Zhang Zhou set off from Datong back to the capital.
However, as soon as he left the city in the afternoon that day, he was blocked by a group of people who blocked the road and complained.
Zhang Zhou was riding on a horse. He thought he was the military and civilian gentry who came to see him off. When a group of people approached, he realized that they were taking advantage of him to sue Zhang Heling and others who had previously mined around Datong.
"Master Qingtian makes the decision. We, the common people, have been oppressed. Good mines have been robbed by villains. They even sent domestic slaves and thugs to beat us ordinary people..."
Zhang Zhou may have had too good an official reputation before.
The things they were scolded were all done by others, and they didn't know whether they were really stupid or just pretending to be confused. It was as if they didn't even know that he, the general manager of Xuan Da, was responsible for the mining.
Zhang Heling was riding on the horse and said with a smile: "There are a lot of people here, are you looking for the wrong place?"
There was a sarcastic look on his face.
Zhang Zhou got off his horse, walked up to the group of people, and said loudly: "Everyone, if you want to find someone to make decisions for you, please go to the government office. I have now resigned from my official position and will return to Beijing soon."
"Sir, you can't just leave like this. Our good land has been taken away by villains! They are all those who eat people without spitting out their bones..."
"Who are you talking about?" Zhang Heling couldn't stand listening, so he came over and pointed at a group of people with a ferocious look on his face and said, "I'm going to open your mine! If you have the ability, come to me! I'll kill you!"
"This is the villain! I heard that he is a relative and a traitor to the Ming Dynasty! I hope Master Qingtian will make the decision for me and other common people!"
For the first time, Zhang Zhou saw the methods used by local gentry to compete for interests.
It's really like sending people to the mines to rob them first. If they can't rob them, they will make trouble. The local government will not dare to take care of it, so they will make trouble at the upper level.
He was already like this before he left Datong. He believed that when he returned to the capital, there would be a mountain of memorials accusing him of mining in the northwest and plundering people's wealth, and the ministers' comments alone would drown him.
He suddenly felt that it would be better to open a coal mine in Xishan. At least it would be at the feet of the emperor, and at most it would be wrangling with a group of nobles.
It’s true that the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. We don’t talk about the king’s laws and only talk about interests.
Zhang Zhou said: "I have heard your appeal, but it is useless for you to tell me. There is a Wang Zhongcheng in the city. He is the governor of Datong. From now on, he will take charge of local affairs in Datong."
At this time, Zhang Zhou would of course leave the problem to Wang Shouren.
You can't say that if there is an opportunity to win military glory in a war, you can do it, but when trouble comes, let others take care of it.
Moreover, when Zhang Zhou left, he said that Wang Shouren would be responsible for the future mining. As for how to deal with the local egoistic gentry, it all depends on Wang Shouren's ability.
"Sir, I hope you will make the decision on this matter!"
The provocateur has already come out, and his hateful eyes are not directed at Zhang Heling, but at Zhang Zhou.
Dayou, if you don't let us make the decision, we will fight you tooth and nail.
Zhang Heling scolded: "I'm sorry for you. The mines I opened were all in uninhabited places, in barren mountains and mountains. When did I occupy whose fields? Whose mines did I seize? Apparently a group of people saw me opening mines.
It went well and you want to take it back? Whose Ming Dynasty do you think this is?"
Zhang Zhou almost couldn't recognize Zhang Heling when he saw him like this.
The eldest son of the Zhang family, who was known for his stupidity and greed during the Ming Dynasty, actually started to reason with others?
And this time it was him who took charge?
It is true that time has changed, and it is difficult for people to understand how things in this world have changed.
The leader among the gentry shouted: "Evil man! That place is our ancestral property! And we found the mine soon! It was you who took advantage of it!"
"Damn it, it's easy to bully me, isn't it? Let's see if I don't skin you! If I open a mine and say it's yours, why don't you say Daming is yours?" Zhang Heling has never been bullied like this before.
superior.
The gentlemen immediately lost their previous gentle aura of trying to reason with Zhang Zhou, and they all stood up, and the ones behind them even raised hoes and everything else.
"You, a group of dignitaries from the capital, came to Shanxi to mine. This place belongs to us! Go back to your capital!"
"If you don't hand over the mine, I will fight with you!"
Someone actually rushed over with a hoe and wanted to hit Zhang Heling with the hoe.
This man was in his forties. His fair and wealthy appearance did not look like he worked in the fields, but he hid in the crowd and dressed in coarse cloth to pretend to be an ordinary citizen. He probably felt that Zhang Zhou was present, regardless of Zhang Zhou's presence.
