Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 143 Jiangnan is so cold
Wang Xijue looked at the test questions in silence for a long time.

"…You answer it yourself, and don't ask anyone else."

He had already won the first and third place in the imperial examination, so Wang Xijue could neither allow him to become more famous nor help him.

So Wang Heng was confused while looking at the test questions.

Wei Yunzhong, who ranked second and was the only one among the three brothers who was qualified to participate in the selection of Shujishi, couldn't help but ask Cheng Qinan and Meng Xikong: "Help me."

The test questions were based on the account books of Changming Grain Store and asked them to express their "insights" on the grain transport system.

This is a practical policy.

"...My dear brother, you come from a family with a lot of knowledge, so your attainments in mathematics are naturally much higher than mine."

"My family is engaged in farming."

The two brothers were not good people, and Wei Yunzhong could only watch them.

Wei Yunzhong hugged his head and asked: Aren’t Shujishi selected based on their literary talent?

It is easy to calculate those numbers, but who dares to express any "opinions" on grain transport without authorization?

Zhu Changluo didn't care anyway.

The clean stream is still the clean stream, at least at the beginning it can be close to the emperor.

But Qingliu only knew how to talk about the past and the present, which was not the kind of scholar that Zhu Changluo wanted.

Gong Nai, who ranked second in the imperial examination, was of course familiar with the affairs of the Caohe River, but he did not dare to talk nonsense.

Both the top scorer Zhang Yicheng and the last place in the second class, Xu Guangqi, ranked 57th, had to face this problem.

"...I am the top scholar, I can't fail to be selected as a scholar-official, right?" Zhang Yicheng felt it was ridiculous. The top scholar was always directly appointed as a sixth-rank editor.

"...Open-book examination and policy-making must be just a formality." Xu Guangqi also felt it was ridiculous. Who would have thought that the palace examination would not be the last hurdle?
At night, everyone needs to write quickly.

At night, the emperor finally came to Jingren Palace for the first time where Concubine Fan Sirong was.

At present, Jingren Palace, Yanxi Palace, Zhongcui Palace, Chengqian Palace, Chuxiu Palace, Yongshou Palace and Qixiang Palace in the palace are all occupied.

At night, if the emperor was going to visit a palace, the lanterns outside the palace gate would be taken down, and the other palaces would also extinguish their lanterns when they heard the news.

Fan Sirong watched the eunuch take down the lanterns at the palace gate and kneel down under the eaves of the main hall of Jingren Palace: "Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome the Emperor! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long, long live His Majesty!"

Zhu Changluo took her hand and walked straight into the main hall.

"...Your Majesty...your concubine..." When the time came, Fan Sirong no longer had her usual calmness.

"Do you know why I have never come here since I chose you as my concubine?"

"I don't know... I haven't, and I don't dare to think about it."

Fan Sirong always speaks clearly and frankly.

"Tell me about your childhood. Tell me everything you can remember." Zhu Changluo looked at her. "You are the only one among those who were conferred titles who is not from the capital."

"Yes, I will tell you everything I know."

The emperor wanted to learn about local customs from his concubine, and Fan Sirong had already made her role clear.

Now that she has entered the palace and become a concubine, the emperor is the only one in her heart.

Whether it is Patriarch Fan, Patriarch Wang, or Patriarch Zhang, they all have their own abilities and talents.

The emperor hadn't come to visit her for such a long time, and while he was showing her special favor, he was naturally also warning her not to assume that he would definitely show her favor.

But the emperor came today after all.

After the queen left the palace and returned home.

The queen, who had already left the palace and returned home, could no longer learn the latest news from within the palace.

But it’s actually nothing. Before, when she was in the palace, the palace maids and eunuchs assigned to serve her would still reveal some information to her.

She also knew that the lanterns in the Yanx Palace had been taken down and that the new owner of the Yongshou Palace was the accountant of the Qianqing Palace.

