"There are people sent by Duke of Wei, and one person was sent by a hundred households of Jinyiwei in the city. The hundred households were nowhere to be seen. The rest of the people recognized by Yingtian Mansion themselves, saying that they were to protect the safety of the imperial envoy."

The result from Yingtian Mansion was quickly given out. Liu Sanlang stared at Yingtian Mansion and reported to Wang Tong when he came back. Wang Tong nodded and said with a smile: "Look at who these hundred households are. Just one hundred households don't have the courage and no need to do that. Just look at who is behind them!"

Liu Sanlang nodded and responded. Wang Tong leaned against the back of the chair and shook his head and said, "Yingtian Mansion is also unreliable!"

Just as he was talking about this, someone came in outside to report that it was Hai Rui, the right assistant chief in Nanjing, who asked for a meeting, but Wang Tong was stunned and ordered to invite him in.

As soon as Hai Rui entered the house, he would have to see the ceremony and serve tea and go through a set of etiquette procedures. After both sides sat down, Wang Tong asked with a smile: "Master Hai came so late, can't it be because this marquis caught a few spies who were not eyebrow?"

"Not that, after the Marquis left, the lower official thought about it carefully. Some things can only be done in the world. The lower official is old. If he missed this time, many things might be taken into the coffin." When he said this, Hai Rui took out a stack of rolls from the wooden box beside him, handed them to Wang Tong, and explained: "This was the copy of the fish scale list obtained in the case of the Xu family in Songjiang that year, in the Songjiang Prefecture, Huating County, and Qingpu County, as well as a group of witnesses' testimony."

Wang Tong reached out to take it. It was all the evidence. Before Wang Tong could open it, Hai Rui smiled bitterly again and said, "Mr. Don't think this is useful. After so many years, there is a land of Qingzhang, hosted by Mr. Zhang. The fish scale list has been changed a long time ago. Most of these witnesses have disappeared. Many of them have moved to other places, and they can't find them locally. If you want to find out something, you may be more lucky."

“It’s better than not buying it!”

Wang Tong replied with a smile, and Hai Rui sighed and said, "The Marquis may not be able to find out anything this time, but it is not just his family who occupied the land in Songjiang Xu family. All the prefectures in Jiangnan are like this, but this Marquis must be treated with caution!"

Speaking of this, Hai Rui stood up from his seat, bowed solemnly, and said in a solemn voice: "There are two types of officials in the world, one is the adults and the other is the others. People with fame and fortune are gathering their land and property. After accumulating, they borrow fame and privilege and do not pay taxes. Today, in peace, there are always more and more people with fame and fortune, and they occupy more and more land. However, there are many people with fame and fortune. The country wants to give them salary. If they want to accumulate wealth, they can only exploit others. Those small people without fame and fortune are richer and poorer. If they follow this trend, the small people will eventually be unable to exploit them. The Ming Dynasty will eventually have no money to use. This is a dead end!"

Hearing Hai Rui's words, Wang Tong smiled bitterly there and said, "Mr. Hai's part is to separate this marquis from the rich and noble people in the world and become a traitor!"

Hai Rui was originally talking about righteousness and his hunched body was straight. When Wang Tong said this, he laughed silently and the atmosphere in the house became much more relaxed.

"Sir Hai, sit down and say, "I will just listen, there is no need to be so solemn."

The atmosphere was indeed not serious. Hai Rui shook his head, sat in his seat again, and continued, "There are a Xu family in Songjiang Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, and the rest of Suzhou Prefecture, but only a few, and a dozen Xu families. These big clans have people serving as officials everywhere. They have a lot of land and land, and they operate industrial and commercial industries in the city. They rely on fame and fortune and never pay taxes to the officials. This kind of thing is everywhere in the world, especially in the south of the Yangtze River, and is born in the southeast and is a place with a heavy tax in the world. If this continues, the court has no money, then everything will collapse."

"But even if the Xu family spit out the occupied land and the Zhang family and Li family, without the Xu family that monopolizes Songjiang, there will be several similar ones in Songjiang Mansion. What's the use of this?"

Wang Tong said calmly. After saying this, Hai Rui was stunned. He thought about it for a long time but couldn't speak. Before Wang Tong left the capital, he had read Hai Rui's file and had a certain judgment on Hai Rui's thinking. At this time, he said: "Master Hai said these are indeed reasonable, but he still wants to give justice to the occupied people, right?"

"It was indeed the case in the day. The common people worked hard all their lives to buy the property of the land, but the Xu family relied on their power and lost everything in an instant, without even a place to gain a foothold. The officials should be a sage and know the fairness. They must not tolerate such things. They must take care of them!"

Hai Rui fell into memory, Wang Tong shook his head and said again: "Master Hai has said so many reasons. In the final analysis, he still wants me to deal with the Xu family and to make the land he occupied more miserable."

