The heavens start with letting the bullets fly

Chapter 504 A Heavy Slap
Wenyuan Pavilion, the imperial palace in the capital.

This is the center of power in the world. The most powerful people in the Zhou Empire stay here. The major policies of the four capitals and eighteen provinces are decided here. Those who can stand here are all the best in the world, with a look and a look. Small changes will be analyzed and judged.

Emperor Xiaode sat in the middle, and the confidant eunuch Dai Quan behind him stood with his head bowed like a wooden sculpture, as if he never existed.

Because of the lessons learned from Wang Zhen, Liu Jin, Wei Zhongxian and others in the previous dynasty, the eunuchs of the Great Zhou Dynasty had no possibility of getting involved in political affairs, so even if they were arrogant outside, Dai Quan could only be a wooden man in this Wenyuan Pavilion.

At the bottom, there stood the three princes, Prince Yizhong, Prince Zhongyi, and Prince Zhongshun, as well as the prime ministers of the cabinet, ministers of various ministries, and Du Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

Everyone is discussing major national policies.

"Eros Eastern Governor Korolev led his troops to attack the Zhungeer area in the northwest of our country. The local defender Yue Zhongqi is fighting bravely. I believe there will be good news in the near future."

"The two chief hosts in Gaoyuan are at odds, please mediate from the imperial court."

"There are signs of an alliance between the Anise Kingdom and the Siam Kingdom. My southwestern border seems to be unstable..."

"An earthquake occurred in Sichuan Province..."

"The Haihe Water Conservancy Project has started..."

Following the important affairs of the generals in the ministers, Emperor Xiaode discussed with the three kings and elders of Wuge one by one on these important matters, and made a decision. , Wenyuan Pavilion immediately quieted down.

Emperor Xiaode looked at Ma Huan, Minister of the Household Department, and asked:

"Is there enough money and food in the treasury?"

Asked about this, Ma Huan, Minister of the Household Department, who is also a bachelor, replied in a loud voice:
"According to His Majesty's instructions, after dealing with these major events, there are still 400 million taels of silver in the treasury. This is all because of His Majesty's sageness, and the treasury will be safe from now on!!"

"very good."

Emperor Xiaode showed a smile on his face.

After all, the national treasury is full, and it is indeed the credit of the emperor.

You must know that when the Supreme Emperor abdicated, there was a deficit of more than 100 million taels in the treasury.

Fortunately, he has capable ministers in his hands, and in just a few months, he has filled the national treasury. I am afraid that there are few emperors in the past and present who can compare.

Li Shimin can be regarded as a generation of sages. When he first came to the throne, the Turks in the north took advantage of the fire and robbed them. Although Li Shimin used both soft and hard tactics to force the Turks back, he also paid the price of the "Qing government treasury". It took three years to save enough capital to fight back. .

Thinking of this, he was in a better mood, so he asked: "Today's major issues have been discussed, do you have anything else to do?"

Zhao Chunli, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, came out and said, "Your Majesty, the memorials of the officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Imperial Academy, and the Imperial College have been delivered to Wenyuan Pavilion in the past few days. I wonder what your Majesty's will is?"

The smile on Emperor Xiaode's face suddenly faded, and he said coldly:

"I don't know why Zhao Aiqing is so sure. How do you know that these memorials have not been sent back by me?"

Zhao Chunli looked stunned. According to the rules, the memorial should be handed over to the Secretary of General Affairs, and then the Secretary of General Administration will pass it on to Wenyuan Pavilion. After being reviewed, it will be in the hands of the emperor. Most of the time, unimportant memorials are directly approved by the cabinet ministers, and the emperor may not be able to see them. .

After all, there are so many things in the world, the emperor only needs to pay attention to the big things, and the cabinet ministers and the cabinet can give instructions on the small details.

This time, Zhao Chunli, the censor of the capital, seemed to know that these memorials were in the hands of the emperor, so he asked directly, but was caught by Emperor Xiaode.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Zhao is the chief inspector, and it is his duty to ask such a question. If there is a slight slip of the tongue, His Majesty is magnanimous, just let it go!"

When Zhao Chunli didn't know if he should kneel down and plead guilty, Prince Yizhong calmly relieved him.

He, Prince Yizhong, is not only the "King of Checks and Balances" appointed by the Supreme Emperor, he is also in charge of the bureaucracy, and his words carry a lot of weight. Although Emperor Xiaode's authority is growing, he still has to give Prince Yizhong some face.

Emperor Xiaode glanced at Zhao Chunli, and said in a very flat tone:

"I receive as many memorandums as a cow's hair every day, full of faultfinding. Which one is Zhao Aiqing talking about?"

When the emperor asked this question, which minister dared to answer the question obediently?
Wouldn't it just confirm his reputation for being critical?
"Master Zhao, as the leader of the supervisory officials, you must know the most about what you have said, just say it bluntly!"

It is Prince Zhongshun who will smooth things over.

He is a compatriot of the emperor's mother, so he naturally has more face than the other two kings.

