That night, Mu Chun and others returned to the military camp drunk. Mu Chun was even carried back by the Yi people, with several bamboo boxes behind him.
Ma Ye was eagerly awaiting the return of this precious treasure who could not be beaten or scolded. He smelled the pungent smell of alcohol from afar. This was not drinking, this was simply like taking a bath in a wine jar.
The Yi people reluctantly slammed the bamboo chair carried by four people to the ground, "We're here."
Ma Ye helped Mu Chun to stand up. The Yi people put down the box, carried the bamboo chair and left.
"This is Madam Shexiang's car. You're lending it to me. You're doing me a great favor, aren't you?" Mu Chun drunkenly opened a box, which was full of gold and silver utensils, women's white silver headdresses, and so on.
Ma Ye was confused: "What is this? Hasn't Madam Shexiang always refused to pay taxes?"
"It's a bribe given to me by the Shuixi family. Lord Ma used force, whipped and humiliated Madam Shexiang, but she didn't relax the tax. I'm afraid it won't work if I force her," Mu Chun staggered out a silver wine pot, looking very proud.
According to Muchun's description, he took his brothers to Xuanwei Mansion to collect taxes. Madam Shexiang was so seriously injured that she lay in bed and couldn't get up. She said she would talk about it another day.
Mu Chun looked like he was ready to negotiate, and said there was no rush and that everything could be discussed slowly.
Shuixi's family was overjoyed to see that Mu Chun had given in. They set up a banquet to entertain Mu Chun and even asked the most beautiful Yi girl to dance to entertain him.
After three rounds of drinks, Mu Chun and Madam Shexiang, who was supporting him in the hospitality, "demanded a bribe": "The amount of tax is huge, and it has to be paid every year. I am the eldest son of Xiping Marquis Mu Ying, and I grew up in the palace. I know the emperor and the empress well, and I can speak well of them. If you feed me well, I will speak well of the emperor and never collect taxes from your Shuixi family..."
Ma Ye: No wonder Marquis Xiping never requests to confer the title of Crown Prince on his eldest son. It turns out it’s not because he is partial, but because the eldest son is an evil child and the source of all evil!
Madam She Xiang said that she didn't have that much money at the moment, so she invited me to drink first. At the banquet, Mu Chun saw that the wine jugs, cups and bowls used in the banquet were all gold and silver. The Yi girls who were dancing to entertain the guests were wearing headdresses and bracelets weighing at least five kilograms, and even their ankles were covered with bracelets as thick as fingers.
No money? Isn’t this all money? "
"So I brought back all these gold and silver wine utensils as well as the dancers' jewelry and bracelets. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing to come back empty-handed!"
I have never seen such a shameless person!
Ma Ye was surprised. "My dear nephew, have you taken off all the girl's jewelry?"
Mu Chun shook his head: "I am a person with a bottom line. They all took off their clothes voluntarily. I didn't force them."
Mu Chun opened the last four boxes. "These are the gold and silver jewelry that Madam Shexiang gave me. This woman is really rich. She thought it was a bribe, but it was actually tax money. I will go there another day, and I will definitely get more. I will ask for a little each time, and a little will add up to a lot."
Ma Ye gave a thumbs up: "My dear nephew, you are really smart!"
Ma Ye waved his hand and said, "Put these boxes in the warehouse."
"No!" Mu Chun snapped the lids of the boxes and lay on his back on top of them. "I want to get this tax silver back. I'll put it in my private vault first. I'll find a reliable gold and silver shop and melt all these gold cups, silver pots, jewelry and so on, and cast them into gold bars and silver ingots. That way, I can pay my brothers. Otherwise, it's not decent to beg for food with a golden bowl."
Ma Ye smiled and said, "Okay, since the important task of collecting taxes and fees has been entrusted to my nephew, I will follow his arrangements."
Mu Chun took out a silver wine jug from the box and handed it to Ma Ye, "Everyone who sees it gets a share. Give it to Master Ma as a reward."
