Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 165 This night, the Demon Queen was defeated!

Fahai Temple.

On this day, the emperor came in person to pay tribute to the Ming army soldiers who died fighting for the Ming Dynasty.

The sky seemed to be covered with a layer of gray gauze, and the low-hanging clouds suppressed every inch of the air.

As the long and deep bells rang, the entire Fahai Temple was enveloped in an indescribable solemnity and heaviness. The monks, wearing robes and holding Buddhist instruments, slowly walked into the temple.

Surrounded by the crowd, the emperor slowly walked towards the altar specially built in the middle of the temple. On the altar, incense smoke curled, white candles flickered, and bunches of flowers lay quietly there. Although they were gorgeous, they seemed particularly quiet at this moment.

In the center of the altar, a huge black stone tablet stands proudly, engraved with the names of every soldier who died. Behind each name is a broken family and an unfinished story.

With the emperor's arrival, the whole place was in silence, and only the sound of monks reciting scriptures could be heard. The voice was deep and powerful, conveying endless mourning and respect. The emperor personally lit a stick of incense, respectfully inserted it into the incense burner, and then slowly bowed and closed his eyes to concentrate.

The civil and military officials, soldiers' families and the public present also followed the emperor's actions, kneeling or bowing. Tears and silence were intertwined, and the air was filled with an indescribable grief and admiration.

The memorial ceremony lasted for a long time. When the last wisp of incense dissipated in the air, the emperor slowly stood up and looked towards the north.

His thoughts were somewhat complicated.

Sometimes he thought that he was just a fake emperor and he should just live a carefree life. Why bother with all these things? This was his original idea of ​​pretending to be an emperor.

But after going through so much, the scene of the victims kneeling in the Xiangfu County Office would pop up in his mind from time to time; the words said by Liu Dingzhi, Dong Yu and Chang Wang Lai, these pure ministers, would also flash in his mind from time to time; the scene of the soldiers fighting to the death in the front would also appear in his mind...

"I'll just be a good emperor at the same time." He sighed in his heart.

……

After the memorial service, Zhu Qizhen did not return to the palace. He wore plain clothes today and wanted to go for a walk alone. Shi Biao, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was used to it. At first, he was worried that His Majesty would encounter assassins, but later he thought that there were not many people who could assassinate the emperor.

Zhu Qizhen strolled around and unknowingly arrived in front of Ning Rongrong's guild hall. He was stunned for a moment, how did he get here? He thought he should go to Taibai Tower.

Unexpectedly, Ning Rongrong just came back from outside, the carriage stopped in front of him, lifted the curtain, and called out: "Mr. Zhu, we are already at the door, come in and have a seat?"

"Okay." Zhu Qizhen said generously.

He didn't want to explain that he just happened to pass by, but that would make him seem deliberate. Ning Rongrong got off the carriage, her long black hair hanging down, her beautiful and elegant face showing a hint of pride, wearing a simple and elegant long skirt that reached the ground. The breeze blew over her skirt, making her figure even more graceful, like a fairy.

The two walked into the guild hall side by side, and Zhu Qizhen took the initiative to say: "I want to drink today, please find me a private seat."

"Young Master, please follow me." Ning Rongrong smiled.

She led him into a private room, with Gaoliang River outside the window. Zhu Qizhen praised: "This is a good place, suitable for me to drink alone."

As he said this, he took out a silver ingot. Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and smiled: "Mr. Zhu, the picture you gave me can be said to be a priceless treasure. When you come to my club to drink in the future, of course it will be free of charge."

Zhu Qizhen was not polite and took back the silver ingot. Ning Rongrong bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Zhu, please sit down for a moment. I will go and prepare wine and food for you."

She turned and walked out, her figure swaying gracefully. Zhu Qizhen stood by the window, looking at the Gaoliang River outside, his eyes were filled with scenery, but his mind was filled with political affairs.

"Jiangnan is almost stable now. We should transfer Xu Youzhen back to the capital and let him join the cabinet as the second assistant. The cabinet needs someone from our own family to replace Shang Lu in the future."

"It's time to find an opportunity to promote Dong Yuchang to the position of Minister of Justice. In this way, almost all the six ministries in the court will be ministers of mine."

