Yongping Mansion is the only place to go back to the capital from Shanhaiguan. Zhang Zhou also went in to check it out when passing by the iron mine, mainly to see the output of the iron mine in the past few months after he left.
From the Zhangjiakou iron mine to the Yongpingfu iron mine, the two major iron ore producing areas promoted by Zhang Zhou can basically meet the Ming Dynasty's needs for forged artillery and other firearms.
But if we want to continue to expand the scale of steelmaking, or even use steel to build ships, then this output will not be sufficient.
It was also at this time that Yang Peng, the admiral of Dongchang, arrived at the iron mine in Yongping Prefecture and came to visit Zhang Zhou overnight. In order to avoid being known by outsiders, he pretended to be mysterious and wore a black cloak. Only after seeing Zhang Zhou did he reveal his identity. Take off your mask.
"What is this going to do?" Zhang Zhou was still confused.
Yang Peng then explained in detail to Zhang Zhou the emperor's idea of cleaning up the sects.
It also means that he must obey Zhang Zhou's orders.
Zhang Zhou said: "Dongchang is a close minister of His Majesty. He receives direct orders from His Majesty. It is against the rules for me to issue orders to you."
Yang Peng said hurriedly: "Your Majesty has given orders first, Master Zhang, just make arrangements."
Zhang Zhou then received from Yang Peng a detailed investigation report of the recent period, involving the possible sources of the rumors about attacking him, as well as more than 160 people who had been secretly captured by Dongchang and Jinyiwei. Trial records, none of which appear in any official documents.
Yang Peng was not good at anything else, but he was a good hand at conducting secret interrogations in the East Factory and using power for personal gain.
"Are there any people behind these people who are directly connected to those who spread the rumors?" Zhang Zhou had probably seen those confessions.
At a glance, you can tell that many of them are "subdued and beaten into tricks."
Yang Peng said: "If you say there is any connection, then there is any connection."
The implication is that as long as you ask someone in which direction they want to check, you can find "witnesses" in that direction. The so-called witnesses do not need to be directly related. You can use torture to force those people to serve as witnesses. .
"This won't work." Zhang Zhou put down the secret interrogation record, but he had no intention of returning it to Yang Peng for the moment. "I probably know who among the royal family members may have disobedient intentions. You need to make a decision after careful consideration. You will go back to the capital tomorrow morning. It will be slower for me to leave here. If you are not in the capital for a long time, I am afraid that some people will make unwarranted speculations."
"Will not."
Yang Peng seemed very confident, feeling that even if he, the official of Dongchangchang, left, no one would dare to speculate on his whereabouts and intentions.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Have you got the errands of the Li Supervisor and the Royal Horse Supervisor? Don't be so confident. When I was in Liaodong, I roughly knew that I was the errand of an admiral in the East Factory. There have been many criticisms in the court. To be honest, I I don’t want to wade into this muddy water. You should leave as soon as possible and try not to let others know that you came to see me.”
"Yes." Yang Peng was still puzzled.
Am I so vain as the boss of Dongchang Factory? Will others think that I am not worthy of my virtue? Or do you think I'm easy to bully?
After all, I have been working in Dongchang for so many years, and I am familiar with all the procedures that I should be familiar with. Why can't I supervise Dongchang?
…
…
Zhang Zhou studied the details of the Dongchang investigation that night and found that Yang Peng had actually found nothing at all. The so-called rumors might simply be tabloids copied from Zhu Houzhao's Dibao. The most criticized thing in the DPRK was In fact, it was the emperor's rocket promotion of Zhang Zhou within two years.
Merit and other achievements are not visible and tangible to the upper class, let alone the common people.
They would feel that it is a bit of a fantasy to say that Zhang Zhou contributed to those war achievements, so they would attack Zhang Zhou anonymously, which would reflect the political correctness of the literati.
Tang Yin was called to the mine commander by Zhang Zhou.
Tang Yin was still curious. He could have traveled dozens of miles more, but Zhang Zhou had to stop in Yongping Mansion. When he arrived at the mine, he realized that it had become the main production area of Ming Dynasty pig iron in less than half a year.
"Bohu, you came to me a few years ago and have seen this place grow from scratch. Now the iron ore produced here is either initially smelted into pig iron here and then transported to Liaodong to continue steelmaking. Most of it is It is sent to Xishan, where it is smelted into steel, and then transported from Xishan to various places in the northwest. The output of iron here can already meet the needs of almost half of the north."
