Empress Ma didn't know why Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he still wanted to buy jewelry for himself after reading the memorial? What, you picked up gold nuggets? Did you make a fortune?
She didn't believe it at all, so she walked up to Lao Zhu, grabbed it casually, and started looking at it.
Only Queen Ma had the courage to ignore Lao Zhu's gaze.
When she took a rough look at it, she was completely stunned.
There are thousands of sets of clothing, 300 pairs of boots, more than 200 kilograms of Hetian jade, gold is not counted, and there are also overseas spices, perfumes, precious red corals, pearls, gemstones...
Don’t say anything else. The entire harem’s jewelry collection is probably not as rich as this person’s collection!
What on earth does he want to do?
Take Zhu Yuanzhang as an example, excluding the emperor's official uniforms, armored military uniforms, and daily clothes, he would not have more than ten sets of clothes. Empress Ma also had only a few more sets than him.
Thousands of robes, hundreds of pairs of boots... How tall has he grown and how many pairs of feet can he wear so many clothes?
"People are insatiable and greedy!" Empress Ma said through gritted teeth: "Chongba, you have to handle this situation well and don't make trouble for yourself!"
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, "Do you still need to say this?"
"We have sent a secret order to Mr. Zhang to come to Beijing to assist in the investigation."
Call Zhang Ximeng back?
Empress Ma nodded, "It's true that Mr. Zhang should be brought back. This matter is too big. If we continue to investigate, we don't know how many people will be implicated. But you have to think carefully about Chongba. You can't let Mr. Zhang get involved too early and offend others."
Let Li Shanchang take care of the matter first! If one of his subordinates becomes such a corrupt official, he cannot escape his involvement. At least he is a lax subordinate!"
Of course Zhu Yuanzhang nodded vigorously and could not agree more.
Zhang Ximeng, who was in Peiping, was more caring than Zhu Yuanzhang.
In other words, he takes the implementation of the new salt law more seriously this time.
It can even be said that the success or failure of this matter is related to the future development direction of Ming Dynasty.
If Zhang Ximeng loses, he might as well just take a shower and go home to hold the baby!
Leave everything to Zhu Yuanzhang, anyway, the worst is three hundred years of power. As for leaving his name in history, Zhang Ximeng has already done it, so there is no need to care too much.
But if this thing is done, it means that there is still some hope for the implementation of the New Deal and the development of industry and commerce, and Zhang Ximeng is willing to continue to invest his efforts.
Judging from the current situation, he may need to work harder.
"Your Highness, here in Beiping, I'm afraid your Highness will have to stand up for a while."
When Zhu Biao heard this, he was immediately frightened and shuddered.
He subconsciously wanted to refuse, because the reason was very simple. Lan Yu had just led his troops, using Guanyin Nu as a guide, crossed Juyong Pass and secretly entered the desert.
That's right, after months of preparations, Lan Yu finally set off for the expedition.
His goal is very clear. To pursue the remnants of the Yuan army, it is best to capture the youngest son of Tiguo and completely cut off the inheritance of the Yuan Dynasty royal family. Secondly, to get back the skull of Song Lizong and bury Song Lizong, which can also be regarded as a funeral for the Song Dynasty.
, and finally a glorious burial.
Prime Minister Zhang is already preparing to revise history again.
Then there are the things that Lan Yu wants to do, to control Shi Yanran, to seal the wolf from Xu... at least he has to do the same thing, otherwise how can he win the championship?
Lan Yu went out to fight, and Li Wenzhong and Zhu Wenzheng also led their troops to support Lan Yu.
The three parties invested nearly 50,000 troops.
Although the number of people is small, the battlefield stretches for thousands of miles and goes deep into the desert. It is a huge scale. It is absolutely impossible if no one is in charge of planning and commanding.
"Sir, why don't we find someone else to stay in Beiping? I'm afraid..."
Zhang Ximeng smiled directly and said: "Your Highness is overthinking. The current Yuan Dynasty is still in a state of brain death. When we go out to conquer, the difference is that the results are great, and the results are very great... Don't worry, the so-called sitting in command is just to listen to the good news.
.What’s more, the Duke of Yue is still here. Your Highness will not think that he only knows how to build beacon towers and dry salt, right?"
