On this day, Zhu Si went to Renshou Palace to meet "mother and son" at the invitation of Empress Dowager Zhang.
Originally, Zhu Si thought that the Queen Mother Zhang wanted to mention the batch of pig iron, and even asked him not to hold Huairou Bo and others accountable. However, it turned out that the Queen Mother Zhang did not seem to know about this matter at all, and only proposed to let the two Zhang family
My relatives can have the opportunity to mine with Zhu Si.
"...Your Majesty, your two uncles were quarreling over the military achievements in the northwest. The Ai family finally thought of a way to appease them, and they both agreed... Isn't it possible to mine in Xishan? The two brothers have done so before.
When opening a coal kiln in Xishan, why not let them continue to operate it? You can find a few experienced people to guide them and let them save some money. What do you think?"
Queen Mother Zhang said to Zhu Si in a consultative tone.
The reason why the Zhang brothers considered "opening a mine" as a condition for settling their old feud was because they heard that the emperor's mining output was very large, both coal and iron. They heard that the output of iron alone was worth millions.
It's a huge amount. In just one or two years, tens of thousands of taels of silver have been earned back.
They also knew that if they went to mine, the result would be the same as when they opened a coal kiln in Xishan. They would be half-dead and struggling to make money. They could only make profits through illegal means, and this was incompatible with the law. So they had to ask Zhu Si to send "
"Master" lead them.
They also knew that it would be better if the emperor didn't just throw the shoe in their face if they went directly to the emperor, so they went to see the Empress Dowager Zhang. The Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't bear the two younger brothers' bullying, so she had to ask the emperor for help.
Zhu Sidao: "Queen Mother, it's not that I don't want to help them, but I heard that when they were mining in the past, they were not very disciplined. They always liked to rob other people's mines, and they also involved kidnapping and extortion. From time to time, they would engage in armed fights and lose money.
In the face of the royal family, he even went against Jin Yiwei..."
Empress Dowager Zhang said earnestly: "Haven't times changed? Now, Your Majesty, you lack support in the government. Let them help you more... We are all members of the family. Wouldn't it be nice to take care of each other?"
Zhu Si thought about it for a while.
I am currently fighting with Yang Tinghe. If the Queen Mother Zhang owes him a favor because of the Zhang brothers, she will not stand in Yang Tinghe's position. After all, the reputation of the Zhang brothers in the court is not good. If he is the leader,
With the emperor's lack of support, could it be that Empress Dowager Zhang expected those ministers in the court who claimed to be righteous to help her two incompetent brothers?
"It just so happened that I recently planned to open a new coal kiln in Xishan. If the two uncles are interested, they can buy shares and receive dividends every year... But the previous plan to open the mine was vetoed by Mr. Yang Ge. I don't know if the new mine will be opened.
You can drive it."
What Zhu Si means is that I wanted to auction the mines and institutionalize the collection of mining taxes, but Yang Tinghe rejected the matter in an unreasonable way. Now since you want me to make your two brothers rich,
Would you like to come forward and make peace?
"That's it."
Empress Dowager Zhang seemed to have thought of something, nodded and said, "Then the Ai family will find someone to talk to Mr. Yang Ge... The mining of Xishan involves the heating and cooking of millions of people in the capital. It is beneficial to the country and the people, so why should we stop it?"
The Ai family heard that Your Majesty has talented mining experts around you. Once you find the right mining site, and if you continue to operate it, you can actually contribute back to the national treasury, which is really a good thing."
When Zhu Si heard what the cheap old lady said, he suddenly looked happy: "As for the queen mother, I will remember this matter in my heart. I will make good use of the two uncles to make a fortune. I will also ask someone to send some money to the queen mother later."
Empress Dowager Zhang smiled and said: "That's right. The palace expenses in the past two years have been a bit difficult to explain. The Ai family knows that you are now restricted by those ministers. If you have some income from mining or something, remember to send some to the Ai family... Sorry
My family usually doesn’t spend much money, but the servants around me always need it. Money is always useful in this world.”
…
…
Zhu Si came out of Renshou Palace in a good mood.
Huang Jin, who had been waiting outside, saw Zhu Si and expected to be displeased. However, when he saw the emperor walking forward with a smile on his face, as if he had encountered some happy event, he did not understand for a moment. Could it be that the queen mother called the emperor here today for no other reason?
Put pressure on the emperor?
"Later, you can send five hundred taels of silver to Renshou Palace." Zhu Si said.
Huang Jin said: "Yes."
Zhu Si smiled and said: "
It's really not easy. The Queen Mother actually thinks what I think and is anxious about what I am anxious about. Knowing that I want to continue mining, she wants to bring her two younger brothers over to mine together. That would be great... Humph, I don't see how old man Yang can follow me.
Fight! Without the support of the Queen Mother, he is just a grasshopper without wings. He can only jump but not fly. Sooner or later he will be trampled to death by me!"
Huang Jin couldn't help but shudder after hearing this.
What kind of metaphor is this?
It seems that the emperor is full of confidence!
But in times like this before, Zhu Hao was still by your side giving advice, but the problem is that Zhu Hao is not in the capital now. What happened to make the emperor so arrogant?
Huang Jin asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, Li Boring, the commander of the Yongping Guards, has arrived in Beijing and is currently under the custody of Dongchang. Do you want to be interrogated?"
Zhu Sidao: "Didn't you say that we want to be put on trial? Let's wait and see what happens. If old man Yang wants to cause trouble, I will put him on trial in the Fengtian Palace, so that everyone in the court will know how ruthless the man named Yang is!"
…
…
Go to court early this morning.
While the ministers were waiting to see him, Yang Tinghe received news that Sun Jiao had been summoned by the emperor to Qianqing Palace to discuss matters.
In the past, if the emperor wanted to discuss matters with his ministers alone, he would wait until the court meeting was over, but this time it was before the court meeting was held, which was obviously inconsistent with the rules. Yang Tinghe immediately thought that the emperor should be asking about the details of collecting debts from Shi Zan, and he was very surprised.
Maybe this matter will be mentioned in court today.
If the operation was carried out normally, Yang Tinghe should have asked a few familiar ministers to discuss it, but he did not do so.
A long time passed.
Sun Jiao came late, and seeing his expression as usual, Yang Tinghe didn't know what the emperor had talked to him. Sun Jiao didn't give Yang Tinghe a chance to ask questions in advance. Soon Zhang Zuo, the eunuch of the Chief of Ceremonies, shouted loudly to let the ministers enter the Fengtian Palace.
.
With the arrival of the emperor, the court meeting began.
After the basic etiquette of the emperor and his ministers, Zhu Si spoke first before waiting for the ministers to report.
"My dear friends, I have mentioned to you before that there was a batch of pig iron from the iron mine opened by Yongping Prefecture, about 6 million kilograms. It was seized by Zhu Hao, the prefect of Yongping Prefecture, and then jointly commanded by the Yongping Guards.
Li Bor was transported away. The Jinyiwei found clues and asked them for it, but they said the pig iron was lost! May I ask you, nobles, what crime did they commit? How should I hold them accountable?"
If the emperor hadn't told him, many of the ministers present would not have known about it.
The only information they learned was that Zhu Hao had seized the pig iron and Sun had submitted a petition requesting that the iron be used for military purposes, but they did not say that the iron was lost.
If it is really lost... then this matter is worth pondering.
Could it be that Zhu Hao and Li Bor had secretly cast this batch of iron into weapons and sent it to the northwest for military use by Sun Jiao? Want to kill it first and then report it? Or is Yang Tinghe instigating all this?
Of course, some well-informed people are already looking at Yang Tinghe. After all, what happened at Huairou Bo is not a secret. Many people know that this matter is the focus of the game between the emperor and Yang Tinghe.
"Xingbu!"
Zhu Si saw that no one answered his question, so he could only point to everyone one by one.
Lin Jun, the Minister of Punishment, came out and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial court recruits people to mine, and the iron obtained will be uniformly used by the imperial court. I believe that Zhu Hao and Li Bor have done nothing wrong."
Zhu Sidao: "Lin Qing's family, you didn't hear what I said clearly, did you? Now they are reporting to me that this batch of iron is lost! Whether it is used in the court or elsewhere, can you first take this batch of iron?
I'll get the iron back, can you answer it directly?"
Chasing stolen goods?
That does not fall within the scope of my responsibilities as Minister of Punishment.
Who said that if I am in charge of the Ministry of Justice, I will take over everything? Even if this is really an errand of the Ministry of Justice, I, Lin Jun, can shirk it and say I don’t know.
Lin Jun said: "I have no objection."
Zhu Si wanted to curse.
What has been discussed and you just say there is no objection?
You don’t understand what objection means? When I said I wanted to recover that batch of iron, did that mean you agreed with me? The dignified Minister of the Ministry of Justice should be consistent in his words. Is his speech so ambiguous?
"Tobe!"
Zhu Si didn't want to ask a slippery politician like Lin Jun, so he turned to embarrass Sun Jiao.
Everyone immediately looked at Sun Jiao.
They are all thinking that the emperor summoned him in advance and said everything he should have said. When Sun Jiao came to speak, he probably just conveyed his meaning and didn't really want to discuss it, right?
Sun Jiaodao: "I deeply regret Zhu Hao's actions, but as the chief official assigned by the Ministry of Household Affairs to handle mine affairs, there is nothing wrong with him escorting and transporting the products produced in the mine. Therefore, I believe that it should be
First, hold Li Bor, the commander of the Yongping Guard, responsible!"
As soon as these words came out, almost all the ministers were stunned.
You, Mr. Sun, are quite good at staking the blame. Not only do you do it yourself, but you also help your son-in-law do it too?
Zhu Si said coldly: "Sun Budang, it seems that your son-in-law Chenglong took away the pig iron, which caused so many things to happen... You actually think that he has no responsibility?"
Sun Jiao said: "I don't understand what your Majesty means. Since Zhu Hao has taken over the mine, shouldn't he be responsible for all the output in the mine? I don't know what I mean by seizing it. Besides,
That batch of pig iron shouldn't have disappeared in his hands, right? Whoever lost it in his hands will be held responsible. This is the legal principle."
It sounds reasonable.
But isn't your grandson a bit too shameless?
Zhu Si almost had his nose crooked with anger, and said with a dark face: "Sun Butang, I summoned you earlier, and you said you wanted to check it out for me. Are you so shirking your responsibility?"
Sun Jiaodao: "I promised your majesty to investigate the matter thoroughly, but your majesty is now going to hold the parties responsible. I have to suspect that this batch of pig iron may not have left the Yongping Mansion... I am not excusing my son-in-law, but just advocating for investigation."
Responsibilities must be carried out in order, your Majesty, please prioritize."
Everyone thought that Sun Jiao was on the emperor's side, but after listening to Sun Jiao's words, everyone discovered that Sun Jiao probably had not made peace with the emperor.
Otherwise, why would you always make trouble for the emperor?
Many ministers couldn't help but look at Yang Tinghe.
Yang Tinghe looked indifferent, as if he could see that the emperor and Sun Jiao were clearly acting and had rehearsed it in advance. First, they would explain the order of accountability, and then the next step should be to follow the clues, starting from Li Bor and working up step by step, gradually investigating