Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 104 Queen Mother: He is a fake, I support him this time

Capital city, Central Military Governor's Office.

Yu Qian was reading border intelligence when Li Bing came in and reported: "Sir, this is an urgent report from Shi Heng in Henan."

Since he passed the imperial examination, Li Bing had been serving in Yu Qian's army, unlike Yang Guifang, who had already entered the cabinet. However, Yu Qian was impressed by his calmness and kept him by his side.

At that time, Yu Qian vigorously recruited four new people: Yang Guifang, Zhang Lun, Li Bing and Ding Xiu. People in the officialdom of Beijing jokingly called them "the four young masters of the Yu family". Now, only Li Bing is left among the four young masters.

"Nothing will happen in Kaifeng, right?" Yu Qian took the urgent report and opened it immediately.

As he watched, his body paused and his face turned pale. "More than 700 beheadings, Your Majesty has cleared out most of the officialdom in Henan?"

When Li Bing received the urgent report again, he asked the messenger. He already knew what happened, but his face was still shocked: "Your Majesty, this time, it really shocked the world. The corrupt officials in the world should be terrified."

Yu Qian frowned, remained silent for a long time, and sighed: "Your Majesty's method is too radical. What does he want to do? Bloodbath the officialdom? That can't be done recklessly."

"Sir, His Majesty has already set off to return to the capital. You will know when you ask him." Li Bing smiled, "His Majesty has complete trust in you, Sir."

Yu Qian nodded slowly, and then lowered his head to read the urgent report again. He had a vague guess in his heart that His Majesty was probably killing people in Henan because of the new policy that was about to be implemented.

The current governor of Henan is Liu Dingzhi, who is your Majesty's man.

……

Kunning Palace.

The queen mother, wearing a plain long dress, looked even more calm and indifferent, and she looked a lot younger. She leaned lazily on the cushion, holding a book in her hand.

Next to it was an exquisite incense burner, with a wisp of smoke rising. At this time, hurried footsteps were heard, and the palace maid Shuangxi walked in and bowed: "Empress Dowager, Duke Chengguo wants to see you."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly.

Since she stopped ruling from behind the scenes, she rarely summoned ministers, leaving most matters to the Prince of Qing. But the Duke of Cheng actually took the initiative to ask for an audience, probably because of something important.

"Let him in." She said lightly.

Soon, Duke Cheng came up to the palace, and after paying respectful respects, he said, "Queen Mother, this is an urgent report from Zhang Ding from Henan. Something big has happened in Henan."

The Queen Mother's eyes shone. She took the urgent report and glanced at it hastily. Her hands trembled slightly. "The Yellow River punishment? Beheading more than 700 people? Your Majesty, are you imitating Shang Jun of the Qin Dynasty?"

"It is said that the people of Henan are all kneeling down to thank the emperor for his grace." Duke Cheng frowned. "Since the Yellow River Punishment, those who occupied land in Henan have actively sought the government's return of the land."

The Queen Mother's mature and cold eyes flashed with a cold light, and she asked coldly: "Can that Zhang Ding still be trusted?"

Duke Cheng lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Whether he was set up or not, this man cannot be kept. He knows too much, what if he defected to Your Majesty..."

"Why don't you do it quickly?" the Queen Mother shouted coldly.

"I'll do it right away." Duke Chengguo bowed and left the hall.

The Queen Mother raised her hand and stretched the intelligence in her hand towards the candle beside her. In an instant, it turned into ashes.

"Didn't King Qing come to pay his respects today?" she asked coldly.

"Yes, His Royal Highness Prince Qing hasn't been here for three days." Shuangxi replied.

The Queen Mother snorted, "Go, call him over."

At this time, in Prince Qing's Mansion.

Zhu Qiyu was sitting opposite his military advisor Tung Xingdao, and he raised the urgent report in his hand: "Mr. Tung, my brother is killing people again this time. Does he really think he is like Taizu?"

Tung Xingdao took the urgent report, read it carefully, and said in a deep voice: "His Majesty is not reckless. He wants a clean Henan to implement his new policies. He went out for a walk this time and saw the real Ming Dynasty. I believe he has already made up his mind to implement the new policies."

Zhu Qiyu nodded slowly and asked, "Mr. Tung, what should we do then?"

"Support him! He needs you, too." Tung Xingdao smiled, "It's a good opportunity to use this opportunity to stabilize Xiao Neiku completely."

"Well! It seems that when His Majesty returns, I have to go and greet him personally." Zhu Qiyu laughed, "I have to let the court officials know that we have a deep brotherly love."

……

This day.

The front of Chengtian Gate in the capital was filled with civil and military officials. They were all there to welcome His Majesty back to the capital, and they lined up at the gate, with Zhu Qiyu, the Prince of Qin, and Wang Zhi, the chief minister of the cabinet, at the front.

Soon, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the emperor's motorcade came into everyone's sight. The ministers had different expressions, as they all knew that the emperor's execution of the Yellow River in Henan had spread throughout the country.

The storytellers in the teahouses in the capital have spread the word that His Majesty has supernatural powers, saying that His Majesty's eyes are as sharp as lightning and his ability to solve cases is as good as a god, and corrupt officials have nowhere to escape.

"Ahem..." Wang Zhi coughed from time to time, his face pale. Zhu Qiyu beside him sighed worriedly: "Lord, why do you have to suffer this? Even if you don't come to greet him, His Majesty won't blame you."

Wang Zhi shook his head: "The emperor has returned, and as a subject, we should welcome him."

