Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

"In this case, I sincerely request Your Majesty to end his trip to Hangzhou and return to Beijing!" Yin Zhi had already seen Dongfang Dao's ability and seriously advised him.

Zhu Youtang could feel Yin Zhi's loyalty to him, so he jokingly said: "Mr. Yin Ge, why are you so frightened?"

"Your Majesty is strategizing in the Forbidden City, and the veterans and others can implement it locally. In fact... you really shouldn't put yourself in danger!" Yin Zhi raised his head slightly and advised very sincerely.

Although he was already a veteran of three dynasties, after experiencing the ups and downs of officialdom, he realized that the Ming Dynasty had ushered in a truly wise king, and would also be a pioneering emperor who would bring prosperity to China.

Whether it was for the loyal belief in his heart or for the millions of people in the Ming Dynasty, he was unwilling to see the emperor take risks.

Zhu Youtang's eyes were equally firm, but he said sincerely: "Mr. Yin Ge, if you really know me, then there is no need to persuade me. If I don't come out this time, I will never be able to see clearly who is loyal and who is traitorous. Without knowing the true face of people's life in the Ming Dynasty, we can only live in the prosperous age painted by local officials! You have also served in local governments. I am afraid you have a lot of emotions this time in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, right?"

"I feel guilty. Although I tried my best to help your majesty manage Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the affairs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are indeed more complicated than when I came here. I also see that the situation is indeed different from what I thought before!" Yin Zhi thought of this year's events. Encountered, he couldn't help but nod his head gently.

Zhu Youtang looked at the veteran minister up and down, and saw something growing in Yin Zhi, and the integration of the Hanlin Academy with the local government became very necessary.

There was a bitter look on Yin Zhi's face, and he added: "I used to think that as long as the court enacted good policies, the people in the place would definitely become better and better, but the situation is actually very different! Let your officials be clean Like water, it is difficult to escape from officials, who are as slippery as oil. The officials below are all thinking about their own selfish interests!"

"Although I was in the temple, I had similar sentiments to Mr. Yin Ge. The reason why I banned silver was that I didn't want the Japanese and overseas barbarians to exchange the endless mountains of silver for Chinese food and commodities. But when this decree was issued to Jiangnan, In the end, you had to come down with Wangge Lao, and now I have to follow you!" Zhu Youtang nodded lightly, and then slowly said.

He knew that this was actually a problem from ancient times to the present, not to mention the current feudal dynasty, even if there were policies to benefit the people in later generations, they could not reach the people.

No matter how much the imperial court loves its people, it still has its own agenda.

Zhang Juzheng's decision on the whip method was actually very easy, but if he hadn't encountered the young Emperor Wanli, Zhang Juzheng might have become the second Liu Jin.

Even though Zhang Juzheng's reforms were obviously effective, he still couldn't escape the fate of being whipped to death.

It can be seen from this that the core of a political power is not a wise decision-making agency, but a powerful execution system.

Yin Zhi also understood that Zhu Youtang had been working steadily over the years, so he said with a little joy: "Your Majesty has been in power for more than five years. Now the place is filled with capable ministers and officials. This is a sign of the resurgence of the Ming Dynasty."

"I didn't know how the officials in the world were doing before, but this southern tour was still lower than expected. Ordinarily, with you and Wang Ge Lao in charge of Jiangnan, I don't need to worry too much about the government, but there are many complaints against the emperor on this journey south!" Zhu Youtang gently shook his head when he thought about what he had seen along the way.

Although in the eyes of many readers, things have turned upside down in one or two years, for officials of this era, they are only halfway through their term of office. It is actually unrealistic to expect a sudden qualitative change.

If it weren't for his southern tour this time, I'm afraid many local officials would still be muddle along, but they would not behave honestly.

Yin Zhi knew that there were still some imperfections in his administration of Zhejiang, so he said seriously: "This time there are people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang who have alarmed the Holy Master. The old minister is guilty!"

"I just received an imperial complaint. You don't have to evade it. Let's see why this suffering owner sued him!" The reason why Zhu Youtang walked slowly on this journey was actually because he had been sued. Impact.

Although local economic development is very important, justice cannot be left out, so we have actually dealt with some heart-wrenching cases along the way.

Although Wang Yue and Yin Zhi were both upright and trustworthy ministers, they could not cover everything. Even in the area where Song Cheng was in charge, there were complaints of grievances.

It was at noon, and the open space outside the palace gate was still sunny, but now it was shrouded in dark clouds.

Yang Jun, the governor of Zhejiang Province, was pacing anxiously in front of the door at this moment. The golden pheasant on the patch of the second-grade official robe looked majestic, but it could not hide his inner worries.

He was a Jinshi in the second year of Chenghua. He was first awarded the title of Dantu County Magistrate, and was promoted to the Supervisory Censor. He served in Guangdong and Tingzhang in Fujian, and was later transferred to Zhejiang as the Deputy and Supervisory Envoy. This year he is already the Zuo Buzheng Envoy. .

He is already at the age when he knows his destiny, and there is not much career left for him, and meeting the emperor is his only chance. Now he just hopes to stand on the last duty and leave a good impression on the emperor, then his life will be enough.

But the more this happened, the more anxious he became, and other officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang looked worried.

Among this group of officials, except for Qian Sen, the prefect of Hangzhou who was specially assigned to the place from the capital, other officials had never had the opportunity to pay homage to Long Yan.

Now that Emperor Hongzhi has come down from Beijing, Hangzhou is their last stop. This is both a privilege and a great pressure.

Yang Jun finally stopped, but asked a question: "His Majesty visited Hangzhou on his southern tour, how should we arrange His Majesty's itinerary?"

this……

The officials present couldn't help but look at each other, but they looked at Yang Jun in confusion.

"Master Fantai, didn't you decide this matter in advance? This trip will focus on the West Lake and arrange for your Majesty to visit Longjing Village, Fenghuang Ridge, Biluofeng and other historic sites!" Qian Sen, the prefect of Hangzhou, broke the awkward atmosphere and looked serious. replied.

Yang Jun was not an old fool, but he expressed concern and said: "Is your majesty really satisfied with our arrangement?"

"We ministers only need to be loyal to the monarch in our hearts and present the best side of Hangzhou to His Majesty this time. If His Majesty is really dissatisfied, we will accept the punishment together and do better in the future!" Qian Sen, the prefect of Hangzhou, assured him calmly. .

The officials present heard Qian Sen's remarks. Although they felt uneasy, they also knew that this was the best arrangement and they only hoped that His Majesty would be satisfied.

At this moment, Yang Jun was suddenly startled: "Why is he here?"

As soon as he caught his eye, he saw a young scholar in ragged clothes walking over with a palace attendant.

His clothes were already worn out and covered with patches and stains. His figure was thin and his shoulders were slightly stooped, as if he was bearing an unspeakable burden.

Although his face was thin and haggard, with high cheekbones and sunken eye sockets, his eyes were extremely bright, revealing a firm and persistent light.

He noticed the officials from Jiangsu and Zhejiang in front of the palace, but his eyes flashed with deep hatred, and his whole figure was particularly lonely and determined, like a lonely walker walking in the long river of history.

Some officials noticed the hostility of the other party, and now they were summoned by the emperor. They couldn't help but inquire immediately: "Who is this scholar?"

"If I identify him correctly, he should be the son of a handsome tea farmer!" An old official narrowed his eyes and made a judgment.

As soon as he finished speaking, the police officer next to him suddenly realized: "After you said so, isn't the scholar who just walked by the talented Shuai Jiamo!"

Jiangnan has produced talented people since ancient times, and Shuai Jiamo is one of them, especially in arithmetic, which is unrivaled. Even if it is a single-plank bridge that is fought over by thousands of troops, one can still obtain the title of scholar at the age of thirteen.

It's just that Jiangnan is rich in talented people, but it is also the cemetery where talented people die young. However, Shuai Jiamo has experienced the torture of life and has no longer been as graceful as the talented people in Jiangnan.

The flowers and trees in the palace were originally a very beautiful scenery, but in Shuai Jiamo's eyes, they seemed to have lost their color.

Following the eunuch to the imperial court, his shoulders trembled slightly, and crystal tears fell from the corners of his eyes, dripping silently on the ground. Recently, he only said two words filled with endless grievances: "Your Majesty!"

When Yin Zhi came in from Shuai Jiamo, he had been paying attention to the ragged young scholar. When he heard Shuai Jiamo call Hongzhi, he couldn't help but frown slightly.

Liu Jin glanced at Zhu Youtang, and then asked Shuai Jiamo in a deep voice: "Who are you? What grievances do you have?"

"The grassroots man is Shuai Jiamo, the son of Shuai Kuai of Longjing Village. Now he wants to seek justice for his father and is suing Zhejiang officials for official protection!" Shuai Jiamo raised his head, revealing a firm and resolute face.

Zhu Youtang took the paper and found that the writing on it was very good. He couldn't help but take a high look at the young scholar in front of him.

The cause of this case was actually related to the registration of land and unruly people that he had promulgated. With the implementation of the decree to clear land and land throughout the country, the registration of unruly people became a weapon against the wealthy gentry.

However, after the Qingzhang was deepened, the objects of Qingzhang were no longer limited to acres of land, but salt fields, orchards and tea mountains were gradually added to the list of measurements.

Shuai Jiamo's father is a tea farmer who owns hundreds of acres of tea mountains and is also a well-known expert in tea cultivation.

During the measurement process of the tea department, his hundreds of acres of tea mountains were defined as "hidden acres". Due to serious disputes between the two parties, he was listed on the list of unruly people.

If the unruly people were registered as ordinary tea farmers, it would actually be innocuous. However, it took several years for the Shuai family to produce a genius, a talented man who became famous in the south of the Yangtze River at a young age.

After many unsuccessful attempts, Shuai Kui hanged himself in anger.

Shuai Jiamo, who was in seclusion in Lingyin Temple to prepare for the provincial examination, returned after hearing the news. When he learned the whole story, he angrily filed a complaint against the tea department to vindicate his father.

The case went from the county government to the government government, and was also accepted by Qian Sen, the prefect of Hangzhou. As a result, the tea department was found not guilty, and the matter was brought to the prosecutor's office, and then to the governor's office of Yin Zhi.

Now it's a shame. Now the case is in the hands of the emperor, and the target of the lawsuit has shifted from the Tea Department to the entire Zhejiang officialdom.

Zhu Youtang understood the whole story and raised his head to look at the sufferer in front of him: "The whole country is cleared of abbots and unruly people. This is the new policy after I ascended the throne. This move is intended to protect the people and punish the evil gentry! Nowadays, all yamen are also in accordance with the imperial regulations. I'm on an errand, why do you want to sue Zhejiang officials?"

"Your Majesty went to clear out the land of the father-in-law and attacked the gentry's hiding of their own land. This move brought benefits to the people of the world. The students still think that the New Deal is beneficial to the country and the people. However, there are officials with malicious intentions in the local area who deliberately distort the court's scriptures, so the student's father was forced to die unjustly. Death. The student aggrieved his father, but the grievances cannot be cleared up, and the officials in Hangzhou officialdom protect each other. The student stopped Yu Jia today, not only to clear his father's grievances, but also to give peace to the millions of people in Zhejiang!"

Yin Zhi had already understood the case clearly, so he questioned: "Shuai Jiamo, you said that the measurement results were wrong, but the government that accepted the case has sent people to re-verify. Could it be that three groups of people made mistakes in succession?"

"Yes! No one can match the students' arithmetic in Nanjing Imperial College. All three groups of them made mistakes!" One of Shuai Jiamo's eyes was injured, and he looked at Yin Zhidao with determination.

Zhu Youtang glanced at Shuai Jiamo thoughtfully, then turned to look at Yin Zhi who was standing next to him: "Mr. Yin Ge, when the case comes to you, why don't you re-evaluate it?"

"When the old minister took over the case, he learned that the three previous yamen had cleared his father's land and all of them were hidden fields. He thought that Shuai Jiamo was so dedicated to overturning the case for his father because of his filial piety. Since it would take too many people to go to measure, he chose not to do it. Accept it without any intention of shielding!" Yin Zhi's eyes were very candid, and he also expressed his original judgment.

Liu Jin took a serious look at Yin Zhi, but she didn't know whether the other party was really being protected by officials, or whether he really refused to accept it for the above reasons.

Shuai Jiamo's eyes flashed with resentment, and he argued with Yin Zhi: "The student has been fond of arithmetic since he was a child, and he has also studied the book Geometry introduced by His Majesty. The area of ​​​​Chashan is already known in his mind. After the incident, the student repeatedly verified, It’s clear that the first three groups of people made a miscalculation, and you are the biggest culprit behind the protection of officials in Zhejiang!”

"Shuai Jiamo, I have never meant to protect you, and the reason is just like what I just said!" Yin Zhi was also really angry and immediately emphasized with a stern face.

Because the emperor is in front of him, Shuai Jiamo is no longer afraid of the elder: "As the governor of Zhejiang and the elder of the court, you should lead by example and be a capable minister. You said you don't have officials to protect you? The students guessed that you thought you were being treated by the imperial court. The appointed Magistrate of Hangzhou, Qian Sen, will not commit fraud, so he is unwilling to accept the case, believing that Magistrate Qian’s measurements must be correct!”

"There is indeed a reason for this. I also consulted the measurement results of the three yamen. You keep saying that the calculation is wrong, but do you want me to believe the first three groups of people, or do you want me to believe the one-sided words of you, the son of a suffering master?" Yin Zhiyi had a clear conscience, but he asked rhetorical questions.

Shuai Jiamo did not agree with Yin Zhi's remarks, and rebuked him: "Since you are an important minister that His Majesty relies on, and His Majesty has always praised 'empty talk harms the country, hard work rejuvenates the country', how can you ignore the grievances of the suffering people because of trouble? The sufferings of today’s students are caused by the fact that their father died unjustly, and they are also caused by the fact that the king loves the people but the officials bully them!”

Liu Jin discovered that there was actually nothing wrong with the positions of both parties, and couldn't help but turned to look at Zhu Youtang curiously. (End of chapter)