Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 137 Go to Jiangnan

At this time, Zhu Houzhao did not know that the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River were plotting to massacre the Tax Bureau. He had just received the results of the major plan, namely the assessment of local officials, from the chief minister of the cabinet, Ma Wensheng.

But what surprised Zhu Houzhao, cabinet ministers and officials of the Ministry of Personnel was that the evaluation results given by Song Kai, the Southern Zhili Inspector, to officials in the Southern Zhili region were mostly top-notch, and even the worst was above average.

There is currently no governor in the Nanzhili region, so the most powerful official in Nanzhili is the Inspector General.

The Inspector General was considered a Beijing official in the archives of the Ministry of Personnel. He was an imperial envoy sent by the central court to inspect various local areas. However, because the Inspector General was stationed in the local area, he was also considered a local official in terms of geographical affiliation.

But there is no doubt that the Inspector-General has great power. He is in charge of military, political and civil affairs at the local level. He is also responsible for the assessment of these local officials, especially in Nanzhili!
Therefore, Song Kai was responsible for the major assessment of local officials in the Southern Zhili region.

However, the purpose of Zhu Houzhao, Ma Wensheng and others' major assessment this time was to assess the officials in the Jiangnan region, punish local officials who were ineffective in collecting taxes and cracking down on powerful people, and even to crack down on one or two corrupt officials in the Nanzhili region in order to increase the presence of the central court in the Jiangnan region.

But now, the evaluation result reflected by Song Kai is that there is not a single official in the Nanzhili region who is incompetent and needs to be dismissed!

"How was Song Kai's evaluation?"

Zhu Houzhao rubbed his face. In recent days, the results of the plans for local officials in various places were sent to the Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet one after another. As the emperor, he would also review them personally. After all, he also wanted to take this opportunity to get familiar with these people-friendly officials. As a result, he felt a little tired recently, his eyes were red from staying up late, and he had to rub his face to refresh himself.

Wang Shu, who was already 90 years old and also looked tired, bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said, "This man is good at studying. During his tenure as the Censor of Nanzhili, more than a hundred community schools were added to Nanzhili, and the evaluation was considered above average."

Above average in assessment?

Zhu Houzhao didn't know if he was worrying too much. He wondered if there were really no foolish and incompetent officials in Nanzhili, or if they were restrained because they knew that the court was going to rectify the administration of officials?

It was already late at night, the window lattices creaked in the rustling north wind, and the ministers of the cabinet and the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department, who had been up all night, were yawning. Wang Shu even squinted his eyes. Seeing this, Zhu Houzhao thought it was better not to worry about this matter, so he only prepared to ask one last question: "What about the other provincial governments?"

"There are 54 people in Huguang who are of the best quality, 102 people who are of the middle quality, 374 people who are of the middle quality, 94 people who are of the poor quality, and 24 people who need to be punished!"

"There are 27 good ones on the mountain, 362 medium ones, 86 medium ones, 53 poor ones, and 9 people who need to be held accountable!"

……

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand before the cabinet ministers finished their report: "No need to read! It seems that this inspector of Nanzhili is really a good man!"

At this time, hurried footsteps were heard from outside, and then Zhu Houzhao heard Guo Rong replying outside: "Your Majesty! The Jinyiwei received an urgent report from Jiangnan. The Zhenjiang Prefecture Taxation Bureau and the Suzhou Prefecture Chongming County Taxation Bureau were looted by bandits and pirates! The tax supervisor and his soldiers were all killed! No one was spared! All the undelivered treasury silver was also robbed! It is expected that an urgent report will be sent to the Ministry of War soon!"

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Houzhao was stunned on the spot!

Ma Wensheng, the cabinet chief minister who was already in his twilight years, was even more eager to look through the previous memorials himself. Jiao Fang had already found them and handed them to Ma Wensheng first, then came to Zhu Houzhao and said, "Your Majesty, this is the tax bureau that Song Kai, the imperial censor of Southern Zhili, had previously requested to be abolished!"

