King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 820 Only God Knows
Regardless of whether Zhu Jinghong was willing to believe it or not, the reality was not subject to his will, and a civil uprising really took place in Jiangbei.

Officials are used to abusing their power and power, and the people seem to be used to accepting it, so there is peace and tranquility between the upper and lower levels.

Of course, officials will strike a balance and try their best to control civil unrest when implementing decrees and making money, at least to prevent chaos from happening during their term of office.

Therefore, although most people live a hard life, the overall situation in all places is stable.

Generally, when a civil unrest is about to occur, various signs will be revealed, and the imperial court will adjust its policies in a timely manner to reduce the probability of civil unrest as much as possible.

According to Chen Yuntai's report, the Jiangbei Thousand Households Office had noticed public grievances, but the situation was similar in all places and the situation was basically under control. No one expected the situation to change suddenly.

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong became somewhat alert. If the situation was similar everywhere, it might mean that chaos might also occur in other places.

Of course, the most important things at the moment are, first, to quickly dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion, and second, to find out what is going on.

First of all, let’s talk about mobilizing troops. In the early stage, the Jiangbei Dusi must be ordered to quell the rebellion first, and then troops will be drawn from Shandong, Henan, and Nanjing to ensure that the rebellion can be quickly put out.

During this process, orders must be given to the Beijing camp to prepare for war so that reinforcements can be quickly mobilized later.

It was easy for Zhu Jinghong to arrange these things, but he still ordered an emergency meeting. After all, mobilizing troops was simple, but ensuring military supplies was complicated, and a charter needed to be agreed upon and implemented as soon as possible.

In the Ministry of Rites, when Jia Yucun received an urgent summons and learned that there was a rebellion in Jiangbei, he was also shocked.

He immediately realized that this was an opportunity for him, an excellent opportunity that he could take advantage of.

The current governor of Jiangbei is named Bai Hongxuan, who is a student of the Minister of Revenue He Gujin.

Now that a rebellion has broken out in Jiangbei, the Governor, as the official in charge, certainly has the responsibility, and the Provincial Governor is the first to bear the blame.

This responsibility must be investigated and thoroughly investigated... Jia Yucun thought secretly.

In a flash, he came up with a plan, and then walked out of the yamen with a calm expression.

He walked quickly because he had to make sure that he was the first among the Nine Ministers to arrive at the Qianqing Gate.

The reason why you have to arrive first is so that you can meet the person you want to see.

The Ministry of Rites is outside the Meridian Gate. Normally, it takes about half an hour to walk from the Ministry of Rites to the Qianqing Gate. The same is true for other ministries and academies.

However, as soon as Jia Yucun entered the Meridian Gate, he met the person he most wanted to see, the Left Censor-in-Chief Wang Pei'an.

"Brother Wang, you are faster!" Jia Yucun greeted him from a distance of more than ten steps.

Wang Pei'an turned around and saw Jia Yucun chasing after him, and he felt a bit of disgust in his heart.

"Your Majesty has summoned me, how dare I neglect you!"

"Yes, now that the rebels are making trouble, it is a matter of utmost urgency. We should quickly present ourselves to His Majesty and help relieve His Majesty's worries!"

Jia Yucun's sweet words could not impress Wang Pei'an, so there was a dull silence between the two of them.

Jia Yucun didn't care about this. He thought that if he didn't have a thick skin, how could he become a minister?

Then he continued, "Civil uprisings often occur because local officials are not good at governing, or because evil people persecute the people, thus provoking civil uprisings..."

"As the ancients said, when a ruler worries, his subjects are humiliated; when a ruler is humiliated, his subjects die... If these people still have a conscience, they should take the initiative to report their crimes and commit suicide!"

Walking beside Wang Pei'an, seeing that he remained calm, Jia Yucun sighed, "It's a pity that these people have no conscience, so these disasters have occurred, which only makes the people suffer!"

At this point, Wang Pei'an was finally hooked. He said, "If there really is someone who commits lawlessness and stirs up civil unrest...he will certainly not be able to escape the law!"

"Local government affairs involve complicated relationships, some of which are even connected to the top. I'm afraid this matter is not that simple!"

Being thick-skinned is a basic quality, and secondly one must have good acting skills, which is the right material for being an official.

Jia Yucun's expression of concern for the country and the people at this moment made Wang Pei'an begin to doubt himself, and he even thought that he might have misjudged him before.

Of course, Wang Pei'an was not so easily deceived, and he thought that Jia Yucun was just saying polite words, after all, that was his specialty.

Then the two of them continued chatting awkwardly all the way and walked towards the Qianqing Gate. However, halfway through, Jia Yucun said he had to go to the bathroom urgently, so he let Wang Pei'an go first.

The reason why Wang Pei'an was left behind was because Jia Yucun had achieved his goal, so there was no need to go to the Qianqing Palace with him.

Ten minutes later, everyone was led into the Qianqing Palace and the court meeting officially began.

