Last year, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the censors to inspect Fengtian Gate. Liu Bowen didn't think much about it. It was just a small matter, so he sent Zhou Guanzheng to go.
As a result, during his inspection, he encountered a group of eunuchs leading a group of female musicians towards Fengtian Gate. According to the Ming Dynasty's inner palace system, female musicians were not allowed to enter. Zhou Guanzheng immediately stepped forward to stop him, and the leading eunuch Li Du
Ignoring him, he said: "We have a sacred intention!"
Zhou Guanzheng said bluntly: "Even if there is an imperial edict, you must not violate the Ming Dynasty's inner palace system!"
The eunuchs had no choice but to go back to the palace and report to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice. He wanted them to do this when he appointed the censor. If he violated this, the censors would submit to the authority.
Come on, then why does he need a censor?
So Comrade Lao Zhu passed down the oral instruction: "The female singers entering the palace are not in harmony with the internal control. Zhou Guanzheng, you have done a good job, and we will reward you tomorrow morning."
Zhu Yuanzhang had done his best to give Zhou Guanzheng face. But something unexpected happened.
Zhou Guanzheng stood stiffly in front of Fengtian Gate and asked Zhu Yuanzhang to come in person. What if Zhu Yuanzhang asked these female musicians to enter the palace before he left?
Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth angrily and had no choice. This was what he asked of them. Thinking that other nobles would be restricted in this way in the future, Zhu Yuanzhang could only endure it.
No matter what, this is the duty of the censor. Since ancient times, there have been officials who spoke. These people don't care about specific matters. Their task is to give honest opinions. And the traditional tradition is not to kill the officials. After all, for them,
Because he was killed by the emperor in Cambodia, which was something he wished for.
Of course, if the emperor really wants to be a censor, then he should say that you have done a great job and that being a censor is an underachievement. If you change his department, with the temperament of a Taoist gentleman, they will kill themselves in just a few days.
Zhu Biao withdrew his gaze and looked at Yang Siyi on the ground with some helplessness. The situation now was actually very clear. This was not only a matter for Yang Siyi and the Ministry of Revenue, but probably for the entire civil service system.
Fortunately for the princes and generals at the upper level, Lao Zhu was still very generous during the war, and he did not have a small share of gold and silver. In addition, with the filial piety of his farmland and disciples in his hometown, he was able to live a very comfortable life.
But the officials at the middle and lower levels really can't afford to live without finding some ways to do so, so they must have used some small tricks when collecting taxes, which harmed the interests of some people. Now the censors have taken it out and put it on the agenda.
On the surface.
If it was simply a problem with the Household Department, Zhu Yuanzhang would have already ordered strict measures. Now we must find a way to control the problem in the Household Department, and there should not be too many casualties in the Household Department. At the very least, we must retain the framework to maintain the operation of the Household Department.
When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that everyone had arrived, he opened his eyes. In an instant, the entire Fengtian Hall was filled with the threat of an approaching storm.
It can be seen with the naked eye that the bodies of the officials shrank unconsciously, especially the black gauze hats on the heads of the household officials were trembling.
Yang Siyi, who was kneeling on the ground, knelt and apologized: "I am guilty, please punish me."
Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice: "We have been persecuted by corrupt officials since we were young. Since the day we ascended the throne, I told you that if anyone dares to take bribes and pervert the law to oppress the people, then don't blame me for being cruel."
All the civil and military officials immediately knelt on the ground and said, "I ask your Majesty to calm down your anger."
Zhu Biao did not speak. It was not his time to appear yet. Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the imperial court and shouted: "This matter cannot be done by him alone. Who else is the accomplice? Come forward and we can spare his life."
, if you are found out that you are begging for mercy from us, it will be too late!"
The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel looked at Yang Xian in front of him with cold eyes. It seems that he already knew that the Ministry of Revenue was investigating his boss, so he could use this trick to drain the fire."
Lu Chang, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, gritted his teeth and stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I am guilty of neglecting the investigation. I did not see that Yang Siyi was a person who violated the law. I am ashamed of my Majesty and please punish me."
Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak, but looked silently at the people kneeling below: "Why, it's just these two people, Wang Yizheng!"
Among the crowd of censors, an upright middle-aged man stood out. He stood up gracefully and walked in front of the two people in the household department. He bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and said: "Your Majesty, I am impeaching everyone in the household department to misappropriate money."
The embezzlement of grain taxes from public funds has involved far more than a thousand people. How can we evade the crime of negligence as stated by the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs? I ask your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Household Affairs."
Zhu Biao frowned. It was understandable that Wang Yizheng was targeting a few people in the Household Department, but now he was asking for a thorough investigation of the Household Department. This was no joke.
The Hu Bu was never clean at all times. He was in charge of Ming Dynasty's money bag, although no one dared to reach out and take out money from the money bag under Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.
But it is normal to poke a small hole under the bag so that officials of all sizes can enjoy some benefits. Zhu Yuanzhang also knew this. If a strict investigation was really necessary, the Ministry of Revenue would have to have more manpower in the capital and local tax collection and management.
More than 10,000 people could not escape.
The entire Household Department will be paralyzed. Once the Household Department is paralyzed, the imperial court will lose the ability to manage the country's land, taxation, household registration, military supplies, salaries, grain rates, and financial revenue and expenditures. These large and small matters cannot be just randomly assigned people.
supported.
The imperial court is now in urgent need of manpower, not to mention that the Ministry of Revenue needs people who are proficient in calculations, so some people in the Ministry of Revenue can die, but the big framework must not collapse.
The problems of the Ministry of Household Affairs are known to both the government and the public. The salary is low and everyone has a tacit understanding. Moreover, with Li Shanchang controlling and Liu Bowen supervising, the officials do not dare to go too far even if they receive benefits.
Such a targeted attack on the top officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs was clearly directed by someone. Only Liu Bowen and Yang Xian could speak to the Yushi Yanguan.
Liu Bowen's desire to retire was well known to all, and he was very knowledgeable about the world. It was not that the censors had not discovered problems in the transfer department before, but they were all stopped by Liu Bowen.
If the water is clear, there will be no fish, so the officials of the imperial court cannot starve to death. Under the leadership of Liu Bowen, the censor often targets those nobles who bully the people and seize their fields.
Officials from the six ministries always turn a blind eye unless someone crosses the bottom line.
It seems that the Ministry of Household Affairs discovered the tax fraud in Yangzhou. Yes, Yang Xian used the money allocated to him by the court to buy grain from other places and use it to improve his performance. Now that the weather is going well, Yangzhou's taxes this year are actually not as good as last year.
, these matters were related to the Hubu and the Sixth Ministries, which were originally eager for quick success and quick gains from Yang Xian. They often relied on the emperor's trust to instigate officials of the Sixth Ministries arbitrarily, which aroused everyone's dissatisfaction.
As Wang Yizheng's words fell, other imperial censors also expressed their opinions. Since the matter had happened, they could not fall behind others, otherwise the emperor would do nothing to spoil them.
Suddenly all the pressure in the court was concentrated on the officials of the Ministry of Revenue. This was when Yang Xian stood up and said: "The Holy Minister also wants to impeach Lu Chang, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Why, you also want to impeach him for taking bribes?"
Yang Xian cupped his hands and said: "I am impeaching Lu Chang for being attached to the Yuan Dynasty and being unfaithful to our Ming Dynasty. When the news came back that His Highness the Crown Prince had destroyed the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Lu Chang did not congratulate our crown prince on his great victory. Instead, he excused himself for being ill."
I suffered from the disease and was languid at home for three days!"
