"I have already read the memorial to the Ministry of Personnel requesting the Beijing Police. However, regarding the regulations of the Beijing Police, I mentioned it to the ministers last time. I wonder what your thoughts are now?"
Sure enough, after arranging the disaster relief, the emperor looked at the other people and asked.
In fact, this is not an accident. Since the last earthquake in the capital, the Qintian Supervisor has issued a warning that within a few years, major disasters will occur one after another.
At that time, this statement was only circulated among the upper class, and many ministers disagreed with it, thinking that it was a myth to deceive the public.
However, as this statement spread later, more and more facts proved that what Qin Tianjian said was probably true.
From last year's drought to this year's snowstorm and drought, many ministers in the DPRK began to consider how they should respond if Qin Tianjian's words were true and the next few years would still be years of disaster.
This is also the reason why many ministers in the DPRK have been reporting, demanding that all non-urgent projects and wars be stopped and that they rest and recuperate.
This is a method that has been proven for a long time and is effective.
The reason why increasing revenue and reducing expenditure can be juxtaposed is that most of the time, the two can achieve the same effect.
Regardless of whether it is to save food and clothing, or to save food and clothing, in the end, if you save a little here and a little there, you can basically save something. After all, no matter how big the disaster is, it only affects some places, and it is impossible for the entire Ming Dynasty to lose its harvest. .
As long as the Ministry of Household Affairs can withstand the pressure and the court can refrain from large-scale construction projects, no matter how serious the disaster is, it can be overcome.
However, it is obvious that the emperor is not satisfied with this solution. Since cutting expenditures is not possible, then the only option is to increase revenue.
Judging from the current situation, the emperor is eyeing these ministers in the court...
Everyone present looked at Wang Wen who was standing aside, but found that the old man was looking at his nose and heart this time and had no intention of making any advances.
On the contrary, it was Shen Shangshu from the Ministry of Revenue, who looked slightly troubled, and then spoke.
"Your Majesty, I believe that since ancient times, the government has been more important than the administration of officials. If the officials govern clearly, the court will be safe and orderly. If the officials are unruly, the country will be ruined. The capital inspection was originally set up to evaluate officials. It should have the effect of rectifying the administration of officials. The previous big plan At that time, the Ministry of Personnel took the lead, and the Ministry of Punishment and the Metropolitan Procuratorate assisted. If it was effective, the Beijing Procuratorate can also follow suit this time."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was a little surprised.
It's not that Shen Yi said anything new, but that this suggestion came from the mouth of a minister like Shen Yi who had always been silent about matters other than those in charge. It was really unusual.
Looking at Wang Wen again, his expression was quite complicated, and then the emperor asked.
"What do the officials think?"
"Your Majesty, I think what Shen Shangshu said is reasonable."
With just such a sentence, Wang Wen was at a loss for words.
Seeing this situation, the two ministers of the cabinet suddenly couldn't sit still. Among the people present, Shen Yi and Wang Wen all expressed their approval. Although Jin Lian did not speak, this matter was obviously beneficial to the Ministry of Punishment. , if nothing unexpected happens, Jin Lian will not object. If they don't speak up, I'm afraid this matter will be passed without any trouble.
But don't forget, during last year's plan, many officials in the imperial court were arrested. What would happen if this happened again in Beijing?
At the moment, Zhang Min spoke first and said.
"Your Majesty, it is certainly a good thing to clarify the administration of officials, but now is the time for the court to employ people. Such a big move will probably make everyone in the court panic."
Later, Yu Shiyue also followed.
"Yes, Your Majesty, the disasters in various places are serious now. In my opinion, we should focus on disaster relief with all our strength. If we rectify the government at this time, it will definitely affect the disaster relief in various places. Please think twice, Your Majesty."
The two people's attitudes were quite consistent. Seeing this situation, Jin Lian on the side spoke.
"I'm afraid you two don't know. The reason why His Majesty wants to inspect and rectify the administration of officials in Beijing this time is actually because, during last year's plan, many officials confessed that they had bribed many officials in the DPRK, and others Many illegal things have also implicated some officials in the DPRK, so His Majesty wants to use the Beijing Police to deal with these cases together, and does not want to go to war."
