Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 314 Demon Queen: This is my last fight
In the guild hall, the window of a private room on the second floor suddenly opened.

Roujia stuck her head out of the window, her black hair flying in the wind. She didn't seem to be cold at all. She leaned against the window frame, biting her red lips tightly, and a layer of fine sweat beads appeared on her fair forehead.

At this moment, Xiyao happened to be passing by the street below and looked up to see Roujia. At this moment, Roujia's face changed drastically and she winked at Xiyao.

Xiyao was just wondering when she saw a big hand fall on Roujia's shoulder. Roujia's body tensed up instantly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and her red lips were almost bitten through, as if she was trying hard to restrain herself from making any sound.

However, she still winked at Xiyao, reminding her not to come in. But at this moment, the hand suddenly pulled, grabbed her long hair, and pulled her back to the room roughly, disappearing from sight.

At this moment, in the private room.

A curvaceous and charming figure was half-kneeling on the ground gracefully, with her long black hair falling softly like a waterfall, outlining her charming and exaggerated figure. It was none other than Roujia, with rosy cheeks and graceful demeanor.

She was only wearing a thin gauze undergarment, which was tightly attached to her body, outlining her tight outline. It was torn in several places, revealing large areas of snowy skin. She raised her delicate face slightly, with a faint smile hanging on the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were watery and charming, and she gazed at Zhu Qizhen affectionately and delicately.

"I will come again." Zhu Qizhen smiled.

"Sir, I'll take you there." Roujia stood up.

She quickly changed into a long green dress and led Zhu Qizhen out. She sent him to the door and watched him go away. Then, she looked around, looking for Xiyao.

However, Xiyao seemed to have left and never appeared again.

Zhu Qizhen did not return to the palace, but bought a sesame seed cake and ate it while walking towards Daming Trading Company. He seemed to have no interest in Roujia, but he wanted to get more real news about the Ning family from Roujia.

……

Ming Trading Company.

Zhu Qizhen walked in and saw Chao Xiaotian directing the moving of goods. Today's Daming Trading Company is already a global giant, with more than 30 fleets sailing freely on the sea.

The Ming Trading Company grew grain in America and shipped it to Southeast Asia and the West for sale. They also opened textile and cigarette factories in Southeast Asia and sold them to Ming and the West.

"Master." Chao Xiaotian ran towards Zhu Qizhen in surprise and said, "You haven't been here for a long time. I have a lot to tell you."

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands and said, "Let's go to Taibai Tower and talk while we drink."

Shaking his head towards Xiaotian, he said proudly, "No need, I have a chef even if I die, including Western chefs. Chef, do you want to eat steak?"

"Okay, let's do it on time." Zhu Qizhen laughed.

After a while, the master and the apprentice sat opposite each other and drank. After three cups of wine, Zhu Qizhen looked around and asked, "Where is Qi Shu?"

"She went back to her parents' home." A sad look flashed in Chao Xiaotian's eyes.

"Fighting again?" Zhu Qizhen asked.

Chao Xiaotian filled his glass with wine and said, "Master, that's the only thing between husband and wife. If they can live together, they can be saved. If they can't live together, they can be divorced. I won't force you now."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

I didn't expect Chao Xiaotian to be so sober and have modern ideas. He stopped trying to persuade her and raised his glass: "Come on, have a drink."

Chao Xiaotian began to introduce the situation of Daming Trading Company with a proud tone: "Master, our company is making a lot of money every year. I almost don't know how much money I have. Master, please give me some money as soon as possible."

Zhu Qizhen: “!!!”

You want to be the richest man in the world, can you be a little more ambitious? Are you still worried about not having enough money to spend?
"Master, according to what you said, our Ming Dynasty Trading Company can actually control some small countries in Southeast Asia." Chao Xiaotian said, "Plus the financial means of the court, they have no choice but to listen to us..."

Zhu Qizhen listened to his introduction and nodded from time to time.

This was exactly what he wanted to achieve, to use the Ming Trading Company and the court's output to monopolize global trade.

……

It was almost dusk when we came out of Daming Trading Company.

Walking down the street, I heard an arrogant voice behind me: "Get out of the way, the Royal Guards are investigating a case."

A group of Jinyiwei were escorting a group of prisoners. Someone on the street recognized one of the prisoners and exclaimed, "Isn't that Principal Shang? How did the Jinyiwei arrest him?"

