Chapter 558 557 Greed of Money

Chapter 558 557 Greed of Money

Wei Guangde's words were a little unacceptable to King Yu.

Everyone in the capital knew that Yan Shifan was corrupt, perverted the law, sold his official position and oppressed Zhongliang, and it was said that his family had mountains of gold and silver, which was simply shocking.

Not to mention other things, the loyal and upright ministers he framed and killed included Zhang Jing, Li Tianchong, Wang Yan, Yang Jisheng, Ye Jing, and Shen Lian. The ministers who were demoted due to the impeachment of Yan Song and his son included Xie Yu, Tong Hanchen, Zhao Jin, and Wang Zongmao. , He Weibo, Wang Ye, Chen Gao, Li Rujin, Xu Xueshi, Zhou 𫓧, Wu Shilai, Zhang Chong, Dong Chuance, etc.

Based on the things he had done, he was definitely the number one traitor in the Ming Dynasty, but in Wei Guangde's words, these were all minor crimes.

"Shandai, I know that you and Yan Shifan are both from Jiangxi, so you can't speak for him just because of that."

King Yu's words made Wei Guangde tremble in his heart. At the same time, he also keenly felt that there was a slight change in the eyes of Yin Shizhen and Zhang Juzheng looking at him.

This was a bit harsh, but obviously, King Yu heard the remarks about Jiangxi officials from someone unknown.

In fact, because of Yan Song's relationship, the Yan Party was almost single-handedly challenging the entire civil servant group in the world, and their biggest target was Jiangxi scholars.

According to officials from various provinces, their rankings in the general examination and palace examination were not due to their own knowledge, but because of someone's obstruction.

Jiangxi officials stick together and Jiangxi officials help each other.

In fact, they did a lot of these things in private, but they used the achievements of Jinshi from Jiangxi since the founding of the People's Republic of China to argue that the rankings were the result of secret manipulation by senior Jiangxi officials in the DPRK.

Among many people, "half of the court officials from Jiangxi" is not praising the prosperity of Jiangxi's literary style, but is insinuating evidence that Jiangxi officials cling to groups and suppress other colleagues.

Think about it, there were four officials from Jiangxi among the Jiajing Dynasty. This made officials from Nanzhili and Zhejiang, which were major imperial examination provinces, think. It was naturally the result of Jiangxi people shielding and helping each other.

And after the emergence of Yan Song, a treacherous and evil person, such words became even more popular.

Anyway, it was right to scold Yan Song, and he also scolded Jiangxi officials.

Such voices already existed when Yan Song was in power, and after Yan Song's fall, such voices continued to be suppressed.

In fact, everyone is thinking about the feelings of fellow countrymen, but Jiangxi is indeed a bit too outstanding in appointing high-ranking officials, which naturally arouses the suspicion of officials in South Zhili, Zhejiang and other places.

It is worth mentioning that in the more than two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, a large number of Jinshi and high-ranking officials emerged in the early and middle Ming Dynasties. In the later period, Zhejiang officials suddenly emerged, and in the Qing Dynasty, they became the world of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Later analysis of this matter believed that during the Northern Song Dynasty, Jiangxi's population ranked first among all regions, and its economic development was an advanced area in the south.

By the Ming Dynasty, although Jiangxi's population was slightly lower than that of Zhejiang and ranked second among the thirteen chief secretaries in the country, its annual tax revenue sometimes even exceeded that of Zhejiang. The ceramic industry in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi became famous all over the world.

Jiangxi has always had a prosperous literary style, with an endless stream of scholars and numerous academies in various places. Nanchang Prefecture "has a lot of refined people in the market place", Ji'an Prefecture "has many Confucian scholars in the territory surrounding the Jishui River for hundreds of miles", and Guangxin Prefecture "goes down to catch the common people in the fields". People with good physiology know that teaching their children and grandchildren is the most important thing."

The developed economy and the people's love of learning were important reasons why Jiangxi was able to maintain its advantage in the imperial examination before the mid-Ming Dynasty.

In the late Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, with the development of industry and handicrafts, Jiangxi's economic status declined, while Zhejiang and other places developed rapidly.

It is said that "the economic base determines the superstructure." The reason why Jiangxi was brilliant in the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties was that China's political, economic, and cultural center moved southward, and Jiangxi's farming economy and handicraft economy gradually developed.

After entering the Qing Dynasty, wars were frequent, especially the Taiping Rebellion, which caused great damage to Jiangxi. Later, the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway was missed, water transportation was gradually replaced by railways and highways, and the maritime economy came. As an inland province, Jiangxi's economy retreated again and again, leading to a gradual Be marginalized.

However, this kind of voice had not been heard by Wei Guangde in Prince Yu's Mansion before. It was obviously just behind his back and had reached Prince Yu's ears.

Because King Yu wanted to deal with Yan Shifan this time, King Yu was very angry, so he made a mistake and said this.

