First Minister of Ming Dynasty

First Minister Section 534

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, "That's right, I still hope to raise your hands high!"

"Hahaha! It looks like you still don't understand! Someone, take them away!"

In an instant, the soldiers in charge of tax collection rushed up and took Lao Zhu and his party away... The tax collector held the treasure, laughed, and said to himself: "Take you, this is mine too!"

7 Chapter Forty

Emperor Zhu and several of his followers were captured.

But it's not a big problem. After all, Tongzhou is close to Beiping. People may be arrested and imprisoned in this area, but they won't kill people casually.

Especially for things like tax evasion and bribery, even if it is a capital crime, it must be squeezed out first, and then it will be justified and executed.Besides, beside Lao Zhu, it was obviously not just these few people, there were also Jin Yiwei who disguised themselves as merchants to protect Lao Zhu.

If there was real danger, they would definitely rush forward regardless of everything, but now they are a little confused, His Majesty the Emperor has been imprisoned in Daming's prison, logically speaking, there should be no danger, should they come forward?

Would the emperor be displeased by just exposing his identity like this?

And if the identity is leaked, will it cause danger?

This group of people had such complicated thoughts and thought about so many things, the result was self-evident, and Emperor Zhu was taken away smoothly.

Do not be silly!

Hurry up and report to Queen Ma!

At this moment, Empress Ma was in the imperial tent. Opposite her, Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Di were also there. They came to greet His Majesty the Emperor.

Because Lao Zhu made a special decree not to allow the courtiers to mobilize the crowd to welcome them, the governor Chu Qi and the others did not come, that is, Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Di came.

Facing these two, Empress Ma didn't hide anything, so she told about Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhang Ximeng's face turned dark quickly, as for Zhu Di, his face turned green, dad!You are my dear father!

If you don't do this, what should I do if something happens to you?

If you don't have an accident, doesn't it mean that the officials in Beiping are not good enough, and I still can't do anything!

So no matter what the result is, I will not end well.

"Queen, you have to save me!"

Empress Ma sighed softly, and suddenly smiled, "What can you do? Your father has been in Beijing for a long time, and he finally came out once. If you want to visit privately in micro-service, white dragon fish service, let him do it! Maybe If you're having fun, I can reward you! You don't need to be afraid if your mother and Mr. Zhang are here."

Zhang Ximeng rolled his eyes, but he didn't take it all in. As we all know, it's easy to overturn when playing with the white dragon fish costume.If nothing else, Zhang Shuning overturned.

A man as old as Zhu Yuanzhang is not as sensible as his own child, it is hopeless!

Zhang Ximeng slandered crazily, at this moment, the people from Jinyiwei ran back, they looked inside frantically, saw both Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Di were there, and didn't know what to say or not.He was hesitating when Empress Ma saw it.

"Come in, tell me if you have anything to say!"

A Jin Yiwei came in quickly and told about Lao Zhu breaking into the tax card and being arrested instead of bribery. When Empress Ma heard this, she couldn't help laughing.

"It deserves it! Try this, try that, and end up trapping yourself, let him stay in the prison! If he lives for three or five days, he will be honest."

Obviously, only Empress Ma can say this, Zhang Ximeng hurriedly said: "Empress Empress, I will go to the prison now, and quickly bring your Majesty to the fore."

Empress Ma was taken aback, she was just joking, how could she really ignore Lao Zhu, so she nodded and said: "Mr. Zhang's work is naturally safe."

Zhang Ximeng got up and was about to leave when Zhu Di followed behind, "Sir, I too..."

Wait until he finished speaking, Empress Ma reached out, grabbed Zhu Di's arm, and pulled him to her eyes.

"Silly boy, what are you going to do? If your father is angry, he should yell at you again. Wait until Mr. Zhang persuades him and everything is fine. You can see him again."

Zhu Di quickly agreed, and it was still his mother who loved him.

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Di, the little guy from back then had grown so much taller, "Are you thirteen this year?"

Zhu Di nodded honestly, "It's almost my birthday."

Empress Ma thought for a while, then suddenly said: "The queen mother will be your matchmaker, how about a daughter-in-law?"

Zhu Di was shocked, "Mother, I, I am still young, not busy, not busy!"

Empress Ma glared at him, "Why are you busy! You are in Beiping by yourself, and there is no mistress in the palace. No one will take care of you after cleaning. This will not work. The queen mother will find you a wife. Someone is taking care of you!"

Zhu Di was really a little surprised, but his experience told him that it is best to follow my mother's words, otherwise this matter is probably more terrible than arresting my father.