How could Ma Ye be so disappointed? He accepted it with a smile. Back at the big tent, the staff asked Ma Ye: "Use the tax to create a split between Shuidong and Shuixi, make them suspicious of each other, first destroy Shuixi, then destroy Shuidong, this is our plan, but Dong Weng asked Mu Chun to take over the tax issue, fearing that there would be complications. This person is too unreliable, he can think of any bad tricks, and there are too many variables when things are in his hands."
Ma Ye gave the wine pot to his staff and said, "I hope he will continue to be unreliable, harass the Shuixi family every day and demand taxes. When Madam Shexiang finds that she can't satisfy Mu Chun's greed at all and kills Mu Chun, we will have a legitimate reason to avenge Mu Chun and destroy the Shuixi family."
The staff praised: "Dong Weng is really smart! The Empress loves Mu Chun deeply and regards him as her own grandson. When the time comes, Dong Weng will make great contributions and avenge Mu Chun, and he will definitely be praised by the Empress. Dong Weng is a member of the Empress's family. In all dynasties, the Empress's father or brother was given the title of Duke of Cheng'en. Dong Weng is the Empress's closest cousin, so he can at least be given the title of Marquis of Cheng'en."
The staff were the teachers hired by Ma Ye. They were from a juren family and did not receive a salary from the court. They were supported by Ma Ye. The employment relationship was generally called "Dongjia". "Dongweng" is a more elegant term, for example, the tutor also called the master "Dongweng".
Ma Ye waved his hands repeatedly, "Don't say that. The Queen is a low-key person who only seeks stability, not family prosperity and wealth. The Queen will not agree to the appearance of a Marquis of Cheng'en in the court."
The staff said, "The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. Dong Weng's title was given by the emperor, not the queen. As long as Dong Weng gets rid of the Shuidong and Shuixi families and makes Guizhou completely submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay taxes and grain, this will be a great contribution to expanding the territory. When the time comes, there will be no need for the queen to ask. I have some old friends and connections in the court, and we will write to the emperor to confer Dong Weng the title of Cheng'en Marquis."
Ma Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "Although the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs, the emperor has always respected the queen. Before conferring a title, he will definitely ask for her opinion. If the queen refuses again, the emperor will not go against her wishes. I guess he will just give me property and land as before."
The staff sighed, "The Queen is second only to the emperor, and is above everyone else. She has a very good reputation among the people, a good reputation in the court, and a rock-solid position in the harem that cannot be broken. Everyone says that the Queen is virtuous and kind, but who knows the grievances of Dong Weng? Dong Weng has fought in many battles and made many contributions. Logically, he should be made a marquis - at least an earl, right? Even those Northern Yuan generals who surrendered to the Ming Dynasty were made earls. Why haven't you been made one yet? I feel sorry for Dong Weng."
This touched Ma Ye's heart. This aide had been with him for less than a year and was a capable person. Whether writing official documents or making suggestions, they were all to his liking. It was also this aide's idea to force the collection of taxes and insult and whip Madam Shexiang.
After all, Ma Ye was a member of the Ma clan, so it was not easy for him to express his dissatisfaction with Empress Ma in front of outsiders. He said, "The Empress is also thinking about the Ma clan. She is worried that the power of the foreign relatives will make the Emperor wary and bring disaster. Although our Ma family has never produced a high-ranking official or marquis, our family has been well-fed and well-clothed for generations, and has lived a stable life. No one dares to bully our Ma family members."
The staff said, "Dongweng, the most powerful relative in the harem is Concubine Guo Ning. Her two brothers are both marquises. Is the emperor afraid of the Guo family? No, he still trusts the Guo family and even lets Wuding Marquis Guo Ying take charge of the imperial guards. This is just the harem. Dongweng looks at the princesses of the princes. Which one is not from a wealthy family? Xu Da, Duke of Wei, has three princesses in his family. Princess Zhou is the daughter of Feng Sheng, Duke of Song, and Mu Chun's second aunt. The two brothers of Princess Chu are also marquises. They are also relatives in the harem. Why can the families of Concubine Guo Ning and the princesses be granted titles of duke and marquis, and inherit them without change, while the family of the queen of a country has to live in fear?"
