Chapter 423: Stirring Up the Storm Yan Shaoting

Li Tingzhu and Cao Wenbing were also helpless.

It’s not that they slandered Xu Pengju as a fool.

But this Duke is indeed a fool, and this title was given to him by the people of Nanjing.

As for this matter.

It was all because of this Duke of Wei. The reason why he was named Pengju was because his father once dreamed that Yue Fei of the former Song Dynasty said to him in the dream: I have had a hard life and was framed by powerful traitors. Now I will come to your family and enjoy decades of leisure and wealth.

So Xu Pengju was given this name.

Regardless of whether this story is true or not, Xu Pengju's father probably had high hopes for his son.

But after Xu Pengju inherited the title and took office as the Nanjing garrison commander, he encountered a mutiny in the Zhenwu Camp. He behaved without any decency and was filled with panic. Under the noses of the mutineers, he did not know how to appease and suppress the mutiny, but fled in panic, and was called a fool by the officers and soldiers.

Such a idiot.

Li Tingzhu and Cao Wenbing knew very well in their hearts that they could not rely on this incompetent Duke for today's matter.

The two were depressed for a moment.

Seeing that the officials of various departments in the secondary capital were in chaos and leaderless.

The duke and the uncle could only sit there and do nothing.

I don't know how much time passed.

Finally, there was the sound of carriages and horses outside.

Not long after.

Then a burst of heroic laughter was heard coming from behind the screen wall in front of the hall.

The crowd, who were originally in a mess, immediately shut up and turned to look over.

Xu Pengju, who had been sitting in the main seat, stood up quickly and walked to the corridor in front of the hall.

This fool Duke, with a big smile on his face, laughed and said, "Eunuch Chen, you are finally here. Now that something like this has happened, we need you to speak for us."

Li Tingzhu and Cao Wenbing, who were following behind to greet the guests, suddenly paused.

What the hell is going on!

The problem was also on the Nanjing Garrison Office's side, but this idiot actually wanted to rely on a eunuch in the garrison office.

And on the other end.

Chen Hong, the eunuch guarding the Nanjing Garrison Office, arrived late, or rather deliberately late, but his face was full of smiles, and he walked in like a spring breeze.

Chen Hong first raised his arms high and nodded slightly to the people in the hall.

Then he went up the steps and came in front of Xu Pengju. He glanced at the officials from various departments present and then smiled again.

"The garrison office is in the palace. Even though it's the secondary capital, we still have to follow some rules when we go out at night."

"I am late, please don't blame me, my Lords."

"If you want to blame us, we will host a banquet for you all at Jinling Tower tomorrow to apologize."

A few nice words were delivered lightly.

As for the rules in the palace that Chen Hong mentioned?

In this city of Nanjing, there are no such things as inner court rules!
But everyone present seemed less uneasy and worried, and they all forced themselves to smile. No one really blamed Chen Hong for being late.

Xu Pengju even grabbed Chen Hong's hands, smiling: "We are relieved now that Eunuch Chen is here. Now that such a big thing has happened, we are left in Nanjing, and we don't know what to do. Eunuch Chen came from the emperor to guard Nanjing. Now I think we should follow what Eunuch Chen says."

Seeing Xu Pengju like this.

Li Tingzhu and Cao Wenbing could only turn their heads away helplessly.

Out of sight and quiet in mind.

They really can't bear to look at this idiot duke whose title is higher than theirs.

However, the officials from various departments present had no intention of ridiculing Xu Pengju. Instead, they all nodded in agreement, as if the overall situation in Nanjing depended on Chen Hong.

Chen Hong looked at the reactions of the people present with a smile on his face.

He knew in his heart that after what happened today and after receiving the news from Huai'an Prefecture, these people basically had no time to discuss, but these literati all focused their attention on him.

A bunch of spineless bastards!

Chen Hong cursed inwardly.

At this time, Xu Pengju directly pulled Chen Hong and was about to send him to the upper level.

