Good son-in-law of the Ming Dynasty

When everyone around him was gone, Emperor Zhengde held his mother's hand and said, "Mother, this edict was indeed issued by the son. Think about it, the Changlu Salt Division is so important that it is used everywhere in the imperial court." We need to find some money to appoint this candidate. Now that Changlu is in such a huge deficit, it is necessary to find a competent person to preside over it. Therefore, my son is able to make decisions and bypass the cabinet and directly issue an imperial edict to Wu Shiqi, the promoted official in Yangzhou."

Empress Dowager Zhang asked: "Yangzhou Tuiguan has made a lot of contributions in the case of Changlu Salt Division. Is your majesty paying for this?"

Emperor Zhengde nodded: "I have such a meaning."

Empress Dowager Zhang said angrily: "Your Majesty also studied with the three masters of the cabinet for many years. Don't you hear the principle that nobles are rewarded for meritorious deeds and positions are free for one's abilities? The ministers who have made meritorious service can be awarded titles and feudalism. You can reward some things, but if you use official positions to remunerate, it is against the rules. A small pusher can be promoted to the position of a feudal official because of his meritorious service. There is no reward. Your Majesty, you are so confused! No, this is not stupid, it is pure nonsense. If it is spread, it will make the ministers laugh. In half a year, His Majesty will be in charge of the government. In this way, the majesty of the emperor If you don’t save it, and the officials are disrespectful, how will you rule the world in the future?”

Having said that, Queen Mother Zhang is heartbroken.

Zhengde was still smiling, "Queen Mother, you really misunderstood your son, mother, you really thought it was his son's reckless life. There is a reason why Wu Shiqi is so important to me."

"What's the reason?" Empress Dowager Zhang was stunned: "This man's family also asked the people in the official department, that is, he made a name for himself. Later, all the officials in Yangzhou were promoted, which was recommended by the chief assistant Liu Jian. Although this person has a good character and is a moral gentleman, but he suffers from a strange disease and is not an ordinary person, but he is not an extraordinary talent?"

Zhengde put away his smile, and his expression became serious: "The reason is very simple, Wu Shiqi is Su Mu's future father-in-law."

"What!" Empress Dowager Zhang stood up with a huff, and said sharply: "Su Mu's father-in-law, messing around, Your Majesty is messing around! He is the transfer envoy of the Changlu Salt Division just because Su Mu is the closest person around you?" Su Mu only knows how to beg His Majesty blindly, and he also said such absurd things as being a jester in front of the late Emperor. Your Majesty, you are close to courtiers and far away from gentlemen. Wouldn’t it make an aspiring gentleman’s teeth cold?"

As for Su Mu, Empress Dowager Zhang, like her daughter Princess Taikang, loved his "Dream of Red Mansions" very much, but did not like the original author.The so-called: You eat an egg and think it tastes good, but it does not mean that you should like the hen that lays the egg.

Speaking of this person, because of writing this book, Princess Taikang ran away from home.Send him to Cangzhou to look for it, and the news he brings back is nothing more than: there is already a clue, but it will take time.

This is simply an excuse.

It would be fine if he carefully checked the whereabouts of the princess in Cangzhou. Although he failed to welcome Taikang back to the palace in a short time, at least it showed that he was serious about his work.

But now it's fine, as soon as he went to Cangzhou, such a big event happened to Cangzhou Changlu Yansi.And the damned Su Mu directly participated in it and became the most important witness.

If the imperial court wanted to handle the case, it would definitely send Su Mu back to Beijing as an important witness.

On the surface, it seems that Su Mu just happened at the right time.But Queen Mother Zhang has always been very vigilant about Su Mu's ghostly name. There is no such coincidence in the world. If he didn't deliberately uncover this case, Queen Mother Zhang really doesn't believe it.

In order to return to Beijing, this Su Mu actually played with Ai's family on Mingxiu plank road and crossed the Chen warehouse secretly, which is absolutely unforgivable.

Empress Dowager Zhang, since she listened to politics behind the curtain, her politics suddenly came to her senses.In addition, it has the unique delicacy of women, how can it not see through Su Mu's doorway.

Want to go back to Beijing, hehe, easy to say, find Taikang first, but the Ai family will not be fooled by you.

Seeing that his mother was really angry, Zhengde hurriedly supported Queen Mother Zhang to sit down, patted the back of her hand gently with his hand, comforted her for a long time, and then said: "Queen Mother, do you really think that the son depends on Su Mu's and Zhen's?" For the sake of love, that's why Wu Shiqi was appointed as the Cangzhou Changlu transshipment envoy. Queen Mother, you underestimate me too much. That's right, it's really shocking to hear about it. However, sometimes the emperor has to do what he wants. Using Wu Shiqi is actually using Su Mu behind him, using him to solve our problems."

The word "we" made Empress Dowager Zhang pay attention. The so-called "we" naturally refers to the royal family rather than Jiangshan. Otherwise, why not say "use him to solve problems for the court."

"Does Your Majesty have any difficulties?" The Queen Mother asked hurriedly.

Zhengde smiled wryly: "Changlu Yansi lost 200 million taels in the sky, at least 150 million taels were borrowed by me?"

"Ah!" Empress Dowager Zhang wanted to stand up again, but Emperor Zhengde forcibly pulled her back.

Empress Dowager Zhang felt panic for no reason, suppressed the panic in her heart, and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, where can so much money be used?"

In the past, Emperor Zhengde stayed in the palace to study all day because he was still young, and he didn't care about political affairs.With so much money, even if it was to be loaded with ships, several official ships would be needed, but the emperor spent so much money quietly.

If the ministers know about it, they don't know what will happen.

After Qianqiu, the comments of a "faint king" cannot escape.

Zhengde said in a low voice: "Empress Dowager, you have forgotten that the late emperor acted hastily. What was the situation in the internal treasury at that time?"

Empress Dowager Zhang suddenly understood, and asked with a white face and trembling voice: "Is that money used for the funeral of the late emperor?"

Indeed, as Emperor Zhengde said, when Emperor Hongzhi was in power, he practiced frugality, and he could not eat five flavors and clothes only three times.The expenditure in the palace was also compressed to the point where it could no longer be compressed, and many eunuchs and court ladies wore patched clothes.

He reigned for more than ten years and died of private property.When he died, there were only more than [-] taels of silver left in the royal treasury.

Zhengde nodded: "Empress Dowager, when the first emperor was in power, the Xiaoling Mausoleum was under construction for more than ten years. Just because he refused to waste money, it was only half completed when the first emperor died. If you want to go to the ground, you will be safe , still need one million, as a last resort, we had to ask the Yan Division to send 150 million over for emergency.”

"Long live, long live, you are so confused, even if the late emperor's funeral expenses are not enough, can't the Ministry of Households think of a way to do it? It has to borrow the treasury money of the Changlu Salt Division. Now, such a big case is a big case, and the royal family's face He Cun, the former emperor has knowledge under the spring, but he doesn't know what it will be like to be distressed?"