In the second year of Jingrui, Bingwu in October, Xuande Hall.
Today is the Grand Court Meeting held every half a month, and all civil and military officials above the fifth rank in Beijing are present. Zhu Yunxuan launched the attack suddenly. When the ministers had nothing to say and the court meeting was about to end, the emperor personally ordered Zhang Can, the commander-in-chief of the Jingnan Camp, and Liu Qizhong, the deputy commander-in-chief, to come out, and asked them about the number they had dialed from the Ministry of Household Affairs last year. The whereabouts of the payment.
The two of them were quite calm, Zhu Yunxuan answered whatever questions he asked, when the money was allocated, and when they distributed it.
"Really?" Zhu Yunxuan's voice was deep, sitting high on the throne so that people couldn't see his expression clearly, "Why did the imperial court allocate the salary in September and wait until February next year?"
The commander-in-chief Zhang Shen replied cautiously: "The military salary of the imperial court is paid every six months. Because it is necessary to check the details, settle the items one by one, and then send it to everyone, it will indeed take some time. The payment of the military salary will be delayed for a few months... It's customary."
The officials in the court began to discuss in low voices, but they didn't understand why Zhu Yunxuan suddenly asked about this matter, not to mention the camp in the south of the capital, all the camps in the capital and provinces are the same, there is no delay in the payment of the military salary, and it will be paid three and a half months late That's not bad, but the situation of the garrison in those places may be even more serious in arrears of payment.
Everyone was puzzled when they heard the emperor on the throne say in a deep voice: "A few days ago, someone reported to me that the two of you had deducted the military salary allocated by the imperial court to open a gambling house and sell loan sharks for profit. Gao Xing, the censor of Zuoqian capital of the court, went to investigate in private, and confirmed that there was indeed such a thing, as well as evidence of fingerprints of relevant witnesses, what else do you two have to say?"
Before the named censor, Lang Sheng explained the whole story of what he had found out. The more Zhang and Liu heard it, the paler their complexions became, and they knelt down on the ground covered in sweat.
Zhu Yunxuan asked again: "Do you agree with what Gao Yushi said?"
Zhang Shen trembled his lips and was speechless for a while, when the deputy commander named Liu Qizhong suddenly rushed to the front, and Liang Zhen, who had been silent all this time, shouted: "King Zhao, save the last general!"
The hall, which was still a little noisy, fell silent in an instant. At this moment, everyone realized that the emperor specially chose to attack the two commanders of the southern battalion during the grand court meeting. The king of different surnames in military power.
Zhu Yunxuan's cold eyes slowly moved to Liang Zhen: "What does King Zhao have to say?"
Liang Zhen raised his eyes and looked at the emperor whose face was almost blurred on the throne.
Zhu Yunxuan... He did it on purpose. Gao Yushi is Zeng Huai's student. Although his official position is not high, he is one of the few available people left by Zeng Huai to Zhu Yunxuan. Zhu Yunxuan specially arranged today's trip and caught him by surprise. .
After a lengthy silence, he said, "I have nothing to say."
Zhu Yunxuan raised his hand, and ordered people to detain Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong, and deal with them after the case was clarified.
The two panicked and shouted Liang Zhen's name, Liang Zhen didn't turn his head, and no one dared to step forward to intercede, so the two were dragged down in full view.
Zhu Yunxuan stopped talking and directly announced the disbandment of the court.
Royal study.
Liang Zhen stayed alone, Zhu Yunxuan dealt with the political affairs at hand and ignored him, until Liang Zhen took the initiative to ask him: "The minister is not strict, why didn't your majesty deal with the minister together?"
Zhu Yunxuan did not raise his head, but was still flipping through the memorial in his hand, and said lightly: "King Zhao is joking, although King Zhao is in charge of the defense of Gyeonggi, he is not from the Southern Camp after all, the one who committed the crime was the chief soldier and deputy chief soldier of the Southern Camp. Prince Zhao was implicated, and besides, King Zhao has always been the one who handles me, how dare I deal with you, King Zhao."
Liang Zhen's pupils shrank slightly: "I didn't know about this matter before."
Zhu Yunxuan stopped writing, and finally raised his eyes to look at him, with a bit of sarcasm in his eyes: "Really? King Zhao's hands and eyes are open to the sky, and you know exactly what people have done in private, and you keep saying that you want to help me." To purify the imperial court, how could it be your own cronies who didn’t know about it?”
"...I haven't been to Nanying for a long time." Liang Zhen didn't explain too much, the more trusted he was, the easier it was for him to let his guard down. It was indeed his negligence, and there is nothing much to argue about.
"Then King Zhao thinks, how should I deal with these two people?"
"Your Majesty has already made up his mind, hasn't he?" Liang Zhen looked at Zhu Yunxuan, "If we find out what they did, His Majesty will deal with it according to the law."
Zhu Yunxuan sneered: "Won't King Zhao intercede for them?"
"Will His Majesty give you a light sentence if you intercede?"
Zhu Yunxuan stopped talking, Liang Zhen stood quietly for a while, sighed inwardly, and left.
