Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 197: The True Emperor: He raised my mother, wife, and daughter? This is too much!
Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a moment, then reached out and picked up the memorial.

The image of old man Wang Zhi appeared in his mind. In the first two years after he arrived, although old man Wang stood on the side of the Queen Mother, he actually supported himself.

In the beginning, he "curbed land annexation and helped the people recover their land", and later he implemented the New Deal. In fact, this Lord Wang supported this fake emperor.

On several occasions, Zhu Qizhen saw an old man in his seventies shivering as he walked on the imperial road in the biting cold wind before dawn, but he insisted on attending the morning court every day.

Old man Wang said that he would protect the emperor for two years, and he did it. Zhu Qizhen took the memorial in his hand and sighed: "Old man Wang, you are gone just like that."

He slowly opened the letter and glanced over it.

In his memorial, Wang Zhi knew that his time had come and he was very open-minded. However, he told a strange fable in his memorial: The Ding of Shentu Dun.

This is a fable written by Song Lian, a minister in the early years of the Hongwu reign. The content is roughly as follows: The fisherman Shentu Dun salvaged an ancient tripod, which was imitated by his neighbor Lu Sheng. Lu Sheng presented the imitation to an official and was rewarded. Later, Shentu Dun took out the real tripod to compare with the imitation, but no one believed that the real tripod was real.

There is a passage in the original text: The powerful and noble asked to see it, and after a long time he said, "It is not true." The guests said in succession, "It is true but not true." Dun was dissatisfied and argued endlessly. The guests humiliated him, and Dun was silent and dared not speak. He returned home and sighed, "Now I know that power can change right and wrong."

After reading it, Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Wang Zhi's fable implies that he knew I was a fake emperor? Yes, with his intelligence and experience, he should have seen it long ago. But he didn't expose me in the end. Why?
Power is enough to change right and wrong!

Is this what he wanted to express in this parable?

"This old man Wang, the last memorial is also confusing." Zhu Qizhen muttered in his heart.

He continued to watch, and Wang Zhi praised the emperor's new policy and his boldness in opening the sea. Finally, Wang Zhi gave him three suggestions, which made him feel a chill in his heart.

First, from what I have seen in past dynasties, it is easy to start a business but difficult to maintain it, so when a crown prince is to be appointed, he should be done as soon as possible.

Second, if you want to establish a wolf king in a wolf pack, you will inevitably encounter bloody battles. Without a leader, you cannot protect the wolf pack. Relying on personal preference will lead to disaster. Everyone achieves his own success, and it is difficult to change his nature. This is also a good thing to remember.

Third, flushing water cannot corrupt it. Your biggest fault is that you are nostalgic and cannot bear to punish the ministers. That is fine, but you must change the ministers. When people stay in one place for a long time, it is difficult to suppress laziness. Your Majesty, the world is vast and talented people are everywhere. Be careful not to be deceived by fraud.

Zhu Qizhen looked at these three sentences in a daze for a long time.

Wang Zhi also mentioned in his memorial that someone had approached him to join the Junshan Society, but he did not mention any information about the Junshan Society, he just mentioned it briefly. Then came the last paragraph of the memorial:

What is an emperor? An emperor is a solitary person, with a temperament like that of a child, which changes rapidly. No one can stop him from doing what he wants to do, no matter if he is a loyal minister or a capable general. In a moment, he can hold hands with his subjects and talk about the friendship between the monarch and his subjects, and in the next moment, he can order someone to die without blinking. This does not mean that the emperor can change his mind from day to day and do whatever he wants. In fact, the heart of an emperor is unpredictable. If you predict it right, you will die, and if you predict it wrong, you will also die.

"Lord Wang has good intentions." Zhu Qizhen closed the memorial.

Wang Zhi did not dare to submit this secret memorial during his lifetime, but he wrote everything he wanted to say in this memorial after his death. However, he did not say it directly, so Zhu Qizhen could only guess.

What Lord Wang meant was that the emperor couldn't trust anyone, had to be alone and ruthless?
……

The next day, morning.

Zhu Qizhen announced the news of Wang Zhi's death and issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of Grand Tutor on Wang Zhi, and gave him the posthumous title of "Wenduan". All the officials were very sad that such a senior official had passed away.

Among the civil and military officials in the court, some were Wang Zhi's students, and they were filled with grief. However, the emperor did not allow this sad atmosphere to continue and announced a memorial.

Shi Biao, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, reported to the emperor that Xinning Earl Tan You colluded with the merchant caravan and engaged in smuggling in secret. He used his position as the commander of Shaanxi and Gansu to smuggle tea, salt and iron outside the Great Wall and make a profit from it.

"Disrupting the imperial court's tea-horse system is a serious crime," Shi Biao said, "Your Majesty, please punish me severely."

After hearing this, all the ministers were shocked.

The tea-horse system was an important frontier policy of the Ming Dynasty. During the Hongwu reign, the imperial son-in-law, Ouyang Lun, smuggled tea and was eventually executed by Zhu Yuanzhang.

