My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 199 A couple loses their seeds

As soon as the emperor left, a group of imperial guards emerged from the Xiyuan. They stepped forward and began to gather the officials who were admonishing him.

"Let's go to Nanhaizi to move bricks."

The blades of the royal sabers dangled brightly in the hands of a group of Jin Yiwei, scaring some of them to the point of peeing.

Seeing the Jin Yiwei starting to clear the place, Bi Ziyan quickly moved his people to the side.

The death penalty is exempted, but the living penalty is unavoidable.

What's more, the emperor also asked Dongchang to supervise.

Looking at the group of colleagues being escorted away, looking back three times, Bi Ziyan couldn't help but think.

"The Emperor is very murderous towards those who form factions."

Sighing, Bi Ziyan said to Xu Guangqi beside him.

He was very dissatisfied with the strife in the court and wanted to unite the courtiers and strive to get the court through the weak period left by Wanli as quickly as possible.

But now it seems that it may not be possible.

"Your Majesty likes to employ ministers who work hard and does not like those who talk empty talk."

Without directly answering Bi Ziyan's words, Xu Guangqi stroked his beard and said.

"Based on what I saw today, I'm afraid that His Majesty doesn't want to kill people because of party strife, which will lead to instability in people's hearts, but he is extremely disgusted with party strife."

The emperor is playing werewolf with you.

The slap and the military stick given to Wei Zhongxian were telling Dongchang and the courtiers not to impeach others on charges of forming cliques for personal gains.

Asking Wei Zhongxian to supervise these people moving bricks is to tell these people that I believe Wei Zhongxian said that you formed a clique for personal gain, so please restrain yourself.

Party strife, I know.

But, I don’t want to kill people because of party fighting.

If they form cliques for personal gain again, let Dongchang investigate.

Moreover, the emperor also criminalized forming parties for personal gain.

Anyone who dares to form a party for personal gain in the future will be disloyal, unfilial, and unjust. If Dongchang gets the evidence, he will be beheaded alive.

"What a troubled time."

Hearing Xu Guangqi's words, Bi Ziyan shook his head helplessly.

"No problem, the officials your Majesty ordered me to dispatch from outside Beijing have basically arrived in Beijing."

At this moment, Zhou Yingqiu, who had been serving as the master, stepped forward at the right time.

"Empty talk will harm the country, but hard work will make it prosperous. Such a person will not be unjust no matter how he dies."

"Is this why you stood idly by while watching the courtiers anger His Majesty?"

Hearing what Zhou Yingqiu said, Bi Ziyan looked at Zhou Yingqiu with a hint of disgust and asked sternly.

"If Your Majesty were to kill these officials today, how would the people of the world view the emperor killing people in anger?"

"Who will dare to hold his position again in the future? If there is no shortage of science and education, how will the government run?"

With that said, Bi Ziyan pointed at Zhou Yingqiudao.

"You are trapping Your Majesty in an unkind and unjust place."

"If you are not qualified, there will be disaster."

Hearing this, Zhou Yingqiu waved his sleeves and refused to give in.

"He is not talented, but he talks a lot about state affairs. If everything is done according to his words, when will the Ming Dynasty be able to find peace?"

"In the past, Xiong Tingbi was impeached. Why not kill him to establish the country's prestige?"

After saying that, Zhou Yingqiu raised his hands and arched the gate of Xiyuan.

"Your Majesty is well-educated, well-read, kind and caring for the people, courageous and promising."

"As human ministers, we should put service first and work first. Why should we plead for mercy on behalf of those who deserve to die!"

"you!"

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan's nose almost turned crooked with anger. Zhou Yingqiu used the excuse of working for the emperor to stop him.

"Humph."

Knowing that he couldn't talk any more, Bi Ziyan could only flick his sleeves and leave the front door of Xiyuan.

"Zhou Shangshu, if you are loyal to the emperor, you will be remembered in history one day."

Before leaving, Xu Guangqi said to Zhou Yingqiu with a smile.

