Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 125: Queen Mother: This palace is about to break down!

Zhu Qizhen returned to Kunning Palace, still furious.

Those ministers in the cabinet, including Wang Zhi, also had his own selfish motives. At this moment, Zhu Qizhen understood that the only one who truly cared about the world was the emperor.

Because this world belongs to the emperor, all major issues in the world can ultimately only be resolved by the emperor's will. One wrong move can lead to a complete failure.

Of course, this does not apply to incompetent and mediocre rulers.

"The Queen Mother has arrived~" Cao Jixiang's hurried voice came.

Zhu Qizhen immediately regained his composure. He had not expected the Empress Dowager to come to the Palace of Heavenly Purity at this time. Since the Empress Dowager stopped ruling the country from behind the curtain, she had never come to the Palace of Heavenly Purity again.

"Greetings, mother." Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and put on a smile. "How come mother has the time to come to my Qianqing Palace today?"

The empress dowager was wearing a purple long dress, which highlighted her slender and graceful figure. The sleeves and hems of her skirt were inlaid with wide golden edges, which highlighted her noble aura. Her long black hair fell like a waterfall around her slender waist.

"All the cabinet ministers have gone to my place, how can I not come?" The Queen Mother snorted coldly, "Do you really want to exile those three thousand candidates?"

Zhu Qizhen nodded without hesitation: "Yes! If I compromise this time, then they will know my bottom line. The gentry in Jiangnan will only become more aggressive in the future, and the new policy will not be implemented at all."

The empress dowager's beautiful eyes moved slightly, and there was a coldness in the depths of her eyes. She knew that what the emperor said was right, and the gentry in Jiangnan were obviously testing the bottom line of the court.

"But...is exiling 3,000 people too much? How about exiling the leaders?" The Queen Mother frowned. "I am worried that the gentry will unite and cause trouble."

Zhu Qizhen chuckled and shook his head, his eyes full of sarcasm:
"They are just a bunch of lazy, ignorant nerds who only know how to make empty promises and deceive the world for fame! When the country is in trouble and the country is in chaos, have those gentry ever come up with any useful ideas?"

"Millions of people are displaced and have no land to farm. Where are they? The civil officials in the court swear solemnly that 'people are the foundation, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important', but in fact they uphold the Zhou rituals and denounce the legal system, and even want to punish officials and not extend rituals to common people; people can be allowed to follow it, but not to know it; thousands of civilians have grievances but no way to sue, and how much blood has been shed in vain?"

"As for the possibility that they will unite to oppose the imperial court, there is no need to worry. Each of them has their own selfish motives, but they portray themselves as martyrs who sacrifice their lives for the sake of justice. However, judging from their actions, they are tirelessly seeking official positions and titles, but if they fail to obtain them, they will be as panic-stricken as dogs that have lost their homes!"

"I will open another special examination, and I guarantee that scholars from all over the world will flock to Beijing to take the exam."

The Queen Mother looked at the emperor in front of her with mixed feelings. She hoped that this was the real emperor, but she didn't want him to be the real emperor.

"You are becoming more and more like Emperor Renzong." She sighed softly, "yet your methods are similar to those of Emperor Taizu. Do you still know who you are?"

After saying this, her beautiful eyes stared straight at Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen felt a little guilty when she stared at him.

Yes, who am I? I am a fake emperor. How come I am so into the role?

……

Yangzhou.

The three thousand candidates who had caused the disturbance were all exiled to Lingnan. Now, the gentry in the whole Jiangnan area were dumbfounded. The imperial court was actually serious about this and was so tough.

They didn't dare to make trouble anymore. The people who arrested them were Mongols. Those barbarians didn't care which family you belonged to. If they made trouble again, they would be thrown into prison. How could these masters bear the hardship?
Some representatives of the gentry gathered at the Shen Mansion. They hoped that Shen Yihuan could come up with a solution. It was impossible to pay taxes to the court, and they had to find a way to stop it.

"Fourth Master, most of the officials in Jiangnan listen to you. If you give them a word, they won't really come to us to pay taxes, right? If it really doesn't work, we can just pay a little as a token of our appreciation to get by."