Zhang Zhou was still very proud of this.
It took half a year to open up the Ming Dynasty Iron and Steel Capital. Initially there were only two iron mines, but now more than a dozen iron ore mines are producing together. The number of workers and craftsmen has grown from a few hundred at the beginning to six to seven thousand now. .
Although a dispute between the government and the people in Yongping Prefecture also broke out, because it is close to Shuntian Prefecture, it is easy to use Zhang Zhou's power to subdue him. Even Dongchang and Jinyiwei also participated in this mining operation, using Among the workers in the Beijing camp, the occupation situation in the Beijing camp was still very serious. To put it bluntly, the emperor wanted to open the mines without spending money on manpower. However, the soldiers in the Beijing camp were relatively unlucky. They also had to build imperial tombs, palaces, etc., and they had to come. Mine.
It seems that there is no public work around the capital that they cannot do.
Tang Yin said: "So, will we be able to attack the grassland in two or three years?"
"That's not the point." Zhang Zhou smiled and pulled Tang Yin to the laboratory behind the command post, where there were models of some things. Just when Tang Yin thought Zhang Zhou was going to introduce a series of industrial products to him, Zhang Zhou showed Tang Yin a copy of the emperor's decree.
After reading it, Tang Yin was shocked and said, "You... Duke Lai Guo, what do you mean by this?"
Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty asked me to take action against the vassals and clean up those relatives of the emperor. After thinking about it again and again, I decided that you would help me."
Tang Yin frowned and said, "Didn't you agree that I would be responsible for building ships and taking charge of Jinghai?"
"It's okay, we can do it together." Zhang Zhou smiled, not thinking that this would "trouble" Tang Yin at all.
Tang Yin's heart was filled with ten thousand Cao Nima passing by, and he said: "The affairs of the clan are not something that small people like us can accomplish. If we are not careful, the people of the clan will rise up and attack us. Then I am afraid that the entire Ming Dynasty will not be able to survive." land."
Zhang Zhou asked curiously: "Bohu, are you afraid of this? Take a step back and say, you really have no place. I can also find you a place overseas for you to develop, so you can rest assured."
"Are you trying to drag me into trouble?" Tang Yin was so anxious that he almost got into a fight with Zhang Zhou.
But then Zhang Zhou reached out and pushed him down on the chair.
Zhang Zhou said: "You don't even ask for details, do you think I'm dragging you into a pirate ship? With so many royal relatives, from the founding of the Ming Dynasty to the present, the size of the clan has further expanded, becoming an unbearable burden for the Ming Dynasty's treasury. Now, Your Majesty If you want to save some money and take the opportunity to hammer, do you think you need to hammer every one?"
Tang Yin thought for a while and said, "Are you looking for a model?"
"Yes." Zhang Zhou said, "The reason is that the prince asked someone to publish a newspaper to help the court show its military power. As a result, someone secretly imitated it and printed many newspapers attacking the court and even me. You don't want to Thinking that I was avenging my personal revenge."
Tang Yin's eyes were strange, and he seemed to be saying, are you sure you're not seeking revenge? No matter how it sounds, it sounds like you want to attack dissidents.
Zhang Zhou sighed: "No one in the clan has any dealings with me. Unless Your Majesty wants to rectify the clans that are close to the throne, there is no need to send me out."
"Is it... Xingfu?" Tang Yin asked with a bit of surprise.
This also made Zhang Zhou feel that Tang Yin's realm was beginning to become more sophisticated, and he began to study the direct conflicts of interest between the royal family and the emperor. Just like the current "second-in-line successor" to the throne, isn't it none other than Xingwang Zhu Youqi?
Zhang Zhou said: "The rumors spread, at present, are unlikely to be related to the sects and vassals in Huguang."
Tang Yin lowered his head, something was wrong with his eyes.
"Why, do you think I'm making a fuss out of a molehill?" Zhang Zhou said, "It would be good for you to help me make some suggestions. Just like when you mentioned Xingfu, I'll tell you the truth. Without my presence, Xingfu would have nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty. It may really have extraordinary significance.”
Tang Yin didn't answer, which probably means... you have appeared and become someone close to the emperor, so the assumptions you made must be invalid.
If the hypothesis is not valid, what are you talking about? Are you kidding me?
