Chapter 189 Four birds with one arrow, the beginning of the chaos
Feeling the vicissitudes of life, when the horizon is as far as the eye can see.
The evening sail is as light as an arrow, and the setting sun is as big as a dustpan.
The wind is tired and the flag is gone, and the horses and horses are rushing in the wild.
The big dream returns to the river and the moon, jumping out of the golden scale pool.
In the sixteenth year of Tianji, the twenty-second day of the first lunar month.
If there are records in history books in the future, today will be a day that will be recorded in the history of Daning.
But for Wei Changtian at this moment, today may be a little different, but that's all.
At sunset, Li Huaizhong slowly walked out of Wei's house alone.
Wei Changtian stood in front of the window and watched his leaving figure, tapping the window edge slowly with his fingers, his expression thoughtful.
Everything went smoothly...or too smoothly.
Li Huaizhong has revealed the Liu family's conspiracy without reservation, and what he said has a nose and an eye, and it doesn't sound like a lie no matter how hard it sounds.
Is this old eunuch so eager for a way to make up for the yin and yang skills?
Or is there another purpose?
Wei Changtian wasn't sure, so he glanced through the window lattice at Xu Qingwan and You Jia, who were sitting and talking in the front yard.
As if they were aware of his gaze, the two women quickly turned their heads and looked back in unison.
There was a slight smile on their lips.
It's just that one is very simple and the other is somewhat meaningful.
...
...
Daning Palace, Ziluan Hall.
"Wei minister pays homage to the emperor!"
In the empty hall, a man wearing a purple robe embroidered with cranes bowed respectfully to Ning Yongnian.
He is the head of the Xu family in Daning, the Minister of Household Affairs, Xu Shixing.
"Well, Xu Aiqing, please take a look at this first. Let me approve these notes before I talk to you."
Throwing a pamphlet on the table, Ning Yongnian continued to read through the long and smelly memorials with his head down, seemingly unhappy.
"..."
Seeing this, Xu Shixing did not dare to say anything, so he hurriedly stepped forward and took the pamphlet into his hand.
And when he opened the first page of the book and read a few lines...like cold water pouring on his head, a chill instantly exploded from head to toe.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This..."
"I told you, wait!"
Ning Yongnian did not raise his head, but there was an invisible force of oppression in his words.
"Yes Yes......"
Xu Shixing's body trembled suddenly, and he trembled for a long time before returning his gaze to the pamphlet in his hand that was soaked with sweat.
One by one, they are all the shady things that the Xu family has done.
The Xu family is the richest family in Daning and is involved in countless businesses, among which there will inevitably be some unclean things.
Xu Shixing knew some of these things, while some even he, the head of the family, had never heard of.
But just the part he knew, if it were to be strictly investigated, would be enough to seriously damage the Xu family's vitality.
Xu Shixing, who has been serving as the Minister of the Ministry of Finance for more than ten years, is not a businessman who only makes money.
He is also well versed in the ways of the court.
So what really frightened him was not what was written in this booklet, but why Ning Yongnian showed this booklet to him...
"Liu, Wei, Xu, and the people of Daning all know these three surnames. There is even a joke that the power of these three families is far greater than mine..."
Suddenly, Ning Yongnian spoke.
"Xu Aiqing, what do you think?"
"Plop!"
Xu Shixing didn't even think about it. The next second he fell to his knees tremblingly.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The loyalty of the ministers to the Emperor can be seen from the sun and the moon! What is said in this book..."
"I didn't ask you this!"
Ning Yongnian slammed the memorial in his hand onto the table and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Answer the question I just asked! Are the three families of Liu, Wei and Xu really so powerful?!"
"emperor......"
Xu Shixing suddenly raised his head, with tears streaming down his face: "The Liu and Wei families are humble and dare not say anything, but the Xu family is definitely not like that!"
"Is it?"
Ning Yongnian stared at Xu Shixing and suddenly asked: "Xu Qing, since you are the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, you should know how much silver is currently in Daning's treasury."
"Go back, go back to the emperor..."
Xu Shixing felt bad, but he still answered bravely: "Nearly, almost fifty million taels."
"Okay, after excluding the salaries of big and small officials, military pay, relief and other expenses, how much money do I have left at my disposal?!"
"Bad, almost...ten thousand taels."
"Ten thousand taels..."
Ning Yongnian slowly stood up, walked around the desk, and walked step by step to Xu Shixing.
He leaned down slightly and asked softly with a half-smile:
"Xu Aiqing, how much money is there in the Xu family's treasury?"
...
How much money does your family have?
Xu Shixing may know the answer, or he may not really know the specific number.
But whether he knew it or not, there was no answer to this question.
"..."
