Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 21 Secret Decree
In the Hall of Martial Arts in the Forbidden City, Zhu Youjian was listening to Liu Chao's report on things in Huangzhuang.

"I would like to report to the emperor, since the last time the emperor came to the Huangzhuang, the servants and others have stepped up to arrange production. Because the food is full, the emperor has reduced the rent and distributed chickens, ducks and pigs. The people in the village are full of enthusiasm. Whether it is Young and strong, old and weak, women and children, but those who have labor are hardworking. The slaves don't know how to describe it, but they feel that the people are happy from the bottom of their hearts, and everyone is full of energy. As of yesterday, the walls of the village were basically completed; The workshops have been put into use, and more than [-] stones of military rations have been produced. Under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Industry, the output of military uniforms has gradually become more regular, and more than [-] sets of military uniforms have been produced. This is mainly made by women who sew The reason for not being proficient at the beginning is that as the women's sewing skills get better and better, the output will increase. The chickens and ducks are taken care of by the children in the village every day. Although the children are young, they are very hardworking. As for when to start Laying eggs, slaves don’t know much about it. As for the pig farmers, they are also very diligent. These farmers have heard that chickens, ducks and pigs will be bought in the village after they are produced. The ancestral temple was born, but the slaves did not agree. The things in the village are like this, and the slaves still have to ask for instructions. The next step is that the young and strong basically have nothing to do, so I still ask the emperor to show me what to do!"

Zhu Youjian nodded approvingly, and praised: "Good job! I can see that you are doing things with sincerity. If you do it well, I will not treat you badly! After you go back, someone will visit the craftsmen who can dig wells in the surrounding villages. There is very little rainfall this spring and summer, so we must be prepared to prevent long-term drought in the future. The more craftsmen who dig wells, the better. After finding them, each craftsman will bring a team of young and strong, and start digging wells in the village first. The cost will be settled according to the market price. You must pay attention to this point. I intend to cultivate a professional well-drilling team. The well-drilling team must make money. Only by making money can they mobilize their enthusiasm. Fight one hundred people in the Huangzhuang field, and expand to the surrounding areas after accumulating experience. Also, last time you inspected Cheng Yibo’s farm, you have to bring someone to take over as soon as possible, and train a few more capable men, otherwise you will not be able to handle it all by yourself If necessary, just break up with Wang Chengen!"

Liu Chaoying came down and reported: "Your Majesty, as I know, the cost of drilling a well is not small. If it is settled according to the market price, our village alone will cost thousands of taels of silver. If we go to other farms to dig wells in the future, I am afraid it will be expensive. Farmers can't afford it!"

Zhu Youjian said: "In the future, if we dig wells for ordinary farms, the imperial court will bear the cost. If it is needed by other honorable and wealthy households, it must be settled according to the market price. Liu Chao, do you know that the thieves who started in Shaanxi were originally Ordinary farmers? Because of years of severe drought in Shaanxi, the crops in the fields have not been harvested, and countless people have starved to death. Therefore, under the instigation of some people with ulterior motives, these farmers will die no matter what. Instead of starving to death, it is better to rob others and eat The idea of ​​dying after a full meal is a rebellion. Now that the drought continues to expand, I don’t want the same situation to happen in the capital under the feet of the emperor. As long as there is output in the fields and the people don’t worry about hunger, they will never become enemies of the imperial court , so it is worth how much money it costs to dig a well. With well water for irrigation, even if there is a severe drought, the grain harvest will not be exhausted. At that time, the imperial court will reduce taxes and strengthen relief, and the people will be able to survive the famine, so that there will be no chaos in Ming Dynasty. I am going to push this project to several provinces that are seriously affected by the drought. As the Son of Heaven, I cannot watch my people starve to death, otherwise, I will have no face to face the common people in the world!"

At this moment, Li Erxi hurried into the hall with a memorial in his hand. Wang Chengen hurried forward to take it and presented it to Chongzhen. He started to walk back and forth in the hall with his hands, his face was livid.

Wang Chengen and others were so frightened that they shrank aside and did not dare to breathe out.

