The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 17 Six armies were annihilated
Mao Xiang didn't know that he had been on the emperor's death list, and he was feeling proud in his heart.

This corruption case is an opportunity for his rise.

"Your Majesty, after being interrogated overnight, Zhao Hao has confessed. This is his confession."

As expected, it was Zhao Mao's matter, and the ministers were all excited.

The great eunuch Liu Sheng took the confession and presented it to him with his hands raised above his head.

Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed it and looked through it carefully. The accomplices he confessed were basically the same as those found by Jin Yiwei, except that there were a few more minor officials who were indifferent.

He immediately understood that this confession was made by Zhao Mao.

Realizing this, he no longer had the patience to read any more. After flipping through the pages roughly, he slapped the armrest of the dragon chair:

"How dare you, you really think we are dead, don't you?"

The ministers were as silent as cicadas, lowering their heads and not daring to speak.

Wang Huidi, Wang Zhi, Mai Zhide and others had a bad feeling in their hearts. Why was the emperor so angry? It was different from what they expected.

"Liu Sheng, read the confession to them."

"Yes." Liu Sheng carefully took the confession, glanced at the text on it, his eyes widened immediately, and he forgot to read it for a moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw that he was silent and said angrily: "Huh? What are you waiting for? Could it be that you are also connected with them?"

Liu Sheng knelt down and said honestly: "Your Majesty is wronged. This old slave is just... just frightened by this list."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said: "Don't say it's you, even we were scared."

"Get up and read it to the Dukes of the Ming Dynasty. Let them see how courageous our Ming officials are."

Liu Sheng quickly stood up and started reading.

The confession was not particularly detailed. It only said that he colluded with officials from the six ministries, worked with local officials to embezzle official grain, and levied exorbitant taxes and so on.

The specific local officials he collaborated with were not mentioned at all, nor were the names of these officials.

However, this information was sensational enough, and there was a lot of noise in the court.

Wang Zhi, Mai Zhide and others had cold hands and feet, but Zhao Hao actually used them all?Isn't he afraid of being killed by the nine clans?

After introducing the crimes, here is the list.

When the names of Wang Huidi, the Minister of Justice, Wang Zhi, the Minister of War, and Mai Zhide, the Minister of Works, were read out, no one in the court dared to make a sound.

Everyone is afraid.

Zhu Biao also looked horrified. He knew the truth about Chen Jingke's complaint and what Mao Xiang was doing.

But I never expected that so many people would be involved in this case.

Counting Zhao Mao, who was already in prison, two of the six ministers participated, nine ministers of the six ministers participated, and [-]% of the officials below the minister were on the list.

It can be said that the six departments were basically wiped out.

Everyone subconsciously came up with the idea that the emperor wanted to use this to clean up the court?

The next moment they put an end to this idea. Although the emperor killed people without blinking an eye, he would not kill people for no reason.

Not to mention washing out all six of them, the turmoil this would cause is too great.

Is that Mao Xiang attacking dissidents?

No, he didn't have the guts to cook all six of them in one pot.

Zhao Hao deliberately bit and dragged people into the water?
That's not right. He wants to drag people into trouble, and his first target should be the Metropolitan Procuratorate, not the Sixth Department.

Then there is only one answer left, this confession is true.

And many people showed signs of contemplation.

In fact, many people have heard of what Zhao Mao Group is doing.

For example, many people even levied exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes on travel money when they were serving in local governments.

Of the taxes collected, one-third will be kept for oneself and the other seven will be given to the public.This was the old rule, so they had no doubts.

After all, the salary in Ming Dynasty was too low, and it was impossible to survive without some gray income.

Now I know that this is not a local characteristic, but the work of a corrupt group.

Thinking of this, their hearts sank, wouldn't it involve me?
"Pfft..." Those whose names were called knelt on the ground and cried out for injustice.

"Your Majesty, you are wronged."

"Your Majesty will investigate clearly. This must be Zhao Mao trying to bite the minister." "This must be Mao Xiang forging evidence to attack dissidents."

"Your Majesty, even if there is corruption, how can it be possible that all officials from the six departments are involved?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I was wronged."

Looking at the twenty-some people kneeling on the ground, Zhu Yuanzhang was about to explode with anger:
"Haha... We will find out if he is unjustly accused, Mao Xiang."

"The minister is here."

"Send these people to prison and investigate them carefully. Don't unjustly accuse a good official."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said the word "good official", he emphasized his tone.

"According to the order."

Enjoying the fearful gazes of the ministers, Mao Xiang felt unprecedentedly excited.

This feeling of controlling life and death is so intoxicating.

Especially when the person who was so superior before was now kneeling in front of him like a bereaved dog, he was even more addicted.

"Come here, arrest them and send them to prison."

A group of royal guards rushed in, knocked off these people's official hats, and dragged them away like dead dogs.

The remaining people were also silent, and many of them had weak legs and feet.

Looking at the people being dragged away, Li Shanchang's eyes were filled with surprise and uncertainty.

It is no exaggeration to say that at least a quarter of these people are officials from the Huaixi clique, and about a quarter are officials from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang clique.

This is the first time that the Hu Weiyong case has been cleared. It was even more exaggerated before. It is not an exaggeration to say that one-third of the court is Huaixi.

Only the Jiangsu and Zhejiang factions can compete with them.

So Li Shanchang wondered whether the emperor was planning to take action against the Huaixi and Jiangsu-Zhejiang cliques?
No, we can no longer allow the emperor to go on like this, we must find a way to stop it.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, this matter is very involved. I am afraid that the Jinyi Guards may not be able to catch it, so I invite Dali Temple to participate in the investigation."

The ministers' eyes also lit up, and they all came out to agree with this proposal.

It's too dangerous to let the Jinyi Guards interrogate him. Who knows if they will use this to drag him into trouble.

Dali Temple also has a line of civil servants, so everyone is much safer with them.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep look at Li Shanchang. He had already guessed that the ministers would make this request, but he did not expect that Li Shanchang would take the lead.

"If you don't tell us, we will do the same thing, so where is Wu Yong?"

Wu Yong's face turned bitter. He really didn't want to get involved in this case, but he was a criminal judge in the Criminal Trial Department, and Dali Temple was under his supervision.

There was no way he could escape this kind of thing.

"The minister is here."

"We order you to review this case together with Jin Yiwei."

"The minister...takes orders."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the crowd again and said coldly: "Whoever dares to obstruct this case will be punished as an accomplice."

"Yes."

"Retreat."

Zhu Yuanzhang threw up his sleeves and left angrily.

The ministers did not dare to move until he was far away.

They wanted to ask Zhu Biao, but found that he had disappeared.

After asking the chamberlain, I found out that he left with Zhu Yuanzhang.

In fact, Zhu Biao was also very anxious. The case was too shocking and he needed to know more about it.

When Chen Jingke learned about this, it was already the next day, and he heard it from Du Tongli.

Even though he already knew that the "Guo Huan case" was deeply involved, he was still stunned when he learned that almost all the six troops were wiped out.

I finally understood why Zhu Yuanzhang was so hostile to officials and hated corrupt officials so much.

(End of this chapter)