The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty

The rebels entered Shandong.

At this time, the civil servants and gentry finally couldn't sit still.

Most of the gentry and gentry in Zhili were slaughtered by these rebels. However, the damn Marquis of Zhongshan still could not completely wipe them out. Instead, he watched helplessly as these rebels fled into Shandong!

What does Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao want to do?

Does he still want to drive these rebels to massacre the Shandong gentry?

At first, the ministers just thought that Tang Hao, this damn beast, was just taking the opportunity to purge the Zhili gentry. But now that he actually allowed these rebels to escape to Shandong, the meaning was completely different.

Not to mention what this rebel will do next, just the ruthless methods of Tang Hao, a beast, are enough to make the gentry and gentry tremble in fear!

The purges in Zhili, Hebei, have been completed, and the rebels have fled to Shandong. Where will these rebels go next time?

Could they just watch helplessly as the Marquis of Zhongshan chased these rebels and caused chaos everywhere, killing the gentry?

For a time, the government and the public were shaken, and people were panicked.

Still in that room at this moment, Yang Tianzhu's face was already pale, without any trace of blood.

A group of Jiangnan gentry representatives were in the same situation, with numb expressions and full of regret.

Xu Wenxi took a deep breath, suppressed the fear and anxiety in his heart, and told Fan Wencheng's purpose.

"Fan Wencheng deliberately chose a dead end."

"He led the rebel bandits straight to Qufu, Shandong Province, just to force Tang Hao to kill the bandits."

"After all, the influence of Qufu...the most holy master has to be taken seriously by the court. If something goes wrong with the Kong family, the gentry in the world will not agree."

"Come to think of it, His Majesty the Emperor cannot continue to watch helplessly. This time he will definitely urge the Marquis of Zhongshan to take action..."

Yang Tianzhu subconsciously looked at Xu Wenxi and sneered: "What if the Marquis of Zhongshan just doesn't send troops?"

"What if he just wants to see the Kong family slaughtered by the rebels?"

"At that time, you and I will really be gentry sinners!"

Throughout the dynasties, Qufu has always had a special status.

Because that is the hometown of the most holy teacher, where the Confucian holy land is located!

As a result, because of what they did, Qufu is about to face massacre and looting by the rebels!

If Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao still does not send troops and deliberately waits for the rebels to massacre Qufu, then these famous disciples will become sinners for the ages!

Others may not know that they did this, but will other gentry not know?

When that time comes, their fate is bound to be miserable.

"Then... what should we do?" Xu Wenxi's face turned pale.

This time, they not only shot themselves in the foot, but also directly put themselves into a desperate situation.

It's all because of that damned Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao. It's all because this damned reckless man is too ruthless, too cruel and unjust!

How dare he purge the gentry in such a grand manner?

How could there be such treacherous officials and traitors who disrespect the famous religion in this world!

"We must force the emperor and put pressure on him!"

Yang Tianzhu scolded angrily with a livid face: "Use all your connections to make the emperor urge Tang Hao to send troops to suppress the bandits. This farce has continued until now and should have ended long ago!"

"There must be no mistakes in the Holy Land of Qufu, otherwise you and I will both be sinners of the famous religion, and no one will be able to escape from it!"

Everyone nodded subconsciously, and then dispersed to prepare in a hurry.

Yang Tianzhu and Xu Wenxi looked at each other, and both saw the regret in the other's eyes.

"Tang Hao, you damn crazy and reckless man, I, the Jiangnan gentry, will settle this debt with you sooner or later!"

The next morning.

Zhu Houzhao dismissed the court as always.

It's not that he has a lazy temper again, but because the situation requires it.

In the past few months, countless officials and courtiers criticized and impeached Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao for his ineffectiveness in suppressing the rebels, and constantly put pressure on Zhu Houzhao to force Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao to immediately suppress the rebels.

At first, Zhu Houzhao could still argue with these guys. After all, fighting is such an easy and satisfying thing. If people want to escape, there is really no way to directly eliminate them successfully!

However, as more and more gentry and gentry were massacred by the rebels, the rhetoric and actions of the civil servants and gentry became more and more intense. One courtier who was born in Zhili even learned that his family had been massacred by the rebels. He accused Zhu Houzhao of being stupid and ignorant and allowing the treacherous minister Xingchen to take power. He caused chaos in the world, and before Zhu Houzhao could get angry, he crashed to death in the main hall.

The courtier refused to give any advice and hit a pillar on the spot and died!

This matter completely escalated, and the conflict between civil servants and gentry and the emperor reached an unprecedented intensity.

After all, all fools can see clearly that the Marquis of Zhongshan deliberately allowed the rebels to massacre the gentry, and Emperor Zhu Houzhao was also involved, otherwise he would not have just watched helplessly, and he would have continued to send censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate to measure the fields of Zhili. !

To put it bluntly, this is the sinister plan of Zhongshan Hou and Emperor Zhengde!

Deliberately allowing the rebels to cause chaos and massacre the gentry, they then sent people to take over these ownerless fields!

Being so cruel, so cold-hearted, and so cruel and unjust simply made the gentry lose their minds and forced them to fight against the emperor!

Because of this, Zhu Houzhao was also under great pressure, and he was almost unable to bear it.

There was no other way. Even Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Xia from the harem sent people to ask why the brave and capable Marquis of Zhongshan had not quelled the rebellion. It can be seen that these civil servants and gentry were indeed driven crazy, and they all set their sights on the harem.

Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Xia generally would not interfere in government affairs easily. After all, Emperor Taizu Gao had set an iron rule that the harem was not allowed to interfere in government affairs!

But the problem is that rebellion is not a trivial matter. If it is not handled well, it will even shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule. It involves the country and the country of the Ming Dynasty, so the two of them are naturally worried about this matter.

The civil servant Jin Shen deliberately passed the news to them, naturally hoping to put pressure on His Majesty the Emperor through the harem.

Stop killing. If you continue killing like this, they will really take risks and do things that don't care about their lives.

Of course, Zhu Houzhao was not the only one who felt uncomfortable.

Yang Tinghe is also facing great pressure. After all, he is the chief minister of the cabinet and the nominal leader of the civil servants and gentry!

As the Chief Assistant of the Cabinet Liu Jian and the Minister of Civil Affairs Ma Wensheng successively took office, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate headed by General Secretary Zhang Fuhua was separated from the civil servant group, so the current Chief Assistant of the Cabinet Yang Tinghe, paired with his Zhengde Emperor With his identity, he naturally became a well-deserved leader of the gentry.

Since you, Yang Tinghe, are the leader of the Jin gentry, and now the Jin gentry has suffered a great disaster, and some court officials have hit pillars and died on the spot, can you, the leader of the Jin gentry, just watch and do nothing?

If Yang Tinghe wants to secure this position, he will naturally have to pay a corresponding price. Even if he intends to support His Majesty the Emperor and the Marquis of Zhongshan in taking the opportunity to purge the gentry and re-clear their lands, when the news comes that the rebels have fled into Shandong, Yang Tinghe has to pay the price. Action was taken.

On this day, he led six ministers, big and small, and nine ministers to go to the palace together to ask for a face to face.

After Zhu Houzhao learned the news, his face became extremely ugly.

Of course, Yang Tinghe had his own reasons for doing this. After all, the chief minister of the cabinet was his emperor's mentor, but he was also the leader of the Jin gentry.

But understanding is understanding, and anger is still anger.

The barbarian Tang Ritian can do it without caring about his own life in order to rejuvenate the Ming Dynasty. Why can't you Yang Tinghe do it?

After Zhu Houzhao lost his temper, he still had to meet these important officials for the sake of Yang Tinghe.

More than a dozen important officials from the court came together to see the emperor. Zhu Houzhao naturally acted like a courteous corporal. After asking these powerful officials who were in charge of various temple supervisors in the Ming Dynasty to sit down one by one, he pretended to be confused and asked: "Everyone What does this mean, Aiqing?”

"I just caught the cold and haven't gone to court for a few days. Could it be that something big happened to the country?"

When the ministers heard this, they cursed in their hearts, don't you know what we are here for?

But no matter how much the emperor pretended to be stupid, they still had to face him with smiles. They suppressed the anger in their hearts and forced out smiles that were uglier than crying.

Yang Tinghe saluted and said: "Your Majesty! The Bazhou rebels have now fled into Shandong. They are powerful and poisonous for thousands of miles!"

"Although the Marquis of Zhongshan has won many battles, he cannot annihilate all these rebels in one go, causing everyone in the government and the public to be in danger and uneasy!"

"I ask your Majesty to send an order to the Marquis of Zhongshan to exterminate the rebels as soon as possible at all costs in order to bring peace to the world!"

Huh, at all costs?

This is really urgent!

Zhu Houzhao kept sneering in his heart, but on the surface he still looked confused.

"Hmm...did these rebels escape into Shandong?"

"After going back and forth for so long, I fled from Zhili to Shandong. It has indeed been a long time."