There was silence in the Ziluan Hall for a while. Looking at Xu Shixing who was shaking like chaff, Ning Yongnian did not ask any more questions, but silently reached out and took the booklet back.
"Xu Qing, I am not the kind of person who doesn't miss old feelings."
"I was able to ascend the throne because the Xu family had contributed a lot. It is precisely because of this that I have repeatedly tolerated and condoned the actions of the Xu family..."
"But this time, I really don't know what to do... Why don't you tell me?"
"..."
The afterglow of the setting sun shone into the main hall and reflected on Ning Yongnian's robe, seeming to give the golden dragon with its teeth and claws a layer of blood.
After a brief period of panic, although Xu Shixing still looked trembling and formidable, his mind was no longer stagnant.
Obviously, Ning Yongnian's move was to test his bottom line.
The Xu family has been rooted in Daning for hundreds of years and has been prosperous for more than a hundred years. Such a complicated and entrenched force cannot be overthrown by just a few words and a piece of evidence.
Ning Yongnian knew this, and Xu Shixing knew it even better.
Then the key lies in how much the Xu family has to pay to satisfy Ning Yongnian's appetite.
"Your Majesty, my clan has committed such a disaster, and I know that I cannot escape my involvement."
"I no longer have the dignity to assume the important role of Minister of Household Affairs... I am willing to resign and return to my hometown!"
"I beg the Emperor to grant your permission!"
"Boom!"
After kowtowing heavily, Xu Shixing decided to hand over power first.
According to his judgment, Daning's treasury is currently abundant and there is no shortage of money, so what Ning Yongnian did must be his right to control money affairs.
Under normal circumstances, this idea is correct.
But what Ning Yongnian has to do this time is far more than that simple.
"Resign and return to your hometown?"
Ning Yongnian sighed softly and said in a calm tone: "Xu Qing, do you really think that you can wear the flower feathers on your head and pick them off when you want? Do you really think that this capital is for you to come and go as you please?
Isn’t it possible?”
"If you really want to resign, it's not impossible..."
"Since you are from Jizhou, I will give you a house in Jizhou Mansion, where you can take your wife and children to spend your remaining years in peace."
"As for the rest...just stay in the capital."
"Wha, what?"
Hearing these words, Xu Shixing suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of disbelief.
He never expected that Ning Yongnian's appetite would be so big that he would ask for all the wealth accumulated by the Xu family over the past hundreds of years!
"Your Majesty, even if the Xu family made mistakes, I'm afraid it's not this serious!"
"If the emperor feels that my resignation is not enough, then I am willing to die to apologize!"
"But if you ask me to hand over the entire Xu family... I will not be able to obey!"
At this moment, Xu Shixing knew very well that he could no longer retreat.
When the official is gone, he can train his descendants.
The money is gone, you can make it again.
But if the hundreds of years of Xu family's foundation were destroyed by his hands, then he would not be able to face the Xu family's ancestors even in death, let alone alive!
"Boom!"
As he spoke, he kowtowed his head again.
But Xu Shixing's actions this time were not cowardly at all, and there was even a vague intention to compete with Ning Yongnian.
He was betting that Ning Yongnian would not dare to take the risk of causing Daning to fall into chaos and really break up with the Xu family.
And with the background of the Xu family, Xu Shixing believed that he had the confidence.
only......
"Xu Aiqing, I do underestimate you."
Ning Yongnian shook his head, seemingly not paying much attention to Xu Shixing's "disrespectful" behavior just now.
"I thought before that compared to the Liu and Wei families, you should be the most loyal to me..."
"Wei Chen is indeed loyal to the emperor!"
Xu Shixing actually interrupted directly: "But I am also a member of the Xu family!"
"Hahaha! What a member of the Xu family!"
Ning Yongnian raised his head and laughed: "So you think I don't dare to touch your Xu family, are you right?!"
"I never meant this!"
He said "no such intention", but Xu Shixing's tone was very firm.
Compared with the Liu family, the Xu family is slightly weaker, but its members are also spread throughout the government and the public.
Compared to the Wei family, although the Xu family is slightly less powerful, they still have a large number of masters under their command.
More importantly, the Xu family is rich.
At any time, money is the panacea that can make up for any gap.
So...so what if you are the emperor?
...
In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere in Ziluan Hall had reached the point of tenseness.
If Wei Changtian were here right now, he would probably be very surprised.
Before time travel, most of his understanding of feudal imperial society came from TV series and...
In these works, the emperor seems to have absolutely supreme authority, how could he be challenged by a minister like this?
But in fact, in real history, situations far more exaggerated than this are not uncommon.
From Cao Cao, to Zhao Gao, to Zhang Juzheng, and then to Obai... all of them are masters who don't take the emperor seriously at all.
