The person who complained was a scholar in his early thirties, a member of the Yangzhou Guards and a military official.
This man was good-looking, with a slender figure, an elegant demeanor, a jade-like face, handsome features, a pair of narrow phoenix eyes, and his right eye was swollen and blue, as if he had been punched by someone! The Confucian shirt he was wearing was also torn, and the right sleeve was torn off. The scarf or other hat that should have been worn on the head was gone, and the black bun was exposed.
"Ji Kun, the student from Yangzhou Wei Juzi, respectfully invites Jin An, the prince of Fujun!" Ji Kun, who looked like he had been beaten, was led to Zhu Cixiang. He followed the etiquette, knelt down, kowtowed, and exchanged his name.
"Why were you beaten?" Zhu Cixiang looked at Ji Kun, who looked like he had been beaten, and frowned and asked Feng Sizhong, "Sizhong, were you beaten by someone from the guard camp?"
"Reporting to Qian Suiye, it was not the guards who beat him, but someone who chased him to Guazhou Pier."
"I see." Zhu Cihong nodded, "Ji Juren, who is chasing you?"
Ji Juren said angrily: "It's Yangzhou Guard Commander Xu Yongji's servants who are hunting down the students!"
"The servants of the commander of the Yangzhou Guard are chasing you?" Zhu Cixiang saw the commander of the Yangzhou Guard, Xu Yongji, a rather majestic old man who was a branch of the Wei Guofu. "Why? You claim to be a military official, and you also have merit. Yes, he can be an official at any time, why would he have trouble with you as a commander?"
Ji Kun gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Reply to Lord Qiansui, because the students want to report Yangzhou Guard Commander Xu Yongji and Admiral Yun Funning Marquis Zhu Guobi for treason!"
"Haha!" Zhu Cixiang raised his eyebrows, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and laughed.
Someone is rebelling!
And it can also involve Nanjing’s greatest nobleman, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji!
You are a scholar who knows how to get things done. You must know what I am thinking! Yes, yes, he is a talented person, but he is a bit cunning.
"Okay, okay!" Zhu Cixiang nodded repeatedly.
Ji Kun, who was complaining below, was a little dazed. What kind of idea did this prince have? Why are you so happy to hear that someone is rebelling? Shouldn't he be furious?
Just when he was feeling strange, Zhu Cihong pointed at him and said, "Take him with you later and go back to the Generalissimo's Mansion in Yangzhou together!"
The Yangzhou Generalissimo's Mansion is located in a temple called Daming Temple. This temple is one of the eight ancient temples in Yangzhou. It is built next to the Slender West Lake. The architecture is gorgeous but elegant, with deep twists and turns, elegant and subtle, and does not look like Buddhism. The place of spiritual practice is like a garden where Yangzhou rich people enjoy their life.
Because of Qian Qianyi's recommendation, after Zhu Cixiang arrived in Yangzhou, he placed his Fujun Grand Marshal's Palace in Daming Temple, and at the same time placed Emperor Chongzhen's palace in Tianning Temple, another ancient temple in Yangzhou City.
Guazhou Pier is still a bit far away from Yangzhou City. Zhu Cixiang and his party had many people, horses and vehicles, and they also brought 5,000 muskets, 6 12-pound bronze cannons with Western-style gun mounts purchased from the Macau Bugalao Cannon Foundry, and a large amount of gunpowder. Therefore, it was not until the evening of that day that Prince Zhu returned to Daming Temple.
After a simple dinner, Zhu Cixiang, accompanied by Zheng Sen, Bi Jiucheng and Su Ziwen, interrogated Ji Juren at night in the water pavilion next to Slender West Lake.
"Ji Kun!" Then under the dim light, Zhu Cixiang looked at Ji Juren who had changed into a neat Confucian uniform, "The people in Yangzhou Wei say that you are a cunning litigator who instigates, fights, and dominates lawsuits on the basis of your reputation as a Juren." , is it possible to disturb the peace and order of the Yangzhou Guard Station and the local area in order to make profits from it?"
Zhu Cixiang had already sent Jin Yiwei to investigate Ji Juren's background, and found that he was not a good person, but a litigator who took charge of lawsuits and made profits from them. Moreover, he regarded himself as the successor of Donglin and had a hand in Fushe. He was also the number one in Yangzhou Shilin.
Before the fall of Beijing, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji was not willing to provoke such a person - although he did not hold any official position, he was still a prominent figure in Donglin and Fushe after all. Who knew when he would become a Jinshi in high school?
As a result, Ji Juren was arrogant and domineering. He ignored the commanders and governors of the Yangzhou Guard and intervened in the lawsuits in the Guard at will. He also helped the Huibang salt merchants and the Shanshan Salt merchants supported by the Nanjing nobles in the lawsuit. Offended many people.
