Chapter 1044
: Cabinet Proposed Votes for Thorough Investigation
Chapter 1044: Cabinet Proposed Votes for Thorough Investigation
At this time, Beijing
The sky was clear and cloudless, but the study in Li's house seemed a little depressing. Although he was unmoved, he was still in the middle of it.
Li Chaosheng closed the letter, tapped the table with his fingers, and said;
"What you said makes sense, brother. After Luo Yunhou killed a group of salt merchants in Jiangnan, they became much more honest, especially the Wang family, the leader of the eight major salt merchants. Their entire family was executed. I wonder if there are any fish in the Wang family that have escaped the net."
After all, the newly appointed Salt Inspector, Wang Mengshan, also has the surname Wang.
They both just thought of this, and Chang Shilang narrowed his eyes and replied;
"Your guess is not impossible. How can there be such a coincidence in the world? They both have the surname Wang, and many things are so coincidental. From this point of view, the Salt Inspector is probably not just the Salt Inspector. We must investigate this in the capital. Who is behind him?"
The situation in the DPRK is becoming turbulent again.
"This is difficult to deal with. If he doesn't suddenly appear, it will be difficult to investigate. However, the birthday banquet of the retired emperor is coming soon, and all places will send congratulatory messages. In this case, I have a way."
"any solution?"
The Minister of the Court also became interested and asked,
"The annual salt tax is 4 million taels. This year, why not use the excuse of the emperor's birthday banquet to ask for an extra 1 million taels of silver in celebration of the salt tax? This way, some salt merchants will be busy."
"This is a good idea. Please bear with me for this matter. If you ask me about these memorials, please contact me."
After some hesitation, and not knowing how his mentor was doing, Li Chaosheng nodded and replied;
"Brother, rest assured. If my father asks, I will mention these things."
"That's good. Since the eldest master knows the situation, I won't bother you any more. There is one more thing. The three princes have different routes back to the capital. Please pay attention."
After saying that, he stood up, bowed and said goodbye, taking the package on the table and left with him.
As soon as people leave,
Li Chaosheng could not help himself and went straight to the backyard. He saw his father still dozing on the recliner. He approached carefully and stayed there.
As for the Prime Minister, Lord Li, how could he not know who was coming? He turned slightly, his white hair tilted, and asked;
"Who entered the house?"
"Father, it was Senior Brother Chang from the Ministry of Justice who took over the case from Jiangnan. He said that there is some clue in the case of the dike destruction and flooding in Jiangnan. It involves the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Textile Bureau. It is a bit tricky. The files have been sent to the cabinet and the palace, but there is no news until now. Several cabinet elders have not opened the envelopes."
The eldest son finished speaking politely. He couldn't interfere in the affairs of the cabinet now, but the Yangxin Palace had allowed him to enter the cabinet in the fall, so now was not the time for him to participate.
"Humph, this file is not so easy to open. The Ministry of Internal Affairs dug up some rotten stones and the whole world knew about it. The Weaving Bureau started to make a fuss before it even produced a single piece of silk or brocade. You see, the people who used it are still fighting for power and profit. Even if it is a good thing, it has been torn apart."
With a light snort, Li Chonghou spit on this. If one person was responsible, the strategy for Jiangnan could still be implemented. Now that various forces have intervened, it is a blessing to have such a result. Unfortunately, the two disciples of Luo Yunhou and Nan Zixian are really interesting.
"Then, father, how should we deal with the affairs of the court?"
"As for the affairs of the court, what can possibly happen in the court? Everything will be discussed after the birthday banquet of the retired emperor. The emperor should have received this memorial. The specifics still depend on his opinion. I am afraid of the emperor. That's all. Go ahead."
Halfway through his words, Li Chonghou sighed. If the vassal kings rebelled, the emperor could only rely on the four kings. If the four princes had ulterior motives, the final outcome would depend on Marquis Luo Yun, Wang Ziteng, and the Duke of Zhenguo. However, what were these people thinking? Would anyone take advantage of the emperor's birthday banquet to make a move?
"This is, Dad, my son knows,"
The eldest son had no choice but to bow and leave. But how could he let it go? Now that the victory report has been received in Beijing, the three armies are returning to the capital. Will these be disasters again? He must make plans early. With this thought in mind, he could not help but walk towards the study.
