Yongping Mansion, this is the only place to go back to the capital from Shanhaiguan. Zhang Zhou also went in to check it out when passing by the iron mine, mainly to visit the iron mine in the past few months after he left. Yield.
From the Zhangjiakou iron mine to the Yongpingfu iron mine, the two major iron ore producing areas promoted by Zhang Zhou can basically meet the Ming Dynasty's needs for forged artillery and other firearms.
But if we want to continue to expand the scale of steelmaking, or even use steel to build ships, then this output will not be sufficient.
It was also at this time that Yang Peng, the admiral of Dongchang, arrived at the iron mine in Yongping Prefecture and came to visit Zhang Zhou overnight. In order to avoid being known by outsiders, he pretended to be mysterious and wore a black cloak. Only after seeing Zhang Zhou did he take off his mask.
"What are we going to do?" Zhang Zhou was still confused.
Yang Peng then explained in detail to Zhang Zhou the emperor's idea of cleaning up the vassals.
It also means that he must obey Zhang Zhou’s orders.
Zhang Zhou said, "Dongchang is a close minister of His Majesty. He receives direct orders from His Majesty. It is against the rules for me to issue orders to you."
Yang Peng said hurriedly, "Your Majesty has orders. First, Master Zhang, just make arrangements."
Zhang Zhou then received a detailed investigation report from Yang Peng, involving the possible sources of the rumors attacking him, and There are interrogation records of more than 160 people who were secretly captured by Dongchang and Jinyiwei before. These have never appeared in any official documents.
Yang Peng is not good at anything else, but he can be considered a good hand at conducting secret interrogations in Dongchang and using power for personal gain.
"Are there any people behind these people who are directly connected to those who spread the rumors?" Zhang Zhou had probably seen those confessions.
You can tell at a glance that many of them are "subdued and beaten into tricks."
Yang Peng said, "Whatever you say is related, it is related."
The implication is that as long as you ask someone in which direction they want to check, they can find out for you which direction. "Witnesses", the so-called witnesses do not need to be directly related, just use torture to force those people to serve as witnesses.
"This won't work." Zhang Zhou put down the secret interrogation record, but had no intention of returning it to Yang Peng for the moment. "Who among the royal family members may have disobedient intentions?" , I have an idea in my mind, and I need to make a decision after some careful consideration. It will be slower for me to leave here tomorrow morning. If you are away from the capital for a long time, I am afraid there will be unwarranted speculations.”
"No."
Yang Peng seemed very confident, feeling that even if he, the Dongchangchang Gong, left, no one would dare to speculate on his whereabouts and intentions.
Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Don't be so confident if you get the errands of the Li Supervisor and the Royal Horse Supervisor. When I was in Liaodong, I roughly knew that I was the errand of an admiral in the East Factory. There are many people in the court." "To be honest, I don't want to go into this muddy water. You should leave as soon as possible and try not to let others know that you came to see me." "Yes," Yang Peng said.Wondered.
Am I so vain to be the boss of Dongchang Factory? Others will think that I am not worthy of my virtue or that I am easy to bully
I have been in Dongchang Factory for so many years, so I should be familiar with it. I am familiar with the process, why can't I supervise Dongchang?
Zhang Zhou studied the details of Dongchang's investigation that night and found that Yang Peng actually found nothing at all. The so-called rumors may also be It was basically just a folk tabloid imitating Zhu Houzhao's Di newspaper. What was most criticized by people in the court was actually the emperor's rapid promotion of Zhang Zhou within two years.
Contributions and other merits are not visible and tangible to people in the upper class, let alone to ordinary people in the city.
They will feel that it is a bit of a fantasy to say that Zhang Zhou contributed to those war achievements, so they will attack Zhang Zhou anonymously, which reflects the political correctness of the literati.
Tang Yin was called to the mine commander by Zhang Zhou.
Tang Yin was still curious. He could have traveled dozens of miles more, but Zhang Zhou had to stop in Yongping Mansion. Only when he arrived at the mine did he realize that it took only half a year to complete the project. It became the main producing area of Ming Dynasty pig iron.
"Bohu, you came to me a few years ago, and you have seen this place grow from scratch. The iron ore produced here is either initially smelted into pig iron here, and then transported to Liaodong for further smelting. Most of the steel is sent to Xishan, where it is smelted into steel and then transported from Xishan to various places in the northwest. The iron output here can already meet the needs of almost half of the north. ”
Zhang Zhou is still very proud of this.
