Above the Golden Palace, even though Emperor Chen had left, there was still silence.
From the prime minister to the six minor officials, and even the eunuchs serving in the palace, everyone knelt down.
When the emperor is angry, millions of corpses will be laid down and blood will flow for thousands of miles. Your Majesty's thunderous rage just now will not lay down millions of corpses and bleed for thousands of miles, but it still shakes the whole court.
Prime Minister Feng pretended to resign, but His Majesty did not object, but took advantage of the situation and really allowed him to resign and return home. This was unexpected by everyone and is still unbelievable to this day.
But when I think about His Majesty's words that still seem to be echoing in the palace, everything seems to be logical.
The national treasury's annual tax revenue is only ten million taels. Ezhou, a small state in the south of the Yangtze River, hid half of the national treasury. What about Jiangnan West Road and the whole of Jiangnan?
They dare not imagine it.
What's more, Jiangnan officials were so bold that they wantonly murdered Beijing officials who went to Jiangnan to investigate, which touched the bottom line of the imperial court.
And the reason why they are so arrogant is precisely because Jiangnan has produced too many high-ranking officials, and it is precisely because the Jiangnan faction is the mainstay of the court. Now, this pillar has fallen.
Now that Your Majesty has dismissed Prime Minister Feng, he will not stop there. In the matter of official affairs, a certain supervisory censor and the Jiangnan officials who just stood up to force Your Majesty to make concessions may not be able to escape.
Above the Golden Palace, hundreds of officials were kneeling on the ground, and people were in panic. Prime Minister Feng was kneeling at the front, as if his back had been ripped out, and his whole body was bowed down.
Many officials secretly sighed in their hearts. Prime Minister Feng had worked hard for the country all his life, but in the end he still did not have a happy ending. He rose up because of Jiangnan, and was tired of Jiangnan, and his lifelong fame was ruined...
They subconsciously looked to the other side, only to realize that Prime Minister Wang did not go to court today, Prime Minister Feng was deposed, and Prime Minister Wang was the only backbone of everyone.
Just when the officials were punished to kneel in the Golden Palace, outside the capital, under the weeping willows by the river, the old man sat on a low stool and looked at the water leisurely. Even if the front of the fishing rod shook violently, it was as steady as a mountain.
Sitting.
A little girl ran over, shook his arm and said: "Grandpa, don't sleep, the fish is hooked..."
"Grandpa didn't sleep." The left prime minister smiled and shook his head. He lifted the fishing rod and found nothing on the hook.
The little girl said angrily: "The fish ran away..."
The old man touched her head and said with a smile: "The fish here are very smart. They can even catch people. It's not easy to catch them..."
The little girl looked at her and frowned: "Grandpa is so confused. How can a fish catch a person?"
Wang Xiang laughed and said: "You are still young. When you grow up, you will know that fish can also catch people. It is not easy to see who is a fish and who is a person..."
Thinking that fish could also turn into humans, the little girl looked at the river water, with a scared expression on her face, and hurriedly turned around and ran away.
A few feet away on the other side of the river, Zhao Yuan took back his fishing rod, and there was a palm-sized fish hanging on the hook. He looked at the little girl and asked, "Sister Wang, are you coming to see me fishing?"
"I'm fishing with grandpa, who asked you to come with me..." The little girl snorted and said, "Go and let your sisters from the Zhang family and Bai family watch you fishing..."
Zhao Yuan innocently said: "I just like to show you."
The little girl put her hands on her hips and said, "You also said you would marry them when you grow up!"
Zhao Yuandao: "But I also said I want to marry you..."
The little girl said angrily: "You can only choose one!"
A look of defeat appeared on Zhao Yuan's face, and he threw the fishhook back into the water with an envious expression on his face.
My husband already has three mistresses, and my father also has many concubines. I heard that so many women like my husband because he is the number one scholar, and my father has so many concubines because he is the emperor and can marry whomever he wants.
Zhao Yuan thought about it seriously and felt that it would be better to let him die than to let him take the No. 1 exam. In comparison, being an emperor seemed easier...
Thinking of this, he dropped his fishing rod and ran towards the palace.
The little girl watched him leave with his guards. After being stunned, she shouted: "Where are you going..."
At this time, officials came out one after another from the palace.
The officials had different expressions, but the same thing was that when they came out, they all limped, as if all the civil and military officials were suffering from leg diseases, which attracted passers-by passing by the palace gate to stop and watch.
