The court meeting in the Jianji Hall was carried out here, and finally came to a result that no one expected in advance.

The emperor opened the College of Engineering, and allowed the children of young craftsmen from all over the country to enter the College of Engineering, but if they passed the assessment of any subject of the College of Engineering, they were given the corresponding rank of Engineer of the Ministry of Engineering, and they could also be awarded the position of 100 workers as appropriate.

Although there are very few children of young craftsmen who have passed the entrance examination to enter the engineering college, it also shows that the emperor is ready to loosen the household registration system.

Knowing that the emperor had already had this intention, he heard the emperor say this at this time, and it was the occasion now, and no one spoke out against it for a while.

At this time, as soon as the emperor's voice fell, all the courtiers in the Jianji Hall had nothing else to say except to praise the emperor Shengming in unison.

After Emperor Chongzhen said these words, he brought the theme of the court meeting back to the Jin merchants.

Emperor Chongzhen said: "Some people have just discussed, if it is determined that the crime of the Jin merchants outside the Fan clan is true, then I am afraid that the disaster will be too widespread, and it is not completely unreasonable to think about it!" ”

When Emperor Chongzhen said this, he paused, then looked at Qiao Yunsheng, the secretary of the Criminal Department, who was standing in the forefront, and asked, "What is the basis for the Criminal Department to talk about the crime like this?" ”

Qiao Yunsheng, who still couldn't hide the graying hair of the court officials above his head, immediately said when he heard the words: "Your Majesty!" The basis for the criminal department to discuss the crime of Jin Shang and the enemy, one is the decree of His Majesty, and the other is the article of the criminal law of the Ming Dynasty!

Although the criminal law does not stipulate the crime of treason with the enemy as stated in His Majesty's edict, the criminal law of the Ming Dynasty also clearly stipulates that those who have heard that the imperial court has transferred troops to attack foreign countries and collect the secrets of the rebel thieves and leaked them to the enemy will be punished with death.

"Also, whoever conspires against it is said to be in danger of the society!

"These two articles can convict Jin Shang Fan and others! Whether it is a conspiracy to serve the enemy or a capital enemy, it can be characterized as seeking to endanger the society and to commit the crime of plotting against the enemy.

"The ministers uphold the benevolence and goodwill of His Majesty, and divide the following crimes of the Fan family into the third degree, and Fan Yongdou and the people who killed the eight major principals of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce in Hukou and Zhangjiakou are the first class, and the crimes will be decided immediately, and the others will be reduced in turn."

Speaking of this, Qiao Yunsheng stopped talking.

Emperor Chongzhen picked up the previous report of the cabinet, looked at it a few times, and then said: "Why is the Wang family of the Zhang family in Puzhou different from the other twelve? ”

Emperor Chongzhen asked, but Qiao Yunsheng didn't answer immediately.

At this time, Li Biao, the left capital of the Inspectorate, stood up, bowed and saluted, and said, "Your Majesty!" The crime is equal to the difference, and it is the resolution of the minister, the criminal department, and the three law divisions of Dali Temple.

"The crime of the Puzhou Zhang family and the Puzhou Wang family entering the enemy is the same crime as the Fan family, and the ministers think that the evidence is insufficient. Your Majesty, please be clear! ”

As soon as Li Biao's words fell, Liu Zongzhou, the Zhengqing of Dali Temple, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn't hold back and stood up.

After Liu Zongzhou finished his courtesy, he immediately said, "Your Majesty! The children of the Zhang family in Puzhou are the descendants of Zhang Siwei, the first assistant of the Wanli Dynasty, and the children of the Wang family in Puzhou are also the descendants of Wang Chonggu, an important minister of the Wanli Dynasty.

"Although among his children and grandchildren, as well as among the slaves, there are many people who see profit and forget righteousness and seek profit, but the ministers are reasonable, and the people in charge of the Wang family of the Zhang family in Puzhou have all passed on their families with poems, books, rituals and music since Siwei and Chonggu, and they are also famous ministers, and they will not know that the Fan family and others are collaborating with the enemy and making friends with such lowly people!

"And after the Zhang family and the Wang family of Puzhou, all of whom were famous ministers of the imperial court, Zhang Siwei was once the first assistant of the official, and won the praise of the temple, and the descendants of Wang Chonggu were several generations of eunuchs, and his grandson Wang Zhicai also had a lot of merits when he was the governor of the three sides.

