In the second year of Jingzheng, March 23.

The cabinet's "new policy" plan was basically formulated, and local prime ministers were in place and were preparing to leave Beijing in batches.

Imperial Palace, Imperial Garden.

In the pavilion, there were six people sitting around the stone table, Zhu Xu and the five local prime ministers.

Western Prime Minister Fu Changzong, Northern Prime Minister Zhou Yingqiu, Eastern Prime Minister Yang Jingchen, Southern Prime Minister Wang Congyi, and Central Prime Minister Yu Dacheng.

"If you have any ideas, I will say that now, don't be scruples. I am not the kind of foolish monarch who doesn't listen to honest advice, right?" Zhu Xu said with a teacup in his hand and smiled.

Fu Changzong and Zhou Yingqiu didn't say anything. The two knew very well that Zhu Xu wanted to take the other three.

Yang Jingchen was originally the Minister of Rites and retired with the title of Minister of State. His resume was quite solid, upright, straightforward, and powerful. He said, "When I returned to the emperor, I have conducted an investigation on the three coastal provinces. I believe that the current priority is to promote the "new policy" and ensure that the court's orders for local governments are smooth, and the second is to consolidate the foundation and cultivate the people's hearts, and pay equal attention to the kingly and benevolent..."

Zhu Xu didn't know about Yang Jingchen, but judging from the investigation of Jinyiwei, this person is indeed a talented person.

After listening for a while, Zhu Xu was quite satisfied and turned to look at Wang Congyi.

Wang Congyi is the prime minister of the south and has the most jurisdictions. It is relatively complicated. He is not afraid, neither humble nor arrogant, and bows to him, saying: "Emperor, the south is full of hostility and has not been convinced by Wang Hua for a long time. I think that in the south, we should use thunderous means to eliminate the administration of the government, so that the "new policy" can be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and cannot be repeated. As long as the "new policy" moves forward, I believe that whether it is to deal with disasters or reshape Wang Hua, it is just around the corner..."

Wang Congyi was a strong man, decisive in his actions, and was the governor of Shanshan, Shaanxi and Western Province. He was also a person with rich careers and rich political experience.

This is also an idea person. Zhu Xu nodded secretly and looked at Yu Dacheng again.

Yu Dacheng is a bit "simplified". Judging from his experience, this person has enough success and lacks exploration.

He knew that he was not well-reputed, and when he saw Zhu Xu's gaze, he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, I believe that the key to the 'new policy' is no higher than the lower. The emperor and the court unite together, and it is already a general trend that cannot be changed. Now there is only the turmoil and chaos below. Therefore, I believe that the 'new policy' is not a problem of top-down or bottom-up, but is a problem of top-down and equal importance. It should not be suppressed at all. It also needs to be cleared from the local level..."

This is the first time that someone mentioned this 'both top and bottom'. Zhu Xu had a little interest on his face, picked up the teacup and said, "Continue."

Yu Dacheng looked at Zhu Xu and was a little nervous, saying, "I plan to take action against the county below. The 'Baojia Law' can be changed, collecting the power of a village from one village, or combining it into multiple villages, and combining the powers into one. This can reduce their resistance and allow the yamen to reach into the village. After that, whether it is measuring the land or registering the household registration, it will be quite easy... This is just my temporary idea. After going back, I will consult with many people to improve and properly. After drafting the memorial, I will submit it to the cabinet and submit it to the emperor..."

Zhu Xu put down the teacup and smiled at the corner of his mouth.

Yu Dacheng took some tricks, using the method of the cabinet to deal with governors from all over the country, and added a prime minister to the governor. However, his method is indeed good. In fact, it is an additional level of "town", which can effectively collect power in the village and force the government's hands into it.

Since ancient times, the imperial power has not been left behind in counties. If the ruler's law is ruled, the Ming Dynasty's "new policy" must be implemented, the imperial power must be placed under the county and the ruler's power must be broken!

"Okay, after you go back, you discuss and write a memorial. Your idea is very good." Zhu Xu smiled and praised. None of these people are mediocre people. As long as you are willing to do it, you can always surprise people.

Yu Dacheng saw Zhu Xu approvingly, and quickly stood up and said excitedly: "I obey the order. After I go back, I will write that I will definitely submit it to the emperor before leaving the capital..."

Zhu Xu nodded slightly, looked around the five people and said, "I am very pleased that you have such an attitude towards the 'New Policy'. I hand over government affairs to the cabinet. I hope you can support the cabinet with all your strength and discuss everything. You must not give the outside world the illusion that the Ming Dynasty court is in chaos and the party is fighting against the differences! Do you understand what I mean?"

The five people quickly got up and raised their hands and said, "I understand."

Zhu Xu pressed his hands and picked up the teacup.

Although the cabinet's move was beyond his expectations, it was indeed good in the special circumstances in front of him. If it was done properly, he could give power with confidence. At this time, the "New Policy" could no longer be completed by fighting alone. It requires collective efforts and concentrating all the forces of the Ming Dynasty to overcome difficulties and overcome difficulties.

Fu Changzong and others sat down with a calm expression.

The Majesty in front of him reiterated repeatedly that the local government should respect the cabinet and not allow party struggles to reappear. It is obviously not a verbal statement, but intentionally beating.

Zhu Xu met the five prime ministers and then talked to the governors from all over the country.

In the afternoon of that day, the cabinet and Zhu Xu's class room were small living rooms.

"Sit." Zhu Xu said to Fang Kong, who came in to salute while cooking tea.

Fang Kongxi paused his hands with his raised lift, bowed and said, "Yes."

Fang Kongqi was a little nervous. This was the first time he was summoned by the emperor to come to this place. When he came in, he quietly observed it. It was extremely simple and there was no luxury at all. The emperor did not see any airs. He was pouring water and boiling water and tea himself.

