Chongzhen said to the ministers that it is necessary to solve the problem of Henan. In fact, it was the popular protests of the Henan gentry in order to resist the grain requisition policy issued by the imperial court, which eventually led to the real Henan people's riots.

When these Henan gentry found themselves the target of the mob, they immediately began to spare no effort to call on the Henan local government and the imperial court to send troops to suppress these mobs.

However, Sun Chuanting, the prefect of Luoyang, who organized and trained the Henan New Army, could only ensure the safety of Henan Prefecture. However, Guo Zengguang, the governor of Henan, who built a government in Kaifeng and commanded the 12 guards of Henan's eight prefectures and one state, only sent troops to protect a few traffic arteries and cities, and after confined the mob in the mouths of the gentry to the territory of Dabie Mountain in the south, there was no further action.

What made these Henan gentry most annoyed was that Guo Zengguang did not exterminate the mob that threatened their homeland for them, but also asked the gentry and wealthy families in various places to draw food and pay for the government's troops.

Although most of the gentry and wealthy families hid in the county seat or the capital city after the mob revolted, the family was not harmed. But their property is basically in the manor in the countryside, especially the land rent that has just been collected has not had time to sell, and many unlucky families have suffered heavy losses immediately.

Guo Zengguang, as the governor of Henan, has some contradictions with the local gentry on weekdays, and now that he has taken their money and grain, he can't keep their family property, so he has naturally become a thorn in the side of the Henan gentry and wealthy families.

After entering September, the local officials and gentry in Henan Province impeached Guo Zengguang to the imperial court, and it flew to the capital like snowflakes.

Some Yanguan from Henan are also looking for Guo Zengguang's black materials everywhere, wanting to change the position of the governor of Henan. Interested people even found out that Zhou Qiang, who participated in politics in Henan, and Ji Yuyong of Xiangfu County built a shrine for Wei Zhongxian in Kaifeng, destroyed more than 2,000 houses, and created a palace of nine wings, which is like a record of the emperor.

On the one hand, these people want to explain the fact that the Wei Zhongxian Ancestral Hall built in Kaifeng has brought disaster to the country and the people. And use this fact to prove that Guo Zengguang, the governor who agreed to build the ancestral hall, is despicable. On the other hand, they want to put Wei Zhongxian, who has been assigned to Fengyang to guard the tomb, back in front of everyone for criticism.

Huang Liji, who was regarded by those Donglin Party members as the remnants of the eunuch party, naturally would not let these officials and gentry remove Guo Zengguang from power, nor did he want to take out Wei Zhongxian's affairs to attract the attention of the world.

On the one hand, he used the power of the first assistant to reject several cases concerning Wei Zhongxian to retry, and on the other hand, he wanted Chongzhen to agree and transfer some soldiers and horses to quell the chaos in Henan as soon as possible, so as to calm the mood of the Henan gentry.

His suggestion was not agreed to by Chongzhen, because the emperor believed that the words of the Henan gentry were not all untrue. These gentry also wrote to the imperial court before, saying that these people who had beaten away the officials who requisitioned grain were all good local people and local righteous people. These righteous people opposed the tyrannical officials, not the emperor and the imperial court.

Since the gentry of Henan believed that the people who drove away the officials who carried out the policies of the imperial court were righteous people, then Zhu Youzhen believed that the manor burned down by the righteous people must be the property of the local tyrants and inferior gentry who oppressed the people. How could the imperial court send troops to suppress the righteous people for the sake of a few estates of local tyrants and inferior gentry?

Knowing the emperor's clear meaning, Huang Liji naturally made excuses and delayed the recital about the Henan gentry. And Guo Zengguang, who has the support of the cabinet, naturally won't pay attention to the local gentry who are patrolling the yamen or pleading or cursing every day.

Huang Liji, who had known Guo Zengguang for a long time, took advantage of this opportunity to draw Guo Zengguang into his camp.

Now that Chongzhen suddenly mentioned the affairs of Henan, Huang Liji really didn't react for a while. Instead, Shi Fenglai interjected and asked, "Does Your Majesty want to mobilize the army to exterminate the mob in Henan?" ”

Zhu Youzhen coughed and said: "Before this extermination, the imperial court must first distinguish whether these people who are making trouble in Henan are chaotic people who can't survive, or bandits who want to take the opportunity to rob the place and have ulterior motives.

For the former, the imperial court still has to give a way, as long as there is no homicide case in hand, the leader will be exiled overseas, and the others will be repatriated to their hometowns.

But for the latter, I think: the first evil person must do it, the coercion does not ask, and the meritorious person is rewarded. In this way, those traitors will not feel that as long as they take advantage of the country's difficulties and incite the people to disturb the place, they can get countless benefits. And if it fails, it is just that he was recruited by the imperial court. ”

Hearing that Chongzhen finally didn't talk about Henan Yimin anymore, the cabinet ministers, including Huang Liji, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In order to resist the imperial court's requisition, the local gentry in Henan made a righteous person to incite the local people to rebel, but they lifted a stone and hit themselves in the foot.

Although the people in Henan were dissatisfied with the policies of the imperial court, what they hated even more was the gentry and wealthy families around them who oppressed them.

When the local chaos arises, the situation is not up to the gentry. As a result, the Henan gentry, who originally wanted to incite the people against the imperial court, soon became bitter masters who hoped that the imperial court would stand up for them.

