Lu Wenzhao wanted to say something more, but Zhu Youjian suddenly said: "Master Lu, Master Ding, Guo Zhen, please go out first and let Zhang Jin and I talk alone."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lu Wenzhao and the other three people quickly left the room. Zhu Youjian did not speak, but continued to look at the Xing Mingce manuscript in his hand.

Zhang Jin was not in a hurry, and just sat on the chair and continued to drink tea and eat cakes leisurely.

After a long time, Zhu Youjian finally read the entire Xing Ming Policy, closed his eyes and meditated for a while, then opened his eyes and stared at him and said: "Zhang Jin, if the things in this Xing Ming Policy can really be realized, I will

The Ming Dynasty can indeed regain its glory. However, the policies mentioned above contain many treasonous and unethical remarks. If you think about it carefully, they are destroying the roots of the Ming Dynasty royal family. Their intentions are to be punished!"

Zhu Youjian would have this reaction, which was actually expected by Zhang Jin. The biggest problems in the late Ming Dynasty were the decadent bureaucracy and serious land annexation.

As long as these two problems are solved, the remaining natural disasters, rebel armies, Jurchens outside the Pass, etc. will not be a big problem.

But trying to solve these two problems was as difficult as climbing to the sky at the time.

One is the bureaucratic gentry class that has deep-rooted control over the interests of the world, and the other is the imperial family Zhu family as the largest landowner in the world. No matter which force is touched, it will shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule.

In short, the Ming Dynasty, which Guo Zuo inherited for more than two hundred years, is rotten to the core.

Zhang Jin patted the cake crumbs on his hand and said calmly: "Has Your Highness ever personally visited the world of the Ming Dynasty? Where have you been in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Saibei, Guanzhong, Shu, and Lingnan, and how many times have you been there?"

Zhu Youjian said: "I have only been around Zhili. Why do you ask this?"

Zhang Jin replied: "Since His Highness has never personally visited the entire Ming Dynasty, he has only wandered around Zhili, the capital, and the things he has seen are very limited. Your Highness has not been in charge of government affairs and has no way of understanding the situation reported from various places. May I ask?

Your Highness, with such a blind eye, how can you say that what is stated in the Xing Ming Policy is treacherous and unethical, and that his heart is worthy of death?"

Zhu Youjian said: "You asked the emperor to rectify the officials and reform the local system, and you also want to start with me, the king of the Zhu family. All the talents of the entire Ming Dynasty from top to bottom have been offended. Who will be willing to serve the court in the future?"

.”

"Your Highness's words are really funny, as if some of these talented people are sincerely working for the imperial court." Zhang Jin laughed, "There is a severe drought in Shandong, and only 70% of the imperial court's food relief fund has been left before it leaves the Ministry of Household Affairs.

, Your Highness, does your Highness know? The Liaodong Jurchens are powerful and have invaded repeatedly. The border troops fought in front of the battle lines to protect the Ming Dynasty, but the military pay was not saved. Does Your Highness know? "

Zhu Youjian's face darkened slightly, but he still nodded and said: "I have heard a little bit. It is precisely because I know these things that the top priority is to get rid of the eunuchs."

"What about after getting rid of the eunuchs?"

"After getting rid of the eunuchs, it is natural to reinstate the capable people who have been excluded by the eunuchs to their official positions, so that the talented and virtuous people in the scholarly community can see the determination and sincerity of the imperial court. Everyone will add fuel and the flames will be high, and everyone will rebuild together.

Revitalize our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhang Jin looked at the confident Zhu Youjian and asked: "Your Highness, do you know why the emperor re-appointed Wei Zhongxian?"

Zhu Youjian said without hesitation: "The emperor was still young when he succeeded to the throne, and he was addicted to carpentry. He must have been bewitched by Wei Zhongxian's slander, so he trusted him so much!"

Zhang Jin did not deny these words. After all, as his younger brother, Zhu Youjian must know the situation better than himself. Instead, he said: "What His Highness said is only on one side. On the other hand, it is a last resort."

In fact, the carpenter emperor Zhu Youxiao was not as bad as the history books said. Although his reputation was that he was not doing his job properly, indulged eunuchs, and rarely went to court, but in fact he also had a lot of helplessness.

In the late Ming Dynasty, the civil service group had become a politically correct and uncontrollable monster in the country, severely restricting the imperial power. Jiajing and Wanli both had powerful ministers Yan Song, and Zhang Juzheng suppressed the entire civil service group, allowing the court to operate smoothly and do things normally.

When Zhu Youxiao succeeded to the throne, he had no choice but to serve as a minister. He wanted to do it himself but was unable to deal with the civil servant group.

In the Year of Tianqi, almost all the imperial censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate were controlled by the Donglin Party. In addition, the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple were also tightly controlled by the civil service group, so that basically nothing could be found in the joint trial of the three departments.

Zhu Youxiao clearly knew that some cases had serious problems, but he was helpless in front of the officials who were telling lies. He couldn't find any evidence of crime and finally had no choice but to let it go.

