In the twelfth lunar month of winter, with the cold wind howling, Zhu Youxiao was in the Nuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, eating breakfast leisurely. The breakfast was very rich, including steamed buns, fried dough sticks, milk, etc. The ground dragons in the Nuan Pavilion were emitting billowing heat, making this place Warm as spring.

"Your Majesty, the first assistant, Fang Congzhe, has an audience." While he was eating, Liu Ruoyu came over and reported in a low voice.

"Fang Congzhe, why did he come here so early?" Zhu Youxiao was stunned, with some confusion on his face. It was only around eight o'clock at this time, and he had just finished his morning exercises. It was time for breakfast, and he had a few people on the throne. It’s been over a month, and it’s impossible for Fang Congzhe not to know this.

"I'm afraid there's something urgent. Judging from Mr. Fang's face, he looks a little worried." Liu Ruoyu replied.

"Go and bring him in."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Liu Ruoyu bowed and retreated.

Taking advantage of this time, Zhu Youxiao speeded up his meal, Xili gulped down the food, and then asked the eunuch to remove it. After rinsing his mouth, he went to the study and waited for Fang Congzhe.

"Long live my emperor, long live the emperor." As soon as he came in, Fang Congzhe saluted and paid homage.

"I love you." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "I'll give you a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Fang Congzhe knelt down and saluted again.

"Ai Qing is an elder, there is no need to be so polite, just keep it simple." Zhu Youxiao said easily, twisting on his chair and finding the most comfortable position.

Even so, Fang Congzhe still didn't relax. He sat half-assed on the stool with his back as straight as possible. The emperor said so, but he didn't dare to do it. Since ancient times, accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger, let alone one that just came out of a fight. The emperor has sharpened his minions.

"Aiqing came to see me early in the morning. What's the matter?" Zhu Youxiao asked casually.

"Your Majesty..." Fang Congzhe paused, as if he was considering his words, "It has been three months since Your Majesty ascended the throne. However, His Majesty has not gone to court, nor has he added more officials. The court has already been somewhat unable to maintain itself."

Fang Congzhe spoke slowly, observing Zhu Youxiao's expression as he spoke, "Your Majesty has carried out the Hongwan case. One-third of the upper echelons of the imperial court are empty. There are many noble families involved, and many Li Shu in the capital are making excited remarks. The imperial court Although the church has become peaceful, there are many unstable places."

"Your Majesty, please think carefully!" Fang Congzhe said these words with a solemn expression, which made Zhu Youxiao's expression change slightly.

Boom, boom, boom!

His right hand rested on the desk, and his index finger tapped rhythmically. He said nothing, just squinted his eyes, looked ahead quietly, and thought silently.

Since the last time Wang Wenyan came to Beijing and offered him a strategy, he just thought about it for one night and was ready to adopt it. However, he did not want to expand to other places. He just limited the target of attack to the capital, and the target he selected was also that The two nobles, Zhong Guoqiang, and the two princes of England were close to each other. They were the nobles who were most closely involved. Only those nobles related to them could be involved.

It has been almost two hundred years since the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing. The fertile land around the capital that can grow crops has long been divided up. Relying on hereditary and irreplaceable titles, most of these fields are occupied by nobles, and only a few are occupied by nobles. in other people's hands.

For this reason, the people who caused Zhu Youxiao's implicated attack were basically nobles, and most of them were Jingnan nobles who had some connections with the Military Central Guards. Of course, the bureaucrat Zhu Youxiao didn't want to let it go, but this time During the coup, the captured Donglin Party members were behind the scenes of the salt merchants he originally planned to attack, so he did not continue in the local area and only arrested the real owner.

For him, the place is still a little far away from him, and he can't take care of it. Moreover, there are not so many people to manage it, and there is no complete operating system. If you arrest too many people, releasing the land will be a burden. Really

The one he wanted to wipe out was still in the capital.

After three months of harassment, under Zhu Youxiao's close attention and instructions, and after large-scale arrests, the Jin Yiwei secretly arrested several nobles with relatively large estates at home.

In this turmoil, except for those who were implicated in the Red Pill Coup, the civil servants generally suffered little loss. Only a few families in the south that specialized in the salt industry were implicated, and others had no impact.

Logically speaking, they have no reason to stop it, and the majority of them even applaud and celebrate.

Originally, Zhu Youxiao thought that the civil servants would be happy to see the results of his sneaky actions. Even if a smart person discovered it, they would not stop him. After all, in addition to eunuchs, noble officials were also the opponents of the civil servants.

It's just that things didn't develop like this. I just secretly arrested a few people here. With the guidance of the civil servants, Fang Congzhe, the first assistant, came over and said things like "the common people in the capital are boiling" and "the place is unstable". This is

Are you implying that someone is dissatisfied and wants to mutiny?

Zhu Youxiao knew that Xungui had many connections with the guards around the capital and the three major battalions, so when he heard this, he knew that this was an allusion to Xungui.

The honor is unstable? The place has changed? Haha, are these losers who have been living leisurely for two hundred years on their wealth? Zhu Youxiao is really not afraid of them. They are just using their influence to gather some sergeants and create

A mutiny or something, what else can be done? Just suppress it directly.

