The Prosperous Era of Longwan

On December 20, the first year of Wanli, Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Household Affairs, submitted a memorial.

"Now that the public and private sectors are in dire straits, the benefits of Shanzeguan City have been exhausted, and the acceptance of admissions has not stopped. All kinds of searches and collections have been exhausted, and there are leftovers, but they are added to the collection without asking. There is no shortage of ways to get what you want. Ask for help. It was originally planned that there would be more than 1,191,7456 kilograms of summer tax and autumn grain stored in the world. It was originally planned to keep all of them, and be generous. In addition to the annual use, there was enough silver left. More than a million.

If there are enough troops to conquer every year, the surplus must be stored up. Floods and droughts will not be able to do it, and disasters and bandits will not be able to do it. Because of the difficulties, there is a military famine now. If you don't report to stay in the capital, you need to report to the internal funds to collect money. The actual fate of the Supervisor follows the rules, and some officials tolerate it. It can be slowed down by keeping it, but it is too much to pursue it.

It is said that if the national reserve is to be sufficient, it should not be verified before verifying the remaining amount, and begging each direct province to establish a limited division according to the annual income, annual expenses, documents, and mills reported each year, with the old amount and expenditure , how much is left, how much is stored in the warehouse, how much is in arrears, and how much is in arrears, which is relatively clear from the old records in the ministry.

After the ministers and others have made arrangements with the accountants, they will prepare the main expenditures for the department, and the remainder will be sent to the capital treasury to help the border areas. The unfinished portion will be referred to the new regulations. "

Zhang Juzheng handed Wang Guangguang's memorial to Wei Guangde and said with a smile: "The weather has been good this year, and the household department finally has a balance.

However, Wang Ruguan was also worried. He said that if the minister saw that there was money left, he would postpone the payment of the taxes that should be paid. If the annual tax collection is insufficient, it will be difficult to save in the future.

He requested an edict to order each province to calculate its revenue and expenditure and send all the balance to the capital and border areas. What did Shan Lian think? "

Officials in the Ming Dynasty had really great autonomy and had a great say in local taxes. In particular, they could directly decide who should collect taxes and who could defer payment.

Of course, if you pay taxes normally, that is what you should do, but if you pay taxes on a deferred basis, you will often delay them again and again. It doesn’t matter whether you can afford to pay them or not, you just delay paying them anyway.

Because once there is a big event, these deferred taxes and levies are likely to be directly exempted.

The Ming Dynasty's finances were insufficient and the taxes that should be collected could not be raised, which was also a very important reason.

The imperial court issued an edict, but the local government opposed it on the grounds that the people were not making a living and competing for profits with the people. However, they themselves gained a reputation among the people and made decisions for the people.

As for the relationship between officials and deferred gentry, it is a matter of benevolence and wisdom. Wang Guoguang's memorial actually predicts that there will be savings by the first year of Wanli, and it will be difficult to pay the taxes for the next two years.

To prepare for a rainy day, collect all the remaining silver below and keep it in the hands of the court.

If there is no money in the local area, then the tax collection will not be levied according to the law, otherwise there will be problems in the operation of the local government.

There isn't much content, and Wei Guangde doesn't have any objections.

Although his family's farmland was given preferential treatment by the local authorities, they had calculated how much they had to pay, so he would not pay a single penny less.

As for whether he was a Jinshi and whether his private land was tax-free, in fact, the taxes in the Ming Dynasty were too complicated. In addition to taxes, there were corvees and miscellaneous taxes.

According to the law, corvées are exempted, but taxes and miscellaneous taxes are not exempted.

However, in actual practice, most of the taxes and miscellaneous taxes will be paid to other people's fields. What he has to pay is not much, but it is definitely not a copper penny in tax.

Anyway, the Wei family would pay whatever the government asked them to pay. It would just be much less than what they should pay normally.

All the high-ranking officials in Wei paid taxes according to the government's requirements, and no one could refuse or delay the court's taxes for various reasons.