Jia Yucun quietly observed He Gujin, and seeing that his old boss looked calm and composed, he couldn't help but sigh that this man was worthy of being a veteran criminal lawyer with thirty years of experience.

The first topic of the court meeting was money and food. It was basic practice to send food before troops moved. This matter was discussed for only ten minutes before the plan was basically finalized.

The second thing to do was to discuss tracing responsibility, and here Wang Pei'an was the first to speak.

But the first thing he said was to apologize to the Emperor.

The Censorate was responsible for supervising all officials. If local unrest was caused by official tyranny, then the Censorate would be held responsible for failing to supervise properly.

Zhu Jinghong certainly would not blame Wang Pei'an. After all, he had done a much better job than his predecessors.

"Your Majesty, this matter must be thoroughly investigated. I am willing to go to Jiangbei to investigate the cause and punish the criminals. Please allow me, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Jinghong trusted Wang Pei'an's character, but asking the Chief Censor to investigate seemed like a big fuss.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say!"

Before Zhu Jinghong expressed his opinion, He Gujin spoke up, seeming somewhat anxious.

"speak!"

At this moment, Zhu Jinghong is like a cold political machine, and this is the only way for him to keep a calm mind.

"Your Majesty, I think that the most important thing now is to suppress the rebellion. The situation in Jiangbei is already unstable. If another major case suddenly occurs... it will cause people to panic, which will only bring disaster rather than blessing!"

"But this case must be investigated, so we can just send an imperial envoy. It seems more appropriate for Lord Wang to stay at the center!"

Objectively speaking, what He Gujin said made sense. He did not defend the local officials, but was truly concerned about the court.

This raises a question: is it more important to suppress the rebellion or to investigate the case? The priority needs to be carefully considered.

After weighing the pros and cons, Zhu Jinghong still thought that it seemed more important to quell the rebellion first, and the rest could be settled later.

But before he could say anything, Wang Pei'an spoke first, implying that violations of the law must be investigated, and if they were not investigated for the sake of suppressing the rebellion, how would we be able to enforce discipline in the future?

This was of course very reasonable, and the two sides immediately started arguing. It was quite funny to talk about how such important officials argued so fiercely.

In fact, up to this point, even if all the subsequent plans fail, it is already a good result for Jia Yucun. At least He Gujin has been embarrassed.

No matter what, the Jiangbei Governor was always his student, so he could be held jointly responsible.

Next, he only needs to instruct his people to use this incident to challenge He Gujin, and then his great plan will be accomplished.

After serving as an official for so many years, especially as a provincial governor and an official in the six ministries, Jia Yucun has promoted many of his own people, and there are many people who are willing to fight for him.

"What do you think, sir?"

When the argument went on, Zhu Jinghong could only ask other people.

This question was very sensitive, and the important officials present naturally did not want to express their opinions, so the scene was particularly quiet at this moment. "Ye Qing, you tell me!"

After the First Minister Zhao Yushan retired, there were only two ministers left in the cabinet. The Second Minister Ye Bingwei was now in charge of all affairs, so Zhu Jinghong naturally asked him first.

Although he is now in charge of all affairs, Ye Bingwei has not yet been officially conferred the title of Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace. It is still uncertain whether he can be promoted, so Ye Bingwei is also extremely cautious.

Honestly speaking, it has not been easy for Ye Bingwei to go from assistant minister to chancellor, then to enter the cabinet and even become second assistant minister over the years.

Seeing that the Prime Minister was so close, he naturally prioritized stability.

Then he came out and said, "Your Majesty, I think that everything should be done with stability in mind. Whoever is guilty will not be able to escape the blame. The court should still focus on suppressing the rebellion!"

At this time, Ye Bingwei could have been cunning and said some ambiguous nonsense.

But if he wants to be the Prime Minister, and to be the Prime Minister of the Qiansheng Dynasty, he must speak maturely and make wise decisions for the country. People who are irresponsible cannot sit in the position of Prime Minister.

"Luo Qing, what do you think?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

Luo Guangde actually didn't care about the matter itself, but he didn't like Wang Pei'an very much, so he would oppose whatever the other party supported.

"Your Majesty, I think... what Lord Ye and Minister He said is prudent and prudent. The Jiangbei incident should be quickly extinguished. If it is mishandled and the situation collapses, and the tax collection in the southeast is damaged, the court will suffer a great loss!"

Luo Guangde's words can undoubtedly be described as mature and prudent, and more reasonable and well-founded. This shows how crucial it is to think longer before answering.

"Zheng Qing?"

After the cabinet ministers, the most powerful person is the Minister of Personnel Zheng Xianlin. He has always had a close relationship with He Gujin, and their children are even in-laws.

Logically, he should speak for He Gujin, but Zheng Xianlin considered that if the ministers below seemed to be of one mind, the emperor would feel that the political situation was unbalanced.

So he replied: "Your Majesty, I think that punishing corruption is also extremely urgent. The court governs the people by employing officials. If officials are not upright, the people will not obey. Now that Jiangbei has aroused civil unrest, it goes without saying that the local government must be responsible!"

