Affected by the climate of the Xiaoice River, a rare drought in a hundred years swept the entire northern part of Daming, and the road from the Daimyofu to the capital was full of refugees from Qin and Jin. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

Fortunately, it is now the seventh year of the Apocalypse, although there are natural disasters but no disasters, the traditional northern squires who pay attention to the friendship of the countryside may not be as stingy as the squires with Jiangnan merchants as the main body, and the whole Beizhili territory can be seen everywhere There are big soup kitchens.

And because of the governance of the prefect Lu Xiangsheng, there were more large households in the entire Daimyofu who spontaneously gave porridge, and although such a measure could only hang the lives of the displaced people, it also delayed the large-scale peasant uprising that was about to sweep the north and south of the river for a year or two.

Lu Xiangsheng, the prefect of the Daimyo Mansion, looked at his people worriedly, if it wasn't for His Majesty's summons, he would rather stay in the Daimyo's Mansion for the rest of his life, so that the people here would really have no worries about hunger.

However, a holy decree given to him by Zhu Youxiao, a large volume of documents signed "Royalist-related Materials" and a letter written by Zhu Youxiao still made him choose to go to Beijing with his crown.

"Lu Xiangsheng, the prefect of the Daimyo Mansion, has seen Your Majesty!"

It was the first time Lu Xiangsheng came to see Zhu Youxiao, and Zhu Youxiao was also the first time to see the most respected Ming official in the history of the late Ming Dynasty.

"Jiandou, please get up, all the way, you haven't had time to rest", Zhu Youxiao said and gave people a seat and ginger soup.

Seeing this, Wang Chengen, who was on duty, personally took over the Jindun from Xiaohuangmen, put it behind Lu Xiangsheng, and then personally held the soup to Lu Xiangsheng.

Lu Xiangsheng, who was a little flattered, never thought that his small four-grade prefect would be treated so well by His Majesty, and let the dignified celebrant palm print to hold the soup for himself.

However, Wang Chengen is still full of spring breeze, and since his majesty asked Lu Xiangsheng how many days there will be in Beijing three days ago, Wang Chengen can see that his majesty must have a lot of affection for this little-known Lu prefect.

So he didn't dare to be big, and he deliberately behaved humbly in front of Lu Xiangsheng to win His Majesty's favor.

Lu Xiangsheng also had to hurriedly give up his hand and thanks, and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is willing to become a member of the royalist party and unswervingly loyal to Your Majesty!" “

"Aiqing is worthy of being my first loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Chengen, immediately sent an edict to Xinuan Pavilion, and Lu Xiangsheng, the prefect of the Daimyo Mansion, made up for the vacancy of the left servant of the military department, and took the post of commander of the Beijing camp."

Zhu Youxiao now directly issued an order to the Xinuan Pavilion, and then the rotating university scholar Sun Chengzong or Wei Guangwei of the Xinuan Pavilion drafted the decree, and then the cabinet issued it to the celebrant supervisor, and the celebrant approved the red again.

In fact, this is to empty the power of the cabinet, or the power of the cabinet and the celebrant are concentrated in the Xinuan Pavilion, because the jade seal is also placed in the Xinuan Pavilion, and only the rotating Bingbi eunuchs have the right to approve red.

Because of this, Zhu Youxiao's dictatorial power has increased substantially, but the form has not changed.

In addition, the important ministers of the court are all royalist ministers, and no one dares to disagree, even Sun Chengzong thinks that this is more efficient and trouble-free because the cabinet scholars and celebrants work in the same room.

However, when Wang Chengen came to Xinuan Pavilion with his will, Sun Chengzong, a rotating university scholar, actually came to Zhu Youxiao's place, and said: "Your Majesty, is it too anxious for the Sipin Prefect to be directly promoted to the left attendant of the military department, and the Lin Yan official in the Middle East is only afraid that he will have another tongue, and besides, the military department official is already a dignitary or a foreign minister, and if he is in charge of the Beijing camp again, the disaster will not be small." “

"Alas, Mr. Sun is inevitably a little pedantic, at this time of national crisis, real talents, should be eclectic to use!"

