Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the largest of them 'Patriotic Businessman' and said: "This pair of characters is worth 50 million taels of silver." Then he pointed to the pile next to him: "The rest of the smaller text panels are worth five million taels of silver each." ”

The big one is worth fifty million taels and the small one is five million taels? Sell it to whom? Now the whole Ming is very poor! Hearing this, the ministers whispered in their hearts, and whispered in the court.

"We're going to sell these words to you!" Before the ministers came back to their senses, Zhu Yuanzhang said another earth-shattering sentence, "You can't afford to buy a pair worth 50 million taels, the small one you take back one by one, and after half a month, we will hand over 5 million taels of silver to enrich the treasury. ”

When the ministers heard this, they all froze, and they were speechless for a long time.

"Your Majesty will spare Weichen!" A minister was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and said tremblingly, "Where can the minister get five million taels of silver?" His Majesty's Imperial Pen Minister did not dare to buy it, and he could not afford it. ”

"Your Majesty, the minister has always been honest and honest, five million taels of silver, and the minister can't take it out!" Another minister knelt down and played.

Seeing this, the rest of the ministers also knelt down and kowtowed again and again and begged for mercy. Emperor Zhu's mood was invisible, and many times the ministers couldn't figure out his thoughts, and they didn't know when they touched his scales.

And the killing is extremely decisive, and the head of the person who says he wants to kill will fall to the ground immediately.

If you don't beg for mercy again, I'm afraid your life will be gone in half a month.

Li Shanchang sweated down, and knelt down with the ministers: "Your Majesty, the old ministers don't have so much silver at home, and they can't afford to buy Your Majesty's imperial pen." I secretly guessed that Emperor Zhu wanted to punish corruption by selling words, but this plan seems to be too clumsy, not like Emperor Zhu's style. Although Emperor Zhu didn't read much, his methods were very powerful.

Liu Bowen stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, in the past six months, the minister's family has almost been unable to eat, and they have to rely on selling calligraphy and paintings to barely make a living. Although his hometown Qingtian still has a bit of an ancestral business, it is not enough to make up five million taels. I also ask Your Majesty to take back your order and not sell it to your ministers. ”

"Five million taels is an astronomical amount, even if the minister goes back to smash the pot and sell iron, it won't be enough." Another minister said.

There are not many really capable ministers in the court, but Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian and others are veritable capable officials and cadres.

Hu Weiyong wiped the sweat on his forehead and calmed down: Your Majesty's handwriting is written on the banner of patriotic businessmen, not the honest officials who govern the country, and the businessmen are rewarded instead of the ministers.

Obviously, the emperor's move must have a deep meaning, so it is better to look at the situation first.

And Yang Xian didn't say a word, waiting to see what happened.

Zhu Yuanzhang did this with his deep meaning, he wanted to take the opportunity to inspect the ministers. Looking at the different reactions of the ministers after hearing the will, it is clear who is a capable minister and who is mediocre.

"Bold!" Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was cold, "Do you want to resist the decree!?" ”

"Weichen doesn't dare!" The ministers trembled.

"Biao'er, send them our words." Zhu Yuanzhang said to the prince standing next to him.

"Son's command." Zhu Biao took the text sheet from the eunuch's hand and walked to the court to distribute them to the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs one by one. The ministers took Zhu Yuanzhang's handwriting panel with trembling hands one by one, and some of them almost fell to the ground unsteadily.

This imperial handwriting of Emperor Zhu seems to them to be a hot potato, or a talisman.

When Prince Zhu Biao was posted, not everyone sent it, but selectively. Only gave some high-ranking ministers, and the ministers who received it trembled, and those who did not receive it secretly rejoiced.

"Everyone, Aiqing, your family is very poor and can't afford our words, right?" After the ministers received it, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "If you can't afford it yourself, you can sell it to someone who can afford it." Let's give you a grace this time, and we will not punish anyone who sells it to others. In short, as long as you can get five million taels of silver with our words, you will be considered to have completed the task. ”

Can I resell it to someone else? Hearing this, the ministers' eyes lit up, and they seemed to see a glimmer of life in it.

But immediately his expression darkened again, the whole country was very poor at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, how could anyone take five million taels to buy a word? The emperor's last sentence seemed to give everyone life, but it was a flower in the moon mirror in the water.

"In addition, if you think that no one in Yingtianfu can afford it, and you want to take our words to other provinces to sell, we can make you the minister of the Qincha, and the time can also be delayed." Zhu Yuanzhang said again.

Sell in other provinces?

The ministers' hearts moved again.

"Your Majesty, Ying Tianfu is the richest place in my Ming Dynasty, no one in Ying Tianfu can afford it, and I'm afraid there will be no one in the place." The one who spoke was the famous Confucian, the prince and the prince Song Lian.

Song Lian was too old, so Zhu Yuanzhang did not let Zhu Biao give him the text panel. Compared with other ministers who got the text panel, he was relaxed and did not have a backache when he stood and spoke.

And based on the literati style, he did not choose to be alone, but stood up to speak for the ministers.

"Song Lian?" Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was cold, "You haven't been to a place, how do you know that no one in the place can afford it?" What gibberish! From now on, the prince doesn't need you to teach anymore, go to the Hanlin Academy to be a waiter and lecturer. ”

Song Lian collapsed to the ground.

When the ministers saw it, they were even more frightened and didn't dare to speak, the dignified Confucian Song Lian couldn't be the prince because he offended Emperor Zhu with a word? So the whole court was silent.

"Look at you all like mourners, where do you look like an important minister of the court who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country, this little thing stumped you?" Seeing the reaction of the ministers, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "What we asked you to sell was only five million taels of silver, but what we wanted to sell for ourselves was the one worth fifty million taels." Our task is ten times more difficult than yours. ”

"We can do it, why can't you?"

The emperor wants to sell the one worth 50 million taels of silver himself? Dream on! The ministers secretly thought in their hearts, but none of them dared to show it.

"What do you think if we can sell the biggest one in five days?" Zhu Yuanzhang said.

The ministers did not dare to answer.

"Alright, retreat!" Zhu Yuanzhang was very disappointed in the ministers, and said coldly, "Take our words back and keep them well, if anyone loses them, don't blame us for not being merciful at that time." ”

After speaking, he and the crown prince Zhu Biao left the Fengtian Palace.

After seeing Zhu Yuanzhang and the prince leaving, the court was suddenly full of mourning.

Some ministers sat down on the ground as if they had collapsed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's all disperse, the Fengtian Temple is closing." The steward eunuch stepped forward.