After walking back and forth a few times, Chongzhen stopped and said, "Liu Chao, you go back and continue your errands! Li Erxi, you immediately go to the Yongwei Camp to summon Sun Yingyuan, Zhou Yuji, and Huang Degong to have an audience. Wang Chengen, you send someone to the cabinet to summon the cabinet ministers to discuss matters! ", several people took orders and left.

After Chongzhen returned to the imperial case, he began to think about how to solve the problem of the imperial envoy being stopped and the guard being killed.

His predecessor, Emperor Chongzhen, was merciless to civil servants.From the old governor of Ge to the magistrate of the prefecture and the county, once they violated the holy will or offended the emperor's rebellion, they were either arrested, exempted or killed.The most famous of them was Yuan Chonghuan, who was executed by Ling Chi.Many people complained about it, and even in the era of Chongzhen's later generations, the controversy about Yuan Chonghuan never stopped.

However, Chongzhen was extremely tolerant towards generals, which was also a helpless move.The world is in turmoil, internal and external troubles, and it is necessary to rely on the military to wipe out bandits. The previous phenomenon of the Ming Dynasty's culture being superior and military being inferior has been completely reversed.For the general's mistakes, Chongzhen endured and endured. At most, he issued an order to reprimand him, but no actual punishment was seen.

This led to military commanders becoming increasingly arrogant and gradually disobeying the imperial court's orders.Always put their own group and personal interests first. If this situation continues, even if the bandits can be wiped out, it will form a situation that cannot be lost.The imperial court completely lost control of the generals, and the consequences were disastrous.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian made up his mind that this time he must make an example, and use a strong counterattack to deter those domineering people.

At this time, the news that the imperial envoy was asked for passing money was already spreading in the capital.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, such a thing has never happened.

Because Wang Bing's memorial followed the procedure of General Secretary-Cabinet-Emperor, it was quickly circulated.

This time, no matter what party they belonged to, the civil servants were surprisingly unanimous in their opinions. This is blatant contempt for the court, and contempt for the court is contempt for civil officials.Almost all the officials were filled with righteous indignation, and they expressed their indignation in memorials one after another, demanding that the court punish lawbreakers and rectify discipline.

Wen Tiren and other court elders were also of the same opinion, and they were about to enter the palace together to meet the Holy Spirit. The eunuch who passed the decree brought the emperor's oral order to convene the discussion, and everyone followed the eunuch who passed the decree to the Hall of Martial Arts.

After everyone saluted the emperor, Wen Tiren took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, the fact that the imperial envoy was blocked this time has caused great disturbance in the capital. If it is not handled properly, the court's prestige and face will be lost, and I am afraid that other generals will follow suit. So far When the country is in turmoil, the consequences are unimaginable, and the ministers and others strongly advocate severe punishment, and I will ask the Holy Majesty to rule on how to deal with it!"

Zhu Youjian said, "What do you want, then?"

The elders in the pavilion glanced at each other, knowing that His Majesty has treated civil servants strictly and tolerated generals in the past few years. After a moment of hesitation, Wen Tiren said: "Your Majesty and I have just had a little discussion, and you should issue an order to order the Governor of Shandong and the President Soldiers, demote the perpetrators and transfer them to other places!"

This suggestion was actually thought up by Wen Tiren and others following the original Chongzhen's thinking, but they didn't know that the current Chongzhen was no longer the original one.

Zhu Youjian shook his head and said: "This matter is unprecedented. If you don't punish severely, I'm afraid they will follow suit, and the imperial government's decree will be ignored. I don't believe that the loss of a guerrilla and his followers will affect the major event of suppressing thieves." , just follow the law, the murderer will pay for his life, and the one who ignores the court will be punished!"

The courtiers looked at each other in surprise, is this still the emperor I know?Why did you suddenly get tough on the general?But this approach is actually very much in line with the wishes of the civil servants. Under the secret joy, everyone bowed together and said: "Please follow the holy saying!"