"Yang Aiqing's words make sense. I will issue an order now to urge Marquis Tang to eliminate the rebels and put down the rebellion as soon as possible."

Hearing this, the officials were all stunned.

They didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Did His Majesty the Emperor change his gender today?

Or is it that he can no longer withstand the tremendous pressure and wants to reconcile with the civil servants and gentry?

But no matter what, as long as the emperor is willing to end this farce as soon as possible and let the Marquis of Zhongshan exterminate the rebels immediately, it will be a happy thing.

However, the ministers were not happy for a moment. Zhu Houzhao's next words made them dumbfounded.

"However, Marquis Tang mentioned something in his letter a few days ago. That is the insufficient supply of money, food and supplies that the Ministry of Revenue is responsible for. As a result, the army could have taken down the rebels in one go, but had to temporarily postpone the army due to insufficient logistics!"

"Han Aiqing, what's going on?"

Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, was stunned for a moment, then decisively knelt down to plead guilty.

He finally understood that the "insufficient supply of money, food and supplies" were all excuses.

His Majesty the Emperor wanted to use this matter to deliberately create trouble and pointed the finger directly at the Ministry of Finance!

Yang Tinghe and others' expressions also changed suddenly, and they fell into deep thought one by one.

They underestimated the Marquis of Zhongshan, and also underestimated the Emperor.

This pair of ambitious monarchs and ministers not only wanted to purge the Zhili gentry, but also wanted to seize the opportunity to consolidate power.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the money and grain of the Ming Dynasty, so he naturally became the first target!

"The soldiers fought bloody battles on the front lines to quell the rebellion for our Ming Dynasty. However, you made small moves in the rear and deliberately deducted money, food and supplies. How could the soldiers kill the enemy with peace of mind and wipe out the rebels? It is no wonder that the rebels spread poison for thousands of miles and have not been quelled to this day. !”

"Han Wen, how did you become the Minister of Household Affairs?"

Since Zhu Houzhao chose to launch an attack, he naturally would not stop there.

In fact, since Liu Jian and Ma Wensheng took office one after another, Zhang Fuhua completely turned to the emperor again, and all the ministers and ministers of the Metropolitan Procuratorate have become imperialists. The power of the emperor Zhu Houzhao has greatly increased. The only difficulty lies in the Ministry of Household Affairs. !

The Ministry of Revenue coordinates the world's money and food, but it has always been under the control of civil servants and gentry.

If it weren't for the fact that the Ministry of Revenue was not in his hands, there would be no need for Zhu Houzhao and Tang Hao to work so hard to raise money and food, and he would have to spend his own money to train the new army soldiers.

Therefore, since there is such a good opportunity in front of him, Zhu Houzhao will naturally not miss it. He just wants to seize this opportunity and take control of the household department in his own hands!

Then, Hangul will have to move its position.

Seeing His Majesty the Emperor attacking Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, the other ministers were so frightened that they had to plead for mercy.

"Your Majesty has clearly learned that the treasury is empty and it is difficult for a clever woman to make a living without rice. Han Shangshu is able to arrange the food, grass and baggage, and he has done his duty..."

Wang Hao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, was the first to speak up and plead for Han Wen.

Immediately afterwards, the ministers also expressed their opinions, not willing to watch Han Wen's collapse.

Yang Tinghe did not speak in a hurry, but fell into deep thought.

His Majesty the Emperor suddenly attacked the civil servants and gentry, simply because he wanted to seize the opportunity to regain control of the Ministry of Household Affairs.

This matter is not a good thing for the civil servants and gentry, but for His Majesty the Emperor, it is something that has to be done.

If Han Wen, a veteran of three dynasties, is in charge of the household department, the money and food in the national treasury will never be able to take whatever he wants like His Majesty the Emperor's internal money, and no one can limit it.

However, this is a double-edged sword that can be harmful as well as beneficial.

Yang Tinghe did not speak, but chose to remain silent.

Han Wen, who knelt down to plead guilty, sighed in his heart. He had already guessed the emperor's thoughts, so he quickly came up with the intention of becoming an official.

Even if you don't ask for resignation today, sooner or later His Majesty the Emperor will still be appointed by him.

Just like Liu Jian, Lord Yuanfu, who is determined to forge ahead and gather power, then these old and important ministers will naturally become resistance and enemies to His Majesty the Emperor.

Therefore, Master Yuanfu took the initiative to become an official, Master Tianguan took the initiative to become an official, and then it was his turn to be Korean.

