Chongzhen was really taken aback, Wang Chengen was escorted back by Zheng Zhilong, could it be that Zheng Zhilong was reversed?

This Zheng Zhilong is not a vegetarian, he was originally the largest group of pirates in the southeast, and he followed Zhang Bin to exterminate all the pirates, I heard that his subordinates have swelled to more than 100,000 people, and this guy is still the chief officer of the Fujian Navy Division, and there are fifty or sixty thousand sailor soldiers under his hands, if such a person is reversed, it will be a disaster for Daming.

He couldn't help but say in a broken voice: "Is Zheng Zhilong the other way back?" ”

Wang Chengen shook his head and said: "No, he suddenly led someone to surround the Yamen of the City Ship Division a few days ago, and then forced Weichen to come back and bring a message to the emperor. ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he sighed, it was good if there was no reaction, and then, he asked curiously, "Bring words?" What do you bring, if you want to be so excited, you will surround your city and the yamen. ”

Wang Chengen knelt on the ground and said in fear: "He asked me to tell the emperor, he was also forced to do so, the former governor Zhang Bin left, no one gave him food, he went to ask the current governor Zhang Jie for food, Zhang Jie not only did not give him food, but also slandered him for wanting to rebel, he was forced to have no choice, he could only occupy Yuegang and Zhuhai first, and collect business taxes to offset the food, otherwise, if the tens of thousands of soldiers under him cut off the food, the consequences would be unimaginable. ”

What kind of mess is this, Chongzhen really didn't understand it this time, he couldn't help but touch his forehead and think about it.

Zheng Zhilong's previous food and salary were all raised by Zhang Bin, and he knew this very well, because Zhang Bin never asked him for food, and all the food and salary of the soldiers and horses in Fujian were raised by Zhang Bin himself.

Why didn't Zhang Jie pay Zheng Zhilong? also slandered Zheng Zhilong and wanted to rebel!

Also, Zheng Zhilong occupied Yuegang and Zhuhai and collected business taxes to offset the food and salary, what is the matter?

Thinking of this, he suddenly exclaimed: "You mean that Zheng Zhilong occupied Yuegang and Zhuhai, and collected business taxes to offset the food and salary!" ”

At this time, he remembered that the annual tax revenue of Yuegang and Zhuhai was three or four million taels, which was more than half of the tax income of the Ming Dynasty!

Wang Chengen lay on the ground and said in fear: "Yes, Weichen is incompetent, and he lost Yuegang and Zhuhai, please punish the emperor." ”

What are these words, you are not a general, and you are not a governor, Yuegang and Zhuhai have lost what it has to do with you, although Chongzhen is suspicious by nature, stubborn and self-serving, and is not an idiot, he still understands this, he couldn't help waving his hand and said: "Okay, okay, I know, this has nothing to do with you, you get up and talk first, don't make trouble for me." ”

Wang Chengen hurriedly got up and stood there honestly.

Chongzhen frowned and thought about it, and then asked: "What does Zheng Zhilong mean, in the future, he will occupy Yuegang and Zhuhai, and collect business taxes to offset the grain and salary?" ”

Wang Chengen shook his head and said: "He said that he was forced to be helpless, as long as the governor Zhang Jie gave him food and salary, he would immediately return Yuegang and Zhuhai to the imperial court." ”

What is the matter, my Nanku, that's a tax of three or four million taels a year!

Chongzhen only felt that his head was as big as a bucket, he had never been rich, there was a lack of money here, there was a lack of money, he wanted to break it in half and spend it, this time it was three or four million taels less, but how could he get it!

What's going on with this Zhang Jie, Zhang Bin can raise food and pay to feed so many troops by himself, why can't Zhang Jie?

He didn't care that Zhang Jie had only arrived in Fuzhou not long ago, and he had the impression that Zhang Jie had succeeded as the governor of Fuguang for more than a month, and it was time to straighten out the affairs of Fuguang.

He couldn't help but be slightly angry: "What is Zhang Jie doing, do you know?" ”

Wang Chengen carefully explained: "Back to the emperor, Fuzhou is four or five hundred miles away from Yuegang, Weichen has basically never been to Fuzhou, and I don't know what Lord Zhang is doing, but some time ago, he ordered someone to send a notice. ”

Chongzhen couldn't help but be curious: "Oh, what notice?" ”

This Wang Chengen was naturally prepared, he carefully took out a notice from his arms and handed it to Chongzhen respectfully.

Chongzhen took it and unfolded it, it turned out to be a notice of additional taxes, looking at it, his brows furrowed again, the additional taxes on this notice added up to nearly thirty percent, which is too ruthless!

