Chapter 0101 is on the edict to survey the tomb

On the Golden Palace, the Emperor Zhengde sat on the dragon chair and was stunned. Thinking of this, Zhengde couldn't help but feel irritable.

The little emperor was young, he didn't have so many imperial tricks, he just couldn't accept Yang Ling's betrayal from the emotional point of view, and when he heard that Yang Ling was also involved in the matter, covering up the news of the accident in the mausoleum of his most respected father, Zhengde couldn't wait to kill this courtier he had put his heart in his heart.

However, hatred is one thing, remembering that he was the prince and the emperor, he was always alone, until Yang Ling appeared. This person didn't have the kind of awe and flattery that is common on other people's faces, but he really cared about him, he had always regarded Yang Ling as a friend, but his only friend betrayed him, Zhengde couldn't help but sigh when he thought of this.

Seeing that the emperor didn't listen to him carefully, Yushi Lu Zhongkun couldn't help but raise his voice and said loudly: "Your Majesty." ”

"Huh? What the? Zhengde was stunned for a moment, withdrew his eyes looking into the void, and looked at this imperial historian who had been talking for a long time and didn't know what to say.

Lu Zhongkun endured his anger and said: "Today, the emperor is in mourning, Xiaoxiang has not been long, at the beginning of the emperor's era, he was happy to be happy, the early dynasty was late from time to time, and the afternoon was late to the late twilight, and the daily life was impermanent, and the sleep and meal were out of order, so that the spirit was consumed and the political affairs were disturbed, which was not done by the Ming monarch." The minister heard that last night's heavy rain and thunder, shattered the Fengtian Temple's kiss and the Taimiao spine beast, more than 100 trees in Beijing were broken, this day changed the disaster, should be a wake-up. ”

Zhengde said lightly: "I know, I have been checked by Qintian to calculate the good luck." ”

Lu Zhongkun said angrily: "Your Majesty, according to the old practice of the previous generation, whenever there is a drastic change in heaven and earth, the emperor should reduce his diet and withdraw from his pleasure, and issue an edict to introspect himself. The emperor should order the civil and military officials to advise and advise, and the disadvantages of the times are the same. ”

Emperor Zhengde's eyebrows were raised, and a burst of anger surged in his heart: "How can this be true, the wind and rain blew a few trees, and the thunder and lightning shattered a few stone beasts on the eaves of the palace, and they also had to go around the bend to count on my head, what is not what Mingjun did!" Am I a faint king? ”

But as a speech official, the speaker is not guilty, even if it is his Lao Tzu, the model emperor Hongzhi has also been said to be extremely unbearable when he played in the imperial history, Zhengde suppressed the anger and said: "Then issue an edict and order a hundred officials to admonish!" ”

Zhengde coughed and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, now that the rebel ministers who deceived the emperor's tomb Yongquan have been escorted to the execution ground, it is imperative for the emperor to move the tomb. Some of the materials can be dismantled and transported from the old site, so it is estimated that it will cost about three million taels to rebuild the new mausoleum, and I want to increase the tax slightly, do you have any suggestions? ”

"Sure enough!" The three scholars couldn't help but glance at each other. Yesterday, after Zhengde retired from the afternoon court, Xu Guan entered the palace to report the confession of the Qin, and Emperor Zhengde was furious and lifted the imperial table, shouting that he would immediately punish this group of rebels and thieves. When the three scholars heard the news, they knew that the relocation of the emperor's tomb was a foregone conclusion, but where did this huge cost come from?

Others don't know so well, they don't know how financially constrained Daming has been due to continuous natural disasters in the past few years? As for Wang Qiong, Xu Guan, Hong Zhong and others because of their support for the national fortune of the Ming Dynasty, their positions of power and official positions are bound to rise to a higher level, directly threatening their status, but it is still secondary.

Helpless, Li Dongyang stubbornly went out and played: "Your Majesty, the annual income of the imperial court is four million taels, which is worth paying for, and the first emperor's mausoleum is used up to three-quarters, and the household department has exhausted the accumulated wealth, if the imperial tomb is moved, it is bound to increase taxes." The people are unbearable. ”

Hearing this, Zhengde said angrily: "The people of the Ming Dynasty are hundreds of millions, and each person is levied an additional tax, why do you want to say such alarmist?" ”

Li Dongyang hurriedly said: "The emperor is angry, the emperor doesn't know, in recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, floods in Henan and Hebei, drought in Gansu and Shaanxi, and even the price of rice in Jiangnan has been extremely expensive. Led to thieves rampant everywhere, fortunately thanks to the benevolence of the first emperor, with a thin tax to support the people, love the people, the people can barely tide over the difficulties, but the people in the poor land have barely survived a meal, if the tax is increased, I am afraid to provoke the people to revolt. ”

Li Dongyang was afraid that Zhengde would not listen to the dissuasion, so he was so anxious that the sweat was dripping down, if it weren't for the fact that Da Ming hadn't heard of the fable of "The Last Straw That Crushed the Camel", he would have to learn from Jiao Fang to make a curve.

