"Speak, I forgive your innocence." Chongzhen glanced at Zhu Yunfei and said with a slight emotion.

"Your Majesty, the Shanxi merchants who colluded with the slave builders deserve to die, but if Your Majesty deals with them in such a big way, I'm afraid you won't get any benefits at all."

Zhu Yunfei bowed his hands, lowered his head and said humbly.

"As far as I know, Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, Huang Yunfa and others are all big businessmen in the various states of Shanxi Province."

"The influence of these people in Shanxi is so intricate that many of them even collude with the government."

"Once the news is leaked, these people will definitely abscond immediately and transfer their property."

"Your Majesty, you may not know that these big businessmen are all wealthy. If they could catch them all at once, they could raise at least five million taels of silver."

"How much?" Chongzhen stared at Zhu Yunfei and stood up in shock.

"Your Majesty, I am talking about five million taels. As long as you give an order immediately, Admiral Datong and Xuan Mansion Commander-in-Chief Cao Bianjiao will immediately send troops to arrest those gang of profiteers with lightning speed."

"Then we will send the Jinyi Guards and the Criminal Department to investigate the aftermath thoroughly to confirm the charges against those profiteers."

"We will definitely be able to raise five million taels of silver from them, or even more."

"Five million taels, they are actually richer than me?" Chongzhen snorted with a ferocious expression and sat back on the dragon chair again.

"Wang Daban, immediately asked Fang Zhenghua, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, to go to the Xuan Mansion overnight and pass on my oral instructions, ordering Zhang Fuzhen, the Governor of Xuan Dynasty, and Cao Bianjiao, the general commander of Xuan Dynasty, to send out troops immediately."

"Arrest all those profiteers and people from the three tribes. If anyone escapes, I will hold them accountable."

What Chongzhen lacks most now is money. Let alone five million taels of silver, even if he has five million taels of silver, he will not hesitate to order the execution of those profiteers.

You must know that since he succeeded to the throne, in just over ten years, no less than 20 people from the three clans, including the cabinet scholar, the Minister of War and other high officials, were wiped out by him.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhu Yunfei glanced at Chongzhen, who had a gloomy face, and couldn't help but feel a chill on his back, and quickly knelt down and complimented.

"Zhu Aiqing, there is no need to panic. You have made great achievements in your suggestions and made extraordinary achievements in Liaodong. I will reward you well."

Chongzhen was still very satisfied with Zhu Yunfei's respectful attitude.

"Tell me, whatever reward you want, I will grant it to you."

"It is a humble honor to share your Majesty's worries and solve problems. I dare not ask for rewards in a humble position."

Zhu Yunfei is not stupid. If you take the emperor's empty promise seriously, you are definitely seeking death.

"When the country is in trouble, we miss our good generals. I am the general of the Ming Dynasty. If everyone loves you as much as you do, why worry about the family slaves being immortal and the thieves being unfair?"

Looking at Zhu Yunfei kneeling on the ground, Chongzhen sighed.

"In this way, regarding your promotion, I will let the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel discuss your merits for promotion."

"But how about I allow you to make a request?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Zhu Yunfei had no choice but to thank him quickly.

Then, he showed an embarrassed smile and said: "Your Majesty, I am already twenty-two years old this year and I still don't have a wife or concubine. I wonder if Your Majesty can reward me a beauty?"

"Hahaha..." Hearing Zhu Yunfei's request, Chongzhen couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"It just so happens that Uncle Tian Guo brought back a group of palace ladies from Jiangnan some time ago. I will reward you with four of them."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I resign from my post." Zhu Yunfei said with excitement.

Seeing Zhu Yunfei with a face full of joy and joy, Chongzhen suddenly felt that the Zhu Yunfei in front of him was so frank and honest.

It's much more comfortable to talk to them than to talk to those bureaucrats.

"Your Majesty, Sun Chuanting brings you here."

Zhu Yunfei was about to go out when he met a eunuch who was reporting. When he walked out of the palace gate, he happened to meet Sun Chuanting who was waiting outside the palace.

Sun Chuanting, who was already fifty years old, had been in prison for three years. He was always looking forward to meeting the emperor again and sharing his worries for the Ming Dynasty.

Although he was born as a scholar, Sun Chuanting was not a weakling. On the contrary, he could not only bend a bow and shoot arrows, but also ride a horse into battle.

Sun Chuanting, who has a square face and big ears, is wearing a gray robe with a majestic look. He has a long beard under his chin and has piercing eyes.

When Zhu Yunfei bowed his hands in salute, Sun Chuanting glanced at Zhu Yunfei and raised his hand to return the salute.

Looking at the young Zhu Yunfei, Sun Chuanting first felt that he was young, and the second was that he was surprised.

To be able to be received alone by the emperor in the Wuying Hall, such a young official must be a hero of the country in his opinion.

