Chapter 96

Stepping into Yangzhou City again, looking around, it is another scene; the once prosperous streets have become empty.

Yangzhou under the rampant plague, merchants and travelers have long disappeared, and the residents in the city no longer go out.

Except for a few merchants operating grain, oil, and daily necessities, who were ordered by the government to do business, there has been no business on the streets for a long time.

Bringing soldiers into the city, Li Mu skillfully took over the defense of Yangzhou and presided over the anti-epidemic work.

The soldiers below are all familiar faces, and many were recruited by him at the beginning.

Those guys who dared to follow in public and oppose in private were all sent to be cannon fodder, and grass has grown on their graves at this time.

The gentry in the city also gave face and did not jump out to make trouble.

The same anti-epidemic order, after changing the person in charge, the execution intensity increased instantly.

It made a group of officials in Yangzhou Prefecture very jealous.

"Grand Secretary, everyone is amazing!

The Wucheng Military Commission is known, but the Yangzhou Prefecture government is not.

If this continues, I am afraid it will lead to a big disaster!"

Ren Renming frowned and said.

As the Yangzhou Prefect, he was very disgusted with the Wucheng Military Commission's behavior of snatching power.

The anti-epidemic he envisioned was that the soldiers of the Wucheng Military Commission listened to his command and implemented anti-epidemic measures.

It was not like this now, where all the sizes of affairs in the city were snatched by that group of hillbillies, making him, the Prefect, a display.

"What big disaster can there be?

The Wucheng Military Commission is the capital's garrison force; they can handle daily affairs in the capital, so why can't they handle the affairs of Yangzhou on behalf!"

Xu Wenyue said unpleasantly.

Looking at this acting Prefect appointed by the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel, he was full of fire.

If it weren't for this guy's incompetence, leading to the rampant plague in the city, he wouldn't have to bow his head to Marquis Wuyang.

According to past practice, the army is not allowed to intervene in local government affairs, but the Wucheng Military Commission is not an ordinary army.

In the capital, they are doing this kind of work; after arriving in the local area, it is nothing to do their old job.

As for overstepping authority and hollowing out the Yangzhou Prefect, it can only be said that he is unlucky; after all, the Wucheng Military Commission is responsible to the Emperor.

Forcibly suppressing people and listening to a local Prefect, Xu Wenyue does not think he has that face.

"Grand Secretary, I don't mean that.

You are an imperial envoy, but they didn't come to ask for instructions and acted on their own.

So arrogant and domineering, obviously there is hoarding troops to bolster one's own power..."

Before Ren Renming finished speaking, the teacup in Xu Wenyue's hand smashed at him.

After a "Bang" sound, the splashing water poured him a thorough cool.

Unable to care about the blood on his forehead, Ren Renming knew that he had completely offended Grand Secretary Xu, otherwise he would not have been treated like this.

"Grand Secretary, forgive me!"

"Grand Secretary, forgive me!"

……

Ren Renming hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy.

Among the officials present, everyone was terrified, and no one dared to step forward to help.

Smart people know that Ren Renming committed a taboo.

In order to vent his anger, he played the trick of sowing discord on his boss.

It's fine to use it implicitly, but this guy didn't know how to die and played it again and again.

"Get out!"

"Don't let this cabinet minister see you again!"

Xu Wenyue said coldly.

Not showing power for a period of time, the people below dared to fool him as a fool.

This trip to the south is to make achievements and pave the way for further progress, not to come here to fight with people.

The contradiction with Marquis Wuyang is just to show the Emperor.

Fighting to the death with all his strength will not do him any good.

For the Yangzhou Prefect, the whole world is Yangzhou Prefecture, but the cabinet minister's eyes contain the world.

Local gains and losses simply don't count.

Deep in his heart, Xu Wenyue's dissatisfaction with the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel also rose to the peak.

Asking them to send people over is to help do things, not to come here to stir up trouble.

Ren Renming not only has limited ability but also lacks vision.

Arranging this kind of person to come over, isn't it putting eye drops on him!

If it weren't for his quick reaction, seeing the essence of this guy in time, and keeping him by his side for reuse, he would have poked a big hole sooner or later.

With a bad impression, Xu Wenyue also lost the intention to reuse other officials sent by the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel.

The Qingliu party members failed in the political struggle, and the biggest reason is that there are too few people willing to do practical things.

It is not because of incompetence, purely because as long as you do things, you will make mistakes.

A group of colleagues does not look at the merits, but specifically picks the mistakes of the other side and falls into the well.

Internal friction seriously affected everyone's enthusiasm for doing things.

So much so that many officials do nothing, just relying on saying some ghost words that everyone likes to hear, to win a good reputation and be in a high position.

This kind of play is fine to deal with a muddled master, but it won't work after Emperor Tianyuan ascended the throne.

The Emperor likes practical officials, and the people below are forced to change.

The group of retired guys in the Nanjing Six Ministries obviously haven't seen the situation clearly, and they are still the old set of play.

After sending everyone away, Xu Wenyue secretly had a headache.

