Chapter 53: Corruption and Rebellion

The boat sailed slowly on the Waiqinhuai River. The city of Nanjing is in sight.

He Xi looked at Nanjing City, and suddenly had a feeling of being in a different world.

When he was in Hangzhou, he reported the situation of Guo Huan's case to Nanjing, and Nanjing's first reaction was not to send someone to replace Tang Shengzong to manage Zhejiang, but to order He Xi to enter Beijing on the same day. As for the things in Hangzhou, it doesn't seem to be very important.

It didn't take long to leave Nanjing, and even if you counted the time to hurry, it was only a little more than a month. When I left, Nanjing was still wandering in the middle of autumn. Now it is winter in Nanjing. The cold air from the north drifted south, enveloping the city of Nanjing.

It turned into light snow and sprinkled into the city of Nanjing.

This little snow is very fine, and even if it falls on the ground, it melts in an instant. It can't be formed into snow. Falling into the river, it was immediately washed away. Only in the midst of some calm currents. There is a trace of solidified ripples on the surface of the water.

He Xi stood at the bow of the boat, feeling the boat moving slowly, and as soon as he opened his mouth, a sigh of air rushed out. It's like a white rainbow.

"Your Excellency, you see, it is the Prince's guard of honor. The prince has come to pick you up. Xu Bao'er pointed out to He Xi from afar.

He Xi looked over from a distance, and sure enough, he saw a group of people waiting at the dock, about a few hundred people. It is the people of the East Palace who look at the color of the clothes.

Seeing this, He Xi immediately ordered the ship to dock.

As soon as he landed, someone immediately introduced He Xi into a carriage.

There's a lot of space in this carriage. There is a brazier in the middle. The innermost one was the prince, who was reading a dossier while holding a dossier, and said lightly: "Sit." ”

He Xi immediately felt that the atmosphere around the prince was not right.

He Xi immediately saluted and sat down. Then he couldn't help himself and put his hands on the brazier. Grill it well.

I don't know if the cold degree of ancient and modern winters is different, or if there are too few means of keeping warm in ancient times. In short, it has just entered winter, and there is still a period of time before entering the wax moon, but He Xi already feels that he can't stand it anymore.

It seems to have left the brazier, the hand stove and the like. He Xi himself turned into an ice cube.

Anyway, He Xi felt that although he had worn a lot. But it doesn't seem to be working at all.

For a while, no one in the carriage spoke, and suddenly there was a movement outside, and the wheels rolled away.

Maybe it was the bumps in the vehicle, and the prince couldn't stand it. He put away the file in his hand and said, "Do you know what is wrong? ”

He Xi immediately said: "The minister knows his mistake. ”

The prince said, "What's wrong?" ”

He Xi reflected on what he had done in Hangzhou and said: "The mistake is that I can't hold my breath too much. was peeped at by Guo Huan at the beginning. After that, although he made amends, Guo Huan was on guard. It almost caused a catastrophe. ”

The prince said, "That's all? ”

He Xi said: "There are still many places that are not in place-----

The prince sneered, interrupted He Xi's words, and said, "You think Guo Huan has a problem, why don't you take Guo Huan at the beginning of getting off the boat?" ”

He Xi was stunned for a moment and said, "Is this okay?" ”

He Xi felt that no matter what Guo Huan said, he was also a political envoy. Not an ordinary official. When He Xi has no evidence, how can he directly take down Guo Huan, which is arrogant.

The prince sneered and said, "Why not. It's nothing more than a mistake. release it again and make amends to Guo Huan. Big deal to shut him up. What do you think my Zhu Biao's younger brother is? It's good for you to learn what to confront in person and go deep into the tiger's den, it's really majestic, so domineering. Don't you know the truth that the son of a daughter can't sit down? Don't you really take your life seriously? ”

The prince's words moved He Xi a little in his heart, and in addition to being moved, he also had an indescribable feeling.

To be honest, when He Xi confronted Guo Huan at that time, he didn't think it was so dangerous. After that, there is also a fear. Although he was reprimanded by the prince at the moment. It's a good feeling to be cared for. However, He Xi still has to defend himself a few words.

He Xi said: "Your Highness, the situation was critical at that time, and if one didn't get it right, Guo Huan ran away." ”

The prince said, "What if you run away? The whole world is not the king's land. Even if he escapes overseas, do you think the court won't be able to catch him? Even if Guo Huan rebelled against the city, he would not be able to deserve a thunderous blow from the imperial court. It's not a big deal. Your life alone is the most important thing. ”

"Knowing that you have done such a risky thing, my father is very worried. You must not do that in the future. ”

The prince's tone softened a lot as he spoke.

In fact, the prince and He Xi have not been together for too long, and the two sides do not have any deep feelings. The prince is like this to He Xi, on the one hand, because the prince is benevolent by nature, since Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to treat He Xi as his younger brother. The crown prince did the same. The crown prince is like an eldest brother. On the other hand, the prince felt that Zhu Yuanzhang attached different importance to He Xi.

The news of He Xi's danger came.

