eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 193 The Accident Before Chinese New Year
Capital.

An afternoon in winter.

Zhu Houzhao wandered around the palace of the East Palace, twisted his neck, and loosened his waist.

At the door, Liu Jin came in with a few eunuchs carrying a bunch of memorials. Seeing the prince's eyes, Liu Jin smiled as if hiding, "Your Highness, this is the last point for today."

It looks like about twenty or thirty books.

"Let's put it down, those my palaces have been approved just now. Send them to the cabinet." Zhu Houzhao pointed to the book case on the side, then passed by Liu Jin, took the top one, glanced at it twice, and then made a sound , "Liu Jin, what time is it?"

"If you go back to Your Highness, it's time to apply."

"Yes, I see. Fengxi,"

"The minister is here." A young man who had been sitting next to him got up and responded. He had bad legs and feet, and he was crooked every time he got up, but Zhu Houzhao didn't advise him to sit all the time, so he stood up if he wanted to stand up, "You Take a look, which thing have I been paying less attention to recently?"

Just like the discussion that day, Zhu Houzhao will say it, and I have my eyes on something.But the country is so big, and there are so many things, the main officials of the country alone have to remember hundreds of people. If you only rely on your brain, you will always forget it, and the pressure is also high. It will save trouble to write it down.

Fengxi checked the records of the crown prince's summoning of officials, "The first two times, His Highness listened to the "Ming Pao" annual summary and the report on matters related to the Yi Chou imperial examination in the 18th year of Hongzhi respectively. And the Northwest... By the way, there is one thing , His Highness ordered the minister to write it down, but he has not yet discussed it with the ministers."

Zhu Houzhao raised his head, and he thought for a while, "Is it the drought in Shandong? Did the patrol censor who went to Shandong return to Beijing?"

"Your Highness has a good memory, that's right."

A good memory is not as good as a bad pen. It is better to memorize it, otherwise you will really forget it.

"Then let's announce it. Let's talk about Shandong together." After the prince finished speaking, he returned to the desk. The memorial in his hand was written by Min Gui.

Because the prisoners from Zhejiang are arriving in Beijing one after another, and it just coincides with the New Year, Min Gui thinks it is best not to cause blood to flow into rivers and wailing everywhere in the capital during the Spring Festival. It's not too late to execute again.

This matter is harmless and does not affect the overall situation. Zhu Houzhao didn't have any other opinions, so he used a red pen to mark it: Zhunzuo.

On Fengxi's side, after the prince finished "Xuan", he immediately drew up a note and asked the eunuch to pass it out. It said that he ordered the cabinet Li Dongyang, the Ministry of Households, and the inspector to enter the palace to report the disaster relief in Shandong.

The censors are also called inspectors. They are a bit like the central inspection team. They travel to places under the order of the emperor. Generally speaking, they supervise departments at all levels, but in the process of using them, it is most likely to be responsible for a certain thing. In terms of operability, Zhu Houzhao attaches great importance to this system, and there are even personnel in Jinyiwei who have similar functions.The main things are to inspect warehouses, check money and food, eliminate tycoons, and strengthen discipline.Of course, in the event of a disaster, Zhu Houzhao will also send a patrol censor to the place.

In fact, not only Jin Yiwei, but also guarding eunuchs sent to various places will also give memorials.

There is a bit of duplication of functions, but he can only stay in the Forbidden City. As long as the officials conspire, he is basically blind.It's scary when you're blind.

So there is no way.

In addition, Zhu Houzhao is somewhat different from previous emperors in that he often listens to courtiers' reports on specific matters.

In fact, to be honest, although Emperor Hongzhi worked diligently in the morning and afternoon courts, he actually didn't summon many ministers.And the Chinese all know that we do small things in big meetings, and big things in small meetings. When we decide our fate, we have a dozen or twenty people discuss it, and then ask you to implement it. There are so many people in the morning court, and the rules are so big. Easy to say?

In any case, Zhu Houzhao is still used to "opening a meeting".It also improves efficiency. The departments involved will come, and those not involved will not come. They will all be put in the court meeting. Some things have nothing to do with some departments, so he has to stand here, which is a waste of time.

But in this way, the pressure on the officials of the various ministries of the court was extremely high.

