"Your Majesty! Ma Wensheng submitted a memorial again, asking the court to grant permission to the military camp in Hetao to reduce the increase in national consumption caused by the recovery of Hetao!"

"Your Majesty! The military team Xinde reported that the recovery of Hetao is expected to increase the annual supply of 30,000 shi of military rations, plus the supply of military ordnance and horses, and the annual supply of more than 400,000 taels of silver! Therefore, it is suggested that the court first implement military camps and reset the garrison in Hetao. In this way, the court can save 200,000 taels of military expenditure every year from one or two years."

"Your Majesty! Liu Ji, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, reported that the Ministry of Revenue has transferred 1.5 million taels of silver for repair of the Hetao border wall, but it is still short of more than 600,000 taels! Therefore, it is suggested that the court cultivate the country's land to avoid excessive consumption of the national treasury."

...

Recently, Zhu Houzhao received memorials from some ministers who suggested farming in Hetao.

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that in this era, these suggestions made sense and could even be said to be wise. After all, Hetao has just recovered and there are a large amount of unowned fertile land. These fertile land has not been merged by the powerful. Therefore, now is undoubtedly the best time to realize military garrison. The benefits generated can undoubtedly greatly reduce the increased military expenditure of the Ming Empire due to defending Hetao.

Even the prosperity of Hetao may be able to make up for the military supplies of other border towns.

However, Zhu Houzhao did not want those border troops who went to Hetao to go from elite soldiers with rich experience in fighting the Tartars to farmers with rich farming experience. Although there is nothing in the short term, if strong neighbors rise in a hundred years, there will be no strong soldiers to defend in the Hetao area, and it will even evolve into an independent military landlord kingdom, such as Li Chengliang in the Wanli period and Wu Sangui in the Chongzhen period.

Zhu Houzhao discovered that after people of this era got new land, their thinking was to turn fields into farmland, but he did not blame these people. After all, there were limitations of the times. A small Yulin City could not make most officials of the empire realize that the way to avoid increasing financial pressure due to the expansion of border towns is not just military farming.

"I am not willing to farm in Hetao, but I am unwilling to implement military garrisons. You all know that the garrison system has been corrupt. They do not know the command and only know the empty salary and the soldiers, while the soldiers do not know the sword and gun, but only know the farming. Now that the Hetao is newly restored, the original garrison system no longer exists. It is the best time to set up officials and divide the land with the people. Why do you have to send elite soldiers of a hundred battles to farm? If the empire wants to maintain a strong army that is enough to defend its territory, it must let this army only hold a sword!"

Zhu Houzhao had to express his true thoughts.

Jiao Fang, the chief assistant of the cabinet, understood Zhu Houzhao's thoughts and knew that His Majesty the Emperor did not want the Ming Dynasty's military strength to become weak, so he stood up and said:

"Your Majesty, in the opinion of my ministers, the ministers suggested that military camps were not just to reduce the burden on the court and increase the national treasury income. They were not unaware that military camps would weaken the combat effectiveness of the border troops, so that the border troops would only cultivate fields but not fight in the future. But they actually wanted to use this to dispel His Majesty or the kings of later generations who would often prosper military affairs!"

Zhu Houzhao was reminded by Jiao Fang, and suddenly realized it. He thought that the civil servants were not as good as they could. He always felt that these civil servants were really just to reduce the burden on the people and make them quite understand them, but he did not expect that these civil servants still had this idea.

However, even after Jiao Fang's reminder, Zhu Houzhao knew that he would not do anything to these civil officials. After all, this is an open conspiracy, not a conspiracy. People are indeed thinking about the people. The reason why they want to prevent themselves and the kings of later generations from being powerful and militant, is also thinking about the people.

This deep-rooted idea after Confucian Neo-Confucian education cannot be changed.

These scholars and officials in the empire no longer had the desire to open up territory during the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. They were only willing to accept the prosperous era when all countries came to worship.

But no matter how much you understand, Zhu Houzhao would not fulfill the wishes of these civil officials, and would not turn the border army that had not yet declined from a professional soldier to a professional farmer, especially a frontier cavalry. You should know that it takes many years to cultivate an excellent cavalry, and it is easy to cultivate an excellent farmer.

"Wealth cannot be abolished! I believe that the fertile land in Hetao can only be used for civilian settlements, and can even be directly distributed to the people who are willing to go to Hetao to reclaim wasteland. In order to encourage the people to move to Hetao, all the fields in Hetao are collected from civilian land. In order to make up for the military needs of the Hetao border, the Hetao area can be kept for three years for taxes and self-use, and there is no need to transport Taicang;

In addition, the reform of the salt administration must be carried out as soon as possible. The cost of transporting grain will still be transferred to merchants, which is not only for immigrating to the border but also to curb the grain prices in border towns. At the same time, the Ming Dynasty has always been light on taxes and heavy on farming, but also for merchants to bear some! What's more, this system is originally the first country!"

After Zhu Houzhao said that, Jiao Fang, the chief assistant of the cabinet, said:

"I have already planned to change the salt system in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. Zhengde could start implementing the system of raising grain and removing silver six years ago. Now I will wait for the Minister of Revenue Wang Qiong to come back from Huaiyang to discuss the specific amount of salt prices to avoid salt farmers being unwilling to produce salt because the salt price is too low. The amount of salt should be appropriate, so as not to affect the people's salt consumption. It is expected that Wang Qiong can return to Beijing within half a month, and then he can directly issue a ruling to the world!"

