Li Yan never expected that this imperial envoy was actually serious.
As a result, in the entire Mizhi County, a large number of people were driven out of the towns like cattle and sheep with great reluctance.
The ferocious police officers began to search from house to house. As long as they saw someone who was unwilling to migrate, regardless of their gender, age or status, they would be taken away by force.
If you encounter someone who has a tough attitude and even uses force to resist, then I'll be sorry. There are still three thousand battalions behind us, let's see who can beat the other!
The temporary camp on the outskirts of Mizhi County is like a huge prison. Countless people are like refugees, forced to crowd into this small camp, and there are complaints everywhere.
…………
It also snowed in the capital, and the snowflakes were like goose feathers, carrying an icy coldness and falling on the earth.
Although Zhu Qizhen does not go to court, he is very busy every day.
Xishan Cement Workshop, Wang Gongchang Firearms Workshop, and the construction site of the Martyrs’ Shrine. I circle around these places almost every day.
The cement workshop is progressing most smoothly, with a daily output of three thousand kilograms, and this output is still increasing.
Li Shulin is in charge of Wang Gong Factory, which has recruited a large number of skilled craftsmen from all over the country. They are divided into several groups such as cast iron forging, explosive shells, and granular gunpowder. Each group specializes in one topic. At present, progress is relatively slow.
Because the things Wang Gongchang was researching were too powerful, Zhu Qizhen ordered him to move out of the capital and simply move to Xishan. While he was researching granular gunpowder, he could also help the cement workshop by digging mountains and blasting rocks.
The Martyrs' Shrine is also progressing smoothly. The design drawings Lu Xiang originally received were for reinforced concrete structures. However, in this era, pig iron was a strategic resource and it was too luxurious to build a house, so bamboo strips were used instead of steel bars to make the skeleton.
Then it was poured with a mixture of cement, gravel and sand, and the effect was pretty good.
According to the current progress, it will be completed before the year and put into use after the year.
It was getting late, and Zhu Qizhen returned to the palace from the construction site of the Martyrs' Shrine. Huaien came forward to report that King Zhu Qiyu and the chief minister of the cabinet, Cao Nai, had asked for an audience and had been waiting for a long time.
"Let them wait in the imperial study room!"
"Yes!"
Zhu Qizhen washed his face, changed his clothes, and came to the imperial study room.
"Your Majesty Zhu Qiyu, long live my emperor!"
"Your Majesty, Cao Nai, wishes to see my Emperor long live!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "The two Qing family members are free of courtesy!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qizhen asked again: "Why are you waiting for me so late?"
"Your Majesty!" Cao Nai took out a memorial and said, "This is an urgent memorial from the Yulin Mansion. It impeaches Qin Tianjian Beilin for abusing the people of Mizhi County. Countless soldiers and civilians were tortured in the freezing snow.
They were driven out of the city, which was even more brutal than the Wala people."
Zhu Qizhen silently counted the time in his mind. It had been ten days since Beilin set out. He said there would be an earthquake on the seventh or eighth day. Why didn't he feel that it was reliable...
Zhu Qiyu then said: "According to the report, three people froze to death on the first day, and hundreds of people were injured. If it is allowed to continue, we don't know how many people will be harmed by it."
"This Beilin is so bold!"
Zhu Qizhen slapped the table and said: "I just asked him to go and warn you. I didn't expect that this person would act so wantonly and interfere in local affairs. When he returns to Beijing, I will definitely reprimand him again!" Zhu Qiyu and Cao Nai looked at each other and thought to themselves, is this a reprimand?
There is already a lot of anger and resentment over there, brother, he went there with your decree, but now something happens, you should call him back!
"You two, please go back first, I will handle this matter myself."
Cao Nai couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, the memorial to Yulin Mansion was transferred from the Ministry of Personnel. Someone will definitely impeach the court tomorrow morning. I'm afraid..."
"I know!"
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while, I'm afraid Beilin couldn't stand it anymore, so he might as well come forward himself.
I just hope this guy won’t trick me...
Cao Nai shook his head helplessly and said, "I'm leaving."
Zhu Qiyu said nothing more, bowed and saluted, and then left with Cao Nai.
The two came to the cabinet. At this time, the others had already gone off duty, and only one scribe was still on duty. When they saw King Xi, they hurriedly brought tea over.
Cao Nai first sighed and said: "Your Majesty listens to others and lets Bei Lin do what he wants. If this continues, there will be a lot of complaints. What should we do?"
"I have also communicated with my brother about this matter. Beilin went to save people, but her methods were a little extreme."
"Save people?" Cao Nai shook his head and said, "Only based on a false prophecy, you let people go to torment soldiers and civilians, and under the banner of saving people and righteousness, make people leave their homes?"
The ancients valued their hometown. If they were not forced with a knife, no one would leave home unless they had to. Zhu Qiyu could almost imagine how many cruel and heinous things Beilin and the soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion had done.
Means.
"Things have already happened. There is no point in complaining here. I'd better think about how to deal with it tomorrow morning. By then, there will be people who will impeach me. If someone with ulterior motives takes advantage of this to create rumors, things will not be easy to handle.
”
After the two of them finished speaking, they were silent for a long time before Cao Nai said again: "I just don't understand why the emperor would trust so much that there is an earthquake in the northwest? There is nothing certain in this world, otherwise it would be too simple to govern the world.
.That’s all, the matter has come to this, this mess can only be left to us to clean up.”
…………
In the early morning of the next day, Zhu Qizhen got up early very reluctantly.
According to the time of later generations, it is only four o'clock in the morning. It is simply unreasonable to get up at this time.
If you are not even allowed to sleep, what is the point of this emperor being fooled...
In fact, civil and military officials are even more miserable. They have to get up at three o'clock and are already waiting outside the Meridian Gate.
It would be fine in the summer, but now it's winter, and it's snowing. If you can afford it, you can bring a charcoal stove, but if you can't, you can only huddle in the sedan and shiver.
Especially those who are officials and censors, even if they are rich, they cannot show it, because they position themselves as a clean stream, so they have to show a calm attitude.
But, it’s really too cold.
The more these people think about it, the angrier they become, and the resentment in their hearts becomes even more intense. When they get to the palace, they will definitely impeach a few people and vent their bad temper.
At Mao hour, drums sounded from the tower and the palace gate opened.
Hundreds of officials entered one after another under the leadership of King Zhu Qiyu, crossed the Jinshui Bridge and formed a team in the square.
This process is extremely strict. Any official who coughs, spits or walks unsteadily will be recorded by the censor responsible for picketing and will be dealt with.
When they arrived at Fengtian Hall, all the officials lined up according to their grades. First, the officials from Honglu Temple went out to report the number of people attending the court, as well as the number of officials who came to the capital to express gratitude and left the capital to resign. Then, the morning court officially began.