Chapter 242 Always a good person
Xu Hongji was silent for a long time, and then he spoke with Chen Cao's harmless smile: "Yao Zhong, do you want to split the soil in Songjiang Mansion and establish a king or establish your own court?"
Chen Cao laughed: "Before I answer what you said, why don't I ask you if you are here on behalf of the court or yourself."
"Own..."
After receiving Xu Hongji's affirmative answer, Chen Cao nodded thoughtfully, and then replied: "Songjiang Mansion is too small to split the earth and become the king...
Besides, I have no intention of breaking up the soil in Songjiang Mansion and crowning the king..."
Xu Hongji felt that Chen Cao was talking twice: "You implemented land equalization and tax exemption in Songjiang, and then helped them pay taxes in the name of the Songjiang governor's office. Yaozhong, this is a rebellion..."
"Young Master, what you said is wrong..."
Chen Cao shook his head casually: "If you go down to the countryside under Songjiang Mansion now, you will find that the people now really feel that they have hope in life, and they can now keep the taxes they should have paid to the imperial court." For your own benefit, you no longer have to worry about how you will live a few months after paying your taxes.”
"The tax system of the imperial court was established from the founding of the People's Republic of China. Now that you admit that you are the governor of Songjiang, you should accept the control of the imperial court. Forget about the tax exemption decree. The chaos in Southern Zhili is a big problem for you. It won’t do you any good at Yew Chung.”
Chen Cao picked up the tea and took a sip, but he had no intention of serving the tea to see the guests off: "My lord, are you still clinging to your old ways and staying in the Hongwu and Yongle years of the Ming Dynasty?
At that time, the military power of the imperial court was strong and the people were living and working in peace and contentment. But now I can take a closer look. The civil unrest in Shaanxi has spread to three places. There have been rebellions in Shanxi, Henan and other places. Can you tell me something? reason?
If it were placed at the time of the founding of the country, these people would probably be executed by the Ten Tribes..."
"Is this the reason why you want to rebel, Yaozhong?"
"Who said I was going to rebel?"
"Aren't you rebelling?"
Chen Cao coughed: "The Ming Dynasty is the Ming Dynasty after all. I, Chen Cao, are loyal to the Ming Dynasty, but I, Chen Cao, have never said that I am loyal to the Emperor of the Zhu family..."
Xu Hongji finally heard Chen Cao say these words with his own ears, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "The Ming Dynasty was founded by the Zhu family emperor..."
"I am Han Chinese..."
Chen Cao answered: "Zhu Yuanzhang is also a Han..."
Dare to call Emperor Taizu by his name so bluntly. In the past, if the government heard it, it would be a crime of disrespect and would be beheaded...
"The Emperor Zhu's family has gone downhill since the Wanli period. Look at it now. There are severe droughts in Shandong, severe droughts in Hebei, and floods in South Zhili. Disasters have occurred in various places. The court has not been able to provide a single penny for disaster relief. They all have to I, Chen Cao, give...
Hahaha, back then I asked you, my father-in-law, whether the imperial court could afford the eleven million taels. If you take this money from me, you will have to bear the corresponding consequences..."
Xu Hongji looked bitter, and he did not lose a penny from it: "Yao Zhong, if you want my minister to die, I have to die..."
"No no no..."
Chen Cao waved his hands repeatedly: "You want me to die, but I really don't want to die..."
Xu Hongji didn't know where Chen Cao came from these nonsense, so he asked: "Is it really as what Song Ninghou said?"
Chen Cao stood up and bowed respectfully to Xu Hongji: "Chen Cao started his career in the Duke of Wei. No matter what happens in the future, he will definitely give the Duke of Wei a chance..."
After paying homage, Chen Cao sat back in his seat: "Thank you to the Duke for blocking Song Ninghou back then, otherwise Chen Cao would not have the chance to be on an equal footing with the Duke now."
Xu Hongji has regretted it countless times, otherwise there would be no trouble like Chen Cao now...
"I, Chen Cao, have always been a good person from beginning to end. I never do anything bad. Of course, to be an emperor, one must have the consciousness to be an emperor. The common people are the foundation. Lord, look at it now. In addition to engaging in party disputes and dealing with officials, What can be done?
The treasury has no money and still has no money. Those Donglin Party members who claim to be incorruptible are all extremely rich, but they behave as clear as a mirror in front of the emperor. Duke, we are all in the same group. How much do we have in our hands? Money is clear to everyone on the road. "
Xu Hongji could not deny what Chen Cao said. Since Chen Cao withdrew from Daming Foreign Trade Group and the bank, all the nobles they participated in had lost their biggest income and returned to their old businesses.
"My lord, I have said so much to you today, and I have done my best to be kind and righteous. Tell me, my lord, the reason for coming here today is not just to inquire about the truth, right?"
Xu Hongji raised his eyebrows and said: "Your Majesty has learned about your behavior in Songjiang Mansion, and has ordered you to be stripped of your title as Duke of Liang, and to remove all of your duties. In addition, you have been ordered to guard the Yamen in Nanzhili, and asked me to cooperate with the Nanjing War Department. The Governor-General of the Fifth Army mobilized troops from the Southern Guards Station and made every effort to wipe out the Songjiang rebels..."
"Master, let me meet someone for you..."
Xu Hongji had been in Nanjing for a long time and had never seen Wei Zhongxian before. He just felt that the thin old man in front of him had a royal aura, and then he was surprised: "Is this person an eunuch?"
"Slave Wei Zhongxian, I have met Duke Wei..."
"Wei..."
