Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 494 The Guimao Case Ends
The Forbidden City is shrouded in night, with wind and snow blowing.

The snowflakes in the night sky were blown up by the strong wind, and the dozens of ministers kneeling in front of the Qianqing Gate seemed to feel the chill in the face of the violent snowstorm.

Snow piled up on the shoulders of many people, motionless, and even their hair and beards were covered with a thin layer of frost.

Years of drinking and debauchery have drained the bodies of many people. They used to go up the mountains to catch tigers and go into the water to catch dragons, but now they are shivering under the wind and snow.

Although the cold, wind and snow caused great damage to their bodies, no one dared to move.

Not long after, another group of military attachés came to the square outside Qianqing Gate, and this time they were from the Yanfu faction headed by Zhu Neng, Li Bin and others.

When they saw the situation of Wang Yi and others, Zhu Neng, Li Bin and others didn't say anything and knelt directly in front of Qianqing Gate.

Behind them, many honorable ministers and generals from the Yan Mansion also knelt down. For a time, nearly a hundred military attachés and honorable ministers of the fourth rank or above gathered outside the Qianqing Gate. It was so spectacular.

"Your Majesty, Duke Cheng Guo has also brought people here and is kneeling outside Qianqing Gate now."

Yishuha whispered, but Zhu Gaoxu did not respond.

On this cold night, it was difficult for Zhu Gaoxu to hear anything else except the sound of wind and snow.

The firelight illuminated a corner of the palace, and the orange-red light reflected on the "General Map of the World's Four Barbarian Guests."

The map at this moment seemed to have magic power, making Zhu Gaoxu stand staring at it for more than half an hour.

Yi Shiha waited for Zhu Gaoxu to speak, but he didn't speak.

Maybe he got the news that Zhu Neng and others were coming, or maybe he felt that Wang Yi had been waiting outside for too long, but Guo Yan, who had been waiting for a long time, still walked into the Qianqing Palace.

"Her Royal Highness the Queen..."

Yi Shiha saluted Guo Yan, Guo Yan nodded and passed him, came to stand beside Zhu Gaoxu and saluted Zhu Gaoxu.

"Are you here to persuade me too..."

Zhu Gaoxu's voice was slightly low, and Guo Yan nodded after hearing this: "Someone will come to persuade Your Majesty."

"Most of the people involved in this case are civil servants. As for the distinguished ministers, although their crimes are worthy of punishment, their contributions cannot be ignored."

"If Your Majesty kills them, how should the former people of Bohai, Peiping, and Daning face Your Majesty?"

Guo Yan didn't want to persuade Zhu Gaoxu to let everyone go. She just wanted Zhu Gaoxu to think clearly about how to deal with this matter.

Qiu Song and his group certainly cannot be killed, but they can be severely punished.

"According to the "Laws of the Ming Dynasty", should they die?"

Zhu Gaoxu turned his head and looked down at Guo Yan to question. Guo Yan nodded without thinking: "Damn it!"

"But in the past dynasties, heroes have their own way of dealing with it. In the past, when the princes gathered together to plot rebellion, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty only killed him."

"People say that Your Majesty has the style of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Gao, but in my opinion, Your Majesty values ​​friendship no less than Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty."

"Your Majesty, please consider convicting this case..."

After Guo Yan finished speaking, he immediately raised his hands, bowed, and knelt down in honor of Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu returned his gaze to the map, and Guo Yan slowly stood up and exited the Qianqing Palace without saying anything more.

Perhaps being reminded by her words, Zhu Gaoxu finally spoke a quarter of an hour later: "Call Zhu Neng, Wang Yi, and Chen Chang to come in."

"Yes!" Hearing this, Yishiha walked quickly to deliver the message.

Not long after, the Qianqing door opened, and Yi Shiha walked out and said to the group of ministers who were shivering in the wind and snow:

"Gong Cheng Guo, Duke Shen, and Marquis Zhaozhou, please get up and come in."

"My lord, please give me the order..."

The three people who were seriously freezing got up. Perhaps they were old and frail. Wang Yi even needed Chen Chang's help to get up and walk into Qianqing Gate.

Staggering, Wang Yi, Zhu Neng, and Chen Chang walked into the Qianqing Palace and saw Zhu Gaoxu with his back turned to them.

"Your Majesty, I am disrespectful. Please punish me..."