"Yes, Fourth Master, you have to step in on this matter. We have no other options. The imperial court is really cruel this time. They sent Xu Youzhen here to curry favor with the emperor, and the Mongols are assisting him. Damn, no matter what we do, it doesn't work."

"Fourth Master, please ask the officials in Jiangnan to submit a petition together to impeach Xu Youzhen and drive him out of Jiangnan. This dragon that has crossed the river is too arrogant."

Shen Yihan sat on the chair, his eyes slowly swept over, with a smile on his face: "Everyone, don't panic, I will help you fight for what you should fight for. You all go back and wait for my instructions."

His words were like a reassurance, and everyone felt relieved after hearing them.

After sending off the gentlemen, Shen Yihuan sat alone in the pavilion, closing his eyes and thinking. Shen Manqing came to him, poured a cup of tea and said, "Dad, why are you doing this? We live our own lives and are very free and easy. Why do you care so much?"

Shen Yihan slowly opened his eyes and snorted, "You have no ambition, so you won't understand."

"I don't understand, and I don't want to understand." Shen Manqing spread her hands, "Let me remind you, His Majesty is determined to implement the new policy, you can't stop it, think carefully about the Shen family's way out."

A hint of coldness appeared on Shen Yihuan's lips: "Your Majesty? Haha, he doesn't deserve it! I still have a trick. If he pushes me to the limit, I will make him unable to be the emperor."

Shen Manqing was horrified: "Dad, are you crazy?"

……

Governor's Yamen.

Xu Youzhen was still very worried. Although the 3,000 scholars were exiled and the gentry were temporarily quiet, he knew that a huge crisis was still to come.

Even at the moment, he had endless troubles to deal with. Although he had the help of the Mongols, the two rivers and three provinces were so large that the officials dared not not implement the new policies, but the progress was extremely slow.

"You don't know until you come down. I'm shocked when I see it." Li Bing smiled bitterly. "The officialdom in Jiangnan has become so rotten. I'd better go to the Hanlin Academy and be an editor. I'm afraid of being in the dust."

Xu Youzhen spread his hands and smiled: "As an official, you have to be humble and modest. If I hadn't followed Your Majesty, I might have been like that. It's too difficult to stay out of the mud without getting stained."

The youngest, Ke Qian, snorted, "What's so difficult about that? I think those people are just not strong-minded. Alas, it's useless to say this now. What should we do next? We are too few in number. Even if we prioritize and start from a place like Yangzhou, we don't know when it will take."

As the three were talking, they heard hurried footsteps. Before anyone arrived, a rough voice came: "Hey, Old Xu, your government office is great. It's so elegant. It's so damn elegant."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Heng walked in.

Xu Youzhen was surprised and delighted: "General Shi, why are you here?"

"I'm here to help you!" Shi Heng spread his hands. "Recently, Yu Shaobao has replaced all the commanders of the two Jiang and three provinces. They are all old acquaintances. Old Xu, if you need any work in the future, just ask."

Xu Youzhen was overjoyed. He had just said that they were short of people, and the court sent them here.

Shi Heng glanced at the three people and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty asked me to tell you a message: You have worked hard, I know it, and I still say the same thing, do it bravely, if there is any problem, I will support you from behind."

……

Capital city, imperial prison.

Zhu Qizhen came here in black casual clothes. Under the guidance of Shi Biao, he arrived in front of a separate cell where a thin man was imprisoned.

When the man saw Zhu Qizhen, he immediately stepped forward and knelt down, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Ye Jinshui." Zhu Qizhen's eyes were sharp, "You have completely disgraced me and the Queen Mother."

It turned out that this man was Ye Gonggong, the eunuch in charge of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. Not long ago, he was still calling the shots in Jiangnan. Now, he was a man waiting to die.

Shi Biao brought a chair to Zhu Qizhen. After Zhu Qizhen sat down, he said in a cold voice: "Tell me about Shen Yihuan in detail. Don't hide anything."

"Yes!" Ye Jinshui knelt down, not daring to look up, and began to speak.

