Chapter 952
Getting angry
The imperial court did not approve every proposal to reduce or exempt taxes.
“With the national treasury empty, reducing taxes will put even more pressure on the Ministry of Revenue,” Chen Xun said. “If taxes don’t come from farmers, they can only be levied on merchants. But at the beginning of the year, the court just issued a decree to encourage commerce. Now, if we increase taxes on merchants, isn’t that just changing the policy overnight?”
Pan Yun: “Reducing or exempting taxes is also a means of disaster relief when a region is affected by a disaster. Otherwise, if the people are destitute and a peasant uprising breaks out, the military force, military pay, and provisions required to quell the uprising will be a hundred or a thousand times higher than the tax reduction or exemption.”
Pan Yun shook his head heavily and said, "Healing a country is like healing a person. Treating illness before it occurs not only costs less money but also causes less pain. Must we wait until the disease is terminal before we prescribe the so-called 'treatment'?"
Yu Qian stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I agree with what the Imperial Preceptor said. Last year, a great windstorm hit Jiangnan, causing severe damage to Zhejiang and Southern Zhili, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Because the court’s disaster relief was not timely, some local disaster victims responded to Deng Maoqi’s rebellion, which delayed the army’s ability to quell the rebellion. As a result, when the late Emperor personally led the expedition against the Oirat Mongols, the Jiangnan battlefield tied down a lot of troops.”
"Learn from past mistakes and prepare for the future. The court should respond early and appease the people. Moreover, most of the disaster-stricken areas are prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Fujian. Deng Maoqi has only recently surrendered, and the rebels were only sent back to their hometowns half a year ago. If things are not handled properly, I'm afraid there will be another rebellion."
How can the imperial court be blackmailed by a bunch of unruly commoners?
“When the people can’t survive, they will rebel. This is an age-old truth,” Cao Nai said. “Knowing this, why not give them a way to survive? If court officials behave like this, how can we sit under the bright mirror of justice?”
Zhu Qiyu gritted his teeth. He was an emperor who had come to power later in life, and he cared most about public opinion. Although the pressure of an empty treasury was great, he could solve it later.
Moreover, he trusted the imperial advisor.
He glanced at Pan Yun and immediately decided: "Exempt the labor service in the disaster-stricken areas this year, reduce the grain tax by half, and reduce the poll tax by half as well."
Yu Qian and other ministers looked at Chen Xun.
Chen Xun quickly reviewed the annual grain tax and poll tax amounts for each prefecture in Quanzhou in his mind, and in a flash, he calculated the approximate amounts.
Chen Xun closed his eyes tightly, and Yu Qian immediately knew that this had crossed the bottom line of the Ministry of Revenue. So he replied, "Your Majesty is wise. The Cabinet will draft the imperial edict immediately."
Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly: "Announce this throughout the land, send imperial censors to provide disaster relief, and local officials are not allowed to increase taxes on the people for any other reason."
The most difficult thing was to reduce or exempt taxes. As for a general amnesty, there were relevant legal provisions, and the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were very familiar with it.
Political prisoners are generally not eligible for amnesty. Those who are pardoned are mostly those convicted of crimes such as resisting taxes, tax evasion, or theft, which occurred throughout the country.
The emperor glanced at the list, ticked it off on the list submitted by the Ministry of Justice, and then added Pu Min's name below. He handed the list to Pan Jun and asked, "What do you think, Grand Preceptor?"
Pan Yun, holding the teacup, peeked out and nodded, saying, "It is him. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Qiyu smiled nonchalantly: "The Imperial Advisor is only doing this for my own good."
If Pan Yun hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have known that Pu Si from Quanzhou had actually pledged allegiance to the Emperor.
I heard that he bought several ships and got involved in maritime trade, but the profits that should have been handed over to the Imperial Household Department have been delayed.
A single mouse will only plunder food into its own nest and hoard it all. If another mouse is put in, it will know that it should offer food to its parents and can no longer just eat it all by itself.
The cabinet reviewed the list, remained silent for a moment, and quickly stamped it for confirmation. The Ministry of Justice also remained silent. The list was handed over to the Court of Judicial Review, where the newly promoted Minister of Judicial Review, Xue Xuan, frowned as he looked at the last name: "Isn't this the criminal who colluded with pirates to rob and kill the delegation and the silver ship? He was only sentenced to exile, which is already a lenient sentence for him. Why is he still on the pardon list?"
How would the officials who delivered the list know?
He could only say, "This was added by His Majesty in vermilion ink, and it has been approved by the Cabinet, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice."
Xue Xuan slammed the list shut and said in a deep voice, "I will not carry it out. Send it back to the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, and let them explain why this person was added."
Xue Xuan said, "According to the law, he is not among those to be pardoned."
The officials were in a real bind. He was only a fifth-rank official; why should they be asked to do such a thing?
But everyone knows Xue Xuan's stubborn temper, so he could only slump his shoulders and take the list away.
