I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 725 The inside story comes to light
Xu Qiaosong's eyes flashed with ferocity, and he asked Xu Wenshuo in a stern voice.

"Where did you get the news?"

Xu Wenshuo answered honestly: "I have someone in the Police Department. This time, the Taxation Inspection Bureau was handling a big case, and they seconded a lot of people from the Police Department. I gave them some money and asked them to smooth over the relationship and second them to the Inspection Bureau to get an important position.

He just handed over a letter saying that Xiu Qiguang had died, and that all the guards at the Inspection Bureau were replaced by the Guard Army. "

Xu Qiaosong had a solemn expression on his face, and he kept working in the study room with his hands behind his back, like a donkey pulling a millstone.

Xu Wenshuo stood nearby, his eyes nervously following his father's swaying figure, at a loss as to what to do. His intelligence and talent, which he usually displayed with ease, suddenly disappeared without a trace.

"Who could have killed Xiu Qiguang?"

Xu Qiaosong's brain was about to explode, and suddenly he stopped.

"Second brother, do you think it could be the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion?"

Xu Wenshuo immediately began his analysis.

"Xiu Qiguang nominally took refuge with Gu Chengzu, the adopted son of Marquis Zhenyuan, but was secretly controlled by us. Now that Xiu Qiguang has been arrested, even if he is forced to confess in the end, it is still a dirty trick on the Marquis Zhenyuan Mansion.

Now the Inspection Bureau is investigating tax evasion and tax avoidance, and it has caused a lot of uproar. The Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion must have heard about it and is worried about being implicated, so they decided to go all out and get rid of the source of the trouble first.

But father, my son just saw Gu Chengzu in the Xinghua Zui Restaurant. Not only did he treat my son like a brother, he also chatted and laughed with other people. There was nothing unusual on his face.

Gu Chengzu's most powerful character is his mouth. He can't keep secrets in his stomach and can't hide things on his face. If he can send people to the Inspection Bureau to do something dirty, but still chat and laugh with us here, it's too abnormal. He must have changed into a different person. "

Xu Qiaosong stood with his hands behind his back, and his left hand kept twisting in the palm of his right hand.

He shook his head and sighed, "The Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion is not that simple. Old Gu's legitimate and illegitimate sons all died young. Now that he is nearly 70 years old and has no children, he adopted his nephew Gu Chengzu as his adopted son.

However, he valued his other nephew Gu Chengguang more, and sent his trusted cousin Gu Yuan to the Western Expedition Army under Qi Jiguang for training.

Gu Chengguang was a man of great learning and talent. When Gu was stationed in Guangdong and Guangxi, he brought him with him as his aide, often using his advice and thinking highly of him. Gu Chengguang has now become the governor of Zhejiang Province and a great scholar-general.

It was still unknown who would eventually take over the title of Marquis of Zhenyuan. Gu Chengzu was the second son of Gu Cai, the third brother of the old Gu family. Logically, he should choose a son to inherit the title from among his nephews, and Gu Chengguang would be the first choice.

Regardless of Gu Chengguang, there are Gu Chengye, Chengxue, and Chengwen before him, so how could it be Gu Chengzu's turn?"

Xu Wenshuo nodded in agreement, "Father has spoken the truth. Before last year, no one knew who Gu Chengzu was. Ever since Zhenyuan Hou fell seriously ill last year, for some reason, the family of my fourth brother who was guarding the ancestral tomb in Huguang and Xiangtan suddenly chose my nephew Gu Chengzu as their adopted son.

At that time, everyone thought that the old marquis had lost his mind. But since it was a fait accompli, everyone gradually got used to it. Hearing what my father said today, it was indeed very strange.

But what does this have to do with Xiu Qiguang's death?"

Xu Qiaosong shook his head. "Zhenyuan Hou is an old fox. He has lived through the reigns of Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli, and the emperor's favor has not diminished during these three reigns. This is not something that ordinary people can do.

I thought to myself that the Marquis of Zhenyuan must have some extraordinary plan. But I was not close to him, and we were not on the same path, so I had no way of knowing.

You shouldn't have asked Xiu Qi Guang to join Gu Chengzu in the first place.

Gu Chengzu entered the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion in the capital only last year, and Xiu Qiguang has been a tyrant in the south city for several years. If someone is interested, they will definitely find out the tricks. "

Xu Wenshuo argued, "Father, you asked me to get rid of these filthy people, and I was very picky and had a hard time choosing. Other families all have their own connections and minions, and they are unwilling to accept someone like Qi Guang who changed his family halfway through.

Only Gu Chengzu, who had just arrived in the capital and was completely clueless, would happily swallow this piece of fat meat. "

Xu Qiaosong stood still abruptly, a little annoyed, "Gu Chengzu is a fool, but Gu Huan is not stupid, not a fool, but an old fox!"

Xu Wenshuo quickly bowed his head and saluted, "My son has done something wrong, please calm down, father."

He was facing downwards, his arms blocking his view. He knew his father couldn't see his expression, so he couldn't help but curl his lips. When I came up with this plan, you had no chance to praise me for my brilliant plan, comparable to Zhuge Liang in the world.