"Queen, who are you going to find? Is there a suitable candidate?"

Empress Ma laughed, "Why not! I plan to choose Xu Da's eldest daughter. You two played together when you were young. How about it? Do you want to?"

Zhu Di was dumbfounded, he was nothing but surprised, why did the queen mother speak to his heart when she said it!

"Sister Xu is naturally good, but I see that Wei Guogong doesn't think much of Hai'er."

Empress Ma couldn't help laughing, "It's a shame that you still have some self-knowledge. It's a matter of human effort. As long as you agree, mother will help you think about it."

Empress Ma smiled, and reached out to pat Zhu Di on the shoulder.

"It's so old, and my mother is also old. If I can watch you get married, have children, and live a stable life, my mother will have no regrets."

Empress Ma muttered softly, Zhu Di looked at the white hair on the sideburns of his mother, and couldn't say anything... Today's Zhu Di is probably the most honest day since he was born, and he can only agree to what Empress Ma says , dare not disobey at all.

But Lao Zhu on the other side was in a much worse situation. The tax collector arrested him. How can I describe it? Lao Zhu didn't know whether he should be happy or angry.

At least the tax collectors in Beiping still work. It is a bit difficult to rely on bribes to pass the customs easily.

That's a good thing!

It's just that it's a bit deceiving to be escorted to the prison next.

Because this is not the kind of heavily guarded cell at all, but an open space randomly circled, similar to a barn.

There are still a lot of people imprisoned here, and those attendants peeked at Lao Zhu, thinking that we should show our identities and get out of here quickly, otherwise this miserable place doesn't even have a shed, in case of wind and rain , If you freeze you again, it will be treasonous.

But Zhu Yuanzhang didn't mean that. Isn't it just the open air? When he was begging for food in the early years, he spent more than three years eating and sleeping outside, and he was used to it.

There was nothing wrong with this little difficulty, he was quite curious, how come there is not even a prison in Beiping?

What the hell is the fourth child doing?

Zhu Yuanzhang was pushed in without saying anything.

After they came in, they gradually discovered that the prisoners here were transferred from all over the world.

Not long after Lao Zhu and the others came in, someone escorted a group of prisoners, fifty or sixty, and they were sent in.

Among this group of people, there was a guy who seemed to be squeezed out. Others were sitting around him, and when he wanted to get close to him, he was glared at by others, and he backed away in fright.

He looked around, then walked towards Lao Zhu.

This person looks like he is in his 20s, and he looks very young, but he is just walking all the way, and he is very embarrassed.

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, smiled at him, and found that Lao Zhu didn't repel him too much, so this guy had the courage to lean over.

"Brother, what crime did you commit to being locked up?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and muffled, "I did something I shouldn't have done!"

This person couldn't help but want to laugh. Didn't everyone who came in do things they shouldn't have done?This guy is really funny!

"Brother, to be honest, I was really wronged! Tell me, now all over the country are arresting three aunts and six wives, and opposing them to protect the media. You said that I fell in love with a girl, but I was sued in the end. What is this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly taken aback, could he still be wronged?

"Let me ask you, are you changing customs now, are you doing it very violently?"

"Fierce! Fierce!" The man immediately said: "I heard that it was first reported from Jiangxi...all the messy people were arrested. Three aunts and six wives, street ruffians, and those who gave All the thugs who let me help were arrested... By the way, there are still many fake monks and Taoists, and they can't escape. The temples and ancestral halls built without permission were also burned!"

Hearing what he said, there was a smile on Lao Zhu's face. What he likes most is cleanliness and strict law enforcement.

"You were arrested too, don't you count as one of them?"

The man shook his head quickly, "No, I, I just fell in love with a woman, and then I was sued, so I was arrested and sent to Peiping."

Old Zhu frowned, "You are on good terms with him, no matter whether you agree or not, it is wrong to arrest you, let alone send you so far away? What's going on? Could it be that the local officials have wronged you?"

Old Zhu said: "If you are really wronged, we can still find a way."

The man suddenly smiled awkwardly, "Actually, it has nothing to do with the magistrate. They sued the woman's family."

"Family? Her parents?"

"No, no!"

"Then, who is that?" Old Zhu asked.

This person had no choice but to say: "Yes, it's her husband!"

In an instant, the air was silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang clenched his fists, chatting so lively, he turned out to be a scumbag!

Lao Zhu felt that talking to him made his mouth dirty!

If it weren't for this place, I really want to slap him a few times!