How about the personal relationship between Zhou and Zhang Heling? At least Zhang Zhou had to protect their interests for his own reputation.
That's why he dared to hit Zhang Heling in front of so many guards.
"Whoa!"
Zhang Heling was not polite, he directly pulled out a knife, raised it and tried to fight the man with all his strength.
When the man saw this posture, he started to retreat in the middle of the charge, but was knocked down by a kick from a Beijing soldier.
"kill you!"
Zhang Heling had never suffered such a big loss. He was going to kill someone with a knife regardless of his own behavior, but Zhang Zhouzhou grabbed his hand.
"Zhang Zhitai, what do you mean?" Zhang Heling glared at Zhang Zhou.
If you offend me, Marquis Shouning, don't you offend you, Zhang Bingkuan? It's true that I'm the one who promised to stand up for the mine opening, but the problem is that you can't just sit idly by.
Zhang Zhoudao: "Oh, you are guilty of attacking a distinguished member of the court. Fortunately, you didn't succeed, otherwise you... and you guys wouldn't have enough heads to chop off."
Someone shouted: "Master Zhang, how can you help Xiaoxiao?"
Zhang Zhou sneered and said: "I came to the northwest to control military affairs under the emperor's orders, but I didn't say that I would help you sort out these nonsense! If there is anyone who wants to say whose fields Shouning Hou has occupied for mining, please come to the government with the contract of the fields.
, you’d better have proof that those mines in the barren mountains are yours! Otherwise, there’s no way you can get the Yamen to help you!”
"Officials protect each other!"
The gentry who originally praised Zhang Zhou immediately changed their focus and classified Zhang Zhou as a traitor.
Zhang Zhou said hello, and then the Jinyi guards came out with swords. The soldiers from the Beijing camp immediately stepped forward and surrounded the group of people in front of them.
Zhang Zhou said sternly: "Invite everyone into the city and go to the governor's office. Let Governor Wang sort things out for you and see who is causing trouble. Those who take the lead in making trouble will not be spared! If anyone is injured or killed in the local coal mine
In any case, let the government seal them all!"
"ah?"
The local officials and gentry originally expected Zhang Zhou to make the decision. Even if the appeal failed, there would probably be no loss.
But after hearing what Zhang Zhou said.
Zhang Zhou simply wanted to play "national law" with them.
Ordinary coal mines, not to mention the production, require the coolies to carry baskets of coal outside after entering the pit. Not to mention that the reinforcement is not strong, and the ventilation inside is also very poor. Water leakage, explosions and other incidents often occur. This is also the case today.
The reason why the local coal mine in Datong cannot be opened.
It's not more that they don't know there is a mine, but that they don't have the technology to mine it, and the labor cost of mining is too high.
As long as the tenants can make a living by farming, who is willing to risk their lives by going down the well?
What Zhang Zhou means is that allowing you to open mines is already giving you face. These private mines have always been banned, and now we simply use the government to seize those that have not been declared to the government... Don't think that by bribing the local county government
, small yamen such as the Inspection and Inspection Department can be pardoned. Now we directly use the governor's yamen to suppress you. Even the Shanxi Chief Envoy has stepped aside, let alone local governments, prefectures and counties, or those military yamen.
Already.
"Take the people away!"
Zhang Zhou was not polite either.
I'll give you a pretense. You want to fight for your own interests and fight with Zhang Heling, but now you actually come in front of me to cause trouble.
Then can I, Zhang, still give you face?
If I have the support of the emperor, finding a place to mine can be called competing for profit from the people, and stop there. Then doesn’t my ideal of transforming the Ming Dynasty have to wait until my next life to realize it?
"Mr. Zhang, you are still awesome." Zhang Heling gave Zhang Zhou a thumbs up.
Zhang Zhou looked at Zhang Heling sharply and said: "And you, we agreed that you will be responsible for external affairs, but you still want me to wipe your ass? Do you not want to share in the future?"
"you!"
Zhang Heling also got angry when he heard this.
Is everyone grinning at me?
Is it Zhang Zhou? Calm down and think about it, forget it! You can’t fight!
I still hope that the legendary Zhang Banxian will come to mine and help me earn money. For the sake of the money, I can't quarrel with him, otherwise he really doesn't care about my money, and it will be in vain if I sue my brother-in-law.
