At the same time, the outside of the palace became more and more heated.
Many prefects impeached Zhou Zheng, and the matter of colluding with Jianlu was almost done. I don't know how many ruling and opposition parties followed suit.
The high-level imperial court struggled more fiercely with regard to Zhou Zheng.
The three ministers of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households, and the Ministry of Industry suddenly joined forces to protect Zhou Zheng, and there was a quarrel in the cabinet.
The Ministry of War insisted that all actions of Zhou Zheng were approved by the Ministry of War. The Ministry of War was not ineffective. Zhou Zheng did not act without authorization.
The Huhu said that Zhou Zheng’s money and grain came from Yongping, Hejian and Tianjin Wei’s commercial taxes, and the Huhu collected 100,000 yuan a year, which was not privately granted and the emperor knew it.
The Ministry of Industry claimed that the artillery built by Zhou Zheng came from the Tianjin Military Armament Bureau and was approved by the Ministry of War.
As the three scholars spoke in unison, the others were struggling even if they wanted to attack. In addition, the cabinet was secretive and refused to speak out. As a result, the quarrel was continuous and unresolved, and it was difficult to decide.
The supervisors naturally refused to give up, and one after the other, the memorials flew into the Secretary of General Political Affairs, and Zhou Zheng was guilty of the heinous, and would not give up!
The supervisors were biting, and the top officials of the court were arguing, and the Qing Palace was naturally unable to decide.
This drag was dragged to the end of September.
Royal Palace, noon.
Chongzhen is only in his twenties, but the whole person is as old as fifty, with his hands behind his back, and he is pacing in the imperial garden with a tired expression.
Normally at this time, Chongzhen was reviewing the memorial. The reason he came out was because he felt breathless and couldn't support his body, so he had to come out and take a few steps.
In September, the flowers were flourishing, and the breeze came while the butterflies and birds were flying, which relieved Chongzhen a lot.
Chongzhen was followed by four or five inmates, cautiously, not daring to breathe.
Chongzhen looked at the flowers in front of him, frowned again, patted his head vigorously with his right hand, and sighed: "It's really not a moment of comfort..."
A young eunuch, only seventeen or eighteen years old, looked at Chongzhen’s back, his eyes grumbled, and he stepped forward politely: "Long live master, but what is bothering you? Maybe the slave maid can help him out..."
Chongzhen didn't look back, and said, "You can solve it? Those college graduates can't help it. What can you solve? Just talk about Zhou Zhengyun. How can you solve it?"
The little eunuch dared not speak immediately, lowered his head, and did not dare to speak out.
Zhou Zhengyun's affairs are very sensitive. Before he can figure out the emperor's mind, who would dare to speak a little more
Chongzhen saw no movement behind him for a long time, so he sighed helplessly, cried and smiled again, carried his hands on his back, and continued to walk forward.
At this time, Li Zhong hurried over from the outside holding a thick stack of memorabilia, watching Chongzhen pacing aimlessly, and whispered: "Long live Lord, a few generals in Liaodong, a few from Hejian Mansion. This magistrate has written the memorial for impeaching Zhou Zhengyun."
Chongzhen sat down in a pavilion and said lightly: "Are you saying that Zhou Zhengyun is arrogant and domineering and cronyism?"
Li Zhong put the memorial book on the stone table and said, "Yes."
Chongzhen has recently received too many memos of this kind, and is no longer interested. Just about to drink tea, as if he suddenly woke up, he looked up at Li Zhong and said, "By the way, there is no one. The letter is written for Zhou Zheng to plead. ?"
Li Zhong bowed, cautiously said: "The slave and maidservant have been to the Tongzheng Shisi, but there are a few copies, but they have not been sent."
Chongzhen's withered face was suspicious, and said, "It was not delivered? Why? Who did it, and what did it say?"
Li Zhongdao: "It was a few adults in the opposition who pleaded for Zhou Zhengyun, hoping that Long live Lord would be extra-lawful. After all, Zhou Zhengyun has done a lot to the country, and everything he does is for the country, not for personal gain, and not for the crime of rebelling against the enemy."
