Wu Changshi was directly taken away by Jinyi Wei in the public house of the Yamen of the Ministry of Officials, in front of all the officials of the Ministry of Officials. Immediately afterwards, the mansion in Wuchang Shijing was also seized.

After Wu Changshi was captured by Jinyiwei, he was immediately imprisoned in the Beizhen Fusi Prison.

When Zhou Yanru heard the news, he immediately panicked. He personally inquired into the case, but the commander of Jinyiwei made Liu Qiao not give him face at all.

When Liu Qiao personally sat in the edict to interrogate Wu Chang, in only half a day, Wu Changshi could not survive Jinyiwei's torture equipment, confessed in full, and signed the charge.

Liu Qiao submitted the confession to the emperor and the prime minister, and Wu Changshi had dozens of large and small crimes, of which there were four of the most important crimes. And according to the Ming system, the waiter is beheaded. Second, Wu Changshi was on a rampage of corruption, accepting bribes and selling official positions. Third, poisoned Zhang Pu, and fourth, colluded with Zhou Yanru, the first assistant, to incite the Beijing army to make trouble, and plotted rebellion.

In addition to these four cardinal sins, there are many other crimes.

But only these four, each of which was enough for Wu Changshi to die once.

After Zhu Cihong read it, he immediately summoned Liu Jun, Liu Zongzhou, and Wu Fu to meet him, showed his confession, and then ordered them to convene the three divisions of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Dali Temple, and the Criminal Department for interrogation, and Dongchang and Jinyiwei assisted in the investigation and strictly investigated Zhou Yanru's involvement in the case.

"Your Majesty, the three divisions will be tried, and the factory and health assistance will investigate, and definite evidence has been obtained, and Zhou Yanru, the first assistant, is indeed the mastermind behind the Beijing army's troubles, and his corruption and other matters have also been found out one by one, and they are all true. According to investigations, Zhou Yanru has only returned to serve as the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, and in just two years, he has embezzled more than 1.3 million silver dollars."

Although Zhu Cihong is young, he is also thirteen years old, and he was very angry about such a thing as Zhou Yanru, the first assistant he had always trusted, and threw the form the imperial case, and the shape fell to the ground, and he also went up and stomped it with his foot, gritting his teeth and saying. The first emperor trusted him so much that he appointed him as the first assistant twice, and on his deathbed he took him as the minister who took care of his life, but unexpectedly, this person's character was so corrupt, in just two years, he actually embezzled more than 1.3 million silver dollars, which is simply a moth to the country. Liu Qiao! ”

Liu Qiao knelt down.

"Go and bring Zhou Yanru immediately, I want to ask him face to face and see what he explains!"

"Yes. Obey the order. ”

Liu Qiao turned to leave, and when he went out, he passed by Liu Jun, and the two exchanged eyes secretly.

Zhou Mansion.

Zhou Yanru has been sitting in the study since the morning, and his whole face is as pale as paper. This morning, the Zhou Mansion was already surrounded by Jinyi Guards, and no one could get out or enter. Even a slave who bought vegetables couldn't get out, and Zhou Yanru went out to the court, but he was also stopped.

Zhou Yanru had a feeling that the sky was falling. He knew that something had happened to him this time.

As soon as Wu Changshi had an accident, he was worried that things would eventually burn him, and now it is true. Things eventually burned up.

The old butler hurried in.

"My lord, the brocade guard has broken in."

Before the housekeeper's words fell, the brocade guard had already kicked open the door of the study. Zhou Yanru turned his head, "Liu Qiao!" ”

Liu Qiao glanced at the study. Then he glanced at the brocade guards beside him, and suddenly several captains stepped forward to push the butler out and closed the door of the study.

"Mr. Zhou. Your Majesty has a will. ”

Zhou Yanru hurriedly stood up and tidied up his clothes.

"There's no need to put an incense case, just listen to the decree here." Liu Qiaodao.

Zhou Yanru knelt down to accept the order, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"The emperor has a decree, the first assistant Zhou Yanru is greedy and lawless, and he has lost hope, so he remembers his past merits, and disposes of it publicly, and immediately orders him to hang himself and protect his whole body. Chin this! ”

Zhou Yanru fell to the ground, unable to even say thank you.

