The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Beizhen Fusi.

Zhang Zhou appeared here, and Li Zhang, the admiral of Dongchang, personally led him there. He was also greeted by the commander Mou Bin and the governor Guo Ang of Fusi Town in Beizhen, as well as Qianhu and Baihu. There were six or seven of them, and the Jin Yiwei's welcome to Zhang Zhou was of the highest standard.

Zhang Zhou's arrival this time was not for Xie Qian's case.

Because from Zhu Youtang's point of view, he didn't want Zhang Zhou to be overly involved in Xie Qian's matter, but Liu Yu was the one Zhang Zhou went to get after all, and Liu Yu's case must be handled by Zhang Zhou personally Disposal.

But when Zhang Zhou arrived at Beizhen Fusi, the criminal he wanted to see first was Xie Qian.

"Sir, please wait a moment. Mr. Xie Ge will ask you to come out soon. Just don't make any publicity about today's meeting. This is your Majesty's wish." Li Zhang respectfully said to Zhang Zhou.

"Ah."

Zhang Zhou sat on a chair in a banquet living room in Fusi, Beizhen, and drank the tea specially prepared for him by Jin Yiwei.

The sky was starting to get a little dark. Zhang Zhou still had guests to meet that night. Thinking about the things he had arranged after dark, Zhang Zhou couldn't help but get up and take a look at the window. The snow in Jinyiwei's yard was cleared in a timely manner compared to other places. Only Some traces of snow can still be seen on the roof.

"Sir, we have arrived." When Li Zhang came back, Xie Qian was followed behind him.

"Oh."

Zhang Zhou turned around and looked at Xie Qian. At this time, Xie Qian was in a very bad state. He looked a bit desolate and lonely. His clothes were also a little worn and had a dusty feeling. Even if he was in Fusi, Beizhen, He didn't receive any inhuman treatment in the cell, but he didn't come here for a vacation. The people in Jinyiwei knew how to adapt to the situation best. Knowing that Xie Qian was not favored by the emperor, they would definitely put on Xie Qian's shoes behind his back.

"Sir, please talk first, and we will retreat first." After Li Zhang finished speaking, he waved his hand and asked the people standing aside to retreat, and even he himself walked away.

After going out, Li Zhang even closed the door himself.

Zhang Zhou pointed to the seat next to him and said, "Mr. Xie Ge, please take a seat."

Xie Qian didn't sit down, and said with a bit of sadness in his tone: "Why is it you?"

Zhang Zhou said: "I returned to Beijing yesterday, and I also learned about the great victory in Jizhou Town last night. I went back home today and finally rested for a few hours. When we came together, I was invited here by Eunuch Li. This was not to do anything with Mr. Xie Ge. What a conversation, it’s just a case involving Liu Yu, the governor of Jizhou.”

"What's wrong with him?" Xie Qian asked.

"It's a very bad thing. He was corrupt, perverting the law, and lining his own pockets. It caused complaints from local officials, gentry and people, and had a very bad impact on the court." Zhang Zhou replied.

Xie Qian frowned and looked at Zhang Zhou, as if to say, are you sure the crimes you mentioned are Liu Yu's? Why does it sound like you are reviewing your past mistakes? Wasn't that all your fault?
Zhang Zhou said: "Mr. Xie Ge, have you heard about the great victory in the north?"

Xie Qian turned his head to the side. At this moment, he seemed to put down his airs and the reserve of being a scholar. He sat down holding on to the armrest of the chair. After adjusting it slightly, he said: "You didn't tell me, where did I hear it? I'm here Here, everyone is closed-minded and deaf. You can tell me how you want to deal with me, and I won’t even frown."

Zhang Zhou smiled.

Although he had never visited Xie Qian before, he knew Xie Qian's situation very well.

Li Zhang had already told him that even if Xie Qian was not punished in Fusi Prison in Beizhen, he still suffered a lot because of rheumatism and other diseases in his old bones, especially when it was freezing outside. The temperature in the cell is below zero, so I just cover myself with a quilt and sleep. When the prison boss is in a good mood, he will provide a brazier and ask the Xie family to bring gifts. But in fact, Xie Qian has long been suffering from cold and other problems these days. Sickness is also the reason why people look haggard.

No frown?

Even if you want to frown, you won't have the chance. Your face will tighten up and your expression won't change at all!

Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty did not tell me explicitly, but Eunuch Li told me that your Majesty is planning to let Mr. Xie Ge resign and return to your hometown to live in peace and quiet."

"Huh! That's it?" Xie Qian looked very disdainful.

You arrested me and put me in jail, and made me suffer so much, just to make me resign and leave the court?

Xie Qian paused, looked at each other sharply and said, "The next step is for you to join the cabinet, right?"

Zhang Zhou said: "Thank you, Mr. Ge. What are you talking about? What does your resignation and returning to your hometown have to do with my joining the cabinet? There are still three cabinet elders in the cabinet. Thank you, Mr. Ge. One is not too much. One less is less. Is it less? Thanks to Mr. Xie Ge, will the Ming Dynasty be shut down?"

