Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 412 Heavenly Test

With the establishment of various central government offices, there are actually only two most important things in Beijing this year: personnel arrangements and standardization of official procedures.

Everything is for improving efficiency later.

Outside of Beijing, matters in the north were mainly handled by the Privy Council, while matters in the south were handled by the Ministry of Official Property, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Education and other government agencies that accompanied the emperor.

Ye Xianggao originally thought that this hurdle would be difficult to pass, but unexpectedly, after listening to everyone's reports, the emperor simply nodded.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. Although this year has been a bumpy ride and some things have not been as expected, it is still good overall and much better than in the past."

Ye Xianggao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhu Changluo set the tone directly, looked at them and said: "I have been away from the capital most of the time this year, and I hope you can be bold and do it. The Ming Dynasty is not ruled by the emperor alone, nor should it be ruled by the emperor alone. I will make this program clear again. The important officials of the court who are willing and good at planning for the country can all be allowed to plan for their own lives, unless the emperor and his ministers jointly judge their crimes to be unforgivable. The most important thing is to be at ease and look forward. Be down-to-earth and advance government affairs in an orderly manner. Tomorrow will always be better than today. This is the great blessing of the country."

Several people couldn't help but stand up together and praised him one after another.

Zhu Changluo just smiled and said, "Whether I am a wise and holy monarch, and whether you are wise and important ministers, in the future, when the history books and folk notes are carefully examined, the future generations will still judge based on the people's livelihood, the stability of the country, the foreign relations outside the four borders, and the prosperity of culture and crafts. Now I will first recognize your hard work and loyalty, so that you can rest assured. Then we can discuss the matter, sort out the shortcomings first, and find out the problems clearly, so that it will be convenient to improve next year. Summarize the experience and lessons, and do it every year."

So they started to find mistakes again, but the emperor finally made his attitude clear: finding mistakes is to correct them, not to find faults.

After all, this was the first year after the emperor officially delegated a lot of power and appointed prime ministers. As for the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, except for Tian Le, most of the other eight prime ministers were not particularly confident.

Fortunately, the emperor showed enough patience.

The emperor discussed the issues seriously, sorted out the problems that had been exposed one by one, and discussed the real reasons with them. In this process, he did not shy away from the struggles in personnel, the conflicts of interest in financial allocation, and even less from some nepotism.

Feeling the emperor's attitude, Li Tingji, who was now the oldest of the eight ministers, looked at him and suddenly realized something in his heart.

Young, so patient enough.

Your Majesty seems to be very confident that he will remain healthy for a long time, so he is not in a hurry for success.

Of course, this is a huge change that is unprecedented in the entire imperial court, and there is no way to rush for it.

In any case, this is something that requires great courage for the emperor, and the same is true for the first eight ministers in office.

This combing easily took an hour.

"Prepare some food." Zhu Changluo ordered, "Send it directly to the warm room of the ministers. After you finish your meal, you can take a break at noon, and continue in the afternoon. At the end of each year, I and the ministers will sort out the gains and losses of the year and the plans for the next year. After the results are obtained, we will hold a grand court meeting to make up for the omissions. This meeting with me means that you are responsible to me and live up to my trust; the grand court meeting means that you are responsible to the world and live up to the expectations of the subjects."

So they headed south together in silence.

The Forbidden City is very large, and the Fengtian Palace is also very large.

The eight ministers all have their own warm working rooms here, and there are also direct rooms for them to take a short rest during normal times and to stay overnight when ordered to do so in special circumstances.

To put it clearly, they can have a bed of their own in the Fengtian Hall, which originally symbolized imperial power.

In all dynasties, this was something that no minister was allowed to get involved in, as the symbolic meaning was too strong.

Now they returned to their respective warm rooms, sorting out what had happened in the morning while waiting for the meal bestowed by the emperor to be delivered.

For the other six people except Congzhe and He Shengrui, this was the first time they discussed government affairs with the emperor at close range after the emperor set out on his southern tour.

Tian Le was of course fine, but the other five were deeply touched.

I always feel that the emperor is truly a man of great power. After being away from the central government for such a long time, he returned to the capital and did not take an attitude of scrutinizing, evaluating, or being wary of their gains and losses in the past year.

He really didn't seem to worry about the challenge to the imperial power, and even seemed to care less about it.

It seemed as if he longed for the court to be filled with true righteousness more than many loyal ministers.

The emperor is so audacious and broad-minded that there is no problem. In the future, after the crown prince ascends the throne, what about after two or three dynasties?
In fact, no emperor in any dynasty wants to have many upright officials in the court, and always wants to give his favor to some flatterers, lucky officials, and close officials. The way of checks and balances is just the mind of the emperor.

Nowadays, various government offices are separated in the imperial court, and there is naturally a check and balance and supervision between them. The military power is firmly held by the Privy Council, which the other government offices are not allowed to interfere in.

