But Zhou Jiansheng's beating of the workers to death was related to the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, Xiong Hu, as a representative of the government, he had to come forward, not to mention, now there are many people around his palace outside the government to shout grievances.

"Master, should you think twice, first send someone to ask what is going on with the prisoner this week, and directly send someone to get him, I'm afraid it's not good, after all, he is the brother of Nanjing Dasikong, it is said that the workers who were killed by him are also people in the clan, within this clan, the patriarch uses clan rules to deal with the clan, and the government has never pursued it, after all, it is difficult for Qing officials to cut off family affairs!"

However, when Xiong Hun was about to send someone to detain Zhou Jiansheng and bring him to justice, his staff persuaded Xiong Hun to do so.

But Xiong Xun couldn't help but smile coldly: "Look at the situation outside, the people are carrying the corpses to the government to shout grievances, can the official turn a blind eye, if the Jinyi Guard and the people from the Weaving Bureau see it, and sue in front of His Majesty, saying that the official is derelict in his duties, it is light, but I am afraid that I will think that the official is shielding the suspect!" ”

"If you plan to summon a summons, immediately go to the prison supervisor Zhou to ask about the case! Our government can't ignore this! ”

In his previous experience, it is generally difficult for clansmen and villagers to have conflicts and disputes with the gentry, basically the clansmen and villagers are more deferential in front of the gentry than in front of the government, which is why many times, the government will not interfere in the internal affairs of the townships and clans.

But Xiong Xun now finds that in recent years, especially during this period, the relationship between the squire and the clansmen and the villagers seems to have changed, and there have been disputes, and even evolved into hatred, but it has also prompted him, a court official, to start intervening in grassroots affairs on behalf of the clan.

Zhou Jiansheng did not dare to come to see Xiong Hun because without the support of the villagers, even if he was the younger brother of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, he would not be able to confront the government, so when Xiong Hun sent someone to summon him, he had already run to Nanjing.

Xiong Xun had no choice but to write Nanjing Yingtianfu Yin, and at the same time, he locked up Zhou Tu, the housekeeper Zhou Tu who was left in the countryside of Huating.

"Zhou Qi and the others completely ignored our Zhou clan's clan covenant, insisted that we make up the wages, and even went to the ancestral hall to make trouble, my brother beat them with sticks on the grounds that they didn't respect their ancestors, but they never thought of beating Zhou Qi to death, and now they are still going to the government to make trouble, brother, you have to help me no matter what!"

Zhou Jiansheng can only ask his brother Zhou Yong for help now.

And Zhou Yong also glanced at Zhou Jiansheng helplessly: "This matter can be big or small, although it is said that human life is at stake, but you are only acting in accordance with the clan law, and this Zhou Qi is indeed disrespectful to the ancestors, and the slaves under you are just manslaughter, you send the little guy who killed Zhou Qi to the government first, and then send someone to sue Zhou Qi and others for disrespecting the ancestors and filial piety!" They want the government to make decisions for them, so we will accuse him of unfilial piety! ”

"What my brother said is that my brother will do it," Zhou Jiansheng said.

At this time, Ying Tianfu Yin also got Xiong Hu's text, so he also sent someone to Nanjing Ministry of Industry Shangshu Zhou to summon Zhou Jiansheng here.

But Zhou Yong made people directly deduce that Zhou Jiansheng had returned to his hometown, and the people of Ying Tianfu did not dare to break into the house of the Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, so they had to return abruptly.

However, Xiong Hun Xingwen was summoned by Tianfu Yin to summon Zhou Jiansheng, but it also made Zhou Yong, the secretary of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry, feel insulted: "This Xiong Hun just relied on flattery to get his current position, and now when he encounters this matter, he doesn't even take this official in his eyes at all, and brazenly sends someone to take my Zhou Yong!" Even the words should be Tianfu Yin! What is he going to do, does he really think that this official, the secretary of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry, can handle it at will? ”

In addition to being resentful, the Nanjing Ministry of Industry also wrote a private letter to the inspector Yu Shi Hu.

Thereupon.

Hu Shi rushed to Songjiang Mansion on the second day and immediately took Xiong Hu, the prefect of Songjiang Mansion, on the grounds that Xiong Hun was biased and bent the law, greedy for ink and neglected government!

"Hu Xunpress, how can this official ever be guilty of perverting the law for personal gain, and how can he ever be greedy for ink, you are abusing the power of the Fengxian official to patrol and hunt! On another day, if Your Majesty knows that you are so ignorant, he will not spare you! ”

Xiong Xun was not to be outdone, and shouted and scolded Hu Shi.

