Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 262

Xiyuan, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Zhu Youtang quietly listened to Wang Xiang's report of the whole process, but there was no anger on his face, and he even continued to drink tea calmly.

Huh?
Liu Jin never expected that a small Jinyiwei Baihu would dare to point the finger at the majestic Zuodu Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, but he was ready to clean up the broken porcelain on the ground at any time, but found that things were different from what he thought .

Wang Xiang brought Mou Bin to face the saint this time, and he is kneeling on the ground respectfully at this moment.

Thinking of the absurd things Jin Yiwei did, although he had nothing to do with him, but at this moment he was too guilty to look directly at the emperor in front of him.

Mou Bin felt the majesty of the emperor, and he also knew that it was not easy to walk here from the palace road, so he did not dare to breathe heavily.

Sandalwood incense curled up, and the entire hall was eerily quiet.

Zhu Youtang blew the hot tea slowly, but asked indifferently: "The six of them are good seedlings, and none of them have been disabled due to injuries, right?"

"When Wei Chen heard the news and arrived, the four people who were tortured were all whipped, and they will recover after half a month of recuperation." Mou Bin was the first to arrive, and Dang Shi responded honestly.

When Wang Xiang thought of Jin Yiwei's endless tricks, he was secretly lucky.

If it wasn't for Mou Bin's timely response today, I still don't know that Ma Shu did such a ridiculous thing, and even got the testimony against Wang Yue now.

Zhu Youtang took a sip of hot tea, then changed the topic: "President Wang, I asked you to investigate secretly for so long, is there still no clue about Zhu Ji's matter?"

The current Jinyiwei's problem is far from the problem of Jinyiwei's commander Zhu Ji alone, but that the entire Jinyiwei's middle level is full of various related households, and even the lower level has many confidantes of the powerful.

Just changing a few heads can't solve the core problem of Jinyiwei at all. The best solution is to carry out a major operation to directly clean the upper and middle layers of Jinyiwei.

It's just that Jin Yiwei is the emperor's pro-army in name after all. Among them, there are also Jin Yiwei who have been loyal to the emperor for generations, and they are recognized as examples of the most loyal army in the world.

Even if they knew that there was something wrong with Jinyiwei, they had to sort it out slowly, instead of being dismissed from office on a large scale indiscriminately, not to mention that some hereditary families needed a sufficient reason to be dismissed from office.

Although the emperor has always claimed to be a loner, he cannot really be a loner.

Zhu Youtang had already seen through Jinyiwei, and planned to clean it up, but he couldn't find the right time.The reason why Zhu Ji was kept all the time was actually because he wanted to start with Zhu Ji, so as to find flaws and clean out those two martial artists, the second generation of officials and the second generation of the army.

It's just that the ideal is full and the reality is very skinny.

Although I sent Wang Xiang to keep an eye on Zhu Ji very early on, and I have already investigated Zhu Ji's financial uncleanliness, but I haven't got any substantive evidence of crime so far.

This……

Wang Xiang realized that it would be better to watch Zhu Youtang smash things, and responded awkwardly: "Your Majesty, I have found out that Zhu Ji obtained income from a pawnshop under his name, but these incomes...seem to be legal."

"Pawnshop? This pawnshop is mainly engaged in Beijing debt, right?" Zhu Youtang couldn't help but feel a little bit moved when he heard this unexpected information.

Wang Xiang was startled, and blurted out, "Your Majesty, how did you know?"

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but sneer, this is naturally a guess.

Originally, I didn't pay much attention to this Beijing debt, but after in-depth understanding, I found that the danger of Beijing debt was much more serious than imagined.

Beijing debt is not a product that only appeared in the Ming Dynasty, but it can be traced back to the Tang Wuzong period.

"Old Tang Book - Wu Zong Benji" records: In February of the second year of Huichang, Bingyin, Zhongshu Zou... paid monthly, and at the end of the year, he went to the Ministry of Accounting and Accounting, and went to the selection of officials. It is greedy, but it doesn't happen here.

According to the statistics of later generations, the Beijing debt of the Ming Dynasty reached the highest in history, and the situation of officials borrowing Beijing debt was intensified.

Up to now, Beijing debt lending objects are no longer limited to officials who have not yet taken office, and some officials who have been in office for many years have also begun to borrow Beijing debt repeatedly.

Although his cotton cloth business is very profitable, compared with Beijing debt, he is like a younger brother.

It’s just that these pawnshops dared to lend usury, and they naturally had powerful support behind them. Otherwise, how could a merchant dare to issue usury to officials ordered by the court?

