Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 269: His Majesty is back, killing the false emperor and supporting His Majesty to ascend the throne
Early morning, Fengtian Palace.

Zhu Qizhen summoned the Ottoman Empire's envoys. The two most powerful empires in the world finally formed an alliance. Zhu Qizhen was looking forward to the huge space that would be brought by the alliance between the two empires.

After the court meeting, Zhu Qizhen summoned Reis, the Ottoman envoy, to the Qianqing Palace alone. He wanted to talk in detail about the current Ottoman Empire and their emperor.

Zhu Qizhen knew little about world history in his previous life. When he learned that the current Ottoman emperor was Fatih, he had some impression in his mind.

It was he who ordered the construction of Topkapi Palace, and it was based on his foundation that his great-grandson Suleiman the Magnificent established a vast empire spanning three continents.

Reis was very proud when he talked about their emperor, because their emperor was only in his twenties, younger than Zhu Qizhen, the Ming emperor. Zhu Qizhen smiled, as he remembered that Fatih seemed to have died young and didn't live many years.

"Your Majesty, I have come all the way to the Ming Dynasty and have witnessed the power of the Ming Dynasty." Reis bowed, "Especially the capital, which even surpasses our Istanbul."

Zhu Qizhen smiled secretly in his heart. It seemed that the expansion of the capital in recent years was still useful. At least it could deter these foreign envoys. He also asked the Ministry of Works to continue to expand the capital.

Beijing will become the world capital of the future.

"I will send a personal letter to your Majesty." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile, "I know his ambitions. Let him go west without worry. I will help him wipe out Timur, the White Sheep Dynasty and the Black Sheep Dynasty."

The White Sheep Dynasty and the Black Sheep Dynasty were located between the Ottoman Empire and the Timurid Empire in the Persian region. Today, the White Sheep Dynasty is also a threat to the Ottoman Empire.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Reis bowed.

Zhu Qizhen seemed very friendly and invited Reis to dinner. He needed to know more. Reis was also very curious about the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In his opinion, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman emperor were both very young and had the same ambitions.

……

After Leis left, Duke of Jing Chen Mao and Duke of Xia Yu Qian came to the palace together. They came to report the new round of rotation of the capital and some personnel changes in the army.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial and said, "Most of the generals have gone to the front. This is really a test for you. Hey, the commander of the imperial guards has been replaced by Marquis Wu'an?"

"Yes, the previous Commander Guo is old." Jingguogong Chen Mao reported, "He resigned three years ago."

Zhu Qizhen knew that the previous commander of the imperial guards was Guo Zong, who was also a descendant of a noble family and the grandson of Guo Xing, Marquis of Gongchang. Guo Xing was the third brother of Guo Ying, Marquis of Wuding.

"It's time for the old general to go back and enjoy his grandchildren." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "Just as you requested."

After the rotation of the capital was settled, he began to ask about the frontline, criticizing and asking: "Are the food supplies still sufficient? If the army continues to move westward, the battle line will be too long. We don't need to transfer food from the Ming Dynasty, right?"

Yu Qian nodded and reported: "Yes, we need to store more food in Chagatai territory, and also build a small arsenal on the spot to supply the Shenji Camp."

"Now that you're back, Old Yu, Duke Jing will feel more relaxed. I'll feel more relaxed when you two work together to plan and strategize." Zhu Qizhen laughed loudly.

Duke Chen Mao of Jing bowed and said, "I am old, so I will leave the burden of military affairs to Duke Xia."

Yu Qian glared at him unhappily: "I'm not young anymore."

"You guys discuss it, okay?" Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

He knew that Chen Mao wanted to resign, but he would not allow it now. The empire was growing bigger and bigger, and the Five Military Commandery also needed the two of them to check and balance each other.

"Has there been no memorial from the southeast recently?" Zhu Qizhen asked, deliberately changing the subject and not dwelling on it any further.

Yu Qian pondered for a while and said, "The southeast is now very stable. Zhang Lun led the Ming Invincible Fleet to roam the southeastern waters. Since he taught the Spanish a lesson last time, no one dares to provoke him now."

Chen Mao smiled and echoed: "He should not become a pirate."

"That won't happen." Zhu Qizhen smiled and waved his hand. "As the Tiger of the Empire, he still has to maintain his dignity. There are special people dealing with pirate matters."

Yu Qian complained in his heart, Your Majesty, you are so ruthless. Let Ning Rongrong and the others act as pirates, and with the cooperation of Zhang Lun's imperial fleet, aren't they truly invincible?
The emperor and his ministers discussed the matter for a while, and Chen Mao and Yu Qian withdrew. The two walked on the imperial road, facing the breeze, and Chen Mao sighed: "I am really pleased that the Ming Dynasty has come to this day. I never dared to think about it before."

