The fourth year of Jianwen was a quiet year.
There will be no strong enemies from outside, no natural disasters or rebellions within. People who need to pave concrete roads will continue to pave roads, those who need to build ships will continue to build ships, those who need to dredge the river will continue to dredge, farmers will work in the fields, merchants will go to and from the city, and ships will continue to go to sea. The river boats were rocking everywhere, a prosperous scene.
In fact, for ancient feudal dynasties, as long as the emperor did not have any special hobbies, such as practicing Taoism, being a zookeeper, engaging in carpentry, going north to hunt, etc., the overall politics were relatively clear.
The result of political clarity often means that the government becomes gentle in plundering the people. In some areas, they even do not disturb the people at all and allow the people to develop on their own.
Governing a big country is like cooking a small delicacy, which tells all future rulers that this small delicacy of the country cannot withstand blind tossing. The kingly way is to govern by doing nothing and recuperate.
Zhu Yunwen chose this path, and the emergence of a whip method greatly inhibited the possibility of the government raiding the people. After all, there are only two taxes a year, and any other taxes are illegal. With the supervisory censors having been dispersed to the states and the security bureau hidden among the people, no one dares to tamper with the tax collection period, let alone create a name.
Without tax items as a way to get money, no matter how corrupt and corrupt local officials are, they cannot harm a large number of people. They can only deal with a few people or a few wealthy gentry.
Zhu Yunwen thought so, but it was somewhat innocent. The emergence of one incident completely slapped Zhu Yunwen in the face, and made the prosperous age that Zhu Yunwen had been looking forward to become like a joke.
On May 20, Liang Xu, the magistrate of Xiuning County, together with the local gentry, monopolized the lime mines, squeezed and owed the people wages, resulting in the people having no income since the beginning of the new year.
At the beginning of June, the summer tax was levied, and the people had no money left at home, so they had to gather at the county government office and ask the county magistrate to pay wages.
On June 5, Liang Xu, the magistrate of Xiuning County, arrested more than 30 people who led the rebellion and injured dozens of others on the pretext of rebellion. He also falsely reported to the magistrate's office and demanded severe punishment for the leading people.
On June 8, the prefect's Yamen sent the prefect Wang Mao to investigate and bribed Liang Xu to conceal the truth.
On June 11, 800 Xiuning people gathered in the county government office and demanded Liang Xu's release. Liang Xu asked Xin'an Guards to send troops to suppress them. Shi Mengchong, the commander of Xin'an Guards, did not send troops after receiving the news. Instead, he directly reported it to the Fifth Army Commander's Office. After all, Huizhou Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Nanzhili and was directly managed by the capital.
It was not until June 14 that the court received the news, and the whole court was shocked.
Zhu Yunwen forgot one thing, a whipping method is for farmland, but Huizhou Prefecture has many mountains and few fields, and the people's homes are already poor. Fortunately, the concrete road construction has brought a way for the people here to survive: digging lime mines.
Being a miner has become their basic way of survival. Some farmers even bring their wives and children with them to the mines in order to earn some mining money.
However, good mines are monopolized by the county government and local gentry. The few mines owned by ordinary people are not allowed to be mined. They can only be exploited. People say that the wages are the same and they are paid as long as they want.
A whipping law protected the people who were mainly farmers, but failed to protect the people who relied on mining for a living. Coupled with the greed of local officials, it finally caused a civil uprising.
The emergence of this incident made Zhu Yunwen's face hurt. Not long ago, there were officials talking about the coming of the prosperous age, saying that Zhu Yunwen was a generation of holy masters. Now it seems that the so-called prosperous age is just a slap on the face with a sound. which type.
Zhu Yunwen ignored the objections of the cabinet and the six ministers and ordered Xu Huizu to handle it personally.
Who is Xu Huizu? He is from the Dudu Mansion. He is in charge of the military, not the people. This is civil affairs and a matter of the county government. It is obviously under the control of the Huizhou Mansion and the six ministries of the imperial court. How can Xu Huizu be allowed to go?
But Zhu Yunwen did not give in this time, and ordered Xu Huizu to lead 3,000 soldiers to Xiuning County overnight, and capture the county magistrate Liang Xu, including all the officials and gentry involved in the case, into the capital. At the same time, he ordered the Huizhou magistrate to advance the wages owed to the people. The magistrate temporarily acts as the county magistrate to appease the people.
Xu Huizu's movements were very fast, and Xiuning was only five hundred miles away from the capital. He galloped, leaving in two days and returning in four days, and directly threw Liang Xu's leader on the 26th into the Wuying Palace.
Zhu Yunwen sat on the throne, glared angrily, and shouted sternly: "I have repeatedly issued documents, and you must not bully the people, corrupt, or collude with the local gentry! And you, even in Nanzhili, under my nose, dare to do this? presumptuous?!"
Liang Xu was so frightened that he heard that local government officials overstepped their authority to handle cases, but he had never heard of the emperor directly taking away the power to handle cases. He was trembling and speechless.
Seeing that Zhu Yunwen was very angry, Xie Jin hurriedly left the office and said, "Your Majesty, just leave this matter to the Three Law Departments. We will handle it strictly and give justice to the people."
Zhu Yunwen suddenly stood up and angrily said: "We have already provoked a civil uprising, why should we still use the Three Laws Division to try it? Drag Liang Xu out to Ling Chi, and after the others have tried it, no matter what the result is, add one sentence, confiscate the family property, and send him to the north." Zhili!"
