Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 684: Jiangnan is stable and the world is at peace
Qinghu River,

The group of people walked very slowly.
Zhang Jinyu, who was originally joking happily, did not expect to hear these things from the mouth of Marquis of Xiangyang. Although Prince Zhongshun Zhou Jianan had great ambitions but little talent, he was also an extremely shrewd prince. People in the folk would also say that he was a man who dared to do things, otherwise His Majesty would have used him several times, although he was not used very well.

As for the major vassal kings in the world, it is nonsense to say that they have become powerful. As for the kings of the world, we still need to look at the attitudes of the Gong family of the West King and the Lang family of the South King. The two of them directly account for half of the weight of the vassal kings. As for the King of Zheng, the King of Song, the King of Wu and others.

Zhang Jinyu's face changed again and again, he couldn't believe it. The noses of those princes were more sensitive than dogs. They had just come out of the palace, and the decree for the two princesses to return to Beijing had not been issued yet, but these princes had already taken action. No, they should have taken action long ago, and it was just at this time that they found the right time. It was really amazing.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager going to Jing'an Temple in Beishan to burn incense, they would still have to wait.

But no one knows when it will be. What's even more strange is why the princes' sons are so impatient and rush to the capital to show their filial piety to the emperor. It's not their turn, right? They don't want to seize the throne.

It was just a wild thought, but Zhang Jinyu was shocked. It was possible that those princes had such plans. Although His Majesty had three princes, the crown prince had not yet been appointed. The unresolved issues would eventually have to be fought for. No one could guess what the emperor was thinking.

I think that the former crown prince set himself on fire, and the emperor took the throne, which made the princes unwilling to accept it. Your Majesty's arrangement this time is to lay the first move. The clan office is of great use.
However, I cannot get too involved in it, and even have to take advantage of the status of the two princesses to take advantage of the opportunity and avoid suspicion.
"Brother Bai, please be careful with your words. We should just treat this as a joke. Anyway, there are some things that can be thought of but not done. The affairs of the royal family should be handled by the royal family, and our affairs should be handled by ourselves. The imperial examination is coming soon, so Brother Bai, please prepare everything you need. Although we are in the palace, the rules for food and drink are the same as those in the Imperial Examination Hall. Once the dragon gate is down, it cannot be opened until the examination is finished."

Zhang Jinyu was still worried and mentioned the rules of the Enke Gongyuan.
"Your Majesty is right. I just want to think about it. The matter of the Enke is still under the control of Your Majesty. The details are still subject to Your Majesty's decision. As for what Your Majesty said, I will keep it in mind and prepare for it when I return home. I will definitely not delay the important matters."

The Marquis of Xiangyang had seen the situation clearly a long time ago. Although the Duke of Zhenguo informed him of these things, he did not ask him to do anything. It was obvious that he would not intervene. Whether he would really stand aside and watch, we had to wait and see what the situation would be. As for the invigilation of the imperial examination, there was no reason. How could His Majesty allow the nobles to intervene in the imperial examination? It must be that something happened to the civil servants. As for what happened, Bai Guangju had already had doubts. It had not been long since the imperial examination turmoil last year. In the end, the court was saved face by only punishing a few people.
I hope the civil servants will not make the same mistake again this time.

"Haha, you are worthy of being the Marquis of Xiangyang. You are very precise in what you say, and you see things clearly and do things even more clearly. Many things are just like that. By the way, when we first met, has there been any change in the Ningguo Mansion that Brother Bai mentioned? Or does the Duke of Zhenguo have anything to say?"

Zhang Jinyu didn't say any more about this. He was still thinking about what might happen at Ningguo Mansion. It has been a long time since His Majesty has been planning to take action against the nobles. It depends on the reaction of everyone where to start. Ningguo Mansion has run into trouble, but it is not the most appropriate one. After all, it is too important and His Majesty is in a dilemma.

"My Lord, there is no unexpected change. Some things have been tacitly agreed. As long as we give all parties some dignity, if there is any unexpected change, it is just that I received a letter from Jia Jing from Xuanzhen Temple outside the city a few days ago."

He paused, a little hesitant, but then added,
"The Duke of Zhenguo also received a letter. As for whether other dukes' mansions received it, I don't know."

"Oh, Brother Bai, can you tell me the content of the letter written by Jia Jing?"

