Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 82
With the downfall of Wynn, a big reckoning quietly unfolded in the inner court.

Since Liang Fang had already sent people to target Wynn, who contacted Wynn after he returned, and who bribed him, these things have already been recorded.

In fact, when Wynn was imprisoned in Beizhen Fusi, Liang Fang had already ordered all of Wynn's accomplices to be imprisoned.

Although Huai En's name is to overcome his greedy hands, there are many greedy people under his hands, especially Chen Zhun, the godson who is relied on by Huai En.

During the reign of Emperor Chenghua, a large number of eunuchs were dispatched to local areas to be responsible for supervising fortifications and serving as important positions such as the Suzhou and Hangzhou Weaving Department, so that the powerful eunuchs in the capital had a lot of room for rent-seeking.

These eunuchs don't need to do it themselves, the apprentices and grandchildren who have been sent to the place have already made money for them, so many big eunuchs have been fattened up.

Chen Zhun is one of the representative figures. He first relied on Wynn's favor, and then he was the chief of staff and director of the East Factory for many years. He was resolutely the best in the inner court.

Knowing that Chen Zhun had accumulated a lot of money over the years, Zhu Youtang immediately ordered a search of the mansion Chen Zhun had bought in the capital. As a result, he confiscated a full 50 taels of gold and silver, jade plates, and countless treasures from Chen Zhun's home.

Before Chen Zhun, the most corrupt eunuch in Ming Dynasty was Wang Zhen.

When Wang Zhen was confiscated, he confiscated sixty treasuries of gold and silver from his house. Each treasury amounted to more than 6000 taels. There are more than a hundred, and there are countless treasures.

You must know that the annual military expenditure of the Nine Borders Town in Chenghua Dynasty is only 40 taels. As a result, the amount of corruption of this eunuch has exceeded the military expenditure of the Nine Borders Town.

"The harm of internal eunuchs has never been heard in ancient times. If Your Majesty reuses internal eunuchs, the country's money will not be rich!"

"If the eunuchs get a point, the people will lose a point, and if the people lose a point, they will have no way of living, and the country will be in endless chaos!"

"Taizu has taught that eunuchs should not interfere in politics! Today, I value eunuchs and despise civil servants. This is how sad it is for scholars in the cold world to be strong and treacherous villains!"

……

After Chen Zhun's confiscation of 50 taels of gold and silver set a new record for the embezzlement of the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty, these civil servants seemed to have beaten chicken blood collectively, and they all made a big fuss about this matter.

Facing the memorials that flew like snowflakes, even Zhu Youtang couldn't take it anymore.

Although everyone knows what these civil servants are thinking, they just want Zhu Youtang to alienate the internal officials so that they can reuse their "clean" civil servants.

Unfortunately, Zhu Youtang couldn't say that they were wrong.

After all, eunuchs still have to guard against corruption. Once they are too indulgent, even if the eunuchs under their noses are very clean, the eunuchs who are released will inevitably continue to run amok.

When Zhu Youtang saw that the memo had been passed from the capital to the officials of the surrounding prefectures and counties, even though he had already made preparations in his heart, he still felt dizzy.

"Your Majesty, if Chen Zhun and other eunuchs were not seized, how could the internal funds have received 50 taels and so many treasures?" Guo Yong knew with a smile that Zhu Youtang would not be in trouble with the full 50 taels.

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but feel better when he thought of the 50 taels, but he still said sadly: "Once the matter of Chen Zhun comes out, these civil servants will probably make a fuss about it again and again in the future. What should we do?"

In his plan, the reuse of eunuchs is still an important part.

After all, there are too many corrupt officials in the local area, and the civil official group has a natural attribute of party formation. If the eunuchs are not used to supervise and restrict, then the local corruption will definitely be inexhaustible.

"Your Majesty is the most resourceful and resourceful in the world, and this servant thinks that I will not be able to trouble His Majesty!" Guo Yong thought of Zhu Youtang's exquisite layout earlier, and he was flattering.

The north wind outside was blowing so hard that there was a whimpering sound.

Zhu Youtang raised his head and glanced at the gently swaying sandalwood smoke, then asked seriously: "Guo Yong, do you think your internal prisons are greedy or the civil servants are more greedy?"

"Your Majesty, it's hard for a servant to answer, for fear of being partial!" Guo Yong grabbed his crotch, looking bitter and authentic.

Zhu Youtang glanced at him, looking serious and authentic: "I may not be able to trust you completely, I will distinguish between the real and the fake, you just say it!"