The current situation has gradually become clear. Although Zhu Ji did not make money on the surface, he has made a lot of money from Beijing Bond, and is even one of the important lenders of Beijing Bond.

Zhu Youtang originally suspected that Wang Xiang had betrayed him, so he slightly eased his expression and said, "Get up!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang Xiang secretly let out a sigh of relief, and then got up from the ground with Mou Bin.

Heaven, Earth, Monarch, Master, and now the Prime Minister has carried it out very thoroughly. If it weren't for the emperor's special favor, he would have no status in Rui'anbo Mansion at all.

Holding the teacup in his hand, Zhu Youtang made a decision: "You conduct an internal investigation in the name of Ma Shu's dereliction of duty. Just put him in custody first, and I will make arrangements later, so step down!"

"Obey!" Wang Xiang and Mou Bin couldn't help being slightly taken aback, but immediately cupped their hands respectfully.

Zhu Youtang watched the two leave, but couldn't help but sigh.

"Your Majesty, Ma Shu is just a small character, so there's no need to be angry with this kind of person!" Seeing that Zhu Youtang still didn't show his emotions and anger after all, Liu Jin comforted him earnestly.

Zhu Youtang was about to put down the teacup, but suddenly he was stunned for a moment: "I always thought you were a roundworm in my heart, but now it seems that may not be the case!"

"Your Majesty, weren't you angry because of Ma Shu's matter just now?" Liu Jin couldn't help being taken aback.

Zhu Youtang shook his head lightly, and immediately a smile appeared on his face: "How could I be angry with Ma Shu? There is no perfect timing, after all, I don’t want to purge the most loyal personal guards for no reason, isn’t this a joke for the people of the world?”

Liu Jin listened carefully, but she still didn't understand.

Zhu Youtang brought the teacup that was about to be put down to his mouth, took a sip of tea and continued: "Ma Shu should have been instigated by someone this time, but he wanted to use this opportunity to target Wang Yue, and even deliberately created a It is just that Ma Shu is not a civil servant, nor is he a general of the Ming Dynasty, but a member of my own army. Now all fools know that I want to use Wang Yue again, but Ma Shu will be loyal to me. Let’s arrest him and torture him, don’t say I want to investigate and send Ma Shu, even if I want Zhu Ji to leave, no one in the civil and military courts will dare to say anything wrong with me!”

Jin Yiwei can be unfaithful to himself, and can even confess the officials he asked to be imprisoned as his ancestors, but he doesn't want to openly confront him.

Cleaning the Jinyiwei for no reason by myself is immoral, and it also chills the hearts of the world's meritorious soldiers, but it is only natural to punish a Jinyiwei who is against him.

To borrow a classic saying: We know they're lying, they know they're lying, they know we know they're lying, we know they know we know they're lying, but they're still lying.

The emperor and Jin Yiwei were in harmony with each other, and they knew each other's positions, but they couldn't pierce the window paper.

Others may think that Ma Shu is for justice, but people in the officialdom know at a glance that Ma Shu is pointing the sword at Wang Yue, and he is an important minister to be used against the emperor.

That's why Zhu Youtang really had no reason to be angry. After all, Ma Shu took the initiative to send his neck over, and even gave him a reason to clean Jinyiwei.

"Slave is stupid! It's just that since it's a good thing now, why did His Majesty sigh just now?" Liu Jin finally came to his senses and immediately apologized happily.

Zhu Youtang put down the teacup in his hand, and said bitterly: "Jinyiwei is my personal guard, and it is not easy to verify it. If Dongchang inspects Jinyiwei, it will definitely be strongly opposed by the government and the public, and Dongchang It may not be possible to get things done. Now the best way is for the Metropolitan Procuratorate to intervene, but it is a pity that Wang Yue is at his wits' end right now, and the heavens fail to fulfill his wishes!"

The examination is related to the talent ceremony. Although the Shuntian Gongyuan was closed nine days later, the area of ​​Jukui hall is still closed, and Wang Yue led nine other examiners to judge the candidates' examination papers.

According to the usual practice, let alone a person inside, even a note cannot be passed out.

Not to mention that Zhu Youtang wanted Wang Yue to help with something, even if he suddenly summoned Wang Yue for a discussion, it would not be appropriate.

If the decree is to bring Wang Yue out of the heavily guarded Jukui Hall area, this will make people outside imagined, and there will naturally be various versions of fraud.

Although Zhu Youtang really wanted to call people here immediately, and even more wanted Wang Yue to start directly from Ma Shu's case to track down the people behind the scenes, but the ceremony should not be messed up, rules are rules.

"Your Majesty, we have to wait another five days before the announcement of the list!" Liu Jin also felt that the matter was tricky, so he counted the days in dismay.

