Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 424
Zhenjiang.

The emperor summoned Ding Kuichu, former governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and governor of Guangdong, Zheng Zhilong, former governor of Fujian, and Shen Youlong, former governor of Zhejiang Province, in Guazhou.

Facing these three big officials in frontiers, the emperor Zhu Yihai, who had been stationed in the Zhenjiang camp at this time, was also in a very complicated mood. It can be said that these three people gave him a lot of support at the beginning of his uprising. It is the opening of the imperial edict, and the above-mentioned congratulations are already meritorious.

The support of Zheng Zhilong and Ding Kuichu made the situation in the rear of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and the three provinces clear, and allowed Zhu Yihai to move northward safely in eastern Zhejiang.

Shen Youlong, Wang Yongzuo, Tu Xiangmei, Wu Yi, etc. contributed to the uprising in Su Song.

However, the situation has developed to the present, and Ding Kuichu, the governor of Guangdong, Guangxi and governor of Guangdong, is a bit out of tune with the current situation. Ding Kuichu was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli. His hometown is Henan, and he has a rich career history.

Chongzhen was promoted to governor of Baoding in four years, a senior member of the party, Chongzhen was promoted to minister of the household department in seven years, and governor of Hebei in nine years.This man is good at doing things for the rich and powerful, and loves to engage in small hills. In the same year, because of the Qing army's entry into the fortress, he failed to resist the crime and was imprisoned. Two years later, he cleared up the relationship and paid a large sum of money to the court to help him get out of prison and return to his hometown to live.

During his stay in his hometown, Liu Chao, the former general of Guizhou in the same city, rebelled.

Liu Chao's rebellion led to great chaos in Henan, and Wang Han, the governor of Henan, was also killed. The imperial court transferred Ma Shiying, the governor of Fengyang, to quell the chaos. Recovered as the governor of Henan Huguangjia Military Department Shangshu.

After Hongguang proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing, Ma Shiying made great contributions in supporting him. Because of Ding Kuichu’s befriending with Ma Shiying, he was appointed governor of Henan and Huguang, as well as governors of Chengtian, De’an and Xiangyang. Youlong entered the court as a servant, and then became the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Soon he was added the title of Minister of the Ministry of War, and then he was also the governor of Guangdong.

Zhu Yihai had asked Ma Shiying before, and Ma Shiying was very frank, saying that he had a good relationship with Ding Kuichu, and it was precisely because of the good relationship in private that at the beginning, when the situation in Henan was corrupt, Ding Kuichu proposed to transfer to Guangdong and Guangxi, and he immediately agreed.

He called Shen Youlong into the court and replaced him with Ding Kuichu. One was in the court and the other was outside, supporting each other.

Zhu Yihai supervised the country and was very grateful to be supported by Ding Kuichu.

After that, when he ascended the throne in Nanjing, he also gave Ding Kuichu the title of assistant military officer, and made him an earl for his contribution to quelling the rebellion of King Guijiang.

However, Zhu Yihai became more and more dissatisfied with Ding Kuichu, mainly because this person led Jia Wuling and didn't quite cooperate with the court's new policies, whether it was the abolition of the guards, or the distribution of households into the mu, or the payment of food by officials and gentry, or talking about fire. Consumption is returned to the public, and the customs and lijin are levied. This guy is very uncooperative.

Zhu Yihai repeatedly transferred Lingnan soldiers, but in the end he shied away because he had no soldiers and no pay. The new tax policy was delayed in implementation.

But on the other hand, Ding Kuichu took advantage of his official position to make a big talk in Lingnan, and even took the opportunity to mine mines and operate trade.

He is a local high-ranking official, and instead of implementing the New Deal and eliminating disadvantages, he only wants to make money.

What Zhu Yihai couldn't tolerate the most was that he repeatedly issued decrees to abolish the various additional levies and apportionments at the end of Chongzhen, such as the three rates.

Zhu Yihai abolished military households, craftsmen households, etc., and turned them all into civilian registration, but Ding Kuichu still collected craftsmen's silver from the craftsmen. Now it is necessary to pay extra money for the craftsman's class, and many craftsmen in Lingnan were forced to flee.

As for the mines all over the place, Ding Kuichu has to intervene everywhere, collecting mining taxes in the name of the court, which is actually a forced shareholding.

Foshan Town, one of the four major industrial and commercial towns in the Ming Dynasty, had a very prosperous iron smelting and iron products industry, and was famous all over the world. Ding Kuichu insisted on making a mess.

Zhu Yihai trusted Qu Shixu, the governor of Guangxi, and was very diligent and loyal. He vigorously promoted the New Deal in Guangxi, but Ding Kuiji was suspicious of him and secretly obstructed him, fearing that Qu Shixu would take his position.

Even He Tengjiao, a cabinet scholar, was ordered to go to Lingnan to supervise Fujian and Guangdong, and he still had many conflicts with him.

This man completely regards Guangdong and Guangxi as his private kingdom.

Faced with such a situation, Zhu Yihai ordered to beat him several times, but he didn't take it seriously at all. This made Zhu Yihai have to send a secret envoy of Jinyiwei to go down to Lingnan quietly. When discussing Taiwan affairs, Ding Kuichu was invited into the governor's office.

The angel came out to read the imperial decree and directly summoned Ding Kuichu to enter the court.

He enfeoffed Ding Kuichu as Marquis of Guide, a Bachelor of Associate University, and ordered him to enter the court immediately.

This did not leave any room for Ding Kuichu. Although Ding Kuichu had recruited many people in Guangdong and Guangxi, and even had a good relationship with the chieftain of Guangxi, he himself had carefully built [-] supervision troops, but at this time they were all useless.

The emperor shot, leaving no room.

Of course, the emperor didn't want to kill him, even if he did many things, he deserved to be killed, but the emperor still paid attention to influence, instead, he went up and down secretly.

He was an earl, now a marquis.

He was originally the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and the governor of Guangdong. He was the assistant minister of Rongzheng and added the title of minister of the Ministry of war. It can be said that he is already the top minister of Xinjiang.

Zhu Yihai now adds him as an associate bachelor, this position is very special.

The Great Ming Cabinet Scholars are all Jiadian Pavilions, which originally consisted of three halls and two pavilions, Zhongji Hall, Jianji Hall, Wuying Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion and Dong Pavilion. Forming three halls and three pavilions.

Originally, there was no such title as Associate University Fellow, but now Zhu Yihai has added a very limited number of Associate University Fellows under the three halls and three pavilions. Yes, these people have abnormal promotions, this is just a false title.

If you are awarded an associate degree, you have to have a special purpose to join the cabinet to help with affairs. Without a special purpose, in fact, you just treat yourself as a first-ranker to enjoy the treatment.

Under normal circumstances, Ding Kuiwu would not be willing to go to Beijing obediently, but when the incident happened suddenly, he was directly controlled by Jin Yiwei, He Tengjiao, and Zhang Mingyang's Jingbiao and Tibiao soldiers, leaving him no room to resist at all.

After the decree was read out, all his official seals were taken away.

Then on the same day, he was secretly escorted north to enter the court, and sent all the way to Nanjing.

Ding Kuichu still tried to protest, resisting with a hunger strike. He thought that the emperor wanted to kill him, and he might even die halfway. Fortunately, Jin Yiwei and others were very polite to him on the way, and repeatedly stated that the emperor just wanted to call him into the court.

"Ding Aiqing, your wives, concubines, children and grandchildren, I have sent Jin Yiwei to Nanjing, and gave them a home. In addition, your money and property have also been dealt with."

With that said, Zhu Yihai handed over a list.

Ding Kuichu was summoned for the first time since he entered Beijing, and he was always worried.

But when he took the list and glanced at it, his face turned pale with shock, his hands shook, and the list fell to the ground.

There are numbers listed on the list.

The first item at the top was 24 taels of gold, followed by the second item, 86 taels of silver, and more than 40 ships of other various properties were loaded into Beijing.

Ding Kuichu was sweating profusely as he knelt down and kowtowed.

"The minister is guilty of death!"

Facing the emperor's list, Ding Kuichu didn't dare to argue a word.

In particular, he just saw that there were many signatures on the back of the list, the first two of which were the names of Zhong Mingyuan, the county magistrate of Cenxi, and Su Pin, the deputy superintendent of the standard.

Those two people, one is his father-in-law and the other is his concubine's elder brother, they are both confidantes who have collected money for him and kept it.

"You have only been in Lingnan Governor for two years, and I am really surprised that you can save so much gold and silver. It's a pity that Ding Aiqing's ability is not used properly.

Zhu Yihai shook his head and sighed, "Since I raised the flag in the east of Zhejiang, although you have been called to support you, you have no soldiers to go north, no pay, and even the old taxes and taxes are in arrears. I really thought that disasters continued in Lingnan, but Unexpectedly, it all went into your pocket."

"Earlier, Qu Shisi had donated five thousand silver to support the Northern Expedition. Many officials and generals in Guangdong and Guangxi donated, but you, the governor, did not donate a tael of silver."

Ding Kuichu kowtowed non-stop. He was used to being a power and blessing in Lingnan. The sky was so high that the emperor was far away, and the Central Plains was in chaos.

"The minister is willing to donate his family's wealth."

Zhu Yihai snorted coldly, "Hmph, family wealth, are these your family wealth?"

Ding Kuichu could only lie lower, "I am willing to return the spoils!"

"I also know that the salary of officials in my Ming Dynasty was too low, and the salary is indeed too little on the surface, but I also know all kinds of bad customs and customs. A governor can earn one or two hundred thousand taels of silver a year, even if he has to go up and down With some ice and charcoal, plus business trips, hiring staff, etc., you can still have tens of thousands of taels."

These things are unspoken rules.

Zhu Yihai didn't make a one-size-fits-all approach to this kind of situation, but first increased the salaries of officials, especially for the chief officials of governors, prefectures, prefectures and counties. Minister.

Give the money first, and then come to mention it. Corruption and bribery are prohibited.

But Ding Kuichu not only accepted all kinds of bad rules, but even accepted the emperor's salary and the money for the maintenance of the honesty, but he still took bribes and embezzled money. It was to levy money for the Northern Expedition to Lingnan, and to persuade the officials and gentry to donate it. As a result, he got the money, but he divided it with the officials.

Then he also withheld taxes to support the standard camp, etc. As a result, the standard was nourished and could not fight, so he sent him to smuggle, mine, and even set up a card to collect taxes.

"I heard that Ding Aiqing was also a good official in her early years, and she paid great attention to fame and integrity. From the head of the household department to the doctor, and then the deputy envoy of the daimyo, you also made advantages and eliminated disadvantages. It was praised by the people. At that time, daimyo’s custom was to raise dogs and horses, and you also taught the people to take plowing as the foundation and change customs.

Unexpectedly, after going to Lingnan, in just two years, he fell like this! "

"The minister is guilty of capital punishment, capital crime, and is willing to return all the stolen money..."

Zhu Yihai was expressionless, but from the corner of his eye, he glanced at Ding Kuichu's previous governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Shen Youlong, and Fujian's Zheng Zhilong, both of whom also looked concerned.

Under the system in the late Ming Dynasty, no official was actually clean and honest. This was due to the system.

Although Ding Kuichu was too greedy, they were also not clean. If the emperor wanted to liquidate Ding Kuichu, they would not be safe either.

(End of this chapter)