Chapter 153 Xu Pu and Liu Daxia are imprisoned for their crimes!
Zhu Youtang started to check the amount of equipment produced by the Ming Dynasty every year since the 15th year of Chenghua.
Among them, 13,400 sets of armor, 21,000 sabers, 35,000 bows, 120,000 arrows, etc. are produced every year.
As for firearms, there are 1,300 fire blunderbuss, 30,000 blunderbuss arrowheads, 400 artillery pieces, etc. every year.
This is the data for the fifteenth year of Chenghua, and the data for the following few years are similar.
But starting from the 19th year of Chenghua, the arms manufacturing data reported by the Ministry of War began to gradually increase.
In the 23rd year of Chenghua, the arms data reported by the Ministry of War was even more surprising.
Among them, the number of armor sets increased from 13,400 to 21,600, and the number of sabers increased from 21,000 to 33,000.
The number of bows has not changed much, but the number of arrows has increased from 120,000 to 200,000.
Even more exaggerated are the firearms. The number of fire blunderbuss has increased from 1,300 to 3,000, and the number of blunderbuss and arrowheads has increased from 30,000 to 90,000.
Immediately following the first year of Hongzhi, according to data reported by the Ministry of War, the production quantity of these arms increased by an average of 20% again.
Such a huge arms expenditure is naturally paid for by the Ministry of Household Affairs.
In the fifteenth year of Chenghua’s reign, the Ministry of Household Affairs paid 460,000 taels to the Ministry of Industry for arms manufacturing.
But in the 23rd year of Chenghua, it soared to 720,000 taels, and in the first year of Hongzhi, it was 880,000 taels.
If we only look at the accounts of the Ministry of Works, there is no problem with the Ministry of Works.
The Ministry of War reports the number of munitions planned to be built to the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Works reports the manufacturing price to the Ministry of Household Affairs, which then allocates funds to the Ministry of Works.
After the Ministry of Industry completed the production of these weapons, they handed them over to the Ministry of War, which then distributed these arms to various border towns and guard posts in the Ming Dynasty.
The Ministry of Industry's asking price is very reasonable. The cost of a single weapon is basically the same as in previous years. There is no such thing as a long knife that costs dozens of taels, or sky-high prices for weapons.
The biggest problem is that starting from the 19th year of Chenghua, all the arms manufactured by the Ministry of War were distributed by the Ministry of War to the four borders of Datong, Xuanfu, Liaodong and Suzhou. Town health center.
These four guard stations consume a large amount of arms every year. This rate of arms consumption is really abnormal.
Combined with the Jin Yiwei's detection, the Xuanfu border generals collaborated with Shanxi merchants to smuggle information.
It is self-evident where so much of the arms manufactured will go!
In this arms smuggling case, the border generals colluded with civilian officials, and the local government and the central government emptied the Ming Dynasty's foundation, funded the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and enriched their own pockets!
This is just the smuggling of arms. Food and military pay are the main sources of corruption. These two items are controlled by the Ministry of Household Affairs. I don’t know how deep the mine is hidden!
Zhu Youtang already has the answer in his heart, and now he is looking for evidence with the answer.
Zhu Youtang threw the account book in his hand at the faces of Xu Pu and Liu Daxia with a solemn tone.
“Tell me, why has the Ministry of War’s arms expenditures surged to such a huge amount since the 19th year of Chenghua?”
“Your Ministry of War has asked for so many armors and firearms, and all of them have been given to you. Xuanfu, Datong, Liaodong and Suzhou Border town.”
“Do they need to consume so much armor and firearms every year?”
“And the Ministry of Revenue! Before, you were dragging your feet to pay the troops. Pull, push three and block four.”
"It turns out that the Ministry of War requires so many armors and firearms every year, and you all got it right!"
"You didn't review it before approving the money?!"
Xu Pu and Liu Daxia were smashed by the account books His head was broken, his expression was very embarrassing, and he was still a little scared.
Jia Jun, who was lucky enough to escape, was so frightened that he didn't even dare to breathe when he saw this scene.
He kept his head down, for fear that Zhu Youtang would notice him.
After being beaten, Xu Pu and Liu Daxia did not dare to sit down anymore. They quickly knelt on the ground, picked up the account book at their feet, and explained.
Liu Daxia was the first to say: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen has only been in office for a few months, and Wei Chen doesn't know much about what happened before."
Liu Daxia's first sentence was to remove himself from the post. In this matter, pick it out.
“But since Wei Chen took office, Yang Tong, the chief military officer of the Xuanfu, has been asking the Ministry of War for armor and firearms on the grounds that enemy troops are harassing the border.”
“This When it comes to the security of the border town, Weichen naturally dare not neglect it.”
"How many armors and firearms Yang Tong wanted, the Ministry of War reported them to the Ministry of Industry truthfully. After getting the armors and firearms, they were sent to the Xuan Mansion as soon as possible."
"I am dedicated to the Ming Dynasty. I am so selfless!"
Liu Daxia is worthy of being one of the "Three Gentlemen of Hongzhi". He can throw away the blame in just two or three sentences, and he has no responsibility at all.
Of course, Xu Pu did not hesitate to give in too much. With just a few words, he picked him off cleanly.
"Your Majesty! The strong arms of Bianzhen are really related to the security of the Ming Dynasty. It is really a top priority!"
"Any matter involving border towns, I really don't dare to postpone it for fear of hurting the country!"
"I am dedicated to the country and never have any selfish motives. Please tell me clearly!"
"Since the border town is provided with enough armor and firearms every year, why did the little Tatar prince enter the border so easily last year?!"
