Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 449 Adding another fire
Fang Congzhe spoke with a righteous air. "Regardless of who committed the crime, Li Changgeng, the Minister of Finance, cannot escape the charge of dereliction of duty. I suggest that Li Changgeng be dismissed immediately, and a capable official be selected to continue supervising the supply of grain and money to Liaodong."

"Haha." Zhu Changluo chuckled and continued, "Fang Qing, who do you think would be a better choice to go up?"

"Your Majesty," Fang Congzhe said solemnly, shaking his head, "I don't know. It would be better to let the Ministry of Personnel draw up a list and recommend it to the court."

"You're so stubborn even though you say you don't know?" Zhu Changluo rolled his eyes at him. "The imperial recommendation is just a formality. Let's choose the person first, and then we can leave."

"This..." Fang Congzhe was stunned.

"Don't you know people, or are you afraid to push?" Zhu Changluo urged.

Fang Congzhe had no choice but to answer. "I think we can let Tianjin Governor Sun Chengzong concurrently hold the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and transfer all the affairs of the Ministry of Finance to him."

"No." Zhu Changluo subconsciously glanced at Wang An. "Master Sun has plenty of work to do, like farming, river management, trade, and military training. He'd better not take on the responsibility of managing food and wages. Quickly, find one."

"Yes." Fang Congzhe thought for a moment and suggested, "I think we could ask the current Imperial Household Department's Junior Secretary, Bi Ziyan, to supervise Liao's military expenditures."

"Bi Ziyan" Zhu Changluo was very sure that he had heard or seen this person's name somewhere, but he just couldn't remember what he looked like.

Fang Congzhe thought the emperor didn't recognize him and had some doubts, so he added: "Bi Ziyan is from Zibo, Shandong. He was a Jinshi in the 20th year of Wanli. He was first appointed as the magistrate of Songjiang. Later, he served as the director of the Ministry of Justice and was promoted to the deputy minister of the Ministry of Works. He was also the military commander of Taomin and moved to Yulin. Whether he was transferred from the internal to the external, he has made outstanding achievements, his reputation and prestige are also first-class, and he is young and energetic. He was only 23 years old when he became a Jinshi, and he is only 52 years old now. He is an excellent candidate in all aspects. If Your Majesty feels that Bi Ziyan is still young and inexperienced and wants to use an old minister, I recommend him."

"Don't push it off. Let's pick him," Zhu Changluo decisively decided. "When you get down, draft the document to dismiss Li Changgeng and have the Ministry of Personnel recommend him."

"Yes!" Fang Congzhe felt an inexplicable warmth surge in his heart, and his answer was particularly loud. Fang Congzhe, who was too sentimental, thought that the reason why the emperor chose Bi Ziyan without hesitation was because of his trust in him.

"Wang An." Zhu Changluo turned his head to look at Wang An and made a gesture to stop him, indicating that he didn't need to stand up to answer.

"I'm here." Wang An understood and didn't stand up, but still responded.

"Submit the cabinet's document. Simply approve it and issue it. There's no need to show it to me. Also, send someone to the Ministry of Personnel to inform Prime Minister Zhou that he complete the court recommendation process as quickly as possible," Zhu Changluo ordered. "Order Bi Ziyan to leave Beijing the day after tomorrow morning at the latest."

"I obey your command." Wang An accepted the order first, then asked, "Master, do you want to arrest Li Changgeng and bring him to the capital?"

"There's no need to arrest him. At least give him some face. Send someone to Beitang with Bi Ziyan to deliver a message to Li Changgeng. Since the Beijing investigation is underway right now, let Li Changgeng report to the Censorate upon his return." Zhu Changluo turned to Fang Congzhe. "Let the Censorate conduct the trial and sentence as it sees fit. If he's guilty, punish him according to the law. If he's simply incompetent, let him return home and live in seclusion." With just a few words, the political life of a third-rank civil servant was completely over.

"Yes." Fang Congzhe and Wang An responded in unison.

"Alright, Fang Qing, we've finished discussing Li Changgeng's affairs." Zhu Changluo leaned on the table in front of him, staring intently at Fang Congzhe. "What's next?"

Fang Congzhe pondered for a moment and said, "The cabinet believes that regarding the Guangning smuggling case, the most urgent task is to stabilize the local situation as soon as possible."

"You are really mature and prudent." Zhu Changluo guessed Fang Congzhe's inner thoughts. "Okay, tell me, how do we stabilize the situation?"

Fang Congzhe's expression remained unchanged, but his eyelids twitched unconsciously. "The Cabinet believes that there are two key points to stabilizing the situation. First, Wan Youfu, the assistant commander of Guangning Prefecture's military training, should be immediately dismissed and investigated. The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel should jointly select a new prefect. Until the new prefect arrives, perhaps Wang Huazhen, the former Ning Prefecture governor, could be appointed to oversee the military training of Guangning Prefecture. Second, perhaps Li Guangrong, the general stationed in Guangning to defend against the Western Tartars, should be suspended from his duties. The Ministry of War should be instructed to quickly select a capable general, or to promote or transfer a nearby general in Liao to temporarily replace him. Once the case is fully investigated, we can then discuss reinstating him or investigating his arrest."

