The Ming Dynasty had a total of fourteen political envoys, that is, the fourteen provinces collectively called. And if all these 14 provinces have their own imperial courts and become 14 independent states, then in terms of formalism, these 14 countries can take over the top 14 in the world without any suspense.

What's more, so far, these fourteen provinces are still under the control of the Ming court, and the talents who can engage, want to engage, and are good at formalism across the country have sharpened their heads and want to pass the scientific and technological examination and blend into the Ming court.

Therefore, the knighthood ceremony started by these formalist geniuses is naturally solemn and infectious—at least it is much stronger than the grass platform team that the White Lotus Sect Leader Xu Hongru hastily set up in the empty city of Wenzhou a few days ago.

In such an environment, even Ji Qingwen, who has always paid attention to pragmatism, was moved by this prosperous formalism, and immediately said: It is a great honor for the emperor to canonize himself as an earl, and every year he will not receive 5,000 stone of grain, and all of it will be donated to the imperial court for relief of the victims!

Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately said: "Ji Aiqing is loyal to the country and is a model for the court. Since he intended to donate money, I accepted his kindness. And from today onwards, the expenses of the imperial court, except for the supply of the Queen Mother, will be halved to supply disaster relief in the northwest and military affairs in the northeast. ”

It's okay if the emperor doesn't express his position, but if he does, he will die.

Since the emperor is the emperor of the Son of Heaven and has the heart to halve the expenditure, the ministers kneeling at the bottom must also express it.

I saw Zhou Yanru, the first assistant of the cabinet, looking around, and arched his hand: "Your Majesty, the minister is willing to follow the example of the sages, and is willing to donate a year's worth of silver for state affairs." ”

"Good!" Chongzhen praised, "Zhou Aiqing deserves to be a pillar of the country, good!" ”

Zhou Yanru had such an expression and was praised by the emperor, so of course Wen Tiren could not show weakness. But if he also said that he would donate a year's worth of money, it would inevitably be a little parroting and not brilliant enough.

So Wen Tiren took a unique approach and smiled: "Your Majesty, the minister is a poor official, and he doesn't have the courage of Zhou Shoufu. It's better to donate half a year's money first, and then write an article to praise the saints and hand it over, I don't know what the Lord wants? Don't be shabby......"

Wen Tiren's grade is the same as Zhou Yanru's, and so is Yu Lu on the bright side.

Therefore, his light and clever words not only cost half of the money less than Zhou Yanru, but also created an opportunity to show off his literary talents, and even more openly and secretly said that Zhou Yanru, the first assistant to the cabinet, was a corrupt official, and he didn't need to be able to support himself and a large family at all.

Later, Xu Guangqi, the third person in the cabinet, also said: "The old minister is also willing to donate half of the money." He has no intention of competing with Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren for favor, he just needs to echo it.

The three cabinet ministers were the leaders of the civil officials, and since all three of them had expressed their donations, the rest of the court officials had no choice but to pledge their contributions—some for half a year, some for three months, and those who were not good enough for a month.

The Beijing officials did not have so many ways to get money, and they could not think of ways to loot the people like the local officials, but could only loot the silver that the officials had scavenged from the people. And those magistrates are all shrewd and not inferior to their own guys, how easy is it to ask them to pay for it?

Those cabinet assistants, six ministers, and directors of various departments can naturally try their best to exploit them, but the rest of the officials have no way, and sometimes even the subsidy money routinely issued by the imperial court may not be able to get it as scheduled, and it really hurts them to donate half a year or a few months of money.

And the culprit who made them feel pain was Ji Qingwen, an upstart in the political arena who aroused envy, jealousy and hatred.

So Ji Qingwen's decision to have a hot brain for a while offended countless officials again.

However, at this time, the grievances of these officials must not be vented, just because Ji Qingwen is now in the ascendancy, if he can't get along with Ji Qingwen now, it will be with the emperor. And Emperor Chongzhen is not easy to mess with, if you don't mess with him, he won't mess with you, it's good to be at peace with each other - after all, the nine-thousand-year-old Wei Zhongxian, who was in power back then, didn't he end up committing suicide with a white silk hanging beam just because of Emperor Chongzhen's words?