Zhu Qizhen listened quietly, his expression gradually becoming solemn. Half an hour later, he left the prison, his eyes full of murderous intent. Shi Biao followed closely behind him and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want me to send the Jinyiwei to Jiangnan to capture Shen Yihuan?"

"No hurry!" Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "Don't alert the enemy. I have my eyes on his countless wealth. Also, Shen Yihuan won the third place in the imperial examination and became the Minister of Rites. You should check what happened to him during this period. I am very curious, why did he suddenly resign?"

"As you wish." Shi Biao nodded.

Zhu Qizhen walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped and said, "There is an old friend in the imperial prison. How is he? Is he alive?"

He was talking about Sun Jizhong, the former Marquis of Huichang, who had been secretly arrested and brought to the capital, and had been imprisoned deep in the imperial prison. Shi Biao reported: "He is well fed and well."

"Keep an eye on him, he will be of great use to me in the future," said Zhu Qizhen.

……

dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun falls on Kunning Palace.

The palace gate was lightly closed, and a faint candlelight shone through the crack of the door. It blended with the gradually darkening sky outside, making the Kunning Palace seem even more mysterious. The wind seemed to have slowed down its pace, passing through the empty courtyard, bringing up waves of subtle echoes, like whispers.

The flowers and trees in the palace, though blooming in the spring, looked listless in the sunset, their shadows stretched long and cast on the cold ground, adding a bit of sadness. The Queen Mother sat alone in front of the window, her figure blending into the twilight, her face blurred in the weak light.

"Empress Dowager, His Majesty is here." Shuangxi stepped forward. "Although His Majesty was disrespectful to Her Majesty a few days ago, His Majesty still cares about Her Majesty and comes to eat with Her Majesty every day."

"Who needs his company? He just comes to eat for free." The Queen Mother's mature and charming eyes flashed with a light.

Zhu Qizhen came into the palace and shouted, "I'm hungry, Shuangxi, is the food ready? I am more tired than a dog as an emperor. In my next life, I want to be a pig."

Shuangxi was amused. The Queen Mother glared at her and motioned her to serve the food.

The Queen Mother stood up and walked to Zhu Qizhen, staring at him with her beautiful eyes: "Do you think it's easy to be an emperor? What is a lonely man? The emperor is a real lonely man."

Zhu Qizhen sat up straight and shook his head: "That's not right, I feel that Kunning Palace is my home. I'm used to coming back for dinner every day."

The Queen Mother froze for a moment. The complex emotions in her heart were like a spider web, instantly covering every corner of her heart.

"Has the Jiangnan issue been resolved?" She changed the subject.

"It's not that easy. I guess the gentry in Jiangnan are planning something terrible." Zhu Qizhen rubbed his brows. "I'm determined to do whatever I can. Even if I'm called a tyrant, I'll beat them all down and make them obey me."

The Queen Mother sat down in front of him, thought for a moment and said:

"As long as you do this, I believe there are always gentlemen in this world who will remember the real you; when future scholars read this article, there will definitely be scholars who will praise you as an emperor."

"We should not have too high hopes for the gentry and the people, but we should not be too disappointed either."

"There are many selfish people in this world, but do you believe that when the country is destroyed and the family is ruined, some scholars who are powerless will stand up and not fear the enemy's scimitars. Not only them, but also street vendors, refugees, swordsmen, ruffians, etc. Many of them will stand up and die bravely."

"But on weekdays, they are just ordinary people. The rich ones are eyeing the pretty girls on the street, but they are also afraid of the tigress at home. The street vendors are trying their best to make more money, the scoundrels are collecting protection money, and the thieves are stealing a lot of things, waiting for the dog meat in the pot to be cooked."

Zhu Qizhen listened to her quietly, and his mood calmed down a lot. He spread his hands and smiled: "Mother, you know more. Wisdom really does grow with age."

"Who are you saying is old?" the Queen Mother glared.

Her skin is whiter than snow, and her eyebrows are as delicate as fair.

Zhu Qizhen sighed inwardly, how could she look like she had ever given birth to a child?

……

Twilight Quadruple.

Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Justice, had just returned from Duke Cheng's place. He got off the carriage and was about to enter the house when a man ran over from the alley next to him, holding a letter in his hand and saying, "Master Yu, this is a letter from my master."

"Get lost!" Yu Shiyue shouted coldly and waved his hand. As the Minister of Justice, he would definitely not accept a letter from someone who came out of nowhere. Who knows if he was begging for mercy on behalf of a prisoner.

"My master said, do you remember the Records of Officials' Deeds?" the man whispered.

Yu Shiyue's face changed drastically. The man handed the letter over, and Yu Shiyue took it. Just as he was about to ask a question, the man turned around and left in a hurry.

"It's been more than ten years, and it's finally here?" Yu Shiyue's hands were trembling slightly.

He didn't know that on that evening, many officials in the capital had received a letter asking them to do the same thing.

There were dozens of people delivering letters alone.

However, their unusual behavior must have attracted the attention of the Jinyiwei. Ding Xiu, the Jinyiwei pacification envoy, immediately ordered the arrest of several people and put them in prison.

However, what shocked him was that these messengers were selected from ordinary people in the capital, and the words they said when they delivered the letters were also taught by the person behind the scenes. They didn't know the person behind the scenes who taught them, and when they met, the person was wearing a bamboo hat and his face was covered.

Ding Xiu felt that something serious was going to happen, so he immediately reported it to the commander Shi Biao, who then went to the palace and reported it to the emperor.

"The Records of Officials?" Zhu Qizhen frowned. "It sounds like those officials have some leverage in someone else's hands."

Shi Biao nodded: "Your Majesty, do you want to arrest a few officials and interrogate them?"

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment and said, "If you want to arrest them, you have to arrest them under other names. Arrest one or two and interrogate them, so as not to alert the enemy."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Shi Biao nodded.

……

early morning.

Wang Zhi, the chief minister of the cabinet, reported that 323 officials from the two Jiang provinces had submitted memorials to accuse the governor Xu Youzhen of being a cruel official who allowed the army to force the gentry to pay taxes and oppress the people. In addition, he was accused of forming a clique for personal gain and deceiving the emperor.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the more than 300 memorials that were brought up and sneered in his heart. Isn't this what is called forming a clique? If there was no one behind the scenes, would more than 300 people submit memorials to accuse Xu Youzhen at the same time? Are these people here to insult my intelligence?
"Good, good, very good. More than 300 people have come to accuse Xu Youzhen." Zhu Qizhen sneered, "It seems that Xu Youzhen's presence in Jiangnan is wrathful to heaven and people. Should he be executed along with his entire clan? This is comparable to treason."

His words were full of sarcasm. But Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Justice, stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty is wise. Xu Youzhen is guilty of a heinous crime. What he did in Jiangnan is to discredit the court and undermine your majesty's benevolence. I will also report him."

As he spoke, he also raised a folded book.

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of ministers stood up, holding up memorials, expressing their support for impeaching Xu Youzhen and asking His Majesty to immediately summon Xu Youzhen back to the capital for trial.

Zhu Qizhen glanced over and found that there were some ministers who were usually very positive, such as Yang Shan, the censor of the Censorate, and Luo Qi, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple.

He was a little confused. Why did these people come out to criticize Xu Youzhen? They supported the implementation of the new policy.

"Are you all here to impeach Xu Youzhen? This is the first time I've seen you all so united." Zhu Qizhen's eyes were full of sarcasm. "Very good, I'll make a decision after I read your memorials."

"Your Majesty..." Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Justice, bowed. He wanted to decide Xu Youzhen's sentence in court.

Zhu Qizhen interrupted him and chuckled, "You won't let me see your memorials, will you? You have submitted hundreds of memorials against him. What crimes have you committed? I have to read them. You are so overbearing that you won't even let me see them? Then why did you submit your memorials?"

Yu Shiyue lowered his head and retreated. He also knew that the emperor was deliberately delaying. With hundreds of memorials, how long would it take to read them? But the reason given by His Majesty was too sufficient. Since he had submitted memorials, he had to wait until the emperor had finished reading them.

