"laugh……"
In the quiet imperial study room, the emperor, who had previously looked gloomy, suddenly couldn't suppress a sneer.
Eighteen pairs of eyes stared at him with solemn expressions.
"Autumn grain, taxes, and border troubles. I have been in power for a short time, and the king and ministers are strong. The vassal kings have inherited the throne, but the clan is not stable."
Every word echoed in the Zhongyuan Hall, and Zhang Bi, who also served as the daily commentator, was shaking his hands.
How much of what the emperor said was enough to swallow up countless people?
"In a short time, there were many bandits, vendettas, and dead soldiers." Zhu Houcong said with contemptuous sarcasm on his lips, "Did they coincidentally attack at the same time and leave such a clue, or were they so audacious that they thought they could bring the world's officials and gentry to order me?"
Yang Tinghe left the table and knelt down: "Your Majesty, calm down. I am willing to go to arrest the murderer and supervise the food supply to control the overall situation in the southeast!"
The dignified chief minister of the cabinet, Yang Tinghe, who had never left the capital and the center of the court, took the initiative to ask for help, which shows the seriousness of this matter.
"Yang Ge always makes a solemn request!" Wang Qiong, who no longer had the suspicion of the cabinet competing for power with the six ministries, and whose past had been "cleansed", couldn't help but leave the table and knelt down, "However, as the chief minister of the old Ge, if you go to the southeast in person , it seems that the imperial court is taking its affairs too seriously! I have been through the Ministry of War, Ministry of Household Affairs, and Ministry of Personnel, so I can take this position!"
In the imperial study room, several people left the table and asked for a tassel.
Zhu Houcong nodded: "Take a seat."
After they sat down again, Zhu Houcong said with a smile: "If this matter was not too arrogant, it would have come to light again today. After several months of exchanges between monarchs and ministers, today the ministers finally did not shy away from difficulties and had the courage to do their jobs."
Yang Tinghe smiled bitterly: "I'm just going to paper the paper again. Autumn food is important. If you have money but no food, no matter how much money you have, it won't help. They are already so rampant. Next year, it is possible that the spring will destroy the farming, and the summer will cut off the rivers, causing the rivers to be destroyed." The world is in chaos. When I leave, I will arrest the culprits, and I will not miss this year's Jiangnan land tax."
"It seems that everyone in the Southeast is united and can kill them all." Zhu Houcong's eyes flashed with coldness, "As Yang Qing said, it seems that the other generation has been rampant for a long time. Is this Southeast still the Southeast of my Ming Dynasty?"
Yang Tinghe's reaction today was so straightforward that it surprised Zhu Houcong. After pointing out the sentence "Southeast is still the southeast of the Ming Dynasty," Zhu Houcong looked at Yang Tinghe.
Yuan Zonggao felt bad.
Southeast's most dangerous move to kill officials will eventually spread to the center.
In the national policy conference that was finally established, cracks reappeared in the situation of monarch and ministers supporting each other.
For such a heinous incident, someone in the center was backing him to put pressure on the emperor. It was only natural for the emperor to be suspicious of this.
And Yang Tinghe, who was "conservative" in his governance, naturally became the prime suspect. Now he invited himself to the southeast, and he admitted that it was a paper-copying strategy.
He immediately looked at Zhu Houcong and said seriously: "Your Majesty, the criminal ministers of Guangdong and Guangxi used to support bandits and respect themselves. This time Zhang Fu Jinggu was able to catch all the culprits by surprise, but the pirates he supported fled. What happened in the southeast may also be bandits. Sneaking in, deliberately using "Lun Hai Ce" and Guangdong's trial of new laws to cause trouble. Killing officials is like rebellion, who doesn't know? Anyone in the southeast would not be so insane, let alone kill nine imperial officials on the streets in a short period of time, all over the south. Li, Zhejiang, Fujian? I think this is a revenge plan to alienate people!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the imperial study room fell silent, as if giving him a chance to continue speaking.
Because Yuan Zonggao's identity is different.
To put it bluntly, in a short period of time, nine imperial officials were selected to assassinate in the streets in Southern Zhili and two provinces, without resorting to any tricks such as suicide or accident. Are the officials and gentry in the southeast really crazy?
