The layout of the Forbidden City in Nanjing is almost exactly the same as in the Forbidden City in Beijing, from the Wumen Gate at the South Gate to the Xuanwu Gate at the North Gate, the names of the palaces are almost the same.

Emperor Jiajing changed the Fengtian Hall in the Forbidden City of Beijing to the Huangji Palace, and the Fengtian Hall in the Forbidden City of Nanjing is still called the Fengtian Palace, which is the place where the Great Dynasty Meeting is held.

Due to the uninhabited for 200 years, the Forbidden City of Nanjing has experienced many disasters and wind and rain, and rarely repairs and protects, so that many palaces are aging and dilapidated, but after the news of the crown prince's supervision of the country reached Nanjing, the officials of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing have begun to repair, and the Fengtian Palace and the Qianqing Palace have been repaired.

In the Fengtian Palace, the music is melodious, the mist is swirling, the red carpet is splendidly spread on the ground, solemn and solemn, and the civil and military officials of Nanjing gather together.

"The crown prince has arrived!"

With Xu Sheng's shout, the hall where there was talk and laughter immediately fell silent, and the officials in Nanjing immediately stood on both sides of the golden steps according to their respective shifts, standing with their hands down, greeting Zhu Cihong's ride.

Although they had their own thoughts about the arrival of the crown prince, they did a lot of work on the surface.

Zhu Cihong walked in slowly from the main gate of Fengtian Hall surrounded by a large group of officials of the East Palace, and in front of him were the generals of the two teams of Tianwu Army, and on the left and right were Wu Zhong, Qiu Zhizhong, Lu Jiude, and Liu Yuanbin, four great eunuchs, and there were two palace maids with feather fans and four small eunuchs sent by Chongzhen.

This time he came to Nanjing, Zhu Cihong planned to do a big job and carry out a reform of the provinces south of the Yangtze River from beginning to end, and he brought almost all his team.

Zhu Cihong said lightly: "All the ministers are exempt, let's start the banquet!" ”

"Your Highness has a decree, pass on the meal!"

With the shouts of the court etiquette officials, a team of palace maids served the wine and food like butterflies wearing flowers, and behind the screens on both sides of the main hall, the musicians began to play melodious music.

Amid the sound of silk and bamboo wind music, Nanjing officials took turns to toast Zhu Cihong according to their seats, and introduced themselves by the way.

The nobles first toasted, followed by Han Zanzhou, the eunuch of Nanjing, and the officials of the six departments of Nanjing, and then the chief officials of the Yamen such as the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

For a time, the atmosphere seemed peaceful, stable, and happy, and the noble officials in Nanjing were laughing and laughing endlessly, and at the same time they were very concerned about Zhu Cihong's actions.

Although the Ming Dynasty implemented the two-Beijing system, the emperor and cabinet ministers who held the real power of decision-making were all in Beijing, and the six yamen in Beijing were also veritable central power organs, while the yamen in Nanjing were mostly fictitious, and the official affairs were idle, and the officials who served were called "officials".

The Nanjing Sixth Department has almost become an ornament, and the retired officials, degraded officials, or officials who have been promoted and secretly descended have all come to the Nanjing Sixth Department, but the Six Ministries also have certain powers, such as the Nanjing Household Department and the Nanjing Military Department.

Nanjing's household department is responsible for collecting taxes and grains from Nanzhili and Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Huguang provinces, and is also responsible for Cao Yun and the national salt introduction, and the taxes paid by these four places account for almost half of the entire Ming tax revenue.

In addition to the Zhengde Dynasty when Liu Jin changed the law, he collected the tax collection power of the Nanjing Household Department, and Liu Jin, who had been dancing for two years, was killed and then restored the power of the Nanjing Household Department, and finally in the Ming Dynasty, the Nanjing Household Department has been responsible for the taxation of Jiangnan.

Due to the frequent exchange of positions in Nanjing's six Shangshu, now the head of Nanjing's household department is Bi Maokang, the head of the household department, that is, Zhu Cihong wanted to find the firearms boss a few years ago.