"Everyone is waiting for Eunuch Chen to speak. You have to make the decision on this matter. Please take a seat and speak."

Chen Hong raised his eyebrows, and quickly stopped Xu Pengju, saying with a smile: "My Lord, you are too polite, but this rule cannot be broken, so let's just sit down and do it."

After saying this, he did not give Xu Pengju any more chances and sat directly on the first chair on the left side of the hall.

Seeing this, Xu Pengju could only let it go and sat on the top chair on the right opposite him.

This way.

Instead, the main seat above was left empty.

At this time, everyone finally took their seats.

Chen Hong glanced at everyone present.

He raised his hand slightly.

Yang Zongqi, the Nanjing Governor and Minister of Grain, who was present, immediately said, "Eunuch Chen, I'm sure you know what happened today. Yan Shaoting came to Nanjing to take up his post under the order of the Emperor, and was assassinated by the White Lotus Rebels in Matou Town, Huai'an Prefecture. It's probably because young people are timid when leaving the capital, so they are recklessly checking the population and household registration of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River, as well as the financial and tax accounts, to rectify Nanjing's military affairs. Please build the Qingjiang Port Office."

Yang Zongqi opened his mouth.

Everyone present had already given him a thumbs up in their hearts.

Beautifully said!
With just one sentence, Yang Zongqi explained what Yan Shaoting was going to do as that the reason why he was so young and cowardly after being assassinated was that he was worried that it would be dangerous for him to serve as an official in the south. That was why he made such a big move. Before he even took office, he wanted to reorganize the military affairs in Nanjing and request the establishment of the Qingjiangpu Station.

In a word.

They attributed the incident to the young people being timid and cowardly.

in this way.

Nanjing can naturally use this to advance and retreat freely.

At least……

In name only.

Even Chen Hong couldn't help but take a second look at Yang Zongqi, the governor-general and minister of grain storage.

This Yang Zongqi is quite intelligent, being able to think of such words in such a panic.

Chen Hong said with a smile: "Yan Duxian received the order from his master to go south to serve as an official. After leaving the capital, he traveled thousands of miles south to take up his post. He was loyal to the court and worked for his master and the court."

As a eunuch from Beijing who served as the garrison commander of Nanjing, Chen Hong would naturally speak in favor of Beijing, that is, the emperor, on such major issues.

but.

After saying this, Chen Hong changed the subject: "However, what Governor Yang said is probably not wrong. Governor Yan has made great achievements in the court in recent years and has brought millions of dollars to the court. But after all, he is only a young man in his early twenties, so he must be a little lacking in courage. But Governor Yan also suffered an assassination attempt by the rebels himself. If it were me, I'm afraid I would be scared too. This is understandable."

Beautiful!
What Chen Hong said was even more beautiful than what Yang Zongqi said.

Everyone present looked around.

Everyone knew that since Chen Hong could sit in the position of eunuch guarding Nanjing, he must have some real ability.

Isn't this clear evidence right now?

Talk and talk.

First, he saved the emperor's face, then he praised Yan Shaoting's contributions to the court, and then he echoed Yang Zongqi's words.

But in the final analysis.

He said so much about this matter, but he didn't mention a word about Yan Shaoting's plan to rectify Nanjing's military affairs and use it as an opportunity to investigate the affairs of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River.

This damn eunuch.

Some people were already cursing the slippery Chen Hong in their hearts.

Yang Zongqi was anxious and said quickly: "Eunuch Chen, it is just as you said. Although it is understandable for young people to act like this, we cannot let them do what they want. If this is the case, not to mention that our various ministries and offices will be even more busy, I am afraid that Jiangnan will be in chaos!"

As he spoke, Yang Zongqi's eyes quickly glanced at the officials from various departments present.

He then continued, "Right now, this news has only been sent by Huai'an prefect Li Youzi. Yan Shaoting's revised letter has not yet entered the city, so we still have room for maneuver. If he really enters the city and sends orders to the various government offices, even if we want to express different opinions, I'm afraid he will use the royal flag and the emperor's decree to force us to execute it."

