Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 116: Showdown with the Duke of England, either help me or kill all your clans
The new year is approaching.

The government and the people were relieved. Everyone had been tired for a year and needed to relax. Zhu Qizhen postponed the implementation of the new policy until next year and instructed the cabinet and the six ministries to only make some summaries and plans for next year before the New Year.

Officials rarely had time, and it was snowing heavily, so it was a good opportunity to visit friends and enjoy the snow. They walked around, drank and enjoyed the snow. Emperor Zhu Qizhen also visited the Duke of Ying.

This time, he brought many gifts and personally visited the Duke of Ying's mansion. The Duke of Ying's son Zhang Mao led the whole mansion to kneel and welcome the emperor. The servants in the mansion all knew that in this year, not only did the Queen Mother come to visit the Duke of Ying in person, but the Emperor also came several times. This shows that the Duke of Ying's grace is growing day by day.

"Everyone, get up and do your work." Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on Zhang Jingshu, "Jingshu, take me to see the old Duke."

"As you wish." Zhang Jingshu bowed and slowly stood up.

She was wearing a light blue dress, with a beautiful and gentle face, long eyebrows, fair skin, beautiful figure, and pure and elegant. She led the way with small steps, her long black hair hanging down, and the step-shaking ornaments in her bun swayed as she walked.

"Jingshu, I haven't seen you for a while. You have become more beautiful." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile.

"Your Majesty..." Zhang Jingshu paused, her beautiful eyes shy, "If someone hears you, wouldn't it be said that... Your Majesty..."

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands indifferently: "I have expressed my love for you in front of your grandfather, your father, and your brother. What am I afraid of? To love someone, you must be brave."

Zhang Jingshu's fair and delicate face instantly turned red, and her lips slightly opened. As a woman from ancient times, how could she have ever encountered such a direct confession?

"You...you..." She only felt her face getting hot.

"Jingshu, do you have feelings for me?" Zhu Qizhen took a few steps forward and approached her and said, "If I do, I will definitely marry you despite all difficulties and make you my queen."

After a while, Zhang Jingshu slowly raised her head, revealing her cool and beautiful face, her rosy lips with a radiant luster, and a faint fragrance. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you want to marry me, not just because you like me, right?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said, "Of course it's also because you are the granddaughter of Duke Ying."

Then, he sighed and said, "Alas, I am walking on thin ice in the harem, and I also need someone who understands me."

Zhang Jingshu didn't seem nervous anymore, her eyes were clear: "Your Majesty, I am willing to help you."

The two looked at each other, as if everything was understood without words.

……

Arriving at the Duke of England's room, the white-haired Duke of England was half-lying on the couch. Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and asked all the servants to leave, leaving only the two of them in the room.

"Your Majesty, you came to see me, my old minister. How come you are not dead yet?" The Duke of England raised his eyes and said.

Zhu Qizhen sat down in front of him and smiled speechlessly: "How should I put it? I actually don't want you to die. After all, you are the only one who knows my true identity. It seems that if you die, I will no longer be myself."

The Duke of England sat up straight abruptly: "Then you will remain in the Zhu family and abdicate."

"Why are you still so irritable?" Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly, "My last name is also Zhu. I have told you everything I should say last time. If you don't consider yourself, you should consider the more than 100 people in the Zhang family, right?"

Duke Ying looked sad and angry: "I don't have the face to see Emperor Taizong."

Zhu Qizhen patted his shoulder and said, "Duke, there is nothing in the ground. Not to mention Taizong, even Taizu, after death, there is only a pile of bones. I came here today to tell you something real."

The Duke of England looked alert: "What is real?"

Zhu Qizhen said word by word: "I will marry your granddaughter, and even after you die, I will still ensure the prosperity of your Zhang family."

"Don't even think about it!" the Duke of England said angrily.

Zhu Qizhen smiled calmly, "Duke, you are already like this, you should consider your descendants. Zhang Lun and I will be like brothers. If I marry Jingshu, it will be a closer relationship. Duke, the future of the Zhang family depends on your thoughts. Don't object impulsively. Think about it carefully, okay?"

After saying that, he stood up and left.

After leaving the Duke of Ying's mansion, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Shi Biao, followed him. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my people have been monitoring the Duke of Ying's mansion. Apart from the old comrades from the Guanxi Seven Guards who came to see him last time, there was nothing special."

Zhu Qizhen looked coldly: "Have you prepared the things I asked you to prepare?"

"Everything is ready." Shi Biao nodded. "As long as you give the order, I can hand over the evidence that Duke Ying is secretly communicating with the Seven Guards of Guanxi and plotting something bad."

