The little eunuch quickly asked in a low voice. This kind of information is confidential. Most people will not know such confidential information. After all, his godfather is someone close to His Majesty. It is normal to know this kind of thing.
"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."
Wang Chengen immediately scolded him. His Majesty was not allowed to tell the news. He was thinking of his godsons, so he couldn't help but tell it. They actually wanted to ask if this was too much.
Well, if His Majesty finds out, wouldn't it be a serious crime to be beheaded?
"Just take care of your business. Why are there so many problems?"
"Yes, yes, my godfather taught me right."
The little eunuch immediately stepped aside with a smile, not daring to say any more.
At this time, the thugs from the East Factory also came out one after another, and with them came heavy boxes one after another, all of which were placed at the door of the mansion in sequence. There were more than a dozen boxes lined up!
It seems that the Duke of this country has been greedy for money in recent years. The shops, farmland and the like under his name are just waiting to be taken over by the people from Dongchang tomorrow morning. What will happen then?
I can also collect millions of taels of silver. This time, Dongchang's work has been completed, and it is not the so-called killing of Zhu Chunchen.
"Order people to clean this place so that no one can see it."
"As you command, godfather."
…
The next morning, when Zhu Ling woke up, changed clothes, washed up, and had breakfast, Wang Chengen stood aside, waiting for His Majesty to ask him what he had done yesterday.
"You must have been very busy yesterday." Glancing at Wang Chengen's slightly heavy dark circles, he guessed that he was probably very busy yesterday.
"That's not true, Your Majesty. It's just that the results were good, so it took some time to rest."
Naturally, Wang Chengen did not dare to say how busy he was yesterday, so he brought the topic directly to the final result. His Majesty would be very happy after hearing this, and there was no need to worry about himself.
"Oh? Have you calculated it? How much silver?"
Zhu Ling, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation and asked directly what the outcome was, but he didn't even mention Zhu Chunchen's fate.
"My servant ordered people to calculate it all night long. The total is 2.8 million taels of silver. This does not include the farmland and shops in the Duke's hands. If we add those, we will have to add another million taels of silver."
“How much is an acre of land worth now?”
"The past few years were famine years, so it was worth 30 shi of grain. This year, the situation is better, it should be 50 shi of grain." His Majesty Wang Cheng'en finished his porridge, then hurriedly picked it up and gave it to the palace maid beside him.
, and then helped His Majesty to stand up. Looking at the direction His Majesty was walking, he should be going to the main hall.
"How much fertile land does Duke Cheng Guo have?"
"If I remember correctly, slave, there should be eight hundred acres, which is equivalent to a total of silver..."
"Forty thousand shi of grain." Zhu Ling said it first.
Wang Chengen, who was accompanying him, immediately said: "Your Majesty is wise. Calculating it this way, based on the current price of one stone of grain, I am afraid it will cost 200,000 taels of silver. If you calculate it in a shop, it will have to be 100,000 taels of silver. Add to that."
It’s only three hundred thousand taels. I’m afraid I won’t be able to last for half a year with this little money.”
"Sell those shops, plant the fertile land first, leave one million of the 2.8 million taels of silver obtained from the house raids to Meng Zhaoxiang, and take the rest with you."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
After getting on the chariot, we came all the way to Wuying Palace. At this time, several ministers had already arrived here. When they saw Your Majesty's chariot arriving, they immediately knelt down and saluted.
"No need to do it, time is tight, so there is no need for these."
All the way into the Wuying Palace, several ministers immediately followed behind him. Zhu Ling did not show any signs of delay. As the time to go south became more and more urgent, he couldn't help but become more impatient.
The ministers who came in were Fan Jingwen, a great scholar, Li Banghua, the imperial censor of the left capital, Ni Yuanlu, the minister of the Ministry of household affairs, Ling Yiqu, the minister of Dali Temple, Wang Jiayan, the right minister of the Ministry of War, Wu Linzheng, the young minister of Taichang Temple, Xu Zhi, a member of the Ministry of civil affairs, and a minister of the Ministry of household affairs.
Zhongwu Ganlai and several censors.
Seeing the serious expressions of these people today, Zhu Lingdang immediately asked: "Is there something wrong with you all looking so serious today? You might as well talk about it."
First of all, Wang Jiayan glanced at Li Banghua. He was in the front and didn't pay attention. He didn't take the lead to make a move. He just waited for the other ministers to take the first step. Fan Jingwen, on the other hand, had no expression on his face the whole time, and seemed to have nothing to write about.
The younger ministers behind him were hesitant to speak.
