At this time, there were only Fang Congzhe, Ye Xianggao, and Sun Chengzong in the cabinet.
The ministers asked the emperor to increase the number of cabinet seats.
Zhu Youxiao asked everyone to recommend, and then selected Xu Guangqi to join the cabinet, and he still held the post of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
This is a new thing in the Ming Dynasty.
Generally speaking, the title of minister in the cabinet is just an honorary title, which is to improve the status of cabinet ministers.
But now Xu Guangqi is both a cabinet minister and the minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
This has not yet happened.
Pass.
Xu Guangqi submitted a petition to resign as Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, but Zhu Youxiao refused.
Xu Guangqi presented the memorial again, and Zhu Youxiao said: "I am determined and will not allow the minister to mention this matter again."
Xu Guangqi had no choice but to give up, and the ministers waiting for the opportunity also had to give up in disappointment.
The reason why Zhu Youxiao did not let Xu Guangqi resign as Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs was because Xu Guangqi's performance during the Beijing inspection in the third year of Tianqi just passed made him extremely satisfied.
All officials in Beijing were evaluated based on the completion of their tasks, and No consideration was given to party affiliation.
This is a modified application of Zhang Juzheng's examination method, and the effect is excellent.
Officials who were only good at talking were demoted or even demoted to serve the people, while officials who did practical things were rewarded or even promoted.
This made officials understand the emperor's likes and dislikes of official behavior, and to a large extent, officials began to focus on doing practical things instead of He can only speak.
At this time, on the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, there were earthquakes in six prefectures and two prefectures, including Yingtian, Suzhou, Songjiang, Fengyang, Sizhou, Huai'an, Yangzhou and Chuzhou in southern Zhili, especially Yangzhou Prefecture.
In Yangzhou, more than 380 battlements and more than 20 city walls collapsed.
The walls shook in the sky, the ridges and beams of the roofs each made a sound, the city wall stacks collapsed, the Gaochun earthquake made a sound, the houses collapsed, water overflowed, and Jurong tiles fell down and covered the house.
In Changzhou, Zhenjiang, and Yangzhou, the sound was like a huge thunder, shaking down countless houses and killing many people.
The water in Huai'an Prefecture's lake turned over and the houses moved.
The walls of Taizhou shook and the rivers roared.
The walls and houses of Changshu shook, and all who walked fell to the ground.
The top of the Dongcha pagoda was also shaken, and the ground inside and outside the city was cracked.
Chongjiao Xingguo Temple has a sloping top.
Wujiang, Zhenze, Jiading, Jiangdu, Tongzhou, Taixing, Wusong Suo, and Yixing, Changzhou Prefecture, all shook like thunder.
The houses in Huating, Shanghai, Nanhui garrison, Yishabao, Wuxi, and Jingjiang in Songjiang Prefecture shook, and the water in Wujin broke the house and the lake flew away.
Yingtianfu, Shangyuan, Jiangning, Liuhe, Wuxian, Jiangyin, Danyang, Jintan, Dantu, Liyang and Jiangxi were all shaken on the same day.
The emergency report reached the capital on the evening of the 23rd, and Zhu Youxiao urgently summoned ministers to discuss disaster relief matters.
Fang Congzhe said: "Although this disaster is quite loud, the number of casualties is limited.
However, the post-earthquake relief work is very important.
The weather is cold and the ground is freezing, and the victims lack food and clothing.
If not handled properly, they may starve to death." ” Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "For the current plan, I should appoint an impartial minister to inspect the disaster area for me and save the people from hunger and cold.
Who do you think can take on this important task?"
Ye Xianggao stepped forward and said: "The military department has been assigned to Yang Lian.
He has always been honest and self-disciplined, and hates evil as much as his enemies.
He is qualified for this position."
Zhu Youxiao looked at Yang Lian and said, "I wonder if Yang Qing is willing to share my worries?"
Yang Lian came out and knelt down and said, "I am willing to go."
Zhu Youxiao said: "I will appoint Yang Lian as the imperial envoy to go to Nanzhili to preside over disaster relief matters.