Because the prince needs to listen to the report, it is basically temporary. The luckiest person has two days to prepare, and it has not exceeded three days.

It is not uncommon for officials to be dismissed on the spot because of hesitating, ambiguity, and ignorance.

But in the court, the big bosses from the cabinet to the six departments and nine divisions all supported the prince to do this. This is called diligence. Who would expect the emperor and the prince to hide in the palace every day without seeing the ministers?Who dares to take this head.

So sometimes Zhu Houzhao will intensify his efforts, catch those who are not doing well, and hold meetings with them continuously.

The eunuchs in the Eastern Palace have also gradually become accustomed to the Crown Prince's way of handling government affairs. They should go to a few departments to notify a few people. Today, they are the cabinet, the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Then the three of them will go in different directions. run.

The cabinet is only used by Li Dongyang. This is a matter of coordination that he takes charge of, and he is also responsible for the drought in Shandong.The household department wants to come more, the secretary of the household department, the assistant minister in charge of disaster relief, and the principals below will all get it.

It's okay to patrol the censor, or bring your own deputy.

The others are gone.

These official government offices in the Ming Dynasty were basically built on the imperial city, and the cabinet, metropolitan procuratorate, and household department were all very close, which also provided convenience for meeting madmen like Zhu Houzhao.

By the time Liu Jin finished reading the twenty or thirty latest memorials, Li Dongyang and Han Wen had already arrived.

They saw that the prince was too busy, so they waited for a while, anyway, they have encountered such situations in the past.

"Shandong..."

Zhu Houzhao suddenly made a sound, and Li and Han hurriedly bowed slightly and listened carefully.
"Is Yang Tinghe there?"

"Your Highness, yes." Li Dongyang is a cabinet minister, so it is more appropriate for him to answer this question.

"He gave me a memorial, and the situation is not optimistic." Zhu Houzhao put down his ink pen and came out from behind the desk.

In fact, governing a country is often not a matter of gold and iron horses and soldiers on the battlefield.Looking through the "Ming Shilu", most of them are records of disasters and requests for tax relief from the court.

Especially in the climate of the Ming Dynasty, there were many cold and abnormal times.

"Last time, the Ministry of Household Affairs raised 20 taels of silver, which was regarded as an urgent need. However, the winter was too cold. Even if the people survived, they would definitely freeze to death. If they were weaker, they would even die from hunger. There were too many victims. There is too little food, and the porridge in the porridge shed cannot be thickened."

The prince talked a lot.

Why do these ministers always support the prince, because the prince only targets civil servants a few times a year and does a few things, and most of the time he is very serious about governing the country.So if you really get emotional, who dares not give in?

Li Dongyang and Han Wen couldn't be happy after hearing this, "Heaven and earth are not benevolent and treat everything as a straw dog. Your Highness is very concerned about it, and Da Situ is doing his best. Now that winter is coming, the imperial court is doing its best to help. I only hope Your Highness can reduce the money and food of the disaster-stricken prefectures and counties after the spring of the next year, and give the people a chance to breathe."

Zhu Houzhao knew that this was the era, and no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to make no one hungry during the catastrophe as he did in his previous life.

Material storage, logistics transportation, distribution, etc. can't keep up.

"Let's listen to what Xunguan Yushi has to say first." Zhu Houzhao deliberately mentioned Yang Tinghe to let them know that I have a grasp of the situation in Shandong, so don't expect to fool me.

However, the seven or eight of them sat down and stared wide-eyed before suddenly realizing something was wrong.

Han Wen turned his head to the household officer next to him and said softly: "Go and see why the patrol censor has not arrived yet."

Zhu Houzhao also took a look at Liu Jin, and the old eunuch understood, "I've already delivered the decree, so I'll go find it now."

There is no way, Zhu Houzhao can only chat with these people to pass the time.

It's just that today's inspector censor is afraid that he will be boarded. Even if he arrives slowly, there is no reason to let the prince and cabinet ministers wait for him for so long.

What's even more exaggerated is that after about an incense stick of time passed, Liu Jin brought the little eunuch who had gone to pass the decree to his knees, and said in a cold sweat in the winter: "Your Highness, that... the inspector censor he If he is not on duty, the slaves will never find him."

Zhu Houzhao frowned, and when it's time to celebrate the New Year, give him such a moth.

Officials in the Ming Dynasty also had time requirements for going to work. Generally, they followed the Tang and Song Dynasties as 'Chen (7 to 9 o'clock) enters and unitary (17 to 19 o'clock) leaves', but Liu Jin has just said that now it is Shenshi (15 to 17 o'clock) ), there was no one to be found in the yamen.

"Eh..." Both Han Wen and Li Dongyang were a little embarrassed, "Your Highness calm down, maybe there is something, just ask Eunuch Liu to look for it again."

Liu Jin thought, why don't you go in such a cold day.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't understand such a detailed history, so it's no wonder he was a little surprised.In fact, during the reign of Hongzhi... not to mention sitting on duty in the Yamen, even officials were absent in the early courts. This incident was not caused by Hongzhi, it started from the reign of Xuande.Even Emperor Hongzhi had the best temper, so the number of people sneaking out was the largest in history.

At that time, some people also said that the early dynasty of the Hongzhi Dynasty was the "Crow Dynasty", that is, there were too many absent officials, so there was no one at the Meridian Gate. When the morning bell rang, the crows' dreams were disturbed.

In fact, it also shows from the side that the morning court has become a ceremonial thing. Unfortunately, Emperor Hongzhi did not have the vision of later generations like Zhu Houzhao. Every morning and afternoon courts are so serious, it is useless, and the country is still like a mess.

"Xuan Mao..." Zhu Houzhao drew a long tone here,
Li Dongyang was startled, he hurriedly stood up, "Your Highness!"

"Xuan Mubin." After saying this, the crown prince thought for a while and then told Liu Jin, "By the way, call Zhang Chengtian too. Also, you are not allowed to make any noise after you go out. You know the rules of this palace. It's not that you are not allowed to sell Favors, but you are not allowed to sell favors today. Otherwise, I will peel off your skin!"

The last words are a bit harsh, whenever the prince speaks like this, it means you'd better be honest, or try to see if your neck is not stiff enough.That's why Liu Jin's heart trembled, "I don't dare to serve as a servant, so I'll go announce it according to His Highness's will."

The prince suddenly had a seizure, and the courtiers in the palace also moved a little bit, discussing something in low voices among themselves.But Zhu Houzhao closed his eyes and rested his mind, and said: "The rest of the people are sitting in place, and they are not allowed to leave without the order of my palace!"

It's just that they are late for work and leave early. Of course, this kind of thing will not kill people, but Zhu Houzhao also wants to punish them, and he must step by step deconstruct the moral images of these "gentlemen" who have read sage books.

Fortunately, Mou Bin and Zhang Chengtian didn't ask Zhu Houzhao to wait too long.

After coming over, the two knelt down directly.

"Minister Mu Bin, grassroots Zhang Chengtian, see Your Highness!"

Zhu Houzhao didn't talk nonsense, and ordered: "Commander Mou, after all, you are the commander of the Jinyiwei, and it is easier to do it, so I will take up a little time for you to think about it."

"Your Highness is serious, just give orders, and I will go through fire and water."

"You don't need to go through fire and water, it's a simple matter. You lead people now, and immediately seal all the yamen of the six departments and nine divisions of the imperial court. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Then, except for those who are on business trips and who are unwell Other than that, report all lists to Zhang Chengtian."

Zhang Chengtian bowed slightly when he heard his name.

"Zhang Chengtian, after you go back, write such a report. The content is simple, and no one sentence is complicated. Just say which officials are not on duty today. The information provided by Commander Mou should be more detailed, including names, ages, and official positions. There must be Jinshi from any subject, and all of them will be provided to Zhang Chengtian."

Li Dongyang and Han Wen looked at each other, what are they going to do?
Elder Li Ge immediately remonstrated, "Your Highness, I dare you to act so abruptly? Wouldn't it embarrass the imperial court if you rashly announced it to the inside and outside of Beijing?"

"Let the court lose face..." Zhu Houzhao's voice suddenly turned harsh, "Is it my palace who lost the court's face?!"

One by one, moral gentlemen made memorials saying that what was wrong with the emperor and the prince was wrong, which hurt the holiness for a while, and damaged the image of the court for a while.Look at what you've done first, fuck it!

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The Big Boss’ private event is coming again, you can prostitute for free for seven consecutive days.

(End of this chapter)