Chapter 507 506 Dismissed from office and lived in leisure
Southern Gansu is actually the junction area of the four provinces of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hunan. It has high mountains and ridges and belongs to the Wuling area. This is a mountain range running from northeast to southwest, spanning Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi. , Jiangxi.
In the early Ming Dynasty, this area was vast, sparsely populated, and filled with miasma, making it unsuitable for crowds to live.
But by the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the situation had undergone earth-shaking changes.
After the mid-Ming Dynasty, land annexation became very serious and many people lost their land. This led to people relying on usury or moving to other places to live. When there was a bad harvest, people became refugees, sometimes tens of thousands of people were dragged away together. Families migrate with their families.
The Southern Gansu region has more land and a smaller population. Refugees from the four provinces gradually migrated to live in the Southern Gansu region, which changed the situation of vast land and sparsely populated areas in the early Ming Dynasty. They gathered here to avoid corvee labor and became the main force in the development of the Southern Gansu region. Main force.
These refugees who migrated here went down the mountains to farm during the day and went up the mountains to work as thieves at night. Together with the ethnic minority indigenous people who had already lived in southern Jiangxi in the early days, the local security environment was quite chaotic and the government was struggling to cope with this area. , but with little success.
Common people evaded taxes, which greatly reduced tax revenue. The refugees gathered here became local thieves, and unrest broke out from time to time.
Starting from the Hongzhi period, in order to suppress the rebellion of the refugees in the southern Jiangxi region, the Ming court not only mobilized surrounding guards, but also invited Guangxi wolf soldiers to participate in the war. However, in the face of the refugees on the borders of the four provinces, they responded to each other and assisted each other from a distance. The thieves could not be eliminated.
Here, the seeds of turmoil are hesitant like weeds, the fire cannot burn them out, and they grow again when the spring breeze blows.
For this reason, Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty specially set up the position of governor of Southern Jiangxi, responsible for exterminating local thieves, controlling refugees, restoring local order, and changing the local banditry.
Since the establishment of Southern Gansu in the Ming Dynasty, the governors have been placed in charge to stabilize the place. The most famous one is probably when Wang Yangming was the governor of Southern Gansu.
In order to restrain the people in the southern Jiangxi region, Wang Yangming established a "contract system" to restrain the people's behavior.
Set up positions such as "Yue" and "Yue Leader", gather regularly to jointly deal with local issues, and establish social studies and academies to educate local people, which promoted the development of the Southern Gansu region.
Wang Yangming's approach set a template for those who came after him, and the situation in the southern Jiangxi region gradually changed and stabilized.
At the beginning of the establishment of the governor of Southern Gansu, "Ganzhou was the administrative seat, and it also took charge of the three prefectures of Nan'an, Ganzhou, and Jianchang, as well as Chao, Hui, and Nanxiong in Guangdong, Tingzhou in Fujian, and Chenzhou in Huguang."
Since then, the jurisdiction of this office has continued to change, but it is still roughly centered on Ganzhou Prefecture and Nan'an Prefecture, and the other jurisdictions are managed under "concurrent jurisdiction".
In the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing reign, Fujian's Ting and Zhang prefectures were placed under the jurisdiction of the governor of Southern Gansu, but they were both under the dual management of Southern Gansu and Fujian.
However, after all, Ting and Zhangfu have been under Fujian administration for a long time, so when the Guangdong thieves started to cause trouble in Fujian, the first person to report it was the Fujian governor, but the Nangan governor escaped this time Disaster.
The position of deputy commander-in-chief of Nangan Province awarded to Yu Dayou by the imperial court was actually the troops under the commander-in-chief, the governor of Nangan Province. After all, these troops still retained some combat power due to their long-term suppression of bandits, but they had been fighting independently for a long time and lacked A general rules.
The arrival of Yu Dayou gave them a backbone, and they gained a lot in this battle to encircle and suppress Zhang Lian.
