Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 127 Queen Mother: Never mind, I can only let you bully me

Prince Qing's Palace.

Zhu Qiyu laughed and came to the backyard, waving at Tung Xingdao: "Hahaha, Mr. Tung, today's morning court is very lively. The emperor is very angry with Yu Shiyue, and has already put Yu Shiyue in prison. He wants the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to interrogate and convict him. Sir, everything is as you expected."

"Yu Shiyue will have to suffer a bit." Tung Xingdao said with a smile, "But as long as he can hold on, when he comes out in the future, he will directly become the leader of the gentry, and maybe even become the prime minister of the cabinet."

Zhu Qiyu sat down and raised his eyebrows: "Mr. Tung, is this how you persuaded him to confront His Majesty directly? I didn't expect that he actually listened to you."

Tung Xingdao shook his head: "Not only that, I also told him that he has been targeted by the Jinyiwei and something bad will happen sooner or later. It is better to risk his life. Yu Shiyue is a man who dares to gamble."

Zhu Qiyu secretly admired Tung Xingdao's ability to control people's hearts, which was terrifyingly strong.

"Mr. Tung, what should we do next?" Zhu Qiyu asked.

"Of course we will fully support Shen Yihuan and make sure he holds out in Jiangnan." Tung Xingdao's eyes were sharp. "If he holds out, the new policy will become a joke, and Your Majesty will also become a joke."

Zhu Qiyu nodded slowly, then raised his eyes and said, "Under the pressure from the Queen Mother, I have already contacted Mobei. Based on the current situation, I guess that Wala Yesen actually wants to release my poor brother. As long as we give him five million taels, Yesen will probably release him immediately."

"He will release the man even if it's one million taels." Tung Xingdao spread his hands. "The Queen Mother has been smart all her life, but when it comes to her own son, she is still too concerned. In fact, whether Yesen releases the man or not does not depend on the amount of silver, but on the timing."

Zhu Qiyu nodded in agreement: "Then how should we deal with it? Bring him back?"

Tung Xingdao pondered for a while and said, "Even if we take it back, we have to ensure that we have control over it. In this way, we will completely take the initiative."

Zhu Qiyu nodded repeatedly: "Mr. Tung, let's discuss this carefully."

……

dusk.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace angrily and sat down: "This group of people are obviously a clique. They are submitting memorials together. Are they trying to force me?"

When he thought about the situation at the morning court today, his anger soared. The Queen Mother was reading a book. Seeing him jumping up and down in anger, she put down the book and walked over. She did not ridicule the emperor as usual, but spoke in a gentle voice:

"Ministers have formed cliques since ancient times, and they cannot be eliminated. As an emperor, you can stand above them, distinguish right from wrong, use them, and check and balance them. Are you so naive as to want to eliminate the cliques?"

"As an emperor, you must keep a clear mind. Those who can enter the Golden Palace are all cunning people. If you, as an emperor, are easily swayed by your emotions, you will be taken advantage of by them."

"Why did Yu Shiyue, the Minister of Justice, suddenly become so brave during the morning court session today? He dared to directly contradict you, the emperor, repeatedly. Have you ever thought about this?"

Zhu Qizhen suddenly came to his senses.

He found that he was indeed controlled by anger during the morning court session, and in a rage he threw Yu Shiyue into prison. Now that he thought about it, there was something wrong with Yu Shiyue.

"Could it be that someone is behind this?" A cold light flashed in his eyes, "Then their target is me and my new policy!"

A relieved smile appeared on the Queen Mother's lips, but it disappeared in an instant. She said in a deep voice: "The fact that you can wake up means that you can still be saved."

Zhu Qizhen sighed, slumped in his chair, and said dejectedly, "I am so tired! This emperor is not a human being. I don't have a single day of peace."

The Queen Mother suddenly leaned over and approached him, staring at him with her beautiful eyes, her face serious and earnest: "Who came back from the disaster area and said he would do practical things for the people? He said he had no great ambitions, but only hoped that 'every family in the world would have enough food and the people would live in a well-off society'. Why? You forgot it when you encountered such a small difficulty?"

