The Ming Dynasty started with caution

The rising sun was like red iron in a furnace, and all the officials knelt in front of the Fengtian Hall all night.

Xiong Gan felt something was wrong. Whenever the ministers would kneel in front of the palace to admonish them, His Majesty would send someone to dismiss them.

But this time, even after kneeling all night, Xiao Jing did not come out to stop him.

Is His Majesty really tempted?

"Yesterday, Yan Chengjin and the three ministers of the cabinet were summoned to Renshou Palace. I don't know what they said."

"If your Majesty believes Yan Chengjin, the world will be in chaos."

"At my home, there are salt coins left by my father that have not been exchanged. It is difficult for ministers to exchange them, let alone the gentry in the community."

Although the backache was sore and the knees kneeling on the soft cloth were stiff and numb, when the salt was mentioned, the officials were in good spirits.

Looking at the sun disk in the east, it is almost midnight.

Ma Wensheng looked back tiredly: "It's time to go to court in the morning, please bear with me."

"If Mr. Ma can bear it, we will be fine. I hope Mr. Ma can eliminate the rebellious ministers in the court." Hanyuan's official said angrily.

Ma Wensheng's tired face showed a bit of helplessness.

At this time, Emperor Hongzhi sat in the main hall and slept for an hour.

On the imperial desk, the volumes of sparse memorials are like steps, one after another, stacked crookedly, forming a staircase in the air.

Emperor Hongzhi, who was familiar with Shuzu, could guess that there were hundreds of copies.

He picked up a book and flipped through it a few times, then looked at Xiao Jing in surprise: "Are these sent by the cabinet?"

Xiao Jing nodded uncertainly: "Yes, it was sent by the cabinet and Hanyuan."

Emperor Hongzhi's face was darker than the bottom of the pot, and he looked at the few lines of words on the memorial:

His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has a heroic appearance, a wide range of knowledge and talents, which cannot be compared with that of Emperor Qin and Han Dynasty. His literary talent is unparalleled. There is only one person with the surname Yan in the world, who is worthy of the ration of shoes...

Xiao Jing glanced at him with his peripheral vision and smiled in a flattering manner: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, someone finally praised the Crown Prince for being wise."

"How can anyone in the court praise the prince? I knew it was the evil son at first glance, so he changed the memorial." Emperor Hongzhi flipped through several books and was upset.

Xiao Jing fell to his knees with a thud, trembling.

Emperor Hongzhi raised his head and looked outside the palace door: "The minister is still kneeling outside?"

"Here."

Since yesterday, the minister has been crying and kneeling outside, waiting for the court's reply.

It was about to go to the morning court, and Emperor Hongzhi was in a restless mood. From time to time in the quiet hall, voices of advice could be heard from outside.

"Has Yan Chengjin entered the palace?"

Xiao Jing had some sympathy on his face and sighed: "Yan Chengjin was assassinated and asked to take leave for seven days."

An assassin unexpectedly appeared in the heavily guarded area of ​​the capital. Emperor Hongzhi opened his mouth in shock and asked with concern: "How is Yan Qing's family?"

That kid is excited. If you want to kill him, you have to kill him with poison.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Master Yan has returned to the mansion safely. He has also dispatched one hundred imperial guards and fifty imperial guards from the Imperial Court to guard the gate of the mansion. Apart from the palace, there should be no place more heavily guarded than Yan's mansion."

Xiao Jing bit his tongue, hoping that Emperor Hongzhi would hear the clues.

But after hearing this, His Majesty was indifferent and was a little disappointed.

Emperor Hongzhi's face was as cold and ruthless as iron: "Who dares to commit murder in the capital?"

"Commander Mou is investigating, and there will be news soon." Xiao Jing thought of more urgent matters and worried: "Your Majesty, you have been kneeling outside the palace all night, can you send me some food?"

People such as Ma Wensheng and Xie Duo are all old guys in their sixties.

If you kneel to death in front of the main hall, Your Majesty will become a tyrant.

"Let them kneel." Emperor Hongzhi thought for a moment and solemnly said: "Today before Shenshi, Dongchang will hand over the assassin's name to me. I want to see which minister it is."

In the capital, only the ministers of the DPRK could avoid being discovered by the factory guards and the Five Cities Military and Horse Division.

Xiao Jing took the order and quickly rushed to Dongchang to transfer people.

