Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 99 The Confused Emperor Jiajing

Six days later, in the capital, the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

It was rare for Emperor Jiajing not to summon Lu Bing in the green gauze tent today.He condescended to sit behind the dragon case.

There is a memorial on Emperor Jiajing's desk, and on the cover of the book is a large book, "Chen Jinyiwei North Town Fusi inspected a hundred households He Liu, and played a role in the establishment of Shandong floods, Henan droughts, and southeast anti-Japanese military relief relief."

Emperor Jiajing threw the memorial to Lu Bing who was kneeling on the ground.

After reading the memorial, Lu Bing knelt and moved to the dragon case, and put the memorial on the case.

Emperor Jiajing said: "What does He Liu mean by this? I asked him to go to Jiangnan to investigate the Jiangnan case. It has been two or three months, and he has not found out why, but he wants to set up such a disaster relief office."

Lu Bingdao: "He Liu has always been experienced in handling things. He must have his own reasons for doing so."

Emperor Jiajing said: "He asked me to set up such a yamen. Could it be related to the private salt case?"

Lu Bing kowtowed and said: "The emperor forgives the crime, but I don't know."

Emperor Jiajing picked up the memorial and read it again: "Last year, taxes have been collected in Jiangnan four times. If there is such a triple donation office, I am afraid that the merchants in Jiangnan will not be able to bear it."

Lu Bing replied: "I don't think He Liu is necessarily trying to take money from the merchants. Now the treasury is empty, the north is defending against the Tatars, the southeast is suppressing Japanese pirates, and the south is looking at Annan. Several provinces have suffered disasters. ...you want money everywhere. If He Liu really has the ability to raise some money for the imperial court from Jiangnan, it would be good to think about it."

Emperor Jiajing nodded, and asked Jin Sili to seal Lu Fang.He gave He Liu's brochure to Lu Fang: "You, the supervisor of ceremonies, have approved this brochure! Let Hu Zongxian serve as the general office of the disaster relief and payment yamen. As for He Liu, he will be the deputy general manager. "

Lu Fang kowtowed and said, "I obey the order."

Another seven days later, He Liu and Lao Hu were playing chess in the palace of the imperial envoy.

"The imperial decree has arrived!" A little father-in-law led a few relatives to carry out the imperial edict.

He Liu and Lao Hu quickly knelt down to accept the order.

"There is a decree. In Yangzhou, a government office was set up in Yangzhou for disaster relief for floods in Shandong, drought in Henan, and wages for the anti-Japanese soldiers in the southeast. It is in charge of disaster relief and payment. Governor Hu Zongxian of Zhejiang Province was appointed concurrently as the general office, and He Liu, a hundred households inspected by Jinyiwei, was appointed as the deputy general office! "

"The minister obeys the order!"

He Liu received the imperial decree, and sent away the little eunuch who delivered the decree.He said to Lao Hu: "The emperor has set up the stage for us, it's time for us to sing."

Old Hu said: "I'm going to send a letter to Yang Jinshui and Zheng Michang, asking them to come to you with money."

He Liu nodded: "I'm going to find Hu Butang. Let's work separately."

He Liu came to Hu Zongxian's study.Hu Zongxian was reading the military newspaper while eating a bowl of white rice with a plate of pickles.

He Liu was a little surprised. The dignified governor of Zhejiang Province, the highest official sent by the imperial court to the southeast, ate this food?He said: "Hu Butang, did you deal with it at lunch like this?"

Hu Zongxian smiled: "If the people in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty all ate white rice and pickled vegetables, the world would be at peace! I have received the emperor's edict, you sit first. Let me finish eating Let's talk about dinner."

Hu Zongxian quickly picked up the rice grains in the bowl, and after eating, he poured some water into the bowl with a teapot, and drank the remaining rice grains together with the tea.

He turned his head and said to He Liu: "The emperor asked Jiangnan to set up a fundraising and relief office. This time, the decree did not specify how much money Jiangnan should raise. I mean, the merchants in Jiangnan have pledged donations four times last year. Give them a little less at a time."

He Liu smiled: "Hu Butang, this time, I don't want to ask merchants to accept donations!"

Hu Zongxian was surprised: "Then who are you going to ask for donations? Do you want those poor people to squeeze money from their teeth and hand it over to the court?"

He Liu shook his head: "The poor people are living a tight life, and I won't take their ideas. I want the officials to pay donations."

Hu Zongxian shook his head: "I have tried it a long time ago to ask officials to pay donations! They all beat iron cocks. How much money can they raise?"

He Liu cupped his hands and said, "Hu Butang, this time I plan to ask the officials to donate 1000 million taels of silver to the imperial court!"

After hearing this, Hu Zongxian stared at He Liu for a moment.After a long time, he squeezed out a few words through his teeth: "Lao Liu, are you crazy? Just touch your upper lip and lower lip, and you dare to say the number of 1000 million taels?"

He Liudao: "I'm not crazy. Hu Butang, you are a good official who cares about the people and the country. In front of you, I have nothing to hide. I plan to let those five officials who sell private salt spend these years I spit out all the money that shouldn’t be taken. The five families add up to exactly 1000 million taels. I spit out the money, and the private salt case ends here.”

Hu Zongxian slapped his head: "Lao Liu, what do you mean, regarding the private salt case, you plan to only let the culprits spit out dirty money, and not hold them accountable?"

He Liu nodded: "Exactly. If the culprits in the salt smuggling case were dealt with in accordance with the "Law of the Ming Dynasty", at least half of the people in the Jiangnan officialdom would lose their heads. There is King Yu. If everyone is investigated according to the law, the court will inevitably be in chaos."

Hu Zongxian sighed: "If you do this, it is indeed a wise choice for Jiangshan Sheji. But what about yourself? Only hand over the dirty money of the salt private case to the emperor, but keep the culprits of the private salt case secret? Do you forgive me?"

He Liu smiled: "Your Majesty is innocent. Thunder, rain, and dew are all grace from heaven. When the grace comes down, I will accept the decree to thank you."

Hu Zongxian got up and patted He Liu on the shoulder: "Lao Liu, you are afraid that I will be responsible for handing over the account book to the emperor, right?"

He Liu said sincerely: "Yes. These days in the south of the Yangtze River, I have seen what is the real pillar of the country. The court cannot live without the southeast, and the southeast cannot live without the Hu Butang. I can't just watch Hu Butang like this You are different from the other five officials who smuggled salt. They smuggled salt to fill their own pockets and enrich themselves. You are for the [-] sons of Qi Jiajun and Yu Jiajun!"

Hu Zongxian sighed: "Oh, sometimes, in the officialdom, I can't help myself! I, Hu Zongxian, have been in office for 20 years and have done many things against my will. But I dare say that everything I do is for Jiangshan Sheji. Thank you, sixth child."

He Liudao: "Tomorrow our disaster relief office will open. I think it will be located in the governor's office. Tomorrow, please invite Hu Butang to watch an anonymous donation show with me."

Hu Zongxian doubted: "Lao Liu, those five people value money more than life. Will they hand over the money honestly?"

He Liu said with a smile: "Hu Butang's words are wrong. What they value most is their dog's life! Life is gone, why do you want money? They, the big officials in the frontier, will not understand this truth!"

Hu Zongxian nodded: "Well, tomorrow we will see if they are silver or dead. But if we can really raise 1000 million taels, then the national treasury will not be stretched this year!"

(End of this chapter)