After the ceremony, Ji Qingwen was not stingy, and after Emperor Chongzhen returned to the palace, he announced to all the princes, nobles, civil officials, and generals who were watching the ceremony that they would put on a flowing water banquet for three days and three nights at the Yunlai Inn where they stayed.

The officials are very practical, especially some of the bitter officials in the Qingshui Yamen, who have just been "forced" to donate a few months' worth of money, and they are short of money, so they just take this opportunity to make tooth sacrifices, rub oil and water, save three days' food money, and have more money on hand.

As for the big officials in the court who are not short of money, they have money in their hands, and they don't rely on money to eat, but Ji Qingwen was knighted at a young age, which can be said to have a bright future, and it is also appropriate to have a good relationship with him.

So these officials also went to the Yunlai Inn, only had one dinner, and said a few empty and boring and dispensable flattery words, even if they were congratulated.

The matter of conferring Fu Lubo on Ji Qingwen can be regarded as a major event in the imperial court, and after this matter is completed, the imperial court will continue to deal with another major matter in full swing.

That is to continue to interrogate Yuan Chonghuan.

Ji Qingwen originally had the holy decree of Emperor Chongzhen and had the right to observe the interrogation, and now he is Fu Lubo, and his status is even more respectful, and when the Criminal Department and the Yamen of Yousi start to interrogate, they will naturally come over to inform him.

When Ji Qingwen heard the news, he was afraid of missing any news, so he hurriedly went out to sit in a sedan chair and went to the lobby of the Criminal Department.

Ji Qingwen has been in the Beijing division for about ten days, all the pomp and circumstance are complete, especially in the capital is not allowed to ride horses without authorization, in order to move quickly and conveniently, he specially purchased a fast sedan chair, and selected the four fastest legs and feet among the seventy-two miners he brought from Yiwu as a sedan chair driver for his own travel.

These four miners were young and strong, strong, and fast, but in a moment, they carried Ji Qingwen to the door of the lobby of the Criminal Department.

When Ji Qingwen got down from the sedan chair, he saw that an eight-lift green sedan chair was also steadily parked next to his sedan chair, and a person walked out of the sedan chair, but it was Wen Tiren, the cabinet deputy assistant who was also the secretary of the criminal department.

Wen Tiren regards himself as a "modest", and his relationship with all the ministers in the DPRK is not close, and at the same time, the relationship with all the ministers in the DPRK is not tense. Yo, the lords are all counts, how can they still sit in such a four-carried sedan chair? ”

Ji Qingwen knew that Yuan Chonghuan was the one who Wen Tiren took the lead to interrogate and convict, although it was inconvenient to turn his face with him now, he should also probe the truth of this person, so he replied: "I have just arrived, and I don't know anything about things in the Jingshi, so I don't know why I can't sit in such a small sedan chair?" ”

Wen Tiren put on a posture of a cabinet scholar and said, "Lord Ji, this world pays the most attention to the word 'rules'. The so-called no rules are not a circle, and the official etiquette is the rule of the imperial court. You see, the official sitting in this eight-carried sedan chair is not the official's luxury and face-loving, but this is the etiquette treatment given by the imperial court, and only by clarifying the distinction between upper and lower levels can the people and officials see and understand the truth of ethics. ”

Ji Qingwen was just about to use the words "Domeng Advice" to be polite to him, but unexpectedly, a four-person sedan chair stopped beside him, and it was Zhou Yanru, the first assistant of the cabinet, who came out of it.

I only heard him sneer and said, "Lord Wen, you are such a big official, aren't you tired of holding a shelf like this all day long?" You see, now that the autumn tiger is making trouble, are you still sitting in this sulky green sedan chair, aren't you afraid of being stuffy? Look at me, isn't it beautiful that this little sedan chair is convenient and cool to sit on? ”

Wen Tiren was shocked when he saw this, quickly calmed down, and asked, "No, Zhou Shoufu, Yuan Chonghuan will be interrogated in the lobby of the Criminal Department today, why are you here?" ”

Zhou Yanru said: "What? Lord Wen is the secretary of the Criminal Department, so is the Criminal Department opened by you, Lord Wen? Can't I, as the head of the court, come and listen? ”