Zhu Houzhao knew that Wang Qiong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was good at calculating and was still studying at the Peking University for half a year. After so long preparations, he should have a clearer understanding of how to reform the salt administration.

"It's very good. Ye Qi changed the salt administration and benefited businessmen and the people. Now Wang Qiong's transformation to the salt administration is not good. It is beneficial to the country and the people, but if the salt output can be increased, it can benefit both businessmen and the people and the country, and issued an order to the salt transport envoy, and he established a salt industry research and development department and hired experienced salt clients to develop high-yield salt production methods. He could give him an official position and establish a bounty."

After Zhu Houzhao said that, Jiao Fang, the chief assistant of the cabinet, hurriedly said that yes. At this time, the eunuch of the Western Factory, Gu Dayong, hurriedly appeared outside the duty room. After Zhu Houzhao noticed, he asked him to come forward and reply.

"Wang Qiong's father disappeared fourteen days ago?!"

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking in Gu Dayong's ear, he couldn't help but say it out in surprise.

Jiao Fang couldn't help but feel a little shocked when she heard this and said:

"Your Majesty! According to the system, your parents die and you will be dismissed from office. Ding You obeys the system! But now Wang Qiong has just inspected the salt administration and returned to Beijing. He has just figured out the depth of the salt administration and is about to reform the salt administration. If he is allowed to return to his hometown at this time, he will have to start over again! Such a salt administration reform will have to be delayed for a long time!"

"The father of the Minister of Revenue Wang Qiong left in time! He left at this time," Zhu Houzhao said meaningfully.

Zhu Houzhao also knew that this was a common phenomenon in the Ming Dynasty. In addition to the emperor falling into the water, the important ministers died of their parents!

After all, according to the rules, parents who have to dismiss their posts and return to their hometown to mourn for any reason. This is undoubtedly the most effective and best way to crack down on political enemies.

The cabinet ministers present knew what Zhu Houzhao meant, but they didn't say anything, because they could not persuade the emperor to seize love and Wang Qiong's filial piety. Not to mention them, even the emperor, according to Confucian etiquette, could not help his subjects to be filial.

"Let's wait for Wang Qiong's memorial. In addition, I will find a few ministers who have asked for the memorials of Wang Qiong to seize love! You can keep filial piety at any time, but the salt administration reform cannot be delayed!"

Zhu Houzhao said and asked the Western Factory Admiral Gu Dayong: "Why did Wang Qiong's father suddenly disappear? Do you Western Factory know the truth?"

"When I go back to the emperor, according to Taiyuan, Wang Qiong's father was quite healthy the day before leaving. He could still carry a stone lock in the backyard, and his appetite for food did not decrease. However, he was discovered by the servants of the royal palace early the next morning, but his expression was peaceful, and he seemed to be dead!"

Gu Dayong replied.

"Check it carefully", as Zhu Houzhao said, Wang Hua came over: "Your Majesty! The resignation memorial of Wang Qiong, the Minister of Revenue, has arrived!"

Zhu Houzhao hurriedly opened it and saw that he was asking to resign and return to his hometown.

...

Wang Qiong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was also very reluctant to return home just like this.

He could see that the emperor today was an emperor who wanted to do great things without hesitation. Because he was proficient in mathematics, he directly ordered the cabinet court to promote himself as the Minister of Revenue. He also wanted to bring salt administration back to a situation that was beneficial to the court and do something.

Besides, he himself also had selfish intentions. As a Shanxi native, he naturally wanted to change the salt administration back to the system of collecting grain and getting salt. This not only benefited the court but also the businessmen in the north, and did not allow Hui merchants to gain benefits alone.

But Wang Qiong didn't expect that his father would suddenly disappear at this time!

As a person with rich experience in the officialdom, Wang Qiong was also worried that his father would suddenly disappear, so he told his father countless times that he should take good care of his health and even paid attention to his father's health almost at all times. In addition to being a filial piety as a son, he did this to prevent his career from being delayed for several years because of his parents' death.

But Wang Qiong still didn't expect that his father would be gone at this time! When he was about to cooperate with the emperor and the cabinet to fight a big fight with the Hui merchants.

Wang Qiong was very angry, but he could not use his political enemies behind his back, because he had no evidence to prove his conjecture, and he must immediately submit a memorial to resign from his post. As a great civil servant who cultivated Confucian Neo-Confucianism, he knew how important Ding You was to obey filial piety in etiquette and law.

Therefore, Wang Qiong made a memorial to resign without hesitation and kicked the ball to Zhu Houzhao.

...

At this time, in a teahouse, two literati wearing ordinary Confucian robes were communicating with each other.

"Do you think Wang Qiong will return to his hometown to Dingyou?" asked a literati.

"Why can't it be? If he doesn't return to his hometown, then His Majesty the Emperor and him will be criticized!" Another scholar replied with a sneer.

...

After saying that, Zhu Houzhao has received the memorial from Wang Qiong asking Ding You to return home because of his father's death. He is not only angry, but also helpless. He found that the officials of the empire are still keen on internal strife, and their purpose is still so impure. While impure, he also used noble reasons to conceal his impure purpose.
Chapter completed!