"There are a lot of shortages in our Ministry of Works. Now that foreign officials are in Beijing, I would like to ask Shangshu Zhou to fill up the various heads of the Ministry of Works for me first."

As a person who likes to take kickbacks, Xu Guangqi's character is more tactful than Bi Ziyan's, and he knows how to deal with lucky ministers like Zhou Yingqiu.

"There is no need to worry about doing things for the country."

He stretched out his hand to avoid hitting the smiling person. Xu Guangqi had a good attitude towards him, and Zhou Yingqiu would not offend a minister of the Ministry of Industry for nothing, so he cupped his hands and said.

As the two looked at each other, they laughed at the same time.

"Hahaha."

After returning to Xiyuan, when he walked to the main hall, he saw Wei Zhongxian kneeling at the foot of the stairs after taking the military stick.

"Humph."

Seeing Wei Zhongxian, Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly, ignored him, and walked straight into the hall.

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Seeing the emperor come back, Xu Waner, who already knew what happened, brought a teapot and came to pour tea for Zhu Youxiao.

"cool down."

Taking the tea cup from Xu Waner's hand and drinking it in one gulp, Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said.

"Every one of them talks about benevolence and morality, but is full of male prostitutes and female thieves."

"I will be mad at them sooner or later."

With that said, Zhu Youxiao pulled Xu Waner into his arms.

Being pulled by the emperor, Xu Waner's body stiffened, and then she was held by the emperor obediently.

The two of them just sat quietly on their chairs.

Smelling the faint fragrance of his wife, Zhu Youxiao thought about Wei Zhongxian.

This eunuch is loyal.

But my political acumen cannot be said to be bad, it can only be said to be catastrophically low.

Moreover, people are prone to wandering.

Although nine thousand years old refers to a chicken, there is a thousand-year-old queen in the palace, so you dare to endure this.

There is also the matter of establishing a shrine.

Neither the orthodox Wang Zhen nor the virtuous Liu Jin dared to have a shrine built for them.

Who was the last eunuch in Lisheng Temple?

It was Feng Bao who got into trouble with Zhang Juzheng, but what happened to Feng Bao in the end and how many years ago he died? Did Wei Zhongxian not know this?

"Tell him to stop kneeling and go do his work."

After holding his wife in his arms to suppress his shock for a while, Zhu Youxiao put his head on his wife's chest and spoke in a depressed voice.

"Tell him not to kill people."

"Also, didn't I reward him with a godson? Send it to Wei Zhongxian, and let Wei Zhongxian ask that man why I beat him."

"My slave takes orders."

Seeing the emperor's actions, Liu Shimin did not dare to say anything. After bowing in agreement, he walked out of the palace.

Before leaving, he also took everyone in the palace out.

Is the emperor planning to do something?

On the carriage going to Nanhaizi, Wei Zhongxian lay naked on the couch while his godson applied ointment to himself.

"Ouch, be gentle!"

Even if the emperor had no murderous intentions towards him, the military stick of the Jin Yiwei was not that easy to bear.

Twenty solid army sticks also beat Wei Zhongxian to the ground.

The wound after receiving the military stick was burning.

But after applying the medicine, it felt cold to the touch.

Under the two-layered sky of ice and fire, Wei Zhongxian felt so painful that he was transformed into a humanoid range hood, sucking in the air-conditioning.

"Didn't you just say that I was suspected of forming a clique for personal gain? Didn't the emperor want to beat me with twenty army sticks?"

After finally feeling the pain, Wei Zhongxian lay on the pillow and thought about why he received these twenty army sticks.

The emperor doesn't believe that courtiers form cliques for personal gain?

What a liar.

What about Qi, Chu, Zhejiang, Xuankun, and Donglin, which is said to have the most people.

When the previous emperor summoned Bi Ziyan and others for the first time, he directly mentioned their names, indicating that the emperor could not say he knew nothing about the many parties in these courts, but he was also well aware of them. But why did he say that these people formed a clique for personal gain and the emperor would beat him?