After thinking about this, Han Wen sighed secretly, and then took the initiative to say goodbye.

"Your Majesty, this old minister is old and feeble, and has no power..."

Han Wen took the initiative to ask for resignation and had already begun to think about quitting.

However, after all, he was a veteran of three dynasties and had outstanding abilities. Zhu Houzhao just wanted him to move his position and replace him with a household secretary who would listen to him. Naturally, it was impossible for him to return to his hometown and withdraw from the court.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao directly interrupted Han Wen's resignation and said calmly: "What Han Aiqing said was just an oversight."

"But the soldiers on the front line have to be comforted. The Ministry of Household Affairs is busy with affairs, and Han Shangshu is indeed a bit old. Let's change Han Aiqing to the position of Zuo Deputy Capital Censor, responsible for presiding over the affairs of Qingzhang's land in Zhili."

As soon as these words came out, all the officials were shocked.

Han Wen took the initiative to resign, but failed to do so. Instead, he was changed to the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, responsible for clearing the land of Zhili. It was obvious that he was favored by His Majesty the Emperor.

What's going on?

Demoted openly and promoted secretly?

Even Han Wen himself was a little confused and didn't understand what His Majesty the Emperor in front of him had planned.

But his next errand is not easy to do!

Clearing land is a tedious and complicated job in itself, and more importantly, it is easy to offend people!

Since ancient times, it has been common for the powerful and wealthy gentry to hide their land.

This time, the Marquis of Zhongshan deliberately allowed the rebels to massacre the gentry, and then drove the rebels away. The result was that a large number of ownerless fields were left in Zhili, almost all of which were taken by the gentry. The original owners of these fields were also Basically can't be found.

So how to deal with these ownerless fields is the key to this work!

For a moment, Han Wen was lost in thought.

Zhu Houzhao saw that he was confused and stepped forward to help him up.

"After the scourge of rebellion in Zhili, everyone in Zhili is uneasy and in danger. Han Aiqing should go to his post immediately to collect the refugees and distribute the fields. We must restore peace to Zhili as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Han Wen suddenly realized something in his heart, bowed again to accept his orders, and then left directly.

The ministers looked at each other in shock when they saw this, and they all froze on the spot.

His Majesty's methods are really confusing and frightening.

Zhu Houzhao glanced at the ministers who were still in a daze, and then said: "Han Aiqing is gone, but the Minister of Hubu is indispensable."

"According to the rules of the court, the minister should be promoted, but now the frontline soldiers are suppressing the rebellion, so there is no need to bother to follow the authority in an emergency."

"I heard that Jiao Fang, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has a reputation as a virtuous person and is a senior official of the four dynasties. I would like to make him the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs for the time being. Do you think it is okay, dear ministers?"

Jiao Fang!

That eunuch?

Upon hearing this name, the officials' faces became even more ugly!

It is true that Jiao Fang was a veteran of the Four Dynasties. He was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Tianshun, and he barely got involved with the Four Dynasties. In fact, he was only awarded the title of editor of the Hanlin Academy in the first year of Chenghua, so he can only be regarded as a member of the Three Dynasties. Important minister.

However, this person has little knowledge, is jealous of talents, has a bad temper, and is easy to criticize, and he often relies on powerful people. When Liu Jin was in power, this person took the initiative to rely on flattery. He is an out-and-out morally corrupt person. People like this are not tolerated by the gentry and gentry. How can they say that they are "already known as virtuous"?

For a moment, the officials were angry, and then subconsciously looked at Yang Tinghe.

Yang Tinghe sighed in his heart and was about to object verbally, but His Majesty the Emperor didn't give him a chance at all.

"Since none of you have any objections, let's let it be decided!"

"Order Jiao Fang to take up the post immediately to coordinate the money, food and weapons and send them to the front line!"

"After all the money, food and military equipment are available, the Marquis of Zhongshan will naturally send out troops immediately. These damn traitors are really disturbing. It's time to eradicate them!"

As soon as these words came out, the hearts of the ministers trembled.

They still couldn't understand the underlying meaning of His Majesty the Emperor's words.

Either let the eunuch Jiao Fang replace Han Wen as the Minister of Household Affairs, or let the Marquis of Zhongshan continue to play!

What else can the ministers present do?

It is better for a eunuch to come to power than for the Marquis of Zhongshan to continue to slaughter the gentry!

Yang Tinghe sighed helplessly, and then expressed his position.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The ministers looked at each other in disbelief, and finally expressed their helplessness.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Since then, Jiao Fang has replaced Han Wen as the new Minister of Household Affairs!