Hearing Yang He's words, Xu Hongji was slightly startled, but without too much hesitation, he picked up his clothes and knelt down on the ground, saying loudly: "Your Majesty the Duke of Wei, Xu Hongji, accepts the order, long live my emperor!"

Unfolding the imperial edict in his hand, Yang He cleared his throat and read with a serious face: "Since I came to the throne, I have been close to the people and diligent in government, and I dare not forget it day and night! The lineage of Wei Guogong in Nanjing, after Prince Jing of Zhongshan, has made great contributions to Nanjing.

Nanjing, the place where Taizu Taizu established the capital, was a top priority, and the administration of officials was particularly important. Today, there is Yang He, the censor of Zuodu in the Duchayuan, who is an upright and honest official and worthy of a heavy responsibility. He is ordered to serve as an imperial envoy to serve on behalf of the emperor.

The sky patrols and hunts, and wherever you go, it’s like I’m personally personally involved!”

Xu Hongji, who was kneeling on the ground, had a very serious face, but he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He really didn't know what he was going to say. I'm afraid it's time to get down to business!

"Xu Hongji, the Grand Governor of the Central Military Governor's Office in Nanjing, Wei Guogong, is well aware of the situation in Nanjing and is loyal to the imperial court. He is specially appointed as the deputy imperial envoy to accompany the imperial envoy Yang He to inspect the administration of officials and pacify unjust prisons. I appreciate this!" After Yang He finished reading,

Then he closed the imperial edict and dragged the imperial edict forward with a serious face.

"Your Majesty, Duke Xu Hongji of Wei, accepts the decree. Long live my emperor!" Xu Hongji quickly bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, reached out to receive the imperial decree, and stood up with Yang He's support.

Looking at Wei Guogong Xu Hongji with a smile, Yang He cupped his hand and said: "The Duke of Guo, who lives in Jinghu, and is an important minister of the country, can get help from the Duke of Wei. I will live up to the emperor's trust in this trip to Nanjing."

!”

Yang He's attitude was very polite. Xu Hongji naturally didn't know how to reach out and hit the smiling person. Xu Hongji was not a playboy who didn't understand the world! Yang He returned the favor and said with a smile: "Mr. Yang, you are polite.

Regardless of whether there is an imperial edict or not, if you have anything to say, Master Yang, just say it!"

There was no expression on his face, but Yang He didn't think so in his heart. If there was no imperial edict from the emperor, you, Duke Wei, would definitely push six, two, five! Yang He would not say this, and said to Xu Hongji with a smile: "What's the matter?

I also need to rely on the Duke of Guo a lot. This is Nanjing after all, and the Duke of Guo must be familiar with it!"

"Master Yang, is it the king's land in the whole world, and the king's ministers are on the shore of the land! No matter where he goes, Mr. Yang is an imperial envoy, so naturally no one dares to object!" Looking at Yang He with slightly narrowed eyes, Xu Hongji

He said with a smile.

The two people looked at each other and suddenly laughed. It was obvious that they had reached a tacit understanding through the conversation just now.

"Mr. Yang, can you tell me now? Why did the emperor send Mr. Yang here this time? Since the emperor has issued an imperial edict, naturally he will not just let me watch from the side. Since I am useful, Mr. Yang

You might as well tell me!" Xu Hongji picked up a bowl of tea and said with a serious face.

Wei Guogong Xu Hongji knew very well that Emperor Tianqi wanted to use troops! Otherwise, he would never have issued such an imperial edict. If he wanted to use troops in Nanjing, this case would definitely be serious. Although he had some guesses in his heart, he was not sure.

Nodding slowly, Yang He's eyes flashed with solemnity, he dipped his hand in the tea bowl and wrote a word on the table with his finger!

His pupils shrank slightly, and Xu Hongji's face twitched a few times. It was obvious that he did not expect that Emperor Tianqi would really dare to touch this place. However, he also understood in his heart that this was because the emperor was forced to panic, otherwise he would never have reached this point.

"My lord, if there is no need to say more, I will not say more. Please send your troops to help me!" Yang He stood up, saluted Xu Hongji with a serious face, and said in a deep voice.

Standing up in disbelief, Xu Hongji's face twitched a few times, and he said in surprise: "Master Yang, are you kidding me? Do you want to do it now?"

Without answering Wei Guogong Xu Hongji's words, Yang He slowly turned his head and said to the people outside: "Go and bring Yang Xiayu, the prefect of Yangzhou, and Ding Qianli, the Yangzhou transfer envoy!" Then he turned his head and said to Xu Hongji: "

My lord, please be patient!"

Nodding, Xu Hongji frowned slightly and sat looking at Yang He with a bit of hesitation on his face. Needless to say, the Yangzhou magistrate, the Yangzhou transit envoy had a very special status and was implicated in the Yangzhou Water Transport Yamen. Now Yang

He found these two people, what exactly is there?

Not long after, the Jin Yiwei from outside came back, followed by two people: Yang Xiayu, the prefect of Yangzhou, and Ding Qianli, the transfer envoy of Yangzhou.

When they came to the hall, the two people knelt down and kowtowed respectfully, first to Yang He, and then to Wei Guogong. The two of them were officials in Yangzhou, so they were no strangers to Wei Guogong Xu Hongji, but they didn't understand why Wei Guogong Xu Hongji was there.

here.

"You two, I won't say any more if there is no need. Now let's talk about your bedchamber and Wei Guogong!" Yang He looked at the two people with bright eyes and said in a serious voice.

