After Zhao Ming inspected the Imperial University, he returned to the Regent's Mansion at dark.After having dinner in the palace, Zhao Ming used to stay in the study for an hour, dealing with unfinished official business, sorting out the thoughts of the day, and reading the newspapers of the court and the people to understand the current situation.At this time, Zhao Ming was about to flip through the folds, but found a stack of newspapers and put them on it, so he picked up a low report from the government, glanced at it, and suddenly frowned, and then opened several other newspapers and looked at them, and suddenly felt a trace of anger.Yesterday, he made a request to the internal revolution, hoping to improve the treatment of workers, reduce working hours, and let the poor people also enjoy the benefits of economic development; today, in various newspapers, there are literati who complain about the grievances of factory owners and businessmen, saying that raising the treatment of workers and reducing the working hours of workers will increase the cost of factories and make it difficult for businessmen to operate, and finally the factories will close down, which will harm the workers.Zhao Ming snorted coldly after reading it, threw the newspaper aside, and asked, "Who put these here!"
”An internal official hurriedly knelt down and said, "It was the minister who put it!"
”Zhao Ming said coldly: "From tomorrow, you don't have to wait!"
”When the internal official heard this, he immediately fell to the ground in horror, sweating on his forehead, and did not dare to speak.Zhao Ming got up and left the study, and returned to the harem with his cheeks agitated.A few days later, in the residence of the regent, Zhao Ming summoned the cabinet members again and came to inquire about political affairs.Zhao Ming got straight to the point and asked: "A few days ago, the widow instructed you to improve the treatment of workers, but I don't know what the cabinet is doing?"
”Du Yinxi and Chen Mingyu did not speak, Huang Zongxi stood up and saluted: "Back to the regent, the people have reacted very much to the imperial court's intervention in factory production, but under the lobbying of the ministers, most of the businessmen agreed to make appropriate concessions and improve the treatment of workers.For this reason, the ministers also called the workers and merchants to participate in the discussion according to the regent's wishes, and finally came up with a plan that was satisfactory to both parties. ”When Zhao Ming heard this, he was a little surprised: "Oh, the matter of asking for opinions has been done, and the plan has been obtained." ”Huang Zongxi took out the song from his sleeve and presented it with both hands, "Regent, this is a plan that both sides are satisfied with after discussion!"
Zhao Ming took it and looked at it, frowning, this was very different from the request he had made before.Although a minimum wage is set, the standard is very low, and workers cannot survive with only the minimum wage.Although it was agreed to work for four hours a day, the wages paid for the extra work were lower than the usual hour, and as for the third article, it was simply not mentioned."
This is the solution that came up with the workers?"
Zhao Ming threw the song on the table.
If it was someone else, he might have been fooled, but as Zhao Ming, who had worked in the black factory, he naturally knew that there was no concession at all.
Huang Zongxi sensed Zhao Ming's unhappiness, but he still stubbornly said: "Back to the regent, this is indeed a plan that both parties are satisfied with."
After not speaking, Yinxi said: "This plan, the Huang Pavilion has just sent it, and the cabinet has not yet negotiated."
Gao Huan looked at it and saw that neither Yinxi nor Chen Mingyu had signed their names, so he said, "Then take it back and discuss it well!"
After speaking, Zhao Ming waved his hand and asked everyone to leave, and said to Gu Yinxi and Chen Mingyu: "The two pavilion elders stay!"
When the other ministers came out of the hall, the two glanced at each other, and Chen Mingyu saluted first: "The regent knows, and the minister has always stood on the side of the regent.""
The regent knows, the minister has always been on the side of the people!"
Plug Yin Xi saluted.
Zhao Ming frowned, "In that case, how can the cabinet come up with such a plan, the gentry and businessmen have not made concessions at all."
Chen Mingyu said: "Since the regent proposed that he improve the treatment of workers, there has been a lot of opposition in various parts of Jiangnan, and many famous gentry and Confucian scholars have published articles in newspapers, stating the harm, and if they are implemented, it will lead to the closure of factories, the bankruptcy of merchants, and the possibility of a crisis."
They also argued that in order for workers to make a good living, they had to work more hours and trade their labor for pay, rather than having them give away from merchants. ”Zhao Ming said angrily: "Can you believe this kind of thing?"
It's just that the gentry and merchants are unwilling to give up profits, and deliberately hire people to spread the news in a vain attempt to influence the decision-making of the imperial court.
The widows have observed the people's feelings, and they can spend tens of thousands of taels a night, but they are not willing to pay the workers a little more every month, and this will inevitably lead to serious social problems in the long run."
Chen Mingyu said: "Now that public opinion is raging, the officials of the DPRK and China do not dare to come out to question it, otherwise they will be scolded to the core." ”These words made Zhao Ming a little annoyed, and he patted the table and said: "Elder Chen Ge, if the widow chooses you as the first assistant, you must have the responsibility of the first assistant!"
”Chen Mingyu was silent when he heard this, and he saluted: "When the meeting was held to discuss, the workers' representatives also agreed to the plan, and the cabinet had no choice, and Chen Ge was also very passive."
Zhao Ming frowned, understood Du Yinxi's reminder, Zhao Ming couldn't help but be silent for a while, and then waved his hand and said: "Well, the widow knows, you should go back first!"
The two saluted and retired, Zhao Ming walked a few steps in the study, thought for a while, and then ordered: "Let the Jinyi guard command the envoy to see the widow!"
At present, there are two main secret agencies in the Ming Dynasty, one is the Military Intelligence Department, and the other is Jinyiwei.Among them, the Military Intelligence Department is responsible for collecting military and economic information to the outside world, and monitoring and countering hostile forces, while Jinyiwei is responsible for monitoring officials and eliminating opposition forces internally.Because Jinyiwei originally belonged directly to the emperor, the old team was not Zhao Ming's people, coupled with the strength of the opposition to Zhao Ming in the government and the opposition, those who should be killed were killed, those who should be exiled were exiled, and the rest were their own people, Zhao Ming did not want to implement high-pressure rule, so in recent years, Zhao Ming has paid more attention to the Military Intelligence Department and rarely used Jinyiwei.Although Jin Yiwei has rarely appeared in people's field of vision in recent years, Zhao Ming did not really ignore Jin Yiwei, on the contrary, he also gave Jin Yiwei a large amount of money, and Jin Yiwei's ability to collect intelligence has actually been greatly improved compared to the past.Not long after, Jin Yiwei commanded Ma Jin to come outside the study and saluted: "The minister greets the regent!""
Come in!"
Zhao Ming stood with his hands in his hands and said in a deep voice: "The widow has something for you to do!"
Ma Jin is a distant relative of Zhao Ming and a son of the Ma family in Guizhou, and Zhao Ming fully trusted him, so he appointed him as the commander of the Jinyi Guard."
The regent commands!"
Ma Jin walked in and saluted, "Jin Yiwei will definitely handle things well."
Zhao Ming then said in a deep voice: "A few days ago, the imperial court convened representatives of Nanjing workers, as well as representatives of businessmen, to hold a meeting to discuss the improvement of workers' treatment.You send people to check the workers' delegates who are at the congress to see if they have taken bribes or been threatened.If there is, collect the evidence and give it to the widow!
”Ma Jin hurriedly saluted and said, "The minister understands!"
”Zhao Ming instructed in a deep voice: "Jinyiwei wants to investigate secretly, and the widow doesn't want to reveal the news." ”()