Chapter 101: Barbarians are wolf-faced and beast-hearted, fearing power but not cherishing virtue

I really don't attend to my proper duties. Chapter 103: Barbarians are wolf-faced and beast-hearted, fearing power but not cherishing virtue. Mencius said: "King, why must you speak of profit? There is only benevolence and righteousness."

The Analects said: "The Master rarely spoke of profit, fate, and benevolence."

'The Great Learning: On the Whole' says: "Those who govern a country and focus on wealth will inevitably be small men. If they are used to govern the country, disasters will come together. Even if there are good people, there is nothing they can do! This is called: A country does not take profit as profit, but takes righteousness as profit."

Looking at it from the standards of Confucius, Mencius, and 'The Great Learning', Zhang Juzheng is a small man. He governs the country and focuses on wealth, talking about utility in every sentence, his methods are ruthless and he is vengeful, and he rarely talks about benevolence and righteousness.

Ge Shouli clearly held Zhang Juzheng's fatal weakness—the Gao Qiyu provincial examination case. Ge Shouli clearly only needed to pursue it, unite with the Minister of Rites of the Jin faction, Wan Shihe, and gather some censors to remonstrate, and it would have been very, very difficult for Zhang Juzheng to pass so easily, even with the little emperor's clear support.

But Ge Shouli still suppressed the Jin faction censors and didn't let them talk deeply about this matter.

Confucius said in governing: "First, ensure sufficient food." Guanzi, in assisting the hegemon, also said: "Ritual and righteousness are born from prosperity."

Because the Great Ming Imperial Court is really poor, so poor that benevolence and righteousness are too luxurious for the Imperial Court.

The disciple taught by Zhang Juzheng, the Great Ming Emperor, is also a small man.

So when Gao Qiyu pleaded guilty, Zhu Yijun demoted Gao Qiyu to Liyang County, Suzhou Prefecture, to take back the land reclaimed by Ma Yilong.

Ever since Xu Zhenming mentioned that Ma Yilong's reclaimed land was encroached upon, the little emperor had always kept it in his little notebook. If Gao Qiyu did this well, the little emperor would really forgive him.

"See His Majesty." Xu Zhenming hurriedly paid his respects. The Great Ming Emperor really cared about agriculture and would come to see it every day.

"No need for ceremony. What are you busy with today?" Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Zhenming and asked with a smile.

"Making sweet potato starch," Xu Zhenming answered concisely.

There are three ways to eat sweet potatoes.

Fresh consumption, slicing and drying for long-term storage, and making starch.

And the auspicious sign that Xu Zhenming wanted to present to the little emperor today was making sweet potato starch into starch. Starch can be further processed into jelly, vermicelli, starch lumps, maltose, etc.

The fully washed sweet potatoes were carried up basket by basket and placed in front of a strange barrel. This wooden barrel had a wooden wheel with a handle on the outside, and inside the barrel, there was a thorn roller. Zhu Yijun looked at the wooden barrel and asked strangely: "What is this?"

Xu Zhenming couldn't explain it clearly either, so he directly said: "Work."

Saying it a thousand times is not as good as doing it once.

The washed sweet potatoes were continuously thrown into the barrel, and Xu Zhenming kept shaking the handle, driving the wooden wheel to rotate. The thorn roller inside the barrel began to rotate, and the jumping sweet potatoes were crushed into silk by the thorn roller.

These silk-like sweet potatoes were placed in a mortar next to them, and two people lifted a wooden hammer to beat the sweet potato silk until it became a paste.

Add a little water to the sweet potato paste, and then filter it through a hanging bag. The hanging bag was fixed by two crossed wooden sticks, and the four corners were hung with hanging nets, which were made of cotton and extremely dense.

After the sweet potato paste was filtered, the residue was piled on one side, and under the hanging bag was a white and uniform paste.

Zhu Yijun was also like a curious baby, working everywhere, constantly trying. These tools didn't require much strength.

