Reborn Ming Dynasty as Emperor

Chapter 21 Eight Shanxi Merchants
Affected by the climate of the small glacier, a rare drought in a century swept across the entire northern part of Daming. On the road from Daming Mansion to the capital, refugees from the Qin and Jin Dynasties could be seen everywhere.

Fortunately, it is now the seventh year of the Apocalypse. Although there are natural disasters, there are no disasters. The traditional northern squires who pay attention to fellowship may not be as stingy as the squires who are mainly merchants in the south of the Yangtze River. There are big gruel-giving households everywhere in Beizhili.

As for Daming Mansion, thanks to the governance of the magistrate Lu Xiangsheng, there are more large households in the entire Daming Mansion spontaneously donating porridge. Although such a move can only kill the refugees, it will also delay the large-scale peasant uprising that is about to sweep across the country. For a year or two.

Lu Xiangsheng, the magistrate of Daming Mansion, looked at his people worriedly. If His Majesty hadn't summoned him, he would rather stay in Daming Mansion for the rest of his life, so that the people here would truly have no fear of famine.

However, Zhu Youxiao gave him an imperial decree, a large volume of documents signed "Relevant Materials of the Royalist Party" and a letter written by Zhu Youxiao, which made him choose to hang the crown and go to Beijing.

"Lu Xiangsheng, the magistrate of Daming Prefecture, has seen His Majesty!"

This was the first time for Lu Xiangsheng to meet Zhu Youxiao, and it was also the first time for Zhu Youxiao to meet the most respected Ming official in the history of the late Ming Dynasty.

"Please start Jiandou, the road is full of dust and dust, you haven't had time to rest", Zhu Youxiao said, and he was given a seat and ginger soup.

Seeing this, Wang Chengen, who was on duty, personally took the Jindun from Xiao Huangmen, put it behind Lu Xiangsheng's back, and then personally held the soup to Lu Xiangsheng.

Some flattered Lu Xiangsheng never expected that a small fourth-rank magistrate would be treated so well by His Majesty, and even let the dignified supervisor of ceremonies hold soup for him.

On the contrary, Wang Chengen was still full of joy. From the time his Majesty asked Lu Xiangsheng how many days before he would go to Beijing three days ago, Wang Chengen could see that his Majesty must have a lot of affection for this little-known Prefect Lu.

So he didn't dare to make it big, and deliberately showed humility in front of Lu Xiangsheng in order to win His Majesty's favor.

Lu Xiangsheng also had no choice but to bow his hands in a hurry to thank him, and said: "Your Majesty, I am willing to become a member of the royalist party and pledge my unswerving allegiance to Your Majesty!"

"Aiqing is worthy of being the most loyal minister of my Ming Dynasty, Wang Chengen, and immediately delivered an order to Xinuange, the prefect of Daming Prefecture Lu Xiangsheng filled the vacancy of the left servant of the Ministry of War, and took the post of admiral of the Beijing camp."

Zhu Youxiao now directly sends decrees to Xinuange, and Sun Chengzong or Wei Guangwei, the rotating scholars of Xinuange, drafts the decree, and then the cabinet sends it to the Supervisor of Rites, who then approves the redemption.

This actually empties the power of the cabinet, or in other words, the power of the cabinet and the supervisor of ceremonies is concentrated in Xinuang Pavilion, because the jade seal is also placed in Xinuang Pavilion, and only the rotating eunuch holding the pen has the right to approve red.

Because of this, Zhu Youxiao's dictatorial power has been greatly increased, but the form has not changed. The cabinet voted for it, and the supervisor of ceremonies approved it, and no one was willing to object.

In addition, the important ministers in the current court are all ministers of the royalist party, and no one dares to object. Even Sun Chengzong thinks that it is more efficient and less troublesome because the cabinet scholar and the supervisor of ceremonies work in the same room.

However, when Wang Chengen came to Xinuang Pavilion with the decree, Sun Chengzong, a rotating university scholar, came to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Your Majesty, is it too anxious to directly promote the fourth-rank prefect to the left servant of the Ministry of War? I'm afraid that the officials will talk again, moreover, the hall officials of the Ministry of War are already dignitaries or foreign ministers, and if they are in charge of the Beijing camp, the disaster will not be small."

"Sigh, Mr. Sun is a bit pedantic. At this time of national calamity, real talents should be used eclecticly!"