Zhu Youxiao knew that the ministers were not 100% aligned with him. Although he was promoted to power by the Donglin Party, in the end he could only use the eunuchs around him to help him, allowing the rights of Dongchang and Jinyiwei to continue to expand.

to ensure that they can implement their own policies.

To say how strong the Carpenter Emperor was in political governance would be an overstatement. However, his ministers were not much better. Each one had their own little thoughts and calculations. The wage earners still dared to confront the boss.

Respect openly and rebel secretly!

It is recorded in the history books that Zhu Youxiao did not like going to court. The real reason was that going to court was useless. The Ming Dynasty had a special process for handling political affairs. The cabinet would take memorials to the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and then the Supervisor of Ceremonies would ask the emperor for instructions.

When matters are unresolved, cabinet ministers will be invited to discuss the matter together.

This is like the relationship between the National People's Congress and the Senior Officials' Council. You can't just hold one meeting a year and just say that the government doesn't take care of things.

Furthermore, Zhu Youxiao doesn't like going to court. Just looking at the faces of a few cabinet ministers is enough. After all, who would want to have a serious chat with a group of Onmyoji masters early in the morning?

If you have free time, wouldn't it be comfortable to sleep in with the beauties in your harem? Or wouldn't it be fun to work as a carpenter?

Although Zhu Youxiao is not a good emperor, he is self-aware. He is smart when he should be smart and confused when he should be confused. He is a very realistic person.

He knew the problems and shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty, but he did not have the ability or courage to improve it, so he simply supported Wei Zhongxian to check the Donglin Party, which was too powerful to lose, and gave Zuo Zuo of the Ming Dynasty one more year.

Wei Zhongxian was capable and loyal, and the most important thing was that the eunuch's backer was always the emperor. This was what made Zhu Youxiao most at ease.

Even if the Eunuch Party headed by Wei Zhongxian develops rapidly, as long as he or the next emperor opens his mouth, he can destroy the Eunuch Party in an instant. There is no need to worry about the Eunuch Party being as big as the Donglin Party.

Compared with the pragmatism of the emperor's brother Zhu Youxiao, Zhu Youjian seems immature or more arrogant. He has read extensively since he was a child and has great ambitions to govern the country. Seeing the difficult situation of the Ming Dynasty, he even tolerates it.

I can’t help but want to turn the tide and become a wise king!

However, no matter how talented he was, he could not cure his own illness.

Zhang Jin is not an expert on late Ming Dynasty issues, nor can he even be considered a lover of late Ming Dynasty history, but he thinks there is something he said that is very good.

Before he died, Zhu Youxiao told Zhu Youjian that he could rely more on Wei Zhongxian, saying that he was a loyal minister, but there was truth to the truth.

However, Zhu Youjian may have been immersed in the joy of being about to ascend the throne, or he was too disdainful of the eunuchs, and simply did not understand the meaning of his brother's words.

In fact, Zhu Youxiao also knew that Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch party under his command had become powerful. If Zhu Youjian succeeded to the throne and wanted to maintain his power, he must get rid of Jiu Qian Sui. However, Jiu Qian Sui could be eliminated, but the eunuch party could not fall, otherwise once

If the Eunuch Party falls, the Donglin Party will surely dominate the court, and the disaster will be even greater than that of the Eunuch Party.

The Eunuch Party is a sword in the hands of the emperor. Killing is stained with blood. You can change the sword when it is dirty, but you must not discard the sword and abandon your martial arts. With your bare hands, you will only be beaten to the ground by the Donglin Party's numerous punches.

Zhang Jin also knew that after Zhu Youjian succeeded to the throne, Wei Zhongxian would undoubtedly die.

Firstly, Zhu Youjian deeply hated the eunuchs, and he relied on this to win over people. Not killing Wei Zhongxian would affect his personal reputation; secondly, Zhu Youxiao gave Wei Zhongxian too much power, interfered in government affairs, and won over officials, which seriously harmed Zhu You

Examine the rights of the emperor. As a monarch who wants to make a difference, Zhu Youjian will not tolerate the other party; thirdly, he can establish his power. The new emperor ascends the throne and kills powerful officials to frighten the officials. At the same time, he can also inspect Wei Zhongxian's family property.

Enrich the national treasury, and in the process, place your own confidants to expand your power and consolidate your dominance.

Killing three birds with one stone, a hundred benefits and no harm.

Therefore, he had no intention of persuading Zhu Youjian to let Wei Zhongxian go. Wei Zhongxian would be dead if he died, but the eunuchs would still have to use him.

"Is it a last resort?" Zhu Youjian couldn't help laughing when he heard the words, "I'd like to hear what you have to say."

"It's not that I have any high opinions, it's just what my father once said."

Zhang Jin quickly used his late father as a shield to prevent Zhu Youjian from being unhappy with what he said later. The future Emperor Chongzhen would not like him and would make it more difficult for him to complete the challenge.

"Then I am all ears to listen to Academician Zhang's advice." Zhu Youjian said.

Zhang Jin sorted out his words and then started to analyze the historical information he had collected on later generations.

