After Zhao Ming inspected at Imperial University, he returned to the Regent's Mansion when it was dark.

After having supper in the palace, Zhao Ming used to stay in the study for an hour, handled unfinished official duties, sorted out his thoughts for the whole day, and looked at the newspapers of the court and the people to learn about the current situation.

At this time, Zhao Ming was about to flip through the memorial, but found a stack of newspapers placed on it. So he picked up a low-key official newspaper, glanced at it, suddenly frowned, and then opened the other newspapers and looked at it, and suddenly felt a hint of anger.

He made a request to the Inner Reform yesterday, hoping that the treatment of workers would be improved, working hours would be reduced, and poor people would also enjoy the benefits of economic development. Today, there were literati in various newspapers complaining to factory owners and merchants, saying that increasing worker treatment and reducing working hours would increase factory costs and make it difficult for merchants to operate. In the end, the factory went bankrupt, which would harm workers.

After reading it, Zhao Ming snorted coldly, threw the newspaper aside, and asked, "Who are these here!"

An internal official hurriedly knelt down and said, "It was the internal official who released it!"

Zhao Ming said coldly: "From tomorrow, you don't have to serve you in front of you!"

When the internal official heard the words, he was so shocked that he crawled on the ground, sweating on his forehead, and he did not dare to speak.

Zhao Ming got up and left the study room, and returned to the harem with his cheeks suffocated.

A few days later, at the regent's residence, Zhao Ming summoned the cabinet members again to ask about political affairs.

Zhao Ming asked straight to the point, "A few days ago, I told you to improve the treatment of workers. I wonder how the cabinet is doing?"

Du Yinxi and Chen Mingyu did not say anything, Huang Zongxi stood up and saluted and said, "Reporting to the Regent, the people responded a lot to the imperial intervention in factory production. However, under the lobbying of the ministers, most merchants agreed to make appropriate concessions and improve the treatment of workers. For this reason, the ministers and others also summoned workers and merchants to participate in the discussion according to the Regent's intention, and finally got a plan that satisfies both parties."

Zhao Ming heard the words and said in surprise: "Oh, the matter of asking for advice has been done, and the plan has been obtained."

Huang Zongxi took out the memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands, "Regent, this is a solution that both sides are satisfied with after discussion!"

Zhao Ming took it and looked at it, frowned. This was very different from the request he had made before.

Although the minimum wage is set, the standard is very low. Only the minimum wage is paid, and workers cannot survive.

Although I agreed to work for four hours a day, the wages given by working more are lower than that of an hour on average. As for the third item, I won’t mention it.

"This is the plan that came out after listening to the workers' opinions." Zhao Ming threw the memorial on the table.

If it were someone else, he might have been fooled, but as Zhao Ming, who had worked in a black factory, naturally knew that this did not make any concessions at all.

Huang Zongxi noticed Zhao Ming's unhappiness, but he still said with a tough bullet: "Report to the Regent, this is indeed a solution that both sides are satisfied with."

After not talking, Yinxi said, "This plan has just been sent by Huangge's headquarters, and the cabinet has not yet negotiated."

Gao Huan looked at it and saw that Du Yinxi and Chen Mingyu had no signatures on the memorial, so he said, "Then take it back and discuss it carefully!"

After saying that, Zhao Ming waved his hand and asked everyone to leave. He said to Du Yinxi and Chen Mingyu: "Stay behind the two cabinet masters!"

After several other cabinet ministers left the lobby, the two looked at each other, Chen Mingyu first saluted: "The Regent knows that I have always been on the Regent's side."

"What the Regent knows is that I have always stood on the side of the people!" Du Yinxi said.

Zhao Ming frowned, "Since that's the case, how could the cabinet come up with such a plan? The gentry and merchants did not make any concessions."

Chen Mingyu said: "Since the Regent proposed that he increase the treatment of workers, there have been a lot of opposition from all over the south of the Yangtze River. Many famous gentry and scholars have published articles in newspapers, saying that the harm is obvious. There is a period of implementation, which will lead to the bankruptcy of factories and the bankruptcy of merchants, and the possibility of crisis. They also proposed that workers must increase their working hours in order to live a good life and exchange labor for salaries instead of giving them to merchants."

Zhao Ming said angrily: "Can you believe this kind of thing be just a message that gentry and merchants are unwilling to give in and deliberately hire people to spread, trying to influence the decisions of the court. I have understood the people's sentiments. They can spend tens of thousands of taels a night, but they are unwilling to give workers more wages every month. If this continues, it will inevitably cause serious social problems."

Chen Mingyu said: "Now the public opinion is raging, and officials in the court dare not come out to question it, otherwise they will be scolded to the point of being too decent."

This made Zhao Ming a little angry, and he slapped the table and said, "Old Mr. Chen, if I choose you as the chief minister, I must have the responsibility of the chief minister!"

Chen Mingyu was silent when he heard the words, Du Yinxi bowed and said, "When the meeting was held to discuss, the workers' representatives also agreed to the plan. The cabinet had no choice, and Mr. Chen was also very passive."

Zhao Ming browsed and understood Du Yinxi's reminder. Zhao Ming couldn't help but remain silent for a while, then waved: "Well, I understand, you guys should go back first!"

The two bowed and said their backs. Zhao Ming walked a few steps in the study room, thought for a while, and then ordered: "Let the commander of the Jinyiwei come to see me!"

At present, there were two main secret agencies in the Ming Dynasty, one was the Military Information Department and the other was the Jinyiwei.

Among them, the Military Intelligence Department is responsible for collecting foreign military and economic intelligence, monitoring and instigating hostile forces, while the Jinyiwei monitors officials and eliminates opposition forces.

Because the Jinyiwei originally belonged to the emperor, the old team was not Zhao Ming's person, and the strength of the government and the opposition to Zhao Ming, they killed what should be killed, exiled what should be exiled, and the rest were his 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 Information Department and rarely used the Jinyiwei.

Although the Jinyiwei rarely appears in people's sight in recent years, Zhao Ming did not really ignore the Jinyiwei. On the contrary, he gave the Jinyiwei a lot of money. The Jinyiwei's ability to collect intelligence has been greatly improved compared to the past.

Soon, the commander of the Jinyiwei, Ma Jin, came outside the study and saluted: "I pay homage to the Regent!"

"Come in!" Zhao Ming stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice: "I have something to do!"

Ma Jin was considered to be Zhao Ming's distant relative and a child of the Ma family in Guizhou. Zhao Ming fully trusted him and appointed him as the commander of the Jinyiwei.

"Register just give orders!" Ma Jin walked in and saluted: "The Jinyiwei will definitely get things done."

Zhao Ming then said in a deep voice: "A few days ago, the court convened representatives of Nanjing workers and merchants to hold a conference to discuss improving workers' treatment. You send someone to check the worker representatives who participated in the conference to see if they accept bribes or are threatened. If so, collect evidence and hand it over to me!"

Ma Jin hurriedly saluted and said, "I understand!"
Chapter completed!