Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 123: Concubine Xian: Your Majesty and the Queen Mother, Something Is Wrong

The spring night is worth a thousand dollars, and the flowers are fragrant and the moon is cloudy.

In Changchun Palace, as the buttons of her dress were unbuttoned, Zhang Jingshu's long skirt gradually slipped off, and her white and tender skin glowed intoxicatingly under the dim candlelight. She had a charming figure, covering her spring scenery with one hand and stepping lightly on the fluffy carpet with the other hand, walking behind the screen. Her beautiful eyes flickered with shyness and anger.

At this moment, Zhu Qizhen, who was sitting in the warm water in the bathtub behind the screen, was a little impatient. He urged outside the screen: "Xianfei, hurry up, if you don't come, the water will get cold!"

Today he came back from Kunning Palace and insisted on bathing with her. Although Zhang Jingshu came from a prominent family and had read sage books since childhood, she instinctively wanted to refuse, but she finally agreed after Zhu Qizhen's persuasion.

"Close your eyes!" Zhang Jingshu's tone was firm and unyielding. This was her last bit of reserve as a woman.

"Okay, I'll close my eyes. Come in." Zhu Qizhen pretended to close his eyes obediently.

Then, everything outside the screen fell silent. After a moment, I heard the sound of light footsteps, and then I felt the water level in the bathtub rise slightly.

Zhu Qizhen opened his eyes, and then his eyes widened.

Then, the sound of water splashing could be heard. Zhang Jingshu supported the bathtub with both hands, and her beautiful hair fluttered in the wind.

Half an hour later.

Zhang Jingshu lay in Zhu Qizhen's arms, her beautiful face blushing as she asked, "Has the matter in Jiangnan been resolved? Your Majesty, are you in such a good mood today?"

Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "How can it be that easy? Let's use the method you told me last time. However, we still have to see the effect."

"The gentry in Jiangnan will definitely unite to oppose it." Zhang Jingshu frowned. "It's nothing more than a few tricks. Officials in Jiangnan will submit memorials together to put pressure on the court."

"I just don't believe it. All the officials in the Jiangnan officialdom stand on the side of the gentry?" Zhu Qizhen said.

Zhang Jingshu pursed her red lips and said, "It's possible! Your Majesty, you need to deduce a few more steps and stay ahead of them."

Zhu Qizhen hugged her slender waist and thought to himself, I have married a good wife.

……

Yangzhou.

The governor Ren Chang'an secretly met with a group of officials in his own mansion. In addition to local officials such as Yangzhou prefect Gao Han, there were also two bigwigs from other provinces, Zhejiang Governor Chen Chang and Anhui Governor He Changsheng.

"Xu Youzhen is coming with great momentum. Next, we must move in unison! Otherwise, after he takes over Jiangsu, he will definitely go after Zhejiang and Anhui."

"Old Ren, we all know that the two rivers and three provinces must be united. What did the Fourth Master say? Why didn't he come today?"

"The Fourth Master will definitely support us with all his strength! But from now on, he can't show up often. After all, the people from the Governor's Office are in Yangzhou. If they find any clues, it will not be good for us."

"With the Fourth Master's financial resources and prestige, what do we have to fear? If Xu Youzhen wants to cause trouble, we will give him a big fuss, and then jointly submit a petition to remove him from office."

"We must do these things! However, the Fourth Master said that in order to be more secure, we need to drag the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau into this!"

When everyone heard this, they gasped.

The weaving bureau worked for the palace, and behind them were the emperor and the empress dowager. If the weaving bureau was dragged into the water, even Xu Youzhen would not dare to question them casually.

"Mr. Ren, you two are old acquaintances, right? Eunuch Ye, the general manager of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau," asked Chen Chang, the governor of Zhejiang.

"Ah, it's hard to say about people from the palace." Ren Changan frowned, "Tomorrow, I will go visit him again. Haha, he has taken a lot of things from the Fourth Master over the years, so he should stand on our side."

He Chang, the governor of Anhui, spread his hands and said, "What are we afraid of? Let's set a trap and let Xu Youzhen run into the weaving bureau first. Let Eunuch Ye deal with him. Even the people in the palace, the governor, must give in."

Ren Changan nodded slowly and continued to discuss the details with them.

……

Governor's office, backyard.

Xu Youzhen, Li Bing, Ke Qian and Shen Manqing were drinking tea. Because the new policy was finally moving forward, the four of them were in a good mood. Xu Youzhen asked Shen Manqing: "The Fourth Master, as he is called by officials and gentry in Jiangnan, is he your father?"