Zhu Qizhen smelled the fragrance on her body and said awkwardly: "I was ignorant at that time. After going through so much, I found that I was naive at the beginning."

After saying this, he looked dejected.

"Nothing can be accomplished without hard work. How can this be achieved? Think about Emperor Taizu. He went from a beggar to an emperor. How many hardships did he go through? And Emperor Taizong, how much did he go through when the princes rose up in rebellion?" The Queen Mother stared at him and said, "Remember, you are the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. You hold up the sky and you are free to tread on the land."

Zhu Qizhen was encouraged by the empress dowager, which worked and he became full of fighting spirit again.

……

Shuangxi brought the palace maids to serve the food.

Zhu Qizhen and the Queen Mother sat opposite each other and began to talk while eating. The atmosphere of the meal had changed at some point. Before, they ate in silence. But now, Zhu Qizhen would talk about the difficulties he encountered in the court. The Queen Mother would also give her own opinions.

"It's still very difficult to deal with Jiangnan," Zhu Qizhen said. "The gentry are deeply rooted and collude with local officials. Xu Youzhen and his men can only implement it near Yangzhou. Other places are still superficial..."

The Queen Mother ate elegantly and listened quietly, with tenderness flashing across her narrow eyes. When she saw that there was no food in Zhu Qizhen's bowl, she raised her hand to pick up some food for him.

"The gentry in Jiangnan have been around for hundreds of years." The Queen Mother sighed, "Don't think you can succeed overnight. You have to proceed step by step."

Zhu Qizhen snorted, "I wanted them to pay the taxes, so that the treasury would be full. I wouldn't worry about wars or natural disasters. Now, the treasury is empty, and I can't sleep."

The Queen Mother heard this and the scene of Changchun Palace flashed back in her mind. She curled her lips and snorted, "Really? Your Majesty, you can't sleep? Be more restrained! If you want to be a great ruler, you can't indulge in the land of pleasure."

"Ah?" Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand, "I... didn't I want to have more princes?"

The Queen Mother glared at him: "Are you kidding me?"

At this time, the setting sun fell on them through the window, casting two shadows. Shuangxi stood not far away, watching them, feeling happy in his heart. It was so nice to have Kunning Palace so peaceful.

"How are you feeling recently? Shuangxi said you've been feeling sleepy lately." Zhu Qizhen asked with concern.

The Queen Mother turned around and glared at Shuangxi, then said to Zhu Qizhen: "I am fine, just take care of yourself."

Zhu Qizhen wondered why the Queen Mother blushed. He raised his eyes and said, "If you are tired, you can leave some of the harem affairs to the Concubine Xian. She is smart and knows the general situation."

boom!
The Queen Mother slammed the table, her face instantly turned as cold as ice, and she said coldly: "Are you asking me to hand over my power? Am I getting in your way?"

"I didn't mean that." Zhu Qizhen was very upset. "I really didn't mean that. I was just worried that you were tired."

The Queen Mother stood up suddenly: "I knew that you were taking a concubine just to seize my power. I'm not dead yet, are you so impatient?"

After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and left.

Zhu Qizhen patted his head speechlessly, thinking, my goal is indeed to seize power, but I really didn't have the nerve to say that just now. It was purely out of concern.

……

It is a strange thing that the Minister of Justice, Yu Shiyue, was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice prison.

Shi Biao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, reported that Yu Shiyue said nothing after being put in jail. Zhu Qizhen had expected this and said, "You, the Imperial Guard, just watch him secretly and don't worry about anything. Yu Shiyue and those people from the Ministry of Justice will reveal their flaws. Let Luo Qi, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple, and Yang Shan of the Metropolitan Procuratorate preside over the trial of Yu Shiyue."

"Yes, sir." Shi Biao nodded in acceptance.

"Keep a close eye on Jiangnan. Report to me immediately if you get any news." Zhu Qizhen snorted, "Whatever the struggle is in the court, it will eventually extend to Jiangnan. As long as the new policy is implemented, everything will be easy."

"If Ding Xiu goes there, he will give those gentry a surprise." Shi Biao was very confident.

Zhu Qizhen gave some further instructions and Shi Biao withdrew.

