Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 49: The Tyrant of Shanhaiguan

On the way back to the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Li was still admonishing: "I will let your uncle Lu Wang help you first, and you will be able to do it, but you must not treat him unfairly in the future..."

Zhu Changluo just kept saying yes.

That depends on what he does in the future.

But that was all later. Now he was just very happy.

Since Empress Dowager Li said that there was no need to consult him on minor matters, things would be much better later.

As for what the big deal is, as long as Zhu Changluo can still tell the big story when the time comes, what can Empress Dowager Li do?
Zhu Changluo didn't coax him on one point.

If one wants to take action against the official gentry class, which is basically of Confucian origin and makes its profits mainly by exempting its land from taxes and labor service, it is naturally necessary to have another group of people who can be relied on economically and have power in the court.

For the emperor, there was nothing wrong with party strife.

But we don’t have to be limited to the Zhejiang Party and the Chu Party. Why can’t it be the Confucian Party and the Merchant Party?
Times are changing. The industry and commerce of the Ming Dynasty were actually quite prosperous. The growth of maritime trade after the opening of the port in Longqing was also considerable. However, Zhu Changluo could see and get very little of these profits at present.

This is a suppressed force!
Today, the most direct force suppressing this power is the "imperial power".

Shanhaiguan, the first pass of the Great Wall.

The width between the mountains and the sea here is only about sixteen miles, guarding the inside and outside of the pass and connecting the two plains.

Before the Ming Dynasty, the pass here was not here, but at Yuguan, sixty miles southwest.

In the 14th year of Hongwu, King Xu Da of Zhongshan was ordered to repair the pass, and the site was located where it is now. Because it is backed by Yanshan Mountain in the north and connected to Bohai Sea in the south, it is named Shanhaiguan.

Having gone through several important nodes, including Hongwu, Chenghua, Jiajing and Wanli, Shanhaiguan is now a group of "urban clusters".

In the center is the Guancheng, which is nearly ten miles in circumference. Further inside and outside the Great Wall, there are three small military fortresses: Weiyuan, Weihai, and Ninghai.

In the spring of the eleventh year of Wanli, the construction of Dongluo City, which was adjacent to Guancheng, began, and the scale of Guancheng was expanded again.

The scale of Shanhaiguan was growing, not only for military reasons, but also because of trade.

Since March last year, the trade pattern of Shanhaiguan has undergone a major change.

There is a garrison inside the Shanhaiguan Pass.

According to convention, these were eunuchs stationed here by the emperor, whose main task was to supervise the army.

But the full name of the current owner of this garrison is too outrageous: the Ming Dynasty's imperial envoy who is stationed in Liaodong and other places, coordinates with Shanhaiguan affairs, supervises the collection of Fuyang store taxes, and is also in charge of mining affairs, Mashi Taifu Gao.

Now Gao Huai, who "has all the power in Liaodong", is sitting there with a gloomy face.

"Do we really have to wait for Gao Yang, Gao Chen, Gao Xiaoxiao, and Gao Erxiao to come back?"

The one who spoke was Gao Huai's brother Gao Zhong.

"Wait!" Gao Huai said sharply, "Even if you want to go back, you must take the money you have arranged to collect with you!"

Shanhaiguan is not too far from the capital. In early July, the imperial decree was issued to abolish the mining tax envoy. This good policy had already reached Shanhaiguan a month ago.

Gao Huai has not yet set out to return to Beijing.

The reason is of course very simple: the Ming Dynasty is so large that the mining supervisors and tax collectors sent out are almost all in charge of a few prefectures. They can't just return to the capital after hearing the imperial decree and not even take care of the inventory and preparation for transportation, right?

As long as we can get back before the mining supervisors and tax collectors in the border areas return to Beijing, we will always be able to give them a few months.

"But I don't know when Mr. Ye and the others will return from Korea." The person who said this was another person used by Gao Huaiyong.

"Hmph! Your Majesty is seriously ill. I wonder how those sour scholars deceived the Empress Dowager and Your Highness." Gao Huai gritted his teeth. "Supervising the collection of taxes from shops in Fuyang and managing the mines and horse market are all for Your Majesty and to raise money for the treasury! I have already reported it, so you don't have to worry. Besides, how do you know there won't be any unexpected events?"

Gao Huai just came last March, and in less than two months he sent back five hundred taels of silver, which made Zhu Yijun very happy.

He petitioned to change the military affairs office into a tax office, and the emperor approved it and named it Fuyang Store.

He secretly added the word "garrison" in front of his job title. When the Liaodong officials impeached him, didn't the emperor just say "I have already given him the order"?
Shen Yiguan advised that Liaodong was the right arm of the capital, and Gao Huai must not be allowed to interfere in the military power here. So what? Coordinating with Shanhaiguan would be beneficial to mining and taxation.

Sun Shoulian, the general of Liaodong, impeached him, but ended up getting kicked out.

Now, the new Liaodong General Ma Lin had posted a notice in the busy streets of Guancheng some time ago to impeach Gao Huai for recklessly interfering in military and political affairs. He was preparing to get rid of Ma Lin, but he did not expect that an imperial decree came from the capital: remove the mining supervisors and tax collectors from all over the world!
"Eunuch Gao..." Another person rushed in. He was also his new lackey. "More than a dozen stores refused to hand over. They said..."