As soon as these words came out, Zhang Min and Zhang Min were surprised, but their hearts sank.
Sure enough, the Ministry of Punishment also had the same attitude.
At this time, the emperor also spoke.
"I already know what you mean. Whether it is disaster relief or government affairs, the court certainly needs people, but it cannot let those who disregard the law go unpunished."
Seeing this situation, Zhang Min frowned and was about to speak when the emperor said again.
"However, what the two gentlemen of the cabinet said is not unreasonable. Therefore, after discussing with Tianguan, I plan to temporarily postpone the Beijing inspection for half a year."
Postponed?
At this time, not only the two cabinet members, but also Shen Yi and Jin Lian were a little surprised. Only Wang Wen looked like an old god was present.
Generally speaking, the Beijing inspection starts from May or June until the end of the year, and evaluates officials from all aspects under the jurisdiction of the capital.
Not to mention why it was postponed, just talking about the time is very intriguing. Why is it half a year?
You must know that the reason why the Beijing inspection starts in the middle of the year is, firstly, because the Ministry of official affairs needs to carry out various preparations half a year in advance, and secondly, because it has always been the practice to complete the government affairs for the year at the end of the year.
What's going on with this half-year delay? There's no reason to start the inspection at the beginning of the new year. Doesn't this make life difficult every year?
And, more importantly, their intuition told them that the emperor would not give up so easily after taking such a big detour.
As expected, immediately after, the emperor spoke.
"You all heard just now that the main reason for this rectification of officialdom is that some of the cases in the plan involve some officials in the capital. This is not a trivial matter. I just said that since there are violations of the law, the imperial court will naturally punish them severely. loan."
"So, these six months are for the Ministry of Punishment!"
Ah this...
The elders immediately turned their attention to Jin Lian who was aside, but this elder had an expressionless face at the moment and could not tell anything.
Then, Zhu Qiyu continued.
"Now, 70% of the officials involved in the big plan have been tried, and their confessions have been submitted. Although the remaining 30% have not been closed, the trial is almost complete."
"So next, I plan to let the Ministry of Punishment take charge, and Jinyiwei will assist in the investigation, and continue to track down other officials involved in the confessions of these prisoners."
"It will take half a year to investigate these cases one by one, and then conduct a Beijing investigation!"
Sure enough, they knew that it was not that simple.
The emperor has given up on rectifying the officialdom. He just wants to divide this matter into two steps. First, he will investigate the officials involved in the case investigated by the Ministry of Punishment, and then continue the investigation in Beijing.
"As for the specific regulations of Jingcha..."
The emperor's eyes fell on Wang Wen, who had been silent since entering the palace, finally spoke.
"According to His Majesty's wishes, this Beijing inspection is different from the past. It will last from the beginning of the year to the end of the year."
As soon as Wang Wen opened his mouth, he made a shocking statement.
Okay...
Sure enough, they had underestimated the emperor's determination before, and the pattern was still not open. The Beijing inspection period is usually from the middle to the end of the year, so it is certainly inappropriate to move it from the beginning to the middle of the year. In this case, then from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, just now good.
However, Wang Wen's next words suddenly made the eyes of those present brighten.
"The reason for this arrangement is mainly because the Ministry of Punishment's investigation of the case will inevitably involve many Beijing officials. Therefore, in addition to evaluating the Beijing officials this time, the Beijing inspection will also evaluate the vacant Beijing officials. To fill the gap, it will take longer.”
If you want to say this, everyone will not be sleepy.
After Wang Wen finished speaking, all the ministers present had a flash of thoughtfulness in their eyes, and their original objections gradually softened.
To put it bluntly, in official circles, everyone's position is often flexible. The main point is to see whether it is profitable.
Now, the emperor has obviously made up his mind to investigate these cases, and then use the confiscated silver coins to make up for the shortfall of the court's disaster relief.
Therefore, this is already irreversible. In this case, we can only think about how to obtain greater benefits from this matter.
From another perspective, this may not be an opportunity to reorganize the forces in the court.
In today's court, although the emperor has long decreed that parties are not allowed to form factions, in the officialdom, it is inevitable to support and support each other.
Many times, the prestige and status in the court depend on the connections in the officialdom. Even if these important ministers in the palace have reached the core level, there are many things that cannot be done personally.