Zhang Zhou said: "I actually already have a target, King Anhua and King Ning, these two lineages."
Tang Yin asked in confusion: "Why them? Did they find relevant clues?"
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "If there is no clue, we can't extend to these two lines? Let's put it this way, I calculated that the sects of these two lines may have disobedient feelings towards the Ming Dynasty, but they have not shown it yet. "
"you……"
After Tang Yin hesitated, he still said, "Senior brother, as a fellow disciple, I advise you that there are so many criticisms against you in the court now, and it does not happen without wind and waves. If you make calculations so casually, others have not done so." When they have objections, saying that they have a disobedient heart is probably..."
"I'm afraid I'll be criticized, right? Then I'll accept it with an open mind?" Zhang Zhou didn't seem to care at all.
Tang Yin was quite speechless again.
Zhang Zhou said: "After returning to Beijing, I will definitely become the target of public criticism. Every move I make will be watched. Especially when others know that I may be investigating the vassal, they will target me. I will need you then. Go secretly to cooperate with Yang Peng, the admiral of Dongchang."
Tang Yin couldn't close his mouth.
Zhang Zhou actually asked him to cooperate with the evil Dongchang, which still shocked him.
"I will give you direction, give you policies, and at the same time give you trust and enough power. You, Mr. Tang, had some ability before, but that was in North Korea. The Ming court would not recognize you, and would even regard you as an assistant. You are the culprit of the rebellion in the Zangzong vassal state. If you want to gain a foothold in the government or even advance further, you must listen to me."
Zhang Zhou also gave him an ultimatum without hesitation, "It's okay if you don't listen. Who made you my junior brother?"
In the past, Tang Yin was bound to be full of resistance to Zhang Zhou's words, and even treated him as an enemy.
But now I feel that in addition to cheating him, Zhang Zhou also seems to have a bit more "hate him for not fighting".
This must mean that you have to go through some "ordeal" to understand Zhang Zhou's "painstaking efforts", just like how hard things were in North Korea, but when you recall that experience afterwards, it was Tang's precious life wealth.
"Work hard, and I will help you marry a second wife later, so that you, Mr. Tang, can have more sons and continue the Tang family's legacy! You will also have the opportunity to be named a marquis and prime minister in the future!" Zhang Zhou gave Tang Yin a shot of chicken blood.
"..." Tang Yin was even more speechless.
What does this mean?
Does this mean I will never have a son? Or do you think I can't continue the Tang family's legacy? Or do you think I have no chance to make a difference?
…
…
After Yang Peng met Zhang Zhou, he returned to the capital without stopping the next day.
He returned to the capital two days earlier than Zhang Zhou.
When he entered the palace to resume his duties with Zhu Youtang, he saw that Zhu Youtang looked wrong. After Zhu Youtang dismissed his attendants, he asked coldly: "I want Bingkuan to investigate the vassal affairs, why do you do it so quickly?" Is it known to the world? Is there a ghost around me?"
Yang Peng was shocked and said: "I didn't mention it to outsiders. I was in a hurry when I left. I only brought a few people out of the capital. I hope your Majesty will notice."
In the past, no matter what the emperor blamed, his slaves could just accept it.
But this time the matter was too big, and Yang Peng didn't want to take the blame for nothing.
Zhu Youtang threw something in front of Yang Peng and said, "Take a look!"
Yang Peng hurriedly took two steps forward. After picking it up and looking at it, he felt as if he had eaten a fly.
"Yesterday, there was a report from the officials. For the sake of the stability of the clan, it was mentioned that the rumors in the market today may just be reflected by the people's hearts and should not be overly harsh. They even advised me to stay away from traitors and have more contact with virtuous ministers. This is a method of criticizing and criticizing Huai. It was really common in the past, please check it carefully for me!"
Zhu Youtang was angry because the ministers knew about his affairs before they were made public, and officials used them to exploit them.
No matter whether the news was leaked or someone noticed the clues, the emperor would not allow his absolute authority to be challenged. He, Zhu Youtang, would naturally find someone to take action.
It was his goal to clean up the clan, and it was also his goal to clean up those civil servants.
Yang Peng said: "I accept my order."
Zhu Youtang said coldly: "Go and investigate in secret. Don't make it public anymore. After Bingkuan returns to Beijing, you must be measured when obeying orders and don't let anyone know about your excessive moves."
