prosperous age

"Go and prepare, we'll go into the palace and tell them."

Zhang Hong and Wei Guangde exchanged a glance, and then he spoke.

After Liu Shouyou left the duty room, Zhang Hongcai said, "Shandai, what do you think of this?"

Wei Guangde smiled and nodded, saying, "As long as we can pinpoint his identity, with the groundwork laid beforehand and the fact that he sent someone to poison the monk, even if he has a hundred mouths, he will be unable to defend himself."

The palace would not allow someone like him to live.

He knows far too much.

After Wei Guangde finished speaking, he smiled and looked at Zhang Hong.

Although the final decision rests with the Emperor and Empress Dowager, Zhang Hong's words to them are also crucial.

Although Zhang Jing's position in the palace was only mid-level, he was too close to the emperor and knew many palace secrets.

If we let it out, the consequences are unpredictable.

Because he is also suspected of having ties with the White Lotus sect.

This is completely different from Feng Bao's situation back then.

Feng Bao was expelled from the palace after losing a political struggle.

He himself was not at fault; he had simply offended the emperor, and the empress dowager, mindful of her relationship with the emperor, chose to ignore it.

If Feng Bao had ever posed a threat to the imperial family, there would have been absolutely no way he would have arrived in Nanjing alive to guard the imperial tombs.

Zhang Hong nodded, stood up and said, "Let's go, let's go see His Majesty."

"it is good."

Wei Guangde also got up and followed Zhang Hong out of the duty room. After giving some instructions, he left the cabinet and headed towards the Qianqing Palace.

In the afternoon, in the White Tiger Hall of the Eastern Depot, Zhang Jing carefully put a bunch of trinkets on the table into a small box, called over a eunuch to carry it, and then happily returned to the palace.

During this period, he went to great lengths to collect strange and unusual items and send them to the Wanli Emperor.

Today, we present some exquisitely crafted little trinkets from the folk.

To be honest, these days it's getting harder and harder to find things that can please the emperor.

Even the foreign gadgets that Matteo Ricci could plunder, he examined one by one.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Jing was still considering this matter.

If all else fails, try to find a way to get something from beyond the Great Wall or from the grasslands.

Otherwise, it would be really difficult to send anything to the Emperor later.

Don't be fooled by the fact that you've picked out another box of treasures today. As is customary, out of the dozen or so items, only two or three might catch His Majesty's eye.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but curse Wei Guangde in his heart a few more times.

On one wall of the Wanli Emperor's study, there were many models that Wei Guangde had brought over.

If Wei Guangde hadn't pulled this stunt, he could have done it anyway.

It now seems that Wei Guangde truly understood the emperor's preferences, from the wooden palaces to the models of ships and weapons.

Once the carriage had swayed and rattled past the palace gates, someone was naturally watching over it before returning to report.

When Wei Guangde received the news, he was dozing in his duty room.

In the duty room, Wei Guangde specially arranged for a chaise lounge to be prepared for his convenience.

When he has free time, he will lie down on it and take a nap.

"Okay, I understand. You can go now."

Wei Guangde simply waved his hand, dismissing Lu Bu.

The thought that Zhang Jing would be imprisoned by the inner factory today gave him a strange sense of relief.

This person had previously relied on Zhang Siwei's help, but it was like a persistent leech, pulling him along for quite some time.

It was only after Zhang Siwei's return to the capital became hopeless that this kid became obedient.

Now we can finally get rid of the person, which can be considered a major accomplishment.

If I hadn't prepared so much beforehand, I'm afraid I would have caused a lot of trouble once I returned to my hometown.

After all, once a court official leaves the court, if His Majesty doesn't think of a way to help him, even if he returns in the future, it will be difficult for him to regain his original position.

If there are rivals in the court who try to sabotage things, then the situation becomes even more unpredictable.

What Wei Guangde is doing now is eliminating any potential adversaries who could cause further trouble.

Of course, Wei Guangde was also well aware that some of the cabinet members probably did not want him to return to court.

Once they were in the cabinet, it became increasingly difficult for Wei Guangde to get rid of them.

Well, time will tell.

As long as some matters are left unresolved, the Wanli Emperor will eventually remember him and summon him back to court.

Just kidding. Wei Guangde had suggested things about the Ming Dynasty's money shops and stock exchanges, but Zhang Xueyan suppressed them afterward, especially the stock exchanges.

Emperor Wanli had several million taels of silver deposited in the Daming Money Shop. Although he could receive some dividends every year, it was clear which was better than opening a stock exchange so that the millions of taels of silver could be cashed out at any time.

Okay, so this is Wei Guangde's backup plan.

Besides these, there are actually quite a few other cases that require him to conclude them.

In the past, things were done step by step, but recently he has hinted that he has slowed down and will postpone it for two years.