Zhang Jinyu's heart tightened. At this critical moment, Jia Jing, the pillar of the Jia family, took action. Although this person was an outsider, Zhang Jinyu was not sure that the former prince's tutor must be capable to stay by his side. He should not be a true Taoist in Xuanzhen Temple.
"My Lord, I can tell you from the letter. It was written by Jia Jing. It doesn't say much, but one thing: a scholar can be killed but not humiliated. The noble title is in the person, not in the position, and the position must not be lost."

Marquis of Xiangyang's face turned serious and his words became heavy. What he said made sense and was a wake-up call.

Zhang Jinyu's face darkened when he heard this, unable to refute, thinking to himself, the old ones are still the best, amazing! This move made those nobles and old relatives unable to let go, and it could be said that they were surrounded by chess. Could it be that Jia Jing wanted to survive in a desperate situation, how should he do it?
For a moment, Zhang Jinyu remained silent!

The censors of the six ministries were still used to being idle and had nothing to do.
The imperial edict from the court also reached the cabinet. Gu Yichen, who was on duty in the cabinet, was a little surprised after receiving the imperial edict. It was unheard of that in the imperial examination, censors would be arranged to review the papers.

However, when I think of the number of candidates, I feel helpless. There are too many people. Your Majesty should have considered this, but can the censors do it?
The cabinet at this time,
There were still a few people in charge who stayed in the cabinet, sorting out the desks in the east room. Gu Yichen slowly walked into the west room of the cabinet. Today, it was the old ghost Lu Wenshan from the Ministry of Personnel who was on duty with him.

After knocking on the door and entering, I saw Lord Lu, wearing a red official robe, with gray hair and beard, but his eyes were bright and sharp. He was sitting behind the desk in the office, with a solemn expression on his face, holding a red brush and still drawing. His slightly old face showed a tired look.

Even so,

Gu Yichen didn't have any nice words to say, so he started by making some sarcastic remarks;
"Old man Lu, what are you thinking about? It's already noon, but you don't even go back to eat. People who don't know would think that the court has neglected you. You actually reviewed so many memorials."

Lu Wenshan chuckled, put the red brush in his hand on the desk, and glanced at Gu Yichen with a fake smile on his stiff face. They were both wearing bright red official robes, which were quite heavy, but his mouth was not liked by others.
"I was wondering who it was. It turned out to be Old Man Gu. So, I gave you some time to check the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue for the next year. How are you doing now? Why didn't you sign the accounts drafted by the cabinet last year?"

Lu Wenshan didn't care about His Majesty's will for employing people. This year's special examination was just like that. It didn't matter who was employed. What he cared about was the budget used by the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works last year. The New Year was so long, and it involved the collection of debts owed by court officials, and there were also many debts owed by imperial merchants. His Majesty had been asking about it, and the Ministry of Revenue didn't sign it. How could it be passed?

"Old man Lu, why are you in such a hurry? There are so many old accounts. If you investigate them thoroughly, you will also give an explanation to the court and His Majesty. After all, the matter will be clear soon. Elder Lu, please be patient. You will know the answer when the time comes."

Gu Yichen narrowed his eyes, as if he was talking about something irrelevant. Some things should be carefully calculated. The deficits of the two ministries were so huge. Even the Ministry of War had a deficit of 5 million taels of silver. It was appalling.

Lu Wenshan was even more motionless. He had known about Gu Yichen's thoughts for a long time. How could he say it openly when the deficits involved the palace expenses? As a minister, it was his duty to share the worries of the emperor. If he wanted to fall because of this matter, he, Gu Yichen, was still far from it.

The two seemed to know each other's thoughts. They stared at each other across the desk, confronting each other.

a long time,

Lu Wenshan sneered and said,

"Well, then, let's wait for good news from Lord Gu."

"Then just wait."

Gu Yichen flicked his sleeves and walked away, leaving the people in the cabinet unawares.

Outside the door,
Shen Zhongxin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was waiting outside. When he saw the teacher coming out aggressively, he bowed and said;
"Teacher, what's going on?"

"Humph, that old fox Lu Wenshan didn't even bother to ask about the censors' review of the papers. Instead, he questioned me and the Ministry of Revenue about why we didn't sign the cabinet's draft bill."

Gu Yichen was still furious. The Ministry of Revenue had always been a thorn in his heart. The amount of deficits in the Ministry of Revenue in the past added up to a considerable amount. Yuan Ze was even beaten to death in court because of this, which caused a sensation in the court and the country. Although it was just a trivial matter, it would be a big disaster if it was not brought out to light or cleaned up. His Majesty could not tolerate any sand in his eyes.

