Zhu Houzhao decided to get to the bottom of the matter in the Evernight City, because if it could not be resolved, it would be related to the public security and order issues after it really opened. If he couldn't do this, he would invest so much money and just build a few houses, and It was also a blow to the emperor's prestige.
this is one.
Furthermore, there are so many illegal activities these days that it is impossible to eliminate them. But he has to stick to a bottom line, that is, if things really come to light here, he will do whatever he wants.
Just like Gu Zuo has said, if even the emperor turns a blind eye, then almost all officials starting from Gu Zuo will not mention it again, and the harm of this is often fatal. .
This is two.
It was also an opportunity to expand the strength of the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei had been weakened during the Hongzhi period, which was still inconvenient for the emperor. No wonder Zhu Yuanzhang knew it was not good and still used it. Zhu Di also couldn't put it down.
This is three.
For these three reasons, even if it causes some turmoil in the court, it should be done.
The so-called purge is to find out who among the people usually behaves hooliganally and whether there is anyone behind them, etc.
As for the unscrupulous people Gu Zuo said were involved in building the business...he still had to see to what extent they were involved.
Zhu Houzhao thought about all of this quite clearly.
But there is still a problem right now.
Wu Dinghou.
"Alas." Zhu Houzhao could only sigh, "Back then, your ancestors followed Emperor Taizu to conquer the country. It stands to reason that your Guo family has a share of the credit for my country. But you have disappointed me time and time again. Marquis of Wuding, Marquis of Wuding, I I don’t expect you to become a wise king, but at least you shouldn’t cause trouble all the time, right?”
"Yes, yes, your Majesty taught you a lesson! The humble minister was fooled by lard, and actually raised something worse than a pig or dog like Xu Chen. Your Majesty, after I go back this time, I will definitely think about my mistakes and repent sincerely, and I will never do it next time." Do it again!"
Wu Dinghou was a little frightened. He was frightened and fell ill last time. But this time, what he felt was that the emperor's patience with him was running out.
It's actually not good to kill a hero for this matter. It will give people the feeling of killing a donkey to get rid of the trouble. The nobles and the Ming Dynasty clan are one and the same. To put it bluntly, these people would not die even if they killed a few civilians.
But Zhu Houzhao didn't want to let him go easily this time.
"In my opinion, you are tired of sitting in the title of Marquis of Wuding. From today on, you will be demoted one level to the title of Uncle Wuding. Your age, salary, etc. will all change accordingly. I hope you can sincerely change your mind after learning this lesson, and next time, you But I will lose your Guo family’s title.”
Guo, who was already Wu Dingbo, was in great pain in his conscience, but he did not dare to make trouble here. There was no other way but to endure the consequences.
In his heart, there was no joy in surviving the disaster and saving a life. In fact, the title was almost their life. He has been in the Marquis's Mansion since he was born. When he grows up and becomes conscious, he will realize that his identity is extraordinary.
When in contact with the outside world, others respect him as a marquis.
As a result, halfway through his life, he was suddenly demoted to a noble rank.
This is not an easy thing to accept.
Maybe from now on, that noble kid from another family who looks down on each other with you will take pleasure in laughing at you everywhere.
Only ordinary people would have the mentality of 'I am still an earl anyway'. For Guo Liang, he was afraid of meeting people in the future, and when he saw them, he also felt like 'I am just an earl now'.
The most important thing is, how will I go to see my ancestors under Jiuquan in the future?
So this is actually a relatively severe punishment method.
After the affairs in the palace were over, the courtiers gathered together in small groups, but their faces could not hide their solemnity.
"...Li Qing, your words today have set off huge waves. From tomorrow on, the court will be moved because of you. It's not that I, the superior officer, said anything about you. Those words were impulsive and should not be filled with anger."
Gu Zuo is not a pure bureaucrat. He has been in the capital for many years and he understands some of the ways of the officialdom. But when it comes to some critical points, the difference between him and a pure bureaucrat emerges.
"Of course Xianguan understands what Grand Situ said, but on the one hand, people keep asking Xianguan to give him a break, and on the other hand, His Majesty can't get rid of the sand in his eyes. Xianguan... Xianguan couldn't help it for a while."
"You have to endure it even if you can't help it." Han Wen held up his sleeves and said little by little, "When did your majesty lose the sand in his eyes? Do you remember that your majesty didn't pursue the matter of Yingtian Mansion's lack of food reserves? Your words are so good that His Majesty can't shake the sand."
