eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 171 Changes in the situation
No matter where the beheading line is drawn.

From the chief envoy to Zhejiang, such an outrageous case broke out, and it is difficult to end this matter quietly.

Rolling Heads is an ending that almost no one can change.

In fact, in Zhu Houzhao's plan, the action against Zhejiang will not be so early. It's just that Mei Kejia's business in Zhejiang has become larger and larger. movement.

Businessmen messing with government, these four words have been muttering in his heart these days.

Punishment of these corrupt criminals has its role in politics.But the underlying logic of Zhejiang has not changed, and the people sent to Zhejiang will always be corrupt.

Sometimes they even turn good officials into bad ones.

You are like Li Yancai, who just arrived in Zhejiang and quickly integrated into this rank.

It is difficult to send an official to solve this kind of official-official sharing of profits.Everyone is eating 'this money', who has the ability to stop it?
This is a bit like the biggest corruption case in the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong period-the Gansu fraud case.

This matter is that Gansu is not rich, so Emperor Qianlong opened his mouth and restored the forbidden prison donation.That is to donate a little food to become an official, so that there will be food relief for the government.

But he sent a person from Wang Danwang to discuss with the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, saying that it should be changed to donate money?So for the next three years, Wang Danwang kept reporting disasters to Emperor Qianlong, saying that we were in a drought again and the people could no longer survive, so I would like to report to you that Gansu donated another 500 prisoners.

After Wang Danwang took the money, he didn't keep it alone, he divided it up, so the officials of Gansu He Province swallowed the money!And no one reported to Qianlong!
At this point, although it is outrageous, the thing that makes people feel that they can smell the taste most is actually in the back.

Three years later, Wang Danwang was promoted to governor of Zhejiang and disappeared.

The successor was a man named Wang Tingzan.

Wang Tingzan is a good official. He was born as an official. At the beginning, he was a small official in charge of cashiers and clerks.

But he was so capable that there was a saying in Lanzhou at that time that "Looking for Wang's experience in litigation".

Afterwards, he successively served as magistrate, Daotai, and chief envoy... and was interviewed by Qianlong. With this kind of background and mixed up to this level, it is impossible for him to rely on connections because he has no talent. Can reach the sky.

In fact, he revitalized education in Zhangye, dredged channels in Ningxia, and developed production.

But everything changed when he was transferred to Gansu Chief Envoy. As soon as he took office, he also wanted to change the situation at that time when officials from the whole province reported disasters and donated money to prisons.

But he couldn't even change the donation of silver to food donation.

So he continued to be greedy for another four years, and he himself began to be greedy, until the 46th year of Qianlong, when the case happened,
Finally, he was executed by Qianlong.

So, if the political ecology of a place is like this, if there is a source hunting court officials, who can be sent there to work?
Now these officials in Zhejiang, the way to deal with them has been decided, and all those with more than 3 taels will be beheaded.

If it is less than 3 taels, 2 taels will be exiled, and 1 taels will lose fame and be demoted to the people.These are nothing to worry about.

But here, it is not over.

Because of the sea ban, they smuggled, and because of smuggling, they had to collude with the government. After many years, such a situation has formed that big officials are big corrupt, and small officials are small greedy.

Now it's just because Mei Kejia has affected their interests a little, it's not a big challenge.

In fact, during the Jiajing period, the emperor sent an official to crack down on smuggling, and soon officials from all over Zhejiang began to complain about how this person broke the law.

The roots of Zhejiang are still in this place.

In the Qing Palace,

The prince gave Zhang Sheng such an errand with some harsh words.

Originally, what the emperor and crown prince said and the tasks given were easily evaded, so what is the strength of the imperial decree?

And after that,
Zhu Houzhao went on to say: "Father, how to deal with the officials in the Zhejiang case has been agreed. What about the businessmen involved?"

merchant?

The word merchant is not mentioned much in Qianqing Palace.

Even less came out of the prince's mouth.

"Can the prince be more careful?"

"I mean, if it is found out that the officials involved in the case have a close relationship with the businessmen, then these businessmen will not be able to escape the crime of disorderly government, right?"

Zhang Sheng's heart trembled when he heard this,
If this is the case, he will definitely die if he goes to Zhejiang!

"Your Highness! I think that the Zhejiang case is already serious. If it gets involved any longer, blood will flow like a river. The southeast is a place of heavy taxation. There is absolutely no room for loss, Your Highness!"

Zhu Houzhao yelled at him until his head ached,
"Uncle Dazong, why are you suddenly in a hurry. The imperial court dealt with a few corrupt officials, and you said it was not good for the government. Well, my palace took into account the overall situation you said and re-drawn the beheading line. What? Now deal with a few illegal businessmen, can it be Can it make the southeast lose?!"

Emperor Hongzhi also felt strange, "Zhang Aiqing, what's the reason? If there is, please tell the crown prince."

How could Zhang Sheng tell?

Or those words should not be said.

So he could only go around in circles, and said: "Your Majesty, I just feel that it is not appropriate to start a big case, the killing is too much, and it is easy to cause drastic changes!"

"What do the three elders think?"

As soon as Liu Jian heard it, he understood that the prince was seeking support.

And the prince knew that the cabinet would support him.

Because businessmen, it doesn't matter.