He continued to review memorials. There were relatively few memorials today, so he finished reviewing them before noon. Just as he was about to go out for a walk, he saw the virtuous concubine Zhang Jingshu coming in with a lunch box.

"Your Majesty, I made you some soup." Zhang Jingshu walked in, her eyes full of tenderness, "To nourish your body. Your Majesty has lost some weight in recent days."

Zhu Qizhen looked strange: "Are you complaining that I am not durable enough?"

Zhang Jingshu glanced at him, her pretty face instantly turned red, and she said coquettishly: "Your Majesty, what nonsense are you talking about?"

She brought out the soup with her delicate hands and pushed it in front of Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "I want you to feed me."

"Why are there so many people?" Zhang Jingshu looked shy.

But Zhu Qizhen just wouldn't give in. There was no way, so Zhang Jingshu knelt down in front of him, gently held the soup spoon with her jade fingers, and handed it to Zhu Qizhen's mouth. Her eyes were full of his figure, and the love in her eyes almost overflowed.

"I have nothing to do in the afternoon, let's go see the Duke of England." Zhu Qizhen said.

"Okay." Zhang Jingshu was overjoyed.

She has not been back since she married into the palace, and she is also worried about her grandfather's health.

They left as soon as they said they would. After drinking the soup, Zhu Qizhen took Zhang Jingshu to the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

……

The Duke of Ying's son, Zhang Mao, and the whole family came to greet them. Zhang Jingshu went forward to help her father up. She felt very different this time when she came back.

People in the mansion no longer called her "Miss", but "Niangniang". Even her parents, brothers and sisters had to kneel down, and she seemed to have become an outsider.

After exchanging pleasantries, they came to the Duke of England's room. The white-haired Duke of England did not lie on the bed this time, but on a bamboo chair, rocking back and forth, with a maid beside him fanning him.

"Grandpa." Zhang Jingshu shouted.

The Duke of England slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes filled with tears: "Jingshu, you're back."

Zhang Jingshu's eyes were filled with tears, and she nodded continuously: "Grandpa, are you okay?"

"All right, all right." The Duke of England grinned, "I'm old, how can I be good? It's just some old problems."

Zhu Qizhen, who was standing aside, watched their family reunite and suddenly felt a wave of sadness in his heart.

He doesn't have any relatives in this world!

"His Majesty has come to see you too." Zhang Jingshu pointed at Zhu Qizhen.

When the Duke of Ying saw Zhu Qizhen, he was first shocked, then struggled to stand up and salute. Zhu Qizhen quickly patted him on the shoulder and said, "No need to be so polite."

He squatted down in front of the Duke of England and looked at his old face.

Two years ago, it was this old man who forced him to pretend to be the emperor. Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and everything has changed.

"Your Majesty, please stay with grandpa for a while. I'm going to go meet my sisters." Zhang Jingshu said.

She led the servants out, leaving only the Duke of Ying and Zhu Qizhen in the room. Their faces instantly fell, and the Duke of Ying snorted, "You got what you wanted."

"Old Duke, we are a family now." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "Don't worry, I will treat Jingshu sincerely and support her to become the queen."

The Duke of England looked up out the window and shouted in a low voice, "What a sin."

Zhu Qizhen stood up and asked condescendingly: "Old Duke, I want to ask you, when the late emperor formed an alliance with the Seven Guards of Guanxi, was there a written alliance? Where is it?"

The Duke of England lowered his head and said calmly, "Of course it is in the hands of the Queen Mother."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Queen Mother, we have been eating at the same table for so long, but you still don't believe me. You haven't mentioned a word about the Seven Guards of Guanxi. How many secrets do you have that you haven't told me?

……

The night is getting dark.

Zhu Qizhen was sleeping soundly while holding Sun Zhenzhen. Who said he had a bad sleep quality? After every exercise, he would fall into a deep sleep. The prerequisite was that he had to hold a beautiful woman.

boom!
Suddenly, a loud thunder woke him up. He opened his eyes suddenly, and Sun Zhenzhen in his arms was also awakened, her charming face still flushed.