The tax of the Ming Dynasty is twenty taxes and one, and the annual tax of Fujian is almost six or seven hundred thousand taels, and after adding to three percent, it will become three or four million taels!

If the two capitals and thirteen provinces are collected like this, wouldn't the tax of Daming reach fifty or sixty million taels a year, then everything will be solved!

Also, the annual tax of Yuegang is about more than one million taels, nearly two million taels, and after adding to thirty percent, it will become more than ten million taels.

The problem can't be collected like this, even if he is confused, he knows that if he collects the people like this, there will be no way to live, and he will force people to rebel!

This thing is getting weirder and weirder, could it be that Zhang Bin used to collect taxes like this?

No wonder Wen Tiren said that Zhang Bin forcibly seized and oppressed the people, making Fu Guangtian angry and resentful, and the people were not happy.

He asked coldly, "What about Zhang Bin, did he accept it like this before?" ”

Wang Chengen shook his head and said, "In the past, when Zhang Bin and Lord Zhang were governors, Weichen did not receive any notices of tax increases. ”

What is the situation, Chongzhen couldn't help asking: "It is rumored that Zhang Bin has made Fu Guangtian angry and resentful, and the people are not happy, is it true?" ”

Wang Chengen still shook his head and said: "Other places Weichen don't know, Weichen has been going around Yuegang and Zhuhai in the past few years, and he has occasionally been to Guangzhou City, which is not far from Zhuhai, according to Weichen, at least the people in these three places are still very rich." ”

Things seemed to be a little wrong, Chongzhen couldn't help but doubt: "How can you see it?" ”

Wang Chengen thought for a while, and then explained: "The other micro-ministers are not very clear, let's talk about what they wear and eat, the clothes worn by the people in these three places are okay, and they are no different from the people in the capital, which shows that they still have money to make clothes to wear." This food is even more amazing, Wechen has also been to some restaurants and restaurants when he was in Guangzhou City, almost everywhere is full, people over there also love to eat breakfast, and early is particularly rich, good place, a meal early down at least hundreds of Wen, Wechen also went to eat a few times, every time it is squeezed in, squeezed out, the people who eat breakfast are really called a lot! ”

His meaning is already obvious, if Zhang Bin really makes Fuguang angry and resentful, and the people are not happy, wouldn't the people over there have no clothes to cover their bodies, they can't eat enough, where will they get the money to make clothes, and where will they get the money to eat breakfast or even go to restaurants!

Chongzhen became more and more puzzled, and he continued to ask: "How did Zhang Bin raise military expenses, do you know?" ”

Wang Chengen nodded and said: "This Weichen really knows a thing or two, at the beginning, Lord Zhang used the lease right of 20,000 mu of land in Yuegang as a bait to induce wealthy businessmen in Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Fujian and other places to donate two million taels of grain. ”

This Chongzhen is quite clear, but he doesn't know very well how Zhang Bin got the military spending in the past few years, he can't help but nod and listen seriously.

Wang Chengen continued: "Later, Lord Zhang often transported some goods to Yuegang to let Weichen find merchants to sell on his behalf, he said that these were all seized from pirates and red hairy fans, gold, silver and jewelry and everything to hand over to the emperor, these goods were too troublesome to transport, so he stayed and let people sell them on his behalf to serve as food and salary for the soldiers of Fuguang." ”

Chongzhen couldn't help but be dumbfounded when he heard this, he also knew this, because Zhang Bin often sent him gold, silver and jewelry, and he had sent millions of taels in the past few years, most of these gold, silver and jewelry were seized from pirates and Hongmaofan, it turned out that there were not only gold, silver, jewelry but also goods.

However, how much is this cargo worth, enough for the expenses of tens of thousands of troops?

He doubted again: "What is the approximate value of the captured goods, which can cover the expenses of tens of thousands of troops?" ”

Wang Chengen nodded again and again: "Back to the emperor, yes." Every time Mr. Zhang pulls over several large shipments, those ordinary cloth and sugar or something are just returned, and a boat is more than 10,000 taels, if it is tea, porcelain, silk and other valuable goods, it will be terrible, a boatload of 50,000 taels or even 100,000 taels is possible! Weichen still remembers that time when Lord Zhang recovered Dongfan and raided a Hongmaofan warehouse, which had a lot of goods, more than ten Dafu ships, and it took several days to transport them back and forth. ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he fell into contemplation again, and his suspicious personality was reflected again, but this time, he suspected Wen Tiren!

Chongzhen finally began to suspect Wen Tiren, because what Wen Tiren said was too exaggerated and had no basis at all; Wang Chengen spoke very carefully, did not favor anyone, nor did he make a conclusion about anyone's good or bad, he just described what he saw and heard, and any words were based on evidence.

