Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

It was originally New Year's Eve, but white curtains were hung up in Wanfu, and a black coffin was placed in the hall.

Although many officials came to Wanfu to express their condolences, more officials turned to Liu Ji's mansion and to fawn over Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites who was rumored to be joining the cabinet.

After all, it’s time for people to leave, especially today is the New Year’s Eve, so those officials have no reason to come here to get bad luck and affect their career.

"Haha...God finally opened his eyes!"

"I heard that Wan An died under a woman's belly!"

"No matter how he died, this court finally has some hope!"

…

After hearing the news of Wan An's death, those so-called Qingliu people were not sad. Instead, they celebrated with joy, as if the year was coming.

After all, only the prime minister who can defend their interests is a wise minister. Anyone who harms their interests will always be a traitor with a long-lasting reputation.

Wan'an allowed the emperor to rectify the salt administration, clear out the land, rectify the finance, and frequently use weapons against foreign countries. It was already too much to list, and he should have been sent to the eighteenth level of hell long ago.

The sun did not rise today, and the sky looked gloomy.

Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

This majestic palace has been cleaned and decorated with lights and colorful decorations everywhere. The maids and eunuchs have put on new clothes and are preparing to welcome the upcoming New Year.

The floor heating in Dongnuan Pavilion is already running, and the air here is filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Zhu Youtang, who was wearing a dragon robe, stayed on the soft couch here after breakfast and was reading the congratulatory lists of officials from the two capitals, thirteen provinces and overseas.

He actually likes to celebrate the Spring Festival. He can put aside many affairs and all government affairs temporarily and enjoy a rare holiday.

Especially since there has been no news about his own heir so far, he needs to use this holiday to concentrate and work hard with his concubines to create a son and try to finalize the issue of the heir.

Due to the early vacation, my pleasant vacation officially kicked off. The woman last night was Fan Jinling, and tonight the queen will take care of her.

One is as passionate as fire, the other is as reserved as jade, but each has its own temptation.

Zhu Youtang had always been in a good mood, but it was a common phenomenon for extreme joy to lead to sadness, but it was like a bucket of cold water was suddenly poured on him.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Guo Yong looked at Zhu Youtang suddenly stunned and couldn't help but asked worriedly.

Liu Jin, who was standing next to him, had equally worried eyes. The news of the death of Wan An, the chief minister of the cabinet, had just come in. As a result, the emperor was unusually stunned on the spot.

died?

Although Zhu Youtang knew that Wan An was sick, he knew that this time it was just a cold syndrome, but he did not expect that things would develop in the worst direction.

The minister he relied on most, the chief minister who had always obeyed his words, passed away last night. Everything happened so suddenly.

Wan'an's reputation was not good in history, and even now it is criticized by the world.

It's just that no one has substantial evidence that Wan An is guilty of many evil deeds. It's more based on the speculations of some literati, who invented the image of a yes-man and even gave him the title of Mr. Paper Mushroom.

Regardless of Wan An or Liu Ji, both of them obtained the title of Jinshi through formal imperial examinations. After decades of experience in officialdom, how could they not be able to handle government affairs?

The reason why Wan An has a bad reputation is not that he has done many bad things, but that Wan An helped Xianzong and himself to infringe their interests.

It's just that he, a loyal minister, a chief minister who handled government affairs for him conscientiously, and a hard-working official who fully supported his reforms, suddenly left like this quietly.

"He, you bastard!"

Zhu Youtang knew the whole story and cursed secretly in his heart.

Although Wan'an's illness was an important reason for his death, He Qiaoxin's backbiting on the national debt dealt a fatal blow to the old chief minister who was bent on doing things.

"Your Majesty, this is the letter that Mr. Wange sent you before he died, and this box!" When Guo Yong saw Zhu Youtang's eyes moving, he immediately presented the things sent by the Wan family.

Zhu Youtang ignored the delicate box and opened the letter from Wan An to himself.

From these words, he clearly felt the old chief minister's loyalty and his desire to help him create a prosperous world. But no matter what, Wan An was no match for that old body.

He originally hoped that Wan'an could be the first assistant for another ten years, but this wish was destined to fail.

"Your Majesty, please show your condolences!" Liu Jin persuaded Zhu Youtang softly, knowing that Zhu Youtang was sad about Wan An's death.

Zhu Youtang sighed lightly, but made a decision: "Liu Jin, please make arrangements, I will leave the palace and go to Wanfu!"