"When Wang Zhen was in power, every time he received tribute from local officials and Beijing officials, it was a few hundred taels. Later, someone gave him 3000 taels for the post of Shangshu, and he asked, "Why do you favor me, sir?" At that time, the local officials gave Xueshi Yang the ice and charcoal and silver. Our eunuchs are all from poor backgrounds, and even the servants seem to have never seen money. In the past, a few hundred taels were enough to support the elderly. But I don’t know that it’s not worth mentioning. Even if our eunuchs are greedy for money, they don’t necessarily want gold and silver mountains. In the end, who can this gold and silver mountains be passed on to? The slaves don’t know how the civil servants are, but according to the humble opinion of the slaves, they You must be more greedy than eunuchs, etc., I heard that Li Min is begging for money and recruiting masters who understand martial arts!" Guo Yong said eloquently.

Zhu Youtang's heart moved slightly, and he immediately asked seriously: "I remember that Li Min seemed to be promoted directly from the Governor of Water Transport to the Minister of the Household Department. How did he squeeze out Pan Rong, the former left servant of the Household Department?"

"I don't know about this, but Pan Rong has served as the Minister of the Household Department for many years. It is true that he is more suitable to take over as the Minister of the Household Department, but he was squeezed to Nanjing!" Guo Yong seemed thoughtful.

It was hard for Zhu Youtang to judge whether Li Min followed Xu Pu's connections or used money in private, but he vaguely felt that there was something wrong with Li Min, so he asked seriously, "Has Li Min left Beijing?"

"Shouldn't get up today, I went to the mansion of Wange yesterday to congratulate, it seems that I want to say goodbye to everyone before leaving for Henan!" Guo Yong shook his head lightly.

Zhu Youtang had an idea in his mind, and Dang even ordered: "I don't worry about other people's work, you can find out Li Min's bottom line yourself, especially the situation during his tenure as the Governor of Water Transport!"

"Slave obeys the order!" Guo Yong realized that Zhu Youtang was going to use Li Min to solve the problem, so he said it respectfully.

Zhu Youtang watched Guo Yong leave, and could not help but sigh softly.

Originally, he was unwilling to start with ransacking the house, after all, such an approach would damage the confidence of the subjects in the world in the right to property protection, but now he is in a hurry to follow the right, and he can't care so much.

Chen Zhun's greed for ink surpassed Wang Zhen's, and now this matter is being held up by the civil servants group. If he doesn't try to break the situation, then he will encounter greater resistance if he continues to reuse eunuchs.

Although I can act arbitrarily as the Son of Heaven, but if ministers such as Xu Pu lose hope, then they probably won't control the place for themselves anymore.

This is the case, and the best solution is to tear off the underpants of the civil servants, so as to smash the "honesty and integrity" they are proud of.

It's just that the official is slick, even if I have doubts about Li Min, it is still difficult to expose Li Min's corruption evidence, but I can't search Li Min's home without evidence.

Liu Jin came in from the outside and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Song Cheng, a member of the Department of Criminal Affairs in Zhejiang Province, asked to see him. He said that he had already solved the case that His Majesty just issued to the Ministry of Punishment!"

"It seems that he has just arrived at the Ministry of Punishment! If that's the case, then let him in!" Zhu Youtang was slightly surprised, and immediately asked someone to come in.

Because Beizhen Fusi investigated the cause of Wynn's death for many days and still had no clues, so today he used the case to assess the officials of the Criminal Ministry, hoping to let competent officials investigate the case.

The topic of the case is: In the 16th year of Hongwu, a businessman surnamed Li in Suzhou planned to do business in other places, hired a boatman's boat, and agreed to board the boat at Hanshan Temple outside the city the next day.Before dawn the next day, Li Yuanwai left home, but when the sun was shining on the east window, Li's wife heard the boatman knock on the door and shouted: "Sister Li, sister Li, open the door!" After Li's wife opened the door, the boatman asked anxiously. "Sister-in-law Li, it's getting late, why hasn't Mrs. Li arrived?" Li's wife was in a panic, but failed to find him all the way.Question: This case was reported to the county government, and you are the county magistrate, how should you deal with it?

"Wailang Song Cheng, member of the Zhejiang Cleaning Department of the Ministry of Ministers and Punishments, respectfully invites Sheng An!" Song Cheng, a dark-skinned young man, knelt down respectfully.

"Sheng Gong'an! Have you solved the problem?" Zhu Youtang had a certain impression of Song Cheng in the previous assessment of the Ministry of Punishment, so he asked seriously.

Although Liu Jin had read that question, and Li Yuanwai had been missing for a relatively short time, it might not be too difficult to investigate. The main thing is to have a logical and strict protocol. She couldn't help looking at Song Cheng curiously to know the answer. .

(End of this chapter)