Early the next morning, the entire Zhangjiakou was boiling, and the eight major Jin merchant families who were high in the past were seized by the imperial court overnight, and Fan Yongdou and other eight family heads were also stripped of their clothes by the officials and soldiers, and dragged by ropes to parade through the streets of the city, and everyone still hung a sign around their necks that read "collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country".

Seeing this, the people in the city were furious, and threw stones and tiles one after another, smashing Fan Yongdou, Fan Sanba, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Binbin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang and Huang Yunfa to the point that their heads were bleeding.

After a night of interrogation, Fan Yongdou and Fan Sanba were beaten all over their bodies, and indeed as Xu Ming said, the two couldn't withstand such interrogation at all, and confessed everything they knew.

As for Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Guest, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang and Huang Yunfa, after a night of interrogation, they all explained their questions.

When the nine thick confessions were handed over to Wu Guojin and Xu Ming, the two were also shocked by the crimes of these eight families.

Since the beginning of the Wanli period, Fan Yongdou and other eight Jin merchants began to smuggle all kinds of materials outside the customs, and the contents of the goods ranged from iron, copper, coal, medicine, grain, etc., to intelligence, the deployment of the Ming army and other information, and so on.

It can be said that the reason why the Qing army was able to repeatedly enter the customs and kill the people of the Ming Dynasty was that Fan Yongdou and other eight Jin merchants made a great contribution. Without them, at least the Qing army would not be able to rise quickly and solve the problem of bulk raw materials for military build!

"With the evidence, the money and food are in hand, and there is no need for these dog mongrels to live!"

Xu Ming said coldly, Wu Guojin was like an arrow at this time,

Fan Yongdou and others also mentioned many ministers in the DPRK and China.

In recent years, the reason why Fan Yongdou and other eight Jin merchants were able to smoothly smuggle materials outside the customs was that in addition to the secret support of the military generals stationed in Zhangjiakou and other places, those ministers in the DPRK and China also helped a lot, providing intelligence, helping to cover up, finishing up, matchmaking, and other things.

Therefore, Wu Guojin knew what these confessions meant, and was anxious to return to Beijing to report to Liu Yanyu, so he said: "In this case, then please leave the aftermath here to General Xu, and I will return to Beijing today with people from the Military Intelligence Department." ”

Xu Ming nodded and said, "Don't worry about going back to Beijing, I'll deal with it here." ”

On the same day, Wu Guojin, Wang Yang, and Yao Guangming left Zhangjiakou with hundreds of Jinyi guards from the Military Intelligence Department, and they also took away the confessions of Fan Yongdou, Fan Sanba, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Guest, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa, as well as evidence that the eight Jin merchants betrayed the country and defected to the enemy, and the evidence of the Zhangjiakou garrison and other surrounding military generals who collaborated with the enemy.

As for the large amount of money and grain seized, it was temporarily hoarded in Zhangjiakou City, waiting for the cavalry battalion soldiers to return to the capital, and then transported together.

On the day when Wu Guojin and the other brigade left, Xu Ming ordered Fan Yongdou, Fan Sanba and others to be pulled out of the city, and then gathered hundreds of people from eight families together and shot them all with birds.

The roar of the bird gun continued for a while, and after the smoke cleared, Fan Yongdou, Fan Sanba and other traitor businessmen all turned into bloody corpses, ending their shameful lives.

"Immediately divide troops to raid the generals' mansions around Zhangjiakou, don't get away with one.

Anyone who leads an army to resist will be punished as a rebel and will be killed! ”

"Yes!"

Immediately, Xu Ming led his troops to sweep all over the surrounding areas of Zhangjiakou, and for a while, there was a lot of noise around.

Four days later, Wu Guojin, Wang Yang, Yao Guangming and other hundreds of brocade guards rode their horses all the way and finally returned to Beijing.

In the cabinet hall of the palace, Liu Yan saw the evidence brought back by Wu Guojin and others, and immediately convened a cabinet meeting.

After all the Shangshu arrived, Liu Yan also specially invited Wang Chengen, the eunuch of Bingbi, to come, and then took out the evidence and confessions of eight Jin merchants such as Fan Yongdou, as well as military generals such as the Zhangjiakou garrison, who collaborated with the enemy and treason.

