Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 128 Oh no, everyone in the world knows that I am a fake
It was raining heavily.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the map of the world's long rivers hanging in front of him, and the image of the raging flood kept flashing through his mind. He personally visited the disaster area last year and also inspected the Yellow River, so he had a very clear idea of ​​the situation of the Yellow River embankment.

In some provinces, river embankments had not been reinforced for several years, and some even grew vegetables on the embankments. If there was a big flood, could it be stopped? As an emperor, he had no confidence at all.

"The Yellow River floods every year and bursts its banks twice every three years. It is the greatest scourge and the most difficult task to deal with. The Yellow River represents the lives of the people of the world." He said as he looked at the river, "Once the new policy is implemented, I am determined to control the river."

Yang Guifang and Li Xian, who were standing behind him, looked at each other and did not dare to speak. They were all the emperor's trusted ministers. Although Yang Guifang was not in the six ministries, he had entered the cabinet, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace, and the emperor's close minister.

Li Xian is now the Minister of Personnel, and is currently busy promoting the "Performance Evaluation Law". He and Xu Youzhen were the first to join Zhu Qizhen and were deeply trusted by the emperor.

"Why aren't you talking? Do you think I'm too impatient? The new policy hasn't even been implemented yet, and you're already thinking about overhauling the Yellow River." Zhu Qizhen glared.

Li Xian pondered for a moment and bowed. "River control is a major event. Throughout the dynasties, there has been no monarch who did not want to control the river. Since ancient times, it is easy to achieve success, but difficult to succeed; success is easy, but difficult to complete the success. Those who are cautious at the beginning will be more cautious at the end. The reason why Dayu succeeded in controlling the flood is that he gained the trust of the emperor and the people were united. Although other emperors had the ambition to control the river, they often gave up halfway, wasting national strength and working in vain. Although Emperor Yang of Sui opened up the Yongji Canal and Tongji Canal and achieved success in controlling the flood, he himself also lost his country and died because of it. However, the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is inseparable from the cornerstone of the Grand Canal. The merits and demerits of this are really hard to describe in one word."

Yang Guifang took over Li Xian's words and continued, "There are five difficulties in river management: personnel difficulties, direction difficulties, persistence difficulties, financial difficulties, and people difficulties. Money is spent on the river like water, and a lot of money is invested, but often not even a wave is created. The Yellow River flows through nine provinces, and the dangers in each place are different. Every river official can come up with a set of river management methods, and there are also many different opinions in ancient books. Who should we listen to? River management requires the unity of the monarch and his subjects, and the unity of officials and the people. Without decades of hard work, it is difficult to see results. Your Majesty, this matter cannot be impulsive, and you must think twice before acting."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

He naturally understood the difficulty, not to mention that the court could not afford the money now. Only in prosperous times could the river be tamed. Emperor Yang of Sui took over his father's great country, but because of the canal, the country was destroyed and his family was ruined.

But if the Yellow River is not controlled and floods occur, how many people will suffer?

Zhu Qizhen has read a lot of books about the Yellow River recently and sighed:

"The Yellow River has been a source of worry since ancient times. It originates from the Xingxiu Sea and flows through the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi and Gansu, with turbulent waves. Six parts of the river are sand and stone. When it reaches Kaifeng, the terrain gradually becomes flat, and the water flow also slows down, and sand and stone accumulate in the riverbed. The land of eastern Henan, northern Anhui, southern Shandong, and northern Jiangsu all suffer from its ravages. Since the Song Dynasty, the river course has been difficult to change. The Yellow River and the Huai River meet in the Qingjiang River and then flow into the Grand Canal, causing silt deposition in the Grand Canal, frequent collapse of embankments, and obstruction of grain transport. Officials of all dynasties have been at a loss as to how to cure it."

"The Yellow River bursts its banks almost every year, but the river officials only know how to clear sand and silt, which consumes millions of manpower and resources. However, when the flood season comes, all the resources are gone. It is such a pity. They clear the river and then silt up again, and then clear it again, over and over again. It will take 10,000 years to fix the river."

Yang Guifang didn't expect His Majesty to know so much, and asked curiously: "Your Majesty, do you have a good plan for river management?"

"I do have some ideas. I'll ask the people from the River Administration to come and discuss them when the time comes." Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly and spread his hands. "Don't worry, I'm very cautious and know that the current focus is to implement the new policy."

Yang Guifang breathed a sigh of relief, took out a memorial and said, "Your Majesty, the news from Jiangnan is getting louder and louder."

……

Yangzhou.