It turns out that Zhang Bin did not expropriate in Fuguang, forcibly seize and oppress the people, it turned out that Zhang Bin's military expenses were all accumulated by fighting pirates and fighting red hair, so what is going on with Zhang Jie, he levied nearly six times the tax, and he didn't pay Zheng Zhilong, why did he levy so many taxes?

He wanted to know, what is this Zhang Jie doing in Fuguang, and Wang Chengen has never been to Fuguang, so who is it to ask?

He thought about it, and still asked Wang Chengen: "Chengen, have you heard any rumors about Zhang Jie, what did he do in Fuguang, are there no rumors at all?" ”

Wang Chengen was puzzled: "This Weichen has heard some, but the rumors are not true, Weichen has not seen it with his own eyes, and he does not dare to talk nonsense in front of the emperor." ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he encouraged: "If you talk about it, I will listen to it as a rumor, it's okay." ”

Wang Chengen had to "pluck up the courage" and said: "Weichen listened to the traders who came and went, this Zhang Jie is terrible, from the capital to take office, enough to pull more than 20 cars, the post stations along the way were tossed by him miserable, eat to take the card or say, but also pick the best food, every meal requires the delicacies of the mountains and seas, chicken, duck and fish, otherwise he will be mad, many post stations are his whole miserable, some from Fujian to buy delicacies from the mountains and seas but made a lot of money, it is rumored that he has to take what carriage and horse fees after eating, each post station is a few hundred taels, this way over, He took at least a few thousand taels! ”

When Chongzhen heard this, the green tendons on his forehead began to jump, but he didn't get angry immediately, but asked with interest: "Oh, is there anything else, what else have you heard?" ”

Wang Chengen said cautiously: "Wechen also heard Zheng Zhilong say bad things about him, but this is even more inaccurate, because Zheng Zhilong seems to have fallen out with him, and it is not impossible to spread rumors and slander." ”

Chongzhen couldn't help urging: "But it doesn't hurt to say it." ”

Wang Chengen could only stubbornly say: "Zheng Zhilong said that Zhang Jie and Shi Fan are not things, as soon as they come to Fuguang, they will be powerful and blessed, and they will reprimand and abuse the officials below at every turn, and sometimes even add fists and feet, he just went to ask for food, Zhang Jie not only did not give it, but also asked his subordinates to beat him, he was not convinced, and after a few blows, he was accused of attempting to rebel!" Also, in order to seize the mansion of Sun Bingru, the commander of the capital of Fujian, Zhang Jie and Shi Fan accused Sun Bingru of serious corruption, not only imprisoned his whole family, confiscated all his family property, but also tortured his subordinates to force Sun Bingru to slander Zhang Bin! In order to support their parents, the two brothers of poor Sun Bingru worked hard for decades to build a mansion in Fuzhou City, but they were robbed by Zhang Jie and Shi Fan, and all his family members, including his parents, were imprisoned by Zhang Jie, and all the family property was confiscated by Zhang Jie. Sun Bingru has been the commander of the capital of Fujian for nearly nine years, and his younger brother is still in charge of the family's fields and real estate, nine years, the two brothers have earned more than 800 taels, is it a lot, is this corruption? ”

When Chongzhen heard this, his face turned green, this Zhang Jie really didn't make sense!

At this time, Cao Huachun outside suddenly said loudly: "Your Majesty, the head of the household department is from Yan Bi, and Lord Bi asks to see you." ”

Bi Ziyan is also a minister he values very much, he is in charge of the finances of the entire Ming Dynasty for him, and there is generally nothing important, Bi Ziyan will not come to him, at this time he and Wang Chengen can only be regarded as small talk, but he can't delay national affairs for the sake of small talk.

So, Chongzhen glanced at Wang Chengen, asked him to stand aside and wait, and then said loudly: "Xuan." ”

What is Bi Ziyan doing at this time?

He's here to sue, to be precise, to take revenge!

Honest people are sometimes angry, Wen Tiren and his gang framed his younger brother Bi Zisu for no reason, causing Bi Zisu to be dismissed and cut off, and he has always been on fire in his heart.

If others rectify him, he will not be fine, but he can't fix his precious brother, he is a dignified official and a prince, and he can't even protect his own brother, how can he have the face to face his parents under Jiuquan? In this tone, he must fight for his brother back!

After waiting for a long time, he finally got an opportunity, this time, he must teach Wen Tiren and his gang a good lesson!

I saw him holding a pile of official documents, hurriedly walked in, knelt on the ground and said angrily: "Your Majesty, this Zhang Jie and Shi Fan are too disagreeable, such nonsense, is there really no royal law!" ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he couldn't help but be stunned, Bi Ziyan actually came to sue, and it was Zhang Jie and Shi Fan who sued!