prosperous age

Chapter 669 Chapter 668

The next day, Wei Guangde saw the manuscript of Zhang Juzheng's memoir and Emperor Longqing's imperial pen approval in the Ministry of Rites.

After seeing the last "the department reads the discussion and hears it", Wei Guangde knew that Zhang Juzheng's memorial ended without a problem.

Although I don't know if other people have discovered the smell of gunpowder in Zhang Juzheng's memorial, but Wei Guangde believes that he is not the only smart person in the world, and someone should be able to discover the hidden meaning.

Of course, Wei Guangde's guess may be that he was wrong, Zhang Juzheng didn't have such thoughts at all.

But this is not important, what is important is that he believes that he will not be the only one who thinks of it.

Just as Wei Guangde thought, after the memorandum was issued, there was a lot of discussion between the government and the opposition for a while, with some supporters, some doubters, and more calm ones.

For a while, the attention of the court officials seemed to be attracted by "Chen Liushishu".

However, just as Wei Guangde thought, although everyone discussed a lot, but from the beginning to the end, no yamen reported what they discussed.

This also shows that what Wei Guangde thought at the beginning was right, everyone is not an idiot, and more or less felt a little bit wrong from the memorabilia.

Even in the past, none of the "talking king" officials in the imperial court spoke up for this, neither supported nor refuted it.

According to Zhang Juzheng, no matter Yushi or Gishizhong, they can only discuss the facts as they are, and cannot criticize politics as freely as in the past, and they have to come up with solutions after the discussion. How does this make the "talkers" live?
Since the six departments and other yamen remained silent, they were naturally not stupid, and instinctively agreed with the cold attitude of their colleagues.

But what surprised Wei Guangde the most was that Zhang Juzheng also seemed to return to normal after submitting this memorial, as if there was no such thing, and he didn't know whether it was disheartened or what.

The Ming Dynasty Hall soon returned to its original state, with Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin handling government affairs step by step, and of course Zhang Juzheng.

Li Chunfang is a good person, Chen Yiqin says little and does little, Zhang Juzheng hates fighting, although he still has the heart to do something, but he has no status in the cabinet.

Under the leadership of Li Chunfang, the cabinet was lifeless and lacking courage.

But if the emperor didn't speak, Li Chunfang would do nothing.

Perhaps, from Zhang Juzheng's point of view, whether it is Li Chunfang or Chen Yiqin, they are all complacent about advancing and retreating gracefully.

The cabinet is like a pool of stagnant water, and it is even more impossible to expect the morale of the various yamen to boost and work hard.

Coupled with the decadence of Ji Gang over the years, the slackness of laws and regulations, and empty words and nonsense flying all over the sky, the entire court seemed lifeless.

But at this time, a memorial from Huguang broke the tranquility of the court.

"Master Shoufu and Master Cifu, please read this memorial."

When Li Chunfang was on duty in the cabinet, Zhang Juzheng took out a memorial that he had just received and handed it to Li Chunfang.

"What memorial?"

Reaching out to take it, Li Chunfang didn't forget to ask.

"Based on the censor Chen Sheng's memorandum, Huguang Xun impeached the Liao king illegally."

Zhang Juzheng answered calmly.

"King Liao?"

Li Chunfang frowned when she heard Zhang Juzheng's words.

The people of the clan, although they are not afraid of the cabinet ministers, they also know that it is very difficult to deal with.

Emperor Yongle took the rights of these people back then, and then let them be the common people. As long as they didn't rebel or cause anger and grievances, they basically let the local authorities turn a blind eye.

Now someone finally couldn't help but impeach him again. It can be seen that the Liao king must have done all kinds of bad things, and the local government couldn't stand it anymore.

Li Chunfang frowned when she opened the memorabilia and browsed quickly. What was said in the memorabilia was indeed too much.

"The king of Liao was sexually cruel, abusive and indulgent, or he believed in Fushui. All the cunning young rascals returned to him, and they were lawless."