"I know!"

Zhu Houzhao responded, then waved his hand and said, "Go back and rest!"

Upon seeing this, Ma Wensheng, Wang Shu and others bowed and left, leaving only Liu Jin standing behind Zhu Houzhao.

Seeing this, Zhu Houzhao asked Liu Jin to go down and rest, and also asked Guo Rong to go back first. He decided to give himself some peace and quiet.

For a moment, apart from the flying snow swirling around the brilliant stars and the red walls hidden in the darkness, the only person beside Zhu Houzhao was the little queen standing at the Qianqing Gate, wrapping herself up like a snowman.

Zhu Houzhao didn't pay attention to the little queen, he was just daydreaming.

For some unknown reason, Zhu Houzhao began to find himself not as an emperor but as a god of death.

Because he has been creating deaths and reaping the lives of others. He is a butcher and in later generations he will even be a criminal who will be brought to an international court.

Now he seems tired of this killing, but he seems addicted to it. He seems unable to stop killing if he wants evil to be punished and justice to be served.

Because of the death of Emperor Hongzhi, Zhu Houzhao chose to kill the ten clans of the rebels; and because of the death of the people in Sanyuan County, Zhu Houzhao chose to kill the ten clans of Lu Zhonghe and others; and now the people from the two tax bureaus were slaughtered, it seemed that it was also because of himself, because he refused the request of the gentry in Jiangnan.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but think that civil servants like Ma Wensheng were willing to compromise and satisfy the interests of the gentry group, perhaps not because they were really cowardly. They might really want to prevent more innocent people from losing their lives, because no matter how sharp your knife is, you can't stop the greed of the gentry group.

But justice must always be served, human lives must be repaid, and the Ming Empire must be revived. No matter how cruel and bloodthirsty the king is now, it is better than allowing foreigners and bandits to slaughter the entire area and leave it uninhabited for more than a hundred years.

"Let's go back to bed!"

Zhu Houzhao saw the little queen, pinched her soft face which was covered in the Guanyin pocket, and took the little queen back to the Qianqing Palace. After washing up, Zhu Houzhao took the initiative to hold the little queen in his arms, "Tonight, let me hold you to sleep! It's warm this way!"

……

The next morning.

Zhu Houzhao summoned Ma Wensheng and Wang Shu again and asked, "What do you think about what happened last night?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty! I think we can add the post of Southern Zhili Governor. This way, we can check and balance the Inspector General and allow the court to control the local areas!"

Ma Wensheng replied. "What the Prime Minister said is very true. I also think it should be done this way. The reason is that the Jiangnan region is not peaceful and the problem of pirates is very serious. Therefore, a governor is appointed to lead the troops to suppress pirates and at the same time monitor the local administration and investigate the illegal officials who force the people to become pirates!"

Wang Shu didn't reply either.

"In that case, let Wang Shouren, the chief academician of the Imperial University of Peking, be appointed as the governor of Nanzhili and the right assistant censor-in-chief, and command the troops of the six prefectures of Yingtian, Su, Song, Hu, Chang, and Ning!"

Zhu Houzhao actually had the same idea as Ma Wensheng and Wang Shu, which was to send a governor to share the power of the inspector, while also strengthening the central court's control over the local areas. In addition, he also used this opportunity to let the governor investigate the inspector and other Nanzhili officials, as well as the massacre of the tax bureau.

The reason why Zhu Houzhao appointed Wang Yangming to this position was naturally because Wang Yangming was decisive in his actions. Not to mention the fact that he successfully arrested Zhang Yu and other rebels who entered Beijing, the fact that he was able to decisively lead his troops to quickly attack Ning Wang's rear and quell Ning Wang's rebellion was enough to prove that Wang Yangming was capable of taking on major tasks!
In addition, another reason is that the Wang family behind Wang Yangming is one of the shareholders of the Royal Bank, and the Royal Tax Bureau is the main reserve account of the Royal Bank. Therefore, the income of the Royal Tax Bureau, that is, the amount of Jiangnan commercial tax, determines the income of the Royal Bank and also affects Wang Yangming's interests.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao did not have to worry that Wang Yangming would be bribed and used by Jiangnan officials.