"Mr. Zhang, please calm down. I actually want to teach this group of people a lesson. This is not what you said. No matter how serious the conflict is, no one can be killed? If this were the case before, let alone a group of ordinary people, even the uncle Chang Ning surnamed Zhou
So what about that kid? Should I fight or fight..."
Zhang Heling said happily while looking at the people being escorted away by the officers and soldiers.
The generals and officials nearby looked at him and naturally felt that... Hou Ning Hou had really changed his character when he came to the northwest.
How could he actually be so kind-hearted in the face of Zhang Zhou's criticism while accepting it humbly?
Haven't you heard before that even the emperor and empress couldn't cure the Zhang brothers? Why did everyone have to obey Zhang Zhitai when he took action?
"Mr. Zhang is very clever. If I had known earlier, I would have asked you to take action." Zhang Heling smiled.
Zhang Zhou was not angry and asked his retinue to bring the horse over, and said: "Wait a minute, I will inevitably fight Tumo Xingzi with you when I return to the capital. Is it for myself that I came to the northwest to enrich the country and strengthen the army? Since I have no mercy, then
Let’s have something special! Shouning Hou, you will give a memorial when you rest tonight.”
"What? I'm going to submit a memorial?" Zhang Heling looked confused.
Zhang Zhou walked over and said in a low voice: "Just accuse the local gentry of colluding with the government to seek personal gain from the court, opening many mines, killing people, and evading taxes. Can you do this?"
"Okay, I'll do it!"
Zhang Heling became excited as soon as he heard it.
In the past, others came to impeach me, but now it’s finally my turn to be the guest, Zhang!
So it turns out that you can still do this by taking advantage of others? Is this considered... a slap in the face?
Zhang Zhoudao: "In terms of words, I will help you think about it. With your talent... the words must be simple and the feelings must be sincere. After the memorial is presented, the civil and military ministers of the DPRK and China will feel that you have been wronged in the northwest! And you are participating in the impeachment.
You must take me with you when the time comes."
Zhang Heling said in confusion: "If you want to jointly sign, you can write it yourself and I can just sign it. Why bother?"
Zhang Zhou sneered and said: "I said it lightly, and I was also involved in the impeachment. I said that I am the leader among those who condone the mining in the surrounding areas of Datong."
"What?"
Zhang Heling was shocked again.
Zhang Zhou said: "If you still want to divide the money, just listen to what I do. Let's put each other on opposite sides first, so that others will think that we are in two camps. Then when we divide the money later, we can be harmonious."
"Oh?" Zhang Heling didn't have that brain.
Nothing he did before was done without much thought.
Zhang Zhou said fiercely: "During my time in Datong, I have thoroughly understood the chain of local interests. It's up to you to break it open! Don't they want us to be unable to mine in Datong? Cut off their financial resources first.
Oh! Otherwise, they would really think that we are just here to mine secretly!"
"Yes, yes, we are here with integrity." Zhang Heling said empathetically.
Zhang Zhou said: "So you're welcome, it's best to clean up the officialdom in the northwest. By then, you, the Marquis of Shouning, will still be a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, and your Majesty will definitely praise you."
When Zhang Heling heard this, he could not only get money, but also let out a bad breath, and even earn credit from his brother-in-law... He felt as if he was about to reach the pinnacle of his life. This was different from how he and his younger brother used to rob the capital.
Times are different.
Zhang Heling narrowed his eyes and said, "Mr. Zhang, aren't you worried about being criticized for being too close to me?"
"What the heck are you afraid of!" Zhang Zhou was not so polite in front of rough people. "Now the court has attacked me more than you. As long as you two brothers don't mind following me."
"hey-hey."
Zhang Heling felt more comfortable after hearing this. He smiled and said, "That's right, we are all grasshoppers on the same rope. No one can jump away!"
…
…
Before Zhang Zhou returned to the capital, as expected, a steady stream of reports reached the capital about Zhang Zhou's mining in the northwest, which caused many local disputes.
The difference from the past is...this time the civil servants appeared to be very restrained.
In other words, except for those who are brainless, everyone knows that the imperial court is currently short of money and cannot even pay out rewards for military merit in the northwest. The emperor agreed to let Zhang Zhou open the mine... At the same time, Zhang Zhou also said that in the future, the income from the mine
In addition to the mining tax, officials were also given discounts for their salaries.
Those middle- and lower-level officials are plundering people's money and money, and at the same time they also want to make a good job. It's nothing for them to squander their salary, so they naturally don't care.
But we...he cares about the money.