The situation in Yangzhou is thorny; no matter who serves as the Prefect, they have to clean up a pile of mess.

Frankly speaking, he really doesn't want to put his confidants in such a thorny position, and the probability of overturning in the future is really too great.

But now it seems that it won't work without his own people.

Those recommended by others simply cannot understand his intentions and follow his steps to govern.

"Huaichang, draft an official document for me, recommending Hanlin scholar Gu Youwen to serve as Yangzhou Prefect, and recommending Ministry of Revenue member Ma Cunzhong to serve as Yangzhou Assistant Prefect..."

Xu Wenyue said a string of official names in one breath, which scared Hou Huaichang a big jump.

"Grand Secretary, this is probably a bit inappropriate!"

Hou Huaichang hurriedly persuaded.

It is not that these people have any problems; on the contrary, their abilities are quite good.

If there were no outstanding points, they wouldn't have entered Xu Grand Secretary's eyes.

The trouble is that these people are Xu Wenyue's students and old subordinates.

Putting them all in Yangzhou Prefecture, the move of appointing people by favoritism is too obvious, which is easy to cause criticism.

"Rest assured, the current Yangzhou Prefecture is not the previous Yangzhou Prefecture.

Except for Yangzhou City, all three prefectures and seven counties below were captured by the rebels, leaving a super mess waiting to be cleaned up.

All factions will not put potential officials in these hot positions.

This cabinet minister taking the initiative to recommend people to come over is also to share the worries for the imperial court.

Forget it, this cabinet minister's status is indeed not suitable for recommending them.

Send a post to Marquis Wuyang; this cabinet minister wants to entertain him!"

Ultimately, reason occupied the upper hand, and Xu Wenyue gave up the idea of recommending them himself.

But people still have to be brought over, otherwise the aftermath work cannot be done, and he, the cabinet minister, should not think about getting out.

"Grand Secretary, Marquis Wuyang is also an imperial envoy; it is appropriate for him to come forward to recommend the vacant officials in Yangzhou.

However, he is at odds with you; if there is no sufficient return, I am afraid he will not easily agree."

Hou Huaichang stepped forward to remind.

Political transactions are not new things in the officialdom.

Even if it is an old opponent, when needed, they can cooperate.

What is feared is that Xu Wenyue needs it unilaterally, and Marquis Wuyang does not have the demand for transactions, so the price to be paid will be great.

"Rest assured, the needs of those relatives are different from ours.

Marquis Wuyang does not enjoy happiness in the capital, but runs thousands of miles to Yangzhou; what he wants is nothing more than a family business that can be passed down.

There are so many salt fields in the Huai'an region; if managed directly by the government, they will all fall into loss in a few years.

Instead of handing them over to the Eunuch Party to cause disaster, it is better to sell them to private management.

With Marquis Wuyang's status, it is not excessive to get one or two of them.

Besides, this cabinet minister needs someone to come over to clean up the mess in Yangzhou; doesn't he have confidants to arrange?"

Xu Wenyue said disdainfully.

If there is no demand, then create demand.

The alliance of nobles, relatives, and the Eunuch Party, besides the Emperor pushing behind the scenes, is also to share a piece of the cake from the salt industry.

The imperial court's finances are difficult, and more tax revenue is needed.

Either plunder from the people, plunder from merchants, or plunder from officials.

The former has reached the end; if it continues to be added, the cost of governance will rise sharply.

The Emperor does not dare to try easily, so he can only retreat to the second best.

The Great Yu Dynasty is a typical combination of officials and merchants; if the Emperor wants to make money, he can only choose to pull one faction and hit another.

The above is like this, and the below is no exception.

Xu Wenyue wants to make political achievements in the salt administration reform, and he also needs to pull more allies.

If the alliance of the Eunuch Party and noble relatives is not disintegrated, he, an empty imperial envoy, who will buy his account!

……

"Boom!"

A loud noise that rushed to the sky broke the silent night sky, and the entire capital shook.

Under the huge shock wave, countless houses turned into ruins, and the raging fire illuminated the entire capital.

The earthquake caused by the explosion spread from the capital to Hebei, and the surrounding prefectures all felt the earth shaking.

In the imperial palace.

Emperor Tianyuan, who was busy making people, was directly lifted from the bed by the huge aftermath, and his head hit the ground heavily.

"Ah!"

"Quickly summon the imperial physician!"

……

The Emperor was injured and unconscious; after receiving this bad news, the Empress and Empress Dowager also fainted.

A group of concubines in the harem were even more frightened and trembling, unable to preside over the overall situation at all.

The leaderless imperial palace suddenly fell into chaos, leaving only a group of eunuchs to preside over the work.

……

The unlucky ones were not just Emperor Tianyuan; under the violent shock wave, many noble mansions near the center of the explosion all turned into ruins.

Xingguo Duke Mansion, Nanyang Hou Fu, Pingyuan Hou Fu...

One by one, prominent big nobles all became history with the big explosion.

Only the raging fire proved that they once existed.