After Jiajing finished speaking, he immediately went to the desk beside him. After rummaging for a long time, he found the autographed letter sent to him by someone from Hai Rui, as well as the two confessions of Zeng Qing and Zeng Xian, and submitted them to In the hands of Zhao Zhenji.
"Here, see for yourself!"
After Jiajing finished speaking, he stopped talking and just waited quietly for Zhao Zhenji's next reaction.
Zhao Zhenji took the handwritten letter respectfully and began to browse the contents. Soon, Zhao Zhenji turned pale, trembled all over, and was speechless for a long time.
After a long time, after Zhao Zhenji calmed down, he turned his eyes to Jiajing and said slowly.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I... I feel that the content here is too shocking. The local rich and powerful have actually colluded with the White Lotus Sect to jointly squeeze out the little wealth left in the hands of the common people!"
"It even involves a big family like the Zeng family. You must know that their ancestor was a student of Yanshenggong Confucius, Zeng Shen, who is known as the Zongsheng!"
"If this matter spreads, all the scholars in the world will..."
When Zhao Zhenji said this, his face was full of pain and sorrow.
Jiajing just glanced at Zhao Zhenji quite calmly and said in a voice without any emotion.
"Hmph, the true virtue is the sign of a gentleman, and he will be killed in the fifth generation. If their ancestors have spirits in heaven and see their descendants degenerate like this, I am afraid they will be ashamed!"
When Zhao Zhenji heard this, his pupils suddenly shrank because he heard the meaning of Jiajing's words.
Immediately, after carefully considering his words, he confirmed to Jiajing.
"Your Majesty, are you planning to take action against these families, but Duke Yansheng..."
However, before Zhao Zhenji finished speaking, he was coldly interrupted by Jiajing.
"So what about Mr. Yan Shenggong? With Kong Shangxian's virtue, can he be worthy of the name Yan Shenggong?"
"Zhao Zhenji, I don't want to hear this sentence from you again, do you understand?"
After Jiajing finished speaking, he glanced coldly at Zhao Zhenji's body and immediately spoke.
After Zhao Zhenji felt Jiajing's eyes sweeping over her body, her whole body couldn't help but tremble for a moment. Even the blood in her veins seemed to be frozen. Soon, Zhao Zhenji came back to her senses and responded tremblingly. road.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I know!"
"Um."
Seeing this, Jiajing responded in a subtle way, and his tone became calm again.
Not long after that, Zhao Zhenji's slightly vibrato voice sounded in Jiajing's ears again.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I am very curious. If this matter really involves Yan Shenggong, what will you do?"
After Zhao Zhenji finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and buried his head deeply, waiting for Jiajing's answer.
After Jiajing listened to the question raised by Zhao Zhenji, he thought about it for a long time before speaking slowly.
"If Duke Yan is really related to the White Lotus Sect, I will personally depose him and then consider choosing a new Duke Yan!"
When Jiajing's words fell, the entire Qianqing Palace fell into a dead silence. The news was so shocking that Zhao Zhenji's brain shut down for a long time.
At this moment, Zhao Zhenji's face was filled with an incredible look, and the words Jiajing had said before were like a curse, lingering in his heart.
"Did I hear you right? Your Majesty just said that if Duke Yansheng is really related to the White Lotus Sect, your Majesty will personally issue an edict to depose him and then re-elect a new Duke Yansheng!"
"The emperor deposed Yan Shenggong. This has never happened before in any dynasty. Does your Majesty really want to set a precedent?"
After that, Zhao Zhenji came back to his senses. He originally wanted to persuade him, but after thinking of Jiajing's previous attitude, he gave up the idea. His lips moved slightly, but in the end he did not make any sound.
Jiajing saw the expression on Zhao Zhenji's face, immediately changed the subject, and continued to speak.
"Get up, Zhao Zhenji, I'm calling you here this time. Apart from Hai Rui's matter, there are actually other things that you need to take care of!"
After receiving Jiajing's instructions, Zhao Zhenji slowly stood up from the ground. After that, he turned his eyes to Jiajing, with a look of perseverance on his face.
