Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"Why are you arresting people?"

In the Yangzhou government office, Wang Yuanshan was shocked and angry when he saw the Jinyi guards rushing in. The guards outside the courtyard tried to resist but were killed on the spot.

Zhao Haichuan wiped the bloody Xiuchun knife with a handkerchief, raised his chin and pointed at the body lying on the ground, and said, "Well, isn't this all evidence!"

Obviously, the translation of Zhao Haichuan's words means that Jin Yiwei arrests people without evidence.

Zhao Haichuan looked at Li Heng who was being escorted over and said, "Is he the one behind the scenes?"

"Exactly!"

Yan Ding, who was being escorted by Jin Yiwei beside him, quickly bowed and replied: "This is the person who gave us money and asked us to murder the imperial envoy."

Li Heng said angrily: "You are talking nonsense! I don't know you at all, and I am a stranger to you. How could I instruct you to murder the imperial envoy?"

A flash of surprise flashed through Wang Yuanshan's heart. Could it be that it was really Li Heng who committed the crime?

It has to be said that at this moment, he had this idea.

However, the next moment, Wang Yuanshan knew that this was probably Jin Yiwei's excuse.

"Have you never been alive?"

There was a coldness in the corner of Zhao Haichuan's mouth: "Then what is the explanation for what you just said? If you are a stranger, you can instigate him to murder the imperial envoy?"

I just like it when I use strong words and you can't do anything to me.

Zhao Haichuan looked at Wang Yuanshan again, frowned and said: "I heard that you are the newly promoted Zuo Shenzheng of the Huanghuai Chief Envoy Department. I thought you were a highly respected moral gentleman, but I never expected that you are actually a man who talks a lot and has a sword. That's all, come on. Man, take this man down as well.”

"presumptuous!"

Wang Yuanshan's face was as dark as water, and he shouted sternly: "You are so bold and reckless. You are really tired of life. Do you think that the third-rank officials from the imperial court can be taken by you at your request?"

Zhao Haichuan turned the blade of his knife, pointed it at Wang Yuanshan, and sneered: "Participating in the assassination of the imperial envoy, you should be killed according to the law. Now I spare your life just to take it, for the sake of your scarlet robe, but I, the Jin Yiwei, But I have never heard of any law that stipulates that criminals cannot be arrested."

"Furthermore, it is His Majesty the Emperor's decree that Jin Yiwei arrest you!"

"Where is the imperial edict?"

Wang Yuanshan said: "Why did your Majesty ask you to arrest me?"

"hey-hey……"

Zhao Haichuan raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said solemnly: "I will let you know about this later."

Wang Yuanshan's expression was gloomy and uncertain, and the few remaining guards around him drew their swords to protect their master.

Zhao Haichuan was too lazy to talk nonsense with him and said to the Jin Yiwei beside him: "Come together and capture them for me. If there is any obstacle, I will kill them without mercy."

The guards who were fed with money were loyal. However, these guards were no match for the large number of Jin Yiwei. In a matter of seconds, they were chopped down to the ground, and the whole courtyard was wailing.

In a moment, Wang Yuanshan and Li Heng were tied up and taken away.

Two people outside the government office witnessed this scene with their own eyes and were so shocked that they lost their minds.

"Brother Yang, do you want to report General Zhang and ask him to come?" One of them asked the other in a low voice at this time.

These two people are Wang Yuanshan's personal staff. Because they were delayed on the road, they just entered the city today, and they have no official status, so they were not detained together. As for staff, although there was no Shaoxing master at this time, senior officials It is very common to follow the example of the previous dynasty to recruit some of their own talents and hide them in their pockets.

General Zhang is a leading figure in water transportation. He has good relations with Wang Yuanshan and is also quite influential in Lianghuai.

"no!"

The staff member surnamed Yang shook his head and said: "This matter is a matter for the imperial court. Even if we bring it to General Zhang, he will not help because there is a difference between civil and military affairs, and it will not be beneficial to us!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Wait for now. It's getting late today. If you leave the city in a hurry to arouse suspicion, why don't you stay in the city inn all night, wait until dawn tomorrow, dress up as a scholar, then go out of the city, and then go to the Chief Envoy's Department to report to the Chief Envoy and the Governor. Lord Transporter."

——————

At the same time, the ferry outside Yangzhou City.

"Old Liu, don't forget."

A man stood on the shore, waving goodbye to the wealthy businessman in the boat.

"I can't forget it!" Liu Fuchun responded, leaning against the side of the ship and clasping his fists.

This time Liu Fuchun was entrusted by Xie Jin to go north to Huai'an Prefecture with a mission, and the fleet connected end to end was purchased by Li Zengzhi for Liu Fuchun. It was full of goods, but the ones used were not from Cao Guogong's Mansion. name.

Liu Fuchun then boarded the bow of the boat, sat down, and watched the boatman paddle the boat slowly away from the shore.

Yangzhou Prefecture is not far from Huai'an Prefecture in a straight line, but the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is really blocked, and it is also affected by the Yellow River diverting the Huaihe River into the sea. Part of the river is so siltated that it can only be pulled across by trackers. , so Liu Fuchun floated on it for three days before arriving at Huai'an Prefecture.

Although it was a bit bumpy, he was still full of energy after eating well and sleeping well.

After arriving at the Huai'an Prefecture Pier, Liu Fuchun did not choose to go directly to an inn or a business store for accommodation. As for the inn, it was even more impossible, because only a certificate from the government could be used to live here, and ordinary people could not break in. He asked the fleet to unload the cargo to a temporary storage facility. In the warehouse, he rented a carriage on the dock and drove to the Lianghuaidu to transfer salt to the Yamen Office.

In fact, when Lao Zhu founded the country in Hongwu, he first established the Lianghuai Capital Salt Envoy Department. Later, as Lao Zhu's ruling area and control expanded, the Dudu Salt Envoy Department system was quickly extended to Zhejiang, Zhejiang, and Zhejiang. Changlu, Shandong, Fujian and Hedong.

According to the "History of the Ming Dynasty" recorded in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, the official structure of the Duyuan Salt Envoy Department is that there is one Duyuan Envoy, from the third rank; one Tongzhi, from the fourth rank; one deputy envoy, from the fifth rank; there is no fixed number of judges, from the sixth rank; It belongs to the Experience Department, with one experienced person, starting from the seventh rank; one governor, starting from the eighth rank; one ambassador and one deputy envoy from the Treasury; ambassadors and deputy envoys from the salt department under their jurisdiction; ambassadors and deputy envoys from each salt warehouse, each for approval None of the ambassadors or deputy envoys entered the mainstream.

Therefore, the level of the Duzhuan Salt Envoy Department is quite high, which leads to the fact that from the beginning of the management model, "the Duzhuan Envoy is in charge of matters and listens to the Ministry of Household Affairs." The Duzhuan Salt Envoy Department seems to be It was under the control of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but in fact it had never been the case. By the middle and late Hongwu Dynasty, it even disappeared in this name.

At the local level, although the grade of the salt transfer envoys' yamen in various places is slightly lower than that of the "three divisions" of the chief envoys, the commander's envoys, and the inspector's envoys, they can still compete with them, forming the "four divisions". "Standing side by side, each has its own professional structure.

This can also be seen in the internal writing of the imperial court. The "Xingyi Style" in the "Hongwu Etiquette" compiled in the middle and late Hongwu Dynasty stipulates: "Each salt transportation department applies for six departments and submits them to the chief secretary, Pingguan and Chasi. The third-grade yamen, so the ultimatum is given to each government, and it is posted to the lower states and counties."

The status of the Department of Transportation and Salt Envoy is slightly lower than that of the Third Department, but it is obviously much higher than that of the government.

In the two Huaihe Rivers, where salt production accounts for half of the world's salt production, the Salt Envoy Department is even more authoritative. As the saying goes, "National wealth must not be more important than salt, and salt must not be abundant in the Huaihe River. The divisions of the Huaihe River are endless. We must choose those who are honest, capable, and diligent in studying theory." In addition to the high requirements for the chief officer, the staff configuration is also high. The salt transfer department in the Huaihe River is equipped with scribes, dianshi, dianli, Chengfa, and salt warehouse Zandian. There are many other positions to assist in office work, with a total of eighty-one staff members.

What Liu Fuchun wanted to visit today was the history and officials of the Salt Transfer Department in the Huaihe and Huaidu capitals.

Although these two names are very similar, they are not the same thing at all. Dianshi is a serious official who is selected by the Ministry of Personnel and appointed by the emperor. Although he is "not in the mainstream" in terms of grade, he is still an official and is responsible for public security; Dianli is an official. Generally speaking, he is the person in charge of a certain aspect of the yamen. In the county, he is the person in charge of the "six Cao" (officials, li, households, soldiers, punishments, and workers). He is a local high-ranking subordinate.