"The military seems to be the most stable, but it is actually the most troublesome. Yu Qian is in charge of military affairs, and most people listen to him. Although Yu Qian and I are still on good terms now, it is hard to say what will happen in the future. Yu Qian is a person who can be used for the Ming Dynasty instead of the Zhu family. However, Yu Qian will not be loyal to anyone."

"Promoting young people and gradually replacing old officials is the true Ming Dynasty of mine."

……

He whispered to himself, reminding himself of what he had to do when his mind was extremely clear. At this time, there was a knock on the door, and Ning Rongrong led three maids in. The maids were holding plates with delicious food and wine.

After the maids brought out the food, they all retreated. Ning Rongrong smiled slightly and said, "Would you like me to have a few drinks with you, sir?"

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands: "I couldn't ask for more."

The two drank slowly and talked about textiles and clothing. Zhu Qizhen combined his knowledge from his previous life and talked about brands, especially luxury goods, and also talked about brand marketing.

Ning Rongrong was surprised to hear this, her beautiful eyes sparkled, and she said, "Sir, why don't you join our club?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled and shook his head: "My family will probably let me pursue a career in government."

Ning Rongrong's pretty face dimmed instantly, and a look of inferiority flashed in the depths of her eyes. She said faintly, "Yes, how can you enter the business world?"

The status of merchants is low and cannot be compared with that of scholars. Zhu Qizhen did not mean that. He said, "Young lady, you should not underestimate yourself. The business world is profound and can be compared to the battlefield. Merchants can also be great. I believe that in the future, merchants will be more important."

"Sir, do you really think so?" Ning Rongrong's eyes were clear and her eyebrows were picturesque.

Zhu Qizhen nodded affirmatively and said, "The world is big. Our Ming Dynasty needs to trade with the Western Regions, Southeast Asia, and the West. Aren't merchants very important? The economic development brought by merchants will make the Ming Dynasty stronger."

It was the first time that Ning Rongrong heard someone value businessmen so much, so she raised her glass and said, "Cheers, young master."

She was in high spirits and drank a few more cups. Her cheeks were covered with rouge-like clouds, which was very attractive. At this time, a maid came in and reported: "Miss, Chief Escort Liu from Weiyuan Escort Agency is here."

"What's the matter?" Ning Rongrong asked with a frown.

The maid hesitated and said, "Someone wants him to transport darts to the northwest, and he came to ask for your opinion."

The surprise on Ning Rongrong's face flashed away, and she smiled and said to Zhu Qizhen: "Mr. Zhu, you drink first, I'll go take care of it."

Zhu Qizhen nodded with a smile.

Transporting convoys to the northwest? He was very sensitive to the word northwest.

……

After returning to the Qianqing Palace, he immediately summoned Shi Biao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and asked him to keep an eye on the Weiyuan Escort Agency to see whose escorts they took and where in the northwest they were transporting them.

"Your Majesty, you'd better not associate with Ning Rongrong." Shi Biao frowned. "I'm worried about the danger. This woman is very cruel. I recently checked her past. Her journey as the president was full of blood. Also, her background. She was born in Yazhou, but her parents are outsiders. I don't know where they moved from. There is a saying that their family came from overseas."

Zhu Qizhen didn't expect Ning Rongrong to have such a complicated past. He waved his hands and said, "Can she eat me?"

Shi Biao said helplessly: "Your Majesty, there are many beauties in the world..."

Snapped!
Zhu Qizhen picked up a memorial and threw it at him, glaring at him: "You know shit, I just want to use another identity to make some friends. What do you want? Go do your thing."

"Yes!" Shi Biao stepped back.

Zhu Qizhen began to review memorials. He also thought about submitting memorials to the cabinet for review and then to the Imperial Household Department for approval, just like Jiajing did in later generations. This would save him a lot of trouble. But that would not work. He, the fake emperor, might be sidelined at any time.

While flipping through the memorials, he actually saw those from Wang Zhi and Hu Yi. The first thought that came to his mind was, are these two old guys not dead yet?

In such an ancient time, they were nearly eighty years old, which was definitely a long life. Zhu Qizhen was not looking forward to the death of the two old ministers, but was curious about how they lived so long. Most of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty died young.

"Fortunately, I am not a member of the royal family Zhu, and I don't have the short-lived gene." Zhu Qizhen muttered and opened the memorial to read.

The two old officials' memorials were not about big things. They just talked about where they had visited recently, what they had learned, how the local gentry were doing, etc. They praised the new policies and also made some suggestions.

However, at the end of their memorials, both of them mentioned that someone had invited them to join the Junshan Society, an unknown organization, and they both refused. They also jokingly said that because they were so famous, everyone would come to them.

Junshan Club?
Zhu Qizhen frowned. These two old foxes were definitely not mentioned casually.

……

Night falls.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace. Shuangxi was busy, and she saluted him perfunctorily and went to the kitchen to work. However, Zhu Qizhen grabbed her pigtail and glared at her: "Shuangxi, you spread rumors that I have a mistress outside? And a mistress in a golden house? What are you thinking in your little head? Do I need that?"

"I... was talking nonsense." Shuangxi felt aggrieved and turned to the Queen Mother for help.

It is early summer now, and the temperature is high. The queen mother is leaning on a mat, wearing cool clothes, with a pair of slender white legs on the ground, and her exquisite feet gently stepping on the soft carpet. She has a graceful figure, and her long black hair falls to her slender waist. She picked up a blanket on the ground and put it on, and glared at him with her beautiful eyes: "Don't bully Shuangxi, you did it yourself, and you don't want people to say it?"

"My reputation cannot be ruined by this girl." Zhu Qizhen pinched Shuangxi's pretty face and warned, "If you continue to spread rumors about me, I will marry you to a soldier at the front. Yes, Shuangxi, how about marrying you to a young general?"

Shuangxi shook her head repeatedly: "I will serve the Empress Dowager for my whole life and I will not go anywhere."

The Queen Mother smiled knowingly, turned around and glared at Zhu Qizhen again, saying: "If you want to show favor to the soldiers at the front, you can't give it to a palace maid. If you want to give it to someone, give it to the daughter of a minister."

After hearing this, Shuangxi lowered her head and drooped her eyes. After all, she was of low status.

Zhu Qizhen walked up to the Queen Mother and spread his hands, "It is not a good thing for a general to marry a minister."

The Queen Mother tilted her head slightly, her skin was as white as jade under her slender neck, and she smiled and said, "You have considered a lot. It is better for a military officer to marry a civil official than for a military officer to marry another military officer, right? If they want to marry, you, the Emperor, can't stop them, right?"

Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "That sounds reasonable."

The Queen Mother flicked her long hair lightly, and her beautiful profile flashed by in an instant. She sat up, folded her hands on her lower abdomen, covered her beautiful legs with a blanket, and raised her eyebrows: "Tell me about your Ning Rongrong, what progress have you made recently?"

"I... we only met once afterwards. There was no progress at all." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

"What? You meet again?" The Queen Mother glared with her beautiful eyes.

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands without changing his expression: "I am planning to take over her family property. The Ning family is rich. I will take over her family property and use it to support my harem."

He added in his mind, whoever takes possession of her first.

The Queen Mother was full of contempt: "Shameless!"

Zhu Qizhen changed the subject: "Eat, eat, Shuangxi, if the food today is not to your liking, I will marry you off."

Shuangxi was standing there, about to cry. The Queen Mother was so angry that she raised her foot to kick, but Zhu Qizhen grabbed her calf and pinched it hard, almost making her scream. She wanted to retract her leg, but Zhu Qizhen held it tightly.

"Let go!" She looked at Shuangxi in panic, luckily Shuangxi lowered his head. Zhu Qizhen pinched her hard, and the queen mother quickly covered her mouth. Zhu Qizhen then let go, walked to the dining table and sat down, and said to Shuangxi: "Okay, I won't grant you a marriage, go and serve the dishes."

"Yes." Shuangxi went there quickly.

The Queen Mother came over and glared at him fiercely with her beautiful eyes.

……

The war on the front line would not end soon, so Zhu Qizhen did not keep tense. After the morning court session, he returned to the Qianqing Palace and began his daily boxing and bodybuilding exercises.

Shi Biao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, came to report: "Your Majesty, the escort that Weiyuan Escort Agency has taken to the northwest is hired by Duke Ying. However, I checked the list and the items, and they are all food and daily necessities. Duke Ying was taken by some of his comrades in the northwest."

Zhu Qizhen did not stop boxing, with a puzzled look on his face: "Is it that simple? At such a sensitive time, he is delivering goods to the northwest, how can it be wrong?"

"I have checked carefully, and it is indeed those things." Shi Biao said, "Duke Ying has always supported his old comrades in the northwest, every year, but this year there are more things, so he asked the escort agency to escort them."

Zhu Qizhen put away his fist and nodded: "Continue to send people to monitor this matter. There is one more thing, go check it out, someone has approached Wang Zhi and Hu Yi, asking them to join a Junshan Society."

"Junshan Meeting?" Shi Biao frowned. It was the first time he heard of it.

"I always feel like something is wrong. Please investigate it carefully." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

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

Zhu Qizhen cleaned himself up, returned to the palace, and began his daily review of memorials. After a while, Cao Jixiang came to report that Gao Gu, the Minister of Works, wanted to see him.

"Hurry up and announce it." Zhu Qizhen put down his pen.

He took out a scroll beside him, and when he saw Gao Gu coming in, he waved his hand: "Don't bow, come here, I have something to show you."

Gao Gu came to the imperial table and stood respectfully. Zhu Qizhen asked Cao Jixiang to unroll the scroll, which was the schematic diagram of the Jenny machine he had drawn. He said to Gao Gu, "Lord Gao, this thing is used for spinning, and it can greatly improve the efficiency of spinning. Take it back, and the Ministry of Industry will find a way to make it and promote it vigorously."

"Your Majesty, where did you get this? Can you invite the person who drew the picture?" Gao Gu's eyes sparkled. "I want to invite him to the Ministry of Works, at least to be the head of the department."

Zhu Qizhen pointed at himself and said, "I drew this!"

Gao Gu was stunned: "Your Majesty...you are really multi-talented."

Zhu Qizhen held his forehead and said, "You guys should develop it as soon as possible. I gave this map back to the people in the Chamber of Commerce. Maybe they can make it first."

"Give it back to the Chamber of Commerce? Why?" Gao Gu was anxious.

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands: "Mr. Ning of the Chamber of Commerce, she is beautiful."

Gao Gu: “!!!”

He picked up the scroll, bowed hastily, and left in a hurry, not wanting to waste even a moment.

……

The night is getting dark.

In Changchun Palace, the candlelight flickered, the curtains hanging on the phoenix couch swayed, and a graceful figure could be seen hugging another figure. Not long after, a phoenix cry was heard, and Concubine Xian lay limply in Zhu Qizhen's arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her face flushed, her eyes blurred, and she didn't even have the strength to get up.

Zhu Qizhen stroked her jade back and said softly, "It's been a while since I last visited the Duke of England. Let's go see him tomorrow."

The virtuous concubine raised her head slightly, her long hair falling on his shoulders. She pursed her red lips and said, "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly think of visiting my grandfather?"

Zhu Qizhen pinched her waist and smiled: "Old man, the less you see him, the less you see him. The Duke is a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty."

The virtuous concubine glared at him, reached out to take away his dishonest hand, sat up gracefully, picked up a robe and put it on herself, turned around and got off the bed, a pair of legs as smooth as jade stretched out from the bed curtains, and stepped barefoot on the floor.

"Where are you going?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

"I made soup for you." said the virtuous concubine.

She pushed the door open and walked out. After a while, she came in with a plate with a bowl of steaming soup on it. She came to Zhu Qizhen, her charming eyes shimmering with spring, and she smiled, "Your Majesty, I specially asked the imperial physician to prescribe a room for you to replenish your body."

Zhu Qizhen: “???”

Do you think your man is not good enough? Does your man need to take medicine?
"I don't need this stuff." He waved his hand.

"Drink it. After drinking it, maybe I will be pregnant with a dragon seed." The virtuous concubine lowered her head shyly, her face blushing all the way to her neck.

Zhu Qizhen stared: "How is it possible? I don't trust the imperial physician... I... Gulp gulp... It tastes a bit bitter, I'll put some sugar next time."

He drank it in one gulp, and Concubine Xian was dumbfounded.

Zhu Qizhen pinched her waist and raised his eyebrows: "What are you waiting for? Don't complain tonight!"

……

The next day, Zhu Qizhen and Concubine Xian came to the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

After some superficial greetings, Zhu Qizhen and the Duke of Ying strolled in the backyard. Zhu Qizhen said directly: "Duke, you are sending things to the northwest, are you betraying me?"

"Are you scared?" the Duke of England said coldly.

"What am I afraid of?" Zhu Qizhen said, with a half-smile, "If anything happens to me, I will definitely take your entire Zhang family with me."

The Duke of England stopped abruptly, his eyes blazing with fire: "Are you threatening me?"

Zhu Qizhen snorted, "It's not a threat, it's a warning! Old fox, don't try to bet on both sides. I tell you, the outcome is that no matter which side wins, the Duke of Ying's family will be wiped out."

"You..." The Duke of England gritted his teeth.

Zhu Qizhen chuckled, patted his shoulder in a friendly manner and said, "Don't force me. A virtuous concubine cannot influence me. I can make her the emperor or depose her. Duke Ying, this is the last time I will express my goodwill to you."

The Duke of England felt a murderous aura, his back felt cold and his body trembled slightly.

……

Night falls.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace and found that only eunuchs and palace maids were on duty at the door. After asking, he learned that today was Shuangxi's birthday and the empress dowager let them go out to play.

"What a good boss... Mom." Zhu Qizhen muttered.

He went straight into the inner hall, knowing the way there with ease, even more familiar than the bedrooms of other concubines.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw the empress dowager standing in front of the dressing table, gently wiping her hair. She was wrapped in a bathrobe, but her proud figure could not be concealed. Zhu Qizhen leaned against the pillar and admired her carefully. Without makeup, she was as white as snow.

The Queen Mother had already spotted him through the bronze mirror. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind: to test whether this fake emperor had the heart but not the courage to commit a crime, so that it would be easier to control him in the future.

"Stop looking and come and help me wipe my hair." The Queen Mother sat down on the chair.

The bath towel wrapped around her body gave people the illusion that it would fall off at any time. She had a graceful figure with nice curves. When she sat upright, her long and straight legs were crossed.

Zhu Qizhen walked over, took the towel from her hand, and began to wipe her hair. He cursed in his heart, "What a witch queen! Aren't you trying to make me make a mistake?" At this moment, the witch queen was just wrapped in a bath towel.

Those long white legs and smooth back...

His hand slid down and rested on her round shoulders. The Demon Queen did not move, but reached out and held his hand, sighing softly: "Last time you said you still have a father, mother and sister, you still haven't told me, what about your past?"

"My past? I was just an ordinary person. I almost starved to death, so I wandered around." Zhu Qizhen leaned over and smelled the fragrance between her hair.

The demon queen's beautiful eyes were gentle, and she seemed a little distressed: "It's not easy for them, so shouldn't you take them over?"

The moment Zhu Qizhen lowered his head, a fire of evil rose up, he pulled the Demon Queen up, and the two looked at each other. Zhu Qizhen was about to move closer, but the Demon Queen hurriedly pushed him away and took a few steps back.

"Hey, Queen Demon, you took the initiative this time." Zhu Qizhen stepped forward, "You must bear the consequences."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Shuangxi and the others will be back soon." The Demon Queen glared, "You are getting bolder and bolder. Aren't you afraid that if the news gets out... you... we will be finished."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "I can't care so much. You are the one who started it."

The demon queen blushed and said, "You go to Changchun Palace or Yonghe Palace."

Zhu Qizhen took a few steps forward with a desperate look on his face. The Demon Queen waved her hands quickly, covered her chest with both hands, and begged for mercy: "Is it not okay if I lose? I won't tease you anymore. Go away quickly, otherwise, we...will be in trouble."

"You are so cruel!" Zhu Qizhen shouted, then turned around and disappeared.

The Demon Queen heaved a sigh of relief, her expression extremely complicated, with a mixture of loss, disappointment, and unwillingness. She slowly lay down on the mat, her face flushed, and her eyes slightly closed.

"Why am I the one who feels uncomfortable?" she spat.

Zhu Qizhen came to Changchun Palace, cursing all the way. Concubine Xian was sitting on a chair, supporting her head with one hand, in a daze, with a gloomy face.

"What's going on?" Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and asked.

"It's alright." Concubine Xian shook her head, stood up and bowed, "Your Majesty, why are you here? I'm not prepared."

Zhu Qizhen hugged her gently and said softly, "We are already an old couple, what else do you need to prepare? Make soup for me? Can you handle it?"

The virtuous concubine blushed and glared at him.

……

ps: I am just asking for votes.

(End of this chapter)