Chapter 245

The next morning, at dawn, in the Yongshou Palace.

"What time is it?"

Having been an emperor for quite a few years, the habit of waking up early and reaching under the pillow to grope for a mobile phone had long since been replaced by manual time-telling.

"Your Majesty, why are you awake so early today?" Empress Liu was combing her hair and dressing at the side; hearing the movement, she turned her head back. "It is almost the Mao hour."

Nearing the Mao hour was, of course, not considered early; the court deliberation began exactly at the Mao hour.

But the Emperor had not held court for a month, had grown accustomed to sleeping late and rising late, and often did not open his eyes until nearing the Chen hour.

Zhu Yijun rubbed his eyes and lay down to sit up.

Yawning incessantly, he said, "There is a morning court today. With matters on my mind, I have been half-asleep and half-awake for a long time."

The Emperor had the Emperor's resolve, and the Chief Minister had the Chief Minister's resolve; Zhang Juzheng, having been frightened by Emperor Wuzong, still refused to take up the burden, unwilling to be a stepping stone for the Emperor's plans to soar through the universe.

Helplessly, the Emperor had to go out himself and put on a show at the Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, why did you not say so last night?"

Empress Liu complained; had she known there was a morning court, she would have let the Emperor rest earlier.

Perhaps recalling something, Empress Liu's face flushed with shyness; she turned her head away and rang the bell beside the dressing table.

Hearing the sound, the eunuchs and palace maids filed in.

Zhu Yijun rubbed his face, lifted the thin quilt, and placed his feet on the floor. "I thought about it last night; for your birthday on the ninth day of the first lunar month, let us still hold a small celebration. In the deep palace, one loses track of the years; if even your birthday is skipped, it truly wastes your youth, Empress."

While speaking, he took the hot towel handed over from the left and right.

Empress Liu did not even turn her head. "That is half a year away; why speak of it so far in advance?"

It was not enough that the Emperor had arranged all of this year's affairs; he was actually arranging next year's as well.

These words did not wait for the Emperor's response.

Perhaps he was too lazy to answer.

Or perhaps the Emperor was meticulous from start to finish while brushing his teeth and would not take time out to speak a few words while gargling.

"Besides, Your Majesty is preparing to skip your own Longevity Festival in the eighth month; how can there be a reason for the husband not to lead and the wife not to follow?"

Empress Liu was, after all, dutiful and viewed matters quite simply.

After washing up, Zhu Yijun stood up, walked to the dressing table, and urged, "It is not good to hold banquets in the palace every few days. The silver I save can just be used for your birthday, can it not?"

He paused, rested his chin on the Empress's shoulder, and said softly, "Imperial Concubine Wu gave birth to a son this year and was granted a title; if I skip your birthday banquet at this time, it will easily lead to gossip behind my back."

After saying this, Zhu Yijun straightened up as if nothing had happened and rubbed the Empress's shoulders twice.

Gossip was naturally multi-faceted.

Perhaps it would be criticizing the Emperor for being obsessed with beauty and favoring only the Wu clan, or perhaps that the Emperor could not manage his family, leading to the harem fighting for favor. Of course, given Zhu Yijun's current power, it was more a worry about people inside and outside the palace wagging their tongues about the Empress.

Only then did the Empress realize the Emperor's considerations, and her heart could not help but warm.

There were always noblewomen relaying how the common folk portrayed the Emperor as cruel and temperamental, with such a serious demeanor that it made the tenderness she, the person sleeping beside him, saw seem like a dream.

Thinking of this, she could not help but stop her movements and reach out to cover the Emperor's hand resting on her shoulder.

Zhu Yijun smiled and held the Empress's hand in return. "I will send an oral decree to Wang Shizhen later, telling him to prepare your birthday poem in advance."

Do not ask why it is so rushed; it is because by then, Alliance Leader Wang will likely no longer be in the capital.

Upon hearing the name Wang Shizhen, the Empress's previously gentle expression immediately lost three parts of its warmth. "Your Majesty, please change to someone else to write the birthday poem; I do not like Wang Shizhen."