To put it bluntly, "Emperor" is just a title, and who holds the "Emperor's power" depends on the strength of their respective forces.
The Xu family's influence may not reach the level of "not taking Ning Yongnian seriously", but it is more than enough to support Xu Shixing in saying a few tough words.
"Your Majesty! I dare you to say a few more words!"
"When Prime Minister Liu was alive, the power of the Liu family was almost overwhelming in both the government and the public. From the state capitals to the court, from the eighth-rank county magistrate to the third-rank ministers of various ministries, most of the appointments and promotions of officials, large and small, required the Liu family's nod!"
"Has Your Majesty ever seen such a serious crime of forming a clique for personal gain?!"
"The Wei family has been in control of the Xuanjing Division for hundreds of years. The three guards and three offices are in charge of almost all military matters in Daning! The superiors can kill any officials at will, and the subordinates can wipe out one sect after another with a wave of their hands. Even Wei Changtian
You dare to lead thousands of people to kill the Prime Minister’s Mansion!”
"Such a lawless act, what did the emperor do in the end?!"
"Even if the Xu family has made countless mistakes, the crimes committed by the Liu and Wei families are not as bad as those committed by the Liu and Wei families. Why can't the emperor tolerate my Xu family?!"
"emperor!"
"I don't understand!!"
"..."
The high-pitched questioning echoed in the hall, and Xu Shixing's eyes were full of grief and anger.
What he said is actually quite reasonable.
The Liu family and the Wei family are obviously a greater threat to you than me, and I have always kept a low profile, so why do you have to deal with me?
Do you really think that my Xu family is picking on the weak?
It's both a way to vent and pressure.
After Xu Shixing finished speaking, he stared at Ning Yongnian, who was silent for a while and then slowly spoke again.
However, he didn't seem to be answering Xu Shixing, but more like talking to himself.
"It seems it was right not to wait any longer..."
"Can't you tolerate the Xu family?"
"hehe......"
He chuckled lightly and looked at Xu Shixing, who was frowning.
"Xu Qing, you are wrong."
"It's not that I can't tolerate the Xu family, but..."
"Hoola!"
The loose robe suddenly moved automatically in the absence of wind, making a hunting sound.
Xu Shixing felt that something was wrong for a moment, but in his heart he still did not believe that Ning Yongnian would really dare to put Daning into chaos.
He raised his head high and puffed out his chest, ready to show his determination to die again to show his attitude.
As long as this hurdle is passed, the Xu family will be fine!
but......
The palm full of imperial power is getting closer and closer.
It wasn't until this palm print was placed on the crane on his chest that Xu Shixing finally understood——
It turned out that I was wrong.
But...why?
"boom!!"
With a muffled sound, the official hat with long flower feathers suddenly flew into the air, and then rolled down again. There was still a strong sense of confusion in the eyes that almost burst out of their eyes.
"..."
"Oh, Xu Qing, you didn't need to die..."
At his feet, the lifeless Xu Shixing slowly fell to the ground, while Ning Yongnian seemed a little regretful.
But this regret only lasted for a moment.
He turned around and finished the sentence he had just finished.
"It's not that I can't tolerate the Xu family, but..."
"No one can be tolerated."
...
Half an hour later.
There was nothing strange in the Ziluan Hall. Ning Yongnian was still sitting behind the desk reviewing memorials, but there was a man in purple robe standing in front of him again.
"Your Majesty, I wonder why you have summoned me?"
Wei Xianzhi's figure is upright and his tone is neither humble nor arrogant.
"Hahaha, Wei Aiqing, sit down. I have two things to tell you."
Compared with just now, Ning Yongnian's attitude at this time can be regarded as "amiable".
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat."
Wei Xianzhi was not polite, sat down and waited for the next step.
As Ning Yongnian spoke each sentence, his expression became more and more complicated.
There is anger, shock, doubt, and hesitation.
Fortunately, he at least walked out of Ziluan Palace alive...but his footsteps were a little heavy.
Another half hour passed.
"emperor......"
"Liu Aiqing, sit down, I have something to discuss with you!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, please speak..."
"..."
From dusk to nightfall.
When Liu Zhongchun, the current head of the Liu family, Liu Yuanshan's second brother and also the official minister, walked out of the Ziluan Hall thoughtfully, it meant that Ning Yongnian's preliminary plan to gather domestic forces was about to be fully launched.
Before fighting the outside world, you must first make peace with the inside.
Liu, Wei, Xu, and a Buddhist sect.
Who should we start with?
After these days of thinking, Ning Yongnian's final choice was - everything.
Kill four birds with one stone.
"Let's make chaos..."
Standing at the door of the main hall, looking up at the yellow dragon of luck that only he could see in the night sky, Ning Yongnian laughed loudly: