Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 7: Brothers from the same mother, Jinyi takes action!

Yuxi Palace, Jingshe.

Not everyone can serve here.

In previous years, on odd days, Lu Fang, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, would serve the emperor here, and on even days, Chen Hong, the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, would serve the emperor here.

This year, because the Imperial Household Department wanted to find the two million rolls of silk and cotton cloth and ten million taels of silver that were lost in the inner court, Lu Fang was unable to guard outside the gate of the Jingshe.

Instead, there was Jinyiwei Commander Lu Bing, who looked extremely nervous and excited.

In front of him was a cauldron with a burning sandalwood fire, and on the fire sat a huge copper kettle. As soon as the copper chimes sounded, he would carry the hot water to warm the emperor's hands and feet and iron his face.

With a "clang" sound, the bronze chime rang.

Lu Bing's energy sank into his dantian, he picked up the copper kettle, walked slowly to the door, and congratulated loudly: "I wish the emperor success in his cultivation!"

The emperor personally pushed open the palace door and restored his youthful face and body to the dragon-like posture, but countless eunuchs and palace maids saw and heard it. With the ability of the Jinyiwei, they naturally knew about it.

After congratulating, he pushed open the door without making a sound and walked in carrying the copper kettle.

The hot water in the copper kettle was poured into the golden basin on the stand. Lu Bing picked up a pure white Songjiang cotton face towel, spread it out and dipped it into the hot water. He lifted it up and twisted it gently, and the water in the face towel just didn't drip out.

Lu Bing walked quickly to Zhu Houcong who was sitting on the mat with the face towel in both hands. Zhu Houcong took it, wrapped his fair hands with the face towel, and held it half loosely and half tightly.

This is called: warm hands.

When Zhu Houcong's hands had regained their warmth and become soft, Lu Bing picked up the water in the copper kettle and poured it into another golden basin. He picked up a new, larger pure white Songjiang cotton towel, dipped it into the water, wrung it again, and walked up to Zhu Houcong and presented it to him with both hands.

Zhu Houcong took the handkerchief again, spread it out and covered his face with it.

This is called: opening the face.

After a while, Zhu Houcong handed him the face towel, Lu Bing took it and put it back in the golden basin.

Zhu Houcong looked at his half-brother Lu Bing and said gently, "Please comb my hair."

Lu Bing was startled when he heard the voice, but soon returned to normal. He moved the golden basin and the stand in front of Zhu Houcong, walked around to his back and gently untied the ribbon on his hair, letting his long hair fall down.

Lu Bing took a comb and gently combed his hair from front to back. Then he reached from the back of his head to the roots and grasped the hair, lifting it up. He then took the comb and combed it from the back to the top of his head. After combing it up, the comb was fixed slightly above the roots of the hair. He then held the long hair with one hand and wrapped a hairband around the roots of the hair with the other hand. He pulled one end and bit the other end with his mouth. He passed his hand through and tightened it. He tied a knot with both hands, then took off the comb and circled it around the hair. The long hair was twisted into a strand and tied a knot. Finally, he tied it up with a hairband and inserted a jade hairpin.

Zhu Houcong stood up and sang softly: "For scholars wearing white robes, there is no place like the Imperial Academy; for astronomy, there is no place like the Imperial Astronomical Bureau; for music, there is no place like the Imperial Palace; for calligraphy, there is no place like the Imperial Palace, and for paintings, there is no place like the Wenhua and Wuying Palaces on both sides of the Imperial Edicts."

"Donghu (Lu Bing, courtesy name Wenming, pseudonym Donghu), what did I just sing?"

Lu Bing was startled and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this is a nursery rhyme in the capital. It means that those who hand in blank papers in exams are all students of the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty. Those who don't know astronomy are all in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. The one who doesn't understand music is in charge of the Taichang Temple, the highest music bureau in the Ming Dynasty. Those who write ugly words and draw like ghosts are the most powerful ones, and the most powerful ones are the Grand Secretaries in the Wenhua Palace and the Wuying Palace."

