Chapter 213 Two people support a country
“Today, I stopped the household minister You Huaizhong’s family. Among them, there are thirteen wives with concubines and concubines, twenty-three legitimate sons and concubines, and ten legitimate daughters and concubines. Eight people, and more than 200 servants and guards."
"The banknotes and gold and silver properties that are being searched are as follows!"
"More than fifty thousand taels of gold!"
"More than 560,000 taels of silver!"
"Thirty-two pieces of tapestry material!"
"Eighty pieces of brocade of various colors start at a price!"
"Thirty-five dendrobiums of pearl..."
"..."
As the eloquent and astonishing numbers were read out, You, who had been so loyal just now that he was about to hit a pillar, completely collapsed to the ground, trembling.
But all the civil servants in the court looked at You Huaizhong with shock and disbelief.
The property taken from your house alone is enough to support the civil and military personnel of the dynasty and the army for more than a year!
Just like that, you have the nerve to confront the emperor? !
Are you still hitting the pillar? !
Emperor Fu Zhonghai waited for the list to be finished, and then asked You Huaizhong calmly: "You Huaizhong, what else do you have to defend?"
You Huaizhong is not a fool. Knowing that he is hopeless, he can only kowtow and beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, I am guilty! I deserve to die! I only ask that Your Majesty, please let me and my family go..."
Fu Zhonghai was also kind: "Since you said so, then so be it..."
"You Huaizhong has committed corruption and perverted the law. The origin of the huge amount of property is unknown. He is being interrogated carefully by the Criminal Department."
"Their family members are demoted to common people, and those over ten years old are exiled for three hundred miles."
Now that you’ve had enough to eat and drink, let’s start clearing up wasteland.
After You Huaizhong's incident, the rest of the civil servants were like having rocket launchers on their butts. They worked and kowtowed very seriously and neatly, for fear that they would be dismissed from their posts, ransacked their homes, and were exiled if they antagonized the emperor.
Before going down to court, Tianwu Emperor Fu Zhonghai smiled lightly: "I also rescued some family members on the way. When we go down to court later, you can take them all back."
"I have also found some belongings for each family. Later, dear friends, you can come to me with a list of your own lost belongings to take them back."
"Anyone who can explain clearly where these properties came from will be returned."
"I have absolutely nothing to say."
After Fu Zhonghai finished speaking, his father-in-law began to read the list and asked the officials to pick them up.
Civil and military officials:! ! !
Those whose family members and belongings were detained felt MMP in their hearts, but they could only say "Thank you Lord for your kindness."
Who dares to really ask for their property back? !
Don't want to die? !
The wealth of the aristocratic families whose property was confiscated was at least several hundred thousand taels!
Do they dare to stand up and say that the money came from the right source?
Can it stand up to scrutiny?
Forget it, just spend money to eliminate disasters!
Woo woo woo...
Even before Fu Zhonghai entered the capital, people were already chasing and interdicting various wealthy families who had fled with their families.
Now whoever says that Fu Zhonghai is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, these people will pounce on him and beat him to death!
Cui Chaoyong, the newly appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, returned home with a solemn expression and hurried steps.
Mrs. He was flustered when she saw this: "Master? What's going on?"
Cui Chaoyong glanced at Mr. He with a dark face: "From today onwards, no one will be allowed to come to the door to give gifts. The main door is closed. The master of the house enters and exits through the side door, and the servants enter and exit through the corner door for shopping."
"Well..." Before He could finish saying his promise, Cui Chaoyong had already hurried to the study, "Call the young masters to come over. I have something to say."
Mrs. He was frightened, and while calling someone to notify the young masters to come over, she looked at the attendant beside the master: "What on earth happened?"
Chang Sui was confused, but there was still some uncontrollable joy on his face: "I have been promoted, and today I became the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs..."
Mrs. He was also confused: "This is a good thing. Why did the master react like this?" It was as if he had been dismissed.
How does Chang Sui know this?
“Maybe to keep a low profile?”
Cui Chaoyong naturally wanted to keep a low profile, but he not only wanted to keep a low profile, he was also reflecting on: Why did the emperor choose him to be the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?