Carts were brought into the warehouse one after another, all escorted by Mongolian soldiers, and they were filled with tax grain that had just been collected from the gentry. After so much trouble, a group of gentry gave in and were willing to accept the new policy and pay the tax grain.

The lobby of the governor's office.

Xu Youzhen sat in the main seat, with Li Bing, Ke Qian and Shen Manqing sitting on both sides. Standing in the lobby were the invited gentry, all of whom were willing to cooperate with the new policy and had just paid the taxes.

"Everyone, I would like to thank you all here. Thank you for your concern for the court." Xu Youzhen stood up and clasped his fists. "I have reported your contributions to the court. His Majesty is very pleased. He has issued an order to summon you to the capital. His Majesty wants to reward you."

These gentry were actually forced to do so. They were not top-tier nobles, so they accepted it. But they did not expect that they would be summoned by the emperor himself? And rewarded?
"But His Majesty has also said that the court is poor now and cannot afford to reward with gold and silver." Xu Youzhen smiled, "But maybe His Majesty will reward you with calligraphy. If you bring it back, it will be a great honor and can be passed down to future generations."

When the gentry heard this, they were all delighted.

They don't care that much about gold and silver, but if they can really get a few words of praise from the emperor, it will definitely bring honor to their family.

"Thank you, sir." They bowed to Xu Youzhen together.

Xu Youzhen nodded with a smile: "Then let's get ready and go to Beijing early tomorrow morning."

He admired His Majesty more and more for coming up with such a way to divide the gentry. When these gentry went to Beijing and returned with the emperor's rewards, more gentry would come out to support the new policy.

……

The Shen family mansion.

Some of the gentry in Jiangnan gathered here, thinking about how to continue to fight against the court. However, they no longer had the arrogant confidence they had at the beginning, and their faces were solemn.

Four thousand scholars have already been stripped of their titles and exiled. Now, no matter how much they call on others, no scholar dares to stand up. After ten years of hard study, one day he becomes a commoner. Who can afford such a huge price?
"Some people already support the new policy, but those people are cowards and scum! Fourth Master, what should we do next? We really can't handle the Mongolian soldiers coming to collect taxes and grain."

"The court uses the Mongols to collect taxes. How evil! Your Majesty may be young, but he has the appearance of Yang Guang."

"Be careful!"

"What are you afraid of? We are the only ones here. Don't we know that the one who is stubbornly violating the ancestral system and forcibly implementing the new policy is the Emperor? The Minister of Justice dared to directly rebuke the Emperor in court and was arrested. We are far away in Jiangnan, what else do we have to worry about?"

"Fourth Master, please say something. We all regard you as our leader. What do you think we should do? We are united and we don't believe that we can't force the court."

Shen Yihuan listened to their quarrel, his eyes slowly swept over them, and he smiled with his hands spread out: "I also asked 320 people in the Jiangnan officialdom to submit a memorial to impeach Xu Youzhen, but he was protected by the emperor. Haha, your majesty is very determined. But don't worry, there will be a big thunder falling on your majesty's head soon. You go back, and hold on no matter what, and hold on for a few more days."

"What kind of thunder is that?" someone asked.

"You don't need to know the details now. You will know when the time comes." Shen Yihan said in a deep voice, "Listen, just hold on for a while. What about the Mongolian soldiers? Do they still dare to kill people indiscriminately?"

Everyone nodded.

……

Yihongyuan is the largest brothel in Yangzhou.

The down-and-out rivers and lakes carry wine, Chu waist is slender and light in palm.

After a decade of awakening to the Yangzhou Dream, he won the name of Qinglou Boxing.

The brothels in Yangzhou were famous all over the world. Originally, Yihongyuan was not the largest brothel, but after the imperial examination last year, a wild young man came to the brothel, fell in love with the courtesan, and wrote many sentimental lyrics and songs.

This attracted numerous scholars and knights, making Yihong Courtyard the largest brothel in Yangzhou. And that madman became known as the "white-robed minister" in people's mouths.

At this moment, Zeng Yong, the white-robed minister, was drinking in a private room. Liu Shishi, the courtesan of Yihong Courtyard, was playing the zither. Zeng Yong seemed a little drunk, and drank the wine in one gulp, saying aloud: "The alleys of fireworks are screened by paintings as promised. Fortunately, there is a person I love, and I am worth visiting."

Bang!

Suddenly, the door was knocked open. Several strong men with knives rushed in, but they did not attack, but stood on both sides. Then, a middle-aged elegant man rushed in, holding a folding fan in his hand, and laughed loudly: "White-robed minister, you live such a life that even gods would envy you."

Zeng Yong and the courtesan Liu Shishi were shocked when they saw the middle-aged man. They quickly stood up and bowed, "Fourth Master."

The person who came was Shen Yihuan, the richest man in Jiangnan. He smiled at Liu Shishi and said, "Miss Liu, please go out first. I have something to discuss with the White-robed Minister."

"Yes." Liu Shishi bowed.

She retreated, and the group of knives also retreated, closed the door, and stood outside, not allowing anyone to approach. Only Shen Yihuan and Zeng Yong were left in the room.

"Fourth Master, do you have something to talk to me about?" Zeng Yong took the initiative to pour tea.

Shen Yihuan smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and said, "I know that you failed the imperial examination and you feel very resentful about the injustice of the imperial examination. Now, I will give you a chance to go down in history."

"Fourth Master." Zeng Yong smiled, "I will not get involved in your affairs."

Shen Yihuan chuckled: "Don't you dare to do it, Zeng Yong? Then why do you call yourself a crazy student?"

Zeng Yong's face turned cold: "Why would I, Zeng Yong, not dare to do anything? It's just that I don't have the chance. Otherwise, my blood would spill in the Golden Palace."

"Okay!" Shen Yihuan said, "I'll give you this chance."

……

Beijing.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial sent by the River Office in his hand and sighed helplessly: "What you fear is bound to come true. In Shandong, the Yellow River dike burst and hundreds of thousands of people were affected." "Didn't Shandong provide disaster relief themselves?" Shang Lu asked.

Chen Xun, who was already the Minister of Revenue, shook his head: "They suffered a disaster last year, how could they have surplus grain?"

Zhu Qizhen glanced over and said in a deep voice: "Jiangnan has just received a batch of tax supplement grain from the gentry. It was originally intended to be sent to the capital. In this way, it can be transported directly to the disaster area."

The ministers were overjoyed, as the problem was solved.

Zhu Qizhen was not happy. The summer flood had just begun, and who knows where the next flood will come from. He looked at his ministers and laughed sarcastically: "Some of you are still opposing my new policy. If there is no tax grain collected by the new policy, how can I use it to relieve the disaster? The new policy of the gentry pays taxes, and they only lose a little profit, but it can keep the people safe. Why is it so difficult?"

All the ministers lowered their heads. Shang Lu, who had fiercely opposed the new policy, began to understand the emperor a little.

After finishing the government affairs, it was already dusk.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace to have dinner with the Empress Dowager. Since the last time in the Imperial Garden, the relationship between the two had eased a lot. However, the atmosphere became a little strange again.

The Queen Mother, wearing a plain long dress, looked even more noble and elegant. Since she stopped ruling from behind the scenes, she spent most of her time reading. Perhaps it was true that "a person with a wealth of knowledge can be elegant".

"What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" the Queen Mother would ask.

Zhu Qizhen sat down on a chair and sighed: "The Yellow River dike in Shandong has burst, and hundreds of thousands of people have been affected."

The Queen Mother frowned slightly: "There was a disaster there last year, was there no food to help?"

"I have transported the tax grain that I just collected from the gentry in Jiangnan to the disaster area." Zhu Qizhen rubbed his brows, "We have dealt with the present situation, and the future depends on God. I am really aggrieved as an emperor."

The Queen Mother sat down beside him, her eyes cold, and said in a deep voice: "Then let Xu Youzhen speed up the collection of the tax grain from the gentry. Didn't he send more than 10,000 Mongolian soldiers? Be bolder and kill those who need to be killed. If you don't kill a few people, how can they be afraid?"

"Ah?" Zhu Qizhen was shocked.

Queen Mother, have you become so radical all of a sudden? He couldn't believe it: "This is really a massacre. All the gentry in the world will scold me, right?"

"I'm not scolding you, I'm scolding Xu Youzhen." The Queen Mother raised her beautiful eyes and said sternly, "As long as the new policy is implemented, in the end, if the gentry's opposition is too strong, you will kill Xu Youzhen to calm their anger."

Zhu Qizhen was so shocked that he leaned back: "This..."

The Queen Mother approached, stared at him and said, "Listen, this is the art of being an emperor. Kill Xu Youzhen, and you can still be an ordinary person for him in the future, and give his descendants promotions and titles. That way, in the hearts of the people, you will still be a saintly monarch."

Zhu Qizhen was numb.

……

After returning to Changchun Palace from Kunning Palace, Zhu Qizhen was still thinking about the empress dowager's words.

"I am still too naive." He murmured to himself, "The emperor should have the same means as the queen mother."