Zhong Mingli did not go to the Jingzhao Mansion Office, but limped back home. Chen Yuxian and others had been waiting at the door for a long time. When they saw him coming from a distance, they hurriedly stepped forward and asked worriedly: "What are you doing?"
What's wrong? Did your Majesty also punish you?"
"Ning'er is fine, and so am I." Zhong Mingli shook his head and said, "Go in and talk."
A moment later, Chen Yuxian looked at him in the palace and said in disbelief: "You said that His Majesty dismissed the Prime Minister and made everyone kneel in the court for half an hour?"
"Not only the prime minister, but more than ten Jiangnan officials have been dismissed and will never be hired." Zhong Mingli recalled the scene in the morning and was a little frightened. He said: "Corruption is rampant in Jiangnan. In Ezhou alone, Ning'er is pursuing
After getting back five million taels of silver, the Jiangnan officials were still fighting each other hard in the court. Your Majesty was so furious that he severely reprimanded all the civil and military officials in the court today."
Zhong Yisu Ru was relieved, but Chen Yuxian was still a little uneasy and asked: "They won't make trouble again, will they?"
"Even Prime Minister Feng has been dismissed, why are they still making trouble?" Zhong Mingli shook his head and said: "The strength of the Jiangnan Party has been seriously damaged this time, and I am afraid it will not recover for a long time. This is five million taels of silver, who can give it back?"
If they dare to make trouble again, they will not even risk their lives..."
Rich Man Tang stood aside, raised his eyebrows, and asked, "Is five million taels a lot?"
Zhong Mingli glanced at him, breathed a long sigh of relief, and said: "Anyway, this matter is finally over..."
"I told you not to worry." Rich Man Tang looked at him and said, "Your own uncle doesn't even understand him. What has he ever suffered in anything?"
…
Royal study room.
Emperor Chen sat above him and said, "Give me a seat."
Several ministers and important ministers knelt for half an hour. It was difficult to stand here at this moment. After hearing this, they immediately raised their hands and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
A young eunuch brought chairs and several people sat down one after another.
After everyone sat down, Chen Huang looked at an old man and said: "Prime Minister Feng has resigned and retired. The position of right minister should be temporarily taken over by Zhou Aiqing."
The Minister of Civil Affairs, Zhou Shangshu, was already very old, several years older than Prime Minister Feng. His health had been declining in the past two years, and he was ready to resign. At this time, the emperor entrusted him with the responsibility of Prime Minister. Naturally,
It's not about letting him take charge of the court again.
This is actually a kind of honor. These veterans who have made significant contributions to the imperial court will be conferred a certain degree of title before taking office. They do not hold real power and only serve for a few months, and the longest is no more than a year, but they are also
A kind of perfection in official career.
Even a hundred years later, if the tombstone is engraved with the sentence "Official to the Right Prime Minister of the Dynasty", it will sound better than the Minister of Civil Affairs.
Zhou Shangshu stood up holding the chair, bowed his hands, and said: "Old minister, thank you for your grace."
Emperor Chen nodded and said: "Master Yushi."
The imperial censor became energetic and said, "I am here."
Chen Huangdao: "I ordered Yushitai and Dali Temple to investigate the matter in Ezhou. You will give me an explanation within three days!"
The imperial censor said solemnly: "I obey the order."
The supervisory censor was killed in Ezhou. Even if Emperor Chen didn't say anything, Yushitai would not let it go. What's more, this time Yushi Zhongcheng made Yushitai lose face in front of His Majesty and all the officials. He still had to find a way
Pick it up.
Chen Huang made some arrangements before looking at everyone again and asked: "What else do you want to report?"
Qian Shuo, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, thought of something, stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the treasury has no extra income this year. Regarding the five million taels of silver recovered by Mr. Tang from Ezhou..."
Chen Huang raised his eyebrows and said, "The money thing is not important."
Qian Shuo was startled and said: "Your Majesty, five million taels is already half of the national treasury's tax revenue. With these five million taels, the national treasury..."
boom!
Chen Huang slapped the table and stood up, pointed at him, and said angrily: "You also know that five million taels of silver is half of the national treasury tax silver. How did you become the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and how did you collect the tax silver in Jiangnan?"
, I was just here in the Golden Palace to give you face, don’t think that I am very satisfied with your household department..., but you reminded me that from now on, all the officials of your household department, big and small, will be collectively fined for half a year!"
Qian Shuo looked stunned and innocent, and murmured: "Your Majesty..."
Chen Huang said loudly: "If you still dare to quibble, you will be fined for one year!"
Qian Shuo looked at him, seemed to have thought of something, and shut his mouth honestly.