On Chang'an Street, the official dogs of the Wucheng Army and Horse Department were sniffing everywhere, and factory guards and officers and soldiers conducted frequent searches. The people were terrified and didn't know what was going on.

Xu Yong ordered: "Search more carefully. Isn't a dog's nose worse than a factory guard's?"

Yan Mansion, early in the morning.

Yan Chengjin was running in Xinyuan, his steps were as fast as flying.

He Neng and his servants complained endlessly. The young master not only asked them to drive the chickens, but also to carry the sedan while running.

"Master, it's been ten rounds. I want to sit down for a while..."

"Have a rest and run twenty laps later."

"I'm not tired anymore..." He Neng cried sadly, lifted up the sedan chair, and rushed forward with all his strength.

In the greenhouse, Zhu Houzhao squatted on the ground and was startled: "Old Gao! You can really raise crickets. Come and see."

Under the brown-yellow pebbles, two indistinguishable black lines trembled slightly.

You can tell at a glance that it is the black beard of a cricket.

The moment it was revealed, a black dot leaped up and was caught in someone's hand.

"Caught!"

These crickets feed on young leaves of green vegetables, which Yan Chengjin dislikes: "There is no peace outside the palace. Your Highness should not leave the palace these days, lest I be impeached by the officials."

"I'm not the one who killed me, so what are you afraid of?" Zhu Houzhao was very happy. He heard that someone assassinated Lao Gao yesterday.

At this moment, Xu Yong and Ye Zhun entered the mansion one after another, and were quite surprised to see Zhu Houzhao.

After saluting Zhu Houzhao, he said to Yan Chengjin: "Sir, it was Yu Hao from the Ministry of Punishment who was responsible for the incident, and Xue Qing, a doctor from the Ministry of War, was an accomplice."

"My lords, please expand the scope and continue the thorough investigation. I suspect there are accomplices."

Most of the salt invitations given by ministers are rewards or begging, and no money is required.

No matter how the price of salt changes, it is a sure-profit business, so killing him is reasonable.

Yan Chengjin continued: "If your Majesty summons me, please also ask Ye Qianhu to submit this letter."

The sun's disk gradually moved and soon reached the top of the head.

It was already early November, and the sunlight on my face didn't sting, but it was a little cold.

Seeing that His Majesty was reluctant to attend court, Ma Wensheng led all the officials to shout: "Your Majesty, you must put the people first, and you must not abolish the salt permit!"

"Your Majesty, you must put the people first!"

Emperor Hongzhi paced in the palace, and the three cabinet members waited for His Majesty to speak.

Mou Bin came in to report, frowning: "Your Majesty, most of the shops in the streets are closed, the streets are deserted, and the capital is like an empty city."

The gentry protested against the abolition of the salt permit, especially fiercely.

Li Dongyang and the other two had twitching faces and looked up at Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi clenched his fists. The salt permit system has been in place for nearly 500 years, and has been revised many times, but it has never been abolished.

I can't predict what the world will be like after the abolition of the salt permit.

The court officials and countless gentry in the world opposed the abolition.

And the only people who recommended the abolition were Yan Chengjin and the prince.

Who is right?

"Have the murderer who assassinated Yan Chengjin been caught?"

Mou Bin nodded: "He has been taken to the imperial prison. The mastermind is Yu Hao, the official in the Ministry of Justice, and Xue Qing, the accomplice of the Ministry of War, both confessed."

Emperor Hongzhi remembered that these two were new officials, and his expression eased a little: "Where is Yan Qing's family? Since the mastermind has been caught, let Yan Qing's family enter the palace, don't take a rest."

"Yan Chengjin said that there may be accomplices, and asked the Jinyiwei to bring this letter to the palace." Mou Bin presented the letter.

Yan Chengjin, this guy, is getting bolder and bolder. He dared to guess the emperor's will! Use a letter to disobey my will.

Emperor Hongzhi opened the letter unhappily. I want to see what you have to say:

If your majesty has any doubts, please go to Fangshan to see. I dare not enter the palace, but I dare to go to Fangshan. I beg your majesty to keep it secret and burn it after reading.

"Bring the brazier."

Li Dongyang found that his majesty's face changed significantly after reading the letter.

When I looked at the letter again, I saw that Emperor Hongzhi threw the letter into the copper basin.

"Get ready, I want to leave the palace immediately!"

Xiao Jing and Mou Bin were shocked. What on earth was Yan Chengjin selling in the letter?

It's the middle of the month, please vote~