South Gansu Shenwei City is a newly built acropolis located between the four counties of Xingning, Chengxiang, Anyuan and Wuping in Jiangxi Province. It is also the residence of the deputy general of the South Gansu Province, but today there are people gathering here again. The army is ready to go to war.
It is not surprising that Yu Dayou did not immediately dispatch reinforcements for such a major event as the fall of Xinghua Prefecture. In fact, when he received the transfer order, Xinghua Prefecture had already fallen.
The mountains are high and the roads are far away, even he is beyond his reach.
Moreover, after wiping out the Wushipu bandit nest, Yu Dayou dispersed his troops and planned to encircle and suppress the bandits such as Ye Huai, Li Wenbiao and Xie Yunzhang in the area under his jurisdiction.
After receiving the news of the fall of Xinghua Fucheng, he immediately issued a summons order and asked the governor of Southern Jiangxi to collect grain and grass, prepare clothes, armor and equipment. It took quite a while for the ministries to arrive at Xianwei City.
Today, the army has been assembled, and more than 6,000 soldiers will follow him to Fujian again.
Looking at the neatly arranged soldiers on the teaching field, Yu Dayou couldn't help but feel excited.
As a military general, although he hopes for peace in the world, who doesn't want to make achievements.
For military generals, the battlefield is the only place where they compete for merit. Therefore, when he received the news of the fall of Xinghua Fucheng, Yu Dayou felt both regret and luck in his heart. It was really complicated and difficult to explain.
Standing on the high platform, Yu Dayou read loudly the troop deployment order from the Nanjing Ministry of War.
He was reading on the stage, and dozens of loud soldiers in the audience shouted loudly with him. The purpose was also to let all the soldiers in the audience know the reason for their expedition, even if the news was announced a few days ago. In fact, it has begun to spread in the Japanese military camp.
Afterwards, under the leadership of Yu Dayou, the generals of the expedition followed and held a sacrificial ceremony. On the sacrificial platform, a flagpole decorated with ivory, a red military flag with a blue border and a red background, fluttered in the wind, with the sun and moon embroidered in the flag. pattern.
The red flag heart and the blue flag edge match the wood to create fire.
The Ya Flag is used as a sacrificial flag when going out on an expedition. "The Military Book says that the Ya Flag is the general's flag. It is said that in ancient times, when the emperor came out, he built a big Ya flag and decorated it with ivory on the pole, so the Yun Ya flag .”
"On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, the emperor sent a certain official to offer sacrifices to the mighty god of heaven, the god of fire and thunder, the invincible general. But the power of the god is brave and fierce, strong and powerful. Thunder can stop thunder and quench fire. Run towards the wind, protect the country and the people, The power of Jue is remarkable. The enemy is calm and conquered, but God is the only one who drives forward. He is able to defeat the enemy with all his strength. God is invincible. He has a sharp Yuling spirit and uses it to offer sacrifices to the gods."
After Yu Dayou read the memorial ceremony loudly, the generals behind him and the soldiers in the audience followed him. Scream: "Everything is strong Nothing can be destroyed without force."
"Nothing can be destroyed without force."
"Nothing can be destroyed without force."
Three consecutive blasts. Move the ground.
After the sacrifice was completed, some powerful soldiers walked towards the camp gate holding the fang flag high, followed by six thousand soldiers, marching out of Shenwei City towards Xinghua Prefecture.
On the same day, in the military camp outside Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Qi Jiguang followed Tan Lun and also held a ceremonial ceremony. Then four thousand troops went south to Fujian to suppress the Japanese.
“Crack, crackle, crackle.”
As the New Year approaches, the streets of Beijing are crowded with people and traffic, and the sound of children setting off cannons can be heard from time to time in the alleys of private houses.
Wei Guangde sat in the carriage with his eyes closed and meditative. In a few days, all the government offices will be sealed, and he can rest for a while. The office will gradually resume after the 15th.
