The devil is coming

Chapter 397 Surname Ji
In the imperial study room, a round of discussions had just concluded.
Emperor Yan didn't speak much, and the prince presided over the ceremony. Most of the ministers and officials from various ministries were present. In the corner, there was also Ji Chengjue, who was nominally the watcher of the Ministry of Revenue.
There was no way, the original Minister of the Ministry of Finance fell, and the court appointed a new and highly respected Minister of the Ministry of Finance, but an old case happened to be exposed, in which he murdered his concubine while drunk.
In fact, this is not a big deal. As a powerful official of the day, it is normal to secretly kill a concubine at home and execute a servant who made a mistake. As long as the matter is handled from beginning to end, it will be fine.
But who could have imagined that three years later, when it was first reported that this high official would be promoted by the court to serve as acting household secretary, the concubine's family and relatives gathered dozens of people and came to the capital government office to beat drums and complain.
For a time, the whole city was in turmoil, and the gentleman fell ill because of it. It was not known whether it was a real illness or a fake illness. In short, he did not even go to court.
Emperor Yan issued an order to send an imperial doctor to the palace for diagnosis and treatment, and at the same time he wrote a department to follow up on the case.
As a result, the household department of the great Yan Dynasty has been vacant until now, but all the work is in order. In fact, the operation of the household department is much better than before.
Those present here are all old foxes who have experienced many ups and downs in the officialdom. How could they not know who had something to do with the accidents of the two Ministers of the Ministry of Finance?
At the same time, everyone was also secretly surprised by why His Highness the Sixth Prince, who had been keeping quiet for these years and basically regarded himself as a leisurely and carefree prince, became uncharacteristically tough after receiving the errand from Guanfeng Hubu.
Political struggles are political struggles, and in fact they all have to follow one rule. This kind of behavior of exposing old people and turning over old scores is tantamount to tearing one's face and destroying the original political understanding.
The two methods of punishing people were really too radical and despicable, and it was easy for them to be isolated by everyone in the court.
After all, in the final analysis, how many people are truly as clean as snow?
But because Emperor Yan has never said anything about this, and His Highness the Sixth Highness has a special status. After all, he is the prince and the emperor's son. Of course, the emperor himself can rub it as he pleases;
After all, he is both king and father.
But the ministers are outsiders after all. Do you want to help the emperor teach his son a lesson?Want to get involved in the Ji family's affairs?
In the past years, there might have been ministers who dared to do these things, but now that Emperor Yan is so powerful, no one dares to touch the tiger's beard without authorization.
What we are discussing today is business tax.
From beginning to end, the sixth prince who was supposed to speak did not say a word. On the contrary, it was the prince who strongly advocated the implementation.
In fact, in the final analysis, basically every larger caravan has a powerful figure behind it. Those who have the strength to carry out long-distance and large-scale transactions are either raised by the powerful, or they have developed to a certain extent. Take the initiative to find powerful people to associate with.
The commercial tax law is actually cutting off their flesh.
But today's Dayan is no longer an era where there are many powerful families. Nowadays, no matter what the old Ji family wants to do, everyone can only hold their noses and accept it.
To put it nicely, this is the Lao Ji family calling everyone to discuss matters. To put it bluntly, it is actually the Lao Ji family informing you.
Dissatisfied?
simmering.
Still dissatisfied?
Die!
Finally, the proceedings ended.
Emperor Yan picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said:
"The prince and the sixth child stay."
The ministers immediately bowed and left.
quickly,
The imperial study suddenly became deserted.
Wei Zhonghe personally stepped forward and gave new tea to Emperor Yan, the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince. Then he walked out of the imperial study and stood at the door.
The prince picked up the tea cup and took a slow sip. It could be seen that he seemed to be imitating Emperor Yan's movements of drinking tea.
Ji Chengjue put the teacup on his knees, looking harmless.
"Sixth brother, the money and food sent by the Ministry of Revenue to Xuehai Customs is a bit too generous. I heard that some generals below have strong opinions on this."
There are actually quite a few people who know about this matter. After all, transporting a large sum of money and grain over a long distance is not just a matter of one or two cars. It is impossible to hide it from someone who is interested.
Therefore, the prince must point this matter out.
He is the prince, the lord of the East Palace, the seat of the country. If your own brothers are secretly forming alliances with the border generals and you still pretend to be cowardly and silent, then this prince is too cowardly to be regarded as.