"Stop?" Xie Qian first thought about the meaning of this word, and then said angrily, "Are you entertaining me?"

Zhang Zhou then sat down on the chair next to him and even crossed his legs.

Xie Qian was surprised by Zhang Zhou's behavior in front of him.

Even in his mind, Zhang Zhou is the representative of hostile forces and the embodiment of a shameless bastard. In the past, in his opinion, Zhang Zhou was considered a polite bastard and looked like a scholar... But now, Zhang Zhou is He seems like a powerful villain.

“Mr.

This is the gesture of a winner.

Xie Qian said angrily: "Where did I go wrong?"

Zhang Zhou said: "The British Lord is on an expedition, and you civil servants don't provide assistance, but you pretend to support it. You can't even supply basic food, grass and luggage. The Ministry of Revenue has been pushing the envelope. In fact, your Majesty knows this matter well. If you If you don’t take responsibility, you will need the Minister of Revenue, Ji Zhong, to take responsibility, you pick one.”

"You..." Xie Qian was speechless.

But think about it, the truth is there.

In the past, when the war in the north was inconclusive, the emperor would not take action on the household department, but now the results have basically come out. Although the multi-front battlefield is currently blooming in the east, the emperor has the confidence to rectify the household department in this way.

Zhang Zhou said again: "This is your first mistake. The second mistake is that you asked someone to impeach Uncle Xin Xin. You clearly knew that Uncle Xin Xin sent troops to assist the British Crown Prince, and that it was His Majesty's will. You also knew that this was just for coordinated operations. However, It is a part of the northwest troop dispatch, but you have ignored the friendship between the ministers and officials, accused Yu Xinbo with inexplicable crimes, and even manipulated the officials behind the scenes. Is this your responsibility as a member of the cabinet? ?”

Xie Qian said coldly: "It's empty talk."

Zhang Zhou said: "Well, it's better to choose one of the two. Either you take the responsibility, or your majesty will investigate carefully and find out who is behind the scenes and figure out whether to burn the entire cabinet. I don't know if Liu Ge Mr. Li and Mr. Li Ge have something to do with this matter."

Xie Qian was speechless again.

He felt as if he was being held seven inches.

It is true that Xie Qian did not do this alone, but now if we only care about Xie Qian alone and do not hold the Ministry of Revenue and the Kedao Yanguan responsible, and do not implicate Liu Jian and Li Dongyang in this matter, then why He decided to take responsibility for the crime alone, but it seemed to be the best option.

He was also thinking about it. This is being put on a moral high ground, forcing me to take responsibility.

Can I say that I no longer bear the responsibility? You can drag whomever you like, imprison whomever you like, and imprison whomever you like? Wouldn’t that look like a model of a lost scholar?

Zhang Zhou said: "If Mr. Xie Ge agrees, the Kedao colleagues who were previously held accountable for this matter will forget about it and do whatever they have to do. Even the literati Qingyi will give them a clean slate so that they can leave with a clean slate." Self-proclaimed. One crime shall not be punished twice. After this incident is over, Your Majesty will not care about them anymore."

Xie Qian continued to be silent.

Zhang Zhou seemed to be negotiating with Xie Qian, but in fact, only he, Zhang Zhou, had the power to set conditions. Zhang Zhou continued: "Xie Ge will go out from here and return home in rich clothes, and your family will have no influence. I forgot to tell you." In a word, your family's wives, children, and children have now left the capital and returned to Yuyao. Only your son, Xie Pi, remains in the capital to prepare for the examination next year."

The muscles on Xie Qian's face moved, but he still pretended to be deaf and dumb.

Zhang Zhou said: "This is what Eunuch Li told me before. Now let me tell you my opinion. In my opinion, your Majesty has stepped back and made concessions on this matter. He has not cared about the matter of the ministers of the DPRK and China forming cliques for personal gain. It’s the best result if you don’t blame anyone too much, isn’t it?”

Xie Qian said in a cold tone: "How can I exchange the stability of the entire court with just one person?"

"Let's put it this way. Mr. Xie Ge is in a high position and must bear more responsibilities than others. Only you can shoulder so much. Can it be done by someone else? If Mr. Xie Ge is unwilling to give in, you might as well wait. A few years later, after I fell into disrepair and the court restored your so-called order, it is not impossible for me to make a comeback and clean up your situation again."

Zhang Zhou spoke in a joking tone, as if he was making fun of himself.

Xie Qian hummed and said: "The Ming Dynasty will not be better as long as you are here! Your Majesty has been deceived by you."