What Li Chunfang is concerned about is not actually "sexual cruelty and lasciviousness", but "many cunning young rascals return to them".

The most taboo thing in the palace is that the vassal king takes in such rogues, makes friends with bandits, etc. As for why, he actually understands what is going on.

Passed the memorial to Chen Yiqin, and Chen Yiqin quickly read it.

His attitude was actually similar to Li Chunfang's. He was very worried about the local hooligans that the King of Liao had gathered, and then the two looked at Zhang Juzheng.

"How does uncle intend to deal with it?"

Chen Yiqin asked.

In fact, they had already planned in their hearts, and followed the previous regulations, that is, sending ministers to the Liao Palace to investigate and verify the situation, and then see if they should be punished, and what crimes should be punished.

However, the current location of the Liao Palace is in Jiangling, and Zhang Juzheng is also from Jiangling, which made them have to consider Zhang Juzheng's position.

"It's better for me to avoid this matter, and let the two elders decide."

What surprised them was that Zhang Juzheng actually asked to avoid him, and the matter was up to them.

Since Zhang Juzheng chose to follow the imperial court's system, they had nothing to worry about.

"Yifu, ask the Criminal Ministry to send someone to check?"

Li Chunfang spoke, as if asking for advice.

"That should be the case. I remember that last year, it seemed that Gao Guangxian, the procurator of Huguang, also played an impeachment, so the procurator of Huguang can also participate."

Chen Yiqin replied casually as if recalling it.

"Indeed, at the beginning of the first year of Longqing, Gao Guangxian, the procurator of Huguang, impeached the king of Liao for his crimes, and His Majesty issued an edict at that time."

Zhang Juzheng said.

Li Chunfang nodded, seemingly unaware, while Chen Yiqin just looked at Zhang Juzheng in surprise, obviously surprised that he knew so much about this matter.

You know, how many papers their cabinet ministers deal with every day, and they usually forget about such things within two months after handling them, and he only has a vague impression.

"This matter should be investigated and dealt with as soon as possible. After all, it has been delayed for a long time, and some things are not easy to check."

Zhang Juzheng reminded again.

Li Chunfang asked in agreement: "During the funeral of the first emperor, he broke etiquette and violated the rules. It is true that we must find out the truth as soon as possible. The punishment must be punished. If it is false, we must return the person's innocence."

After speaking, Li Chunfang looked at Chen Yiqin.

"Okay, then I will draft the ticket now and send it to the palace in a while."

Chen Yiqin understood Li Chunfang's meaning and said immediately.

In fact, the cabinet has dealt with a lot of impeachments related to the imperial family, but very few directly point the finger at the prince.

Ever since Emperor Jiajing dealt with several relatives and princes in a row, the lawless clan has been very honest for a while.

In the past two years, the lawlessness of the clan has risen again, but most of them are low-level royal families such as generals and lieutenants in the palace, and the handling is extremely simple.

Punishment and cut the nobility.

As long as the prince is not involved, basically no one has much to say inside or outside.

The memorial was sent to Qianqing Palace on the same day, and Emperor Longqing gave instructions very quickly, check.

Immediately, the imperial court sent Hong Chaoxuan, the Minister of Criminal Affairs, and Shi Duchen, the deputy envoy of the Procuratorate of Huguang, to Jiangling to verify the matter.

Hong Chaoxuan set off from the capital, and the journey was far away, so he naturally took a step behind Shi Duchen.

But it doesn't matter, anyway, it is only verified according to Chen Sheng's allegations, and finally the witness and physical evidence Hong Chaoxuan will be checked in court.

Although this matter made Chen Yiqin feel a little strange about Zhang Juzheng's attitude, he didn't take it seriously.

One must know that Zhang Juzheng was known as a "child prodigy" in Jiangling when he was in his teens. For such a family, Chen Yiqin did not think that someone in Jiangling would oppose them.