Ma Ye was silent again: Yes, why? Others can be granted a title of nobility, why can't I? It's not because she is worried that the emperor is afraid of the power of his relatives, but because Empress Ma is willing to suppress the Ma family for the sake of her reputation as a virtuous woman...
The resentment already had its roots and was growing wildly at this moment. Ma Ye clenched his fists, trying to suppress himself.
The staff observed his expression and knew that the time was right, so they delivered a fatal blow: "Let's not talk about others, just talk about this young boy Mu Chun. He just arrived and he dared to shoot Dong Weng's whip with an arrow. The reason was that Dong Weng disturbed his nap and almost made Dong Weng lose face. Why? Because his father is the Marquis of Xiping, and you are just a commander who is not even an earl."
Ma Ye slammed his clenched fists on the table, causing the water in the teacup to splash out. "How dare you, you brat, bully me and humiliate me!"
The staff teased Ma Ye and said, "People look down on you, slander you, bully you, and humiliate you. What should you do? Ignore them. Be patient for another year. Dong Weng will pacify Guizhou, expand the territory, become famous, and be made a marquis and a prime minister. Then we'll see what happens."
Instigated by his staff, Ma Ye became more radical and planned to commit genocide to win credit and reward. Meanwhile, the leaders of the two families, Shuidong and Shuixi, who were divided by the river, Madam Shexiang and Liu Shuzhen took Mu Chun to visit the Yi village.
Today is the day for the Yi people's various mountain villages and tribes to "go to market". Everyone takes out the food they can't finish or the cloth they have woven to sell.
Although it was called buying and selling, in fact half of the people were engaging in the most primitive barter, exchanging grain for cloth, cloth for mules and horses, etc., and the other half were using some small white things as currency.
Mu Chun was stunned. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was dazzled: "Is this... a shell?"
"Yes." Madam Shexiang, who was sitting on a bamboo chair carried by four people, said, "Our place is remote, the mountain roads are difficult to travel, and we are far away from the sea. Shells are rare and are used as copper coins in the Central Plains. The land here is barren and the harvest is limited. We can be self-sufficient but it depends on God's blessing and good weather to have a full meal. We are so poor that you people in the Central Plains can't imagine it. If you don't see it with your own eyes, would you believe that we use shells as money?"
Liu Shuzhen handed Mu Chun a bag of shells and said half jokingly and half bitterly, "If we are forced to pay taxes, we will hand over piles of shells, and the emperor will probably misunderstand us as deceiving the emperor."
In front of us was a group of vendors selling salt, iron pots, kitchen knives and other daily necessities. They were all dressed in Central Plains style, speaking Sichuan dialect, half-baked Yi language, and using gestures and eyes to do business with the Yi people. They accepted small change.
Madam Shexiang said, "If a family has a little surplus, they can exchange it for gold and silver to buy salt and ironware at a high price. We have iron ore here, but we don't have the skills to smelt iron. This price is fair. In the mountains, the price may increase by a hundred times. Lord Mu, it is not easy for them to bear the military service and corvée labor of the court. If they are asked to pay taxes, they will really have no way to survive. Since there is no way to survive, they can only make a desperate bet and rebel."
Liu Shuzhen comforted her, "Shexiang, it may not come to this point where everyone is doomed to fail. We must trust Lord Mu."
Mu Chun raised his head to the sky and swore: "Although I don't understand why Ma Ye did this, I can guarantee that the emperor has no intention of exterminating the Yi people. All land under heaven belongs to the emperor, and all the people are his subjects. The Yi people are also the emperor's subjects. Even the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, as long as they are willing to abandon darkness and join the light, the emperor will treat them equally."
Madam Shexiang felt a sharp pain in her back. "But Ma Ye is the nephew of Queen Ma and the commander of Guizhou Guard. He has a large army and can use any excuse to destroy us at any time. Lord Mu has only a thousand or so trusted men. How long can he keep Ma Ye stable by using the excuse of asking for bribes?"