"There are times when the Holy Spirit is deceived, and there are times when the clouds and mist are cleared away. Everyone in the world knows that this flower will never bloom for a hundred days. I myself have no idea of ​​clinging to power. How come I am so pessimistic when I am here, Mr. Xie Ge? To say the least, I am too pessimistic. A few years ago, another powerful official emerged in the court and squeezed my position. Maybe what he did was not as good as mine. What he did was not to take a step forward but to kill everyone. What did Mr. Xie Ge think at that time? ?”

Zhang Zhou easily analyzed things that he might encounter in the future for Xie Qian.

First there was Li Guang, and then there was Zhang Zhou.

Who knows if there will be another powerful minister in the future?

Xie Qian frowned and said, "What did you see?"

Zhang Zhou shrugged and said, "I can see more than Mr. Xie Ge, but I may not have the same wealth and ambitions as Mr. Xie Ge. I'm just an idler who takes one step at a time and waits for death. Mr. Xie Ge, I wish you a safe journey back home!"

……

……

Under Xie Qian's complicated gaze, Zhang Zhou left the banquet room.

When he walked out, there were light snowflakes falling outside. Zhang Zhou did not feel cold, but just called the people on the side to come over and inform Li Zhang to invite Liu Yu over again.

"Sir, are you done talking?"

Li Zhang didn't expect Zhang Zhou to come out so soon.

Zhang Zhou said: "I conveyed roughly what Eunuch Li told me to Mr. Xie Ge, and came out without listening to what he said. Let's put it this way, I think it's a pity that Mr. Xie Ge will no longer be in the court. There is one less quarrelsome person in the hall."

Li Zhang smiled and said: "There is no need to miss these people. Quick words are not a big deal. In the future, there will be people like him who will find some trouble with you, so you don't have to be merciful."

"Haha." Zhang Zhou smiled and said nothing.

Li Zhang then led the way, this time taking Zhang Zhou directly to the court of Fusi in Beizhen.

But he saw Liu Yu kneeling there, with unkempt hair and a lot of torn clothes, and a lot of blood stains on his body.

He had never been punished before. Looking at this situation, it seemed that all the injuries he had received were new, just in the past few days.

"Zhang Butang, help Zhang Butang." When Liu Yu saw Zhang Zhou, he was like seeing a living Bodhisattva. He came up to grab Zhang Zhou's ankle, but Li Zhang stepped forward and kicked him away.

Liu Yuren fell to the ground and didn't get up for a long time.

Li Zhang sighed and said: "What are you looking at? Hold him down! How can a dignified governor of the Ming Dynasty, a high-ranking official in the border areas, act like a mad dog?"

Guo Ang hurriedly said: "My father-in-law, please calm down. There have been some unclear cases in the past two days, and the superiors have ordered to use torture for interrogation. So these days... Liu Zhongcheng's condition is not very good. At the moment... this doesn't count. Okay, I’m rude to you two.”

"What is the case?" Li Zhang asked, "Does it still need to be interrogated about his corruption and perversion of the law? Just go to the place where he was an official and arrest a few people. After a few questions, wouldn't it be clear to you? In the Ming Dynasty, how dare you People who are obviously corrupt and perverting the law are looking for death."

Liu Yu said: "No, father-in-law, I have never taken bribes or violated the law. Even if there is anything inappropriate, it is to raise money and food for the imperial court. My family is clean and I can withstand investigation."

Li Zhang was too lazy to pay attention to Liu Yu, but looked at Zhang Zhou with a smile and said: "Sir, this man... please give me your opinion. Even if he is taken out and chopped into pieces, it's all a matter of your words."

"what?"

Liu Yu was shocked.

He had obviously done a good job as the governor of Jizhou, but he was suddenly taken down. Now he can be summarily killed without any detailed conviction?
Zhang Zhou said: "Speaking of which, he can still do something."

"Yes, sir, a villain can do things, he can do things..." Liu Yu was obviously not a hard-nosed person.

In other words, the methods used by Beizhen Fusi are too cruel. Generally speaking, literati who have not experienced such battles will easily collapse under the severe punishment.

But Liu Yu just seemed cowardly. At least on some major matters, it seemed that Liu Yu could still bite his tongue and did not admit it casually or involve others.

This shows that punishment is still not enough.

Li Zhang said: "Your Majesty, what you mean is that this person is a bitch. He has done too many dirty things. There is no need for such a person in the court! He eats everything and doesn't know how to advance or retreat... Liu Zhongcheng, don't blame our family." It's ugly to say that, you went to curry favor with that Minister Ma, and now you want to board Cai Guogong's ship, do you think it's that cheap?"

"What? Eunuch Li, you said so, can't you change the villain?" Liu Yu looked bitter.

Li Zhang waved his hand and said: "It's too late! Why didn't you act like a private person when you first came in? Now that the northern victory has been reported, there is no need for you to come forward to do anything! Ma Shangshu retreated as soon as he said so. This Zhang Butang in front of you, When you speak, you must be the official minister of the Ming Dynasty. If you still want to have both sides, you will miss the opportunity and regret it too late!" (End of this chapter)