Not long ago, the master and the apprentice just analyzed the situation between North Korea and China.
Among them, what worries Li Shouzhong the most is Wang Ziteng's matter.
Wang Ziteng was sure that the treasury was empty, and he dared to use border wages as a threat.
He intended to coerce the imperial court and continue to stay in Liaodong.
At that time, Feng Yibo believed that this was a recipe for disaster.
There are only two solutions.
The first one was that the court held its nose and recognized it.
Continue to let Wang Ziteng take charge of Liaodong and make it bigger and stronger.
At least the border areas can be temporarily protected.
Wait for the court to come back and then deal with him.
The only drawback is that Emperor Jingshun seems a little aggrieved.
The second one is to raise two handfuls of money to make up for the side payments.
Li Shouzhong had the same idea at the time.
He also said that the emperor's internal funds could be used.
But now it seems that Emperor Jingshun is reluctant to part with his money.
However, he is obviously not ready to sit still and wait for death.
In this way, the Zhen family, a fat pig that has been raised for several generations,
It comes in handy.
Feng Yibo said this just because he thought of these things.
After he briefly told Lin Ruhai the news, he then said:
"This is most likely the case, so uncle doesn't have to worry. The punishment of the Zhen family is probably not the point, and the Holy One probably won't care either!"
As long as Emperor Jingshun didn't deliberately choose the time when the national mourning was not over, he wasn't determined to protect the Zhen family.
Then Feng Yibo is confident that he will take this opportunity to give the Zhen family the punishment they deserve.
"What he cares about is whether killing the pig of the Zhen family will be enough to fill the shortfall in the national treasury!"
As a doctor of Lantai Temple, Lin Ruhai was comparable to Feng Yibo, a minister.
Naturally, our understanding of the top-level news is limited.
After listening to Feng Yibo's analysis, Lin Ruhai gradually calmed down.
After pondering for a moment, he said:
"You mean to say that the Holy One treated the Zhen family as pigs, and now they are fattened and slaughtered just in time for the New Year?"
Although there have been some speculations for a long time, now I heard such information.
Lin Ruhai was still a little in disbelief.
If that's the case, what's the point of everything he did before?
Doesn't it mean that with or without Lin Ruhai, the Zhen family will be destroyed sooner or later?
Then what was the purpose of everything he suffered?
This made Lin Ruhai's long-standing desire to serve the country cool down.
I just feel like I'm just a dispensable tool.
No, it's just an unqualified butcher's knife!
"I think that's probably the case."
How could Feng Yibo know what Lin Ruhai was thinking at this time?
He only thought that Lin Ruhai should be happy when he heard such news.
Feng Yibo nodded first, then sighed and said:
"It's just that if this happens, my uncle will probably return to Beijing soon."
The uncle he was talking about was naturally Wang Ziteng.
After all, the Zhen family has a big business, even if it can't make up for the shortfall of tens of millions of taels.
It wouldn't be a problem to think of a few million taels.
In this way, Wang Ziteng's control of the court lost its meaning.
What awaits him is self-evident.
It would be a good thing if you don't follow along and search your house.
Lin Ruhai didn't care about Wang Ziteng's affairs.
What he cares about now is how to put the Zhen family to death.
Lin Ruhai, who was thinking about how to take revenge, muttered:
"Then we are now..."
Seeing his hesitation, Feng Yibo responded with a smile and said:
"Now we just have to wait."
At this time, Feng Yibo was already confident of winning. He smiled confidently and continued:
"Your Majesty only wants money, and he may handle it lightly. What we want is life, so we will give the Zhen family a fatal blow when the time comes!"
When Lin Ruhai heard this, his expression was a little complicated for a moment.
After a long while, he still chose to believe this son-in-law, and gritted his teeth and said:
"Then as we said before, we must be prepared and never give the Zhen family a chance to make a comeback!"
He has always been worried about the Zhen family.
To be precise, he has always been worried about Jia Min's death.
The hatred of killing one's wife is irreconcilable.
If we say that there was some ambition to serve the country before, I wanted to get rid of a moth for the Wei Dynasty.
Now the only thing that supports him is the thought of revenge.
The Lin family has declined, and he is the only one left to barely support it.
If the Zhen family is at its peak, no matter how great the hatred is, they can only tolerate it.
Fortunately, now we finally have a chance for revenge!
No wonder Lin Ruhai, who had always been calm, lost his cool.
Seeing him gritting his teeth, Feng Yibo nodded immediately and said seriously:
"Don't worry, uncle, I will definitely avenge my uncle's family and my aunt!"
After a pause, he added:
"Even if we don't succeed, the Zhen family will lose power."
Having said this, he narrowed his eyes slightly, flashing a hint of coldness, and said:
"When the time comes, I will be sure to make them pay the price they deserve!"
It didn't take long for the news to appear in the court's newspapers.
The contents are enough to shock the ruling and opposition parties.
The general idea is:
Jiangnan Zhen family has been taking advantage of their position for many years,
Privately distribute salt and embezzle huge amounts of salt profits.
