Zhu Yijun has been very irritable recently.
He clearly opposed the New Deal, but secretly encouraged slaves and ruffians to retaliate against Zhang Juzheng's actions. This made him, the emperor, want to kill people but couldn't, and he became more and more irritable.
After all, although rulers set rules to maintain their rule, sometimes rules can also constrain rulers.
At this time, since Zhu Yijun had found out the clear evidence that Zhu Yizhen, the Duke of Chengguo, sent people to influence the Queen Mother and instigated the Queen Mother to interfere in the government affairs, he naturally would not tolerate it and started to shout excitedly.
After Zhu Yijun yelled at Zhu Yizhen so fiercely, he said: "Drag him back to the imperial prison and force him to drink! The old nun who placed him in Zhenyun Nunnery to spy on the Queen Mother's secrets will also be killed with a cane!"
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty!"
…
Zhu Yizhen was also taken away.
Soon after he was escorted back to the imperial prison, Zhang Jing asked someone to bring the poisoned wine to Zhu Yizhen.
At this time, Zhu Yizhen was pinned down on the spring bench by the Jin Yiwei, and shouted: "I won't drink, I won't drink!"
Zhang Jing smiled sinisterly: "You must drink, the emperor's order cannot be violated!"
With that said, Zhang Jing asked someone to open Zhu Yizhen's tightly closed mouth and forcefully drank it into Zhu Yizhen's mouth.
Then, in order to prevent Zhu Yizhen from dying, Zhang Jing directly ordered someone to hammer an iron nail into his head.
"ah!"
And the old nun Qingxian was beaten with a royal stick because he talked about political affairs in front of the Queen Mother and spied on the secrets of the palace. He screamed because of this.
Not long after, Qingxian was killed with a stick.
Zhu Yizhen also lost his life.
The next day, the relatives learned that Zhu Yizhen committed suicide out of fear of crime.
After Dingguo Gong Xu Wenbi heard such news, he slumped in his chair. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He immediately secretly spread the word to the people he had installed in the inner court and made them drink his poisonous wine. ,road:
"Wen Tao, the palace is now very strict with the investigation. Even the old nun sent by Duke Cheng to contact the Queen Mother was discovered, so I have to let you die! To avoid being found out."
"You can go in peace. I will take good care of your family."
The young eunuch named Wen Tao suddenly felt his throat tightening, and he fell to the ground and started twitching. He still tried his best to raise his right hand, trying to point at Xu Wenbi, but not long after, he also lowered his right hand, and the hole enlarged.
"Carry it down!"
"In addition, please order people to prepare all the taxes and grain dings that should be paid after the exemption is cancelled, including the taxes and grain dings that each village donated to the tenant farmers, also come out of the government! In order to avoid the occurrence of tenant escaping, and They go to the canals to pull fibers instead of plowing the fields.”
Xu Wenbi waved his sleeves and started giving instructions again.
Prince Consort Hou Gongchen also called his supervisors and ordered:
"If the government comes to collect taxes, grain, and silver, and pay them honestly, then the fate of Duke Cheng will be there. The man who is in charge of the country now is determined to change this system of preferential treatment of officials and gentry, exemption of taxes, and exemption of labor and labor. System! We are all people without power, and we have no way to fight against it."
At this point, on the Beizhi side, when Shuntian Prefecture collected taxes according to the system of canceling preferential exemptions, many powerful officials and gentry did not dare to resist.
In the palace, strange things suddenly appeared, and there were many cases where eunuchs and maids died suddenly while making purchases in the palace or outside the palace.
Zhu Yijun knew why there were so many sudden deaths, so after Zhang Hong reported:
"Each one was very brave, yet very small. They buried the palace members who died suddenly with coffins and coffins, and comforted their nominal families. Each family was given thirty taels of silver."
"The palace must be in contrast to the people who bribed them or installed them. Who knows how to treat them as human beings!"
Zhang Hong raised his hand and said yes.
"Then take this opportunity to strengthen internal review and establish an anonymous reporting system!"
"Set up anonymous iron boxes at the entrances of various palaces, so that people who are coming in or out or on duty can secretly drop in anonymous letters. Only you, the eunuch in charge of etiquette, can open and read these anonymous letters, and then report them to me, so as to facilitate secret visits. Check, and ensure that there is no thief in the palace, and also prevent some people from forgetting the pain after a long time, and reaching into the palace again."
Zhu Yijun ordered.
There are tens of thousands of people in the inner court, Zhu Yijun's eyes know that it is difficult to keep an eye on everyone, even Dongchang's meticulous work can keep an eye on everyone.
But as the reform deepened, the emperor's power became more and more powerful, and he had to beware of trouble in the palace.
Therefore, the palace must also strengthen its defenses.