Hai Rui nodded but did not speak. Wang Tong pondered for a while and said, "Mr. Hai has said so much to me today. Then Mr. Bai also said a few words. I hope Mr. Hai will not make any comments."

With Hai Rui's character, since Wang Tong had this advice, he would not say it. Wang Tong also understood and said, "The system set by his ancestors, those who are fame and fortune can be exempted from taxes. This person earns a lot, but never pays taxes and has no obligations. However, the money that the court and the country should spend must be spent. How can you get the money? Naturally, it depends on the tax collected. However, those who earn more will not pay, and those who earn less will have to bear the taxes of those who earn more. In the southeast, 60% or even more taxes are distributed here. Because the land is fertile and has various conveniences, but because of the wealth, outstanding people and cliches, there are more and more people who are officials and fame in the southeast, and fewer and fewer people pay taxes. If this continues, you will sooner or later enter a dead end."

"Isn't it a good idea to practice a one-whip method in Zhang Juzheng's field?

"The land of the rice dumplings can only be eased for a while, but not for a lifetime. There are more and more officials. Even if they do not occupy the land, the industries they buy are tax-free and do not bring any benefits to the Ming Dynasty. The one-whip method, the one-whip method known to me, has now become a means to increase taxes for the people. Isn't this Master Hai unaware of it??"

After Wang Tong said this, Hai Rui was stunned for a while, sighed a long time, and said dejectedly: "What the Marquis said is the truth, but how to change and how to move, people with fame and fortune do not have tax exemptions. This is naturally a good strategy, but how to implement it, if it is done, it is equivalent to being an enemy of scholars in the world and an enemy of officials in the world, and even the emperor may not be able to do it."

Having said this, Hai Rui shook his head and sighed: "Not everyone can cultivate the fields at home like the Xiaguan, and let the female family spin and weave cloth. After hearing what the Marquis said, Xiaguan suddenly felt that it seemed the same whether it was done or not. Sooner or later, they would go to the dead end."

What Wang Tong said is the truth, and it is very simple to improve this situation. It is to abolish the privileges of scholars with fame and reputation. However, if this implementation is broken, it is equivalent to being enemies with officials and scholars in the world. The so-called king and scholars rule the world together. This world is governed by these scholars, which is equivalent to being enemies with the world.

Hai Rui may not have thought that the expansion of wealthy families is infringing on the country and the country, but he may not have thought about this truth, but he dared not think about it, only dared to look at the Xu family.

After all, Hai Rui himself is also a scholar, and he has also relied on the fame of a scholar to get to this day step by step. The most he can think of is to improve it. Moreover, Hai Rui's current persistence is still aimed at the Xu family. The righteousness and principles he mentioned are all about Wang Tong's investigation of the Xu family.

People who are persistent are not so easy to be calm and not so easy to see when they are older. As expected, Wang Tong thought more.

Hai Rui finished feeling and sat there silently for a long time. Wang Tong was there just sipped the tea and didn't say anything. After a while, Hai Rui wanted to stand up. Perhaps because he had been sitting for a long time, he didn't stand up for a while. He still stood up with his hands to support the back of the chair and stretched out his hand to dust off his official robe and said in a stern voice: "Mr. Marquis said it well, it seems that there is no need to investigate the Xu family. After checking his family, he will have another family to get up. The people still need..."

"Of course we need to check that since Lord Hai submitted a memorial, from the capital to Nanjing, the actions of the Xu family can be seen everywhere. In the Ming Dynasty, there is such a situation that does not have to pay taxes but can make the government affect the strength of the Shilin. It is a disaster or a blessing for the country. Officials and scholars from Jiangnan are connected to each other and share voices with each other, intending to control the government. The court can only use the officials they want to use, and the court can only use policies that are beneficial to them. Moreover, since twenty years since Emperor Shizong came to power, this situation has become more and more serious. Whether the world belongs to the emperor or the Shilin in Jiangnan, checking the Xu family can also be considered as a shocking tiger."

Hearing this, Hai Rui's expression relaxed a little, and Wang Tong smiled again and said, "Mr. Hai, these words tonight are not the will of the Lord, but my own speculation, but there is no official intention!"

Hai Rui shook his head slightly, hesitated and asked in a deep voice: "The capital has given marriage, and the officials have heard of it. The marquis is still like this, it's true."

"This marquis is a minister of the Ming Dynasty, and what he does is for the country and country of the Ming Dynasty. Besides, this marquis has gained nothing less."

Wang Tong replied with a smile, saying that he had finished this, and Hai Rui had nothing to say. Even when he stood up to say goodbye, Wang Tong couldn't help but ask every question: "Does Lord Hai have done his whole life, and he has no intention of seeking fame for the country and the people?"
Chapter completed!