No, absolutely not.

Wei Guangde quickly read Wang Guangguang's memorial and handed it to Lu Tiaoyang. He looked at Zhang Juzheng and nodded and said: "What you said makes sense. The court should make plans for this matter in advance to avoid unnecessary thoughts in the local government.

This is partly due to the fact that my uncle passed the law examination, otherwise he may not be able to collect all the taxes this year. "

Wei Guangde's words were not to praise Zhang Juzheng. In previous years, the taxes collected by various places were more or less in arrears. Anyway, the taxes collected by the local governments were just enough for local expenses, and there was no surplus to be handed over to the court.

This year, when local governments saw that taxes would be used for assessment, since it was the first year, they naturally did not dare to make mistakes for fear of falling into the imperial court's crosshairs, so no one dared to let the local gentry default on their taxes.

If the amount is sufficient and the levy is sufficient, the surplus will come out.

At this time, Lu Tiaoyang read Wang Guangguang's memorial and agreed with Wei Guangde's words.

"What Mr. Second Assistant said is absolutely true. We have collected all the taxes and gifts this year, and it's all thanks to Mr. First Assistant that he passed the exam.

His concerns are justified, and my vote is feasible. "

Lu Tiaoyang expressed his attitude towards Wang Guoguang's memorial. In fact, Wei Guangde's words just now also expressed the same meaning.

Collect the money, lest the people below divide it again.

"This year is more than enough. Your Majesty is still blessed and there is no disaster in the world. If floods, droughts and famines occur in the future, the imperial court will send out silver relief. It is really impossible without some savings."

Wei Guangde said again.

"Today the Ministry of Rites reported that the twenty-seventh is an auspicious day, and it can be designated as the day for the official appointment. I have approved it."

As soon as Wei Guangde finished speaking, Lu Tiaoyang mentioned the memorial he had reviewed today.

"Twenty-seven official offices, isn't it a little early?"

Zhang Juzheng asked, stroking his beard.

"There will be no good times in the next few days."

Well, officials in the Ming Dynasty will take holidays at auspicious times, and they will not set the time casually.

Zhang Juzheng stopped talking when he heard that there was no good time.

"Let's make it earlier. Everyone has been busy for a year. It doesn't matter if it's two or three days early. It's just a pity that we can't share it."

Official offices are a benefit that only the six ministries have except the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War will also grant official offices, but major military and national events will not wait for holidays, so officials from the Ministry of War will still be on duty, but the time is not so strict.

Correspondingly, the cabinet and the general affairs department will not take holidays, and they will still have people on duty to send the received memorials to the palace for processing.

Wei Guangde said so, and Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to nod.

In a heavy snowfall that lasted for two days, the first year of Wanli passed quietly.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year in the second year of Wanli, despite the cold wind and heavy snow, officials in Beijing walked out of their homes and headed to the Forbidden City. Today was the Zhengdan Dynasty meeting, so we couldn't be careless.

Due to the weather, today's court meeting went very quickly. The young emperor Wanli did not hold the ceremony in the square outside Huangji Hall, but moved the court meeting to Huangji Hall.

Although it is the largest and most luxurious palace in the palace, the Huangji Palace cannot accommodate all the participating officials, so only officials of fourth rank and above and the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate entered to pay homage to the emperor, congratulate him on the first day of the ceremony, and perform eight obeisances.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, clearly defined the etiquette of the entire Ming Dynasty in the "Emperor Ming Ancestor Instructions".

According to the provisions of the "Ancestor Instructions of the Emperor Ming", "Whenever Zheng Dan sends envoys to express congratulations, the king will wear crown robes, and civil and military officials will wear court uniforms. After using the polyester treasures, the table will be placed in the Long Pavilion, and the king will lead the civil and military officers to take their places. The king was on the stage in front of the palace, and the civil and military officers were on the stage, performing twelve salutes.