Shen Zhongxin's eyes narrowed. It turned out to be this matter.
"Teacher, I need to explain this to His Majesty. I carefully examined the bills from various ministries last year. The first one was the draft bills from the Ministry of War. I checked all the accounts of the Ministry of War and found something wrong. The draft bills from the Ministry of War alone had a deficit of 5 million taels of silver. The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, and the Imperial Academy had even more deficits. How dare I sign them?"

"Yes, how dare you sign? If that's the case, you can't sign. This matter shouldn't be known to just the people in the Ministry of Revenue. It should be known to all the people in the world and all the officials in the court. I have already written a memorial and submitted it. Tomorrow, please hold a grand court meeting."

A hint of surprise flashed across Gu Yichen's gloomy face, because many things in the Ministry of Revenue were actually related to the Li Party, and the first to bear the brunt was the Cabinet Chief Minister Li Chonghou. In this case, what should the court do?

"Teacher, do we need to discuss this further?"

Shen Zhongxin was horrified. This had pushed the Ministry of Revenue into a corner.
"No need to discuss it anymore. The previous concealment, Yuan Ze is dead. Since Lu Wenshan is so aggressive, then expose him. Those accounts were the ones that the Prime Minister intended to get votes. Today, you go to Prime Minister Li's mansion to pay your respects. I heard that the eldest son of the Li family married a fifth concubine. It is said that the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Jiangnan, and another one is the Jiangnan Transport Envoy, and Xu Delin's legitimate daughter is his co-wife." Gu Yichen changed the subject, and it was unknown what he meant. Shen Zhongxin was a little confused. Li Chaosheng only married a concubine, how could he have a co-wife? How did he make such a big fuss? Thinking of the account books of the Ministry of Revenue, he was suddenly shocked. People from the Li Party
The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Xiao Yunzi was on duty outside the palace when he saw the cabinet counselor hurried over.

"What's the hurry?"

When the counselor saw that it was Eunuch Yun, he quickly bowed and handed over the memorial.

"Eunuch Yun, this is an urgent memorial from the cabinet, Lord Gu. I dare not neglect it, so I took it and delivered it to you immediately."

After saying this, he handed over the bright yellow letter. When Eunuch Yun saw it, he took it in his hand and nodded.
"Then hurry up, pass it over. Which elder is on duty in the cabinet today?"

"Replying to Eunuch Yun, the ones on duty today are Elder Lu and Elder Gu, who are currently reviewing memorials in the inner cabinet."

The counselor did not dare to speak nonsense and answered truthfully.
"Okay, go back."

Eunuch Yun knew what was going on, so he waved his hand, took the memorial, turned around and entered the Yangxin Palace, and went straight into the imperial study. After walking in carefully, he knelt on the ground and said;
"Your Majesty, just now outside the palace, the counselor of the Political Affairs Department handed over a memorial, saying that it was submitted by the cabinet minister Gu. I brought it in."

After saying this, he held up the memorial with both hands. Dai Quan saw this, walked down, took it in his hands, and then gave him a wink, letting him go down.

"Go down and guard the door."

"Yes, godfather."

Eunuch Yun opened his mouth, whispered something back, stood up and quickly retreated.
Dai Quan returned to the imperial desk, placed the memorial on the table, and stood there in silence.

"Dai Quan, at this hour, Gu Yichen can submit a memorial. Can you guess what it is?"

Emperor Wu glanced at the letter on the table, took it in his hand, and before opening it, he asked a question:

Dai Quan bent his body, feeling confused. It was almost noon and it was time for His Majesty to have his meal. The memorial that he could submit at this time must mean that there was something wrong, but it was not a big deal. If it was a big deal, it would have been submitted in the early morning.

"Your Majesty, I think that Lord Gu has some unsolved issues, which may be big or small. I think Lord Gu still has doubts in his heart."

"Haha, it can be big or small. You said it in a tactful way. I think Gu Yichen must have encountered difficulties, otherwise he would not have submitted a memorial alone."

Emperor Wu smiled and shook his head. It was almost time for lunch, but he didn't feel hungry. He decided to take a look first. He opened the memorial. The first thing he saw was not a greeting, but a list of accounts of last year's deficits written by Gu Yichen. Further down, it was the account books of the past years that had not been settled since the first year of Yuanfeng. The deficits varied from year to year. This year was the eighth year of Yuanfeng. It turned out that there was a deficit of 10 million taels. Where did all the money go?

Looking further down, the amount of arrears collected this year is nearly 40 million taels. If you calculate carefully, it should be due to the officials and nobles repeatedly borrowing silver from the Ministry of Revenue of the imperial court. So where is the remaining deficit?

