Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 180 The imperial teacher looks north to pay homage to the emperor, and the eunuch falls into the water!
"It's more than just saving!"

Qin Jin sighed and looked at the scorching sun outside the window with a serious expression. He saw the sun hanging high in the sky, making the house bright and warm.

Again.

He looked at Wang Ao again and said, "Your Majesty, this is a great kindness and benevolence! You appear to be strict on the surface, but now it seems that you actually have a fair and benevolent heart!"

"It really is the mind of an emperor!"

Wang Ao nodded after hearing this.

"Help me up!"

Qin Jin gritted his teeth and helped Wang Ao up from the couch.

Wang Ao, one of Zhengde's teachers, knelt down suddenly after he had firmly stood on the ground, facing north and knocking his head:

"I, your humble servant Wang Luo, would like to thank the Emperor for saving the Suzhou nobles!"

Seeing this, Qin Jin also knelt down.

then.

He helped Wang Ao up again.

At this time, Wang Ao said to Qin Jin: "I have to admit that the new emperor is indeed not a mediocre ruler! He has a very good understanding of the people's hearts in the southern part of the Yangtze River. He is not like the previous emperor, who was smart but kind-hearted, so he was deceived by villains. "

Qin Jin nodded and said with a smile: "So, Yang Xindu has made contributions to the country in establishing a monarch and stabilizing the country."

"The emperor was originally very talented, but he got it too easy!"

Wang Ao replied unconvinced.

"And the Jiangnan gentry are so selfish that each prefecture has its own differences. With such disunity, nothing can be accomplished."

"So, whether it's out of gratitude for the emperor's grace or due to the current situation, we should accept the new policy!"

"We should encourage all the major families in Suzhou to pay taxes and labor service as soon as possible according to the latest discount ratio and fire consumption ratio!"

"In any case, these new policies will help to combat the powerful and curb annexation. In the long run, they will be conducive to the long-term peace and prosperity of the country. This is also a good thing for the people of the world, not just to satisfy your majesty's desire to work hard to govern the country after he ascended the throne."

After Wang Ao said this, Qin Jin said "hmm".

He now agreed with Wang Ao's words. Although his Nanzhi gentry was rich enough to rival a country, they were no match for the imperial court.

After all, they are all planning to make the other party a victim.

thus.

Soon after, the gentry in Suzhou transported large amounts of silver to their respective county governments and paid the unpaid taxes truthfully.

Ma Lu, the imperial inspector temporarily stationed in Suzhou, soon learned from all the prefectures and counties in Suzhou that last year's summer taxes and autumn grain had all been paid, far exceeding the payment rate of less than 80% in previous years.

Ma Lu therefore immediately reported the matter to the court.

Although the plan to eliminate the traitorous army and exterminate Zhu Xizhou's entire family failed, the Suzhou gentry realized that they could not stop the new policy, and chose to accept and actively cooperate.

However, after the news of this failure reached the Yingtian prefectures, the gentry in other prefectures of Nanzhi began to panic.

After all, these are their children and family slaves, and they are related to the future survival of their family.

As a result, many noble families who were related to Liang Yongfu by marriage also began to come to Liang Yongfu for help.

Liang Yongfu came to Wang Jun and other civil servants who were on good terms with him to seek solutions.

After Wang Jun learned from Liang Yongfu that the Nanzhi nobles' plan to exterminate the nine clans of the Zhu family had failed, he was also very disappointed, and said in frustration:
“I didn’t expect to lose again!”

"I found out after asking around that it could have been successful."

"But I didn't expect that the emperor had already issued an edict, forcing the Suzhou nobles to unite to protect the Zhu family. This led to the failure of the anti-traitor army, which was unable to enter Kunshan, and was then blocked by the Yanshan Guards who rushed over."

Liang Yongfu started talking.

After hearing this, Wang Jun hurriedly asked, "What decree did your majesty give to the Suzhou nobles?"

"If the Zhu family is in trouble, no Suzhou noble family will be allowed to take the imperial examinations in the future. Those with honors will be stripped of their honors, and those with official positions will be dismissed immediately! Never to be employed again!"