This move was a disservice to the emperor and a worm of the Wei Dynasty.
Therefore, his belongings were confiscated and he was escorted to Beijing to be punished.
As soon as this news came out, the government and the public were shocked.
The Jiangnan Zhen family, which was once so majestic, fell into decline so easily.
It didn’t even go through the Three Law Division.
Before the house was ransacked, there was no news at all.
By the time everyone reacted, the Zhen family was already on their way to Beijing.
He learned that the Zhen family had been ransacked and was about to be escorted to Duzhong for trial.
Feng Yibo seemed unfazed.
Because before that, he had already sent people to Donghai County.
Bring a group of special people to the capital.
Because of the special nature of this group of people, Donghai County dispatched Mengzi to escort them personally.
While being escorted over, Mengzi also brought a surprise to Feng Yibo.
It turned out that it was the granular gunpowder he proposed last time, as well as the drawings of the gunpowder gun.
The craftsmen who were sought after were successfully produced.
Not only that, in order to please Feng Yibo.
Liuqiu also made a short blunderbuss with exquisite shape and smooth lines according to the principle of gunpowder gun.
The same long powder gun was sent over together.
What surprised Feng Yibo was this short musket.
This short gun looks like it's only a bundle long, which is about 20 centimeters.
At the end of it, above the grip.
There is also something that looks like a firing pin.
At first glance, Feng Yibo thought it was a pistol.
In fact, it is still a matchlock gun.
Because that's not a firing pin, but a stinging needle.
When used, a special paper bullet bag needs to be inserted.
After inserting the bullet bag, the needle will pierce the paper.
At this time, just pull out the needle and move it to one side.
The fuse can be inserted through the small hole.
Next, you can use incense or other fire sources to light it.
Feng Yibo tried it in a deserted place, and the effect was pretty good.
In the special paper bullet bag, there are paper partitions in the middle.
The back is filled with gunpowder, and the front is filled with a mixture of iron balls and lead bullets.
After tightening, the sealing is pretty good.
Although the range after activation is not far, the area of damage is not small.
Somewhat similar to a shotgun.
The advantage of this is that there is no risk of missing the shot.
Of course, the biggest drawback is that it is a bit troublesome to operate.
It would be fine if it was used for a sneak attack, but it would be discovered.
I'm afraid it's hard to tell whether he was hacked to death first or whether he was successfully stimulated.
It is a pity that such exquisite short guns are not suitable for armies.
Due to the limitation of the amount of gunpowder, not only the range is limited, but the power is not very sufficient.
It can only be left to Feng Yibo for fun.
But the principle of the long powder gun is the same.
It just looks a little rougher.
But the barrel is longer and can hold more gunpowder.
Therefore, the range is longer and the power is much greater.
Just cleaning the gun chamber is very troublesome.
According to what Mengzi said, he conducted personal experiments with Feng Yibo.
Although the granular gunpowder residue is much less than before, it is still unavoidable.
Almost every three or four times it is used, it is necessary to cool down and clean the gun chamber.
Not only is it very troublesome to use, but it is also very laborious to make.
The short blunderbuss is made entirely of copper, while the long powder gun is made of iron.
Due to the limitations of the casting process, craftsmen can only manually drill holes in the solid iron rods.
Otherwise, the risk of chamber explosion will increase.
In this regard, Feng Yibo put forward some suggestions for improvement.
Such as using hydraulic drilling.
Anyway, this is also the beginning of thermal weapons.
Feng Yibo also couldn't let go of that short gun.
These days, it's carried in a leather holster.
Keep it with you at all times.
Maybe it can be used for self-defense at a critical moment.
A few days later, the Zhen family members were escorted to Beijing.
Because of his special status, the emperor ordered an investigation.
Therefore, no one from the Zhen family was sent to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.
Instead, he was sent to the prison of Dragon Scale Guard.
In this way, we can also isolate the founding lineage from being connected with it.
At the court meeting a few days later, the court officials read out Emperor Jingshun's plan to deal with the Zhen family.
"The Zhen family in the south of the Yangtze River has been blessed by the emperor for a long time, but has no intention of serving the country. Several generations of the Zhen family have taken advantage of their positions to embezzle huge amounts of salt and profits. The evidence is conclusive and has been verified by Longlin Guards. It is sentenced that the head of the Zhen family will be executed." , will be implemented after approval by Lantai Temple.”
When Lin Ruhai heard this decision, he clenched his fists excitedly.
If this verdict is followed, he will be avenged.
Moreover, the fact that the Zhen family was handed over to Lantai Temple for approval showed that Emperor Jingshun had not forgotten him.
Then he and Feng Yibo don't have to worry anymore.
Unfortunately……
"Wait!"
As soon as the Zhen family’s crime was announced, someone shouted:
"Your Majesty has always governed the world with benevolence and filial piety. Now that the national mourning has not passed, please remember that the bones of the old concubine are not yet cold, and spare some kindness for the Zhen family!"
Does anyone dare to intercede for the Zhen family at this time?
Lin Ruhai followed the sound and suddenly became very angry.