As for Xie Jin’s plan.

Well, Jie Jin has never been a Riddler. In terms of talent, he is indeed very powerful, but in terms of playing tricks, he has never been able to figure it out in the temple in these years.

To put it bluntly, there was nothing clever about his plan.

A person who is capable of stabbing himself in the head just because he is an imperial envoy, what kind of clever tricks do you expect him to come up with?

What's more, although Liu Fuchun is a well-established local businessman in Yangzhou, and although no one knows about his relationship with Jiang Xinghuo (he was called upstairs alone during the auction and did not attract anyone's attention), you expect him to be a businessman from out of town. , it is too unrealistic to be able to break into the local business gang and do something with a batch of goods in a short period of time.

Therefore, Xie Jin ordered Liu Fuchun to pay bribes this time, which was the same as his idea of ​​finding someone to stab him.

Since there is no reason to arrest you, can I just create a reason? As for whether this reason is false or not, it doesn't matter, as long as the Jin Yiwei and the Metropolitan Procuratorate can arrest people.

This is a trap.

Compared with the size of the other yamen offices of the Lianghuaidu Salt Envoy Department, it can only be said that they are not on the same level at all.

Although Liu Fuchun had seen a lot, he was still basically disoriented when he was led in. Under the guidance of a low-level clerk, he came to the front of a room and saw two men sitting behind the desk inside.

One is wearing official clothes and looks a bit elegant; the other is wearing official uniform, is slightly older, has a short beard and looks more majestic.

"I have seen two adults. Young Liu Fuchun is doing business from Yangzhou. He has some salt in his hands and wants to bring some salt. He also has a batch of goods that he wants to sell in Huai'an Prefecture."

After hearing this, both of them became interested.

If you just want to pick up the salt with a salt guide, then of course it is business and you can just go back and wait for news.

To put it harshly, there are so many people who want to raise their eyebrows. Who do you think you are?

But since Liu Fuchun is a businessman from Yangzhou, he must know the rules, and he specifically mentioned the goods, which is interesting.

Liu Fuchun stepped forward and bowed and said: "Here is the cargo list. Please take a look at it, sir!"

The somewhat dignified Dianshi stretched out his hands to take the cargo list, read it carefully, handed it to the clerk beside him, then raised his head and asked, "Where do these goods come from?"

"Sir, I bought the small one at the warehouse in Hangzhou!"

Liu Fuchun responded without hesitation: "At the beginning, I also considered that the price here was high, so I decided to purchase a batch."

"Do you know why the prices here are so high?" the clerk asked, looking at the bill of goods.

"this"

Liu Fuchun was a little embarrassed. It was not because the Lianghuai Saltworks was shut down that the prices of private daily necessities also began to rise.

But can this be said?

Seeing that Liu Fuchun understood the importance, the two of them were quite satisfied.

Some dignified Dianshi nodded and said, "Look at this inventory, have you purchased any sea fish? Have you added anything else to the fish?"

In the world of martial arts, salted fish is basically synonymous with selling private salt.

You said you were transporting fish? This girl is just salt covered with a layer of fish skin, right?

"Your Majesty, after purchasing the goods, all the goods are inspected in Hangzhou Prefecture, and a special person is hired to guard the goods, so there will be no mistakes!" Liu Fuchun respectfully answered.

He made it very clear that he had not touched it at all, and he had not added any "seasonings". He was simply transporting some sea fish.

Huai'an Prefecture is close to the sea, but most of it is inland. There are not many parts close to the sea. The people mainly eat river fish, and the fish in the Huanghuai area are indeed very different from the sea fish in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

"Oh, that's good!" The dignified man nodded, then turned to look at the elegant man and asked, "What do the officials think?"

"I'm afraid what this businessman said is the truth!"

The elegant man nodded and said, "It's just that there is a rule here. If you want to test the salt and extract it, you must provide..."

"Young man, I understand! This is not a problem!" Liu Fuchun said without hesitation.

Of course Liu Fuchun knew what the other party meant, but immediately a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

"but."

Before the two of them could ask, Liu Fuchun complained directly: "No one dares to buy this product. I wonder if you two adults can help with the matchmaking?"

Although there are actually rules within the Lianghuai Province Salt Transport Department, it doesn't matter how the salt affairs are handled, but it is best not to interfere with local business, but this is obviously a bit harsh for the officials below, like them at the grassroots level, It’s still very cheap, and it’s still profitable now, so I don’t bother to worry about it so much.

