hotmtlnovel Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Chapter 163
Later in his life, Zhu Yuanzhang realized this and almost abolished the Embroidered Uniform Guard in his old age.
It was only after Zhu Di ascended the throne that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was re-established due to necessity.
From then on, the Ming Dynasty began its journey of restriction.
Realizing that the Embroidered Uniform Guard wielded too much power, Zhu Di created the Eastern Depot, which served as a check on the Embroidered Uniform Guard while having similar power.
Later, the Embroidered Uniform Guard gradually declined, and the Eastern Depot completely replaced its position.
Later, the emperor distrusted the Eastern Depot, and since the Eastern Depot did indeed wield considerable power, a Western Depot was created.
Further down, there's an internal factory.
This isn't a case of one act ending and another beginning; rather, they exist simultaneously.
Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard declined later, it was not abolished and still exists.
The same applies to the later Eastern Depot and Western Depot.
In other words, by the time the Inner Factory was established, the Ming Dynasty had four intelligence agencies.
This shows just how outrageous it is.
"What you say makes sense, but I only need to keep them in check," Prince Yong said nonchalantly.
"Does Your Majesty know how those powerful members of the imperial family, relatives of the empress, and eunuchs came to be in history?" Wang You asked.
"Why are you saying this?" the official asked, frowning.
"These were all things that some emperors in history did in order to maintain a balance."
Wang You said to himself, "In the beginning, the distinction between civil and military officials was not strict. Scholars aspired to be able to command troops on horseback and govern the people on foot, and to become generals and prime ministers."
Once officials in the court band together, they can threaten the emperor's power.
In order to maintain balance and consolidate his power, the emperor would make good use of members of the imperial clan or relatives of the empress.
However, when the influence of the imperial clan and maternal relatives threatened the imperial power, the emperor would use eunuchs to balance it.
Has Your Majesty ever considered why these groups ultimately spiral out of control?
"Why?" The emperor was also drawn in by Wang You's words and unconsciously asked.
After he ascended to the throne, he lost trust in those officials who had previously supported him because of their betrayal.
But in order to consolidate his power, he also needed to have his own trusted confidants.
Therefore, he had the idea of making good use of the Empress's relatives, and Wang You was just one of them. He had already ordered the Empress's father and brothers to be transferred to the capital.
In addition, the Crown Princess, Zhao Sheng's family members, will be given important positions.
These were all relatives of the emperor, but in his eyes they were his own people.
But Wang You's words made him suddenly realize that even maternal relatives are not necessarily reliable.
Historically, there have been instances of powerful maternal relatives who seized control of the government.
To take a recent example, wasn't the Western Xia dynasty previously controlled by the maternal relatives of the emperor?
He was the maternal uncle of the Western Xia emperor.
"Because if you want to check and balance him, you need to give him more power."
Take, for example, His Majesty's desire to both heavily rely on and restrict the Imperial City Guard.
If Your Majesty were to grant the Imperial City Guard the same powers that Emperor Taizu originally granted, then the Imperial City Guard would have immense power.
"Establishing an agency to supervise the Imperial City Guard is useless if its powers are too small. But if its powers are too large, wouldn't that create an agency even more threatening than the Imperial City Guard?"
Wang You paused for a moment and then said, "Anything in excess is as bad as too little."
The emperor was silent for a moment, then asked, "What authority do you think the Imperial City Guard should be given?"
"The Imperial City Guard only needs to gather intelligence, secretly monitor the world, and act as His Majesty's eyes."
Wang You said, "These eyes" can only tell His Majesty what they see. Whether His Majesty believes them or not, and whether or not to send someone to investigate, is His Majesty's business. Moreover, it cannot be handed over to the Imperial City Guard.
As the saying goes, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; believe only one side and you will be misled." Your Majesty should understand this principle without me having to say it.
"But if the Imperial City Guard finds someone guilty of corruption, and I send someone else to investigate, wouldn't that give the person a chance to escape punishment?" the Emperor frowned.
He naturally understood what Wang You meant, but Wang You's understanding of power was still not thorough enough.
For any emperor, an organization like the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a manifestation of his will and power.
Imperial power is also limited, and giving intelligence agencies the right to arrest and interrogate, directly obeying the emperor and not allowing anyone to interfere, is one way to get rid of the restrictions on imperial power.
If the Imperial City Guard is a sword, then the emperor is the one holding the hilt.
Originally, although the emperor had a sword, the officials were the sword sheaths. If the emperor wanted to do anything with the sword, he needed the permission of the sword sheaths; otherwise, the sword sheaths could not harm anyone.
If the emperor is powerful, he can forcibly injure people.
But if the emperor wanted to kill someone, he couldn't.
The Imperial City Guard is like a sword without a scabbard; it can do whatever it wants, whether to kill or wound, all determined by its own will.
If the Imperial City Guard is not given the right to arrest and interrogate, isn't that still carrying a scabbard?
"In the short term, the disadvantages do outweigh the advantages, but in the long run, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages," Wang You said.
"I will consider this matter carefully. What you need to do now is to complete the task I have assigned you as soon as possible."
The Emperor said, "I want to build a princess's residence for the eldest princess, but the national treasury is empty. We'll have to rely on you for this."
"I wonder how far Your Majesty intends to go?" Wang You asked.
"The more the better!"
The emperor gritted his teeth and said, "These bastards dare to embarrass me. If I don't teach them a lesson, they'll really think I'm the late emperor."
"Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne and it is not advisable to move too many people. I believe that it should be limited to those who are associated with Prince He Chong."
"In addition, we could take action against some officials who have done some underhanded things behind the scenes," Wang You said.
"Mobilizing only these people might not be enough money, right?" the official said, frowning.
"That's enough. The account books we found in the Prince Chong's mansion list some wealthy merchants from Bianjing and Jiangnan. These people are very rich," Wang You said.
The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Since it's enough, then let's do it your way."
"I obey your decree!"
Wang You breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He was afraid that the Prince of Yong would act rashly and recklessly implicate others.
If that were the case, the resulting turmoil would be too great.
"My promise to you still stands. Also, I've heard that the Wang family's residence is small. Once this matter is settled, I will bestow the Orange Garden upon you," the Emperor said.
"Orange grove?"
Wang You was taken aback when he heard this. Wasn't that the one that Zhao Zongquan had given to Gu Tingye?
"Um.
"6
The emperor nodded and said, "Although that is a royal villa, it dates back to the Later Zhou Dynasty and has long been abandoned."
Although there are still some royal residences in the inner city, it would be improper to bestow them upon you. Although the Orange Garden covers a large area, it has very few buildings.
O
There were clear regulations regarding the residences of officials and nobles, specifying what kind of residence each rank occupied and how many courtyards were required.
During the Later Zhou period, the territory was not large, so the royal villas also appeared rather small.
But no matter what, it is still a royal villa, which is very different from those residences.
Only a small portion is residential; the majority is mountainous and forested, primarily a tourist destination.
"Your Majesty, I thank you!" Wang You bowed and said.
"Go ahead," the official waved his hand.
"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"
After bowing, Wang You withdrew and went to the Imperial City Guard.
Upon receiving the news, Yu Xingzhi personally came out to greet Wang You and led him to his official residence.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Wang," Yu Xingzhi said with a smile.
Wang You didn't stand on ceremony and sat down in the head seat.
"I have just met with His Majesty and reported the progress to him."
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Wang You said, "His Majesty is very satisfied with the efforts and achievements of the Imperial City Guard and praised Commander Yu."
"Your Majesty flatters me. I was merely doing my duty."
Yu Xingzhi bowed towards the palace to express his gratitude, and then bowed to Wang You to say, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Excellency."
"I didn't speak well of Commander Yu; I was just reporting the facts," Wang You said, shaking his head.
"Commissioner Wang is too kind. Does His Majesty have any instructions?" Yu Xingzhi asked.
"Have you sorted through all the letters and ledgers we found yesterday?" Wang You asked.
"I arranged for someone to work through the night to sort things out, and it's already cleared up."
Yu Xingzhi said, "The account book records a total of thirty-four officials, in addition to more than twenty wounded people from Bianjing and Jiangnan."
Among those letters, there were more than a dozen people whose names overlapped with those in the ledger, and more than twenty people whose names were not in the ledger.
"So many people are involved," Wang You murmured.
According to Yu Xingzhi, the account books and letters involved about sixty officials, which was quite troublesome.
"Arrest them. Arrest everyone involved. First, send men to Jiangnan to arrest those merchants who are not in the capital. We'll make our move in Bianjing in a few days," Wang You said.
"Are you really going to arrest them all?" Yu Xingzhi swallowed hard.
With so many people, including their families, there must be several thousand.
"What, you don't dare?" Wang You asked.
"This is an imperial decree; how could I dare not obey?"
Yu Xingzhi quickly said, "It's just that there are too many people to arrest, and the Imperial City Guard prison can't hold so many people."
"The Imperial City Guard has a prison?" Wang You asked in surprise.
He originally thought that the power given to the Imperial City Guard by the founding emperor was similar to that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
It is also possible that when Zhu Yuanzhang established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he drew on the power that Emperor Taizu had given to the Imperial City Guard.
However, the Imperial City Guard's power did not last long; it was short-lived and lost before it could even be put into use.
It is now increasingly certain that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was established in imitation of the original Imperial City Guard, and it even has a prison.