There are so many officials in the Ministry of Revenue, and he is not the most capable, nor the most honest.
Also in the household department, he had to collect some money.
If he doesn't accept it, it will be difficult for Shangguan to accept it. Why yourself? !
For this reason, as soon as he returned home, he immediately called his three adult sons over for analysis.
When the three sons heard what their father said about what happened in court today, they were all pleasantly surprised: "Congratulations, father!"
Cui Chaoyong waved his hand: "Tell me, why did Your Majesty choose me to be the Minister of Household Affairs?"
If this reason cannot be found, he, as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, will not be able to trust him.
The three sons analyzed and compared each other, and finally came to the conclusion: among the officials worthy of the Ministry of Household Affairs, only the Cui family's family members and belongings were not sent out of the capital.
Is it because of this that he gained the favor of the emperor? !
When Cui Chaoyong heard this, he thought of something else: "Why didn't our family send all their property and family members out of the capital?"
The three sons looked at each other: "It's because of the eldest sister..."
The four father and son suddenly realized: it was because of the Ningyuan Hou Mansion.
Cui Chaoyong's eldest daughter Cui Yanyun is the widowed prince's wife of Ningyuan Houfu.
When all the aristocratic families in the capital were fleeing, the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion went in the opposite direction and acquired a large number of shops.
Cui Chaoyong once asked his eldest son Cui Ziyao to ask Cui Yanyun privately if he could leave.
Cui Yanyun told Cui Ziyao at that time that the Ningyuan Houfu was more optimistic about Fu Jiajun and there was no need to leave the capital.
Cui Chaoyong thought about it carefully and agreed with Ningyuan Houfu's view, so his family did not send it out.
Unexpectedly, I got a huge advantage from this!
Not only did he save his family property, he also got promoted!
When Emperor Tianwu ascended the throne and Ao Guangchun returned to the capital as a young general of the Fu family army, Cui Chaoyong learned that the Ningyuan Houfu had already made a choice so long ago.
While being grateful, Cui Chaoyong also sighed: The old lady of Ningyuan Hou Mansion is far-sighted and remarkable!
What happened in the court soon spread to all the aristocratic families, and each family had different opinions.
In the imperial study room, Fu Zhonghai and Fu Chenan were sitting face to face.
The emperor at the top was gesturing to his son about how to govern the country.
"It's like digging up voles in the countryside. If there is no food at home, they go to the field to find a few vole holes to dig."
"It can range from one or two kilograms to more than ten kilograms of grain. Isn't there food to eat?"
Fu Chenan was speechless: "Father, is it possible that in the coming year, the Tianwu court will have to dig up field mice to make a living?"
Fu Zhonghai glared at Fu Chenan: "Of course that's impossible!"
Although there were not many civil servants and generals in the dynasty who were absolutely clean, they could not all be punished. It would be enough to kill the chickens to scare the monkeys.
As for making money... Fu Zhonghai smiled lovingly: "Isn't it you and Miss Xiao? From now on, the court's making money will be left to you..."
Fu Chenan's eyes widened in shock: "Dad..."
"Call Father!" Fu Zhonghai stared, "Are there any rules anymore?!"
Fu Chen'an followed the good example: "Father... now it's the entire court! It's not tens of thousands of troops! It's millions of people in the whole country!"
"To feed millions of people, it all depends on me and Miss Xiao?"
"You want me to be the first prince to die from exhaustion carrying a big bag!?"
Fu Zhonghai thought about it, and it was the same.
So Fu Zhonghai changed his mind and said, "Why don't you talk to Miss Xiao and get more of those rice seeds and wheat seeds?"
"Let the people farm on their own, and within a year at most, the people will recover..."
Fu Chenan fell silent, thought for a while and suddenly stood up: "I'll go find Miss Xiao to discuss what to do?"
Miss Xiao has read a lot and knows a lot. There must be a solution to this situation in their history, right?
When Fu Zhonghai heard this, he hurriedly called to his son: "Don't worry! How can we go empty-handed? Go to the warehouse, collect all the good things, and send them to Miss Xiao!"
Fu Chenan: "Okay."
(End of chapter)