However, the incident of Zhou Jiansheng beating the worker to death was related to the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture Xiong Jia. As the representative of the government, he had to come forward. What's more, many people are now surrounding the outside of his government office to shout for injustice.

"Master, should you think twice? First, send someone to ask what happened to Zhou Jiansheng this time. Send someone to get him directly. I'm afraid it's not good. After all, he is the younger brother of the Nanjing Grand Sikong. It is said that the workers who were beaten to death by him are also members of the clan. Within this clan, the clan leader used clan rules to deal with clan members. The government has never pursued the matters. After all, it is difficult for honest officials to make up for family matters!"

However, when Xiong Jia was about to send someone to take Zhou Jiansheng to justice, his aide persuaded Xiong Jia.

But Xiong Jia couldn't help but smile coldly: "Look at the situation outside, the people are carrying bodies to the government office to complain to the injustice. Can I turn a blind eye? If this is to be seen by the Jinyiwei and the Weaving Bureau, I will complain in front of His Majesty, saying that this is light on my dereliction of duty, I am afraid I think this is covering up the suspect!"

"I plan to subpoena the bill, and I will immediately send Zhou Jiansheng to ask about the case! Our government cannot ignore this matter!"

Xiong Jia ordered that he had never seen this situation in his life. In his past experience, it was generally difficult for tribe members and villagers to have conflicts and disputes with gentry. Basically, tribe members and villagers are more respectful in front of gentry than in front of government officials. This is why, in many cases, government officials do not interfere in internal affairs of clans in various townships.

But Xiong Jia now found that in recent years, especially during this period, the relationship between the gentry and the clan members seemed to have changed, and there were disputes and even evolved into hatred, which also prompted him, an imperial official, to start interfering in grassroots affairs instead of the clan.

Zhou Jiansheng did not dare to come to see Xiong Jia. Without the support of the villagers, even if he was the younger brother of the Minister of Works in Nanjing, he could not fight against the government. Therefore, when Xiong Jia sent someone to summon him, he had already run to Nanjing.

Xiong Jia had no choice but to write a letter to the prefect of Yingtian, Nanjing. At the same time, he locked up Zhou Tu, the housekeeper who was left by Zhou Jiansheng in the countryside of Huating.

"Zhou Qi and the others completely ignored the Zhou clan agreement and insisted that we pay for the wages, and even went to the ancestral hall to make trouble. They beat them up on the grounds that they disrespect their ancestors. They never thought of beating Zhou Qi to death. Now they are still going to the government to make trouble. Brother, you have to help me in this matter no matter what!"

Zhou Jiansheng can only ask for help from his brother Zhou Yong.

Zhou Yong also looked at Zhou Jiansheng helplessly: "This matter can be big or small. Although human life is at stake, you are just acting according to the law of the clan. Moreover, Zhou Qi is indeed disrespectful to his ancestors first. Your servants under you are just manslaughtering. You send the servant who killed Zhou Qi to the government first, and then send someone to sue Zhou Qi and others for disrespecting his ancestors and disrespectful to his filial piety! They want the government to make the decision for them, so we will sue him for unfilial crimes!"

"What my brother said is, I'll do it now," said Zhou Jiansheng.

At this time, Yingtian Prefecture also received Xiong Jia's writings and sent someone to Nanjing Minister of Works Zhou Yong to summon Zhou Jiansheng.

But Zhou Yong asked someone to directly say that Zhou Jiansheng had returned to his hometown, and the people from Yingtian Prefecture did not dare to go to the house of the Minister of Works in Nanjing, so they had to go back in disappointment.

However, the incident of Xiong Jia's writing of Yingtian Prefecture summoning Zhou Jiansheng also made Zhou Yong, the Minister of the Ministry of Works of Nanjing, feel that he was insulted: "This Xiong Jia just flattered the emperor and took up his current position. Now when he encountered this, he did not take his official seriously at all and sent someone to take my Zhou Yong's people! Even Yingtian Prefecture Order! What is he going to do? Do you really think that this official, the Minister of the Ministry of Works of Nanjing, can be controlled at will?"

In anger, the Minister of Works of Nanjing also wrote a private message to the inspector, the Censor Hu Shi.

then.

The next day, Hu Shi rushed to Songjiang Prefecture and immediately took Xiong Jia, the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, because Xiong Jia was greedy and negligent!

"Prime Minister Hu, how could I ever commit the crime of being abusing the law in a private manner, and how could I ever be greedy? You are abusing the power of Feng Xianguan to inspect the hunt! If Your Majesty knows that you are so unknown, you will not spare you!"

Xiong Jia was not willing to be outdone and shouted at Shi Hu.

"I have witnessed the evidence of local gentry reporting by local gentry. How to abuse power? Let's first review and report it before reporting. It is the right of the emperor to patrol the emperor on behalf of the emperor. At that time, the emperor will naturally believe me but not you. Now I will only ask you whether you have confessed or not!"

Mr. Hu asked.

"I don't admit it! I don't know whose instructions you have received, but I will never admit that I am greedy and obedient!" Xiong Jia replied.

Hu Shi originally thought that as long as Xiong Jia was willing to surrender and confess his guilt, he would take Xiong Jia's black hat first and find a reason to play it. However, he didn't expect Xiong Jia to be so stubborn, so he had to order: "Get me! Twenty boards!"

then.

Xiong Jia was pressed to the ground and started beating, making Xiong Jia fly with flesh and blood!

Zhou Jiansheng, who was under the appearance, sneered when he saw this, and had to secretly admire his brother's ability. He could directly let the inspector and censor deal with Xiong Jia first. In this way, the officials of Songjiang Prefecture could also understand what kind of existence the Zhou family was.

...

"If you are a senior official, you will be punished by others. How can these officials and gentry be easy to mess with? Although they have no support from the people, their power in the court is complicated. Today, the inspector and the imperial guards will come to deal with you tomorrow. I said, "Sir, you should be suspicious of the Zhou family and beat the people who are calling for justice to death first. The Zhou family will not be too embarrassed with you this time. The Minister of Works of the Ministry of Works in Nanjing, Lord Zhou, is afraid that you will let you go!"

When Xiong Jia was suspended by the inspector's censor, he was lying on the couch to recuperate and injured, his staff started to persuade him again.

"You go down first! I will think about this matter again!"

Xiong Jia said at this time. Seeing this, his aide thought that he had been persuaded by him, so he dismissed him.

Xiong Jia gritted his teeth and stood up with pain. Then he opened the cabinet, took out a small wooden box wrapped in yellow silk, took out a stack of memorials and booklets inside, and wrote: "My Xiong Jia started to report to Your Majesty. Since the opening of the New Weaving Bureau, disputes and fighting with the people of Songjiang Prefecture have occurred frequently. I have to deal with it carefully. Recently, there are even more gentry who killed tribesmen based on their power. I originally intended to make decisions for the people, but I never thought that I was suspended by the inspector Hu Shi on the grounds that I was greedy for the sake of my personal greed, and I also tried my best to interrogate me. I had nowhere to complain about my injustice, so I could only be sentenced to death. On the day of your Majesty's secret report, I had been hanged for a long time. I have to thank Your Majesty for your holy grace. I hope to forgive my crime!"

After Xiong Jia finished writing the memorial, he locked it in a small box, and then shouted his servant: "Hold this wooden sign and go to Beijing immediately!"

After saying that, Xiong Jia committed suicide by throwing money.

But at this moment, a burst of laughter came from outside: "Why should you die and betray me? Although Your Majesty is far away in the capital, he is not a foolish and partial believer! Cheng Chun, a hundred households in the Jinyiwei, is polite!"

...

The inspector, the inspector, Shi Shi Hu, did not know that Xiong Jia had committed suicide. At this time, he only reported to Zhou Yong in front of the Minister of Works of Nanjing: "Don't worry, the student has stopped his Xiong Jia's position and submitted the memorial. At that time, Xiong Jia will become guilty even if he is innocent!"

"There are many people in the court who are dissatisfied with him. If it weren't for him, Nanzhili would not have opened the sea. The gentry in Susong and other places would not be so sad now. If he could die, it would be a blessing in the world!"

This week he said with a smile.

...

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that with the development of the empire, the things factory and even the Jinyiwei system they depended on were inevitably corroded by sugar-coated shells, so that he almost became blind, resulting in gunpowder adulteration and even the cabinet ministers were unwilling to expose the real reason for the unsuccessful start of the new weaving bureau. He only now knows!

This also made Zhu Houzhao know that he had to re-purify his inner court, outer court, and even the army.

But knowing people but not people. In addition to Zhang Zhong from the West Factory and Wei Bin from the Imperial Horse Supervisor, Wang Qiong and Yang Yiqing, Zhu Houzhao was really unable to determine who was loyal and who was traitor.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao can only maintain three-point doubts about anything now.

But at this time, Xiong Jia's secret memorial came to Zhu Houzhao. After taking care of him, Zhu Hou was quite shocked: "How far did the officials in these places protect each other? How dare they force a fourth-rank official to commit suicide!"

At the same time, Zhu Houzhao shuddered when he thought about what Wang Shouren said about Xuanhua's corruption from the general to the grassroots officials. He didn't know how many more serious corruption caused by the development of the commodity economy was hidden while the empire was industrialized!

Zhu Houzhao admitted that most people in this world are egoists, and he cannot outlaw everyone's nature of making profits, nor can he ask them to be responsible for this country and nation.

But Zhu Houzhao knew that as the emperor, he had the responsibility to maintain the internal stability of this country and the responsibility to maintain the bottom line and justice.

"It seems that I have to let the killing and killing people!"