The Censorate and the Ministry of Justice gritted their teeth and couldn't help but complain privately: "This was approved by the Cabinet and approved by His Majesty. How could we possibly refuse? Xue Xuan is certainly tough. If he's so capable, why doesn't he go and talk to His Majesty?"
Neither department dared to approach the cabinet, much less the emperor. The next day, they sent another official to deliver the message to Xue Xuan, but Xue Xuan still refused.
After going back and forth three times, Pan Yun, who had just left the Ministry of Works, still hadn't received any news, so he casually asked the Minister of Rites, "Has the list of those granted amnesty by the imperial court been released yet?"
The Spring Official, who had been enjoying the opera these past few days, became excited upon hearing this, his eyes lighting up: "The Imperial Preceptor has also heard about it?"
"What did you hear?"
Chun Guanzheng immediately grabbed a handful of melon seeds and leaned over, lowering his voice to say, "They say it's a cycle of reincarnation. After many years, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice are at odds again, and Xue Xuan has the upper hand."
Pan Yun inquired carefully and found out that the list of those to be granted amnesty was stuck with Xue Xuan.
She didn't blame Xue Xuan; she just couldn't understand the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate: "Why didn't they explain it to Xue Xuan?"
The official in charge of the Spring Palace was taken aback and asked, "This matter was approved by His Majesty with imperial approval and by the Grand Secretariat. How do the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate explain it?"
"Why can't they give it to me?" Pan Yun asked. "It's their duty. Don't they have the same responsibility as Xue Xuan? If they don't, why don't they answer Xue Xuan's question?"
Pan Yun said with a serious expression, "The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate have failed in their duties."
The official in charge of the Spring Palace looked completely bewildered. After a long while, he stammered, "Wasn't it you who asked the emperor to add the name?"
Pan Yun glanced at him: "How did you know?"
Chun Guan Zheng: "Many people know this~~"
Pan Yun: "Do the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate know about this?"
The official nodded hesitantly: "You should know, right?"
"Since you know, why not ask and answer?"
Chun Guan swallowed hard and whispered, "Are you going to let them ask, or not?"
Pan Yun stood up and said, "Whether I ask or not, I have a clear conscience and everything is in accordance with due process."
Pan Yun truly upheld procedural justice. As the Imperial Advisor, she had direct access to the Emperor, who had the power to grant pardons. Therefore, she could add Pu Min's name through the Emperor.
The Cabinet, the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review also have the right to question and refuse.
The cabinet didn't ask, mostly because those old men were shrewd and capable, and had already guessed her and the emperor's intentions, so they didn't ask.
But the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate did not ask whether they truly knew or were pretending to know when they did not.
Xue Xuan has no problem.
In her view, the problem lay with the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate. It was a perfectly normal matter; they should have just followed the proper procedures. The procedure was just, the reasons for pardoning Pu Min were sufficient, and Xue Xuan wasn't an old fogey. Pan Yun was confident that he wouldn't object once he knew.
As a result, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate did not follow the proper path, but insisted on taking a different route. Did they think they were very loyal and were protecting the emperor?
Pan Yun gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "Idiot!"
It wasn't until Xue Xuan sent the list back for the third time that he was privately told that the name had been added by the emperor at the request of the imperial advisor.
Upon hearing this, Xue Xuan sent the list back again, and then, like Pan Yun, muttered under his breath, "Idiot!"
Then he wrote a memorial overnight to impeach the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice.
The Censorate and the Ministry of Justice had been waiting for this. The next day, when the impeachment memorial was issued, the two departments immediately joined forces to impeach Xue Xuan.
Zhu Qiyu sat silently on the dragon throne, listening.
Last night, Pan Yun cursed the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate in front of him for half an hour.
He cursed until his throat was dry before leaving, still feeling unsatisfied.
He looked down at the angry officials of the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice below, his face expressionless.
If Pan Yun hadn't scolded him last night, he would have definitely disliked Xue Xuan and thought he was deliberately going against him at the morning court session today.
However, because Pan Yun had first criticized the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, pointing out the shady dealings, Zhu Qiyu could no longer be fooled.
He was even more suspicious than Pan Yun.
Just as Pan Yun said, they kept silent because they didn't want to offend him and the cabinet, even though they knew something was amiss, in order to please him and the cabinet.
Or did they do this to provoke Xue Xuan into retaliating and to make me and the cabinet dislike Xue Xuan?
If it is the former, they are truly despicable. They disregard procedures for the sake of protecting the nation's vital resources;
If it is the latter, it is even more despicable. In order to bring down political enemies, he dares to use me and the cabinet as knives, driven by selfish interests.
After the emperor and other officials from the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice had finished impeaching Xue Xuan, they turned to Xue Xuan and asked, "Xue Xuan, what do you have to say?"
Xue Xuan stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I acted in accordance with the law and regulations. The crimes committed by Pu Min are not eligible for pardon according to the law. I did not understand this, so I naturally asked for clarification. However, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate knew that there was something wrong but did not answer me, which is a dereliction of duty.”
The emperor then looked at the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate.
