Chapter four hundred and sixty first: Don't let anyone go
Yishu paused for a moment, then continued: "The other thing is... in Guanzhong and Henan and other places, the price of people has dropped sharply. Many people are selling their sons and daughters, countless of them, and the price... is only a few meters per liter.
.”
After Yi Shiha finished speaking, he kowtowed and said no more.
This news may be said to be shocking, but that’s not even true.
But……
Although Zhu Di was a little mentally prepared.
He had no idea about the situation of the catastrophe, and it was impossible.
But the seriousness of the situation was beyond Zhu Di's imagination.
At most, he just thought that when encountering such a situation, many people would seek personal gain from it and get some benefits. In the face of a major disaster, there would be no fish even if the water was clear. If the court carried out a large-scale purge, it might affect the results of the relief work.
After all, now is the time for the imperial court to rely on the officials and gentry of various prefectures and counties.
But as Yi Shiha said, its nature has changed.
The anger in Zhu Di's heart was already rising, and he sneered: "Is everything found in Dongchang true?"
Yi Shiha naturally knew that Zhu Di would be angry. He was silent for a moment, but continued to kowtow: "It's true."
Zhu Di squinted his eyes slightly, his eyes gloomy, showing his bad mood at this time.
He said in a cold voice: "Very good, very good! I really didn't expect this. In this way, our Ming Dynasty is also very powerful. I ask you, where is the food?"
Yi Shiha: "..."
"Say!" Zhu Di said sharply.
Yishiha's body trembled slightly, and he said bravely: "I don't know."
Zhu Di looked at Yang Rong and Jin Youzi angrily: "I ask you, do you know?"
When Yang Rong and Jin Youzi heard these reports, based on their experience, they probably already knew that Yi Shiha's reports were nine out of ten true.
Because even if Dongchang had to make things up, he wouldn't be able to say it so accurately.
What's more, Yi Shiha is always kind to others. Unlike other eunuchs, he is not a person willing to cause trouble.
Yang Rong bowed down and said: "I will ask the Third Division to rush to Henan and other places to conduct a thorough investigation. Your Majesty..."
Zhu Di said coldly with a bit of sarcasm: "Sansi? Aren't these three divisions with them?"
As soon as this statement came out, Yang Rongdun felt the seriousness of the problem.
The so-called three divisions, namely the three legal divisions, are the Procuratorate, Dali Temple and the Ministry of Punishment.
Now that His Majesty has spoken to this extent, it actually means that the last bit of trust has been lost.
But who can blame this?
Yang Rong thought sadly that there is always a reason for the opposition between emperor and minister. If it were not for the past few years, nothing could be done well and nothing could be accomplished. In other words, originally they could only do fifty percent, so-so.
Even if the emperor knew that everyone was so capable, he would still be able to deal with it.
After all, the relationship between king and minister is companionship. Without the officials, this imperial edict cannot leave the Forbidden City.
But with the Right Governor's Mansion as an example, the situation turned out to be completely different. They got 90% in the test!
As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison!
As a result, His Majesty became more and more severe with the officials. As a result, the opposition between the monarch and his ministers became more and more obvious.
The gentry after the officials also cried out unfairly. Their original interests had been squeezed out, and today, they did not even want the last fig leaf. To some extent, it was either a rebound of this oppositional sentiment, or... from
It was some kind of threat from the beginning.
But Zhu Di still yelled: "Where did my food go? Come and tell me! Dongchang, Jinyiwei!"
Yishiha tried his best to lower his head and kowtow to the ground, still not daring to respond.
Zhu Di then looked at Yang Rong and said sternly: "Go and ask, go and verify, and immediately go to the six departments to ask!"
Yang Rong composed himself and said: "In compliance with the order, I will retire."
After that, he and Jin Youzi resigned.
Zhu Di then sat down, but his face was still ugly.
The palace became somewhat quiet.
Zhu Di leaned against the back of his chair, his eyes half open and half closed.
After a while, Zhu Di said: "Get up."
