The Ming Dynasty started with caution

This is already the eleventh memorial.

The three people in the cabinet were worried, and Li Dongyang cast a complaining look at Yan Chengjin.

Your Majesty is in a low mood today, how can you bear it, can't you impeach again after a while?

Yan Chengjin lowered his head slightly and waited for Emperor Hongzhi to finish reading the memorial.

Wu Kuan took a deep breath, pretended to be calm and stood in the hall, but his heart was in a panic.

"Your Majesty, what is written in the memorial?"

When Emperor Hongzhi opened it, he did not look directly at the listed crimes, but at the number of crimes.

The impeachment of Yan Chengjin, this guy, has the handwriting of Li Dongyang, the writing like Yang Yiqing, and the discussion of crimes like Xie Qian.

Gather the strengths of hundreds of officials and use them for his own purposes.

However, there is only one characteristic that is his own.

That is, the number of crimes is always seven, no more and no less.

"How long did Yan Qing's family prepare for this memorial?" Emperor Hongzhi asked.

Yan Chengjin did not dare to hide it: "Since Lord Wu became the Chief Censor, it has been more than half a year."

If the factory guards investigate, they will know from the clerks that Wu Kuan has been reading the family files since he entered the Censorate. He cannot hide it.

Wu Kuan staggered a step. This official treats you as a colleague. Your conscience...

He felt a pain in his heart, as if there were thousands of ants biting him.

"I... want to see the impeachment."

Xiao Jing hurriedly presented the impeachment, but was afraid that he would tear it up, so he did not give it to Wu Kuan.

Yan Chengjin did not feel guilty. Indeed, Wu Kuan was a good official. He had thousands of acres of good land at home, and he also had shops in Jiangnan and other places in Beijing. He was self-reliant and rarely accepted bribes.

But as the Chief Censor, he was a little weak.

With the principle of not offending others, the performance of the Censorate has dropped by more than half compared to when Dai Shan was in office, which can be seen from the impeachment.

The Censor should be a cockfighting, and he has gone astray.

Wu Kuan couldn't believe it after reading the impeachment. Although it was not as serious as the crime of concealing land, it was enough to make him retire.

He asked helplessly and unwillingly: "How...how did you investigate so thoroughly?"

As a colleague, to show respect, Yan Chengjin said truthfully: "It was Wu Huan, the second son of Mr. Wu's family."

When Wang Bushui asked Wu Huan for cartoons, he would get some information from time to time. Over time, he found out everything.

Yan Chengjin raised his head slightly and looked at Emperor Hongzhi, wondering how His Majesty would decide?

"Since Mr. Wu's family became the Chief Censor, the number of impeachments has decreased a lot." Emperor Hongzhi was not satisfied with this.

After seeing Yan Chengjin's impeachment, the court's decree stated that officials above the fourth rank could not engage in business.

However, Wu Kuan did a lot of business.

"Mr. Wu's family was transferred to Nanjing to take charge of the Nanjing Censorate."

The Nanjing Censorate was a place for retirement and had no real power, so the impeachments written were all scraping impeachments, not as important as those in Northern Zhili.

Your Majesty treated him this way because he was once the emperor's teacher, which was already a lenient treatment.

He bowed his head quickly: "I accept the order!"

The Censorate was vacant, and a new Chief Censor was appointed to the Censorate.

Yan Chengjin, this guy, is quite reliable in doing things.

Although he is a little younger, he can also be of great use.

Ma Wensheng and others hesitated to speak, they did not want Yan Chengjin to become the Chief Censor.

This guy's impeachment is frightening.

Others' impeachment is mostly a warning, but your impeachment is either retirement or exile.

"I think about it, and let Yan Qing's family be the deputy chief censor, in charge of the Censorate."

Emperor Hongzhi's tone was calm, without any waves.

Li Dongyang and others were shocked beyond words.

But they could not say anything to refute. The impeachment written by this guy and his method of inspecting officials were indeed impeccable.

Yan Chengjin did not expect that he was just a deputy chief censor.

Yan's intention is to send the Chief Censor to the Censorate.

The Chief Censor ranks last among the Nine Ministers, not as good as the Six Ministries, let alone the Cabinet.

The Deputy Chief Censor in the capital can barely be called an official, right?

Although Yan Chengjin was not satisfied, his face was calm: "Your Majesty, why not the Chief Censor..."

If you are not satisfied, you have to say it directly.

Hiding it in your heart makes your Majesty feel that he knows how to endure and is very cunning.

