My father is Jiajing

The ice jar in Wenhua Hall emits a hint of cold air, but it cannot dispel the summer heat.

Zhu Zaigui really wanted to renovate the Wenhua Hall, but this was part of the imperial palace after all, and everything had to be dignified and solemn. The outer box of the steam engine was too large, and the chimney did not fit in with the surrounding environment.

Therefore, even though Zhu Zaigui had been regent in Wenhua Palace for so many years, he still did not touch a single cent of Wenhua Palace and still followed the previous regulations.

Therefore, sometimes Zhu Zaigui couldn't help thinking that when he ascended the throne in the future, he would move to the Western Garden next to the Forbidden City, and by the way, change the name of the Western Garden to "Zhongnanhai"!
Only in this way can the high-end style of Xiyuan as a palace attached to the royal villa be reflected.

Otherwise, I always feel that the name "Xiyuan" has a bit of an indescribable pettiness that doesn't quite match the royal style.

Zhu Zaigui patiently continued to deal with the memorials sent to the Wenhua Hall. Although the capital during this period was not as bustling as Nanjing, it was also very busy, and every matter was related to important events in the future.

So even though the weather was so hot, Zhu Zaigui could not be lazy at all. He had to keep an eye on and supervise the cabinet and the six ministries at all times to implement the national policies that had been formulated and determined during this period.

Otherwise, if you keep putting it off day by day, many things will be neglected.

Just as Zhu Zaigui was processing a memorial from the Ministry of Personnel requesting the establishment of a customs office, the eunuch guarding outside the palace came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Prince Jing wants to see you and says he has something important to report."

Zhu Zaiqi looked up and said, "Xuan."

The young eunuch replied, "Yes."

Then he went out and summoned King Jing into the palace.

At this time, Zhu Zaigui put the half-read memorial aside, as he knew that Zhu Zaizhen was interrogating Dong Fen.

He came here in such a hurry, he must have got some important information from the interrogation, otherwise why would he come here in the hot sun at this time?
Zhu Zaizhen, who was summoned, walked hurriedly into the Wenhua Hall. The hem of his Feiyu suit created a gust of wind, and he seemed very anxious.

Entering the hall, Zhu Zaizhen didn't even bother to be polite. He walked straight to Zhu Zaigui's desk and whispered, "Third brother, something big has happened."

Zhu Zaigui's heart skipped a beat and his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Zhu Zaizhen who was coming anxiously. The experience that King Jing had gained in the military training hall in the capital and the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years had made him much more stable, and he was no longer as impatient as he was when he was young.

Now he came to the Wenhua Hall in such a hurry and lost his composure, and without even having time to salute, he arrived in front of Zhu Zaigui and said these words with a serious expression. It seems that the matter is really serious.

Zhu Zaigui calmed down and said to Meng Chong beside him, "Go and get someone to get some more ice, and ask the kitchen to prepare some ice porridge to cool down the summer heat."

Meng Chong knew that Zhu Zaigui had something important to discuss privately with King Jing, so he quickly agreed and then left with everyone else in the hall.

And also locked up the palace.

Zhu Zaizhen looked at him at this moment and said, "Sit down first and have some tea."

Zhu Zaigui personally stood up and went to the ice jar beside him, took out a can of Cantonese herbal tea that had been chilled for a long time, and handed it to Zhu Zaizhen.

Zhu Zaizhen stood up and took it respectfully, "Thank you, Third Brother."

After Zhu Zaizhen took a sip of iced tea and relieved some of the heat from his body, he calmed down and was no longer as hurried and nervous as when he first arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Zaizhen watched as Zhu Zaizhen calmed down, and finally began to ask, "What did Dong Fen say?"

Zhu Zaizhen's Adam's apple rolled, and a strange light flashed in his eyes. His mind, which had just calmed down, began to fluctuate with excitement again.

Zhu Zaizhen whispered, "Third brother, after Dong Fen learned that the Dong family was wiped out by fire, he confessed that he had an account book that involved the Xu family, and also a list of officials from all levels in Jiangnan."

Zhu Zaizhen didn't find it strange to hear these things. Which of these big households wouldn't have a backup plan? But was this enough to make Zhu Zaizhen so nervous?

Just when Zhu Zaigui was wondering why Zhu Zaizhen was so nervous, Zhu Zaizhen, who was still talking in a low voice, said another thing!

When he said this, Zhu Zaizhen leaned closer, his voice almost squeezed out from between his teeth, "Dong Fen mentioned the fire in Weihui in the 18th year of Jiajing, the fire of Prince Zhuangjing in the 28th year of Jiajing, and the fire in Anlu Palace some time ago."

Zhu Zaigui's expression froze, and the other can of herbal tea in his hand fell to the ground with a "pop" and broke into several pieces in an instant.