Xie Qian immediately went out and said: "Your Majesty, now that Miao Yi is constantly making chaos and endangering the rear, Tatar is eyeing our Ming Dynasty because of the great trip of the first emperor, and the sea is wasted, floods and droughts are frequent, and there is a lack of border reserves, so it is really impossible to add to the trouble." ”

Zhengde "snapped" the table and said angrily: "Tailing is unlucky, do you want the emperor to be buried there?" Or is it that I, the Son of Heaven, want to stop the coffin for ten years and not enter the earth for peace, waiting for the people to recuperate? ”

Hironuma has a very high prestige among the ministers, and Zhengde is considered from the dignity of the emperor and the filial piety of the son of man, although there are many people among the ministers who oppose the tax increase, they are speechless for a while.

His Royal Highness was silent for a while, and Liu Jian proudly went out of class and said on the ground: "The minister risked death to speak bluntly, the emperor is in the palace, can you know that the small people's thatched hut firewood is difficult to avoid?" The emperor is clothed and fed, can you know that the people are hungry and hungry? The first emperor returned to the mausoleum, the ceremony was customized, this is not the subordinates dare to discuss lightly, but there are priorities, Mencius said: "The people are precious, the monarch is light, and the society is important." ', the Ming Dynasty holds the country is in accordance with the mandate of heaven, the mandate of heaven is the people, the Ming Dynasty conforms to the mandate of heaven, how to be cautious in feng shui. Tailing was built with the capital of the whole country, how can it be abolished lightly? The first emperor was benevolent and loved the people, and believed that the first emperor had a spirit in the sky, and he would also value the people rather than feng shui, and he would think twice about His Majesty. ”

After Liu Jian finished speaking, he couldn't afford to bow to the ground, although he said this very politely, in fact, it is nothing more than saying that the people are the foundation of the country, and the feng shui theory is false and untrue, as for the first emperor, it is better to be buried in Tailing, don't be foolish and cheap.

The military officials above the Golden Palace all held their breath when they heard this, they had already seen the moody surname of this little emperor, if he was angry and ordered someone to drag Scholar Liu down to the court staff, this old man would not be beaten to death at a great age?

Wang Qiong, Xu Guan and others had the heart to come forward to argue for Zhengde, but the news of the imperial court's tax increase had spread wildly, and they named them and said that they were slanderers, and the reputation of several people had plummeted. At this time, wouldn't he come forward to confirm the matter, and he didn't dare to come forward to speak.

Zhengde looked at it for a while, and saw that none of the civil and military officials came forward to agree with it, and he was so angry: This class of bird ministers. Yesterday, I was still pulling my neck and shouting that it would affect the fortunes of the country and damage the blessings of the future, and now the three bachelors are carrying out the people, and no one has helped me, are you loyal to the monarch or cherish your own feathers?

Zhengde pressed the imperial case with both hands, Huo Di stood up, pointed at Liu Jian and was about to speak, and suddenly the general of the Standing Hall hurriedly rushed in, knelt on the ground and shouted: "Qi to the emperor, Hong Zhongfei, the secretary of the criminal department, rode to report." Han Shi, the wife of the criminal official Yang Ling, broke into the court and covered the head of the criminal officer Yang Ling with the pen and ink of the first emperor, and Hong Zhong did not dare to carry out the execution without permission, for fear of damaging the relics of the first emperor. I beg the emperor to decide! ”

The hundred officials buzzed and discussed, perhaps because the court meeting was too boring, listening to the strange news of Yang Ling's wife holding the first emperor's ink treasure to break into the law field to save her husband, the civil and military officials seemed to have eaten stimulants.

Liu Jian couldn't help but be overjoyed when he heard it on the ground, he said boldly and bluntly, in fact, he was also worried in his heart, with this news to divert Zhengde's attention, he would be fine. Liu Jian sighed secretly, raised his sleeve and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.