Wang Yi, Zhu Neng, and Chen Chang knelt down and kowtowed. Zhu Gaoxu gritted his teeth after hearing this, suppressed his temper for a while, and turned around with a sinister expression.

"Criminal?" Zhu Gaoxu said with a slight sneer in his tone, "Can I still punish you now?"

"What do I think? It's the three of you who brought people to force you into the palace. Do you still need me to punish you?"

"I don't dare!" The three people kowtowed, and Zhu Gaoxu also stepped forward and stood in front of the three people, condescending and with an ugly expression.

"Whether it is before entering the customs or after entering the customs, I have said it more than once, restrain yourself! Restrain yourself! Restrain yourself!"

Zhu Gaoxu said "Restrain yourself" three times in a row, causing the three people's faces to turn red.

Although Zhu Neng is not from the Bohai Sect, Zhu Gaoxu has never treated the Yanfu Sect harshly. Since Zhang Yu's death, Zhu Gaoxu's communication with the Yanfu Sect has basically been through Zhu Neng.

When something like this happened, Zhu Neng naturally knew how angry Zhu Gaoxu was.

"Aren't my rewards for you generous enough?"

"Have I not treated your heirs favorably enough?"

"Don't I care enough about you?"

"You always tell me how you are doing, but I never complain to you about how I am doing."

"You're blocking the way down there, and you're secretly mining mines overseas. Have I ever argued with you about these things?"

"I just didn't expect that your appetite is getting bigger and bigger, and now you actually dare to take advantage of national affairs such as the railway. Will you have to follow the example of the previous dynasty in the future and start drinking the blood of soldiers and eating empty pay?!"

"Your Majesty..." Wang Yi and the others had bitter taste in their mouths, but they couldn't say anything to refute.

If Zhu Gaoxu was just talking about the three of them, the three of them can definitely deny that they have done these things, because they have indeed not done these things, and they have restrained their own family members very well.

But the problem is that today they came to plead for Qiu Song and others. They didn't do these things, but the people below did.

Perhaps it is indeed what Zhu Gaoxu said, this group of people is only one step away from drinking the blood of soldiers and eating empty pay.

"Zhu Neng inherited his father's position as Deputy Qianhu. It's fine that he has never experienced the suffering of the people. But Wang Yi and Chen Chang, what about you two?"

Although Zhu Gaoxu was scolding Wang Yi and Chen Chang with these words, he was also scolding Zhu Neng.

"minister……"

The three of them have not been able to say a word since Zhu Gaoxu opened his mouth until now, because they are unreasonable.

"I have said a long time ago that what we are going to do now is a great cause that will create a new world. If this thing is successful, your names will be recorded in the history books. But what are you doing now?"

The more Zhu Gaoxu talked, the angrier he became. If it weren't for the fact that the three of them were in their fifties or sixties, he might have already taken action.

"I'm pulling the Ming Dynasty ship from the front. I hope all you can do is help me repair it, but not only do you not repair it, you even dismantle the ship!"

"Tell me, how should I treat you now so that you can change your mind and return to the days when you were full of vigor and vitality!"

Zhu Gaoxu felt really tired. He knew that the relationship between king and minister could not be like brothers, but they were brothers fighting on the battlefield.

He has indulged this group of people enough, and he has not failed to remind them during this period, but instead of restraining themselves, they have intensified their behavior.

Now he just feels that no one in the entire Ming Dynasty can understand him. They have no idea how much effort and time it takes to wait for an opportunity like the current one after the Ming Dynasty missed the current opportunity.

He is already forty-three years old. Even if he can live to his grandfather's age, he will only live for more than twenty years.

Twenty years is a long time for a person, but too short for a country.

Because of this, Zhu Gaoxu issued national bonds and used people's savings to build infrastructure.

He didn't have enough time, so he had to complete the construction of several railways that Ming Dynasty needed in the shortest possible time.

Only when the railway is built can we start to move people to the inland in a targeted manner. Minor people from the northwest will be moved to the inland, and Han people from the south of the Yangtze River will be moved to the northwest and southwest, so as to achieve territorial stability.

It's skill to defeat, but it's merit to be able to hold on.

Now that the Ming Dynasty can defend the northeast, the northwest, southwest and Nanyang regions are the next step.

At this juncture, more than twenty years were not enough for Zhu Gaoxu. He really did not have the energy to play any conspiracy in the temple.