Therefore, when Beijing fell and Shi Kefa led his troops to Beijing, Queen Qin was unlucky and suffered retaliation from Xu Yongji and Zhu Guobi, who was in charge of the canal. He sent a complaint to a hundred households whose land had been deceived by Ji Juren, and also brought up the scandal of Ji Juren's incest (actually she was a woman from a distant branch of the family), and wanted to remove him from the title of Juren.
Ji Kun, who was forced into a panic, was not an easy man, so he took the risk and filed a complaint against Zhu Cixiang. Moreover, it was a serious crime of treason to file a complaint!
"Yes!" Ji Kun gritted his teeth and nodded seriously, "Students really like to fight against injustice. They often defend the poor households in Yangzhou Wei, Dahe Wei, and Huai'an Wei in lawsuits. Therefore, they have a false reputation, and they are also used by the Yangzhou Hui Gang. The salt merchant did make some profit by hiring him."
This is a litigator... he helped the poor military households in the guard station to gain fame. After becoming famous, he became the royal lawyer of the Huibang salt merchants.
"Haha," Zhu Cixiang smiled, "You are already a civil servant, why don't you want to go one step further and become a lawyer in Yangzhou? Is it because the price offered by the Yangzhou salt merchants is more than what you can get in the officialdom? ?”
This prince knows everything!
Ji Kun was secretly surprised and had no choice but to nod and admit: "Qiantose Master is wise, and the student does not have any intention of having an official career... Although the student is a candidate, he is not sure of being admitted to the imperial examination. Moreover, in today's troubled times, students have few talents and limited knowledge, and they are not able to help the world. With such talent, I can barely serve as an official, but I can't help the world at the same time. It's better to be alone in Yangzhou."
Still want to be alone? It’s time to let the Manchus hack to death in Yangzhou on the 10th...
Zhu Cixiang smiled coldly: "It seems that you can't be alone in Yangzhou! Did you provoke the Wei Guofu or those old Western salt merchants?"
The prince also knew about the old Western salt merchant... Ji Kun was even more surprised! Zhu Cixiang obviously knew the situation of Yangzhou salt merchants very well!
correct! Shen Tingyang, the chief helmsman of the Haisha Gang, is now the naval commander under Prince Zhu! Isn’t Shen Tingyang clear about the Huaiyang Salt Industry?
"They all..." Ji Kun said, "Students were a little too eager to do things in the past and offended a lot of people."
"It's not that you offended many people," Zhu Cixiang shook his head, "but after the fall of Beijing, your appointment was worthless! Shi Kefa spent a lot of effort to rectify the Nanjing imperial camp. Many guards in Jiangbei and Jiangnan had people. The commander is naturally strong-willed. As for the old Western salt merchants, they are all Nanjing nobles, right?"
"Thousand-year-old master is wise..." Ji Kun nodded, a little sluggish.
The prince saw through all his thoughts.
"So is there any possibility of Zhu Guobi's rebellion?" Zhu Cixiang smiled.
"This..." Ji Kun had white hair and sweat, saying that without that, he would have been bullying the emperor! He said there was...he had no evidence! He only heard it from hearsay. If Xu Yongji hadn't sent his servants to hunt him down, he wouldn't have complained.
"Students just heard that he wanted to join forces with Duke Wei and Uncle Xincheng to oppose Qian Suiye." Ji Kun said, "When Zhu Guobi went south to Yangzhou a few days ago, he discussed with Xu Yongji and wanted to agree to raise troops..."
"Is there any clear evidence?"
"No...but students can check it and they will definitely find it."
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "If you don't have it now, isn't that just empty talk?
By the way, since you are a salt merchant, then talk to me about the salt industry. I just want to know, how much can the imperial court earn from the Huaiyang Salt Industry? How to get it? "
ah? Don't care about the rebellion?
Ji Kun was even more surprised. Is Prince Zhu just looking out for money or something? He actually didn't ask about rebels, only about salt and profit. Isn't he afraid that the Nanjing nobles will successfully rebel and seize his crown prince position?
"Master Qiantai," Ji Kun also kindly reminded, "this salt interest involves a wide range of interests, not only the Southeast Scholars, but also the interests of nobles, officials, and chamberlains in the two capitals. If the pursuit is too urgent, I'm afraid there will be a violent backlash. When the time comes, everyone who doesn’t want to rebel will rebel.”
Zhu Cixiang chuckled: "I am not afraid! I am the reincarnation of Emperor Taizu Gao, who specializes in dealing with all kinds of dissatisfaction! I have dealt with rogue bandits and Tatars, so what does the honor of Southeast Asia mean to me?"
. m.
