Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 230 It’s all about profit
In Zhu Changluo's memory, the most impressive princes of the Ming Dynasty were naturally his uncle Prince of Lu, his brother Prince of Fu, and the last Prince of Chu.

They are often used as examples to prove the harm and abolition of the vassal system in the Ming Dynasty.

The first two were due to the generous treatment given when they were crowned kings, and the last two also had "highlight performances" in the late Ming Dynasty: the Fulu Banquet and the Chair to Assist the Army.

Now, his younger brother, Prince Fu, has been imprisoned behind the high walls of Fengyang, and has probably escaped the story recorded in unofficial history that he would be cooked at the "Fulu Banquet" by Prince Chuang in the future.

This story is probably a fabricated one. But when Zhang Xianzhong attacked Wuchang, the officials of Huguang asked Zhu Huakui to donate money to support the army. Zhu Huakui pointed to the gold-wrapped chair bestowed by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty and said, "This can help the army, and he doesn't have it!" This story is true.

After the fall of Wuchang, the Chu Palace was "plundered of gold and silver worth millions in the palace, and hundreds of carts were loaded with them", which made Zhang Xianzhong sneer, "You have so much wealth but don't set up defenses, Zhu Huzi is really a mediocre man!"

Zhu Huakui's vision is evident from this.

There was no need to conceal the news that the three judicial officials would be sent to investigate the case, because the memorial to impeach the King of Chu was public.

At this moment, perhaps someone had already gone to Wuchang Prefecture to report the news to Zhu Huakui. Therefore, although the people from the three judicial departments who would go to investigate the case had not yet been decided, the order had to be sent first.

At least let the Chu clan know that the emperor is paying attention to this matter, and at least let Zhu Huakui be a little cautious and not persecute others by relying on his status as the leader of this branch.

At this time, the Imperial Examination Hall inside the Wusheng Gate in the north of Wuchang Prefecture was hosting the Huguang Provincial Examination.

Because of the establishment of the Imperial College, this year's provincial examination will be followed by the examination for the University Academy.

Nowadays, since students who complete their studies at the University Academy are granted the same status as Jinshi, the University Academy examination has actually become a "small imperial examination".

After entering the university, you can still take the imperial examination, so why not take it? After passing the examination, the bottom line is that you will be ranked third in the imperial examination.

Therefore, the provincial examination this year seems to have become a system where the top and second place candidates are selected first, and then the candidates on the top and second place candidates can be eligible to participate in the university entrance examination.

This might be the best year to take the exam, because there will be an imperial examination this year, and most of the candidates who have passed the imperial examination for many years have already set off to Beijing in advance: this year's imperial examination, and next year's imperial examination. In just half a year, they have two chances to win a place on the list of successful candidates.

The city of Wuchang was bustling with activity. After nightfall, distinguished guests came to the residence of Gong Nai, the magistrate of Jiangxia.

Gong Nai respected him very much, but looked very embarrassed.

"Could it be that the county magistrate and the inspector Ying are at odds with each other?" The guest showed dissatisfaction on his face. "This year's exam already allowed a few more candidates for the provincial examination, and there are also examinations for the various academies of the Imperial College. It's just a matter of shoving a few people in. Since there are so many people on the list, everyone is happy, so why would it matter so much?"

He spoke so bluntly, not only because of his status as a royal relative, but also because of his importance to Gong Nai.

This distinguished guest was none other than Wang Ruyan, the elder brother of the previous King of Chu’s wife, Wang Shi. The wife’s family was also the family of imperial relatives appointed by Taizu.

Gong Nai was the county magistrate in Jiangxia, a county that was both a provincial capital and a prefectural capital. Naturally, the most powerful clan in the area was the Chu clan.

Just as Wang Ruyan bluntly said at this moment: Over the years, among the royal families at each level, such as princes, dukes, generals guarding the country, and generals assisting the country, the families of concubines and sons-in-law, through generations of in-laws and the background of the Chu vassal, have not only controlled a large amount of land in at least Jiangxia County, but also had many additional opportunities, such as manipulating their official status through many means such as county schools, prefectural schools, academy examinations, and provincial examinations.