I have forgotten all of that now.

Xu Qiaosong looked at Xu Wenshuo, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Gu Huan held great power in three dynasties and, like the Zhu family of Duke Chengguo, was a minion of Emperor Shizong.

The reason why the civil service group was able to be suppressed by Emperor Shizong at the beginning was that in addition to supporting Yan Song and instigating internal strife among the civil servants, Gu Huan and Zhu Xizhong, who were in charge of the Beijing camp troops, and Zhu Xixian, who later succeeded Lu Bing in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, made a lot of efforts.

Gu Huan and the brothers Zhu Xizhong and Zhu Xixian also knew that a tall tree attracts the wind, and standing on the side of Emperor Shizong offended many civil servants and scholars. So they humbled themselves and tried their best to make friends with civil servants and scholars to ease the conflict.

At the same time, he also made friends with recently ennobled nobles such as Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang, and Lu Tan.

Zhu Xixian had a very good relationship with Zhang Juzheng, and Gu Huan had a very close relationship with Qi Jiguang and Lu Tan.

Yang Jinshui set up a coordinating office to encourage external relatives and nobles to do business together. Gu Huan, the Zhu brothers, as well as Xining Marquis Song Shien and Yangwu Marquis Xue Han were the first wave to invest money.

Later, Song Shien brought in his friendly friends Wu Jijie, Marquis of Gongshun, Zheng Kun, Marquis of Wu'an, and Liu Zhen, Marquis of Anyuan; Xue Han brought in his friendly friend Zhang Yong, Duke of Yingguo, and Tang Shilong, Marquis of Lingbi, a nobleman who had moved back from Nanjing, and they joined the second wave and entered a certain small circle.

He and other nobles such as Wuding Marquis Guo Dacheng and Tai'an Marquis Chen Liangbi realized it later. At first, he laughed at these nobles for spending money to play with water in order to please Prince Yu.

He also counted on his fingers to see how much wealth these nobles had.

They never expected that the money invested by these nobles would be returned several times or even dozens of times. The key point was that the Crown Prince became the Grandson of the Emperor and then the Crown Prince, and became the most powerful and resourceful Grandson of the Emperor and the Crown Prince in the Ming Dynasty.

The Crown Prince who lives in the Western Garden.

Who would have thought!
Most of the nobles, including Xu Qiaosong, finally came to their senses and scrambled to buy tickets to board the ship. Unfortunately, the ship had already sailed away and would never give them another chance.

Xu Qiaosong and other nobles were unwilling to accept this, so they humbled themselves and made friends with the civil officials and scholars.

But who could have imagined that within a few years, civil officials such as Yuan Wei, Yin Shidan, and Gao Gong were defeated and left the court, and then there were major cases in the local areas, such as the Shandong Confucius Mansion case, the three major cases in Jiangnan, and the Hunan Provincial Examination case.
The powerful civil servants and scholars who dominated the court and made decisions on state affairs were chopped to pieces by the emperor. Even the powerful Prime Minister Xu Jie was destroyed and his family was exterminated. The rest could only hide at home and draw circles, struggling to survive.

Xu Qiaosong and other nobles once again stood in the wind, their hearts in disarray.
These gentry, who were once so arrogant, shamelessly used their noble pens to write articles for Xu Qiaosong and other nobles, recalling and praising the great achievements of their ancestors and trying their best to flatter these nobles.

Then he also instigated Xu Qiaosong and others to fight for power in the Rong government.

Xu Qiaosong was not stupid. He certainly knew that these old men and young men had bad intentions. They instigated him and his group to fight for the positions of the Rong Government and the Five Military Commandery in order to stir up a big fight in the court and loosen the noose that the emperor had put around their necks.

After much consideration, Xu Qiaosong felt that this deal was a good deal.

These old men and young men seem to be marginalized in the court, but their two hundred years of heritage are still significant.

There are still many of their disciples and old officials in the court and in the localities. Don't all of them contribute sincerely. Just have a few people in key positions come out to speak up and help. If you hesitate any longer, when these old and young people are completely gone, there will be no external support on your side.

Xu Qiaosong discussed with his close friends and decided to take the plunge. They made plans early and waited for the opportunity.

Hu Zongxian's illness and absence was their best opportunity.

According to the plan, Xiu Qiguang would pour the first basin of dirty water on Zhenyuan Hou Gu Huan, and then Zhao Junhai would pour the second basin of dirty water. Then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh basins would follow.

A few basins of dirty water were poured on her, and even the purest body was tainted, and her goal was achieved. Gu Huan's momentum was declining, and as one side declined, the other side gained, so wouldn't her side rise?
If the old forces hiding in the dark add more fuel to the fire and make it burn more vigorously, we will be able to get what we want!
But Xu Qiaosong couldn't explain these inside stories to Xu Wenshuo.

As an executor, he should just charge into battle. Why would he need to know so many inside stories? If he was caught, the more he knew, the more dangerous it would be for him.

After Xu Qiaosong thought about it in his mind, his kind look returned to his face.

