During the reign of Emperor Xianzong and Chenghua, all borders were stopped and salt merchants were ordered to exchange salt permits with the Ministry of Revenue and the Transport Department.
At that time, the imperial court was becoming more and more corrupt. The royal family, eunuchs, nobles, and bureaucrats saw that holding salt permits was profitable. They all requested for salt permits and sold them to the salt merchants for profit.
This phenomenon was known as "occupying a nest."
This phenomenon became more and more serious, destroying the system of opening a nest and severely affecting the revenue of the Daming government.
From this, Zhu Yijun saw the famous subcontracting in the future. Occupying a nest was the same as subcontracting.
The nobles and members of the royal family used their authority to obtain the salt permits. Usually, the price of the salt permits was very low. Then, they sold them to the salt merchants for a very high price. They didn't have to do anything in order to take away a lot of money.
Salt merchants naturally wanted to make a profit, which was why the price of salt was so high.
The price of official salt was high, so the salt merchants began to smuggle salt for profit.
In the end, the Daming, the imperial court, and the people of the Daming were hurt. They ate salt at a high price and were exploited by a group of vermin.
In the second year of Longqing, Wang Chonggu had pushed for the system of opening a field at the three borders. But by this time, no one was willing to do it.
Honours and members of the royal family still controlled the salt permits. The salt merchants only needed to pay for it. Why did they have to go to the borders to open up fields and suffer?
At this time, the salt policy of the Great Ming Dynasty had accumulated too much.
Cao Yikui focused on the salt policy and did a detailed investigation. Obviously, he was not an official who talked big.
Zhu Yijun saw Cao Yikui standing there with a solemn expression. He smiled and said, "What does it matter if I don't know? I'll find out if I don't know. To be honest, I'm also very curious. People say that wealth can rival a country. I really want to see what wealth can rival a country look like."
"There are seven million taels of silver in the Daming's national treasury. I want to know if there is anyone who has more silver than the people in the national treasury."
"How about this, I will set up a Daming salt department in the Ministry of Revenue. I will transfer you to this yamen. The salt department is in charge of salt. I will give you this opportunity.
After you take office, don't do anything else. Just investigate for me. "
"Find out how many salt fields there are in the Daming and how much salt is produced each year. Find them all.
"At the same time, investigate the illicit salt trade. It would be best if we can find some corrupt officials and unscrupulous merchants. We feel that the heads of some people in the Great Ming Dynasty should be hung on the city gates. I just don't know if you dare to do this for us."
After saying that, Zhu Yijun turned to look at Cao Yikui with a faint smile on his face.
In fact, Zhu Yijun's attitude was very clear. Zhu Yijun's words. were clear. Cao Yikui of salt was Cao.
Zhu Yijun believed that after this attack, the salt merchants would not be the only ones who came out. The harvest would be huge.
Many things had to be demolished if of rebuilding. able. to be.
This matter was definitely not easy. If Cao Yikui succeeded, Zhu Yijun would give him the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Now, it was up to him to see if he had the guts to do so.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Cao Yikui kneeled on the ground and said loudly.
Zhu Yijun nodded and said with a smile, "Very good. I will discuss your report with the ministers in the morning assembly in a few days. I believe there will be a good answer." Speaking until here, Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may leave!"
After Cao Yikui left, Zhu Yijun began to ponder over the issue of the Daming Salt Division candidate.
This yamen was no ordinary yamen. Zhu Yijun was prepared to use the salt department as the foundation to set the standard for the Daming Tax Department in the future.
Zhu Yijun sighed. It seemed that he still had to invite that great god out!
"What happened to Wang Yongji?" Zhu Yijun turned to look at Zhang Jing and asked.
When Zhang Jing heard the name Wang Yongji, he thought for a bit and knew who this person was.
Although it was a few years ago, Zhang Jing still remembered it clearly. After all, this person was very special. There weren't many people that the Imperial Majesty valued.
"Replying to the Imperial Majesty, Wang Yongji was just promoted to Nanjing's Assistant Minister of Revenue last year."
Zhu Yijun nodded. Then he would let these two people support the salt department. As for the great god called Hai Rui, Zhu Yijun didn't know if he could invite him.
In fact, Hai Rui was ostracized by the entire Daming officialdom. It wasn't just Zhang Juzheng.
Those who used Hai Rui to attack Zhang Juzheng didn't see Hai Rui being put in an important position even after Zhang Juzheng died.
On the seventh day after Zhang Juzheng's death, his son, Zhang Jing Xiu, returned to his hometown, Jiangling, to bury his father. As Zhang Juzheng's coffin left, it completely proved the end of an era, and at the same time, represented the beginning of a new era.
"Summon a few cabinet secretaries to the court this afternoon!" Zhu Yijun looked out of the Forbidden City and said expressionlessly.
"Yes, Imperial Majesty!" Zhang Jing bowed and replied with a solemn expression.
Just as Zhu Yijun was about to turn around and leave, Eunuch Zhang Hong of the Department of Rites walked in. After respectfully saluting Zhu Yijun, Zhang Hong said, "Imperial Majesty, the Empress Dowager invites Imperial Majesty to the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful."
Hearing Zhang Hong's words, Zhu Yijun nodded. Ever since Zhang Juzheng passed away, Queen Dowager Li had been reciting scriptures for Zhang Juzheng.
Now that Zhang Juzheng's coffin had left the capital, she had fulfilled one of her wishes. Thus, she wanted to summon him.
Zhu Yijun arrived at the Palace of Compassionate and Peaceful and met Queen Dowager Li. He even accompanied Queen Dowager Li for a meal.
Contrary to Zhu Yijun's expectations, Queen Dowager Li didn't say anything. She didn't even mention Zhang Juzheng.
Although she told Zhu Yijun to be diligent, she didn't ask for anything. It could be seen that Queen Dowager Li was a little worried, but she was also very calm.
Although it was called a court conference, in fact, there were only two Cabinet Ministers at the moment.
Ma Ziqiang and Lv Diaoyang were dead, and now Zhang Juzheng was also dead. Only Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing were left in the Cabinet.
According to the order of succession in the Cabinet, Zhang Siwei was the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Shen Shixing was the Vice Minister of the Cabinet.
When Zhu Yijun saw the two of them, they both had a serious expression on their faces.
"My two beloved subjects, please rise!"
Zhu Yijun motioned for them to stand up. Then he said, "Mr. Zhang passed away. There are only two you in the Cabinet. It's really not enough. Today, I summoned you two here to decide on the new Cabinet Ministers."
"According to the previous decree, the two people to enter the Cabinet are Pan Cheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Yu Youding, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
After these two people enter the Cabinet, there will be four people in the Cabinet. I think it's good to have one more person in the Cabinet. "
Although the number of Cabinet Ministers was not fixed, there were usually five of them. They were the Grand Secretary of the Canopy Hall, the Grand Secretary of the Guard Hall, the Grand Secretary of the Martial Heroic Hall, the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Library, and the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion.