Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 111 Drag it out and kill it with a stick!

Xingyuan Water Pavilion.

Wang Chengen walked into the central stage with two ten taels of silver ingots and handed them to Li Shiniang and Zheng Tuoniang respectively.

"Both of you, the Holy Majesty has said that now that the national expenditure is scarce, there is really no way to give more rewards, only the ten taels of tea fee, don't think it's too little."

"Thank you, Eunuch, for the reward." Li Shiniang and Zheng Tuoniang stood up and bowed their hands.

"Hey, I was wrong." Wang Chengen smiled and waved his hands, "This is the tea fee that Long Live Lord rewarded you."

"My family is waiting to thank the Lord Long Live for the reward." Li Shiniang and Zheng Tuoniang bowed in the direction of Chongzhen's departure again, and when they got up after the salute, they found that Wang Chengen had left by himself.

Li Shiniang was stunned for a moment and hurriedly shouted, "Elder-in-law stay here."

Wang Chengen turned his head when he heard the sound, and asked with a smile, "What orders does Master Li have?"

Li Shiniang picked up the pipa and asked, "Is there a different place next?"

"Change place?" Wang Chengen was stunned for a moment before realizing it, and hurriedly said, "There is no need to change place, you two can go back, please go back."

"Ah?" Li Shiniang and Zheng Tuoniang were both stunned.

This is something they never expected, and this is the end?

The Holy Majesty summoned them to Xingyuan just to show their skills to the salt merchants in Yangzhou?

"You two, please go your own way. Our family will not accompany you first." Wang Chengen bowed, turned and left in a hurry.

The two famous prostitutes walked out from the side door, feeling a little rejoiced, a little bit sad, and also a little confused, the present-day sage seems to be different from what is said in Lifang.

……

"Father, why didn't you fight for the 1300 million taels of silver?"

Zhu Cijiong asked Chongzhen eagerly: "Right now, the border town is in urgent need of money. With this 1300 million taels, there will be no need to worry about military pay for at least a year."

Seeing Zhu Cijiong who was more and more daring to express his opinions, Chongzhen nodded secretly.

This is the most basic quality of a general, daring to express and stick to one's own opinions.

Well, Chongzhen is actually learning from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He trained Zhu Cijiong and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty trained Huo Qubing in the same way.But never arrogant.

Arrogance is the arrogance of thinking.

Not being arrogant means never being arrogant in life.

At least from the current point of view, the effect is still good.

Chongzhen smiled and said to Zhu Cihong, "Lang'er, you can say it."

"Yes." Zhu Cihong responded, and said to Zhu Cijiong, "Third brother, there is a saying in Chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching that husbands are the only ones who do not compete, so no one in the world can compete with him!"

Glancing at Chongzhen, Zhu Cihong said again: "Father seems to have no dispute, but in fact it is a great dispute!"

"Big fight?" Zhu Cijiong asked blankly, "Why did the father fight so much? Why didn't I see it?"

"Father is a big fight." Zhu Cihong said, "Because what father wants is not 1300 million taels, but [-] million or even a billion taels, what father wants is far more than what Yangzhou merchants can offer now! "

"Then I understand." Zhu Cijiong said clearly, "But this can't solve the urgent need."

"Even if we fight, we can't solve the urgent need." Chongzhen stroked Zhu Cijiong's little head, and said again, "Because Ma Minglu can't recover so much at all, let alone 1300 million taels, it would be good if he could recover 400 million taels Yes, after all, seven years have passed."

Seventy percent of the 1300 million taels were divided up and squandered by Qu Shangzhong's attendants and the soil sticks under him. Even if there were some real estate and jewelry left, they would not be worth much.

So Ma Mingpao can recover 400 million taels in the end and it will be amazing!

This also includes Qu Shangzhong's property, including the Yangzhou garrison in front of him.

Just as he was talking, Han Zanzhou ran in angrily: "Long Live Lord, Qu Shangzhong, a dog slave, really deserves to die. He actually hid so much tax money from the palace and the Holy Majesty!"

Chongzhen heheed twice, and asked, "How much money has he been greedy?"

"The cash found in the cellar alone is more than half a million taels!" Han Zanzhou said with a dark face, "This is not counting the calligraphy, paintings, porcelain and jewelry he accumulated, and the money he used on the Yangzhou Xingyuan. Expenses, this dog slave, in the past few years, at least two million taels have been stolen from tax money!"

Han Zanzhou was really angry.

He originally thought that Qu Shangzhong had given him the bulk of the tax money.

But he never expected that Qu Shangzhong's filial piety to him was only a fraction!
"It seems that this Yangzhou is really a cornucopia." Chongzhen smiled, and opened the account book on the table, "However, what Han Banban said is wrong, right? Qu Shangzhong should be greedy for three million taels!"

"This..." Han Zanzhou's eyes rolled wildly.

"Where did the other one million go?" Chongzhen suddenly emphasized, "Eunuch Han!"

"Long live!" Han Zan Zhoudang knelt down on the ground with a puff, "This old slave is confused, this old slave deserves to die, this old slave should not be greedy and reach out to the tax bank, long live you will spare this old slave's life Bar."

"Drag it out." Chongzhen said solemnly, "Together with Qu Shangzhong, die!"

"Long Live!" Han Zanzhou screamed out of fear, like killing a pig.

The two Yi Ding had already lifted Han Zanzhou out of the hall, and the screams gradually became inaudible.

"The courage of these domestic slaves is too great." Zhu Cihong said, "Not only did they reach out to the tax bank, but also the amount of greed for ink is so large, it is really hard to atone for their sins with a hundred deaths!"

Zhu Cijiong said: "Father, the guard eunuchs in other places are probably not much better."

"Basically, the eunuchs in the palace can be honest and self-defense." Chongzhen glanced at Wang Chengen, and said, "But I'm afraid none of the guard eunuchs dispatched abroad are clean. The money is so touching, and facing huge taxes and money, they can't afford it." Without supervision, how many people in this world can do it without supervision? It’s hard to replace anyone.”

"Long Live Lord, what about Qu Shangzhong's followers and subordinates?"

Seeing Han Zanzhou and Qu Shangzhong end up like this, Gao Qiqian inevitably felt a bit like a dead fox, and at the same time he was a little lucky, fortunately he was a military eunuch and didn't have so much tax money in hand.

"Let's hand it over to the Yangzhou government." Chongzhen said coldly.

"There are also cash and other property copied out and handed over to the Yangzhou government."

"Ah? The copied money will also be handed over to the Yangzhou government?" Gao Qiqian asked with some pain.

"What?" Chongzhen's gaze turned cold and cold, and he fixed on Gao Qiqian, "Gao Banban, do you have a different opinion?"

"Uh, no, no, the old slave has no disagreement." Gao Qiqian shook his hands repeatedly, almost frightened.

"No, that's the best." Chongzhen snorted and said again, "I would like you to go to the Yangzhou government and hand over all the criminals and stolen money to the Yangzhou government."

"The old slave will do it now."

……

The Tang newspapers in Huai'an and Yangzhou were sent to Nanjing almost at the same time.

A secret letter from Huai'an was also sent to the cabinet.

Shi Kefa immediately asked the old servant to invite Gao Hongtu and the three of them over.

After reading two Tang newspapers and a secret letter, the four of them fell silent.

The two Tang newspapers described the whole story of the two incidents that took place in Huai'an and Yangzhou, concise but clear.

The secret letter was sent by Shi Kefa's student and fellow prefect of Huai'an Mansion. In the letter, he said some inside stories that were not mentioned in the Tang newspaper, such as Chongzhen's visit to Lu Zhenfei in prison.

Even the dialogue between Chongzhen and Lu Zhenfei was clearly written.

The energy of the Donglin Party is really not small, and such secrets can be heard.

After a long while, Gao Hongtu frowned and said, "What is the Holy Majesty's intention? If all governors in the world want to learn from Lu Zhenfei, what use is there for our cabinet?"

"Old Gaoge, be careful with your words!"

Shi Kefa's rare aggravated tone of voice.

Gao Hongtu snorted softly, and said nothing more, criticizing Jun's father behind his back was indeed a taboo.

"Let's stop with Lu Zhenfei, let Luo Wanxiang, Qi Biaojia and the others withdraw the playbooks." Shi Kefa finally came up with the chief assistant's decision, "The rest of the matter will be discussed when the sage returns to Beijing."

"Then let's do it according to Shoufu's wishes." Jiang Yueguang said.

"I also agree with Shoufu's opinion." Xie Xuelong echoed.

Gao Hongtu snorted through his nostrils, and reluctantly agreed.

Shi Kefa's mood improved, and he said, "What do you think about the Yangzhou matter?"

"This is a great thing!" Jiang Yueguang said with a smile, "The people of Yangzhou have been suffering from mine supervisors and tax envoys for a long time. The removal of Yangzhou's garrison eunuch office by the Holy One is really very satisfying!"

"Not bad." Xie Xuelong also echoed, "It's so satisfying!"

"But I think it's not enough just to get rid of the guarding eunuchs in Yangzhou." Gao Hongtu snorted, "We should take this great opportunity to persuade the Holy Majesty to get rid of all the guarding eunuchs in the world!"

"Remove all the guard eunuchs in the world? Is this possible?"

Jiang Yueguang shook his head and said, "The Holy Majesty will never agree to it anyway."

"It's up to people." Gao Hongtu said with emotion, "What if it's done?"

Xie Xuelong said: "If this matter is done, it will be a meritorious service to the community and a benefit to the future!"

Shi Kefa was a little moved, he was a clean official, his family and clan were very simple, the only thing he pursued was a clean name, and Xie Xuelong said that the merits in the country and the benefits in the future touched his heart.

If he can really achieve such a political handle that will last forever in his post as chief assistant, then his name Shi Kefa can undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of history and remembered by future generations.

Thinking of this, Shi Kefa immediately made a decision.

"Old Gao Ge is right, it depends on people's efforts." Shi Kefa said solemnly, "And we might as well set a bigger goal. We not only want to persuade the Holy Majesty to remove the mine supervisors and tax envoys all over the world, but also to persuade the Holy Majesty to follow the instructions of the emperor's ancestors. Add one of them, the kings of future generations will never set up mine supervisors and tax envoys to exploit the common people!"

"That's right, it's still the chief assistant who sees Wanli clearly." Gao Hongtu was convinced this time.

"We must write down the prohibition of setting up mine supervisors and tax envoys into the emperor's ancestral precepts, and set rules for future generations of kings. Even if they are ninety-five kings, they must not act recklessly!"

"Servants fully agree." Jiang Yueguang and Xie Xuelong nodded repeatedly.

It is rare that the four cabinet elders have a high degree of agreement, and this matter should be settled immediately.

Gao Hongtu also suggested: "This time when the sage returns to Beijing, he must discuss the amount of state expenditure with the servants, and then let Zhang Youyu take the opportunity to bring this matter up."

(End of this chapter)