After returning to the palace, Huaien came to report that Yuan Bin, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, asked to see him and had been waiting in the imperial study for a long time.
Zhu Qizhen seemed to have thought of something and asked: "How is Miss Song?"
Wynn said: "Back to the emperor, the imperial doctor has seen you, and you are recovering well."
Zhu Qizhen nodded and turned to the imperial study room.
Yuan Bin hurriedly saluted: "Your Majesty, Yuan Bin, greets you!"
"I'm sorry, no gifts!"
Zhu Qizhen sat down and asked, "What's the matter?"
Yuan Bin said: "Your Majesty, Zhu Qianshi reported some things to me. I felt that the matter was too important and I didn't dare to neglect it, so I rushed over as soon as possible."
Zhu Qizhen nodded. Before setting off for the expedition, he did tell Zhu Ji some special things. I guess he had some clues.
"Where's Zhu Ji, why didn't he come with you?"
"Back to the emperor, he is not in the capital now."
"Oh?" Zhu Qizhen asked, "Where?"
"Fuzhou!"
"Fuzhou?"
Zhu Qizhen is puzzled. Why did you go to Fuzhou after asking you to check a few people?
Yuan Bin took out a list and handed it over, and then said: "During the emperor's expedition, Zhu Qianshi discovered some clues by investigating some merchants, and then went to Fuzhou himself."
Zhu Qizhen opened the list and took a look at it, and said dissatisfied: "Do these people think that the salary of the imperial court is too low, and they still do business secretly?"
There are not only merchants on the list, but also many court officials.
Under the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty, officials of fourth rank and above were prohibited from doing business, and those who embezzled sixty taels of silver would be stripped and exposed to the public.
However, no one in this world can get along with money. Most of the officials in the government have some contact with merchants, so they start to turn a blind eye and do what you do. Everyone knows it well.
Okay.
As a result, the situation in the early Ming Dynasty that the officials and businessmen were afraid to raise their heads due to the torture of officials gradually became in vain.
As time went by, senior officials and ministers saw opportunities and profits, and ignored the rules set by Ming Taizu and allowed their families to do business. As a result, a unique phenomenon of banning border merchants was formed, so that officials and merchants
Rampant, wealthy people emerge one after another.
Yuan Bin explained: "The emperor does not know something. The list of officials compiled by Zhu Qianshi shows unusual business activities, but... sea trade!"
Zhu Qizhen's face began to look ugly. Although he also had plans to open the sea, it was my business to open the sea. If you go to sea privately, you don't take me as the emperor seriously! p>
"Zhu Qianshi followed the line of merchants and found that some people had close ties with court officials. He traced further and found that one of the merchants from Fuzhou was buying silk, porcelain, cotton and other goods in the south, but he could not find out.
When it came to his shipping route, it seemed that he could only get in and out. So he went to Fuzhou in person, followed day and night, and finally traced the route of those people's shipments. It turned out that they were all shipped to Japan, Korea, Luzon, Annan and other countries." Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen was actually a little hesitant. It seemed unnecessary to arrest these officials and smugglers according to the ancestral system.
At present, the Ming Dynasty is full of waste and development, and the development of industry, commerce and maritime trade is a major trend.
If we deal with all the people now and then announce the opening of the sea and encourage industry and commerce, wouldn’t it be a slap in the face?
"Actually, I have heard for a long time that some people have been secretly going to sea. Since it is the will of the people, I am also considering whether the sea ban should be lifted. As for those officials who secretly collude with merchants, appropriate punishments will be imposed." p>
"Your Majesty, things are not that simple."
Yuan Bin shook his head and said with a wry smile: "In order to investigate the case, Zhu Qianshi disguised himself and sneaked into one of the fleets, only to find that there was a connection between those people and the Japanese pirates!"
"Japanese pirates?"
Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but change his expression. If he just went out to sea for smuggling, he could be dealt with lightly, but colluding with Japanese pirates is another matter!
"Not bad!"
Yuan Bin nodded and said: "Zhu Qianshi was worried about arousing the other party's suspicion, so he did not write a letter. He just asked someone to write a sentence, saying that the Japanese pirates may have made some big moves recently, and he is currently making further inquiries."
These words are consistent with what Song Guxi said, and further confirms that the White Lotus Sect colluded with the Japanese pirates to plot evil.
Zhu Qizhen thought for a long time and asked: "Can I contact Shi Heng? What is his current situation?"
Yuan Bin shook his head and said: "There has been no news since Shi Heng left. I was worried that he had already rebelled and did not dare to let Zhu Qianshi go find him."
Zhu Qizhen looked a little disappointed. Although Shi Heng was reckless, he was also somewhat heroic. Could it be that he had really misjudged him?
If this chess piece can play a role, it will be crucial.
However, the current situation can only be deeply regretted.
Zhu Qizhen thought about it and said: "These people on the list should not act rashly first. Send someone to monitor them secretly. Also, everyone who has dealings with them, whether officials, merchants or ordinary people, must be investigated thoroughly!" p>
"I obey the decree!"
After Yuan Bin left, Zhu Qizhen also left the imperial study and went to visit Song Guxi.
She is still recovering from her injuries. In this era, there are no surgical conditions or antibiotics, so she can only rely on her physical strength to hold on.
"Your Majesty...you are here..."
Song Guxi struggled to sit up, but Zhu Qizhen pressed her shoulders and pushed her back to the bed.
"Lie down and don't move!"
Song Guxi nodded slightly, her face full of comfort.
"I want to ask you something!"
"Your Majesty...what do you want to ask?"
"Has your White Lotus Sect always regarded rebellion as its mission in every dynasty?"
"The emperor is joking..."
Song Guxi smiled awkwardly and said: "The White Lotus Sect originated from the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, requiring believers to recite the Buddha's name and observe the precepts in order to be reborn in the Western Pure Land."
Zhu Qizhen asked again: "Then why, since the Southern Song Dynasty, no matter which dynasty or generation, you have to rebel?"
The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were all familiar with the White Lotus Religion, because the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the White Lotus Religion were inextricably linked.
The White Lotus Sect originated in the Southern Song Dynasty, and its peak period was in the Yuan Dynasty.
The Mongolian Yuan Dynasty was brutal and the people were in dire straits, which eventually led to wars in the Central Plains and uprisings all over the world.
The most famous one at that time was the Han Shantong Uprising. Han Shantong's grandfather was punished for promoting the ideas of the White Lotus Sect. So when regulating the river, Han Shantong advocated: "Advocate that the world will be in chaos and Maitreya Buddha will be reborn."
Especially after getting to know Liu Futong, the two of them stepped up their efforts to publicize the birth of Maitreya and the birth of King Ming. Not only that, they also secretly formed a Red Scarf Army to prepare for an uprising.
The folk song "The Stone Man with One Eye" stirs up rebellion in the Yellow River world was made up by these two people.
Later, Han Shantong was defeated, captured and killed, and his son Han Lin'er was made King Xiaoming by Liu Futong.
This Xiao Ming Wang is Zhu Yuanzhang’s nominal master.
According to Zhu Yuanzhang's recollection, he wanted to support King Xiao Ming in proclaiming himself emperor, and sent General Liao Yongzhong to pick him up. Unexpectedly, the boat accidentally leaked and sank while sailing into the Guazhou River...