Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 108 The fake emperor subdues the real queen mother!

Liujia Village outside Kaifeng City, Henan.

Liu Dingzhi, the provincial governor, stood on the Yellow River embankment, his face covered in mud, and glared at the officials behind him: "Why are there so few people? When will the embankment be repaired?"

"Sir, we have issued a notice to implement 'one person serving, one person paying taxes'. The gentry must work according to the number of acres of land they have to repair the river bank. The more land they have, the more work they will do." Councillor Xie Zhen's eyes were blazing with anger. "But the gentry turned a blind eye and did not send anyone to work."

Liu Dingzhi was furious: "How can this be! Send all the soldiers out. If anyone doesn't come, capture them and bring them to me."

Xie Zhen nodded and said, "Yes, I'm just waiting for your words, sir."

He immediately summoned four deputy commanders and ordered them to dispatch their soldiers to arrest people from the gentry's homes according to the provisions of the document.

An hour later.

Many gentry in Kaifeng were taken to the Yellow River embankment. How could these people, who were pampered and well-fed, work? They started to curse Liu Dingzhi.

"You cruel official, you cruel official, Liu Dingzhi, I want to report you! I passed the imperial examination and worked as a director of the Ministry of Revenue, but you still treated me badly when I returned home. I will definitely report you."

"Throughout history, the gentry have been exempt from corvée. What do you want to do?"

"Why do you treat us scholars so badly? We should build river embankments together with these country folk?"

Liu Dingzhi roared, "This is the new policy of the court. I have issued the notice for a month. Don't you know? We are all in the same service and we all pay taxes! Why can't you repair the river bank? You have the most fields downstream. If the bank breaks, your fields will be flooded."

"We are scholars, we don't need to repair the river embankment! They...they should repair the river embankment, this is what they should do." The leading scholar shouted while pointing at the people who were repairing the river.

Liu Dingzhi knew that it was useless to waste words with these people, so he waved his hand and said, "Come here, he disrupted the new policy, and I will give him ten heavy blows!"

Four soldiers rushed forward, pinned the middle-aged scholar to the ground, and began to beat him with a stick. A shrill scream rang out, and the surrounding gentry instantly quieted down.

"Liu Dingzhi, just wait for me. I will unite the gentry of Henan and report you!" the middle-aged scholar roared.

……

Beijing, Qianqing Palace.

Eunuch Cao Jixiang came over with a pile of memorials and reported: "Your Majesty, these are memorials from Henan."

When he heard the word Henan, Zhu Qizhen quickly waved his hand for someone to take it. He had been paying close attention to Liu Dingzhi's implementation of the new policy in Henan recently.

He opened the first memorial, which was from Henan Governor Zhang Ding. In it, he criticized Liu Dingzhi, saying that Liu Dingzhi forced the gentry to repair the river embankment, which caused Henan scholars to unite and oppose. They asked the court to dismiss the governor Liu Dingzhi.

"This Zhang Ding is not dead yet." A cold light flashed in Zhu Qizhen's eyes.

He picked up another dozen or so memorials, all from Henan officials, all impeaching Liu Dingzhi. Zhu Qizhen snorted coldly: "It seems that the last purge of Henan officials did work. There are only about a dozen officials impeaching Liu Dingzhi."

He flipped through the remaining memorials and threw them aside. He raised his eyes and asked, "Liu Dingzhi didn't submit any memorials?"

Cao Jixiang shook his head: "The cabinet didn't give it, and it wasn't directly handed over to the Military Affairs Office."

"Where is the Imperial Household Department?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"Lord Liu has always abided by the rules and never sent memorials directly to the Imperial Household Department." Cao Jixiang said.

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

He actually wanted Liu Dingzhi not to be so abiding by the rules. Faced with such a complicated situation in Henan, he had to be flexible and make people understand that the emperor was standing behind him.

"If there is a memorial from Liu Dingzhi, send it here immediately." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

Cao Jixiang nodded in acceptance of the order and retreated.

After a while, Yang Guifang came in to pay his respects, his face solemn: "Your Majesty, Henan Governor Zhang Ding and his men have submitted a memorial to accuse Liu Dingzhi, are you not going to deal with it?"

"Of course not. If we have to deal with them, they will be Zhang Ding and the others." Zhu Qizhen snorted.

