Xue Guoguan was a Jinshi. He was a minister of the Ministry of Justice in his early years and later relied on the eunuch party. In the ninth year of Chongzhen, he was promoted to the left assistant censor and the Grand Secretary of the Dongge in the tenth year of Chongzhen. He joined the cabinet to participate in confidential affairs. Although Xue Guoguan was sinister and stubborn, he was recommended by Wen Tiren because of his hatred of the Donglin party. He was promoted to Chongzhen's extraordinary promotion and entrusted with important tasks.

Last year, he was promoted to the Minister of Rites. In the winter, the Qing army invaded, and the chief assistant Liu Yuliang came out of Beijing to supervise the army. Xue Guochang colluded with Yang Sichang to frame and dismiss Liu Yuliang, replaced him as the chief assistant and was granted the title of Shaobao, the Minister of Personnel, and entered the Wuying Hall.

However, during the Chongzhen Dynasty, the chief minister changed frequently. Among the people who were the chief ministers earlier, only Wen Tiren was the best at understanding the emperor's wishes and was the chief minister for the longest time. When Wen Tiren stopped being the chief minister, Zhang Zhifa, Kong Zhenyun, Liu Yuliang and others were not in line with Chongzhen's wishes, so they were dismissed for a short time.

After Xue Guoguan became the chief minister, he colluded with Yang Sichang and everything was carried out according to Wen Tiren's original ruling practices, especially his strong opposition to the Donglin Party, which made the emperor begin to trust him.

However, as soon as Yang Sichang was removed from office, Xue Guoguan lost a strong support in the court. Especially after Mei Zhihuan entered the cabinet, many old Donglin parties were highly valued, Mei Zhihuan, Li Changgeng, Liu Jun, Yuan Jixian, Li Shuchu, Shi Kefa, Huang Daozhou, Yang Tinglin, Qu Shisi, etc., and Yao Minggong, Liu Qiao and others in the court, Xue Guoguan became more and more powerful in the cabinet.

However, Xue Guoguan, the assistant, has only been a half-year, so he naturally does not want to step down.

This time he saw Lu Jiude's memorial and thought that the opportunity had come.

Xue Guoguan got a piece of advice from Wen Tiren that if he wanted to gain the trust of the emperor, he had to maintain the image of a lonely minister and not form a party, especially not to mingle with the Donglin Party members. In order to maintain the position of chief minister, Xue Guoguan decided to attack the Donglin Party, especially to take Liu Jun, the lucky minister, to attack Liu Jun.

Chongzhen looked at Xue Guoguan coldly without speaking.

"I'll stop here today." Chongzhen waved his hand and asked the ministers to retreat.

What Xue Guoguan said is actually normal, after all, they are all talked according to the ancestral system. But at this time, when he said this, he had a very obvious intention to kill his heart. His words were full of hints. It seemed that Liu Jun had lost control. This was something that Chongzhen didn't like. If Xue Guoguan was talking about other military generals, then Chongzhen would listen carefully.

But Liu Jun, he didn't believe it.

First, Liu Jun has only been the general for more than a month, and second, the training time of the new army is also very short. He would never believe that Liu Jun turned the Hubei New Army into his own private army in such a short time.

Of course, the most important point is that Liu Jun had already submitted a memorial when he was appointed as general, saying that after pacifying the bandits in Jiangbei, he requested to lead the army northward. Liu Jun had already expressed his attitude that he did not want to hold troops in the local area or something. With Liu Jun's previous request, now listening to Xue Guoguan's words made Chongzhen feel that Xue Guoguan had no mind and ability as a chief minister.

Outside the hall, Cao Huachun, Wang Chengen, Liu Qiao and Yao Minggong walked together.

"Your Majesty is very dissatisfied with Xue Guoguan today." Wang Chengen said.

"Xue Guoguan crossed the line." Cao Huachun said.

"Mr. Liu understands."

Yao Minggong also whispered, "We must get Xue Guoguan down."

Liu Qiao chuckled a few times, "As long as you are willing to support us, we can keep Xue Guoguan at any time. I now have a solid evidence that will make Xue Guoguan step down immediately, but I am not suitable to come forward now. If Eunuch Cao's East Factory comes forward to find out this matter, I believe it will be successful."

Liu Qiao told several people the important handle that Xue Guoguan was in control. It turned out that this incident involved Shi Xuan, a dead senior official. When Shi Xuan inspected Huaiyang, he plundered the stolen money confiscated from the treasury and fined more than 100,000 taels of silver into his pocket. He assisted in the inspection of the salt administration and took away all the treasury 200,000 taels of silver stored by his former salt official.

When Shi Xi retired and lived at home, Yang Shicong impeached the Minister of Personnel Tian Weijia to accept bribes from Zhou Rubi for 8,000 taels of gold and recommended him as the governor of Yansui. Shi Xi was the introducer and exposed Shi Xi's stealing of salt money.

The matter was exposed, and Shi Hui hurriedly brought a large amount of silver into the Beijing sea. He lived in Xue Guoguan's mansion in Beijing. Later, Shi Hui was imprisoned and happened to encounter Qing soldiers invading, so Shi Hui died in prison inexplicably. Many people have rumored that the silver that Shi Hui brought to Beijing was already owned by Xue Guoguan, and it also said that in order to get rid of Shi Hui's involvement, he killed Shi Hui in prison.

Liu Qiaodao. "This incident is true. Xue Guoguan used all the 100,000 taels of silver that Shi Xi brought to Beijing. Later, Shi Xi was imprisoned and the Shi family asked him for help to save the people. Xue Guoguan asked the Shi family for a total of 100,000 taels of silver several times. But in the end, Xue Naguan took the silver, but secretly killed Shi Xi in prison. I have a certain witness, but I can prove that Xue Guoguan occupied the Shi family's silver and ordered people to secretly kill Shi Xi."

Cao Huachun pinched his smooth chin and smiled gloomyly, "As long as we release the news about this matter and find the Shi family to report the matter, if there is a big fuss, the emperor will send the factory guards to investigate. In this way, we will present the evidence and Xue Guoguan will die."

Several people agreed to go back. Later, Liu Yunsheng sent 10,000 taels of silver to Cao Huachun, Wang Chengen, Yao Minggong and others, and many officials in the court also gave a sum of silver.

The next day, rumors broke out in the capital, and it was said that Xue Guoguan occupied Shi Gong's silver and killed Shi Gong. The story was rumored and the details of Xue Guoguan occupied 100,000 taels of silver and later asked Shi's family for 100,000 taels of silver were clearly stated.

Immediately afterwards, a censor of the Kedao reported the matter.

After receiving the report, Chongzhen was furious and immediately asked the Dongchang and Jinyiwei to investigate the matter separately. Dongchang quickly reported the evidence obtained from Liu Qiao to the emperor, with the evidence being accurate.

Chongzhen was angry and issued an order to ask the five prefectures, six ministries and nine ministers to discuss the memorial.

Xu Yunzhen, the Duke of Dingguo of the Governor's Office and Fu Yongchun, the Minister of Personnel, did not know the emperor's intentions, so he just discussed it lightly or seriously, and the end result was that Xue Guoguan would retire or live in vain.

"Snatch the post!" Chongzhen finally issued an order to seize the post and release it, but he recovered the 200,000 stolen silver occupied and demanded by Xue Guoguan.

Xue Guoguan handed over 200,000 yuan of stolen silver and then took his family out of Beijing.

When Xue Guoguan was dismissed, Chongzhen had to start considering the candidate for the first assistant again.

"Have Xue Guoguan left Beijing?" Chongzhen asked.

Wang Chengen replied, "Xue Guoguan left Beijing today. I heard that when Xue Guoguan left Beijing, the convoy was huge and there were more than 100 cars."

When Chongzhen heard this, he was immediately furious.

The convoy is vast, with more than one hundred cars? It seems that I have spared him easily.