So for Gong Nai, the terrible thing was that he didn't know how much help he had received from Chu Fan to hand in an answer sheet last year.

Now they are asking for something in return.

"Emperor Wang, I am just a new official, how can I talk to Inspector Ying? Inspector Ying was transferred to the post of Deputy Envoy of Huguang Education last year..."

"The Mengyin family has five Jinshi in five generations, and the Xianju Ying family has six Jinshi in three generations. Is the county magistrate unwilling to help, or is he unwilling to help?" Wang Ruyan was not polite.

Gong Nai felt depressed.

He respectfully called him Wang Taigong because of Wang Ruyan's status in the Chu vassal state.

Although the current King of Chu was not born to the previous Queen, he still had to respect the previous Queen as his mother. Probably because he was nominally his "uncle", the King of Chu respected Wang Ruyan very much.

This kind of respect cannot be faked. Not only in attitude, but many things in the palace are handled by Wang Ruyan.

Just like now.

Wang Ruyan was simply saying: Your two families have had people serving in the imperial court for generations, so how can you get in touch with them? Even though the current Deputy Education Commissioner Ying Chaoqing has only been here for a little over a year, can you really not ask for a favor?
"Grandpa Wang, I am just a small county magistrate. Regarding this matter, the governor, the prefectural governor..."

Gong Nai's mind was really full of excitement. Couldn't he find Xu Yinghuang, the prefect of Wuchang? Couldn't he find Li Tao, the provincial governor? Why did he have to find a small county magistrate like him?

Wang Ruyan saw that he wanted to refuse, so he frowned and said, "If the county magistrate does not recognize this favor, then forget it! But when the taxes for this year are collected in a few months, the county magistrate should not cry about it!"

After saying this, he walked away, and Gong Nai was very angry.

I had just arrived in Wuchang County in the first year of Taichang. At that time, everything was fine. I made friends with celebrities, accumulated fame, and everything went according to plan.

Last year, he implemented the policy of exemption from punishment, which would have offended people. Even the Duke of Yansheng did not dare to act rashly. The local authorities seemed to have to bow their heads and obey, but how could it be so easy? When it came to Jiangxia County under his rule, he still had to get the support of the King of Chu.

If something really went wrong, it would not be Gong Nai's turn to be responsible for Chu Fan's crime, but he would not be able to avoid the blame for messing up his job.

Gong Nai, who had a "family background of learning", chose a local big family to negotiate a balance and helped them get compensation from other places - for example, turning a blind eye to the long-standing issue of the ownership of the Wuchang Prefecture Taxation Bureau.

During the Hongwu reign, Taizu granted the Wuchang Prefecture Taxation Office to the King of Shu. During the reigns of the five Chu kings, local officials also tried to control the Taxation Office, but it was still the Chu Palace that mainly controlled the income of the Wuchang Prefecture Taxation Office.

In the early years of Jiajing, the Prince of Chu even petitioned to make this matter official, asking the court to change the seal of Wuchang Prefecture Taxation Department to the Prince of Chu. Although the Ministry of Rites rejected it at the time on the grounds that "there is no seal of the Taxation Department of a certain prince, which is against the etiquette", these disputes have continued to this day, and the Prince of Chu's Mansion actually holds many powers of the Taxation Department of Wuchang Prefecture.

Apart from other things, within Wuchang City alone, all the silk shops on the main roads were owned by members of the royal family. This statement may be exaggerated, but it is true that the Chu Palace accounted for most of the business in Wuchang City.

Now that Wang Ruyan had made such harsh remarks, Gong Nai was spinning around in anger in the room.

Next year, he would be "examined" three years after taking office. Taxation is, of course, an important dimension of examination for local officials. Gong Nai knew that because of the problems with the Wuchang Prefecture Taxation Department and the Chu vassal, his performance in taxation was definitely inferior to that of other counties and prefectures in the Ming Dynasty.

But it can’t be too ugly!

He spent the whole night in anger and worry. Early the next morning, the money and criminal law advisor he hired came to him with a sly look on his face.

"Tang Zun, something big has happened!"

"What's the big deal?" Gong Nai was already in a bad mood, and his heart sank even more when he heard this.

The master's expression was indeed heavy, and he said, "There is a member of the Chu clan who has impeached..."