"The thorn roller is made of steel and wood, mainly wood, and the nail teeth are made of sharp steel. The hanging net is very simple, densely woven from cotton thread." Xu Zhenming said to the white uniform paste: "After one day, the starch will be settled. Then filter it through a fine sieve to remove small residues, filter it through a fine sieve to remove residues, until there are no residues. Then take the starch block, hang it in a cloth bag to control the water, and air-dry it, and you will get starch."

"These residues can be used for brewing wine."

Zhu Yijun learned for the first time that 'sweet potato burn' (liquor) was brewed from sweet potato residue, not sweet potatoes.

The shelf life of fresh sweet potatoes is too short. Compared with traditional crops, the storage of sweet potatoes has always been a difficult problem. Once they sprout, they are prone to food poisoning. Even if they are sliced and air-dried, there is a risk of dampness. Making them into starch and using the residue for brewing wine can save a lot of grain.

How to quickly prepare sweet potatoes was also Xu Zhenming's most important work since the sweet potato harvest and planting beans to nourish the land, besides raising seedlings.

Now Xu Zhenming had succeeded.

"This thing is excellent. Send it to Grand Secretary Zhang for consumption." Zhu Yijun looked at the finished starch and said to Feng Bao with a smile: "The All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan is about to close, and the candidates are about to leave the capital. Send more of the finished starch, and let Grand Secretary Zhang also give the students from Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Qian some to taste and bring some back."

"Also send some to the All-Jin, All-Zhe, and All-Qi Guild Halls, and let the candidates bring back sweet potatoes, which can be considered promoting sweet potato planting. This thing is excellent for saving from famine."

The Imperial Court vigorously promoted sweet potato planting, mainly through military reclamation. Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, and Ma Fang were all given sweet potato seedlings as a supplement to the main grain.

And letting the candidates from all over the country who came to the capital for the exam bring some sweet potatoes home, using the gentry spread throughout the Great Ming to bring sweet potatoes to every corner of the Great Ming, this was auxiliary promotion.

Whether these gentry would promote it and how they would promote it, Zhu Yijun didn't explicitly say, but if they brought it back and someone planted it, it would be a great good deed. The gentry also didn't want to have their homes broken into by desperate commoners, their brains smashed, and their granaries robbed clean.

Zhu Yijun took advantage of the situation to promote sweet potato planting, not even letting go of the candidates coming to the capital for the exam.

Promoting sweet potatoes was a rare consensus between the Emperor, the Imperial Court, and the gentry.

Feng Bao took the order and left.

And Zhu Yijun and Xu Zhenming conducted a comprehensive summary of the process of making starch from sweet potatoes.

It was mainly divided into steps: washing, crushing, filtering, settling, removing upper impurities, adding water and stirring again, filtering through a fine sieve, settling again, removing upper impurities, taking out the starch cloth bag to set and control water, air-drying, crushing and drying, and storing for use.

Xu Zhenming said with a strange face: "Your Majesty, this is how nobles eat, paying attention to 'food not being tired of refinement, and minced meat not being tired of fineness'. It's only this troublesome because it's refined and detailed. Actually, just washing, crushing, filtering, and settling is enough. Those residues for brewing wine can also be eaten. Commoners don't pay attention to this."

When hungry, even Guanyin soil can be eaten.

After settling, filtering repeatedly is because this is for the Emperor to see and eat, so it is this cumbersome. If it were among the people, after settling, you could directly use a cloth bag to control water and air-dry it, and it could be eaten directly. There's no need for so much attention.

This is also the difference between what is used in the palace and what is used among the people. These few processes are the most time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Planting land in the palace is not planting land; it's serving the ancestors. What enters the palace is also particular about 'food not being tired of refinement, and minced meat not being tired of fineness', so it seems cumbersome.

Feng Bao took the starch and sweet potatoes made by the Baoqi Division to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan for a reward. This was the second time the palace had come to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan for a reward since the candidates entered the capital. This was to give face to Zhang Juzheng, the hall master, and also to break some rumors.

After Gao Qiyu's case, there had been rumors that the little emperor and the imperial tutor had parted ways and become enemies.

Zhu Yijun sent eunuchs to reward them again, which was saying: The relationship between the Emperor and the Grand Secretary is still extremely good. Don't listen to those wind-based rumors, don't lightly believe that the Emperor and the Grand Secretary are at odds, and don't think that the Great Ming Emperor and the Grand Secretary are fighting over power.

The little emperor gave Zhang Juzheng a lot of face, letting Zhang Juzheng show off in front of his fellow townsmen.

"The palace's intention is to let them bring back sweet potatoes to cut and plant. As for whether they can be planted or not, and whether they can live or not, it's considered knowing that this thing exists." Feng Bao explained the Emperor's intention in detail. Regarding the gentry promoting sweet potatoes, the little emperor was not very optimistic.

These gentry don't plant land themselves, and they can't even distinguish between wheat and rice. Expecting them to promote sweet potatoes is not as good as expecting them to submit memorials.

Zhang Juzheng looked at the starch and was stunned. He had dried a lot of sweet potato silk before, but later it got damp and spoiled, and he didn't make it into powder.

Xu Zhenming's method of making sweet potatoes doesn't require cutting into strips, air-drying, and grinding, but making it directly, which saves more manpower.

The palace recently had a kind of 'law wine', which is strong liquor. The little emperor named it 'sweet potato burn'. It is actually brewed from sweet potato residue.

Recently, a new type of strong liquor has appeared in the palace, which the little Emperor named "Sweet Potato Burn"; it is actually brewed from sweet potato dregs.

Originally, there were three hundred successful candidates, but seven were missing. These seven were found to have committed malpractice in the imperial examination malpractice case, and their scholarly status was stripped, and they were never to be employed again.

Stripping seven people doesn't mean filling the vacancies. This is also the convention. Filling vacancies is another round of biting. Who to fill, which family to fill—these are endless problems.

The palace examination is just a process. Zhu Yijun pointed out the top three, Feng Bao read a long imperial edict, and amidst the shouts of 'Long live, long live, long live', the imperial examination of the second year of Wanli officially ended.

Since they passed the metropolitan examination, they generally won't be dismissed in the palace examination.

Xu Fan took seventeen days to travel from Songjiang Prefecture to the Northern Yamen capital. After entering the capital, he was first escorted to the Ministry of Justice, and after being interrogated, he was prepared to be sent to Jizhou. Before being sent to Jizhou, Xu Fan was sent to the Northern Chief Military Commission.

Zhu Yijun summoned Xu Fan in the Baoqi Division.

Zhang Juzheng requested an edict before the New Year, requesting the Emperor to meet with outer officials, including meeting with wronged commoners. Xu Fan cried injustice in the Ministry of Justice, saying he didn't kill anyone. It was just going through the motions. Cases decided by court discussion and stamped with the Emperor's vermilion seal generally wouldn't be overturned so quickly.

It was originally going through the motions, but the little emperor rarely summoned Xu Fan into the palace to face the Emperor and state his grievances.

"Commoner pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live, long live, long live Your Majesty." Xu Fan knelt on the ground, no longer calling himself a minister, but a commoner. He no longer had official status.

"No need for ceremony." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Xu Fan, I know you are wronged, the Grand Secretary knows you are wronged, the Imperial Court knows you are wronged, and the local officials in the Southern Yamen know you are wronged. The people who harmed you know better than you how wronged you are."

"The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Luo Bingliang, has already investigated your murder case clearly. You didn't kill anyone, and you didn't hurt anyone."

Xu Fan sighed heavily and said: "Commoner has no strength to truss a chicken. I ask Your Majesty to clarify."

Killing and hurting people had nothing to do with Xu Fan. Xu Fan was a scholar; he really couldn't fight.

"Do you know who harmed you?" Zhu Yijun stood up and asked.

Xu Fan shook his head and said: "Commoner does not know."

"Gu Zhangzhi, his son Gu Shaofang, and the Guanglu Temple official Gu Jiuxi—the Kunshan Gu clan wanted to harm you." Zhu Yijun didn't sell the answer but directly revealed the mystery and the answer.

Gu Shaofang was scolded by Xu Fan and held a grudge. His father, Gu Zhangzhi, was the Prefect of Yingtian, so he created such a crime. First, to retaliate, and second, to deter the gentry of Jiangnan from submitting to the Imperial Court. If they dared to submit to the Imperial Court, Xu Fan was the price.

Now the Gu clan had directly become the chicken used to warn the monkeys.

Gu Zhangzhi and Gu Jiuxi were dismissed and sent to the Northern Chief Military Commission for questioning, and Gu Shaofang, who should have participated in the February metropolitan examination, was stripped of his scholarly status because of his crime. The Gu clan was also raided, their land returned to the Songjiang Town Water Navy, and the silver was escorted to the capital.

In Zhang Juzheng's plan, this chicken should have been the Xu clan, but the Gu clan jumped out themselves, shouting, 'Kill me, kill me! I have the biggest guts.'

Zhang Juzheng is a small man who speaks of profit, and the student he taught is also a small man whose heart is smaller than a needle's eye. This pair of ruler and minister are also evil people.

Since the Gu clan was shouting like this, Zhang Juzheng raised his knife and raided the Gu clan.

Jump, jump again! Behead them all.

The Gu clan, which had been passed down for more than two hundred years, was uprooted like this, and even because of marriage ties, several families with marriage ties to the Gu clan were implicated to varying degrees.

"Go and see the end of your enemies." Zhu Yijun took Xu Fan and headed towards the Northern Chief Military Commission Yamen.

Northern Chief Military Commission—this was not the first time Zhu Yijun had come. Last time it was the assassination case. The Northern Chief Military Commission was cleaned up inside and out, and this time the little emperor also greeted them in advance. The Northern Chief Military Commission even sprinkled some flower dew to cover the smell of blood.

Compared to the 'Jiekuyuan' where strangers were not allowed to enter, the Northern Chief Military Commission was not cold.

The interrogation began quickly, and Zhu Yijun was still in the back hall, not interrogating personally.

Zhu Xixiao looked at Gu Zhangzhi and Gu Jiuxi in front of him and shook his head. He took out the first volume of the case file and said: "Gu Zhangzhi, in the 43rd year of Jiajing, you bribed Xu Jie with paintings and calligraphy, worth more than 30,000 taels of golden flower silver, and were promoted from Prefect of Raozhou to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Censorate. Is there such a thing?"

"Yes." Gu Zhangzhi was silent for a moment, knelt on the ground, and confessed without reservation.

Since Zhu Xixiao took out this volume of the case file, naturally there were witnesses, physical evidence, and written evidence. This was a great evil of indulgence. Raozhou was on the lake and had many bandits, and the people were fierce and liked to fight. Gu Zhangzhi's two evaluations in the Raozhou Prefecture were both poor, so this promotion of Gu Zhangzhi appeared very abrupt.

Zhu Xixiao picked up another volume of the case file and said: "In the second year of Longqing, you bribed Xu Jie with various local products, worth 15,000 taels of golden flower silver, and concurrently held the position of Prefect of Yingtian. Is there such a thing?"

"Yes." Gu Zhangzhi confessed again. This was before Xu Jie resigned. In order to build a protective umbrella for himself in the Southern Yamen, Xu Jie's daughter married Gu Jiuxi. The Gu clan and the Xu clan were relatives by marriage. In the little emperor's words, this was a 'clan faction'.

"Starting from the third year of Longqing, you received more than 50,000 taels of golden flower silver from Xu Jie, and since then, you have repeatedly obstructed the Regional Governor of Yingtian, Hence Hai Rui, from thoroughly investigating Xu Jie's encroachment case. Is there such a thing?" Zhu Xixiao took out the third volume of the case file and asked.