If I were to focus solely on resolving this quickly, the most troublesome thing would be if the court no longer needed me.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde suddenly felt enlightened.

However, this feeling didn't last more than a few minutes.

Yes, just a few minutes.

Although the Ming Dynasty no longer has this unit of time, it has rediscovered some of its habits from the future.

Because it was thanks to the pocket watch in his pocket.

With the introduction of Western clocks into the Ming Dynasty, Wei Guangde naturally carried one with him.

In Wei Guangde's view, the claims about the advanced technology of Swiss watches and the craftsmanship passed down through generations are just empty sentimentality and deception.

Both the Ministry of Works of the Ming Dynasty and the Imperial Works Bureau of the Palace could actually do it.

It's not just about imitation; it's about innovation, making things according to the standards of the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, the Imperial Workshop specially made a batch of pocket watches, but the symbols "1-12" on them were replaced with the animals corresponding to the twelve two-hour periods of the day.

These clocks, imbued with strong Chinese cultural characteristics, are simply a matter of redesigning the dial; they're quite simple.

The watch in Wei Guangde's pocket actually has two sets of dials: one is the Western standard, and the other is a dial that incorporates the Chinese time standard.

Well, I should say this was the earliest world time wristwatch.

If this thing were to be passed down to future generations, it would probably be very valuable.

In any case, the pocket watch was still meticulously engraved by the imperial craftsmen at his request.

As the day drew to a close, the cabinet members gathered together to discuss the memorials they had received that day.

Actually, there aren't many things that need to be discussed recently, and there aren't any important matters.

These kinds of things mostly happen at the beginning and end of the year; those that occur in the middle of the year are mostly major military and national events.

But now that the Ming Dynasty is strong and well-equipped, none of the surrounding countries dare to provoke it at this time.

Thus, the cabinet meeting before the end of the office session had evolved into a regular tea party held daily in the chief minister's office. Everyone would first briefly discuss the memorials, and then chat about trivial matters to pass the time while waiting for the office session to end.

"Splash."

The curtain was lifted, revealing Lu Bu's face.

"Come in, what's up?"

Wei Guangde saw it and then said calmly.

When Lu Bu entered, he first bowed to the other cabinet ministers before finally approaching Wei Guangde and whispering something in his ear.

"Oh, I know."

Wei Guangde nodded. After Lu Bu left, Shen Shixing looked over, and Wei Guangde smiled and said, "They said they just received news that Zhang Jing, the head of the Eastern Depot, has been taken away by the Inner Depot."

Let's leave the palace affairs alone.

Today I heard news that the monk Deqing died at the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it is said that he may be involved.

"We in the outer court shouldn't ask too many questions about such matters; the palace will naturally have the Imperial Guards investigate."

As soon as Wei Guangde finished speaking, the expressions of the cabinet ministers changed slightly, and then they all nodded in agreement.

In fact, they had known the news two days earlier: the monk had been murdered in the imperial prison.

But that was the imperial prison, and it didn't concern them much, so everyone just talked about it privately, but never brought it up in the cabinet meeting.

Today, Wei Guangde's words made it very clear that the cabinet should not interfere in palace affairs.

“The monk Deqing is involved with the White Lotus Sect. Shouldn’t the Three Departments investigate this matter?”

Shen Shixing still reminded him.

After all, they knew about the case file sent by the Ministry of Justice, which mentioned that the monk might be a member of the White Lotus sect.

“The palace will investigate, mainly because Zhang Jing is quite special, being someone close to His Majesty.”

Wei Guangde said in a pretentious manner.

Shen Shixing finally nodded. He had originally planned to wait two days to submit a memorial and have the Embroidered Uniform Guard send a final copy of the case file to the Ministry of Justice.

It now seems that Wei Guangde did not intend to let the outer court get involved in this matter, so he gave up on the idea.

Zhang Jing was stopped and forcibly taken away by the Inner Court personnel at the palace gate after leaving the Qianqing Palace and getting into the carriage.

The news naturally spread throughout the palace very quickly.

After all, as a favorite of the emperor, Zhang Jing's every move was being watched by many.

Regarding the arrests by the Imperial Household Department, the Qianqing Palace, the Cining Palace, the Ciqing Palace, and the Yongshou Palace all remained silent.

Compared to the Cining Palace, which had once interfered in politics and was one of the three pillars of the Ming Dynasty, Empress Dowager Li naturally knew the reason.

She already disliked Zhang Jing, and now that he's suspected of murdering her own son, she naturally won't speak up for him.

In reality, Zhang Jing's constant flattery towards the Wanli Emperor had angered the noble ladies in the harem.

However, they still kept an eye on the Qianqing Palace, fearing that Emperor Wanli might eventually soften his heart and let Zhang Jing go.

They knew how much Zhang Jing had been favored before.

