Nanking.

On the first day of the new year, Boss Zhu stretched his face and pressed his belt down with both hands, which frightened the ministers of Chaohe and almost peed their pants.

After the court meeting, Zhu Yuanzhang did not give a banquet as usual, so he went back to the palace angrily.

The ministers looked at each other, not knowing who had touched the emperor's mold again.

The prince knew it, appeased the officials, let them go home for the New Year with peace of mind, and then hurriedly chased to Wuying Palace.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw Mao Xiang, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, and Wu Yong, the left judge of the Criminal Division, who was already reporting something to the emperor.

"Come and hear it together." When Zhu Yuanzhang saw the prince coming in, he beckoned him to step forward and said, "How mad is our Ming official!" ”

"You can tell the prince a little more briefly." Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly to Wu Yong.

The Criminal Trial Division is a newly established judicial yamen in the 14th year of Hongwu after Boss Zhu withdrew the middle book. The duty is to discuss the punishment of Dali Temple in detail. Don't look at its low grade, only six grades, but the power is very great, all the cases of the Ming Dynasty can be interrogated, and it is deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang, and it is already above the Dali Temple of the Criminal Department.

"Yes." Wu Yong is in his early thirties, and his wolf eyebrows and eagle eyes are terrifying.

"It's really shocking." Zhu Biao nodded.

"Either dereliction of duty, or coll......usion between inside and outside," the prince sighed.

"At the end of last year, we looked at the accounts reported by the household department, and we were still in that silly music - the country has stored 20 million stones of grain, and our days are finally wide!" Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth hatefully and said:

"It turns out that only the amount on the account belongs to us, and the grain in the warehouse has long been emptied by those moths!"

If it weren't for today's special day, Boss Zhu would have been crazy and arrested people at the court meeting, and it was not easy to endure it until now.

Zhu Biao listened to him and said in a deep voice: "Back to the prince, after receiving the report that the Beiping Political Secretary colluded to steal military rations according to the judge a few years ago, the emperor ordered the ministers and Mao to order the Zhenjiang and Taiping Prefectures to inspect the official warehouse. As the emperor expected, there was a serious theft—"

"What dereliction of duty?!" Zhu Yuanzhang said categorically: "Every year they have to check dozens of grain depots, and one or two dereliction of duty is better to say, will they be collectively blind?!" ”

"Boss, you said, there is such a big problem, every year the household department and the Metropolitan Procuratorate send people to various places to take inventory, why can't you find it?!" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a cold voice again.

"The Taiping Mansion that went to the ministers should have 1.4 million stones of grain in stock, but only 900,000 stones were found in the inventory, and 500,000 stones were missing!" Mao Xiang continued: "The minister has seized the grain depot, and brought all the accounts and people involved in the case back to Beijing to wait for the emperor's fate!" ”

"Among them, the Zhenjiang official warehouse should store 2.1 million stones of grain, and the inventory warehouse only has 1.5 million stones, and 600,000 stones are missing!"

"Do you hear that?!" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and said: "Beiping is not an isolated case, it is a rat plague in the world's grain depots!" The taxes and grains paid by the common people are all embezzled! ”

"You say," Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Mao Xiang and Wu Yong coldly: "Is this possible?" ”

Boss Zhu hates corruption, hates being blinded, and is a miser. This case stepped on all three of his thunder points at once, and it was strange that he could not jump like thunder.

The prince's face was also solemn when he heard this, he knew that after the thunderstorm in Beiping, there were problems in the two granaries at random inspection, indicating that there must be a big problem in the grain storage system across the country.

Mao Xiang knew the severity and carefully considered the words, but Wu Yong hurriedly said loudly: "It is impossible to return to the emperor!" In this case, it must be internal and external collusion, collusion up and down! All links are suspected of participating in the theft of official food! ”

"That's it!" Zhu Yuanzhang patted the case and said: "Mao Xiang Wu Yong! ”

"The minister is here!" The two hurriedly replied in a loud voice.

"Immediately bring someone to arrest the household department, the metropolitan procuratorate, and the household department!" Zhu Yuanzhang said loudly: "Seal all the accounts of the household department!" ”

"Yes!" The two of them shouted again, and Mao Xiang hesitated and asked, "Your Majesty, who are you arresting in the Household Procuratorate?" ”

"Grab them all! Judge one by one! Zhu Yuanzhang patted the imperial case and shouted: "With torture, all of them will be punished!" ”

"Father, calm down." Seeing this, the prince reluctantly persuaded: "The Household Metropolitan Procuratorate is the two largest yamen, with so many responsibilities and so many personnel, it is impossible for everyone to participate. ”

"Even if they didn't participate, but a yamen, who didn't look up and looked down all day long, must have heard of it!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared: "Why do they never report it?!" If you don't report it, you are in the same party! ”

"Why can't you just be tortured as soon as you come up?" The prince insisted: "Let's not talk about how these two yamen are still operating, just bending to make a trick will definitely lead to unjust, false and wrongful cases!" ”

"Don't meddle in this case!" Zhu Yuanzhang was stubborn and said: "Didn't the sixth ask you to give him two million stone of grain and transport it to Huai'an within seven days?" Isn't it enough for you to be busy? Hurry up and get busy! ”

"Father, ......" The prince couldn't help frowning, knowing that his son was not as good as his father, he knew that this was the prelude to Boss Zhu's preparation for a killing spree. Usually at such times, the father will let himself stay away first, so as not to splash blood.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't turn his head and ignored him, and only said to Mao Xiang and Wu Yong: "You guys go." ”

"Yes." Wu Yong replied loudly.

"Yes......" Mao Xiang glanced at the prince with a bitter face, and had no choice but to withdraw.

~~

After coming out of Wuying Palace, Wu Yong strode with his head held high, and walked with the wind.

Mao Xiang hung his head and sighed three times at a time, which was in stark contrast to him.

The young Wu Yong was still there excited about the power, but the old Jianghu Mao Xiang knew that he was going to be used as a gun again......

"Commander Mao," Wu Yong turned around and asked Mao Xiang in a deep voice, "Who do we start with?" ”

"Oh......" Mao Xiang came back to his senses, glanced at him and said, "Listen to you." ”

"Okay, then the lower official will dare to arrange it." Wu Yong suppressed his excitement and said: "The household department is in charge of the world's money and grain, warehousing income and expenditure, if this kind of thing happens, they must be responsible." Of course, we have to catch the household book first, oh yes, the household department is vacant. ”

In fact, at present, not only the household department is still in the book, but also the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of War are all vacant. Only two of the six Shangshu remain.

The direct cause is, of course, the fraud case of the imperial examination half a year ago, and several scholars were implicated and arrested.

The average tenure of Shangshu in the Hongwu Dynasty is less than a year, so it is not uncommon for Shangshu to fall from power, but there will be someone to replace him immediately every time before. Like this time, it is rare for four Shangshu to be vacant for half a year at the same time.

I don't know what Boss Zhu is thinking.

Of course, this is not something that Wu Yong cares about, he just wants to arrest people happily now.

I only heard Wu Yong say word by word: "Then first arrest Guo Huan, the household servant who is acting in charge of the ministry!" ”

(End of chapter)