Whenever it is the emperor's birthday, the king sets up an incense table on the front stage of the palace, wears a royal robe, and leads the civil and military officials in court robes to perform the ceremony of blessing heaven and earth. If it is the first day of the lunar month, after praying to heaven and earth, you should go to the ancestral temple to perform the rites, ascend to the main hall, and go out as an envoy, then you should bow down and perform four homages. Civil and military officials should perform eight prayers in their uniforms. "

Fortunately, no envoys from the vassal state arrived today to offer congratulations, so after Emperor Wanli worshiped the heaven and earth and the ancestral temple, Wei Guangde came to the Huangji Hall to ascend the palace, and all the officials only bowed eight times.

Of course, the eight prayers here are slightly different from the "eight prayers" as the folk call them, but they have the same origin.

The origin and historical background of the Eight Bows can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. In that era, etiquette was an important means of maintaining social order and interpersonal relationships. As a special etiquette form, the "Eight Bows" gradually gained popularity among officials and people. Widely recognized and applied.

Initially, "Eight Bows" was mainly used to express the loyalty and respect of courtiers to the monarch. Later, with the evolution of society, it gradually expanded to include friends and relatives, becoming a way to express deep friendship.

Specifically, the "Eight Bows" ceremony includes bowing or kowtowing eight times to the other party. Each bow or kowtow represents a different meaning, such as respect, gratitude, loyalty, etc.

This etiquette form was very popular during the Zhou Dynasty and was gradually passed down to subsequent dynasties. The Ming Dynasty, which restored Han culture, naturally copied it according to the text.

In the beginning, Babai was still about respecting elders and juniors. But after it spread among the people, friendship was described as "Babai acquaintance", and it became an expression of deep friendship between peers.

The folk Eight Worships first appeared in the classics of the Song Dynasty, originating from the book "Shao Hearing and Seeing Records" written by Shao Bowen, the son of Shao Yong, a master of Yi studies in the Song Dynasty. It is recorded in the book: "Fengji paid a visit to Lu Gong, and the public wrote the words. Said: "Your father, I am a guest. I only bow eight times. If I don't get the grain, I will bow to you as many times as possible."

"Eight prayers" refers to those eight prayers?

According to later generations, the friendship between Guan and Bao originated from the story of Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya.

The story of close friendship is the story of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi.

This is the story of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru shouldering a thorn to plead guilty.

The friendship between Qiaoqi and Qiaoqi expresses the story of Chen Zhong and Lei Yi sharing blessings and sharing hardships.

The friendship between chicken and millet embodies the story of Zhang Yuanbo and Fan Juqing's trustworthiness.

The story of Yang Jiaiaoai and Zuo Botao, who risked their lives for friendship, shows the noble spirit of sacrificing life for friendship.

Life and death, well, the story of the three sworn brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang Taoyuan, is a model of loyalty and commitment.

The story of Kong Rong and Ni Heng, who have forgotten their friendship.

The specific content and ceremony of the "Eight Bowings" are very complicated and solemn. During the salute, the worshiper needs to bow or kowtow eight times in a specific order and direction.

These eight bows or kowtows represent different meanings, and they should be recited softly during the salute to express respect, gratitude, loyalty to the other party, admiration and worship, deep friendship, high trust, and deep emotions. Finally, there are blessings and prayers.

Wei Guangde, who came from a later generation, dismissed these false etiquettes, but he had to follow the crowd and salute the little emperor Wanli on the dragon throne.

However, after he finished the ceremony, he thought about what his teachers had taught him in the past and what was in the books, and he felt very embarrassed.

It seems that later generations have long taken these traditional interests lightly. Everyone is more practical and pursues interests.

Most of these traditions that have been handed down are viewed with a theatrical mentality, and perhaps even with contempt deep down in their hearts.

In fact, when they despised the ancients, they did not expect that they would be where they are today, relying solely on these rituals that they despised as a link and have been passed down to this day.