This shows the importance that the Ming Dynasty attached to the tea-horse system. How dare this new Ning Bo commit a crime against the wind? He was caught by the Jinyiwei and found evidence. This time he is doomed.

"Put him in jail first, and you Jinyiwei will investigate him thoroughly." Zhu Qizhen's majestic voice fell, "He can't complete the entire chain by smuggling alone, and no one related to him can be let off."

For a moment, the hall was shrouded in murderous intent.

"As you wish." Shi Biao bowed.

Zhu Qizhen actually knew that Shi Biao had arrested Tan You, but he deliberately exaggerated the matter in the court so that he could use it in the future. Tan You's real crime was not smuggling, but secretly communicating with the northwest.

The Imperial Guards not only arrested Tan You, but also the newly-appointed Jinshi Chen Wang. Moreover, the Imperial Guards used their correspondence to pass the emperor's letter to Dunhuang in the northwest.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Qizhen recalled the words in Wang Zhi's memorial: What is an emperor? An emperor is a lonely man.

He can't trust anyone!

……

Qianqing Palace.

After the morning court session, Zhu Qizhen returned here to hold a small court meeting to discuss the matter of Tan You.

Xu Youzhen's face was solemn. "Your Majesty, Dunhuang actually used the imperial examination to insert people into the court. Chen Wang was discovered. What about those who were not discovered? I think those Jinshi in the northwest cannot be used."

Yang Guifang shook her head: "We can't just deal with them casually. We've already arrested Chen Wang. At least, the court still has to use them on the surface. Your Majesty is the ruler of the Nine Provinces, so you have to have that kind of vision."

Zhu Qizhen nodded slowly: "Yang Guifang is right. We just need to be careful in the future. They are just a few Jinshi and cannot enter our core layer. What I am worried about now is the Junshan Society."

The Junshan Society hiding in the dark is the real threat, and no one knows who these people are. Thinking of this, he was startled. The people of the Junshan Society wore masks, and they could be anyone, perhaps in the court, or the person in front of him.

"Maybe we can follow the line of investigation of Tan You." Xu Youzhen said.

Zhu Qizhen nodded and said, "Shi Biao, we finally got a clue this time. You Jinyiwei should not let me down."

Shi Biao was a little worried, and bowed: "As you wish!"

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand, and all the officials withdrew. He sat alone on a chair with his eyes closed to rest. At this time, the eunuch chief Cao Jixiang came in hurriedly holding a box and reported: "Your Majesty, Ding Xiu's secret memorial."

"Give it here." Zhu Qizhen rubbed his eyes and reached out to take it.

He opened it and stood up suddenly. Ding Xiu said in the memorial that Liu Dingzhi, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, was assassinated and shot in the shoulder. Fortunately, he did not hit the vital parts and saved his life. Ding Xiu analyzed that he had expected Liu Dingzhi to be in danger earlier, so he specially sent an elite team of Jinyiwei to protect him. But even so, he was still assassinated. That means there is a traitor, and the Northwest has begun to infiltrate Shaanxi and Gansu.

At the end of the memorial, Ding Xiu said that the Jinyiwei special forces team had arrived in Shaanxi and Gansu, and he would use this team to retaliate.

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

Xu Bin came to see the Zhengtong Emperor with a letter. He looked excited and said, "Your Majesty, there is a letter from the capital. Hahahaha, we use the imperial examination to select students to go to the capital to take the exam. This is a great trick. The Xinning Earl passed the news back to Dunhuang last time through the students."

The Zhengtong Emperor nodded proudly: "Yes, otherwise we would not know that the false emperor was going to send troops to Mobei and was going to lead the army himself. If he led the army himself, it would be my chance."

Xu Bin nodded in agreement and handed the letter to the Zhengtong Emperor. The Zhengtong Emperor took the letter and smiled: "I don't know what good news this time. It would be best if the new Ning Bo can open up the trade route from the Central Plains to the Northwest again after returning to Beijing. The Northwest needs supplies."

As he said this, he opened the letter.

When he looked at the letter, his expression changed drastically, because it was not a letter from Xin Ningbo, nor a letter from a student, but a letter from the false emperor.

In other words, not only did the Pseudo-Emperor know everything they had planned, but he also used their communication channels to deliver the Pseudo-Emperor's letter. This was a kind of condescending contempt.

After reading the contents of the letter, Emperor Zhengtong was so angry that his eyes were about to burst. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails seemed to cut into his flesh.

"I will take care of your mother, wife and daughter!"

This sentence in the letter made the Zhengtong Emperor completely explode. He tore the letter to pieces in anger and roared, "This is too much!"

"Your Majesty~" Xu Bin said hurriedly, "What's in the letter? What happened?"

The Zhengtong Emperor gnashed his teeth and said, "The letter was written by the fake emperor. He challenged me in the letter. He said that I was the emperor called the gate, and even gave me a temple name, Mingbaozong!"

Xu Bin was horrified. He knew what this meant and did not dare to ask about the content of the letter. The fake emperor must have severely humiliated His Majesty in the letter.