"Someone, please come and get me some writing materials!"
Ouchi Palace,
In the Cabinet Department,
Officials on duty had already sorted out all the memorials sent from various places and placed them on the desks in the conference hall. All the memorials from the counties within the Great Wall would be sent here and classified for the cabinet ministers to review.
And today,
The hall looked very strange. The person on duty was the eunuch Gu Ge Lao from the Ministry of Revenue. The others had just received the message and hurried into the hall. Especially Lu Wenshan, who smiled and remained silent after entering the hall. The Minister of War Zhao Jingwu also looked as if he had nothing to do with it.
Everyone was sitting around the desk, which was already filled with memorials. Among them was the secret letter sent by the King of Dongping and the King of Chu. It was placed upright on the table. It was made of dark purple sandalwood and sealed with sealing wax. Apart from that, nothing else could be seen.
In addition to a secret gate on the table, there were also five memorials from Jiangnan. Judging from the signatures, they were all from people in Jinling City. In this way, the contents of the secret gate were about to be revealed.
Watching the time passing by bit by bit,
Everyone remained silent, so Gu Yichen stroked his beard, slapped the table, and said;
"Everyone, the Prime Minister is not here, so I will take over today and preside over the meeting. The rebellion in various places south of the capital has been quelled. Now, Prince of Beijing Shui Rong, Prince of Dongping Mu Shi, and Marquis of Luoyun Zhang Jinyu are all returning to the capital along their original routes. They can all reach the capital within five days."
After a pause, he continued;
"Another order has been sent to the Imperial City Department to report that the carriages of the princes have already passed Anyang and will enter the capital within five days. Therefore, the deployment of the imperial guards in the capital needs to be strictly inspected by the cabinet to prevent any mistakes."
The two paragraphs and two words were all about the capital, but there was not a single word about Jiangnan. The several elders were also calm and nodded.
"Yes, the capital city still needs to strictly order the people in the Military Department to prevent the assassination incident from happening again. I wonder how the Imperial City Department is doing with the investigation?"
Lu Wenshan was not vague either. He first brought up the Military Affairs Department and the Imperial City Department. Several princes from the Honglu Temple said that they were ill and had been injured by assassins. Only they knew the details.
This question,
I'm asking this to Lord Zhao. The Bingmasi has always been under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. If something goes wrong, shouldn't they be involved?
"Ahem, fellow ministers, I am indeed supervising this case, especially a few days ago, I ordered the Imperial City Department to conduct a secret investigation, and asked the Military Department to check the pass in various restaurants, wine shops and teahouses. Nothing unusual was found, but the rumors about the sudden change in the sky in the capital that day are getting more and more intense, and many theories are included in it. So, even if we investigate, we can't find the source."
Lord Zhao was also making excuses. He made vague remarks and said nothing useful. As for the rumors outside, no matter if there were any, as long as they were not spread into the palace, the people in the Imperial City Department would investigate.
"Okay, it doesn't matter who investigates. In that case, let's discuss it. Jiangnan's affairs, Jiangnan's memorials have been submitted one after another, especially to the Chunyang County Magistrate, who has been submitting one after another without interruption.
There are many people involved, and I wonder what you all think of this case. "
Gu Yichen asked again, perhaps a little impatient, but there were a few people present who were afraid. Lu Wenshan smiled faintly and looked at the memorials on the table. There were three memorials from the magistrate of Chunyang County, and two memorials from the magistrate of Yongning County. The rest were from those people. Maybe they all had their own reasons, but there was only one case, that is, the embankment in Jiangnan was dug up by humans. In this case,
"Since someone has submitted a petition, we must be cautious. However, the petitions submitted by the magistrates of Chunyang and Yongning, as well as the investigations by the various departments in Jiangnan, all prove that someone dared to violate the punishment of heaven and destroy the dikes and flood the fields. I think he is planning a rebellion."
