Chapter 132 Counterattack

On the day of the grand court session, Wang Anshi's remarks were so shocking.

There is no problem in conducting a national inventory of arable land, and there is no problem in conducting a national inventory of population.

There is no problem with reducing taxes and levies, and there is no problem with abolishing exorbitant taxes and levies.

But you should never, ever, reach out to big families, big officials, and big businessmen!

Every one of them is as wealthy as a country and has seized countless interests.

And now, Wang Anshi is actually investigating them and asking them to pay taxes. How is this possible!

"Your Majesty! This precedent must not be set!"

"Your Majesty! We are all disciples of the saints and are extremely honest. We really don't have the money to pay taxes!"

"Your Majesty! The king does not talk about what he has or does not have, the princes do not talk about how much, and the families that receive salary do not compete with the people for profit."

"Your Majesty! If you impose taxes on merchants, everyone in Dayu will benefit from each other, which will surely lead to chaos in the court!"

"Your Majesty! You must not listen to slander and be deceived by villains!"

"Your Majesty! Let me kill this treacherous villain Wang Anshi!"

"what……!"

For a moment, the entire court was engulfed in chaos.

Seven or eight old men surrounded Wang Anshi and beat him. Wang Anshi respected the elderly and the young, so he did not resist, but kept dodging and retreating.

However, when facing some young officials, they beat them with fists and feet, making many of them cry for their parents.

Wang Anshi had fought his way out of the rioters in Yongzhou, so of course he had some skills in fighting.

The turmoil continued until Zheng Yi gave the order and Xu Mujun and others separated the officials.

In the hall, there were a lot of torn clothes, boots and hats dropped on the ground, which was very miserable.

"My dear ministers, please be patient."

Zheng Yi said calmly: "I also feel the same way about your proposal. For the sake of our Great Yu, reform is imperative."

"Wang Anshi, obey orders."

"Wei Chen is here!"

"Promote Wang Anshi to the position of Deputy Minister of the Cabinet and Minister of the Ministry of Revenue to carry out this reform. I decree this!"

As soon as he finished speaking, many court officials present started crying for their parents.

"Your Majesty! You must not do this!"

"Your Majesty! You have been deceived by a villain!"

"His Majesty……!"

Seeing that many old ministers were about to run up, Zheng Yi immediately stood up and left quickly.

Liu Chengen hurriedly followed, shouting, "Withdraw from the court!"

"Quickly withdraw from the court!"

"His Majesty!"

Liu Chengen quickly followed and said hesitantly, "Would the Imperial Household Department like to help Lord Wang? I'm afraid he can't handle it alone."

"Ah."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "The nationwide reform involves a lot of things. Send a Grandmaster warrior from the Martial Arts Department to provide personal protection and ensure Wang Anshi's safety."

"Also, ask Wang Anshi to come to the audience."

"promise!"

Soon, in Baiyujing, Zheng Yi met with Wang Anshi, Yuan Qichang, Cai Dashi and three others.

"Your Majesty, I have received your respect. May our Emperor live long and long!"

"Be flat."

Zheng Yi casually said, "The reform will start from today. Do you three have any complaints?"

"I, your servants, have no complaints!"

"it is good!"

Zheng Yi clapped his hands and said, "You three can go ahead and do this plan without any worries. I will support you from behind."

"I will ignore any memorials that seek to slander the three of you."

"I believe in you three, my dear ministers, and I hope you three will not let me down."

The three of them said respectfully: "We are willing to die for your majesty!"

"it is good!"

Zheng Yi said: "Dayu has many serious and chronic diseases that need strong medicine to treat. Gentlemen, it all depends on you."

"I will issue an imperial decree on a chosen day."

"promise!"

In the following days, many ministers vied to meet Zheng Yi, hoping that Zheng Yi would revoke his decision or change the content of the law, but they were all rejected by Zheng Yi.

Since that day's grand court session, Zheng Yi has been in seclusion in Baiyujing and has not seen anyone.

This situation lasted for half a year until after the Lantern Festival, when all officials finally faced reality.

Reform is imperative!
Just after the Lantern Festival, Zheng Yi issued an imperial decree, resolute in his reform efforts.

The 15th day of the first month of the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: Wang Anshi is the Minister of Finance and the Second Assistant to the Cabinet, with full authority to oversee the reforms in Dayu."

Wang Anshi also laid out the details of his reforms in a book, registered it in the Propaganda Department's newspapers, and distributed it to the thirteen states.