By this time, due to the weather, the Tatars in the north did not come out much. In the past two months, they frequently violated the border, but they harassed the important towns on the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty. On the third and fifth days, urgent border border reports were sent to the capital. .
My ears have been filled with the noise on both sides of the street, merchants and customers bargaining, and the sound of children playing. Wei Guangde opened his eyes, reached out and gently opened the car curtain and looked out.
What catches the eye are the people walking on the street in small groups, including adults and children. At a glance, you can tell that they are a family, out to buy New Year's goods.
It’s Chinese New Year and we want to reunite.
Wei Guangde muttered something in his mouth.
After becoming an official, except for the year when I returned to Jiujiang Prefecture to get married, I also spent a reunion year with my parents at home. I haven't been back for many years.
It's okay for those whose hometown is near the capital, but officials who are far away from the capital have no chance to go home during the holidays.
The Ming Dynasty implemented a system of official transfer. After a scholar passed the imperial examination, even the officials who were sent abroad would avoid their hometown. If they were lucky, they would be assigned to serve in nearby provinces. This is considered very good. .
What’s more, we are still far apart, and it is difficult to go home several times in a lifetime.
Go back to your hometown?
Wei Guangde knew that of course he couldn't go back. This year, my mother also arrived in the capital, and only my father, eldest brother and sister-in-law were there in Jiujiang Mansion. It’s a good family, and I don’t know if I will get used to it when people are in two places to celebrate the New Year.
Wei Guangde was just thinking casually at the moment, mainly because he had a little hesitation in his heart.
Two days ago, Wei Guangde received a letter from Jiangxi, telling him a piece of news that was not officially reported, and Yan Shifan returned to Fenyi.
According to the results of the joint trial of the three departments, Yan Shifan was sent to Leizhou, Guangdong, and was escorted south by officers sent by the Ministry of Punishment. Who would have thought that Yan Shifan did not go to Guangdong, but went directly to Jiangxi.
What's even more worrying is that the letter also said that after Yan Shifan returned to his hometown, he had no scruples and expanded his mansion to enjoy himself.
A criminal minister can be so unscrupulous, yet the local official Fenyi actually pretended to be deaf and dumb, pretending to be completely unaware.
Normally speaking, it is impossible for the local officials not to know about matters involving the Yan family.
Yan Shifan’s final verdict was approved by Emperor Jiajing and was published in the Di Di newspaper.
But knowing it, Wei Guangde did not reveal the news to anyone in Prince Yu's palace.
After Yan Song's fall, he talked about Yan Shifan several times in the palace, and King Yu gritted his teeth. The gap between them was huge.
Of course Wei Guangde knew why Prince Yu was so dissatisfied with Yan Shifan. Thinking about the incident of depriving Prince Yu of his annual gift, he forced Prince Yu to borrow money from him and bribe him to get what he deserved. Don't King Yu feel aggrieved by that share?
After receiving the money from King Yu, Yan Shifan was not only not afraid at all, but also proud of himself, feeling proud that he could receive a bribe from the emperor's son.
When such news reached King Yu's ears, it could be said that the remaining face of King Yu was trampled to the ground and rubbed hard.
After this incident, countless people sent him money one after another, just for the sake of their own prosperous career. King Yu's bribery was undoubtedly a living sign of Yan Shifan's ability to collect money and do things.
No wonder it is rumored in the market that Yan Shifan once raved after drinking that "I am not as rich as the imperial court."
Whether the imperial court is rich or not is known to the officials, but it is naturally unknown to ordinary people.
But if you ask anyone casually, they will definitely say that the imperial treasury is filled with mountains of gold and silver.
Because what they know and hear is which month and day, how many tens of thousands of dollars the court allocated to where, and how much money was given to that place for disaster relief.
In the minds of ordinary people in the market, Yan Shifan dared to say that he was richer than the imperial court, so you can imagine how rich he was and how great his "prestige" was in the market.