The Nanjing Military Department is responsible for the garrison of the Nanjing area, and is in charge of 49 guards in the Nanjing area.

At this time, Li Banghua, the secretary of the Nanjing Military Department, was also an old acquaintance, and ten years ago, he carried out great reforms in the Beijing camp and dismissed many officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp who were paid empty salaries, so he also offended a large number of powerful people and was squeezed out and impeached.

For Li Banghua's character, Zhu Cihong has long heard that this person is really capable, and it is this person who proposed that the crown prince go to Nanjing to supervise the country in history, and after Chongzhen hanged himself, he wrote a desperate poem, and then committed suicide and martyrdom.

Li Banghua's head is very iron, he is not afraid of offending people, and he has also offended many people, and he has been idle at home for nearly 20 years before and after being impeached in his life, and Zhu Cihong heard that he is currently reforming the military system of Nanjing's Beijing camp, and some people have begun to impeach him again.

The current Nanjing town guard eunuch Han Zanzhou is also a capitalized loyal minister, when the Qing army entered the pass in history, the Southern Ming Hongguang Emperor Zhu Yousong fled in a hurry, Han Zanzhou did not follow the emperor to run, but left to lead the troops to resist desperately, and was captured by the Qing army, he took advantage of the Qing army's lax supervision to jump off the building and commit suicide.

Although two of the three people in charge of Nanjing's military affairs were loyal ministers, Zhu Cihong did not intend to let them continue to be in charge of military power, and there was no doubt that Nanjing's defense must use the Tianwu Army.

Wanting to carry out a series of innovations, Zhu Cihong is well aware of the importance of mastering military power, and without military guarantees, any policy is just a piece of paper and has no enforcement power.

After three rounds of drinking, Zhu Cihong swept towards everyone, and suddenly said: "Li Banghua! ”

Li Banghua is sixty-six years old this year, although his temples are full of gray hair, but he looks very tough, and when he heard the crown prince call him, he stood up and said, "The minister is here!" ”

Zhu Cihong said: "Has the land of the 49th Wei of Nanzhili been cleared? ”

Half a year ago, Zhu Cihong wrote to Chongzhen, asking for an inventory of the land of the National Health Center, and now the decree has been issued for half a year, and I want to come to all parts of the country to carry out an inventory.

When Xu Hongji, the Duke of Wei, and others heard this, their faces changed, and no one expected that the crown prince would ask about the land of the guard on the first day he came.

Li Banghua replied: "The inventory work is still ongoing, but there are some obstacles during the period. ”

After speaking, he looked at the nobles and snorted lightly.

More than a dozen Nanjing nobles frowned, and secretly scolded Li Banghua, an old thing, for not knowing how to lift up, not to mention the brazen inventory of their land on weekdays and tomorrow, and to demolish the stage in person.

After more than 200 years of changes, half of the land of the military households of the 49 guards in Nanzhili has become the private land of the nobles.

Zhu Cihong looked at Xu Hongji meaningfully and said, "Wei Guogong, you have mastered the Houjun Governor's Mansion, and let's talk about it, how is the land inventory of the guard house in Nanzhili?" Are there any obstacles? ”

Xu Hongji stood up, pondered for a moment, and said: "Back to Your Highness, there is no obstacle, these lands are the public land of the dynasty, and some guards will occupy the land of military households with officials and privates, which is really a corrupt and perverted law, and the ministers will send people to investigate in detail, and give justice to the military households, and give an explanation to His Highness!" ”

Zhu Cihong looked at Xu Hongji with some surprise, and secretly said that this old thing is okay! Are you ready to take the initiative to surrender?

However, Zhu Cihong was still a little uneasy, and said: "Wei Guogong understands the righteousness, and this palace admires it!" In this case, the palace will give you ten days to ask Wei Guogong to get things done as soon as possible. ”

He added: "Li Banghua assisted in the investigation, and in ten days, the palace hopes to see the new yellow book of military households." ”

"Obey the order!" Li Banghua happily accepted the order, and glanced at a group of nobles with ugly faces.

Zhu Cihong smiled and said, "Sit down and continue to eat vegetables......"