Foreign ministers should not come here casually. During the years when Zhao Huan was the crown prince, everyone avoided this place like a snake or scorpion.
But since Ju Ming moved in, it immediately became lively.
"If others don't talk about it, why are you joining in the fun?" Zhu Ming stared at Chen Dong with a slightly unhappy look on his face.
On the contrary, Chen Dong straightened his waist even more: "As a minister, I should directly remonstrate with you. Otherwise, it will be disloyal and unjust."
Zhu Ming said: "Do you know why no one used Jiaozi in the previous dynasty? First, the old Song Dynasty broke the trust of the people and issued new money indiscriminately and did not accept the old money. Second, there were many counterfeiters, and the old Song Dynasty court did not punish them severely. There are also copper coins, tin coins, and lead coins from the old Song Dynasty that are everywhere, which not only harms the poor people, but also causes the price of food to skyrocket."
But Chen Dong said: "If one person breaks the law, why should three clans be implicated? Even if the three clans are implicated, the whole clan can be exiled, so why kill them all? The reason for my admonishment is not for myself, but because I don't want the Ming Dynasty to indiscriminately punish him."
Chen Dong's move was truly selfless. He had offended many ministers for a long time, all because of the support of Zhu Guoxiang and Zhu Ming.
There is no need for him to wade into troubled waters regarding the counterfeit silver dollar case. Not only will he not be able to build a good relationship with the ministers, but he will also most likely offend the emperor and the prince. In the end, he will become a stranger inside and outside!
"well!"
Ju Ming sighed: "If you hadn't persuaded me, I might have loosened my grip. If you had persuaded me, the Gao family in Kaifeng would have to be the Yi tribe!"
"Why is this happening?" Chen Dong asked.
"Because even you don't take private coining of silver coins seriously from the bottom of your heart," Zhu Ming saw that Chen Dong was about to open his mouth to defend, and quickly raised his hand and said, "No need to argue, you must have said that you know the pros and cons, and you must have confiscated your home and sent you into exile. I can do as you say in the future, but I must not be lenient this time. Just one sentence, I must let the ministers know that the Ming Dynasty is not the old Song Dynasty!"
Chen Dong is still stubborn: "I believe that laws and regulations should be strictly enforced. Since the "Da Ming Code" has not been compiled yet, many cases should be based on the "Song Xingtong". Specific cases can be handled as appropriate, but there may be heavy penalties. If there is any pardon, it should be reasonable and moderate in order to convince the public."
"Let's talk about Gao Shizuo's wife clan. They have no knowledge of this case. They have followed etiquette and laws since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. How come they are about to be exterminated due to such a sudden disaster? Not only will they not be able to convince the public, they will also make people panic!"
"I suggest that if the prince insists on killing the clan, he can only kill Gao Shizuo's father's clan, and his mother's clan and his wife's clan should be spared. As well as the Wang and Wei families, they have not participated in the counterfeiting of money, so they can be exiled as a whole. It has been able to shock the world. Not to mention the three tribes of Yi, the Wang and Wei families do not need to be exterminated."
Ju Ming did not express his position immediately. Instead, he thought carefully and said vaguely: "I understand. You can go back to the Inspectorate."
"I excuse myself!" Chen Dong bowed and retreated.
The matter of the Yi tribe seems to have stirred up a hornet's nest.
As public opinion fermented, the number of ministers who came to advise and remonstrate has exceeded one hundred.
The more this is the case, the less we can compromise!
First, it can wipe out more dignitaries of the old Song Dynasty; second, it can consolidate the majesty of the prince; third, it can change the inherent concept and let the awareness that coins cannot be made privately be deeply rooted in the people.
Of course, one has to give the ministers a step up so that they can chop slightly off target when wielding the butcher knife.
…
Regular morning meetings.
Officials of fifth rank and above were divided into two groups, the left and right, sitting facing the emperor.
The remaining officials stood neatly further back.
Next to the throne, there is a gilt weight pendulum clock.
After discussing some ordinary government affairs, Zhu Guoxiang said: "In recent days, many ministers have complained about the counterfeit silver dollar case. We will have a good discussion in the Daqing Hall today. Whoever has something to say, it is okay to say it, and you will not be punished for your words."