Now that she had returned to the new mansion bestowed upon her father and brother, her sister-in-law only flattered her and warned her earnestly, "Your Majesty has already bestowed such great favors on your father and brother before you even get married. Your Majesty thinks highly of you. Speaking of the secret of having a child..."

Guo Lanzhi didn't quite listen, but she was indeed thinking about that question.

During the wedding period from now in June to August 12, the emperor must still be in the palace to enjoy the show, but what kind of answer does he want to give?
Isn’t being solemn and dignified the most correct and best answer?

Zhu Changluo enjoyed everything that was "tribute" to him. The officials from Nanjing who went to the West Baigan Army Camp in Zhenjiang Prefecture to "welcome" Xiao Daheng and others that night also asked with grievance.

"The Imperial Envoy has come in person, and we are really worried! How come a mere merchant pretending to be a Japanese pirate to rob the grain has made it seem like all the officials in Jiangnan can no longer trust him?"

Xiao Daheng looked at Nanjing Minister of Justice Zhao Canlu, put down his chopsticks, and then looked around at everyone.

"Your Majesty just can't trust Jiangnan!"

His words were very clear, and everyone's heart sank as they looked at him.

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. Why doesn't Jiangnan show concern for you?"

Xiao Daheng stood up and walked slowly.

"I have asked Eunuch Cheng to go to Nanjing first, to avoid Envoy Wang, and have asked Futai Niu and Fuan Wang to keep an eye on the summer grain, flood control, and autumn grain first. I am waiting for you to say this!"

"After the war, the emperor issued an edict to the whole country, giving the people a rest! The court is in financial difficulties, don't you know?"

"Exempt, exempt... Even if I don't mention exemption, the people will be in an uproar! Is it because Nanjing is too far away? You have great power here, so you think that if you speak up for justice, you will be able to persuade the emperor to be cautious?"

The words spoken by Xiao Daheng, the Minister of Justice, were too straightforward, and he looked extremely angry as he walked into the middle of the barracks.

"Have you ever thought about how difficult life is for the prime minister, the cabinet ministers, and us officials in the capital?!" Zhao Canlu couldn't help but look outside: Don't be so loud!
Mr. Xiao, who is seventy years old, is now filled with anger and his hair and beard are standing on end.

"What to do?"

"What to do!"

"The Emperor is seriously ill, and His Majesty has succeeded to the throne!"

"There was a civil uprising at Shanhaiguan, and Your Majesty removed the mining supervisor and tax collector before he ascended the throne!"

"The day after Your Majesty was enthroned as the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister requested that the Imperial Edict be drafted to show His Majesty the favors bestowed upon the whole world. Your Majesty believed that the imperial power was unstable!"

"What to do? What did you do after that?"

In the hall, Mr. Xiao pointed out the key points word by word, staring at the important officials from Nanjing who came to "welcome" him one by one.

"That's great! After so much effort, Lord Shen and Lord Wang returned to the court, and the past grudges were resolved. The emperor and his subjects no longer envied each other. As soon as the first year of Taichang arrived, the grain was robbed! The Lords petitioned for additional gold and silver, and the capital city raised the grain price again! A plan for gold and silver was proposed, and Nanjing was determined to fight for the 200,000 taels of gold and silver!"

"To Nanjing!"

Xiao Daheng patted the low table in front of Ye Xianggao and looked at him.

"Lord Wang requested that the four guard camps be streamlined into the Yongwei Camp, and two hundred thousand taels of gold and silver be given to Nanjing!"

He stood up again and looked at the others. "But it was the Jiangyou Cheng family who spread rumors in the capital that there would be floods and poor harvests in Jiangnan this year! It was also the Jiangyou Cheng family who pretended to be Japanese pirates and robbed and destroyed the grain! It was also the Jiangyou Cheng family who openly went upstream with private salt all the way to Junzhou in Huguang!"

"How can a mere salt merchant be so bold?"

"We caught him red-handed. What do Yuan Fu, Shen Ge Lao, and Wang Ge Lao say?"

"How can Your Majesty trust the officials in Jiangnan?"