Zhu Youjian continued: "It's not just this matter. I heard that the people suffer more from the officers and soldiers than from the bandits. Many officers and soldiers harass the place, rob the people, and even kill people to steal money. It can be seen how corrupt the military discipline is today. Is this still the army of the imperial court? It’s no different from thieves! Wen Qing, after you return to the cabinet, you will draw up orders for the governors and generals of the various places, and make strict orders. From now on, all soldiers who disturb the localities and the people will be killed without pardon! Anyone who restrains his subordinates will not violate the rule Promoted. This decree is issued together with the treatment of the wounded and disabled officers and soldiers I mentioned earlier, so you should step down!"

The ministers retreated back to the cabinet to draft an order, and Zhu Youjian continued to wait for the arrival of the generals of the Yongwei Battalion. After all, the cabinet office was very close to the Hall of Martial Arts, and the Yongwei Battalion was outside Miyagi, so it took time to go back and forth.

Another quarter of an hour later, Li Erxi rushed over with Sun Yingyuan and others, and after entering the hall, the generals paid respects.Zhu Youjian ordered to get up, looked at everyone with a serious expression, and told about the imperial envoy.

After hearing this, the generals were shocked at first, and then furious.Sun Yingyuan fell to his knees, ignoring etiquette, looking directly at the emperor, his face flushed, his beard and hair all stretched out, and he said loudly: "Your Majesty, I am a general of the Ming Dynasty and a personal guard of the royal family. I am deeply grateful for your kindness! How dare you do such a thing against the sky, causing the imperial envoy to be humiliated, and the lord to humiliate the minister to death! Your Majesty, the minister is willing to bring the tiger's army to punish this traitor, and will definitely cut off the head of this traitor to avenge this shame!" said After finishing, touch the ground with your head, and bend down.

Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji were also furious, and they also fell to their knees, asking for a fight.

Zhu Youjian got up and bypassed the imperial case and came to the three of them, and helped them up one by one with his own hands.In the hearts of Sun Yingyuan and others, Chongzhen is the father of the monarch, and they were moved to tears at the moment.Zhu Youjian looked at the three of them, and said in a gentle voice: "I know that all the ministers are loyal men, and the Yongwei Battalion is the team I trust the most, and it is also my reliance! I hope that one day, Qing and others will be able to lead his subordinates to fight against the enemy. I wiped out the little ones, and made a bright future! I won't say that I treat you as princes, but I will treat you as family members. This is the promise I made to you! You will never let me down, and I will never let you down! "

The three of Sun Yingyuan wept bitterly and knelt down one after another, vowing that they would spare no effort to let His Majesty get what he wanted.

Zhu Youjian said a few words of comfort again, and after everyone got up and gradually calmed down, he continued to speak: "I have considered this matter for a long time, and I want to punish everyone without causing mutiny. Generals Zhou Yuji and Huang Degong, you Lead five hundred brave guard battalion Jingqi to Shan County secretly, and find a hidden place to station. I will issue a secret decree to the governor of Shandong, let him go to Shan County in person, and summon Wu Shangwen. Good terrain, intercept and kill the Wu thief on the road that must be passed, so that one person can escape. After killing this thief, I will ask the governor of Shandong to bring you two to the barracks to appease the officers and soldiers. You two will stay behind In Shandong, first weed out the old and weak in the military camp, give them appropriate silver taels, and return them to their homes; It is caused by deceiving everyone. I will ask you to send 10 taels of soldiers' pay to you, and at the same time, the new military rations will be delivered later. In addition to the original army of the Wu thief's subordinates, I ask you to raise [-] soldiers and horses, and practice hard to fight for it. Become an elite soldier who dares to fight as soon as possible. The five hundred fine cavalry you brought will be used as a standard battalion of soldiers. I hope you will live up to my trust. After a while, I will let the cabinet draft an order. Commander-in-chief of the battalion, I will issue an order to Cheng Guogong, the admiral of the Beijing camp, to select brave men from the Beijing camp to replenish the Yongwei battalion. General Jin Huang Degong is the deputy commander-in-chief of Shandong; General Jin Zhou Yuji is the general; You will be rewarded after you have made meritorious service in the future."