Zhu Yijun was startled and circled the Empress twice in surprise.

He cupped the Empress's cheeks and said with an exaggerated tone, "Oh my, what heinous crime did Alliance Leader Wang commit to offend even our gentle and serene Sister Liu?"

Not to mention the outer court, even Imperial Concubine Li had never made Empress Liu name names and speak ill of anyone.

Zhu Yijun could not help but be surprised.

The Empress rolled her eyes at the Emperor and sneered, "Last time, I saw this fellow's 'Jin Pingmei' on Your Majesty's desk, and one of the pages even had a corner folded."

"'What Ximen Qing and his wives and concubines do for pleasure,' when the mood strikes, he opens his mouth and says things like 'prostitute' or 'lewd woman,' and the wives and concubines are not angry when scolded, just taking it as his joke..."

She reached out and pinched the Emperor's thigh, saying ungraciously, "This fellow only knows how to write these things and has corrupted Your Majesty's purity. Never mind that I only dislike him; he deserves to be drowned in a pig cage!"

Zhu Yijun felt the pain, his forehead slightly sweaty.

He hurriedly withdrew and laughed it off. "It is getting late; I will go to the main hall to pad my stomach first, as there is a morning court later."

Having said this, he only had time to give Zhang Hong a wink before fleeing the warm pavilion in a sorry state.

Zhang Hong, holding the Emperor's everyday clothes, hurriedly followed to the main hall.

The Empress turned her head and glanced; seeing the Emperor's figure looking quite like he was fleeing in a panic, she could not help but cover her face and laugh.

After breakfast, he dressed carefully.

The dapper-looking Zhu Yijun walked out of the Yongshou Palace with a radiant demeanor, surrounded by an entourage as he headed toward the loyal Wenhua Hall.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Fuzhi memorized twenty-seven names yesterday."

Li Jin followed at the Emperor's side and pulled a paper filled with names from his sleeve.

Zhu Yijun turned his head and took it.

Kong Chenghou, Meng Yanpu, Yan Sishen... as expected of the foundation of a thousand-year-old family, they never fall behind in anything.

Zhu Yijun muttered to himself and continued reading.

Zou Yuanbiao, Zhao Nanxing, Luo Yuren... he knew it; those who want to court death, even if released in the southern suburbs, will find another way back into the Heavenly Prison.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and was about to continue reading when he saw an unexpected name.

Yin Gao?

Zhu Yijun could not help but frown.

What a Yin Shidan; he really knows how to make things difficult.

Taking advantage of the Emperor's inspection, Li Jin spoke again, "Zhang Fuzhi requests Your Majesty to use this to pardon his several uncles and a few close relatives."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun turned his head in confusion. "A life for a life is one thing; have I ever said he could designate who?"

Twenty-seven people are not enough to fill the gaps between my teeth, Zhang Fuzhi! Let me see your limit!

Li Jin was startled and almost failed to react.

Zhu Yijun put away Zhang Fuzhi's list and waved his hand casually. "Do not put him back in the Hanlin Academy; throw him beside Xu Jie to watch him. Give him time to think slowly, and bring them all together when the time comes."

The Hanlin Academy is crowded and noisy, naturally not as quiet as Xu Jie's residence, and it can also prevent him from being under too much pressure and going insane, cutting his roommates in the Hanlin Academy.

Li Jin responded respectfully, "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler who treats scholars with kindness."

Of course, that is what he said on the surface; whether he thought so in his heart was another matter.

From the perspective of Li Jin, who had been in charge of the Eastern Depot for many years, the Emperor had not killed many people—only about the amount Emperor Shizong had beaten to death in a day. On the contrary, the most terrifying thing about the current Emperor was that he had too many tricks!

Either he picks a son to kill, or he chooses clansmen to live, pretending to spare their lives and exiling them halfway before they realize they cannot escape, and they still have to shout "Long live" when beaten to death. Who wouldn't tremble at the sight of that?

