Chapter 249 Jiao Fang

The rebels entered Shandong.

At this time, the civil servants and gentry finally couldn't sit still.

Most of the gentry and gentry in Zhili were slaughtered by these rebels. However, the damn Marquis of Zhongshan still could not completely wipe them out. Instead, he watched helplessly as these rebels fled into Shandong!

What does Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao want to do?

Does he still want to drive these rebels to massacre the Shandong gentry?

At first, the ministers just thought that Tang Hao, this damn beast, was just taking the opportunity to purge the Zhili gentry. But now that he actually allowed these rebels to escape to Shandong, the meaning was completely different.

Not to mention what this rebel will do next, just the ruthless methods of Tang Hao, a beast, are enough to make the gentry and gentry tremble in fear!

The purges in Zhili, Hebei, have been completed, and the rebels have fled to Shandong. Where will these rebels go next time?

Could they just watch helplessly as the Marquis of Zhongshan chased these rebels and caused chaos and massacred the gentry?

For a time, the government and the public were shaken, and people were panicked.

Still in that room at this moment, Yang Tianzhu's face was already pale, without any trace of blood.

A group of Jiangnan gentry representatives were in the same situation, with numb expressions and full of regret.

Xu Wenxi took a deep breath, suppressed the fear and anxiety in his heart, and told Fan Wencheng's purpose.

"Fan Wencheng deliberately chose a dead end."

"He led the rebel bandits straight to Qufu, Shandong Province, just to force Tang Hao to kill the bandits."

"After all, the influence of Qufu...the most holy master has to be taken seriously by the court. If something goes wrong with the Kong family, the gentry in the world will not agree."

"Come to think of it, His Majesty the Emperor cannot continue to watch helplessly. This time he will definitely urge the Marquis of Zhongshan to take action..."

Yang Tianzhu subconsciously looked at Xu Wenxi and sneered: "What if the Marquis of Zhongshan just doesn't send troops?"

"What if he just wants to see the Kong family slaughtered by the rebels?"

"At that time, you and I will really be gentry sinners!"

Throughout the dynasties, Qufu has always had a special status.

Because that is the hometown of the most holy teacher, where the Confucian holy land is located!

As a result, because of what they did, Qufu is about to face massacre and looting by the rebels!

If Tang Hao, the Marquis of Zhongshan, still does not send troops and deliberately waits for the rebels to massacre Qufu, then these famous disciples will become sinners for the ages!

Others may not know that they did this, but will other gentry not know?

When that time comes, their fate is bound to be miserable.

"Then... what should we do?" Xu Wenxi's face turned pale.

This time, they not only shot themselves in the foot, but also directly put themselves into a desperate situation.

It's all because of that damned Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao. It's all because this damned reckless man is too ruthless, too cruel and unjust!

How dare he purge the gentry in such a grand manner?

How could there be such treacherous officials and traitors who disrespect the famous religion in this world!

"We must force the emperor and put pressure on him!"

Yang Tianzhu scolded angrily with a livid face: "Use all your connections to make the emperor urge Tang Hao to send troops to suppress the bandits. This farce has continued until now and should have ended long ago!"

"There must be no mistakes in the Holy Land of Qufu, otherwise you and I will both be sinners of the famous religion, and no one will be able to escape from it!"

Everyone nodded subconsciously, and then dispersed to prepare in a hurry.

Yang Tianzhu and Xu Wenxi looked at each other, and both saw the regret in the other's eyes.

"Tang Hao, you damn crazy and reckless man, I, the Jiangnan gentry, will settle this debt with you sooner or later!"

The next morning.

Zhu Houzhao dismissed the court as always.

It's not that he has a lazy temper again, but because the situation requires it.

In the past few months, countless officials and courtiers criticized and impeached Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao for his ineffectiveness in suppressing the rebels, and constantly put pressure on Zhu Houzhao to force Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao to immediately eliminate the rebels.

At first, Zhu Houzhao could still argue with these guys. After all, fighting is such an easy and satisfying thing. If people want to escape, there is really no way to directly eliminate them successfully!

However, as more and more gentry and gentry were massacred by the rebels, the rhetoric and actions of the civil servants and gentry became more and more intense. One courtier who was born in Zhili even learned that his family had been massacred by the rebels. He accused Zhu Houzhao of being stupid and ignorant and allowing the treacherous minister Xingchen to take power. He caused chaos in the world, and before Zhu Houzhao could get angry, he crashed to death in the main hall.