It took half a year to open up the Ming Dynasty Iron and Steel Capital. At first, there were only two iron mines, but now more than a dozen iron ore mines are producing together. The number of workers and craftsmen has grown from a few hundred at the beginning. Up to now there are six to seven thousand people.
Although a local dispute between the government and the people in Yongping Prefecture also broke out, because it was close to Shuntian Prefecture, it was easy to use Zhang Zhou’s power to subdue them. Even Dongchang and Jinyiwei were involved. Among the workers employed in this mining operation, the occupation situation in the Beijing camp was still very serious. To put it bluntly, the emperor wanted to open the mine without spending money with manpower. However, the soldiers in the Beijing camp were relatively unlucky and had to build imperial mausoleums and palaces. And so on, they still have to come to mine.
It seems that there is no public work around the capital that they cannot do.
Tang Yin said, "So, in two or three years, can we attack the grassland?"
"That's not the point." Zhang Zhou smiled and pulled Tang Yin to the back of the command post. In the laboratory, there were models of some things. Just when Tang Yin thought Zhang Zhou was going to introduce a series of industrial products to him, Zhang Zhou showed Tang Yin a copy of the emperor's decree.
After reading it, Tang Yin was shocked and said, "What do you mean, Lord Lai Guo?"
Zhang Zhou said, "Your Majesty asked me to attack the vassal vassal and purge those relatives of the emperor. I After thinking about it again and again, I decided that you would help me."
Tang Yin frowned and said, "You didn't agree to let me build the ship.Are you responsible for Jinghai?"
"It's okay, we can do it together. "Zhang Zhou smiled and didn't think that this would "trouble" Tang Yin at all.
Ten thousand Cao Nima passed by in Tang Yin's heart, and he said, "The affairs of the clan are not something that little people like me can accomplish. If he is not careful, he will be attacked by the clan members, and then the entire Ming Dynasty will have no place to stay. ”
Zhang Zhou asked curiously, “Bohu, you are afraid of this and take a step back and say that you really have no place to live. I can also find you a place overseas for you to develop. You Just feel free to do it. ”
“Do you have to drag me into the water?” Tang Yin was so anxious that he almost started to fight with Zhang Zhou.
But then Zhang Zhou reached out and pushed him to the chair.
Zhang Zhou said, “You don’t even ask for details, do you think I’m dragging you into a pirate ship? With so many royal relatives, from the founding of the Ming Dynasty to the present, the size of the clan has further expanded, becoming the treasury of the Ming Dynasty. It's an unbearable weight. Now His Majesty wants to save some expenses and take the opportunity to knock on it. Do you think you need to knock on each one?"
Tang Yin thought for a while and said, "We are looking for a model."
"Yes. "Zhang Zhou said, "The reason is that the prince asked someone to publish a newspaper to help the court show its military power. As a result, some people secretly imitated it and printed many newspapers attacking the court and even me. Don't think that I am avenging my personal revenge. "
Tang Yin had a strange look in his eyes. He seemed to be saying, "You are definitely not avenging private revenge. No matter what it sounds like, it seems that you want to attack dissidents."
Zhang Zhou sighed and said, "Among the sects and vassals, No one has any dealings with me. Unless His Majesty wants to deal with those clans that are close to the throne, there is no need to send me out. "
"Is it Xingfu?" Tang Yin asked with a bit of surprise.
This also made Zhang Zhou feel that Tang Yin's realm was starting to become more advanced, and he began to study the imperial clan. There will be a direct conflict of interest with the emperor, just like the "second heir" to the throne now, isn't it none other than Xing Wang Zhu Youqian
Zhang Zhoudao "spreads rumors. At present, it is unlikely that he will be with Huguang Those sects and vassals are related. "
Tang Yin lowered his head, and something was wrong with his eyes.
"Why, do you think I'm making a fuss out of a molehill?" Zhang Zhou said, "It's good for you to help me make some suggestions, just like You mentioned Xingfu, and I will tell you the truth, without my appearance, Xingfu might really have extraordinary significance to Ming Dynasty. ”
Tang Yin didn’t pick up the fight, which probably means that you have already appeared and become someone close to the emperor, so the assumptions you made will inevitably be invalid.
You can tell the assumptions that are not valid. Why are you teasing me?