Zhao Chunli sorted it out a bit, and said in a loud voice: "Yangzhou is an important town along the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. The purpose of transporting the yamen is to manage the salt affairs, but now Lin Ruhai, the deputy envoy of the Salt Transport Envoy in Yangzhou, is acting recklessly, conniving at his subordinates to commit murder and committing crimes."

After hearing the name "Lin Ruhai", some of the officials in Wenyuan Pavilion directly lowered their heads, and some were contemplative, but took a few steps back.

Several elders and ministers even made clay sculptures and wooden statues, which remained motionless.

"Nadu was transferred to the inspector Chen Zhao of the Salt Transportation Commissioner to drive Yan Ding to rampage in the city, and even killed good people in the street. Many people in Yangzhou City fled to other places, and even led troops into the city a few days ago to forcefully drive the good people out of the city. , everyone was frightened by the power, and dared not speak out."

After Zhao Chunli finished speaking loudly, Lin Manjiang, the deputy capital censor at the side, also came out and said:
"Yangzhou City is the most important city in the world, and there can be no slightest mistakes. The actions of the nine-rank inspector Chen Zhao, not to mention breaking the law, here in Yangzhou will ruin the reputation of the imperial court and disturb the major affairs of the water transportation. This is what matters to Zhou. Crucially, I ask Your Majesty to order Chen Zhao to be brought to justice, and Lin Ruhai, the deputy envoy of the Capital Transfer Salt Transport Envoy, to be punished for the crime of negligence!"

Emperor Xiaode sat there and looked at the ministers lined up on both sides, and saw that these ministers were all at ease, completely non-participating, and he understood it in his heart.

He looked at Prince Yizhong and Prince Zhongyi again, but saw that their eyes were a little wandering.

It turned out that the people behind these two guys were them.

Emperor Xiaode leaned back with a smile on his face. Although the officials were standing upright and no one looked at the emperor, everyone was observing the emperor's expression, and they didn't know how they tempered this Wait for the skills.

This sudden smile also gave people a sense of inscrutability, and Prince Yizhong and Prince Zhongyi felt a little inappropriate.

Emperor Xiaode said:
"Do you have any other reports from the two lovers?"

Ma Huan, a senior scholar and Minister of the Ministry of household affairs, who has been silent all this time, said in a report:

"Your Majesty, the Jiangsu Division of the Ministry of Revenue has also sent a letter to you these days, saying that it has been transferred to the Salt Transportation Envoy Division Jiupin for inspection. Chen Zhao seems to be particularly hostile to the dock coolies in Yangzhou, and has sent his men to enforce management, and to rectify it every day. We have to keep the busy place spotless, and I don’t know how much goods have been delayed. Your Majesty, Yangzhou is a canal hub, and if we delay it for a moment, there will be a lot of grain and rice in the capital."

The smile on Emperor Xiaode's face was faint, and he said loudly: "The duty of the inspectors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is to hear rumors, but why have they never heard the word 'White Lotus Sect' in a report."

As soon as these words came out, the entire Wenyuan Pavilion immediately fell silent.

The White Lotus Sect made trouble 30 years ago, and it almost turned into a riot. After being suppressed, it no longer surfaced. The ministers present hardly had any impression of it.

But having no impression doesn't mean you don't know.

"The White Lotus Sect was suppressed 30 years ago, but the centipedes are dead but not stiff. They have been dormant for 30 years. With the help of Yangzhou's salt transportation, they gradually regained their vitality and the number of followers has increased."

"As soon as there are too many people, they will become more courageous. Relying on their numbers, they actually force merchants to burn incense and worship gods in the city, and all of them have to pay silver. Difficult to collect salt tax, not afraid of risks, wiped out evil deeds, killed the top leaders of the White Lotus Sect, and drove the rest of the foolish people out of the city, this is an act of credit to the community!"

"Dear dear friends, the White Lotus Sect has been rampant in Yangzhou City for so long, and none of the civil and military officials in Yangzhou City have reported it. These people have been rampant for so long, and Yangzhou Civil and Military Officials have never reported a single one. The officials were immediately impeached, so what is the connection?"

Zhao Chunli and Lin Manjiang looked at each other and knelt down. Everyone in the room looked unnatural. Emperor Xiaode leaned back in his chair, his tone became a little serious, and he said: "Yangzhou has changed its salt fortune." Lin Ruhai, the deputy envoy of the Si Yamen, and Chen Zhao, the ninth-rank inspector, did not worry about their personal safety and made great contributions to the country. They passed the decree and conferred the title of Zhongyong Viscount on Lin Ruhai. He was promoted to the envoy of the Salt Transportation Department of the Huaidu and Chen Zhao. He was promoted to Baron Yingwu and transferred to the Salt Transportation Department of Huaidu and Huaihe Rivers."

What he said was plain, but it was as if he had slapped Zhao Chunli and some people behind him hard with a big slap.

The entire Wenyuan Pavilion suddenly became quiet. Most people were still like wood plastics, but some people felt like they were sitting on pins and needles. There was sweat on their faces in an instant. They didn't know if it was hot or they were ashamed.

(End of this chapter)