The cool tea splashed on the hem of his golden silk python robe, leaving a dark mark.

"hiss--"

Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but take a breath of cold air and felt his neck getting cold.

Although later "novelists" always like to speculate about what the civil service group of the Ming Dynasty was like, these are all one-sided speculations and there has never been any real evidence.

But now Zhu Zaizhen actually said that Dong Fen mentioned these things.
It would be strange if Zhu Zaigui wasn't shocked!

"What did he actually say?"

Even though Zhu Zaigui was a man of extraordinary character, he couldn't help but tremble slightly in his voice when he heard such shocking nuclear-level news.

Zhu Zaizhen said, "When I heard this, I immediately stopped him from speaking and ordered him to be locked up in solitary confinement. No one was allowed to approach him at all. Then I hurried to report the situation to my third brother."

Zhu Zaigui was thinking nervously as he paced in the hall. "You did the right thing. This matter is of great importance. We cannot let anyone hear even a single word of it! Otherwise, it will lead to an unpredictable and catastrophic disaster in an instant!"

Zhu Zaigui felt that his soul could not help but tremble.

If he were an ordinary person, after hearing such news, he could just laugh it off and treat it as a joke after dinner. Anyway, it would not affect the current situation or the general trend of the world.

But now Zhu Zaigui is the prince regent and the future heir to the Ming Dynasty. When he hears such news, he only feels a chill all over his body.

If there really was a conspiracy behind Dong Fen's words, the conspiracy was hanging over the head of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and was even affecting his life and death.

Then the impact of this matter is not simply "the emperor is angry and millions of people die", but we should think carefully about how many people around us we can trust and how many we can use?
You have to know that to govern the world ultimately requires individuals, and these people are almost all civil servants like Dong Fen.

Even Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Hai Rui, Hu Zongxian and others, whom Zhu Zaigui valued the most, were also among them.

Can Zhu Zaigui choose to believe them and deny others?

You have to know that people’s hearts in reality are not like those in novels, movies, or game NPCs. People’s hearts are always changing.

What if Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Hai Rui, Hu Zongxian and others also knew about it but remained silent?
Do we have to follow Emperor Taizu's example and kill everyone from top to bottom?
But even if they kill them all, what they will use in the end are still the disciples and offspring of this group of people, which is just a change of name but not substance.

Therefore, if this matter is really confirmed, the resulting crisis of trust is no joke. It can directly collapse the entire system of the Ming Dynasty and even subvert the entire history!
Thinking of this, Zhu Zaigui felt a chill in his heart. That was true sincerity!

"Third brother?"

Zhu Zaizhen's voice brought him back to reality.

Zhu Zaigui calmed down, looked at Zhu Zaizhen and asked, "Anything else?"

Zhu Zaizhen whispered nervously, "Dong Fen wants us to agree to one condition before he will tell the truth." Zhu Zaigui slapped the table with his palm. The force was so great that Zhu Zaizhen could see with his naked eyes that a crack appeared on the solid wood table that Zhu Zaigui slapped.

From this we can see how angry Zhu Zaigui was, and we can also see how high Zhu Zaigui's personal fighting ability was!

Zhu Zaizhen couldn't help swallowing his saliva, and at the same time he remembered an inconspicuous message from before: Prince Yu is the champion marquis Zhu Wuji who streaked across the sky like a meteor and saved the building from collapse.
At this time, Meng Chong and others who heard the noise outside could not help but push the door and enter the hall in panic, fearing that Zhu Zaigui was in danger.

Zhu Zai looked up at Meng Chong and the others who suddenly rushed into the hall, his eyes turned cold, and he could not help but said angrily: "Get out!"

Meng Chong and others were confused and didn't know why Zhu Zaigui was so angry. They felt a chill in their hearts and quickly left the hall and closed it.

But Zhu Zaigui didn't care about these at the moment. He looked at Zhu Zaizhen and said, "What does he want?"

Zhu Zaizhen took a deep breath and whispered, "He wants to put an end to Xu Fan himself."

Zhu Zaigui snorted and couldn't help laughing again.

Zhu Zaigui said: "He has such a nice dream! Xu Fan deserves to die, but it is not his turn to kill him yet!"

After all, Xu Fan was once an official appointed by the imperial court and the eldest son of Xu Jie, the prime minister of the time.

He is guilty, and the court should impose punishment on him.

If the imperial court also allowed personal grudges and killings of enemies, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
By then, the superiors and the subordinates will follow suit, no longer subject to the majesty of the laws of the court officials, and will execute people for personal vengeance. What will happen then?
Therefore, it is impossible for Zhu Zaigui to agree to Dong Fen’s absurd and excessive request, because as the regent, Zhu Zaigui must maintain the legal system that maintains fairness and justice in the world and will never allow anyone to trample on it easily!

Moreover, this scheme was originally set up by him himself, hoping to use Dong Fen to eliminate Xu family's minions in Jiangnan.

