Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 14

Ma Ningyuan raised his head: "Butang, don't ask anymore. If you ask, my Ming Dynasty will be in chaos immediately! The Butang can't afford this crime, and the elders of the pavilion will also be implicated. The embankment is not destroyed, it belongs to This catastrophe was caused by the failure of my subordinates to repair it last year. I hope that after the fields are flooded, the imperial government’s national policy of changing rice to mulberry can be implemented, and the ministers will no longer be caught in the embarrassment. This subordinate’s head will be lost value……"

Hu Zongxian was also dejected. Obviously, Ma Ningyuan's words touched the most distressed part of his heart, and he let out a long sigh: "There is me in you, and you in me. This is where the world goes wrong... They trade your life for money , to exchange the wealth of so many people in Zhejiang for money, you have to protect them wholeheartedly, and say it is for the court, it is for the national policy! What national policy, what is the change of rice into mulberry? If you make money, how much money can go to the national treasury? This time, they didn't just use you, and they didn't just coerce me, Hu Zongxian. I really don't want to see Mr. Ge, who is 81 years old and surrounded by these people, end up ruined..."

Ma Ningyuan was startled, and stared at Hu Zongxian blankly.

The captain of the personal army came in: "Master of the Ministry..."

Hu Zongxian interrupted him: "Is Mr. Zheng and Mr. He here? Please!"

The captain of the personal army agreed and walked out.

Hu Zongxian glared at Ma Ningyuan: "Your life cannot be saved this time, and I will try my best to protect your family. You go to the inner room first and listen to what kind of liver and lungs are in the stomach of the person you are protecting. Die, also Don't be a fool!"

Ma Ningyuan kowtowed heavily on the brick floor, got up, picked up the official uniform, and staggered into the side door in the inner room.

When Zheng Michang and He Maocai came in, Hu Zongxian was already sitting on the chair in front of the big case with his eyes closed.

The two stopped and looked at each other.

Zheng Michang called out softly: "Lord Ministry..."

Hu Zongxian still closed his eyes: "Sit down."

The two walked gently to the chair and sat down, and looked at Hu Zongxian together, Hu Zongxian still had his eyes closed.

An awkward silence.

The two were at a loss, Zheng Michang winked at He Maocai.

He Maocai coughed lightly, and said, "I really didn't expect such a thing to happen..."

Hu Zongxian still sat there with his eyes closed and did not answer.

Zheng Michang had no choice but to speak: "When my subordinates heard about this, they immediately went to the Yicang. After a total calculation, it was less than 40 stone grains. There were as many as [-] people affected by the disaster. The relief was enough for them to eat. Ten and a half months. The most urgent thing is to buy food, but there is not enough silver in the treasury. We have to report the disaster situation to the imperial court immediately, and ask the imperial court to allocate grain for disaster relief."

"What food to allocate? What disaster to report?" Hu Zongxian still closed his eyes.

He Maocai: "Naturally, it is to report natural disasters..."

"Is it a natural disaster?" Hu Zongxian opened his eyes at this moment, staring at Zheng Michang and He Maocai.

The two were startled.

Zheng Michang: "Dragon Boat Festival, heavy rain all day and night, the water level soared, it was unexpected..."

Seeing that he was still so brazen at this time, Hu Zongxian no longer covered his eyes with contempt: "Then this memorial will be drafted by you as you said?"

Zheng Michang hurriedly continued: "Subordinates can make plans, but in the end the master of the department has to lead the performance."

Hu Zongxian: "The dredging you proposed is naturally up to you. I just want to remind you that the same river, the same Dragon Boat Festival, the Baimao River and Wusong River in neighboring provinces and ours were built last year. They paid for the embankment of the two rivers. Their dikes are solid and people are safe, but we have such a big flood here. This lie, you have to get rid of it!"

Both Zheng Michang and He Maocai changed their faces, and looked at each other, knowing that they were forcing a showdown!

He Maocai: "Since Master Butang said this, the subordinates have to say something boldly. Mr. Xiaoge wrote a letter to us, and he must have written a letter to the Butang. We must investigate it. If we find it, we must Don’t hand over the letter from Mr. Xiaoge to the imperial court? Should the minister go after Mr. Xiaoge again? Will the imperial court’s decree of changing rice to mulberry be taken back by the emperor? Please tell the minister clearly!”

"You mean, Xiao Ge told you to do the thing that destroyed the embankment and flooded the fields!" Hu Zongxian turned his head sharply, stabbing He Maocai with his gaze like a knife.

"I, I didn't say that..." He Maocai panicked.

Hu Zongxian: "Then what's the matter with Mr. Xiaoge's writing you just said? And what do you mean by tracking down Mr. Xiaoge?"