The advisors had their own intelligence network. Since the decree had reached Huguang, although it had not yet reached the level of Jiangxia County Magistrate, Gong Nai's advisor had already known about it. Hearing that someone in the Chu vassal state had sued the King of Chu, saying that he was actually Wang Ruyan's son, and that His Majesty had ordered the three judicial departments to investigate the matter, Gong Nai could not help but be shocked.

"…Is there any evidence?"

"...Since he dares to name names, I'm afraid it's almost certain." The lawyer said, "Have you forgotten? The lieutenant Zhu Huaqian who sued the King of Chu, his wife is Wang Ruyan's daughter. It was because he was capable that he married Wang Ruyan's daughter. Now he is suing the King of Chu for being his father-in-law's illegitimate son..."

Gong Nai was stunned, and he remembered Zhu Huaqian, who had dealt with him before when he was "strictly enforcing commercial taxes."

After tasting it carefully, he murmured, "Is this... a matter of uneven distribution of spoils?"

Otherwise, I can’t figure it out.

"I'm afraid there will be great unrest in Wuchang Prefecture. You must make preparations early!" This is all the legal advisor wanted to remind you.

No matter how you look at it, this seems a bit like an internal struggle within the Chu clan.

Taking such a huge risk, there must be someone behind Zhu Huaqian.

After all, he was just a small lieutenant of the auxiliary state, a branch of the branch.

But since he is Wang Ruyan's son-in-law, he is now suing his father-in-law for using his illegitimate son to seize the throne of King of Chu... Just think about how deep the water is.

Gong Nai thought about it and suddenly laughed: "I'm afraid the people in the Chu Palace have panicked. Now, they have no time to think about other things."

Faced with such a big thing, would they still have the energy to seek more fame and fortune or worry about taxes?
It was a disaster for Chu Fan, but it was a happy event for Gong Nai at that time.

But the master poured cold water on him: "Master, if we investigate thoroughly, some of the things that happened between Chu Fan and the county in the past two years will also be revealed..."

Gong Nai's face froze, then he gritted his teeth and said indignantly: "After all, the Chu clan is a royal family! I am just a small county magistrate. I cannot disobey the will of Your Majesty and the imperial decree, and I cannot cause chaos in the local area. What else can I do? Your Majesty can understand the feelings of the lower class!"

After all, his heart was shrouded in a layer of haze. At this moment, inside the Chu Palace, the 33-year-old Chu King Zhu Huakui was so angry that he smashed several cups and bowls, and looked at Wang Ruyan with suspicion.

"Why would he make up such a rumor! Uncle, he is your son-in-law!"

In the main hall of the palace, Wang Ruyan and his cousin Wang Ruqi were all here, as well as a member of the Wang family named Wang Yu.

Zhu Huakui's twin brother Zhu Huabi also looked at Zhu Huakui in surprise and doubt.

Over the years, Concubine Wang's family has always been helping the two brothers. Whether it is the King of Chu or him, the Prince of Xuanhua, they are like a family.

The two brothers used to think that this was because they were young and Zhu Huakui was the heir to the throne of Chu, so naturally he could only get support from the Queen Mother's family, so that he could suppress other princes.

But now the situation seems a little different.

"...Evil beast! I'm afraid you're just after the profits from Changming from the year before last and last year!" Wang Ruyan gritted his teeth.

Zhu Huakui didn't dare to ask directly whether the rumor was true or not.

He was no longer young, and he knew he couldn't show any doubt. He was the biological son of the previous king, and the current King of Chu!
No one in the hall raised any questions about this issue, and simply characterized Zhu Huaqian's actions as spreading rumors.

"What should we do now? Did Your Majesty believe the rumors, or did you use them to take action against the Chu vassal?" Zhu Huakui mentioned the emperor, his tone much weaker, and asked tremblingly.

"…Among all the vassal states, Shu and our Chu are descendants of Taizu, and Prince Lu is your majesty's uncle. Changminghao allowed the three of us to join, and at first we thought your majesty wanted us to contribute some money to the treasury, but we share the profits every year…it doesn't seem like your majesty wants to eliminate us."