Yishiha was frightened and stood up cautiously, but still hunched over and did not dare to express his anger.
Zhu Di said slowly: "You slave, how dare you play tricks with me?"
The effect of his words was astonishing.
Yi Shiha looked like he was out of his mind, but... he didn't seem to be as panicked as before.
Zhu Di said again: "Since you knew the information, why didn't you take the initiative to report it? Instead, you deliberately tricked me in front of me. You waited until I came to ask questions and then reported it again?"
Yishiha stammered: "Slave... I'm afraid..."
Zhu Di said with a sneer on his lips: "Afraid? He knew that I would be angry with Long Yan, so he didn't dare to report it privately, but he deliberately stopped talking in front of Yang Rongren and others, waiting for me to ask questions, right? This
The matter has nothing to do with Wenyuan Pavilion. If you say it in private, I will be angry at you, but with them here, I will take out this anger on them."
Having said this, Zhu Di's eyes became a little colder and he said: "You slave, it seems... you are too smart."
Zhu Di's tone of voice at this time was relatively calm, but the words "too smart" were definitely a very harsh evaluation.
Yiwu Ha has been in the palace for a long time, so naturally he is not an ordinary person. How to serve Zhu Di well and figure out His Majesty's thoughts and temperament are things he is very familiar with.
I just didn't expect that Zhu Di would expose him directly today.
This kind of thing is extremely serious. After all, as the most trustworthy eunuch around him, he dared to play tricks on the emperor. Isn't this looking for death?
Zhu Di had expected that if he lost Ha, he would be so distraught that he kowtowed and begged for mercy.
But Yi Shiha was not as timid as Yang Rong and others were before, but said calmly: "I dare not bear your Majesty's words. I have served your Majesty for so many years, doesn't your Majesty not know your temperament? How wise your Majesty is.
How dare you, this servant, play tricks in front of His Majesty? When it comes to tricks, His Highness the Prince of Wuhu County is the one."
After hearing this, Zhu Di's face sank again, looking very ugly.
Yishiha suddenly became more courageous and said: "Your Majesty, Dongchang can find out about Henan and Guanzhong, but Jinyiwei can't find out? But there is no movement from Jinyiwei, just to see that this slave is honest. I know that after this slave knows,
A report will definitely be made. But has Your Majesty ever thought about how the people in the world will view it once this servant reports?"
Hearing these words, Zhu Di raised his eyebrows deeply and fell into deep thought.
Yi Shiha then continued: "I am just a eunuch. In the eyes of the people in the world, I am despised, which is a bit ugly... Even though a eunuch like me is loved by His Majesty, he still has some power. But no matter what,
He's just an eunuch with evil intentions."
When Zhu Di heard this, his expression softened slightly.
He knew that Yi Shiha still had his own opinions, so he continued: "Keep talking."
"If you open your mouth, it means that this matter was initiated by you first. What you are reporting today is of great importance. It is not an exaggeration to say that it will shake the foundation of the country. Then the people in the world will definitely think that it was you who wanted to
To frame certain people, that’s why I did such things and said such words. Even in the eyes of scholars, this has become a competition between gentlemen and eunuchs.”
Zhu Di snorted coldly: "A eunuch is an eunuch, but a gentleman is not a gentleman."
Yi Shiha said: "The world is like this. People will not evaluate a person based on his real good or bad, but will decide a person's quality based on his origin. I have been a slave for so many years, even if
On the surface, he is respected by some people, but I know very well that those who laugh at me, treat people like me as monsters."
When Zhu Di heard Yi Shiha's self-deprecating words, his expression was a little moved and he said: "You continue to talk about serious things."
Yi Shiha said: "I think that the Prince of Wuhu County did this on purpose."
Zhu Di did not get angry again because of these words, but asked: "Do you mean... Zhang Qing's family is actually afraid of trouble?"
Yi Shiha said: "It's hard to say, slave. After all, I am not a tapeworm of His Highness the Prince of Wuhu County. However... since slave has thought about this, it is natural for me to think that I need to open this mouth, and also in front of the ministers."