Zhu Houzhao said and walked out of the deep warm pavilion.

Zhang Zhong, the chief supervisor of the Sili, saw Zhu Houzhao coming out, hurriedly greeted him: "Your Majesty! The Southern Zhili Censor Hu Shi reported that Su Song's army was preparing for the road and the prefect of Songjiang Xiong Jia was a ruthless and improper law, and was greedy and negligent in administration. The evidence was conclusive. The Censorate has reviewed it and approved the suspension for investigation. Do you approve it?"

"What's wrong with this man? What he said is true?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

"Report to Your Majesty, the investigation of the West Factory said that Hu Shi has always enforced the law like a mountain and dared to punish corrupt officials. Now this matter is probably true. Xiong Jia is in charge of Songjiang Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture has always been well-developed in sea trade, and greed for ink and favoritism is inevitable."

Zhang Zhong replied.

It's obvious.

Zhang Zhong's answer made Zhu Houzhao very dissatisfied. In Zhu Houzhao's opinion, how could an official who dared to kill Ming Qu was a greedy official who was favored? Zhang Zhong was obviously telling lies.

but.

Zhu Houzhao did not expose him. He didn't know how many people were hiding him now. He had to catch all the people who dared to do bad things behind his back!

This time.

Zhu Houzhao decided not to use the East Factory, but to the army, and directly use his direct ace army - the Guards!

First of all, this army is being supported by itself with money and only obeys its own orders.

Secondly, the military and political officials of this army are all members of the Zhongjun Society, most of whom are idealists.

Furthermore, although military officers are inevitably inseparable from civil servants and eunuchs, in peacetime, military officers who do not participate in actual affairs should be cleaner than civil servants and eunuchs, and at least they will not collude with each other.

Of course, this is not absolute. Isn’t Xuanhua already likely to have a general-level military officer embezzled?

But Xuanhua's border army is still different from the Guards.

However, although the Guards and the Frontier Army were different, Zhu Houzhao felt that it would be better to select a few reliable military officers to carry out a top-down cleaning campaign with him.

Of course, the so-called use of the Guards is to use the Jinyiwei, because the Jinyiwei now belongs to the entire Guards sequence.

But Zhu Houzhao came to the Ming Army Military Academy, but he did not alarm the instructors here. He walked in by himself and saw an instructor pouring his body with cold water by the well in the school. Several scars appeared on his bronze skin, which was obviously a bad battle.

Zhu Houzhao walked over.

At this time, Guo Rong, the left governor of the Jinyiwei, shouted: "Your Majesty is here!"

The instructor turned around in a hurry and bowed his hands directly: "Instructor Qi Jingtong has seen His Majesty?"

Qi Jingtong?

Qi Jiguang’s father!

Zhu Houzhao smiled secretly in her heart: "You can take a bath with cold water in winter, and the scars on her body are obviously a good general who has fought a strong battle. No wonder she can teach her son!"

then.

Zhu Houzhao directly ordered Yang Yiqing who had arrived, "It's him, what official position is he now?"

"Return to Your Majesty, I will be the commander-in-chief of the Guards for the time being!" Yang Yiqing did not understand what the purpose of Emperor Zhu Houzhao's sudden attention was to an ordinary instructor in a military school, but now, he can only tell the truth.

Zhu Houzhao nodded and ordered: "I will issue an order. Qi Jingtong will be the commander-in-chief of the Jinyiwei, and will be in charge of the Northern Fufu Division! Give it a python robe! At the same time, Zhang Lun, the troops of the Guards selected 300 smart and capable people to join the Northern Fufu Division of the Jinyiwei!"

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Yang Yiqing and Zhang Zhong and others were confused and didn't understand what the Emperor was going to do.

And Qi Jingtong hurriedly thanked him.

A few days later, Qi Jingtong officially changed into the imperial python robe and came to Zhu Houzhao with the order: "Minist Qi Jingtong has met Your Majesty!"

At this time, Zhang Zhongze was telling Zhu Houzhao the latest news that the West Factory had found: "Your Majesty, according to the report from the West Factory, I heard that Hui Qing in the capital was quite well versed in the art of yellow and white. Wuding Hou Guo Xun and others all said that he could refine longevity pills! Healing the dead flesh and bones of human flesh and bones!"

Zhu Houzhao sighed in his heart that Zhang Zhong has been focusing on reporting these worthless secrets since he took over the West Factory. He obviously thought he was an emperor who wanted to live a long life, but Zhu Houzhao admitted that he wanted to live a long life, but he was not an emperor in history. He believed that there was an elixir of immortality in this world.

However, Zhu Houzhao did not expose it at the beginning, and only said: "Since that's the case, find some time to summon this person named Huiqing!"

"I obey the order!"

Zhang Zhongxin said that he thought to himself that the emperor was indeed like the emperors from ancient times to the present, and wanted to live forever.
To be continued...