……

Qianqing Palace.

When Zhu Qizhen came back, his face was livid. On the imperial table in front of him, there was a mountain of memorials, all of which were from officials in Jiangnan and the imperial court impeaching Xu Youzhen.

"Is this considered a threat to me?" Zhu Qizhen spread his hands.

Yang Guifang and Shi Biao, who were standing behind him, did not dare to answer. Zhu Qizhen was furious and sneered, "Who in Jiangnan is so powerful? Who can command more than 300 people to impeach Xu Youzhen? Those governors don't have this ability, right?"

"Your Majesty, the person with this ability may be Shen Yihuan." Shi Biao reported, "Your Majesty, last time you asked me to check his situation in the Ministry of Personnel more than ten years ago. I have discovered that the so-called 'Records of Officials' should have been completed by him at that time, recording all the private secrets of the officials of the time."

Zhu Qizhen nodded repeatedly: "So that's how it is. So he used the 'Records of Officials' to find evidence against all officials and then control them? No wonder those people reported Xu Youzhen to the emperor after receiving the letter."

"This Shen Yihuan is so audacious!" Yang Guifang said coldly, "He deserves death!"

Zhu Qizhen calmed down and chuckled, "This man is smart and sinister! How did he do it? The records of officials are all private information, so it's hard to collect, right? Shi Biao, report your findings to Xu Youzhen and ask him to fight Shen Yihuan. Tell him that I only want one result, which is Shen Yihuan's property."

"Yes." Shi Biao took the order and left.

Yang Guifang stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what should we do here in the court? The officials have impeached me, Your Majesty, you must give them an answer."

Zhu Qizhen shrugged: "There are hundreds of memorials. It will take me several days to read them. Let them wait first!"

Yang Guifang held her forehead with her hand: "Your Majesty, it can only be delayed for a while."

Zhu Qizhen certainly knew that he was just waiting for the latest news from Jiangnan.

……

After a tiring day, Zhu Qizhen returned to Changchun Palace at dusk. It was already dark, so he did not go to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to the empress dowager, but just wanted to eat and sleep.

Entering Changchun Palace and smelling the unique aroma, he immediately became more energetic. Zhang Jingshu, who was sitting there reading a book, saw him, smiled sweetly, slowly put down her slender jade hand that was supporting her chin, and slowly swayed her legs and slowly stood up. The light blue long skirt slowly fell down, and her tall and beautiful figure swayed and walked over: "Your Majesty, have you had your meal?"

"No." Zhu Qizhen put his arm around her waist, "I didn't go to the Queen Mother's today. It was too late."

Zhang Jingshu stretched out her arms, hugged his neck affectionately and said, "I will let them do it for you right away."

"Just make something. I'm sleepy. I'll eat and then take a rest." He rubbed her and said.

"Okay, sit down and I'll massage you." Zhang Jingshu ordered the palace maid to prepare food, and then she pulled Zhu Qizhen to sit down. She stood behind him and massaged his back.

Soon, the food came.

Zhu Qizhen lay there like a big boss, and Zhang Jingshu held the bowl to feed him. He didn't have much appetite, so after a few bites, he didn't want any more, and pulled Zhang Jingshu to lie on the cushion together.

Seeing this, the palace maids all retreated.

Perhaps after eating, Zhu Qizhen regained his spirits and unconsciously hugged Zhang Jingshu tightly. Zhang Jingshu blushed and said, "Your Majesty, let's go to the inner hall."

"No, it's very spacious here," said Zhu Qizhen.

……

The Queen Mother was a little upset today. After waiting for a long time, Zhu Qizhen did not come for dinner. She ate a few bites by herself and thought about it for a while in Kunning Palace. She wondered if the Emperor had something to do, so she came to Changchun Palace.

It was already dark, and a group of palace maids followed her with lanterns, which was quite bright. When they arrived outside Changchun Palace, the empress dowager saw that the palace maids and eunuchs were all outside, and asked, "Is your majesty in there?"

"In..." The palace maids and eunuchs all knelt down.