"good!"

The majestic man nodded and said: "I can ask a few colleagues to ask, but I have to be more cautious and don't leak the news!"

"Don't worry, adults! Save the little ones."

Liu Fuchun quickly nodded in agreement. In fact, he also knew that his previous actions had touched the taboo part, but there was no way. Who could let this be a death order given to him by Jie Jin?

He can't reach the big shots, but by creating a pretext, Xie Jin can start from a young age, and he can naturally follow the clues and uproot them.

This path is completely opposite to the route taken by the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate before.

These censors stared at the middle and high-level officials of the Salt Transport Department of the Huaihe River and Huaihe Rivers, and arrested a few of them. However, these officials, for the sake of their wives, children, and children, did not dare to recruit partisans on a large scale. After all, in the salt affairs, The interests involved are so great that they all know that if they talk nonsense, the whole family will suffer bad luck, but if they resist to the end, their parents, wife and children will be saved, and they may not be beheaded.

However, this was not the first time that the two of them had done this, so they had no doubt whether this was a setup.

"Okay, I'm going to look for someone now. Please wait patiently here for the time being." The majestic man pondered for a moment and then explained to Liu Fuchun.

It's not about searching for people, it's just about dividing the spoils evenly.

The supplies in the Lianghuai market have been controlled. If you want to sell goods, you can only go to those few companies, and the officials who handle them naturally have to share the profits. In this way, you have made a lot of hard work from afar. The goods shipped by the commercial tax can't be sold at a high price. It's good if the general ledger doesn't lose money. However, Liu Fuchun's trip is obviously not to make money, so he doesn't feel bad at all.

But there are still necessary performances. Liu Fuchun grimaced slightly and said hurriedly: "Yes."

——————

Liu Fuchun was busy taking the lower-level route. Not far away, in the Lianghuaidu Salt Transfer Envoy Si Houya, Dudu Transfer Envoy Shi Youmin had just received news from Wang Yuanshan's staff.

At the end of the Hongwu Dynasty, Shi Youmin, the county magistrate of Pingjiang County, was promoted by Lao Zhu to be the deputy envoy of the Salt Transport Department of the Huaihe and Huaidu capitals because of his "diligence in handling affairs and integrity". In the Jianwen Dynasty, he was naturally promoted to the transfer envoy of the capital.

After seeing off his two staff and asking them to continue heading west and report to the Chief Envoy at Fengyang Mansion in Zhongdu (the headquarters of the Huanghuai Chief Envoy), Shi Youmin showed no signs of panic.

At this time, Shi Youmin was lying on the couch, drinking tea and eating snacks with a leisurely expression.

Shi Youmin's wives, concubines, and children were all accompanying him in the yard.

At this time, a servant quickly walked into the yard and reported to Shi Youmin: "Master, I just received news that a Yangzhou businessman named Liu Fuchun just came to exchange for salt, and he also brought a large amount of goods and marine fish. Except for sea fish, they are all daily necessities. I guess I have the news, but I don’t know the way yet.”

"Oh, I see."

Shi Youmin calmly ordered, "Keep staring at him. If there is anything unusual, report it to me immediately."

"As commanded."

The servant heard the words and responded, then exited the courtyard and left quietly.

"You should all disperse, why are you hanging around here?"

After everyone retreated, leaving only his wife and only son, Shi Youmin got up from the couch and walked into the room. Shi Youmin suddenly sighed, slowly shook his head and said, "Wang Yuanshan, you are kicking the iron plate."

"Dad, Chen Ying, who has just been sent away from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, this new imperial envoy is obviously here for you. Do you really not care about Wang Shenzhen being detained?" Shi Youmin's son asked softly.

"Alas~"

Shi Youmin let out a long breath and said with a wry smile: "How can I care about so much as a father! Wang Yuanshan is from the third grade, and I am also from the third grade. If he is detained, won't I be detained the next day?"

Why isn't he tired?

Ever since he became the deputy envoy of the capital in the Hongwu Dynasty, except for annual festivals, he spent almost every day in the salt field, handling various tedious official duties every day, and almost never slept a wink.

And when he becomes the transfer envoy of the capital, he will have to be responsible for everything in the yamen, as well as the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the salt and stove workers, as well as dealing with businessmen. These are tasks that consume extremely brain cells. If it were replaced by an ordinary person, he would probably be responsible for it early. I was exhausted. The reason why Shi Youmin has been able to persist until now is not only that he is really dedicated, but also has another important reason, that is. This position is indeed very profitable.

After hearing this, the son immediately felt his father's helplessness.

Nowadays, the changes in the imperial court have been too great. My father suddenly rose from a small official position. Although he has been honing his skills in the two Huaidu salt envoys for nearly ten years, he will only be able to secure his position. What a network of people he has. It’s out of the question.

In fact, if Shi Youmin really has the ability and connections, it is not because he was promoted to this position by Lao Zhu. What Lao Zhu liked at the beginning was that he was diligent, willing to serve, and honest, so he chose him for this vacant job. Gave it to him.

"Husband, since we can't help with this matter, let's just leave it alone."

The lady sitting next to her in front of the dressing table is an old lady, but her skin is well maintained and her skin is smooth and fair. She pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Now we have to prepare for the move in full swing. We can't delay this for too long."

Shi Youmin sighed softly and said: "Hey, you are right. Move your things out first and move them back to your hometown. Sooner or later, the two Huaihe River Salt Transport Department will change owners. We are just prepared."

"Others are fine, I'm just a little reluctant to part with it." Shi Youmin sighed again and said quietly.

Compared with other high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty, Shi Youmin's current life is already very prosperous. It can be said that he is well clothed and well-fed, and he enjoys extreme happiness.

When the lady saw Shi Youmin acting like this, she couldn't help but comfort her: "Even if you keep the money, can you change the current situation? It's better to take the opportunity to get rid of the money and continue to be an official in another place."

Shi Youmin smiled bitterly and thought to herself: "At this time of crisis, even if I am willing to offer money, others may not be willing to accept it, right?"

But he couldn't say this to his wife and children. Shi Youmin sighed, nodded, and said: "I am already working on the relationship between the DPRK and China."

"That's good! That's good! But husband, don't let others take advantage of you."

The lady's heart dropped halfway, and then she reminded her again.

After hearing this, Shi Youmin had a solemn look on his face and nodded gently.

"I've heard that I heard," the lady paused, seeming to hesitate.

But Shi Youmin waved his hand and interrupted: "If you have something to say, just tell me. Don't hesitate."

The lady took a deep breath and then continued: "The Chief Envoy has already sent people to the court to meet with the Imperial Master. It is said that he came from Huang Huai."

"Haha. Then he is destined to be disappointed."

Shi Youmin couldn't help but smile, and then calmly ordered: "Don't get involved in this matter yet, I will handle it myself."

In Shi Youmin's opinion, trying to find Jiang Xinghuo through Huang Huai was tantamount to wishful thinking.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the people in the cabinet are following the eldest prince. Isn't this a sudden illness and indiscriminate medical treatment?

However, at this time, Shi Youmin looked calm and calm on the outside, but he was also a little anxious on the inside.

Since he has assumed the position of the capital's transport envoy, he has to consider all aspects. Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance for some things, he has to give it a try.

After all, he doesn't have much choice now.

After hearing this, the wife showed joy on her face. She quickly stood up from the dressing table, walked over and held her husband's arm, and whispered: "That's good. As long as you are willing, Master, I believe those people will definitely let go." of!"

"I hope so." Shi Youmin stroked his wife's hair and murmured.

At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps, and then a maid was seen bringing in steaming ginseng tea.

The lady took the soup bowl and blew it before handing it to him.

"It's a great tonic, you should take a sip too!"

After Shi Youmin took a sip, he reached out and shook his wife's bare hand and said with a smile.

The lady nodded slightly, then took a few sips of the ginseng soup, then raised her head and asked, "Master, prices in Huai'an Prefecture have skyrocketed during this period, will there be a big mess?"

"I've sent people to keep an eye on it, but there's no news for the time being."

Shi Youmin pondered for a moment but shook his head cautiously and replied: "And this is a matter for the Huai'an magistrate, and has nothing to do with the salt transfer envoy Si Yamen."

Shi Youmin was not a dull person and knew that he was in big trouble this time.

Salt tax is the lifeblood of the country's finances, second only to land tax. No emperor is willing to let others get involved in this thing.

At this moment, a servant came to report and said through the door.

"Master, Mr. Yang Mansion would like to see you."

Shi Youmin frowned slightly: "Yang Gu? Why is he coming to me now? Has he also received the news? That shouldn't be the case. No one led by Li Heng should have escaped."