Compared with this, Zhu Youxiao was more curious about why it was Fang Congzhe who came to persuade him and not Ding Guogong? No matter how he looked at it, Ding Guogong had more reasons to come than Fang Congzhe.

"Fang Aiqing, the Hongwan case is full of doubts. The various masterminds involved are still under trial. It is normal for a few more accomplices to appear after occasionally confessing. You don't have to worry." Zhu Youxiao smiled slightly and thought about his actions.

a reason.

"Old minister, I have to worry!" Fang Congzhe sighed, "The fire at the city gate has affected the fish in the pond. All the officials and colleagues are anxious and have no interest in government affairs. I hope that your majesty will understand the difficulties of the minister and temporarily extinguish the anger of thunder."

"So that's it." Zhu Youxiao suddenly understood why Fang Congzhe came here. He was afraid that after dealing with all the nobles, he would come to deal with them again.

"All officials may not be interested in government affairs! This is putting pressure on me!" After chanting in his mind, Zhu Youxiao came to his senses. It seemed that those bureaucrats were afraid that this fire would burn them.

No more noble than nobles, the involvement between civil servants is much more complicated and extensive. If you really want to carefully calculate, almost all the officials in the court can be involved. This is why after Zhu Youxiao secretly eliminated a few people, Fang Congzhe

That’s why I came to my door. I’m scared!

"If I don't stop, I'm afraid tomorrow the memorial will come like a snowflake, and if it doesn't work, there will probably be scenes where hundreds of officials will kneel down and cry." Zhu Youxiao thought secretly in his heart. There are already many fewer people in the court now.

If it keeps happening like this, I guess Ming Dynasty really won’t have to open it anymore.

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but change his face when he thought about the situation where all his subordinates turned against him. Although he wanted to replace these people, now is not the time. This kind of replacement must be done slowly. This requires a large number of people now.

The officials hung up their seals and left, and the court was about to collapse on the spot.

Seeing this has aroused public outrage! Zhu Youxiao felt a little flustered, and also felt a little regretful. He shouldn't have been so impatient, he should have taken his time. There are only ten thousand people coming now, and he has not even got a flintlock gun.

When I came out, I wanted to try land reform, which was too radical.

He is just an ordinary person. He has never been a leader or been involved in official circles. He doesn't know how to act. He just follows his own temper and relies on the barrel of a gun.

Now, just as I was about to attack the outside world, I bottomed out and someone came knocking on my door.

He was indeed a little impatient. The gun barrel was not strong enough and there were not enough backup talents to take over. So he wanted to fight in a big way, but he made a mistake. Zhu Youxiao squinted his eyes, pursed his lips tightly, and thought slowly.

After all, he had been a grandson for a few years, so he still had some determination. Even though he was a little flustered in his heart, his face didn't show it.

It was time to give up, but we couldn't let them get away with it so easily. He thought about it and had his own ideas.

"But I made a mistake and didn't understand the intentions of the officials." Zhu Youxiao stood up and sighed, with an expression that he didn't expect, "But those companies are also the ones to blame. They practiced secretly at the beginning and let my Tianjin

The salt field, the Tiangong workshop, and I can’t even leave Beijing for a piece of paper. I’m so depressed.”

Fang Congzhe's expression changed and he opened his mouth, but did not speak. He knew that the emperor was going to impose conditions, and now he was just creating pressure.

Sure enough, Zhu Youxiao didn't go on. No one knew how many people were involved in the original incident. He changed the subject, pointed to the east and said, "But it's because of them that I can't expand, so I can't expand."

If we can concentrate on improving our technology, today the Tianjin Saltworks can directly produce fine, fine white salt, like flowers and snow, which is plentiful and cheap."

"The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and many inland areas, but many people still cannot afford expensive salt. Every year, countless people die from eating poisonous salt. Every time I think of this, I feel sad. This is the son of the Ming Dynasty.

People."

After saying that, Zhu Youxiao covered his face with his hands and looked like he was weeping. However, his movements were still a bit jerky, which made people see his artificiality.

"Salt industry?" Fang Congzhe's heart sank. Is the emperor going to exchange the salt industry? His mind turned and he immediately calculated in his mind which local gentry were closely related to this.

After thinking for a while, he had the answer. Well, it had nothing to do with him. Most of them were from Donglin. Several people had been arrested. Those who had not been arrested were like lost dogs. They were in panic all day long. Others and

These people who are related to each other are also small groups and can be exchanged.

"Your Majesty is kind, I hope that all my senses can understand your Majesty's painstaking efforts." Fang Congzhe said with a compassionate tone.

Oh, agreed! Zhu Youxiao was a little surprised. He didn't expect to agree so quickly. It seems that they had discussed it before coming.

"Haha, I'd like to thank you for your kindness." Zhu Youxiao said haha.

"It will be as Your Majesty wishes." Fang Congzhe smiled and bent down to salute, "There is only one minister in the cabinet, and there are many trivial matters. If Your Majesty has no other instructions, please allow me to retire."

"Well, step back." Zhu Youxiao nodded.
Chapter completed!