Zhu Youjian listened casually at first, but the more he listened, the more serious his expression became, and in the end, there was a hint of surprise and sigh that he couldn't hide between his brows.

It suddenly dawned on him that he had an enlightenment, and he sighed because of Zhang Xueshi and his Majesty. One was a talented person who could help him revive the Ming Dynasty, and the other was a hidden and clever emperor brother. He had read so many books and historical records in vain, and thought he was full.

However, I haven't seen enough of Tao Lue and good governance, and I haven't thought deeply enough about it, so I'm still not as good as these two people.

Zhu Youjian suddenly stood up from his seat, walked to the bonfire, stared at the blazing flames, and said without turning his head: "Both Academician Zhang and Your Majesty can see that the problem needs to be solved, but why can't there be a way to get the best of both worlds?"

?”

"Your Highness, there is no way to get the best of both worlds in this world. There is a poem that says it well, if you can get the best of both worlds in this world, you will live up to the Tathagata and live up to you." Zhang Jin said.

Zhu Youjian looked back at him with some curiosity: "Who wrote this poem? I have read so many poems, but I have never seen such a sentence."

"Uh..." Zhang Jin didn't expect that the other party would actually ask about this kind of thing, "It should be the Dalai Lama named Tsangyang Gyatso."

"Dalai Lama?" Zhu Youjian thought for a moment, stared at him and shook his head, "You lied. The Dalai Lama in Tibet has now passed down to the fifth Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. The first four were Yunden Gyatso.

, Sonam Gyatso, Gendun Gyatso and Gendun Drupa, there is no one named Tsangyang Gyatso at all. How could a non-existent person pass down poems!"

Zhang Jin couldn't help but be stunned for a moment when he heard this, and thought to himself, who knows?

Most ordinary people in later generations who have heard this poem do not know the author. Even if they know that the author is Tsangyang Gyatso, it is impossible to know what era the other person lived in.

It seems that Tsangyang Gyatso has not been born yet, or has he not yet become the Dalai Lama in this life?

Seeing that he was speechless, Zhu Youjian couldn't help laughing and said: "Don't be nervous. I am not pointing this out to blame you. I just want to know the literati of this poem. If it is not convenient for you to say it, forget it."

He turned the topic back to business, "It turns out that His Majesty's re-appointment of Wei Zhongxian has such profound meaning, but I thought too simply. Zhang Jin, does your father have any unique insights about Wei Zhongxian and the eunuchs?"

Zhang Jin quickly rummaged through the memory treasure house in his mind and reviewed the information collected on the Internet, and replied: "Your Highness, Wei Zhongxian can be killed, but the eunuch cannot be dispersed. If Your Highness wants to rectify the officialdom and improve taxation according to the Ming policy,

, To revitalize the Ming Dynasty, there must be people available, and these people must be absolutely loyal. Who else can these people be except helpless eunuchs?"

Zhu Youjian said: "Even if the Donglin Party is not good, there are other officials who are loyal to the court, and I can use them."

The Donglin Party is powerful, but not just any cat or dog can join it. People also pay attention to status. At least one must be a Jinshi with a good reputation, and the basic base is Jiangnan scholar-bureaucrats.

Although these scholars read books by sages and talk about world affairs, when their own interests are threatened, they act like philistines.

The Donglin Party represented the interests of merchants and landlords in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and opposed the imperial court's tax collection on industrial and commercial businesses. It also took advantage of the opportunity when Chongzhen became aware of Wei Zhongxian's strength to cancel or reduce these tax burdens, making the sources of fiscal revenue in the late Ming Dynasty more single and all suppressed.

It fell on ordinary farmers and was one of the main culprits in the troubled times in the late Ming Dynasty.

"Although other officials are not from the Donglin Party, the Donglin Party is so powerful that they will push people aside and push people around when they do things. If something can be done in one day and ten in ten days, when will the Ming Dynasty prosper?" Zhang Jin shook his head and asked.

"What should we do? Did Bachelor Zhang say anything?" Zhu Youjian asked.

"Using the eunuch party to check and balance the Donglin Party, and selecting capable people from the Donglin Party to work for the court in the future can, to a certain extent, free the other party's hands and feet, show off their revenge and strengths, and contribute to the revitalization plan." Zhang Jin

replied.

The Donglin Party also has powerful people who are capable and willing to work, but it is a pity that they are tied up by the interests of the group and are unable to do anything. Instead, they have become tools to compete for interests. As long as they are freed from the shackles, they will definitely be able to accomplish something.

.

"This plan may be feasible." Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.

By the way, Zhang Jin told Zhu Youjian in detail how to make mistakes and take a year or two to find out the tax situation across the country, and then start to carry out reforms quickly and accurately. What should be paid attention to during the reform and what will happen?

Difficulties, how to deal with these difficulties is the best way, suppress, divide, win over, and kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

These are the improvement methods discussed online that are most suitable for the situation in the late Ming Dynasty, but Zhang Jin cannot predict what problems will be encountered in actual operation, so the future Emperor Chongzhen can only make his own decisions.
Chapter completed!