Chongzhen's expression was relieved a lot, and he nodded, and then said, "What is the voice of the ruling and the opposition?"
Li Zhong looked at Chongzhen's expression without moving his expression, and said: "The slave servant heard that there are already some people in the imperial court preparing for the governor of Denglai and officials at all levels, as well as the reward for the victory of Dongjiang Town."
Chongzhen frowned, his eyes were irritable, and said, "Are they so impatient?"
Li Zhong kept staring at Chongzhen’s expression, and slowly said: "Long live master, slave servants have also heard that in addition to Zhou Zhengyun, Zhou Qingli Zhou, and Zhou Zhengyun’s brother Zhou Hengping, there are also some civil and military officials and generals who have had contact with Zhou Zheng. , Were impeached, and the Zhou family’s property was also blackmailed. Zhou Zhengyun’s wife was begging for help with her big belly, no one dared to take care of it... By the way, the memorandum of Master Zhou Qingli’s petition seems to be gone."
Chongzhen's brows jumped at hearing, and finally looked at Li Zhong, and said in a cold tone: "It's gone?"
Li Zhong quickly bowed his head and said, "I didn't go to the Superintendent of Liturgical Affairs. It should be because the Secretary of Political Affairs was taken away."
The corners of Chongzhen's face tightened, and he was obviously about to get angry. At this moment, an inmate hurried over and said, "Long live master, Wen Ge asked to see him, saying it was about the construction of the captive mission."
Chongzhen didn't want to see any outsiders now, but he couldn't help but he could only suppress his inner anger and said, "Xuan."
Wen Tiren was a little fat and walked relatively slowly. He came to Chongzhen and said straightly: "Your Majesty, the ambassador for peace talks is a little impatient and wants to leave."
Chongzhen snorted coldly, and said: "Laughter! They really think that I, Daming, cannot put down Liaodong and regain Shenyang?"
Wen Tiren didn't speak anymore, with no expression on his fat face.
In the Ming Dynasty, Denglai, in eastern Liaoning, could be said to have more than 100,000 troops, but there are very few who can actually go north to crusade against Shenyang. More people are worried that if it fails, the situation will be reversed.
Therefore, many people in Daming yelled at Ping Liao, but the high level was calm.
Chongzhen also vented his anger. He was very clear in his heart. He paused for a moment and said, "If they want to leave, let's go. I ask you, what is the cabinet going to do with Zhou Zheng?"
Wen Tiren looked at Chongzhen's expression, wandering in his heart, and said: "Chenfu listens to the hadith."
Chongzhen looked dissatisfied and said: "What I am asking about is your attitude!"
Wen Tiren hesitated and said, "Zhou Zhengyun deceived the court and did his own thing. Even if he has done a great job, he can't condone it. The minister suggested severe punishment."
Chongzhen became more and more impatient, and said, "How to punish severely?"
Wen Tiren hesitated for a while, saying: "Thinking of Dongjiang Town's victory, depriving all official posts, sentenced to one year in prison, and never used it."
Li Zhong listened, and suddenly interjected: "Will this be too heavy? I'm afraid it will chill the frontier generals, and the ruling and opposition parties will be agitated."
Wen Tiren glanced at him without speaking.
Chongzhen listened to Li Zhong's words, his eyebrows tightened, his eyes flickered for a moment, and said, "Zhou Zhengyun has done a lot, and it is indeed a little heavier. Let's do this, deprive him of office and go to jail for half a year, eternal... Others are determined by the three divisions. So be it."
Never using it is the biggest punishment for an official. Chongzhen words have been exported, and they have been taken back abruptly.
Wen Tiren raised his hand with a constant expression, and said, "The minister accepts the decree."
After the matter was finally over, Chongzhen felt quite comfortable, and said, "Cao Bianjiao, Jin Guoqi and others transferred from Denglai and belonged to Cao Wenzhao's temperance. He ordered Cao Wenzhao to eradicate Shanxi banditry as soon as possible!"
"Chen Zunzhi." Wen Tiren raised his hand and said. (End of this chapter)