"This is outrageous!" Gao Huai slammed the table and stood up, his voice becoming increasingly sharp. "We haven't left yet! Even if we want to implement a new system, it will be next year! Big brother, take your people and see who dares not to hand it over!"

Seeing that he made good sense, Gao Zhong felt relieved to go out and collect the taxes for the second half of this year as Gao Huai had assigned him.

Gao Huai's influence was still there in Shanhaiguan, and this time it was even more rampant. The Governor of Ji and Liao, which was established after Altan Khan looted the suburbs of Beijing in the 29th year of Jiajing, had now moved from Miyun to Shanhaiguan. The current Governor Xing Jie frowned when he heard the report from his confidant: "He hasn't left yet?"

In the 25th year of Wanli's reign, Xing Jie was appointed Governor-General of Ji and Liao, and led the second phase of the Korean campaign. Now, due to his merits, he has been promoted to the position of At least Protector and Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince.

"The governor said that all taxes that should be paid this year must be collected. The wealthy merchants in the city seem to have agreed to resist the taxation. If there is any trouble..."

Xing Jie was silent for a while, then asked, "Where are the people he sent out to guard the border?"

"Before winter comes, collect taxes from each city one by one."

Xing Jie looked towards the southwest silently without saying anything else.

Because of his great contribution in the Korean campaign, even the King of Korea remembered his kindness and built a shrine for him in Busan.

Naturally, Xing Jie also had friends in Korea, and they wrote to say that Gao Huai had sent people to Korea last year to extort money on a large scale.

It was said that there was an imperial decree, asking Korea to repay the Ming Dynasty for its assistance in restoring its country and to celebrate the emperor's birthday this year.

The King of Korea was required to make ten towering crowns, each decorated with a hundred pearls from the East; sixty felt hats, each decorated with thirty jewels; and fifty five-colored buffalo-horn dragon mats, each thirty meters long and one meter wide.

Xing Jie didn't know whether the emperor had really given Gao Huai this order. He was already old and didn't want to gamble whether Gao Huai was bold enough to forge the order.

He was also unsure about the changes in the capital.

"Let him go. The governor is here, and there must be a letter of impeachment." Xing Jie just said, "Let the Javelin Battalion wait, just in case."

That was his governor's standard-bearing battalion, and they only took orders from him.

And now, only Xing Jie can suppress Gao Huai with his personal soldiers even if the relationship between them falls out.

Xing Jie frowned and secretly criticized Shen Yikuan and others.

Do you think it will be enough to remove the mining supervisor and tax collector with just an imperial decree?

Or is it that Your Majesty needs to rely on foreign ministers because he is seriously ill, so the official order to remove them is replaced by another secret order?

Xing Jie didn't quite understand why Gao Huai dared to be so arrogant.

But he soon had no time to think about this, as two riders came from the northeast, galloping non-stop between the mountains and the sea.

Military intelligence was quickly delivered to him.

"Superintendent, there has been a change in Gushan Fort! Last month, a demon named Jin Deshi misled people with his evil ways, falsely claiming to be the Buddha. He gathered a thousand people in Huting Valley and robbed and harassed the people everywhere. Now, refugees, deserters, and even bandits have joined his army. The number of people has reached nearly 3,000. If we sit back and do nothing, it may become a serious problem."

Xing Jie was not nervous about this. He nodded and said he understood.

Three thousand bandits were nothing in Liaodong. Even if Pingbo had withdrawn some of the best troops, there were still enough elite soldiers who had experienced the Korean War.

In order to suppress this group of bandits, one must first request an order from the imperial court.

He was writing his examination paper when he heard someone inform him that Gao Huai was coming.

"Master Xing, we heard that someone in Gushan Castle is plotting a rebellion. We need to discuss how to deal with it!" Gao Huai followed in directly with a loud voice.

Xing Jie looked at him and said slowly, "I am preparing a memorial and would like to ask the Ministry of War to present it to Your Majesty for review. What do you think, Eunuch Gao?"

"Your Majesty is seriously ill. The Liaodong soldiers should quickly eliminate the bandits. Why bother Your Majesty?" Gao Huai stared at him. "Xing Shaobao, in my opinion, you can send troops to Gushan Fort to eliminate the bandits. Leave the money and food to me."

Xing Jie lowered his head and said, "I understand what Eunuch Gao meant. Although it is just a bandit problem, the bandits are already quite powerful. If we cannot achieve complete success in one strike, they may spread and cause trouble. It is better to let the officials of the court discuss the strategy of suppressing the bandits and submit it to Your Majesty for your decision."

"you!"

Gao Huai's face suddenly turned ugly, but Xing Jie didn't have to worry about him.

Although he was about to retire, Xing Jie still wanted to return to his hometown to take care of his elderly mother.

Seeing Gao Huai leave angrily, Xing Jie frowned again.

Why on earth did he dare to come here and persuade me to act arbitrarily?

Let him handle the tax and grain affairs... He is so bold... He probably just wants to take this opportunity to collect more taxes.

Xing Jie thought about it, drafted the memorial, and then wrote a letter to the Minister of Rites Yu Jideng.

I don't know whether the decree that the King of Korea is following really exists.

(End of this chapter)