Only in this way can we not only teach His Majesty the real situation, but also see what medicine His Majesty the Prince of Wuhu has sold in his gourd."
Zhu Di's expression had completely softened: "So, it's not easy for you?"
Yi Shiha said: "Your Majesty's life belongs to you. I am your Majesty's horse and horse. What does this mean? I am just thinking that when things get to this point and I stand up to expose them, if those people turn their spears against me, I will
There’s nothing to fear.”
"It's just... if doing this can help His Majesty share his worries, or allow the Wuhu County Prince to share some of the pressure, it would also be good. His Royal Highness the Wuhu County Prince has always been loyal to Your Majesty, and his intentions this time are so obvious, and
Something like this has happened again in Henan and other places, and I'm afraid things will not be peaceful next time."
Zhu Di's expression gradually became solemn again, his face was cold, and his eyes shone with a cold light.
He was old, and although he was no longer the hot-tempered man he was before, when he learned these things, although he was not furious, he felt a deeper worry.
I dare to do this while I am still here. How dare they do this?
So he said in a cold voice: "These people... are so courageous. Do they think my sword is disadvantageous?"
Yishiha thought for a while and said: "I think... they are just lucky and have expected His Majesty to throw a rat weapon. The world is already short of food and people's hearts are floating. If the imperial court does anything again, I'm afraid war will break out. And then there will be war."
Then, as the saying goes, the law does not punish everyone, there are many people involved in this case. This is definitely not something that one or two people can succeed. There are not only 10,000 but also 8,000 participants. Your Majesty wants to thoroughly investigate them one by one. How easy is it?"
Zhu Di couldn't help being disappointed: "There are not even ten thousand, but there are eight thousand. Each of these are sensible scholars...could it be...that they are all like this?"
The human heart is so sinister that even the hard-hearted Zhu Di can feel such naked evil. Zhu Di, who kills people like a fool, also feels chilled. It is really hard for Zhu Di to believe such a fact.
Although he didn't like this group, he never believed that people would turn into beasts after reading books.
Yi Shiha said: "Over there in the East Factory, actually...there are actually some reports...the slaves...know some things."
Zhu Di said impatiently: "Stop hiding it."
Yi Shiha said: "According to a report from Dongchang, there is a gentry in Kaifeng named Wang. Speaking of which, he has not received state favor. His ancestors were originally officials from the Yuan Dynasty and came from a scholarly family. But now
, this man named Wang Chengzhi, after seeing the disaster, people were dying of hunger all over the place, and he couldn't bear it, so he discussed with the people in the clan, and the elders in the clan were also kind people, and finally decided to release grain."
"Is there such a great scholar?" Zhu Di showed a hint of approval.
"After the grain was released, thousands of people did survive after hearing the news, but soon the food was exhausted. Coupled with the chaos of the famine years, nearby thieves also heard that there was food here, and they also ran away overnight.
The final result is..."
Yishu paused for a moment, his face showed anger and sadness, and he said word by word: "The Wang family suffered a disaster, several members of the family died, the family ran out of food, and the price of food continued to rise sharply. Although there was still some money in the family, there was still money.
I can't buy much rations of food, and I won't be able to do it for another two months.
In the end, the Wang family could only support the old and the young, abandoning their ancestral homeland and having to join the refugees in searching for food everywhere. I heard that... two of his four sons died, and all but one of his three daughters had already died.
In addition to getting married, there is another person who has been separated from her and is still with her.
One person was spared, but it seemed that he was ill and died. As for the other family records... it was probably the same, either they were separated, or they starved to death, or they encountered thieves... Later... I heard that it was
A scholar somewhere recognized him and took it
Some money and food allowed him to settle down. But after this, his family... was completely broken up, and all the family property he had accumulated for generations was almost gone. The land in his family had to be sold at a low price, and he had to survive.
There is no tile, and there is no place to bury the dead.”
Zhu Di felt chills all over his body as he listened.