Zhu Yijun felt quite good about himself and, oblivious, moved past the topic. "Should I go to the Renshou Palace tonight?"

Imperial Concubines and Noble Ladies do not have separate palaces and are usually called to the Wan Shougong to serve the Emperor.

Only the Empress, who resides in the Yongshou Palace, and Imperial Concubine Li, in the Renshou Palace, require the Emperor to move his carriage to visit in person.

Zhang Hong stepped forward. "Your Majesty has a good memory; it is indeed time for the Imperial Concubine."

The Emperor now has a total of six harem members with titles, and Imperial Concubine Wu must be excluded from serving the Emperor.

As such, there is naturally no need to draw lots; except for when they have their monthly periods, the rest of the time is on a rotation.

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment, shook his head, and corrected, "Call Imperial Concubine Han to serve me for these next few days."

Zhang Hong was somewhat confused.

Among the titled concubines, the Empress and the Imperial Concubine are the most favored, and the two Noble Ladies, Wu and Wang, serve the Emperor the most frequently. On the contrary, Imperial Concubine Han and Imperial Concubine Zhang are neither high nor low and have the least presence.

Why has His Majesty suddenly become obsessed with Imperial Concubine Han?

Although breaking the rotation rule is a bit abrupt, Zhang Hong would never wag his tongue about such matters. "This servant will go and notify Imperial Concubine Han later."

Zhu Yijun nodded. "No need to prepare the casings."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hong turned his head and exchanged a glance with Li Jin; joy appeared on both their faces simultaneously!

His Majesty has finally figured it out!

Zhang Hong nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes."

He was so excited he could not even speak clearly.

Zhu Yijun could not be bothered to care what these eunuchs were imagining; pregnancy must follow basic laws, and a high-quality result of one child a year is just enough to shut the mouths of the outer court officials who advise him to select more concubines.

Incidentally, it also cures the illness the outer court caught from being frightened by Emperor Wuzong.

Wenhua Hall.

Today, the court officials arrived exceptionally fully; the young and the old gathered, the wise and the foolish stood side by side, and the two rows of officials in scarlet robes stretched all the way to the entrance of the Wenhua Hall.

Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang and Minister of Works Zhu Heng, who had jumped out of the Three Realms, returned to the world today.

Wang Chonggu, who spent his days soaking in the Chief Military Commission, seemed to have finally remembered that he was a civil official.

Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Sanxi and Hai Yushi-in-Chief Xu Yizhong, who had pleaded incompetence and begged to be dismissed, were invited to the Wenhua Hall.

Even Duke of Cheng Zhu Xixiao, who had been silent for a long time after inheriting the title, made a comeback, wearing the attire of a ceremonial official.

The long-lost three clean whips sounded inside the Wenhua Hall.

Zhang Juzheng and Shen Shixing led the left and right rows respectively, bowing first, and the scarlet robes in the hall followed in order.

"Asking after Your Majesty's health."

Amidst the chorus of officials, the Emperor walked slowly out of the side hall and sat leisurely on the throne. "I am well."

Having not sat in the Wenhua Hall for a long time, Zhu Yijun shifted for a long while without finding a suitable sitting posture.

Zhu Yijun, while groping for the previous sense of fit, looked at Zhu Xixiao and said gently, "Has the Duke of Cheng's illness completely recovered?"

Originally, Zhu Xizhong killing the Prince was a beautiful job, but it was somewhat taboo.

Zhu Yijun then used the name of punishment to move the Duke of Cheng's title to Zhu Xixiao's branch.

Even so, Zhu Yijun was still worried that this family would be resented, so he took away Zhu Xixiao's position in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and let him recuperate at home.

Now that circumstances have changed, it is time for him to come out and do things.

Zhu Xixiao hurriedly bowed. "Your Majesty, my humble illness was completely cured by the time summer arrived this year."

If the Emperor does not call you out to do things, then it is a serious illness that is hard to cure; if the Emperor calls you out to do things, then you are full of vigor.

Zhu Yijun smiled lightly.