"Report to Your Highness." Liu Jian had a thorough thought, and immediately replied: "I think that since the court ordered officials to be punished in accordance with the law, the merchants naturally have no reason to be extrajudicial. Naturally, they should be punished together with the facts of the government.”

Zhu Houzhao suddenly remembered the person who had been silent all this time,
"Big Sima, what do you think? If there are businessmen in Zhejiang who bribe court officials and come to collude with officials and businessmen to make huge profits, if there are such people, should they be arrested or not?"

Liu Daxia didn't expect the prince to mention him suddenly, but fortunately he didn't lose his mind.

Moreover, this question is simply impossible to have a second answer.

"If there is a collusion between officials and businessmen, there is no reason to only arrest one side."

The section on merchants is really not enough.

Emperor Hongzhi didn't pay much attention to it. Seeing the attitude of his courtiers, he finally said: "The prince doesn't need to ask any more. If there is such a businessman, just take it."

When the emperor said these words.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes kept falling on Zhang Sheng's body,

He had an intuition that perhaps only the two of them in this room could understand that killing a few businessmen would actually have some impact.

But no matter what, the Zhejiang case is considered to be the topmost solution.

This solution, I believe, will soon set off a huge political storm in the capital and even the whole country.

Everyone left the Qianqing Palace.

And this way back, the most difficult one is Zhang Sheng,
Even Liu Daxia didn't understand him.

Because Zhang Sheng was a bit exaggerated, he seemed to have his soul drawn out.

Liu Daxia was puzzled and said, "Defu, although the case in Zhejiang is dangerous, you shouldn't be so disheartened, right?"

Zhang Sheng saluted Liu Daxia, and cried out, "Brother Shi Yong, I'm going now, I'm afraid I'll never come back!"

"What?" Seeing his reaction, Liu Daxia also had a different expression, "Is there something hidden?"

Ugh.

It's also a headache to say, how did you plan to end up with such a thing inexplicably?

And on the side of the cabinet.Elder Ge is also thinking about the last thing.

"...The East Palace never does things for no reason." Li Dongyang was still puzzled, "Why did you mention the businessman at the end? If it was a lack of money, it would be fine, but in the past few years, Liu Shiyong has always said that the East Palace has saved a lot of money. ?"

Liu Jian sat back on the chair of the head of internal medicine. He did not expect this today, but he was not as entangled as Li Dongyang. "Most of what Liu Shiyong knew was revealed to him by officials from various places. It is considered smart." I was mistaken by my cleverness. Also, Liu Shiyong shouldn't have asked about Xu Ruoqin's memorandum, but fortunately, His Highness is not suspicious, otherwise, I'm afraid I didn't think it was you and me who revealed it."

Li and Xie frowned and nodded.

This is true.

Sometimes the Minister of the Ministry of War is not as modest and prudent as he appears on the surface.

Liu Jian straightened his cuffs, and thought deeply: "Liu Shiyong has been hit by this blow, so he can't get involved in the Zhejiang case. Zhang Sheng is in a quagmire, and it's unknown whether he can be refunded from Zhejiang. Before going to Qianqing Palace today, the two of them Who would have thought that such an ending would happen? In this way, there will be no troubles in Zhejiang, and His Highness may have to use troops against the north."

There are many things that seem to be irresistible.

Like them, after Zhu Houzhao went back, he always had Zhejiang in his heart.

After reading Wang Hua's letter, he went to Qianqing Palace, why he hasn't thought about it yet.

quiet night,

It seems that the enthusiasm of the day has gone away.

However, in the early morning of the second day, when the sky was still dark, it seemed that someone was calling him in the mist.

Zhu Houzhao turned over without opening his eyes, and muttered in confusion, "Liu Jin?"

Listen to the sound yes.

"It's a servant girl." Liu Jin said with a suppressed voice, "This servant girl deserves to die for disturbing His Highness's clear dream. But there is a very important news from outside the palace, and this servant girl didn't dare to delay any longer, so I came here to report."

Zhu Houzhao was very sleepy,
But in the past few years, these slaves in the Eastern Palace have been treated very obediently by him.

It's like this late at night, there must be something important.

So the sore eyes opened suddenly, and the person became much more awake, and immediately sat up from the bed, "Get out!"

squeak
Liu Jin hurriedly went to the prince's bed and knelt down, "Your Highness, Mao Yuwen delivered the news. It said that there was news from Zhang Sheng's mansion that Zhang Sheng had hanged himself! It's not yet dawn, and the official news hasn't come in yet. In the palace, but the Zhang family is crying loudly, this matter should be true!"

"Suicide?!"

Hearing this word, Zhu Houzhao froze, and there seemed to be a sound of cicadas passing through his mind.

Zhang Sheng committed suicide?
Did he commit suicide in fear of crime?

Or kill him?

Zhu Houzhao felt that homicide should be unlikely. Zhang Sheng had just received an errand to Zhejiang, and he knew that there were not many people, let alone any enemies, unless it was a previous enemy, but it was also unlikely.

After all, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, this is a high official.

Then there is a high probability that it will be suicide. Maybe it is because you know that you are outside the line of 3 taels. At that time, your family will still be unlucky with you.

Zhu Houzhao clenched his fists unconsciously. He had just planned everything during the day, and he hadn't slept enough yet, so there was such a sudden change.

Alright, then let's see what exactly Zhang Sheng brought into the coffin.

(End of this chapter)