His voice was stern, and he wished he could kill this person right away. These words also made many people look sideways, wondering if there was something fishy going on. Although the others knew a little, they didn't know the whole story, and they didn't know how to respond. However, the Minister of Rites, Bian Zhengru, nodded and said, "Yes, Jiangnan has always been the money bag of the court, but now it has become a mess. They said they would turn fields into mulberry trees and increase the amount of silk and brocade for the weaving bureau, but now there is a flood, and perhaps, not even a loom has been moved. It can be seen that this person has a vicious mind and should be escorted to the capital, tried by the three departments, and investigated strictly."
Seeing that both of them had expressed their attitudes, the others kept silent. The Jiangnan strategy was proposed by the cabinet. Now that a big problem had arisen, how should it be changed?
This is the most important thing, but Lu Wenshan and Bian Zhengru cannot solve it. This is intriguing.
"Humph, that's easy to say. You've all read these memorials. Apart from the secret files and confessions, you know the rest. It involves a lot of people. It's a big case. Whether to investigate or not is up to you and me, the cabinet, and the palace. Just draft a bill. If you want to investigate, raise your hand. If you don't want to investigate, don't file a complaint."
After speaking, Lu Wenshan raised his hand first, followed by Bian Zhengru. The rest of the people were in a dilemma. After a while, Zhao Jingwu also raised his hand, followed by Song Zhen from the Ministry of Justice. This time, more than half of the people raised their hands. Gu Yichen's face turned cold and he added,
"That's a good idea. You didn't say it just now, but now you're talking about it again. Since the draft ticket needs to be checked, let's go to the palace to ask for instructions. Let's take this secret gate as well."
Everyone remained silent and followed Gu Yichen to the Yangxin Palace.
At this time in the Yangxin Palace,
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong looked coldly, and then looked at the bag of files in his hand, which were sent by the Imperial City Department. The words of officials from various departments and the details of the interrogation were all in it, especially the confession of Ma Guangcheng, the magistrate of Jinling, which looked like he was biting at the enemy.
"Dai Quan, has the Ministry of Internal Affairs ever bought land in Jiangbei? What about those mines from the previous dynasty?"
Dai Quan was obviously stunned when he asked this coldly. Thinking of the things in Jiangnan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not intervene much.
"Your Majesty, regarding the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Jiangnan, Xia Shouzhong of Changle Palace was in charge of delivering the message, and Yang Chi was in charge of the specific matters. I don't know about the purchase of land, but I also informed you of the opening of the jade mines. The jade that the emperor used for his cultivation a few days ago was also shipped from Jiangbei. I remember reporting this to Your Majesty, because unloading at Anhu Wharf would inevitably attract attention."
Dai Quan was shocked. How could the use of jade in Changle Palace be involved when the dikes in Jiangnan were destroyed and the fields were flooded? Could it be that these rumors in the capital were...
"Using jade, what kind of jade? How long would it take to mine jade for a whole ship? You don't know where the jade came from. Now someone has brought it up. Should we investigate or not? In addition, the stupid things done by the Weaving Bureau are all recorded in the files. This is how Yang Chi appreciates the emperor's grace."
Emperor Wu frowned and threw the files heavily on the imperial desk. If this matter is investigated, it will inevitably involve the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Changle Palace. Will it be an opportunity? Marquis Luo Yun is still too slow to return.
"Your Majesty, Yang Chi has always insisted on converting farmland into mulberry trees in Jiangnan. There may be some mistakes in the flood in Jiangnan, but he is dedicated to the court. Now, the counties in Jiangnan have begun to replant grain and mulberry trees. It is on the right track, and the disaster relief is also coming to an end. After all, there is some hard work involved. I hope the emperor will show mercy."
Dai Quan had no choice but to kneel down and beg for mercy. Yang Chi and his men were promoted by him. If anything happened to them, how could he escape?
"You old fellow, you are also negligent. The Jiangnan case still needs to be investigated. How to investigate? There must be a rule and a limit. We have investigated it secretly, but some places are still unclear. We need to re-examine it. Yang Chi also needs to be tried and questioned thoroughly. Don't interfere in the specific matters. Let the civil servant do it. I just need you to keep an eye on it."