His gaze shifted to Fan Yingqi, Vice Minister of the Granary. "Fan Qing, is everything well at home?"

Fan Yingqi pursed his lips, bowed, and said, "My family management is not strict; how dare I trouble Your Majesty's concern? My family only lost some filthy things and is otherwise fine. A letter came a few days ago saying they are confronting and being tried by the Surveillance Commission, the newspaper office, and the ruffian scholars."

Zhu Yijun nodded with satisfaction.

It can be considered an accidental hit, suppressing a civil riot in its infancy.

The Emperor naturally cannot care for every minister, so after the small talk, it was time to start discussing business.

Zhu Yijun turned to look at Zhang Juzheng. "Yuanfu, what is the result of the lotus case tried by the court a few days ago?"

Countless eyes fell on Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Sanxi and Hai Yushi-in-Chief Xu Yizhong.

The two lowered their heads and said nothing.

Times are different now; the Emperor has come forward to make a ruling, and there is no room for argument.

Zhang Juzheng held his tablet and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, after reviewing the case files of the legal department, this case was a miscarriage of justice fabricated by the then Vice Minister of Justice Weng Dali and the Commander of the Five Cities Military Commission Zhang Guowei."

"The then Criminal Officials Wang Sanxi and Xu Yizhong catered to their superiors and could not distinguish right from wrong, while only Pan Zhiyi of the Criminal Office saw the case clearly and refused to sign."

Zhu Yijun listened quietly.

He naturally knew the result long ago; now it was just going through the motions.

After Zhang Juzheng finished speaking, Zhu Yijun said "Oh," "I was wondering why Judge Wang repeatedly wanted to make this case an ironclad one; so that is why."

Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Sanxi hung his head, showing no reaction to the Emperor's questioning.

Hai Yushi-in-Chief Xu Yizhong had already bowed and begged for mercy. "I am guilty! I beg to be dismissed!"

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun could not help but sigh. "Xu Qing, you catered to Weng Dali for promotion back then, and now you beg me to dismiss you; why bother?"

He was just expressing emotion; he did not really want to ask why.

Seeing Xu Yizhong kowtowing incessantly, tears and snot flowing, Zhu Yijun had to wave his hand. "Enough, you may go."

The boot dropped, and Xu Yizhong, who had been suffering for several days, almost collapsed in the Wenhua Hall.

Jiang Keqian, who was on the side, was quite observant and signaled the Jin Wuwei to take him out of the hall.

Having dealt with Xu Yizhong, Zhu Yijun simply did it all in one go. "Weng Dali, Minister of Justice in Nanjing, and Zhang Guowei, Commander of the Five Cities Military Commission, fabricated a miscarriage of justice; sentence them to death."

"Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Sanxi, who aided the tyrant, resisted investigation, deceived the Emperor, and ignored the law, has his crime increased by one degree; demote him to a commoner, strip him of all titles since his graduation, and never employ him again."

As soon as the words fell.

Wang Sanxi, who was a prominent court official just a moment ago, was caught in the middle by two Jin Wuwei in the blink of an eye, and in three or two strokes, his official robes were stripped off.

Wang Sanxi said nothing from beginning to end, gritting his teeth, and was carried out of the Wenhua Hall.

"Tsk, he really didn't lose his composure."

Zhu Yijun saw this and could not help but tease—he thought Wang Sanxi would be panicked and shouting, "I am here to attend the meeting at Wenhua Hall, what are you doing?" and so on. He did not expect him to have some dignity.

Of course, that was as far as the teasing went; he could not continue to punish him just because he refused to admit his guilt.

The officials had long been mentally prepared for the handling of the case, and for this result, almost all court officials looked straight ahead.

Perhaps intimidated by the Emperor's power, the Wenhua Hall was exceptionally quiet.

But the matter clearly did not end here; the case was just an entry point, and trimming the factions was the real business.

"Pan Qing, Xu Qing, what do you have to say about this case?"

The pressure came to the Ministry of Justice; Pan Sheng and Xu Guo looked at each other, and the latter could not wait to step out of the crowd.