"As for grievances...hey, when you are an official in the imperial court, it is a special skill to learn to be wronged. How much grievances do you have? Do you think Mr. Liu Xixian is aggrieved? When the military aircraft department was just established in the court, there were no three people in the cabinet. One person joins the military plane, but he remains unmoved, otherwise we would not be in Shandong now."
Han Wen was confident in everything about Gu Zuo, but he was a little worried about this.
Under normal circumstances, there is no problem, but at critical moments, Gu Zuo's answer today was very bad.
Gu Zuoze said: "Da Situ, those people are black sheep. Isn't it a good thing to ask your Majesty to catch them all? It will also be a great contribution to the court!"
The carriage shook.
Han Wen sighed again and again, "I have taught you that if you want to make a career, you must first find a career, and if you want to be successful, you must first become an adult. After you say these words today, there will be few friends in the government and the public. Without these, It will become more and more difficult to do things in the future. When you become more and more unable to do things, will your grace still be as prosperous as it is today?"
"Of course, I don't want you to be the kind of person who flatters everyone, but you are still not allowed to say some taboo words. Think carefully about His Majesty's reaction after hearing this."
Gu Zuo frowned. The emperor did not speak for a long time after listening, and his state after listening was obviously different from before.
Han Wen explained: "Your Majesty probably did not expect that you would say that in public. With your Majesty's ability, he would have thought that if this matter were to go to war based on your suggestion, it would be detrimental to you, but you did not give His Majesty a choice."
"It's a lowly life in the lower official district, why should I care about it?"
"If you were not here, wouldn't the wealth of the young manor fall into the hands of people you despise?"
After hearing these words, Gu Zuo's expression started to look painful, and finally he shook his head as if surrendering, "Da Situ, I just can't learn these things, and I don't want to learn them."
"this……"
Han Wen seemed very helpless.
…
…
"Teacher, is the student's answer appropriate?"
In Qianqing Palace, Yan Song was in shock all night, which really frightened him. He has no foundation in the capital, and if something happens to him, there won't even be anyone to help him.
"Xie Yizhong is the son of Mr. Ge, so he won't have any issues with you, right?"
Yan Song was also very displeased when he thought about Xie Pi bumping into him. "He apologized afterwards, saying it was unintentional, but how could the student think it was such a coincidence?"
"That's wrong." Zhao Shen knew his students well, so he knew that Yan Song wanted to blame him, "Xie Yizhong had a very strict upbringing. After entering the palace, his father will definitely discipline him even more strictly. Such a person, even if he wants to If there is any small move, I would never dare to do it in front of the emperor. So I think it must be a coincidence. Fortunately, your answer is to the point, and His Majesty is also satisfied."
Yan Song temporarily forgot about Xie Yizhong. His Majesty was satisfied, so he didn't have so much resentment. "By the way, Teacher. Today, Minister Min had a dispute with His Majesty. After that, these so-called gang members will be interrogated." The case may also be an opportunity for the teacher."
The reason why Yan Song was so concerned about Zhao Shen was due to the close relationship between them.
But Zhao Shen gave him a stern look, "In this case, don't say more in the future."
"teacher?"
"Min Shangshu has a high reputation among the government and the public. You can neither do anything nor say anything about your thoughts. Besides, what if I have been a senator for several dynasties and quarreled with His Majesty? When the fight is over, how can I still disobey His Majesty? His will? If that’s the case, then it’s not Min Gui.”
Young Yan Song is smart and resourceful, but he still seems a little impatient.
However, Yan Song himself did not think so. Although Min Gui would not resist His Majesty's will, he knew clearly that he did not agree with His Majesty, so wouldn't it be enough to do a little to 'facilitate' it? The key is not whether Min Gui did anything, but whether His Majesty believes that Min Gui did something. It's just that he, a relatively upright teacher, is unwilling.
There is nothing he can do if he doesn't want to.
"... No matter what, this case will still be handed over to the teacher for trial, but I don't know what the teacher's plan is?
Zhao Shen was also thinking carefully. No one could stop the emperor's wrath, so he couldn't catch him less.
But the key this time is that many people were arrested among ordinary people. Everyone knew that the emperor loved the people. It would not be good if he arrested too many people.