Yang Peng felt embarrassed immediately after hearing this.
We have to obey Zhang Zhou, ask for instructions and report to Zhang Zhou at any time, but we can't let people know that there is any excessive interaction between them, and we can't let people think about it...
so hard.
As expected, being with you is like being with a tiger.
"I don't know why, but I've been feeling restless lately. The vassal affairs are very involved, but they also involve the stability of the Ming Dynasty. I can't let anyone covet this position."
Zhu Youtang looked very anxious.
For a moment, Yang Peng seemed to feel that the emperor in front of him was a "foolish king", and he was the kind of fool who liked to be suspicious and didn't trust anyone. It was as if any minister who offended the emperor would be skinned and cramped.
Yang Peng said: "Your Majesty, Duke Lai Guo told my slave to take more care of the imperial concubine who is about to give birth in the capital."
"Oh yes."
Zhu Youtang seemed to relax a little when he thought about his soon-to-be-born child, and his tense expression softened a lot, "I hope it is a prince, and I hope God will show mercy. If it doesn't happen this time, I will have to work harder." If he is a prince, then Bingkuan will protect the child from now on. No matter how sick he is, he will be able to turn danger into good fortune. When he becomes an adult... Alas! I have thought too much! Please step back."
Only then did Yang Peng know the source of Zhu Youtang's uneasiness.
It was Shao Zi who made the fuss.
If the emperor now has seven or eight sons, all of whom are alive and kicking, it is estimated that the emperor will not care about any sects, and will not be so sensitive to the court's gossipy rumors.
…
…
The Duke's Mansion of Lai.
Zhang Zhou hasn't replied yet, but the news that he is about to return has come back one step ahead, and the family is preparing for Zhang Zhou's return home.
Wang Mingshan has already given birth. At this time, she is in the Zhang family and is protected like a rare animal. The Zhang family has another child, and it is said that the emperor will give it a name. Even Jiang Pingyu does not dare to say anything to this person. The daughter of the direct descendant of Weining Hou Mansion has any neglect.
"Madam, there is a letter from the master." Xia Zhi ran in holding a letter and handed it to Jiang Pingyu.
Jiang Pingyu looked happy as she opened the letter and read it. Han Qing next to her couldn't help but asked: "Are you coming back soon?"
"It's coming, it's coming, we said we'll arrive before the afternoon of the day after tomorrow." Jiang Pingyu said with joy on her face.
Han Qing smiled happily and said, "That's great."
Jiang Pingyu said: "That's right. This errand will only be there for half a year. If we go out a few more times in the future, we might be able to see him a few times. Tell the two sisters of the Wang family and the Lin family quickly and let them know the news. "
"Okay." Xia Zhi hurriedly went to deliver the message again.
Just after taking two steps, Xia Zhi thought of something and turned around and said: "Madam, someone came to give gifts again today. There are waves of people at the door. I can't even drive them away."
Jiang Pingyu said: "How can we, women, take care of the affairs of the court? Let the disciples make it clear to the outside world. If some people refuse to leave, let them hold them back. After all, no gifts are allowed to be brought in." In the yard. We don’t lack those things in the yard.”
"Yes." Xia Zhi walked out quickly as if he had completed his mission.
…
…
Zhang Zhou is going back to Beijing.
As the "hero" who went to Liaodong and brought the "trophy" King Li Yi of North Korea back to the DPRK, the Ming court could not show any expression. The welcoming team had been prepared under the arrangement of the emperor.
Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, went out of the city to greet him as the official envoy, and entered the capital through Dongzhimen. At the same time, Shen Lu and some subordinate officials from the Ministry of War and the Hanlin Academy went to greet him. The emperor also specially ordered Lin Han, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, to go out of the city to greet him. ...This is actually preparation for Lin Han to succeed Xu Qiong as Minister of Rites.
The thirteenth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty was the year when officials at the level of the Ming Dynasty's ministers and ministers changed. A group of old people who had not been replaced in the past four or five years underwent a major change in this year.
As a member of the core faction of non-traditional civil servants, Xu Qiong was also a typical example of someone who had to retire due to old age. He was the first person to replace the six ministers, which was also the emperor's idea of taking care of everyone in the court.
Since we want to set a benchmark and replace a group of people who I think are trustworthy, let's start with Xu Qiong, who you think has a certain nepotistic relationship with me.
(End of chapter)
