The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Southern Jiangxi is actually the junction area of ​​the four provinces of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan. It has high mountains and ridges and belongs to the Wuling area. This is a mountain range running from northeast to southwest, straddling Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, this area was sparsely populated and filled with miasma, making it unsuitable for human habitation.

But by the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the situation had undergone earth-shaking changes.

After the mid-Ming Dynasty, land annexation became very serious, and many people lost their land. This led to people relying on loan sharks or moving to other places to live. When there was a bad harvest, people became refugees. Sometimes tens of thousands of people moved with their families and families.

The Southern Gansu region has more land and a smaller population. Refugees from the four provinces gradually migrated to live in the Southern Gansu region, which changed the situation of vast land and sparsely populated areas in the early Ming Dynasty. They gathered here to avoid corvee labor and became the main force in the development of the Southern Gansu region. Main force.

These refugees who migrated here went down the mountains to farm during the day and went up the mountains to work as thieves at night. Together with the indigenous ethnic minorities who had already lived in southern Jiangxi in the early days, the local security environment was quite chaotic. The government was struggling to deal with this area, but had little effect.

The common people evaded taxes, which greatly reduced the tax revenue. The refugees gathered here became local thieves, and unrest broke out from time to time.

Beginning in the Hongzhi period, in order to suppress the rebellion of the refugees in the southern Jiangxi region, the Ming court not only mobilized surrounding guards, but also invited Guangxi wolf soldiers to participate in the war. However, faced with the fact that the refugees on the borders of the four provinces responded to each other and assisted each other, they were unable to exterminate the thieves.

Here, the seeds of turmoil are hesitant like weeds, the fire cannot burn them out, and they are born again when the spring breeze blows.

For this reason, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty specially set up the position of governor of Southern Jiangxi, responsible for exterminating local thieves, controlling refugees, restoring local order, and changing the local banditry.

Since the establishment of Southern Gansu in the Ming Dynasty, the governors have been placed in charge to stabilize the local area. The most famous one is probably when Wang Yangming was the governor of Southern Gansu. He suppressed and used both governors and governors to attack the first criminals.

In order to restrain the people in the southern Jiangxi region, Wang Yangming established a "promise system" to restrain people's behavior.

They set up positions such as "Yue" and "Yue leader", met regularly to jointly deal with local issues, and established social studies and academies to educate local people, which promoted the development of the southern Jiangxi region.

Wang Yangming's approach set a template for those who came after him, and the situation in the southern Jiangxi region gradually changed and stabilized.

At the beginning of the establishment of the governor of Southern Gansu, "Ganzhou was the administrative seat, and it also took charge of the three prefectures of Nan'an, Ganzhou, and Jianchang, as well as Chao, Hui, and Nanxiong in Guangdong, Tingzhou in Fujian, and Chenzhou in Huguang."

Since then, the jurisdiction of this post has continued to increase and decrease, but it is still roughly centered on Ganzhou Prefecture and Nan'an Prefecture, and the other jurisdictions are managed under "concurrent jurisdiction".

In the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing's reign, Fujian's Ting and Zhang prefectures were placed under the jurisdiction of the governor of Southern Gansu, but they were both under the dual management of Southern Gansu and Fujian.

However, after all, the two prefectures of Ting and Zhang had been under the administration of Fujian for a long time, so when the Guangdong thieves caused trouble in Fujian, the governor of Fujian was the first to report it, which allowed the governor of Southern Jiangxi to escape the disaster.

The imperial court awarded Yu Dayou the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Gansu Province, which was actually the troops under the commander-in-chief of the Southern Gansu Governor. After all, these troops still had some combat power due to their long-term suppression of bandits, but they had been fighting independently for a long time and lacked a general to control them.

The arrival of Yu Dayou gave them a backbone, and they gained a lot in this battle to encircle and suppress Zhang Lian.