Yu Qian also sighed: "Yes, not only did they wipe out the Japanese pirates, but they also made Japan too busy to take care of itself. They even marched into the Western Regions and expanded the territory. Emperor Taizong did not do this."

Chen Mao stopped and thought for a while before saying, "I heard there is a Junshan Society that is targeting Your Majesty. If I find out who they are, I will kill them first!"

"Duke Jing, Emperor Taizong has been very kind to your Chen family." Yu Qian asked with a low laugh, "Don't you care about the legend of the real emperor or the fake emperor?"

Duke Jing snorted coldly and spread his hands: "What is the real emperor? Wasn't the fake emperor burned to death? There is only one emperor now, sitting in the Qianqing Palace reviewing memorials. Your Majesty is diligent in government, comparable to Taizu."

Yu Qian: “!!!”

Shit, you think so? It doesn't sound wrong.

……

In a house in the north of the city.

The rabbit mask led a man into the yard, and the man was also wearing a mask, a new mask: the elephant mask. It looked like only a few servants were cleaning the yard, but in fact it was heavily guarded.

"When you become rich, you must remember me." Rabbit Mask said nonchalantly, "When you become rich, don't forget me."

They came to the door, but Deer Mask stopped them and said, "Newcomer, follow me in, Rabbit, you can go back."

Although Rabbit Mask was curious, he turned around and walked away without hesitation, muttering, "I couldn't ask for more. Who wants to get involved in your plan to kill all nine clans?"

The elephant mask followed the deer mask into a secret room. When he looked up and saw the man sitting on the chair in the secret room, he knelt down, took off his mask and bowed: "Your Majesty, is it really you?"

The one sitting on the chair was the Zhengtong Emperor. He was also very excited: "Duke of Qian, I didn't expect that the first noble I met would be you. At the critical moment, I still have to rely on my relatives."

The deer mask standing nearby had a strange look in his eyes.

Kneeling on the ground was Mu Bin, Duke of Qian, who was already in tears: "Your Majesty, you have suffered over the years."

"It's all over. I'm back now, right?" The Zhengtong Emperor smiled bitterly. "Although I can only live in this secret room, I dare not go out to see the current capital."

Mu Bin wiped his tears and said firmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry. With us, we will definitely help Your Majesty regain the throne."

"I'm waiting." The Zhengtong Emperor raised his hand, "My dear, please stand up and talk."

Mu Bin stood up and finally calmed down. He said, "Your Majesty, you have to continue to be patient and wait for the right time." "I endured it in Mobei, let alone now?" The Zhengtong Emperor frowned slightly, "It's just that I'm afraid of affecting you. The Duke of Qian has come to Beijing from the southwest. It seems that there are too few people in the court who want to help me."

Mu Bin gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, those bastards only cared about themselves and defected to the false emperor."

The orthodox emperor: “???”

Deer Mask: “???”

The orthodox emperor did not expect that all the civil and military officials in the court would remember him, the true emperor of the Zhu family. It turned out that there were really few. The Deer Mask was speechless to the Duke of Qian. You said everything, right?

"But don't worry, Your Majesty, we have already made plans," said Mu Bin.

Deer Mask gritted his teeth.

From now on, it is better to tell the Duke of Qian less about the Junshan Society. He should just do his job. Such a big mouth is prone to leaking secrets.

……

As the morning light breaks, Fahai Temple is immersed in a solemn atmosphere.

The temple is built on the mountain, with colorful forests and towering ancient trees. The mountain gate is majestic, the vermilion door is half-closed, and on both sides of the stone steps in front of the gate, white candles are swaying, paper money is dancing, and the air is filled with a faint sandalwood and sorrow.

Today, there is a grand ceremony in this temple to commemorate the soldiers who died on the front line.

As the melodious and heavy bells sounded in the distance, announcing the start of the memorial ceremony, a team of imperial guards in armor and orderly steps slowly walked into the temple. A huge sedan chair landed, and Zhu Qizhen, wearing a dragon robe, got off the sedan chair with a solemn face. For such an occasion, he had to be present in person.

In the temple, an altar has been set up in front of the main hall, on which are placed the spirit tablets of the fallen soldiers, each of which represents a life that was once alive. Around the altar, the monks chanted scriptures one after another. The deep and penetrating scriptures soothed the hearts of everyone present and prayed for the souls of the deceased heroes.

Zhu Qizhen stopped in front of the altar and slowly raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. His voice, although not loud, clearly penetrated everyone's heart:
"Alas! I hear the sound of drums and horns, which startle the sky; I see the shadows of flags, which dim the mountains and rivers. These are all our warriors who bravely take the lead, fighting with their lives to protect our country and our people. However, war is unpredictable, and once the warriors leave, they will never return. Their heroic spirits will remain forever in heaven and earth."