Liang Yongfu replied.

"What a great plan to cut off the firewood from under the cauldron!"

Snapped!
Wang Jun slapped the table and stood up.

"Your Majesty has truly mastered the imperial examination to perfection!"

then.

Wang Jun said this with gritted teeth.

"Originally, this was used to win over scholars from all over the world, but he used it to manipulate them!"

"Our Majesty is truly well versed in the art of ruling a unified dynasty!"

"No one would have thought that he, an emperor born as a vassal king, would be so shrewd!"

After Wang Jun said this, Liang Yongfu couldn't help but feel a little scared: "Now that you say that, I'm a little scared. Your Majesty won't kill me, right?"

"If you want to kill, how will you kill?"

"You are a noble after all. You didn't defy the law of the king like the Earl of Yingcheng and the Earl of Xiangcheng did, but you just blamed everything on your servants."

"Even Taizu would be tolerant of the nobles and only kill them when he had no other choice."

"Besides, Your Majesty is not only the founder of a country, but also the successor of a minor clan!"

"So, no matter what, he will never issue an order to kill a noble like you. If he wants to kill someone, he can only do it legitimately, with solid evidence. He cannot torture someone to extract a confession, which would make the nobles in the world dissatisfied!"

Wang Jun analyzed the situation for Liang Yongfu.

Liang Yongfu felt better after hearing this and said, "You are right. As long as you don't torture me, I will refuse to admit it and say I don't know about those things and blame it all on the servants!"

Wang Jun's thoughts shifted to the government affairs at this time, and he said:
“It’s just that it seems like we really have to sit back and watch the reform succeed!”

"Ugh!"

Liang Yongfu slapped his thigh in frustration and said, "I really feel sorry for those Jiangnan scholars! They are about to die in large numbers under the attack of the emperor and the common people."

"What's the use of feeling sorry for it?"

"Let's welcome the true revival of the world."

"No matter what, the new emperor's determination to govern and his ability to reform and eliminate corruption are truly admirable!"

Wang Jun smiled bitterly and began to speak with emotion, then stood up, put his hands behind his back and looked towards the north: "In the long run, it is a good thing. At least the new dynasty and new policies can prolong the country's prosperity for many years." "Not necessarily. The concubines selected this time are almost all stunning, and all places are already preparing for auspicious signs. Maybe he won't be able to recover for many years."

Liang Yongfu smiled.

After hearing this, Wang Jun just smiled bitterly.

This time he was laughing at himself, laughing at himself, a mere upright person, who would one day desperately hope that the emperor would become a tyrant and arrogant ruler who indulged in sensual pleasures and believed in auspicious signs.

Let’s talk.

Soon after Wang Jun met Liang Yongfu, the Jinyiwei brought people to his house and said, "The Governor of Southeast Zhu Butang impeached you as a traitor and profiteer who passed on messages to him and wanted to bribe him. The former Nanjing garrison eunuch Liao Tang also accused you of slandering the government and forming a clique with him and Liang Yongfu, the noble Marquis of Baoding. Therefore, we will dismiss you and put you in prison. Come with us!"

"I was wronged!"

Wang Jun shouted on the spot.

"I am the Minister of Rites of Nanjing. Would I associate with a eunuch and a military official?"

"How could he slander a minister like me like this!"

"How can the court arrest me just because of a eunuch's one-sided statement? What evidence is there?!"

Wang Jun then questioned the Jinyiwei.

The Jinyiwei naturally didn't care about that and just forcibly took Wang Jun out of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites.

Zhu Houcong did receive Zhu Xizhou's impeachment memorial against Wang Jun and Liao Tang's confession at the end of December, and he therefore issued an order to dismiss Wang Jun and arrest him, and also sent Liao Tang to the capital.

After Liao Tang was escorted to the capital, Zhu Houcong thought that Liao Tang was, after all, a eunuch of the Zhengde Dynasty, and had good relations with many of the eunuchs left over from the Zhengde Dynasty in the inner court. Moreover, his people had not completely replaced the old eunuchs of the Zhengde Dynasty in the palace. If he dealt with him rashly, it would inevitably cause instability in the inner court. So he summoned Gu Dayong, Qin Wen and other eunuchs who were also old eunuchs of the Zhengde Dynasty.

"Liao Tang is a family slave, so what he did is naturally a family matter."

"You are also my servants, or you are the servants who manage them for me. Tell me, what should I do with Liao Tang?"

Zhu Houcong therefore asked about these people.

Gu Dayong, Qin Wen and others also began to think seriously about it.

"Reply to the Emperor!"

"I have heard that Liao Tang has always had bad intentions. He accepted bribes from Prince Ning and allowed his brother Liao Peng to collude with Prince Ning. He has long been disloyal to the late emperor."

"So, in my opinion, it is not too much to torture him to death!"

Gu Dayong said at this time.

Qin Wen then said, "Your Majesty, Liao Tang has a hidden ambition and has long been disloyal to Your Majesty! Not only is he disloyal to Your Majesty, he has also been disloyal to the late emperor! Although relatives should hide the truth from each other, he and I are both Your Majesty's servants, and servants do not hide the truth from each other. In my opinion, anyone who is disloyal to Your Majesty should be killed! Therefore, I think this man should be executed immediately!"

Zhu Houcong said: "But he is an old friend of the previous emperor. I cannot break my promise. Don't kill him. Send him to Nanhaizi to serve as a guard. Since his brother has joined the bandits, strangle him and confiscate his property."

"Yes!"

As a result, Gu Dayong, Qin Wen and others became even more uneasy after returning to the Imperial Household Department.

Gu Dayong first asked Qin Wen: "Were we too impatient just now?"

"It must be too hasty."

"That's why Liao Tang was able to keep his life."

Qin Wen nodded.

Gu Dayong said, "But the emperor is so powerful today, so if he survives, our lives will be in jeopardy!"

talking.

Gu Dayong looked at Qin Wen and said, "If he reveals the disloyal things we did behind the late emperor's back, our emperor might not remember the late emperor's friendship."

"What do you mean?"

Qin Wen asked.

Gu Dayong whispered to Qin Wen.

then.

Liao Tang had just been exiled to Nanhaizi in the capital to grow vegetables. While watering the vegetables, he was suddenly pushed into a lake by two eunuchs.

Liao Tang had to struggle desperately: "Why are you killing me? The emperor didn't even say he was going to kill me!"

"Our ancestors said that the emperor only said that he would not kill you, but he did not say that he would not let you die. You should go to see the late emperor as soon as possible!"

"Don't be attached to the mortal world, or we will all live in fear!"

An eunuch came back.

Liao Tang was quite angry after hearing this.

He really never thought that one day he would be harmed by people in the inner court.

for a while.

While struggling, Liao Tang only said: "Tell them a message for me. Even if I become a ghost, I will not let them go!"

That night.

Zhu Houcong was practicing calligraphy in Qingning Palace when Gu Dayong came over and said, "Your Majesty, the people below sent me news that Eunuch Liao fell into the water!"

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but stop writing and asked, "When did it happen?"

"Just an hour ago, he fell into the lake when he went to fetch water."

Gu Dayong replied.

Zhu Houcong didn't say anything else, and the only response to Gu Dayong was silence.

Gu Dayong didn't bother him any more and left tactfully.

Only after Gu Dayong left did Zhu Houcong couldn't help but smile slightly.

This was a good idea for him. He didn't have to execute Liao Tang himself, and those who sympathized with Liao Tang would think that Liao Tang was just someone in the inner court who disagreed with the reform, and they could blame people like Gu Dayong for their resentment.

The next day.

Zhu Houcong learned at the court meeting that Ma Lu had reported to the Censorate that Suzhou had completed the tax payment after the implementation of the new policy, as well as the rebel attack on Kunshan, and that the servants of Liang Yongfu, Marquis of Baoding, were suspected of instigating the Nanzhi gentry to rebel and even smuggling armor.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong couldn't help but say, "Why is it Liang Yongfu, the Marquis of Baoding, again? He can't even take care of his servants. What's the point of him being alive?"

(End of this chapter)