The reform memorial, titled "Clarifying the State Affairs", contained a lot of content, but its overall idea was directed at the big landlords, big families, and even many princes and clans!
"The first article of the reform is to order all the counties in the thirteen states to strictly check the specific number of acres of cultivated land in the county, including the land of the common people, the land of officials, the land of the noble families, the land of the princes, and the land of the clans."

"The second article of the reform is to order all counties in the thirteen states to strictly investigate the specific population of the county and rebuild the household registration, including tenants, escaped households, refugees, etc., and not to let anyone go."

"The third article of the reform is to implement the "One Whip Law", which combines the land tax, corvée and other miscellaneous taxes of each prefecture and county into one, collects silver, and pays it according to the acreage. No one is allowed to make up excuses to collect exorbitant taxes! Once found out, the person will be immediately dismissed and investigated."

"The fourth article of the reform is to implement the Qingmiao Law. In February and May of each year, when there is a shortage of crops, the government will provide loans and grain to farmers, charging an interest of two or three percent every six months, which will be returned with the summer and autumn taxes. This will help refugees to farm locally and increase the population."

"The fifth article of the reform is to implement the exemption law. The original system of rotating service by household will be changed to one where the government hires people to do the service. Households that do not want to serve will pay a certain amount of gold and silver according to their wealth."

"Article 6 of the Reform Law: Implement the Farmland Water Conservancy Law to encourage land reclamation and water conservancy construction. The cost of water conservancy construction shall be funded by local residents according to their wealth level, and they can also apply for loans from the state and county governments."

"Article 7 of the Reform: Establish a Commercial Taxation Department to collect tariffs on merchants' goods. Every piece of goods must pay a certain tax when it is circulated. Except for agricultural products (specified), all other goods must pay taxes!"

"Article 8 of the Reform: Official taxes. The idea that people with honors and achievements are exempt from paying taxes will be abolished. All citizens of Dayu, including but not limited to officials, nobles, royal relatives, etc., must pay taxes based on their annual income." "Article 9 of the Reform..."

The more than ten articles basically cover all aspects of the country's politics, economy, culture, population, agriculture, and commerce.

Once the content of the reform was announced, it immediately caused an enormous sensation.

Some people applauded, saying that this was a strategy for building up the country and that the court should vigorously promote it.

There are more angry people.

Many people clamored that this policy was a strategy to tire the people and weaken the officials. Countless officials and memorials floated to Baiyujing like snowflakes, but His Majesty kept them all and did not send them out.

"Your Majesty has been deceived by a villain! How can you compete with the people for profit!"

"My family followed our great grandfather to conquer the world. We have a share in the Great Yu Empire, and yet we have to pay taxes!"

"Your Majesty still calls me cousin. Even a royal relative has to pay taxes!"

"Villain! There is a villain around your majesty!"

"The treacherous ministers have come out on their own! Wang Anshi is one, Yuan Qichang is one, and Cai Dashi is another!"

"Hmph! Your Majesty has turned a deaf ear to our words of loyalty. This is a sign of a chaotic world!"

"No wonder your majesty can't give birth to a prince, and no wonder Tianshou Mountain keeps making dull noises. It turns out that the ancestors of Dayu have punished your majesty!"

"Shh...you're crazy! How can you say something like that?!"

"Your Majesty has gone crazy! Your Majesty is unkind, and a disaster has been sent down from heaven. Ten princesses were born in a row. If this isn't a disaster, what is it!!"

"Clear the emperor's side! We are going to clear the emperor's side!"

"Your Majesty is so unkind... You have demoted ten princesses in a row. This is a reversal of yin and yang, and it will definitely lead to the hen crowing at dawn. We should support the collapsing empire...!"

In the court, in the mountains and fields, and in the streets and alleys, people were discussing the content of Wang Anshi's reforms everywhere.

Rumors and instigation against Zheng Yi became increasingly rampant, spreading throughout the capital like a storm.

But even so, Wang Anshi's reform was still in full swing.

Teams of Jinyiwei, the tax bureau, and the commercial tax bureau were sent out to the counties of the Thirteen Prefectures of Dayu to enforce the new law!
Faced with this situation, countless officials also fought back.

On the 28th day of the first lunar month in the eighth year of Zhengyong, eighteen officials requested to resign, but Your Majesty did not allow it.

On the fifth day of the second month of the eighth year of Zhengei, twenty-three officials resigned, and Your Majesty agreed.

The position he resigned from was quickly taken up by members of the Imperial Party.

February 25th, the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

The Second Minister of the Cabinet Lu Xiangqing and the Minister of the Cabinet Li Yuanhao requested to retire due to their old age, but Your Majesty did not agree.