Even if the king of Liao didn't open his eyes, he shouldn't have the guts to argue with someone who might become an official in the court.

Although the civil servants have nothing to do with the royal family, it is very uncomfortable to be impeached every day, and to be reprimanded by angels sent by the emperor every day.

How did he know that Zhang Juzheng's family seemed to have some inexplicable grievances with the Liao Palace.

Zhang Juzheng is a child prodigy who appeared in Jiangling hundreds of years ago. He took part in the scientific examination at the age of 12, and he went straight to the provincial examination after a series of battles.

The governor actually deliberately "goed through the back door" and let him fail. The reason is: this kind of genius is too rare, in order to hone him, we can't let him go too smoothly.

This back door led to Zhang Juzheng becoming a "juvenile juren" at the age of 15.

Zhang Juzheng's juvenile examination shocked Huguang, and the Zhang family immediately shone brightly.

As the most distinguished family in Jiangling, the Liao Prince's Mansion had to express something. Zhu Xian hosted a banquet for Zhang Juzheng's grandfather, Zhang Zhen, to show his congratulations.

Speaking of which, the relationship between the Zhang Mansion and the Liao Palace is very close. Zhang Juzheng studied with Zhu Xian since he was a child, and Zhang Zhen worked as a guard in the Liao Palace.

Being a distinguished guest at the prince's mansion, Zhang Zhen had never enjoyed this face in his life.

Therefore, Zhang Zhen drank a lot of wine that night, until he passed out and never woke up.

The grandson was on the list, and the grandfather died of drunkenness that day.

Later generations, regarding the grievances between Zhang Juzheng and the Liao Palace, paid more attention to Zhang Zhen's drunken death after attending the banquet in the Liao Palace. Wang Wangjue was abolished.

Because it was Jiangling, there were rumors that Zhang Zhen's death was caused by Zhu Xian's deliberate trick, in order to vent his dissatisfaction with Zhang Juzheng.

As for venting any dissatisfaction, it is natural that Zhang Juzheng, who was the accompanying student, became "other people's child" in the mouth of Zhu Xian's mother.

From this, it can actually be seen that when Zhang Juzheng was studying with Liao Wangfu, he might have had a rift with Liao Wang Zhu Xian.

No matter who caused the conflict in the first place, it is very possible that Zhang Juzheng took the opportunity to take revenge on King Liao.

Of course, flies don't bite seamless eggs.

If the King of Liao hadn't done a lot of evil in Jiangling, Zhang Juzheng wouldn't have done anything out of the ordinary at the risk of the world.

You know, that's his hometown.

People's words are terrible, although no one dares to say anything in front of the Zhang family, but pointing behind his back is enough to ruin his Zhang family's reputation.

Neither Chen Yiqin nor Li Chunfang knew that Zhang Juzheng's grandfather was rumored to have died in the Liao Palace, so they didn't take it seriously after dealing with it like this, but quietly waited for Hong Chaoxuan's reply.

Sending imperial envoys to investigate the prince, Wei Guangde naturally heard about such a big incident, but he didn't know that the Liao Palace was one of the so-called major crimes of Zhang Juzheng, so of course he would not do anything.

In fact, even if Wei Guangde knew about the Liao Palace, he would not do anything.

This may, after all, be the catastrophe of the Zhang family, and he can only solve it by himself.

In fact, the so-called case of Zhang Juzheng framing the King of Liao can be understood after careful consideration. It was just a so-called crime concocted by the Wanli Emperor at that time to retaliate against his teacher.

The case of the King of Liao was the way Emperor Longqing instructed to deal with it, cutting down the vassal and raising the wall. Because the contemporary Liao King had no heirs, Emperor Longqing did not allow side attacks.

The reason is also very subtle, which can only be understood but not explained in words.

The imperial court continued to operate for several months in a flash, and many big and small things happened during this period.