All the ministers looked at Prime Minister Zhang Gen, waiting for him to take the lead in making a statement.
But Zhang Gen, who was risking his life and outspoken in the old Song Dynasty, is more "calm" now that he is the prime minister, sitting in his chair without any reaction.
Li Bangyan did not dare to turn his head randomly, but moved his eyes left and right, observing the cabinet ministers around him with his peripheral vision.
He also felt that the Yi tribe should not be punished, but he did not want to take the lead, hoping that someone would charge into the battle.
After Gao Jingshan died of illness, Zhai Ruwen, who took over as deputy prime minister, stood up, holding a wat tablet in his hand and said: "Your Majesty, privately minting coins is a serious crime, but the offenders can be beheaded and abandoned. Even if the law is enforced, it should be done by Gao Shizong.
I will be beheaded, and his family will be sent to the border areas to serve as people. There is no need to implicate the mother’s clan and wife’s clan in this case, and there is no need to kill all his father’s clan.”
After Zhai Ruwen expressed his position, Zhongshi Dao also said: "What Prime Minister Zhai said is absolutely true."
Liu Yao, who had just been replaced as a cabinet minister a few years ago, saw that both of them had spoken, so he also stood up and said: "I second the proposal."
Of the five cabinet ministers, two were silent and three were against the Yi people.
Zhang Gen actually advised him in private, but he was keenly aware that this matter seemed irreversible, so he tried his best to avoid conflicts between the emperor and the prime minister.
Li Bangyan is a cunning person, which is his usual tactic. At first, he sat back and watched Cai Jing and Wang Fu fight fiercely, but Li Bangyan rarely expressed his opinions, and quietly made friends with various forces, so he had good relations with all ministers.
Next up are six.
Among the six ministers, four remained silent, and the remaining two opposed the Yi tribe.
Liang Yi from the Tongzhengyuan remained silent. As Zhu Guoxiang's chief disciple, he never made any political statements and just quietly did his job.
However, several of the six departments under the Tongzhengyuan were in charge of the affairs and strongly opposed the Yi tribe.
As for the Inspectorate, after Chen Dong stood up to oppose it, nearly half of the censors also opposed the Yi tribe.
Ju Ming's face became darker and darker. Except for the silent ones, everyone else opposed it. There was not even a supporter!
This shows that the mainstream of public opinion is against it. Even if some people want to support the prince and take the opportunity to gain the prince's appreciation, they are afraid of incurring public anger and dare not speak out.
At the same time, it also shows that there was no party struggle in the Ming Dynasty and there were no fierce conflicts among the major factions.
The new dynasty is still in the stage of making a big cake. All parties can easily share the cake and there is no need to get into trouble over trivial matters.
There are also people with special status, such as Shi Yuangong.
He was not afraid of offending anyone and was willing to support the prince. But Shi Yuangong, like Liang Yi, was inconvenient to express any opinions unless he received Ju Ming's permission.
Although Qin Hui's seat is relatively far back, he still belongs to the group of high-ranking officials who sit in court.
He has already solved the problems left by Xicheng, and has been officially appointed as the Minister of Household Affairs for more than half a year.
At this moment, Qin Hui clenched and unclenched his hands, wanting to take the opportunity to show off but afraid of becoming the target of public criticism.
He has been keenly aware that the emperor and the prince's confidants Yuan Cong have all chosen to remain silent today. The only exception is Chen Dong. This person is a lunatic and can be ignored.
Qin Hui dreamed of being promoted quickly, and he initially wanted to curry favor with Li Bangyan.
However, although Li Bangyan was a cabinet minister, he actually did not have much power and could not support himself as a minister.
At the same time, he was still fawning over Zhai Ruwen, but Zhai Ruwen was too selfless and would handle everything according to the rules. Moreover, although this person was the prince's tutor, he deliberately avoided suspicion and kept a distance from the prince. He only recognized Zhu Guoxiang, the real emperor.
Although Qin Hui was the same age as the prince and had a personal relationship with the prince, now he felt it was difficult to get close to him.
You must choose a good time to perform seriously!
The official position of a minister is indeed not low, but Qin Hui is not satisfied. The Ministry of Household Affairs is a large department with many departments. There are two right ministers, and there is a left minister in front. Qin Hui can only be ranked at the bottom.
There are too many heroes from Conglong. If you want to stand out, you have to work hard.
"His Majesty!"
Qin Hui suddenly stood up: "The laws of the old Song Dynasty were too lenient, so that corruption was rampant and petty crimes were everywhere. The majesty of the court was no longer and the country could not survive. Now that the Ming Dynasty has just been established, severe punishments and laws must be used to shock the world. Minister
I think the Gao family, the Wang family, and the Wei family should barbarize the other three clans!"
As soon as these words came out, countless ministers looked at Qin Hui.
Zhai Ruwen was even more angry. He was not only Qin Hui's tutor, but also the Bole who recommended Qin Hui to take the Maoke examination, which made Qin Hui transform from a professor of Zhouxue to a principal of Taixue.
Without Zhai Ruwen's support, Qin Hui would probably still be wasting his time.
With such a close relationship, Qin Hui actually stabbed him in the back and openly disagreed with Zhai Ruwen.
Qin Hui simply chose to ignore the various looks cast by the officials.
He had already figured it out that he and the prince had an old relationship. He was the same year as the prince, so he should have taken a stand long ago and became a princeling.
Although he will definitely be the target of public criticism today, it is worth it to be appreciated by the prince. What's more, there are many ministers who choose to remain silent, including a large number of the emperor and the prince's confidants. He can make friends with these people in the future.
A smile appeared on Ju Ming's face, but this smile was really weird.
Ju Ming moved his butt and sent a signal.
Qian Chen, the Minister of Household Affairs, immediately stood up: "What Qin Shilang said is absolutely true. Nowadays, there are dozens or hundreds of gold, silver, and copper coins in all provinces, prefectures, and counties across the country. There are even twenty coins in Zhejiang. It was after the foolish king fled to Hangzhou.
The minted currency is of mixed quality, and we dare not abolish it suddenly. We can only gradually replace it with new money..."
The more Qian Chen talked, the more excited he became: "A family is short of money and living in difficulty. A country is short of money and is poor and weak. If our Ming Dynasty wants to be strong, it must rectify its currency system, and the silver dollar is the top priority. If this case is not
Severe punishment may endanger the country. Only the Yi tribe can be remembered by the world and let a three-year-old child know the truth!"
When Qin Hui heard this, he immediately felt at ease.
His bet was right this time, and the prince had indeed made plans in advance.
Chen Dong stood up and refuted: "Of course the counterfeit silver dollar case must be severely punished, and no ministers objected. Today's discussion is whether the Yi tribe should be punished. Just punishing the father's tribe can show the majesty of the imperial decree, so why bother to implicate others?
Mother clan and wife clan?”
The ministers nodded one after another, this is what they thought in their hearts.
After all, it was the prince who ordered severe punishment, so who would want to conflict with the prince? The Yi clan really went too far and challenged everyone's psychological bottom line.
Moreover, they are afraid of becoming a routine!
What if I abide by the law from now on and have done nothing wrong? But out of nowhere, my son-in-law is sentenced to being a member of the Yi tribe, and all the men in my family have to be buried with him. Who will I ask to reason with at that time?
Qin Hui looked at Chen Dong who spoke generously, with admiration in his heart, but also with some contempt: This man is indeed a lunatic, and as a confidant of the prince, he actually opposes the prince.
Zhai Ruwen cooperated with Chen Dong to output firepower: "May I ask His Majesty the Crown Prince, privately making coins is not even considered one of the ten evils. If you just bully three tribes, how should the ten evils be punished?"
Ju Ming categorically said: "Creating coins privately is tantamount to conspiracy!"
As soon as this statement came out, the officials were in an uproar.
The first heinous crime is rebellion!
The second one is treason, destroying the emperor's family temple, ancestral tombs, palaces, dragon veins, etc.
The third article is conspiracy, which is also the crime of treason.
Ju Ming finally stood up, turned around and glanced at the ministers: "Do you want to intercede for the rebels?"
Zhai Ruwen said: "I have never heard that making coins privately is tantamount to conspiracy."
"From now on," Ju Ming said, "as long as Zuo of the Ming Dynasty is still there, anyone who makes coins privately will be punished as treason!"