When the lanterns first came on, in a mutton restaurant on Gulou Street in Beicheng, three young customers ordered a full table. The shop owner was so happy that he couldn't meet such wealthy customers, but he never dreamed that these three customers were not only wealthy. And he is very noble. If he goes out and takes a look, he will find that there are many big men patrolling around the restaurant, with eyes like eagles, implying murderous intent.
"If an outsider sees you eating like this, you won't believe it is from the Ming Dynasty..." Chang Yu looked at Princess Kunxing devouring the food and couldn't help laughing.
"Anyway, there are no outsiders, and I'm not afraid of you looking at it," Princess Kunxing hummed, while Zhu Cihong was immersed in eating. He didn't know why, for him, the food in the restaurant outside was much more delicious than the food in the palace, but why? The common people all think that what is in the palace is the delicacies of the world.
Chang Yu had a low appetite and ate hastily. He walked to the door of the store and stretched, looked up at the night sky, and couldn't help but sigh: "The moon is so round today."
"Youdao means fifteen moons and sixteen yuan," the shopkeeper continued with a smile.
"No," Chang Yu nodded and chatted with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was an honest man, but he also saw that this young man had an extraordinary temperament. He guessed that he was the eldest son of the family, but he was so approachable, had a good impression of him, and spoke politely. As the number of visits increased, the parents chatted with Chang Yu.
"Look at that guy, anyone can have a lively conversation." Zhu Cixiang, who was still eating at sea, glanced at the door and cooed at Princess Kunxing. Kunxing turned his head and looked over, chuckling: "So he is a good person. He Everyone around him was close to him.”
"But all the ministers in the court called him a treacherous villain." Zhu Cixi chuckled, and Kun Xing curled his lips: "So there are not many good people in the court. Just because they scolded Chang Yu, it just shows that Chang Yu is a good person and doesn't care about others. No matter how good or bad he is, he is really good to our family and the people."
"That's true." Zhu Cixiang looked at Chang Yu, who was still chatting with the store owner at the door: "How do you think he looks like a eunuch, and how do you think he looks like a powerful eunuch?"
"He doesn't look like a murderous devil, but everyone says he is a butcher." Kun Xing snorted.
Chang Yu, who was chatting with the store owner, saw a person hurriedly approaching not far away, so he stepped forward to greet him: "My lord, the emperor has summoned you to the palace." He glanced towards the back of the store and said, "Your Highness and the others are also..."
Chang Yu raised his eyebrows and asked in a low voice: "Did something happen?"
"Eunuch Chun said that the emperor is furious..." Fanzi whispered. At this time, the prince's brother and sister also came over. Chang Yu said: "You are all full, let's go back together." The prince hummed and glanced at Fanzi: "What happened?".
Fanzi looked at Chang Yu.
Chang Yu nodded: "Go ahead."
"Several county governments in Hebei were found to be selling grain for private purposes, and bandits in Shandong gathered to rebel..."
"Selling grain privately? How dare they do this?" Zhu Cixiang became angry immediately. Chang Yu pulled him and motioned for him to get on the carriage.
"Why are they so bold?" Zhu Cixiang's anger continued in the car!
Hebei, Shandong, and Henan have experienced wars, droughts, locust plagues, and plagues in the past two years. People thousands of miles away in Chidi are in dire straits. A famine broke out at the end of last year. Chang Yu and the imperial court worked hard to beg their grandfather to get relief grains to distribute to various states and counties.
Inventories in various states and counties have long since bottomed out, and now all they have are food relief and disaster relief to meet emergency needs, but I don’t want anyone to eat the courage of a bear and sell it to grain stores privately...
"This is actually a good thing," Chang Yu sighed.
"You actually said this is a good thing!" The prince was shocked!
"It's a good thing if you can be found out, but it's a bad thing if you can't find out," Chang Yu smiled bitterly. The prince was startled and then nodded: "Dongchang must have found out!"
"It doesn't matter, whether it's Dongchang, Jinyiwei, or patrolling the censor, as long as it can be found out, it's a good thing!" Chang Yu sighed slightly, and Zhu Cihong said: "Anyone who does such bad things that want to kill their heads must get through all kinds of things. The collusion is very careful, and it is difficult for ordinary people to detect it.”
"So, three groups of people are going to investigate. I don't believe he can bribe everyone." Chang Yu sneered, and the prince suddenly realized: "You have been suspicious for a long time?"
"It's not suspicion, it's precaution before it happens. It's not unusual for something like this to happen!" Chang Yu took a long breath: "In normal times, I could turn a blind eye, but these days, I'll kill anyone who touches him!"
"In troubled times, the rules are heavy!" the prince said viciously.
Emperor Chongzhen in the Qianqing Palace was furious: "Immediately escort them to the capital. They say that Qiuhou will behead them. They are really in a hurry. They are all beheaded! Let me investigate and deal with them clearly, but no one who is related will be spared. I will kill them." Nine tribes!”
The emperor was hysterical, and Chunxiang was trembling. This was the first time he had seen the emperor so angry. At this moment, the palace door was pushed open, and Chang Yu and Prince Zhu Cixiang walked in: "My son has met my father."
Emperor Chongzhen snorted and looked at Chang Yu: "Do you know everything?"
"I just learned about it!" Chang Yu bowed.
"You often say that prevention is the best before it happens, but now it has been more than half a year before this evil thing was discovered. What should I say?" Emperor Chongzhen's face turned dark, and Chang Yu said quickly: "I am responsible for the oversight, and please forgive me."
But I cursed in my heart, you really think I'm a god, you can tell everything with just a pinch of your fingers, Dongchang is in charge of so many things, Ming Dynasty has so many holes, I'm fucking everywhere every day I am running around trying to fix things for you, how can I cover everything? Besides, what kind of illegal and disciplinary matters are so secretive? Can they be seen at a glance? It takes time.
Emperor Chongzhen naturally knew this truth, but he was so angry that he had to find an outlet. He glared at Chunxiang again: "Chang Yu has been away dealing with military affairs all year round, and the internal affairs of the East Factory are all handled by you..."
"Emperor" Chang Yu interrupted him: "It's not too late to find out these borers in half a year, and this is good news."
Emperor Chongzhen was startled. Chang Yu rarely interrupted him, and he said this was good news?
"Father, it's good news that this matter has been found out." Zhu Cixiang quickly echoed beside him. Emperor Chongzhen was thoughtful and took a deep breath for a while: "It is indeed good news!" He looked at Chunxiang and said: "Be strict and severe, and set an example to others."
"My slave accepts the order," Chunxiang bowed. (Slaves do not specifically refer to maids, both men and women are collectively called slaves. In the Ming Dynasty, eunuchs called themselves slaves, and in the Qing Dynasty, they called themselves slaves.)
Chang Yu walked up to Chunxiang and asked in a low voice: "How many investigations have been carried out?"
"Three counties in Hebei, two prefectures and four counties in Henan and Shandong, totaling 87 people in the two prefectures and seven counties, including one county magistrate, seven county magistrates and principals, and the rest are granary officials and profiteers." Chunxiang finished speaking and stared secretly. Chang Yu, Emperor Chongzhen and the prince were also looking at him.
"Kill them all, skin them and plant them in grass to show them to the public for three months!"
The prince couldn't help but shuddered. He glanced at Emperor Chongzhen and saw that he had no expression on his face but nodded slightly. Chang Yu said again: "I petition you to hold the officials responsible for their oversight accountable."
"It should be so, it's time to beat them." Emperor Chongzhen snorted.
"What's going on over there in Shandong? Where?" Chang Yu asked again.
"In the territory of Yanzhou Prefecture, a bandit that was once entrenched in the mountains has been suppressed repeatedly. It has become bigger. A few days ago, it attacked the county town at night..." Before he finished speaking, Chang Yu frowned: "Yanzhou Prefecture?"
"Yes, the Fei County under its jurisdiction belongs to Yizhou," Chunxiang said quickly.
"Feixian, good guy" Chang Yu frowned deeper, and the prince asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Where is Feixian?"
"In the southeast of Qufu, in the Yimeng Mountain area," Chang Yu replied. Fei County was actually Pingyi County in later generations.