As the morning session came to an end, Min Gui, the imperial censor of Zuodu, brought up the matter, especially mentioning the fact that Zhang Heling was engaged in a mining operation and even had a fight with local officials and gentry.
Zhu Youtang asked: "Is this the kiln that Shouning Hou occupied when he started mining?"
Min Gui naturally knew that this was not the case, but in his opinion, grabbing local land for mining was also a form of appropriation. He insisted: "Exactly."
Zhu Youtang said: "Then who asked the previous mine owner to mine there? Did they pay taxes to the court? How much taxes are paid every year?"
"Well……"
Min Gui was speechless.
Zhu Youtang said coldly: "Dear gentlemen, I have actually known for a long time that in places with mineral resources, private mining kilns have been banned many times, and even local officials support it. Once outsiders intervene, they will still want to
Gathering people for looting. In the past, for the sake of local stability, I often turned a blind eye to such things, but that doesn’t mean I want to condone it.”
Liu Jiandao: "Your Majesty, you may send someone from the Ministry of Industry to Datong to investigate this matter strictly."
"What to check?" Zhu Youtang certainly knew what Liu Jian meant.
When Zhang Zhou opened the mine, it was equivalent to opening the mine under his own name, and the interests were transferred to the northwest military and political system by Zhang Zhou personally. The Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of War and the local government were almost not involved in it, which meant that the dominant power was with him. Zhang Zhou's hand.
Before Zhang Zhou opened the mine, people in the court didn't have much opinion on it.
Because they felt...Zhang Zhou might not be able to drive.
Now that the mines have really produced a harvest, Liu Jian wants to incorporate these mines into the supervision system, turning the royal ones into the imperial court's, and then the imperial court will allocate them uniformly.
But this is obviously not in line with Zhu Youtang's wishes.
Zhu Youtang said: "The mining in Bingkuan was approved by your family. It seems that you didn't object when the salary money was folded, right?"
The ministers present were speechless.
"The purpose of mining in the northwest now is to save military supplies for the imperial court. In the past two months, I have heard that only a handful of money and grain have been transferred from Beijing to the northwest. Given the current situation, the soldiers in the northwest do not even have basic food and clothing. How can we serve our country if we can’t even eat enough?”
Zhu Youtang's attitude is very tough.
What it probably means is that you don’t need to discuss the matter of mining with me, and I have no room for discussion with you.
Zhu Youtang said: "If anyone else makes irresponsible remarks about this, then send him to the mines to experience the hard work of miners! Resign from the court!"
…
…
The emperor was extremely protective of Zhang Zhou.
It also made the ministers of the DPRK realize that it would be useless to use even the slightest interest of Zhang Zhou now.
But in fact, they can be considered "adapted". After all, Zhang Zhou is preceded by Li Guang. In fact, the emperor's trust in Zhang Zhou is not much higher than that of Li Guang, just because Zhang Zhou is no longer just an eunuch in charge of alchemy in the inner court. In addition to interfering in matters such as passing on officials, it can also be related to court affairs.
And no matter how you look at it, Li Guang is greedier than Zhang Zhou.
In the past, I had to give various gifts to Li Guang, but now Zhang Zhou... I have to share some money with them, and even open a mine and still have to be criticized.
Probably... Zhang Zhou was too "kind" to these people.
"In the past few days, Zhang Bingkuan is going back to Beijing. His Majesty has sent people to ask the Ministry of Civil Affairs and said that he will be given the position of Minister of the Sixth Ministry, but there is no mention of Duke Lai and the Bachelor of Academic Affairs. It is estimated that Your Majesty wants to use Zhang Bingkuan as the minister. One person is responsible for the duties of the Governor's Office, the Six Ministries and the Hanlin Academy."
The three cabinet members returned to the duty room, and Liu Jian brought the news.
Xie Qian smiled and said: "I'm lucky that I'm not a minister."
Li Dongyang said: "The six ministers will probably be the household minister and the military minister first. As for whether it is the left minister or the right minister... it is also to facilitate his continued control of the northwest military affairs."
"Yeah." Liu Jian nodded.
Li Dongyang sighed again: "Now it depends on whether he intends to incite His Majesty to send troops to the grassland. Even if he sends troops, in my opinion, he still wants to make peace with the little Tatar prince."
"What do you say?" Xie Qian asked.
Li Dongyang said: "Send troops to intimidate the little Tatar prince, force him to retreat, and at the same time make the three guards of Duoyan surrender to the Ming Dynasty. This result should be more practical and convenient than directly defeating the little Tatar prince."