Zhu Qiyu patted his back gently and asked with concern: "How about you go to the side and rest for a while, and I will call you when His Majesty arrives?"

"It's okay." Wang Zhi smiled.

The two chatted for a while, and then the emperor's carriage arrived. The emperor's dragon sedan stopped at the city gate, and Zhu Qizhen lifted the curtain and walked out.

Prince Zhu Qiyu of Qin and the chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Zhi, took the lead in kneeling down and bowing, saying, "Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome you back to the capital."

The civil and military officials standing behind him also knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we bow to you and greet you."

Zhu Qizhen stood on the dragon chariot, looking around, feeling quite emotional. A year ago, when he returned from Tumu Fortress, he was extremely nervous when the ministers welcomed him.

Now, he felt more stable. His eyes fell on the white-haired Wang Zhi, and he said to the guards beside him: "Go, help Wang Zhi to my carriage."

The guard walked up to Wang Zhi, carefully helped him up and said, "Sir, His Majesty wants you to come over."

Under the envious gazes of the ministers, Wang Zhi sat in the emperor's dragon chariot. Soon, the emperor's voice came from the dragon chariot: "Get up!"

As the imperial carriage passed by, the ministers on both sides knelt down and could not stand up until the imperial carriage entered the city. King Qing patted the dirt off his body, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

……

Dusk, Kunning Palace.

Zhu Qizhen came to pay his respects to the empress dowager. The empress dowager held her head with one hand, with a plain face, delicate features, eyes like tender autumn water, long hair like a waterfall hanging down to her waist, a palace skirt outlining an elegant figure, and a calm and peaceful temperament.

"I have heard about your affairs in Henan," the Queen Mother asked calmly, "What do you want to do? You beheaded more than 700 people without blinking an eye. Aren't you afraid of unrest in the government and the country?"

Zhu Qizhen chuckled and said, "Mother, it is impossible not to blink."

The queen mother's expression suddenly turned cold, and her eyes were filled with coldness: "Don't smile so frivolously in front of me."

"Okay, then I will report to you." Zhu Qizhen shrugged and said, "I saw the real Ming Dynasty this time. The treasury is empty, but the corrupt officials in the localities are sucking the Ming Dynasty dry. The court is extravagant and the officials are corrupt. If the Ming Dynasty doesn't rectify this, it will be destroyed one day, mother."

The Queen Mother slowly stood up, her long black hair hanging down, her figure graceful and elegant, her beautiful face exuding a cold and charming aura: "So what do you want to do?"

"Implement new policies." Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice.

The Queen Mother walked up to him and snorted, "New policies? How many new policies have been successful in the past? If we don't do it right, it will only make things worse."

Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and gently lifted her arm, smiling: "Mother, please at least listen to me talk about the content of the new policy."

The Queen Mother walked slowly out of the palace and sighed softly: "Then tell me."

Zhu Qizhen supported her while smelling the faint fragrance on her body and said:
"My new policy includes three major aspects: first, rectification of the civil service, second, economic reform, and third, military reform."

"In terms of civil servant administration, the 'Performance Evaluation System' was implemented. The six ministries and the Censorate were required to set deadlines for the tasks that their officials should complete, and record them in three separate account books. These account books were kept by the six ministries and the Censorate, sent to the six departments, and presented to the cabinet for review. By setting clear deadlines for completion, efficient execution of government affairs was ensured."

"The six ministries and the Censorate need to check the items registered in the account books on a monthly basis, and cancel each item once it is completed. Unfinished items must be reported truthfully, otherwise they will be punished. In addition, the six departments can also require the six ministries to report on the implementation status every six months. Violators will be discussed and punished according to the case."

"At the end of the year, officials will be strictly evaluated based on their work performance. Officials who perform their duties conscientiously and have outstanding achievements will be rewarded, including bonuses, salary increases, and promotions. Officials who do not perform their duties and fail to complete tasks on time will be severely punished, such as living on salary, reducing salary, demoting, or even dismissing from office."

The Queen Mother originally thought that the Emperor's new policy would not be innovative, but after hearing about the performance evaluation system, she was secretly shocked. If this could be implemented, it would certainly greatly improve the efficiency of officials.

"Did you come up with this on your own?" she asked, frowning.

"Well, I've been thinking about it." Zhu Qizhen smiled modestly, "Of course, there are still many immature aspects. I will convene the cabinet to discuss it. Let me talk to you first, mother, so that I won't embarrass myself in front of the cabinet, right?"

The Queen Mother was absent-minded for a moment, with a hint of melancholy in her beautiful big eyes. She said, "Write out the contents of your new policy. After I read it, you can go and propose it to the Cabinet."

"Okay, I knew that the Queen Mother would agree." Zhu Qizhen smiled heartily, "I will go back and write it now."

He bowed and walked away with a cheerful step. The Queen Mother looked at his back, a complex expression flashed in her eyes, and she said softly: "For the sake of Ming Dynasty, this time I support you."

……

Qianqing Palace.

After Zhu Qizhen came back, he picked up his pen and began to write furiously. From time to time, his mind flashed back to the scene of the people bidding farewell to him in Xiangfu County. Also, the scene of the people cheering "Long live the emperor" on the Yellow River embankment in Liujia Village, Kaifeng.

"Your Majesty, Yu Shaobao requests to see you." Eunuch Jin Ying came to report.

"Please come in." Zhu Qizhen put down his pen.

(End of this chapter)