Zhu Youtang actually had a decision in his heart: "I have waited for such a long time, what's the point of waiting another five days? This time, Wang Yue will examine who ordered Ma Shu, and I will take this opportunity to dig out the Jinyiwei. , maybe we can really dig out a bunch of black sheep!"

According to various signs, this incident is inseparable from Zhu Ji, and there is even a mysterious force behind it.

In mid-February, the weather in Beijing has turned warm, and the snow has already melted away without a trace.

The time has come to the day when the results are released, and more than 4000 candidates are looking forward to it, looking forward to being favored by the goddess of luck, and waiting to be able to leap into the dragon's gate today.

What is the reason for the ten-year cold window?Naturally, it is known all over the world once the gold list.

Although juren can also be an official, but now there are too many official positions in Ming Dynasty. Juren doesn't know how long he will have to wait with the waiting list, and if he wants to find a better place to fill the vacancy, he has to borrow money from Beijing to deal with it.

On the other hand, Jinshi's fame, not to mention the opportunity to enter the Hanlin Academy, even if it is a real shortage of seventh-rank magistrates or officials in a prefecture, even if they are sent out, they have the opportunity to display what they have learned all their life.

Dongsheng Inn, where the golden sun falls in the courtyard.

Shopkeeper Zhang walked back to the front hall from the courtyard bathed in the rising sun, looking a little more nervous than the examinees, just fidgeting back and forth.

Ordinarily, the location of my inn is so good, no matter what, I should make a lot of money.It's just that it seems like I've hit an evil, and I haven't been a Jinshi for several consecutive subjects, and I haven't even appeared as a second-class Jinshi.

However, the bloody incident earlier affected his reputation. If he can't make a comeback against the wind today, then next year his inn will definitely be cast aside.

Not to mention earning money and marrying a concubine with a big butt to give birth to a big fat boy to carry on the family line, even if it continues to operate, it will become a big problem.

Shopkeeper Zhang almost bumped into someone, looked up and saw the laziest errand, and taught him a lesson: "Today is a good day to announce the good news, please work harder with your hands and feet, and be smarter!"

"Cousin, don't worry, I usually get lazy occasionally, but today I promise to be the most diligent!" The clever young man immediately winked and slapped his chest to reassure.

Shopkeeper Zhang thought that his nephew and his two-hundred-jin daughter seemed to see each other, and pointed at the table angrily: "What are you doing standing there stupidly? Wipe the table here again quickly, if there is a little bit of it on it Unclean things, I have to peel your skin today!"

The young man saw that the shopkeeper was getting angry, and he no longer dared to play tricks. Even if he worked obediently, he looked up and saw the six people who appeared, and warmly greeted him: "Masters, please sit down!"

Xu Hong and the other six were already considered friends in need, and they just made an appointment to come to the front hall together.

After these few days of recuperation, the health of the four people who were whipped has improved obviously, but some wounds are still aching.It's just that I can't take care of these now, but I hope that I can be named on the gold list today.

On the surface, Juren looks at the scenery, but he also has his own dissatisfaction.

"If I don't pass the exam again this time, I will be a candidate for the Ministry of Officials!"

"It's too difficult to live in the capital. I owe ten taels of capital debt now!"

"If I don't pass the exam this time, I plan to take the general exam next year. I don't believe that I am worse than others!"

……

The six people sat together, and because the results of the Guangdong General Examination had always been relatively poor, even if [-] places were admitted this time, Hai Kuan and others seemed worried and authentic.

Xu Hong saw that the atmosphere was gloomy, so he cheered him up: "Don't forget, we all did well in the second exam, maybe all six of us here will pass!"

"If all six of you can go to high school this time, I will write your names upside down!" Tan Bo happened to come to the front hall, and Dang Shi opened the paper fan to taunt.

Xu Hong really didn't like this young master who always looked down on them, so he had an idea: "If there are six of us in high school, you go to the gate of Beizhen Fusi and call Zhu Ji, the commander of Jinyiwei, a bastard!"

"What if you don't win?" Tan Bo asked without flinching when he realized that the game was quite big.

Xu Hong picked up the egg he had just delivered and licked it on the edge of the table, with the corner of his mouth slightly raised: "If the six of us fail to win, the six of us will go to the gate of Fusi in Beizhen and call Zhu Ji a bastard tortoise."

"Okay, it's a deal!" Tan Bo gathered the paper fan and tapped it on his palm, making the bet very confidently.

Just at this time, a beautiful figure walked in from the door, holding a rather heavy food box in her hand.

(End of this chapter)