The Ming Dynasty started with caution

In the East Warm Pavilion, Emperor Hongzhi and the Cabinet looked at Yan Chengjin curiously. Xie Qian was on duty in the Cabinet, handling urgent reports from various places, and was not in the East Warm Pavilion.

"The problem of soldiers eating empty sounds has a lot to do with the Minister of War. If the new Minister of War is honest and strict, there will be fewer empty sounds. I just think that Lord Liu may not be an honest person, and the same is true for the selection of the Minister of Rites. I have an idea, I don’t know if it’s appropriate... "

When I choose officials, of course I have to choose honest people. Could it be that I still choose corrupt officials?

"How do you know?"

Yan Chengjin spoke slowly.

After a moment, Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang were full of suspicion.

"Using this method, I am 70% sure that I can test whether Liu Daxia, Jiao Fang, and Zhang Sheng are honest."

Emperor Hongzhi thought it made sense and nodded, "Then let's give it a try."

Yan Chengjin continued, "A good official does not take a single needle or thread from the court. For the sake of prudence, I will ask everyone except Lord Mou not to leave the warm room. I am afraid... someone will leak the information."

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and there was no one.

In the duty room of the Ministry of War in the palace, Liu Daxia put away the report and prepared to go home.

When he walked to Zuoshun Gate, he kicked a hard object and fell to the ground with a plop, almost breaking his waist.

"Ouch! My waist... sprained... sprained..."

"Which son of a bitch! Put such a big stone in the middle of the road!"

Liu Daxia cursed and looked around, but there was no one.

Huh?

Is this... gold?

Liu Daxia blinked his eyes, and saw a yellowish object under the moonlight. He picked it up and saw that it was indeed gold.

"How can there be such a big piece of gold?"

Liu Daxia fell into deep thought. There were only two possibilities for moving such a large piece of gold in the palace: His Majesty's treasury, or Da'ao's bribery.

But there was no mark of treasury on it.

After weighing it, it was enough for his annual salary.

Seeing that there was no one around, Liu Daxia put the gold in his arms, supported his waist and prepared to leave the palace. After walking a few steps, he met Mou Bin who was walking towards him.

"Hello, Lord Liu!"

"Is Lord Mou inspecting the palace?"

Mou Bin nodded and looked at Liu Daxia's hand holding his waist: "Is Lord Liu unwell? Do you want me to send someone to escort you back to the mansion?"

Liu Daxia was about to say yes, but he thought it was not possible. The gold ingot clanged in the purse.

"No need to bother. By the way...did Lord Mou leave something at Zuo Shunmen?"

Remembering what Yan Chengjin told him, Mou Bin immediately shook his head, "No."

"That's good."

Liu Daxia walked out of the palace happily.

A Jinyiwei climbed down from the palace wall and reported to Mou Bin: "Sir, Lord Liu picked up the gold."

"Sir, Lord Jiao has also left the duty room. I put the gold on the small path of Zuo Yemen." The Jinyiwei who was staring at Jiao Fang came to report.

Mou Bin climbed up the palace wall. Jinyiwei is really a tiring job...

The Ministry of Rites is on duty.

Jiao Fang left the duty room late. I am afraid that His Majesty will come to the duty room for inspection. Now is the time for the selection of the Minister of Rites, so we can't relax.

"Brother Qi Zhao, are you still compiling the old classics?"

"Well, Brother Meng Yang, go back first."

Jiao Fang didn't think about waiting for Zhang Sheng. The possibility of His Majesty coming to inspect is very small. I am afraid that he will not come to inspect tonight.

After leaving the duty room of the Ministry of Rites, Jiao Fang lowered his head and thought, what is His Majesty thinking about when he has not issued an order to draft the positions of the Minister of Rites and the Minister of War?

When he walked to the Zuoye Gate, Jiao Fang turned his head slightly and saw something glittering on the ground. ,

He is not old yet, and his eyes are bright.

"It is the light of gold."

Jiao Fang did not bend down to pick it up immediately, but slowly stretched out his foot and stepped on the gold. Looking back, no one followed him.

Then he looked up vigilantly and looked at the surrounding palace walls.

No one.

Then he picked up the gold.