But the Privy Council is also headed by civil officials.

It was not until this moment that they realized firsthand that the establishment of the eight ministers and the central government restructuring were not just for the success of the new policy.

What the emperor is focusing on is probably to truly change the power structure of the monarch and his subjects governing the world since the Qin and Han dynasties, or the ideological foundation of being a subject.

It's not about learning literary and martial arts to serve the emperor, but about making yourself... half an emperor?
This was so outrageous that Ye Xianggao did not dare to think about it too deeply.

He always felt that the vision was blurry and he didn't know where this structure would go in the future.

But this feeling excited him and made him really want to do something.

It's not about treason, but since the emperor is so tolerant, can he really take drastic measures and leave a good reputation for generations to come?

Although Zhang Juzheng has now been vindicated by the emperor, his experience in the past is also a fact. Your Majesty said that if you can seek a career, you can definitely seek a successful retirement?

Everyone knew that plans for the coming year would be discussed in the afternoon. Next year, local reforms would be promoted, which would touch upon the entrenched power of Jiangnan and countless local clans.

The previous local government offices and power arrangements had certainly made the Ming Dynasty's finances difficult, and Zhang Juzheng could only hold on for a while. But for more than two hundred years, generations of local clans had invested in local power and relationships, so how could they be easily reshuffled?
The vested interests resist this change in the pattern because too much of their past investment may be wasted.

So you don't have to find faults in the morning, but you will look forward to the plans for the coming year in the afternoon.

Expectation is pressure.

Can it be done once, again and again?

Sure enough, after taking a short rest for half an hour in the afternoon and then going to the Huangji Palace, the emperor got straight to the point. "First, tell me why I asked about coal exploration, mining and disaster preparedness. In times of peace, we should be prepared for danger. The Ming Dynasty should improve the efficiency of government affairs as soon as possible and unite to prepare for major disasters."

Since Zhu Changluo was interested in this matter, although he had not yet arranged for a special group in the Hanlin Academy to do it in detail like he did in the morning, he had made some arrangements after leaving Nanjing.

There is also a lot of historical evidence.

"In all dynasties, before a country fell, it was usually because of a combination of various problems, coupled with a major disaster."

Zhu Changluo believed that they all had this knowledge reserve, so he just briefly mentioned a few examples.

"Disasters come in different sizes. If only one place encounters a minor disaster, even if the government fails to respond effectively, it will not lead to a major disaster. If multiple places encounter major disasters, the local government will find it difficult to respond, and the central government will need to coordinate. If several provinces or even several countries encounter major disasters, then it will require unity of purpose, adequate preparation, and proper organization of manpower and material resources."

Zhu Changluo did not exaggerate or say anything alarmist about the impending disaster, but instead changed the subject and combined the matter with local institutional reform.

"I think that if we start with small disasters, and provide relief when there are disasters and assistance when there are difficulties, then no matter which province, prefecture, or county, the people will know that local reforms are truly beneficial to the people. And if the people's hearts are with the court, there will be no major disasters in the local area." Zhu Changluo looked at Ye Xianggao, then at Tian Le, "Local garrisons and local security offices will not provide disaster relief during wartime; local chief officials will work together to prepare for disasters and provide relief. If there is a natural disaster, it will be like wartime, and no one will interfere."

Ye Xianggao immediately understood and agreed: "Putting people's livelihood first is the great benevolence and righteousness of the court!"

Tian Le remembered what the emperor had said. Although the country was now moving towards the direction of abolishing hereditary military service, it would be best if in the future the people did not regard joining the army as a helpless way out, did not fear military service, but instead took pride in defending their country.

"So, when your majesty proposed to establish the Disaster Relief Bureau and the Health Bureau, this was the place to do it." Wang Yingjiao, who was transferred to the position of Chief Censor, nodded and said, "This method is very good. The local military forces will coordinate with the local government in disaster relief and epidemic prevention. If there are major or minor disasters, the local wealthy families who take advantage of the opportunity to rob and hoard goods can be investigated and dealt with. The court attaches great importance to this matter and cares about the lives of the people. No one can say that they are wrong."

Zhu Changluo smiled and nodded.

Instead of talking about the possibility of unimaginable large-scale natural disasters in the future, it is better to combine disaster preparedness with the promotion of new policies.

Throughout the year, with the Ming Dynasty being so large, which place would not encounter some natural disasters in a few years? Whether it is a flood or a drought, as long as it is a disaster, there must be rescue. We can find a way to give them new opportunities to make meritorious contributions and improve the image of the army after the local garrisons are reformed, and give local officials a handle to promote new policies, while also training the emergency rescue system.

Unknowingly, the Ming Dynasty was able to make certain preparations.

The rest of the strategic-level preparations can be made purposefully by the forces controlled by the central government and Zhu Changluo himself.