"Yes." Shen Manqing nodded. "My father is the fourth child in the family. At first, the servants in the family called him that. Later, as the word spread, people outside also called him that."

Li Bing's face was grim, and he snorted, "Your father is very prestigious, even the governor calls him Fourth Master."

"It's a respectful title." Ke Qian said with a smile, "Shen Yihuan has done a lot of good things in Jiangnan over the years, building bridges and temples. In the hearts of the people, he is a great good man."

Shen Manqing spread her hands: "It's just vanity!"

The other three held their foreheads together, suspecting that he was not Shen Yihuan's biological son. Xu Youzhen put down his teacup and asked, "Your father cooperated with the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau and participated in Kaizhong. He had salt permits and could sell salt. Your father also participated in river transport, customs and trade with Westerners. He is indeed the richest man in this business."

"My father is very ambitious." A gloomy look flashed in Shen Manqing's eyes.

"Go back and let him know. I'll set up a table in the governor's office some other day to invite this great man." Xu Youzhen smiled.

Shen Manqing raised his head: "It won't be the Hongmen Banquet, right? If so, Lord Xu, you should have told me earlier, I can do the sword dance of Xiang Zhuang, aiming at my father."

"Get lost!" Xu Youzhen was speechless. "Since your father is the most powerful gentry, of course you should talk to him. Go back and inform him."

Shen Manqing left reluctantly.

After he left, Xu Youzhen's face darkened and he said in a deep voice, "According to the Jinyiwei, most officials in Jiangnan have benefited from Shen Yihuan in recent years."

"He bribed the imperial officials?" Ke Qian asked.

"On the surface, you can't say that." Xu Youzhen said coldly, "It looks like a normal transaction. For example, a house can be sold for 100,000 taels or 100 taels."

Ke Qian and Li Bing understood instantly. But what they didn't understand was why Shen Yihuan did this? A businessman, just to make money? That was half of the Jiangnan officialdom.

"There is another piece of news." Xu Youzhen frowned, "Eunuch Ye of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau is too deeply entangled with these people in Jiangnan. I need to report this matter to His Majesty in secret, after all, it involves the palace."

Li Bing nodded and said, "Lord Xu, report it immediately. I am worried that they will use the Textile Bureau to put the blame on the palace. It will be difficult to deal with it then."

"I'll go write the memorial, you guys prepare a banquet for Shen Yihuan." Xu Youzhen waved his hand.

The three of them split up.

……

Beijing.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial sent from Jiangnan, his eyes filled with coldness: "Cao Jixiang, I want to ask you, do you know Ye Jinshui, the general manager of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau?"

"Your Majesty, that's Eunuch Jin's godson." Cao Jixiang bowed, "Ye Jinshui has been in Jiangnan for almost two years. Every time he came back, he brought a lot of toys for the young eunuchs in the palace. Everyone envied him."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

The Jiangnan Weaving Bureau was already a huge official organization that integrated silk production, management and trade. How could it be handed over to a eunuch who knew nothing?

It is understandable that the Weaving Bureau was responsible for supervising the production and procurement of silk fabrics needed by the palace. The eunuchs were the most trusted people of the emperor, so they were sent to manage it.

However, the Weaving Bureau was no longer a simple business as it developed. It was also responsible for the silk trade in the Jiangnan region, including silk trade with major Western customers.

The scale has become unprecedentedly large, and Suzhou Weaving Bureau, Jiangning Weaving Bureau and Hangzhou Weaving Bureau are collectively known as the "Three Weaving Bureaus in Jiangnan". Taking Suzhou Weaving Bureau as an example, it has reached a huge scale with nearly 300 houses and more than 1700 craftsmen.

"This is a group company." Zhu Qizhen thought, "It also does overseas trade! I am torn to pieces when I think of such a company being led by a eunuch."

He pondered for a long time, then said to Cao Jixiang, "Send someone to call Eunuch Ye back."

Cao Jixiang looked embarrassed: "I don't think he will listen to me, he will listen to the Queen Mother. Your Majesty, why don't you just issue an edict, then he won't dare to disobey."

"As the eunuch who holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department, can you show some authority? I don't need you to encroach on the power of the court, but you should at least deal with all the eunuchs, right? Otherwise, what's the use of you?" Zhu Qizhen was speechless.

Cao Jixiang: “!!!”