And there is actually a way to do this.
This method is to let all the palace people supervise each other, which can also be regarded as mobilizing the masses, using the characteristics of mutual involution among groups, and allowing the entire inner court to expose the situation together to maintain the peace of the palace.
Of course, the premise is that the emperor must treat the palace people as people around him, or even as his own family.
Let them all have the right to speak out and express their opinions, even if they speak anonymously.
Only in this way, because everyone is selfish, everyone wants a comfortable and peaceful environment, and does not want to break the status quo, so everyone is willing to maintain the existing order and actively supervise those who want to disrupt the order of the palace, such as being bribed by outsiders. The act of conveying news from the palace.
Zhu Yijun knew that as an emperor, the foundation for him to become the lord of the world was that there were too many people in the world and their power was scattered, and everyone wanted to exploit others and make themselves superior, so he finally recognized him as the emperor. power and status above all others.
Therefore, Zhu Yijun deliberately gave everyone in the palace an opportunity to report to each other anonymously.
Zhang Hong still said yes.
Then, Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Hong: "How is Hai Rui doing as the tax superintendent in Nanzhi? Has a report been sent to him?"
"Going back to your Majesty, a report has been sent to the Haibu Hall. It is about Zhang Zongxi, a young man from Yangzhou, who coerced Yangzhou bullies and the evil slaves who were driven out of the house by Hao You to cause rebellion."
"Haibu Tangyan said that these people actually encouraged Yanding to surround the government, control the Yangzhou city defenses, and prevent them from entering the city. Fortunately, Gong Yuanxiang, a fellow student, led a group of volunteers to open the city, and a vicious rebellion like the Yangzhou rebellion was avoided."
"Haibu Tang asked the imperial court to send capable people to escort Zhang Zongxi to Beijing, interrogate his mastermind, and take charge of this case."
Zhang Hong played at this time.
"Hai Rui is responsible for collecting taxes. We really need to send another imperial envoy to do this. Let the political hall discuss it and let the Sanfa Division, Dongchang, and Jinyiwei each send one person to be responsible for this!"
Zhu Yijun gave orders at this time.
Moreover, he had to admit that what Zhang Juzheng said was right. It was difficult for the court to take action when it was just about discussing the new policy. After all, there was no reason, and it was easy for people to say that the court did not allow people to speak.
But now, when some people can't help but jump out and do things that violate the imperial guidelines and national laws, the court will be much easier to take action.
After Zhu Yijun gave these instructions, he asked again: "Is there a memorial to impeach Hai Rui?"
"Yes! The imperial censor has written a letter impeaching Hai Rui for harassing the gentry, oppressing the wealthy people, and arresting the living without mercy."
Zhang Hong replied.
Zhu Yijun smiled faintly after hearing this: "I believe that sir will not make this censor's life easy. Let Jin Yiwei carefully check whether this censor has any cash."
…
Hai Rui went door to door in Yangzhou City to collect land taxes and dingyin from high-ranking officials and gentry. It went smoothly at first, but gradually it became less smooth.
Because some high-ranking officials and gentry deliberately delayed the payment on the grounds that the land rent had not been collected and the family had no money, and became a deadbeat.
Hai Rui knew that these high-ranking officials hoped that the court would issue an order to dismiss him or transfer him soon, so they were deliberately delaying the decision.
However, Hai Rui did not expose the tricks of these high-ranking officials. Instead, after returning to the Yangzhou government office to report the affairs of Zhang Zongxi, Cheng Batian and others to the court, he suddenly issued an order from Daojun.
He reiterated what he had said before, that the officials and gentry all over the world must pay the land tax in dingyin before July this year, otherwise they will collect taxes by force, and households with less than 100 acres of land are allowed to use the land tax dingyin to raise funds when needed. Because of the sun, the Jun order was postponed to August.
When July came, Hai Rui once again summoned Wu Xiumin, the magistrate of Yangzhou, and asked: "This month, how many large households who have not paid the land tax of dingyin come to pay the land tax in full?"
"None of them."
Wu Xiumin replied cautiously.
After hearing this, Hai Rui's face darkened, and then he ordered Lu Kun, the former head of the Ministry of Personnel who was sent to be his official:
"Record the names of these big families in a book, and then draw up a copy and ask the court to expel them from their official titles!"
Then, Hai Rui took out the Jun order that he had already prepared from his sleeve and told Hu Shouren:
"With my official letter, immediately assign your officers and soldiers to raid these large households!"
"But you are not allowed to beat, scold or torture. After all, you are here to collect taxes, not to rob. You must have the dignity of an emperor's own army."
"But if these big families are cunning enough to hide their money and food so that you can't copy it, then arrest them! I will ask them personally!"
"As you command!"
Hu Shouren replied with a cupped hand.