Of course, the dynasties did not completely ignore people's livelihood. It is easy to say that we must rescue people when there is a disaster, but what about supplies? What about money? Even if there is, how to prevent corruption and false reporting?
"The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Government and Industry should organize and expand production in a targeted manner. The Disaster Relief Office and the National Treasury under the Executive Yuan should list this matter separately and reserve materials and silver. The Inspection Yuan should undoubtedly inspect the implementation of local disaster relief and epidemic prevention. The Ministry of Public Security and the Privy Council should be prepared for mobilization and receiving orders."

Zhu Changluo looked at everyone and said solemnly: "The most important thing is to take this matter seriously. As Wang Yutai said, let the local governments know that the court attaches great importance to this matter. To this end, the disaster report, emergency rescue strategy preparation, central local government and various government coordination procedures, who will take charge, how the local government divides the work, are all organized into government orders and sent to the local governments and various government offices. In this way, the rules are ready, and when something happens, they can be handled according to the rules, and then the local governments can respond to the specific situation."

In these aspects, Zhu Changluo was able to handle them with ease.

For him, this kind of emergency response plan had been experienced many times before.

At this moment, it is nothing more than adjusting the functions of the local government offices that will be established according to the plan.

The key point is, how will local officials be evaluated in the future? In short, disaster relief effectiveness will be one of the criteria.

It's up to you whether you want to make progress or not.

At that time, the disaster situation is like a military situation. If there are still people in the local area who take advantage of the disaster to make money, they will block the way for those who want to make progress. If the local officials are in collusion, would it be wrong to kill them?

"This is a major project. Even the river control project is part of this major project, and it is also to prevent floods." Zhu Changluo mentioned another point, "The same is true for local water conservancy. In a word, the court attaches great importance to people's livelihood. If the people's hearts are there, there is no need to worry about some people resisting stubbornly. This is an upright and open strategy."

The emperor and his ministers began discussing plans for the coming year from this incident.

Ye Xianggao was still hesitant and afraid of some problems at noon, and this was a breakthrough.

Of course, when I think about the money and resources needed to truly achieve "rescue in case of disaster"...

Zhu Changluo was very generous: "I have borrowed 30 million taels of silver from a big merchant in Jiangnan, and it will arrive soon. After the local reform, the annual income is a problem for the salaries of officials, and I know that. Money is also a problem for disaster preparation and relief, and I know that too. So, for the next four years, I will borrow 1 million taels every year to meet the urgent needs of official salaries, and another 1.5 million taels for the court to prepare for disasters and relief. These silvers will not be interest-bearing, and will be slowly returned after the industrial and commercial taxes are effective."

Ye Xianggao has been the prime minister for a year. According to the general principles set before, one term is five years.

Now Zhu Changluo promised him 10 million in four years, which gave him an overall goal.

To put it bluntly, when Ye Xianggao's five-year term is over, whether he can still serve as a prime minister will be the time for the emperor to truly examine his talent and courage.

"On behalf of all the people in the world, I would like to thank you for your great grace!" Ye Xianggao immediately knelt down to express his attitude, "Your Majesty is so lenient. If I cannot bring a new atmosphere to the Ming Dynasty, I will definitely apologize!"

"It is time for the ruler and his subjects to be of one mind!" Zhu Changluo walked over to help him up, then stood and looked around at the other seven ministers who had stood up, "Although I am determined to work hard to govern the country, I still have to rely on my subjects for everything. Although the laws of nature are unpredictable, everything has its own laws. The Ming Dynasty has been established for more than two hundred years, and we are looking into history and disasters to prevent the test of nature from coming! The Ming Dynasty's national destiny and dynasty fortune must always pass one level after another!"

"Or maybe this natural disaster is a test! If disasters happen frequently, and the upper and lower levels fail to respond, resulting in disaster victims everywhere, refugees everywhere, and rebellion, and foreign enemies fleeing from the disasters and invading the south, what will happen to the country?"

He bowed again, and then said with expectation: "If you can work together and overcome this for the country and the people, it will be tantamount to rebuilding the foundation of the country. In the future, when future generations talk about the longevity of the country, won't it be your contribution?"

This time, naturally, everyone kowtowed together in return of the gift.

"Since we have been trusted by Your Majesty and appointed as Prime Minister, we will definitely work together to achieve great achievements and a good reputation for generations to come!"

"Okay! Please sit down and discuss what to do next year!"

The meeting between the nine most important people in the Ming Dynasty was one of unity and harmony.

The emperor expressed his expectations and respect, and the ministers expressed their responsibility and loyalty.

This should be difficult, but it’s actually not that difficult.

Zhu Changluo was only willing to give them power and a stage, and at the same time knew how to do ideological work for them.

Of course, he will still be the most important judge in the future execution process.

That's enough.

(End of this chapter)