Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 258

When Wang Yue knelt on the ground, he found that the air was suddenly quiet, and he felt an inexplicable tension in his heart, and he could even hear his heart beating.

Since the year before last, he has been "doing whatever he wants" locally, perhaps because he is too far away from the royal capital, and he doesn't have a strong feeling for imperial power.

It's just that now that he actually came before the emperor, he really felt the majesty of the emperor, and felt that his destiny was actually controlled by the person in front of him.

In essence, he can be said to be the person who has the deepest feeling for imperial power in the world today.

At that time, he was the leader of Wei Ningbo, and he was so beautiful, but because of a poem that was deliberately misinterpreted, he was deposed and exiled to Anlu, and felt the cruelty and ruthlessness of the imperial power.

During his exile in Anlu, he witnessed Hu Daniu being forced to death by Li Guangming and Xiao Zhixian, but he deeply felt his helplessness and weakness.It's just that when the emperor's favor comes down, he can behead officials with a knife in a grand manner, and he also feels that the emperor's power can make a dead tree rejuvenate.

Imperial power is like thunder, like rain and dew, but as a courtier, it can only be interpreted as "thunder, rain and dew are all the grace of the king".

Now, although he has the merits of Prime Minister Yanzheng, and even led the Ming army to pacify the Annan Li Dynasty, it is not worth mentioning in front of the absolute imperial power.

In the East Nuan Pavilion, sandalwood incense curls up.

It is naturally impossible for Zhu Youtang to cast thunderous anger on Wang Yue. At this moment, he is more curious about this later celebrity.

He found that although Wang Yue's figure was tall, he was not burly, and he lacked the general's chilling aura, but looked more like a hard-bodied literati.

But no matter what, it was the old man in front of him who cut off the salt and water for him, and even led the Ming army to successfully defeat the Li Dynasty, and he had to be grateful.

Zhu Youtang recovered from his thoughts, and gently raised his hand and said softly: "Pingshen, give me a seat!"

Huh?
Liu Jin was taken aback for a moment, but immediately followed suit.

Looking at the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, the only official who could receive this kind of courteous service was Wan An, the chief assistant of the cabinet, but now this Zuodu censor who returned from a local area was so valued by His Majesty.

Wang Yue thanked Li and stood up, feeling flattered.

In fact, he has always had a question in his heart: he obviously has no contact with Zhu Youtang, but since the emperor ascended the throne, he has not only been revived, but also received the strongest support from the local area.

Not to mention the direct award of Shang Fang's sword to a person who lived in exile, when Yangzhou was in danger, it was the emperor who promptly arranged for Wang Zhi to lead the Nanjing Shenji Battalion to support him.

Now that he returned to the capital, the first time he met the saint, he was given a seat, so he had to search for the reason why he could get such a holy family.

Liu Jin sent a stool and made a gesture of please.

"Wang Qing, you have worked so hard this year!" Zhu Youtang knew that what Wang Yue did was not easy, so he also praised him.

When Wang Yue heard the emperor's personal commendation, he was also moved for a while, so he quickly stood up and said: "Your Majesty is dedicated to the people, and I will go through fire and water. It's just that I don't dare to say bitterness for a little effort!"

"I have lived in Guying for more than two years, and the past is sad and helpless. It is the joy of the autumn harvest. I don't know that the salt government has become a tiger. The poor poor family wants to eat salt, and the land of hundreds of miles is idle. Today, the emperor's grace suddenly came, and the old man held a knife. ’” Zhu Youtang recently rekindled his interest in poetry, so he recited Wang Yue’s old works.

Wang Yue thought of the resentment and determination at that time, it seemed like it was just yesterday.

It's just that in more than a year, he has fulfilled his oath at that time, made remarkable achievements in salt administration, and even slaughtered all officials in Yangzhou in one day.

Wang Yue didn't know what the Son of Heaven was thinking at this time, so he naturally chose to say modestly: "The humble work of the minister is difficult to be elegant, and His Majesty will laugh at you!"

"Old man with a knife and young man, I like this poem very much!" Zhu Youtang expressed his position pointingly, and then changed the topic: "You should be rehabilitated for such military achievements, but do you know why I don't do this? Do it?"

"I dare not presume the holy will!" Wang Hua faintly guessed Zhu Youtang's real intention, but he still expressed his position in a polite manner.

Zhu Youtang knew that there was a need for a clear statement on the situation of conferring titles, so he looked at Wang Yue solemnly: "Once you are re-ranked, according to the ancestral system, civil servants can only be named earls, and they are not allowed to prejudge the affairs of Jiuqing. Even if I am the emperor , but it is not easy to do things that violate the ancestral system, so I have to let go of your restoration of the title and promote you as the Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate."