"Zhou Yanru will take the order."

"Thank you." Zhou Yanru kowtowed, and his voice was fighting.

Liu Qiao threw the three-foot white silk in front of Zhou Yanru.

Zhou Yanru picked up the white silk.

"No!"

Zhou Yanru suddenly shouted, "No, I don't believe that this is Your Majesty's will, I want to meet the saint, I want to see the driver, I want to meet Your Majesty in person." ”

Liu Qiao snorted coldly, "Mr. Zhou, you should be cooperative, don't make me embarrassed." ”

"This must be an edict, that's what Liu Jun meant, right?"

"Yes and what, and what is not?"

"I want to face you, I want to tell Your Majesty that Liu Jiye is not a good person, when the old man planned to make a comeback, Liu Junye also scraped together tens of thousands of taels of silver and sent it to Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun. I want to tell Your Majesty all this, and I also want to tell Your Majesty that Liu Jiye can't escape suspicion of the death of the first emperor! ”

Liu Qiao's face changed, and he suddenly rushed over, picked up the white silk and strangled it on Zhou Yanru's neck.

He used his hands harder, tighter and tighter, Zhou Yanru struggled desperately, but in the hands of Liu Qiao, who was more than one meter nine tall, his struggle was useless, his face became more and more swollen and red, and it was difficult to breathe.

"Mr. Zhou, if you can understand the current affairs, why do you have today?"

Zhou Yanru kicked his feet desperately, his eyes glared at the boss, at this moment, he was indeed full of regret. Why do you have to fight with Liu Jun endlessly, why?

The struggle gradually stopped.

Liu Qiao glanced at him, tried his snort, and then sighed.

"Go all the way!"

White silk was hung on the ridge of the house.

Liu Qiao walked out of the study, and the captains in brocade clothes who were guarding the door looked over.

"Mr. Zhou knows that he is guilty, and he is ashamed of the emperor and His Majesty, and he has hanged himself without face."

Liu Qiao ordered Jinyi to guard the bodies of Zhou Mansion and Zhou Yanru, and then left the palace to resume his life.

"What? Zhou Yanru hanged himself? ”

The emperor was surprised, even Wu Fu and Liu Zongzhou were shocked, and Liu Jun also showed a look of surprise.

"Yes, Your Majesty. After the minister went to Zhou's mansion to announce the decree, Mr. Zhou said that he would meditate for a while, and then he did not come out after a long time. The minister asked people to invite him, but it turned out that Mr. Zhou had hanged himself. Liu Qiao said, "It's all the ministers' ineffective work, please punish Your Majesty." ”

"Forget it, you can't be blamed for this." Zhu Cihong was a little excited.

Liu Jun said, "Your Majesty, since Elder Zhou Ge has hanged himself and the death penalty has been eliminated, I hope Your Majesty can forgive his family." If Your Majesty can forgive, please no longer pursue the sins of Elder Zhou Ge. Let's just let Zhou Ge die of illness, if His Majesty can still give some mourning, everyone will praise His Majesty's kindness. ”

"You can keep a few points of his posthumous name, and I won't hold him accountable, but the Zhou family must take the initiative to hand over the dirty money that Zhou Yanru has embezzled over the years to the imperial court, if you dare to hide half of it, I will never give him a second chance at that time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty for your forgiveness." Liu Jun said.

"Your Majesty is merciful." Wu Fu and Liu Zongzhou also said together. The two of them were a little surprised and grateful that Liu Jun was still speaking for Zhou Yanru at this time. After all, Zhou Yanru's things, the evidence is accurate, and there is nothing to doubt. Zhou Yanru's corruption is regarded as a practice in officialdom, which official is not corrupt? Relying on the extremely low income of the Ming officials, they can't even live.

But Zhou Yanru instigated the Beijing army to make trouble behind the scenes, but he was clearly going to Liu Jun. Liu Jun is still speaking for Zhou Yanru now, which is indeed rare.

However, at this time, leaving a posthumous name for Zhou Yanru is not only Liu Jun's benevolence, but the goal has been achieved, after killing the first assistant, what is needed now is not to take advantage of the victory to pursue, carry out a big cleanup, and make people panic, but to try to reduce the impact of this incident first.