"Yes." Gu Zhangzhi confessed.

Regarding the cases of Song Yangshan, Wang Daokun, Yu Dayou, Chen Lin, Zhang Jin, Zhang Cheng, Xu Fan, and others, during the court discussion, Hence Hai Rui repeatedly emphasized that these were all old tricks. The difficulties Hence Hai Rui encountered back then were almost identical, and he had a close relationship with the Prefect of Yingtian, Gu Zhangzhi.

Zhu Xixiao continued to interrogate. There were many case files. After the Gu clan was raided, many major cases were found. Zhu Xixiao interrogated for a long time, and Gu Zhangzhi didn't deny any of them.

In the heavenly prison, facing the iron-clad case files, arguing again was just asking for trouble.

Zhu Xixiao took out the last case file and asked: "Xu Fan murder case, one dead prostitute, one dead servant, four injured—who did it?"

"I instructed the local ruffian Huang Piao. Huang Piao was originally a serious criminal. I privately pardoned his crime and let him escape from prison, specifically raising wings, making friends with officials, and for the sake of heavy bribes, Xu Fan insulted my son, so I instructed Huang Piao to frame him." Gu Zhangzhi was silent for a moment and took this matter upon himself.

Zhu Xixiao said with deep emotion: "This was done by your son Gu Shaofang. He has already confessed clearly. Are you trying to take the blame for yourself?"

Gu Zhangzhi still insisted: "All kinds of evil deeds were done by me alone. My son reads books and doesn't listen to things outside the window. Huang Piao is a running dog under my door and wouldn't listen to my son's instructions. Naturally, it was done by me."

"Huang Piao also confessed that it was instructed by Gu Shaofang," Zhu Xixiao took out another piece of testimony and said: "Huang Piao's testimony and Gu Shaofang's testimony are consistent."

Gu Zhangzhi still insisted: "I instructed it."

Zhu Xixiao was indeed tricking Gu Zhangzhi.

Zhu Xixiao was an experienced official. He saw through this case at a glance. It was Gu Shaofang, the son, who instructed the running dog Huang Piao to kill and frame him. Gu Zhangzhi was just trying to wipe his son's butt, so he took the blame.

Who exactly instructed it?

Gu Shaofang and Gu Zhangzhi obviously had already communicated. Father and son always had to have someone take responsibility for this.

Zhu Xixiao said: "Gu Zhangzhi, you have secretly associated with and released fierce thieves, are insatiable for profit, have opened the door to bribery, and caused the corruption of the law and the competition of small people. You have confessed without reservation. This office recommends beheading immediately, to be sent to the Ministry of Justice and then to the Supreme Court for review. If you want to cry injustice, do it as soon as possible; there will be no waiting after the deadline."

Zhu Xixiao gave the opinion of the Northern Chief Military Commission Yamen: Gu Zhangzhi beheaded immediately, and the Gu clan exiled to the smoky and miasmic lands of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Qian.

The Northern Chief Military Commission is just a reference opinion; specific trials still require re-examination by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court.

"There is no injustice." Gu Zhangzhi heard Zhu Xixiao's judgment, knelt on the ground, and didn't intend to cry injustice, nor was there anything unjust about him.

Gu Jiuxi was completely different. He struggled and shouted: "He is not wronged, I am wronged! I just received a letter from my uncle and wrote a memorial. Why should I also be stripped of my official status and exiled to the border of Yunnan? I am wronged!"

"Xu Fan, do you think Gu Jiuxi is wronged?" Zhu Yijun asked Xu Fan in the back hall with a smile.

"Under the overturned nest, are there any whole eggs? Where is the injustice?" Xu Fan said helplessly. Gu Jiuxi was his brother-in-law; his sister married Gu Jiuxi.

As a result, Gu Jiuxi stabbed him in the back without hesitation.