Officials from both ministries jumped up, all saying that Xue Xuan was deliberately making things difficult for them to settle old scores and delay important national affairs.
"The list has been approved by the cabinet, so what problems could there be?"
The emperor then asked, "If there is no problem, why not answer the Dali Temple?"
"I said there was no problem..."
The emperor countered, "And what's the reason?"
The official choked, realizing the awkward atmosphere, and lowered his voice by eight octaves: "This is His Majesty's imperial edict, and it has been reviewed by the Cabinet. What problem could there be?"
The official became increasingly certain as he spoke, his voice rising again: "Moreover, the review is the responsibility of the Cabinet and the Censorate. The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are only responsible for execution. I have no authority or responsibility for review."
Zhu Qiyu, suppressing his temper, asked, "What did the Censorate say?"
The Censorate also believed that what problems could there be with the imperial edicts issued by the emperor and the cabinet?
Zhu Qiyu flew into a rage, pointing his finger at the Minister of Justice and the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate for the first time at the grand court assembly, and berated them: "...corrupt officials! Incompetent people! It was clearly a very simple matter, yet your three ministries wasted five days of your time. The censors in charge of disaster relief have already arrived in Quanzhou, but you are still arguing endlessly over a list!"
He criticized the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate for only caring about their own interests and power, knowing that there were differences, but turning a blind eye to them in order to please him and the cabinet;
He then berated Xue Xuan for his inflexibility, saying, "You clearly know you can't get an answer from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, yet you neither report nor inquire. What, is it that you, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, cannot see me, or are you incapable of seeing me?"
"The Imperial Advisor was absolutely right when he said that you all only have yourselves in your eyes. The existence of you is a sin for the Ming Dynasty! Five days! If any criminals on the pardon list die during this period because of you, the sin will fall on your shoulders!"
After saying this, the emperor severely punished the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate. As for Xue Xuan, because he followed the proper procedures, the emperor only reprimanded him and did not punish him.
In addition to being punished, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate were also reprimanded by imperial decree.
In recent years, the two departments have been reprimanded twice, both times because of Xue Xuan.
When Wang Wen walked out of the main hall, his face was ashen. He glanced at the silent Xue Xuan with a disheveled look, then turned and left without expression.
The emperor, in front of his entire court, explained the list.
“Pu Min is talented, and he is exactly the kind of talent that I can use. Therefore, I hereby grant him a special pardon.”
This reason was sufficient, followed the proper procedures, and was accepted by all officials.
At this point, the list was stamped and approved, and the Dali Temple prepared the pardon forms that same day, sending them to the prisoner's place of imprisonment and their place of household registration.
This incident made the officials realize that the emperor was clear-headed, law-abiding, and averse to those who used their personal interests to interfere in state affairs.
As the saying goes, those above set an example for those below, and officials gradually became more restrained and followed the rules, fearing that one day their behavior would be used against them for not conforming to procedures.
Yu Qian was greatly pleased to see this. When he got home that night, he couldn't help but take out some money to have his youngest son go to the grocery store and buy two ounces of wine. After drinking it, he said to his wife with a satisfied smile, "His Majesty's outburst this time was even more effective than my efforts to rectify the officialdom over the past six months. Indeed, what the superiors do, the subordinates follow. If His Majesty abides by the law, all officials will abide by the law; if His Majesty has the people in his heart, all officials will have the people in their hearts."
Madam Dong smiled and said, "Are you happy now?"
Yu Qian readily nodded in agreement: "Happy! Extremely happy!"
Many ministers in the court shared Yu Qian's joy, and they also understood why the emperor had reacted that way.
Afterwards, they all learned that the night before the incident, the Imperial Advisor had met with the Emperor.
The name was added by the emperor at the request of the imperial advisor. Instead of blaming Xue Xuan for being on the obstruction list, she instructed the emperor to view the issue from the perspective of the country and the law.
"The Imperial Advisor...she is teaching His Majesty how to be a good emperor. His Majesty's ascension to the throne halfway through his reign is a misfortune for the country, but having the Imperial Advisor to assist him is a blessing for the country."
"It's a pity the Imperial Preceptor is a Taoist priest; in the future..."
"She doesn't practice alchemy; she prefers crafting weapons. Thank goodness..."
Many ministers felt it was alright, and the Ministry of Works also felt it was very good.
Since Pan Yun became the Imperial Advisor, the Ministry of Works' budget has been increasing, and naturally, the amount received has also increased.
The pardon had already left the capital, and Pan Yun was also about to leave the capital when an official from the Ministry of Works rushed to the Imperial Observatory to find her, saying happily, "Grand Preceptor, we have made six telegraph machines, but we found some problems with two of them during testing. We don't know where the problems are, so please take a look."
Pan Yun could only go with them to see the disaster first, and then write to Wang Cong and others in Quanzhou: "I'm busy, you all focus on disaster relief. I'll come to see you when I'm done, or you can come to Beijing to see me after you finish your disaster relief work." (End of this chapter)