Jiao Fang was happy in his heart, feeling that he was lucky.

"Is Lord Jiao off duty?"

"It turned out to be Lord Mou, who scared me. He is off duty, and it is already the hour of the dog." Jiao Fang walked around Mou Bin and left.

In the East Warm Pavilion,

except Mou Bin, the rest of the people were still there.

At dinner, the Shangshenjian brought the imperial meal here, and Li Dongyang and others accompanied Emperor Hongzhi to eat together.

Seeing that Emperor Hongzhi and others were fine after eating, Yan Chengjin picked up the bowl.

Huang Baoshan returned to the palace, but His Majesty was still as frugal as ever. He sat next to Li Dongyang, and Xiao Jing scooped Lao Gandie to share with everyone.

This cautious action was very similar to the distribution of caviar in later generations.

Zhu Houzhao rushed in and glared at Xiao Jing: "Father is holding a banquet in the warm room, you didn't report to Kunning Palace, making me and my mother wait!"

Xiao Jing was very aggrieved: "Your Highness, Lord Yan has ordered that we can't leave the palace."

He ordered Shangshanjian to hold a banquet, or after Mou Bin left, he gave the order to Jinyiwei.

Lao Gao?

Zhu Houzhao's eyes flickered, and he immediately became interested. He asked happily, "Why can't we leave?"

Xiao Jing didn't dare to say anything, but seeing Zhu Houzhao's ferocious eyes, he whispered, "Lord Yan asked the Jinyiwei to throw gold to Liu Daxia, Zhang Sheng, and Jiao Fang, saying that he wanted to test their character."

Yan Chengjin saw Zhu Houzhao, who was sneaking around with Xiao Jing, and didn't know what he was whispering. He just saw him walk over obediently.

"Father, I want to have dinner here too."

Emperor Hongzhi hummed as if nothing had happened, and Xiao Jing quickly moved the brocade cushion.

After Zhu Houzhao sat down in high spirits, he said, "Father, my mother is waiting for you to have dinner in Kunning Palace."

"Order someone to report to Kunning Palace, so that the queen doesn't have to wait for me."

Yan Chengjin said, "Your Majesty, you can't do that. It's not that I don't believe in Eunuch Xiao, but the fewer people who know about this, the better."

Emperor Hongzhi frowned, "The Liu family is old and virtuous, the Jiao family is upright and honest, and the Zhang family is talented and virtuous. They will definitely not be greedy."

"Please wait for a moment, Your Majesty." Yan Chengjin did not make any rash assertions.

After all, historical materials are written by people, and he dared not judge the character of the three people.

After a moment, Mou Bin came back to report, "Your Majesty, Lord Liu and Lord Jiao have left the palace..."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Mou Bin, and Li Dongyang and Liu Jian also put down their ivory chopsticks.

"How?"

"Lord Liu and Lord Jiao...both picked up gold."

Emperor Hongzhi trembled, and opened his mouth slightly. He couldn't believe that Liu Daxia and Jiao Fang had such a character, but Mou Bin was upright and would never lie to him.

Yan Chengjin said: "Human nature is greedy, and it is easy to expose one's true nature when no one is around. If it were someone else, I'm afraid they would pick it up too."

"I don't believe it! Can a gold ingot be used to measure a person's character?" Emperor Hongzhi shook his head and said: "If you don't let anyone be there, they can't find the owner and will naturally take the gold away."

Your Majesty, this is called fishing enforcement. I am just taking the essence and discarding the dross...

"And Lord Zhang, Your Majesty may as well wait." Yan Chengjin said.

Emperor Hongzhi held a glimmer of hope: "Where is Zhang Sheng?"

"Lord Zhang hasn't come out yet, Your Majesty, wait a little longer, I'll go and see."

At three o'clock in the evening, the stars and the moon shone together.

In the duty room of the Ministry of Rites, Zhang Sheng got up and prepared to go back to the mansion. The night wind was a bit cold.

When he walked to the Zuoye Gate, he kicked something under his feet and his toes hurt.

He couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.

"Which bastard is throwing stones in the middle of the road!"

Huh... It seems to be gold?

Zhang Sheng picked up the gold and looked around blankly. No one came around.