At the beginning of the civil castle, the Ming God of War was a little panicked

Chapter 196 All should be killed!

Zhu Ji spit out two words slowly: "Conspiracy!"

The air suddenly became quiet, as if the cold wind outside had penetrated the wall and blown into the Wenhua Hall.

Since the Nanjing Mutiny began, there have been urgent reports sent back to the capital.

Looking at the emergency reports one after another, Zhu Qiyu, Cao Nai and others were shocked at the beginning, which was unbelievable, but slowly, they became... accustomed to it.

Gao Zhu, a scholar of the cabinet, was detained in Huai'an Mansion and was shocked.

The [-] battalion wiped out more than [-] Japanese pirates, um, I was shocked.

Prince Jianwen suddenly appeared in Nanjing, shocked!

The White Lotus Sect rebelled...continue to be shocked!
The emperor personally led the army to quell the rebellion, and ordered to execute 120 main criminals and exile more than [-] people.Immediately afterwards, the smugglers who went to sea were arrested wantonly. From the beginning, dozens, hundreds, thousands... Now, tens of thousands of people have been implicated in this case. ,Um……

When I saw the news, I felt less shocked.

However, Gao Zhu's house was ransacked, and millions of taels of stolen silver were found, which shocked people again.

Moreover, this case is probably not a simple corruption case. The rebellion of Jiangnan officials must have been laid out long ago, that is to say, there must be someone they bribed in the capital.

In this way, it means that the fire in the south of the Yangtze River will soon reach the capital.

As the royal family of the Zhu family, Zhu Qiyu naturally wouldn't shield these people, but the problem is...too many!

In the four Hongwu cases that year, all the people implicated totaled about 8 to [-] people.

The current number has long been exceeded, and it has exceeded a lot!

That is to say, just this one case has overshadowed the limelight of the four Hongwu cases in the early Ming Dynasty.

What's even more frightening is that this number is still increasing day by day!

It is conceivable that from then on, the word "violence" will inevitably be added to the evaluation of the orthodox emperor in the people of the world, and even in the history books of later generations.

No matter what the reason, no matter what the truth, people will only remember the result, that is, you killed too many people.

After a long silence, Zhu Qiyu slowly came back to his senses.

His face began to soften, and he said: "You are right, this matter will never be so simple, we have to follow the vines, dig out the people behind the stolen money, give away 500 million taels of white money, and bribe the cabinet Fuchen, there is definitely something behind him, continue to investigate."

Zhu Ji replied: "Please rest assured, Your Highness, Jin Yiwei will investigate thoroughly!"

Back in Beizhen Fusi, someone immediately brought over the interrogation results.

"My lord, all the managers surnamed Li have been recruited. Brothers Gao Zidong and Gao Ziliang won't open their mouths. Will torture be used?"

"use!"

Zhu Ji was expressionless, and said coldly: "In addition, during these days, we should especially pay attention to the mansions of the officials in the capital, as well as their neighboring mansions, to see if there are any changes. Maybe there are people like the Gao family. , also hiding gold and silver in this way, seeing the fate of the Gao family, they must have a guilty conscience, busy wanting to move, and keep a close eye on them, maybe they can catch a few big fish."

"Yes!"

In Zhao prison, several captains stripped Gao Zidong's coat and began to torture him.

In less than half an hour, Gao Zidong couldn't stand it any longer, he shouted and begged for forgiveness.

He was then taken to the interrogation room.

Zhu Ji had already waited here, looked at Gao Zidong who was covered with bruises, and said slowly: "Your father is a cabinet scholar, an extremely personable minister, and everyone in the world admires him. It can be said that he is a glorious lintel, which is enviable. It's a pity that To be a thief, gold, silver and jewels are piled up like a mountain in the warehouse, but your family is eating chaff and swallowing vegetables, I am curious, how many taels of embezzled silver have been spent over the years?"

Gao Zidong was wearing shackles, and at this moment he was lying on the ground panting heavily, his face full of misery.

Zhu Ji stood up with his hands behind his back, and continued: "At this point, your Gao family is finished. You should have received the news, how many people were arrested and killed by the emperor in Nanjing? All the stewards of your family have been recruited. Now I need to ask you a few questions, if I have said it, I have some more to talk about, if not..."

Gao Zidong howled, "I'll just say it, what do you want to ask?"

Zhu Ji said calmly: "You are a smart person. Don't you know what I want to do? The money came out of thin air. The person who sent the money to your home by cart after cart is by no means Because they admire your Gao family, this is a deal, how much money you give, you have to do big things, am I right?"