Only to see Xu Guo kowtowing to plead guilty. "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice regarded the miscarriage of justice as a family scandal, resisted the overturning of the case, and covered it up repeatedly; the crime is heinous!"

Zhu Yijun did not commit to an opinion.

Hiding in a small building to become a unified whole is a common practice for the ministries, and of course, it is not a crime; it depends on how it is changed. He only heard Xu Guo say clearly and decisively, "From now on, all case files of the Ministry of Justice will be copied and kept in the State History Museum. Right and wrong will be tested by the scholars of the world and history. If there are any errors or omissions, they will be rectified immediately!"

Everyone could not help but be energized, looking at the two people from the Ministry of Justice in disbelief. Giving the case files to scholars to see!?

To dare to give others such a handle!

If there really were any miscarriages of justice, the students would not care about so much; once they identified right and wrong, they would share a common hatred, and it would not be impossible for them to cry out for justice at the palace gate.

Zhu Yijun was also somewhat unexpected, surprised, "All copied to the State History Museum? Would that be too cumbersome?"

He really had no concept of the work of the Ministry of Justice.

Xu Guo answered fluently, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice only tries major and important cases, no more than two or three books a year. In this dynasty, there are altogether..."

Suddenly realizing he was somewhat carried away, he hurriedly stopped his words. "It is nothing more than two more clerks."

While Xu was answering, he glanced at the silent Pan Sheng, feeling endless emotion in his heart.

There is no such thing as historical testing; let's get the political achievements in hand first. At this rate, if he climbs for a few more years, he might be able to leave the Ministry of Justice; at worst, he would just have to keep a close eye on things himself for these few years.

And after that? Whoever is in office when a miscarriage of justice occurs will be the unlucky one; it might just be used as a comparison for him, Xu Guo.

Zhu Yijun did not notice Xu Guo's thoughts at all, only feeling that this fellow was also a pillar of talent who dared to take responsibility!

He nodded slowly, letting the Ministry of Justice pass, and at the same time, gently encouraged Xu Guo a few words.

Xu Guo's daring actions made the early-rising Zhu Yijun feel a bit more pleasant.

Even the throne he sat on felt much more comfortable.

Zhu Yijun shifted his position, and his gaze happened to fall on Minister of Rites Wang Zongyi.

Seeing Old Wang's face, he suddenly remembered that he still owed the Ministry of Rites a matter that had not been discussed.

He coughed lightly and said solemnly, "Wang Qing, has the Ministry of Rites reached a conclusion on Ma Qing's posthumous title?"

Although he could not say what merit Old Ma had for a while, he was, after all, the right person who appeared at the right time, and even buying a horse's bones for a thousand gold could not be lacking in face.

Wang Zongyi moved half a step, stepped out, and replied, "The Ministry of Rites has discussed two posthumous titles for the late Grand Tutor Ma Ziqiang: 'Wensu' and 'Wenyi'. I beg Your Majesty to make a ruling."

After speaking, the old scholar really did not say anything more, not even an explanation.

Wensu... Wenyi... Zhu Yijun savored these two posthumous titles and weighed them in his heart.

As the Confucian master of the current era, Zhu Yijun naturally knew the ropes.

In this dynasty, civil officials all start with "Wen"; there is nothing much to say about that.

The second character is where the emphasis lies, arranged according to Zheng, Zhen, Cheng, Zhong, Duan, Ding, Jian, Yi, Su, Yi, Xian, Zhuang, Jing, Yu, Jie.

Cabinet ministers are generally below Zhong and above Zhuang, and officials of the second-rank ministries are slightly inferior.

If one does not even have the status of a second-rank official, one can only look further back, such as the former Imperial Tutor Tao Dalin, for whom Zhu Yijun could only find a "Wenbi" posthumous title.

Historically, Zhang Juzheng had the highest posthumous title, Wenzhong.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue were one step behind, respectively Wending and Wensu.

Ma Ziqiang, who only served as a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion for seven months, was the even further back "Wenzhuang," which could be called the tail-ender.