Even though Zhu Changluo was primarily concerned with the arrest of the nobles and relatives, Fang Congzhe's words inevitably diverted his attention elsewhere. "First, immediately dismiss Wan Youfu and have him investigated by the court. However, do not allow Wang Huazhen to take over the Guangning Circuit. Until a new governor is appointed, have Yang Lian stationed there to oversee the pacification of the barbarians and the training of the troops. Second, regarding the matter of General Li Guangrong, we should still exercise due regard for those we employ. Since Yang Lian didn't mention him in the letter of accusation, we should not suspect him for now. Have the Ministry of Internal Affairs send an urgent courier to the three ministers of finance, government, and public security to see what they think. Until then, do not touch Li Guangrong."

Fang Congzhe was stunned. The arrest of Wan Youfu was a joint proposal by Minister Yang Lian and Chief Censor Zhang Wenda. Therefore, the emperor had effectively rejected all the cabinet's proposals. But on matters like this, the cabinet didn't need to argue, and he wouldn't ask. "Yes," Fang Congzhe replied.

"Alright." Zhu Changluo held up his head and looked at Fang Congzhe. "Now, we've discussed the Beitang and Guangning issues. Mr. Fang, do you want to talk about Tianjin? There are more than a dozen vacancies there waiting for you to fill."

Fang Congzhe knew that the emperor wanted him to take the initiative to deal with the matter of Wuqing Marquis and his relatives. However, he was unsure of the emperor's intentions on this issue and did not dare to speak first.

Fang Congzhe looked at Wang An, but Wang An turned his head to the other side, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

"Mr. Fang," Zhu Changluo tapped the table lightly. "Do you have any concerns?"

"I have no concerns." Fang Congzhe hurriedly shook his head.

"That's all," Zhu Changluo said. "What are you looking at? Is there something on Wang An's face?"

In reality, Zhu Changluo himself didn't want to bring this up. For him, Wuqing Hou Li Mingcheng, like Gao Huai, was the kind of person who wouldn't mind being skinned alive. But as Empress Dowager Li's eldest grandson, he couldn't ignore Li Mingcheng's status as her nephew. Just as he couldn't ignore the various implications of abolishing the Jinyiwei, the imperial guards, he couldn't ignore.

Or, to put it more bluntly, even if he were the emperor, he couldn't have Li Mingcheng dragged to Caishikou to be skinned alive. Otherwise, it would be too inhumane.

"Your Majesty," Fang Congzhe straightened his head and answered the emperor's question in a serious tone, "There is no scar on Master Wang's face."

Zhu Changluo was amused by the old man. "Is this what I'm asking you?"

"When your Majesty asks a question, I will answer it accordingly." Fang Congzhe unexpectedly changed his attitude at this time and stared at the emperor intently.

Zhu Changluo rolled his eyes at Fang Congzhe. "Okay, okay. Then I'll ask you directly, how should we deal with people like Wuqing Hou?" "There are precedents in our ancestors' dynasties." Fang Congzhe threw out another panacea answer.

"The thirteen dynasties of our ancestors each had their own precedents. Which one should we follow?" Zhu Changluo asked.

Fang Congzhe was visibly stunned. Thirteen dynasties? Where did the Ming Dynasty come from? Fang Congzhe blinked and turned around. Now was not the time to think about this.

Fang Congzhe pondered for a moment, deciding to offer a pleasant word first, testing the waters. "Marquis Wuqing is, after all, the nephew of Empress Dowager Cisheng. A harsh punishment might harm the Empress Dowager's spirit." Fang Congzhe noticed the emperor's expression didn't improve with his flattering words, so he added, "However, too lenient a punishment would damage Your Majesty's reputation. Therefore, I suggest perhaps demoting Marquis Wuqing to the rank of Earl Wuqing and confiscating his illegal gains to replenish the national treasury."

"Fang Qing, you're so bold!" Zhu Changluo slammed the table. "How dare you say that the Empress Dowager Cisheng wants to protect Li Mingcheng?"

"I am guilty! I shouldn't have used my petty mind to speculate on the Empress Dowager's spirit!" Fang Congzhe immediately knelt, but at the same time, he felt a deep sense of relief. Fang Congzhe finally understood the Emperor's thoughts.

Fang Congzhe jumped from one extreme to the other, blurting out the most unpleasant words: "Then grant Marquis Wuqing death! Let him thank the spirit of Empress Dowager Cisheng with his life."

Wang An suddenly said, "If the Marquis of Wuqing is executed, I'm afraid the foreign relatives will be grief-stricken and everyone will be in danger."

"Then let's demote Marquis Wuqing to a commoner, confiscate his property, and put it all into the national treasury to relieve the country's urgent needs." Fang Congzhe took a step back.

"Alas." Zhu Changluo sighed pretentiously. "That's it."

"Your Majesty is holy and wise!" Fang Congzhe immediately praised him. "I will immediately organize the cabinet to draft a bill!"

"No rush," Zhu Changluo shook his head. "Let's wait for the rooster to crow."

"A rooster crowing?" Fang Congzhe was puzzled.

"Isn't it more reasonable for the sun to rise after the rooster crows?" Zhu Changluo beckoned Fang Congzhe to get up. "Go back. I originally wanted to tell you something, but suddenly I don't want to talk about it." Zhu Changluo stood up. "Wang An, what time is it?"

"My Lord," Wang An hurriedly pulled out his pocket watch. "It's almost 9 o'clock."

"I'm in a bad mood, let's take a bath." Without waiting for Fang Congzhe to kowtow and stand up, Zhu Changluo walked around him and headed towards the door. "Bring this morning's memorial to the Qianqing Palace. I'll take a bath and you read it."

"Yes!" Wang An stepped forward before the emperor and pushed the door open. "I'll make the arrangements right away!"

"Farewell, Your Majesty!" Fang Congzhe still didn't quite understand what a rooster's crow was, but compared with many other puzzles, this was just a trivial question.

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The rooster crowed soon.

Just as His Majesty the Emperor was taking a bath and attending to government affairs, the first ripples appeared in the Beijing officialdom, with the Censorate as its center.

As the saying goes, those who are close to the water get the moon first. The first to respond to Chief Censor Zhang Wenda were the Donglin Censors, led by Yuan Huazhong, the Censor of Henan Province, Zuo Guangdou, the Censor of Zhejiang Province, and Fang Kezhuang, the Censor of Guangxi Province. Upon arriving at the yamen and hearing about the incident, these officials hastily wrote memorials of impeachment and sent them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Soon, a group of non-Donglin censors, who considered themselves upright, also took action.

For the censors, despicable relatives like the Marquis of Wuqing who had violated the state law were perfect targets for their personal exploitation. If the impeachment was successful, it would be a testament to the loyal minister's good advice being accepted by a wise and virtuous ruler, creating a beautiful story. If the impeachment failed, and the emperor insisted on shielding the relatives or even cracking down on the imperial court, then the ministers had fulfilled their duty to advise the monarch, creating a beautiful story of a monarch deceived and a loyal minister fighting against treacherous officials. In any case, they always won!
Before noon, the ripples from the Censorate had spread to the Li family villa, north of Shanchuan Altar and south of Zhengyang Gate. Inside the villa, Li Guochen, the eldest son of Wuqing Marquis Li Mingcheng, was leisurely tending to the flowers in the garden.

After being forced to resign, Li Mingcheng moved back to Tsinghua University, located northwest of Beijing's Deshengmen. However, when Li Mingcheng left, he left Li Guochen behind.

Although his father's intention was to keep Li Guochen in Beijing to gather information, he saw through his father's underlying intentions: he was simply fed up and no longer wanted to see him. But Li Guochen was content. While this villa couldn't compare to his great-grandfather's cherished Tsinghua Garden, it was still a luxurious residence comparable to any noble residence. As long as the money and provisions flowed in, this was Li Guochen's own little world. He enjoyed his freedom and could also tinker with the flowers and plants as he pleased.

"Young Master! Young Master!" The voice arrived before the person even arrived. A cry filled with both excitement and panic came from the main entrance all the way to the garden.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Li Guochen handed the small hoe in his hand to the accompanying maid, then walked to the pond, scooped up a pool of water, which was not very clear, and rinsed the mud off his hands.

Li Laifu followed Li Guochen and without kneeling or kowtowing, he said directly, "Master, something has happened! Something...something big has happened!"

"Take it easy. No matter how big the matter is, there's no need to rush it in one or two breaths." Li Guochen stood up and waved his hand to dismiss the maid.

Li Laifu finally managed to even out his breathing, but his tone remained unchanged. "The news from the Ministry of Internal Affairs says that Zhang Zongxian of the Metropolitan Censorate has filed a petition impeaching the Marquis! Many people have followed suit!"

"The Censorate, why is it there?" Li Guochen asked in confusion, "Why?"

Li Laifu shook his head and said, "It is said that the inspector named Yang Lian found out in Guangning that my Li family's caravan, along with the caravans of the Yangwu Marquis and Pingjiang Earl families, were smuggling ironware, salt, tea, and horses in the border market, and were also bribing Guangning Dao Wan Youfu."

"There is such a thing." Li Guochen certainly knew that his own caravan was trading grain to Liaodong, but he had never heard of anyone smuggling it out.

"Young Master!" Li Lai Fu gasped, his eyes gleaming with an inexplicable fire. "Should we spread that news as well? Add more fuel to the fire?"

(End of this chapter)