Zhu Yuanzhang rarely lost his temper, and said a few words: "Mao Xiang should be damned." ”

The prince also saw from this incident that He Xi had a special position in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart. As for why this is so? The prince didn't know. But it didn't prevent the prince from looking at He Xi differently.

He Xi said: "Thank Your Highness for your care. ”

When the prince saw He Xi wearing a cotton coat, he said a few words to the eunuchs beside him. Someone immediately sent a mink fur coat up, and the prince shook it open for He Xi, let He Xi put it on, and said: "Nanjing is strange and cold this year." Pay attention. ”

He Xi said: "Your Highness-----"

The prince said: "Don't call me Your Highness, just call me eldest brother in private." ”

He Xi said: "Then thank you brother." ”

The prince said, "Actually, I have come to meet you today because I have a matter to discuss with you. ”

He Xi said: "Big brother, please speak." ”

The prince said: "Uncle Tang wrote a book, and it is appropriate to talk about Guo Huan's rebellion. What do you think? ”

He Xi said: "Rebellion? ”

He Xi was taken aback, and couldn't help but secretly say in his heart: "It's really vicious." ”

He Xi is not thinking about Guo Huan, because Guo Huan's crime was committed in the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang, and he was already dead, but the death method was different. He Xi felt vicious, but if according to Tang Shengzong's thoughts, all the officials involved in this case would inevitably die.

After all, corruption cases and treason cases are completely different in terms of sentencing.

The former is only an economic case, while the latter is a political case.

Some cases of embezzlement are minor and can be punished with atonement. That is, the fine for returning stolen goods. But the latter is involved, and if you don't die, you have to shed your skin.

What Tang Shengzong said to He Xi in West Lake before, He Xi now understands a lot. Tang Shengzong wanted to communicate with He Xi in advance.

He Xi said: "This matter is not something that the lower officials can say. ”

The prince said: "This is in private, and it is not the right court to ask the right question, it doesn't need to be so formal, besides, you are the person who handles this case." Even in front of his father, he is qualified to speak. You just say it. ”

He Xi can actually figure out the prince's thoughts.

Whether it is in the history books or He Xi from the perspective of reality, the prince is certainly not a stupid white sweet. He is a politician with a heart and a skill. If he took over Zhu Yuanzhang's position in history, Da Ming would definitely be different.

However, even so, one label still follows the prince for a lifetime, and that is benevolence.

This is also true.

Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang, he has gone all the way from cloth clothes to the present. I encountered too many problems and never trusted anyone. Always full of a sense of crisis. And the prince Zhu Biao has been a prince since he was born, and he has been surrounded by countless people since he was a child. has received the education of an heir since he was a child, and he feels that this world is naturally the Zhu family.

Therefore, the crown prince Zhu Biao couldn't understand and couldn't understand Zhu Yuanzhang's sense of crisis. Coupled with Song Lian's education, benevolence has entered the prince's bones.

Rebellion and embezzlement are thousands or even more lives.

He Xi said: "Your Highness, in the opinion of the minister, Guo Huan may have the intention of rebellion, and then the Zhejiang officials are just collaborating with Guo Huan to embezzle." It is not a crime of treason. It should be decided separately. ”

Anyway, Guo Huan died so much that he couldn't die anymore. One more charge of treason will not make him die a second time. He Xi did not plead for Guo Huan, after all, some of Guo Huan's behaviors were indeed worthy of the crime of rebellion. But the others are different.

Although it is said that the corrupt officials in Zhejiang, He Xi does not feel how innocent they are. Even if he was executed, He Xi didn't think it was a big deal.

But He Xi also has to consider practical factors.

The first is that killing too many people is not good after all. A lot of things to watch out for political repercussions. Second, He Xi clearly felt the undercurrent under this case. Instinctively, it is better to suppress the intensity of political battles.

The prince said: "What Brother He said is exactly what I want. This case has implicated hundreds of officials of all sizes, and more than 10,000 people have been connected to the families of officials. And today's peace, such a punishment is not a grand event. Wait a while, I saw my father, and asked Brother He to advise me more. ”

He Xi said: "Your Highness, the minister will naturally speak. However, what kind of person is Your Majesty. His Highness also knows. What I say can be of some use. I don't know. ”

He Xi had actually guessed it.

The prince came, and in the end it fell into this matter.

The prince smiled: "As long as Brother He speaks, I will naturally help one or two." Don't worry, I won't forget Brother He's credit. ”

He Xi secretly said in his heart: "I hope so." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang is no one else in the end. Although He Xi was confident in what he said, Zhu Yuanzhang still listened to some of it. But no matter what, He Xi was a little nervous when he thought of meeting Zhu Yuanzhang.

It's just useless to be nervous.

I only heard the horse bell stop outside, and a eunuch said: "His Royal Highness the Prince, Secretary He." It's already here. ”

He Xi opened the curtain and saw that the Qianqing Palace was already in sight, this was still He Xi's light with the prince, if it wasn't for the prince. He Xi decided that he was not qualified to go straight to the university by car.