"Yi Shiha listened to the decree!"

"My slave is here..."

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly spoke, and Yi Shiha quickly stepped forward and knelt down to listen to the order.

"According to the decree, 23 people including Qiu Song, Chen Gui, Huo Zhen, Li Qi, Xu Qin, Li Cha, Li Chi, Fang Kuan...were all awarded titles and ordered to move back to their hometowns and not to enter the capital!"

"The rest of the civil and military officials involved and their relatives have been exiled to Shazhou, Guazhou, Suzhou, Hecheng, Hailar City and Hami!"

"Servant, take the order..." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Zhu Gaoxu did not kill Qiu Song and others.

As for the exiled military attachés, they were really helpless and could only help them in the future.

"Get out of here!"

"I...resign"

Zhu Gaoxu fluttered his sleeves and left. Zhu Neng, Wang Yi, Chen Chang and others bowed five times and kowtowed three times, stood up tremblingly and left the Qianqing Palace.

After they walked out of the Qianqing Palace, Yi Shiha also conveyed the decree to the Sixth Army Governor's Office and the Sixth Department, Duchayuan and other yamen.

For a time, many imprisoned princes and uncles were released, and orders were continuously conveyed. Their property was confiscated, and they themselves were escorted by soldiers and sent to carriages or trains returning to their hometowns.

As for the group of civil and military officials involved in corruption, regardless of their faction, they were imprisoned by their implicated relatives. What awaited them was the yellow sand in the northwest and the grassland in Mobei. Xichang, Jinyiwei, and the Military and Horse Division of the Ministry of War took action one after another. From the time the imperial edict was issued, the entire officialdom of the Ming Dynasty was in turmoil.

Officials continued to be arrested and replaced by new ones.

As for the officials, not to mention, tens of thousands of graduated middle school students and hundreds of thousands of primary school students are waiting for positions. If possible, they even hope that all officials in the world will be replaced.

The impact of the Guimao case was so widespread that Zhu Gaoxu not only did not hold regular court meetings every ten days, but even the Zhengdan court meeting in the seventh year of Hongxi announced the suspension of the court.

The normal turmoil started from the Winter Solstice in the sixth year of Hongxi's reign and ended during the Cold Food Festival in the seventh year of Hongxi's reign. Over three months, 1,246 officials and 27,597 officials were arrested. .

The number of relatives involved in this group reached more than 196,000, so the number of people sentenced to exile reached more than 220,000.

Nearly 100,000 of them were sent to Hecheng and Hailaercheng, and the rest were sent to Hami, Shazhou, Guazhou, Suzhou and other places.

From this group of people, the Ministry of Revenue confiscated a total of 146,327 taels and three cents of gold, more than 3 million taels of silver, more than 8 million guan of copper coins, and more than 6 million guan of banknotes.

Although the gold, silver and copper coins were not large, the amount of real estate seized far exceeded Guo Zi and Xia Yuanji's guesses.

There are nearly 50,000 houses, villas, and courtyards alone. In addition, there are more than 6 million acres of fields, 57 mines, and more than 4 million shi of grain stored in warehouses.

In addition, there are antique calligraphy and paintings, treasures and playthings, and more than 200 boxes of unique ancient books.

These things have been discounted by the Ministry of Household Affairs and are worth no less than 50 million yuan.

Even if the land is divided equally among the people, the remaining items can be worth more than 8 million yuan.

"More than two hundred boxes of antique calligraphy and paintings have been transported to the inner court, the mines have been assigned to the officials of the Mining Department, and the grain and houses have been sold locally and added to the national treasury."

"According to statistics from the Ministry of Household Affairs, the gold, silver and copper coins that can be collected into the national treasury are worth approximately 20 million taels, and there are also more than 6 million guan of treasure notes."

"As for these things, they are roughly divided into three for nobles, two for eunuchs, and five for officials."

In early March of the seventh year of Hongxi, Dang Yishiha told Zhu Gaoxu, who was sitting in the Wuying Hall, the results of the "Guimao Case".

Zhu Gaoxu really didn't know what to say, or he had nothing to say.

"The money is placed in the bank, and depositors' savings are used before repayment. If there is more, it is transferred to the Ministry of Industry."

"As for the cultivated land, the Ministry of Household Affairs makes the decision, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate supervises it, allowing local officials to distribute it equally to the local people."