"It's thundering and it's raining." Zhu Qizhen patted her gently.

She leaned against Zhu Qizhen in a daze, her beautiful figure was curvy and graceful, even the thin quilt could not hide it. Thunder continued to be heard outside, and Zhu Qizhen gently got out of bed.

"Your Majesty~" Sun Zhenzhen called out tenderly.

"I'll go out and take a look." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "You can sleep peacefully."

He put on his clothes and left the hall. The eunuchs and palace maids who were on night watch outside were also awakened. When they saw him coming out, they hurried forward to pay their respects. He waved his hand: "Go on taking a nap, don't worry about me." Hiss... Boom...

After the thunder and lightning, it began to rain heavily. Zhu Qizhen stood in the corridor, looking at the dark night sky, and sighed in his heart: "The summer flood is coming again. I hope there will be no flood this year. There is not much silver in the treasury."

He rubbed his eyebrows and laughed at himself.

I was so immersed in the play that I put myself in the role of the emperor and worried about the country and the people. However, this was the path I had to take. Only by winning the hearts of the people and gaining the approval of those wise ministers could I be a stable emperor.

At this moment, Kunning Palace.

The Queen Mother also woke up. She sat up slowly, her legs sliding across the bed sheet, feeling a wet mass. Her mature and beautiful face was red and hot. Just now, she had a dream, a shameful dream.

"Shameless!" The scene in her dream was still in her mind.

She was ashamed and angry, biting her red lips hard, even drawing a trace of blood. With self-blame and sadness in her eyes, she raised her beautiful face and two lines of tears flowed down.

Boo!

A flash of lightning flashed across the room, illuminating the bedroom. Her fair, tight neck was like a swan's, and her black hair fell, swaying in the wind.

……

After the morning court session, Zhu Qizhen convened the cabinet, the six ministers, and the director of the Imperial Observatory for a small court meeting.

"Zhou Yunyi, what conclusions have you drawn from the Imperial Observatory?" Zhu Qizhen asked, "Will there be a major flood this year?"

"Your Majesty," Zhou Yunyi stepped forward to report, "I observed the stars at night. The moon was dim and the house was full of water. Moreover, the stars Chen and Kun were hanging high, which indicated a flood."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

He certainly didn't believe in using astrology to observe the weather, as it was unscientific. However, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory of each dynasty would monitor the weather, down to the minute details of every day, even the frequency, size, and direction of thunder were recorded in detail.

Therefore, their experience can be used as a reference. Besides, Zhu Qizhen has no other choice but to believe it. He sighed helplessly: "Then we should be prepared to face a major disaster."

In the current situation, the treasury is empty and can't afford a major disaster. Zhu Qizhen glanced over and said in a deep voice: "I have an idea. Jiangnan is implementing a new policy. I want the gentry in Jiangnan to pay back the taxes, that is, to pay the taxes they owed before."

"Your Majesty, Jiangnan is already in chaos. The gentry are already resisting the new policies and paying taxes. Now you want them to pay additional taxes. Won't this make things even more chaotic?" Shang Lu said anxiously.

Yang Guifei stepped forward and said, "It's already a mess, how can it get any more chaotic? I think it's feasible. If we collect taxes from them, it will be enough to deal with the disaster. Every time there is a disaster, they eat and drink delicious food while the victims starve to death. Why? The victims can pay taxes every year."

The cabinet chief, Wang Zhi, took a deep breath and said, "It's hard to collect!"

Zhu Qizhen made up his mind and said, "Call Yu Qian and ask him to send another 10,000 Mongolian troops south for me."

The ministers took a breath of air.

Your Majesty, you are trying to rob us.

……

Not long after the cabinet and the six ministers left, Yu Qian arrived.

Zhu Qizhen greeted him warmly: "Old Yu, if I didn't summon you, you wouldn't come to see me, right? Alas, the affection between us has faded. Do you have someone else outside?"

Yu Qian: “!!!”

His old face turned red, and he bowed, "Your Majesty, please stop talking nonsense, okay? All the military affairs are on me alone, and you even borrowed Li Bing from me. I really can't handle everything."