Speaking of this, Liu Zongzhou solemnly lifted his robe and knelt on the ground, and after kowtowing, he said: "This move is not to protect the Zhang family and the Wang family, but it is really a plan for the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years!" Please give preferential treatment to the former courtiers as appropriate! ”

After Liu Zongzhou finished saying this, more than a dozen people knelt down in the team of Wenchen in the Jianji Palace, and said in unison: "The ministers seconded the proposal!" Your Majesty, please give preferential treatment to the ministers! ”

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen saw this, sighed and said: "Zhang Siwei and Wang Chonggu's descendants discussed the crime, and the conclusion of the three law divisions can be learned. ”

After Emperor Chongzhen said this, Liu Zongzhou and others immediately kowtowed and shouted long live.

When they got up and re-entered the ranks, Emperor Chongzhen said: "Since there are people among the Qing and others who have different convictions for Jin merchants other than the Fan clan for convicting the enemy, then from my point of view, it is better to reconvict a new crime!" ”

As soon as Emperor Chongzhen's words came out, the people in the Jianji Hall listened attentively, and even Li Guoyi, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Xu Guangqi, the cabinet minister, who were relatively recognized by the trial of the three law divisions, also raised their eyes to look at the emperor, and they didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in the emperor's gourd.

The ministers were puzzled, but they only heard Emperor Chongzhen continue: "I think that scum like the Jin Shang Fan clan, as a Han Chinese, colludes with foreign races and seeks to endanger China, and from now on can be determined to be traitors. The crime of colluding with foreign races and seeking to endanger China can be convicted of traitor.

"There is a saying in the law of the Ming Dynasty, and it is called rebellion to conspire against the society, but the conspirators, regardless of the leader, will be executed by Ling Chi! And the crime of traitor is especially serious than rebellion!

"Non-Han people in the Ming Dynasty colluded with foreign races to endanger China, from now on, they will be convicted of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and they will be regarded as complicit, but the conspirators will be divided into subordinates and will be in the same place!

"Anyone convicted of traitor and treason with the enemy will be executed without waiting for the autumn trial!"

After Emperor Chongzhen said this, there was silence in the Jianji Palace, as if everyone could hear their own exhalation and inhalation.

On top of the charge of rebellion, which is the biggest crime in all dynasties, the emperor is equivalent to convicting two crimes that are more serious than rebellion.

This is something that these people did not expect at all.

However, everyone knows what they mean when they hear the two charges.

The Han people of the Ming Dynasty colluded with other races to endanger China, which was a crime of traitor.

The non-Han Ming people colluded with other races to endanger China, which was a crime of treason against the enemy.

Whether it is the crime of traitor or the crime of treason with the enemy, the level of the crime is heavier than that of rebellion and rebellion.

This shows that the Chongzhen Emperor in front of him regards the status and interests of the Chinese nation as more important than the social affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

At the same time, this is equivalent to firmly binding the future and destiny of the Ming Dynasty with the future and destiny of the Chinese nation, which shows that the Ming Dynasty of the old Zhu family takes safeguarding the supreme interests of the Chinese nation as its own responsibility.

It also means that the Ming Dynasty is not just the Ming Dynasty of the old Zhu family, and the Ming Dynasty does not only protect the interests of the old Zhu family.

This position is occupied first, and there will be room to speak on many issues in the future.

After Emperor Chongzhen finished speaking, he sat high on the throne and glanced at the ministers in the Jianji Palace.

At this time, the ministers headed by Li Guoyi, the first assistant of the cabinet, and the noble and military ministers headed by the British minister Zhang Weixian, knelt down together and shouted three times in unison.

The court meeting in the Jianji Hall arrived here, and no one had any objections.

Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku and other eight principals of the eight major schools of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce, as well as Fan Yongkui, Fan Sanba and other eight proprietors of the eight major families of the Jin Shang Dynasty and 33 sons of businessmen, were all convicted of the crime of traitor, regardless of the head and subordinate, and were all sentenced to Ling Chi.

Ning Wanme, who was originally held in the hands of Jinyi Weibei Zhenfu Si as a witness just in case, was of course also regarded as a traitor, convicted of traitor, and sentenced to Ling Chi.

In addition, Fan Yongdou and other Jin Shang eight families have a total of 123 men of three generations, who were convicted of traitorous relatives, reduced by two degrees, and sentenced to be hanged.

In addition, the descendants of Zhang Siwei in Puzhou, the descendants of Wang Chonggu and other families of Xuanda Shanxi merchants who were arrested for crimes involving the capture of capital and capital, all the relatives and female dependents within the three clans of the father, mother, and wife clans and the upper and lower generations, as well as the servants and slaves of the listed families, etc., belonged to the eight families and were filled with the military Yungui Governor's Mansion, and the other six families were filled with the Yingzhou Town Guard's Mansion.

On February 16 of the third year of Chongzhen, the day after the end of the Jianji Palace, the imperial court edict was announced.