On the third day of the third month in the eighth year of Zhengei, Lu Xiangqing and Li Yuanhao again requested to retire, but Your Majesty did not agree.

The fifth day of the third month in the eighth year of Zhengei.

An imperial physician went to Kunning Palace to check the emperor's pulse and was immediately overjoyed.

Queen Lu Lin'er is pregnant again.

His Majesty was overjoyed and the harem was shocked, and the news spread throughout the court immediately.

On the eighth day of the third month in the eighth year of Zhengyong, Lu Xiangqing withdrew his memorial of retirement.

On March 15th of the eighth year of Zhengyong, Li Yuanhao continued to request retirement, and Emperor Zhengyong agreed.

March 20th, the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

Yuan Fang, Shaoqing of Dali Temple, was promoted to Qing of Dali Temple, one of the Nine Qings.

March 28th, the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

Thirty-five officials requested to resign, and Emperor Zhengyong angrily rebuked them, but then agreed.

The officials who left their positions were quickly replaced by members of the imperial party.

Part of it was occupied by young and upright officials at the request of Zheng Xuanyue.

The fifth day of the fourth month in the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

A landlord in Jingzhou was unwilling to let the Ministry of Revenue officials measure his farmland, so he instigated his tenants to kill the officials and destroy the bodies, but he was still discovered by the accompanying Jinyiwei.

His Majesty was furious and ordered the confiscation of his entire family, and all his property and land were confiscated into the national treasury.

This move not only failed to intimidate the ministers, but instead caused a greater backlash.

On the tenth day of the fourth month in the eighth year of Zhengyong, seventeen landlords and clans in Jingzhou refused to allow officials from the Ministry of Revenue to enter their territory and expelled them.

On April 21st of the eighth year of Zhengyong, twenty-three landlords, officials, and nobles in Yangzhou refused to allow officials from the Ministry of Revenue to enter and expelled them.

The first day of May, the eighth year of Zhengei.

River bandits appeared in Jiangzhou and killed 32 officials from the Ministry of Revenue, causing outrage throughout the country.

The emperor ordered the First Division of the New Army to enter the river to suppress the pirates.

The fifth day of the fifth month, the eighth year of the Zhengei era.

King Zheng Zongxuan of Shu expelled the officials of Dayu on the pretext that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed, and the laws of Dayu cannot be altered", commanded the subjects of Shu, and split Shu into his own vassal states.

In the name of "clearing the imperial court", they left Sichuan and entered Hanzhong, occupied three counties in Hanzhong, and pointed their troops at the capital!

The eighth year of Zhengei, the sixth day of the fifth month.

Prince Ning Zheng Yuanhao issued an edict, following his uncle Zheng Zongxuan, and also led troops to the capital in the name of "clearing the imperial court"!

Subsequently.

Prince of Qing Zheng Yuanlie, Prince of Jin Zheng Zongyang, Prince of Chen Zheng Zongkai, and Prince of Jiang Zheng Zongyue all sent troops to purge the emperor's side!

Same month.

A civil riot broke out in Qingzhou, with countless rioters storming the government office, shouting "The blue sky is dead, the day shines", and the White Lotus Sect revived!
Tianlong Temple in Jiangzhou has Buddha's light shining all over the world. One hundred thousand monk soldiers drove out the soldiers of Jiangzhou County and occupied the six counties of Jiangzhou government office, stating that "Buddha's light shines in the Western Paradise, and worldly affairs have nothing to do with it"!
In Yunmengze, the elite warriors of the Tuoba family were all out, and their 100,000 bandits were plundering everywhere. Their troops spread across the three states of Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Yuezhou, and their power was huge.

In Yongzhou and Youzhou, the Tianming Sect also revived, but was quickly suppressed by new soldiers.

Then the followers of Tianming Sect broke into Shuzhou, joined forces with the King of Shu, and became his vassals.

In Haizhou, 30,000 disciples of Yuanhe Mountain went down the mountain, and most of the county soldiers in Haizhou also rebelled, occupied the government office, and established themselves as princes!

Bingzhou.

Mysterious men attacked the local garrison. Cui Xiawu was defeated and was seriously injured before being rescued. He killed thousands of enemies in one battle!
The people who came claimed to be the patriarch of the Wang family, and Bingzhou also rebelled!

In just a few months, at least ten of the thirteen states of Dayu had their antonyms spread!

And under such circumstances, a major event occurred in the Wu Kingdom far in the north!
(End of this chapter)