"I am responsible for the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. It is not easy for anyone." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands, "Let's talk business. I want 10,000 Mongolian troops to go south to assist Xu Youzhen."

Yu Qian was horrified: "Your Majesty, what do you want to do? Is there a rebellion in Jiangnan?"

Zhu Qizhen shook his head helplessly: "There is no rebellion, but it is almost the same. The new policy cannot be implemented. Also, I just summoned the director of the Imperial Observatory, and he said that the summer flood is coming soon, and there is expected to be a major flood. The treasury has no money, what can I do? Who made those gentry in Jiangnan so rich?"

"Uh~" Yu Qian was worried, "Will it not cause a popular uprising?"

"I am not targeting the people, so where does the rebellion come from?" Zhu Qizhen sneered, "Throughout history, dynasties have changed because the people could no longer bear it and rose up in arms. Have you ever heard of the gentry taking the lead in rebellion? I am only collecting taxes, not forcing them to die. Don't worry, they cherish their lives very much."

Yu Qian frowned and thought for a while, then said, "Your Majesty, there are differences among the gentry. I suggest that the court should reward those gentry who cooperate. Your Majesty can even summon their representatives to the capital and reward them in person."

Differentiation!

Zhu Qizhen understood it instantly and divided the gentry from within.

"Old Yu, you are the one who deserves it." Zhu Qizhen praised, "Let's go and have a drink, it's your treat."

……

It has been raining for days.

The weather can affect one's mood, and Zhu Qizhen felt himself becoming more depressed. He was really annoyed, so he walked out of the Qianqing Palace and came to the Imperial Garden while the rain was getting lighter.

"I'll go in alone for a while, don't follow me." He said coldly at the gate of the Imperial Garden.

The eunuchs and maids who followed him stopped outside. He walked in alone. Due to the heavy rain for several days, the imperial garden was in a mess.

Zhu Qizhen walked on the wet bluestone road, splashing water with every step. The scene of flourishing flowers and lush greenery in the past no longer existed, replaced by withered flowers and fallen leaves all over the ground, which were mercilessly knocked down by the rain and stuck to the muddy ground.

The pavilions and towers were shrouded in a thin layer of mist, looking particularly desolate and remote. The wind blew, bringing with it waves of coolness, and also carrying the wet water drops on the leaves and petals, gently sprinkling them on his clothes.

"Huh?" He saw a person standing in a pavilion not far away. It was the Queen Mother.

She was wearing a clean white long skirt that trailed on the ground. Her slender waist was lightly bound with a thin belt, which made her look more feminine and graceful. At the same time, it cleverly outlined a striking curve in her upper body. A jade hairpin was inserted in her hair, which made her skin look even whiter.

He walked straight over and shouted, "Queen Mother? Why are you here alone?"

The empress dowager, who was originally in a daze, turned around and looked at him, obviously surprised. She said calmly: "It's raining and boring, so I came out for a walk. I want to be alone for a while."

"What a coincidence, me too." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands.

He walked up to the Queen Mother and they stood side by side.

The Queen Mother sighed: "Your Majesty, have you encountered any difficulties?"

Zhu Qizhen smelled the faint fragrance of the empress dowager, which was not the kind of fragrance of rouge and powder, but more like the fragrance of flowers. He was a little obsessed and said, "The summer floods are coming, and the treasury is empty. I am worried."

The Queen Mother turned around, looked at him with her beautiful and stubborn eyes, and said, "Why are you doing this? Why do you have to take on so much?"

"Isn't it for the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Qizhen frowned.

He knew that what the Queen Mother meant was, you are not the real emperor, so why bother?

"Do you believe it yourself?" asked the Queen Mother.

Zhu Qizhen seemed to be enraged. He took a step forward and grabbed her arms. He was domineering and savage, staring at her beautiful eyes: "Then why am I doing this? For you?"

The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, then immediately regained consciousness and looked at him calmly without struggling or resisting. She said, "You did it for yourself!"

"What do I want? To have my entire clan executed?" Zhu Qizhen approached.

The Queen Mother looked at the angry Emperor in front of her, her heart suddenly ached, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head slightly: "I don't know what nonsense you are talking about, let me go, you hurt me."

