Chapter 50: Land annexation has been exposed, Yan Shifan is concerned about the country and the people!
While Yan Song was thinking rapidly, Yan Shifan also spoke.
"The emperor has a wise mind and all the people are in submission to him." The opening line was a brand new flattery. While speaking, he glanced at Zhang Juzheng, his eyes full of disdain for such a plagiarist.
"A few days ago, Zhang Ziming gave me a secret letter. Please take a look, Your Majesty." Yan Shifan said as he took out a rolled-up paper from his sleeve and presented it to Jiajing. Lu Fang stepped forward to take it and presented it to Jiajing.
When Xu Jie saw this scene, he subconsciously glanced at Yan Song, who looked calm and composed, and his brows furrowed again.
The Yan Party instigated Hai Rui in the southeast to investigate the gentry and powerful families, hoping to shift the blame to land annexation.
However, the emperor knew about the land issue, and although he did not make it clear last time, it was also explained in the twelve memorials he submitted last time.
The situation at that time was that the emperor and his subjects had a tacit understanding that no one would touch it, and Yan Song himself would not let Yan Shifan touch it. Moreover, the emperor wanted balance and would not touch the land.
Yan Song shouldn't be so foolish as to act recklessly at this time, right? How dare he go against the emperor's wishes?
The most important thing is that land annexation is reasonable and legal.
If we really investigate it, we may not be able to find out the truth in three to five years, and there is a high probability of failure. The matter is too complicated, and the emperor will not agree.
So what else can Yan Shifan come up with?
Xu Jie's mind raced, and after ruling out all the impossibilities, there was still no answer left.
At this moment, Yan Song suddenly seemed to sense something. He turned around and looked at Xu Jie, with a smile flashing in his eyes.
Shaohu, I am different from you. I only have the emperor, but you have a huge and powerful gentry family behind you.
Those who gain from this will suffer from this. This limits you and also means that you will never be on the same page with the emperor.
Yan Song's gaze swept gently over Xu Jie and others, and his mind became more and more clear.
"Your Majesty, this is evidence of the local gentry of Dinghai County, the Lin family, maliciously annexing the land of military households!" Yan Shifan did not hide anything and used his trump card right away.
Land annexation! Hearing these four words, Xu Jie suddenly raised his head and looked at the emperor on the throne above.
At this moment, he wanted to see the emperor's attitude clearly.
Yan Shifan had mentioned the issue of land annexation during previous cabinet meetings, but most of the time it was just a lot of noise with little action, and there was no evidence, so it was never resolved.
But this time it’s different. He was carried before the emperor, and he was talking about evidence. How would the emperor react?
The Lin family of Dinghai County? He knew!
Hai Rui is now at Cha Lin's home in Dinghai County.
To him, it was just a small family on the margins, but in order to see the big picture from the small, he needed to make a judgment based on the emperor's attitude.
He knew that the emperor's actions would cause them great pain, and before this pain, the thing he thought of most was money!
He knew that his emperor loved money.
Previously, money was wasted on Xuan cultivation, and recently, money has been needed for military supplies.
But now, when he saw Yan Shifan unscrupulously bringing the issue of land annexation to the table and puncturing the paper that the three parties had worked hard to maintain, he suddenly came to his senses.
This time, Your Majesty may ask them for land!
But it is still hard to judge, how much does Your Majesty intend to take? Is it just taking this opportunity to cut some meat, or is it all for you?
Zhang Juzheng was also stunned by Yan Shifan's direct mention of land annexation, something that both parties had tacitly agreed not to mention, and then he finally realized what was going on.
Subconsciously, he turned his head to look at Xu Jie on the side.
Zhao Zhenji raised his head, looked at the emperor on the throne, then looked at Lord Xu, and finally lowered his head again.
Sure enough, it is not so easy to get the emperor to take action to settle the matter. If you are not careful, to put it in a very disrespectful way, you will be inviting a wolf into the house!
Obviously, His Majesty intends to ask for land. Ordinary money can no longer satisfy his appetite.
They should have thought of their emperor's greedy nature. How could he not seize the opportunity that was delivered to him?
Now it depends on whether the old man wants to have a big bite and a full meal, or just eat until he is full every meal.
But who can be blamed for all this? Who made them use Hai Rui?
At first, we only saw the sharpness of this sword, and thought it was a weapon used to deal with the Yan Party. Who would have thought that this thing was out of control?
Now, not only was Yan Dang unharmed, he also chopped himself off.
Oh my God, I’d better stay away from Hai Rui from now on.
If the ministers still plan to use Hai Rui after this incident, they must not become his direct superior, otherwise they will be killed by him sooner or later.
Zhao Zhenji was muttering to himself.