The three of them knelt down and kowtowed to thank the Holy Grace and then took the decree and left.Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji went back to the Yongwei camp and ordered five hundred fine riders to leave the capital and head straight for Shandong, and a team of Jinyi guard riders with the emperor's secret decree also rushed to Jinan Prefecture overnight.

In Jinan, in the second hall of the governor's yamen by the Daming Lake, Zhu Dadian, the governor of Shandong, was frowning over Wu Shang's Ministry of Culture's blocking of the imperial envoy.

Although he is a noble official of the frontier, nominally all the soldiers and horses in Shandong are under his jurisdiction, but now the world is chaotic, the court relies heavily on generals, and those soldiers who have soldiers under them are becoming more and more domineering.

In the past, the commander in chief had to kowtow when they saw him, but now Liu Zeqing, the commander in chief of Shandong, and other generals would just bow their hands in salute when they saw him.

This time what Wu Shang Wenbu did made Zhu Dadian extremely angry. As an important minister of the court, he felt deeply ashamed and had a strong sense of frustration.This kind of thing that blatantly humiliated the court would never have happened before, but now that it happened, there was nothing he could do, he could only wait for the emperor and the court to deal with the matter.

Based on his understanding of what the current Holy Majesty is doing, this incident is probably a little bit of thunder and rain, and at most it is just a decree.

He sighed deeply, took a sip of the tea, and was about to put down the teacup when Qi Datong, his aide, hurried inside, cupped his hands and said: "My lord, the Jinyiwei of the capital has come with the secret decree of the emperor, and he is now on duty outside the hall." Use tea!".

Zhu Dadian was taken aback for a moment, and immediately understood that this should be the imperial court's handling of the imperial envoy, and he did not expect it to be so fast.At the same time, there is still a little doubt in my heart, why is the Jin Yiwei passing the decree, and it is a secret decree, isn't this kind of thing all issued by the imperial decree?Although he was a bit puzzled, he still stood up and ordered: "Set up the incense table quickly, and welcome the order!".

"My lord, the Jin Yiwei who came to deliver the decree said that it is a secret decree for your lord, and outsiders are not allowed to know it!" Qi Datong replied.

Zhu Dadian was taken aback again, did he guess wrong?What is the reason for the Holy Majesty to give himself a secret decree alone at this juncture?
"Then hurry up and ask for a job!", he said.

After Qi Datong went out, he turned back not long after, followed by several Jinyiwei dressed in school captain uniforms.

Zhu Dadian hurriedly cupped his hands in salute, and said, "You guys have worked hard all the way!"

After several Jinyi guards returned the gift, one of them took out a scarlet box from his bosom, and Zhu Dadian hurriedly knelt down to receive the order, and the school lieutenant who took the imperial order stopped him and said, "Master Governor, the Holy Majesty has specially ordered that this is a secret order, my lord You don’t have to give big gifts, just do what you want!”

Zhu Dadian stood up straight, took the wooden box with both hands solemnly, and the captain continued: "The Holy Majesty also ordered that only the governor knows this decree, and no one else can know it. Please be cautious. The matter of passing the decree is over." , and please arrange a place to stay, I will wait for my brother to rest for one night, and return to Beijing tomorrow morning to reply to the decree."

Zhu Dadian hurriedly ordered Qi Datong to take a few school captains down to rest, and told Haosheng to entertain everyone, Qi Datong saluted with several school captains and left.

After everyone left, Zhu Dadian checked that the wax seal on the wooden box was intact, then lit a candle to melt the wax seal, opened the wooden box, and took out the emperor's secret decree to watch.

After reading the simple secret decree, Zhu Dadian was both shocked and excited. Is this still the Holy Majesty he knows?What Zhu Dadian said and did in the secret decree was what Zhu Dadian thought and did, but he was just thinking about it out of indignation, but he had no right to do it at all.

Before receiving the decree, he had secretly complained about the emperor and the big bosses in his heart, because he thought that the emperor was going to be gentle with the generals again this time, but he didn't expect the emperor to change his style this time and finally kill those soldiers who despised the court. .What a joy!Thinking of this, Zhu Dadian laughed, and the laughter grew louder and lasted for a long time.

(End of this chapter)