"Whether it's wrong or not, if you shout, will someone respond?" Zhu Xixiao waved his hand and didn't pay attention to Gu Jiuxi's shouting of injustice.

Zhu Yijun revealed a smile in the back hall. He is who he is—the 'vengeful little emperor'.

Xu Fan submitted to the Imperial Court and was willing to cooperate with the Imperial Court. Gu Zhangzhi and Gu Jiuxi dared to move the Imperial Court's people. If he didn't chop off this claw, the gentry would follow suit and all want to usurp power.

"Xu Fan, your unjust case will have to wait until the land return matter in the Southern Yamen is settled before it can be overturned. When you get to Jizhou, preside over the land reclamation matter and make meritorious service. At that time, I can also speak for you in the court discussion and take the opportunity to overturn the case." Zhu Yijun gave instructions to Xu Fan.

The case cannot be overturned immediately. Only after the land return matter in the Southern Yamen is finished can Xu Fan's case be overturned.

Zhu Xixiao didn't pay attention to Gu Jiuxi's shouting of injustice. It's not that whoever shouts injustice can be summoned by the Emperor. Xu Fan was truly wronged, while Gu Jiuxi was not wronged at all. His charges included more than just writing a memorial; his charges were a whole basketful, more than Gu Zhangzhi's.

"Bring the case criminals, former Guangdong Maritime Trade Vice Commissioner Wang Bo and former Regional Military Commissioner Huang Qing." Zhu Xixiao didn't stop interrogating. Today's case was not just Gu Zhangzhi and Gu Jiuxi, but also two criminals from Guangdong, Wang Bo and Huang Qing.

Zhu Xixiao took out a volume of the case file and frowned: "The Regional Governor of Liangguang, Yin Zhengmao, submitted a memorial saying: 'In the 32nd year of Jiajing, the foreign ships heading to Haojing claimed that the boats hit the waves and cracked, and the tribute goods were wet, so they wanted to borrow land to dry them. The Maritime Trade Vice Commissioner Wang Bo accepted bribes and allowed it.'"

"'At that time, there were only a dozen or so thatched huts. Later, businessmen who sought illicit profits gradually transported bricks, tiles, wood, and stone to build houses, like a settlement. Since then, all the bays have been destroyed, and Haojing alone has become a den for foreign ships.'"

Yin Zhengmao gathered fifty ships to drive the little Portuguese into the sea, and also wanted to increase the tax on the little Portuguese to 20% as a punitive tariff to support the royal family.

"You two accepted bribes from the maritime trade, 500 taels of golden flower silver every year?" Zhu Xixiao couldn't help but ask. Wang Bo and Huang Qing only took 500 taels of silver every year, and they sold off Tunmen, Haojing, and other places to the little Portuguese?

It's simply ridiculous!

Even if you took more money, just 500 taels of silver, and you sold the land? Losing land is a capital offense!

"Those who start it will have no descendants. My Han palace laws—you two opened this precedent and harmed future generations!" Zhu Xixiao said with anger.

Wang Bo knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said loudly: "The red-haired barbarians in Macau only send 500 taels of silver in land rent every year, Commander, please clarify."

"That Yin Zhengmao is even more insatiable. In the fifth year of Longqing, Yin Zhengmao arrived in Guangzhou Prefecture and directly seized the 'que market' (tax market) we had established for more than ten years, privately taking a cut of foreign ships. Once it was 20%, and when the war was tense, it could even exceed 50%!"

Huang Qing hurriedly echoed: "Yin Zhengmao did all kinds of evil. He not only grabbed the tax market we established but also preyed on the gentry. Once there was no grain and pay, he would directly open the granary and use it. The gentry were miserable and dared not speak. Yin Zhengmao demanded bribes without limit. When the war was slightly tense, he would wantonly demand donations and force the gentry to pay grain and silver."

"In the two years he was in Guangzhou, he made at least 300,000 taels of silver, and his family was extremely luxurious."