Therefore, it is also very important to have someone who can do things for them down below and someone who can speak for them in the court.
From this point of view, this move of the Ministry of Justice, and even the future inspection of the capital, may not necessarily be a great opportunity.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu also showed a smile on his face.
Therefore, when it comes to court matters, one cannot blindly use authority to be tough. The best way is to use coercion and inducement.
Seeing that no one had any opinions, Zhu Qiyu nodded and said.
"This matter has been settled. I will announce the matter to the court tomorrow morning and order all government offices to cooperate."
The implication is that how to appease the ministers in the morning is left to the few of you present.
"I obey the decree..."
Obviously, few people are not surprised by this. After all, such a big matter cannot be completed with the next decree. It must be discussed by the court. In this case, then, the important ministers in the court, especially the important ministers involved in it The attitude towards this becomes very important.
The next day, the sun rose as usual, and the ministers arrived at the Jinshui River early as usual. As the heavy bells rang, the palace doors opened wide, and the morning dynasty officially began.
Unsurprisingly, the decree aroused discussion among the ministers as soon as it was announced, and subsequently, many ministers stood up to oppose it.
However, unlike a group of important ministers who told the truth when they met in private, the reasons given by these ministers sounded much more high-sounding.
What about "criminal officials biting and biting randomly", "there are treacherous ministers in the court who are bewitching Your Majesty and causing large-scale imprisonment", "under the rule of the Holy Emperor, the government is clear and clear, how can there be officials to deal with the filth".
There are many such things, but unfortunately, since this matter was announced in the form of an imperial edict, it naturally means that there is no room for negotiation.
Soon, several ministers from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Household Affairs stood up and suppressed other voices.
Several other important ministers followed closely and expressed their agreement. What is worth noting is that this time, Deputy Wang and the Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate remained surprisingly silent and did not stand up to show their presence. It was a surprise to many ministers.
However, no matter what, this matter is a foregone conclusion. Even if some people are dissatisfied, they cannot change it and can only think about what to do next.
At night, in Chen Xun's mansion.
"Master Chen, this is what happened. Please save me, Master Chen..."
Looking at the student in front of him, a trace of bitterness flashed across Chen Xun's face.
When Wang Xuan came to him, he already felt that something was wrong, but he never expected such a result.
The reason why Wang Xuan tried to protect Ji Tong, who is still in prison, was not because of friendship, but because the grain from Chang Pingcang that Ji Tong embezzled was sold to local grain merchants. One-third of the profits were sent to the capital for management, and the person who ran for him was Wang Xuan.
Naturally, a considerable part of the stolen money went into Wang Xuan's pocket.
"Go back, I can't help you."
Lowering his hands feebly, Chen Xun shook his head, suddenly feeling much older.
"Your Majesty has made up his mind, and the Ministry of Punishment will never show mercy this time. Since you dare to commit such a thing, you will naturally not be able to escape the blame when it comes to the matter."
"teacher!"
Wang Xuan shouted with an ugly expression, but Chen Xun didn't want to hear another word from him, so he waved and asked the butler to see the guests off.
Seeing this situation, Wang Xuan couldn't say any more. He cupped his hands with a sullen expression, turned around and left the Chen Mansion.
After leaving the mansion and getting on the sedan, Wang Xuan did not go home immediately. Instead, he stopped in front of a small alley in front of Chen's mansion and got into a carriage.
In the carriage, Xu Youzhen, who was wearing a Confucian shirt, was sitting with a smile. When he saw Wang Xuan getting into the carriage, he raised his eyebrows and said.
"I've told you before, it's useless for you to go to Master Chen. His character is not that of someone willing to stand up for us. Otherwise, when Shang Ren and others were demoted from the capital, do you think it was really because of his distance? Is there nothing you can do to stop it here?”
After hearing Xu Youzhen's words, Wang Xuan, who was already looking ugly, turned a little gloomier and said.
"Brother Xu is right, I am too naive."
"Since he is so heartless, don't blame me for not caring about the friendship between teachers and students..."
"That's how it should be!"
Seeing this situation, Xu Youzhen clasped her hands together and said with a smile.
Under the deep night, countless waves are brewing, but one does not know how many people will be involved in them...