"Whatever your Majesty needs me to do, just ask me, and I will do my best to do it for your majesty!"
After receiving Zhao Zhenji's response, Jiajing nodded, and after pondering for a moment, he immediately asked.
"Zhao Zhenji, do you still remember what you mentioned before me before, about the annexation of a large amount of land by aristocratic families?"
When Zhao Zhenji heard Jiajing's words, she couldn't help but feel a thump in her heart. She immediately held her breath and concentrated, not even daring to take a breath. At this moment, countless chaotic thoughts emerged in Zhao Zhenji's mind.
"Why did Your Majesty suddenly mention this matter? Could it be that Your Majesty plans to take this opportunity to measure the land of the whole country?"
"Or, His Majesty plans to take action against the gentry and landlords who have annexed the land. If this is true, then Mr. Xu Ge will..."
Soon, Zhao Zhenji suppressed all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, looked at Jiajing, and responded respectfully.
"Your Majesty, all the ministers still remember it!"
When Jiajing heard this, he nodded slightly, took his eyes away from Zhao Zhenji, and then said to himself.
"You have said before that the most serious land annexation is in Jiangsu and Zhejiang!"
"So, I hope that you can start from this aspect after you go to Zhejiang and successfully take over Hu Zongxian's position. Do you understand?"
Zhao Zhenji was shocked when he heard this, and then he mustered up the courage to confirm it to Jiajing.
"What does Your Majesty mean, is that your ministers should go and collect the status of the land owned by the local gentry and landlords, and make preparations in advance for the next survey of the country's land?"
When Jiajing saw that Zhao Zhenji understood what he meant, he immediately nodded and said in a deep voice.
"Zhao Zhenji, your guess is correct, but all this must be done in secret, because now is not the time!"
Facing Zhao Zhenji's slightly puzzled eyes, Jiajing explained unhurriedly.
"When the time comes, I will gradually extend the examination method to the whole country, and then we can officially start measuring the land across the country. Before that, you should not act rashly, so as not to alert the enemy. Do you understand?"
After listening to Jiajing's explanation, the expression on Zhao Zhenji's face was immediately replaced by endless horror.
"What is the examination method? Your Majesty has never mentioned it before!"
But after that, Zhao Zhenji seemed to have suddenly thought of something, with an incredible look on his face, and said silently to himself.
"Could it be that the method that Yan Shifan proposed when he was discussing matters in the cabinet was not specifically aimed at the clan and nobles?"
"If that's the case, then why did Your Majesty propose in front of me that the examination method should be gradually extended to the whole country?"
When Zhao Zhenji thought of this, an idea came to his mind: "Could it be that His Majesty is using those clans and nobles to test whether the test method is feasible? Once it is confirmed that it is feasible, His Majesty will promote it to the whole country!"
'Hiss~' Thinking of this, Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but take a breath. Before this, he would never have thought that the examination method, which was originally only for the clan and nobles, would one day fall on the heads of civil servants. superior!
Even then, Your Majesty will not have to come forward in person. Those clans and nobles whose interests have been harmed will take the initiative to ask Your Majesty to extend the examination method to all civil servants.
"Yan Shifan, Yan Shifan, you think you can use this method to restrict the development of the clan and nobles, but you don't know that His Majesty has already seen through your mind. You have clearly harmed us all!"
After thinking about all this, the corners of Zhao Zhenji's mouth couldn't help but twitch a few times, and the look on his face became more humble.
At this moment, Jiajing on the side saw that Zhao Zhenji had not responded for a long time, so he couldn't help but frowned and urged him.
"Zhao Zhenji, did you understand what I just said?"
When Zhao Zhenji heard this, he suddenly came back to his senses and immediately responded respectfully.
"Your Majesty, all the ministers understand it!"
Seeing this, Jiajing glanced over Zhao Zhenji's body, nodded slightly, and immediately gave instructions.
"Well, let's get here first today!"
"Zhao Zhenji, do you have anything else to report to me next? If not, just resign!"
When Zhao Zhenji heard what Jiajing said, he breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed to the ground and said in a deep voice.
"As ordered, Your Majesty, I will retire now!"