Wei Guangde heard this and knew that he must not be kind to women, otherwise it would be detrimental to his career and affect his status in King Yu's heart.

After hesitating for a moment, Wei Guangde said: "Your Highness, I am definitely not biased because of my fellow countrymen."

Having said this, Wei Guangde glanced at Yin Shizhen and Zhang Juzheng, and then continued: "On the contrary, what Yan Shifan did was indeed angry and resentful, and both humans and gods were angry.

But it is precisely for this reason that I think it is not appropriate to leave this matter to Beijing.

Although the Yan family has collapsed and many members of the party have been punished, can no one see that two years later, many people have been re-appointed and entered the officialdom again.

Even if these people change their ways, they will never be able to escape the shackles of the Yan family.

You must know that the Yan family has not been punished with serious crimes, because His Majesty cannot bear it, so many of their flaws are in the hands of the Yan family, forcing them to do things for the Yan family. "

"You mean, the Yan family's power in the court is still very strong."

Zhang Juzheng asked.

"Of course, not to mention those low-level officials who have not been cleared of their names, even those who have been restored to official positions will definitely help the Yan family to advocate for them. They are quite powerful."

Wei Guangde replied.

"Actually, in my opinion, your Majesty's original intention when he sent Yan Shi to study in Leizhou was not to want him to return to the capital again. Everything before was wiped out, which can be regarded as a settlement.

Mr. Xu Ge and other adults must have acquiesced in this matter. "

Wei Guangde continued.

When Yin Shizhen and Zhang Juzheng heard Wei Guangde's words, their expressions were as usual, only King Yu's expression changed slightly.

Apparently he had never heard of this from Gao Gong, Yin Shizhen and others.

"Not to mention how greedy Yan Shifan is and how he disregards the laws of the court, but when it comes to his ability to handle affairs, there are several people in the court who dare to compare with him. His Majesty also laughed and called him a 'ghost', which shows that his ability is not bad.

If Yan Shifan returns to the capital, once His Majesty thinks of reactivating him, he may cause the years of planning by Mr. Xu Ge and others to go wrong.

It can only be said that Mr. Xu Ge’s draft draft contains major omissions.

Since Yan Shifan has been assigned to Guangdong, if Yan Shifan fails to arrive within the time limit, the Guangdong side should hold him accountable. If His Highness is really serious, he can just arrange for someone to deal with it, so there is no need to escort him back to the capital. "

Wei Guangde continued to express his thoughts.

No one paid attention to Wei Guangde's other words, but Zhang Juzheng's expression changed slightly after he said "once His Majesty decides to re-activate him".

The Yan family father and son, among other things, did a really good job in serving Emperor Jiajing.

And look at the current cabinet ministers, as well as the ministers and ministers in important departments such as the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel. They are all good at flattering others, and they are very comfortable serving Emperor Jiajing.

And once Yan Shifan returned to the court for this reason, as long as he didn't die, Emperor Jiajing might actually have the idea of ​​keeping him and continuing to work for him.

Being able to do things and being obedient was the fundamental reason why the Yan family received preferential treatment from the emperor in the Jiajing Dynasty.

In fact, King Yu and the ministers in the court have more or less felt that the current Emperor Jiajing is more suspicious and fickle.

The fundamental reason for hating Yan Shifan before was that Yan Shifan continued to drink and have fun during his mother's funeral. Emperor Jiajing was quite filial to his mother.

They were also worried that the Yan family would be too powerful to lose, so they took advantage of Zou Yinglong's memorial to take down Yan Song and his party members.

Nowadays, although the Yan family's strength still exists, it is not as good as before, so naturally it is no longer a concern.

"However, the teacher's memorial has been drafted, and it is too late to recover it."

Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but interject, apparently partially agreeing with Wei Guangde's words, and felt that it would be best for Yan Shifan not to return to the capital.

Yin Shizhen frowned for a moment and then said: 'Can Yan Shifan be taken to Nanjing for trial? ’

"It's absolutely impossible. Nanjing will never take over this hot potato. They will just panic and push it out."

Wei Guangde shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Do you think the adults in Nanjing don't know about Yan Shifan?"

"Shan Loan, do you already know?"

Zhang Juzheng felt sensitively that Wei Guangde seemed to have known about Yan Shifan's situation before the incident, so he asked.

"I heard someone say that in fact, Yan Shifan did not go to Leizhou and returned to Jiangxi halfway. It has been more than a year."

Wei Guangde did not hide it and said bluntly, "But so what, everyone knows that it is His Majesty's wish. Maybe in his heart he has repaid the Yan family for serving them for more than ten years. Otherwise, he would never let Yan Song go back to his hometown without copying the family." of."

Zhang Juzheng and Yin Shizhen had no choice but to agree with this matter at this time. After Yan Shifan's crime was determined, didn't they not confiscate their homes?