Now that Zhu Yijun wanted to use Ma Ziqiang as a raft for the Weixin Pavilion, it naturally could not be too bad, but it could not be too good either, so that the good students would not feel the gap in rank.

The two titles brought out by the Ministry of Rites were almost three levels higher; Wenyi was a bit too much.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun nodded gently. "I intend to choose the title Wensu; what do you think?"

What do they think?

Naturally, they bowed their heads!

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhu Yijun laughed. "Then proceed with the sacrifice and burial accordingly; I will personally send Ma Wensu to be enshrined in the Weixin Pavilion tomorrow."

Personally!?

Once these words were out, the atmosphere in the hall became inexplicably scorching.

Wang Xijue glanced at Zhang Juzheng's back, revealing a trace of envy. Could he really touch the threshold of Fan Wenzheng?

Shen Shixing was calculating in his heart whether he could win the title of Wenzhong for his teacher Lu Diaoyang when the time came.

Xu Guo looked up, his thoughts constant; he could not stay in the Ministry of Justice for long, and Wen Chun had already eaten up the political achievements in the southwest. Where else was there to dig?

Zhu Yijun felt the scorching gazes of the officials and was satisfied in his heart.

Being an emperor himself was already very cool; these court officials might not have the same positive feedback as he did—neither allowed to seize power nor allowed to be corrupt, and having to be careful and fearful all day long while doing their best.

There must always be a carrot tied in front of the donkey.

Fortunately, what Zhu Yijun gave was not an ordinary carrot, but the heroic epic of a good man!

Everywhere there are wails and blood filling the city, it is nothing more than a thought to save the common people; so-and-so died without regret, achieving the revival of a dynasty. Who could resist boiling blood when hearing this?

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial..."

With a good atmosphere at the beginning, the differences in the discussion were smaller, and several items were passed in the blink of an eye.

Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang reported that the pilot land measurement in three places—Beizhili, Nanzhili, and Fujian Provincial Administration—had been completed in one capital and one province, but Nanzhili had been delayed for eight years without full success. He requested an imperial reprimand, which was approved.

Recorded the merits of the two battles at Hongtu City and Yongdian in Liaodong; Li Chengliang was granted a hereditary count title, and Liang Menglong's son was admitted to the Imperial Academy.

The Guangdong Provincial Administration requested the remission of 185,600 taels of arrears before the sixth year of Longqing; the joint discussion did not approve it, and they were ordered to clarify the reasons before discussing it again.

Item by item, a consensus was reached in the blink of an eye.

Time passed slowly, and the faint morning light spilled into the Wenhua Hall, extinguishing the lighting lanterns.

"... Your Majesty, let us mint coins."

Wan Xiangchun, Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Works, stepped out and bowed, asking the Emperor to decide on the matter of minting coins.

Zhu Yijun looked Wan Xiangchun up and down, confirming that this fellow was not really scolding him, before picking up the topic of minting coins. "If we open the furnace to mint coins, how many wen can we mint now?"

This matter was naturally not something Wan Xiangchun could know.

Only to see Minister of Works Zhu Heng step forward. "Your Majesty, according to the costs calculated by Supervising Secretary Wan, the treasury can only mint 1.25 billion wen."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun could not help but frown.

1.25 billion wen sounds like a lot, but in reality, it is only about 2 million taels of silver in market value.

Zhu Yijun did not know how big the Great Ming market was, but silver was at least tens of millions of taels.

Releasing only this little bit of water, I am afraid it would be collected into the cellars by the big private minting families in the blink of an eye.

Thinking of this, he looked at Wang Guoguang. "Wang Qing, what does the Ministry of Revenue say?"

Professional matters must still be asked of professional people.

Wang Guoguang did not shirk, stood out, and bowed. "Your Majesty, I believe this matter should not be rushed."

He paused and continued, "It might be better to first restore the policy of mining copper in Yunnan to accumulate costs, and then mint Wanli Tongbao after the national treasury is sufficient."

"As for the official copper coins, mixed copper, and private copper minted by previous dynasties on the market, those that should be repurchased should be repurchased, and those that should be investigated and confiscated should be investigated and confiscated."

"The Ministry of Works will then remelt the copper coins of previous dynasties, combine them with the treasury costs, unify the shape, and mint them in large quantities..."

Court deliberation has the benefits of court deliberation.

The Ministry of Revenue's faction could not accommodate Wan Xiangchun, a Supervising Secretary, to blatantly intervene in the minting of copper coins—Yin Zhengmao knew that minting coins made money; could the Ministry of Revenue not know?

It was only after dismissing the Ministry of Revenue officials like Huang Jinyin and the deterrence of Zhang Juzheng's leveling of factions after his return to the capital.

The matter of minting coins could finally be discussed within the framework of seeking truth from facts.

Wang Guoguang spoke eloquently and methodically, and the officials all pondered one by one following his proposals.

Wan Xiangchun, who initiated the matter, Vice Minister of Works Wan Gong, and Minister of War Yin Zhengmao scrambled to ask questions.

Wang Guoguang answered one by one: "... Therefore, I believe the copper law should be prepared for a year or two, and then implemented together with the silver law, the paper money law, and the whip law!"

Zhu Yijun did not express his position, but looked at Wan Xiangchun, Wan Gong, and others.

Everyone hesitated for a moment before bowing together. "Your Majesty, it can be implemented slowly; if things are not coordinated, we will make adjustments."

Seeing that several people had reached a consensus, Zhu Yijun naturally followed the trend. "Implement it according to this discussion!"

Mining copper in Yunnan... I wonder if it will stimulate the neighboring Toungoo Dynasty.

Speaking of this, the several major wars in this dynasty, Burma and the Tatars, do not quite match the time in history.

I do not know what things influenced it, and I do not know when it will arrive as scheduled.

"Your Majesty, I also have a memorial on the matter of the single whip reform yesterday, after the ministry discussion."

Zhu Yijun was lost in thought on the throne, and only when he lowered his head did he realize that Wang Guoguang had not returned to his rank.

He reacted before coming back to his senses.

He looked at Zhang Juzheng in confusion; wasn't it settled yesterday? What other memorial?

Zhang Juzheng was expressionless and did not respond to the Emperor's gaze.

It was Wang Guoguang who spoke again. "Your Majesty, I believe the general idea is appropriate, but the details still need to be scrutinized."

It is certainly appropriate, but it needs fine-tuning.

If not for this, why would Minister Wang be called professional?

Zhu Yijun shifted his position to make himself sit more comfortably. "Wang Qing, please speak."

He did not take it too much to heart; this matter was, after all, the wisdom of predecessors, and it was hard to make any changes.

Wang Guoguang bowed again. "Your Majesty, why call it 'Tan Ding Ru Mu' (spreading the poll tax into the land tax)?"

Zhu Yijun said subconsciously, "I intend to spread the poll tax into the land tax, so I named it that."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guoguang frowned, looking disapproving.

It made Zhu Yijun confused.

Wang Guoguang was silent for a moment and said slowly, "Your Majesty, why not just call it 'Abolish the Poll Tax' and tell the common people!?"

Zhu Yijun was startled.

He was about to explain, but suddenly fell silent.

That's right, why call it "Tan Ding Ru Mu"? Because I caught a glimpse of the result of moving the poll tax to land in the Wanli era, which was "Tan Ding Ru Mu."

The reason? Preconceived notions.

If we really want to discuss it, whether the poll tax is directly abolished or spread into the land tax, how would the common people know?

As for whether "Tan Ding Ru Mu" is easier to accept or "Abolish the Poll Tax" is more beneficial to the common people, that is an even more unquestionable question.

Seeing that the Emperor did not express his position, Wang Guoguang continued, "It just so happens that after the land measurement is finished, the land in the world has changed, so we can merge the miscellaneous taxes and formulate the regular land tax."

"Isn't it just right to use 'Abolish the Poll Tax' to offset the resentment of this change?"