Last time plus this time, the cases in the capital were really much more difficult to investigate than when he was in Nangan.
After it gradually dawned, Jin Yiwei and Dongchang began to take action suddenly.
Due to the massive arrests, the construction activities of the city that never sleeps have actually come to a standstill.
In the past, the 'big brothers' who showed off their power in the streets were all kicked in. People would give themselves various nicknames, such as dragons crossing the river, thunder tigers, etc. Nowadays, all the dragons and tigers are in prison. fling,
Next, in the past, the higher the status, the easier it was to receive the death penalty.
Many people were frightened at first, thinking that the court was going to take action against them, so many people did not go out because of fear.
But as time passed, everyone discovered that it was not the case, and with some voices coming out that were close to the facts, doubts were dispelled bit by bit.
The Xiaozhulou became the busiest place, and the crowding level once exceeded that of Shuiyunjian. The owner of the Bamboo House told the story of that day vividly and passed it on from person to person, and the atmosphere in the crowd finally changed from fear to joy!
"All the bullies who bully people have been arrested!"
"No one will ever try to make money for us again."
Not only that, many people are not working today, which really makes the foremen anxious to death. They are looking for people everywhere with money, and squeeze from one place to another.
He grabbed his workers and stuffed the money into them, "It's all here! Two hundred and forty coins! If anyone asks, just say I gave it to you!"
Some honest people even shied away, "Boss, I'm not in a hurry. I'll leave it here for now. If it doesn't work, give it to me in two days. I didn't prepare it today. If I take it home, it will all belong to my mother-in-law."
"I don't care about your housework, you have to collect this money. Do you want me to be caught?! Stop talking nonsense, where are brothers Zhang Daniu and the others? I have to deliver it to him."
The emperor knew that these people did not get all their wages, so he was angry, and the words went away.
Plus Jinyiwei Dasuo the whole city.
It frightened many foremen.
The common people see these benefits, and if they have money in their hands, it is good. If you don't have the money, no matter how beautiful it is, it's still deceiving.
In the next two days, the absence of court continued.
Zhu Houzhao did not announce which official had entered the palace, nor did he ask Mao Yuwen how many people he had arrested.
On March 10th, snowflakes briefly fell in the capital for no apparent reason. The peach blossoms are about to bloom this season, and it suddenly snows.
The abnormal climate made the emperor unhappy.
On March 11th, Wang Hao and Wang Shouren were preparing to leave Beijing for the southeast.
"...I have set up some imperial estates in Zhejiang. Although the imperial estates are often criticized, I do not compete with the people for food in the land. When sir, you have to help me take care of it and don't make it look like a good thing again. , It’s not easy to use. It snowed heavily yesterday, and I am also a little worried about the weather. Zhejiang is a major grain-producing province. Since the opening of the sea, the contradiction between man and land has been eased, and the people can farm with peace of mind. This tax and grain must be guaranteed."
"Contradiction between man and land..." Wang Hao muttered this word, "Your Majesty's words are really exquisite, Wei Chen understands. This time when we went south, Wei Chen's thoughts were divided into seven parts Zhejiang and three parts Fujian. To manage Zhejiang well, that is The southeast must be settled.”
"Wang Bo'an is enough in Fujian. Isn't it?"
Wang Shouren handed over his hand and said, "Your Majesty trusts me, how can I dare to take it lightly? I will do my best to live up to the sacred mandate."
"I have already told you what I want to explain to you before. If there is anything else to say, there is only one sentence left. Because you are involved in martial arts, you must take care of yourself and do not take risks."
Wang Shouren was stunned. He originally thought it was a specific request, but he didn't expect it to be such a sentence. He was suddenly moved in his heart, "Your Majesty, how can I be so virtuous and capable..."
Zhu Houzhao raised his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say more, "You all know what happened in the past two days. I spent millions of silver to build the city that never sleeps and support tens of thousands of people, but it turns out that there is filth in it. You know so many things that you dare not show me. If the water is clear, there will be no fish. It’s not that I don’t understand this truth. I won’t ask too much about you and those bandits. I only need to do two things. One, carry the court’s bowl. , listen to the court; second, remember where you are from and not collude with foreigners. As long as you do these two things, I won't care about others."
"Your Majesty, your Majesty!" Wang Hao and Wang Shouren said at the same time.
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