In early September, Sun Chengzong rushed to Shanhaiguan with several accompanying staff officers, preparing to preside over military exercises outside the customs with Wang Zaijin. Chongzhen, on the other hand, was holding a regular meeting with the members of the State Council at the Mandarin Palace, and at this meeting, several personnel issues were mainly discussed.

For example, Hong Chengchou was transferred to Kunming to serve as the newly established governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Zhu Xieyuan served as the newly established governor of Zhili, and Yuan Chonghuan served as the newly established governor of Fengda, and the original governor of Xuanda was abolished.

However, more than these appointments, the ministers present were surprised by the next two appointments. Zhang Yunxiu was transferred to the governor of Huguang, and the original Huguang province was divided into Hunan and Hubei provinces. Zhang Chonghui was transferred to the governor of Fujian to assist Yang Hao, the governor of Zhejiang and Fujian.

The news of the comeback of Zhang's uncle and nephew completely overwhelmed the shock brought to the ministers present by Hong Chengchou and others. Because this means that Zhang Jiangling's affairs have been completely rehabilitated, and at the same time, it has also regained the name of Wanli reform. Although Zhang Jiangling offended the gentry of the world at the beginning, he was not without protégés during his reign.

It's just that everyone beat the water dogs too much at the beginning, and these protégés were worried about retaliation, so they didn't dare to stand up for the Zhang family. Now that Chongzhen has turned over the case again, those protégés and former officials must be reattached to the Zhang family, and the re-emergence of the Zhang family will not be a problem.

But for those who threw stones at the Zhang family back then, this is really not good news. In particular, most of these people came from Jiangnan, who opposed the Wanli New Deal. Although several officials wanted to stop the Zhang family's uncle and nephew from ascending to the throne, with the support of the first assistant Huang Liji, this voice was quickly dispelled.

In this way, the officials present realized that Huang Liji planned to join forces with Zhang Jiangling's descendants to increase the power of the reformist officials again. Obviously, the reform of the government and government set off in the first year of Chongzhen is far from ending.

After the personnel appointments of these local governors were discussed, Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong suddenly went out to write to Chongzhen, impeaching 147 officials at or above the county level in Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and other places. The reason for this was that these local officials falsified the agricultural harvest under their rule, deceived the inspectors sent by the imperial court, and some tried to cover up their mistakes by bribing the inspectors.

After hearing this, Zhang Ruitu hurriedly interceded for these local officials: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the statements of Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong are exaggerated. All along, local officials have been checking the acres of land and grain taxes in various places according to the yellow book, which varies from year to year in terms of time and location, and the grain output is naturally different from that in the atlas. How can local officials be embarrassed by this problem? If this continues, won't local officials stay in the fields all day in the future, and where will they be able to handle local government affairs? ”

Han Yi and several other officials also came out one after another, supporting Zhang Ruitu's statement, believing that Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong's actions were evil politics, and they belonged to picking bones in eggs and embarrassing those officials who did not obey them.

Zhu Youzhen waved his hand to silence these officials, and then asked Hui Shiyang, the newly appointed Shangshu of the Criminal Department, "Hui Shangshu, tell me, is what these officials are doing correctly?" ”

Hui Shiyang, who was standing at the end of the front row of officials, suddenly felt the gaze coming from all directions, which made him feel a little pressure. He secretly thought about it in his heart, and then saluted Chongzhen and said: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister thinks: Eat the king's Lu, and be loyal to the king." His Majesty has issued orders three or four times before, asking officials in various places to take control of this year's harvest and not to be in a trance. However, these officials still use the old figures of previous years to deal with the king's affairs, which is really against the way of the ministers. ”

Hui Shiyang showed an attitude of supporting Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong, which immediately surprised some officials, after all, they originally thought that Hui Shiyang was on the side of the Donglin Party.

Zhu Youzhen turned to the side again and asked Liu Zongzhou, "Mr. Liu is the principal of the Central Government Academy and the person in charge of managing the style of my Ming officials, what does Mr. Liu think about this?" ”

Liu Zongzhou looked up at his colleagues, and then at Hui Shiyang, who bowed his head and was silent, and suddenly felt that there were too many pillars in this Wenhua Palace, which made him a little depressed.

After being silent for a long time, he finally said calmly: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister thinks that what Hui Yuanru said is still good. However, if a person is not a sage, who can do no wrong, please give them another chance, so that they can make up for their mistakes. Ten years of cold window, after all, is not easy. ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded at this time, and said to the officials below: "Mr. Liu is a kind person, and he always cares about scholars. Yes, people are not saints and sages, who can do nothing, and always give people a chance to mend their ways.

However, before that, it is always necessary to let them realize their mistakes, and if they don't even know where they are wrong, what is the point of giving them a chance?

In my opinion, what is their mistake? Is it a fake number? Is it the same way to draw a gourd? Is it lazy government? I don't think it matters.