However, Zhu Houzhao not only wanted to send Wang Yangming, he also wanted to go himself!

"Your Majesty, why are you going to Jiangnan?"

Ma Wensheng was greatly surprised when he heard Zhu Houzhao say that he would personally lead the First Division of the Guards to Nanjing to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

"I want to go and see if Jiangnan is still my world! You don't have to worry about it, I have my own ideas, but you must say to the outside world that I am only going to worship at the Xiaoling Mausoleum! However, Prime Minister Ma Wensheng, Seal Holder Liu Jin, and Minister of Personnel Wang Shu must go with me, so that we can handle the civil service reforms during the period of the great plan at any time, especially in Jiangnan, and approve them immediately after investigation!"

Zhu Houzhao left the cabinet and the Silijian duty room and told Gu Dayong, "Go and call Qiu Yue and Guo Rong!"

……

Three days later.

Zhu Houzhao, the Zhengde Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, prepared to go to Nanjing.

The little queen couldn't help but pout: "Can the emperor brother not go?"

"Can't!"

"Brother Emperor, can you take me with you?"

"No way!"

"Humph, I'm ignoring my brother the Emperor!"

Seeing the little queen rubbing her eyes and running away, Zhu Houzhao just smiled faintly and turned to leave the Qianqing Palace.

At noon that day, Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty left Beijing with the First Division of the Imperial Guards.

However, when Zhu Houzhao just left the city, he saw an official in a green robe kneeling outside the city gate and shouting:
"I, Jiang Wei, the head of the Ministry of Rites, ask Your Majesty to return to the palace, refrain from disturbing the locals, and stop touring the south of the Yangtze River!"

Zhu Houzhao didn't expect that someone would stop him when he was leaving the city, so he immediately ordered someone to bring Jiang Wei over.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but ask: "Why are you stopping me?"

"I am stopping Your Majesty for the sake of the people of the world. Your Majesty is the supreme ruler and should rule the world from the throne. I hope Your Majesty will sympathize with the people and stop the southern tour to avoid disturbing the local area and increasing the burden on the people!"

Jiang Wei said.

"Where are you from?" Zhu Houzhao asked again.

"I am from Changshu, Suzhou!" Jiang Wei replied.

Zhu Houzhao thought it was no wonder, and then he said: "I have already made it clear to the world that local governors do not need to receive me. Those who violate the order will be punished! How can they disturb the local area! Moreover, I am going to Jiangnan to offer sacrifices to the Xiaoling Mausoleum. This is the meaning of benevolence and filial piety. How dare you stop me!"

"It's not that I don't allow Your Majesty to offer sacrifices to Taizu, but for the sake of the people of the world, I would like to ask Your Majesty to return to the palace and choose important ministers and nobles to go to Jiangnan to offer sacrifices. You don't have to go in person!" Jiang Wei replied.

"Am I a plague god or a devil? Once I leave the capital, the people of this world will not be able to survive! Do you want to say that I am a tyrant who imposes heavy taxes and levies as soon as I arrive at the place?!" Zhu Houzhao asked in a cold voice.

"I dare not! I just ask Your Majesty to return to the palace!" Jiang Wei replied.

"Since you think so, what else can you not dare to do? Pass the order. Anyone who dares to stop me will be executed for trespassing!"

Zhu Houzhao said this and returned to the imperial carriage.

Jiang Wei was still kneeling on the ground, shouting loudly: "If Your Majesty insists on leaving the city, I will not get up from my knees!"

Thanks to my book friend Changgong Yaozhi for the 100 Qidian coins reward

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(End of this chapter)