So the ministers were too stupid to think of this before, and didn't remind the emperor from this perspective?
Yuan Zonggao struck while the iron was hot: "It is even possible that the Northern Barbarians have discovered that our Ming emperors and ministers are of the same mind, and that His Majesty has the ambition to reform the country and enrich the country, and to train troops to become stronger, so it is not yet known that he will take this opportunity to cause civil strife in me. A thousand words can be said in one sentence: This series of important The case is too strange, and the most sinister part of the intention is still in the court, in the imperial study room! Your Majesty, the evils in the southeast, or the evils in the world, your Majesty has already had the ambition to double the number in ten years, and I am like this The fundamentals have already been discussed at the national policy meeting. If Zhang Fujing had not frightened Guangdong and Guangdong, how could Guangdong easily try out the new law? Your Majesty, think again!"
Zhu Houcong asked with complicated emotions: "Lao Yang Ge and Da Tianguan opened their mouths for the first time, but they proved that the place has the courage to do such a thing."
Yang Tinghe and Wang Qiong showed a hint of embarrassment on their faces.
They looked at me and I looked at you, as if they were waiting for the other party to explain first.
"Chen..." Yang Tinghe is the first assistant, and he can't embarrass Wang Qiong. "If I don't speak out about my shortcomings, explain the reasons, and take my own responsibility to supervise my affairs, won't there be chaos among the emperor and his ministers in the imperial study? Even if there are thieves To provoke, the Southeast has its own ills that can be provoked.”
"... I want to look back. No matter what the reason is, I will first explain the possible consequences of the subsequent treatment and the pros and cons that need to be weighed." Wang Qiong cupped his hands towards Yuan Zonggao, "Some words are most appropriate for the eldest uncle to say. Your Majesty , Some people in the southeast have some ideas and some courage. But if they really want to do something, it won't be like this. It seems arrogant, but in fact it is stupid."
Zhu Houcong had a strange expression: "...I am very relieved that the ministers are becoming more and more candid now. According to your opinion, it is more likely that it was the work of foreign enemies or the remnants of Guangdong and Guangxi, with the intention of making me and the ministers suspicious of each other. To make the court and local governments suspicious of each other?"
The eighteen Arhats nodded in unison.
Only then did Cui Yuan say: "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, I... am still not used to the status of being able to talk about things now. In the current situation, no matter who takes action, the only thing they rely on is Jiangnan Tianfu. And Jiangnan Tianfu is related to half of the imperial officials. The people surrendered to avoid corvee labor, and almost all officials from Jiangnan were involved. Among the ministers who participated in the national policy meeting, only the ministers were not from science backgrounds. If they kept it secret... wouldn't it mean that the central government was relying on Southeast Asia to do this? "
Yang Ting and the others looked at him with complicated expressions, as if to say: I have been waiting for you for a long time! Guo Xun doesn't understand, and he doesn't know if you understand the pros and cons. Do you have the courage to say it?
Suddenly I felt that it would be good to have an honorable minister in the national policy meeting.
But you have to have a brain.
"As your Majesty has seen, this important minister in the court is as intelligent, tolerant, and as majestic as your Majesty. Under the mighty power of Heaven, what difficulties can be faced by the hearts of the people?" Yang Tinghe quickly took this opportunity to continue to add: "In accordance with the imperial edict, When the cabinet and the Empress Dowager Zhaosheng Cishou discussed the appointment of His Majesty, they only knew that Your Majesty was intelligent, calm, and well-mannered. It was so important to support the country that I would have no choice but to take care of him. During the sixteen years of the late Emperor's reign, all the ministers were often worried. His Majesty is in charge of the imperial court. He discusses etiquette and clearly understands the legal system. He works diligently and stays close to all ministers. He understands the general situation when an attack occurs. He has a cup of wine to clear up old mistakes. There is a royal study room for ministers, and national policies are discussed by all ministers. Even the most difficult strategies are still given by His Majesty in the middle of the night. The ministers and others are tireless, and the ministers and ministers also advise Your Majesty to be fearless."
Everyone remembered the night he tortured.