Mu Chun said, "You know Zhuge Liang, right? I want to learn from him and use the empty city plan here. I will use the excuse that I am eating, drinking and having fun in the Yi people's village and not wanting to return to the barracks. Then I will disguise myself and rush back to the capital. I will report this to the emperor and ask him to order the recall of Ma Ye to be held accountable."
Liu Shuzhen shook her head, "Lord Mu is the pillar of stability. If you leave, Ma Ye will always find a way to test the truth. If the truth is leaked, Ma Ye will be angry and destroy the Yi village. By then, the emperor's order will be out of reach. Lord Mu, we need you to negotiate with Ma Ye and delay time."
"What Lord Liu said makes sense." Mu Chun scratched his head, feeling torn. "But someone has to go to the capital to file a complaint."
Liu Shuzhen fixed her eyes and said, "I will go. I am a third-rank envoy appointed by the Ming Dynasty court. I have official seals and robes, and documents of appointment. The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict also knew me."
Madam She Xiang shook her head, "No, Ma Ye originally planned to attack our Shuixi family first. Once you leave, Ma Ye will definitely target your Shuidong family. When the time comes, the enemy is at the door, and the Shuidong family is leaderless, which will be even more dangerous."
Liu Shuzhen said, "The lips and teeth are interdependent. I will not be able to sleep or eat unless I completely trip Ma Ye. I will not bring anyone with me this time. I will ride alone for thousands of miles. The officials and trusted guards of the Xuanwei Mansion are all here. Ma Ye will not suspect anything."
Indeed, apart from the seriously injured Madam Shexiang, no one was more suitable than Liu Shuzhen herself to go to the capital to file a complaint.
Liu Shuzhen kept her word and secretly took the official seal, official robes, imperial decree, and the letter with Mu Chun's private seal, and rode alone for a thousand miles, seven thousand miles under the clouds and moon, traveling day and night to the capital.
Liu Shuzhen disguised herself and traveled non-stop, only taking a short rest when changing boats to travel by water. In just half a month, she reached the capital.
Following Mu Chun's instructions, Liu Shuzhen first went to the Jinyiwei Yamen, knocked on the door with the official seal and imperial edict, and found Mao Xiang, the confidant of Emperor Hongwu.
Then, with the introduction of Mao Xiang, he changed into official robes and went to Beijing to meet Emperor Hongwu.
Emperor Hongwu listened to Mao Xiang's retelling, frowning, "If it were someone else who dared to do such a rash and aggressive act as to exterminate the whole clan, I would have ordered him to be recalled and handed over to the Ministry of War for punishment according to military orders. But Ma Ye is the nephew of the Queen..."
After thinking it over, Emperor Hongwu said to Mao Xiang, "Go and call Hu Shanwei. Tell her everything, and then have her take Lord Liu to see the queen."
Emperor Hongwu gave face to Empress Ma, and how to deal with Ma Ye depended on the Empress's opinion.
When Hu Shanwei heard Mao Xiang talking about such a major military and national event, he was shocked at first, and then worried. "The Empress's wounds had just healed from the assassination in the Silkworm Room, and she hadn't had a few days of peace. Then, her nephew Ma Ye caused such a disaster, forcing Lord Liu to ride thousands of miles alone to file a complaint. The Empress must be angry and disappointed, and she must be depressed, which is not good for her health."
Mao Xiang said: "The emperor said that Ma Ye is at the disposal of the queen."
Hu Shanwei sneered, "Who doesn't know who the queen is? If this is true, Ma Ye will definitely die."
Hu Shanwei did not dare to say the last two sentences: The emperor knew this very well and was just using a borrowed knife to kill someone, asking Empress Ma to clean up the mess herself.
Although Hu Shanwei was worried about Empress Ma's health, he also knew that this matter involved the peace of Guizhou and the lives of tens of thousands of people, so he could not delay and immediately returned to Kunning Palace to report.
Empress Ma has been in good spirits lately, and was reading a book by the window. Upon hearing this, the book in her hand fell to the ground, and she murmured to herself, "Why is this happening? I believe that there has never been an empress in all dynasties who has restrained the relatives of the emperor's wife as well as I have. How could this happen?"
