A few days later, a letter from a reader was published in the Daming Weekly, in which the author highly praised Li Sancai, the former governor of Caoyun, for cracking down on the mine supervisor and tax envoys, and asking the people to ask the emperor to cancel the mining tax. It is hoped that the current officials will be as honest and self-reliant as Governor Li, and dare to speak for the people.

As soon as the newspaper was released, the newspaper immediately received a large number of letters from readers, some people thought that the banquet in Governor Li's palace could not be like this, and that the letters from readers in Pili Yangqiu were fake, and some people questioned why Li Sancai was so rich? After Wang Chengen was selected, he reported to Zhu for review, and finally selected three letters, one was to question the distortion of the description of the banquet, one was the narration of the witnesses themselves and the records of someone in the book at that time, and one was to question why Li Sancai had so much money to hold such a luxurious banquet, and asked the emperor to order a thorough investigation. The next issue of the Weekly Bulletin will include these three letters with an editor's note, inviting your comments on the matter.

This incident caused a stir in the newspapers, and the officials couldn't sit still, and began to impeach one after another, some impeaching Li Sancai; Some demanded that the imperial court conduct a thorough investigation and return Li Sancai's innocence. Li Sancai also defended himself, he didn't say that he didn't hold such a banquet, because there were too many people who knew about it, he just said that his money was innocent, and asked the emperor to send an envoy to verify.

Zhu Youxiao took out Li Sancai's recital at the court meeting for the ministers to discuss, the Donglin Party members were silent, and the people of the other factions unanimously asked the emperor to send a central envoy to verify.

Zhu Youxiao said: "Governor Li has always disliked the envoys, and the conclusions drawn may be biased, so a minister should be sent to Yang Lian in the military department, who is dedicated to the country, and is jealous of evil. “

This will made Yang Lian embarrassed, refuse, I can't find a reason, I just finished sick leave, accept it, this is obviously a move by the emperor to provoke the Donglin people to fight, of course, above the court, he can't be allowed to think so much, so he has to kneel down to receive the order.

After going down to the court, as soon as he left the palace gate, Zuo Guangdou came up and said, "I'm going to disturb Wen Ru tonight." Yang Lian nodded and did not make a sound.

It was not dark yet, and the bigwigs in Donglin in Beijing gathered at Yang Lian's house, in addition to Liu Yixiao and Han Yi in the cabinet, as well as Sun Chengzong, Zuo Guangdou, Liu Zongzhou, Zhou Jiamo, Zhao Nanxing, Gong Nai, Huang Zunsu and others, everyone had some dinner casually and came to Yang Lian's study.

Han Yi spoke first: "The emperor asked Wen Ru to check on Li Daofu, I believe you all know the meaning, time is very urgent, if you have anything to say, please hurry up and talk about it." "The night curfew began at 3 p.m. (around 8:12 p.m.), and the place was locked with a fence, and although the officials could call the fence open, so many people gathered at night could cause the speech officials to be impeached.

Liu Yixiao said: "Li Daofu was indeed too luxurious back then, and it was also his own fault to arouse some people's suspicions, but the source of his family property is innocent. ”

Most of the other people have this opinion, and they are not worried that the emperor wants to investigate Li Sancai, because Li Sancai originally called for the emperor to investigate, and of course he will not let the emperor check if he is not innocent. Yushi Gongnai and Li San are in-laws, but they don't say a word.

Zuo Guangdou didn't see it that way, this rally was organized by him, and now everyone thinks he is making a big fuss, so he defended: "Of course Li Gong is not afraid of investigation, I am just worried that the emperor will investigate Li Gong, and let Wen Ru investigate, there should be some other meaning in the back, Guangdou is ignorant, so I want the guidance of the division commanders." ”

When everyone heard him say this, they felt the same way. It has been less than a year since he ascended the throne, and now the ministers are not able to touch his mind. One moment it was military training, one moment it was for people to plant some potatoes and sweet potatoes, one moment it was about making a martyr's shrine, and one moment it was about making a weekly report...... You said that you will be your emperor well, how good is it to sit on the seat and nod, there is anything that we can do for you.

Speaking of the emperor's thoughts, everyone looked at the emperor's master Sun Chengzong. Sun Chengzong felt the pressure of his gaze, so he had no choice but to speak: "The emperor mentioned Xu Guangqi as the secretary of the household department, and it seems that he wants to reopen the mining tax, as for what this has to do with the matter of investigating Li Gong, Chengzong doesn't know." ”

Hearing this, everyone forgot the purpose of coming, and unanimously began to condemn the emperor: "How long has the first emperor been in power, and he actually wants to overthrow the first emperor's favor government, and he has not changed his father's way for three years, which can be described as filial piety." "This is Han Yi, who directly scolded the emperor for being unfilial.

"I just want to enrich my internal money, but I don't know how difficult the people's livelihood is. If this money is the income department, I am afraid that he will not be so active, and this momentum of holding money has to fight with his grandfather. "This is Zuo Guangdou, he thinks that the emperor is too greedy for money, and he doesn't care about the lives of the people at all.

Everyone talked about it, even Gong Nai, who didn't speak first, condemned the emperor a few words, Sun Chengzong didn't speak, he was the emperor's teacher, everyone can understand this, but Yang Lian didn't speak, and everyone felt a little strange.

Yang Lian saw that everyone was looking at him, sighed and said: "During the Wanli period, the mining tax envoy did indeed do a little too much, and now I want to restore the mining tax, in Yilian's opinion, I am afraid that it will be difficult, but now the household treasury is really empty......"

"It's not just that it's been done so simply, haven't Wen Ru seen the arrogance of those internal officials? The treasury of the household department is empty, you can increase the tax, you can increase the salary, nine cents of silver, and what if you add another nine centi. Zhao Nanxing reprimanded loudly. He had seen the mining tax harm to the people and had fought against it, so he felt very deeply about it.

Yang Lian sighed again, thinking to himself, the emperor added nine centi, and he was afraid that he would add nine points below, but he was not good at arguing with Zhao Nanxing, so he stopped talking.

Zhao Nanxing also ignored him anymore and continued: "Li Daofu is nothing, but this matter of reopening the mining tax, I Donglin must resist it together, and we must not let the events of the Wanli period repeat itself, how many people are ruined, how many wives are scattered, and then the beacons are everywhere, but it will be too late." ”

Everyone thought so, so Liu Yixiao made a summary, if the emperor wants to reopen the mining tax, the people of Donglin will oppose it, and they will also have to pull people from other factions, as long as they oppose it, they will be friends of Donglin, and if they support it, they will be enemies of Donglin. As for investigating Li Sancai's matter, Yang Lian only needs to uphold justice, and he will write to Li Sancai to explain.