The courtier refused to give any advice, so he hit a pillar and died on the spot!

This matter completely escalated, and the conflict between the civil servants and the emperor reached an unprecedented intensity.

After all, all fools can see clearly that the Marquis of Zhongshan deliberately allowed the rebels to massacre the gentry, and Emperor Zhu Houzhao was also involved, otherwise he would not have just watched helplessly, and he would have continued to send censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate to measure the fields of Zhili !

To put it bluntly, this is the sinister plan of Zhongshan Hou and Emperor Zhengde!

Deliberately allowing the rebels to cause chaos and massacre the gentry, they then sent people to take over these ownerless fields!

Being so cruel, so cold-hearted, and so cruel and unjust simply made the gentry lose their minds and forced them to fight against the emperor!

Because of this, Zhu Houzhao was also under great pressure, and he was almost unable to bear it.

There was no other way. Even Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Xia in the harem sent people to ask why the brave and warlike Marquis Zhongshan had not yet quelled the rebellion. It can be seen that these civil officials and gentry were indeed driven crazy and had their eyes on the harem.

Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Xia generally did not easily ask about state affairs. After all, Emperor Taizu Gao had set an iron rule that the harem should not interfere in politics!

But the problem was that rebellion was a serious matter. If it was not handled properly, it would even shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule and involve the country and people of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, the two of them were worried about it.

The civil officials and gentry deliberately passed the news to them, naturally wanting to put pressure on His Majesty the Emperor through the harem.

Don't kill them anymore. If you keep killing them like this, they will really take risks and do something that will not care about their lives.

Of course, it was not only Zhu Houzhao who was uncomfortable.

Yang Tinghe was also under great pressure. After all, he was the chief minister of the cabinet and the nominal leader of the civil officials and gentry!

With the retirement of Liu Jian, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Ma Wensheng, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the separation of the civil officials from the Metropolitan Procuratorate headed by Zhang Fuhua, the chief minister of the cabinet, Yang Tinghe, with his status as the teacher of the Zhengde Emperor, naturally became the well-deserved leader of the gentry.

Since you, Yang Tinghe, are the leader of the gentry, and now the gentry and gentry have suffered a great disaster, and some court officials have died on the spot, can you, the leader of the gentry, just watch and do nothing?

If Yang Tinghe wants to hold this position firmly, he will naturally have to pay the corresponding price. Even if he wants to support the emperor and the Marquis of Zhongshan to take the opportunity to clean up the gentry and re-measure the land, when the news of the rebels fleeing to Shandong came, Yang Tinghe had to take action.

On this day, he led the six ministers and nine ministers to collectively kneel down and request to see the emperor.

When Zhu Houzhao heard the news, his face became extremely ugly.

Of course, Yang Tinghe had his reasons for doing so. After all, it was true that this cabinet chief was his imperial teacher, but he was also a leader of the gentry.

But understanding was understanding, and anger was still anger.

The wild man Tang Ritian could do it for the revival of the Ming Dynasty, why couldn't you, Yang Tinghe, do it?

After Zhu Houzhao lost his temper, he had to meet these important officials in the court for Yang Tinghe's sake.

More than a dozen important officials came to see the emperor together. Zhu Houzhao naturally acted as a courtesy to the wise and humble. After asking these powerful officials in charge of the various departments and temples of the Ming Dynasty to sit down one by one, he pretended to be at a loss and asked: "What do you mean, my dear ministers?"

"I just caught a cold and haven't been to court for a few days. Is there something big going on in the country?"

The ministers heard this and complained in their hearts. Don't you know what we are here for?

But no matter how stupid the emperor was, they still had to face it with a smile, suppressing their anger and forcing out smiles that were uglier than crying.

Yang Tinghe saluted and said, "Your Majesty! The rebels in Bazhou have now fled into Shandong, with great momentum and spread their poison for thousands of miles!"

"Although the Marquis of Zhongshan has won many battles, he cannot wipe out all the rebels in one go, causing everyone in the court and the country to be in danger and uneasy!"

"Your Majesty, we ask Your Majesty to order the Marquis of Zhongshan to wipe out the rebels as soon as possible at all costs to bring peace to the world!"

Oh, at all costs?

This is really anxious!

Zhu Houzhao sneered in his heart, but on the surface he still looked confused.

"Well... have these rebels fled to Shandong?"

"It's been so long since they went back and forth, and they fled from Zhili to Shandong. It's really been a long time."