Zhu Youtang's expression was cold and his tone was sharp.
“Why did it take only one night to break through the Xuanfu and kill the chief military officer of the Xuanfu?!”
Liu Daxia, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled in his heart, and his expression became very strange. He quickly exchanged a look with Xu Pu next to him and nodded slightly.
Xu Pu quickly knocked his head to the ground: "It is precisely because of the lack of firearms and armor in the Xuanfu that the little Tatar prince defeated the Xuanfu so easily!"
"So, Your Majesty, We have to continue to supply enough arms to Bian Town!”
“What a shame!”
Zhu Youtang couldn’t bear it when he took advantage of the dragon case!
"Liu Jin!" "The slave is here!"
Liu Jin, who had been huddled aside and pretending to be afraid of the air, heard Zhu Youtang's shout and immediately responded excitedly.
“Take Xu Pu and Liu Daxia to Dongchang Prison, and check the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War for me to see who is colluding with the border guards!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! ”
Liu Jin was trembling with excitement and quickly took the order to listen to the announcement.
Xu Pu and Liu Daxia were so frightened that their faces turned pale, their whole bodies trembled, and they kowtowed and complained.
"Your Majesty, you are wronged! You are wronged!"
"Your Majesty! I am dedicated to the Ming Dynasty. I really have no selfish motives. Please tell me clearly!"
"Your Majesty, you are wronged!" I have been an official for more than thirty years, and I am worthy of heaven and earth, and I have never done anything corrupt or pervert the law!”
"I beg your Majesty to investigate clearly! Please let me know my innocence!"
"..."
The two ministers still wanted to beg for mercy, but Liu Jin had already recruited people from Dongchang to kill these two The minister dragged him out of Hongde Hall.
The remaining minister of the Ministry of Industry, Jia Jun, saw Xu Pu and Liu Daxia being dragged out of the Hongde Hall. He was so frightened that his whole body was shaking like chaff, and his lips were stained purple with fear.
Zhu Youtang watched with a gloomy face as Xu Pu and Liu Daxia were dragged out of Hongde Hall, then turned to look at Jia Jun and waved.
"Go back."
Jia Jun couldn't even imagine that he could leave Hongde Hall standing upright.
He stood up tremblingly, stammered and bowed before leaving.
"Wei...Wei Chen resigned..."
Subsequently, Jia Junquan controlled his body by his subconscious and left Hongde Hall.
After walking out of Hongde Hall, Jia Jun was stunned under the eaves outside Hongde Hall when a few drops of melted ice water fell into his neck.
The biting coldness woke him up, and he realized that his whole body was soaked.
Jia Jun, who came back to his senses, looked at the dark night sky and shuddered.
Then without saying a word, he walked out of the palace as quickly as possible.
That night, the news that Xu Pu, the chief minister of the cabinet and the minister of household affairs, and Liu Daxia, the minister of war, were ordered to be imprisoned by Zhu Youtang, soon spread throughout the capital.
Suddenly, the government and the opposition were shocked!
You must know that the officials imprisoned by Zhu Youtang have never been acquitted.
For a time, people's hearts were floating in both the government and the public.
"How could this happen? How could Xu Shouxu be imprisoned?"
"Liu Shangshu was also imprisoned. This...isn't this too shocking?"
"Oh my God! Today, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Censor, and the Dongchang Fanzi went to the yamen of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works to check the accounts. Isn't it related to this matter?"
"But , why is Jia Jun, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, okay? The Ministry of Industry has a lot of money! ”
"I don't know, and I feel that this is just the beginning...the officials of these three departments are going to be in bad luck."
"..."
Just like other people in the capital, As the officials guessed, the officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War were indeed in trouble.
Liu Jin returned to Dongchang and immediately recruited two Dongchang stalls, Zhang Yong and Ma Yongcheng.
"Zhang Yong, you lead five hundred people to investigate all the officials of the Household Department, and you must find out the evidence that they colluded with the border guards!"
"Ma Yongcheng, you also led Five hundred fans went to investigate all the officials of the Ministry of War , like Zhang Yong, focus on investigating evidence of collusion between officials and generals!”
“Yes, Mr. Factory Supervisor!”
With Liu Jin’s order, Zhang Yong and Ma Yongcheng , and immediately began to recruit people from the East Factory.
After the call was completed, the two of them each led a team of Dongchang fans and walked out of the Dongchang Yamen.
Teams of Dongchang fans began to walk through the night in the capital, investigating every official of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War.
In the Dongchang Yamen, after Zhang Yong and Ma Yongcheng left, Liu Jin came to the dark and damp Dongchang Prison.
He looked at Xu Pu and Liu Daxia, who were held separately in two adjacent cells, and a sinister smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Two adults, regarding the matter of colluding with the generals, we advise you to do it as soon as possible, so as not to suffer any more physical pain."
Xu Pu closed his eyes and sat upright in the cell, ignoring Liu Jin at all.
Liu Daxia also crossed his legs, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and fell asleep, ignoring Liu Jin.
Liu Jin's words were ignored by the two ministers. This was a situation he had never encountered in Dongchang Prison.
He stood outside the cell, his face suddenly filled with confusion and he felt very embarrassed.
“Damn it, how dare you ignore our words!”
"You have all been imprisoned by the emperor, and you are still so arrogant. Let's see how long you can be arrogant!"
Liu Jin said, turned around and took a red-hot soldering iron from the stove nearby. He walked towards Xu Pu with a sinister smile.
(End of this chapter)