‘The outside world rumored that the emperor was frugal, it seemed to be true.’ Fang Kongqi thought to himself. All kinds of rumors were flying outside the palace, and he obviously heard a lot.

"Drink tea." Zhu Xu brought a cup of tea to Fang Kongzhang and said with a smile.

Fang Kongzhao hurriedly took it and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhu Xu waved his hand and said, "This is your first time here. You will get used to it and relax in the future. There is nothing wrong. I just want to know about Jiang and Su's situation."

Jiang and Su are Nanjing and Nanzhili. The area under their jurisdiction is now extremely large, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, etc. in later generations. It has a huge area, a dense population, and the economy, culture and humanities are the most developed. More than half of the money and grain in the Ming Dynasty came from Nanzhili, and more than half of the officials came from Nanzhili, which shows that its importance is obvious!

Fang Kongwu did not dare to drink tea. After making a move, he put down, bowed and said, "Back to the emperor, I have basically sorted out the political affairs of Southern Zhili. Some problems in the past have been dealt with. At present, the government is harmonious and everything is harmonious. Even if there are some different voices, it will not have any impact on the "New Deal". I have an estimate of the number of land, taxes, population, vendors, etc. I will give me another two to three years to thoroughly sort out the Southern Zhili, complete the system planning of the "New Deal", and then measure the land, and register the population for another year, and there will be a result..."

Zhu Xu took a sip of tea and listened quietly. Fang Kongzhao had no "disaster" in his mouth. Nanzhili was indeed the least affected and had a very good geographical location.

"In the past, many things that the court was unable to do were already being done in Nanzhili, especially in business. The Governor's Office has already formulated detailed plans to manage the business situation as soon as possible..."

"Shenlong Mansion, and others uphold the will and have not intervened. Judging from the current situation, the amount of gold and silver in the Shenlong Mansion has a huge amount of goods, and the number of merchant ships in the port has increased day by day, which is unprecedented..."

"The taxes this year are expected to be more than 30% higher than last year, most of which are increased by commercial taxes. Moreover, the Governor's Office estimates that if the disaster is alleviated, there will be such an increase in the next two years..."

"The land tax has also increased, and the 'payment of grain per mu' is also advancing rapidly. I believe it will be fully implemented in less than two years. I expect that the income from money, grain tax can be doubled by then..."

Fang Kongzhao kept saying, Zhu Xu kept listening, and had no statement.

The problem in Nanzhili was also the problem of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the government's affairs were declining and people were overstated. As long as the government affairs were sorted out, everything else would be fine, after all, there was no disaster on the head.

Fang Kongzhang was still very thoughtful and was indeed doing things. Zhu Xu was not dissatisfied with anything. He said with a little approval, "Well, Nanzhili is my Ming Dynasty's money granary. I also believe you. Some of the cabinet's plans are indeed radical. It is normal for you to have ideas. However, you should be able to see the situation facing our country. If it is not radical, things will not go forward or go backwards... The policies must be adapted to local conditions and cannot be copied and copied. If you have any ideas, write a copy to the cabinet and give it to me. If there are indeed practical difficulties, I will deal with it at my discretion, but on the surface, you can no longer confront the cabinet. This is not conducive to the unity of the court, the authority of the cabinet, and the ‘new policy’. Do you understand what I mean?"

It was the first time Fang Kongzhao said so 'heart-to-heart' with Zhu Xu, and his heart was slightly shocked and he quickly stood up and said, "I understand, I know..."

Zhu Xu waved his hand and said, "Sit down, there are no outsiders here, don't be rude."

Fang Kongqi sat down stiffly again, his expression moved, and said, "I understand the emperor's meaning. I will be careful in my actions in the future and will not damage the majesty of the cabinet."

Zhu Xu poured him another cup of tea and said, "Don't misunderstand what I mean. If you should say something, don't give up on food because of choking. You should pay attention to the methods and methods. I have always believed that the worst of national affairs is the loss of authority in the cabinet. You should be able to see that I have been deliberately reshaping the authority of the cabinet. The "new policy" requires the cabinet to be determined to implement. You must be more considerate. The cabinet's auxiliary minister is not better than you, the governor..."

Fang Kongxu was a little flattered. He had thought about the scenes of meeting Zhu Xu many times, such as majestic, cold, plain, and enthusiastic. However, he had never thought about this situation and felt a little uncomfortable with it.

After all, he had met three emperors, Shenzong, Guangzong and Xizong. The person in front of him was very different from them.

Zhu Xu put down the teacup, his face turned as usual, and paused for a moment, saying, "For government affairs, you must stand on a high place to look at it. Every move must be planned and detailed. If you plan for the future, you must not only consider the present but also consider the long-term. Some hard bones must be used both soft and hard, and cannot avoid it or escape..."

"The newspapers and so on must be taken seriously, and public opinion must be in the hands of the court. The 'new policy' is the most important thing in the Ming Dynasty now. It must form an overwhelming momentum from top to bottom. No one is allowed to openly jump out and sing opposites, especially officials, no matter big or small..."

"We must pay attention to internal unity. We must pay attention to relationships, including the Governor's Office, various departments, prefectures, counties, etc., as well as the Governor's Yuan, Dali Temple, etc., and we must pay attention to relationships. We must never confront each other, especially high-ranking officials who openly slander, slander, and make harsh words. Once this occurs, we must be severely punished. All departments have their own responsibilities, and we must understand and respect each other..."

Fang Kongxu didn't say anything and listened quietly. These were the emperor's "face-to-face advice" and also a "responsibility precondition". If something really happened in the future, don't blame him for "not being prepared".
Chapter completed!