Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 130: Concubine Xian, you also know that I am a fake?
Xianfei Zhang Jingshu came in carrying a food box. She was wearing a light blue slim dress, which made her look even more proud. Her elegant eyes were filled with a faint smile. "Your Majesty, I have made some soup for you."

Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hand and pulled her to his side, and asked with a smile: "I'm sure you've heard about the rumors in the court and the public these past two days, right?"

Zhang Jingshu glanced at the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace and said, "All of you go down."

Cao Jixiang led the palace maids and eunuchs downstairs. Zhang Jingshu served the soup while softly saying, "Your Majesty, after you returned from Tumu Fort, I knew your identity."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

You knew I was a fake? Then why did you marry me? Was it arranged by the Duke of England? No, the Duke of England only wanted me to abdicate.

"Your Majesty~" Zhang Jingshu placed the soup in front of Zhu Qizhen and smiled slightly, "I guessed it myself. Judging from my grandfather's behavior during that period, and your Majesty's sudden increase in strength, it's not hard to guess. When Yesen brought the Zhengtong Emperor to the front of the battle, I was almost certain."

Zhu Qizhen reached out and held her soft hands, raised his eyebrows and said, "Then are you still willing to marry me?"

Zhang Jingshu sighed softly, looked at him with her clear and beautiful eyes, and said seriously: "Because I have fallen in love with Your Majesty. Of course, I want to save my family. I am worried that my grandfather will reveal the truth in an impulse, and then our Zhang family will be guilty of the heinous crime of nine generations of the family."

"So, the Duke of England doesn't know what you...what you are thinking?" Zhu Qizhen asked puzzledly.

Zhang Jingshu sighed and glared at Zhu Qizhen: "Grandfather was seriously ill. Your Majesty, you persuaded my father and asked Princess Xiang and the Queen to cooperate, forcing the Queen Mother to issue an order to grant the marriage. Didn't you know this? Grandfather only found out after the marriage was granted."

"So you know everything." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

Zhang Jingshu slowly raised her head and looked at him, her beautiful eyes gentle: "Your Majesty, our Yingguo Mansion is now completely bound to you. I will fully support Your Majesty."

Zhu Qizhen stretched out his hands and held her in his arms, smiling bitterly: "I am walking on thin ice."

Zhang Jingshu patted Zhu Qizhen's back gently and said softly, "Actually, there is a way."

Zhu Qizhen was startled, and he held her shoulders with both hands and pushed her away, staring into her eyes and asking anxiously: "What can you do?"

"Your Majesty, you and the Queen Mother should go to Fengyang to worship the ancestors. This matter must be announced to the world." Zhang Jingshu said, "And the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple should convict Zeng Yong. It would be best if he admitted that he was talking nonsense. In this way, people in the world will naturally not doubt it."

A gleam of light flashed in Zhu Qizhen's eyes.

What a good idea! With two approaches at the same time, he, the emperor, can show his status without having to say anything specifically.

"The key issue now is that the fake emperor of Mobei cannot return to the capital." Zhang Jingshu said.

"I have some arrangements." Zhu Qizhen gave her a confident look.

……

The next day, morning.

Zhu Qizhen summoned the gentry from the south of the Yangtze River to the Fengtian Hall, and they all paid additional taxes and grain to the court.

After some official words, Zhu Qizhen said to the gentry:

"I hope that there will be as many rich people as possible in this world. I am not afraid of your wealth. A rich people can make a country strong. My Ming Dynasty is to make you rich and feel at ease. At the same time, let the poor eat good food and wear good clothes."

"You have done a great job. In the future, remember these four things: do not bully tenants, do not take advantage of famine to annex their land at low prices, do not bully the poor, and do not collude with government officials to enrich yourself."

"My new policy may cause you a small loss in the short term, but it will benefit you in the long run. I am very pleased that you can implement it."

The gentry kowtowed and said they would support and implement the new policy. Zhu Qizhen raised his hand and said, "I am a poor emperor and I have nothing to reward you with. I will only give you a few words."

Eunuch Cao Jixiang led a group of eunuchs up, each holding a scroll in his hand. They handed the scrolls to the gentry in the hall.

The gentry were so excited that they opened the letter with trembling hands. There were four big words on it: Loyalty to the Country.

This is the emperor's calligraphy. Take it back and hang it at home as a family heirloom. Zhu Qizhen glanced at them and said loudly: "Some people with ulterior motives in the folk say that my new policy is to rob you of your wealth. I tell you, I hope you can stay rich and become enlightened gentry. You must remember that only when the Ming Dynasty is strong can you have your wealth and glory."

"We common people will remember this." The gentry knelt down.

The ministers in the palace had different thoughts.

They all knew that this was His Majesty's attempt to divide the gentry in Jiangnan. If this series of moves continued, it was estimated that more gentry would support the new policy.