Although the memorial listed the account books, it did not specify where the money went. In the end, it was Gu Yichen who requested a grand court meeting. It seemed that there was some clue.
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong had a gloomy face. Last time, all the ministries jointly reported the Ministry of Revenue, saying that the account books and silver funds were in a mess and corruption was serious. When the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue was punished, he died due to his weak health. It seems that someone didn't want him to speak.

"Dai Quan, is there a specific destination for the money that the Ministry of Revenue has given to various ministries?"

Dai Quan was shocked. He had just seen His Majesty's expression, which was becoming increasingly uglier. He thought that Lord Gu's memorial was unusual. From what His Majesty said, it should still be about the Ministry of Revenue's money.

"Your Majesty, all of them are kept. The annual expenses of each ministry are drafted by the cabinet, and then signed and approved by the Ministry of Revenue. Two copies are kept in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Even your Majesty's private treasury is kept in two copies. Not a single thing can be missed."

Dai Quan knew very well that he had to be extremely careful when dealing with money from His Majesty's treasury. If it weren't for the salt tax that Lin Ruhai paid every year and the salt merchants seized by Luo Yunhou from Jiangnan, how could such a scale be possible? Although His Majesty didn't say it, he knew that His Majesty was extremely happy.

"That's good. We have accounts to check and traces to follow. It will be clear at a glance if anyone tries to cheat. Send someone to take good care of the accounts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There must not be any mistakes. Also, notify all officials and nobles that there will be a grand court meeting tomorrow. Well, let's talk about the special examination. I want to take a good look at where the money has been spent over the years."

Emperor Wu's hand repeatedly fumbled with the memorial. No wonder the Ministry of Revenue had always had insufficient surpluses over the years. It was not insufficient at all, but a direct deficit. If it were not for the annual supplement of the salt and iron taxes and the opening of the Jiangnan Weaving Factory, the Ministry of Revenue would have been disbanded long ago.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Then do you still want the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping to attend the court?"

Dai Quan's heart tightened. His Majesty rarely summoned ministers for grand court meetings. It seemed that something had happened. The two princes did not have to attend ordinary court meetings, but grand court meetings required His Majesty's permission.

"Well, call them up and let them listen carefully."

Emperor Wu narrowed his eyes and stared at the memorial in front of him. If the Ministry of Revenue and the cabinet can't figure it out, let the nobles do it. I don't believe that the silver will disappear. Even if I have legs, I need to know where it went.
"Have the looms at the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau been expanded?"

"Your Majesty, I have already arranged for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare. It is expected that the number will be increased by half next month. However, there is not enough raw silk, so we cannot start the work."

Dai Quan quickly replied that Jiangnan Weaving was an industry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but it was still managed by Shen Wanhe, a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan. The silver that was handed in every year was a fixed index, regardless of profit or loss. However, it was changed this year. Shen Wanhe had already sent people to complain. The increase in looms meant an increase in silver handed in, but there was a shortage of raw silk in the area, so how could the production be guaranteed?

"Well, urge Jingcun to quickly convert the fields into mulberry trees. It's okay to spend more money."

Emperor Wu frowned. The taxes in Jiangnan had remained the same over the years and had not increased. Was it because the potential had been exhausted, or was it because those officials were not taking action? Jing Cunliang was still too slow. The land issue had to be dealt with quickly.

"Over in Jiangnan, the salt tax is not bad. If he has any difficulties in converting farmland into mulberry trees, please tell me about it as well."

"Your Majesty, Lord Jing is having some difficulties. He said that many officials in the counties and prefectures of Jiangnan are vacant or too old to go deep into the field, so the land inventory has been delayed and the matter has been put on hold."

These words spoken by Dai Quan were also conveyed back by the supervisor sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Jiangnan is rich and is almost the best place to be an official. As the saying goes, a prefect in Jiangnan can earn 100,000 silver coins a year. Because of this, the appointment of officials in Jiangnan involves many things, so the selection of officials is extremely complicated, and the magistrates of prefectures and counties are often replaced, so it is not surprising that this situation occurs.

Emperor Wu closed the memorial. He also knew about the situation of officials in Jiangnan.
"In this case, we will send a group of officials from the Imperial Academy to deal with the emergency. All those who passed the imperial examination this year will be sent there to replace them. If Jiangnan is stable, the world will be at peace. If Jiangnan is prosperous, the world will be well-off. Keep an eye on that precious land."

A long sigh echoed in the imperial study.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)