Zhengde was stunned when he heard this, and muttered for a while: "You said that the wife of the young Yang Ling broke into the law field? She held her father's handwritten letter, when did her father give the Yang family things, and what did she write? ”

He muttered to himself, so quietly that only the little eunuch in front of the desk could hear him. But he didn't get Zhengde's signal, and he didn't dare to ask him loudly. Zhengde was stunned for a while, and slowly paced up on the imperial steps, and all the officials watched his movements, only to see Zhengde gritting his teeth for a while, and being stunned for a while, and only after a while did he shout: "Messenger, Zhang Yong, the imperial horse supervisor, went to question." Take back the handwritten letter of the first emperor and show it to me, and retire from the dynasty! ”

At the entrance of the vegetable market, Hong Zhong was pacing around the death row table in a frustrated manner. The scorching sun was in the sky, and he couldn't notice it even when his face was covered with sweat. Although the young lady took it was not a holy decree, and the calligraphy and painting had nothing to do with this case, but it was the first emperor's own handwriting.

Suddenly, he stepped and shouted: "Han, you think carefully, forcibly breaking into the court to obstruct the execution is a crime of killing the head, your husband Yang Ling is a criminal who deceives the king, and he is a wicked person who is unforgivable for serious crimes, and the emperor only kills him is already an extrajudicial grace, you are young, don't you spare your life?" ”

Han Youniang's hands were sore when she raised the calligraphy and painting, she raised her head and glanced at Hong Zhong and said, "You are not a good person!" ”

"What?" Hong Zhong was greatly surprised, and said angrily: "Yang Han, you dare to slander the imperial court officials? ”

Han Youniang said: "My husband is a man who stands up to the sky and the earth, and he is a good official for the country and the people. ”

Most of the people who turned to the view were small people, and they set up stalls to sell goods to make ends meet, because of the tax increase, they hated Hong Zhong and several people so much that they itched their teeth, and when they heard Han Youniang's words, they immediately cheered in unison, and some of the bold people crowded in the crowd and took the opportunity to scold him, making Hong Zhong's face blue and red with anger.

He shook the sleeves of his robe and said, "Only villains and women are difficult to raise, and the old man disdains to care about you!" ”

Hong Zhong was so angry that he opened his mouth, and at this moment, he rode a fast horse to the execution ground, and immediately dressed as a eunuch in the palace, and the fast horse galloped to the front of the stage from the passage separated by two straw ropes.

Yang Ling knew that Zhengde had a kind of sister-like admiration for the young lady, and originally expected that Zhengde would not be angry with her because of his own affairs, and no matter how bad it was, he would forgive her if he saw the painting with Zhengde's feelings for the first emperor, but now that she had made a fuss, Yang Ling couldn't guess what Zhengde's impulsive surname would do.

At this time, when he saw the fast horse in the palace running, his heart couldn't help but rise, Han Youniang also stared at the round eyes, looked at the person who came nervously, and was silent, Zhang Yongfei dismounted, and stepped onto the half-man highland guillotine, Yang Ling saw that it was him, and couldn't help but call: "Father-in-law Zhang."

Zhang Yong approached, but he didn't talk to Yang Ling, he approached and pretended to look at the painting, and also knelt on the ground and respectfully bowed. Hong Zhong and Cheng Wenyi stared at him and finished his salute slowly, and Hong Zhong couldn't help but ask, "This father-in-law, what does the emperor command?" ”

Zhang Yong has now entered the Imperial Horse Prison, commanding Zuo Xiangma, and is one of the four leaders under Miao Kui, but he has not had the opportunity to enter the West Factory of Miao Kui's Fangxin Force. But his identity and status have been greatly different, and he has a little confidence to speak in front of Hong Shangshu, and when he heard Hong Zhong number one, Zhang Yong smiled slightly: "Don't be impatient, don't be impatient, our family will ask Yang Han's family by the holy order." ”

After speaking, he took a step forward and said to Han Youniang kindly: "Yang Han, the emperor asked you, Yang Ling is a criminal who bullied the monarch and should be beheaded. ”

Han Youniang protested: "My husband is a trick and begging the emperor to remand it for retrial." ”

Zhang Yong nodded and said, "Got it." You wait, the first emperor's calligraphy and painting, our family wants to go back to the palace to show the emperor, Yang Han, please give me the calligraphy and painting. ”

Han Youniang relied on this calligraphy and painting to temporarily protect her husband, and after listening to Zhang Yong's words, she couldn't help but hesitate, Zhang Yong smiled and said: "Yang Han's family, our family has served the emperor's will, will you still be wrong?" ”

Yang Ling said to the young lady: "Young lady, hand over the first emperor Danqing Mobao to Gonggong Zhang, there is no need to be suspicious." ”

Han Youniang listened, then raised her hands high, respectfully presented the calligraphy and painting, Zhang Yong carefully took the picture that had been framed, rolled it up and slanted it in his arms. Turning his head to Hong Zhong, the secretary of the Criminal Department, he said: "Lord Hong, the emperor has issued an edict to suspend the execution, and the court is on standby!" ”

With that, Zhang Yong turned around and walked off the stage, turned over on his horse, and rode away.