I will also order Dongchang, Jinyiwei and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to assist you.
I will give you the Shangfang Sword.
Officials below the third rank can be killed first and then reported."
Ye Xianggao said quickly: "Your Majesty, can you deny that it is below the fourth grade?"
Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said: "There are many officials in Nanzhili with high vocational degrees.
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Those below the fourth rank cannot even be managed by a prefect.
If they are of the third rank and below, they can be killed first and then reported."
Yang Lian kowtowed repeatedly: "I thank your Majesty for your trust, and I hereby swear that I will not let anyone in Nanzhili die who does not deserve to die, in order to repay your Majesty's kindness."
Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I'm waiting for your good news."
Xu Guangqi stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, can the affected people move some of them to Taiwan and other places to alleviate the local food pressure?"
Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to leave our homeland.
I'm afraid they won't want to go overseas."
Xu Guangqi said: "People's hearts are different.
If someone is willing, that is actually a good thing."
Zhu Youxiao nodded and said to Yang Lian: "Yang Qing, you can ask the local people to collect the extremely poor people who are willing to immigrate to Taiwan.
They must be voluntary, and then transport them from Yangzhou to Taiwan, give them three months of food, and pay them as per the original Immigration policy resettlement.”
Yang Lian naturally agreed to everything.
When he left the palace, Liu Siyu, the head of the Dongchang, was waiting outside with thirty officers, Xu Xianchun, the commander of Jinyiwei, was with fifty subordinates, and Liu Jingwen, deputy director of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, was waiting outside with twenty investigators.
And the chariots and horses are all ready.
Yang Lian smiled and said: "Your Majesty's love for the people is so urgent, how can we waste time?
Let's go directly."
After saying that, he called his family waiting outside and asked him to go home to report a message, and then went straight there. .
Everyone walked through the waterway overnight and finally arrived at Yangzhou City two days later.
Everyone was panting from exhaustion.
Xu Xianchun looked at Yang Lian and Liu Jingwen who were in a state of embarrassment but still persevered.
He couldn't help but sigh that today's civil servants are no less ruthless than military attachés.
Yang Lian went directly to the Yangzhou government office.
The door came to stop him, but Xu Xianchun slapped him away.
Everyone entered the Yamen, but saw no one in the lobby.
Xu Xianchun banged the Dengwen drum directly.
After a while, a pot-bellied official came out from the back hall and cursed: "Who is blind and beating the drum randomly?"
At this time, the government officials also rushed in.
The doorman pointed at Xu Xianchun and said: "Sir, it was this barbarian who was beating the drum and injured me.
Please put him in jail."
The official was startled when he saw Xu Xianchun's Feiyu suit, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow to him and said, "I don't know if the lord of Jinyiwei has arrived.
If you don't welcome him from afar, please come in and take a seat."
Xu Xianchun ignored him, but Yang Lian stepped forward and said, "I wonder what Mingfu is busy with, but there is no one in the lobby."
The official said: "I have an occasional illness and just took a rest in the back hall.
I don't know who you are."
Xu Xianchun shouted: "You still don't kneel down when you see the imperial envoy."
When the official heard the word "imperial envoy", he immediately knelt down and said, "Li Shiyu, the prefect of Yangzhou, respectfully greets you."
Yang Lian said: "Sheng Gong'an, get up."
Li Shiyu got up and said, "Please come in, your Majesty the Imperial Envoy, so that I can serve you tea."
Yang Lian shook his head and said: "No need.
I don't know how many casualties there are in Yangzhou Prefecture and how the distribution of disaster relief supplies is going."
Li Shiyu said: "The city wall of Yangzhou collapsed, killing many people.
Now the victims have been properly resettled."
Yang Lian said: "Take me to take a look at the situation."
Li Shiyu said: "Your Majesty, the weather is freezing.
It's better to have someone report the situation to avoid frostbite."
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Yang Lian said angrily: "You'll get frostbite if you go out.
Those victims whose houses collapsed would have frozen to death long ago.
I'm sending you out to have a look, so I won't bother the magistrate
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