……

Twilight Quadruple.

Zhu Qizhen dragged his tired body to Kunning Palace and lay straight on the chair.

The empress dowager was busy with needlework and glanced at him. She picked up an embroidered sachet from the basket, walked up to Zhu Qizhen, leaned over, and her long black hair fell in front of Zhu Qizhen's eyes.

Zhu Qizhen smelled a faint fragrance, opened his eyes, and saw the beautiful and mature face of the empress dowager. The empress dowager handed him the sachet and said, "This is for you."

"It smells so good." Zhu Qizhen took it and smelled it.

"You can wear it with you to refresh yourself." The Queen Mother frowned slightly and stretched out her hand to press his brow. "You have looked quite haggard recently."

Zhu Qizhen was a little surprised. He didn't expect the Queen Mother to suddenly act so intimately. The Queen Mother smiled and sat down opposite him, ordering Shuangxi to serve the food.

The setting sun shines through the window, adding a touch of warmth.

Zhu Qizhen buried his head in his food and said, "Prince Qing has already sent people to Mobei. If everything goes well, he will be able to redeem the person soon."

"Oh." The Queen Mother also buried her head in eating.

Seeing that she did not respond, Zhu Qizhen put down his chopsticks and looked up and asked, "Mother, on the 28th of next month, we will worship Taizu. I want to go back to Fengyang with you to worship our ancestors. Since we moved the capital to Shuntian, we haven't returned to the Zhu family's ancestral land to worship our ancestors for a long time."

The Queen Mother raised her head abruptly, her eyes shrouded in cold light, "I don't know what you are thinking? No! I have already tolerated you a lot, and you still want to go to the Zhu family's ancestral land to worship your ancestors? Don't go too far."

"I have gone too far?" Zhu Qizhen said angrily, "If I had gone too far, I would have started a massacre in the past two years. How could you still..."

The Queen Mother interrupted him, her cold and beautiful eyes filled with anger: "Kill me? Massacre the Zhu family? Come on, kill me now, you'd better do it yourself, I will die in your hands."

Her face turned red with anger, her chest rose and fell, and even trembled a few times. Zhu Qizhen was distracted for a moment, secretly cursing himself in his heart, what was he looking at at this time?

"Who wants you to die?" Zhu Qizhen's face was gloomy. "You know I won't touch you. If you don't want to go, then don't go. I will finish the last few things and wait for death."

Having said that, he stood up and left.

The Queen Mother looked at his back, biting her red lips tightly, and two lines of tears flowed down her beautiful face. She choked up and said, "I would rather die."

……

Mobei.

Dozens of horses were galloping westwards. When they reached a river, they all stopped. The strong man in the lead quickly dismounted, ran to the river, held the water in both hands and began to drink. After drinking several mouthfuls of water, he washed his face, and after washing away the dust on his face, he revealed a clear face. He turned out to be the orthodox emperor.

Yuan Bin, who was not far from him, came up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it should be safe now."

The Zhengtong Emperor looked around with fear in his eyes: "If it weren't for Boyan's timely report, we would have died in the camp. Ala Zhiyuan actually wanted to kill me."

Yuan Bin frowned, "When Yesen was not around, Alazhiyuan had the final say. The conflict between him and Yesen was almost exposed. But why did Alazhiyuan suddenly want to kill Your Majesty?"

At this time, Xu Bin, who had been lying by the river and drinking enough water, stood up and said in a deep voice: "I heard that Alazhiyuan secretly sent people to the capital of Daming. Could it be that he reached some kind of deal with the fake emperor?"

"He wants me to die? Then he will be able to secure his throne?" The Zhengtong Emperor had a gloomy expression.

"It's all speculation now." Yuan Bin smiled bitterly, "But we can't care about so much now. We can't stay in Mobei anymore. Since Boyan helped us escape, why don't we..."

The Zhengtong Emperor was overjoyed: "Return to the capital?"

Yuan Bin and Xu Bin shook their heads at the same time. Xu Bin's face was solemn: "I'm worried that the road to the capital is full of ambushes. We will die before we even enter Juyong Pass."

"Go find the Seven Guards of Guanxi," Yuan Bin said, "It's time to ask them to fulfill their promise."

Xu Bin nodded in agreement. The Zhengtong Emperor jumped on his horse and smiled, "What are you waiting for? The pursuers will be here soon."

……

Wala camp.

When Yesen returned with his army, he fought another battle with Toghtobukha and won a great victory. Originally, he was in a good mood, but Boyan reported to him that Alazhiyuan had attacked the Zhengtong Emperor and the Zhengtong Emperor had escaped.

Yesen was furious and immediately summoned Alazhiyuan.

