The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Li Dongyang remembered that a housekeeper had sent a letter.

He got off the carriage, sat on a piece of bluestone, and opened the letter handed over by the spy.

He thought it was a letter from the housekeeper, but he was shocked to see that the handwriting was exactly the same as his.

The only person in the capital whose handwriting was so similar to his was Yan Chengjin.

This guy actually took over the job...

Li Dongyang read the letter again:

Did Li Gong go to Qufu to match Qing'e? Yan Shenggong occupied most of the land in Shandong. The people in Shandong prefectures either dug up and ate dead bodies or sold their relatives at a low price. They fled and looted, and each of them escaped. Yan Shenggong was no longer worthy of Qing'e...

When Li Dongyang saw this, his back was cold.

It was as if someone was standing on a higher level, peeping at his behavior.

How could this boy know that he was implicitly trying to match Yan Shenggong?

Reading further, the evidence collected by the Censorate was listed.

It seems that when the Shandong memorial reached the Censorate, this guy had already started investigating.

"This guy deliberately let me leave the capital! I thought..."

After Li Dongyang got on the carriage and entered Shandong, he went ten miles ahead and found it very chaotic.

Thieves rode horses to chase people and rob people of their property, and the guards fought and killed each other.

There were people everywhere who robbed people of their money, and even saw the soldiers and officers, and they also participated in it.

Li Dongyang looked through the curtain of the carriage and said to Yang Shun, a thousand households of the Jinyiwei: "Go and ask a commoner, I want to ask."

Soon, Yang Shun came with a fleeing commoner.

The commoner was so scared that his legs went weak when he saw the guards who drew their swords against him.

"Old man, the court has issued relief food, why did you run away with your family, and why did they arrest you?"

The old man saw that Li Dongyang had a kind face, so he cried: "There is no land to farm, so of course I have to run away."

Li Dongyang pointed to the fertile fields outside the carriage curtain: "Aren't these fields?"

"Your Excellency doesn't know, these are the lands of the rich families."

Li Dongyang coughed dryly: "Why did those people and the government arrest you?"

"The government doesn't want us to leave. If we leave, they will have no one to farm, and the land will be desolate, but I... can't survive.

If you go to Qingzhou, the thieves will plunder even more, in groups of hundreds, openly robbing in broad daylight, and appearing without fear, your Excellency, you should turn back?"

In the old man's opinion, Li Dongyang and these hundred people are not enough to reach Qingzhou.

Li Dongyang frowned. Shandong, as the granary of the East, has become so desolate.

Could this rich family really be the Duke of Yansheng?

During the Chenghua Dynasty, Duke Yansheng plundered land and harassed women, but Emperor Chenghua only deprived Kong Hongxu of his title.

There is another reason.

Kong Hongxu was the son-in-law of Li Xian, the former cabinet minister.

With the remnants of Li Xian's power in the court, the land and other properties of Duke Yansheng were retained.

Li Dongyang turned around and said, "Come here, bring a pen."

...

Beijing, Li Mansion.

Li Qing'e was embroidering in her boudoir, and the fat maid rushed into the room in a hurry: "Miss, the master sent a letter."

Suddenly, her mind lost control, and the embroidery needle pierced her index finger, condensing a small blood bead.

Then, the head maid who served Xue came to report: "Miss, the lady asked you to go to the main hall, and Lord Yan is here."

When Li Qing'e arrived at the main hall, Yan Chengjin was reading the letter sent back by Li Dongyang.

As Yan Chengjin expected, the marriage proposal failed and he started all over again.

"Master Li agreed to let the young lady accept the bracelet."

Li Qing'e took the letter and saw that her father said in the letter: If you like it, accept it, if you don't like it, don't accept it.

It was a simple sentence, and it seemed that he didn't care about it, but it could be seen that there was a deep sorrow behind the words.

According to her father's understanding, there was a more important thing that troubled her father.

Mrs. Xue brought the mutton-fat jade bracelet and put it on Li Qing'e's hand and praised: "It's really beautiful."

Li Qing'e felt that she couldn't feel at ease accepting Yan Chengjin's expensive gift. She took out the brocade bag from her bosom, which was obviously prepared in advance.

