Chapter: 39

Zhu Di took out a memorial from his sleeve and said: "It's a family, don't talk about two families, since the feudal vassals have returned the three guards, I have to show something."

"The second child was reprimanded by me for being reckless last time. After thinking about it, I made a note. I happened to talk about this matter. I think it makes sense, and I said to listen to it...Of course, these things are not just settled. Come down, we can still discuss."

Afterwards, Zhu Di personally announced the reduction of the rank of the clan, halving the salary of the clan, and distributing a "year-end reward package" of a full one million shi to the feudal clans at the end of this year, and announced it.

As soon as this remark came out, Zhu Fan's eyes turned red almost instantly!

A million stones!

You know, the salary of a vassal king is "only" 10,000 shi a year, which is already a very large number.

One million shi is equivalent to a year's tax for the chief envoy of Sichuan, known as the "Land of Abundance"!

Although the emperor halved their salaries, he gave them an astronomical gift!

The voice of opposition immediately appeared fiercely.

"Your Majesty can't!"

Dressed in a scarlet robe of silk and tied around his waist with a jade belt, Xia Yuanji, the Minister of the Household Department, resolutely came out and spoke generously.

"The country has been through wars and the people's livelihood is in decline. It is time to live with the people. Disaster relief, reconstruction, and refugee accommodation all cost money. The thirteen chief ministers of the Ming Dynasty had an annual income of less than 15 million shi. Today Your Majesty allocated a whole million stones to reward the feudal vassals, and the Ministry of Households does not have this money!"

Xia Yuanji raised his head, ready to face Zhu Di's fury.

But somewhat to his surprise, Zhu Di's expression was very calm, he was not angry because of his outspoken advice, nor was it the kind of calm that concealed murderous intent.

"Xia Shangshu is loyal to the country, and bestows a unicorn uniform and ten silver coins in Basiba language."

Xia Yuanji was the first to go to the thunder, and many civil servants saw that the emperor was not angry, so they played one after another.

Among them are nothing more than the rhetoric that the country's finances are tight, that the laws of the ancestors cannot be abolished, and so on.

After Zhu Di listened patiently, he motioned the ministers to sit down, and said, "I know Xia Shangshu's worries, but this matter has to change the old system of Taizu. As for why, you may wish to take a look."

Afterwards, an eunuch spread a huge chessboard-shaped carpet on the open space in the banquet.

The maids in elegant clothes are holding boxes of chess pieces and placing them on the carpet regularly.

When a chess piece was placed on the first square, the officials didn't care.

And as more and more chess pieces were placed, a smart person finally realized why Zhu Di said these words.

First, Xia Yuanji, the Minister of the Household Department who is best at the art of arithmetic, and then Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, Xie Jin...

All the ministers began to whisper to each other, and those who understood suddenly realized, while those who did not understand scratched their heads and tried their best to find out.

Zhu Di motioned slightly, and the "Prime Minister in Black" Dao Yan stood up and explained to the ministers.

"...If the Taizu's old system is not changed, the ninth generation of the Ming clan will multiply hundreds of thousands to millions of people. At that time, the country will have to spend more than one million stones!"

All the officials were silent and shocked!

The feudal vassals are even more palpitating about the possibility that their descendants will end up with no food and clothing because the country's finances cannot afford it and they have no ability to earn a living.

Zhu Di looked at these shocked ministers with satisfaction.

Back then, he was also so shocked by Jiang Xinghuo.