Hearing this, Zhu Biao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, besides Mr. Hu Dahai, there is also Hu Dahai!
Thinking about it, nothing major will happen. The only problem is that when the soldiers return victorious and have made great achievements, they themselves have lost their etiquette...
Zhu Biao thought for a while and suddenly said curiously: "Sir, I have read a lot of newspapers recently. Why are the courtiers opposed to the new salt law? Are they all colluding with the salt merchants? All the people in the dynasty are corrupt officials.
?”
When Zhu Biao said this, his hair stood on end and his heart beat with fear.
Although the Yuan Dynasty was crotchless, there was still Tuotuo. If the Ming Dynasty was full of corrupt officials, could this country still be passed into its own hands? Wouldn't it be destroyed early?
Zhang Ximeng smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, why do you think the new salt law is hated by others?"
Zhu Biao hesitated, "Isn't salt the most valuable? They have all been bribed and can't let go?"
Zhang Ximeng laughed loudly, "Your Highness, the salt profit is indeed very heavy, and it has made many people fat. But if you say that salt merchants can bribe all officials and drag them down, that would be an underestimation of Your Majesty! It also underestimates our newly established country.
of the Ming Dynasty."
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "The biggest problem here is the abolition of the Salt Transport Envoy Yamen!"
Zhu Biao frowned and said, "Sir, according to the current situation, the salt movement has made the yamen superfluous, greedy and incompetent, the corpses are on a plain diet, doing nothing, and they are colluding with the salt merchants..."
Zhang Ximeng interrupted him and said with a smile: "What about other yamen?"
"This? Maybe it's better than the Yanyunshi Yamen?" Zhu Biao asked confused.
Zhang Ximeng nodded, "Indeed, it will be better, but good or bad are all relative... The salt transport yamen are like dung. Among all the yamen, they are the worst and have the most problems. But it is precisely because of the salt transport
Only when the yamen is there, gorgeous flowers can be nourished...such as Zhongshu Province, various ministries, Dali Temple, Honglu Temple, Yushitai...If the dung is dug up, where will those delicate flowers grow?"
"What's more, if one yamen is abolished because of the above, what will happen to the other yamen? They are similar to the Salt Transport Yamen, or even more useless, such as Yuanma Temple, Taipu Temple, Honglu Temple, Qin
Tianjian, as well as Zhan Shifu, the Ministry of Rites... If this bad example is started, who will be able to secure his position? It is not difficult to kill officials, but to abolish the Yamen, it is a big taboo! It will anger all civil servants! "
Zhu Biao was dumbfounded when he heard this. This was an area he had never touched before. Following the master, he really gained a lot of experience! After saying this, Zhu Biao not only did not feel relaxed, but even more frowning.
"Sir, if you put it this way, wouldn't it mean that reform is very difficult?"
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "My lord, it is difficult and dangerous to push it forward, but in the hands of His Highness, the ancestral method will be irreversible."
Zhu Biao was speechless. What Zhang Ximeng said not only explained the reasons why the current courtiers were all opposed to the new salt law, but also allowed him to clarify many public records in history.
It turns out that the reforms of the past dynasties were torn apart like this, not just about gentlemen and villains, right and wrong... but also something deeper.
You want to eliminate redundant personnel and save money... The question is who do you want to eliminate? If you can eliminate one or two civil servants in North Korea, you can eliminate ten or eight.
Eventually one day we will become redundant and be laid off.
Zhu Biao thought of the old and new party struggles in the Northern Song Dynasty. Isn't that what happened? He also thought of Yuanfeng's restructuring. It is said that the official system was reorganized. As a result, not a single redundant employee was laid off, and the work was even more delayed. To save the little salary, it was quickly restored.
Went back.
Isn't this the reform of the Salt Law proposed by Baiguan?
Let the salt merchants continue to sell salt, let the salt transport yamen continue to transport salt, and add an additional assistant to take charge of coordination... My God! It cannot be said to be exactly the same, it can only be said to be exactly the same.
The methods will not change!
While Zhu Biao was surprised, he had to take a closer look at what he had learned over the years. Those erudite people from the Hanlin Academy spoke in a brilliant and eloquent way.
But it is not as good as Mr.'s words, just a few words, which make people suddenly enlightened.