"Lord Yang, what you said makes sense. I will issue an order now to urge the Marquis of Tang to wipe out the rebels and quell the rebellion as soon as possible."

Hearing this, all the ministers were stunned.

They didn't expect things to go so smoothly. Did His Majesty change his nature today?

Or did he not stand up to the great pressure and wanted to reconcile with the civil officials?

But no matter what, as long as the emperor is willing to end this farce as soon as possible and let Zhongshan Hou immediately wipe out the rebels, it is a happy thing.

However, before the ministers were happy for a moment, Zhu Houzhao's next words made them dumbfounded.

"But a few days ago, Tang Hou mentioned a matter in his letter, that is, the money, grain and baggage supply that the Ministry of Revenue is responsible for is insufficient, resulting in the army being able to take down the rebels in one go, but because of insufficient logistics, it had to temporarily delay the war!"

"Han Aiqing, what's going on?"

Han Wen, the Minister of Revenue, was stunned, and then knelt down decisively to plead guilty.

He finally understood that the "insufficient supply of money, grain and baggage" was all an excuse.

His Majesty wanted to take advantage of this incident to deliberately make trouble and point the spearhead at the Ministry of Revenue!

Yang Tinghe and others also changed their faces suddenly, and fell into deep thought one by one.

They underestimated the Marquis of Zhongshan and the emperor.

This ambitious monarch and minister not only wanted to purge the Zhili gentry, but also wanted to seize power.

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the Ming Dynasty's money and grain, so it naturally became the first target!

"The soldiers fought bloody battles on the front line to quell the rebellion for our Ming Dynasty, but you made small moves in the rear and deliberately withheld money and grain. How can the soldiers be at ease to kill the enemy and eliminate the rebels? No wonder the rebels have spread thousands of miles and have not been quelled until now!"

"Han Wen, how did you become the Minister of Revenue?"

Since Zhu Houzhao chose to make trouble, he would naturally not stop there.

In fact, since Liu Jian and Ma Wensheng took office one after another, Zhang Fuhua completely turned to the emperor again, and all the ministers and ministers of the Metropolitan Procuratorate have become imperialists. The power of the emperor Zhu Houzhao has greatly increased. The only difficulty lies in the Ministry of Household Affairs. !

The Ministry of Revenue coordinates the world's money and food, but it has always been under the control of civil servants and gentry.

If it weren't for the fact that the Ministry of Revenue was not in his hands, there would be no need for Zhu Houzhao and Tang Hao to work so hard to raise money and food, and he would have to spend his own money to train the new army soldiers.

Therefore, since there is such a good opportunity in front of him, Zhu Houzhao will naturally not miss it. He just wants to seize this opportunity and take control of the household department in his own hands!

Then, Hangul will have to move its position.

Seeing His Majesty the Emperor attacking Han Wen, the Minister of Household Affairs, the other ministers were so frightened that they had to plead for mercy.

"Your Majesty has clearly learned that the treasury is empty and it is difficult for a clever woman to make a living without rice. Han Shangshu is able to arrange the food, grass and baggage, and he has done his duty..."

Wang Hao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, was the first to speak up and plead for Han Wen.

Immediately afterwards, the ministers also expressed their opinions, not willing to watch Han Wen's collapse.

Yang Tinghe did not speak in a hurry, but fell into deep thought.

His Majesty the Emperor suddenly attacked the civil servants and gentry, simply because he wanted to seize the opportunity to regain control of the Ministry of Household Affairs.

This matter is not a good thing for the civil servants and gentry, but for His Majesty the Emperor, it is something that has to be done.

If Han Wen, a veteran of three dynasties, is in charge of the household department, the money and food in the national treasury will never be like His Majesty the Emperor's internal money. He can take whatever he wants and no one can restrict it.

However, this is a double-edged sword that can be harmful as well as beneficial.

Yang Tinghe did not speak, but chose to remain silent.

Han Wen, who knelt down to plead guilty, sighed in his heart. He had already guessed the emperor's thoughts, so he quickly came up with the intention of becoming an official.

Even if you don't ask for resignation today, sooner or later His Majesty the Emperor will still be appointed by him.

Just like Liu Jian, Lord Yuanfu, who is determined to forge ahead and gather power, then these old and important ministers will naturally become resistance and enemies to His Majesty the Emperor.

Therefore, Master Yuanfu took the initiative to become an official, Master Tianguan took the initiative to become an official, and then it was his turn to be Korean.

After thinking about this, Han Wen sighed secretly, and then took the initiative to say goodbye.