"Why is this?"

Unlike Wei Zhongxian, who was in the carriage with his head full of lawsuits, the civil servants who were being escorted to Nanhaizi by the royal guards had sad faces.

Damn, the emperor is really too damaged.

Compared with the crowds of people on the roadside watching the fun, this kind of mental torture.

The next forty miles were even more excruciating.

They were asked to go to Nanhaizi to move bricks, but it was actually the Jin Yiwei on horseback who escorted them to Nanhaizi on foot!

Forty miles.

These officials usually go out in sedan chairs for short distances and ride long distances in cars. Only a few of them can ride horses.

Letting these people walk forty miles is an attempt to kill people.

As the carriage drove all the way, Wei Zhongxian thought about it, but in the end he didn't understand the reason.

After walking for three or four hours, we finally arrived at Nanhaizi.

When Wei Zhongxian's carriage entered Nanhaizi, the Jin Yiwei who had come to Nanhaizi earlier began to make arrangements for more than 40 civil servants.

The emperor said, 20,000 yuan per person, and when the move is completed, he will go back.

"Please let us rest."

Zhou Zongjian, who was named by the emperor, was now the leader of these people. He cupped his hands and said to Ding Xiu who came to escort the people.

People have to bow their heads under the roof.

"Rest, that's okay."

Hearing this, Ding Xiu scratched his back with the handle of his knife, looked at these weak civil servants, and gave instructions to the people beside him.

"Lu Baihu, go and ask if there are any vacancies. I remember that when I came here a few days ago, a new military camp was being built at the city construction camp. Let them squeeze in with those people."

"Yes."

Hearing this, Lu Jianxing, who was a bit dull, handed over his hands and quickly went to lead people to make arrangements.

"Master Zhou, let me tell you about the arrangements for moving the bricks."

After Lu Jianxing left, Ding Xiu came to Zhou Zongjian's side humbly.

"This journey may be a bit long."

"The bricks you want to move are still in the brick factory. Because the smoke is a bit choking and water is needed, the emperor asked Jiang to build the brick factory to the east of Qingshui River, near Donghongmen. there."

"Now the ground in Nanhaizi has been leveled, and the places where floor tiles can be laid are all in the west. In other words, you have to cross the entire Nanhaizi to move the bricks."

"Originally, these bricks were pulled by a cart, but the emperor didn't say you could use them, and I didn't dare to make the decision without permission. I brought them for you, and I have to trouble you to move them with your bare hands."

"!!!"

They had heard Ding Xiu's words a long time ago. When the civil servants who came over one by one heard this, their expressions changed greatly.

Some people even fainted on the spot.

The bricks of the Ming Dynasty are not as small as the standard bricks of later generations.

Ming Dynasty standard bricks, small square bricks are 15 centimeters long on a side, large square bricks are 30 centimeters long, and one piece weighs fifty or sixty pounds.

The gold bricks used to pave the ground in the Forbidden City are even heavier, weighing a full 59 kilograms.

"I would like to ask, how much does a piece of brick fired in the brick factory weigh?"

After wiping the cold sweat on his head, Zhou Zongjian asked Ding Xiu.

"It's not heavy, only about fifty kilograms. At the speed you're going, you can move about ten yuan a day."

After hearing this, Ding Xiu pretended to think for a while and then said.

"Twenty thousand yuan, at most it's only two thousand days, very fast."

"!"

Upon hearing Ding Xiu's calculation, Zhou Zongjian's eyes instantly turned white and he fainted.

"Master Zhou!"

"Master Zhou!"

Seeing Zhou Zongjian fainted, officials quickly supported him behind him.

Those who pinch people are pinched, and those who call them doctors are called doctors.

"Go and invite those imperial doctors."

Seeing Zhou Zongjian fainted, Ding Xiu shrugged his shoulders and gave instructions to the Jin Yiwei beside him.

What kind of psychological quality?