Chen Hong glanced at Yang Zongqi who was pressing forward step by step, and slowly lowered his eyelids, looking at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose, actually acting as if he was cultivating his energy.

Looking at Chen Hong's actions, Yang Zongqi was extremely anxious.

He didn't care how Yan Shaoting would reorganize the Nanjing guards, nor did he care how Yan Shaoting would check the population of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River.

But I have to make sure Yan Shaoting really wants to investigate the financial and taxation accounts of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River.

Although the financial and taxation matters of the six provinces in Nanjing are under the Ministry of Revenue.

However, his own Nanjing Governor's Grain Storage Office is in charge of the storage and transportation from various places in Jiangnan to the capital.

Places related to the capital.

If Yan Shaoting really found out something that was not hidden well, it would be a greater crime than the problem with the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue.

The same thing happened in the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue. It may be that the official hat of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue was lost.

However, if it happened in the place where I was responsible for storing and transporting grain from the south to supply the capital, I would be afraid that not only would I lose my official hat, but also my head.

Facing Yang Zongqi's relentless pressure.

Chen Hong was also helpless.

Although he was sent from the palace to guard the secondary capital Nanjing.

But that wasn't a good statement.

As the saying goes, those who take from others are grateful, and those who eat from others are soft-hearted.

During the years when he was guarding Nanjing, he ate and took things, and many times he ate and took the most.

Unavoidable.

Chen Hong was also annoyed.

Why did the master send Yan Shaoting to Nanjing?

Isn’t this Yan Shaoting the God of Wealth of the Ming Dynasty mentioned by the master himself?

Shouldn't the master keep the God of Wealth by his side all the time to make money for him and the court?

Even if someone else came, I'm afraid he wouldn't stir up trouble and cause chaos in the whole city of Nanjing before he even arrives.

Chen Hong was thinking at this moment that even if he had asked his father Yan Shifan to come to Nanjing instead of Yan Shaoting, the matter would not have developed into the current situation.

If Yan Shifan came.

It was just a matter of going on a boat trip on Xuanwu Lake with the Duke Xu Pengju, or spending the whole day in Jinling Tower alone.

No matter what.

It was just to let the officials from various departments in Nanjing city take turns to accompany the young cabinet minister to ride horses and have fun in Yingtian Prefecture every day.

How come there is this old saying that goes, "A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a mouse's son will dig holes."

Wait until it's Yan's turn.

But isn't this the old saying?
Or is it that Yan Shaoting is not the son of his father Yan Shifan?
Chen Hong was feeling very upset at this time.

But he couldn't just ignore Yang Zongqi's words and the officials from various departments in Nanjing who were gathered here tonight.

You never know when these spineless people will think of pushing me out and throwing me into the pit to drown me.

These guys have no form when it comes to serious work, but they are all experts at doing this kind of thing.

Chen Hong opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Zhang Shunchen, the Minister of Finance in Nanjing.

He smiled and said kindly, "Minister Zhang."

Zhang Shunchen looked up when he heard the voice.

He was also feeling a little upset.

I didn't want to get involved in this matter. Even though I knew that Yan Shaoting's coming to Nanjing would definitely cause trouble, I have always wanted to live a stable life and return to my hometown to retire when the time comes.

But everyone reacted strongly, and I am not a saint, so how can I be immune to the reaction? I just sat there and watched these people in Nanjing gather to discuss things while I hid at home and did not go out.

in this way.

If Yan Shaoting hadn't come, he would have been pushed over by these people to take the blame because he was sitting on the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing.

really.

next moment.

Chen Hong said, "You are the Minister of Finance in Nanjing. Our Governor Yan said that he wants to check the population and taxation accounts of the six provinces in Jiangnan. All these matters will fall to the Ministry of Finance. What do you think should be done about this matter?"

