Binhai City, nightfall.
There are still many streets in the city that are brightly lit. In the Ming Dynasty, this emerging city was the only city with nightlife.
Several theaters in the city are the busiest places, and there are many theaters in the city. The one with the most people is the theater opened by Zhang Zhou, No. 6 Joint Venture, every theater The building is always full at night and it's hard to get a ticket.
Zhang Zhou has no plans to open any new theaters. For him, these six theaters can already bring a certain vitality to the city and earn money for him and the city's construction. A lot of money.
In the largest theater private room in the city, this is also Zhang Zhou's private place.
The opera was still being sung outside, and it was very lively with all the guests, but the room was uniquely exquisite.
It wasn't until midnight, after everything quieted down, the guests in the theater left, and the theater staff went back to rest, that Ning Tong went over and replaced the candlestick.
"Master, won't you go back to your residence to rest today?" Ning Tong asked.
Zhang Zhouxiao looked at the woman in front of him and shook his head slightly.
Ning Tong said: "I'm always busy, as if I don't rest day and night. I'm afraid this won't work."
Zhang Zhou smiled calmly and said: "It's better to be busy. There are always many things to do. Now that you are in a high position, you can easily get whatever you want, so it’s easy to make mistakes and make yourself regretful."
Ning Tong gave it to Zhang Zhou. He poured a cup of tea, brought it to Zhang Zhou and said, "Why don't you do what you like? Does it matter whether you regret it or not?"
Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "You can think about it openly, living in the present is the best thing. "
Ning Tong thought about the meaning of this statement, but it was still too novel, and she obviously didn't understand it well.
"In a few days, I will return to the capital." Zhang Zhou said, "This rectification of the officialdom has caused many officials to lose their posts, and what is being rectified this time is the officialdom of the capital. The next step is very important. It may be postponed to the local level, and the peaceful scene in the early days of Hongzhi may be interrupted."
Ning Tong shook his head and said: "I don't understand, and I don't want to understand."
Obviously, now Ning Tong wants to live a simple life more, and she doesn't care too much about officialdom conflicts.
She asked seriously: "Then when will the master come back?"
"It depends on the situation." Zhang Zhou said, "I will have someone take you back. I have something to do here." I want to say that I won’t meet you before I leave.”
“Yes.”
Ning Tong was also very knowledgeable. After standing up and saluting, he called out. The maid he brought came back and left with the maid.
......
......
As soon as Ning Tong left, Zhang Zhou felt that the private room in the theater had become his office, and everything seemed to be going away again. Restore to original condition.
Then Mrs. Chen went upstairs to see Zhang Zhou with several accounts and a little sleepy.
"Put your things down." ZhangAs Zhou said, he also walked up to Chen's daughter.
The Chen girl’s eyes widened instantly and she looked at Zhang Zhou curiously.
Zhang Zhou said: "I never asked you, what is your maiden name?"
Chen's daughter said: "Xiaojuan."
"Yes. Zhang Zhou nodded and said, "Chen Xiaojuan, this name... I don't know how to describe it. After all, it's better to be more beautiful. Since your parents want you to inherit the family business and let you practice salt, why should you keep such a beautiful person?" The name should be more masculine?”
“I don’t understand,” Ms. Chen looked over curiously.
Zhang Zhou said: "Let me change your name to Chen Ying."
Chen's daughter is also curious, why does the boss look different from usual today? You actually thought about changing her name?
"Thank you, Master." The Chen daughter seemed to accept her new name.
For her, it doesn't matter whether she has a name or not, because in this era, only people who are very close to her will know her maiden name, and ordinary people will not know it.
And when outsiders call her, they always call her by her surname, or her husband's surname. As for her name, who cares?
Zhang Zhou asked: "How long have you been here?"
"Almost two years." Chen Ying said.
Zhang Zhou nodded again and said: "From the fact that you and Ning Tong are doing business together, doing civil engineering materials and contracting projects, it can be seen that you are not a peaceful person. Come in, You only entered my Zhang family by birthplace, but the whole Zhang family doesn't even know you exist."
Chen Ying looked a little disappointed.
She is not young after all, she is already twenty years old.
Strictly speaking, she has been married for two years, because she was naturalized two years ago and became Zhang Zhou’s concubine. However, since then, Zhang Zhou has only treated her as a subordinate, and it seems that he has never Considered her feelings.
"Come back to the capital in a few days, come back with me." Zhang Zhou said, "I will take you into the house for a walk. I will leave some business in the capital to you for the time being."
When Chen Ying heard this, she was still a little excited.
This means that Zhang Zhou will officially accept her.
Bringing her back home meant that she could meet the woman in Zhang Zhou's house and meet Jiang Pingyu, which was something she had never dared to think about before.
As for whether she will be the woman of the main house or continue to stay in the outer house in the future, she doesn't seem to care that much. It seems that as long as her identity can be recognized, it means that she is no longer just a shadow.
And officially we have to go to the front desk.
"Thank you, sir."
After saying that, Chen Ying knelt down as a gesture of thanks.
Zhang Zhou helped her up and said: "Now we can talk about business matters. Actually, I don't want to hear it. The theater has been well managed recently. I know you are helping Ning Tong. Before you After leaving, she will have to leave everything to herself.”
……
……
Zhang Zhou rested in the private room of the theater that night.
Chen Ying did not leave until dawn.
Of course, all this is a daily thing for her to accept. After all, she will soon be recognized as a member of the Zhang family, and what she is most worried about is naturally the Chen family's salt industry in Jiangnan. Business can be taken over openly and openly in the future.
Being recognized by Zhang Zhou means that she can also use her identity as Zhang Zhou’s concubine to contact people in her former family to get back what she once lost.
Under this premise, not to mention returning to Beijing with Zhang Zhou, she would be willing to do whatever he asked her to do as long as he gave her a chance.
On the next day, Zhang Zhou went to take care of the shipyard matters.
When he returned to his temporary residence, Wang Shi had been waiting for him there for a long time.
"My lord." When Wang Shi saw Zhang Zhou, he couldn't help but bow to him. He was very similar to his old father Wang Yue.
Zhang Zhou said: "Commander Wang comes from the capital, how can he perform such a great ceremony? Let's get up and talk."
Wang Shi stood up, but did not sit down. Li Na explained to Zhang Zhou the changes in the officialdom of the capital after he left: "Now there are more than 600 officials involved in the case. Including the people involved behind them, there are almost 4,600 people involved in the case. If Counting their family members, there are even more."
Zhang Zhou said: "The case is not small."
Wang Shi said: "Eunuch Yang has asked for your Majesty's advice. We cannot tolerate rape. However, according to your majesty’s will, you must kill the one who will shock the enemy. Therefore, Eunuch Yang has drawn up a list of death sentences and wants to ask you about the case first.”
At this point, the emperor couldn't let it go so easily.
Some people should be killed anyway. After the killing, some people will be sent to the army to guard the border, or they will be imprisoned.
The lightest option is dismissal from office.
Zhang Zhou knew that Zhu Youtang wanted to make a big deal this time, and once again changed the reputation of being lenient to courtiers during the Hongzhi period, so that people would know that he was not an emperor, but a melon. You can use thunderous means to correct the bad governance of the court.
It’s just that the step was too big at once.
"Let me take a look." Zhang Zhou took the roster handed over by Wang Shi.
The first person listed on the list of capital crimes is not an official, but Jiao Huangzhong, who was interrogated by Zhang Zhou himself before, and is Jiao Fang's son.
Wang Shidao: "There are a total of one hundred and seventy-two people sentenced to death, all of whom embezzled more than five thousand taels of silver in previous cases."
"Are there so many? "Zhang Zhou said, "One hundred and seventy-two people, that should be more than nine hundred thousand taels of silver." Wang Shi sighed: "It should be much more, just these one hundred and seventy-two." There are more than three million taels of silver involved in minerals, warehouses, grains, etc. Among them... the British government is involved the most, and ten of them have been found so far.More than 60,000 taels of silver..."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Only 160,000 taels of silver. It sounds like this British prince is quite honest. "
"Huh? "
Wang Shi looked puzzled.
You already have 160,000 taels of silver, how can you still call it honest?
Zhang Zhou said: "Eunuch Yang is right about the British father-in-law. How are you going to report it? "
Wang Shi said: "The British Duke's case is too complicated, and Eunuch Yang does not dare to make a decision without permission. Everything has been brought to the attention of His Majesty, who has not given any instructions yet. "
Zhang Zhou nodded.
He knew that Zhu Youtang would still not be cruel to an old man like Zhang Mao.
Think again Thinking about how Zhu Feng often spent tens of thousands of taels when doing business, he understood that the British government and the Chengguo government were basically the same. In the Ming Dynasty, they had formed their own system, and not all expenses were necessarily from With their own foundation and the industry they have accumulated over the past hundred years, it is not a problem for them to earn tens of thousands of taels of silver a year.
If you add in the miscellaneous income, it will be no problem at all. It is reasonable for these people to be as rich as the country.