"Your Majesty, don't worry about these verbal battles." Xu Bin advised.

The orthodox emperor's face turned blue and red. As a man, he could not protect his mother, wife and daughter. They all fell into the hands of the false emperor. He didn't know what kind of humiliation they would endure.

This is a great humiliation for him as a man!
"I'm going to tear him to pieces!" He bit his lips until they bled.

"Your Majesty, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, his old father, and his wife and children were captured by Xiang Yu. Think about what Emperor Gaozu did at that time?" Xu Bin continued to persuade, "Your Majesty, in the end, Emperor Gaozu of Han won the country."

The Zhengtong Emperor had been studying history books hard recently, so he naturally knew this passage, and his heart gradually calmed down.

"Mr. Xu, Chen Wang has been exposed." The Zhengtong Emperor said, "I think the Xinning Earl must have been arrested as well. Fortunately, we sent people to work independently, so we still have a chance."

Xu Bin encouraged: "Your Majesty, we still have the Junshan Society."

The Zhengtong Emperor took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Call Mr. Wu, let's discuss the matter of the new Ningbo together. If he is arrested, we need to re-plan our infiltration into Shaanxi and Gansu."

Xu Bin took the order and left.

……

In the capital city, the dusk deepened, and the afterglow of the sun fell squarely on the imperial palace.

Zhu Qizhen walked on the imperial road with a gloomy face.

The warm spring breeze should bring vitality and joy, but at this moment, it seems to be infected by the loneliness of this magnificent palace, becoming soft and slightly cool. Inside the palace walls, the flowers are in full bloom, but without the hustle and bustle of human voices, it seems particularly cold and lonely. The petals dance lightly in the wind and finally lie quietly on the bluestone slabs.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the well-arranged glazed tiles, casting mottled light and shadows, adding a touch of softness and sadness to this magnificent palace. The long corridors are deep, echoing with the sound of light footsteps, but seem even more empty; the pavilions and towers, under the reflection of the setting sun, have clear outlines, but reveal an indescribable loneliness and desolation.

Zhu Qizhen stepped on the petals on the ground, his eyes slowly swept over them, and he sighed in his heart: "I will be a lonely man in the end!"

Wang Zhi's last words would come to his mind from time to time. As an emperor, he suddenly realized that he was naive in the past. Since ancient times, which great ruler would be as indecisive as himself?

Before we knew it, we arrived at Kunning Palace.

The Demon Queen was wearing a tight outfit and was practicing swordplay. She was already quite good at it, with smooth moves and graceful postures. Flowers were flying and falling, and she really looked like a female knight.

"How's my training going?" The Demon Queen came over.

"Not bad." Zhu Qizhen sat in a chair drinking tea, not in a good mood.

The Demon Queen walked towards him, her long black hair swaying in the wind. When she was in front of Zhu Qizhen, she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned over. Her black hair fell and scattered on his chest, and her fragrance was alluring. Her mature and charming face was facing his. She held his face with her slender hands and said in a soft voice, "What's wrong? Tell me if you have something."

Zhu Qizhen looked at her beautiful and fair face and said, "There is something I haven't told you. Wang Zhi... passed away."

The Demon Queen was slightly stunned, with a flash of surprise in her eyes: "Lord Wang... is gone?"

"Yes, the old man wrote me a will before he passed away." Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly, "It made me depressed."

The Demon Queen heard this and sighed softly. She reached out and gently held him in her arms, saying faintly, "As an emperor, you must see through matters of life and death."

Zhu Qizhen leaned against her soft bosom and sighed in his heart: "It's not that I can't see through life and death, but how to be a real emperor. The meaning of the letter from old man Wang is not to trust anyone, and it is probably referring to you, the evil queen."

After a long silence, Zhu Qizhen stood up and said, "I just came to take a look. I'm leaving now."

This time the demon queen couldn't handle it anymore. She looked at him with her beautiful eyes and asked, "Don't you want dinner?"

Zhu Qizhen strode out and waved his hand: "No, there are still some memorials to be dealt with."

The witch queen looked at his receding back and was absent-minded for a moment. She always felt that the emperor seemed to have changed a little. Then, she shook her head to deny it. Perhaps it was because of the death of Lord Wang that made the emperor sad.

Zhu Qizhen actually had no memorials to deal with, so he returned to the Qianqing Palace and ordered Cao Jixiang to have the imperial kitchen prepare meals. Then, he picked up Wang Zhi's memorial and read it.

"What is an emperor? An emperor is a solitary person, with a temperament like the face of a child, which changes rapidly. No one can stop him from doing what he wants to do, no matter if he is a loyal minister or a capable general. In a moment, he can hold hands and talk about the friendship between the monarch and his subjects, and in the next moment, he can order someone to die without blinking. It does not mean that the emperor can change his orders from morning to night and do whatever he wants. In fact, the heart of the emperor is unpredictable. If you predict it right, you will die, and if you predict it wrong, you will also die."

Old Wang, is this the emperor in your heart?
(End of this chapter)