Xu Hongji's voice trembled, and then he looked at Chen Cao in panic: "Chen Cao, is it really you who robbed Wei Zhongxian?
What about the assigned Yingzhou Governor Zhao Wenhui? "
"Captain Zhao is currently in our army..."
"Why..."
Xu Hongji sighed and shook his head...
"Besides..."
Seeing Xu Hongji sighing, Chen Cao decided to be stingy with him again: "Now that the official road and two passes into Songjiang have been closed by me, whether the imperial edict can enter Songjiang Mansion is a big question mark..."
Xu Hongji was really angry after hearing this, but this was not the time to fight with Chen Cao: "Yao Zhong, the Ming Dynasty is already suffering from internal and external troubles. Are you really going to risk the world's disapproval and become emperor?"
"That's right..."
Chen Cao directly answered Xu Hongji's words, and then said coldly: "I will become the new Ming Emperor in the future..."
Xu Hongji was confused immediately. The new emperor did not change the country's name after he ascended the throne. What does this mean?
"Eunuch Wei, tell me what you heard and heard in the capital..."
Wei Zhongxian bowed slightly towards Xu Hongji, and then said: "Wei Guogong, Emperor Daxing once said before his funeral that Wei Guogong is the first pillar of the dynasty..."
Several meanings...
In order to prevent Xu Hongji from guessing wrong, Chen Cao simply asked and answered: "Eunuch Wei, what was going on before your majesty fell into the water? After so many things, you must tell Duke Wei everything you know."
If the secrets of the forbidden matters in the deep palace had not been leaked by the chamberlain, even the top noble Xu Hongji would not have known the secrets. Hearing this, Xu Hongji started to drum in his heart. How could the emperor suddenly be in his prime when he was young? Death suddenly.
Wei Zhongxian bowed and said: "That day, the servants and the Hakkas accompanied the late emperor to drink in the Xiyuan. The late emperor was very interested and wanted to go to the lake to play..."
In fact, no one knew that the reason why the emperor wanted to visit the lake was because he wanted to have a romantic relationship with the Hakka family in the boat. It was just that he drank too much at the time and was feeling restless after finishing the work.
"I don't know why that day, the originally sunny weather suddenly blew a gust of wind on the lake. The late emperor drank some wine and fell into the water unsteadily. The two princes and slaves did not dare to lie. After the late emperor fell into the water, he was He was rescued in time. He only choked some water and got into his lungs. After being treated by the imperial doctor from the imperial hospital, he got better..."
Chen Cao said and looked at Xu Hongji: "Mr. Guo, this is Southern Zhili, not Northern Zhili. Besides, this is Songjiang Prefecture. I want to speak freely. Please think about it, the late emperor was only twenty-one years old. In the prime of youth, even if you cough up water and get it into your lungs, it won't cause fatal damage. I don't think the prince can't even understand this."
Xu Hongji and other dignitaries and officials in Southern Zhili were already skeptical about the death of Emperor Tianqi, but they did not dare to talk nonsense about this kind of thing. Even though he was the top dignitary of the country, he was very secretive about the emperor's funeral.
But now that Wei Zhongxian explained it like this, he suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment in his heart.
When Chen Cao saw this, he said coldly: "What the Duke is thinking in his heart is just that he dare not say it out loud. However, I think there are some things I would like to remind the Duke. The Hong Pill case back then was somewhat similar to the case of Lord Long Qing. ..."
Although Xu Hongji was a distinguished person, he was number one in the dynasty. Naturally, he was not a playboy. The history of the dynasty had been instilled in his mind since he was a child.
The Hong Pill case has been turned into a reverse case. Li Kezhuo's party members were killed or arrested whenever they were suspected, and Emperor Mu Zong left the country after only six years in power. In addition to his fondness for women, the most important thing was It was easy for him to take the elixir, and he eventually died on the woman's belly.
But this kind of thing is taboo in the palace. Although Xu Hongji knew some of the secret parts, he never mentioned it in front of outsiders. And where did Chen Cao know about it?
However, as he looked at the old guy Wei Zhongxian, it suddenly dawned on him that Wei Zhongxian was a confidant of Emperor Tianqi and had been in charge of the Ming Dynasty for several years. He naturally knew a lot about these dusty matters in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He wanted to tell Chen Fuck is also a small thing.
"This is a matter of the Heavenly Family. How can we, the ministers, comment on it at will?"
Chen Cao felt that Xu Hongji was too conservative, so he winked at Wei Zhongxian...
Wei Zhongxian understood the idea and said: "I have been the general manager of the deep palace for a long time, but the funeral of the late emperor this time is indeed very strange. I wear a big hat of treason. Even if I die, I will not have the face to see the late emperor." , so no matter what, we must clear our suspicions."
Xu Hongji raised his eyes to look at Wei Zhongxian and listened to him: "Although Huo Weihua was promoted by a servant, in order to protect himself, he secretly defected to the Donglin Party. The spirit dew drink he presented was from the deputy envoy of Tai Hospital. It flowed out of Chen Zhengzhong’s hands.”
Xu Hongji was shocked. If Wei Zhongxian said it, then Emperor Tianqi's death was really intentional.
Chen Cao said: "Just imagine, Duke, Wei Zhongxian is no more than a slave of the Tian family. His life and death are in the hands of the emperor. Emperor Daxing is in his prime and has great trust in him. As long as Emperor Daxing lives longer, One year, he will be able to control the situation of the government for one more year. Under this situation, the Duke thinks he will kill his master..."
Xu Hongji took a breath. Their nobles in Nanjing had already had this idea, but they had never put it forward...