Gao Zidong's face was pale, he choked up and nodded.

"Who gave the money and what demands do they have? Let me make it clear. Although I can't save you from death, at least I can make your death easier. I can guarantee that as long as you confess honestly, it will naturally be given to you." A decent one."

Gao Zidong stared at Zhu Ji's cold eyes, and after a while, he said slowly, "If I say so, I will definitely die without a place to die."

Zhu Ji smiled: "I can let you die right now. Don't waste any more time, my patience is very limited."

Gao Zidong still looked hesitant, but when he thought of the instruments of torture just now, he couldn't help but tremble all over.

Standing in front of him, Zhu Ji looked at him condescendingly, and said, "You are also a Jinshi named on the gold list. Perhaps when you were studying, you also thought about it, as the book says, to cultivate yourself, govern your family, rule the country and the world." Now that things have come to this point, isn’t this lesson painful enough? Those who sent gold and silver to your family are not friends of your family. You are using each other. If this is the case, you should seize the opportunity. Use them to relieve yourself of some guilt."

Gao Zidong's face twitched. He was glaring at Zhu Ji bitterly, but now, his expression softened slightly.

"You guessed it right, there is only one person who gave money to my family, and that is Mei Linrong from Nanjing."

Zhu Ji smiled and said, "I knew this a long time ago. What I want to ask now is why he gave the money and what is his purpose?"

Gao Zidong sighed, and said truthfully: "Mei Linrong will send a large sum of money every winter and summer. On weekdays, he would not ask my father for help, but..."

Speaking of this, he hesitated for a moment, and continued: "This person will send a note or two every now and then. Sometimes he speaks for some people in the court, and sometimes he promotes some officials."

"Which officials will be promoted?"

Gao Zidong looked up at Zhu Ji, was silent for a while, and then said: "South Zhili, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong and Guangxi, down to the magistrate and county magistrate, besides that, there are military officers."

Zhu Ji took a deep breath and asked, "So many? How many people are there?"

Gao Zidong thought for a while and said, "I don't remember clearly, at least a hundred people."

Zhu Ji roughly understood that Mei Linrong did not hesitate to spend 500 million taels of silver in order to buy an official.

Moreover, most of them are concentrated in the coastal areas of the south of the Yangtze River.

Zhu Ji pondered for a moment, then continued to ask: "Your father is only a cabinet scholar, how can you determine the fate of so many local officials?"

Gao Zidong smiled wryly, and then said: "My father is a bachelor, so it's really not good for me to ask about these things in detail, but the appointment and dismissal of the imperial court has its own regulations. You just need to follow the regulations, and as my father, do some small things. Isn't it easy?"

"What kind of constitutional law, what role does your father play in it?"

Gao Zidong explained: "For example, there is a vacancy for a county magistrate in a certain county in Guangzhou Prefecture. At such a level, only one head of the Ministry of Officials can decide. It is easy to bribe a head."

Zhu Ji nodded, the principal was indeed not an important minister, and could easily be bribed.

Gao Zidong said again: "Then the candidate who has already been drafted can easily enter the candidate. After the candidate, as long as someone speaks for him, for example, my father will write a note, and the officials will not be embarrassed. After all, it is just a mere A magistrate."

Zhu Ji frowned and said, "Every time, is it a note?"

Gao Zidong shook his head and said, "Not necessarily, after all, there are alternatives, which should not be underestimated, but as long as a censor is allowed to impeach other candidates at this time, no matter whether they are guilty or not, these people It is bound to be late.”

Zhu Ji asked again: "Even if your father goes to say hello every time, the officials will agree every time?"

Gao Zidong said, "It's just a local official. It's harmless. There's no need for the official department to fight against my father. Besides, even the minister of the official department has something to ask for from my father."

"What do you want your father to ask?"

Gao Zidong replied: "For officials below the fifth rank, the Ministry of Officials can decide on their own, and if they are above the fifth rank, they need to be recommended by the court. Most of the officials recommended by my father are local officials, and the Ministry of Officials can make the decisions. At the same time, if the Minister of the Ministry of Officials is under his own , some students and old officials want to go up, if my father stands up against it during the court push, it will be impossible. Therefore, all the officials are willing to sell my father's favor."

There is indeed a set of procedures for electing officials in Ming Dynasty.

And this process, in a sense, is closely related to the cabinet and the Ministry of officials.

It is indeed very easy for a person like Gao Zhu to install a large number of henchmen.

The reason is very simple, because he is a cabinet bachelor.