"If you talk about greed, Yin Zhengmao is even greedier."

"Yin Zhengmao pacified the bandits and Japanese pirates. Was he in cahoots with the bandits?" Zhu Xixiao asked back.

Yin Zhengmao pacified the bandits and Japanese pirates. Was he in cahoots with the bandits?

Wang Bo had to answer: "That's not the case."

"Yin Zhengmao forced the red-haired barbarians to leave Haojing with fifty ships. Did you drive them away?" Zhu Xixiao asked back again.

"That's not the case."

"Did Yin Zhengmao lose land?" Zhu Xixiao frowned and asked.

"That's not the case either."

Zhu Xixiao then said with deep emotion: "The existence of the Macanese barbarians in Guangdong is like a carbuncle on the back; the existence of Japanese slaves in Macau is like a tiger with wings!"

"This year, the provincial graduates of Panyu entered the capital, and everyone said that the Macanese barbarians are becoming more and more arrogant, hiding Japanese slaves, black barbarians, and desperate people in Macau, not obeying the Han palace laws, and harming the countryside."

"The provincial graduates of Panyu ran around, asking the Imperial Court to drive out all the barbarians in Macau and return our Haojing land. You two, for 500 taels of silver a year, directly allowed the Japanese pirate troubles in the two Guang regions to be pacified. How much effort did you waste?"

The Japanese pirate troubles in Guangzhou were more complicated than those in Fujian and Zhejiang, and the complexity lay in the little Portuguese called the 'red-haired barbarians' in Macau, who hid Japanese pirates, black barbarians, and desperate people.

Yin Zhengmao pacified the bandits and Japanese pirates in Guangzhou. He was indeed insatiable, as everyone knew. Even Zhang Juzheng wrote to Yin Zhengmao three times, telling him to be less greedy. If he took so much, it made Zhang Juzheng's defense of Yin Zhengmao look a bit lacking in confidence.

It was only after Yin Zhengmao increased the tax on the little Portuguese to support the royal family that he was considered to have taken a little less.

Zhu Xixiao continued to interrogate Wang Bo and Huang Qing. These two people sold the land for 500 taels a year. If they had sold it for more!

"The red-haired barbarians are the submissive people of the Heavenly Dynasty!" Wang Bo made his final defense. In the two Guang regions, they all called the little Portuguese the submissive people of the Chinese Emperor.

Zhu Xixiao took out another piece of written evidence, which was a navigation log. It was seized by Yin Zhengmao after he drove the little Portuguese who occupied Haojing into the sea.

During the Zhengde period, the Great Ming had envoys from the little Portuguese, Huo Zhe Yasan and Tome Pires, in the capital. This navigation log could still be understood by the interpreters of the Imperial Court.

Zhu Xixiao said: "The log repeatedly mentions: 'The honor and dignity of the great and powerful Portugal have been trampled upon by the weak and bold Qin people. The dignity of Portugal, which must be maintained by conquest and the army, has been trampled into the mud in China. Once military power allows, finding back dignity is only a matter of time.'"

"From the log seized in Haojing, the little Portuguese have no submissiveness at all. Your statement that they are the submissive people of the Heavenly Dynasty cannot stand."

Zhu Xixiao was talking about the translated content. There were many such logs. For example, in the letters from missionaries to the Western Church and the King of the little Portuguese, it was written like this:

Even the Minister of Rites, Wan Shihe, who always had 'cherishing the distant people' on his lips, couldn't say the three words 'cherishing the distant people' after seeing these logs and contents.

Now Minister Wan Shihe always has 'Barbarians are wolf-faced and beast-hearted, fearing power but not cherishing virtue' on his lips.

Wan Shihe wished he could increase the tax on the Great Portuguese to 20%, instead of the previous 6%!