Even today, the Yan family has collapsed and Yan Shifan has been sent away. The topic of King Yu sending money to Yan Shifan a few years ago is still brought up from time to time.
Thinking of Hu Zongxian, the governor of Zhejiang Province who was escorted to Beijing today, Wei Guangde shook his head slightly.
From the time Hu Zongxian was impeached and arrested to the time he was escorted to Beijing, it took one and a half months, which can be said to be very fast.
I don’t know how Hu Zongxian will be dealt with by His Majesty?
Wei Guangde thought to himself.
He lowered the car curtain and continued to rest with his eyes closed, thinking about visiting Huang Guangsheng, the Minister of Punishment, at his house that evening.
This Huang Guangsheng, Wei Guangde had a relationship with him at the beginning. At that time, Yu Dayou had just established his career in Datong, and Huang Guangsheng was the appointed governor of Huguangchuan.
Unexpectedly, in just two years, Huang Guangsheng had been moved from the Governor-General to the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing, and a few months ago he had moved to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
Xingbu, although its status is not high among the six books, is also one of the six ministers.
Of course, tonight's visit is not only a last year's gift to Huang Shangshu on behalf of Prince Yu's Palace, but more importantly, it is to test Huang Guangsheng's attitude towards Hu Zongxian's case.
King Yu hated the Yan family deeply and naturally turned his anger on his members.
Hu Zongxian was the most powerful party member outside Yan Song when he fell. Naturally, he was disliked by King Yu and wanted to get rid of him quickly.
At this moment, Wei Guangde felt the carriage shake, and then the rocking in the carriage stopped.
The carriage stopped, and Wei Guangde was curious.
At this moment, Li San's announcement came from outside the car curtain: "Master, there is a servant in Prince Yu's Mansion blocking the way, saying that he has something important to tell the master."
Wei Guangde opened the curtain and took a look. After seeing the person clearly, Wei Guangde said calmly: "Let him come up."
Soon, a green-robed chamberlain climbed onto the carriage. He was one of Li Fang's eunuchs. Liu Cheng was also an old man who followed him from the palace to Prince Yu's Mansion.
"Eunuch Liu, what are you doing?"
After the visitor got on the car and sat down, and the carriage started slowly again, Wei Guangde asked.
"Master Wei, Eunuch Li asked me to inform you that I just received news from the palace. The emperor said, 'Zong Xian is not a Song Party member. He is ordered to be released and dismissed from office.' I heard that The decree has arrived at Beizhen Fusi, and he should be released soon.”
After Liu Cheng sat firmly, he opened his mouth and answered.
“Let him go?”
Wei Guangde said in surprise.
“Let him go.”
Liu Cheng replied.
"Zongxian was only escorted to Beijing today. How come your Majesty knew it so quickly?"
In Wei Guangde's view, after Hu Zongxian was imprisoned, the Ministry of Punishment should have submitted the case for review. Could it be that it was just the Jin Yiwei who went west? After the matter was reported in the garden, Emperor Jiajing made the decision to release him?
If the case is not tried and the person is released directly, what is the point of escorting him all the way from Zhejiang to the capital?
“According to the news from the palace, the emperor seems to think that his merits outweigh his faults in the battlefield of suppressing Japanese invaders in the southeast. Moreover, he is the Minister of the Ministry of War and has the title of Crown Prince and Taibao. Such a pillar cannot be questioned in court.”
Liu Cheng gave the answer immediately.
Wei Guangde also understood after hearing this. He was taken to the capital because he was guilty, but being guilty did not mean that the case would be tried.
Thinking about the Yan family, it was just that Yan Shifan was summoned to court, while Yan Song went straight to work and went home without asking any questions.
The reason why the two are treated differently is because Yan Shifan is the left minister of the Ministry of Industry.
Wei Guangde understood that Emperor Jiajing made the decision just because of Jin Yiwei's report.
(End of this chapter)