"This official has the witness of the local squire's report, how is it an abuse of power, and the trial is done first, it is the right of the official to patrol the hunt on behalf of the Son of Heaven, and when the time comes, the Son of Heaven will naturally believe me and not you, the official will only ask you now, whether you admit guilt or not!"

Hu Shi asked.

"I don't recognize it! I don't know who instructed you, but I don't admit to being greedy for ink! Xiong replied.

Hu Shi thought that as long as this Xiong Hun was willing to admit his guilt, he would take off the Xiong Hun black gauze hat first, and then find a reason to play it, but he didn't expect this Xiong Hun to be so hard-mouthed, so he had to order: "Call me!" Hit the 20th board! ”

Thereupon.

Xiong Hu was pressed to the ground and beaten, and Xiong Hu was bloody and flesh flying!

Zhou Jiansheng, who was on the external trial, sneered when he saw this, and had to secretly admire his brother's ability, and directly let the inspector according to the imperial history deal with this Xiong Hu first, so that the officials of Songjiang Mansion could understand what kind of existence his Zhou family was.

……

"The officials and the big people are crushed to death, how can these officials and gentry be easy to provoke, although they do not have the support of the people, but their power in the court is complicated, today you can let the inspector according to the imperial history to rectify you, tomorrow you can let the Jinyi guard come directly to take you; I said, my lord, you will give a soft face to the Zhou family, and first beat to death a few people who shouted injustice, and the Zhou family will not be too embarrassed by you this time, and the master of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing is afraid that he will also let you go! ”

When Xiong Hu was lying on the couch and raising a stick after being suspended by the inspector Yushi, his staff persuaded him again.

"Go down first! Think about this matter again! ”

Xiong Xun said something at this time, and when his staff saw this, they thought that they had been persuaded by themselves, so they also resigned.

Xiong Xun gritted his teeth and stood up, then opened the cabinet, took out a small wooden box wrapped in yellow silk, took out a pile of booklets inside, and wrote: "Your Majesty, since the opening of the New Weaving Bureau, the gentry of Songjiang Mansion and the people have disputes and fights frequently, and the ministers have to deal with it carefully. You can only give in to death, on the day Your Majesty saw this secret performance, the minister has hanged himself for a long time, and the minister has the grace of His Majesty, and I hope to forgive my sins! ”

After Xiong Xun finished writing, he locked it in a small box, and then called his little servant: "Hold this wooden card, enter Beijing immediately!" ”

After saying that, Xiong Xun committed suicide.

But at this moment, there was a burst of laughter outside: "Why should adults give in to death!" Although Your Majesty is far away in Beijing, he is not a dim-hearted person! Jinyi Wei 100 households are polite! ”

……

The patrol press Yu Shi Hu didn't know that Xiong Hun had committed suicide, and at this time, he only replied in front of Zhou Yong in front of the Shangshu of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry: "Don't worry, the student has suspended his Xiong Hun position, and the song Shu has also been submitted, and when the time comes, he Xiong Hun will become guilty even if he is innocent!" ”

"There are many people in the court who are dissatisfied with him, if it weren't for him, Nanzhili would not have opened the sea, and the squires in Susong and other places would not be so sad now, if he can die, it will really be a blessing in the world!"

Said with a smile this week.

……

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that with the development of the empire, the factories and even the Jinyiwei system that he relied on were inevitably corroded by sugar-coated shells, so that he was about to become blind, resulting in the adulteration of gunpowder and even the reluctance of the cabinet ministers to expose the real reasons for the failure of the new weaving bureau.

This also made Zhu Houzhao know that he now had to re-clean his inner court and outer court, and even the army.

But knowing people and knowing faces but not knowing their hearts, in addition to Zhang Zhong of Xichang and Wei Bin of the Imperial Horse Prison, as well as Wang Qiong and Yang Yiqing, Zhu Houzhao really couldn't determine who was loyal and who was traitorous for a while.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao can only remain suspicious of everything now.

At this time, Xiong Hu's secret music came to Zhu Houzhao, and after Zhu Houzhao took care of it, he was quite shocked: "To what extent do these local officials protect each other, and dare to force a member of the imperial court to commit suicide!" ”

At the same time, Zhu Houzhao shuddered when he thought of what Wang Shouren had played about the corruption of Xuanhua from the general army to the grassroots officials, and he didn't know how much more serious corruption brought about by the development of the commodity economy was hidden from the industrialization of the empire!

Zhu Houzhao admits that most people in this world are egoists, and it is impossible for him to eradicate the profit-making nature of all people, nor can he demand that they all be responsible for the country and the nation.