Yang Xiayu and Ding Qianli looked at each other with a bit of confusion on their faces, but they still had nothing to say. The two nodded, and Ding Qianli explained the whole story.

Picking up the tea bowl on the table, Yang He had a smile on his face, but looked at Wei Guogong Xu Hongji. Looking at the expression on Wei Guogong's face seriously, Yang He couldn't help thinking in his heart.

The Wei Guogong Mansion is deeply rooted in Nanjing. If you say that there is no trace of the Wei Guogong Mansion in the Lianghuai Salt Case, Yang He would not believe it even to death. Now that the emperor has handed over the matter to Wei Guogong to participate, Yang He naturally understands in his heart. Presumably Wei Guogong also knows in his heart,

What is needed now is to reach a tacit understanding.

The Lianghuai Salt Case is far more involved than the Liaodong Army Salary Case. If they were all arrested and beheaded, I am afraid that the entire Ming Dynasty officialdom would be in chaos. In that case, the court would be in chaos. Just the personnel disputes would probably cause the court to collapse.

Worried.

What can be done now is to severely punish the officials involved in the salt case, seize the contaminated silver, re-examine the salt works, and collect all the salt taxes into the hands of the court. As for the real investigation of responsibility, I am afraid that is just a matter of talking about it.

Putting down the tea cup in his hand, Yang He turned over these things in his mind and sighed softly. Emperor Tianqi was not easy either. He knew that these people were the worms of the country, but he had no choice but to do nothing.

Even if it is really possible to find out that Wei Guogong is selling illicit salt, so what? If you don't issue an edict to reprimand him, it will only increase your troubles!

After listening to the narration of the Yangzhou magistrate and the Yangzhou transfer envoy, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji nodded slowly, glanced at Yang He who was smiling, and suddenly understood in his heart. He hugged Yang He with a fist, Xu Hongji said with a smile: "

Mr. Yang, the situation of the matter has been understood. Please tell Mr. Yang what to do now! Since there is an imperial edict, I will naturally not shirk it!"

He waved his hand to signal the Yangzhou magistrate and the Yangzhou transfer envoy to go out, and ordered the guards outside to stay at their posts. Then he cautiously said to Duke Wei: "My lord, the matter is now very clear. Once this case is initiated, it will be a major case.

If we really arrest them all, I'm afraid Jiangnan's officialdom will be empty. Let's arrest some of them first! Then report them to the cabinet. When the cabinet sends officials here to take charge of the overall situation, we will kill all these people!"

After frowning and thinking for a while, Wei Guogong Xu Hongji said seriously: "Master Yang, if you really do this, I'm afraid it will scare the snake. If you want to find the person then, I'm afraid things will be troublesome! Doing this is equivalent to giving

I’m afraid that the time it takes for people to transfer evidence outweighs the gains and losses!”

Yang He nodded slowly. Yang He had also thought of this, but that was what Emperor Tianqi told him last time. Could it be that the Emperor was negligent?

Thinking over and over in his mind, Yang He was also in a dilemma, what should he do?

"Master Guo, if this can really be done, Nanjing's officialdom may be in chaos!" Looking at Duke Wei, Yang He said hesitantly. This was also what he was worried about.

"Master Yang, what you said is wrong. If someone really destroys the evidence and gives these people time, there will be chaos. Master Yang is an imperial envoy with orders, and all the six ministries and other officials in Nanjing City will be sent to various places when the time comes.

There is no problem in controlling the situation!" Wei Guogong had a stern look in his eyes. As the saying goes, "cutting the grass and eradicating the root" will hit the target with one blow and never give anyone a chance to stand up.

Nodding again, Yang He knew in his heart that what Wei Guogong said was very reasonable. But he didn't know what Emperor Tianqi thought. Should he ask Emperor Tianqi for instructions? He really couldn't make his own decisions.

Xu Hongji also saw that something was wrong at this time. Mr. Yang seemed to agree with his thoughts, but he was also worried. What was he worried about? Because it was difficult to explain, Xu Hongji did not ask, but waited quietly.

Yang He thought for himself.

I don’t know how much time passed, but Yang He cupped his fists at Xu Hongji and said in a deep voice: “My lord, it’s getting late. Please let me think about it. We’ll be working on the district office early tomorrow morning!”

"Master Yang, the night is long and the dream is many, I hope you can make a decision soon!" Wei Guogong Xu Hongji seemed to have expected it, nodded, stood up and left!

After Xu Hongji left, Yang He asked someone to bring him casual clothes. After putting on makeup, he left the imperial envoy's office. He took several royal guards also in casual clothes and headed towards the residence of Emperor Tianqi.

At this time, Emperor Tianqi was playing chess, and his opponent was a teenage girl, who was also playing quite advanced backgammon. The two of them were going back and forth, refusing to give in to each other, and quarrels would be heard from time to time.

Not far away, Yuan Keli and others were watching this scene. They wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh. They were holding back and felt very uncomfortable!

"Master Yuan, our family doesn't understand. We don't ask questions that we shouldn't ask. Does Master Yuan know when the emperor will return to Beijing?" Chen Hong looked at Yuan Keli with a smile and asked softly.

"Yes! Things here in Nanjing will soon come to an end. As long as Mr. Yang makes a move, the emperor will return to the capital!" Yuan Keli stroked his beard and said with a smile.
Chapter completed!