Yi Shiha sighed and continued: "Actually, there are people like the Wang family. How could there be no such people? They are also scholars and gentry. They care about the world and care about the common people. Whenever they meet
A major disaster will inevitably give rise to loving thoughts, but I dare to say that such people... almost never end well, even if they are more lucky, a major disaster will still break their muscles and bones. "
"But your majesty... those gentry who hoarded food and took advantage of it to add insult to injury and annex the lands of the victims have made a lot of money by taking advantage of the disasters. The same gentry, people like the Wang family, became refugees from gentry.
The land of the gentry next door has doubled. In ten years, twenty years, fifty years, one hundred years, your majesty...are there still such kind gentry as the Wang family in the world?"
After Zhu Di heard this, he was speechless for a moment.
When Yishiha said this, he looked a little excited and said: "This slave is a Tatar. Although he has no knowledge, he still knows how to be powerful. Isn't it like this on the grassland? A kind-hearted person destroys his family and destroys his family.
People with a heart like a snake and scorpion, but they get rich and powerful through snowstorms again and again. Such a thing, such a person
, there were before, there are now, and there will be again in the future. The slave... is a eunuch. In this life, no matter how famous he is in front of others, in fact... he is the castrated cow and horse in the grassland. The slave in the grassland is...
The children of slave households are also slaves after entering the customs. We have seen this kind of thing a lot!"
"Originally, slaves don't dare to say anything about the affairs of the foreign court. Who are slaves? Why should they dictate matters in the court? If Emperor Taizu Gao were here, he would be cut into pieces."
"But I still want to say that throughout the dynasties, no matter in the grasslands or in the pass, such kind people as the Wang family have been unable to gain a foothold. Those who stayed and annexed the land of the Wang family, with flocks of cattle and sheep, and vast hectares of fertile land, must be those with such a heart.
People who are as hard as stone. It is said that righteousness cannot control wealth, and kindness cannot control soldiers. This is why the servant feels that too much
The New Deal in Ping Mansion has been able to come to this day not because His Highness the Prince of Wuhu County has any skills. In fact... this Taiping Mansion can at least give kind-hearted people like the Wang family a way out. The land in this world,
There is so much. If you don't eat my land today, you will annex it tomorrow. It's better... everyone has his own land..."
Zhu Di's eyes widened and he gave a confused look.
Yishuha hurriedly prostrated himself: "My slave is dead, and my slave is too talkative again."
Zhu Di narrowed his eyes again, his eyes seemed to flicker, and he said with some sincerity: "If we want to find people like the Wang family, the world can be unfair, but I cannot be unfair!"
"Yes." Yi Shiha said: "I will do my best to find people like the Wang family and give them proper placement."
"Just handle this matter well." Zhu Di said, "I can trust you."
Yi Shiha hesitated and said: "But... those who are collecting food and those who swallow up the money and food for relief..."
Zhu Di said slowly: "This is none of your business. You know it yourself. Those Dongchang dogs of yours are of no use. I don't intend to point fingers at them."
Yi Shiha: "..."
Zhu Di walked slowly, and then said slowly: "Zhang Qing... Now that I know this, I know this guy, this guy... can't tolerate sand in his eyes. He can't see any of his own bad habits, but he can't see any of them."
He also has a keen eye for those people's problems, it's time to teach him to solve them!"
After a pause, he continued: "You pass on my will and tell him to distinguish between good and bad, never hurt innocent people, but never let anyone steal my food and return it."
There are thieves hoarding food!”
Yi Shiha said: "I will go now."
Zhu Di said: "And..."
He looked thoughtful and said: "Obviously, I still have to issue a decree and let the Third Division investigate this matter."
Yi Shiha said: "Your Majesty... I think... the Third Division... may not be in cahoots with them, but... I'm afraid that they may not be willing to kill them. At most... I'll find a few people to impose a harsh sentence and give Your Majesty an explanation..."
"
Zhu Di said: "Of course I know it! I know it, and they also know it. Now I want to see how Zhang Anshi can share my worries. As for these three divisions, it is just a name."
Only then did Yi Shiha suddenly realize, so he said, "I understand, my slave."