With this core, in fact, it is a joke that time travel must lead to rebellion.

Later generations simply cannot understand the thinking of ancient people, even in the Ming Dynasty, a relatively open and inclusive period.

And those who have truly succeeded in changing dynasties may not actually be that successful. They rely more on something inexplicable and unexplained, and that is great luck.

Without such great luck, there would be no way to reach the top position.

Entering the second year of Wanli, due to the warning from Qin Tianjian, the imperial court has been paying close attention to the water conditions of the Yangtze River and Yellow River, requiring local governments to report twice a month for fear of major disasters.

At this time, the Huai'an Water Transport Yamen has also reported that a large number of water ships have gathered in the Huai'an area. They are waiting for the Yellow River and the canal to thaw before they can sail northward and deliver the grain to Tongzhou warehouse.

The operation of government affairs is also in order, and it seems to be another stable year.

However, at this time, the Ming cabinet still maintained full vigilance.

It was not to warn the Qintian Prison about possible floods, but to allocate money and grain from the pass to Liaodong to prepare for the construction of Kuandian Six Forts.

At the same time, Liaodong also began to mobilize craftsmen and civilians to prepare everything for city construction. According to Li Chengliang's plan, it took one year to complete the outer perimeter of the pier, three years to complete the pier, and five years to complete the entire section of the Great Wall.

There is no doubt that the first year, when construction of the fort begins, is the most vulnerable period of the entire project.

A large number of craftsmen and folk camped in the wild, without city wall protection, only the recommended camp defense line constructed of wooden fences.

Afterwards, the fortress was built. Although it could not provide all-round protection, at least the Ming army had a defensive basis, so the defense line could be easily arranged and the craftsmen and civilians could easily place it.

"According to what Zhang Xueyan said, Liaodong will mobilize tens of thousands of civilians to participate in the construction of Kuandian Six Forts, and Li Chengliang will also supervise 20,000 troops to participate in protection. Is it time for the Jizhen Army to set off?"

Capital, Forbidden City, Cabinet.

The official documents to be handled today have been processed, and the cabinet ministers gathered in Zhang Juzheng's duty room to discuss the government affairs handled today.

After the government affairs discussion was completed and the chat started, Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but suggest to Wei Guangde.

"Although spring has begun, it is still cold and freezing. It may be difficult for Ji Zhen's army to move out."

When Wei Guangde heard Zhang Juzheng's suggestion to mobilize 10,000 people from Jizhen Army to Liaodong early, he just thought for a moment and said.

"And now we are just gathering manpower. The craftsmen and others should still be in dangerous mountains and other places, and have not entered Kuandian Sixth Fort.

Even if Wang Gao sends troops at this moment, there will be no results.

What I am most worried about is actually that in the second half of the year, when the construction of the fort is nearly halfway through, it is the best time to raid and destroy the fort.

But that time was the moment when our Ming army set up an ambush. "

Wei Guangde explained in a low voice.

Now even if the Jianzhou Jurchens send troops to Kuandian, there will be no war between the two sides for the time being.

"But what if Wang Gao's troops stationed troops in Kuandian and other places in advance? What would happen?"

Lu Tiaoyang interjected and asked.

"Just let Li Chengliang lead his troops to expel them. In a head-on battle, the Liaodong Army should be sure of victory.

I, the Ming Dynasty, want to build a fort in Kuandian, so I have already broken my skin. The Jurchens broke through the border and looted several times before, and I have not covered it up for a long time. There is no need to take so much care of the relationship between the two parties.

Besides, it wouldn't be a bad thing to let Li Chengliang's private soldiers fight more wars. "

Wei Guangde just said.

"I hope Li Chengliang will be more careful and not send craftsmen to Kuandian rashly."

Zhang Juzheng just reminded, "It would be best if the court writes a letter to Governor Zhang and asks him to restrain him." (End of Chapter)