As long as he is willing to let go of his old face, the officials are eager to sell him this little favor.

This is actually understandable. If there are cabinet scholars who want to do something that can be done with little effort, the first thought of most people is definitely not whether to do it or not, but to think, how can Mr. Gao Ge think of me so much?
Usually flattery is not high on the list, now that someone asks you to do something, how can you still refuse?
A favor may determine one's own future.

In this way, these little things will come to fruition.

After Zhu Ji finished listening, he asked again: "Is this money just for buying officials?"

Gao Zidong nodded, and said truthfully, "Probably so."

Zhu Ji continued to ask: "How many people are there, and who are involved, please explain them all!"

"This... I really can't remember."

Gao Zidong said with a troubled face: "My father will send some notes every year. There are everyone in the notes, but they are all small officials, some Jinshi, and many candidates. Even if you call my father, he himself Can't remember."

After all, how could such small officials as magistrates, prefectures and counties, or Tongzhi and county magistrates, dignified scholars pay attention?
The highest level is nothing more than a chief envoy.

Zhu Ji frowned, and asked again: "Are there any military officers?"

"There are also many military officers."

"What level are they all?"

"Mostly, they are thousands of households in the local area. They are all officials, fellow acquaintances, and commanders, and they are all in the guards in the south of the Yangtze River."

"500 million taels of silver, how many people have been resettled?"

"I really forgot..."

Gao Zidong thought hard for a moment, and still said helplessly: "At least hundreds, or even more, in fact, this is a small matter, and it is really not worth mentioning."

Zhu Ji obviously had a different opinion, and said with a sneer, "Some trivial things, these small guard commanders, thousands of households, magistrates, and magistrates are not worth mentioning in your eyes, but in terms of places, they are just one by one. Parents, control the civil and military affairs of one side. Fortunately, your Gao family is still arrogant!"

Gao Zidong retorted: "Even if my father doesn't recommend it, someone else will definitely recommend it."

Zhu Ji scolded angrily: "At this point, how dare you argue? They gave your family such a large sum of money and installed so many local officials, all of them concentrated in the south of the Yangtze River. Don't you understand what they are thinking?"

Regarding this question, Gao Zidong bowed his head and remained silent.

The Gao family's old house is in Huai'an Mansion. The gentry along the south and coast have long been smuggling, and if this kind of business is to be done, it is natural that there are few people who cannot be officials.

As a result, officials and businessmen colluded, and gentry and gentry were integrated. Every day, they shouted that the ancestral system cannot be violated, and the sea ban cannot be lifted, but they secretly monopolize the benefits of the sea and make a lot of money.

Otherwise, where would the five million taels of silver come from?
That afternoon, Zhu Ji reported the results of the preliminary interrogation.

After reading it, Zhu Qiyu was silent for a long time, and then said: "If what he said is true, then all the prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River are controlled by Mei Linrong?"

"Exactly!"

Zhu Ji nodded and said, "I'm afraid that Mei Linrong alone doesn't have that much ability. The state capitals in the south of the Yangtze River are already monolithic. If we don't eradicate them, we will shake the foundation of the country."

Zhu Qiyu closed his eyes, feeling very tangled in his heart.

He originally thought that it was inappropriate for the emperor's brother Zhu Qizhen to kill Jiangnan, but looking at it now, these people should be killed!

While the two were talking, Cao Nai and Zhang Yi walked in.

The two didn't care when they saw Zhu Ji, they stepped forward and said: "This is the memorial drafted by the cabinet, please read it, Your Highness, if there is no problem, send it to Nanjing as soon as possible."

Zhu Qiyu took the memorial, only glanced at it, and then put it down.

"This matter needs to be discussed again!"

Cao Nai was puzzled and asked: "Yesterday, His Highness discussed with the ministers and advised the emperor to implement a benevolent government and reduce killings. Why...why..."

Zhu Qiyu lowered his face and said, "I've changed my mind."

Cao Nai asked again: "What do you mean by His Highness's words?"

Zhu Qiyu said calmly: "I suddenly felt that those people should be killed. Since the emperor did the right thing, why should he persuade him?"

Cao Nai was stunned, and turned to look at Zhang Yi, probably asking, what happened to His Royal Highness King Yi, why did he turn his face and deny it in the blink of an eye?

Yesterday he was clearly the one who said that the emperor killed too much in the south of the Yangtze River, so he asked us to go home and write memorials to persuade him.

Zhu Qiyu handed over the confession and said, "Look for yourselves!"

(End of this chapter)