As Feng Bao's influence in the inner court faded, Zhang Juzheng, together with Ge Shouli, Zhu Xixiao, Chen Ju and other court officials, finally reached a joint hearing on the case of Minister Wang.
Zhu Yijun was not in power at the time, and by the time he transferred Minister Wang to the Jinyi Guards, it was already too late. Minister Wang was given mute medicine, and subsequent questioning was difficult to carry out.
After Zhang Juzheng obtained the approval of Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun, in the official memorial, he omitted the disappearance of Xin Ru, the key figure in the case, Feng Bao's slave. It was only reported that Minister Wang, armed with a sharp knife, went straight to the palace, his plot was revealed, the case was closed and he was sentenced to be beheaded.
Zhang Juzheng said in his memorial: "In the palace, the guards are strict. If you are not a person who has always served, how can you face the emperor directly." He also said: "I hope that the emperor will order the ceremonial supervisor to strictly follow the laws and orders. If there is any violation of the order, If you do, you must commit a crime and don’t lend money.”
The Supervisor of Ceremonies approved Hong and said: "As you have discussed, the officials of the Supervisor of Ceremonies will strictly enforce the palace ban. If there is anyone who does not follow the laws of the ancestors and neglects the law, he will be investigated and prosecuted."
Zhu Yijun wrote in another line: "In the most virtuous area of the capital, the government must be clean and the wind is clear, so that the four directions can be transformed."
"I have recently read the report of the Jin Yiwei. Over the years, the people of the capital have been indifferent and the laws and regulations have been weakened. Homeless people have been hiding in all directions, and there are many lawless people. Those who are called "heroes" use force to violate the ban, but they are mostly praised as good ones. But the government doesn't ask; the person who calls himself "the head of the meeting" reunites the masses, settles lawsuits and manages affairs, just like a county magistrate!"
"The Ministry of War's Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Editorial Yamen Supervisor led patrols, inspections, Shuntian Prefecture and other officials to carry out severe crackdowns. On the ground in the capital, hooligans, local gangsters and even city foxes and rats were arrested and punished. During the severe crackdown, there were Anyone who uses his power to interfere with the law and interferes in litigation will be summoned to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to investigate and report the case. If officials from various ministries are slack and playful or miss official duties, they will all be punished without mercy."
After the decree was issued, both the Ministry of War and Shuntian Mansion issued memorials of apology. Zhu Yijun asked Empress Dowager Li for instructions before she approved: "I understand, and I will try my best to take advantage of the crime."
Following the promulgation of the edict, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Punishment, Shuntian Prefecture, Daxing, Wanping and more than 20 counties were involved in a vigorous crackdown. Suddenly, old cases were uncovered and new cases were pursued, which was shocking. The "leaders" and "street dragons" on the ground in the capital ceased their activities one after another. Jin Yiwei, Dongchang and other leaders also took the opportunity to recruit talents and expand their power.
In less than two months, the severe crackdown has achieved remarkable results. Many people who dared to do evil without a big background or who had a big background but committed heinous crimes were arrested. The prisons were overcrowded, and the ground in the capital was peaceful.
Seeing the piles of case files, officials in Dali Temple could not help complaining everywhere. Once when Zhang Juzheng was delivering a speech to the emperor, he took the complaints from Dali Temple as words of praise to the saint. Zhu Yijun wrote six words to Mr. Zhang: "Let Dali Temple judge according to this principle."
When Zhang Juzheng saw the note that said: "Severely, severely, quickly", he smiled bitterly and said: "Unjust imprisonment is inevitable."
Zhu Yijun said: "Otherwise, we can try to use public opinion to decide the prison. Tie all the prisoners and parade them through the streets. Those who are reviled by many will be sentenced harshly. Those who are sympathetic and kind will be punished far away."
Zhang Juzheng was shocked when he heard this. He served emperors of three dynasties. In the past five or six years, he has been able to get closer to Tianyan. However, from Emperor Longqing, the difference in thinking between the emperor and his ministers has never been so obvious.
From Zhu Yijun's perspective, doing things this way is inconsistent with later generations' own ideas. But again, the butt determines the head. After sitting on the throne of the emperor for several months, it is not surprising that his words and deeds gradually changed to the emperor's side.
The people of the capital saw the Western view. Since the beginning of summer, some people in the capital have been tied up and paraded through the streets with big signs; some have committed extremely heinous crimes and will not wait to be knifed in the Western Market; some have been beaten with boards; and there are also some high-end excitements - such as women being stripped of their clothes and caned.