Even if it is necessary to hide one's strength and bide one's time, it is not such a tactic.
It is a huge taboo for a prince to secretly collude with a border army general.
Originally, the prince thought that after he said these words, in front of his father, his sixth brother should kneel down in fear and apologize, and then give a lot of reasons to excuse himself.
But what surprised the prince was that,
After Ji Chengjue heard this,
Just raised his head slightly and looked at him,
Very puzzled and said:
"Oh, which general is dissatisfied?"
"..." Prince.
The prince was caught off guard for a moment. The key to the question was which general expressed his dissatisfaction?
The crux of the problem is obviously that you favor Snow Customs and show your favor to Mr. Hirano!
The so-called generals are dissatisfied, just like many censors and ministers in the court, who open and close their mouths to "please for the people" or "the people's resentment is boiling", as if they really live among the people every day and listen to the voices of the people, which cannot be scrutinized.
the most important is,
The dissatisfied general must be someone stationed in Jin.
And with the relationship between Uncle Pingye and Marquis Jingnan, who dares to say this?
Even if someone really dares,
Then dare to speak up, point it out, stand up,
Let’s see what Marquis Jingnan will do with the dissatisfied general!
Emperor Yan, who was sitting at the head of the table, did not make a sound, but silently sipped the remaining tea leaves between his lips and teeth.
"Sixth brother, what do you mean?"
Ji Chengjue smiled and said:
"Second brother, Uncle Hirano once saved my younger brother's life. You can repay this favor as your younger brother, okay?"
"How can the most important weapon of the country be used to repay a favor!" the prince scolded.
Ji Chengjue nodded, stood up, and saluted the prince.
Road:
"As far as your Majesty is concerned, the money and food for the troops garrisoned in the Jin region will be divided into three parts, one from the imperial court, one from Yingdu, and one from self-raised funds.
In the first half of the year, the money and food sent to Xue Customs from Yingdu were also sufficient. "
This is what Jingnan Hou had promised Zheng Fan.
"Sixth brother, what exactly do you want to say?"
"What I want to say, my brother, is that your highness, the Crown Prince, is saying that the supply of money and food for the military is an important weapon of the country and has a very important relationship. The money and food issued by Yingdu are personally distributed by Jingnan Marquis, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition.
Military affairs are not about playing house, nor about opening warehouses and releasing grain to help the victims. It is about sharing the rain and dew and sharing the favor of the king.
Troops are stationed in different places. They are stationed in different areas, have different responsibilities, and face different enemies. Can they be treated equally?
Xueguan rejects the barbarians in the north and resists the Chu State in the south. The territory of this pass is used to stabilize the situation in eastern Shanxi for our country, Yan. If the military supplies are insufficient and the money and food are not enough, then the barbarians will rise again and the Chu people will invade again. Is it difficult for our country, Yan? Do we have to fight another Eastern Expedition?
His Royal Highness,
You don’t know how to fight,
Don't talk too much about military affairs. "
"You said that I don't know how to fight, but what about you, Sixth Brother? What do you mean, you know how to fight?"
"My brother doesn't know how to fight."
"then you………"
"But my brother doesn't say much."
"..." Prince.
I don't know how to fight, but I don't know how to fight.
"The distribution made by my brother is basically based on the military ration issued by Yingdu. Since the Marquis of Jingnan believes that Xuehaiguan needs to pay the actual amount, then I will do it according to the wishes of the Marquis of Jingnan.
If His Highness the Crown Prince feels that he knows the situation in Jin better than the Marquis of Jingnan and knows the military better,
Then please give me your instructions, Your Highness the Crown Prince,
My brother,
Dare you disobey your orders! "
"You..." Prince.
"enough."
Emperor Yan spoke.
The prince and Ji Chengjue knelt down together.
"I'm not keeping you here because I want to hear your bickering."
"My son is guilty."
"My son is guilty."
Emperor Yan reached out and picked up a coupon. This was a coupon about the ticket number, which Ji Chengjue had delivered a few days ago.
Emperor Yan had read the document. His original intention was to keep his two sons and discuss the articles of association alone.
But Emperor Yan finally picked up the zhezi and put it down again.
Road:
"get out."
"My son retire."
"My son retire."
The two brothers left the imperial study and passed by the small pond in the imperial garden. The prince said:
"If there is anything missing from the marriage, tell me."
"Thank you, second brother. I don't need anything anymore."
because,
There is basically nothing.
The prince's wedding is a major event. According to past practice, a minister will take the lead in organizing the wedding.
For example, Emperor Yan ordered Prime Minister Zhao Jiulang to be responsible for the last wedding of the prince. Although the wedding of the eldest prince and the barbarian princess was low-key, in name it was also organized by the Minister of Rites.
In the end, when it came to my place, a Yuanwailang under the Ministry of Rites was responsible for the preparations. The surname was Chen. Because of his family background, he was not cleared, but he was sent to the bench early. .
When a prince gets married, the national treasury and the royal treasury will jointly provide a sum of money for financing.
Compared with the money negotiated for the prince's last wedding, the money he contributed for this wedding was less than [-]%, or even less than half.
At the same time, the prince's residence is equivalent to the collective dormitory for the princes before they get married.
The eldest prince has already been given another house in Yanjing City, close to the palace, and the prince has already entered the East Palace.
and myself,
Obviously the wedding date has been set, but they still haven't mentioned the house.
No matter the size or location, there is no news at all.
If Uncle Zheng found out about this here, he would definitely laugh at Xiao Liuzi: You are taking your wife and children to live in the factory dormitory after getting married.
Therefore, when the prince asked what he was missing as an elder brother, Ji Chengjue replied that he was lacking nothing.
sometimes,
When you have nothing, you lack nothing.
"My younger brother has grown up and has a family, so he should be more stable."
"My brother understands."
After the two brothers exchanged a few words, the prince returned to his East Palace, while Ji Chengjue walked all the way out of the south gate and got into the carriage driven by Eunuch Zhang himself.
The carriage shook and the figures swayed.
Ji Chengjue, who got into the carriage, picked up the towel prepared in advance and wiped his face carefully.
"The prince talked about the money and food at Xueguan today in front of his father." Ji Chengjue said as he threw the towel into the basin.
"Master, the prince is impatient. It would be a bit too pretentious for him to choose these words himself."
As the prince and the master of the East Palace, if you have to do everything personally, then what is the use of those ministers and lackeys who have taken refuge under you?
Going out to charge by yourself seems straightforward, but in fact, it is a loss of dignity for the prince.
Ji Chengjue shook his head and said:
"He did it on purpose. He was reminding my father that I have made good friends with Zheng Fan, and I am getting married. The wedding between him and the princess, which was originally interrupted, should be put back on the schedule."
"The slave is stupid."
Eunuch Zhang quickly admitted his mistake. He had only been taunting the prince in front of his master, but he failed to appreciate the deep meaning behind the prince's move.
"Have everything been arranged?" Ji Chengjue asked.
"It's settled, Master, it's just..."
"Just what?"
"Master, this is going to directly reveal all our trump cards, isn't it..."
"Zhang Banban."
"The slave is here."
"Ever since I came to Beijing this time, I have said that I have no way out. In the past, my father could cut and beat the people around me because there was no one around me that I could not give up.
right now,
I'm a father. "
"Master, the one in Madam's belly is also His Majesty's grandson after all."
"Heavenly family is ruthless."
"Yes, master."
"Let's bet that he, the official of the state, and the regent of the state of Chu are not easy to get along with, so this time I took advantage of the wedding to reveal it to him.
If the old man wants to see it, let him see it. "
"By the way, Master, there's someone from Pingye Uncle's Mansion, his name is Fan Li."
"Fan Li? Haha, I have always heard that Zheng Fan has a man named Fan Li who is capable of literary and military skills and is proficient in calculations. He has a great reputation in the world.
Where are others? "
"In the mansion."
"Okay, let's go back to the house. I have to meet the people Zheng Fan sent here in person."
The story of Uncle Zheng's general Fan Li has long been rumored in the world, and there are many versions.
"Your Highness and Uncle Hirano haven't seen each other for a long time, right?"
The last time, Eunuch Zhang was ordered to go to Litian City because something happened to Mrs. Jingnan Hou, so Zheng Fan followed Tian Wujing to Litian City a day later and had seen it.
"I envy him. Not to mention that the savages are on the side and the Chu people are eyeing him. In his place, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and he is free and at ease.
Now, he is free, but I still have to stay in this capital. Sometimes when I think about it, I really feel that I am at a loss. "
"Master, do you want to go to Snow Customs?"
Ji Chengjue shook his head and said:
"What are you going to do at Snow Customs? What kind of brotherhood do you want to join forces with?"
Ha ha ha.
Then on this day,
Is your surname Ji or Zheng? "
……
In the imperial study room, Emperor Yan continued to hold the booklet about ticket numbers in his hand.
Wei Zhonghe was studying ink beside him. Seeing this, he pretended not to see it.
"The Min family originally told the late emperor about establishing a Dayan bank account, but the late emperor refused. Unexpectedly, my son would bring it up again.
Wei Zhonghe,
What do you think,
Do business people in this world always think that they are much smarter than others and that others around them are fools? "
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Sixth Prince should not dare to have such an intention."
"He doesn't dare? Haha, he didn't dare before, but now, he is tougher than anyone else."
"Your Majesty, I heard that this kind of thing is also used in some places in Qian Kingdom. The locals call it Jiaozi. It saves people in that place a lot of trouble when doing business."
Emperor Yan shook his head and said: "I can't use this thing, at least for now. I have just conquered the family, but I don't want to see that a few decades later, I, Dayan, will be reduced to a group of wealthy businessmen. In hand."
After all,
Emperor Yan leaned back slightly.
Wei Zhonghe paused while studying the ink and said:
"Your Majesty, my subordinates came to report that many merchants have come to Beijing recently, and some old people who had retreated have also come to Beijing.
Among them, there are many..."
"Are you from the Min family?"
Emperor Yan ordered Marquis Jingnan to lead his army to defeat the Min family. At the same time, Concubine Min, the birth mother of the sixth prince in the palace, was thrown into the cold palace and given Bai Lingxiang Yuan after a month.
The Min family had long been destroyed in the name of rebellion, and precisely because the punishment was ordered by Emperor Yan himself, it was impossible for the Min family to be overturned, because the emperor was not at fault.
"Your Majesty, I am a remnant of the Min family."
The Min family was destroyed, but outsiders may never know how terrible the Min family's financial situation was.
Because the Min family looks like an ordinary family on the outside, but the relationship they have formed with wealth and silk as a link has actually formed an extremely terrifying network.
If it can be said that there were many clans and clans all over the Yan Kingdom, and they controlled more than half of the land and population of the Yan Kingdom, then the Min family almost controlled more than half of the circulation of the Yan Kingdom.
Yanchu, Yanjin, Yanqian, Yanman and even as far as the west,
on the long road,
There are huge caravans under the banner of the Min family.
Therefore,
When Concubine Min entered the palace that year,
Only the head of the Min family dared to give such an exaggerated dowry.
It is impossible for the head of the Min family not to know that wealth should not be revealed, but he is confident.
However, he misjudged Emperor Yan.
not just him,
In fact, the wealthy families who had been rooted in Yan for hundreds of years also misjudged Emperor Yan.
"Your Majesty, these remnants of the Min family do not know the great grace of God, so they asked for orders to serve as secret spies..."
The Secret Service was dispatched to eliminate the remaining members of the Min family.
Emperor Yan raised his hand and interrupted Wei Zhonghe's request.
Road:
"Wei Zhonghe."
"The slave is here."
"Do you know why I only ordered Wu Jing to destroy the Min family, but did not clean up the remaining evil of the Min family?"
For a big family that is based on merchants, if you just destroy its family, it is like just stepping on a spider to death, but ignoring the huge spider web it has already weaved.
That net, and the knots tied in that net, are the real foundation.
"This slave is stupid, please show me your Majesty."
"Because before, their last name was Min."
said,
Emperor Yan picked up the teacup,
took a sip of tea,
Chewing some of the tea leaves I just drank in my mouth,
continued:
"Now, their surname is Ji."
------
The next chapter is a climax. I want to write it and publish it in one go. It will probably be about [-] to [-] words, so don’t wait tonight.
It was interesting to read a book friend’s complaint the other day, saying that Xiaolong had been saying good night to us for so many days, but his schedule had broken down, hahahaha.
It’s true that my routine is broken, embarrassing.
The next chapter will probably be written tomorrow morning or noon. Don’t panic, hold on tight to the dragon!
(End of this chapter)