"You two cannot escape the responsibility of losing land. You have sheltered fierce bandits and Japanese pirates and red-haired barbarians. The evidence is solid. According to national law, I sentence you to be beheaded immediately. If you want to cry injustice, do it as soon as possible; there will be no waiting after the deadline." Zhu Xixiao investigated the cause and effect of this case and also drafted the opinion of the Northern Chief Military Commission.

Losing land must be beheaded.

After the case was tried, Zhu Yijun stood up, walked to the front hall with his hands, and bowed slightly to Zhu Xixiao: "Thank you for your hard work, Commander."

"I dare not accept it, I dare not accept it." Zhu Xixiao hurriedly returned the salute. The little emperor was so polite because Zhu Xixiao was the little emperor's martial arts teacher.

When have martial artists ever been treated with such respect? Every time, Zhu Xixiao felt great pressure.

Zhu Yijun left the Northern Chief Military Commission Yamen, and Xu Fan also went to Jizhou.

Fifteen days later, Zhu Yijun went to the Huangji Gate to supervise the execution. Gu Zhangzhi, Wang Bo, and Huang Qing were beheaded.

The executioner took out a bone-prying knife, inserted it into the spine, and broke the spine with a 'crack'. Then, with a wave of his knife, three heads were cut off and rolled far away.

After the news of Gu Zhangzhi's beheading and the Gu clan's exile reached the Southern Yamen, two different winds immediately appeared in the Southern Yamen.

The first wind was that the Gu clan brought it upon themselves, and the second wind was that the Gu clan was as wronged as Fang Xiaoru!

These two winds of public opinion intertwined and became more and more intense, and the speed at which the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen returned their armor and crossbows immediately became much faster.

If they didn't hand them over, the Imperial Court would really kill people and raid their homes. After raiding their homes, they would also be exiled. The Gu clan's land was all taken by Yu Dayou for military reclamation and building the water navy.

And some people seemed to have made up their minds not to return the armor and crossbows. The newly appointed Prefect of Yingtian, Li Le, arrived in the Southern Yamen and set up a banquet, asking people to send invitations to every household.

When local officials take office, naturally they meet the local powerful and wealthy. In the past, it was 'you are good, I am good, everyone is good' and harmonious. But this time, Li Le set up a banquet, which was clearly a 'Hongmen Banquet'.

Not coming? Tomorrow the Embroidered Uniform Guard will step on the door and invade the house.

Li Le painstakingly repeated the same words again.

The Regional Governor of Songjiang, Wang Daokun, promoted the broad blueprint of the Songjiang Maritime Trade Office.

Now, if you mix with the Imperial Court, are willing to trade land for shipping permits, and are willing to contribute to the grand cause of opening the sea, you will definitely have a great future! If you are unwilling to do so, then don't blame the Imperial Court for being ruthless. When the waves wash the sand, someone will always die on the dry shore.

Division, division, division. Zhang Juzheng's way of doing things is to divide and conquer, breaking them one by one.

Soon, the powerful and wealthy in the Southern Yamen honestly handed over all their armor and crossbows. The Songjiang Prefecture Maritime Trade Office was established under the spotlight of everyone.

And then it immediately fell into an awkward situation: no ships.

The shipbuilding industry is an extremely complex production chain, not something that can be achieved overnight, nor can it be that after an imperial decree, the whole Great Ming will be full of three-masted large ships in three or five months.

The shipbuilding industry was once the pillar industry of the Southern Yamen. But wanting to revive it is very difficult.

And one person walked into everyone's sight: the Governor of Luzon, Francisco de Sande.

The Great Portuguese have a shipyard in Luzon and can build four-masted large sailing ships and three-masted sailing ships. Governor Francisco of Luzon is willing to sell large and small sailing ships to supply the Great Ming's needs. The price is so expensive that you wouldn't necessarily be able to buy one even if you rolled in the fields for several lifetimes.

But the Great Portuguese's large sailing ships are indeed easy to use.

And the conditions proposed by Francisco de Sande are extremely excessive!

The update is a bit late today. Please vote for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter)