Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 150: Assassinate the legitimate emperor, only one can survive

Dunhuang City, night.

The blizzard swept in like a roaring beast, bringing with it a bone-chilling chill and overwhelming might. The wind howled like thousands of ghosts screaming in the night sky, and the snowflakes were carried by the wind and slammed wildly against the city walls, making waves of heart-pounding noises.

The whole city seemed precarious in this sudden snowstorm. In the streets and alleys, the originally dim lights were swaying in the strong wind, casting mottled shadows, adding a bit of ghostliness and uneasiness.

A dozen figures rushed towards the palace in the city, like ghosts, and soon arrived in front of the palace. It seemed that the snowstorm was too strong, and the palace guards went to avoid the snowstorm, so a dozen people in black easily entered the palace.

Their goal seemed to be very clear, and they were very familiar with the interior of the palace. They passed through the winding corridors and arrived in front of a bedroom. Without the slightest hesitation, they drew their cold knives and rushed in.

Then, there were sounds of fierce fighting and screams. Soon, a voice came: "We're ambushed, retreat!"

Only five or six men in black rushed out of the bedroom, and the pursuers followed them, shouting, "Come here, stop them!"

However, the wind and snow were so strong that the sound could not be heard at all. The palace guards had all gone to avoid the wind and snow. The five or six men in black were very fast and soon disappeared in the blizzard in the dark night.

"Don't chase the desperate enemy!" Xu Bin shouted.

There was no way to chase them in such a severe snowstorm and at night. He turned back to the palace, where dozens of corpses lay. Yuan Bin was checking if there were any survivors. Finally, he shook his head and said, "There is not a single survivor. These people came here fully prepared."

"Fortunately, we were prepared." Xu Bin felt scared.

At this time, there was a "dong dong" sound coming from the wall of the inner hall. Yuan Bin pressed a certain part of the wall and found a mechanism. A secret door in the wall opened and the Zhengtong Emperor walked out.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry to have frightened you." Yuan Bin bowed.

The orthodox emperor glanced at the bodies of the men in black and asked coldly, "Are these all here to assassinate me?"

Yuan Bin and Xu Bin nodded in unison. They had long expected that they would be assassinated one day. The Zhengtong Emperor frowned and asked, "Whose man is he?"

"Judging from their attire and appearance, they should be members of the Guanxi Seven Guards." Xu Bin's face was solemn. "It seems that there are big divisions within Guanxi, and some people want us dead."

Yuan Bin stared at the bodies of the men in black, and after a long silence, he said, "The methods and ways of doing things of these people are very similar to those of the Jinyiwei. I was born in Jinyiwei, so this feeling is not wrong."

"Ah?" Xu Bin was shocked. "Does this mean that the fake emperor is going to attack me?"

Yuan Bin nodded: "It's possible. Didn't you say that the current Jinyiwei commander Shi Biao is the confidant of the false emperor? This method is quite insidious, using local people to assassinate us. If my guess is correct, there must be many Jinyiwei secret guards in Dunhuang City. We must be careful when traveling in the future."

"That's right!" The Zhengtong Emperor was very calm. "Just assassinate me and all problems will be solved. There is no need to start a war."

Xu Bin bowed and said, "Your Majesty, let's talk to Yahansha about this tomorrow to see his attitude."

The three of them looked at each other and nodded.

……

The capital city was shrouded in haze and the cold wind was howling.

After the morning court session, Zhu Qizhen stayed in the warm room of the Qianqing Palace. It was heated and comfortable. He almost prepared to have a small hot pot and have a few drinks alone.

Jinyiwei Commander Shi Biao came to report that the dog was sneaking around. Zhu Qizhen understood and waved his hand to let the eunuchs and palace maids leave. Shi Biao then lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, the assassination of the fake emperor in Dunhuang failed, and they had already prepared for it. But, Your Majesty, don't worry, we still have ways."

Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Of course, it would be best to assassinate the orthodox emperor, with the lowest cost. Only one of the real and fake emperors would remain, and the fake ones would also be real. But Dunhuang is someone else's territory, so it's not that simple.

"Your Majesty, we must prevent the seven guards of Guanxi from causing chaos." Shi Biao said, "If they dare to take us in, they must have the intention of treason. Although your Majesty has sealed more than a dozen guards, they are all small tribes and are suppressed by the seven guards."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly: "We have to make some preparations. Next year, Yesen from Mobei should go south. When we fight with Mobei, the Seven Guards of Guanxi will be in chaos in the northwest, which will be troublesome."

His mind was spinning.

Connected to the Guanxi Seven Guards is Shaanxi and Gansu, so the military defense of Shaanxi and Gansu is particularly important. Currently, the commander-in-chief there is in charge of the military affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu. Who is this person?

New Ningbo Tan You!
This person is the great-great-grandson of Tan Yuan, a famous general in the Jingnan Campaign. How could it be him? Was he personally selected by Yu Qian?

"Henan Governor Liu Dingzhi, has he not arrived in Beijing yet?" Zhu Qizhen suddenly asked.

"Your Majesty, I asked early in the morning and he said he would arrive today." Cao Jixiang reported, "According to the rules, he will come to see Your Majesty first when he arrives in Beijing."

Zhu Qizhen nodded and waved his hand to let Cao Jixiang leave.

……

The reason why he summoned Liu Dingzhi to Beijing was that he already had an arrangement in mind, which was to let Liu Dingzhi, his own man, be the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, in charge of the political and military affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu.

Moreover, the position of the governor should be fixed and made a custom. At present, he did not trust the governors and commanders of the thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, so he would appoint a few governors to supervise them.

Having read the history of Zhu Qizhen's system, we know that emperors were always wary of local officials becoming too powerful.

During the Yongle period, Emperor Taizong sent Shangshu Jian Yi and 26 others to "tour the country and appease the military and civilians." But at that time, Emperor Yongle still insisted on his father's three-department system, that is, the system of checks and balances between the three departments of "provincial administration department, supervisory censor department, and military command department" created by his father.

At that time, governors were sent to local areas by the imperial court. Their terms of office were relatively short, and they had to return to the imperial court after handling their affairs.

However, the internal friction system of the Three Departments could no longer be sustained during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, so Emperor Xuanzong sent six vice ministers including Yu Qian to inspect various provinces to supervise tax grain and local affairs related to tax grain, which marked the beginning of the establishment of special governors in each province.

Yu Qian served as governor for more than ten years. However, the governors at that time were still not local officials, and they had to return to the court to report on their work once or twice a year.

It was not until the tenth year of Chenghua that Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty announced that the governor should not return to Beijing and should stay in the local area. The governor has since become the highest permanent local official. However, it was not until the eleventh year of Jiajing that it was implemented in terms of the system. The Daming Censorate drafted the powers and etiquette of the governor, and Emperor Jiajing approved the new regulations and ordered them to be followed forever.

The governor has great power. If he joins forces with local tyrants, it will be a big trouble. Various restrictions must be imposed. Zhu Qizhen rubbed his eyebrows and whispered to himself: "There is no other way. Shaanxi and Gansu must have a governor to lead the military and political affairs there to prevent the seven guards of Guanxi from causing chaos."

……

In the afternoon, Liu Dingzhi arrived, looking exhausted and thin, but with a capable temperament. After he paid his respects, Zhu Qizhen raised his hand and said, "Dingzhi, you haven't found a wife yet, right?"

"Ah? Not yet." Liu Dingzhi didn't expect the emperor to ask this question first.

"Then you have to find one quickly. How about I grant you a marriage?" Zhu Qizhen smiled, "I have a candidate. The girl is a good cook, well-educated and well-mannered, and is the Queen Mother's personal maid..."

Liu Dingzhi was annoyed and shook his head quickly: "Your Majesty, I am not planning to get married yet. I have a lot of things to do and I don't want to delay the girl."

Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly.

In fact, he was just testing the waters. It was impossible for him to marry Shuangxi to Liu Dingzhi. Wouldn't that be like planting a spy for the empress dowager next to Liu Dingzhi?
"Okay, when you want to get married in the future, I will grant you a title of princess or something." Zhu Qizhen laughed, "But then you have to be a higher official, so that you can be a good match."

Liu Dingzhi said with a firm expression: "As an official, I have two ends to serve: the court and the people. As long as I can do something practical for the people, I will be satisfied."

Zhu Qizhen nodded approvingly: "In the past two years under your rule, the living standards of the people in Henan have improved significantly."

"Your Majesty, I was just about to report to you." Liu Dingzhi's eyes flashed, "Your Majesty, Henan is the top priority for the Yellow River renovation. I have also met with Wang Lai, the governor of the Yellow River, and I will do my best to cooperate with him..."

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand to interrupt him and said, "You don't need to worry about Henan's affairs."

Liu Dingzhi was horrified: "Why... why?"

Zhu Qizhen looked straight at him and said in a deep voice: "I have decided to promote you to the position of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and you will be in charge of the military and political affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu."

"This... won't do. I have a lot of things to do in Henan, and I..." Liu Dingzhi was anxious.

Zhu Qizhen smiled. It was the first time he saw someone who didn't want to be promoted. He sighed, "Dingzhi, Henan's affairs have basically been finalized. Just find someone to do it step by step. But Shaanxi and Gansu need you. I need you."

Seeing the emperor's sincere expression, Liu Dingzhi bowed respectfully and said, "I obey your order!"

"Come, let me tell you about the situation in Shaanxi and Gansu." Zhu Qizhen walked to the map and sighed, "The Seven Guards of Guanxi are ready to make a move. I am really worried. I don't want the northwest to be in chaos, because my main focus is on Mobei. If the Ming Dynasty goes to war on two fronts, it will be dangerous."

After hearing this, Liu Dingzhi realized the seriousness of the matter.

Two hours later, Liu Dingzhi left the Qianqing Palace. He left Beijing without stopping and headed for Shaanxi and Gansu. Before leaving, he kowtowed to the emperor and said seriously, "Your Majesty, take care of yourself! No matter how people in the world spread rumors, you are the emperor of the Ming Dynasty in my heart and the emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the hearts of tens of millions of people in Henan."

……

British government.

Zhu Qiyu, the Prince of Qin, came to visit the Duke of Ying, and the two walked side by side in the backyard. The heavy snow had just stopped, the sky was as blue as a wash, and a faint ray of sunlight penetrated the thin clouds and sprinkled on the white snow.

The originally tall bamboos were covered with thick snow, their branches drooping and covered with crystal clear icicles. The air was filled with a fresh and slightly cool breath, and occasionally a few distant bird calls penetrated the silence, adding a bit of vitality. On the snow, there were occasionally a few lines of footprints left by unknown small animals, winding and twisting.

"My Lord, you really know how to enjoy life." Zhu Qiyu looked at the snowy scenery. "Your courtyard is quiet and elegant. Scholars and poets will surely like it."

The Duke of England laughed out loud: "My granddaughter did it before. I am just a warrior, how can I appreciate these things?"

Zhu Qiyu pretended to be slightly surprised: "So it's the virtuous concubine, no wonder. Your Yingguo Mansion is getting more and more favored by the emperor, and even I, the prince, envy it."

"Haha, Your Majesty, just say what you want to say." The British man spread his hands.

Although the other party was a prince, he was just a junior in his eyes, and the late emperor was polite to him. Zhu Qiyu put away his joking expression and said, "I just came out from the Queen Mother and got a message that Your Majesty has just appointed a governor of Shaanxi and Gansu."

"Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu? Is this necessary?" Duke Ying's face changed slightly. "Who is it?"

"Liu Dingzhi, the former governor of Henan." Zhu Qiyu spread his hands. "He was an extremely stubborn person. When he was in Henan, he was at loggerheads with the gentry. If it weren't for Your Majesty's support, he would have been dismissed long ago."

Duke Ying's eyes were cold: "So it was him! Your Majesty is using this person, is he not confident about the Seven Guards of Guanxi?"

"Is it just the Seven Guards of Guanxi?" Zhu Qiyu asked with a smile.

"Isn't it?" asked the Duke of England.

Zhu Qiyu spread his hands and said, "I have delivered the message, Duke. Goodbye."

He turned and left, and Duke Ying looked at his back. He knew why the Queen Mother had asked Prince Qing to deliver the message. However, he had always disliked Prince Qing.

……

As the year draws to a close, Zhu Qizhen has recently held meetings with various ministries, not to assign specific tasks, but just to chat. On this day, he summoned officials from the Ministry of Rites, and he wanted to talk about education, because the Ministry of Rites is in charge of education.

He thought about education reform, because the Ming Dynasty still had the imperial examination system, and students only read the Four Books and Five Classics, and other fields, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc., were almost not involved. After the Renaissance, the West ushered in rapid development in all aspects.

It was difficult to reform education, even though he was the emperor. First of all, it was difficult to change the officials' understanding of other subjects. They simply did not understand the importance of physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc. to the Ming Dynasty.

He planned to set up special natural science examination subjects to encourage scholars to study and research physics, mathematics, astronomy and other subjects. If they passed the examination, they could also serve as officials in the court.

Of course, it is necessary to gradually introduce basic courses in modern physics, mathematics, and astronomy. For example, we can start with basic mechanics, optics, geometry, and algebra, and gradually move into more complex areas.

In fact, these course materials are available because ancient Greek civilization has made remarkable achievements, especially in the fields of astronomy and mathematics. Today, communication between the East and the West is not as good as before. As long as you put in the effort, you can get courses and even talents.

The first step was to convince the group of people in front of him. He spoke earnestly for a long time, but most people were confused or didn't care at all.

Minister of Rites Yang Shan seemed to understand: "Your Majesty, this is unprecedented and will never be repeated. If you must do it, I suggest you don't make a big fuss about it, but do it step by step."

"I also know that it is impossible to become rich overnight. These things are not something that my generation can accomplish." Zhu Qizhen sighed, "But we have to take this step first."

Other officials from the Ministry of Revenue also agreed, after all, it was the emperor's order.

(End of this chapter)