Zhu Qi raised his head and looked at the sky at a 45-degree angle.

I am still too kind!

……

As the year draws to a close, the atmosphere in the palace becomes much more cheerful.

Zhu Qizhen also lived a comfortable life as an emperor should, reading memorials in the warm room of the Qianqing Palace during the day and flipping through the concubines' names at night. The harem was full of fake dragons and real phoenixes, and life was not too exciting.

Huhuhu~
The cold wind was howling outside the window. Zhu Qizhen put down the book in his hand, stood up, and stretched his limbs. He reached out to grab the snacks on the plate on the table, but found that they were gone.

"Someone, where are my snacks?" he shouted.

The eunuch chief, Jin Ying, walked in from outside and looked at the empty plates. He quickly ordered the young eunuchs, "Quick, go to the imperial kitchen and get some snacks."

Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on him and asked, "Why are you here today? Where is Cao Jixiang?"

Since he promoted Cao Jixiang, Cao Jixiang usually served in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, while Jinying came to pay respects on a daily basis and rarely stayed in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. However, Jinying was still the eunuch in charge of the Silijian, and the chief eunuch.

"Eunuch Cao has caught a cold and is recuperating. We are afraid that he may infect Your Majesty," Jin Ying said.

Zhu Qizhen knew that the eunuchs were also fighting for power. Cao Jixiang must have been envied by Jin Ying, and he was testing me. Cao Jixiang caught a cold today, and he might die suddenly one day.

"Jin Ying, you are already old. You have served in the palace for so many years. It is time to enjoy your life." Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice, "Then, go to Yingtian to retire and become the eunuch guarding Yingtian."

This was a direct order for Jin Ying to retire. Although Jin Ying was not confused about major issues, he was employed by the Queen Mother after all. Now that Zhu Qizhen had gradually taken control of the court, it was time to tidy up the harem.

"I obey your command." Jin Ying knelt down with tears in her eyes.

For him, being able to retire in Yingtian City is already a very good result.

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said, "Go ahead. You don't need to come and say goodbye, and don't bother the Queen Mother. After you leave, I will let Cao Jixiang take charge of the Silijian for a while."

It's time to change the power structure in the palace.

……

dusk.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace for dinner. The empress dowager was wearing a snow-white fox fur coat, but it couldn't hide her proud figure. She was reading a book in the palace, and it seemed that she hadn't rested well. Her plain face was tired.

"Mother, your son will take you for a walk outside." Zhu Qizhen walked over and directly pulled the empress dowager up, "The north wind is blowing, the snowflakes are floating, the snowflakes are floating, the New Year is coming, and dad went out to hide from the account. He has been away for seven days, and he hasn't come back on the night of the 30th..."

The queen mother glared with her beautiful eyes: "What a mess you are singing! Where did you learn all this?"

She was scolding him as Zhu Qizhen dragged her out of the palace. When the cold wind blew, she immediately shrank back. Zhu Qizhen held her waist and said with a smile, "I often sneak out of the palace. I learned it from the common people. Mother, you don't know that the New Year is a celebration for the rich, but it is a pain for some poor people. If they can't pay the rent owed to the landlord, they may even have to sell their daughters to pay off the debt."

"Is...is there such a thing?" The Queen Mother frowned.

She is a woman, and she will always be more sensitive to the tragic experiences of women.

"There are cases more serious than this." Zhu Qizhen put his hand into her waist pocket and felt a lot warmer.

The queen mother looked cold as she walked slowly on the snow and snorted, "Did you take Jinying to Yingtian?"

Zhu Qizhen held her waist with a little force and said with a smile: "Don't you see that his hair is all white? He has been a slave for a lifetime, so he should enjoy himself for a few days, right? Yingtian is suitable for eunuchs to retire."

The Queen Mother did not say much, her eyes were filled with sorrow: "It is only right to give them a good old age."

Zhu Qizhen blinked, a wicked smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, he suddenly raised his hand and pushed the Queen Mother hard, and the Queen Mother fell to the ground in the snow. "Asshole, you dare to push me?" The Queen Mother got up angrily.

Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hand and pushed her forehead, and the queen mother fell down again. Zhu Qizhen burst into laughter: "Mother, you are still cute."

The Queen Mother grabbed some snow and threw it at him.

The eunuchs and palace maids not far away looked at them, a little confused. Zhu Qizhen shouted to them: "What are you doing? Divide into two teams, we will have a snowball fight. Those who join my team will be rewarded handsomely."

"Follow me in the team and my reward will be doubled." The Queen Mother got up again.

Zhu Qizhen was playing snowballs on the surface, but in his mind he was thinking about how to reset the power structure of the harem. He needed a strong queen. The current queen and those concubines were no match for the queen mother.
……

The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Today is the day to worship the Kitchen God. Every year the emperor presides over the ceremony in person. Of course, in the past few years when the Empress Dowager was in power, it was the Empress Dowager who presided over the ceremony.

In front of Kunning Palace, an altar or shrine has been set up, with the Kitchen God statue placed in the middle. Incense burners are placed in front, red candles are lit around, and sugar melons, water beans and other offerings are placed on the altar. These offerings are used to worship the Kitchen God and his divine horse. Sugar melons and other sweets are to sweeten the Kitchen God's mouth so that he can say good things to the gods; water beans and other sweets are used to worship the divine horse.

Zhu Qizhen held up the incense and chanted the sacrificial text:

I bow down to you, the Kitchen God, who governs the people, observes the good and evil of the world, and determines fortune and misfortune. I have received the mandate of heaven, shepherding the people, and I work hard day and night, fearing that I may fail. Today is the Kitchen God Festival, so I have prepared special offerings and worshiped you devoutly to show my heart.

May the Kitchen God speak good things in heaven and bring good luck to the world below. May he bless our royal family, our descendants, and our country to be prosperous and long-lasting; may he bless all the people of the world, so that they can live and work in peace and contentment, and have a good harvest. May the weather be favorable and disasters be avoided; may all industries prosper, and the people be rich and the country strong.

I know that the Kitchen God is majestic, has great merits and is virtuous. Therefore, I pray sincerely, hoping that the Kitchen God will have mercy on me and bless me and the people. May my wishes come true and the people's wishes be granted.

"He is really becoming more and more like an emperor."

The empress dowager knelt behind the emperor, looking at his tall back with mixed feelings.

It's the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, and another year has passed. I don't know how Mobei's son is doing. Last time, I finally received a letter from Xu Bin, saying that the emperor is doing well and everything is going according to plan.

"Cao Jixiang." Zhu Qizhen ordered after the sacrifice, "Everyone in the palace will be rewarded today. The desserts and offerings will be given out. They are all gifts from the Kitchen God and will protect everyone's safety."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Cao Jixiang accepted the order.

The eunuchs and palace maids around were all very happy, because in previous years the empress dowager only rewarded members of the royal family, but they did not expect that His Majesty would reward the palace maids and eunuchs as well.

The Queen Mother snorted in her heart, thinking that this guy was very good at winning people's hearts.

……

There would be several consecutive sacrifices at the end of the twelfth lunar month and the first lunar month, all of which required the emperor to perform in person. Zhu Qizhen was not impatient, and wanted to finish them quickly so that he could have five days of rest in the first lunar month.

The 30th day of the twelfth lunar month is the day of the sacrifice. The so-called sacrifice is to enshrine the tablets of ancestors in the Taimiao and hold a joint sacrifice. This is a very important and solemn sacrifice.

On this day, Zhu Qizhen led members of the royal family and ministers to the Taimiao.

The sacrificial ceremony began with washing and burning incense. When performing the ceremony, the emperor had to wash first to cleanse his body and mind. Then he went to the shrine and burned incense three times. The next step was offering jade and silk. The emperor had to offer jade and silk and other gifts to his ancestors to show his respect and gratitude.

The next step is to offer the food, also known as "offering the cooked food". The waiter will carry the food to be offered in front of the altar, and the emperor will personally place the food in front of the ancestral tablet, indicating that the food is offered to the ancestors for their enjoyment.

Then there were three offerings, namely the first offering, the second offering and the final offering. During each offering, the emperor had to go to the wine washing seat to receive the wine, wash the wine, wipe the wine, and offer the wine, and then go to each god's seat to offer the wine.

After offering the gift, Zhu Qizhen began to read the prayer to his ancestors:

I have inherited the order of heaven and rule over all the lands. I work hard day and night, fearing that I will fail. Today is the day of sacrifice, and I have prepared special offerings and made a pious sacrifice to show my heart.

Since our ancestors founded the country, their achievements have been outstanding and their virtues have been profound. I rely on their protection and blessings to sit on the throne and govern the world. However, I know that without their teachings and protection, we would not have the peace we have today. Therefore, when offering sacrifices, I am worried, fearing that I will be disrespectful to my ancestors.