Seeing this, Sun Chengzong could only nod his head in agreement, but he was very puzzled in his heart. This Lu Xiangsheng is just a small foreign official, why he is favored by His Majesty alone.

On the contrary, Lu Xiangsheng was very indifferent. Although he didn't know why he was promoted by His Majesty's line of fire, Zhu Youxiao's words of "true talent" just now made him feel excited.

Just at this time, Wang Chengen hurried in with a letterhead: "Your Majesty, I just got the news from Dongchang that the Fan family's caravan has gone north and now arrived at the boundary of Linqing. In addition, the Zhang family's caravan has also entered the customs. The hides they transported were the raw hides of the Tatars. It is reported that they were going to sell them to the Fan family's shop in the capital, and then contacted Xi Jijie, the deputy commander of Jiliao who had already connected the line, and secretly shipped out the latest batch of armored weapons from our Ming Dynasty. Outside the customs, at the same time, the Zhang’s Grain Store in the capital has been buying up the capital’s grain, and the price of grain in the capital has risen by another [-]%.”

"This group of hateful traitors!"

Sun Chengzong didn't care that he was by the emperor's side, but he, who had always been jealous, became very angry when he heard that these Shanxi merchants were smuggling supplies to the Tartars and hoarding them in an attempt to make the country rich.

However, Zhu Youxiao's mood was not much better. He never objected to businessmen. He even hoped that Daming's commodity economy would develop further, but he was unwilling to let these selfish businessmen dig into the foundation of Daming.

If these Shanxi merchants did not have the awareness to be loyal to Daming, then Zhu Youxiao would not mind using violence to awaken their awareness.

Zhu Youxiao didn't speak any more, but walked towards the Xinuang Pavilion on the right side of Qianqing Palace.

The resident staff of Xinuang Pavilion are Zuo Zhongyun and Li Mingrui. When Li Mingrui saw His Majesty and his benefactor coming, he hurriedly bowed and saluted.

But Zhu Youxiao and Sun Chengzong ignored him, and Wang Chengen, who came with him easy-going, didn't speak. Lu Xiangsheng was willing to tell him, but he is not yet qualified to be a member of Xinuang Pavilion.

"Li Mingrui, hang up the map and tell me that now Cao Wenzhao, Huang Degong, Man Gui, Mao Wenlong, Zhao Liaojiao, Jiang Yu, and Zhou Yuji are divided into any positions. In addition, Xuanfu, Datong, Taiyuan, Jizhou, Liaodong, Guyuan, Yanzhou, etc. Who is the current commander-in-chief of Suiqi Town, and tell me his resume and family relationship immediately!"

As soon as Zhu Youxiao came in, he started asking questions.

Li Mingrui, who was used to His Majesty asking all kinds of nonsensical questions, immediately responded without thinking about it while unfolding the map:
"Cao Wenzhao, the current Liaodong guerrilla, guards in Jinzhou, Huang Degong serves as a general in Jizhou, Mangui serves as the deputy commander in chief of Shanhaiguan, Mao Wenlong has just been named the commander in chief of Dongjiang by His Majesty, and Zhao Ledjiao serves as a general in Ningzhou. Will……"

Li Mingrui's memory has always been astonishing, and now that he is serving as the central government, civil servants and generals at all levels in the DPRK and China have already been familiar with it by heart. After seeing Zhu Youxiao nodding, he briefly introduced the current commander-in-chief of the nine border towns.

Everyone was puzzled why Zhu Youxiao suddenly cared about this. It was not until a moment later that Zhu Youxiao got up and asked Wang Chengen and Sun Chengen: "You say, how powerful are the eight Jin merchants in the court?"

Wang Chengen could think of what Zhu Youxiao hadn't thought about, so he quickly took out a booklet: "Your Majesty, this is the power relationship network of the eight Shanxi merchants in the court that I spent half a month in Dongchang. It involves a former chief Auxiliary, three former or current ministers, six Beijing officials of the fourth rank or above, and no less than ten governors of various provinces, and countless ministers and below."

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help laughing: "It is said that the Donglin Party is powerful, but now it is not as good as this Shanxi merchant."

As he said that, Zhu Youxiao pulled his face down and said solemnly: "The eight major Shanxi merchants are cancerous, I must dig him out!"

(End of this chapter)