The power of slaves invades the government and the people? Your Majesty, do you know what you are saying?

... Zhu Qizhen hurried to Kunning Palace and saw Zhang Jingshu there. She and the empress dowager were chatting and laughing from time to time, like a pair of sisters.

"Greetings to the Queen Mother." Zhu Qizhen bowed.

"I've seen you look so depressed from a distance." The Queen Mother looked down coldly, "You should be reviewing memorials right now, why are you here?"

Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and spread his hands: "Mother, it is really inappropriate to let the servants in the palace go. You have to take care of it. Ye Jinshui from the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau has been mixing with local officials and merchants in Jiangnan. That affects the reputation of the palace."

"What do you mean by 'I'm in charge'?" The Queen Mother stood up and took a few steps forward. "The servants in the palace are not your servants. The Weaving Bureau belongs to the palace, and they work outside for the palace."

Zhu Qizhen also became angry and approached him, saying:

"I don't like what you said. I have never asked about the affairs of the Weaving Bureau. This thing should not be handed over to a eunuch who knows nothing. The Weaving Bureau must be changed. It is now a heavy burden on the people."

"The Jiangnan Weaving Bureau conscripted a large number of craftsmen through the craftsman registration system. These craftsmen were forced to produce silk for the court. How many families were harmed? In order to meet the court's demand for silk, the Jiangnan region needed to bear heavier taxes, especially taxes related to silk production. How much burden did this add to the people?"

"The weaving bureau needs a lot of resources in the production process, such as raw silk, dyes, etc. These resources are almost obtained by means of plunder, which seriously damages the local economy. Forget it, you won't understand even if I tell you. Do you know what economy is?"

The Queen Mother was so angry that she stretched out her arms and choked Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen did not dodge and was grabbed by the neck by her. He was about to say a few words of comfort.

Unexpectedly, the empress dowager slipped and fell towards Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen hurriedly hugged her waist, but lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Zhu Qizhen fell hard, but the empress dowager was completely fine because she fell on him and had her hands on his neck.

At this moment, the two were face to face, only 0.01 cm apart, and could smell each other's breath. Zhu Qizhen said inexplicably: "So angry? Bite me."

The Queen Mother's pretty face flushed red, and when she heard him provocatively, she opened her mouth and bit his neck.

"Ah~" Zhu Qizhen screamed.

At this moment, Zhang Jingshu and the palace maids finally reacted and hurried forward to pull the two apart. But the Queen Mother was really angry this time, biting Zhu Qizhen's neck tightly and refused to let go.

"Open your mouth!" Zhu Qizhen shouted anxiously.

The Queen Mother bit even harder, burying her head in his neck. Zhang Jingshu and the palace maids tried to pull her away, but the Queen Mother held on tightly to Zhu Qizhen and refused to let go.

Suddenly, Zhu Qizhen felt his neck getting hot, and it was obvious that tears were dripping down his neck. He was moved, why are you still crying?
……

"Wait, let the Empress Dowager calm down. I deserve it." Zhu Qizhen waved at Zhang Jingshu and the others.

The palace maids stepped back and looked at the two. Zhang Jingshu frowned slightly. This scene was a bit strange. The Queen Mother leaned in His Majesty's arms, her head buried in His Majesty's neck, and her hair was messy.

After a while, the Queen Mother finally stood up, with blood on the corner of her mouth and red eyes. A strand of hair fell from her forehead, and she stretched out her hand and gently slid it across, with a touch of mature and cold charm that only a queen could have, and glanced at her with her beautiful eyes: "See if you dare to say that to me again in the future!"

Zhu Qizhen reached out and touched his neck, and found a cut left by the Queen Mother. Zhang Jingshu stepped forward to help him up, glaring at him: "Your Majesty, why don't you apologize to your mother?"

"The Empress Dowager was born in the year of the dog. She was almost bitten to death." Zhu Qizhen got up.

The Queen Mother reached out and scratched her messy hair, and ordered, "Go, call the imperial physician."

Zhang Jingshu bowed quickly and said, "Empress Dowager, I'd better take His Majesty to Changchun Palace and then ask for the imperial physician. If this gets out, people will think that the Empress Dowager and His Majesty are not on good terms."

"Let's go, the bleeding can't be stopped." Zhu Qizhen turned and left.

Zhang Jingshu followed him and supported him. The Queen Mother looked at their backs with her eyes downcast.