Today, our country is prosperous, our people are happy, our crops are plentiful, and all nations come to pay tribute. This is all due to the kindness of our ancestors, who have blessed our royal family and protected our subjects. I wish that the spirits of our ancestors in heaven will forever protect our country and make it as stable as a rock, and last forever.

I also wish that the ancestors would bless me, so that I can be clear-minded and see things clearly, and rule the world. Bless the people, so that they can live and work in peace and happiness, and share the blessing of peace. Bless the army, so that my soldiers can be brave and good at fighting, defend the territory, and avoid being invaded.

I know the majesty of my ancestors, their great merits and virtues. Therefore, I pray sincerely, hoping that my ancestors will have mercy on me and my subjects, so that all my wishes can be fulfilled, and all the people's wishes can be fulfilled.

……

A group of old officials looked at the tall figure of the young emperor in front of the altar, some of them were already in tears. Two years had passed, and the young emperor was no longer the child emperor.

By winning the battle to defend the capital and implementing new policies, the emperor had already begun to show his sagely character. The old officials who had experienced the reigns of Renzong and Xuanzong, and even the Yongle era, were of course excited, as they wanted to see the powerful Ming Dynasty again.

"Get off and drive back to the palace!"

After the complicated sacrifice was completed, the eunuch Cao Jixiang preached. The emperor and the royal family led the way, followed by the ministers, and returned to the palace in a grand procession.

Zhu Qizhen, sitting in the dragon chariot, finally relaxed. Today was New Year's Eve. After eating the New Year's Eve dinner, he would have a holiday tomorrow. The court would not be held until the sixth day of the first lunar month.

The holidays in ancient times were similar to those in the past and present. If it were him, he would want to take a holiday directly after the Lantern Festival, but the rules of his ancestors could not be changed casually.

After returning to the palace, the palace was full of joy. The palace was also going to have a reunion dinner tonight, and all the royal family members in Beijing would come to the palace to celebrate the New Year. According to convention, the banquet was held in Kunning Palace. Because in previous years, the empress dowager had hosted the banquet, Zhu Qizhen did not change the venue this year.

In the evening, the lights in Kunning Palace were lit and the New Year’s Eve dinner began.

Zhu Qizhen and the empress dowager sat on the main seats on the high platform. Below them were the concubines and princes and princesses in the palace. Below them were the princes in the capital, such as Prince Zhu Qiyu of Qin.

There were dozens of tables, it was very lively and looked harmonious.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve, the night of family reunion." Zhu Qizhen began to speak, "The ancients often said that family, country and the world are one. For me, without a family, there is no country, let alone the world. For the royal family, if one family is not at peace, the whole country will be at peace. Therefore, I hope that the royal children will always remember the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects and our family affection. Come, everyone, raise your glasses and drink together."

When he said this, his eyes first swept over Zhu Qiyu, and then fell on the empress dowager. The empress dowager, dressed in a palace dress, was noble and elegant, with a faint smile on her face.

……

After the New Year's Eve dinner, Zhu Qizhen was a little drowsy. He held the Queen on his left and Concubine Gao on his right, and walked towards the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Although he was drowsy, his mind was very clear.

The first shot of the new year should be fired, right?

The Queen Mother looked at his figure, surrounded by women, with her eyes slightly lowered. She felt a sense of loneliness in her heart. This feeling has been getting stronger recently.

"Your Majesty, are you going to my place?" asked the Queen.

"Come to my place." said Concubine Gao Shufei.

Zhu Qizhen smelled the subtle fragrance on them and shook his head: "You all go to my Qianqing Palace together."

The mature and charming faces of the Queen and Concubine Gao turned red instantly. Zhu Qizhen turned his head to look at the Queen Mother, who also looked up. When their eyes met, the Queen Mother immediately lowered her head.

Zhu Qizhen raised his lips slightly and shouted, "Mother, I will not go to pay my respects to you tomorrow morning. I want to be King Zhou for once."

The Queen Mother was so angry that she bared her teeth: "Get out!"

Zhu Qizhen felt very happy and left with a big laugh.

The next day, early in the morning.

Zhu Qizhen slowly opened his eyes, gently pushed the queen away on his left, and took the jade arm of Concubine Gao Shu on his right, and got out of bed lightly. He rubbed his face, thinking of the absurdity of last night.

Hey, this is the life of an emperor, it's better to be King Zhou, why the hell am I not a sage or wise ruler. Isn't it good to not attend court every day and enjoy the good life?
No, only if I become a sage king can I turn the false into the true and gain the support of my ministers and the people.

Well, let’s go pay our respects to the Queen Mother. She must be quite lonely.

(End of this chapter)