"Master Yan, this is what I asked for in the temple when I was burning incense with my mother. It can guarantee safety."

The brocade bag was embroidered with golden mandarin duck patterns, exuding a pleasant fragrance, like smelling the fragrance of flowers.

It was inconvenient to stay in Li's house for a long time, so Yan Chengjin got up and said goodbye, sat on the sedan chair, opened the brocade bag, and found a milky white fish-leaping jade pendant.

"Hehe, young master, the quality of this jade is good, and we are not at a loss." He Neng said happily.

"How can the young lady's feelings be measured with money? It's vulgar. I'll fine you two taels of silver."

Yan Chengjin never wears expensive jewelry, so this jade pendant can only be hung on the bedside.

...

The cabinet duty room.

The civil servant walked anxiously through the courtyard and stepped into the duty room where Liu Jian and Xie Qian were: "Mr. Liu, Mr. Li sent back a memorial."

Binzhi went to the Confucius Temple to offer sacrifices, and sent back a memorial on the way. There must be changes in the middle.

Liu Jian opened the memorial and read it carefully with bated breath:

Linqing, Anping and other places are full of thieves, and there are people who rob people and property everywhere.

It is said that the robbery in Qingzhou is even worse. Thieves come in groups of hundreds and travel openly in broad daylight. They appear and disappear without fear, and the government cannot catch them all.

I also heard from people coming from the south that the people of various prefectures were fleeing and looting, and they were all fleeing for their lives...

After reading Li Dongyang's memorial, Liu Jian was deeply shocked: "The east is the place where the court's taxes come from, and the famine has reached such a level in a year."

"The prefectures have always been poor. If they fall into the Jingxiang area, I am afraid there will be no way to save them." Xie Qian looked at Liu Jian: "Mr. Liu, do you want to report to His Majesty?"

When His Majesty sees such a memorial, he will definitely blame himself.

"This memorial does not explain the reason in detail. I don't know whether it is due to heavy taxes and cruel officials, or natural disasters and man-made disasters, which led to this tragic situation in Shandong."

Liu Jian stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "Let's report to His Majesty first."

The two hurried to Fengtian Hall. After the eunuch reported, he walked straight into the hall.

Xie Qian held this memorial and felt that it was as heavy as a thousand pounds. His Majesty was in a good mood and was reluctant to hit him.

"Your Majesty. The memorial sent back by Li Gong."

Emperor Hongzhi put down the book in confusion. It would take three to five days to send the memorial back.

And Li Gong had been away from the capital for only ten days. It was estimated that he wrote it on the fifth day on the way.

This memorial was sent back before he arrived in Qufu?

He opened it and took a few glances:

There are idle people who claim to be royal relatives. They attach themselves to salt ships and build shops everywhere to collect commercial taxes. The weaving eunuchs, even if they were small groups, tortured the officials of the sluice gates, and drove away the merchants, and so on, there are too many to list...

Before he finished reading, Emperor Hongzhi became depressed and angry: "This is... the world I rule?"

Liu Jian thought: "It is said that Mr. Li said that the Censorate received six impeachment letters. I wonder why Yan Chengjin didn't report it?"

Soon, Yan Chengjin came to Fengtian Hall and saw Liu Jian and Xie Qian, and knew that Li Dongyang had sent back the impeachment letter.

Looking at the angry look of His Majesty, it seems to be related to him.

Will Li Dongyang not cheat him?

"Your Majesty, I am Yan Chengjin."

"Mr. Liu said that the Shandong Censor sent back six impeachment letters. Why didn't you report them?"

Yan Chengjin did not rush to answer, thinking for a moment: "The impeachment letter said that the people of Shandong were resentful and the counties were in decline, but the exact reason is still unknown."

At the beginning, Emperor Chenghua did not punish Kong Hongxu, firstly because of his title as a descendant of a saint, and secondly, it was difficult to describe the miserable situation in just a few thousand words. If Emperor Hongzhi visited Shandong, he would probably kill him personally.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Yan Chengjin: "I see the appearance of Mr. Yan's family. Do you know who did it?"