They were wrong because they didn't have the same heart with the court. My orders, the orders of the court, seemed to them no more powerful than a piece of waste paper. Could it be that the court and I are clay puppets in the temple? They fill in a few numbers at random, and hand them in to complete the king's business?

A local official who treats the decrees of the imperial court as nothing, and falsifies numbers to deceive the imperial court, does such an official still have the imperial court in his heart, and is there still me? If the decree of the imperial court cannot go out of the capital, what is the use of this imperial court? ”

Chongzhen's tone went from mild to harsh, so that the officials who tried to justify the errant officials suddenly fell silent. Obviously, no one wants to come forward and be the target of the emperor's anger. And Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong, who impeached so many local officials at one time, finally breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts, and after the emperor raised the issue to the level of confrontation between the central and local governments, the outcome of these local officials was decided.

Just when the courtiers looked at each other and didn't know how to persuade Chongzhen, Zhu Youzhen finally sat back in his seat and said: "What I mean is that the central government academy has set up branch schools in various places, so that all these officials can enter the branch schools to study, and their work will be handed over to officials loyal to the imperial court first.

Every official must conduct a profound examination after entering the school, and must clearly explain his mistakes; if they cannot deeply understand their mistakes, they will take a break to graduate from the school and return to work. Mr. Liu, you have to sum up the mistakes of these officials and educate every official who enters the school, so that they do not repeat their mistakes..."

Zhang Ruitu, Han Yi and others all had ugly faces, but they didn't know what to say. In fact, they knew that the mistake of these officials was not in the falsification of figures, but in the fact that these officials sided with the local gentry and refused to cooperate with the household officials in implementing the rationing system.

Whether it is wheat or cotton, it is naturally better to hoard these products for profit than to sell them to the household department or the collection and storage company established by the household department. Many officials believed that the rationing system meant that the court was competing with the people for profit, so they either refused to cooperate or resorted to delaying tactics from the perspective of protecting the local gentry.

These officials believed that their opposition to the implementation of rationing would surely have the support of the gentry. Moreover, there were so many officials in various places who opposed the rationing system, and it was difficult for the imperial court to deal with them. After all, the law does not blame the public.

But no one thought that Han Yiliang and Li Kuilong would really dare to trouble them, and they would be impeached all at once. And the emperor is unwavering, ready to use these officials to kill monkeys and make an example.

Zhang Ruitu, Han Yi and others thought about it carefully, and only then did they find that after the emperor tore his face, these officials couldn't find a reason to defend themselves. After all, Chongzhen did not use the reason of opposing the rationing system, but the local officials tried to deceive the imperial court, and their intentions were not right.

Just after Chongzhen said his way of dealing with it, several cabinet ministers also expressed their support under the leadership of Huang Liji, so this plan became final.

Although the officials below were still discussing in a whisper, Zhu Youzhen said impatiently: "If there is anything to discuss next, if not, today's regular meeting will end here." ”

Zhou Yanru, who was standing in the second row of the class order on the left, struggled for a long time, and finally walked out under the gaze of the emperor, holding a book and saying: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister has a book to play." ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded at him and said, "Let's talk, let's finish it early, and everyone will go back early to deal with the affairs of their respective yamen." ”

Zhou Yanru calmly said: "The minister has read the book "Taizu Holy Teachings" compiled by Sun Zhiqi and several Hanlin scholars, and the minister thinks that the words in the book are beautiful, and there are countless truths.

Previously, these local officials ignored the imperial court, and many of the world's corporal were incorruptible and shameless, and engaged in personal fraud in the country's talent ceremony, and the ministers thought that this was all due to moral irregularity, and forgot the teachings of Taizu to officials back then.

In order to correct the atmosphere of officialdom and scholars, the minister thought that the "Taizu Hadith" should be included in the imperial examination textbooks, and placed alongside the Four Books and Five Classics, so as to educate the world's scholars and how to be a good official who meets the requirements of Taizu. ”

Regarding the content of Zhou Yanru's book, other officials were still in a state of confusion, and they hadn't thought about what kind of reaction they wanted to make, but Zhu Youzhen had already nodded again and again, and said happily: "Zhou Shilang really has a good insight, Taizu opened the world of my Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years with Huaiyou's cloth, and the foresight and wisdom in his words must be far beyond my incompetent descendant."

Using the "Taizu Hadith" to test the world's scholars, I think it will be able to correct the morale and make me return to the beginning of the founding of the country. This is a good thing, the cabinet and all Aiqing, do you think that the words of my Emperor Taizu Gao can still be heard? ”

The officials who wanted to oppose it also silently shut up under the emperor's rhetorical question. And Wu Chunfu, Han Yiliang, Li Kuilong and other officials naturally praised the emperor's decision loudly.

Zhang Ruitu and Han Yi silently looked at these applauded officials, and a layer of gloom flashed in their hearts.