang Juzheng.

It must be said that after being the Chief Minister for a year, his face has aged quite fast.

It is no wonder that Yan Song and Xu Jie lived to eighty, while Zhang Juzheng passed away at fifty.

Wisdom hurts the body.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun advises: "The Chief Minister should also pay attention to cultivation; the road ahead is long."

Zhang Juzheng just takes it as ordinary comfort and doesn't take it to heart.

He gives a perfunctory "hmm."

Then he talks about the matter of Songjiang Prefecture: "The Earl of Ding'an reported the day before yesterday that the fields donated by the people to the Xu mansion have all been properly settled."

"The Prefect's office has also clarified the taxes, and most of the harsh taxes and miscellaneous levies in the local area have been removed."

"However, in this way, the regular taxes and corvée labor are probably not enough to support the operation of the major official offices in Songjiang Prefecture."

Hearing this, Zhu Yijun also becomes serious.

He thinks for a while and says seriously: "I am just about to discuss this with the Minister."

Zhu Yijun ponders for a moment and says bluntly: "I know the Minister intends to reform the tax law; Songjiang Prefecture is just right to set an example for us."

"I also have some thoughts on this, let me tell the Minister for reference."

Zhang Juzheng had guessed this long ago.

He had prepared his draft in the Cabinet today before running to the West Garden to find the Emperor.

Zhang Juzheng sits up straight and listens carefully.

Zhu Yijun subconsciously reaches out to fiddle with the air in front of him and ponders: "First, regular taxes are one-thirtieth, which is inappropriate; after abolishing harsh taxes and miscellaneous levies, everything will return to the regular taxes."

"Of course, how much specifically, and how much each province increases or decreases according to its characteristics, will have to be discussed with the Ministry of Revenue later."

Regular taxes being one-thirtieth is truly whimsical.

This number cannot be said to be very low, and it is probably enough for the normal operation of the Great Ming Dynasty's bureaucratic system—this is also the original intention of the Founding Emperor in formulating this number.

But the problem lies in the fact that in a dynasty, where is there any normal operation!?

This year there is a war, next year the Yellow River is governed, national ceremonies are held every few days, the canal collapses, Huguang has a great flood, Ningxia has an earthquake... it can be said to be countless.

Extraordinary things happen every year.

Not to mention the normal "wear and tear" of a system, where taxes are collected less and less, which is unavoidable.

Expenditures are more than expected, and income is less than expected; one-thirtieth is simply not enough to support the normal operation of the Great Ming Dynasty.

This is why there are all kinds of harsh taxes and miscellaneous levies, creating names, and trying every means to fill the holes.

Just like three hundred years later.

Under those productivity conditions, agricultural taxes had to be collected at one-seventh, and even so, additional retentions would be added later.

How can the Great Ming Dynasty be worthy of regular taxes as low as one-thirtieth?

If you want to reform the tax system, start with the pilot field and send the harsh taxes and miscellaneous levies back to the regular taxes.

Wait for three or five years of testing, and when the time is ripe, you can implement it nationwide.

Pilots are all precious experiences!

Zhu Yijun organizes his thoughts and continues: "Second, regarding annexation..."

"I can allow cooperative production among the people, but I do not allow annexation by official households and gentry."

"Specific matters will be discussed by the Cabinet and the Six Ministries; try more times, wait a few more years, it doesn't matter, anyway, it is only in one prefecture."

Annexation has both advantages and disadvantages.

If you want to promote agriculture towards scale and industrialization, annexation is a good thing.

Even, this is an unstoppable historical process.

If you want to promote the sprout of capitalism, this is an indispensable link.

But it is still that sentence, the so-called "different paths lead to the same destination"—what form of annexation, for the historical process, may be the same, but for the people, it is completely different.

Zhu Yijun still remembers how many tears Xia Yan's "The Factory Girl" cheated him of.

Now that he is crossing the river by feeling the stones, he naturally wants to try a new path.

Zhu Yijun pauses and continues: "Minister, what do you think... should the gentry pay grain?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 107 =====