roccoschili Chapter 28 New Policies! Who's in favor, and who's against?
Chapter 28 New Policies! Who's in favor, and who's against?
Three days later, at Fengtianmen Square.
Crowds thronged the streets, and banners fluttered in the breeze.
Thousands of officials from the capital, as well as local officials from Shuntian Prefecture, Baoding Prefecture, Hejian Prefecture and other places who rushed there overnight, filled the entire square.
Everyone's face showed a hint of tension and solemnity.
They all knew that today would be a crucial day that would determine the future of the Ming Dynasty.
Land surveying and measurement, the Single Whip Law.
These eight words are like a mountain, pressing down on everyone's heart.
Many of them were large landowners themselves, owning thousands of acres of fertile land.
This policy is designed to cut flesh from their bodies!
But would they dare to object?
The thought of Yan Song and his son's heads, already dried by the wind, hanging on the Meridian Gate, and the thought of Emperor Jiajing still in the Qianqing Palace, miserably copying books, is unbearable.
They wouldn't dare.
A temporary platform has been erected in front of the square.
Zhu Zai Rui and Zhu Di stood side by side on the high platform, looking down at the dense crowd below.
"Is everyone here?" Zhu Zai Rui asked Xu Jie beside him.
"Your Highness, there were 3,274 people who should have been present, and there were 3,274 people present. Not a single person was absent," Xu Jie replied with a bow.
"Very good." Zhu Zai Rui nodded.
He did not give any grand opening remarks.
He simply instructed officials from the Ministry of Revenue to hang a huge, newly drawn map of the Ming Dynasty on the backdrop wall of the high platform.
On the map, alarming red areas were circled with cinnabar.
"Please take a look, everyone." Zhu Zai-rui pointed to the map, his voice calm yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"This map is a preliminary survey and drawing of the land surrounding the capital of our Great Ming Dynasty, which was completed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard over half a month."
"What does this red part represent?"
"This means that these lands simply do not exist in the Ministry of Revenue's official register!"
"Are these places unclaimed land?"
"No!"
"These are fertile fields! Fields that can produce food and feed the people!"
"Their master stands right here, right among you!"
"They were officials, gentry, and so-called local worthies!"
"They abused their power to conceal land ownership, evade taxes, and embezzle funds that should have been turned over to the national treasury!"
"Meanwhile, less than a hundred miles from the capital, countless people were starving, displaced, and forced to sell their children because they had no land!"
Every word Zhu Zaiyi uttered was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the hearts of the officials below.
Many people have already turned pale and are sweating profusely.
Because their land is marked in red on that map!
"For a hundred years, our dynasty has been cultivating scholars, and all we've produced are parasites like you?!"
"The imperial court gives you official positions and salaries, just so you can undermine the foundations of this country?!"
Zhu Zaiyi's voice suddenly rose in pitch, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
"thump!"
Among the crowd, some officials with poor mental fortitude had their legs buckle and knelt down.
Zhu Di watched from the side, his eyes full of approval.
That was a brilliant move!
First, produce evidence, occupy the moral high ground, and completely expose the shamelessness of this group!
"Therefore, I have summoned you all here today not to discuss anything with you."
Zhu Zaiyi's gaze turned icy.
"I've come to inform you."
"Starting today, a comprehensive land survey will be conducted in the capital region as a pilot area to verify acreage and compile a new Yellow Register!"
"All land taxes, corvée labor, and miscellaneous taxes were consolidated into one single tax, levied uniformly in silver based on the acreage of land; this was known as the 'Single Whip Law'!"
"Anyone who voluntarily declares their land holdings and pays any outstanding taxes will not be held accountable for past offenses!"
"Anyone who resists stubbornly and continues to conceal the truth will be punished once discovered—"
"All farmland is confiscated! Half of the family property is seized! The person is dismissed from office, investigated, and never to be employed again!"
"Who agrees?"
"Who objects?"
He looked at the dense crowd below and slowly asked these two questions.
The square was deathly silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
All the officials lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Agree?
That would be going against your own money.
Oppose?
That's like going against your own mind.
This is a question that could cost you your life.
In the suffocating silence, an old but firm voice rang out.
"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xu Jie, approves!"
Xu Jie stepped out from the crowd, walked up to the high platform, and bowed deeply to Zhu Zaiyi.
He knew that this was like scraping the bone to remove poison; although painful, it was the only way for the Ming Dynasty to survive!
As the chief minister, he had to be the first to stand up and make his stance clear!
With Xu Jie taking the lead, reformist officials such as Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng also stepped forward.
"Your subject, Gao Gong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, approves!"
"Your subject, Zhang Juzheng, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, approves!"
However, there were still very few respondents.
Most officials remain silent, observing, and struggling.
Zhu Zaiyi looked at them, seemingly having anticipated this outcome.
He smiled and turned to look at Zhu Di.
"Grand Ancestor, it seems that simply reasoning with him is not enough."
Zhu Di grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
"I told you long ago, you can't be too polite when dealing with these scholars."
He stepped forward and took a musket from the guard beside him.
Those were the latest matchlock guns equipped by the Beijing Garrison, modeled after Western ones.
He raised the musket, pointed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A deafening gunshot rang out, echoing through the sky!
All the officials were startled by the sudden gunshot.
Zhu Di blew away the gunpowder smoke from the muzzle and tossed the musket back to the guard.
He looked down at the group of pale-faced officials, his voice as cold as the north wind in winter.
"My grandson has already explained the reasoning to you."
"Now, it's my turn to explain the rules to you."
"I don't care what kind of officials you were in the past, or how much land your family owned."
From today onward, there are only two paths.
"First, do as my grandson says: survey the land and pay the taxes. Then your officials might be able to continue serving."
"The second point," he paused, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
"If anyone dares to play tricks on me behind my back, do anything underhanded, or act insincerely, then I'll tell them to stop."
"Then I will personally lead the Imperial Guards to your house to measure the beams of your roof to see if they are high enough to hang the heads of your entire family!"
"Did you understand?!"
The final roar was like a thunderclap descending from the heavens!
On the square, all the officials who were still hesitating and observing could no longer withstand the pressure.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Like harvested wheat, they knelt down in swathes.
"Your Majesty, we... obey your command!"
"We...agree!"
A roaring sound, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, echoed across the square.
This time, no one dared to object.