"Is that right?"

Under the question of the emperor, Lu Bing could not help but look embarrassed and said: "Your Majesty, yes, but not entirely."

Zhu Houcong turned around, stared into Lu Bing's eyes, and asked again: "Can the Jinyiwei find those blank students and officials who are just empty positions?"

Lu Bingzhen said: "Your Majesty, yes."

Zhu Houcong's face turned slightly unhappy and he smiled. "Since Emperor Chengzu Wen, the palace has set a rule that the Pacification Division is under the supervision of the Chief of the Silijian. From today on, this ancestral rule is no longer valid." Servant.

There are also confidants.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was established by Emperor Taizu Gao, and the Eastern Depot was established by Emperor Chengzu Wen.

Emperor Chengzu Wen hated Emperor Jianwen so much that he also hated the Jinyiwei who were in charge of supervising the Prince of Yan's fiefdom on behalf of Emperor Jianwen. As a result, the East Factory came into being.

The Jinyiwei, a group of brave men, have been controlled by the powerless eunuchs for hundreds of years.

Lu Fang, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was Zhu Houcong's close friend.

Lu Bing, the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was Zhu Houcong's half-brother.

Therefore, when the Eastern Depot was not trustworthy, Zhu Houcong naturally had to use the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Lu Bing was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude, but he kowtowed with too much force and even broke the "gold bricks" in the hall, causing stones to fly everywhere.

Hearing such a commotion, the palace guards immediately shouted "Protect the emperor" "Protect the emperor" and rushed into the hall.

But when they saw the big hole on his head and Lu Bing kneeling there with a red forehead, they could not help but look at each other in surprise.

The guards retreated outside the palace. Zhu Houcong had a new understanding of his brother's integrity. He shook his head and said, "Last year, the deficits of the five ministries of household, ritual, military, punishment, and engineering were all cleared. Only the deficit of 4.5 million taels of silver in the Ministry of Personnel has not been resolved. Donghu, you should investigate it carefully when you go back. No matter who you find, anyone who abuses his position to embezzle or misappropriate money for personal gain will be punished."

"Anyone who embezzles more than one million taels of silver will have his entire family executed!

"Anyone who embezzles more than 100,000 taels of silver will be executed!"

"Anyone who embezzles more than 10,000 taels of silver will be killed!"

At the financial meeting with the cabinet, the cabinet only mentioned the deficit of the Ministry of Personnel and did not go on to say anything more. The Qingliu only attacked the deficit of the Ministry of Works under the charge of Yan Shifan. The reason was very simple: no one was willing to investigate themselves.

The deficit of the Ministry of Personnel is different from that of other departments. It is the loss of national treasury silver caused by the overall corruption, misappropriation, and debts throughout the court.

This is not a question of the Yan Party or the Qing Stream, but a question of nearly 100,000 officials in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

The cabinet could ignore it, but Zhu Houcong could not forget that 4.5 million taels of silver was 10% of the tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty last year.

All officials received 45 taels of silver each, which was equivalent to the annual salary of a county magistrate.

There were only 1,427 counties in the Ming Dynasty. How could we let them go easily?
"I'll do it right away!" Lu Bing answered with a trembling voice.

A major purge of the imperial court is imminent.

"No rush. The Jinyiwei will first keep an eye on the Yan Mansion, Xu Mansion, and Zhang Mansion, and recover the more than 40 million taels of fine silver." Zhu Houcong said with a flash in his eyes.

"Yes." Lu Bing answered loudly, then kowtowed, retreated to the door, turned around and strode out.

On that day, the Jinyiwei cavalry went out in four directions and divided into three routes, heading towards the residence of the chief minister Yan, the residence of the second minister Xu, and the residence of the group minister Zhang.

(End of this chapter)