Isn't that the Imperial Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
"Yes, it was built by the Emperor Taizu. Although it has been abandoned for a long time, it can still be used after some repairs," Yu Xingzhi said excitedly.
He was initially a little uneasy when he heard that so many people were being arrested.
Fearing that things would escalate and the authorities would be unable to handle the situation, they threw him out to appease public anger.
But when the Imperial City Guard's prison was mentioned, he became excited again.
Back then, Emperor Taizu granted the Imperial City Guard unparalleled power, but the Imperial City Guard never used it.
To be able to use these rights in his hands would be an unparalleled honor.
"There's no rush to arrest them. We can send people to arrest those from other places first. Keep an eye on those in Bianjing for now to prevent them from escaping."
Wang You said, "I will also consult with the Emperor and ask him to send someone to assist."
"Yes!" Yu Xingzhi replied quickly.
"Commander of Yudu".
Wang You said, "If we do this job well, we will all be credited, and the officials will definitely reward us handsomely."
But if we mess it up, we'll all be held responsible, and you might even be blamed.
"Yes, yes, thank you for reminding me, Wang Xiuzhuan. I will definitely handle things well," Yu Xingzhi said hurriedly.
"Let me finish."
Wang You said solemnly, "Merchants who can send so much money to the rebel king are all very wealthy. When arresting them, we will seal up all their property and transport it to Bianjing."
As for your men, tell them to keep their hands to themselves and make sure they don't touch anything they shouldn't.
"Don't worry, Mr. Wang, I will send a reliable person to take charge personally, and I guarantee that not a single penny will be missing," Yu Xingzhi said.
"It's good that you understand. I don't want us to work together and end up with you suffering the consequences," Wang You said calmly.
After leaving the Imperial City Guard, Wang You entered the palace again, only to be told that the Emperor was holding a small court meeting and he could only wait in a side hall.
After waiting for about half an hour, I was led by a palace attendant to the Dragon Pavilion.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
"No need for formalities."
The official's expression was somewhat unpleasant as he asked, "Why have you come back again?"
"I have important matters to report!" Wang You said.
The official, understanding the situation, waved his hand and said, "You may all leave!"
"This way, Vice Minister Hai!"
A middle-aged man dressed as a servant led Hai Wenqing into the Zhizheng Hall, and after wandering around, they arrived at Han Zhang's official residence.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!" Hai Wenqing bowed.
"Baekhyun, you're too polite."
Han Zhang smiled and stood up, inviting Hai Wenqing to sit down.
After the attendant served tea, he sent the man away.
"I heard your daughter's wedding is coming up soon?"
Han Zhang smiled and said, "Don't forget to send me an invitation on the day of the betrothal, so I can have a drink with you."
"I will never forget it. The arrival of the eldest son is a great honor for the Hai family," Hai Wenqing said with a smile.
When a woman marries her son, she invites guests to the ceremony on the day the groom presents the betrothal gifts, and then holds a grand wedding banquet.
On her wedding day, she wouldn't hold a banquet.
"Isn't the Sheng family, which your daughter married into, related to Grand Tutor Wang by marriage?" Han Zhang asked.
"That's right, my future mother-in-law is none other than the eldest daughter of Grand Tutor Wang." Hai Wenqing nodded slightly, but in his heart he was pondering Han Zhang's purpose in saying these things.
"I remember one of your students is the grandson of Grand Tutor Wang. In that case, it's like a double marriage," Han Zhang said with a smile.
"Hehe." Hai Wenqing chuckled lightly, without saying anything.
"Baekhyun, what's your opinion on the current situation in the court?" Han Zhang asked.
"The Emperor has passed away, and the people are in turmoil. Fortunately, a new emperor has ascended the throne, and it should be soon that things will settle down," Hai Wenqing said.
"It seems difficult to settle down," Han Zhang sighed.
"Why do you say that, Grand Master?" Hai Wenqing asked in surprise.
"Ugh!"
Han Zhang sighed, "The Emperor ordered your student to thoroughly investigate the matter of the rebel king. Yesterday, he sent the Imperial City Guard to search the rebel king's residence. Today, he even entered the palace twice. This matter is probably quite serious."
"Traitors and rebels deserve to be punished by everyone. The Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation, and there's nothing wrong with that," Hai Wenqing said, frowning.
"There is no problem in investigating the rebels, but the rebel king was also one of the candidates for crown prince, and many officials in the court had dealings with him."
Although they later severed ties and he did not participate in the rebellion, how can such matters be clearly explained?
"Now that the new king has just ascended the throne, the people's hearts are already unsettled. If we were to implicate many others, it would only exacerbate the turmoil," the Korean state worried.
"If Your Majesty truly intends to implicate many, we will then offer our advice," Hai Wenqing said.
"It's not that simple!"
Han Zhang smiled wryly and said, "When His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation of the traitors, he did not consult with anyone."