Zhang Zhou said, "I actually already have a target, King Anhua and King Ning, these two lineages. "
Tang Yin asked in confusion, "Why did they find relevant clues?"
Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "If there are no clues, we can't extend to these two veins. Let's put it this way, I After some calculation, the sects of these two lines may have some influence on the Ming Dynasty.The disobedience has just not been shown yet. "
"You"
After Tang Yin hesitated, he still said, "Senior brother, I advise you as a fellow disciple. There are so many criticisms of you from the government now, so it's not There is no wind but no waves. If you make such casual calculations and say that others have a disobedient heart before they have any objections, I'm afraid it will be criticized by others."
" Then I'll accept it with an open mind." Zhang Zhou looked like he didn't care at all.
Tang Yin was speechless again.
Zhang Zhou said, "After returning to Beijing, I will definitely become the target of public criticism. My every move will be watched, especially when others know that I may be investigating Zongfan, they will target me. At that time, you need to secretly cooperate with Yang Peng, the admiral of Dongchang. ”
Tang Yin couldn’t close his mouth.
Zhang Zhou actually asked him to cooperate with the evil Dongchang, which still shocked him.
< p> "I will give you direction, give you policies, and at the same time give you trust and enough power. You, Mr. Tang, had some ability before, but that was in North Korea. The Ming court would not recognize you, and would even As the culprit who fueled the rebellion of the sects and vassal states, if you want to gain a foothold in the court or even advance further, you must listen to me. ”Zhang Zhou also gave him an ultimatum without hesitation, “It’s okay if you don’t listen.” Who made you my junior brother?"
In the past, Tang Yin would have been full of resistance to Zhang Zhou's words, and even treated him as an enemy.
But now he feels that Zhang Zhou, in addition to cheating In addition to him, there seems to be a bit more of "hate for not fighting"
This means that one must go through some "tribulations" to understand Zhang Zhou's "painstaking efforts", just like North Korea. No matter how hard the work was, looking back on that experience afterwards, it was as precious to him as Tang's life treasure.
"Work hard, and I will help you marry a second wife later, and let you Tang." If a person has more sons, he can continue the incense of the Tang family and have the opportunity to become a marquis and become a prime minister." Zhang Zhou gave Tang Yin a shot of chicken blood.
"" Tang Yin was even more speechless.
What does this mean?
Does this mean that I will never have a son, or does it mean that I cannot continue the Tang family’s legacy, or does it mean that I have no chance to make contributions?
See Yang Peng After passing Zhang Zhou, he returned to the capital without stopping the next day.
He returned to the capital two days earlier than Zhang Zhou.
When he entered the palace to meet Zhu Youtang. Seeing that Zhu Youtang looked wrong, after Zhu Youtang withdrew his attendants, he asked coldly, "I want Bingkuan to investigate the clan affairs. Why did it become known to the world so quickly that he was with me? Is there a ghost?"
Yang Peng was shocked and said, "I didn't mention it to outsiders. I was in a hurry when I left, and I only brought a few people out of the capital. I hope your Majesty will take notice. ”
In the past, no matter what the emperor blamed, he could just admit it as a slave.
But this time the matter was too big, and Yang Peng didn’t want to take the blame for nothing. .
Zhu Youtang threw something over, walked to Yang Peng and said, "Have a look"
Yang Peng hurriedly took two steps forward, picked it up and looked at it, and felt as if he was eating. Like flies.
"Yesterday, there was a report from the officials. For the sake of the stability of the clan, it was mentioned that the rumors in the market today may just be reflected in the people's hearts and should not be too harsh. They even advised me to stay away from traitors and contact virtuous ministers more. , I have seen this kind of accusation very often before, please check it carefully for me."
The reason Zhu Youtang was angry was that the ministers knew about his affairs before they were made public, and officials used them to exploit them. .
Whether there is leakage of information behind the scenes or clues being discovered, the emperor will not allow his absolute authority to be challenged. He, Zhu Youtang, will naturally find someone to perform surgery.
It is his goal to deal with the vassals, and it is also his goal to deal with those civil servants.
Yang Peng said, "I accept the order."
Zhu Youtang said coldly, "Go and investigate in secret. Don't make it public. After Bingkuan returns to the capital, you will also act according to the order." Be sensible and don't let anyone know about your excessive behavior." Yang Peng felt embarrassed immediately after hearing this.
We must obey Zhang Zhou and ask for instructions and report to Zhang Zhou at any time, but we must not let people know that there is excessive interaction between them, and we must not let people associate it with it.
So difficult.
As expected, being with you is like being with a tiger.
“I don’t know why, but I’ve been feeling restless recently. The vassal affairs are very involved, but they also involve the stability of the Ming Dynasty. I can’t let anyone covet this position.”
Zhu Youtang looked very anxious.
For a moment, Yang Peng seemed to feel that the emperor in front of him was a "foolish emperor", and he was the kind of foolish emperor who liked to be suspicious and was not at ease with anyone. It seemed that any minister could only anger the emperor. , they will all be skinned and cramped.
Yang Peng said, "Your Majesty, Duke Lai Guo told my slave to take more care of the imperial concubine who is about to give birth in the capital."
"Oh, yes."
Zhu Youtang seemed to relax a little when he thought about his child who was about to be born, and his tense expression also softened a lot, "I hope it is the prince, and I hope God will show mercy. If it doesn't happen this time, I will still Keep working hard. If you are a prince, then Bingkuan will protect this child, no matter how sick he is, he will be able to turn it into a good thing. When he becomes an adult, I think too much, so please step aside."
Only then did Yang Peng know the source of Zhu Youtang's uneasiness.
It is the son who is less troublesome.
If the emperor now has seven or eight sons, all of whom are alive and kicking, it is estimated that the emperor will not care about any sects, and will not be so sensitive to the court's gossipy rumors.
The Duke of Lai Kingdom.
Zhang Zhou hasn’t replied yet, but the news that he is about to return has been sent back one step ahead, and the family is preparing for Zhang Zhou’s return home.
Wang Mingshan has already given birth.When she was in the Zhang family, she was protected like a rare animal. The Zhang family added another child, and it was stated that the emperor would give it a name. Even Jiang Pingyu did not dare to treat this daughter of the direct descendant of the Weining Marquis Mansion. Any slights.
"Madam, there is a letter from the master." Xia Zhi ran in holding a letter and handed it to Jiang Pingyu.
Jiang Pingyu opened the letter with joy on her face and read it. Han Qing next to her couldn't help but asked, "Are you coming back soon?"
"It's coming soon, it's true." We can arrive before the afternoon of the day after tomorrow." Jiang Pingyu looked happy.
Han Qing smiled happily and said, "That's great."
Jiang Pingyu said, "That's right. I'll be there for half a year as an errand. If I go out a few more times in the future, I might be able to meet him." How soon. Tell the two sisters of the Wang family and the Lin family and let them know the news." "Okay." Xia Zhi hurriedly went to send the message.
As soon as he took two steps, Xia Zhi thought of something and turned around and said, "Madam, someone came to give gifts again today. There are waves of people at the door. I can't even drive them away."
Jiang Pingyu said, "How can we, women, take care of the affairs of the court? Let the disciples make it clear to the outside world. If some people refuse to leave, let them hold them back. After all, they are not allowed to bring any gifts. Come into the yard. We don’t lack anything like that in the yard.”
“Yes.” Xia Zhi walked out quickly as if he had completed his mission.
Zhang Zhou is going back to Beijing.
As a "hero" who went to Liaodong and brought "trophies" to North Korean King Li Yi back to the DPRK, the Ming court could not express anything. The welcoming team had been prepared under the arrangement of the emperor.
Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, went out of the city to greet him as the official envoy, and entered the capital through Dongzhimen. At the same time, Shen Lu and some subordinate officials from the Ministry of War and the Hanlin Academy went to greet him. The emperor also specially ordered the officials to be sent to the capital. Lin Han, the left minister, went out of the city to greet him. This was actually preparing Lin Han to succeed Xu Qiong as the Minister of Rites.
The thirteenth year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty was the year when officials at the level of the Ming Dynasty Shangshubutang were replaced. A group of old people who had not been replaced in the past four or five years underwent a major change in this year.
As a member of the core faction of non-traditional civil servants, Xu Qiong is also a typical example of someone who had to retire due to old age. As the first person to replace the six ministers, Xu Qiong can be regarded as the emperor taking care of everyone in the court. idea.
Since we want to set a benchmark and replace a group of people who I think are trustworthy, let’s start with Xu Qiong, who you think has a certain nepotistic relationship with me. Please remember to bookmark, the latest and fastest website is free to read without anti-theft