But now, the matter involves such a shocking secret
It was obviously beyond Zhu Zaigui's control.

"Third brother, this matter is of no small importance."

Zhu Zaizhen lowered his voice and continued, "If what Dong Fen said is true, then in the past forty years..."

He didn't say anything else, but his meaning was clear - behind these "accidents" there might be a shocking conspiracy against the royal family!

Zhu Zaigui closed his eyes, his forehead throbbing.

He even wondered why Emperor Jiajing suddenly turned into an erratic, alchemy-refining nerd emperor who lived in the Western Garden.

Moreover, the whole world thought that the emperor was obsessed with alchemy, but is it possible that Emperor Jiajing himself knew some of the truth?
Could it be that these truths are so horrifying that even the famously clever Emperor Jiajing had to retreat and hide in the deep palace of the Western Garden in order to secretly fight against these powerful forces that were plotting the life and death of the royal family and the fate of the emperor?
But this doesn't seem to be very logical.

If Emperor Jiajing really knew some truth, how could he not mention it to me?
Could it be that they, father and son, still cannot open up to each other?

Obviously this doesn't make sense either.

Therefore, Zhu Zaigui's heart became confused.

Zhu Zaigui closed his eyes and thought for a while, then asked, "What else did Dong Fen say?"

He heard his own hoarse voice.

Zhu Zaizhen shook his head: "He didn't say anything else. I immediately ordered him to be put in solitary confinement and no one was allowed to contact him."

Then he hesitated for a moment, "Third brother, this matter is beyond our authority. Should we report it to our father?"

Zhu Zaihui suddenly opened his eyes.

The health of Emperor Jiajing was deteriorating, and he was in Xiyuan, under the pretext of practicing in seclusion, and secretly summoned Li Shizhen to treat him.
If Dong Fen really had control over something and really provoked Emperor Jiajing to do something bad, this did not seem to be the result Zhu Zaigui wanted to see.

Zhu Zaigui stood up again and paced back and forth in the hall.

The dark gold bricks in the hall reflected his anxious figure. The cicadas outside the window suddenly stopped chirping at this moment. A burst of muffled thunder rolled across the sky, and it seemed that a storm was about to come!

Finally, after careful consideration, Zhu Zaigui decided to meet Emperor Jiajing first.

Zhu Zaizhen said to Zhu Zaizhen, "Brother Zhen, you go back to the imperial prison first and take care of Dong Fen in person. I will go to His Majesty to ask for an order."

Zhu Zaizhen immediately bowed and said, "I obey your command!"

Then Zhu Zaizhen hurriedly left Wenhua Hall and returned to the Jinyiwei Prison. According to Zhu Zaigui's instructions, he went to personally guard Dong Fen to prevent anyone from contacting him at this extremely sensitive moment.

Zhu Zaigui took a deep breath, tidied his appearance, and finally instructed Meng Chong outside: "Prepare the sedan chair, I want to go to the West Garden."

When Meng Chong heard Zhu Zaigui's order, he immediately went to arrange the sedan chair. Zhu Zaigui sat on the sedan chair carried by four young and strong eunuchs, still recalling what Zhu Zaizhen had just said.

At this moment, his psychological pressure was unprecedentedly great. He just hoped that Dong Fen would get angry and start biting him.

But if what Dong Fen said was true, Zhu Zaigui really didn't dare to think about it any further.

Zhu Zaigui urged: "Hurry up!"

At this time, Zhu Zaigui no longer felt sorry for the servants who helped him carry the sedan chair. He just wanted to meet with Emperor Jiajing as soon as possible, and then the two of them would discuss a decision and then conduct targeted interrogations and arrangements for Dong Fen.

The sedan chair quickly followed the palace road all the way to the Western Garden. When it arrived at the Wanshou Palace, Zhu Zaigui got off the sedan chair and walked.

The eunuch guarding outside the Wanshou Palace saw that it was Prince Yu himself, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Your servant greets the prince!"

When the people inside heard the noise outside, they immediately came out to greet them.

Chen Hong and Li Fang bowed side by side: "The servant Chen Hong and the servant Li Fang pay their respects to His Majesty."

Zhu Zaigui asked, "Where is your Majesty?"

Chen Hong and Li Fang looked at each other, and Chen Hong said carefully: "Your Majesty is discussing Taoism with Imperial Doctor Li."

Zhu Zaigui said: "You wait here, and no one is allowed to enter the hall."

After saying this, Zhu Zaigui walked into the Wanshou Palace alone and headed towards the residence where Emperor Jiajing was.

Chen Hong and Li Fang didn't know what to do. This was the first time that Zhu Zaigui gave such an order in Wanshou Palace. For a moment, the two didn't know what to do.

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Ask for monthly ticket~~~(End of this chapter)