Seeing Lao Zhu glaring at him, this person quickly said: "I, I don't think it's a big deal, who is not confused for a while! Just like you, brother, you were also arrested! I was thinking, let's take care of each other in the future, It can create another piece of our sky!"

Zhu Yuanzhang simply didn't bother to listen, and turned his head to the other side.

But this man was still not reconciled, "Brother, I have made inquiries. All prisoners who have arrived in Peiping will be arranged to do hard labor. The best way is to go to the gold mine. As long as they find gold, they will be able to live in poverty within three to five years." Turn around. Or go to the ranch, raise cattle and horses, and save some money... just don't go logging, logging is tiring..."

This guy was quite clear about it, but at this moment, someone came in and went straight to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"You, and the rest of you, come out with me!"

Hearing the roll call, Zhu Yuanzhang got up, including those few followers, also stood up, and came out together.

It looked like he was being interrogated, but the person who came to deliver the order had cold sweat on his palms and his whole body was already shaking.

When they entered a room, the guy who sent the order fell to his knees and collapsed on the ground.

Zhang Ximeng sat inside, glanced at Lao Zhu, and said, "My lord, here is hot tea, warm your stomach first! Turn around and lose your temper!"

Chapter 741 A Reward From Old Zhu

Zhu Yuanzhang took the teacup and wanted to drink it down. When he reached his mouth, he suddenly said, "Mr. Zhang, what happened this time?"

"My lord, don't worry, there are not many people who know about it... That is, the minister, the queen, the king of Yan, Jin Yiwei, the one who just sent the order, and maybe the tax card in the future, and the prison cell, yes, and the secret protection..."

"Enough!" Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the table angrily, and roared, "Don't you think we're not ashamed enough?"

Zhang Ximeng couldn't help laughing, "My lord, you are an emperor, you should read more memorials. Our Ming Dynasty is prosperous and the people are peaceful, the sky is mighty, the people are healthy, the folk customs are simple, we don't pick up lost things on the road, and we don't close our doors at night..."

"You are talking nonsense!" Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he slapped the table repeatedly, and shouted: "We have all seen it, it is different from what you said! It is not the same at all!"

Zhang Ximeng sighed helplessly, "I just said, Your Majesty shouldn't come out to wander around."

"you!"

Old Zhu suddenly laughed again, and he was very happy. He raised his neck, drank the tea, and said to Zhang Ximeng, "Why is your tea much better than the one in the palace?"

Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "That's natural, I'm the best!"

Lao Zhu glared, "What about ours? We are an emperor, don't we drink top-quality drinks?"

"Naturally it's the best, anyway, that's what the palace says."

Old Zhu's anger flared up again, Zhang Ximeng just smiled, "My lord, there are many people in the palace, and the consumption is also high. There are only so many princes and princesses, and there are a lot of concubines. The best quality tea is only in that amount. If the division is not good, there is a difference, and you will be in trouble at home! There is no way, you can only control the level, so that everyone is the same, this will save trouble!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a dark face: "You are sophistry! If they don't give us the best tea, they are deceiving you!"

Zhang Ximeng couldn't help laughing, "My lord, I have been away from Beijing for a few days. I don't know if I have changed it or not. There is a high probability that I will not change it. I remember that the best grade for purchasing tea and medicinal materials in the palace is first-class, or Class A, but there is never such a word as the best... How should I put it, the things in the palace are good, but that's all. The best things will naturally not be given to the lord!"

"Then you Zhang Xianggong has it? How can you use it well?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked loudly.

Zhang Ximeng said righteously, "My lord, I bought it with my own manuscript fee, is there something wrong?"

Old Zhu was at a loss for words, just drank his tea in suspense, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly murmured: "Sir, Peking is not easy, is it?"

Zhang Ximeng also restrained his smile and became serious, "My lord's words are very true. In fact, too much embarrassment has gathered in Beiping. The conflicts accumulated over the years have all been transferred to Beiping. Right now, [-]% of the exiled prisoners in Ming Dynasty are sent to Beijing." When you arrive in Beiping, it can be said that there are villains everywhere in Beiping. Here, you must take precautions first, and don't be deceived by others!"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought of the situation in the so-called prison, and he knew it clearly.

In the recent period, especially since Jiangxi began to investigate the three aunts and six wives, change customs, and all kinds of prisoners have been sent to Peiping.

Not only Jiangxi province, but also other provinces are doing this.

It's not just about corrupt officials, bandits and bandits, three aunts and six wives... In fact, as long as they think they are immoral and have some problems, they will all be distributed.