Hearing this, the officials wanted to second the motion, but were afraid of offending the Emperor's face as the initiator.

What Wang Guoguang said was indeed reasonable; for major national policies, the difficulty of implementation varies between different names.

Zhu Yijun felt emotion in his heart.

Sure enough, empiricism is not desirable.

He warned himself secretly and praised, "Wang Qing has true insight and has helped me see through the maze."

Wang Guoguang was not too proud. "Besides this, there is one more thing Your Majesty must investigate."

"Abolishing the poll tax will inevitably lead to commoners voluntarily abandoning their land, and by then, there will likely be no shortage of displaced people; we must plan ahead."

It is true that farming to have food to eat is correct, but not everyone is willing to labor; abandoning land may be a personal choice, but overall, it forms displaced people.

Of course, this is not something that cannot be solved; the Great Ming dynasty has the ability to slowly digest a certain number of displaced people.

However, Minister Wang's line of thinking was clearly different from the Emperor's.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand. "I have already made a decision on this matter; let us start from Jiangnan and the Southeast, and advance slowly."

He could guess Wang Guoguang's thoughts, which were nothing more than tying people to the land.

But Zhu Yijun was the exact opposite; he wanted to drive the surplus commoners out of the land!

Commoners will definitely abandon their land because farming depends on the harvest, and in a bad year, they might even lose money after paying taxes.

Abandoning land is good; after abandoning land, they only need to fill their own stomachs.

Yes, they still need to fill their stomachs—so Zhu Yijun wanted to give these displaced people who do not want to rely on the heavens for food a place to go.

Why Jiangnan?

Because Jiangnan's handicraft industry is developed, there are many workshops, the foundation of heavy industry is thick, and major shipyards are widely distributed in Jiangnan.

This is a good place for displaced people to work in factories.

Why the Southeast?

Because there are many ports in the Southeast, near-sea trade is flourishing, and sailing across the ocean is setting sail.

This is a good place for displaced people to take risks.

These are two hidden lines related to internal and external circulation.

Zhu Yijun saw further, so his attitude was firm, giving Wang Guoguang no room for discussion.

Seeing the Emperor's attitude, Wang Guoguang, having worked together for many years, naturally understood that the Emperor had other considerations, bowed silently, and returned to his rank.

Following the Ministry of Revenue's return to rank, other officials spoke, discussing the Taiyuan earthquake and various disaster relief items.

Immediately, Chief Minister Zhang Juzheng reported on the progress of land measurement in various provinces, rewarding and punishing accordingly; Sun Piyang was dismissed, Deng Yizan was fined three months' salary, and Wang Daokun was transferred to the six ministries in Nanjing; the Emperor approved all.

Also, former Shaanxi Surveillance Commissioner Liang Wen Alliance was transferred to be the Provincial Governor of Sichuan, and Sichuan Councilor Li Sancai was promoted to Prefect of Yingtian.

Except for the Hanlin Academy compiler Zhang Fuzhi, who was also appointed as a Secretariat Drafter, serving at the Qiushi Academy, following the side of the mountain master.

All matters were discussed, and it was already late.

"Do you have any other matters to report?" Zhu Yijun looked around the court and confirmed again.

The officials looked at their noses and hearts, clearly having finished their reports.

However, after a long silence, the next sentence was not "dismiss the court."

"In that case, there are only two matters left in my hands to discuss."

The officials looked at the Emperor in surprise.

"One is the civil riot in Huizhou Prefecture."

"It is said that within one prefecture, the people of six counties, just because of unequal taxes, actually treat each other like enemies and almost raised troops to attack each other."

"The other is the matter of the various newspaper offices in the south."

"Recently, many newspapers have discussed land measurement, saying that since the founding of the Great Ming dynasty, the south has been rich and the north poor, and land measurement is no different from the northern provinces lying on the southerners to suck blood."

Zhu Yijun sighed faintly and looked around at the officials. "Officials, regional discrimination is not desirable."

(End of chapter)