In the Baohe Palace, Zhengde held the painting and said: "Sensen Baizhang pine, although it is very knotty, it is used in the building, and it is the material of the pillars." Zhengde slammed the table with hatred and hatred, and said: "Father, you count Yang Ling as a small one, and you have great hopes for him, but the big crime he has committed now can be regarded as a little Lei Ke?" ”

Zhang Yong's eyes swept away. Carefully observed his expression and said: "Your Majesty, the slave is stupid, and he has never been able to figure it out, the emperor has a lot of trust in Yang Ling, Yang Ling can be described as having a bright future, why did he go to the mausoleum for a few days, and then commit such a heinous crime in a daze?" The slave hasn't read a few books, but he also knows that if a person sins, it must be profitable, and if it is a bully, then it should be a lure of heavy profits, what is Yang Ling's plan? ”

Zhengde's expression moved, and he turned his head to look at him and said, "Lao Zhang, if you have something to say, you don't have to beat around the bush with me, do you mean that Yang Ling has no reason to bully the king?" ”

Zhang Yong said with a smile: "The old slave doesn't dare to say it, but it stands to reason that even if the mausoleum project is profitable, it is not more beneficial to report this matter, how can Yang Ling be so stupid, the old slave can't figure it out." ”

Zhengde snorted heavily and said, "There are witnesses on the tomb who testify in person, and there are other people who know the strange death, isn't this enough to prove?" Moreover, they confessed. ”

Zhang Yong smiled flatteringly: "Yes, yes, so the old slave said that he was stupid, speaking of which Yang Ling and these people really didn't cry when they saw the coffin, so they were captured and returned to Beijing and refused to admit their guilt and serve their sentences, so they had to be punished before they were recruited, isn't this cheap?" ”

Zhengde heard that the meaning of his words was still that Yang Ling was beaten into a move, and couldn't help but turn his head to look at him, and then looked back at his father's calligraphy and painting for a long time, and couldn't help but think of what his father said when he took his hand: "Emperor, the court is full of old ministers, can you not assist Huang'er I, Yang Ling is a person who attaches great importance to love and righteousness, and has a unique insight for the political army. ”

As soon as Zhengde thought about it, his father's voice and smile seemed to be right in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel sad, he hesitated for a while before saying: "It's a pity that the Emperor's Tomb Jinjing can't be moved easily, otherwise I really want to send someone to inspect it to see if Yang Ling really deceived me." ”

Zhang Yongyi hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, originally the Tailing Tomb could not be easily moved, but now that the emperor is going to move the tomb, it will be abandoned there. If there is no problem, since this feng shui has not been broken, then it is just to move the ground, maybe you can think of some ways to make up for it, and it can still be used for the emperor's mausoleum, and the emperor does not have to make it difficult for hundreds of officials in the court. ”

When Zhengde heard this, he slapped his forehead sharply and shouted: "Exactly, I have always remembered that I can't move there, but I forgot that this time is not the same as before, Zhang Yong, you go and pass on the decree, Yang Ling and the others will be escorted back to the prison, and I will send someone to Tailing to inspect in person." ”

Zhengde said very happily, now the three old ministers of the court opposed it in unison, and said that the tax increase was so serious, Zhengde really did not have the courage to suppress the three princes and forcibly issue the decree, and saw his father's handwriting, and listened to Zhang Yong's words, he also had questions in his heart, if it was really as Zhang Yong said, wouldn't they all be happy?

"The old slave obeys!" Zhang Yong smiled and grinned, turned around and hurriedly left, he just walked to the door and saw Liu Jian, Xie Qian, Xu Guan, Jiao Fang, Liu Yu, Yang Lin and other ministers walking towards the Baohe Palace, Zhang Yong was in a hurry to pass the decree, and he didn't care about it, and left in a hurry.

Li Dongyang and Xie Guan came to the place for the purpose of taxation, and some words were inconvenient to say directly in the court, and they wanted to reason with the emperor in the apse. As for Xu Guan and others, they came to persuade the emperor to raise taxes, but they came up with a compromise solution, that is, taxes vary from place to place, less tax on poor land, and more rich land, so that the tax on rich land will be doubled this year, and only 30% will be added to poor land.