The Queen Mother waved her hand, signaling the maids who followed her to wait outside, and she went in to take a look. She entered the hall alone, and then saw two people entangled on the cushion.

She was startled, but she didn't shout or leave immediately. Instead, she stared for a moment. Then she turned around and hurried out of the palace, saying to Shuangxi and the others who were waiting outside, "Go back to the palace."

Shuangxi was confused. Why did she go back so soon? Why was the Queen Mother's face so red?
After the Queen Mother returned to Kunning Palace, her face was still burning hot. She ordered: "Shuangxi, get ready. I want to take a bath."

Shuangxi obeyed the order, and after a while, he filled the bathtub in the inner hall with hot water.

The Queen Mother dismissed everyone and walked to the bath. She twisted her belt with her jade fingers and gently pulled it. As the belt fell off, the lapels slid open to both sides, and the long skirt slid down her round shoulders. Her white and tender skin seemed to have no friction. She put her hair up and stepped into the bath. As the steam rose, she slightly raised her beautiful face and closed her eyes.

However, the scene she had just seen in Changchun Palace entered her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to get rid of it, the scene became clearer. She bit her red lips lightly, and her face became even redder.

She had been feeling empty for more than ten years. At this moment, she wanted to let herself go. Her hands, which were leaning against the wall of the bathtub, slowly reached into the water.

The next moment, a feeling of comfort seemed to cleanse her soul instantly, and the soles of her feet tensed instantly.

She bit her red lips tightly, her cheeks flushed red.

After an unknown amount of time, the queen mother slumped down and leaned against the wall of the bathtub after a phoenix cry. There was a thin layer of sweat on her white forehead.

"Shame on you!" She cursed herself inwardly in regret.

Because she was thinking of someone in her mind just now, fortunately, no one would know this secret. After a while, she found that the scene in Changchun Palace kept popping up in her mind, and her face turned red again.

Shuangxi was waiting outside the bathing pool for the empress dowager to call her, but this time she waited for a full hour before she heard the empress dowager calling her. She walked in and saw the empress dowager wearing a long skirt, leaning on the pillar with one hand, and seemed a little tired.

"Come here, help me up." The Queen Mother waved her hand.

Shuangxi hurried forward to support the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother leaned her whole body on her. Shuangxi looked puzzled and worried: "Queen Mother, is the water too hot? You are so hot."

"Uh, no, it's okay." The Queen Mother waved her hand.

"Empress Dowager, I'll ask the imperial physician to come and see you tomorrow." Shuangxi frowned, "Empress Dowager, you get tired too easily. Even taking a bath seems to exhaust you."

The queen mother looked strange: "Really? It seems like you are completely broken?"

Shuangxi nodded seriously: "We need to ask the imperial physician to prescribe a prescription and nourish me well."

The Queen Mother smiled awkwardly: "That's not necessary."

……

At this time, Changchun Palace.

Behind the curtain, two figures were hugging each other.

Zhang Jingshu's long, dark and smooth hair fell on Zhu Qizhen's body, like a lazy kitten. She leaned in his arms, blinking her eyes slightly, her clear eyes full of tenderness and affection: "Your Majesty, I had a long chat with the Queen last time. She didn't want to continue to be the Queen. She always felt that she was being watched. She also said that she couldn't bear the guilt of not having a legitimate son. I think she was sincere."

"She is not the queen now, the queen mother will definitely support Sun Zhenzhen." Zhu Qizhen frowned, "Of course I hope you can take the position of queen, and I will feel at ease if you are in charge of the harem."

Zhang Jingshu's eyes moved, she pinched a strand of hair with her fingers and gently scratched his cheek, with a slightly innocent smile: "I think Sun Zhenzhen is also sensible."

"But she is the niece of the Queen Mother after all." Zhu Qizhen said, "If there are any major changes in the future, she will naturally stand on the side of the Queen Mother."

Zhang Jingshu blinked her beautiful eyes: "Your Majesty and the Queen Mother have a deep friendship."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

I don't know how deep the Queen Mother's heart is, but I know that the woman who has been regent for more than ten years is absolutely rational when she becomes ruthless and will not be swayed by emotions.

(End of this chapter)