Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 56 Spokesperson of Shanxi Merchants

As the current commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this was the first time that Wang Zhizhen reported to the successor emperor in person.

Seeing that several senior eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department were present, Wang Zhizhen first kowtowed to Zhu Changluo with great respect, and then quickly reported the news that Luo Sigong had sent back by express horse from Shanhaiguan.

To finish the process, this is the current situation.

"Century Luo Sigong reported that the civilians who beat the imperial envoy Gao Huai and his entourage to death have been detained. Luo Sigong has taken over the garrison in accordance with the imperial order and found that the garrison has hidden 293,470 taels of tax silver. It is also reported that Gao Huai has sent people to various places in Liaodong to supervise tax collection and sent a scholar named Ye Xiangguo to Korea. Gao Huai's brother Gao Zhong was lucky enough to escape the disaster. He has confessed that Gao Huai acted in a perverted order and that Your Majesty did not issue such an order."

"How brave!"

Chen Ju was angry, but Tian Yi was very solemn.

"Your Highness, once this incident happened, even though the mining supervisor and tax collector had issued an order to withdraw their troops, I am afraid that the capital and the localities would impeach them and request a strict investigation and severe punishment, and even bring disaster to the garrisons and the eunuchs sent abroad."

Zhu Changluo clenched his fists and sat on the chair.

Civil officials competed for power in the court, and local gentry fought for profit in the wild. They annexed land, exempted taxes and labor service, and put the tax revenue that should have gradually increased into their own pockets in the name of "quota based on the ancestral system" and "resting for the people."

Since the nobles and relatives were suppressed and suspected, they lost their ambition and ability from generation to generation. They used the soldiers in the Beijing camp as their servants, and in addition to receiving salaries and falsely claiming salaries, they did things to make money and spend money.

Military generals fought and won battles at the risk of their lives, but in the blink of an eye they would face being idle and being punished; the old soldiers who survived the battlefield were also planned to be kept in the Beijing camp until they became useless.

Most of the eunuchs sent out were also greedy and domineering. They relied on the favoritism given by the emperor, who wanted money.

He was the heir to the throne, and although the cabinet ministers and the nine officials were not united in their support, none of them were willing to express their unconditional loyalty to him immediately.

After Yan Song, blindly flattering the emperor was considered a treacherous minister; after Zhang Juzheng, being brave enough to take on responsibilities and serve the country was considered a powerful minister.

At this moment, among the people Zhu Changluo had contacted, only the three eunuchs Tian Yi, Chen Ju and Cheng Jing could be of some help.

Are they the most capable? It's just because they naturally stand on the side of imperial power, and they happen to have some character.

This is the Ming Dynasty, which has become rotten and quagmire.

He felt relieved from the oppression given by Zhu Yijun, and at the same time, it was the oppression given to him by the whole world.

"Wang Zhizhen." Zhu Changluo looked at him. "What do you think about the Shanhaiguan incident? What do you think about the burning of the tax office in Linqing last year?"

"Your Highness..."

Wang Zhizhen's heart was pounding as he looked into Sijun's eyes.

Calm and indifferent.

It looks like he wants to dominate something.

He gritted his teeth and said loudly, "Gao Huai's death is not a pity! But he was only dismissed from the post of tax inspector. The other posts Your Majesty had previously assigned to him have not been dismissed, so Gao Huai is still the imperial envoy to guard the city. I think we should thoroughly investigate whether there are any instructions behind the civil unrest! The major case in Linqing last year should also be thoroughly investigated!"

"How to check? Who to touch?"

"Your Highness, calm down!" Tian Yi knelt down, "Don't rush into a thorough investigation! Since Gao Huai dared to falsify the imperial edict and incite a civil uprising, he would have killed himself. If we investigate Linqing, we will find that the case involves the grain transport, the banknote customs, and the Shandong clans; if we investigate Shanhaiguan, we will find that the case involves border generals, governors, and chieftains!"

"A great Shandong clan, the Duke of Yansheng? The chief of the barbarians, is he the Jianzhou Jurchen, or the Khanate of the Eastward Migration?"

"Your Highness! You are about to ascend the throne, and the great unity is the most important thing. There are many problems, so we can only take our time!"

On that day, Zhu Changluo summoned Ma Tang for questioning, and they were all present.

Who doesn't know how complicated the affairs of mining supervisors and tax collectors are?
I just explained to your successor what the rotation system of transporting grain on the canal is. How many interests of officials and gentry in the wealthy prefectures and counties in Jiangnan were involved?

Zhu Changluo stood up and whispered words that sounded like thunder to them.

"I'm afraid we really have to fight all over again for the Ming Dynasty."