It turned out that Chen Hong was indeed talking about himself, the Minister of Revenue.

Zhang Shunchen couldn't help but sigh silently in his heart.

But everyone present looked over here as Chen Hong said.

Yang Zongqi, who had made a special trip to the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing upon learning that Yan Shaoting was going south to take up his new post, immediately looked over with his eyes wide open.

In front of everyone.

Yang Zongqi also smiled and said, "Yes, Minister Zhang, Yan Shaoting wants to check the household registration and accounts in Jiangnan. This is all in the hands of your Ministry of Revenue. It is reasonable for you to have a say in this matter."

With Chen Hong and Yang Zongqi speaking one after another.

Everyone present responded immediately.

Without him.

No one wants to take the blame.

No one has an idea now.

Nothing can be done.

He even thought about whether he should resign from his official position.

Zhang Shunchen could only feel bitter in front of everyone, but he said with a smile on his face: "Eunuch Chen, Governor Yang, and everyone else, the young Governor Yan who has not yet entered the city has come south to take up his post, but he has received the emperor's order and is holding the banner of the king's order. If he really writes to the various departments and offices in Nanjing to do something, would you and I dare to disobey the emperor's order?"

In a word.

The court of the garrison office suddenly became silent.

Yes.

No matter how much they resisted in their hearts, Yan Shaoting was ultimately carrying the emperor's order and going south to take up his post under the banner of the king.

Openly opposing Yan Shaoting and his legitimate demands would be tantamount to disobeying the imperial order and openly defying the imperial decree.

Resist the decree?

That's a capital crime!

Yang Zongqi was getting more and more angry. "It's neither right nor left. Is it true that if you stick your head out, you'll get a knife. If you hide your head, you'll get a knife too? When Yan Shaoting enters Nanjing, will we really have to obediently hand over all the past accounts to him?"

Zhang Shunchen frowned and whispered, "If he really wants to check the population and household registration, financial and tax accounts, and we don't have the courage to disobey his order, we can only let him check it!"

Yang Zongqi looked around and asked, "Could it be that after all of us gathered here tonight, this is the outcome?"

He was so angry.

Finally, Yang Zongqi looked up at the incompetent Duke Xu Pengju.

"My Lord, Yan Shaoting is using the excuse of reorganizing the military affairs of the Nanjing Guards to do this. Please tell me what we should do!"

Yang Zongqi was already a little angry at what he said.

Everyone present knew it.

What can we expect Xu Pengju, this incompetent Duke, to do?

Xu Pengju was so annoyed when he saw Yang Zongqi calling out his name.

The fact that I'm a stupid Duke, haven't you heard of Yang Zongqi?

Damn it, he's asking himself for advice.

Do you think you are the ancestor of the Xu family?

Xu Pengju opened his mouth for a long time before he spoke in a muffled voice: "This matter... This matter... I... I can't handle it... We can't just burn all the accounts or throw them into Xuanwu Lake..."

After saying this, Xu Pengju raised his head and closed his mouth.

Anyway, I am a fool.

Everyone in Nanjing city knows about this.

Yang Zongqi was already full of rage, and now he heard this idiot Duke say this.

Suddenly he couldn't bear it anymore.

There was a bang.

Yang Zongqi slammed the table and stood up, staring at Xu Pengju with his bloodshot eyes wide open.

"it is good!"

"Since Duke Wei has made such a suggestion."

"Then let's do this!"

"Burn all the accounts of the ministries and government offices!"

"Damn it, I don't believe that Yan Shaoting can find out anything even though the account is gone!"

Xu Pengju, who wanted to continue being a fool, was instantly frightened.

He stood up in panic and looked at the furious Yang Zongqi with horror.

This guy wouldn't really do that.

Everyone present also looked at Yang Zongqi with horror in their eyes.

Burn the account.

If this gets discovered, it'll be a capital crime!
…………

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(End of this chapter)