He Maocai: "My subordinates, my subordinates are talking about the national policy of changing rice into mulberry..."

Hu Zongxian: "What does changing rice to mulberry have to do with the breach of dikes in nine counties? What does the implementation of national policies have to do with floods! If there is a relationship, you might as well state it in the memorial!"

He Maocai was stunned.

Zheng Michang had no choice but to answer: "The national policy of changing rice to mulberry must have nothing to do with this flood... But it is a bit unreasonable to say that this flood was caused by the Dragon Boat Festival... My subordinates thought it must be last year When the embankment was built, it was not repaired properly, and the people in the river channel government were greedy for money to repair the river when they repaired the embankment, causing floods, as happened in the 31st year of Jiajing."

Hu Zongxian's eyes looked at him.

He Maocai's eyes also lit up: "It makes sense!"

Hu Zongxian didn't refute him anymore, didn't answer him, just looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Zheng Michang turned his head to look at He Maocai, motioning for him to take over the topic.

He Maocai: "Let's play it like this. As for whether the river yamen was greedy for money for river repairs, you can check it out slowly. Now, it is also a serious crime to break the hole with the levee. The department hall has the king's order. The personnel enforce the law on the spot! In this way, there will be an explanation to the court."

Hu Zongxian asked slowly: "Who are the relevant personnel you mentioned?"

He Maocai: "Of course they are officials who should be in charge of the Hedao Yamen."

Hu Zongxian: "Who are the officials who should be in charge?"

He Maocai looked at Zheng Michang.

Zheng Michang: "The director of the river course cannot escape the blame. According to the law, the two co-organizers are equally guilty."

Hu Zongxian: "That is Ma Ningyuan, and Chang Boxi, the magistrate of Chun'an County, and Zhang Zhiliang, the magistrate of Jiande County?"

Zheng Bichang's voice was very low: "Yes."

Hu Zongxian: "Is there any more?"

Zheng Bichang: "Shouldn't too many people be involved..."

Hu Zongxian: "What about river supervision? Every sum of money and every section of river embankment is inspected and supervised by Li Xuan, the river supervisor. Should this person be held accountable?"

Zheng Michang and He Maocai were startled again, and looked at each other.

Zheng Michang: "Master of the Department Hall knows that Li Xuan, the river supervisor, is a member of the palace. To punish him, Eunuch Yang has to speak, and he has to report to Eunuch Lu, the supervisor of ceremonies."

Hu Zongxian: "That is to say, there is still no way to report this flood to the court?"

Zheng Michang and He Maocai fell silent again.

Hu Zongxian stopped talking to them, sat down again, and shouted: "Come on!"

The captain of the guards walked in.

Hu Zongxian closed his eyes: "Bring Ma Ningyuan out and take care of him at the Governor's Office."

"Yes." The captain of the bodyguard responded, and walked to the inner room of the signing room.

Zheng Michang and He Maocai were dumbfounded.

Soon, Ma Ningyuan was in the front, the captain of the guards was behind, and the two came out from the inside.

Only then did Zheng Michang and He Maocai realize that what they said just now fell into Hu Zongxian's tricks, and they both lowered their heads and looked at the ground.

Ma Ningyuan stopped in front of Zheng Michang and He Maocai, staring at them with red eyes, but neither of them looked up at him.

Hu Zongxian roared: "Take it away!"

The captain of the guard escorted Ma Ningyuan to the door.

Ma Ningyuan's feet and those of the captain of the soldiers disappeared from the corner of vision of Zheng Michang and He Maocai looking at the ground, and then the two slowly raised their heads again and slowly looked at Hu Zongxian.

Hu Zongxian closed his eyes again, and sat there motionless.

The two looked at each other for a while.

"Let's talk about it." Zheng Bichang said with determination, "Let's go to find Eunuch Yang together and see what he has to say."

"I think so." He Maocai continued, "If the crime of neglecting the repair of the river embankment is charged, and only our people are punished, that Li Xuan is fine, so there is no way to justify it."

"Then you go talk about it!" Hu Zongxian opened his eyes and stood up, "The food for disaster relief in the charity warehouse must be transported to Chun'an and Jiande immediately! Also, after such a big disaster, the rice will be changed to mulberry this year." Obstacles are difficult to implement, this article must be clearly stated in the memorandum, please delay the imperial court. After it is written, Eunuch Yang must also sign, you all sign, and I will lead the memo!"

Having said that, Hu Zongxian walked out alone.

Zheng Michang and He Maocai were stunned for a while before going out.How to persuade Yang Jinshui to donate Li Xuan's head to cross the hurdle in front of him, let alone how ugly Yang Jinshui's face is, offending the palace and the supervisor of ceremonies, how to settle the score in the future, the two of them will not I can't care less.

(End of this chapter)