"Your Majesty, this old minister is old and feeble, and has no power..."

Han Wen took the initiative to ask for resignation and had already begun to think about quitting.

However, after all, he was a veteran of three dynasties and had outstanding abilities. Zhu Houzhao just wanted him to move his position and replace him with a household minister who would listen to him. Naturally, it was impossible for him to return to his hometown and withdraw from the court.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao directly interrupted Han Wen's resignation and said calmly: "What Han Aiqing said was just an oversight."

"But the soldiers on the front line have to be comforted. The Ministry of Household Affairs is busy with affairs, and Han Shangshu is indeed a bit old. Let's change Han Aiqing to the left deputy censor of the capital, responsible for presiding over the affairs of Qingzhang's land in Zhili."

As soon as these words came out, all the officials were shocked.

Han Wen took the initiative to resign, but failed to do so. Instead, he was changed to the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, responsible for clearing the land of Zhili. It was obvious that he was favored by His Majesty the Emperor.

What's going on?

Demoted openly and promoted secretly?

Even Han Wen himself was a little confused and didn't understand what His Majesty the Emperor in front of him had planned.

But his next errand is not easy to do!

Clearing land is a tedious and complicated job in itself, and more importantly, it is easy to offend people!

Since ancient times, it has been common for the powerful and wealthy gentry to hide their land.

This time, the Marquis of Zhongshan deliberately allowed the rebels to massacre the gentry, and then drove the rebels away. The result was that a large number of ownerless fields were left in Zhili, almost all of which were taken by the gentry. The original owners of these fields were also Basically can't be found.

So how to deal with these ownerless fields is the key to this work!

For a moment, Han Wen was lost in thought.

Seeing that he was confused, Zhu Houzhao personally stepped forward and helped him up.

"After the scourge of rebellion in Zhili, everyone in Zhili is uneasy and in danger. Han Aiqing should go to his post immediately to collect the refugees and distribute the fields. We must restore peace to Zhili as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Han Wen suddenly realized something in his heart, saluted again to accept his orders, and then left directly.

The ministers looked at each other in shock when they saw this, and they all froze on the spot.

His Majesty's methods are really confusing and frightening.

Zhu Houzhao glanced at the ministers who were still in a daze, and then said: "Han Aiqing is gone, but the Minister of the Ministry of Finance is indispensable."

"According to the rules of the court, the minister should be promoted, but now the frontline soldiers are suppressing the rebellion, so there is no need to bother to follow the authority in an emergency."

"I heard that Jiao Fang, the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has a good reputation and is an important minister of the four dynasties. I would like to make him the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs for the time being. Do you think it is okay, dear ministers?"

Jiao Fang!

That eunuch?

Upon hearing this name, the faces of the officials became even more ugly!

It is true that Jiao Fang was a veteran of the Four Dynasties. He was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Tianshun, and he barely got involved with the Four Dynasties. In fact, he was only awarded the title of editor of the Hanlin Academy in the first year of Chenghua, so he can only be regarded as a member of the Three Dynasties. Important minister.

However, this person has little knowledge, is jealous of talents, has a bad temper, and is easy to criticize, and he often relies on powerful people. When Liu Jin was in power, this person took the initiative to rely on flattery. He is an out-and-out morally corrupt person. People like this are not tolerated by the gentry and gentry. How can they say that they are "already known as virtuous"?

For a moment, the officials were angry, and then subconsciously looked at Yang Tinghe.

Yang Tinghe sighed in his heart and was about to speak out against it, but His Majesty the Emperor did not give him a chance at all.

"Since all the ministers have no objection, let's do it this way!"

"Order Jiao Fang to take office immediately to coordinate the money, grain and military equipment and send them to the front line!"

"After the money, grain and military equipment are ready, Zhongshan Hou will naturally send troops immediately. These damned traitors are really uneasy. It's time to wipe them out!"

When these words came out, the ministers trembled in their hearts.

How could they not understand the hidden meaning of His Majesty's words.

Either let this eunuch party Jiao Fang replace Han Wen as the Minister of Revenue, or let Zhongshan Hou continue to play!

What else can the ministers present do?

It's better for a eunuch party to take power than for Zhongshan Hou to continue to slaughter the gentry!

Yang Tinghe sighed helplessly, and then expressed his position.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers looked at each other and finally expressed their opinions helplessly.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Since then, Jiao Fang replaced Han Wen and became the new Minister of Revenue!