The conversation between the emperor and Shoufu about Huang Zongxi's case in the Wenhua Hall was quickly circulated.

Liu Hongxun thought that he had seen through Chongzhen's intentions, and began to officially promote the substantive process of overturning the case for the gentlemen of Donglin.

In Cui's house on the street in front of the Confucian Temple in Jizhou, two brothers, Cui Chengxiu and Cui Ningxiu, who went home to guard their mother, were sitting in the flower hall drinking tea and talking.

Cui Chengxiu's eldest son, Cui Duo, broke into the flower hall in a panic, holding a letter in his hand, and shouted loudly: "Father, my brother-in-law sent someone to send an urgent letter, which seems to be about the criminal department overturning the case for the Donglin party." ”

Cui Ningxiu suddenly stopped the tea cup sent to her lips and looked at her nephew who rushed in in a daze.

Cui Chengxiu's bearing was much better than that of his younger brother, he put down the teacup gently, raised his head and frowned and reprimanded his son loudly: "Even if Yuan Fang comes with a letter, are you so flustered?" The sky can't fall, and even if it falls, you'll be on top of it. ”

Cui Duo suddenly stood still with his neck bent, not daring to continue yelling. Cui Chengxiu then said to him: "Open the letter and read it, what did your brother-in-law say?" ”

After receiving his father's instructions, Cui Duo immediately couldn't wait to open the envelope in his hand and took out a thick stack of stationery inside.

Cui Duo stammered and read the letter, Cui Chengxiu couldn't help it after listening to it for a while, Cui Duo didn't like to read since he was a child, and he could only be regarded as rough about the text, and now he asked the examiner Sun Zhiqi to take care of it.

He directly asked Cui Duo to hand over the letter paper in his hand to him, and then looked at it at a glance. Cui Duo scratched his ears and looked at the letter in his father's hand, wondering what his brother-in-law had written.

Although Cui Ningxiu was also very nervous, she finally held back her patience and waited for her brother to read all the letter papers before she asked carefully, "What did Yuan Fang say in the letter?" Do those officials of the Criminal Department really want to go through old accounts and find trouble for our family? ”

Cui Chengxiu slowly put the letter paper in his hand on the coffee table on the side, although he tried his best to make a calm appearance, but Cui Ningxiu, who was sitting opposite him, undoubtedly saw that his brother's hand trembled slightly.

Although Cui Chengxiu thought that he had covered his emotions well, as soon as he opened his mouth, he showed a taste of gnashing of teeth.

"A milky child who has not dried up empty words, saying that the old man is the mastermind of the Duke of Wei, the leader of the eunuch party, the traitor who caused chaos in the dynasty, and persecuted the righteous people and gentlemen in the court, then Liu Hongxun wants to let the old man return to Beijing to confront him, this is to turn the sky upside down."

After hearing this, Cui Ningxiu grabbed the letter from the coffee table and hurriedly looked at it, and after reading it, he also said angrily: "This group of bastards is just watching those Donglin rats make waves. When we fall, will they be able to sit back and relax? ”

Cui Duo couldn't help but look at his father and uncle nervously, being driven back to the deserted Jizhou from the bustling capital, which made him often resentful.

But if he couldn't even be a rich man in the countryside, the resentment in his stomach would suddenly disappear, and only panic would be left at a loss.

Cui Ningxiu complained a few words, but still couldn't think of any way to solve the dilemma, he had to look at his brother, hoping to hear a reassuring idea from Cui Chengxiu.

Choi Chengxiu's anger only lasted for a short while, and then he fell into nervous thoughts. After a long time, he raised his head and said in a low voice to his brother: "It seems that this time our Cui family is going to break the fortune and avoid disasters this time." ”

Seeing that her brother finally spoke, Cui Ningxiu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "As long as you can keep your eldest brother, even if you give up all your property, you will still come back in the future."

But if you are defeated by the Donglin Party, brother, I don't know who will fall into the hands of the property of this mansion? ”

Cui Chengxiu, who was originally a little depressed, finally recovered some of his spirit after listening to his brother's words, and he said a little viciously: "That's right, if the Donglin Party really drags me into this case, I'm afraid our Cui family will have no good end." ”

Cui Ningxiu thought for a while and said, "Eldest brother, I heard that the commander's master, Sun Zhiqi, is now quite valued by His Majesty, is it through him to ask a few people in the palace?" ”

Cui Chengxiu nodded and replied: "A few people in the palace really want to take care of one or two, but since Your Majesty ascended the throne, he has vigorously rectified the palace ban, and many old people in the palace have been sent to the south.

It is said that the most trusted people around His Majesty are Wang Chengen, the prince who has accompanied him since childhood, and the other is the unknown miscellaneous eunuch in the palace, whose name is Lu Qi.

If it's a trivial matter, these two are not afraid to accept my family's money. But like the turmoil set off by the Donglin Party, I doubt that they dare to accept this money now, or whether they can calm the turmoil after accepting it. ”

Cui Ningxiu suddenly said a little anxiously: "If even the palace can't calm this turmoil, what else can Huang Liji, the grass on the wall at both ends of the first mouse, do?" They won't take this opportunity to put all the blame for the past on the eldest brother and Duke Wei. ”

Cui Chengxiu gritted his teeth and said word by word: "So we have to buy someone who can decide the winner." ”

"Who?" Cui Ningxiu and Cui Duo's two uncles and nephews asked in unison.