"It's just a bandit that can't be suppressed repeatedly and allowed to grow bigger. What a waste!" Emperor Chongzhen scolded angrily. Chang Yu cursed again in his heart: "You are really pretending now. You are so good that Li Zicheng and Li Zicheng can do it." The more Zhang Xianzhong suppressed the enemy, the greater his campaign became."
"The local troops are insufficient, and Feixian County is located in deep mountains and old forests. The traitors are entrenched in Taihuang Gu, and the terrain is difficult to defend and difficult to attack..." Chunxiang explained, and Chang Yu said, "Taihuang Gu, no wonder!"
"What's the wonder? What's wrong with Emperor Gu?" the prince asked, and Emperor Chongzhen also looked at Chang Yu.
"Your Highness, does he know what the word "Gu" means?" Chang Yu asked suddenly. The prince was stunned for a moment, but then said: "It seems to be a name for a mountain, with steep sides and a flat top."
Chang Yu hummed: "Yes, this is a unique terrain in Shandong. It is known as the Seventy-Two Mountains of Yimeng. This kind of mountain is also called Hat Mountain among the local people. From a distance, it looks like a hat is worn on the mountain, but This hat is surrounded by cliffs, but the top is very flat. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack if you camp on it, and it is difficult for birds to cross."
"If it is difficult to attack, you will be trapped for a long time." Zhu Cixi blurted out, and Chang Yu smiled bitterly and shook his head: "The mountains can be cultivated, and the rocks can be dug into wells to store water from the sky. There is food and drink. If you go down to the barren mountains and ridges to surround him with insufficient supplies, what is the point? Who is trapped?"
Zhu Cixiang stopped talking, and Emperor Chongzhen said with a sullen face: "There is no danger that cannot be overcome in this world."
"What the emperor said is true, but you need more troops and enough food. You can plan it slowly, or no matter the cost!" Chang Yu sighed in his heart. You are the emperor on paper. When you are not here, you have no idea how difficult the terrain is. How difficult it is to attack. I know that even in the era of hot weapons in later generations, it would not be easy to fight in such a place. Many people have heard of the Battle of Menglianggu and fought on this kind of terrain, not to mention the current era of cold weapons.
"Whether you are trying to do it slowly or regardless of the cost, you must not let it get bigger. You must mobilize all your troops to destroy it." Emperor Chongzhen snorted coldly. Zhu Cihong suddenly asked Chang Yu: "If you go to fight, how will you fight?"
"Chen, I don't have time," Chang Yu replied. Several people in the hall were startled, and then they couldn't help but laugh. The atmosphere became a little gentler, and Chang Yu struck while the iron was hot: "My ambition is at the border, and the mountains are not in sight, let alone It is not under my jurisdiction."
"Li Yan, you are talking about Li Yan" Zhu Cixiang's eyes lit up.
Emperor Chongzhen nodded: "Li Yan has been governor of Shandong for several months. It's really time to go back and do some domestic work."
"Actually, Li Yan doesn't even need to come to the top of the mountain in person. He can defeat it with any general under his command," Chang Yu said calmly. Emperor Chongzhen believed that the soldiers and horses stationed in the local area were not as good as those who fought on the front line all year round in terms of experience and strength. , the most important thing is that the military strength is far inferior.
Immediately, Chang Yu discussed with Emperor Chongzhen how to deploy troops and generals. The cabinet decision would then be conveyed to the Ministry of War and the Military Governor's Office, and then to Li Yan. The court was responsible for supplies such as food, grass, military pay, and how to fight. It's Li Yan's business, and Chang Yu doesn't worry about it at all. If Li Yan can't get down the mountain, then he will hit his head and bleed.
Chunxiang looked at Chang Yu who was having a lively chat with Emperor Chongzhen and his son, and he admired him more and more. He could only tremble when the emperor was angry, but when Chang Yu came, he calmed down the emperor's anger with a few words and a few words. He was absolutely unmatched in making suggestions and relieving the emperor's worries. Even the civil and military officials in the entire dynasty were few and far between.