Feng Yibo also felt that the voice was familiar, and turned slightly to look at the figure.
Only one person was seen slowly stepping forward and placing himself before His Majesty Dan.
That man was actually Jia Zheng!
Too!
Besides him, who else would stand up for the Zhen family at this time?
Only Jia Zheng felt that he was speaking out for justice and supporting his relatives!
Feng Yibo sighed secretly, but was not in a hurry to speak out.
Lin Ruhai stared at Jia Zheng's back, but knew that it was not yet time for him to take action.
Soon, someone came forward to refute:
"Since ancient times, the state has its own laws, and every family has its own rules! The Holy Spirit has already found out about this matter. The Zhen family has committed an unforgivable crime of embezzlement, so how can it be forgiven?"
This person is a new member of the noble camp, obviously
Jia Zheng didn't look back, he still bowed upward and said:
"I am not asking the Holy One to forgive the Zhen family. I just hope that the Holy One will leave some descendants to the Zhen family to comfort the spirit of the old concubine in heaven!"
As he spoke, he kowtowed politely before continuing:
"Please, Your Majesty, think of benevolence and filial piety and leave some dignity to the Zhen family!"
Speaking of old concubines, it’s hard to say much about newly promoted nobles.
After all, no one wanted to test Emperor Jingshun's feelings for his biological mother.
Emperor Jingshun was quite capable of this, so he habitually looked at Zhang Songyue and said:
"Teacher, what do you think?"
Zhang Songyue naturally knew what Emperor Jingshun wanted.
The number of cuts among the whole family is not important.
The important thing is, copy!
He pondered slightly and then whispered:
"It is better to confiscate all the belongings and only punish the main culprit. This will not only deter the lawbreakers, but also restore the old lady's dignity."
When Emperor Jingshun heard this, he smiled slightly and said:
"In that case, let's follow what the teacher said."
He had already guessed what would happen today, but he didn't expect that only Jia Zheng would show up.
However, Emperor Jingshun still followed the script and showed his "benevolence and filial piety", saying:
"Then it would be better to change the sentence to confiscate the property of the Zhen family to fill the national treasury. The principal culprit Zhen Yingjia will be executed in prison. The execution will be carried out after being verified by Lantai Temple."
Execution in prison is equivalent to the ancient reprieve of death.
Of course, there is still a big difference between the two.
The meaning of "beheading the prisoner" is to temporarily put him in prison, and then make a decision according to the law after the autumn trial and the court trial.
The Ministry of Punishment receives punishments from all over the world, Lantai Temple is responsible for picketing, and Dali Temple is responsible for refutation.
Zhen Yingjia still left it to Lantai Temple for approval, which was somewhat far-fetched.
But it’s not too outrageous.
To a large extent, Emperor Jingshun took Lin Ruhai's face into consideration.
Otherwise, it would be most appropriate to hand it over to the Ministry of Punishment.
If these were charged, there would ultimately be no discrepancy.
Then Zhen Yingjia will most likely meet Qiu Houwenzhan.
And the reprieve of death...
As long as no more crimes are committed during the probation period, most sentences can be commuted to life.
Even if you have meritorious service, you can change it to a fixed term.
Of course, death by beheading the prisoner is not inevitable.
For example, if you encounter an amnesty, you can be exempted from prison immediately.
However, it is still a little less interesting than a reprieve of death.
After hearing the verdict, Lin Ruhai knew that the time had come for Feng Yibo to speak.
"Wait a minute, I have my own notes."
At this time, he strode up and worshiped before Lord Dan.
Emperor Jingshun frowned slightly when he saw it was Lin Ruhai.
He knew that Lin Ruhai and the Zhen family not only had public hatred, but also private hatred.
However, he could not stop talking at this time.
Emperor Jingshun nodded slightly, and the attendant officer next to him said:
"Accurate."
Lin Ruhai held a memorial in his hand, raised it high above his head, and said:
"Your Majesty, Lin Ruhai, impeached the Zhen family for colluding with the Japanese pirates, which has caused harm to Jiangnan for several years. It should be punished with a canon!"
Due to time constraints, there was insufficient evidence regarding the Lin family's poisoning.
At this time, he suppressed his sorrow and did not mention the matter.
Fortunately, the evidence he submitted at this time was enough to put the Zhen family in danger!
Emperor Jingshun frowned slightly when he heard this.
At the same time, he glanced at the minister in charge.
Seeing this, the minister in charge hurriedly stepped forward,
He took the memorial from Lin Ruhai and respectfully held it on the royal eucalyptus.
At this time, Lin Ruhai said loudly again:
"This is the testimony provided by the witnesses who were recently delivered to Lantai Temple by the King of Donghai County. These people are still in Lantai Temple. Please ask your Majesty to observe carefully."
Emperor Jingshun also became a little curious when he heard that the king of Donghai County was involved.
At that moment, he picked up the memorial and turned it over gently.
After reading a few pages, Emperor Jingshun couldn't help but frown and said:
"The Zhen family actually did such a shocking thing?"
