novelSusiti Chapter 9 If you say another word, I will exterminate your entire family!
Chapter 9 If you say another word, I will exterminate your entire family!
Qin Hong's opposition infuriated Zhu Houzhao.
He slammed his hand on the table and demanded sharply, "Qin Hong, I ask you, who benefits from this tax exemption policy—the common people or the big landowners and merchants?!"
"this……"
Qin Hong's expression changed, and the words he had just thought of stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless.
He never expected that this young emperor, who had just ascended the throne, had already seen through the trickery of the tax exemption policy.
"Your Majesty, merchants and landlords are also Your Majesty's subjects, also citizens of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Oh, really?"
Zhu Houzhao sneered: "A landlord who owns thousands of acres of land pays less tax than a farmer who owns only ten acres of land."
"What use are such subjects to me?!"
"But Your Majesty..."
"If you utter another word, I will exterminate your entire family!"
Zhu Houzhao stared coldly at Qin Hong, his whole body radiating murderous intent.
In an instant, Qin Hong felt cold sweat pour down his body, and his body trembled with fear.
Qin Hong could tell that Zhu Houzhao was truly determined to kill him.
He dared not say another word, and could only kowtow and shout "Long live the Emperor!"
"It is Your Majesty."
Qin Hong accepted the order and left Qianqing Palace. Watching Qin Hong's retreating figure, Zhu Houzhao's face was filled with gloom.
He realized that all the civil officials in the court only cared about their own interests!
All the civil officials in the court are unfit for important positions!
If he could, he would love to kill all the officials in the entire Ming Dynasty right now!
But he couldn't govern the entire Ming Dynasty by himself alone; he needed people to do the work for him.
Therefore, for Zhu Houzhao, whether or not to kill these officials did not depend on whether they had embezzled or broken the law.
Instead, it depends on whether they listen to you, whether they still have any value to you, and whether they are trying to steal the power from you!
Those who disobey will be killed!
Those who have no use to you, kill them!
Anyone who attempts to usurp the imperial power shall be killed!
These were the three red lines in Zhu Houzhao's heart. Apart from that, he was not intolerant of some minor issues.
After Qin Hong left, Zhu Houzhao immediately summoned Yu Huatian, the director of the Western Depot, to an audience.
A moment later, Yu Huatian came to Zhu Houzhao.
"Your humble servant, Yu Huatian, greets Your Majesty."
Zhu Houzhao looked at Yu Huatian and immediately gave him an order.
"Yu Huatian, immediately dispatch garrison eunuchs to various prefectures and counties throughout the Ming Dynasty to oversee local tax revenue and grain collection!"
"All the taxes that were exempted over the years will be recovered!"
"Those who resist taxes, kill them!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Houzhao tossed the memorial from the Ministry of Revenue to Yu Huatian.
These memorials detailed which landlords, merchants, and farmers in which places were exempted from taxes.
The amount of taxes exempted from farmers is negligible.
But the taxes waived for those big landowners and merchants often amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver and tens of thousands of bushels of grain.
Zhu Houzhao is determined to make these people return all their taxes!
Yu Huatian accepted the memorial and immediately took his orders.
After Yu Huatian returned to the West Depot's office, he summoned Tan Luzi, the second-in-command of the West Depot.
He entrusted this matter to Tan Luzi.
After receiving the order, Tan Luzi first selected some agents from the Western Depot to serve as eunuchs guarding various regions.
He then copied dozens of documents from the Ministry of Revenue and handed them over to the eunuchs in charge of guarding various regions.
Finally, Qin Luzi took a document and went to the richest, most complicated, and most dangerous place to serve as a garrison eunuch.
Zhejiang Province!
……
Meanwhile, the four great constables of the Six Doors, following the clues provided by the Eastern Depot, began to interrogate Ma Wensheng and Zhang Mao by torture.
These two men, one a minister and the other a duke, had never suffered such hardship.
Faced with overwhelming evidence, they confessed within a few hours.
Tie Shou handed over the signed and sealed confessions of the two men to Zhuge Zhengwo.
"Uncle, they have confessed that the defeat at Yutailing was indeed a conspiracy between the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions in collusion with Xuanfu."
"Ma Wensheng and Zhang Mao deserve to die!"
Zhuge Zhengwo looked at the two men's testimonies with a very serious expression.
Ma Wensheng is one thing, but he's a power-abusing and autocratic civil official who deserves to die.
During the Chenghua reign, Ma Wensheng was excluded from the center of power by Emperor Xianzong, who absolutely forbade him from interfering in politics.
However, in the same year that Emperor Xianzong passed away, Ma Wensheng was swiftly promoted to Minister of War, taking charge of the twelve battalions in the capital.
During the eighteen years that Ma Wensheng served as Minister of War, the military of the Ming Dynasty began to deteriorate rapidly, with military equipment falling into disarray and chaos.
During the Chenghua era, after Emperor Xianzong's decisive campaign, the Jurchen people of Liaodong were almost wiped out, and the northern Mongols were also defeated and dared not venture south to graze their horses for more than a decade.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty was truly a time when all foreign tribes submitted to it and all nations came to pay tribute!
However, during the Hongzhi era, Xuanfu, Dushi, Miyun, and other gateways to the capital were simultaneously invaded by bandits.
The Liaodong Jurchens caught their breath and began to grow stronger.
A Minister of War like Ma Wensheng deserves to be executed by a thousand cuts; that would be too lenient.
But the Duke of Ying, Zhang Mao, comes from a family of meritorious officials who have served the country for generations!
Zhang Mao's grandfather, Zhang Yu, and father, Zhang Fu, were both famous generals who made great contributions to Zhu Di during the Yongle era.
During the Jingnan Campaign, Zhang Yu inflicted a major defeat on Geng Bingwen, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, and later defeated Li Jinglong, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, twice.
In the second year of the Jianwen Emperor's reign, in an attempt to save Zhu Di, he charged into the enemy's ranks and died fighting to the death.
Zhu Di called him the greatest contributor to the Jingnan Campaign and posthumously conferred upon him the title of Duke of Rong.
In the fourth year of the Yongle reign, Zhang Fu led troops to conquer Annam, destroyed the Ho Dynasty, and renamed Annam Jiaozhi. He was awarded the title of Duke of Yingguo for his military achievements.
He subsequently quelled rebellions in Annam multiple times and accompanied Zhu Di on three northern expeditions, achieving remarkable military exploits.
He came from a distinguished family and was the most distinguished among the nobility.
During the Chenghua era, he took charge of the Central Military Commission and concurrently commanded the Five Armies.
However, Zhang Mao deeply betrayed his father and grandfather. For his own selfish interests, he colluded with border generals and committed the heinous act of mutiny!
If the descendant of a meritorious official commits a crime, how will Your Majesty deal with him?
Zhuge Zheng thought for a while, then shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
As he said before, these things were not something he was considering.
His task was to fulfill His Majesty's orders and report everything truthfully to His Majesty.
"I understand. I will report this matter to His Majesty at court tomorrow!"
……
At the Fengtian Hall Square, a deep horn sounded, and after three sharp cracks of the whip, the officials straightened their robes and went to court in turn.
Zhu Houzhao sat on the dragon throne, looking down at the court officials.
"Long live the Emperor! Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After performing the salutations, before Liu Jin could announce the start of court, Zhuge Zhengwo, holding his scepter, stepped out of the queue.
"Your Majesty, I, Zhuge Zhengwo, have an important matter to report!"