After everyone saw it, they were excited, especially Wang Chengen screamed at the top of his throat: "Bastard! All mongrels are there! The dynasty firmly believes that this is the case, but they are connected to foreign countries, and it is difficult to make a fortune in the country, which should really be cut with a thousand cuts! ”

Liu Yan said: "Father-in-law, if it is corrupted today, if it is not for the father-in-law to cleanse it with thunderous means, can these people who have brought disaster to the country and the people be found out?" ”

Wang Chengen naturally understood the meaning of Liu Yan's words, so he said: "The miscellaneous family naturally understands Lu Guogong's hard work, but Your Majesty still needs time, after all, Lu Guogong's methods are too sharp, and whoever is in the big position will also be angry." ”

Liu Yan smiled and said: "My father-in-law understands, it's just these truths, and I ask my father-in-law to tell Your Majesty that everything must be done first!" ”

"It's nature."

Then Liu Yan looked at Yue Ming, the secretary of the Ministry of Finance, and said: "The Ministry of Finance immediately sent people to Zhangjiakou to count the seized money and grain, and then cooperated with Xu Ming's cavalry battalion soldiers to transport all the money and grain back to the capital. ”

"Yes!"

At this time, the king

Cheng En said: "Lu Guogong, in these evidences and confessions, it only says that a huge amount of money and grain has been seized, I don't know if it can make up for the deficit of the army?" ”

Although Liu Yan knew that the eight Jin merchants in history were all rich and rivaled the country, he didn't know how much wealth they had, so for the sake of safety, he still said: "This will not be known until the Ministry of Finance counts." ”

Wang Chengen nodded, and then said: "There is one more matter: how is Lu Guogong going to deal with the ministers of the DPRK and China involved?" ”

Liu Yan asked rhetorically: "Does my father-in-law want to intercede with them?" ”

"No!"

Wang Chengen said righteously: "All those who are familiar with foreign countries deserve to die!" The miscellaneous family is just worried, looking at this list, a large part of them are Donglin Party members, and some of them have already returned to their hometowns, if they want to arrest people and punish them for crimes, this movement will be too big. ”

Liu Yan said categorically: "All those who bring disaster to the country, no matter what their status, no matter where they are, must be punished together, and my father will never tolerate them!" ”

Subsequently, Liu Yan set the tone at the cabinet meeting, with the Ministry of Military Intelligence as the core, coordinated the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and the Ministry of Officials, and began to arrest the ministers on the list provided by Jin merchants such as Fan Yongdou and Fan Sanba.

Those who have already returned to their hometowns will be arrested by the Military Intelligence Department in conjunction with the guards battalion at night, and those who resist and refuse to obey will be killed without interrogation!

Wang Chengen listened to Liu Yan's order, and only felt a cold sweat, the methods of this cabinet chief assistant were too bloody, and he still obeyed

I've never seen such a tough Shousuke.

However, Wang Chengen thought about it, today, I am afraid that only a first assistant like Liu Yan can smoothly push the administrative order, and only by acting in this way can the crisis of the imperial court be reversed.

That night, Wang Chengen returned to Emperor Chongzhen's bedroom and reported the contents and resolutions of the cabinet meeting.

In fact, almost a moment before Wang Chengen's report, Liu Yan had already sent someone to report the minutes of the cabinet meeting, and Emperor Chongzhen had also read it.

"Big Companion, do you think Liu Yan's move is too murderous?"

After Emperor Chongzhen saw the evidence of the eight masters of the Jin Dynasty and the guards in Zhangjiakou and other places colluding with the enemy, he was also so angry that he scolded, and he had no recuperation as an emperor at all.

However, after seeing that there were still many civilian officials involved in the DPRK and China, and so many Donglin Party members were also accomplices, he hesitated a little. If he really killed so many civil servants, what would his image as an emperor become in the history books, and would he become a tyrant in the historian's pen?

Wang Chengen said: "Your Majesty, when the old servant left the cabinet hall, Liu Ge said a word to the old servant, and the old servant felt that it was very reasonable. ”

"What?"