"Your Highness..." Tian Yi hesitated to speak.

"I will naturally take my time." Zhu Changluo looked at him, then at Wang Zhizhen, "Is your grandfather Wang Xiangyi?"

"Yes." Wang Zhizhen was very nervous.

"Your grandfather is Zhang Wenyi's uncle."

"Yes……"

"The Wang and Zhang families are both wealthy merchants in border trade." Zhu Changluo looked at him, "You also advocate a thorough investigation of the Shanhaiguan uprising?" Wang Zhizhen sweated, "Since I am in charge of the Jinyiwei, I should protect the emperor! The imperial envoy was attacked and killed, how can I not investigate it thoroughly?"

"Okay, then you go to Shanhaiguan to investigate!" Zhu Changluo looked at him, "Report the results to me. I will see if the Jinyiwei are still wholeheartedly protecting the royal family."

Cheng Jing suddenly realized something and looked deeply at Wang Zhizhen, then at Zhu Changluo.

This time, Tian Yi did not try to persuade him again.

Only after Wang Zhizhen left did he say, "Let him investigate the Shanhaiguan uprising only. He will naturally be able to find out the result without alerting too many people. But Your Highness..."

Zhu Changluo shook his head: "I have given him a chance. It depends on him whether he is smart enough to use it. Let him investigate it himself. Some people will naturally think that I am not deliberately making a big fuss."

This is all because of Wang Zhizhen’s special identity.

Their Wang family was born into a Shanxi merchant family. His grandfather, Wang Chonggu, was a famous official in the frontier town during the Jiajing period. He served as the governor of Xuanda during the Longqing period. He promoted the title of Shunyi King to Altan Khan, opened a frontier horse market, and retired from the position of Minister of War.

Wang Chonggu's nephew Zhang Siwei was the first chief minister of the cabinet after Zhang Juzheng's era.

Although he only stayed in the cabinet for one year, many of Zhang Juzheng's reform measures during his lifetime were abolished during this period.

Now Wang Zhizhen is in charge of the Jinyiwei affairs as the admiral. With the official connections accumulated by Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei, do you really think that Wang Zhizhen is loyal to the emperor and has enough ability?
After Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was close to Zhang Juzheng, there was no more official who was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and actually in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard affairs.

Without a balance in relations among all parties, Wang Zhizhen would not be able to hold on to this position.

Previously, Shen Yikuan and Xiao Daheng wanted to expand the Zheng case. If Chen Ju had not personally stopped them, Wang Zhizhen might have helped Shen Yikuan and provided some information.

However, Zhu Changluo did not think that Wang Zhizhen was useless because the Shanxi merchant group behind him and the Zhejiang Party had common interests on some issues, but they also had different focuses.

If he is smart, then we can unite and use him.

Zhu Changluo did not rely solely on his cleverness.

To put it bluntly, whoever has the upper hand can unite more people.

"Grind the ink!" Zhu Changluo walked towards the study. "The edict of accession to the throne and the outline of major policies, what's the difficulty? I will write them myself and you can polish them!"

This is Zhu Changluo’s specialty.

He has written countless articles on policies, guidelines, directions and goals.

He had thought about it countless times before, which parts to use false statements and which parts to outline practical matters.

As for the choice of words and sentence structure, it still needs someone who is more familiar with the expression of this era to polish it.

Tian Yi and Chen Ju stood aside and watched Zhu Changluo write.

The two of them looked at each other, surprised and shocked.

The unique way of taking notes and organizing and analyzing things has already opened their eyes, but that is only a difference in thinking and work skills.

But it's different now.

The successor seemed to have his own strategy for the revival of the Ming Dynasty in his mind. He praised the strengths of the Wanli Dynasty and took care of the emperor's face, while he pointed out the shortcomings of the Xin Dynasty and listed many major events.

"Your Highness... I don't know how to polish a sentence like this..."

"Then leave it to Shen Yikuan and the others." Zhu Changluo didn't even raise his head.

"...In this way, they will know that this is what His Highness meant."

"They will know it sooner or later, but they will know it eventually." Zhu Changluo finished writing a page and simply put it aside. "Today you call me Gu, and in the blink of an eye you call me I. I am not very talented and knowledgeable, but I hope that the Ming Dynasty will prosper. Even if my words are crude and my ambitions are unrealistic, so what? This is righteousness!"

Looking dazed is one strategy; being a hot-blooded successor with enthusiasm is another.

"…Then it's better not to embellish it."

"How can that be? They will embellish it." Zhu Changluo smiled, "Let's kick this trouble back. Next, I will see if they have misinterpreted the meaning!"

Cheng Jing also laughed: "Your Highness, that's a good idea!"

(End of this chapter)