The biggest thing was that Emperor Longqing resolutely ordered the household department to buy all kinds of jewelry despite the objections of the minister of the household department, Ma Sen, and the cabinet.

At the beginning of the year, Zhang Jinchao, an envoy of the Nanjing Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, was put to death in Nanjing for the drafting of girls in the south of the Yangtze River, and all his followers were sentenced to exile.

Now that half a year has passed, Emperor Longqing remembered this incident again, and naturally issued an order to urge it to be done.

As for the trivial matter, Ma Fang, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, who was ordered by the imperial court, was determined to change his past, and through Wei Guangde's secret report again, planned to choose an opportunity to go out of the fortress and sneak attack on the grassland Ida.

In the past six months, Ma Fang has also been paying attention to the movements of the Tartars on the grassland.

I knew before that Ma Fang had suffered due to dereliction of duty, so I was careful to guard against the Xuanfu army's retaliation.

Half a year has passed, and the defenses have gradually relaxed, and Ma Fang's heart is already itching.

In addition, two months ago, Feng Jizu, the rebel chieftain of Yunnan, was put to death, and Chen Qixue, governor of Xuanda Shanxi, and others invited Youlu to surrender Bai Chun, Wei Liangxiang, Tian Ruguang, Tian Huai, Wang Xian, etc. to discuss the rewards for surrender.

These people all defected to Mongolia with Qiu Fu, a member of the White Lotus Cult. Among them, Bai Chun, Wei Liangxiang, Tian Ruguang, Tian Huai, and Wang Xian even established their own tribes on the grassland, producing livestock and rich people. .

However, he still chose to return to the Ming Dynasty, which made Emperor Longqing very happy, and issued a decree to reward him, "Anyone who is wise, courageous and sympathetic will be appointed by the governors and governors, and the imperial court's favor will be announced to attract people."

Therefore, the Ministry of War issued a reward after the Ministry of Defense discussed it. Bai Chun and others were awarded the position of a hundred households, and they were rewarded with 50 taels of silver. Others who returned also received rewards.

At the same time, the imperial court issued a decree to set rewards for the captive chieftains, "Any captive who can behead and present the head of a great chieftain like Alda, and those who can lead 100 or 70 men and women to come back will be rewarded according to the rules. One hundred people will still be rewarded with 50 taels of silver, and three hundred people will still be rewarded with 150 taels of silver; if there are more than 40 people, they will be awarded 30 taels of silver; 20 taels of silver; more than 1000 people will be awarded [-] taels of silver if they are given to a hundred households; [-] taels of silver will still be rewarded to those who are more than fifty or sixty; more than [-] or [-] people will be awarded a crown belt The flag will still be rewarded with ten liang of silver; if there are more than ten hereditary names, the rewards will be based on the real number beyond the border. If you can win the rebels such as Zhao Quan and Zhou Yuan who come to donate, you will be awarded the command of the capital. A reward of [-] taels of silver may be able to kill those who are not as good as beheading themselves and surrendering."

In addition, if the returnees can persuade the Han people outside the border to return, in addition to the above-mentioned rewards, they will also be rewarded with five coins per person who persuaded them to surrender.

The purpose of doing this is to divide and disintegrate the strength of the rebels outside the Great Wall, especially a large number of Han people around Bansheng City cultivated the land for Altan Khan. These outputs undoubtedly enriched the source of food for the Mongols and were not conducive to maintaining the war against Mongolia.

Finding ways to recall the lost population can effectively combat the Mongols' logistical supplies.

On the grassland today, the Mongols and the Han people don't trust each other, so Ma Fang believes that the opportunity for revenge has come.

But on this day, Wei Guangde and Chen Yiqin went to Yin Shizhen's house for a banquet, and Chen Yiqin was also telling them an interesting story that he saw in a memorial today.

"Today, Song Yu, the imperial censor of Shanxi, said that there was a man named Li Liangyu in Jingle County, Taiyuan Prefecture, who somehow turned into a woman."

(End of this chapter)