Emperor Wu suddenly collected the files and put them back into the secret gate. He used candlelight to re-baked the wax in front of Dai Quan. When Dai Quan saw this, he knew that His Majesty had made up his mind. He kowtowed and stood up to help. The wax was rebaked and there was a seal, so he had to use the seal again. Then it was baked.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I know, but it involves the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Changle Palace, and Yang Chi,"
Your life is in the hands of the Emperor and His Majesty.
"He knows what to do. I also want to see how the case in Jiangnan should be tried. You should focus on the birthday banquet in the capital. When the three princes return to the capital, you need to encourage them. As for Shui Rong, Mu Shi, and Zhang Jinyu, they will not be rewarded for now. We will discuss it after the cabinet discusses it. And my brothers, since they have come to the capital, they must stay here honestly. Do you understand?"
Emperor Wu's eyes narrowed, with an unprecedented sharpness flashing from them. Perhaps, after enduring for so many years, the time had come and it was time to replace some of the imperial guards.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
Dai Quan felt a chill on his back, and sweat soaked his back. The emperor could take this step, so he must have prepared a perfect plan, or those vassal kings in the interior of the country really dared to "change the world" as the outside world rumored.
Then, Your Majesty, how do you plan to make a secret move? Thinking about what is in front of you, there is only the Jiangnan case on the imperial desk. Perhaps, Jiangnan has vaguely guessed something, but dare not speculate further.
It was at this time,
Xiao Yunzi, who was waiting outside the door, hurried inside and reported;
"Your Majesty, several cabinet officials have gathered outside the palace, saying that there is a case in Jiangnan to report."
As soon as the words fell,
In the imperial study room of the Yangxin Palace, Emperor Wu regained his composure, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
"noise."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yunzi stood up and walked out of the door. A moment later, several elders, carrying secret manuals and letters, entered the hall and shouted in unison,
"Your Majesty, I bow to you. Long live the emperor."
"Please stand up and give the elders a seat."
Emperor Wu waved his hand, and Dai Quan understood. A group of eunuchs came in from outside the hall, brought chairs, and placed them on both sides in the center of the hall. Gu Ge Lao and Lu Ge Lao sat on both sides. Before Gu Yichen sat down, he placed the secret decree and letter on the imperial desk and spoke first.
"Your Majesty, the three departments of Jinling City in Jiangnan, including the Inspector General, the Supervisory Censor, and the Imperial City Department, have sent the major case of dike destruction and farmland flooding in Jiangnan to the capital. All the files are in this secret gate. I think that the major case in Jiangnan involves many people, and the interrogation is too rough. It still needs careful consideration. As for the specifics, the cabinet dare not open it without authorization."
Taking a step back to advance, and forgetting about the cabinet's draft bill, how could Lu Wenshan not argue with this argument.
"Your Majesty, the cabinet has just drafted a bill requesting that the case in Nanjing, Jiangnan, be thoroughly investigated and the truth be revealed. Moreover, no matter who is involved, they must be questioned to the end. Among them is the magistrate of Chunyang, who has repeatedly appealed.
This person has submitted many memorials to the Cabinet, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and even the Supervisory Office. He has also been investigating a case with witnesses and evidence, so he should be the deputy judge. There is also a secret door on the emperor's case, which was sent by the King of East and the King of Chu. We have not opened it. It should be the case file and confession."
At this moment, Lu Wenshan explained clearly the cabinet's draft and the secret gate, and also praised the Chunyang County Magistrate for his actions. If this person is there, it is impossible to fool this case. It depends on how Gu Yichen and others deal with it. There is only one worry, that is, how deeply the Zhongshun Palace is involved.
If Prince Zhongshun intervenes, there will be changes.
"Oh, since the cabinet has drafted the bill, then check it out. Check it out carefully. Su Chong and Lan Jili have taken over, right? We need to see who is so bold this time. As for this secret gate, why don't you take a look?"
There was some inquiry in Emperor Wu's eyes. What was written here was nothing more than the testimony of Ma Guangcheng, the magistrate of Jinling, Hu Wenxuan, and the prefect Jia Yucun. As for the witnesses and evidence, it was only the case of dike destruction and farmland flooding. The other cases could not be related to the Jiangnan camp, so the key figures had not arrived yet.
Emperor Wu's question stumped all the ministers.
"Your Majesty, we dare not make a rash decision on the case!"
(End of this chapter)