"My son, I was anxious and spoke a little harshly. Please don't mind it."

Xu Wenshuo said quickly: "Father is very smart and thoughtful. He has planned everything well. It is my son who failed to do his job well and failed his expectations.

The son apologizes to his father! "

After saying that, Xu Wenshuo lifted up his collar, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times.

Xu Qiaosong was deeply moved. He held Xu Wenshuo's shoulders and said affectionately, "You are much better than your loser elder brother. Only your shoulders can support the Yongkang Marquis Mansion and preserve the foundation left by our ancestors."

Xu Wenshuo was overjoyed. Wasn't this a replica of Emperor Chengzu's "Encourage him! The prince is suffering from many illnesses."?

Okay, now I have a chance to become the Crown Prince of Marquis Yongkang!

Xu Wenshuo squeezed out a few tears, raised his head, and said with red eyes: "It is worth it even if my son dies to pieces to hear my father's words."

"Get up, my foolish son! Get up quickly!" Xu Qiaosong, tears in his eyes, helped Xu Wenshuo up, "Sit down, we are father and son, let's discuss this carefully."

"The son follows his father's teachings."

After some talk of fatherly love and filial piety, the two got down to business.

"Second brother, what should we do next? What do you think?"

Xu Wenshuo replied: "It doesn't matter if Xiu Qiguang is dead. He is just a dead chess piece anyway. The key now lies with Zhao Junhai."

"Yes, Xiu Qiguang was just a trigger, and Zhao Junhai was the thunder. But after Xiu Qiguang's death, the investigators became alert. Now the inspection bureau and the security forces have replaced them inside and outside, which makes it difficult to handle.

This case was not handled by the Police Department or the Pacification Department, but by the Taxation Inspection Bureau under the Ministry of Revenue! We have no way to get involved in the new government.

How did it fall into their hands? "

Xu Wenshuo hurriedly comforted him, "Father, it's all because Xiu Qiguang and Zhao Junhai were too greedy. Not only did they support prostitutes and gamblers, they also bullied and dominated the market, and they also unscrupulously seized other people's business, which made the Shaofu Supervisor unhappy, so they did this cruel thing."

Xu Qiaosong couldn't help but curse, "These bastards are just like dogs that can't change their bad habits!"

The father and son completely forgot that most of the money earned by Xiu Qi Guang, Zhao Jun Hai and others through crimes and evil deeds went into their pockets.

"Father, I will think of a way to find out what is going on inside. Then I will send a message to Zhao Junhai, telling him that his wife and children are in our hands and that he must follow our plan."

"How do you think of a solution?"

"Father!" Xu Wenshuo said confidently, "I don't believe that a dog can change its habit of eating shit or a cat can change its habit of eating fish! What do you mean by being loyal to your duty? It's just that you haven't given me enough silver dollars."

"Yes, you are right! My son is very talented! But he must be careful in his actions. The situation is delicate now, and the most important thing is not to bring trouble upon himself."

"Okay, father, I'll do it right away."

Xu Wenshuo stood up and bowed, but had taken a few steps when he was stopped by Xu Qiaosong.

"Father, do you have anything else to say?"

"Xiu Qiguang's first wife, two sons and one daughter are all in your hands?"

"Yes, father. He was hidden by his son in a small courtyard in Wanping County."

Xu Qiaosong's eyes flashed with murderous intent, "Xiu Qiguang is dead! His wife and children are useless and are a source of trouble."

Xu Wenshuo immediately responded, "Son will ask someone to take care of it right away and make sure it is cleaned up thoroughly."

"Before you do anything, ask someone to ask carefully whether Xiu Qiguang has hidden anything at home."

Xu Wenshuo understood, "Son knows."

At the same time, in the cabinet meeting room, Zhang Juzheng presided over a meeting.

He was wearing a round-collared Chola official uniform, a black gauze hat, and a pair of black tortoise-shell glass glasses. His eyes shone through the top of the frames and swept across the meeting room, looking like an old university professor preparing to call the roll. Immediately, there was silence.

"Well, is everyone here? Ministry of Revenue."

Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang immediately replied, "In reply to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Revenue, the Left Vice Minister, and the five Right Vice Ministers are all here."

"Ministry of Etiquette."

Minister of Personnel Pan Sheng quickly replied: "In reply to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Rites, the Left Vice Minister, and the four Right Vice Ministers are all here.

"Taifu Temple."

"Sinong Temple."

"Tosui Temple."

After calling the names of the various ministries and temples that attended the meeting, Zhang Juzheng adjusted his glasses with his left hand and said, "Everyone is here. This meeting is not a full cabinet meeting, nor a standing cabinet meeting, but an economic work meeting.

Well, according to the emperor, it is the cabinet economic work conference for the first half of the second year of Wanli. After we finish here, I will go to Xiyuan with several ministers and ministers to attend the imperial economic work conference for the first half of the second year of Wanli.

What is the agenda of the meeting?
The first is to summarize and analyze the economic work in the first half of the year, and the second is to sort out and adjust the economic work plan for the second half of the year.
(End of this chapter)