"Then why don't you just punish them severely? And you have to send three judicial officials to investigate. Where is the dignity of the royal family?" Zhu Huakui was afraid and angry. "What should we do now?"

"…Your Highness, since the memorial has been submitted, His Majesty cannot turn a blind eye." Wang Ruyan thought for a moment and said, "At this point, it is better to counter-accuse him first. That evil creature has a lot of secrets, and perhaps His Majesty is just waiting for the palace to submit a memorial to defend itself. With this excuse, His Majesty can handle it easily by proving that the evil creature spread rumors out of selfish motives."

Zhu Huakui nodded repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad..."

"It's better to show your loyalty again." Wang Ruqi also spoke up, "Since Changminghao has a share of the profits, and Your Majesty has always been worried about the court's finances, then the Taxation Department..."

In such a large Chu vassal state, it turned out that the maternal family of the King of Chu and the Queen Mother were discussing countermeasures here.

None of the other officials of the royal palace or elders of the side branches were seen.

Prince Xuanhua Zhu Huabi has been thinking about a question: Is this matter true?

At this time, in another house in Wuchang City, several people gathered together, all in casual clothes.

"Are you serious?" a middle-aged man asked, staring at the younger man.

"My wife is Wang Ruyan's daughter, and she overheard the secret!" It was Zhu Huaqian who spoke. "Not only is Zhu Huakui not the late king's biological son, he and Zhu Huabi are not twin brothers at all! Zhu Huabi is the son of Wang Yu, an adopted son of Wang Ruyan's cousin Wang Ruqi. They were both adopted! The late king was afraid that the title of king would fall to someone else, so he planned this with the husband's family of Concubine Wang! Prince of Wugang, the throne of the King of Chu should have been yours!"

The person he was looking at was another young man, Zhu Huazeng, Prince of Wugang, who shared the same great-grandfather as Zhu Huakui.

Among the bloodlines of Prince Duan of Chu, if Zhu Ying's lineage has also died out, then only Zhu Huazeng's lineage of Prince Wugang is left.

Zhu Huazeng was only granted the title of Prince in the first year of Taichang. Thinking of the possibility of becoming the King of Chu, he could not help but look at the other two elders: "Uncle King of Dong'an, Brother King of Jiangxia..."

The middle-aged man was the current Prince of Dong'an, Zhu Yingsui. He stared at Zhu Huaqian and said, "It's fine that my nephew has treated us, the side branches, harshly for so many years, but you are different! Why do you want to point this out now? Moreover, it has been many years since the incident, and there is only your wife's words as evidence. How can you convince others of this?"

"I am also from a branch of the family, a mere lieutenant of the state!" Zhu Huaqian said angrily, "I am an accomplice to the evil, just to make a living. Uncle Wang, do you think my wife is the biological daughter of that old villain? He just wants me to work hard and take me as his adopted daughter! But with the title of son-in-law, I have to give almost all of my hard work to him for a year! Apart from other things, last year, the court implemented a strict exemption and ordered the local governments to give the royal family and vassal salaries in full. Have other branches received it?"

Prince Jiangxia patted the back of his chair and said, "My lineage will only receive 30%!"

"No matter how humble I am, I am still a member of the Chu clan! If Zhu Huabi is really the late king's biological son, it would be fine. It's just that the clan leader is mean! But now the Chu clan's wealth has all fallen into the hands of outsiders. This is intolerable! I will first submit this impeachment, even if I am willing to sacrifice my own life! But how can I, a mere lieutenant of the state, accomplish this? The three of you are all princes. Please recover our ancestral property for our children of the Chu clan!"

Zhu Huazeng was eager, but Zhu Yingsui was more mature: "No other evidence?"

"Isn't it enough that my husband and I are willing to sacrifice our lives? The rest of the evidence will naturally require your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!" Zhu Huaqian paused and said, "Don't you think... your Majesty doesn't want the tax revenue in Huguang to be higher? You can only gain if you give! Don't worry, the three princes, those small profits are far less than the profit share of Changminghao. As long as this matter is in line with the holy will, it will definitely succeed!"

I continued to type a chapter in the long night, and after sending it to the mountain, I took a break to regain stability.

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(End of this chapter)