Zhu Biao looked up at Mr. Zhang more and more, and bowed to the ground.
Only people like Mr. can understand the world!
No wonder my father had to ask his husband for help when he encountered a problem.
In this way, Zhang Ximeng made rough arrangements for Beiping, and followed the ships from the Changlu Saltworks to the south to Yingtian.
And just as he was leaving, Yao Guangxiao made another gain.
After uncovering Fan Guang, the capital transport envoy, he also arrested thirteen salt transport envoys, Judges, in succession.
The reason why this thing is scary is that according to legend, there are only four judges in hell, and each of them is a messenger, but there are as many as thirteen?
What is this for?
According to the rules, the transfer envoy department has one envoy, one deputy envoy, one deputy envoy, and no fixed number of judges... This unlimited number means that it can be arranged according to needs and is not limited by the number of people.
But the problem is that there are thirteen judges, which is too nonsense.
After several reforms, the Zhongshu Ministry of Foreign Affairs only added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Taxation, from six to eight. Li Shanchang, the left prime minister, was not as prosperous as the transfer of both.
It’s really a nest of snakes and rats, working together... Check it out! Get to the bottom of it!
Li Shanchang ordered to go down, and Yao Guangxiao, Guo Ying, and other yamen also followed for a thorough investigation. They soon discovered that one of the thirteen judges was Fan Guang's brother-in-law. He failed the imperial examination and was directly
He was promoted from a scribe to the high position of a judge.
Similarly, there was another judge who was the nephew of Yang Siyi, the Minister of Household Affairs.
"Catch them all!"
The person who gave the order this time was Zhu Yuanzhang.
Lao Zhu couldn't bear it anymore and personally intervened in this situation.
Yang Siyi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, was directly sent to the imperial prison. It happened that next to him was Ru Taisu, who had been in prison for several days.
This man would be beaten every three days. Although his life was saved, new and old injuries continued on his buttocks, making it difficult for him to get up and go to the toilet.
"Yang, Yang Shangshu, why did you come in? Could it be that you also spoke upright and impeached the prince for his evil deeds? I am not alone! It is true that justice prevails in people's hearts. I, I will die without regrets!"
Yang Siyi stared at Ru Taisu, his eyes bloodshot and filled with anger.
You bastard!
If you don't impeach the prince, where will the next thing come from?
Now that the Ministry of Revenue has been trapped, we don’t know how many officials will be implicated in the future... "Ru Taisu! Sooner or later, your reputation will be ruined and you will be cut into pieces!"
While they were arguing, someone else came in escorting Teng Yi, the Minister of Civil Affairs.
Two powerful ministers, who were chatting in front of the emperor not long ago, are now in jail.
"Teng Shangshu, why did you come in?" Ru Taisu said stupidly.
Teng Yi was about to cry but had no tears, "It's all that thief Yang Xian! He told me that it doesn't matter if we increase the number of officials. The province only has the power of inspection. If they don't move the three law divisions, nothing will happen! So do I.
You are so obsessed, why did you believe what he said!"
Yang Siyi rolled his eyes, "Did you believe it for no reason? How did I hear that you received a white jade Guanyin on your birthday!"
Teng Yi was speechless for a moment. He had accepted a Guanyin, but he never imagined that the white marble in his hand, that beast Fan Guang, was worth a pound!
If I had known, I would have split a small fortune. No matter what, I shouldn't have taken advantage of these beasts.
It's all over now.
"You said you captured two of our ministers, and also captured so many people from the transfer envoy, would your majesty be satisfied?"
Yang Siyi shook his head. He couldn't say anything. He only knew that this matter was very, very big...
satisfy?
What a joke, Zhu Yuanzhang has just started and he hasn’t had enough fun yet!
He arranged secretly, and in one fell swoop, he raided the Lianghuai Capital Transfer Envoy Department in Huai'an. Then Lao Zhu issued an order, arresting more than a hundred salt merchants in one go, and sent them all to prison.
By the time Zhang Ximeng arrived in Yangzhou with the fleet, more than 500 key criminals had been arrested in prison alone, and as many as 10,000 others were implicated!
What is Emperor Hongwu?
Lao Zhu finally made the world understand his terror...