The old and young idlers in the capital went to see the parade in the morning, the beheading at noon, and the cane torture at the Yamen in the afternoon. It was as if they were rushing to a performance, and they didn't even bother to eat.
People in the capital love to praise and criticize important national affairs, and they also have channels for information, so they can't help but discuss the emperor's severe crackdown policy.
Some people said: "The girl from my brother-in-law's fifth aunt's family is doing needlework in Mr. Yang's house. I heard Mr. Yang said that this time the emperor was instigated by Yuan Fu and issued an imperial edict -
Seeing that the people on the side were stretching their necks to look at him, this one said proudly: "If there is any crime, all will be beheaded; if there is adultery, human life, etc., all will be beheaded. It is the Queen Mother who is compassionate and persuades live."
Hearing this: "The emperor is young, but he is cruel!"
Unexpectedly, a voice shouted from the side: "Shut up, you bitch! Let me tell you, this Beijing city should be killed and controlled - your aunt's second flat head is just living in Liaodong, it's better not to come back!"
"Didn't you just get slapped twice in the mouth by Er Biantou? Please be polite!"
"Say it again, say it again, I'll go to the Yamen and sue you and Er Biantou!"
The words were not conducive, but they inevitably hit each other. The dust was flying under the summer sun. Both parties were sweating profusely, and there was a circle around them cheering.
.....
News of the severe crackdown in the capital spread throughout the country, and some local officials followed suit.
Every day, Jinyiwei intelligence reports distributed in each province of the two capitals are reported to the capital, and are summarized in the intelligence research room of Jinyiwei headquarters. Special internal affairs reports are made by intelligence experts and sent to Zhu Yijun.
When Zhu Yijun read the memorial, he carefully noted down the names of local officials who implemented severe crackdowns for later promotion and use; he also noted down the names of those who did not follow his own policies, and prepared to depose a few when the opportunity arose.
On this day, Wang Chonggu, the Governor-General of the Jinyi Guardian, carried out the "Enforce peace and security, seize private affairs" campaign with great fanfare in Xuanda and Shanxi, and the effect was remarkable. Zhu Yijun had some impression of Wang Chonggu, but didn't know much about him. At first he saw that he asked for scriptures and monks in his memorials, so he knew that he was at least a sensible person on ethnic policies.
...
At this time, this sensible man was having a secret conversation with his nephew who came home claiming to be ill.
People of the time, especially high-ranking officials, set up secret meeting places in their homes, or places where no one could hide on all sides - such as Zhang Juzheng's study. Some also design secret passages between the rockeries in the garden, guarded by trusted servants, and the interlocutors talk in a soundproof secret room - such as the secret room in the garden of Wang Chonggu's Governor's Mansion. This secret room can also be used for other purposes, but it is not suitable to elaborate.
Although it is a secret room, the decoration inside is so luxurious that it is jaw-dropping. The two people involved in this secret conversation were Wang Chonggu, the governor of Xuanda, and Zhang Siwei, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel and a scholar of the Imperial Academy.
Zhang Siwei's father was a salt merchant, and his grandfather ran a lacquerware and military grain transportation business. They were both big businessmen with a fortune of tens of millions. His uncle, uncle, second brother's father-in-law, and fifth brother's father-in-law are all famous wealthy people in Shanxi.
His uncle Wang Chonggu was the governor of Xuanda, and his fellow villager and son-in-law was Yang Bo, the Minister of Civil Affairs. As a result, around Zhang Siwei, a famous official and business group was formed in later generations.
Zhang Siwei had a good relationship with Gao Gong, and through his huge financial resources, he gained Gao Gong's approval and spared no effort to promote him. Last year Gao Gong was expelled back to his hometown by Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao. How could Zhang Siwei stand under the dangerous wall? I immediately took sick leave and went back to my hometown of Puzhou to study.
The conversation between the nephew and uncle that took place in the secret room at this time was horrifying. Because the person speaking has inherited the excellent businessman genes in their blood and looks at the problem very realistically.
Zhang Siwei first asked his uncle, "According to my uncle's opinion, how many years can Zuo of the Ming Dynasty last?"
Wang Chonggu said: "In my opinion, if there are no figures like Shang Yang and Guan Zhong, it will only last fifty years! If there are extraordinary changes, it will only last twenty or thirty years!"
