At night, Zhou's house.

The three fathers and sons of the Zhou family, except for Zhou Zheng, Zhou Qingli, and Zhou Fang are tired enough.

Zhou Qingli was impeached, Zhou Fang was also implicated, Dali Temple doesn't know how many people are trying to coerce and lure Zhou Fang to pull Zhou Qingli into the water.

In Zhou Qingli's study, Zhou Qingli's dark face was tired, and she looked at her two sons worriedly, and said: "It was a good move, but I didn't expect that the ministers of the government and the opposition were all afraid, which made the emperor very frustrated." ”

Zhou Fang wrinkled his brows and said hatefully: "One by one, they shout every day that the world is their own responsibility, and when it comes to the critical moment, they are not all wise and selfish, selfish, and shameful."

Zhou Fang had also seen the true faces of those people in Donglin, and now he did not hesitate to scold.

Zhou Qingli sighed lightly, shook her head, and did not speak.

It's not a day or two that the situation in the DPRK has been unbearable, and it's useless to say such angry words.

Zhou Zheng thought of the rumors of later generations, before Chongzhen hanged himself, he left a sentence of the Manchu Dynasty's civil and military, cut it all with swords, and killed them one by one, how hateful this is.

"Zhengyun, do you have any way" Zhou Qingli suddenly looked up at Zhou Zheng and asked.

Zhou Zheng was stunned, thought for a while, and said: "Now the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty are looking at Huang Liji, the reason why they quit the dynasty is caused by Huang Liji, as long as he goes back, the others will go back one after another, and then the emperor can slowly figure it out, and he can't be in a hurry." ”

Huang Liji led the courtiers to support Zhu Youzhen's accession to the throne, and he was a leader of the civil servants in the government and the opposition, especially after Wei Zhongxian's death, the eunuchs looked at him from top to bottom.

"What's the way" Zhou Qingli naturally knew that the crux of the problem was Huang Liji, but he was on the same page with the emperor, and he didn't give an inch, and he needed to find a solution.

Zhou Zheng pondered for a while and said: "Hundreds of officials have boycotted the dynasty, the national government has been abolished, and the crime is in the first assistant, and it should be punished." ”

Zhou Qingli looked at Zhou Zheng, her expression was stunned, and she couldn't react.

However, Zhou Fang turned his head to look at Zhou Zheng and said: "Killing Yuanfu can make those people return to the yamen to do things, but I am afraid that they will be more afraid, and they will not go back, and besides, how can my Ming officials be afraid of death."

"There is no one who is not afraid of death." Zhou Zheng said, looking at Daddy Zhou.

Zhou Qingli listened to Zhou Zheng's words, thought carefully, and said for a moment: "You mean, if you put the sin on Huang Liji, whether it is below or above, he has to go back."

Hundreds of officials boycotted the dynasty, and the national government was abolished, whose fault is this, will the emperor be wrong?

Sure, Shousuke's

Huang Liji can not care about the emperor's opinion, but he can't care about fame, if the crime of abolishing national politics is detained on Huang Liji and recorded in history, he will definitely not accept it.

Zhou Zheng nodded and said, "You can let the emperor draft the decree first, and there is no need to issue it, that Yuanfu will definitely know it as soon as possible." ”

The decree did not come from the emperor's mouth, but had to go through the cabinet and then to the six departments before it could be promulgated.

Of course, if the cabinet does not agree, Zhu You will not be able to send it, unless it is a strong emperor like Taizu and Chengzu. If the six departments do not agree, they will not be able to send it, because the six departments have the right to refute the holy decree and return it to the celebrant of ceremonies.

Since he is going to the cabinet, what else can he hide from Huang Liji, who is the first assistant

Zhou Qingli's expression was a little more relaxed, and said, "It's a way." ”

At this time, Fu Bo hurriedly came in, looked at Zhou Qingli and said, "Master, someone has come to the palace, I want you to enter the palace immediately." ”

Zhou Qingli's face changed slightly, what did the emperor look for him in the middle of the night, could it be that something happened again

Zhou Qingli didn't dare to delay, changed her clothes, and hurriedly entered the palace.

Zhou Fang was a little worried, and said to Zhou Zheng: "You say, something happened in the palace again"

Zhou Zheng shook his head and said, "I'm not surprised if anything happens now, by the way, if Dali Temple is not happy, quit and go to Jiujiang Pavilion to help me." ”

Zhou Fang shook his head faster than Zhou Zheng, and said, "There are too many things in Dali Temple, and I can't leave." ”

Zhou Zheng glanced at him and smiled silently.

Qianqing Palace.

The Qianqing Palace in the middle of the night is still brightly lit, but there are few figures, the huge Forbidden City, the inner court is quiet, and the silence makes people palpitate.

Li Zhong stood in front of Zhu Youzhen, holding a bunch of documents, notebooks, account books and other things in his hand, and said, "Long live the lord, this is the slave's investigation of Li Shi during this time. ”

"You say." Zhu Youzhen has a headache now, how can he have the heart to see so many things.

Li Zhong still raised his hand and said calmly: "Yes." Li Shi took advantage of the case of Zhou Qiyuan and others to extort merchants in Suzhou and Hangzhou, and obtained more than 700,000 yuan in silver, most of which went to the Wei Mansion. He also used his power to make his relatives and fellow party officials an official. In the palace, he has many henchmen, deceived the first emperor, and deceived the superiors and subordinates"

In fact, when Li Zhong said that Li was bribing Wei Zhongxian, Li Shi was already dead in Zhu Youzhen's heart, and he couldn't die anymore, and before Li Zhong finished speaking, Zhu Youzhen said: "Lock it up first, and then try it in person when I am free." ”

Li Zhong bowed down and said, "Yes." ”

As soon as Li Zhong's words fell, an inner supervisor ran in in a panic, knelt on the ground and said tremblingly: "Long live Lord, that Li Shi, he bit his tongue and committed suicide." ”

Zhu Youzhen frowned when he heard this, then waved his hand in annoyance, and said, "Death is death." ”

The inner eunuch retreated tremblingly, but Wang Chengen frowned, and then let go again, quiet as usual.

Li Zhong listened to Zhu Youzhen's words, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and quietly pushed aside.

Not long after, Li Guopu and Zhou Qingli arrived one after another.

Zhu Youzhen looked at the two of them, sat up straight, and said straight to the point: "Wang Zhichen has written that the Liaodong salary has been in arrears for half a year, and the Liaodong soldiers have complained, hoping that the imperial court will release the money and grain owed before the year, how can you open it?"

Li Guopu naturally understood the current situation of the treasury, and was shocked when he heard it, and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial court still owes Liao, how much does it owe?"

Zhu Youzhen glanced at him lightly and said, "Plus what is owed and what should be paid at the beginning of next year, a total of 1.5 million taels." ”

There are more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians in Liaodong, and it stands to reason that the annual military salary of 1.5 million taels is quite small, but even so, the Ming treasury still can't get it.

Li Guopu listened, his expression was solemn, and he was speechless.

It is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, the annual income of the Ming treasury is 2 million, and at this time at the end of the year, there is no silver at all, there is a deficit every year, Yin eats grain, and there is no other way except to raise taxes.

Even if the tax is raised, it is impossible to collect 1.5 million taels at once

Zhu Youzhen saw that Li Guopu didn't speak, and there was irritability between his eyebrows, so he turned to Zhou Qingli and said, "Zhou Aiqing, do you have any way?"

Zhou Qingli has been in the Sixth Branch for a long time, and he knows the situation everywhere in the Ming Dynasty well, thought for a moment, and said: "Your Majesty, if you want to gather so much silver in a short time, there is no way. ”