"Your Majesty, the cabinet and some ministers of the Qingliu faction will jointly impeach Liu Dingzhi at the morning court tomorrow." Yang Guifang said anxiously, "Cabinet Grand Secretaries Shang Lu and Chen Xun will lead the way, and ministers from the six ministries will follow suit."

Zhu Qizhen slammed the table and asked, "Is Shang Lu seriously ill?"

Yang Guifang smiled bitterly and said, "What he actually opposed was 'serving as a government official and paying taxes as a government official'. In his opinion, scholars are noble and the country should support them. How can they serve as government officials? They should be exempted from taxes."

"Huh, do you also think that I am humiliating scholars?" Zhu Qizhen's eyes were cold.

"They definitely won't say it directly to Your Majesty." Yang Guifang said, "Now their anger is directed at Liu Dingzhi. Liu Dingzhi is in Henan, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with him."

The scene of the disaster victims in Henan flashed through Zhu Qizhen’s mind, and his eyes were cold.

No one can stop the implementation of the new policy!
……

The next day, morning.

First, the cabinet chief Wang Zhi asked Henan Governor Zhang Ding and Provincial Governor Liu Dingzhi when they would get a reply. Zhu Qizhen said he was waiting for Liu Dingzhi's reply and would make a decision later.

Shang Lu heard this and thought, Your Majesty, you are trying to smooth things over. So he stood up and reported:
"Your Majesty, Liu Dingzhi in Henan, in order to implement the new policy, actually whipped the Jinshi, how can the scholars save face? 'All serve as officials, all pay taxes' is just a trial, which means it may not be correct. But this Liu Dingzhi abused the scholars in Henan in order to please Your Majesty. For thousands of years, it has been a rule that the gentry do not serve as officials and do not pay taxes. Your Majesty, please abolish the bad policy of 'All serve as officials, all pay taxes', dismiss cruel officials like Liu Dingzhi, and restore peace to the world."

Zhu Qizhen was furious when he heard this, but he could only try his best to hold it in and said slowly:
"Mr. Shang Lu, this is wrong. How can my policy of 'one body performs duties and one body pays taxes' be a bad one? It is for the sake of our country and the people. Since ancient times, the rise and fall of a country has been tied to the strength of the people. In the past, the gentry did not pay taxes, and the duties were all borne by the common people. Over time, the treasury was empty. Why? The gentry own more than half of the land in the world, but they do not pay taxes. The common people can cultivate less than half of the land in the world, but they have to pay taxes. This is the fundamental reason why the treasury is empty! The new policy aims to make the tax burden fair so that the country can be stable and peaceful for a long time."

"As for Liu Dingzhi's actions in Henan, although his methods may be inappropriate, his heart is sympathetic. He intended to implement the new policy quickly to solve the urgent needs of the country. It is not my wish to whip the Jinshi, nor is it the original intention of the new policy. However, there will inevitably be twists and turns in the early implementation of the law. How can we throw the baby out with the bathwater?"

"What you said is that 'it has become a precedent that gentry do not serve and do not pay taxes'. This is not true. Precedents must keep pace with the times in order to adapt to changes in national conditions. If we stick to the old system and ignore the current situation, the country will no longer be a country. I have made up my mind that the new policy should continue to be implemented, but I will also severely punish any radical behavior in the implementation to ensure fair implementation."

"As for Liu Dingzhi, I will ask him to reflect and improve his governance, but it would be biased to completely deny his achievements and dismiss him. The country needs talents, and rewards and punishments should be clear. We should not abandon his overall achievements because of a single mistake."

"As an important minister, you should work with me on state affairs and help me implement good policies to bring peace to the world, rather than clinging to old habits and blocking the road to reform. I hope you will think carefully."

He was going to give the ministers fifty lashes, hoping that they would retreat. But unexpectedly, the cabinet minister Chen Xun stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please follow the ancestral system, abolish the bad policies, and do not leave a bad reputation for generations to come."

These words were very serious. The court fell silent instantly.

Zhu Qizhen stood up slowly, his eyes swept coldly over: "A name that will be cursed for eternity? Very good, I am not afraid! Take all these memorials back with you, I won't read a single word!"

He swung his hand, threw away all the memorials impeaching Liu Dingzhi, and strode away.

……

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Qizhen was still filled with anger.