"Liu Ge Lao said: Your Majesty cares too much about his feathers and is unwilling to bear the statement of killing Wenchen. In fact, these notorieties are insignificant compared to the good name of revitalizing the Ming Dynasty, and His Majesty does not have to dwell on them at all. ”

Emperor Chongzhen smiled bitterly and said, "Revitalize the Ming Dynasty? With Liu Yan's method, can it really revitalize the Ming Dynasty? ”

Wang Chengen said: "Your Majesty, the old servant doesn't know if Liu Ge Lao can finally revitalize the Ming Dynasty, but the old servant sees that Liu Ge Lao can really get a huge amount of money

Isn't it enough to defeat the thieves and the Qing army? ”

Emperor Chongzhen stared at Wang Chengen for a long time, and then said, "I understand, but I still have to think about it." ”

"Yes."

Wang Chengen then asked: "Your Majesty, Liu Ge Lao said that this time the arrest of the ministers who collaborated with the enemy inside and outside the DPRK will definitely make a lot of noise, and there will definitely be ministers who will write to Your Majesty and ask Your Majesty to ......."

Emperor Chongzhen's face was entangled for a moment, and then said: "I know what to do, treat this kind of person, you tell Liu Yan, let him do it with peace of mind!" ”

"Command!"

At the beginning of May, Liu Yan then relied on the evidence obtained by the Ministry of Military Intelligence to begin to purge the ministers of the DPRK and China, especially the Donglin Party and other factions, and in just a few days, 78 ministers in the capital were arrested and imprisoned, and 49 ministers who had returned to their hometowns were also wanted.

Only a dozen days later, the Jinyi Guard sent by the Military Intelligence Department and Xu Ming's cavalry battalion returned to the capital one after another, and transported a large number of prisoners and confiscated money and grain back to the capital.

On May 15, Liu Yan came to the imperial study and asked to see Emperor Chongzhen alone.

When the monarch and the minister met again, the scene was still very embarrassing, Wang Chengen on the side looked at Emperor Chongzhen with a cold face, and then said: "Your Majesty, there is a performance on Liu Ge's side. ”

"Pick it up!"

"Yes."

Wang Chengen immediately took over Liu Yan's recital, and after Emperor Chongzhen opened it, his face suddenly changed greatly, and he stood up suddenly, exclaiming: "There are so many!" ”

This time, Liu Yan raided the eight families of the Jin merchants and seized 1,170 pieces of silver

80,000 taels, 4,870,000 stone of grain, 135,900 mu of land, 17,452 shops and houses.

In addition, a total of 128 ministers who collaborated with the enemy in the DPRK and China were confiscated, and 15,360,000 taels of silver, 3,520,000 stone of grain, 431,700 mu of land, and 4,563 shops and houses were seized.

Together, the Ming treasury was instantly full, and the income of more than 27 million taels of silver and 8.4 million stone grain allowed the Ming to live a prosperous life for several years.

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen's face was full of anger, and he often had to spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for the sake of state affairs, and even begged the ministers for donations, but no one was generous.

Who would have thought that just eight profiteers who collaborated with the enemy, as well as more than 120 corrupt officials who calamitated the country, could confiscate more than 20 million taels of stolen money, which is really unreasonable!

Emperor Chongzhen pointed at Liu Yan angrily and said, "Kill!" Kill all these thieves of the Nine Clans! ”

Liu Yan said: "The minister's order! ”

Then Emperor Chongzhen seemed to be tired, sat on the dragon chair, and said: "The money and food of the army are enough now, can Liu Ge send troops?" ”

Liu Yan said: "The minister came today to report to His Majesty: The minister is ready to hand over all the seized land and houses to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Commerce. The land was distributed to the landless and landless poor people in various parts of the country, and local production was restored, and the houses were used for the investment business of the Ministry of Commerce, which continued to make money for the national treasury. ”

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "I'm going to play." ”

At this time, Emperor Chongzhen saw the ministers in the court who were full of benevolence, righteousness and morality, the most real

With a face, he suddenly felt that Liu Yan's words were still very reasonable, and he was less wary of Liu Yan in his heart.

At this time, Liu Yan said: "After this batch of seizures is in place, the minister will lead the army to the battle, please wait for the good news!" ”