But at this time, the excuse they had used to oppose the imperial court's dispatch of troops to Henan was only some Henan righteous people who rebelled against the imperial court's policies, and the Holy Son of Heaven should not use force against his own people, but should reflect on whether the imperial court's policies were wrong.

This righteous man became an excuse for Chongzhen to oppose the requests of those Henan gentry.

Although Chongzhen's behavior looks very childish in the eyes of these ministers, he is like a child who is fighting with others.

However, those Henan gentry have always regarded Henan as their own private land, and all foreign officials serving in Henan have to bow to the local gentry in the end. Otherwise, they will always be dragged into the water by these local gentry and wealthy families with all kinds of selfish means.

Now in this hall, in addition to the emperor, are the cabinet ministers. For them, it is obviously politically correct to crack down on the local powerful forces in Henan and strengthen the control of the imperial court over Henan.

Since the emperor wanted to personally come forward to teach these local gentry in Henan, they were naturally willing to watch the play on the side. As long as this chaos is confined to the mountainous areas of southern Henan, and does not spread to neighboring provinces.

Despite this, letting the mob in Henan go alone still put a lot of pressure on these ministers after all.

Now that the emperor no longer mentions the word Yimin, it is obvious that he wants to formally solve the problem of Henan. And the solution proposed by the emperor is not very outrageous, at least it is not as they think, and they do not make a big deal against those Henan gentry.

This kind of disposition did not touch their bottom line, and it was still acceptable to the ministers. Huang Liji first expressed his attitude, "The minister supports His Majesty's proposition, and to deal with the chaos in Henan, it is natural to distinguish between bandits and good people first, and then they can be dealt with separately." We cannot blindly suppress or tolerate blindly.

Guo Zengguang, the governor of Henan, once had an excerpt before, telling how to quell the chaos in Henan, and the minister thought it was very appropriate. Whether to let Guo Zengguang preside over this matter, please also ask Your Majesty to make a holy judgment. ”

Guo Zengguang's excerpts, Zhu Youzhen has naturally seen them a long time ago. He only thought about it briefly and said, "It's nothing to let Governor Guo preside over quelling the chaos in Henan.

However, in the past few days, the Henan gentry have accumulated a lot of impeachment against him. In recent days, even the clan in Henan has come up with a recital to impeach him. ”

Zhu Youzhen raised his hand to stop Huang Liji from wanting to defend Guo Zengguang, and continued: "I said this, not to suspect that there was something wrong with Governor Guo. It's just that the ancients said it well: the melon field is not acceptable, and the plum is not crowned.

Since the gentry and clan of Henan do not trust Governor Guo so much, the imperial court asked him to preside over this matter, and can he finally convince the public?

Instead of making the world boil at that time, it is better to think about how to convince people before doing things.

Governor Guo can preside over the matter, but both the procuratorate and Jinyiwei need to send people to monitor the matter in Henan. In this way, even if there are some problems, the imperial court can actually grasp the information, and there is no need to listen to the two sides insist on their own words, and they can't argue..."

When Chongzhen left from the Wenhua Hall and returned to the study of the Qianqing Palace, he instructed Wang Chengen: "Wang Companion, you will let someone go to Henan to inform Xu Xianchun and tell him that he can take action." The information he had collected before about the illegal acts of the Henan gentry and clan could also be arranged and published in the newspapers. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen didn't dare to slack off, and immediately went out to arrange Chongzhen's order.

According to the habit of the past, Lu Qi stepped forward and began to report to Chongzhen, some news and events in Beijing, as well as the progress of several things in his hands.

Zhu Youzhen listened to it briefly, then raised his eyebrows and said a little unhappily: "This Sarmento really just wants to take advantage and doesn't want to suffer." It makes no sense for a half-used merchant ship to be sold to me as brand new. ”

Lu Qi didn't answer, and when Chongzhen began to complain, he stopped and waited for the emperor to vent his emotions before he continued to report. His behavior is quite popular with Chongzhen.

Zhu Youzhen was just talking about it, and Sarmento agreed to set up a regular flight between Daming and Goa.

However, he didn't dare to follow Chongzhen's suggestion and put in 4 boats at once. The capital occupied in this way is too large, and if the personnel and goods are insufficient, the loss will also be at stake.

Therefore, he believes that it is better to open a regular flight from Tianjin to Malacca City first, and if this flight can pass normally and will not be intercepted, then it is not too late to increase the number of ships and routes.

In the final analysis, Sarmento still had doubts about the influence of the Ming Dynasty in Southeast Asia, which now has not only local indigenous forces, but also commercial forces from European countries, among which the Dutch are the most powerful.

The Dutch had always been committed to suppressing Portuguese trade in Southeast Asia. Samento did not believe that the Dutch, who had no business ethics, would play fair and competitive trade with the Ming Dynasty.

Even their European compatriots in Southeast Asia had to be attacked by the Dutch, and China, as the suzerainty of the small states in Southeast Asia, if it wanted to restore its traditional power on the sea of Southeast Asia, then the biggest competitors should be those Dutch.

Sarmento hoped to receive preferential treatment from the Ming Emperor and enjoy fewer restrictions on trade in China, but he was also unwilling to get involved in a war with the Dutch, so he was prepared to give a ship to the Ming to test the Dutch's bottom line.