Everyone thinks that the emperor is supreme and can do anything, but in fact, he has to endure when facing his ministers. The emperor who can't endure anything is Yang Guang. What is his final fate?
"Your Majesty, we are here to pay our respects." Xu Youzhen and Yang Guifang came in and bowed.

Zhu Qizhen raised his hand and snorted, "Tell me, what should we do next? I don't think the ministers will give up."

Xu Youzhen's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he bowed: "Your Majesty, I think someone is behind this, and Shang Lu is probably being used by someone. This matter needs to be dealt with, and it's easy to deal with. Just label them as cliques."

Zhu Qizhen secretly praised in his heart.

The ministers were all aware of the harm caused by factional struggles throughout the dynasties. Although there were still small groups in the court and the country, these ministers would not admit that they had factions.

Factions have been a taboo for emperors of all dynasties.

If we label this group of people as a clique, it will be easy to deal with them, and we can put any serious blame on them.

"Your Majesty, after the court session, I specifically inquired about it. They will jointly submit a memorial to impeach Liu Dingzhi." Yang Guifang frowned, "They are deliberately making things worse."

Zhu Qizhen's face was as cold as ice: "The cannon is aimed at Liu Dingzhi, and the one being attacked is me and the new policy."

Yang Guifang pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, you have to hold on this time. It's time to collect taxes after the autumn harvest. I hope Liu Dingzhi can do something good and shut up the officials."

Zhu Qizhen slowed down, he was also waiting for this moment.

After taking power, Xu Youzhen reported to him something that he found incredible. During the regency of the Queen Mother, she advocated leniency, but the officials took the opportunity to be greedy.

Why is the treasury empty? Because for many years, the provinces still owed money to the treasury. They reported various reasons and delayed paying taxes to the treasury.

To this day, all provinces owe money to the national treasury.

Zhu Qizhen needed Henan to step up, not only to fill the deficit, but also to collect more taxes. How to do it? The new policy, thoroughly implemented.

……

dusk.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace with a tired face. The Queen Mother was not cooking porridge this time, but watering the flowers. She was wearing a purple dress, which outlined her plump and exquisite curves, like a ripe peach.

"I'm so tired. It's not human to be an emperor." Zhu Qizhen collapsed in the chair.

The Queen Mother glanced at him with her mature and cold eyes and said calmly, "Aren't you learning from Emperor Taizu? Emperor Taizu once said that for thirty years, one should be worried and diligent every day."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead and sighed: "Not everyone can be a model worker like him. The emperor also needs to have his own life."

The Queen Mother glanced at the maid Shuangxi beside her and said, "Serve Your Majesty a bowl of lotus seed soup first."

Shuangxi brought a bowl of lotus seed soup and placed it in front of Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen was really hungry, and while eating, he said to Shuangxi: "Shuangxi, is the meal not ready yet? What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"These are all your favorite foods, Your Majesty. They will be ready soon." Shuangxi smiled happily.

"Why don't you bring it up quickly? Your Majesty gets up earlier than a chicken, sleeps later than a dog, eats worse than a pig, and works more than a donkey." Zhu Qizhen said miserably.

Shuangxi was amused by him and giggled. The Queen Mother came over and sat down opposite Zhu Qizhen with a gust of fragrant wind. She glared at him with her beautiful eyes and said, "I won't talk about the other things. How come you eat worse than pigs?"

Zhu Qizhen did not give a direct answer. He looked at Shuangxi and whispered as if he was complaining, "You have never eaten the porridge cooked by the Empress Dowager, have you? The porridge I drank in the disaster area was better than the one she cooked."

Shuangxi chuckled and tried to hold back her laughter. The Queen Mother glanced at her and she hurried to the kitchen to serve the dishes. Soon, the food was served and Zhu Qizhen and the Queen Mother sat opposite each other and started eating.

Zhu Qizhen was still wolfing down his food like always, and the Queen Mother was still as elegant as always. She couldn't stand it any longer, so she said coldly, "You are the Emperor, can you not eat like a starving ghost? Eat with manners."

"Mother, if you eat with the victims, you won't even get any soup." Zhu Qizhen rolled his eyes. "When people are extremely hungry, they rush over to eat. I will never forget that scene. I eat like this to remember what hunger feels like. Mencius said: Yu thought of the drowning people in the world as if he were drowning himself; Ji thought of the hungry people in the world as if he were hungry himself."

The queen mother's beautiful eyes were sparkling with a hint of tenderness, but she snorted, "What a twisted theory! If Mencius knew that his words were misinterpreted in this way, he would be so angry that he would crawl out of his coffin."

"My crooked ideas are also positive, unlike those ministers who have so many crooked ideas." Zhu Qizhen wiped his mouth, "I am so angry that I want to kill someone."

The Queen Mother put down her chopsticks, wiped her red lips elegantly, and said, "I heard that all the officials have reported to the emperor together to impeach Liu Dingzhi, the governor of Henan. Are you afraid now? The greater crisis is still to come." "You read a few sentences of books and you talk nonsense about the words of the saints." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "I'll wait for them! I'll also learn from Zhuge Liang and debate with the scholars."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "You are very courageous! I guessed correctly. You want to label them as a clique and then put all kinds of accusations on them, right?"

Zhu Qizhen's expression changed slightly. Can you guess this?

……

The Queen Mother did not wait for his answer and chuckled: "In the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu wrote an article called "On Factions". There is a sentence in it that says 'Gentlemen have parties, villains do not'. I want to ask you, if the ministers use this sentence to refute, how do you defend it?"

Zhu Qizhen was stumped by the question.

He had never read the "On Factions", but he understood the meaning of "gentlemen have factions, villains do not". The ministers all said that they were gentlemen for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, so it was hard to refute them.

Suddenly, he had an idea and remembered an article in his mind, which was Yongzheng's "Imperial Edict on Factionalism". In his previous life, he watched a drama in which Yongzheng implemented the New Deal and encountered a similar situation, and specifically mentioned "Imperial Edict on Factionalism".

"You, go back and read "On Factions" carefully first," the Queen Mother said calmly, "lest you embarrass yourself in the court."

Zhu Qizhen regained his composure and asked, "Mother, if I really can't hold it in any longer, can you help me?"

The Queen Mother lowered her eyes, her expression complicated. After a long silence, she raised her beautiful eyes and said softly, "For the sake of Ming, I will help you. But I can only help you suppress the officials."

"Thank you, mother." Zhu Qizhen bowed, "Mother, I have finished my meal and will go to Wenhua Palace now."

He stood up and left in a hurry.

The Queen Mother lowered her head, stirred the food in the bowl with chopsticks, and then sighed softly.

If this fake emperor governs the Ming Dynasty well, he can enjoy the fruits of his labor when the real emperor returns.

"Empress Dowager, His Majesty is really hardworking nowadays." Shuangxi said while cleaning up the dishes.

"He is becoming more and more like an emperor," said the Queen Mother.

Shuangxi was confused. Isn’t His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty?
……

The next day, morning.

Sure enough, a large number of officials jointly submitted a memorial to impeach Henan Provincial Governor Liu Dingzhi.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial in front of him and said coldly: "I told you yesterday not to hinder the new policy, why are you even more aggressive in forming a clique and disrupting the government?"

"Your Majesty, submitting memorials to the emperor to express our opinions is our duty. It is not our duty to cause trouble or disrupt the government," Chen Xun said in a bow.

"Then admit that you are forming a clique." Zhu Qizhen asked coldly.

"If your Majesty says it is forming a party, then it is forming a party." Chen Xun lowered his head.

Shang Lu, who was kneeling beside him, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, gentlemen have parties, but villains do not."

Zhu Qizhen waited for this sentence, he slowly stood up and snorted coldly:
"Song Ouyang Xiu's theory of factions is a heresy. His theory will destroy his faction. Today, he has written this theory. I will punish him for his crime of misleading the world! This is my "On Factions". You can all take it back and read it carefully, then come back and tell me."

"I have repeatedly said that we should be careful about forming cliques. Why? Because once a clique is formed, no matter how close or far away it is, it is strong and unbreakable, and it will cause a lot of trouble. If you are one of their cliques, no matter whether you are virtuous or not, they will protect you in every way. If you are not one of their cliques, no matter whether you are good or bad, they will attack you in every way. They regard the prosperity and decline of their cliques as their life, and ignore the overall interests of the country."

After he finished his reprimand, the eunuch Cao Jixiang led a group of eunuchs to the ministers. In their hands were the "On Factions" written by the emperor himself. When the cabinet chief Wang Zhi opened it, his face changed drastically.

"I believe that the heaven is superior and the earth is inferior. The distinction between the ruler and the minister is fixed. As a minister, one should know that there is a ruler. If one knows that there is a ruler, then one's feelings will be hardened and cannot be dissolved. And one can share the likes and dislikes with the ruler. This is called one virtue and one heart, and the relationship between the superior and the inferior. However, if one has two minds and cannot share the likes and dislikes with the ruler, the feelings between the superior and the inferior will be alienated, and the distinction between the superior and the inferior will be reversed. This is all caused by the habit of forming cliques..."

Zhu Qizhen's "On Factions" was originally written by Yongzheng, who read history books in his previous life and wrote it down.

All the officials were amazed at how thoroughly the emperor understood the cliques. Zhu Qizhen promulgated the "On Cliques" to tell the world to break up all interest groups, and everyone should support the emperor and devote themselves to the new policy of rectifying decadent practices, refreshing the administration of officials, and strengthening the country and enriching the people.

……

Prince Qing's Palace.

Duke Chengguo, Marquis Huichang, cabinet minister Chen Xun, and Minister of Justice Yu Shiyue gathered here. Duke Chengguo sighed, "What a pity! The officials had already formed a momentum to impeach Liu Dingzhi, but who would have thought that it was broken up by your majesty's "On Factions."

"I have to admit that this is a great article." Chen Xun sighed, "Your Majesty is becoming more and more mature and sophisticated."

Yu Shiyue snorted: "What should we do next? Just let it go?"

Zhu Qiyu, the Prince of Qin, smiled and waved to everyone, saying calmly, "Don't worry, don't worry. There might be trouble in Henan. It is said that the imperial power does not extend below the county level. How can it be so easy to implement this new policy? If you were county gentry, would you accept it obediently?"

Everyone shook their heads. How could they possibly accept this?

Zhu Qiyu continued with a smile, "We shouldn't be too prominent in this matter, just add fuel to the fire. Let your majesty fight against those clean people."

Duke Chengguo laughed loudly: "That group of upright people are so stubborn that it gives your majesty a headache. Come on, let's drink."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank.

At this time, a guard from the palace came in hurriedly with a report in his hand. He came to Zhu Qiyu and reported: "Your Majesty, this was sent urgently from Henan."

Everyone was shocked and fell silent, all looking at the Prince of Qin. Zhu Qiyu opened it immediately, glanced at it quickly, and then clapped his hands and laughed: "What I expected was right, Henan is in big trouble. Those candidates who were originally going to take the special examination have now united to boycott the examination, targeting Liu Dingzhi. They say he is a cruel official who whipped candidates to repair the dike and humiliated scholars. This Liu Dingzhi has caused public outrage in Henan."

Everyone was delighted when they heard this. Chen Xun stood up and said, "Why don't we take this opportunity to jointly denounce Liu Dingzhi again? We must make the new policy a bad one."

"Yes, yes, all the candidates in the world are against it." Yu Shiyue said, "Can Your Majesty still ignore the opinions of the people in the world?"

……

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen also received the urgent report from Henan and learned about the candidates' boycott of the exam. He frowned and said, "Isn't Liu Dingzhi a bit too radical sometimes? Does he really whip people with a whip?"

Xu Youzhen said, "Your Majesty, you are not on the front line, so you may not understand. I once presided over the river repair, and sometimes I was so angry with the subordinates that I wanted to kill them. Liu Dingzhi has a quick temper and is easily taken advantage of."

"The people are very angry now, and the situation has become serious." Yang Guifang frowned, "The gentry will definitely take this opportunity to unite against Liu Dingzhi and even drive him out of Henan."

Zhu Qizhen slammed the table and said, "How dare they! No one can shake my new policy. Send an order to the commander-in-chief of Henan to send troops to Kaifeng to help Liu Dingzhi."

"Yes, I'll do it right away." Xu Youzhen took the order and left.

Zhu Qizhen sat on the dragon chair and rubbed his brows. Yang Guifang stood in front of him and whispered, "Your Majesty, Liu Dingzhi in Henan has his own troubles, and the court has its own troubles. I estimate that the group of clean ministers will take action again."

"Hey, we are all clean people. Why can't we be like the group of people who went to Henan at the beginning?" Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand.

"There are only a few upright people who come from humble backgrounds. They understand the sufferings of ordinary people." Yang Guifang smiled bitterly.

