What can prove that reform is successful?

Throughout history, the standard for proving the success of reform is very simple - the increase in income and the increase in national strength. Compared with the latter, the former is more intuitive and direct. After all, money is a tough guy and cannot be concealed.

This is well known that the Ming Dynasty's government was nervous. Even when Wanli ascended the throne, because there was no silver and money to pay the salary of the Beijing officials, they had to pay it with pepper and other physical items, which made the officials in the capital very resentful.

In a word, it is because the court is poor that we need to increase our income, and increasing our income requires reform!

In the final analysis, the motivation for reform is not because of other things, but because... it is out of money! Since it is out of money, we have to enjoy another new method.

However, any reform has obstacles. To prove the success of the reform, one must speak with facts and increase the income of the court.

It was the end of the year again, and in order to block the world's vast crowd, another time, someone stared at the "golden flowers and silver".

Once again, when an official asked to hand over the "golden flowers and silver" to the Ministry of Revenue and sent it to the case again, Zhu Yijun immediately summoned Zhang Juzheng urgently. When Zhang Juzheng had just finished his greeting, Zhu Yijun couldn't wait to ask:

"Mr. Zhang, this memorial from the Ministry of Revenue mentioned "gold, flowers and silver". Could it be that the generals will not receive their salary? The emperor and empress in the palace will stop eating?"

"I'm afraid."

Your Majesty's questioning made Zhang Juzheng's heart tremble slightly. This hat was a bit big. Of course he knew that some people were trying to touch gold and silver, but he did not object. In the first year of Zhengtong, Emperor Yingzong allowed part of the grain to be converted into gold and silver, with one million taels of silver as a quota each year, which is the so-called "gold and silver". All of this money was put into the internal transportation warehouse and was no longer sent to Nanjing. Except for more than 100,000 taels of silver as the salary of the generals, all the others were for the imperial use. At this point, part of the internal transportation warehouse provided wages to the generals in the capital, and part of them became purely the personal property of the emperor. It is worth noting that from then on, the Ministry of Revenue had no power to control the funds of the internal transportation warehouse. Of course, it was from this time that the Ministry of Revenue had its own Taicang warehouse. Most of the money and grain in the world were entered into the Taicang warehouse.

However, the court has always been drooling at the cost of this million tael of gold. After all, this is a real one million taels of silver! So he has never opposed someone who has submitted a memorandum and asked to include the gold and silver in the Taicang warehouse, and of course he did not mean that he would come all, after all, the palace also has to have a meal.

"However, they are also for the court. After all, the court has a lot of expenses. Although the old ministers have worked hard to maintain the availability in recent years, the availability is still extremely tight."

"In Mr. Zhang's opinion, should the gold and silver be handed over to Taicang warehouse?"

"I think there is no gold, flowers and silver in the ancestral system. These gold, flowers and silver were set up during the reign of Emperor Yingzong..."

"Then the ancestral system, the money gates are all handed over to the internal warehouse."

Zhu Yijun said directly.

"The money can be closed, all the expenses are borne by the Ministry of Revenue..."

When facing Zhang Juzheng, he answered frankly. Zhu Yijun was silent for a long time, and then frowned and asked.

"Mr. Zhang means that if all the money is borne by the palace, it can be fully returned to the inner treasury?"

Zhu Yijun asked this question trickyly.

Zhang Juzheng thought to himself.

"The emperor has caught the talk now. If he agrees, what if the emperor wants to leave the money? It's more than 100,000 taels a year! But if he vetoed it, wouldn't he slap himself in the face?"

After thinking about it, in order to take care of his own face and to let this matter be revealed, Zhang Juzheng coughed and replied:

"Your Majesty, I think this internal official is suitable for serving as a cashier official, and this is inconsistent with the system. Moreover, if this is taken as an example, shouldn't gold, flowers and silver be collected by local governments?"

Seeing Zhang Juzheng come back like this, Zhu Yijun felt a little happy. Sure enough, just as Shi Yiwen expected, sighed as if he was pretending to be.

"Mr. Zhang, what I mean is not to send an internal official to the local government to collect taxes, but since Mr. Zhang said that, I naturally cannot pretend to be public and private. Do you think so?"

The seemingly selfless answer made Zhang Juzheng quickly answer:

"I think the royal family directly sent internal officials to collect taxes, which was inconsistent with the system."

"Yes, it is indeed inconsistent with the system. According to the system, the banknote should be handed over to the internal warehouse!"

Zhu Yijun sighed.

"Besides, isn't Mr. Zhang's reforms also meant to reform the evil diseases in our Ming Dynasty? They are incompatible with the system? The old system is inappropriate, so of course they should be modified. Isn't this what Mr. Zhang often teaches?"

Zhang Juzheng, who was blocked by Zhu Yijun with his own words, immediately felt a headache.

"This is wrong with my subordinates, please forgive me for your crime."

Compared with other people, Zhang Juzheng is also quick to admit his mistakes.

“Hmm?”

"The Ministry of Revenue's rude discussion on the withdrawal of gold, flowers and silver, but the subordinates did not stop it, but instead kept it blindly. It was really the subordinates' fault."

Zhu Yijun was quite proud of Zhang Juzheng's apology. After all, for many years, the teacher has always been scolding him. It is not easy to have the opportunity to teach him. But this matter cannot be over. After all, he still has other thoughts in his heart, but he has no idea whether this matter can be accomplished, so he asked:

"Mr. Zhang, what the Ministry of Revenue said is indeed reasonable. The gold and silver are collected by the local government, and the local government is indeed squandered. It seems that I have taken advantage of the country. Mr. Zhang, what should I do?"

Zhu Yijun looked anxious and uneasy, as if he really didn't want to "take advantage of the country."

"All the kings under the world are the kings, and the kings and ministers are the kings. According to the opinions of the ministers, it is natural for ministers to do things for the emperor, and the emperor does not have to blame himself in this way."

"You mean you just let others accuse me of taking advantage of the country, only focusing on the private sector and not the country?"

Zhu Yijun's words made Zhang Juzheng feel cold. Even if he was as smart as him, he didn't know how to answer the emperor.

"Secretary, lower minister..."

Just as hesitating whether to suggest that the official who had been transferred to the upper limit be re-issued, Zhang Juzheng heard Zhu Yijun say.
Chapter completed!