"My heart is pierced with grief, as if by a knife; all I see is blood and tears. The warriors of the past have now turned to dust; the heroes of the past have now become ghosts. However, their spirit of loyalty and bravery is as constant as the sun and the moon, and will always shine on our great Ming Dynasty."

"Today I have come to pay tribute to express my grief. May the souls of my warriors rest in peace in heaven; may their families receive my care to comfort their hearts. I will also remember these brave men and record them in history forever to inspire future generations.

Alas! Rest in peace, warriors, and live forever. My kingdom is secure because of you; my people are safe because of you. May the heaven and earth bear witness to this, and the gods bless us, and may our Ming Dynasty prosper forever! "

After reading the inscription, he personally stepped forward and offered incense to the spirits of the soldiers, bowing deeply every time he offered incense. Afterwards, the eunuch chief Cao Jixiang announced a series of relief measures in public, including providing food, cloth, silver and other necessities of life to the families of soldiers, as well as providing educational support to families with children to ensure that their offspring can have a good growth environment, in order to comfort the spirits of the heroes and also give the living people something to rely on.

At the end of the ceremony, Zhu Qizhen led all the people, whether they were civil and military officials or ordinary people, in observing a moment of silence. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, with only the sound of the wind and the grief in their hearts echoing.

Mu Bin, who was in the crowd, saw this scene and felt mixed emotions. He knew that the fake emperor was wise and popular. Both the court and the common people supported the fake emperor.

"He's good at buying people's hearts." He said coldly in his heart.

Not far from him, there was another person. When he saw the emperor on the altar, his face changed drastically.

……

After the memorial service, Zhu Qizhen went to the backyard Zen room to rest. He specifically asked for the Zen room where the Demon Queen rested every time she came to Fahai Zen Temple, and stood in front of the window, imagining what the Demon Queen did every time she came here.

It was normal for the Demon Queen to come to Fahai Temple as she believed in Buddhism. However, Zhu Qizhen always felt that there was something else, but the Jinyiwei secret guards had watched for so long and found nothing unusual.

"She hides it very well." Zhu Qizhen whispered to himself.

At this moment, he saw a familiar figure passing by in the yard outside the window and called out, "Yao Sanxiao."

The man turned out to be Xiyao's master Yao Sanxiao. Yao Sanxiao heard the shout, turned around, and then hurriedly stepped forward to bow: "Your Majesty, I am here to pay my respects. I didn't know your Majesty's face last time. Please forgive me."

"Did you see me just now?" Zhu Qizhen raised his hand.

"I just saw Your Majesty offering sacrifices." Yao Sanxiao said with a smile, "I was frightened."

It turned out that he was just in the audience, but although he was just a commoner, he was not shy in front of the emperor. Zhu Qizhen waved and smiled: "Come, it's fate that we meet, accompany me for tea."

Yao Sanxiao did not hesitate to walk into the meditation room and sat down opposite Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen asked with a smile: "Did you teach Xiyao that massage technique?"

"Yes." Yao Sanxiao nodded, "I can also make tea. Your Majesty, please try it later."

Zhu Qizhen smiled as he watched him slowly brewing tea and continued to ask, "Xiyao praised you as a miracle doctor."

Yao Sanxiao smiled slightly, his eyes clear, "That's not flattery. I think my medical skills are not inferior to those of Academician Tan from the Imperial Hospital. For example, I can see that Your Majesty... in Taoist terms, there is something wrong with your soul, but it is being restored to perfection."

Zhu Qizhen was secretly shocked. Damn, this guy really has some skills.

"Your Majesty, have some tea." Yao Sanxiao placed the teacup in front of Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen picked it up, took a sip, and his eyes sparkled instantly: "Not bad, it leaves a lingering fragrance in your mouth. Xiyao must have learned the method of brewing tea from you."

"That girl also has some talent." Yao Sanxiao said.

Zhu Qizhen put down his teacup and asked, "Your skills are quite mixed. Who is your master?"

Yao Sanxiao's eyes flashed with pride, and he said, "Your Majesty should also know my master. He is the state teacher during the reign of Emperor Taizong, Master Daoyan."

Holy shit, Yao Guangxiao? Is that the evil monk?

Zhu Qizhen was shocked again, but his expression remained calm: "So you are Yao Guangxiao's disciple. That doesn't make sense. Yao Guangxiao is well versed in Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Did you learn medicine from him?"

"No, no, no, my family has been practicing medicine for generations, and I learned medicine from my parents." Yao Sanxiao said, "It's a pity that I have no children, and I'm looking for a successor to what I've learned."

Zhu Qizhen's mouth flashed cunningly: "That's easy, there is a medical department in the university, you can go there to be a teacher, and you will definitely be able to find a proud disciple."

Yao Sanxiao was curious: "University? Is it the Shuntian University?"

(End of this chapter)