Zhang Zhou said: "How much money was confiscated by the Baoguo Palace? "
"This..." Wang Shi thought for a while, shook his head and said, "Beizhi didn't know about it. When the Baoguo case was investigated, Beizhi had not yet served in the Jinyi Guards. ”
Zhang Zhou knows that this father-in-law is a bit neurotic. He cares about matters that have nothing to do with him and will never intervene in things that don’t belong to him.
He is said to be cautious. It's okay to say that he is afraid of trouble.
This kind of people are the majority in the Ming Dynasty. It cannot be said that he cannot do things, it can only be said that he knows how to protect himself
Zhang Zhou said: "I won't ask anything about the reported matter. I won't add any opinions on who is there and who is not. "
Wang Shi asked for instructions: "Regarding this Jiaohuangzhong, he has been interrogated by you alone. Shi can be regarded as an act of meritorious service. Should... let him live? This is what Eunuch Yang wants me to ask you. As for other people, Eunuch Yang has no such opinion. ”
Zhang Zhou smiled and shook his head and said: “Let’s just do business.” It depends on what His Majesty means. ”
……
……
Zhang Zhou has finished his work in Binhai City and will return to Beijing soon.
Back Before going to Beijing, he still had two people to meet.
One was Zhu Hui, and the other was Xie Qian.
Meeting Xie Qian was not in his plan. It was Xie Qian who heard that he had arrived in Binhai City and insisted on asking to see him. Zhang Zhou also wanted to know if Xie Qian, an old man, had seen so many changes after arriving in Binhai City and whether his mood had changed, so he agreed to meet him. One side.
Before this, he saw Zhu Hui, who seemed to be in good spirits.
“Mr. Baoguo has been having a good life recently, and his face has turned a lot rosy. . "Zhang Zhou looked at Zhu Hui with a smile.
Zhu Hui knelt on the ground for a long time and did not get up. Judging from his excited expression after seeing Zhang Zhou, Zhang Zhou knew that Zhu Hui now wanted to use his relationship to gain freedom, and even hoped to get a chance to make meritorious deeds. .
Zhu Hui kowtowed and said: "Your Excellency, didn't you say before that you would give the sinner a chance to return to the court to work? The sinner has thought about it. As long as there is a chance, it will be no problem even to charge into the battle. , I will never live up to your expectations again."
Zhang Zhou said: "Haha. If you want to redeem yourself, there is only one way to go to sea with the fleet. It will take more than half a year or even a year. Do you think so? Well, if you agree, I will give you a chance next time I go to sea." "Sinner, thank you for your kindness." Zhu Hui seemed to accept it calmly.
This also surprised Zhang Zhou.
Zhang Zhou did not let Zhu Hui get up, or in other words, in Zhang Zhou's eyes, he really looked down on people like Zhu Hui.
The shortcomings of the old heroes of the Ming Dynasty are most vividly reflected in Zhu Hui. He is greedy for life, afraid of death, and greedy. It is impossible for such a person to be integrated into Zhang Zhou's military and political system when he returns to the court. .
“Have you heard about the case in the capital?” Zhang Zhou asked.
Zhu Hui said bitterly: "I heard that we need to strictly investigate the matter in Jingying. This... the criminal knows better than anyone else. If he needs to come forward to report the old man named Zhang, the criminal will definitely do it. It's obligatory."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "The report list you listed earlier is very useful. Your Majesty is very satisfied after reading it, especially when it comes to Beijing Camp... Haha. He has been subordinate to the British prince for a long time. You should know better than anyone what he wants to do."
Zhu Hui said: "The sinner only regrets that he did not find the opportunity in the first place and used this wolf's ambition. He is not a human being!"
Zhang Zhou asked: "You are still worried about his coveting of Mrs. Ling."
" Not only that." Zhu Hui said, "As the sinner knows, after the sinner's family lost power, he found people to make trouble. He even bullied the families and generals who had had contact with our Baoguo Duke's government, and some were even framed by him. After being imprisoned, his wife and children were separated."
Zhang Zhou said: "Those people are not clean themselves, right?"
Zhu Hui said helplessly: "No matter whether they are or not. Anyone who commits corruption and perverts the law should not be plotted by Zhang. Regarding the silverfish of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Zhou is the worst offender. Why should he... ask you to make the decision for the sinner? ”
Zhang Zhou Diandian. The leader said: "These are all easy to talk about. But as usual, I still have to ask you about some things... How much direct contact do you have with the British father? Don't hide it, this is related to the future rise and fall of your family. "Recent transcoding has been serious, which makes us more motivated and updates faster. Please use your little hands to exit the reading mode. Thank you