Zhu Qizhen rubbed his face, trying to clear his mind, and said, "They are just taking advantage of the Henan candidates' cancellation of the exam to impeach Liu Dingzhi again."

Yang Guifang's face was solemn: "This time, it's hard to protect Liu Dingzhi."

Zhu Qizhen frowned and thought that the only way out was to ask the Queen Mother to come out and calm the situation.

……

It's dusk again.

When Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace for dinner, he saw the empress dowager making clothes. Her movements were very skillful, with the needle and thread in her hand shuttling back and forth, which looked pleasing to the eye.

The long dress she wore today was a bit like a cheongsam, wrapping her plump and graceful body, with gentle eyes, staring at the silk in her hands. As if sensing Zhu Qizhen's gaze, she said without raising her head: "The food is not ready yet, you sit and wait for a while."

Zhu Qizhen lay on his back with his arms and legs spread out, shouting, "I'm so tired!"

The Queen Mother frowned slightly: "If you have any troubles, go find your ministers, don't come here to bother me."

Zhu Qizhen stood up, walked cheerfully to the Queen Mother, grabbed her arm, and laughed: "Mother, it's time for you to come out. I can't stand it anymore. Do you know? The candidates from Henan want to boycott the exam, isn't that a slap in my face? I'm holding an imperial examination, and they boycott the exam!"

The Queen Mother put down the needle and thread in her hand, her long eyelashes curled up slightly, and her eyes trembled slightly when she blinked, revealing a different kind of charm. She said coldly: "Tell me more details!"

Zhu Qizhen talked about the boycott of the exam and the Qingliu's trouble-making. He finally spread his hands and said, "It's so difficult for me to do practical things, so wouldn't it be even more difficult for local officials?"

The Queen Mother was silent for a while, then said, "Tomorrow, I will summon some old officials to Kunning Palace."

"Thank you, mother." Zhu Qizhen gave her a big hug.

The Queen Mother's beautiful eyes instantly turned cold: "Get out of the way!"

Zhu Qizhen hugged her slender waist, then stopped and quickly stood up and shouted towards the kitchen: "Shuangxi, are you ready? I'm starving!"

The Queen Mother looked at him like a child, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

……

The next day, after the morning court session, the Queen Mother summoned a group of ministers to Kunning Palace. This was the first time that the Queen Mother had summoned a group of ministers since she stopped ruling from behind the scenes.

The Queen Mother, dressed in a phoenix robe, sat on the main seat, with a noble and majestic temperament. Her phoenix eyes swept over coldly, and she said in a deep voice:
"What do you want to do? Your Majesty worries day and night for the implementation of the new policy. I agree with the new policy! What? Are you going to oppose me too?"

"Don't think I don't know your little tricks! What time is it now? There are powerful enemies outside, rebellion inside, and the treasury is empty. Are you still thinking about your own petty gains?"

"I'm telling you, your majesty's new policy is the new rule of the Ming Dynasty! I know you're not comfortable, but there's only one principle in the world, and that is the country is the most important. Don't be dissatisfied with this and that every day."

"Your Majesty, you must create a prosperous era! Those of you who are capable, please assist Your Majesty, and those who are not capable, please don't mess around! Regarding the new policies, you have all taken note of them for me, so please help more and don't make trouble!"

After being reprimanded by her directly, the ministers bowed together and said, "We will obey the Queen Mother's order."

The Queen Mother waved her hand, and all the officials left Kunning Palace. Prince Zhu Qiyu of Qin and Duke Cheng walked side by side. Duke Cheng looked puzzled: "What does the Queen Mother mean? Why are you so supportive of Your Majesty all of a sudden? Did Your Majesty subdue the Queen Mother?"

"She doesn't support Your Majesty, she supports the Ming Dynasty." Prince Qing sighed, and then a cold light flashed in his eyes, "Your Majesty grasped this point of the Queen Mother and won her support."

Duke Chengguo frowned and said, "Now that the Queen Mother has spoken, the ministers will surely not dare to file a complaint against Liu Dingzhi again."

The King of Qing had a grim expression on his face: "That would require Liu Dingzhi to have an accident himself, and it would have to be a serious one, the kind that would result in someone's death."

Duke Chengguo seemed to understand what he meant.

(End of this chapter)