"Come here, summon Liu Qiao to come and meet."

After Liu Qiao entered the palace, Chongzhen asked him about Xue Guoguan's departure from Beijing. Liu Qiao immediately reported the facts of how Xue Guoguan was so popular and the convoy was so powerful. He also reported on the situation of many officials going to see him off publicly and presenting large boxes of gifts and money.

"Arest Xue Guoguan immediately and review it carefully!"

When Liu Qiao got the order to leave the palace, he immediately led the Jinyiwei cavalry to chase him out of the capital, took Xue Guoguan back to the capital, and issued an edict to interrogate him. Soon, under the interrogation of the Jinyiwei, Xue Guoguan confessed all the crimes of embezzlement and bribery. Liu Qiao took the confession and intercepted Xue Guoguan to submit it to Chongzhen on a list of more than 300,000 taels of gold, silver and property.

Looking at the testimony and the order of 300,000 taels of gold and silver, Chongzhen became more and more angry. Xue Guoguan had been the chief minister for only half a year and had greedy for so much money. This was only the money he had in Beijing, not the land and house he bought in his hometown of Hancheng, Shaanxi, etc.

"Continue to review, you must review it clearly!"

Continuing the interrogation, eleven people including Fu Yongchun, Minister of Personnel, Li Mengchen, General Political Consultative Officer, Zhu Yongyou, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Wang Biyan, etc. were suspected of forming cliques and colluding with bribery.

"Xue Guoguan, Fu Yongchun and eleven others all abandoned the market and confiscated all their property to serve as military pay!" Chongzhen gritted his teeth and issued an order.

Imperial Prison.

Liu Qiao came to Xue Guoguan's prison. When Xue Guoguan heard that the commander of the Jinyiwei had arrived, he shouted in fear, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die."

Liu Qiao asked someone to open the prison door, walked away, and waved his hand to let others retreat.

"Mr. Xue, I'll give you a ride!"

Xue Guo watched Liu Qiao and sneered, "It's you, Liu Jun, and Cao Huachun, it's you who joined forces to harm me."

"Why did you think of harm? Is there any of the things reported by the factory guards that are fake? Mr. Xue, you have been an official for many years and have made some achievements. Unfortunately, you have to insist on doing your own thing. Originally, it would be great that you were old and returned home. You have also served as the chief minister. Isn't it good to spend your youth in your hometown? You have to go against the trend, but the result is that you have been crushed to pieces."

"Can you give three-foot white silk?" Xue Guoguan asked.

Liu Qiao shook her head.

"Then give me a pot of poisoned wine."

Liu Qiao shook her head again, "Sorry, Your Majesty's order to openly kill you Caishikou and abandon the market."

Hearing that he could not even get the entire body, Xue Guoguan looked pale and collapsed on the ground.

He is the second prime minister to be executed since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Qiao smelled a smell and looked at Xue Guoguan with some contempt, "If you are reincarnated in your next life, remember not to offend those who cannot offend again."

"Take it away!" Liu Qiao shouted, and several Jinyiwei stepped forward, dragged Xue Guoguan, who was limp and walked out, loaded it into a prison car, and then carried it to Caishikou.

Behind Xue Guoguan's prison car were eleven people including Fu Yongchun, the Minister of Personnel. Countless people rushed to watch. They all heard that Xue Guoguan embezzled millions of silver and hated the chief minister to the core.

On that day, the cabinet chief Xue Guoguan, the Minister of Personnel Fu Yongchun and eleven others were beheaded and abandoned the market.

Afterwards, Chongzhen issued an order to promote the Chief Auxiliary and the Minister of Personnel, and to promote the political envoy.

The officials in Beijing were above the third rank, as well as the ministers of the six ministers, the chief censors of the six ministers, the chief censors of the Dali, the Tongzheng envoy and other ministers. However, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Tongzheng envoy among the nine ministers were vacant, so the Tongzheng envoy and the Minister of Personnel were first elected, and then the chief ministers of the court were elected.
Chapter completed!