Yang Tinghe said in a touching tone: "Now that the monarch and his ministers have been helping each other, I finally put down my worries and asked my son to go out and let me know the story without hesitation. From then on, father and son worked together to help your majesty achieve great achievements in the future. All the things that have happened before are because I really know the place. It's complicated. The Battle of Tuen Mun is an example. As soon as the imperial edict arrived, they were so bold that they wanted to eliminate dissidents with defeat and then demand food and salary to whitewash the old accounts. I know that some people suspect that I used the Guangdong and Guangxi affairs to let His Majesty know the difficulty, but the local situation This has been going on for a long time. Either Guangdong and Guangxi, or Southeast China. One day, it will definitely be difficult to deal with!"
Suddenly, Wang Qiong was in a trance. When did you start to speak so truthfully in court?
But Yang Tinghe was right. It really didn't matter whether he guided it intentionally or not. The place is so bad, and the Ming Dynasty is so big, there will always be a big case somewhere because of something outrageous. Either the officers and soldiers of Tuen Mun were killed in the battle, or civilians elsewhere were killed.
Even if he guided it intentionally, it was just to let the emperor see the true side.
Although Yang Tinghe confessed his intentions at this time to explain to the emperor: the killing of officials in the southeast has nothing to do with me.
Yang Tinghe looked at Zhu Houcong and said sincerely: "I have seen the beauty of the sky every day, and I know that your Majesty has great talents and strategies, and is far more calm and steady than ordinary ministers. However, this place is far away from the center, and your Majesty's kindness and power are not yet fully understood by others. The court hall No matter what, the other generation also thinks that it is the same as in the past. The southeast has naturally always been the southeast of the Ming Dynasty. But the southeast is so big that there are many people who are bold and have ulterior motives. Killing an official is the same crime as rebellion! This case must be investigated strictly! It’s just that Your Majesty , this case is probably not the work of the officials and gentry in the southeast, and the autumn grain cannot be mistaken! If the land tax is greatly reduced this year, the morale of the soldiers in the border town will be unstable, and it will be useless to have silver in the future. If the southeast is greatly reduced, people will be panicked, and the land tax will not be available for several years. The next danger!"
A sudden major case, after slowly testing and unprecedented frankness, everyone looked at the emperor expectantly.
I don’t know if he has turned a corner or not.
Really, Your Majesty, it's not necessarily them who did it, unless they were all crazy. Killing officials is a rebellion. If there are rebels, they will have an army to plow the southeast. They would rather kill the wrong ones than let them go. Will those shrewd officials and gentry in the southeast be so bold?
We are all afraid that the more we persuade you, the more you will get into trouble! It’s better to explain everything about Southeast’s problems first.
Zhu Houcong looked at them.
To be honest, he lacks a personal understanding of the imperial power that cannot be provoked. This may be another reason why he does not kill easily.
Deep down in his heart, the inequality between everyone is not that exaggerated. Everyone does have their own interests and positions. Zhu Houcong can understand this, and he also understands the nature of mutual support between imperial power and his subjects.
And he also knows that it is said that "touching interests is harder than touching souls" and "the mountains are high and the emperor is far away". If you don't believe it, see how courageous the important officials in Guangdong and Guangxi are?
So he immediately thought that this was a warning from the southeastern officials and gentry to him and the court because of the signal of reform.
The initial speeches of Yang Tinghe and Wang Qiong seemed to confirm his inference.
As a result...that's what they actually thought? Are you afraid that the emperor will be jealous from top to bottom?
"I understand." He felt a little more relaxed in his heart, "The court is wholehearted, but once this case comes out, if it is really not the fault of the local government, they are worried that the court will do something else if it attacks Southeast. Come? Or maybe they are just doing the opposite, using the Guangdong and Guangxi affairs and the Northern Lu to cover up, and leading me and the ministers to think in this direction? What if the thieves all know that using Southeast Tianfu to cause trouble can be effective , doesn’t it prove that the Southeast cannot be moved lightly, so that the new law will not be implemented in the Southeast in the future?”
Yang Tinghe and the others had tangled faces: What you said... also makes some sense, although not much.