As Xiao Daheng spoke, he walked back behind his coffee table.

"You all came to welcome us. I, Boxiao, and Er Zhang, the three of us are grateful for your kindness!" Xiao Daheng looked at Zheng Jizhi and Li Tingji, "But you all forced us to come, to dispel your majesty's doubts and to avoid future troubles in Jiangnan! As for other private requests, you don't need to tell me!"

Zheng Jizhi and Li Tingji both stood up, holding their wine glasses, with serious expressions.

"I'm putting my words here!" Xiao Daheng looked at them one by one and raised his wine glass. "I'm setting up my headquarters in Yongweiying, and I can't trust Jiangnan! Jiangnan is the Jiangnan of Ming Dynasty! Jiangnan has lost sight of the general situation and the affairs of the people. The prime ministers and cabinet ministers are worried day and night. How can we trust Jiangnan?"

He drank it all in one gulp: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Jiangnan is confused, and your majesty is wise!"

Mr. Xiao threw the wine glass far away, shocking countless people.

Only those who understand can understand his words.

"This imperial envoy has set up his headquarters here, but you all still come here together. This shows how foolish Jiangnan is!"

"In addition to the Grand Censor, the heads of the three judicial departments have all come to Jiangnan! You all have come together. How do you want us to handle the case? How do you want to resolve your majesty's doubts?"

"Those who incite the army to mutiny will be executed! Those who incite the people to riot will be executed! Those who collude to plot rebellion will be executed! This decree is not in our hands!"

"Not in our hands!"

Zheng Jizhi and Li Tingji looked at Xiao Daheng, who was the protagonist of the night.

There are also differences among the officials in Beijing. The Shangshu who came from Beijing, with the imperial order, is now in a dilemma and feels like he is doing a hard job.

After expressing his grievances, Mr. Xiao looked at the officials in Jiangnan as if they were his enemies.

"If you want to rebel, it's better to rebel sooner rather than later! Once and for all, we won't have to be in a dilemma, and you won't have to be trembling with fear. What do you think?"

The imperial envoy is really straightforward.

It was so refreshing that it made everyone feel a chill in their hearts.

However, the high-ranking civil servants who were ordered to go south behaved so desperately that the officials in the south of the Yangtze River had no room for maneuver from the beginning.

Because the mission they were going south to perform was an "extremely difficult" one.

This is a mission to dispel the emperor's doubts and comfort the officials. It is a mission to make the emperor believe in Jiangnan's loyalty and to ensure that Jiangnan will not commit any disloyal acts this year or in the future.

Will the officials in Jiangnan agree? Will the gentry in Jiangnan agree?
Mr. Xiao drew the line: If you want to rebel, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.

This way everyone can act rudely.

"…Your Excellency, the Imperial Envoy is too kind…"

Zhao Canlu, the Nanjing Minister of Justice who uttered these words, was really trembling with fear.

They are all ministers of the Ministry of Justice, but the Minister of Justice who was losing his temper in front of him was from Beijing and had the title of Imperial Envoy.

"I am in charge of the criminal justice system in the world! Why should I speak so harshly as an imperial envoy?"

Mr. Xiao shook his sleeves heavily, his demeanor extremely cold and solemn.

"Everyone is here. I would like to invite Lord Ji and Deputy Chief Li to the scene. I only have one piece of advice for now!"

Facing the complex and fearful eyes in front of him, Xiao Daheng couldn't help feeling happy.

"We are all from the two lists! If anyone really embarrasses us or Your Majesty, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

The Grand Chief of Justice was impartial and just, and the officials in the south of the Yangtze River just felt that the military camp by the river was very cold.

"Please go back! The wanted criminal will be brought in for trial tomorrow. If you know the whole story of the case, I hope you can help us close it as soon as possible!"

Zheng Jizhi and Li Tingji stood up at this time and bowed to them solemnly.

The words and actions convey one meaning: hurry up! "Fool" it!
(End of this chapter)