Zhou Yanru's death was declared to be a death of illness. But everyone in Beijing knew that Zhou Yanru was the person behind the last Beijing army's troubles, and after the incident was exposed, he hanged himself after being afraid of crime.

As soon as Zhou Yanru died, there were three ministers left, and the position of the first assistant to the cabinet was also vacant.

"Your Majesty, the minister proposes that the second assistant take over the position of the first assistant." Liu Jun proposed.

Zhu Cihong thought for a while, "Accurate." Then he added, "The position of second assistant will be taken over by Liu Zongzhou, and in addition, the imperial brother will also enter the cabinet together." ”

This proposal was unexpected by everyone, Liu Jun took the initiative to say that he would not enter the cabinet, and Liu Zongzhou also went on to say that he would not enter the cabinet.

But in the end, Zhu Cihong insisted on his opinion, "You are all my ministers, and after entering the cabinet, you will be better off." The matter was settled. ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Liu Jun accepted.

Liu Zongzhou thought about it and accepted it. Anyway, they are all at the Prime Minister's Office, and it doesn't matter much if they re-enter the cabinet.

In this way, the first assistant became Wu Fu, Liu Zongzhou was the second assistant, and the next four group assistants, Liu Jun, Cheng Guoxiang, Fang Fengnian, and Cai Guoyong.

The number of cabinet members was still maintained at six, the first assistant Wu Fu added the scholar of the Zhongji Temple and the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, the second assistant Liu Zongzhou added the scholar of the Jidian University and the secretary of the Ministry of Engineering, Liu Jun added the scholar of the Wenhuadian University and the governor of Zhili, Cheng Guoxiang and the scholar of the Wuyingdian University, Fang Fengnian and the scholar of the Yuan Pavilion of the Middle Pole Temple, and the second assistant Liu Zongzhou of the Jian Ji Temple and the secretary of the Ministry of Works, Liu Jun and the scholar of the Wenhua Palace University and the governor of the Zhili Governor, Cheng Guoxiang and the Wu Yingdian University Scholar, Fang Fengnian and the scholar of the Yuan Pavilion of the Chinese Empire, and Cai Guoyong and the Scholar of the East Pavilion.

Zheng Sanjun, the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, Chen Xinjia, the secretary of the Ministry of War, Li Banghua, the secretary of the Ministry of Households, and Jin Guangchen, the secretary of the Criminal Department.

The first assistant Wu Fu concurrently served as the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and the second assistant Liu Zongzhou concurrently served as the secretary of the Ministry of Works.

The former Ministry of Industry Shangshu was transferred to the privy envoy, and the former Ministry of Rites Shangshu was transferred to the Zuodu Imperial History.

At the same time, Wu Fu entered the Taishi, Liu Zong Zhou entered the Taifu, and Liu Jun entered the Taibao.

Wu Changshi's case ripped the first assistant Zhou Yanru into the water, and as soon as he died, the pattern of the imperial court changed again. The remaining three ministers all entered the cabinet, and the core of the imperial court became the prime minister's office, the cabinet, and the celebrant supervisor, which was actually equivalent to the three central provinces in the Sui and Tang dynasties, the three provinces of Zhongshu, Menxia, and Shangshu.

The Prime Minister's Office is equivalent to Zhongshu Province, the Celebrant is equivalent to Menxia Province, and the Cabinet is equivalent to Shangshu Province. The Prime Minister's Office makes decisions, supervises and approves, and the Cabinet implements the six ministries.

In the outer court, there are Dali Temple, the Criminal Department, and the three legal divisions of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and in the inner court, there are Dongchang and Jinyiwei.

The Ministry of War has also undergone a round of major adjustments, including the Military Aircraft Department, the Military Department, and the Privy Council. The military department consists of three arms commands: the Army Division, the Navy Division, and the Marine Operations Division, as well as the General Logistics Department and the General Armament Department, which are responsible for military and political logistics. The Privy Council, on the other hand, has the General Staff Department and the Fifth Service Headquarters, which has jurisdiction over all military regions and military towns, and is responsible for the military command and command system.

For Liu Jun, this series of changes is just a means, and these new institutions are all tools for him to further compete for power.

As soon as Zhou Yanru died, Liu Jun took another step closer to the goal. (To be continued.) )