Wu Linzheng was ridiculed and suppressed by several courtiers for being too aggressive last time. Obviously, he was much smarter this time. He was not as aggressive as before, but waited for the aggressive person to appear, while he stood firmly there.
Several ministers did not speak for a long time. This atmosphere surprised Zhu Ling. Normally, the ministers would rush to present their memorials one by one as if they had been given blood. Most of their words were intense and the things they said were quite sensitive. Today, they waited for a while.
But no one came forward, which was quite strange.
However, time waits for no one, and Zhu Ling did not want to spend time with them, so he took the lead and said: "If you don't tell me, I will tell you. Yesterday, Guan Ning's army was hastily arranged in the capital. It was a bit hasty. Maybe the arrangement was not appropriate, but because
I didn’t inform you all because the situation was urgent, so please forgive me this time.”
After hearing His Majesty's explanation, Wang Jiayan wanted to step forward but was suppressed by Li Banghua's look. Although he didn't know the reason, he had to retract his step and continue to listen.
"Besides, it's a matter of traveling south."
As soon as these words came out, the air in the palace suddenly seemed to freeze. Such a sensitive issue still controlled the minds of the ministers. Zhu Ling knew that most of them were unwilling, but it was because of his own strength and the intruder's pressure that he had no choice but to do so.
Agreed, but so what? In a field like this, if he still blocks the southward journey, Zhu Ling will definitely not show mercy.
Seeing that everyone was still calm, Zhu Ling smiled bitterly in his heart and continued: "Although the intruders have retreated, but..."
"His Majesty."
At this time, Wang Jiayan finally spoke. He looked up at Zhu Ling and frowned: "The intruders came again today. According to Li Ruolian's report, the intruders besieged the capital again early this morning, but this time they were separated by more than ten miles.
, but it seems that there are still a large number of intruders in Tongzhou."
"Yeah?"
Zhu Ling's tone also became much heavier. He never expected that Li Zicheng would press forward so hard and refuse to give up even if he suffered heavy losses.
Besides, if Li Zicheng still refuses to push out Beizhili, Ming Dynasty is not that at the mercy of others and must show its dignity.
"I have also received the newspaper from my residence. I originally wanted to tell His Majesty first, but there are so many things that I don't know which one to talk about first." Fan Jingwen also spoke up.
"Wang Cheng'en, how many Guan Ning troops will follow me back to Beijing?" It seems that Guan Ning's cavalry must be used again this time.
"There are 8,300 people, half of whom live in the mansions of the guilty officials, and the rest live in the capital camp." Wang Chengen immediately stepped forward and said, he remembered these things clearly, and only waited for His Majesty to ask
rise.
"The date of the southward journey cannot be postponed any longer. One day's delay will increase the uncertainty. Moreover, my presence in the capital will also bring pressure to Meng Zhaoxiang. Therefore, the southward journey is still scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Do you have any objections?"
"Your Majesty, if you leave the day after tomorrow, I am afraid that the preparations will be a bit hasty and there will be no time to prepare." Wu Linzheng said at this time that what he wanted to do was to stand out in front of His Majesty, but not to provoke other colleagues.
"Yes, Your Majesty, you suddenly announced that you will leave the day after tomorrow. Which officials will accompany you southward? What route should you take? How many troops are accompanying you to escort you? Who will meet your Majesty? What if the invading army intercepts you?"
Xu Zhi also stepped forward and asked a series of questions. It seemed that this person was deliberately raising problems, but in fact these questions were the most basic. If they could not be solved, traveling south would only be empty talk.
"It's the time now, which means there is still a day and a half. I don't care how many troubles you have, just prepare yourself. I have my own arrangements for the rest of the issues and will inform you one by one. And the cabinet.
The shortcomings are serious, I have already drawn up personnel arrangements, thank you for your kindness, and I will read it to you."
Wang Chengen took the list handed over by Zhu Ling, took a few steps forward and read it out: "The current bachelor Fan Jingwen is appointed as the elder of the cabinet. The rest of the staff have withdrawn on their own initiative and re-elected people to join the cabinet. Li Banghua, Wang Jiayan, Meng Zhaoxiang, Ni Yuanlu
, Ling Yiqu, and Wu Linzheng served as the cabinet."
"Do you have any objections?" Wang Chengen stepped aside, and Zhu Ling leaned forward slightly, scanning the ministers in front of him.
For Zhu Ling, the personnel arrangement in the cabinet are those who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty and even to him. Maybe some of them have average abilities, but they are His Majesty's most powerful supporter. This is enough.
"I have you!"
[Author's digression]: A book friend said that there are some logic problems in the book. I will read it again. If it is true, I will change it. Thanks for the correction.