Zhang Jingshu came over with a plate of fruit, knelt down beside him, handed him fresh fruits with a loving look, and said, "Your Majesty, you have troubles every day, don't be sad, eat some fruits."

Zhu Qizhen opened his mouth to eat and stretched out his hand to pull her into his arms. After marrying into the palace, her sense of being a wife became stronger and stronger. She leaned obediently in his arms, her thin lips parted slightly, and her soft and pleasant voice was full of deep affection. Her eyes were shining, reflecting the figure of His Majesty, as if there was no room for anything else.

"I was thinking of taking you out to play. Summer is almost over." Zhu Qizhen stroked her cool hair. "It is said that the palace is like a cage. I don't want to imprison you."

Zhang Jingshu raised her beautiful face, hooked her fair wrists around his neck, and kissed him.

After a long time, the lips opened.

Zhu Qizhen embraced her, feeling much more at peace, and said softly: "It's good to live an ordinary life. Alas, I don't have the chance."

"I won't ask for too much. You are His Majesty, so of course you should put state affairs first." Zhang Jingshu leaned in his arms, her face flushed. "I just want to give birth to a prince for Your Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen understood immediately.

He picked her up and walked towards the soft couch in the inner hall.

……

The next day, after the morning court session.

As soon as Zhu Qizhen returned to the Qianqing Palace, Cao Jixiang came in hurriedly holding a memorial and reported: "Your Majesty, this is a secret memorial sent by Yangzhou in an urgent manner from 800 miles away."

Secret music?

Zhu Qizhen was shocked. This was the power he gave to Xu Youzhen. If there was an urgent matter, he could report it secretly. He quickly took the memorial, opened it, and glanced at it quickly.

Bang!

He lost his balance and fell down on the chair. Cao Jixiang was secretly shocked. He had never seen His Majesty so nervous. His Majesty's hands and feet were shaking.

"Your Majesty~" He was about to go forward to help.

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand away and shouted coldly: "All of you get out."

A fierce pressure frightened Cao Jixiang so much that he retreated repeatedly, and he and all the palace maids left the hall. Zhu Qizhen slumped in his chair, trembling as he continued to read the memorial.

The content of the memorial was earth-shattering.

A crazy student named Zeng Yong wrote an article that was almost spread all over Jiangnan. The content of the article said that the current emperor was a fake, and the one captured by Yesen in Mobei was the real emperor.

The article described the process of the fake emperor impersonating, which was almost the same as his real process. Zhu Qizhen was extremely panicked. What should he do? What should he do?
Almost all the people in Jiangnan have read this article, so doesn’t that mean they know everything?
"I am the emperor of Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Qizhen took a deep breath and calmed himself down. His brain was working rapidly. Since the article had spread almost all over Jiangnan, it meant that it could no longer be concealed.

It would be better to publish this article to the ministers and throw all the dirty water on the gentry in Jiangnan. Say that they have ulterior motives in order to resist the new policy and have found a madman to slander Your Majesty.

Xu Youzhen said in the letter that Zeng Yong had been arrested and the Jinyiwei were on their way to the capital. Xu Youzhen did a very good job in this regard and was decisive enough.

Only when Zeng Yong is under control can he seize the initiative. If Zeng Yong dies for no reason, it will be even more troublesome.

"Cao Jixiang, go and call the cabinet ministers, the six ministers, and the commanders-in-chief of the Five Military Governorates." He ordered.

……

Soon.

The cabinet ministers and the six ministers have all arrived.

Zhu Qizhen sat in the chair and became calm. He took out the memorial in his hand and smiled: "My dear ministers, I see that you are not in high spirits. Come, let me show you something to cheer you up."

Cao Jixiang picked up the memorial and handed it to the cabinet chief minister Wang Zhi. The white-haired Wang Zhi read it and staggered, almost falling down. Fortunately, Shang Lu, who was standing beside him, supported him.

Shang Lu was annoyed: "Lord, you are also an old minister who has served four dynasties. What can scare you like this? Let me see."

He took it and after reading it, his face changed drastically and his hands trembled. Others were curious, what had happened to scare all of you ministers?
After everyone passed it around, the hall fell into deathly silence.

It was the Prince's Guard Yu Qian who stood up first and bowed:

"Your Majesty, I do not believe a single word of this madman's barking. I suggest that he be immediately arrested and brought back to the capital, and handed over to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for conviction."

"Everyone, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's eternal prosperity, please put state affairs first and do not discuss this matter privately. Otherwise, you will be harmed by the evildoers. Those involved in this matter must be severely punished."

After hearing this, Zhu Qizhen felt a little warm in his heart.

(End of this chapter)