But Zhu Houzhao knew that as the emperor, he had the responsibility to maintain the internal stability of the country, and had the responsibility to maintain the bottom line and justice.

"Looks like I'm going to kill someone!"

Zhu Houzhao walked out of the deep warm pavilion as he spoke.

Zhang Zhong, the celebrant of the celebrant Bingbi, saw Zhu Houzhao come out, and hurriedly greeted him: "Your Majesty! Nanzhili Patrol according to the Imperial History Hu Shi Shang, Su Song Bingbei Dao and Songjiang Prefect Xiong Hu perverted the law for personal gain, greedy for ink and neglected government, the evidence is conclusive, the Metropolitan Procuratorate has reviewed and approved the suspension for investigation, can you approve it? ”

"How is this person Hu Shi, what he said is true?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

"Back to Your Majesty, the investigation of Xichang said that this Hu Shi has always enforced the law like a mountain and dared to deal with corrupt officials, and now this matter, I am afraid that it is also true, Xiong Hun is in charge of Songjiang Mansion, Songjiang Mansion has always had developed maritime trade, and it is inevitable to be greedy for ink and favoritism."

Zhang Zhong replied.

It's obvious.

Zhang Zhong's answer made Zhu Houzhao very dissatisfied, in Zhu Houzhao's opinion, how could an official who dared to kill Ming Qu be an official who was greedy for ink and favoritism, and this Zhang Zhong was obviously telling a lie.

But.

Zhu Houzhao didn't debunk him, he doesn't know how much he is hiding from him now, he has to catch all the people who dare to do bad things behind his back!

This time.

Zhu Houzhao decided not to use the East and West Factory, but the army, and directly use his own ace army - the Guards!

First of all, this army is supported by its own money, and only obeys its own orders.

Secondly, the military and political officials of this army are all members of the Zhongjun Society, and most of them are idealists.

In addition, although military attachés are inevitably in collusion with civil officials and eunuchs, in the era of peace, military attaches who do not participate in actual affairs should be cleaner than civil officials and eunuchs, and at least they will not collude.

Of course, this is not absolute, isn't it possible that Xuanhua has a military attache at the general level who is corrupt.

But Xuanhua is a border army, which is still different from the Guards.

However, although the Guards were different from the border army, Zhu Houzhao felt that it would be better for him to seriously select a few reliable military attaches to carry out a top-down purge campaign with him.

Of course, the so-called use of the Guards is the use of the Jinyi Guard, because now the Jinyi Guard already belongs to the entire Guards sequence.

But Zhu Houzhao came to the Daming Army Military Academy, but he didn't alarm the instructors here, he only walked in by himself, but saw an instructor pouring cold water on the well in the courtyard of the academy, and there were several scars on his bronzed skin, obviously having experienced a vicious battle.

Zhu Houzhao walked over.

At this time, Guo Rongcai, the left governor of Jinyi Wei, shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived!" ”

The instructor hurriedly turned around and bowed down directly: "Instructor Qi Jingtong has seen Your Majesty?" ”

Qi Jingtong?

Qi Jiguang's father!

Zhu Houzhao smiled secretly in his heart: "I can take a bath in cold water in winter, and the scars on my body look like a good general who has fought a tough battle, no wonder I can teach a general's son!" ”

Thereupon.

Zhu Houzhao directly instructed Yang Yiqing, who had already arrived: "It's him, what official position is he now?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, for the time being, I am the commander of the Guards and the Governor!" Yang Yiqing didn't understand what Emperor Zhu Houzhao's purpose was for suddenly paying attention to an ordinary instructor in a military academy, but now, he could only tell the truth.

Zhu Houzhao nodded, and ordered: "Draft, Qi Jingtong will be transferred to the command of Jinyi Weidu to make Tongzhi, and take charge of the Fusi of Beizhen!" Give the python robe! At the same time, Zhang Lun's department of the Guards selected three hundred shrewd and capable people to supplement the Fusi of Jinyi Weibei Town! ”

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Yang Yiqing and Zhang Zhong were all confused, and they didn't understand what His Majesty the Emperor was going to do.

And Qi Jingtong was busy saluting and thanking him.

A few days later, Qi Jingtong officially changed into the imperial python robe and came to Zhu Houzhao by order: "The minister Qi Jingtong has seen Your Majesty!" ”

At this time, Zhang Zhong was telling Zhu Houzhao the latest news from Xichang: "Your Majesty, according to the report of Xichang, I heard that Jingshi has a Huiqing who is quite familiar with yellow and white techniques, and Wuding Marquis Guo Xun and others are all rumored to be able to refine the pill of longevity!" It can heal the flesh and bones of the dead! ”

Zhu Houzhao secretly sighed in his heart that this Zhang Zhong has loved to focus on reporting these worthless secrets since he took charge of the West Factory, obviously thinking that he is an emperor who wants to live a long life, but Zhu Houzhao admits that he wants to live a long life, but he is not an emperor in history, and believes that there is an elixir in this world.