Unexpectedly, a few people had just entered the hall, and Zhengde had already said happily: "Everyone Aiqing is coming well, I want to send someone to Tailing to inspect to find out whether Yang Ling and others have deceived the king, who do you think is good to send?" ”

The little emperor was so whimsical that he often put aside an idea halfway through his work. These ministers have long been accustomed to it, although this group of old ministers still can't keep up with Zhengde's jumping thinking, but they can also deal with it calmly and improvised.

Li Dongyang was stunned and immediately said: "The minister is willing to go to Tailing." ”

Xu Guan knew that he was against raising taxes, and heard Wang Qiong say that he was still talking in front of Emperor Hongzhi and said that he had protected Yang Ling, this old guy didn't believe in feng shui, maybe he would exonerate Yang Ling from private affairs, and immediately objected: "It's not proper, should you be a scholar and go to be an inquest officer?" ”

Xie Qian retorted: "Xu Shangshu's words are wrong, the matter of Tailing, even if you don't talk about feng shui, now it involves tax increases, it is really a matter of national fortune, what a big deal is this?" The old minister also wants to ask the emperor to do it. ”

Xu Guan is the person who reported the water seepage case of the emperor's tomb, in order to avoid suspicion, of course he can't go to inspect the emperor's tomb, he was anxious, he hurriedly said: "In this case, this matter should be more cautious, in the eyes of the old ministers, the emperor should choose the courtiers who have no interest in this case." ”

Jiao Fang asked, "Then according to Xu Shangshu, who should go?" ”

Xu Guan groaned slightly, and said: "If this is not the case, choose a noble, a courtier, and a Hanlin, and the three of them will go together to retrieve the soil and compare it with the Jinjing soil sealed by the Ministry of Rites. Moreover, the three belong to different places, and they contain and supervise each other, which is also very fair. ”

He is convinced that Jinjing has been manipulated, so he is not afraid, and one of the three people he recommended is a courtier in the court, one is a relative who only has fame and fortune and has no real power, and the other is an alternate official, and he has not been involved in the government, so it is naturally the most appropriate.

Yang Lin smiled when he heard this: "That is the case, the minister elected Zhu Gang, the Duke of the Kingdom, who is old and virtuous, fair and selfless, is both a secretary of honor and a relative of the country, and can be the best candidate." ”

Emperor Xianzong once accepted the daughter of Chengguo as a concubine, so Yang Lin said this.

Jiao Fang has a good impression of Yang Ling, and it is Wang Qiong, his sworn enemy, who wants to rectify Yang Ling, so he naturally favors Yang Ling. However, Jiao Fang didn't dare to take the risk on his own, he suddenly remembered that when Yang Ling was waiting for the election, there was a person who rushed to take the exam and wrote a splendid article to support him, and the ministers of the court and the central government didn't know much about this, but Jiao Fang had better collect the market anecdotes, but he knew very well.

Jiao Fang secretly thought: This move must have some friendship with Yang Ling, that move has now entered the Hanlin Academy, although he may not be willing to sacrifice his life for Yang Ling, but if there is something cheap and ambiguous during the inspection of the Imperial Tomb Jinjing, he will definitely give Yang Ling convenience.

Jiao Fang thought of this and hurriedly said: "The minister is Yan Song, this person is this year's new science and technology scholar, and has been selected as a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. ”

Zhengde bowed his head and said: "Okay, these two people are decided, so who will go among the courtiers?" ”

Everyone looked at each other and was silent for a while. This case has become a martial arts arena for the six ministries and even the three dukes to compete with each other and redistribute power after the new emperor ascends the throne.

Seeing that no one answered, Zhengde looked at everyone one by one, and the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Punishment were all involved in the case and were not available. Zhengde shook his head, he suddenly saw Chen Hongmo, the squire of the Ministry of War, and couldn't help but say happily: "The Ministry of War has nothing to do with this case, so Liu Qing will go to the minister of the DPRK and China." ”

Chen Hongmo was startled when he heard this, this offended person so that he didn't do it, Chen Hongmo hurriedly shirked and said: "The minister thanks the emperor for his favor, but the minister does not dare to hide it, Qin Tianjian Dr. Hua Fu is the in-law of Weichen, this case involves Qin Tianjian, and the minister should avoid suspicion." ”

Seeing Zhengde's displeased face, he hurriedly said: "However, there is one person in Weichen, this person is also an official of the Ministry of War, and he is very stable, and he has nothing to do with this case, but his official position is humble." ”

Zhengde said impatiently: "I want to send someone, I just want to find someone who has nothing to do with this case to help me understand, it doesn't matter how big or small the official position is, who are you talking about?" ”

Chen Hongmo hurriedly said: "Wang Shouren, the head of the military department, this person is known as a virtuous person, and he is worthy of a heavy responsibility!" ”

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