Chapter 96: The Secretariat and the Gentry, the Final Swan Song
Jinyiwei, Zhenfusi.

Zhu Gang sat upright in the first seat, looking indifferently at Hu Weiyong's son, Hu Tong, who was kneeling below.

"Your Highness, all the officials in Yingtian Prefecture who have committed crimes have been thrown into the imperial prison and are awaiting your decision."

Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hurried into the main office, looked at Zhu Gang who was raising his hand, and clasped his fists.

"Hu Tong, I will interrogate him personally. As for the other officials involved in the case, you will interrogate them personally."

Zhu Gang glanced at the trembling Hu Tong, and then said to Mao Xiang: "Everything should be based on the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and we will never bend the law for personal gain."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Even if they have a hard mouth, I will break them open one by one."

A hint of cruelty suddenly appeared on Mao Xiang's face, and then he clasped his fists and retreated.

"Your Highness, Prime Minister Hu wishes to see you."

But Mao Xiang had just stepped down and commanded Tongzhi Lu Feng to step into the main hall.

As soon as these words were spoken, Hu Tong, who was kneeling below, suddenly showed a hint of joy in his eyes, although he was still nervous in his heart.

But he also understood that with the power of his father Hu Weiyong, even Prince of Jin Zhu Gang would have to give him some face, so his life should be saved.

Zhu Gang, who was sitting at the upper position, looked at Hu Tong, who was obviously relieved, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes again.

Then, Zhu Biao waved his hand, signaling Lu Feng to invite Hu Weiyong into the inner hall.

To be honest, at one point, Zhu Gang really wanted to chop this ignorant Hu Tong to death.

But it was obvious that Zhu Gang could not kill Hu Tong at this time.

After all, it was easy to kill Hu Tong and it was easy to kill Hu Weiyong, but the mess left by Hu Weiyong was not so easy to clean up.

So you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry, everything has to be done slowly. So why do we need to catch Hu Tong?
Since the madam of Ziyuexianglou revealed that Hu Tong had mistakenly killed Ma Nanshan's old lover, Zhu Gang had been thinking about how to maximize his profits.

That is to arrest Hu Tong, so that Zhu Gang can interfere in the affairs of Yingtian Prefecture.

Those officials who were hindered by Hu Weiyong's favor were imprisoned and strictly interrogated.

This would divide Hu Weiyong's power and eliminate Hu Weiyong's followers.

After all, Hu Weiyong, as the right prime minister, had made many friends during the years when the Secretariat was in power, and there were countless of them hiding under the Yingtian Prefecture.

Even if Hu Weiyong were to confront the gentry in Jiangnan, eastern Zhejiang, Huaixi, and even the whole world, it would not be enough to make Hu Weiyong a lone minister.

On the contrary, relying on the power in his hands, Hu Weiyong could still deal with the gentry all over the world with ease.

But if this is the case, Zhu Gang will have to wait for many years to see the tit-for-tat confrontation, the fight to the death, and mutual destruction that he wants to see.

Therefore, under the guise of Hu Tong, Hu Weiyong's wings were clipped and his power was reduced. This way, the gentry of the world could deal with Hu Weiyong without any scruples.

This is just the beginning of the show, and will also be the final swan song of the Secretariat and the gentry of the world.

While thinking, Hu Weiyong had already walked into the inner hall, looked at Zhu Gang, bowed and said: "This old minister greets His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin. May His Royal Highness live a thousand years."

"father"

Hu Tong also suddenly raised his head and looked at Hu Weiyong who was standing beside him, with a look of joy on his face.

But before he could even utter these words, Hu Weiyong shouted at him, "You evil creature, shut your mouth!"

The furious voice sounded, and Hu Tong immediately shrank his neck in fear, with a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.

Although Hu Tong was showing off his power in Yingtian Prefecture all day long, he was actually afraid of Hu Weiyong from the bottom of his heart.

"I have been smart all my life, and I think I am as smart as Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen, but how come I gave birth to such a bunch of bastards!"

Hu Weiyong looked at Hu Tong, who had shrunk his neck, with a look of disappointment and sighed in his heart.

After all, Hu Weiyong's sons did not inherit his intelligence at all, and they either teased cats and dogs or bullied men and women all day long. It would be strange if Hu Weiyong was not angry.

Especially today, Hu Tong fell into the hands of someone he could not afford to offend, which made Hu Weiyong want to beat Hu Tong to death for a moment.

But in the final analysis, even a tiger will not eat its own cubs. Moreover, the son of the right prime minister of the Secretariat was killed because he accidentally killed a prostitute.

If this were to get out, it would be a huge blow to Hu Weiyong, and might even be enough to shake his position.

No matter what, Hu Weiyong must protect his son today.

Moreover, Hu Weiyong had recently implemented the policy of allocating taxes based on the amount of land he owned, requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together, which was also a contribution to the court. Therefore, Zhu Gang would not dare to risk the disapproval of the world.

"Come here, give me a seat."

Zhu Gang looked at Lu Feng beside him and motioned him to bring a chair for Hu Weiyong. Then he looked at Hu Weiyong and smiled softly, "Prime Minister Hu, let's sit down and talk."

Looking at the chair that Lu Feng brought over, Hu Weiyong's eyes moved, and he realized that there was still hope for this matter.

Hu Weiyong's expression eased a lot, and then he sat down, looked at Zhu Gang, raised his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the seat."

"Prime Minister Hu implemented the tax system in Jiangnan, where officials and gentry all paid taxes together. This was a great achievement. How could I be angry at Prime Minister Hu just because of my son?"

Zhu Gang waved his hand and chuckled.

"I am ashamed, ashamed. It is because I did not teach my son well that today's disaster happened. This is my fault."

In response to this, Hu Weiyong sighed with a face full of shame and said: "Moreover, merits are merits, and faults are faults, so how can Your Highness easily forgive this rebellious son, this evil beast, just because of these insignificant contributions of this old minister!"

The implication was that Hu Tong had broken the law, and if Zhu Gang wanted to beat or punish him, Hu Weiyong had no objection.

But if you, Zhu Gang, really dare to kill Hu Tong, Hu Weiyong will not be as dedicated as he is to the gentry in Jiangnan.

After all, Hu Weiyong suffered a lot in order to deal with the gentry in Jiangnan, and wasn't this just to do things for you two brothers?
But he, Hu Weiyong's son, just killed a prostitute by accident. Do you two brothers have to punish Hu Tong to death?
Moreover, if such a disloyal behavior were to spread, who among the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty would be willing to work loyally for the court?
"I want to ask the Prime Minister, regarding the incident where Hu Tong mistakenly killed a prostitute, Prime Minister Hu, do you know anything about it?"

Of course Zhu Gang understood what Hu Weiyong meant, so he leaned back and then looked at Hu Weiyong and asked.

"Alas, I just returned to the capital a few days ago, so I don't know. But if I knew that this little bastard had killed someone by mistake, I would have beaten him to death!"

As he spoke, Hu Weiyong looked at Hu Tong with gritted teeth.

This incident frightened Hu Tong so much that he buried his head even lower, for fear that he would anger Hu Weiyong and be beaten to death in the Zhenfu Division.

However, in Zhu Gang's eyes, this scene seemed like a joke.

After all, Hu Weiyong kept calling him a little beast and a sinner, and he even wanted to beat him to death.

But the point here is to tell Zhu Gang that it was a mistake and not his original intention.

"It seems that many officials in the court want to curry favor with our Prime Minister Hu."

"After all, all the officials in Yingtian Prefecture are trying their best to cover up for you, Master Ling. Even the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was covered up by you."

After he finished speaking, Zhu Gang picked up another memorial on the table, threw it to Hu Weiyong and said with a smile: "After all, your son, in addition to accidentally killing the prostitute of Yuexianglou, he also forced people to buy and sell, and bullied the market."

"So, Prime Minister Hu, do you want to give me an explanation for these things?"

After a pause, Zhu Gang looked at Hu Weiyong with a smile on his face and said softly.

But beneath this smiling face, there is a deep and unfathomable coldness.

Perhaps others did not notice it, but Hu Weiyong, who claimed to be extremely smart, happened to see this scene.

Hu Weiyong's heart sank at this. It seemed that today would not be so easy to get through. "Your Highness, I understand the nature of this evil man of mine. Sometimes I would rather deceive myself than believe that my son is a beast with flawed morals."

"As Your Highness thought, I did clean up the ass of this little beast a few times, but it was definitely not something that was against the will of heaven."

"So I beg Your Highness to spare my unfilial son, considering that although I have no merits, I have worked hard."

After saying this, Hu Weiyong sighed again, then slowly stood up, looked at Zhu Gang, and bowed down to him.

"Well, in that case, the death penalty can be avoided, but the punishment of life cannot be avoided. Prime Minister Hu, you go to His Majesty and ask for punishment."

Looking at Hu Weiyong who was bowing and worshipping, Zhu Gang's eyes flashed with brilliance again, and then he waved his hand and said: "As for your son, how about giving him 30 strokes of the cane in the court, demoting him to a commoner, and exiling him to his hometown?"

"I, your Highness, thank you for your kindness."

Hu Weiyong finally breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed three times again.

"Evil creature, why don't you thank me!"

But when he looked at his dull and stupid son, Hu Weiyong's anger rose again, and he slapped him several times, making Hu Tong's head buzz.

After all, in this confrontation, Hu Weiyong saved Hu Tong's life, but the price he paid was enough to make Hu Weiyong feel painful.

So Hu Weiyong became so ruthless that he beat his own son without any mercy.

As for what Hu Weiyong just meant, it was actually very simple. He had covered up for Hu Tong, but it was all within the tolerance of the law, so it was not excessive.

As for the crimes against others and bullying men and women, Hu Weiyong didn't know about it. After all, his strict father was estranged from him, and Hu Tong didn't dare let Hu Weiyong know.

Then why can it be suppressed?
Because Hu Weiyong was the top minister in the Secretariat of the Ming Dynasty and the right prime minister, second only to the emperor.

Therefore, officials of all ranks in Yingtian Prefecture did not dare to offend Hu Weiyong's son, or perhaps they wanted to curry favor with Hu Weiyong.

Only then were all of Hu Tong's activities suppressed one by one, but Hu Weiyong was unaware of it.

After all, with Hu Weiyong's intelligence and arrogance, he would never meet with officials below the fourth rank unless there was an urgent government matter.

No matter how Zhu Gang investigated, he could not find anything on Hu Weiyong, and this was also Hu Weiyong's confidence.

All that was sacrificed were the officials of Yingtian Prefecture in Beijing, but those who accomplish great things do not care about trivial matters.

Anyway, as long as Hu Weiyong is still in the position of right prime minister, what he loses today can be taken back tomorrow.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for not killing me!"

Hu Tong, who was stunned by the slap, quickly looked at Zhu Gang and kowtowed to express his gratitude.

But the more you look at Hu Tong's face, the more it looks like a bitter melon. After all, he had been slapped more than a dozen times by Hu Weiyong and had been beaten with thirty boards. So he couldn't even think of getting out of bed for the next few months.

As for being demoted to a commoner and exiled to his ancestral hometown, to put it bluntly, it meant letting Hu Tong go to Fengyang to become a rich man, but he had to stay away from the capital.

Afterwards, after Hu Tong was beaten with a stick, he was taken back to his mansion by Hu Weiyong.

"Your Highness, are you just going to let Hu Tong go?"

Commander Lu Feng looked at Zhu Gang and asked.

"Fengyang, are there any Jinyiwei?"

In response, Zhu Gang simply asked Lu Fengdao in return.

"Your Highness, yes."

Lu Feng clasped his fists without even thinking.

"Do it yourself."

After saying that, a deep look flashed in Zhu Gang's eyes, and he patted Lu Feng on the shoulder.

"Understood."

A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Lu Feng's eyes, and he nodded heavily.

"Don't let Mao Xiang know."

As soon as these words came out, Lu Feng clasped his fists again.

At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang had also stepped into Yi Jiangnan.

In an instant, a fresh and elegant scent of sandalwood and herbs blends into the air, making people feel peaceful and calm.

The sunlight shines through the intricately carved window frames and onto the dark sandalwood floor, creating mottled shadows, as if fragments of time have solidified here.

In the center of the hall, a bluestone pool is filled with gurgling warm spring water. Beside the pool stand several rosewood chairs carved with ancient patterns, for guests to rest and soak their feet.

In a corner of the hall, a woman in a light and elegant dress was sitting behind an exquisite piano table.

The woman's clothes were mainly white, dotted with a few light blue embroidered flowers. Her long hair was like a waterfall, gently tied behind her head, leaving only a few strands of black hair fluttering in the wind.

I saw her lightly lift her white wrist and stroke the strings of the zither. As her fingertips jumped, the sound of the zither flowed out slowly, like the drizzle in spring, or the moonlight in the woods in an autumn night, pure and melodious.

The sound of the piano forms a sharp contrast with the hustle and bustle of the city not far away, like an invisible barrier, wrapping this small world in even greater tranquility.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled. At this moment, the memory of Jiangnan was like a piece of pure land in the midst of prosperity, and time seemed to slow down extremely.

"Brother, what do you think?"

Xu Da put his arm around Zhu Yuanzhang's shoulders and then smiled.

"Well, I haven't felt this comfortable in a long time."

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly stunned, then nodded and smiled.

"After fighting all our lives, can't we just enjoy ourselves?"

Seeing this, Chang Yuchun was not willing to be outdone. He laughed and put his hand on Zhu Yuanzhang's other shoulder, his voice full of pride.

"Keep your voice down."

But Zhu Yuanzhang glared at Chang Yuchun unhappily for his arrogance.

However, this shout did not cause the sensation Zhu Yuanzhang had expected. Instead, it remained calm, which made Zhu Yuanzhang a little curious.

Then, a waitress came over, looked at Chang Yuchun, bowed, and said with a smile: "Dear guests, do you have an appointment?"

"We have an appointment."

After saying this, Chang Yuchun first let go of Zhu Yuanzhang's shoulders, then slowly took out a warm and smooth jade plate from his arms and handed it to the blue-clothed waitress in front of him.

"Dear guests, Yijiangnan has already prepared the best rooms for you."

After saying that, the maid lifted her skirt lightly, turned around and led the way in front, passing through the winding corridor. The candlelight along the way swayed gracefully, reflecting a touch of tranquility.

Only Zhu Biao, who was following behind them, had a bitter smile in his eyes.

Given the personalities of Chang Yuchun and Xu Da, they must have chosen the best wing. Once Zhu Yuanzhang entered, it would be a lively scene.

(End of this chapter)