"Your Majesty, today is New Year's Eve. It is not appropriate for you to go over to express condolences now. Please think twice!" Guo Yong suddenly became anxious and quickly knelt down to dissuade him.

Zhu Youtang realized that it was not appropriate for him to come here today, so he gently raised his hand: "In that case, then you can come to express my condolences on my behalf!"

"Yes!" Guo Yong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.

When Zhu Youtang saw Guo Yong leaving in a hurry, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Liu Jin, tell me, have I been too kind in my actions over the years?"

"Your Majesty is the Holy Lord and the Mingjun. No matter what decision he makes, he is extremely wise!" Liu Jin swallowed and flattered him against his will.

The emperor in front of him has never been a man of faith. After he ascended the throne, he only stayed dormant for a short period of time, and then he showed his butcher knife through the "Beijing-made rebellion".

From relatives to important ministers, to military generals, and then to the entire capital's dignitaries, almost every one of them was purged.

Although there has been a lot of calm this year, the emperor continues to crack down on corrupt officials through the Metropolitan Procuratorate. The emperor in front of him has nothing to do with kindness.

It's just that he didn't understand why the emperor would still say that he was too kind, considering that everyone outside had already given him the title of tyrant.

Zhu Youtang found that he was not ruthless enough, and said bitterly: "Then you tell me, knowing clearly that the national debt is a matter of my command, why do some people dare to go back on their word?"

Although it was too late to regret everything, some things still had to be investigated, especially that Wan An's death was closely related to He Qiaoxin.

This time, He Qiao's new boss was not only the aging chief minister Wan An, but also the imperial court who wanted to revitalize, and even more so, the emperor.

If you don't do your best when it comes to national debts, you will use the subscription of a national debt to prevent the smooth issuance of national debts. This kind of minister is the first-rate traitor.

Whether it was for the deceased Wan An or to maintain the authority of the court, He Qiaoxin had to pay a certain price.

"This He Qiaoxin dares to go back on his word and play with the chief minister of the dynasty. It is really abominable!" Liu Jin understood the emperor's meaning and expressed his position bitterly.

Although He Qiaoxin claimed to be suspicious of Wan'an's fake power, anyone with a brain understood that the emperor and the court wanted to issue national bonds, so they naturally needed a benchmark subscriber.

But who knew that He Qiaoxin would actually play such a trick, which would directly make it even more difficult to issue national bonds, and even make the current chief minister angry to death.

Zhu Youtang did not intend to deal with this matter again after the new year, and immediately gave the order with a gloomy face: "Summon Wang Yue to the palace immediately!"

It was almost noon, but the sky in Beijing was still gloomy.

If you are poor in the busy city, no one cares about you; if you are rich in the mountains, you have distant relatives. Even though it was already New Year's Eve, there was an endless stream of visitors from Yongfang during the hours, and many relatives also came to get together.

The He family is also very enthusiastic today. A group of distant relatives from Jiangxi came to the capital to spend the New Year with He Qiaoxin and his family.

He Qiaoxin is quite a blockbuster this time, and there are more visitors today than before.

During the reception, he held a wine glass and expressed his disdain to an honored guest: "They say the prime minister's stomach can support a boat. If I am really so angry that I vomit blood, I can only say that this prime minister is too virtuous to deserve the position!"

He knew that Wan An's reputation was very bad, and it was now widely rumored that he made Wan An so angry that he vomited blood and died. Although this was probably not true, it did him no harm at all.

Throughout the ages, many virtuous ministers who have gone down in history did not actually have to make any major contributions. Getting rid of a traitorous minister in the imperial court was also a remarkable achievement.

For example, Wang Zhen, the eunuch who was a treacherous and evil eunuch, was criticized by thousands of people. Fan Zhong was just a small guard in front of the emperor. He was famous in history for beating Wang Zhen to death. In the Meridian Gate Murder Case, Hu Ke, who took the lead in beating Ma Shun and three others to death, gained both fame and fortune from Wang Hong. Not only did he later become the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, but he also gained the reputation of "an old man with good reputation and virtue".

He is now "mad" at Wan An. This matter will definitely be written down in a big book. Not only will his name be left in the history, but now he has also gained a high reputation, and his official career may be able to reach a higher level.

Today is the highlight of life. Great scholars from the capital came to visit one after another, and now his friend Qiu Jun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, who is one of the leaders of Qingliu, also made a special visit.

"Brother Jiaoqiu, your reputation is so high now that I can't help but admire you!" Qiu Jun came to the door specially and said with a smile.

He and He Qiaoxin were both Jinshi in the fifth year of Jingtai. Although he was a proud man who entered the Imperial Academy, He Qiaoxin stayed in Beijing as the head of the Ministry of Rites. More importantly, He Qiaoxin's father was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Faced with such a background of the same year, it was naturally impossible for him to act like a Hanlin official. He had already forged a deep friendship with He Qiaoxin that year.

Now more than thirty years have passed, and this friendship has not been diluted by time, but has surpassed the friendship between myself and Xu Pu. Now He Qiaoxin has become a major contributor to getting rid of Wan An, so he also takes time to come over and reminisce about the past.

He Qiaoxin had already downed a few glasses of wine and wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and said proudly: "Brother Zhongshen, you have promoted me, how can I compare with you! However, Wan'an's corpse has been a vegetarian, and the government and the public have suffered for a long time. Now that he has passed away It’s really satisfying. As for whether this matter has anything to do with me, it’s no longer important!”

He knew that no matter how much he tried to shirk the blame, everyone in the world would take the credit for it.

It's just that he needs to think more long-term. Wan An is the emperor's favorite after all. He can't take the initiative to take credit now. It is the wisest thing to distance himself appropriately.

"Haha... Let's drink this cup together for the sake of Qingming Festival in the court!" Qiu Jun knew that He Qiaoxin was also a shrewd politician, so he continued to persuade him to drink.

He Qiaoxin had just finished his drink, and when he saw that the maid had already filled the glass with wine, he picked up the wine glass again and said, "I have no chance to enter the cabinet. I wish Brother Zhongshen can enter the cabinet as soon as possible to pay homage to the Prime Minister and put into practice what he has learned throughout his life!"

"Brother Qiu Qiu's good words!" Qiu Jun, although he did not receive the emperor's attention, naturally hoped to be able to enter the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister, so he thanked him immediately.

At this time, there was a commotion outside the courtyard gate.

The housekeeper and several nursing staff tried to stop the visitor, but the visitor looked menacing and broke in directly.

"You all, the Procuratorate, are becoming more and more wanton. Do you even dare to break into the residence of the Minister of Justice?" Qiu Jun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, had been grudged against the Procuratorate for a long time and scolded him with a straight face.

Although the Inspection Office of the Metropolitan Procuratorate has the power to supervise and investigate hundreds of officials, the traditional rules are only for officials below the fourth rank, such as the dignified Minister of the Ministry of Justice, who is the second rank.

It is indeed inappropriate to break into the residence of a dignified second-grade official now.

The person who led the team this time was Wang Yu, who showed an official letter with an expressionless face: "This is the highest investigation letter from the Metropolitan Procuratorate. It was sealed by the palace. I also asked He Shangshu to follow the humble post to the Investigation Department of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to accept it. investigation!"

"Investigation? I wonder why I need to be investigated by your procuratorate? Do you want to frame me as a collaborator with the enemy? Or is it treason?" He Qiaoxin put down the empty wine glass in his hand and asked with confidence.

As the saying goes, an upright person is not afraid of a crooked shadow. His wealth has been accumulated by his parents' generation, and his legal income over the years has also been very considerable.

Even if the Metropolitan Procuratorate wanted to target him, they would have to produce substantial evidence of guilt. With his current status and reputation, he didn't have to worry about deliberately making things difficult.

In the palace?

Qiu Jun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, turned to look at the rare top investigation order, and immediately smelled a smell of revenge from the emperor. It was probably the man in the palace who was furious and wanted to bring bad luck to He Qiaoxin.

It's just that He Qiaoxin has already matured, so how can he be easily caught?

If the emperor really wants to frame his important ministers, this approach will only chill the hearts of the people in the world, and no one will be able to use him even if he is the emperor.

Faced with He Qiaoxin's teasing, Wang Yu replied seriously: "This is an investigation about your acceptance of bribes. Please return to the Metropolitan Procuratorate with your humble position immediately. Now the highest investigation order is here. If you do not cooperate with this investigation If so, don’t blame me for being humble and rude!”

"Today is New Year's Eve, what do you mean?" He Qiaoxin knew the importance of this investigation order, which was to emphasize today's special day.

Wang Yu pointed at the sky at noon and immediately assured him: "As long as you cooperate with this investigation, you will be back from the Metropolitan Procuratorate in less than an hour!"

Although he has a heart to kill all the corrupt officials in the world, the highest investigation order he applied for this time is just an investigation, and taking He Qiaoxin back now is just for routine questioning.

At this point, he was not sure whether He Qiaoxin could be convicted.