They just let Yan Song become an official, go home to retire, and leave with the money they gained from greed.

This kind of treatment was inappropriate, but none of the ministers in the court said anything, so everyone acquiesced in the matter at that time, and no one spoke about it anymore.

Now after Wei Guangde's analysis, it was obvious that the important ministers in the court actually understood Emperor Jiajing's intentions, so they acted like this.

"Thousands of people have gathered, how dare local officials in Jiangxi not report to Nanjing?"

Wei Guangde asked again.

"What should we do now?"

Zhang Juzheng asked.

"Wait and see what Xiyuan's instructions are."

Wei Guangde just said.

"Can you predict how this will end?"

Zhang Juzheng asked again.

If Yan Shifan were to return to the court, it would definitely be very bad for his teacher Mr. Xu Ge.

After all, the last straw that broke the camel's back was thrown by Mr. Xu Ge.

He spotted the moment when Emperor Jiajing was hesitating and gave out the reasons for impeachment that affected his judgment.

"Either he will be punished or he will be reinstated."

Wei Guangde replied.

At this moment, a chamberlain announced that Gao Shilang Gao Gong had arrived outside the mansion.

"Please."

King Yu, who was already in a bad mood due to Wei Guangde, heard Gao Gong's arrival and hurriedly gave orders and sent Li Fang out.

Not long after, Gao Gong was led into the house by Li Fang, while Li Fang went out and called all the servants outside.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid Lin Yushi's impeachment may be a bit troublesome this time. I just came out of the cabinet and chatted with Mr. Xu Ge for a long time. He has already realized that this matter was mishandled."

Immediately, Gao Gong told the conclusions he and Xu Jie had reached after discussing the matter. The most important thing was what Wei Guangde said before, Yan Shifan must not be allowed to return to the capital.

However, now Lin Run's impeachment memorial had to be submitted, and Xu Jie's vote plan seemed ordinary but made a big mistake.

"Since Yan Shifan is likely to be escorted back to the capital, can he be killed halfway?"

King Yu no longer thought about revenge at this moment, but simply didn't want to see Yan Shifan live in a better life.

"It's absolutely impossible, the impact is too bad."

Gao Gong shook his head and said.

When King Yu and Gao Gong were talking, Wei Guangde stood aside with his head bowed, feeling deeply unwilling in his heart.

For what he said, you could tell by looking at King Yu's expression that he was still half-convinced, but when it came from Gao Gong's mouth, King Yu completely believed it without any doubt.

However, the resentment only lasted for a moment, and Wei Guangde was thinking about how to deal with the matter next.

If he can finally achieve a result that satisfies King Yu, his position in King Yu's heart may be improved again.

Although it can't complete the high arch, it can be very close.

Moreover, it seems that this matter may not be a great fortune for the Wei family.

How much wealth did the Yan family accumulate under Yan Shifan's control?

No one can know.

But Wei Guangde had heard a saying, that is, "Kill people and set fire with gold belts, build bridges and repair roads without corpses." It means that bad people can enjoy all the glory and wealth after doing all the bad things, but good people who work for the welfare of the people cannot end up in a good place. end.

However, the fastest way to make money is to punish these bad guys and make money by confiscating their homes.

Thinking about the scene in "The Deer and the Cauldron" where Wei Xiaobao got rich for the first time, Wei Guangde couldn't help but feel a little sour.

The piece of land that was purchased by someone was the Yan family's asset.

If Yan Shifan is completely liquidated this time, can the family take back the land that was forcibly purchased without paying any capital?

Can you even get similar lands around you?

Wei Guangde didn't believe that the Yan family bought their own piece of land in Jiujiang Prefecture. These lands were shady and there was no way it could be in the name of the Yan family.

When the Yan family completely collapsed, the celebrity wanted to cut off from the Yan family.

As for the documents left between them and the Yan Mansion, just get rid of them.

However, the premise is to bring down the Yan family completely and not give them a chance to stand up.

Over there, King Yu and Gao Gong had almost communicated, and Gao Gong also knew Wei Guangde's judgment.

"We can only take one step at a time and see what happens. As Shandai said, it seems that we have done something wrong. We can only wait for Yan Shifan to return to the capital and then slowly figure it out."

Gao Gong said.

Now Gao Gong rarely returns to Prince Yu's Mansion. Prince Yu chatted with him for a long time. Yin Shizhen, Wei Guangde and others could only stand aside and talk.

However, King Yu chatted for a long time. While he arranged for people to prepare a banquet for Gao Gong, he also said that he would go back to the backyard to rest for a while.

So, a few people sent Prince Yu out, but when they were about to return to the house, Gao Gong suddenly smiled at Wei Guangde and said, "Shandai, I won't be able to come to the palace for a long time. Why don't you accompany me for a walk today."

Naturally, Wei Guangde couldn't refuse Gao Gong's request. He smiled and clasped his fists and said, "Don't you dare disobey me."