"Your Majesty, of course." Cui Chengxiu finally recovered a few points, and he used to give advice to Wei Zhongxian.

"Your Majesty? This tomorrow is all His Majesty's, how can we buy Your Majesty? Cui Ningxiu couldn't help but say subconsciously.

"Yes, this tomorrow is Your Majesty's, but Your Majesty still has to tie his hands and feet to do something. Thinking about His Majesty's current position as the Son of Heaven, it is not very comfortable.

His Majesty wanted to carry out land reform, but except for one or two counties in Gyeonggi, no one listened to him at all.

A few days ago, the imperial court explored geography near Jizhou and wanted to open a mine. However, the news from the capital said that there has been no investment so far.

Since this is the case, it is up to our Cui family to set an example. The land in Jizhou is not very fertile, and most of the land is in the hands of my Cui family and two in-laws. It is a good deal to take some out and please a Majesty.

Go and get your father-in-law and uncle, and say, "I have something important to consult with them..."

Zhu Youzhen was in his study, listening to the latest report on Huang Zongxi's case.

Wang Chengen took a stack of documents and read: "... Yesterday, when Huang Zongxi confronted Xu Xianchun, he secretly hid an awl in his sleeve, and he was unprepared for it in the public court, stabbing Xu Xianchun with an awl, Xu Xianchun was wounded in four or five places, and the blood that flowed out soaked half of his clothes.

After the incident, the officials in the court moved slowly and did not come forward to stop it in time, and Liu Hongxun, the servant of the criminal department who asked about the case, only reprimanded Huang Zongxi a few words afterwards, and the matter was over.

With yesterday's experience, Huang Zongxi was even more unscrupulous in today's court, slamming Cui Yingyuan in public and pulling off a large handful of his beard, and Liu Hongxun didn't even reprimand him today.

Whether it is the people of the capital or the scholar Qingliu, they all say that Huang Zongxi is the first filial son of my Ming Dynasty.

In addition, Liu Hongxun said that the case of the gentlemen of Donglin was indeed an unjust case, and it was a means for Wei Zhongxian to falsely pass on the holy decree, collude with party members, form a party in the DPRK and China, and crack down on dissidents.

Fortunately, Lord Lai Ming ascended the throne, saw through the treachery, and drove Wei Zhongxian and Cui Chengxiu out of the court. However, the eunuch henchmen of the DPRK and China, who were attached to Wei Zhongxian and Choi Chengxiu, were still full of powerful positions in various ministries. However, the righteous man and gentleman are constantly squeezed out by the remnants of these eunuchs, and they are unable to serve His Majesty and the country.

Liu Hongxun thinks that His Majesty should make persistent efforts to sweep away the demonic atmosphere in the DPRK and China in one fell swoop, clean up the source, rebuke the traitorous party, recall the sages, and uphold the dynasty..."

Zhu Youzhen held his chin and listened to Wang Chengen's reading voice as if he was asleep. After a long time, he said with a slight smile: "Our Liu Shilang, is this treating yourself as Haigang Peak?" What is the attitude of the Donglin Party and Shoufu to this case now? ”

Wang Chengen closed the document in his hand, bowed down and said: "Yesterday, Yuan Keli and Liu Hongxun had a quarrel in the back hall of the Criminal Department, and the two broke up unhappily. As for the other Donglin Party officials, they all thought that Liu Hongxun had done a good job.

As for the Shoufu's side, Huang Ge is old and sparse, if His Majesty doesn't express his attitude towards this case, he, the Shoufu, will not be able to do any longer, and he will ask His Majesty to resign. ”

After Zhu Youzhen stretched his waist, he said to Wang Chengen: "Arrange for Huang Shoufu to come to the study tomorrow morning, and I want to talk to him." So is there any other news? ”

Wang Chengen took a copy of Shangshu from the little eunuch beside him, put it in front of Chongzhen and said: "The gentry of Jizhou Shangshu ask Your Majesty to send someone to help them establish a commune system, and they are willing to donate 300 dumps of land to settle the landless displaced people and the Liaodong refugees who have left the customs. ”

"Oh, who are they?" Zhu Youzhen asked with some surprise.

Wang Chengen immediately said: "Cui Chengxiu, the former secretary of the military department, gave 150 tilts..."

Zhu Youzhen didn't become happy because of this, but he became a little serious. After a long time, he asked Lu Qi, "What else has Cui Chengxiu done these days?" ”

Lu Qi replied quietly: "Cui Chengxiu's brother Cui Ningxiu came to the capital a few days ago to visit Sun Zhixi, and contacted several of his brother's former subordinates through him.

Then, this afternoon, I bought 500,000 taels of silver from the stock exchange for shares of the Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant, and then left the capital and went back to Jizhou. ”

The expression on Zhu Youzhen's face finally relaxed, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Cui Chengxiu is so knowledgeable, I don't want to treat him too harshly. Several officials in charge of land restructuring were transferred from Shunyi to Jizhou, and the celebrant was asked to draw up a decree and seal Cui Chengxiu's son. By the way, tell him that he can stay at home with peace of mind, and the three years will pass quickly..."

When Wang Chengen and Lu Qi withdrew from the upper study, he, who had always been cold to Lu Qi, showed a rare smile and nodded to Lu Qi before turning to leave.