"In addition, let the Metropolitan Procuratorate conduct inspections of the Sixth Army's Governor's Mansion and the soldiers and horses of the world."

Zhu Gaoxu's decree made Yishiha feel nervous. The Metropolitan Procuratorate's inspection of the capital of the Sixth Army's Governor's Office had never happened before. It was basically a self-examination by the army.

It now appears that the impact of the "Guimao Case" is not only corruption, but also reduced Zhu Gaoxu's trust in the Sixth Army Governor's Mansion.

At least in the past, he would not let the Metropolitan Procuratorate inspect the Sixth Army Governor's Office and the military capital.

"This slave takes orders..."

Yi Shiha didn't dare to say anything, he just bowed and turned around to leave.

Shortly after his departure, he returned with Guo Zi, the Minister of Household Affairs, and Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Personnel Affairs.

The two entered the hall, sang and bowed, and finally sat down to begin the report.

"Your Majesty, if we want to increase the number of candidates for this year's imperial examination, the local officials seem to be somewhat deficient."

Xia Yuanji was the first to speak. After all, there were too many officials arrested this time. You must know that the Ming Dynasty could only select 300 officials from Jinshi in a year, but now more than 1,200 were arrested at once.

Although it can be replaced by Juren, Juren is not as valuable as Jinshi.

However, in the face of Xia Yuanji's suggestion, Zhu Gaoxu refused without hesitation: "The rules cannot be changed. If there are not enough Jinshi, then people will be promoted."

"I accept your order." Seeing this, Xia Yuanji said nothing more, while Guo Zi, the Minister of Household Affairs, bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, the money and grain have been transferred to the bank by decree, and the remaining more than 3 million guan have been allocated to the Ministry of Industry. In addition, the Navy Governor's Mansion Shangshu needs to build a new batch of treasure ships and lucky ships, which will cost more than 1.3 million guan. "

"Accurate!" Zhu Gaoxu agreed without hesitation. After all, the navy is the foundation for Daming Energy to continuously obtain overseas gold and silver. In addition, most of the existing treasure ships and blessing ships were built more than 20 years ago. It is necessary to replace a batch of new ones. Also very normal.

"Last year, administrative expenditures were more than 34.3 million guan, military expenditures were more than 17 million guan, and infrastructure expenditures were 9.7 million guan, totaling more than 61.1 million guan."

"As for the annual income, last year's land tax, commercial taxes, and miscellaneous items totaled 45.7 million guan, with a negative balance of 15.3 million guan."

Guo Zi reported on last year’s annual income and then added:
"In addition, six million treasury bonds were confiscated from the Guimao case. Are these treasury bonds going to be put into the market or..."

He asked cautiously, and Zhu Gaoxu shook his head when he heard this: "Just destroy it on the spot."

"Yes..." Guo Zi breathed a sigh of relief. After destroying more than 6 million treasury bonds, he could reduce the interest by hundreds of thousands every year.

"The first batch of 20 million guan of national debt will be repaid at the end of next year. Will the Ministry of Revenue have enough money and food?"

Zhu Gaoxu asked Guo Zi, and Guo Zi bowed quickly: "Your Majesty, if the negative expenditure this year does not exceed 18 million yuan, it should be repaid by the end of next year."

"However, the court cannot afford next year's negative expenditure..."

Guo Zi's words seemed to have other meanings. Zhu Gaoxu frowned and said, "What suggestions do you have."

"I suggest that the more than 6 million acres of cultivated land obtained from the inspection be sold..."

Guo Zi made the suggestion cautiously, and Zhu Gaoxu felt embarrassed after hearing it. After all, he had just said that the money should be distributed equally to the people.

Guo Zi also seemed to know that saying this would make Zhu Gaoxu lose his face, so he quickly continued:
"Although His Majesty's equal distribution of the fields to the people is good governance, once the fields are in the hands of the people, the output tax is not very high. Although the court sells the fields to the people, the money is basically invested in the local area, which is also a disguised form. Help the people, so Your Majesty doesn’t have to feel any pressure.”

Facing Guo Zi's proposal, Zhu Gaoxu was moved, but he still had to think about it, so he turned his attention to Xia Yuanji.

"Xia Yuanji, what do you think?"

"I think this policy is feasible." Xia Yuanji bowed and replied. He also believed that there was no need for the court to hold on.

During the past dynasties, acres of land were inspected, and there was rarely a policy of equal distribution among the people. Instead, acres of land were sold through local officials, and the money and grain were collected and returned to the national treasury.

Zhu Gaoxu has implemented equal division of land many times, but this method is not conducive to balanced development.

For example, most of the acres inspected this time were in North Zhili, Henan, and South Zhili. Although the people in these places are not rich and powerful, they are definitely not poor.

In comparison, people in the northwest and southwest are truly poor.

Now, the money that people in North Zhili, Henan, and South Zhili use to buy land is used to support people in the northwest and southwest, which is more conducive to balanced local development.

"In that case, then you should handle this matter properly. By selling these fields, you should be able to repay the national debt and accumulated debts in the next year."

Zhu Gaoxu sighed, and Guo Zi nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything else to say?" Zhu Gaoxu asked, and the two of them shook their heads and stood up.

After bowing and saluting, the two people exited the side hall, and the academicians who were in charge of politics in the main hall also watched them leave, and finally returned their minds to the memorial in front of them.

The five people had different expressions, and Wang Hui's expression was especially ugly. After all, 70% of the more than a thousand officials who were attacked this time were officials from the New Deal faction, and the rest were also military attaches from Bohai. These were all their help.

It's a pity that they were too stupid to engage in corruption when the court was short of money, otherwise they would not have fallen so quickly.

Thinking of the stupidity of this group of people, Wang Hui tightened his grip on the brush in his hand.

His actions were seen by the other four people. Xu Shuo was sighing and Xue Xuan pretended not to notice. Although Yang Rong and Yang Pu did not show any proud expressions, their joking eyes were enough to sting Wang Hui. Heart.

Yi Shiha, who sent Xia Yuanji and Guo Zi off, saw their expressions, and then after returning to the side hall, he told Zhu Gaoxu about the expressions of everyone outside.

Zhu Gaoxu picked up the tea cup and took a sip. A few months later, he had already emerged from the shadow of the "Guimao Case". Although this case had a lot of impact on him, he had already set his sights on the Ming Dynasty again. On the voyage of this great ship.

"I didn't expect this Wang Hui to be able to resist being greedy."

Zhu Gaoxu commented on Wang Hui. He did not expect that a person like Wang Hui, who rose to power through words, had never embezzled even a penny during his rise to power.

"At first, I thought that an ambitious person like him must be corrupt, but now it seems that I'm just pretending to be a slave."

Yi Shiha also expressed his views on Wang Hui without hesitation, and received Zhu Gaoxu's nod of approval.

"People always covet something, either beauty, fame, money or power."

"He is not greedy for money, and he doesn't care about beauty, so all he cares about is fame and power."

"If the reputation is good, if it is the power..."

Zhu Gaoxu narrowed his eyes, but when he thought that Wang Hui was only five or six years older than himself, he gradually felt relieved.

"They suffered a blow this time. The group of people in Jiangnan will probably make a fuss in this imperial examination."

"You ask Hu Lun and Liu Mian to pay more attention, and nothing can go wrong with the imperial examination."

"My slave, take your orders," Shihua agreed, and Zhu Gaoxu asked again, "Where is Qi'er?"

"Back to Your Majesty, the news from half a month ago has arrived in Guangzhou. It will arrive in Guangnan, south of Cochin, in four months at most."

Yi Shiha said, and at the same time he said: "In addition, His Highness the Third and His Highness the Fourth will graduate this year. The two empresses would like to ask Your Majesty where these two Highnesses are going."

"Tan'er and Gu'er?" Zhu Gaoxu touched his mustache and thought for a while before speaking:

"The car and Manmo are both good places. The place where they will join the feudal clan in the future will also be in a place where they are familiar with each other. It's a good idea to go there in advance to get familiar with it."

"By the way, what has Wang Yi been doing recently?" Zhu Gaoxu thought of Wang Yi, and when he heard this, Yi Shiha's eyes dimmed a little and said:
"After the last plea, I contracted the cold. It took three months of good treatment before I got better, but the root of the disease was also lost."

"These days, he has been recuperating at home and has not intervened in anything. He only often summons the military attachés who came to Beijing to report on their duties and taught them to take the "Guimao Case" as a warning."

"Alas" upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu let out a long sigh and worried about gain and loss:

"If I had known this, why would I have to..."

(End of this chapter)