Back at Kunning Palace, Zhang Jingshu ordered the maid to invite the imperial physician. After the imperial physician came and treated the wound, he asked in confusion: "Who was so bold as to bite your majesty?"

"Uh, I was bitten by a rabbit." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

The imperial physician did not dare to ask any more questions, he wrote a prescription and left. Zhang Jingshu went to boil the medicine herself, she sat there, watching the steam rising from the pot, thinking of the scene just now.

"The Queen Mother and Your Majesty, something is wrong."

……

The moonlight falls on Kunning Palace, adding a layer of hazy beauty.

The Queen Mother tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The night was long and deep, just like the unspeakable secret in her heart, which was tightly locked in every brick and tile of Kunning Palace. Although the moonlight was beautiful, it could not shine into the corner of her heart, where loneliness and depression were hidden, like ice that never melted in winter.

The Queen Mother turned over gently, and the sound of the quilt rubbing against each other was particularly clear in the silent night, as if it was the echo of her inner struggle. She closed her eyes, trying to drive away those disturbing thoughts, but the scenes of the day came flooding back like a tide, leaving her with nowhere to escape. She regretted her impulse at that moment, but the emotions hidden behind that impulse were the release of her long-suppressed feelings, a mixture of indescribable pleasure and bitterness.

Tears slid silently, wetting the pillow and moistening her lonely heart. Her cry was subtle and suppressed, as if she was afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the night, and more like she was afraid of being heard. There were too many emotions hidden in her cry that could not be known by others.

In this deep palace, her thoughts were as deep and complicated as the night, and she could only savor them alone and could not share them with anyone.

She sat up, her head between her knees, her dark hair falling.

The night continued to be dark, and the Queen Mother's heart gradually calmed down in this torment.

……

The next day.

At the morning court, all the ministers saw a piece of gauze on the emperor's neck and were shocked. How did the emperor get injured? In order to avoid unnecessary rumors, Zhu Qizhen announced that he was accidentally bitten while playing with a rabbit.

The ministers did not dare to ask more questions, just that Your Majesty is fine.

After the morning court session, Zhu Qizhen returned to the Qianqing Palace and began a boring day of reviewing memorials. The chief eunuch Cao Jixiang reported: "Your Majesty, Hou Gong from the Queen Mother's side came here early in the morning and said that the Queen Mother has ordered that Eunuch Ye return to the capital."

Zhu Qizhen touched the wound on his neck and nodded: "Then bring Ye Jinshui to me as soon as he comes back."

"As you wish." Cao Jixiang nodded.

Zhu Qizhen frowned, thinking about how to reform the Weaving Bureau, maybe it would become a multinational group. When the new policy is implemented, it will be time to open the sea.

When embarking on the great voyages of discovery, we must not allow the West to take the lead.

"I'm here to make Ming great again, Ole Gei!" He cheered himself up.

Cao Jixiang standing by was stunned. He always felt that there was something strange about His Majesty.

Zhu Qizhen reviewed memorials all day, and at dusk, he was going to Changchun Palace, thinking of trying some new tricks with Concubine Xian, but he changed his mind and decided to go and apologize to the Empress Dowager.

Women are prone to holding grudges. Once they get over it, they will keep it in mind forever.

When he arrived at Kunning Palace, Shuangxi was shocked to see him, thinking, "How dare you come?" He walked into the hall and looked up to see the empress dowager sitting on a chair, reading a book, and regaining her dignity and elegance.

"Greetings to the Queen Mother." Zhu Qizhen bowed.

The Queen Mother slowly raised her head, her eyes fell on his neck, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised: "I heard that your Majesty was bitten by a rabbit. Is he feeling better?"

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment, then said: "It's okay, fortunately the rabbit is not poisonous."

The queen mother's beautiful eyes flashed with shame and anger, and she waved her hand: "Stay for dinner, Shuangxi has made your favorite food."

Shuangxi: “???”

Zhu Qizhen sat down and thought, is the Queen Mother no longer angry?

"I will no longer be involved in the affairs of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. You can do whatever you want." The Queen Mother looked up and said, "But you must ensure the supply of silk for the palace."

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands and said, "I first suppressed the Weaving Bureau because I didn't want it to be involved in the struggle in Jiangnan. When the time comes, those officials and gentry in Jiangnan will put the blame on the palace, and it will be your reputation that will be lost."

"How can I still have the dignity to live like this?" The Queen Mother snorted, "I can hardly stay in the palace any longer."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand.

Again? Can you stop being so sarcastic?
(End of this chapter)