Wanli Youming

Chapter 266 Stimulating Reformist Officials and Cutting off the Money of Powerful Officials

Chapter 266 Stimulating Reformist Officials and Cutting off the Money of Powerful Officials

Qianqing Palace.

After nightfall, the new wind howls more and more intensely.

The fire in the warm pavilion is also more and more reflected, so that the chapters on the table are stacked thickly.

Zhu Yijun was not in a hurry to read the mountains of chapters, but went to the study, opened the drawer, and crossed out the note with the names of Zhang Sijiao and Qiu Xiao.

Because Zhu Yijun has received a secret report from Dongchang, the two have been arrested.

When Zhu Yijun crossed out the names of these two people, he couldn't help but raise his mouth slightly.

He has been letting Jin Yiwei keep an eye on these people who are his focus.

Therefore, Xu Jie became the ultimate mastermind behind the excavation of the Yuci tomb, and he did not let Jin Yiwei close the case, but asked the task force to continue to investigate the person behind the scenes who instigated people to criticize Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun has no other skills, but he is willing to spend money and chase after him. Relying on the rich family background that Zhang Juzheng has accumulated for him, he keeps throwing money for Jin Yiwei to step up investigation.

The arrest of Zhang Sijiao and Qiu Xiao also made Zhu Yijun feel that his money was not wasted.

Zhang Sijiao was targeted by Zhu Yijun naturally because he was Zhang Siwei's younger brother, and he was also a big salt merchant in Yangzhou, a representative of Shanxi merchants, and embezzled a lot of salt profits that belonged to the national patent.

If it is said that the Xu family and other smuggling gentry just did not want the imperial court to share the benefits, then Zhang Sijiao and these big salt merchants directly took food from the imperial court and embezzled the interests that belonged to the imperial court.

It can be said that the criminal nature of Zhang Sijiao and others is much more serious than that of the Xu family.

As for Qiu Xiao.

In history, together with Zhang Cheng, he was one of the imperial envoys who copied Zhang Juzheng's family property, and was the culprit who killed Zhang Juzheng's eldest son Zhang Jingxiu.

As someone who knew a lot of Ming history, Zhu Yijun naturally had his eye on this man.

Even if Zhu Yijun hadn't let Jin Yiwei keep an eye on this person, he wouldn't have found out the person Zhang Si sent to Huguang to criticize Zhang Juzheng.

"My lord! People have already brought it."

And at this moment, Zhang Jing's voice came from outside.

"understood!"

Zhu Yijun responded, put on a cloak, and walked out with a calm face.

When Zhu Yijun came out, Zhang Sijiao, Qiu Xiao, and Wang Guoguang were already kneeling in the hall.

"Give Wang Qing's family a seat!"

At this time, Zhu Yijun gave an order first, and then sat back.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wang Guoguang's eyes showed surprise, and he thanked him, then sat on a chair, and looked at Zhang Sijiao and Qiu Zhuo who were kneeling on the ground in a leisurely manner.

At this time, Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Sijiao: "Zhang Sijiao, do you know why I want to interrogate you myself?"

"Know!"

After Zhang Sijiao said something, he said: "Your Majesty wants to personally interrogate the late student because of my elder brother."

Zhu Yijun said: "If you answer truthfully, I will spare your life and not punish you as the chief criminal."

"Your Majesty is as benevolent as heaven, how dare Wansheng not answer truthfully."

"To tell the truth, Your Majesty, the matter of criticizing Grand Master Zhang was the mastermind of my brother, who made Wansheng do this!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Sijiao answered according to the result Zhu Yijun wanted most.

Zhu Yijun said: "Why did he do this?"

"Return to Your Majesty, my brother is actually very dissatisfied with the New Deal when the Grand Master was here!"

"And the reason why he has always chosen not to say anything, and even flattered the grand master on the surface, and even pretended that he is a reformist, is that he can be ranked as the chief assistant in the future, and then have the opportunity to abolish the New Deal!"

"And when my brother asked Wansheng to do this, it was when the Grand Master was going to implement the policy of government and gentry paying food and errands together. My brother had already reached the point where he couldn't bear it, and hoped that he could force the Grand Master to stop by manipulating public opinion! "

"At that time, he asked Wan Sheng to secretly instigate the scholars to criticize the grand master everywhere, and disclosed many scandals about the grand master, or people who were related to the grand master and could make a fuss. Including Rumors were spread that the grand master wanted to rebel, that the grand master was rich enough to rival the country, that the grand master framed the clan and royal relatives, and so on."

"Since ancient times, elder brothers have been like fathers, and later generations have to listen, so I did so."

"However, Wansheng didn't expect that people in Huguang would hate the Grand Master so much, to the point of digging up his ancestral grave."

"My brother is very happy because of this, and said that this is the result he wants to see."