Within ten days, the Ministry of Criminal Justice and the Metropolitan Procuratorate had thoroughly investigated what Zhang and Liu committed. They only started doing this last year. Delaying military pay is a common practice in the military. They are also very careful. Even though it was an empty-handed, white-wolf business without money, the embezzled money would be paid out according to the amount after it was recovered, and even more rewards would be paid in various names, so no lieutenant had ever expressed any concern about the delay in paying the money. Not dissatisfied, but also very supportive of the two of them, so that they can keep cheating.
In the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong knelt in front of Liang Zhen and begged him tearfully: "My lord, only you can save us. For the sake of our loyalty and swearing allegiance to you, please save us... "
Liang Zhen lowered his eyes: "This king can't save you, His Majesty should sentence you to exile. When you are on your way, this king will send someone to send you more money. Go outside so you can reform yourself."
Zhang Shen excitedly said: "My lord, we are all waiting for you!"
Liang Zhen reminded him in a cold voice: "This king never asked you to do such things for this king. It was your own desire to see money and violated the laws of the country. Your majesty wants to punish you for your crimes. How can this king save you?"
"The last general refuses to accept! At the beginning... if you hadn't ordered me to mobilize troops and horses to suppress the forces of all parties in the center of the capital, how could your majesty have successfully obtained the throne?! Now that the throne is firmly established, he will be killed. Donkey! Not only does he want to deal with us, but he also wants to deal with you, my lord! Why do you have to defend him all the time, my lord!"
Liu Qizhong threw himself in front of Liang Zhen, his fists clenched, his eyes wide open: "My lord, why did you give up?! That position should be yours! As long as you give an order! I will chase whoever you are against that ungrateful man!" What about the emperor?!"
"Shut up!" Liang Zhen sternly snapped, his expression even colder, "I am here today because of the friendship we had with you two in the past, I hope you can repent and turn over a new leaf. If there is a chance in the future, you may return If you can come back again, if you continue to say such treasonous words and go to the land of exile in the future, whether it is good or bad, this king will not be able to help you any more."
The faces of Zhang and Liu were ashen, no matter how much grievance and unwillingness to resign, Zhang Shen said: "Your Majesty, you know that the person he is targeting is you, and he only wants to cut off your power when he treats us. Are you going to sit and wait like this?"
There was a trace of bitterness in the dark eyes, Liang Zhen said in a deep voice: "This is between me and him, and no one else needs to question it."
In half a month, after vigorously exiling Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong, Zhu Yunxuan ordered the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Officials to nominate a new candidate for the Southern Camp Commander. Zhu Yunxuan did not immediately agree with Jiang Sheng, the other deputy general of the southern battalion. Instead, he summoned Liang Zhen and asked him, "What does King Zhao think of Jiang Sheng?"
"Courageous, resourceful, and upright, although his qualifications are still young, he can be of great use," Liang Zhen looked back at him calmly, "If your majesty trusts him, you can use him."
Zhu Yunxuan said coldly: "The two capital camps are in your hands. Even without Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong, this Deputy Commander Jiang is also a confidant trained and trained by you, King Zhao. It would be the same if he changed it. I believe it or not. What's the point?"
"Since that's the case, why should His Majesty ask the minister?"
"This nomination has already passed Zhao Wang's eyes, right?"
Liang Zhen didn't deny it, Zhu Yunxuan narrowed his eyes lightly: "You have made up your mind that you don't plan to hand over the military power of the two capital camps, right?"
Liang Zhen didn't say a word, looked at him deeply, and smiled suddenly after a while: "Your Majesty, I have said that if you want military power, you can find a way to get it yourself, but I will never take the initiative to give it to you, otherwise I will give it to you today." The military power is given to you, tomorrow will be the second Zhang to join Liu Qizhong."
Zhu Yunxuan calmly reminded him: "Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong saved at least one life. If King Zhao is willing to let go now, it would not be a bad idea to be the second Zhang Shen and Liu Qizhong."
Liang Zhen shook his head with a smile: "Does Your Majesty want to drive me away? But I really can't bear to part with you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yunxuan cast a cold gaze: "Since King Zhao insists on this, I have nothing to say to you."
"...Then the candidate for the Southern Battalion Commander?"
Zhu Yunxuan drew a red circle on the nomination note, and then slammed it at Liang Zhen: "You'd better tell this Jiang Sheng not to make mistakes for the rest of his life, and don't let me catch him!"
Liang Zhen bent down and picked up the playbook, put it back on the imperial case, and reminded him softly: "Physician Fang said, Your Majesty, you must not get angry, the fetus in your womb..."
Zhu Yunxuan stood up and walked away.
Liang Zhen didn't follow, looking at Zhu Yunxuan's back, the smile on his mouth gradually faded, he closed his eyes lightly, turned and left.
Back in the inner hall, Zhu Yunxuan gradually let go of his clenched hands, his palms were covered with sweat, but he couldn't stop laughing until his eyes were red at the end.
Gao An helped him to sit down, handed him the letter, and whispered: "Your Majesty, a letter from the Duke."
Zhu Yunxuan tore open the envelope, it was Zhu Yunjing's reply letter, he will come to Beijing in a month or so, He Huailing has not been back to the capital for so many years, this time he will be escorted back to report on his work.
"Just in time..."
Zhu Yunxuan murmured in a low voice, he waited for so long, finally, finally saw hope.