Hu Shanwei picked up the book and served the ginseng tea. "Queen, calm down. The Guizhou envoy Liu Shuzhen is already waiting outside the palace for an audience."
Empress Ma refused to drink tea. "The military situation is urgent. Quickly change my clothes and summon Lord Liu to see me."
When meeting court officials, Empress Ma had to take off her casual clothes and put on formal court clothes to show respect to the officials.
Liu Shuzhen had the wisdom to lead the Shuidong family and the courage to travel thousands of miles alone. When she met Empress Ma, although she was uneasy in her heart, worried that Empress Ma would protect Ma Ye, she remained calm on the surface. She spoke in fluent Mandarin, saying that Ma Ye had arrested Madam Shexiang in the name of resisting taxes, stripped her clothes, whipped her on the back, and angered the Yi tribe. Both the Shuidong and Shuixi families were angry, and the situation in Guizhou was serious and conflicts were on the verge of breaking out. At present, Mu Chun went in and out of the Shuidong and Shuixi families every day in the name of soliciting bribes, but in fact he was delaying the deterioration of the situation.
After that, Liu Shuzhen presented Mu Chun's handwritten letter. Hu Shanwei took the letter and handed it to Empress Ma, feeling that the letter was really hot.
It was not because of Mu Chun's letter. Hu Shanwei had recently followed Empress Ma's instructions and, in order to see the relationship between the harem and the previous dynasty, she began to learn about politics, not just the harem. She learned that the inheritance rules of the native officials in the southwest were not limited to men and women, and that the native officials governed the local people, did not pay taxes, but only performed normal military service and corvee labor.
If taxes were to be paid, the Ministry of Revenue, which was in charge of taxation, had to come up with regulations and formulate rules, and then the emperor had to issue an order before taxes could be collected. It was not something that a garrison commander could decide.
Empress Ma read it, her hands trembling slightly as she closed the letter. "Hu Siyan, you go with Lord Liu to Guizhou Xuanwei Mansion to convey my decree to summon Madam Shexiang to the capital. I want to question her in person. When you go to Guizhou, you must bring the gifts I give you to appease the Shuidong and Shuixi families. I also order Ma Ye to tie himself up and go to the capital to confront Madam Shexiang. You must wait for the Ministry of War to investigate the facts and punish her according to military regulations."
Empress Ma always advised Emperor Hongwu not to punish people based on his personal likes and dislikes, but to leave everything to the relevant officials to handle according to the law, so as to be fair and convincing to the people.
She also demands the same of herself, and even when she is furious, she remains calm and composed.
Hu Shanwei admired him very much.
Liu Shuzhen was overjoyed: Empress Ma was just as Mu Chun said, sensible, fair and just, and would never favor her clansmen.
On the day of her departure, Empress Ma took Hu Shanwei to the Imperial Study in the Qianqing Palace and made a request to Emperor Hongwu: "Hu Siyan wants to go south to Guizhou. I don't know what the situation in Guizhou is like at this time. If Ma Ye is desperate and does not obey my order, please give her something to ensure that the order is carried out."
Emperor Hongwu asked: "What is it?"
Empress Ma bowed and said, "I will personally grant you the imperial sword. Kill first and report later."
The author has something to say: In the early Ming Dynasty, many people in Yunnan and Guizhou used shells as currency. Xie Zhaoshuan's "Yunnan Lue" Volume 4 states: "All domestic trade uses silver and money, but only in Yunnan, shells are used. The shells are small and are produced in Fujian, Guangdong, and the nearby Laos. They are brought in bundles from thousands of miles away and stored in the market."
Liu Shuzhen was a female politician who was no less outstanding than Lady Shexiang. “Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles with Her Skirt Rolled Up” tells her story.
100 red envelopes will be given away tonight, and there is also a question related to the Shangfang Sword, with a difficulty of three stars. Hahahaha, please tell me, among the following well-known ministers of the Ming Dynasty, who died under the Shangfang Sword
Yu Qian
Yuan Chonghuan
Mao Wenlong
Sapphire