Why don't you just move bricks for three years? As for fainting?

"What happened over there?"

Wei Zhongxian, who had already wrapped gauze around his buttocks, was carried out of the carriage by two strong eunuchs in front of him.

Looking at the crowd in chaos because Zhou Zongjian fainted, Wei Zhongxian frowned and asked.

"Back to the Governor, the man named Zhou Zongjian has fainted and is being rescued."

After hearing Wei Zhongxian's question, someone came forward to report it.

"How far have we walked before we fainted? Are we in such bad health?"

Hearing this, a look of disdain appeared on Wei Zhongxian's face.

Wei Zhongxian's body is much stronger than these people, and he has the capital to disdain.

Although he is now fifty-two years old, he is in great health and eats deliciously.

During the reigns of Tianqi and Chongzhen, there was a writer named Zhu Changzuo who wrote unofficial history. He wrote "New Tan of the Jade Mirror" to record Wei Zhongxian. He commented that Wei Zhongxian was majestic in appearance and eloquent in speech.

The latter sentence is not much of a comment, but the previous sentence is true.

This is because Wei Zhongxian has been a street person for a long time. Since ancient times, it has not been easy to hang out on the street. If your physical fitness is not good enough, you will not be able to hang out.

"My child... my child has met... my godfather."

Just when Wei Zhongxian looked down on these civil servants, a stuttering sound came from behind Wei Zhongxian.

"Ok?"

Hearing this, Wei Zhongxian frowned and turned around to see who was so ignorant of the rules.

How many times have I told you to call the governor during working hours?

"It's Wang'er."

However, when he saw the trembling Wang Wenyan standing in front of him, Wei Zhongxian raised his eyebrows and asked.

"Why are you here in Nanhaizi?"

"If you go back to your godfather, it's because the emperor asked the child to come."

Hearing Wei Zhongxian's question, Wang Wenyan stammered in reply.

"Oh, then you can follow the Zajia family."

Hearing this, Wei Zhongxian smacked his mouth.

Wei Zhongxian was very unhappy with the godson given to him by the emperor.

"Yes Yes."

Hearing this, Wang Wenyan did not dare to say anything and followed Wei Zhongxian timidly.

Why is Wang Wenyan, the official power broker who once ran rampant in the capital, acting so timid and stuttering now?

This has to mention Wei Zhongxian's methods.

Compared with the emperor's destructive power, Wei Zhongxian was not at a disadvantage at all.

Wang Wenyan was castrated, which was not considered cruel.

If you cut the two sides separately, you can wait until one side is finished before cutting the other side. This is not too cruel.

The most cruel thing is that Wang Wenyan now has nothing on his body except his hair and eyebrows.

This Wang Wenyan was not happy to be given Wei Zhongxian, the governor of the East Factory, as his godson!

So, Wei Zhongxian let this guy see the methods in the palace, and in less than a month, he became an honest man.

This included finding a dozen eunuchs to pluck out all the hair on this guy one by one.

But unfortunately, people have been stammering since then.

PS: I’m not talking nonsense about Xu Guangqi taking kickbacks, it’s true.

The Ming Dynasty's "Instructions for the Factory Warehouse of the Ministry of Industry" records that a pair of purple-flowered cloth armor (cloth-faced armor) cost four taels of silver, but Xu Guangqi's quotation in the "Shen Ming Chu Yi Lu Cheng Yuan Shu Shu" to Chongzhen was: Twelve taels of armor.

In "Recent Affairs of Washing the Sea", Yu Dayou's army quoted a price of one tael of silver for bird guns. In "Continuation of the Coastal Defense Examination of Two Zhejiang Provinces", the price of Rumi's gun was one tael of silver and eight cents, while Xu Guangqi gave Chongzhen The quotation is four taels of silver.

Although the price inflation in the late Ming Dynasty was terrifying, in the ninth year of Chongzhen, before the complete financial collapse, it had not yet quadrupled to the level from Jiajing to the early Wanli period.

(End of this chapter)