After Ala Zhiyuan came in, he pointed at Boyan and said, "Boyan, you are from our Wala, why do you respect the Ming emperor so much? He is a captive, but he enjoys the treatment of an emperor in our Wala. What is the right? Also, I suspect that Xu Bin is a spy who has been secretly communicating with the Ming. Boyan, have you surrendered to the Ming? What did they promise you? The position of the Khan of Mobei?"

"You fart!" Boyan jumped up in anger.

Yesen's eyes were cold.

Yesen knew about Boyan's respect for the Ming Emperor and was extremely dissatisfied. Especially when he saw that the Ming Emperor was gradually respected by many people in the tribe, Yesen even wanted to kill him.

Anyway, there is no point in keeping this emperor here, it's just a waste of food.

"Stop arguing!" Yesen shouted, "Send someone to find the emperor right away. I want to see him alive or dead."

Alazhiyuan and Boyan bowed respectfully and left the tent. Just as they left, a guard came to report that a delegation from the Ming Dynasty had arrived.

"Another messenger has come. What are they here for?" Yesen snorted coldly.

"This time they say they want to redeem their emperor." The guard reported.

Yesen slammed the table.

My money, please bring the person back to me soon. I want to use it as ransom.

……

It is dark in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

In the inner hall of Changchun Palace, two people were entangled behind the curtain. Zhu Qizhen's body shook and he lay on top of Zhang Jingshu. Both of them were breathing heavily, and Zhang Jingshu's cheeks were flushed, and she was charming and beautiful.

"The Queen Mother does not agree to go to worship the ancestors." Zhu Qizhen lay down and pulled the quilt over him.

Zhang Jingshu curled up in his arms, her eyebrows furrowed tightly, "The Queen Mother has her son and the Zhu family's Ming Dynasty in her heart. Your Majesty, you have to find a way to let her go."

"What can I do if she doesn't want to?" Zhu Qizhen sighed.

Zhang Jingshu raised her head and blinked her quiet eyes slightly: "Your Majesty, you need to show your courage at this time. You must even force her to go. Our lives are at stake, so there is no room for sentimentality."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

The virtuous concubine is right. This is a life-and-death struggle. How dare I be so soft-hearted?
"Your Majesty, were you thinking about the Queen Mother just now?" Zhang Jingshu raised her eyebrows meaningfully.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhu Qizhen stared.

Zhang Jingshu chuckled, her smile playful: "Actually... it's not impossible. Women need to be conquered. You and her are not really mother and son. You have no relationship at all. Go and conquer her. A woman who has been widowed for more than ten years must be very lonely and empty."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand.

Are you supposed to say these lewd words? You deserve to be punished, right?
……

After the morning court session, Zhu Qizhen stretched his muscles in front of the Qianqing Palace.

Jinyiwei Commander Shi Biao ran over in a hurry, almost failing to stop, and almost bumped into Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen raised his foot and kicked him away: "You are so impatient, you are the commander of Jinyiwei, can you calm down? You are someone I promoted, don't embarrass me."

"Your Majesty, here's an urgent report from the Mobei Jinyiwei." Shi Biao handed over the intelligence.

Zhu Qizhen took it and opened it quickly. After a glance, a barely perceptible smile flashed across his lips. The intelligence reported that the Alazhiyuan of Wala wanted to assassinate the fake emperor. The fake emperor had now fled and his life or death was unknown.

"Wait, I will write a letter and you send someone to deliver it to Bolai immediately." Zhu Qizhen said.

He returned to the Qianqing Palace, wrote a letter and gave it to Shi Biao, who took the letter and left without asking any questions.

"Life or death unknown?" Zhu Qizhen looked at the intelligence report in his hand, "Then this news must be told to the Queen Mother."

He turned around and headed for Kunning Palace. When he got to the Imperial Road, he saw Prince Qing in front of him, jogging in a hurry, and he was also heading for Kunning Palace. Zhu Qizhen stopped and sneered, "It seems that my brother also knows the news from Mobei and is in a hurry to report it to the Queen Mother."

He turned around decisively, returned to the Qianqing Palace, and summoned the cabinet ministers.

When the cabinet ministers arrived, he showed them the intelligence from the Royal Guards and sighed, "I hope that fake emperor won't die. I'm still waiting for him to come and clear my name."

"This..." Shang Lu frowned, "Isn't this some conspiracy?"

The cabinet chief, Wang Zhi, gave him a sidelong glance and said, "What conspiracy? We are so far away in the northern desert, so if there is a conspiracy, it must be the Oirat people's conspiracy against us."

Yang Guifang nodded pretending to be depressed: "Hey, we went to redeem someone, but he disappeared. How can we redeem him? Where can we find him in the vast desert?"

"Let's wait for news from Prince Qing." Zhu Qizhen sighed, "This is really difficult for me."

(End of this chapter)