After the Emperor made arrangements for the famous scholar Zhang Dai, he chatted with Li Dingguo for a few words and immediately issued an order to make Li Dingguo the deputy governor of Yinzhou. The reason why he was named deputy governor was because Sun Kewang was also the deputy governor.
"Sun Kewang achieved a lot in the Battle of Sakhalin Island. He killed five Rakshasa ghosts by himself and chopped off their left legs himself. I admire him very much."
"Above Heaven"
When Liu Zhaosun said this, Li Dingguo's expression clearly changed. The Supreme Emperor pretended not to know about the grievances between Sun and Li, and continued:
"He is the person who is highly recommended by Prime Minister Ma, and you are the person who is highly recommended by Mr. Sun (Chuanting). I think that both parties cannot be partial, so I decided to give you two a chance. Whoever can arrive in Yinzhou first, I will Make him the Grand Governor of Yinzhou, and all affairs of Yinzhou will be managed by this person from now on."
This arrangement is not to check and balance the two forces, it is just a euphemism.
Not to mention who came first, Sun Kewang, and Li Dingguo. It would be a blessing if one of the two of them could reach the other side of the ocean alive.
The subtext of Emperor Wu Ding is that only one of them, Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo, can survive.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty,"
Emperor Wu Ding's expression changed slightly, and he turned to look at Zhang Dai, who was still kneeling on the ground.
"If you have anything to say, Mingshi Zhang, please tell me, but it is impossible to break off the engagement, so don't mention it. It is related to Yinzhou's century-old plan, and it is not about writing fantasy."
Zhang Dai hesitated for a long time, then summoned up the courage to ask:
"May I ask, Your Majesty, how far is it from Yinzhou? Did the sinner go by land or water? Is there a post road connecting it?"
Pei Dahu picked up the scabbard and cursed: "You thought you were allowed to travel in the south of the Yangtze River, and you still wanted to take the post road! You used the public for personal gain, abused the post station, and spent an unknown amount of money on food..."
Emperor Wu Ding waved his hand and forgave the Jiangnan celebrities for their unrestrained and free-loving early life, and signaled Pei Dahu not to beat people in public.
"There are always two or three thousand miles. You can take a boat or go overland. It will be colder if you go by land, and it may freeze into ice. But it will be hotter if you go by water, and you have to go to Liaonan. , go with Sun Kewang and the others."
I don’t know where Zhang Dai heard about Sun Kewang’s reputation. He probably didn’t have a good reputation, so he quickly waved his hand and said:
"No, no, the sinner is willing to go overland, and he is willing to go with General Lee."
"Okay," Liu Zhaosun smiled at Li Dingguo, "Director Li, it seems you are quite popular."
"Mr. Zhang, you should keep good records while you are on the road. Use up all the ink in your stomach to write a few more articles. When you come back, I will publish a collection of essays for you. I have already thought of the name. It will be called "The Japanese Ship to the East of Yinzhou" Travel Notes."
Zhang Dai quickly thanked the Holy Grace.
~~~~
That day, the monarch and his ministers had a long and heart-to-heart talk in the Taisho Palace, from early morning to dusk.
Liu Zhaosun asked the two of them to go back and rest early. In the next period of time, Li Dingguo would go to the major corps to recruit two hundred members, and he would also be responsible for raising food and supplies.
It's time for the Supreme Emperor to go to bed.
The two of them bowed and left. Liu Zhaosun was stunned for a while, and the image of Kang Yingqian selling Vajra Powder in Jize County came to mind.
"It would be great if Lao Kang was here, and he would definitely make arrangements for these corrupt officials."
I don't know how long it took, Liu Zhaosun yawned, and the manager Dongfang Zhu Yinqin said: "Your Majesty, it's time to turn over the cards. Who are you talking to today..."
"I'm in a bad mood now."
Shenyang City is particularly quiet at night. From time to time, one or two fireflies flicker their wings and fly over the lush imperial garden.
Emperor Wu Ding didn't hear Dongfang Zhu's question. He strolled to the entrance of the Imperial Garden and looked up at the night sky. Due to the promotion and use of steam engines in recent years, the use of coal has increased, coupled with hot air balloon flights and artillery tests, the scene before his eyes is The sky is becoming increasingly dirty.