This is the same as people who are straightforward and outspoken are more likely to make friends than those who are cunning.

Sometimes being honest is also a kind of scheming.

But Yan Chengjin is really dissatisfied.

Hmm?

Li Dongyang and others looked over. They had never seen such a confident person who dared to ask for an official position.

"Yan Chengjin, stop talking nonsense in the palace, and thank you quickly." Li Dongyang hurriedly reminded in a low voice.

"Congratulations, Lord Yan, thank you quickly." Xiao Jing smiled and advised secretly.

Yan Chengjin was unmoved. He raised his head slightly and glanced at Emperor Hongzhi. If your majesty doesn't move, I won't move.

Emperor Hongzhi looked normal, but he was quite reproachful: "You are very honest. Please accept the order and leave. I have something important to do."

It can be guessed that the important thing that your majesty was talking about was to write a confession of guilt.

Yan Chengjin suppressed the urge to offer his last hand.

It has been a long time since the Ming Dynasty appointed a deputy chief censor.

Usually only the chief censor or one of the deputy chief censors was in charge of the Censorate.

But the deputy is ultimately inferior to others, and is not counted as one of the nine ministers.

"I obey your order!"

He and the ministers of the six ministries left the hall, and the three people in the cabinet stayed in the hall to serve Emperor Hongzhi.

After leaving the hall and walking behind, Zeng Jian smiled and said, "Congratulations, my nephew. I'm afraid you will become famous today."

"I don't deserve it."

Soon, all the major government offices in the palace were shaken.

Rumor has it that Yan Chengjin submitted eleven memorials in a row, ordering the retirement and exile of eleven officials.

But this was only the first shocking news.

The second shocking news was that Wu Kuan, one of the Nine Ministers, was transferred to Nanjing, and Chen Qing, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, retired!

Two important officials of the court were successively dismissed.

The most shocking was the third news.

Yan Chengjin took charge of the Censorate and became the Deputy Censor of the Censorate.

"This guy is in charge of the Censorate!"

"Why don't we ask for an order to transfer him to the Ministry of Rites?"

The ministers discussed privately that for them, Wu Kuan was the best Censor.

The news of Yan Chengjin's promotion to Censor was discussed for two days in all the major government offices in the palace.

Even Zhu Houzhao in the Eastern Palace knew about it.

"Old Gao, why are there so many complaints in the court after you were promoted to Deputy Censor?" Zhu Houzhao blinked and said seriously: "Master Yang sighed repeatedly during the lecture today. I have never seen Master Yang so depressed."

Yang Tinghe did not sleep well all night when he heard that Yan Chengjin was promoted to Deputy Censor.

Although it had nothing to do with him, he always felt uneasy.

Yan Chengjin did not take it seriously and calmed down after a while.

All officials waited quietly and watched what Yan Chengjin would do after taking office, but the Censorate was very quiet and there were no impeachments for two consecutive days.

It was not until Emperor Hongzhi issued an edict of self-criticism that the court became lively.

Yan Chengjin did not expect that His Majesty was so sincere and wrote the number of yellow books checked truthfully in the edict.

The Tongzhengsi issued a court report, and the booksellers in the market reprinted it and it was overwhelming.

In an instant, the edict of self-criticism became a hot search in the capital.

"Half of the paddy fields are gone, he is really a tyrant!"

"Aren't you afraid of being beheaded for talking about the emperor?"

"Everyone in the capital lives and works in peace and contentment, how could this happen..."

The street vendors were whispering.

Although the people don't understand what is good governance and what is bad governance.

But in their eyes, if the emperor can make more paddy fields, it is naturally a good governance, and if the paddy fields are reduced, it is a bad governance.

Fengtian Hall.

Emperor Hongzhi hesitated, wanting to ask but not daring to ask, and finally couldn't help it: "How do the people react when they see the confession of guilt?"

Xiao Jing was very embarrassed and couldn't utter a word for a long time.

All the officials lowered their heads and entered the palace in sedan chairs. They heard a lot of gossip, but they didn't dare to report it.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Yan Chengjin: "Mr. Yan, you are the most honest, you speak."

Yan Chengjin thought carefully and said: "The people scolded your majesty as a tyrant."

There was an uproar in the hall.

All the officials looked at him with unfriendly faces. Although you are telling the truth, you can't say it clearly!

They carefully observed the reaction of Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath and his eyes widened like bells.

Obviously, he was offended.