When the news spread beyond the palace walls and into the court, many people applauded, but some, while feigning joy, secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

These people were naturally recruited by Zhang Jing.

Believe it or not, although their rank is not high, they still have quite a few people and they wield some real power.

At least, Zhang Jing would get the news if anything major happened in the Six Ministries.

Now that their backing in the palace is about to collapse, how can they not worry?
When the moon was bright and the stars were few, Wei Guangde sat in his study reading.

As he grew increasingly sleepy, he got up, opened the door, and asked the servants outside to tidy up the study.

"Zhang Ji, has someone come to deliver a message?"

Zhang Ji was also outside, but the matter of tidying up the writing implements did not require his involvement as the head steward; someone else would take care of it.

"No."

Zhang Ji hurriedly replied, "Which side are you waiting for, sir? Should I send someone to inquire?"

What Wei Guangde wanted was, of course, whether the Embroidered Uniform Guard had obtained any confessions.

Although we have the confessions from the people in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the real loophole is the one in charge of the Eastern Depot.

Only if he confesses to this can Zhang Jing be silenced completely.

"No need."

Wei Guangde waved his hand and said, then walked towards the backyard, saying as he went, "You stay here and keep an eye on tidying up the study."

There were some letters in the study. Although they weren't considered sensitive, Wei Guangde didn't want them to be handled casually.

Therefore, this place is usually locked, and only Zhang Ji and his wife have the key.

Although his family affairs were kept secret, they had already been circulating in the capital.

After all, the Wei family is now a large and powerful family, and in addition to the servants from their hometown and the Wei family in Nanjing, they have also recruited many people from the capital.

Some of them had infiltrated the mansion with ulterior motives, and it was impossible to completely eliminate them.

Wei Guangde had no way to deal with this.

Sometimes, once you really try to clean things up, things become even harder to explain.

A few of these informants were hostile, but most were simply trying to find out his preferences, learn about the major and minor events in the mansion, and think about how to make an opportunity for themselves.

Back in the backyard, Xu Jianglan hadn't rested yet. They chatted for a bit and talked about some arrangements made at court.

"Has the master now almost finished handling the affairs of the court?"

Knowing that Wei Guangde had a backup plan, Xu Jianglan felt relieved.

However, the family's affairs depended on Wei Guangde's position in the imperial court.

If Wei Guangde leaves, there will definitely be a lot of trouble to come.

"Except for the matter of the Imperial Clan Law, which has been put to discussion in various ministries, everything else is almost settled."

However, whether I'm there or not makes no difference in that matter; it all depends on His Majesty's attitude.

Wei Guangde didn't mention the arrangements made against Zhang Jing; he didn't want his family to know about such things.

Anyway, the operation is already complete; now it's up to Liu Shouyou to decide what to do.

Meanwhile, Liu Shouyou was personally overseeing operations in the imperial prison.

A chaotic chorus of weeping erupted from the interrogation room across the way, involving men, women, and children. This was the quickest way to get a confession: using the prisoner's family as leverage to force them to confess.

Although it may seem cruel in hindsight, it was actually the most effective method for dealing with criminals.

"Squeak."

The wooden door opened, and a centurion came in to report: "Sir, we have obtained the confession. It was the steward from Zhang Jing's residence who brought up the silver."

"Yes, send men to arrest them immediately. Don't let anyone from Zhang Jing's residence escape; detain them all first."

He reached out and took the statement, read it through, and then a smile appeared on his face.

The agonizing hours of waiting were finally worthwhile; the case was about to be closed.

More than half an hour later, several more people were taken to the imperial prison.

They were each taken to a torture chamber for interrogation, and Liu Shouyou also collected a large pile of account books.

Among them, the latest ledger clearly shows a record of a thousand taels of silver being deposited half a month ago.

"Wentao, prepare the case closing documents. I will personally deliver them to the palace tomorrow morning."

All evidence, including testimonies and ledgers, is part of the evidence.

Although there is no direct evidence to prove that Zhang Jing is a member of the White Lotus sect, the charge of hiring someone to commit murder has been established.

What happens next depends on what those people think.

In any case, once you get infected, you're almost guaranteed to die.

"Sir, these are the ledgers from the Zhang family's warehouse that have been seized."

A thick booklet appeared silently in Liu Shouyou's hands.

Liu Shouyou glanced at it casually and whispered, "Move back the ones that are easy to handle tonight, and re-register the rest."

Find several scribes and scribes to make a new ledger. The land and houses must be copied; understand?

"Little understands."

The Embroidered Uniform Guards haven't made a fortune in a long time, so it's no wonder they like to confiscate the homes of high-ranking officials.

There are quite a few good things here.

However, the easiest things to handle are gold and silver valuables; real estate, on the other hand, is more troublesome to clean up, as its inflows and outflows are recorded in the ledgers. (End of Chapter)