Zhu Qizhen then realized that he had grabbed her arm so tightly that it left a red mark. He gently let go: "I'm sorry!"

"Hmph, you only know how to bully me every time." The Queen Mother wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

……

Boo!

boom!
Suddenly, it started to rain heavily and a strong wind blew. The strong wind wrapped in the heavy rain passed through the pavilion, and the empress dowager almost lost her balance. Zhu Qizhen was quick to pull her into his arms.

"Let go!" The Queen Mother looked up and glared at him.

"You're soaked. I'll block it for you." Zhu Qizhen turned sideways to block the heavy rain.

He gazed tenderly at the woman in his arms who was trying to break free, and held her tightly with both hands, not letting her move at all. At the same time, he felt the warmth in his arms, and his breathing became heavy. His tone seemed to carry a bit of anger: "Stop making trouble, or you will catch a cold again."

There seemed to be sparkling crystal tears in the Queen Mother's eyes, which were both soft and stubborn. She closed her lips tightly and turned her head away, unwilling to look him in the eye.

"You bullied me again." She burst into tears.

"Don't be ungrateful. I'm here to protect you from the rain and wind." Zhu Qizhen glared.

At this time, the palace maids and eunuchs finally came over. They held up umbrellas, but how could they hold them steady? They were blown away by the wind. Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment, squatted down, turned around and said to the empress dowager: "Hurry, I'll carry you back."

The Queen Mother's eyes were much softer, but she was stunned there, a little overwhelmed. Zhu Qizhen was anxious: "What are you waiting for? Carry you back to the palace, otherwise you will be soaked and will definitely catch a cold."

Shuangxi came over and urged, "Yes, Queen Mother, go back quickly. Apart from His Majesty, no one can carry you at this moment."

The Queen Mother then did not hesitate and lay on Zhu Qizhen's back.

Zhu Qizhen carried her on his back and ran towards Kunning Palace in the rain. The empress dowager's fair arms were around his neck, and her head was buried in his shoulders. At this moment, she felt very relieved.

Suddenly, Zhu Qizhen slipped and almost fell.

The Queen Mother also hugged him tightly and tilted her head to one side.

Zhu Qizhen felt a smile flash across his lips.

This squeeze is a bit heavy.

After a while, we finally returned to Kunning Palace.

……

The maids hurriedly helped the empress dowager to take a bath. The empress dowager turned to look at Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen was taking off his wet clothes, with his strong upper body bare, and he shook his wet hair violently.

The visual impact made her heart beat faster and her cheeks became hot, so she lowered her head quickly. Zhu Qizhen did not notice, wiped the rain off his face, and strode out of the palace.

He came to Changchun Palace in the rain, ready to take a bath here. Zhang Jingshu looked at him coming in soaking wet and frowned: "Why did you come in the rain?"

She took a towel and went forward to help him wipe. Zhu Qizhen stood there, spreading his hands and said, "I went to the Imperial Garden for a while, but I didn't expect to run into the Queen Mother, and it suddenly started to rain, so I had to carry her back and get soaked all over me."

"I will spend more time with the Queen Mother in the future." Zhang Jingshu said as she wiped the hair.

Suddenly, she stopped for a moment because she saw a faint lip mark on Zhu Qizhen's face. At this moment, she thought a lot. Zhu Qizhen shuddered: "Okay, help me prepare for a bath."

"Yes." Zhang Jingshu nodded.

"Together." Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows.

Zhang Jingshu was so confused that her face turned red, and she shyly went into the inner hall. Zhu Qizhen walked to the window and stood there, not wanting to get the chair wet, thinking back to the scene of him carrying the empress dowager on his back.

"Your Majesty, it's okay, come in." Zhang Jingshu's voice came.

Zhu Qizhen strode behind the screen, looking at the steam coming out of the bathtub, he quickly took off his clothes and lay down comfortably. Zhang Jingshu stood behind him, rubbing his back with her slender jade fingers.

"Come in." Zhu Qizhen turned his head.

Zhang Jingshu walked in with a flushed face.

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(End of this chapter)