Chapter 384: Excellent Singer and Songwriter
People talked about national affairs in the hall.
The earlier quarrel seemed insignificant and was soon forgotten. The officials mostly talked about the war in the northwest, the reduction in grain production in the south this year, and taxation.
Some court officials raised some difficult questions in public.
Express your opinions and seek solutions.
Just like this, more than an hour passed.
However, most of the questions were directed to the Ministry of Revenue because they wanted money. Xia Wei had a straight face and only said one sentence: "How much money does the Ministry of Revenue have? Don't you know? You keep asking me for money, money, money! Who can I ask for money? Even if I give my life, I can't give so much money."
Emperor Ming Cheng was given a headache by the noise.
This is almost the norm. After a quarrel, the quarrel is finally put on hold because of lack of money.
Just at this moment, a young eunuch took out a stack of memorials, handed them to Jixiang, and then placed them on the dragon table.
Emperor Ming Cheng allowed the people below to quarrel.
He opened the top memorial.
After finishing reading, he looked at Minister Zhang with an unfriendly look.
The ministers below noticed something was wrong and the discussion gradually died down. Some officials followed the Emperor's gaze and secretly glanced at Minister Zhang, speculating whether Minister Zhang had done something to anger the Emperor.
Minister Zhang also discovered something was wrong.
Your Majesty, who are you staring at below?
If he had not been an official for so many years, he would have confessed or kneeled down to beg for mercy under the oppressive gaze of Emperor Mingcheng. Now he still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, praying that the person Emperor Mingcheng was looking at was not him, but the officials in front of or behind him.
However, he was bound to be disappointed in the end.
"Minister Zhang, Ministry of Works, Zhang Zhilu."
Emperor Mingcheng's words broke the silence in the hall and also shattered the hope in Minister Zhang's heart.
Minister Zhang stepped forward in fear and trepidation, lifted up the hem of his robe with one hand and knelt down, "I am here."
"Is Cunyi Bank your Zhang family's property?"
Emperor Mingcheng said this again.
The ministers present were all confused. Could it be that the Zhang family's bank had done something? Emperor Mingcheng did not look angry. It seemed that a storm was about to come. It seemed that the next sentence of Emperor Mingcheng would have Minister Zhang dragged out and chopped off.
Emperor Ming Cheng really wants to kill someone now.
How long has it been since he rewarded Ji?
He was slapped in the face by the Zhang family so quickly. If this matter gets out, where will his dignity as an emperor be? !
Minister Zhang replied in fear: "Your Majesty, Cunyi Bank is the property of the Zhang family, and Cunyi is the title bestowed by our great grandfather."
The next moment, a memorial was thrown in front of Minister Zhang.
"Read it yourself and give me an explanation after you finish reading it. I really want to know how dissatisfied your Zhang family is with me?" Emperor Mingcheng said in a dignified manner.
When Minister Zhang heard this, he was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, "I am absolutely not dissatisfied with Your Majesty. I have always been loyal to you, and the sun and the moon can testify to that."
Emperor Ming Cheng did not respond.
After begging for mercy, Minister Zhang still picked up the memorial on the ground with trembling hands and opened it to check the contents. After just one look, Minister Zhang's face turned pale.
Then, he said righteously and firmly, "Your Majesty, the content above is pure slander. Since our Zhang family followed Taizu to build the country, we have never had any second thoughts about the Great Xia Dynasty. Moreover, our Zhang family has grown up in this land for generations, and our deep feelings for this place are no less than anyone else present. I, Zhang Zhilu, dare to swear in front of my ancestors that if the Zhang family has even the slightest intention of betraying the Great Xia, I am willing to cut off my descendants and never reincarnate."
This serious statement came down.
Some people believe it, some people don't.
But since he could swear by his ancestors and descendants, Minister Zhang must be a ruthless man. He was not afraid that his ancestors would be so angry that their coffins would burst.
Emperor Mingcheng's attitude softened somewhat, "Okay, I'll trust you for now."
When Minister Zhang breathed a sigh of relief...
Emperor Mingcheng suddenly asked, "After Jifang donated tens of thousands of shi of grain, the Zhang family began to suppress Jifang. Is this true?"
"Your Majesty, please allow me to report."
Minister Zhang bowed his head and choked up as he said, "My elders and parents died young, and my family has long been divided. Since I entered the court as an official, I have no family to rely on. I have always worked diligently and never interfered with my family's business."
"But I don't believe it when it says that the Zhang family suppressed Jifang. When they assisted Taizu in conquering the world, the Zhang family accumulated a large fortune. But everyone in the capital knows that the Zhang family has many descendants, and every now and then there is an unfilial descendant, so the family fortune has been almost ruined. Among the legitimate descendants, there is only one Cunyi Money House left, and its business is half-dead."
"The Zhang family has long been in decline, so how can we suppress anyone?"
Minister Zhang's tears were streaming down his face, but he didn't cry out loud. However, the action of wiping away tears was very moving.
It feels like someone has stabbed me in the heart.
Qin Chi stood still.
There is no wrong version in the 1619 book forum!
After hearing what Minister Zhang said, he just wanted to say that life is like a play, and it all depends on acting skills.
He first swore an oath, then mentioned how his ancestors and Taizu conquered the world, indicating that the Zhang family was loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty. Then he talked about the decline of the family and cried sadly.
Tears are not only a woman's weapon.
Sometimes when a man cries, it is even more touching.
The anger that had risen in Emperor Mingcheng's heart when he saw the memorial from the prefect of Huai'an had now subsided by half without him noticing. Then, Emperor Mingcheng looked at Qin Chi.
Before Emperor Ming Cheng spoke.
Qin Chi was the first to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
"Okay." Emperor Mingcheng said.
Qin Chi spoke clearly and calmly, "I think what Minister Zhang said makes sense. In order to prove the innocence of the Zhang family, I suggest that Your Majesty hand this matter over to the Jinyiwei for investigation. The Jinyiwei are Your Majesty's people, so there is no need to worry about anyone daring to deceive their superiors or bend the law for personal gain during the investigation."
Emperor Ming Cheng had not spoken yet.
Minister Zhang was shocked.
Many officials in the hall wanted to say that it would be best not to offend Qin Qian'an.
This guy is really cruel!
Let the Jinyiwei investigate, they can find out a lot of things out of nothing. People present don't believe that the Zhang family can withstand the investigation.
Wen Gelao frowned, "You have to trouble the Jinyiwei for such a small matter. Is there no one available in the Great Xia Dynasty? To put it bluntly, this matter is nothing more than competition between merchants."
These words made Emperor Mingcheng, who was about to agree, hesitate.
This matter can be said to be big or small.
Emperor Ming Cheng thought it was a big deal. He was humiliated, wasn't it a big deal? However, in the eyes of these old ministers, it was just a small matter.
Qin Chi spoke again slowly: "Mr. Wen, this is wrong. Minister Zhang just swore that he would not betray Daxia. Even if I haven't read the contents of the memorial, I can tell that it is not simple. It has already involved the safety of the country, isn't it a big deal?"
Elder Wen looked at Qin Chi suddenly.
Having reached his current position, no junior dared to refute him. Qin Chi has now undoubtedly become someone that Wen Ge Lao dislikes.
If you don’t respect your elders, you will not be able to take on important tasks.