In the hall, Yan Shifan saw Jiajing start to flip through the book, paused, and then began to narrate.
"This matter started with the natural disaster in the 38th year of Jiajing." "From April to May of the 38th year of Jiajing, Dinghai County suffered a rare flood disaster, which caused a large area of farmland to be flooded, crops to be severely damaged, and countless people to be affected."
"I think many people still remember the memorial from the southeast at that time," Yan Shifan said, glancing at the cabinet members and the Imperial Household Department. "Military household Li Wenzhong is one of them."
"Li Wenzhong, 42 years old, a military household in Dinghai County, has a family of four. He has a gentle and sensible wife, Zhang, a smart son, Li Ming, and a well-behaved daughter, Li Xiu."
As Yan Shifan spoke, his expression was full of pity and reluctance.
Gao Gong, who was standing by, looked at him with sarcasm in his eyes. "Who doesn't know what kind of person you are, Yan Shifan? Do you feel sorry for the people at the bottom?"
"The natural disaster also affected the military farm that Li Wenzhong cultivated. The harvest was almost gone, and the family's livelihood was almost cut off. It was at this time that the Lin family of Dinghai County offered to help him..."
In the main hall, Yan Shifan narrated in vivid and moving detail the misfortune and tragedy of the military household Li Wenzhong, as well as the sinisterness of the Lin family.
At this moment, Yan Shifan seemed like a saint who was concerned about his country and his people, and his eyes looked bloodshot as he spoke.
"When Li Wenzhong's debts grew larger and larger, and he was unable to repay them, the Lin family finally showed its true colors."
"They proposed a land lease for Li Wenzhong."
"On the surface, it was to help Li Wenzhong suspend his debts, but there were many trap clauses hidden in the contract."
"According to the contract, Li Wenzhong needs to pay a high rent, and if he fails to pay on time for two consecutive years, the ownership of the land will automatically transfer to the Lin family."
When Yan Shifan said this, a sneer hung on his lips.
"Most of the military households are illiterate and not very familiar with the law, so they took this opportunity to plot against Li Wenzhong."
"And this example is just the most common one among many examples of local gentry's land annexation!"
"Unfortunately, in the 39th year of Jiajing, disaster struck the southeast again. Li Wenzhong was naturally unable to pay the rent on time. From then on, the land that belonged to him naturally became the property of the Lin family."
"I don't agree with what the young minister said!" Gao Gong said directly, "The land of the military households is military land. According to the law, it cannot be transferred. He only has the right to cultivate it..."
"Gao Gong!" However, before Gao Gong could finish his words, he was rudely interrupted by Yan Shifan, "That's why I said this is evidence of guilt!"
"The Lin family and Dinghai County Magistrate Lu Wenxuan have been in cahoots with each other for a long time!"
"These were all personally investigated by Hai Rui and Zhang Ziming. How could they be wrong?"
A loud shout choked Gao Gong.
However, since Yan Shifan had drawn his sword, he naturally would not stab a small character like Gao Gong. His target was the person he had always dreamed of defeating, the Cabinet's Second Assistant Xu Jie!
"Your Majesty, the Lin family is just a small merchant family in Dinghai County, but it is a powerful family in the local area."
"As I said before, the Zhou family, who run a private shipping company, is just relying on him to survive!"
"How can a small local snake family control the government? How can he cover the whole sky with one hand in Dinghai County?"
"There is only one reason for everything!" Yan Shifan said as he suddenly turned around and pointed at Xu Jie.
"It's because the wife of Lin Ziang, the head of the Lin family, is the daughter of Xu Jie, the elder brother's sister! To put it bluntly, the wife of the head of the Lin family is the niece of Xu Jie, the elder brother!"
"It is because of this relationship that they dare to be so unscrupulous and lawless!"
"This is still a small corner of Dinghai County."
"Then, how many such examples are there in the entire Southeast?" Yan Shifan said, kneeling down and shouting:
"I beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the annexation of the entire southeastern land and give the people of the Ming Dynasty a clear and bright sky!"
Well, actually, she was just the daughter of a distant cousin who was not related at all. Xu Jie might not even know about such a person. But in order to make the matter sound more serious, Yan Shifan naturally had to make the relationship closer.
These words made the eardrums of everyone present buzz.
The Yan Party obtained evidence of land annexation and reported it to the emperor, making everything clear.
Next, it depends on the emperor’s attitude!
For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall was extremely depressing. Everyone lowered their heads, waiting for the decision of the person on the throne.
Xu Jie never went to see Yan Shifan from beginning to end. The only person in his eyes now was the emperor.
He needs to know the emperor's attitude!
"..."
(End of this chapter)