The stars in the night sky above our heads have long been invisible.
Liu Zhaosun stood there for a long time. Dongfang Zhu did not dare to interrupt the Emperor's thoughts and stood quietly beside him.
"Li Dingguo just said that the banks in Henan have blackmailed all the money deposited by Kang Jianjun. Thousands of merchants in Zhongzhou have all been harmed by these rats. There are also Huguang, even the uncle is trying to make money. Money, cutting corners, abusing labor, and disregarding the lives of the people. It is conceivable that the world of Henan, Huguang and other places is about to change. It is really appalling!
"Dongfang Zhu," the Supreme Emperor put down the white fungus and lotus seed soup he had picked up, and said in a stern tone: "Tell me, how should I punish these people? Who should I send to investigate this time? How to investigate?"
"His Majesty,·····"
Dongfang Zhu hesitated to speak, stammering and unable to speak. As the saying goes, if you are not close to each other, you will be humble and you will not seek respect. Although Eunuch Dongfang is a popular person around the Supreme Emperor, in the end he is just a eunuch with no soldiers and no power. He left the palace. , just when he was anxious, few bosses in the place were afraid of him.
The water in Huguang, Henan, is very deep. It can be said that it is bottomless. The governor of Henan is Ge Yewen, a confidant of the Supreme Emperor. This man has followed Liu Zhaosun since the Wanli period. He is also a confidant of Ma Shiying. He is deeply involved in the upper echelons of Daqi, and Huguang cannot be detailed. It is said that the governor is a careless person, and those who are really in charge are Qin Jianxun, the chief officer of the Fourth Corps, and Jin Dajiu, the Duke of Chengguo. Needless to say, Qin Jianxun is behind the forces of the southwest chieftains, and he is also a master who cannot be easily offended. As for Jin Dajiu, he is Ci Dajiu. The elder brother of the Holy Queen Mother Jin Yuji has the support of Jin Yinghe and the North Korean faction, and has a close relationship with the imperial guard Pei Dahu Linyu and others. In short, these people are not only the confidants of the Supreme Emperor, but also powerful figures. Dongfangzhu cannot afford to offend him. of.
"I think that listening at the same time will reveal the truth and trust the secret. Before the matter is clarified, I still need to send someone to investigate again. You can issue an imperial edict and ask the local people about the amount of money and food for comparison..."
Liu Zhaosun interrupted Dongfang Zhu with a displeased look on his face. This Tai Chi and mud technique made the Supreme Emperor very dissatisfied.
However, the basis of rule that the empire relied on was these royal relatives and close ministers. These people were so powerful that even if Emperor Wu Ding wanted to decentralize power to them, it would be impossible to do so.
Because the gene of totalitarianism is the high concentration of power. Unless Liu Zhaosun can let 3 people do everything in the world by himself, once he sends people out, it will only lead to this ending.
"Although I know that Li Dingguo will be like them sooner or later, but now we have to kill a few more people. Tianxin City has only been built less than half. Jin Dajiu will empty out my treasury. These rats, relying on Qi Chao The convenience given to them by the land ownership system and making money are even more despicable than the corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty before! It is really a blow to the bones and sucks out the marrow!"
Emperor Wuding had sent to Henan, Huguang, and Shandong to inspect imperial envoys and spies in recent years, ranging from one thousand to eight hundred. He thought that these people were loyal, but little did he know that many of them had been bribed by big men like Jin Dajiu and brought back to him. The news is that the world is always at peace, and disasters everywhere require rescue.
Liu Zhaosun suddenly remembered the big incident that happened in the Qianlong period, Wang Danwang.
In Wang Danwang's case, local officials at all levels united to deceive Qianlong, and there were as many as 102 officials who stole more than two thousand taels of silver.
According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, these officials would be executed.
Qianlong drew a red line and sentenced anyone who embezzled more than 20,000 taels to death.
After trial, a total of 28 officials were sentenced to death, 51 officials were sentenced to imprisonment and execution after autumn, and 46 officials were sent to the frontiers for hard labor.
Emperor Wu Ding sharpened his sword and secretly set a quota for killings in his heart, preparing to carry out a thorough purge of all provinces, starting from Huguang.