Upon seeing this, Shangshu Baozhao of the Ministry of Punishment hurriedly persuaded: "Please put aside the thunderous anger of the emperor. It only takes two days. I will be able to review and conclude the case. By then, the Lingchi that should be languished and the people who should be punished will be punished."
Killing someone directly without going through a judicial trial is no good. Once this precedent is set, the role of the Criminal Department will become weaker and weaker in the future. The emperor does not even need to go through the three judicial departments when he wants to deal with an individual.
When Bao Zhao saw that Zhu Yunwen was about to speak, he shouted loudly: "This time tomorrow!"
Zhu Yunwen suppressed his anger and nodded: "At this time tomorrow, I will take out the closing documents. If there is no result that satisfies me, it is time for the Criminal Department to rectify it!"
Bao Zhao was sweating on his forehead. This time he was angry. If he didn't put Liang Xu to death, he would be sorry for his official uniform.
Liang Xu and others were taken away, and Zhu Yunwen waved his hand to retreat.
cabinet.
Bao Zhao looked at Xie Jin, Yu Xin and others, frowned and said, "The emperor has been a little obsessed with the talk of the prosperous times recently. Now that something like this has happened, he really can't bear it. Don't you cabinet ministers want to think of something?" This time, Xu Huizu was sent to use a large army to capture the county magistrate, but what about next time? Will the army directly go to the Chief Envoy's Department and send the Chief Envoy to prison?"
Yu Xin slightly thought about it and said: "There are too many flatterers in the local area, and some articles have to be sent. Anyone who reads too many of these articles will think that the prosperous age is coming."
Ru Yun sighed and said: "The emperor is young after all. In just four years, he has pacified the Japanese pirates in the east, defended the Tatars and Oaras in the north, collected Jiaozhi in the south, and opened up Southeast Asia trade. Now the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and the country is prosperous. It’s normal for some emperors to be angry.”
Chen Di waved his hand and said seriously: "I don't think so. You should know how the Tang Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, right?"
Jie Jin narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Di: "Are you talking about Tang Xuanzong?"
Chen Di solemnly said: "That's right. Back then, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty appointed talented people and worked hard to govern, which led to the prosperous Kaiyuan Dynasty. However, after more than 20 years of prosperity, Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had no intention of governing the country. He had a violent temper, indulged in sex, and relied on nepotism. Take good care of others. The prosperous era ended suddenly."
"Chen Ge, are you going too far when comparing the current emperor to Tang Xuanzong?"
Yu Xin was a little dissatisfied.
Chen Di sneered: "Are you serious? Don't you see that now the emperor's power is getting stronger and he is addicted to the dream of a prosperous age. Last year, he handled government affairs every day. This year, he handled government affairs once every two days. I heard that the emperor and Yicai Ren left. It's very close. You must have an impression of what the Yicai people are capable of. If our Ming Dynasty has a second concubine Yang Guifei, this prosperous age will end before it begins..."
Bao Zhao felt a little uncomfortable and looked at Chen Di: "Is this alarmist?"
Chen Di shook his head: "But there are signs, so we must pay attention to it."
Yu Xin, Ru Yu and Xie Jin looked at each other but said nothing. Chen Di used to be in charge of the Ministry of Etiquette, and he was somewhat paranoid after working here for a long time.
Bao Zhao thought for a while and said: "In my opinion, we can't stop the articles from the prosperous times and can only hand them over, but these articles are too confusing and eliminate the emperor's thoughts on governing the country. Now that something like this has happened in Xiuning County, Although I feel sorry for the local people, it is not all bad for Ming Dynasty."
"I'm afraid one thing can't change the emperor's perception."
Yu Xin was helpless.
Jie Jin's eyes flashed and he said to Yu Xin and others: "Yes, if one thing can't be changed, then a few more things will change..."
"Well?"
Yu Xin and others looked at Jie Jin blankly. Something happened to Xiuning, and the emperor was already going to behead the county magistrate alive. If something like this happened again, he would probably be shattered into ashes. Besides, where to find the damn ghost?
Xie Jin said quietly: "We can persuade the emperor to pay another private visit incognito or go out on a cruise to see the real place with his own eyes and see the lives of the people. Naturally, he will know that the articles about the prosperous age are just lies. The Ming Dynasty is still far away from the prosperous age... …”
"Where to go? Suzhou, Hangzhou? Forget it, it's very prosperous there, especially when the shipping company opened, business taxes increased sharply."
Yu Xin is not satisfied with this plan.
Jie Jin smiled calmly: "Who said we have to go south."
Yu Xin, Ru Yu and others' eyes lit up. If you don't go south, then go north. Where is the north? Poor Fengyang Mansion.
Go there and have a look, ask the people whether they are happy or not, and you will know whether the times are prosperous or not.
As for the reason, it is easy to find. It has been four years since the emperor ascended the throne, and it is time to go to Fengyang to pay a visit to the mausoleum. Just because Lao Zhu is in Nanjing, you cannot forget that Lao Zhu is still buried in Fengyang. You have to go and see it.
So, Xie Jin, Ru Yu and others looked at Chen Di. Chen Di shivered and wanted to run away.
There is no way, only Chen Di is suitable to take action in this matter. Who makes this person proficient in etiquette? It doesn't matter whether he goes to Huang Guan of the Ministry of Rites or does it himself. He persuades Zhu Yunwen to go to Fengyang to visit the mausoleum and see the true nature of the people. Living situation, that's what matters most.
So after the Ministry of Punishment sentenced Liang Xu to death and provided him with a Lingchi art experience course, beheading five people and confiscating the others' homes and exiles, Huang Guan, the Minister of Rites, wrote a memorial and sent it to Wuying Palace.