"I think it would be more appropriate for the court to punish the criminals first and then let them make meritorious contributions while serving their sentences!"

What he said was from the perspective of the Minister of Personnel, and it sounded very reasonable, and it was cleverly grafted onto "making up for one's crime while serving one's sentence."

Since he has already been convicted, there is no need to investigate his past crimes. He only needs to make meritorious deeds to atone for his sins.

From the beginning to now, Zhu Jinghong has asked several people, and everyone's statement is well-founded. It is also a great test for Zhu Jinghong to hear the hidden meaning in a short period of time.

His IQ is not higher than those old foxes, so he really cannot understand everyone's interests in a short period of time.

But now the situation is clear. Officials, out of their habit of protecting their relatives, are still reluctant to support the launch of major cases.

They are worried about causing panic among the people because if a major case really happens, the people below will definitely become panic-stricken.

Therefore, in order to stabilize his rule, it is very obvious what choice the emperor should make.

"Things have different priorities. We must investigate the case. The Northern Pacification Office and the Eastern Depot will conduct a thorough investigation. The Metropolitan Prosecution Office will also send an imperial censor to investigate. As for Wang Qing... there is no need for him to go in person!"

"It won't be too late to make plans once things are clear!"

These are the emperor's words, and they are the final decision on how to deal with this matter. Once they are spoken, there is no way to go against them.

Except for Wang Pei'an, everyone present shouted "Your Majesty is wise and holy".

The court meeting was over and everyone else left, except Wang Pei'an, who followed Zhu Jinghong to report the situation.

"Your Majesty, I recommend Li Ziheng, the Chief Censor, to go to Jiangbei!"

In fact, Wang Pei'an also had a trick up his sleeve. He had long expected that he would not be able to make the trip, so he used his killer move here.

Li Ziheng is even more upright, meticulous in his work and daring to take action. He is Wang Pei'an's most trusted junior.

Today, Li Ziheng's reputation is no less than Wang Pei'an's. Letting him go is like placing a nuclear bomb.

Walking down the corridor and looking at the snowflakes flying outside, Zhu Jinghong thought for a moment and then replied, "Let's wait until the situation is clear before making any plans!"

"But Your Majesty..."

Looking back, Zhu Jinghong said calmly: "Wang Qing, you are just worried that those people will collude with each other when they have time, but they can't stop Youyou from talking!"

Wang Pei'an knew that the emperor had made up his mind and any further persuasion on his part might have a counterproductive effect.

"This is a wake-up call. I was so obsessed with pacifying the world that I never expected that something like this would happen in the southeast, a tax-intensive area in my country!"

"In fact, I don't need you to remind me. I also know that local officials must be held accountable. They must be held accountable severely in order to deter the scoundrels!"

"But things have to be done one by one!"

"Sir, there is still a long way to go. The Ming Dynasty has eliminated external threats, and now we can start to govern the country. That will be your chance to show your talents!"

This was considered a promise from the emperor, and Wang Pei'an's original worries were dispelled a lot after hearing these words.

"Today is Laba Festival. If you have nothing to do... then drink the porridge with me!"

Drinking porridge with the emperor on Laba Festival was a great honor and Zhu Jinghong's way of comforting his teacher again.

He will still be needed to lead the charge in rectifying the administration of officials in the future, so he must trust this person, or at least make the other party think so.

"There are differences between the superior and the inferior. How dare a humble minister overstep his authority?" Wang Pei'an looked terrified.

He is a very complicated person. He has a side that is not afraid of power and is upright, but he also has a side that sticks to moral principles and emphasizes hierarchy.

And this is exactly the template of a good minister. It is very easy to tame such a person, all you need to do is give him respect and trust.

The emperor and his minister entered the Qianqing Palace and drank Laba porridge together. During the conversation, they talked about things in the southeast, and Wang Pei'an analyzed the official structure.

After the court meeting ended, the nine ministers dispersed. As the chief officials of each ministry, they could take half a day off in the afternoon.

He Gujin returned home and showed his anxiety only when he entered the study. After a while, his youngest son He Jiayan entered the room.

"Dad, do you have something to ask your son?"

He Jiayan is still a juren today, and this was all arranged by He Gujin. It can be seen that he is indeed not the material for passing the imperial examination.

However, He Gujin's eldest son had already entered the officialdom, and there was someone to carry the family burden, so he did not force his younger son to make progress. In recent years, he has been training him by his side.

"There's a civil uprising in Jiangbei. Go out tomorrow and see what's going on!"

There was a civil uprising in Jiangbei, and He Jiayan was very clear about the inside story and how it related to his family.

He also knew that this was a critical period in his father's career and he must not be affected by these things, so he had to clear the situation as quickly as possible in order to deal with it.

"My son will prepare it when he gets home!" He Jiayan agreed.

When he was about to turn around, he turned back and asked, "Dad, the regular court session will end the day after tomorrow. Do you still need to recommend a Grand Secretary?"

He Gujin sighed and said, "Only God knows!"

(End of this chapter)