"Um."
After that, Zhao Zhenji left immediately without stopping at Qianqing Palace.
After walking out of the Qianqing Palace, Zhao Zhenji looked at the scenery in the distance and the eunuchs and maids who were busy, sighed helplessly, and said to himself silently.
"Alas, the days to come are not going to be easy. If His Majesty is really determined to abolish the contemporary Yan Shenggong, we don't know how much trouble there will be!"
"Oh, it's about measuring the land, and it's about testing methods and so on. Huh, it's all that Yan Shifan's fault for insisting on proposing some testing methods in front of His Majesty!"
When he thought of this, Zhao Zhenji's face was filled with black lines, because he knew very well that when the entrance examination method was officially implemented, he might never be able to live the leisurely life he had in the past.
"Oh, never mind, it's still early anyway, so let's take care of the present first."
“While I still have some free time recently, let’s finish reading the unfinished books one by one first!”
Zhao Zhenji thought so and immediately embarked on the road back to the Inspectorate.
…
In recent times, Li Chunfang, the Minister of Rites, has also been having a hard time.
Since the cabinet officially announced that in addition to the imperial examinations, separate examinations for clans and nobles would be held, and the power to set questions and organize examinations would be handed over to the Ministry of Rites, Li Chunfang started to Caught in a dilemma.
On the one hand, although many ministers in the DPRK dare not express it openly, most of them are resistant to this matter. If Li Chunfang vigorously promotes this matter, he will inevitably be criticized by the ministers in the DPRK and China. .
On the other hand, Li Chunfang didn't know how to propose a proposition.
If the exam questions are too difficult and the clan members and nobles who take the exam cannot answer them, then Li Chunfang will definitely be resented by the clan members and nobles. If the questions are too simple, it will appear to be just going through the motions. , will also cause dissatisfaction from His Majesty.
At this moment, Li Chunfang looked sad in the room, not knowing what to do next.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door, interrupting Li Chunfang's thoughts.
Seeing this situation, Li Chunfang had no choice but to temporarily stop thinking about the matter and said: "Come in!"
After Li Chunfang finished speaking, there was only a "squeak" sound. The door of the room was pushed open, and a subordinate official walked in with more than a dozen memorials in his arms. He faced Li Chunfang and reported respectfully.
"Master Shangshu, these are matters that need to be handled by you!"
When Li Chunfang heard this, she immediately pointed to the desk beside her and responded rather perfunctorily.
"Well, I know it. Leave it there for now. I will deal with it later!"
"I obey, Lord Shangshu!"
When the subordinate official heard the words, he did not dare to be negligent at all. After putting down the memorials in his hands, he left the room. When the subordinate official left, he also closed the door of the room with him. .
After the subordinate official left, Li Chunfang couldn't help but turn her eyes to the dozens of memorials piled on the desk beside her.
At this moment, he had no intention of dealing with these memorials.
Immediately, Li Chunfang was seen lying on the table, her eyes lost their luster, she sighed helplessly and said to herself.
"Oh, really, what should we do next? This is an offending job no matter how you look at it!"
While Li Chunfang was still racking her brains to think about whether there was a way to get things done without offending others, there was another knock on the door.
When Li Chunfang saw this situation, an impatient look suddenly appeared on her face, and she immediately gave instructions.
"Come in!"
After the words fell, the door of the room was pushed open, and a subordinate staff member walked into the room, lowering his head with a look of humility on his face.
Just when Li Chunfang was about to give someone a scolding, he heard the subordinate's voice ringing in his ears.
"Master Shangshu, Eunuch Lu is waiting outside, saying that he is following His Majesty's order!"
After hearing the subordinate's report, Li Chunfang's face was filled with shock and she subconsciously lost her voice.
"What are you talking about? Eunuch Lu is here. Why did he suddenly come to the Ministry of Rites?"
But soon, Li Chunfang suppressed all the chaotic thoughts in her heart, turned her gaze to the subordinate official, and gave instructions in a deep voice.
"In that case, why don't you invite Eunuch Lu in quickly?"
"Yes, Lord Shangshu!"
(End of chapter)