"The common people kowtow to Sun Chuanting, and kowtow to my emperor, long live, long live, long live."

Sun Chuanting, who walked into the hall with his head held high, knelt on his knees and prostrated himself on the ground excitedly.

Three years, three whole years.

He is looking forward to the emperor's summons every day, hoping to relieve the emperor's worries and serve the country.

This loyalty is not innate, but it is the belief engraved in Sun Chuanting's bones after reading the books of sages.

The purpose of Confucian culture is loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust.

Zhu Yunfei didn't know what the discussion was between Sun Chuanting and Emperor Chongzhen.

But within a few days, he heard the news that Sun Chuanting was appointed as the right minister of the Ministry of War and the governor-general of the three sides. He led 5,000 soldiers from the Beijing camp and rushed to Henan.

Although Zhu Yunfei is not a history buff, he had a saying in the late Ming Dynasty that was widely circulated on the Internet in later generations.

This sentence is "Sun Chuanting died, and Ming Dynasty died."

For this reason, Zhu Yunfei was not unfamiliar with the name Sun Chuanting.

After Sun Chuanting entered Wuying Hall, Zhu Yunfei was led by two young eunuchs all the way to Shangyi Bureau.

The Shangyi Bureau is the female official bureau responsible for women's etiquette matters in the palace. New maids and show ladies in the palace must be trained by the Shangyi Bureau before they can enter the palaces to serve.

"Li Gongzheng, His Majesty has a decree to reward General Zhu with four beauties. Please Gongzheng, please give General Zhu a list of newly admitted beauties to choose from."

Don't look at these little eunuchs. In front of the emperor, they all have low eyebrows and are as well-behaved as cats.

But in fact, in this palace, the eunuchs around the emperor were all powerful and their status was far superior to that of the maids and slaves in each palace.

"Eunuch Chen, later." Li Gongzheng is a woman in her thirties. She is pretty, but her face is serious and she looks a bit unapproachable.

This is in line with her status. After all, teaching etiquette and natural seriousness can control the scene.

"General Zhu, this is the roster. Take a look at it first. If you think it's appropriate, ask Li Gongzheng to bring the people."

Eunuch Chen licked his smile and stood in front of Zhu Yunfei. This young eunuch also had a sharp eye and knew that Zhu Yunfei was a new rich man, so he behaved very politely.

"Thank you." Zhu Yunfei took the roster and turned it over seriously with an impatient expression.

Beauty pageant? That's just showing off to the emperor.

The purpose of his doing this was to tell the emperor that he was a man who was greedy for beauty.

After all, the emperor doesn't like a person who is capable and has no shortcomings. Such a person will make the superiors think that you are uncontrollable.

"Well, this, and this..." Zhu Yunfei looked at the roster and quickly named three people.

"Chen Yuanyuan?" When he saw the seemingly unremarkable name Chen Yuanyuan in the roster, Zhu Yunfei was stunned and couldn't help but said with some anticipation.

"And this Chen Yuanyuan."

"Li Gongzheng, just these four people, please immediately ask them to pack their things and follow General Zhu out of the palace." Mr. Chen ordered openly.

"I'll make arrangements later." Li Gongzheng bowed and bowed before retreating. Looking at the young and handsome Zhu Yunfei, she couldn't help but be a little envious of the four maids who were selected.

Being able to leave the palace and serve a noble disciple like Zhu Yunfei is obviously far better than staying in the palace and being alone all his life.

Chen Yuanyuan, who was practicing etiquette in the courtyard, heard Li Gongzheng asking her to pack her things and said that His Majesty had given him a reward to a general. Chen Yuanyuan sighed inwardly, with a sad look on her face.

Born in a theater, she was kidnapped to the capital by her uncle Tian Hongyu half a year ago.

It was sent to Ye Palace three months ago to be presented to the emperor.

But in the past few months, with the imperial court experiencing internal and external troubles, how could Emperor Chongzhen be in the mood to favor his maids?

In this way, Chen Yuanyuan has been staying in Shangyi Bureau, silently waiting for the fate.

At this time, Chen Yuanyuan was nineteen years old, at the age when she was young and charming.

When Zhu Yunfei saw Chen Yuanyuan for the first time, he realized that the woman in front of him must be the Chen Yuanyuan who made Wu Sangui become a beauty in history.

Because the beauty of this woman's appearance is absolutely rare in the world. Just one glance gives people a sense of stunning.

Originally, Zhu Yunfei had no desire to pursue beauty, but now that he met this legendary woman in history, Zhu Yunfei couldn't help but become curious about her.

[Author's digression]: [Historical records say that Chen Yuanyuan stayed in the palace for three months and was sent back to Tian Hongyu's home. It happened that Wu Sangui returned to Beijing to report on his work. Tian Hongyu wanted to make friends with Wu Sangui, so he gave Chen Yuanyuan to him.
Chapter completed!