Zhang Sijiao started talking at this time, and glanced at Zhu Yijun, seeing that he didn't show any anger, he regretted calling his brother so hateful for a moment.

"Don't tell me this!"

Moreover, Zhu Yijun suddenly shouted at Zhang Sijiao at this time, and continued to ask: "What else did you do?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Sijiao couldn't help but be more cautious, and hurriedly said: "My brother asked Wansheng to accept 30 taels of silver from the former Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, Qiu Xiao, and promised that he will be reinstated as a servant in the future, and will be responsible for copying the property of the Taishi."

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun looked at Qiu Xiao and said with a smile, "So you've already planned it."

Qiu Xiao hurriedly kowtowed to the ground: "Your Majesty, spare me!"

"Why are you so sure that I will copy Mr.'s house?"

Zhu Yijun asked.

Qiu Xiao cried: "The guilty minister is confused! Forgot that His Majesty is the Son of Benevolence!"

"You hate my husband that much?"

"Didn't you say that you are clean, why do you have so much money for Zhang Siwei?"

Zhu Yijun asked again.

Qiu Xiao said: "Returning to Your Majesty, the minister is also borrowing money, and the money borrowed from the dignitaries of the capital is only waiting for the grand master's family property to be repaid."

"Greatly behind this, there is still a debt that has already been incurred, waiting to be written off by copying the husband's house."

Zhu Yijun pretended to be surprised and said with a smile: "You guys know how to do business. I haven't revealed the intention of copying Mr.'s property. Even when Mr. was still there, you had already planned on his property and bonded it in advance. I said that you don’t understand the law of money, obviously I have underestimated you! You are all waiting for my husband to be liquidated, so you can divide the money, right? But I didn’t expect that what I copied was not my husband, but Xu Huating, let you It's a waste of time, right?"

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

"The minister is also confused. Because he hated the grand master for dismissing the minister and treating the officials and gentry harshly, he agreed to the current Yuanfu and the young people behind him."

"I also ask Your Majesty to be merciful and give me another chance. I will definitely not be with them."

Qiu Xiao cried and said.

"Where is the deed?"

Zhu Yijun asked.

Qiu Xiao said: "Hiding in Longkong Temple, under the watchful eye of the local abbot."

Here, Zhang Jing hurriedly gave Bai Yiqing, the official of the Jinyiwei Hall who was waiting outside, a wink.

Bai Yiqing understood and hurriedly withdrew.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Sijiao again: "What other shameful things have you done?"

"My brother forced his ministers to collude with Li Rubin, the deputy commander-in-chief of Ningxia, to sell smuggled salt to the northern captives, and to ruin the dynasty's plan to control the northern captives through border trade. Thousands of salts were used to attract troops so that they could gather troops to threaten the safety of the dynasty."

Zhang Sijiao didn't expect that the emperor would not stop here, so he continued to confess, but said that everything he did was the mastermind of his brother Zhang Siwei.

Because he knew that the emperor's arrest of him was definitely not aimed at him, a small juren, so he spoke in the way the emperor liked to hear.

Zhu Yijun nodded after hearing this.

At this moment, Wang Guoguang stood up: "Your Majesty, this giant beetle that is a disaster for the country, should be punished!"

Zhu Yijun told Zhang Jing: "Take Zhang Sijiao and Qiu Xiao down first!"

Then, Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Guoguang: "Did you hear it? They have already set the table, and they are waiting for Mr. I to settle the case, so that they can enjoy this big meal for my family."

Zhu Yijun said, "Let Zhang Jingxiu, Zhang Maoxiu, and Zhang Yunxiu in too!"

Not long after, Zhang Jingxiu, Zhang Maoxiu, and Zhang Yunxiu also came in and greeted Zhu Yijun.

Zhu Yijun also looked at them and asked, "Have you all heard that too?"

All three nodded.

Zhu Yijun continued: "So, if I keep my husband now, I will undoubtedly cut off the wealth of many people. I don't know if there are any royal relatives or relatives. But I think there must be, after all, there has never been a lack of money since ancient times. A greedy man."

"It's just that I don't know how big their appetite is now?"

"Are you only going to eat Mr.'s family, or eat your Wang Guoguang and even Fang Fengshi, Zhang Xueyan, Pan Jixun, Zeng Xingwu, Wang Zuan and other families into your stomach!"

Zhu Yijun then spoke again.

"His Majesty!"

Zhang Jingxiu knelt down first, clenched his fists, and said solemnly: "I am willing to die to protect the country and the family!"

Seeing this, Zhang Maoxiu and Zhang Yunxiu also knelt down: "The ministers are the same!"

Wang Guoguang glanced at the three brothers, thinking that they were younger after all, and couldn't help the emperor's agitation, and then he had to kneel down:

"What your majesty said is true! Right now, the ministers have no way out, and you can't let your majesty protect the grand master's family alone!"

(End of this chapter)