However, Zhu Houzhao didn't debunk it at first, and only said: "In that case, find a time to summon this person named Huiqing!" ”

"Obey the order!"

Zhang Zhong praised it in his heart, secretly thinking that the emperor really wanted to live forever, just like the emperors of the past and present.

Seeing this, Qi Jingtong wanted to persuade him, but Zhu Houzhao hurriedly waved his hand and persuaded him, and only ordered: "Jinyi Weibei Zhenfu Division, how are you taking over now?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, you have taken over, a few secret courtiers and ministers, or corrupt people, the ministers have all dismissed them, and I hereby ask Your Majesty to deal with them!" Qi Jingtong replied.

"The Jinyi Guard is the pro-army of my guards, and they can't tolerate the slightest betrayal of me, so they will all be shot! Leave his head piled up in the main hall of Fusi in Beizhen, and soak it in glass and formalin, so that the people of Jinyiwei will know the fate of betraying me! ”

Zhu Houzhao instructed that in order to make Jinyiwei the last line of defense for the imperial officials to rule and maintain judicial fairness, he must have the strictest requirements for Jinyiwei's loyalty, so that Jinyiwei can be more strict with criminals.

"Yes!"

Qi Jingtong got Zhu Houzhao's will and cleaned the inside of the Fusi of Jinyi Weibei Town.

Zhu Houzhao was thus officially ready to start attacking the bureaucracy of the entire empire.

The first is Zhang Zhong.

Of course.

Zhang Zhong didn't know that his own limit had arrived.

On this day, Zhang Zhong brought Huiqing to see Zhu Houzhao.

As soon as Zhu Houzhao saw this Huiqing's crane-haired and childish appearance, it seemed that he was really a long-lived person, so he asked, "How old is the immortal?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the old man is a person who has been in Hongwu for thirteen years!" This Huiqing replied.

"It seems that he has lived to be one hundred and forty-three years old! What a longevity! Zhu Houzhao said with a smile, and then asked again: "Dare to ask how the immortal weng managed to live so long!" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, it's all because of old decay taking Shou Ling Pill every day! Today, the old man also offers one to His Majesty, and His Majesty can increase his longevity by ten years", the immortal Weng said and took out a small box wrapped in brown silk cloth.

Zhu Houzhao asked the eunuch to take it, and took out the Shouning Pill from the eunuch's hand, Zhu Houzhao just smiled secretly, and only ordered: "Immortal Weng take this pill first!" ”

Seeing this, Huiqing had no choice but to agree.

Zhu Houzhao gave a glass of water to this Huiqing and let this Huiqing swallow it.

Hui Qing thanked him and swallowed the pill and water, but after a while he fell to the ground and convulsed.

Zhu Houzhao's face turned cold, and he asked Zhang Zhong: "What's going on?" ”

Zhang Zhong was also very flustered, and hurriedly crawled on the ground: "Your Majesty forgives your sins, the minister, the minister doesn't know!" ”

After suspecting that Zhang Zhong was in charge of the West Factory and deliberately concealed it from him, Zhu Houzhao had a reason to get rid of this Zhang Zhong, but he knew that an old fox like Zhang Zhong would be difficult to catch his crime if he wanted to catch him directly, so it was better to wait for himself to find an opportunity to create a case.

And Zhang Zhong's desire to use the opportunity of offering the art of yellow and white to gain his further trust is obviously an opportunity, so Zhu Houzhao pretended to be interested in his longevity at the beginning and announced that he would meet this person who can do alchemy, and then take the opportunity to direct such a play.

The poison in this immortal is thallium, which is a by-product of the Daming Academy of Sciences in the refining of zinc, which is obtained when it is reduced by dilute sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide.

Because of this, this immortal Weng couldn't die for a while, and only breathed quickly and said nonsense: "How can this be, the pill I refined should not be poisoned all of a sudden, except for the medicine and a small amount of lead and mercury according to Gonggong Zhang's intentions, why is this happening, why is this happening!" ”

Zhu Hou looked at the mentally deranged immortal, and couldn't help but scold: "Dare to play chemistry with me!" It's really looking for death! ”

However, after hearing some of the words of this immortal, Zhu Houzhao still looked at Zhang Zhong again:

"Lead and mercury, the Daming Academy of Sciences has already proved that lead and mercury are highly poisonous, so you Zhang Zhong really dare to murder me! Qi Jingtong put him in prison and interrogated him strictly! Zhu Houzhao commanded.

At this time.

Zhang Zhong had already fallen to the ground in a daze, it was true that he wanted to refine some elixirs containing a small amount of lead and mercury for the emperor, but he just wanted the emperor to be poisoned chronically, but he didn't expect that he had been poisoned to such an extent after he had only eaten one after bringing this immortal today, and even directly told the collusion between himself and him.

Zhang Zhong could only beg bitterly for a while: "Your Majesty spare your life!" Your Majesty spares your life! ”

Zhu Houzhao didn't bother to take care of it anymore.

Only Gu Dayong smiled secretly beside him, and said in his heart: "It is only this kind of young man who has followed His Majesty for a short time that he thinks that His Majesty is so easy to deceive, and he actually wants to use the elixir to fool His Majesty, don't you know that the holy science spread by Your Majesty has already annotated the various elements contained in your elixir, how can you be fooled!" ”

……

After Zhang Zhong was sent to prison, it didn't take long for him to confess his purpose of wanting to give Emperor Zhu Houzhao pills.

Zhu Houzhao was not polite, and directly ordered this Zhong Lingchi to be executed, and at the same time ordered the abolition of the West Factory, and the matter of Jin Yiwei directly replacing the supervision of the West Factory was still the same as usual, which means that in the future, Jin Yiwei can directly report to the emperor Zhu Houzhao, regardless of the level.

Zhu Houzhao did not believe that the bureaucracy could buy all the brocade guards.

Zhang Zhong was escorted to the execution ground, he didn't expect that he would come to this point, he now regrets it very much, regrets that he was clever at the beginning, thinking that he already knows the current emperor Zhu Houzhao very well, so that he can fool this emperor His Majesty, but he didn't expect that this emperor His Majesty never believed in himself from beginning to end, and although he carefully fought for no handle to be found out by His Majesty the Emperor, he didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor would be so insidious as to take advantage of the opportunity to poison the Taoist priest and frame himself when he took the Taoist priest to offer pills!

For Zhu Houzhao, Zhang Zhong's removal was only the beginning of his purge of the dynasty.

Now that the West Factory has been banned, Jinyiwei, who is in charge of internal intelligence detectives, can directly play him, and no one will intercept him, so Zhu Houzhao has suddenly had countless pairs of eyes to monitor the entire empire.

And Wang Shouren's play on the adulteration of Xuanhua gunpowder in the secret music and Xiong Hun in the secret music about the patrol according to the imperial history to slander him also gave Zhu Houzhao a clearer understanding.

……

For civil officials such as Wang Qiong, the first assistant to the cabinet, Zhang Zhong's death also made them feel a sense of danger approaching.

"Although Your Majesty has abolished the West Factory, so that many civil officials below think that Your Majesty wants to rule by doing nothing and gradually hand over the world to the scholars to govern, but those who understand a little bit will know that Your Majesty just wants to take on the errand of the Admiral of the West Factory, and turn a West Factory into countless brocade guards, and in the future, both internal and external ministers will be under his surveillance!"

Wang Qiong sighed helplessly at this time.

"As the first man said, it's a pity that although Gonggong Zhang has the crime of offering pills to kill His Majesty, but when he was in charge of the West Factory, he was also lenient and did not cause trouble, and now His Majesty has let Qi Jingtong, a military attache who only knows the battlefield, take charge of Jinyiwei, obviously although he will not be idle to make trouble, but people like Qi Jingtong are only afraid that it will be easier to be controlled by His Majesty, and then Jinyiwei will completely become a knife in His Majesty's hands, and he can cut wherever he wants!" Yang Yiqing also sighed.

"Then you say, where will Your Majesty cut next?"

As soon as Wang Qiong finished asking, she said in unison with Yang Yiqing; "Cabinet!"

Before Wang Qiong and Yang Yiqing could continue to discuss, a person suddenly appeared in front of the two, this person was wearing a special official uniform of the Dongchang Inspectorate Division, and only said: "We are from the Dongchang Inspectorate Division, and Jinyiwei has found some evidence about Lord Shoufu, and I also ask Lord Shoufu to come with us and explain the problem!" ”

Wang Qiong lived in the whole petrification, he never thought that he would be asked by the people of the East Factory Inspectorate to explain the problem one day.

What the official is most afraid of now is being asked by the Dongchang Inspectorate to explain the problem, and he is no exception, only after coming back to his senses did he shout hysterically: "Impossible, this is impossible!" It's absolutely impossible! The old man is loyal to His Majesty, what is there to confess! ”