"Your Majesty is so gracious, I have no choice but to repay His Majesty!" Although Wang Yue had already guessed, he knelt down and expressed his opinion with emotion.

Ordinarily, the Ming court really owed him an earl, so it is impossible for him to be inferior to Wang Hua in so many military achievements.

It's just that Zhu Youtang's starting point is not to break the ancestral system of "not to prejudge the affairs of the Nine Ministers", so if His Majesty does not give him a reunification, it is a reward, not a ruthless emperor who crossed the river and demolished the bridge.

In terms of power alone, if the Fujue could only go to the border as the commander-in-chief or governor in the name of an earl, but now he can stay in the capital as the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, it is naturally the latter. more powerful.

In fact, it is up to me to choose, and I also hope to be able to enter the court to do things, instead of standing at the border with an earl and maybe being squeezed out by the civil servants at any time.

If it is said that there may have been feelings of unwillingness earlier, but now that Zhu Youtang personally explained the reason for not resuming the title, there is only gratitude for meeting Bole in my heart at this moment.

"Wang Qing, I actually hope that you can hold a knife for as long as you are young, cut off those moths for Daming, and create a real Chinese prosperous age with me!" Zhu Youtang knew that Wang Yue was a literati with the people in his heart, so he said seriously Looking at Wang Yue.

Wang Yue met Zhu Youtang's gaze, and also realized that the emperor in front of him had great ambitions, and expressed his gaze firmly: "I am willing to do my best for your majesty, and I will die!"

Standing by the side and witnessing this scene, Liu Jin faintly felt that the court in the second year of Hongzhi would be very different.

"With Wang Qing's help, I won't be intimidated anymore, sit down first!" Zhu Youtang's heart was also much more stable, and he immediately came up with a plan that had already been drawn up.

Wang Yue saluted and took his seat, and then took a proposal from Liu Jin.

"If the Metropolitan Procuratorate really wants to do something, it will inevitably encounter some difficulties. It also needs more manpower to conduct investigations. Therefore, I decided to increase manpower for the Metropolitan Procuratorate and prepare to build a search department under the Metropolitan Procuratorate. The search department is currently divided into five groups. The rank of each team leader is set at the level of one thousand households, and they are mainly recruited from the soldiers who have made great contributions to the South and Wu Jinshi, and each team is responsible for assisting an official of the Metropolitan Procuratorate in Beijing to check the officials." Zhu Youtang saw Wang Yue Browse through your own business plan and simply state the plan.

The corruption of Ming Dynasty officials was caused by many reasons. Originally, the vanguards of anti-corruption were Jin Yiwei and Dongchang, but these two yamen had already been infiltrated.

In particular, Jinyiwei not only has hereditary officers, but Wu Xun's children and the second generation of officials are constantly stuffed in, resulting in fewer and fewer Jinyiwei who are actually working. They even treat officials arrested by the emperor as their ancestors.

Originally, Xichang was the most effective anti-corruption department, but the civil service group naturally did not allow such a horrible department to exist. In the end, even the factory supervisor Wang Zhi almost died.

After Zhu Youtang ascended the throne, he actually thought about cleaning up Jinyiwei, and also planned to support Wang Xiang, but this is not a novel after all.

Hereditary, the second generation, and those who have long been loyal to them are even full of a lot of eyeliner. It is not at all possible to solve the problem by changing the commander of Jinyiwei.

The most effective way to solve the problem is to start a new stove. The West Factory is actually another stove of the East Factory. Now it can also be another stove of Jinyiwei from the inspection hall of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

Originally, this idea was difficult to implement. After all, the search department was under the jurisdiction of civil officials, but Wang Yue's return made this matter feasible.

A person who dares to slaughter hundreds of officials in one day can naturally sharpen his knife and slash at other corrupt officials.

Wang Yue read the proposal very quickly, but suddenly reminded him earnestly: "Your Majesty's actions are suspected of making the Metropolitan Procuratorate support soldiers!"

"The search hall is full of more than 100 people, and they are divided into five groups, so we can't talk about supporting soldiers!" Zhu Youtang knew that there had never been a precedent for a general to be assigned to the central yamen, so he calmly characterized it.

Wang Yue knew that the civil official group definitely did not want a strong Metropolitan Procuratorate to appear, so he reminded bitterly: "Your Majesty, whether you support troops or not, the resistance to this matter may not be small."

"Wang Qing is too worried. This little resistance will not make me give in. You just need to wait for the personnel to arrive!" Zhu Youtang shook his head lightly, and then arranged directly: "I heard that when you are in the place, your Your grandson Wang Yu has helped you a lot, and your righteous grandson Hu Jun is also a talented person, so let the two of them serve as the deputy team leaders of the first team of the search department, and help you supervise the officials!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!" Wang Yue did not expect His Majesty to do such a thing, and he saluted gratefully.

If I have my grandson and Hu Jun as my driving force, not only will I be able to do things more easily, but it will also give these two younger generations a good future.

Regardless of whether the deputy team leader is the deputy thousand or one hundred households, if he is able to work in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, his identity and status cannot be compared with that of a local military position.

Of course, what excites him the most is the establishment of the Search Agency. Only with more capable officers can we do things well, instead of going to fight the entire civil service group as a polished commander.

Zhu Youtang's original intention was to let Wang Yue handle things better for him, so he formally posed a difficult problem: "I have always been rewarded and punished! Now that the Metropolitan Procuratorate has a search office, it can also give you greater personnel rights in the future." , but I happen to have a very difficult matter in my hands that needs to be dealt with by you!"

"The case of the Marquis of Huichang?" Wang Yue heard about the case just after he arrived in Beijing, and immediately guessed.

Zhu Youtang shook his head slightly, and then handed a document to Liu Jin: "During the investigation of the Huichanghou case, the Shuntian Mansion searched Changsheng's pawnshop and found that this pawnshop has always been mainly Beijing debt. Although the name of the official is not listed in this secret book, the amount on it is shocking."

Beijing debt refers to a debt activity in which loan sharks in the capital lend money to officials who are candidates or are about to take office in Beijing.Because its interest income is very high, more and more powerful people participate in it, and it is also showing a trend of becoming more and more popular.

Even the technology companies of later generations know that lending is the most profitable, let alone in today's farming society, this Beijing debt is simply the pillar industry of the capital.

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, it is common for many officials to borrow money from Beijing to go to office!" Wang Yue was slightly taken aback for a moment, and then reminded him solemnly.

Zhu Youtang smiled bitterly, and directly stated the truth: "If you borrow a few thousand taels, do you think it's just as simple as raising travel expenses?"

"Ah? Why are there so many?" Wang Yue couldn't help staring, and asked in confusion.

Zhu Youtang sighed inwardly, and then shared his investigation results: "After investigation, these loans are no longer limited to travel expenses, but are mainly used to bribe officials in the capital, or perhaps to pay tribute."

Introversion prevails in any era.

Originally, the selection of officials in the Ming Dynasty was very strict, and there was a complete set of operating mechanisms.It's just that a small group of officials bribed by borrowing Beijing debts in order to seek a future, or to protect their officials.

The official in charge of checking the officials is not a saint after all, but a mortal body, so naturally he hopes to get benefits.Facing the bribe money sent by Hou Guan, he finally chose to accept it, and then the selection of officials was almost always based on money.

Seeing that the selection was becoming more and more unfair, other local officials chose to follow suit and borrowed Beijing debts to seek officials.

This is why Yangzhou has Li Zhiqing, a big greedy man who is in a fat position, and more and more local officials are repaying debts by squeezing the people.

Wang Yue was also secretly startled, and couldn't help expressing his position angrily: "Since you have fallen to such a point?"

"Beijing debts are prevalent, and the government will be destroyed! I originally wanted to be managed by Dongchang, but now I want to hand over this matter to you. I hope you can find out all the money lending institutions. I want you to catch them all!" Zhu Youtang clearly said Aware of the dangers of Beijing debt, it is also a way of entrusting.

Wang Yue once again felt that he had a great responsibility. If the rectification of the salt policy is to let the people eat low-priced salt, the clearing of the Beijing debt is to save the people from being squeezed.

Even officials who originally had lofty ideals of governing the country and the country, once caught in the quagmire of Beijing debts, they can only take risks and choose the path of corruption.

The best thing to do now is naturally to cut off this source of evil, so that those newcomers to the officialdom with the idea of ​​governing the country and the country will not be polluted by the general environment, but can be good officials who make decisions for the people.

Wang Yue was no longer an impulsive person, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I have a request!"

"Say!" Zhu Youtang looked at Wang Yue's serious appearance, and also looked seriously into Wang Yue's eyes.

Wang Yue swallowed and spit, and then made a request: "I hope that this year, some young officials from the new subjects will be selected to enter the Metropolitan Procuratorate to act as Jinshi for observing politics, and let them work on my behalf!"

"You don't believe those officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate! It's just that you need to do it yourself!" Zhu Youtang knew that Wang Yue really wanted to accomplish something, but said mysteriously.

(End of this chapter)