Nangan Shenwei City is a newly built acropolis located between the four counties of Xingning, Chengxiang, Anyuan and Wuping in Jiangxi Province. It is also the residence of the deputy general of Nangan Army, but today there are once again large armies gathered here to prepare for the expedition.

It is not surprising that Yu Dayou did not immediately dispatch reinforcements for such a major event as the fall of Xinghua Prefecture. In fact, when he received the transfer order, Xinghua Prefecture had already fallen.

The mountains are high and the roads are far away, even he is beyond his reach.

Moreover, after wiping out the Wushipu bandit nest, Yu Dayou dispersed his troops and planned to encircle and suppress the bandits such as Ye Huai, Li Wenbiao, Xie Yunzhang and others in the area under his jurisdiction.

After receiving the news of the fall of Xinghua Fucheng, he immediately issued a summons order and asked the governor of Southern Jiangxi to collect grain and grass, prepare clothes, armor and equipment. It took quite a while for the ministries to arrive at Xianwei City.

Today, the army has been assembled, and more than 6,000 soldiers will follow him to Fujian again.

Looking at the neatly arranged soldiers on the teaching field, Yu Dayou couldn't help but feel excited.

As a military commander, although he hopes for peace in the world, who doesn't want to make achievements.

For military generals, the only place where they compete for merit is the battlefield. Therefore, when he received the news of the fall of Xinghua Fucheng, Yu Dayou felt both regret and luck in his heart. It was really complicated and difficult to understand.

Standing on the high platform, Yu Dayou read loudly the troop deployment order from the Nanjing Ministry of War.

He read on the stage, and dozens of loud soldiers in the audience shouted loudly with him. The purpose was to let all the soldiers in the audience know the reason for their expedition, even though the news had actually started in the military camp a few days ago. spread.

Afterwards, under the leadership of Yu Dayou, the generals on the expedition followed and held a sacrificial ceremony. On the sacrificial platform, a flagpole decorated with ivory, a red military flag with a blue border and a red background, fluttered in the wind, with the sun and moon patterns embroidered in the flag.

The red flag heart with the blue flag edge corresponds to the wood making fire.

The tooth flag is used as a sacrificial flag during an expedition. "The Military Book says that the tooth flag is the general's banner. It is said that in ancient times, when the emperor came out, he built a big tooth flag and decorated it with ivory on the pole, so it is called the tooth flag."

"On the seventh day of the twelfth month of the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, the emperor sent a certain official to offer sacrifices to the mighty god of heaven, the god of fire and thunder, the invincible general. But the power of the god is brave and fierce, strong and powerful. Thunder can stop thunder and quench fire. Running towards the wind. Protecting the country and sheltering the people, his merits are outstanding. Calm down the fierce and violent, tranquilize and seal the territory. Contain the conquests, only rely on God. Drive the front and dispatch the disprosium, straight and wonderful. Thousands of hairs, thousands of hits, stacked and connected. Defeat the enemy. To achieve victory, it is like pulling decay. Nothing is invincible, nothing is invincible. God has stored up sharp Yuling spirit, and used it to respond. Sacrifice is specially made with animals. God enjoys it."

After Yu Dayou read out the blessings for the sacrifice, the generals behind him and the soldiers in the audience followed him and shouted in unison: "Nothing is indestructible, nothing is invincible."

"Nothing is invincible, no strength is invincible."

"Nothing is invincible, no strength is invincible."

Three consecutive blasts shook the heavens and the earth.

After the sacrifice was completed, some powerful soldiers walked towards the camp gate holding the fang flag high, followed by six thousand soldiers, marching out of Shenwei City towards Xinghua Prefecture.

On the same day, in the military camp outside Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Qi Jiguang followed Tan Lun and also held a ceremonial ceremony. Then four thousand troops went south to Fujian to suppress the Japanese.

"Crack, crackle, crackle."

As the New Year approaches, the streets of Beijing are packed with people and traffic, and the sounds of children setting off cannons can be heard from time to time in the alleys of private houses.

Wei Guangde sat in the carriage and closed his eyes to rest. In a few days, all the government offices would be sealed and they could rest for a while. The office would not gradually resume until the fifteenth day of the month.

By this time, due to the weather, the Tatars in the north did not come out much. In the past two months, they frequently violated the border, but they harassed the important towns on the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty. On the third and fifth days, urgent border border reports were sent to the capital. .

My ears have been filled with the noise from both sides of the street, merchants and customers haggling over prices, and the sound of children playing. Wei Guangde opened his eyes, reached out and gently opened the car curtain and looked out.

What catches the eye are the people walking on the street in small groups, including adults and children. You can tell at a glance that they are a family, out to buy New Year's goods.

It’s Chinese New Year and we want to be reunited.

Wei Guangde muttered something in his mouth.

After becoming an official, except for the year when I returned to Jiujiang Prefecture to get married, I also spent a reunion year with my parents at home. I haven't been back for many years.

It's okay for those whose hometown is near the capital, but officials who are far away from the capital have no chance to go home during the holidays.

The Ming Dynasty implemented a system of official transfer. After a scholar passed the imperial examination, even the officials who were sent abroad would avoid their hometown. If they were lucky, they would be assigned to serve in nearby provinces. This was considered very good.

What's more, they are still far apart, and it is difficult to go home several times in a lifetime.

go back home?

Wei Guangde knew that of course he couldn't go back. This year, my mother also arrived in the capital, and only my father, eldest brother and sister-in-law were there in Jiujiang Mansion.

It’s a good family, and I don’t know if I will get used to it when people are in two places to celebrate the New Year.

Wei Guangde was just thinking casually at the moment, mainly because he had a little hesitation in his heart.

Two days ago, Wei Guangde received a letter from Jiangxi, telling him a piece of news that was not officially reported, and Yan Shifan returned to Fenyi.

According to the results of the joint trial of the three divisions, Yan Shifan was sent to Leizhou, Guangdong, and was escorted south by officers sent by the Ministry of Punishment. Who would have thought that Yan Shifan did not go to Guangdong, but went directly to Jiangxi.

What's even more worrying is that the letter also said that after Yan Shifan returned to his hometown, he had no scruples and expanded his mansion to enjoy himself.

A criminal official can be so unscrupulous, but the local official Fenyi actually pretended to be deaf and dumb, pretending to be completely unaware.

Ordinarily, it is impossible for the local officials not to know about matters involving the Yan family.

Yan Shifan's final verdict was approved by Emperor Jiajing and was published in the Di Di newspaper.

But knowing that he knew it, Wei Guangde did not reveal the news to anyone in Prince Yu's palace.

After Yan Song's fall, he talked about Yan Shifan several times in the palace, and King Yu gritted his teeth. The gap between them was huge.

Of course Wei Guangde knew why King Yu was so dissatisfied with Yan Shifan. Thinking about how he withheld the annual gift from Prince Yu's palace, he forced Prince Yu to borrow money from him and bribe him to get his share. Don't you feel aggrieved?

After accepting the money from King Yu, Yan Shifan was not only not afraid at all, but also proud of himself, feeling proud that he could receive a bribe from the emperor's son.

Such news reached King Yu's ears, and it could be said that the remaining face of King Yu was trampled to the ground and rubbed hard.

After this incident, countless people sent him money one after another, just for the sake of their own prosperous career. King Yu's bribery was undoubtedly a sign of Yan Shifan's ability to collect money and do things.

No wonder it is rumored in the market that Yan Shifan once raved after drinking that "I am not as rich as the imperial court."

Officials knew whether the imperial court was rich or not, but ordinary people naturally had no idea.

But if you ask anyone casually, they will definitely tell you that the imperial treasury is filled with mountains of gold and silver.

Because what they know and hear is which month and day, how many tens of thousands of dollars the court allocated to someone, and how much money was given to someone for disaster relief.

In the eyes of the common people, Yan Shifan dared to say that he was richer than the imperial court, so one can imagine how wealthy he was and how great his "prestige" was in the marketplace.

Even today, the Yan family has fallen and Yan Shifan has been sent away. The topic of King Yu sending money to Yan Shifan a few years ago is still brought up from time to time.

Thinking of Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang Province who was escorted to Beijing today, Wei Guangde shook his head slightly.

From the time Hu Zongxian was impeached and arrested to the time he was escorted to Beijing, it took one and a half months, which can be said to be very fast.

I don’t know how Hu Zongxian will be dealt with by His Majesty?

Wei Guangde thought to himself.

He lowered the car curtain and continued to rest with his eyes closed, thinking about visiting Huang Guangsheng, the Minister of Punishment, at his house that evening.

This Huang Guangsheng, Wei Guangde had a relationship with him at the beginning. At that time, Yu Dayou had just established his career in Datong, and Huang Guangsheng was the appointed governor of Huguangchuan.

Unexpectedly, in just two years, Huang Guangsheng had been moved from the Governor-General to the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing, and a few months ago he had been moved to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Punishments.

Although the Xingbu has a low status among the six books, it is also one of the six ministers.

Of course, tonight's visit is not only a New Year's gift to Huang Shangshu on behalf of Prince Yu's Palace, but more importantly, it is to test Huang Guangsheng's attitude towards Hu Zongxian's case.

King Yu hated the Yan family deeply and naturally turned his anger on his members.

Hu Zongxian was the most powerful party member outside Yan Song when he was overthrown. Naturally, he was disliked by King Yu and wanted to get rid of him quickly.

At this moment, Wei Guangde felt the carriage shake, and then the rocking in the carriage stopped.

The carriage stopped, and Wei Guangde was curious.

At this moment, Li San's announcement came from outside the car curtain: "Sir, there is a servant in Prince Yu's Mansion blocking the way, saying that he has something important to say to the master."

Wei Guangde opened the car curtain and took a look. After seeing the person clearly, Wei Guangde said calmly: "Let him come up."

Soon, a green-robed chamberlain climbed onto the carriage. He was an eunuch named Liu Cheng under Li Fang, and he was also an old man who had followed Prince Yu from the palace.

"Eunuch Liu, what are you doing?"

After the visitor got on and sat down, and the carriage started slowly again, Wei Guangde asked.

"Sir Wei, Eunuch Li asked me to inform you that I just received news from the palace. The emperor said, 'Zong Xian is not a Song Party member. He is ordered to be released and dismissed from office.' I heard that the decree has been sent to Beizhen Fu. Si, he should be released soon."

After Liu Cheng sat firmly, he opened his mouth and answered.

"Let him go?"

Wei Guangde said in surprise.

"Let them go."

Liu Cheng replied.

"Zong Xian was escorted to Beijing today. How come your Majesty found out so quickly?"

In Wei Guangde's view, after Hu Zongxian was imprisoned, the Ministry of Punishment should have requested a review of the case. Could it be that just because the Jin Yiwei reported the matter to Xiyuan, Emperor Jiajing made the decision to release him?

If the case is not even tried and the person is released directly, then what is the point of escorting him all the way from Zhejiang to the capital?

"According to the news from the palace, the emperor seems to think that his merits outweigh his faults in the battlefield of suppressing Japanese invaders in the southeast. Moreover, he is the Minister of the Ministry of War and has the title of Crown Prince and Taibao. Such a pillar cannot be questioned in court."

Liu Cheng gave the answer immediately.

Wei Guangde also understood after hearing this. He was taken to the capital because he was guilty, but being guilty did not mean that the case would be tried.

Thinking about the Yan family, Yan Shifan was just called to court, while Yan Song went straight to work and went home without asking any questions.

The reason why the two are treated differently is because Yan Shifan is the left minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Wei Guangde understood that Emperor Jiajing made the decision just because of Jin Yiwei's report.