Seeing this, Sun Chengzong had to nod his head in agreement, but he was very puzzled in his heart, this Lu Xiangsheng was just a small foreign official, why did he win His Majesty's favor.

However, Lu Xiangsheng was very indifferent, although he didn't know why he was able to get the promotion of His Majesty's line of fire, but Zhu Youxiao's sentence of "real talent" just now had made him excited.

At this time, Wang Chengen hurriedly walked in with a letterhead: "Your Majesty, my Dongchang has just received the news that the Fan family caravan has gone north and has now arrived at the Linqing territory, in addition, the Zhang family caravan has also entered the customs, and it is the raw hides of the Tartars that are transported, it is reported that they are ready to sell them to the Fan family shop in the capital, and then contact Xi Jijie, the deputy chief soldier of Jiliao who has been connected in advance, and secretly transport the latest batch of ironclad weapons of my Ming Dynasty out of the customs, at the same time, the Zhang's grain shop in the capital has been buying grain in the capital on a large scale, At present, the price of grain in Beijing has risen by 30%. ”

"These abominable traitors. Business! ”

Sun Chengzong didn't care that he was by the emperor's side, but he was so angry when he heard that this group of Jin merchants were smuggling materials to the Tartars and hoarding Juqi, trying to make a fortune.

However, Zhu Youxiao's mood was not much better, he never objected to businessmen doing business, he even hoped that the commodity economy of the Ming Dynasty could be further developed, but he was also unwilling to let these selfish businessmen dig the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

If these Jin merchants were not loyal to the consciousness of the Ming Dynasty, then Zhu Youxiao would not mind using violence to awaken their consciousness.

Zhu Youxiao didn't speak again, but raised his feet and walked towards the Xinuan Pavilion on the right side of the Qianqing Palace.

The resident staff of Xinuan Pavilion is Zuo Zhongyun Li Mingrui, and as soon as Li Mingrui saw His Majesty and his teacher coming, he was busy saluting.

But Zhu Youxiao and Sun Chengzong ignored him, and Wang Chengen, who came with him, did not speak, Lu Xiangsheng was willing to tell him, but he was not qualified to enter the Xinuan Pavilion now.

"Li Mingrui, hang up the map and tell me that now Cao Wenzhao, Huang Degong, Man Gui, Mao Wenlong, Zhao Shujiao, Jiang Hao, and Zhou Yuji are divided into any positions, and in addition, who is the current chief military officer of the seven towns of Xuanfu, Datong, Taiyuan, Jizhou, Liaodong, Guyuan, and Yansui, and tell me his resume and family relationship immediately!"

As soon as Zhu Youxiao came in, he began to ask questions.

Li Mingrui, who was accustomed to His Majesty the Emperor asking all kinds of questions nonsensically, didn't think about it, and immediately replied while unfolding the map:

"Cao Wenzhao, the current guerrilla in Liaodong, guarding in Jinzhou, Huang Degong as a staff general in Jizhou, Man Gui as the deputy chief soldier of Shanhaiguan, Mao Wenlong, just been named the chief military officer of Dongjiang by His Majesty, and Zhao Shujiao as a staff general in Ningzhou......"

Li Mingrui's memory has always been amazing, and now that he is in the center, the civil and military generals at all levels in the DPRK and the central government have long been familiar with it, and after seeing Zhu Youxiao's nod, he briefly introduced the current commanders of the towns in the nine sides.

Everyone couldn't understand why Zhu Youxiao suddenly cared about this, and it wasn't until a moment later that Zhu Youxiao got up and asked Wang Chengen and Sun Chengen: "You say, how powerful are the eight Jin merchants in the court?" “

Wang Chengen could think that Zhu Youxiao didn't think about it, and hurriedly took out a booklet: "Your Majesty, this is the network of power relations between the eight Jin merchants in the court that my Dongchang spent half a month figuring out, which involves a former chief assistant, three former or current ministers, six Beijing officials above the fourth grade, and no less than ten governors of various provinces, and countless political envoys. ”

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help laughing: "It is said that the Donglin Party is powerful, and now compared with this Jin businessman, it is much inferior." ”

As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao lowered his face and said with a serious expression: "The tumor of the Eight Great Jin Merchants, I must dig him out!" ”