How could the imperial court not vigorously investigate and deal with this kind of thing? The possibility of losing the Southeast Gambling is too great, and he would not be so stupid.
Only Yuan Zonggao could continue to erode the trust of the emperor's master and the old ministers of Qiandi: "Your Majesty, it is most likely that thieves or foreign enemies have done it. People in the southeast must be panicked right now. If they don't comfort them early, I'm afraid they will really fall into the trap of the thieves."
He was only worried that the emperor's actions one after another would trigger more and more chain reactions.
Just like if it weren't for Zhang Fujing's stabbing and grabbing in Guangdong and Guangdong, without Guangdong starting to try out new laws, and without "On Hai Policy", things in the southeast would probably not happen now.
He hoped that the emperor would be more stable...
"Now that the matter has come to this, if it is really Southeast's fault, but the imperial court behaves in such a manner, wouldn't it be a loss of face and a great loss of authority?" Zhu Houcong thought for a moment and then said, "No matter who did it, if a court official was assassinated in the street, it was someone. There is a rebellion. What are those who are not involved in the matter afraid of? Only by working together to find out the real culprit can we solve this crisis. What is the truth? The court will find out the truth. But in order to seek stability, Guangdong and Guangxi will face many difficulties. I may have been before. I’m a little anxious, but I can’t withdraw anymore!”
Yang Tinghe was about to speak, but Zhu Houcong continued: "As for autumn grain and tax revenue this year, that is another matter. If someone uses the southeast to investigate the case and suppress the rebellion, it is treason. If there are still people who are helplessly implicated. , don’t worry too much if your annual income is reduced. Let me see who are the arrogant and disobedient people who dare to do such arrogant things. These traitors have such courage, and they must have prepared money and food to cope with the situation. 1. The investigation has been completed, and we have food and money. If there is not enough food, I will use their money and make Zhang Fujing pay double the price to buy it in Jiaozhi and Champa City!"
Wang Qiong and Wang Shouren both looked at the emperor in astonishment. He actually wanted to go to Jiaozhi and Champa to buy. This would prevent the price of grain from soaring in the Ming Dynasty.
With Zhang Fujing's current state of confiscating properties in Guangdong, I'm afraid he doesn't have to wait for the money from the southeast to be copied. He can advance the money and set out to buy new rice from Jiaozhi and Champa at this moment.
The emperor's vision pattern surprised them a bit.
Zhu Houcong said solemnly: "You know that I intend to explore the southwest and that I am re-establishing the three major camps, but you still have the courage to do so. This is to help my soldiers see blood. How can you practice without experiencing war?" Elite soldiers? Whether they are foreign enemies, the remnants of Guangdong and Guangxi, or the crazy rebels in the southeast, if this matter is about to happen, there will be no reason to settle it! Since the ministers have also said that there are people in the southeast who have ideas and courage, but they are not so stupid, Then it should be a shock! If you are innocent, what are you afraid of?"
He stood up and said: "We are going to the southeast not to supervise grain and propagandize, but to quell rebellion and suppress rebellion! Five thousand soldiers of the new Shenji Camp were set up to go south to Zhili, and five thousand soldiers from Guangxi went to Fujian. Cui Yuan, you are the commander-in-chief The military officers commanded the Marquis of Wuding and the Marquis of Funing. They established the Governor-General of Zhejiang Province, the admiral to supervise the military affairs of Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian, as well as to manage the food and salary belt and the salt law. If the case is not solved, Southern Zhili and the two provinces will not register or select sons within ten years. Gongsheng! No matter who wants to harm Southeast, the officials, gentry and scholars of Southeast have the responsibility and obligation to help me find the thief! Who wants to go to the governor of Zhejiang Province?"
Each command is breathtaking.
Marquis Wuning, who had been demoted, and Marquis Funing, who had been expelled from the world, were all red-eyed and wanted to make up for their mistakes.
Cui Yuan, no one knows his routine. He is now mainly in the order of honorable ministers and generals, and as usual, there must be civil servant restraint.
Who is willing to serve as the first governor-general of Zhejiang Province?
I know you are impatient for some plots, but don’t be impatient. This is a daily series. Why are you always questioning...
(End of chapter)