Then, many people recognized Shang Lu.

"Yes, yes, it's Mr. Shang, and the ones behind him are his family members."

"Mr. Shang is the former Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Why...why was he arrested? This shouldn't happen. He is a good man."

"I heard that someone died in the back hill of the academy. He should be a student. Mr. Shang was arrested because of this."

"I've heard about this, too. Didn't they say that man went to the back mountain alone to collect herbs in the middle of winter? He accidentally fell to his death."

"It seems that there may be something we don't know. In the past few years, the Jinyiwei has not arrested people as arbitrarily as before."

"That's right. The Jinyiwei have arrested corrupt officials in recent years."

Zhu Qizhen listened to the discussion in the crowd and his eyes fell on Shang Lu who was walking away. Like the people, he couldn't understand what Shang Lu was doing.
When he returned to Kunning Palace, it was already dusk.

When the Demon Queen saw him coming in, she hurried over to him with an icy expression, "Why did you arrest Shang Lu? He is an old official. I cannot guarantee others, but Shang Lu is definitely a good official."

"Good officials?" Zhu Qizhen smiled, "Since when did the Jinyiwei arrest people and classify them into good officials and corrupt officials?"

The Demon Queen was furious: "You...you are making the ministers feel disappointed?"

"I am the one who is disappointed!" Zhu Qizhen sneered, "Over the years, I have been more diligent than Taizu and have devoted all my energy to the Ming Dynasty today. Which of those ministers did not live a good life with me? In the end, they betrayed me one by one. Do you think I can't lift the sword anymore?"

The emperor's power is like a prison.

The Queen felt a fierce murderous aura, which made her take a step back. She stared at Zhu Qizhen and said slowly, "Did Shang Lu betray you? What did he do? Are you going to put him in prison? Don't forget that when you came back from Tumu Fort, although he opposed you, he still supported your new policy."

"Didn't you teach me? There are no loyal and wise ministers." Zhu Qizhen said coldly.

"Okay, okay, your desire to be an emperor is growing stronger." The Demon Queen waved her hands angrily, "Then you can just wait to be alone!"

Zhu Qizhen walked inside angrily: "You don't have to worry about that."

After saying that, he sat down and yelled at Shuangxi: "What are you looking at? Why don't you bring the food over? Didn't you see that your wife is hungry from all the quarreling?"

The Demon Queen was still angry, but when she heard this, she burst out laughing.

……

Night falls.

The cold wind blew through the empty streets, bringing gusts of chill.

The red lanterns under the eaves swayed in the cold wind, casting mottled shadows. The bare branches of the trees along the road looked even more desolate under the cold moonlight.

Although there was no curfew, there were basically no pedestrians on the streets. Only the occasional night returnee would walk by in a hurry. He was wrapped tightly in a thick cotton-padded jacket, his head buried in his collar, and his steps were hurried, and his figure soon disappeared in the long alley.

A figure jumped into the hall. Judging from her figure, it was a woman with agile movements. She walked to a room with familiarity. The room was still lit by candlelight.

In the room, Roujia was reading a book. She rubbed her waist from time to time, where she felt a slight pain. She thought of the madness she had with Mr. Zhu during the day, and a blush appeared on her face.

crunch~
The door was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind blew in. Roujia was shocked: "Who?"

"It's me." A dark figure walked in.

When Roujia saw who was coming, she hurried forward, bowed, and was about to speak.

scold!
A knife had already stabbed into her heart, and before she could even scream, her mouth was covered by a hand.

scold!
Another knife, Roujia could no longer scream, looking at the man in black in front of her, the corner of her mouth twitched. The man in black smiled coldly: "Can't figure it out? Then I tell you, from now on, you don't need to contact the Ning family anymore."

Roujia slowly fell down and died.

……

At this moment, in Zhao Prison, in a spacious cell, a charcoal fire was burning, and there was a bed and a thick quilt inside. Shang Lu was sitting next to the brazier, holding a wine glass in his hand, and looked up at Shi Biao who was standing there and said, "Don't ask anything tonight, you won't get anything out of it. Go and prepare some dishes for me, I want to drink."

Shi Biao: “!!!”

You came to Jinyiwei to be the master? And you still want me to serve you?

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away." He looked very respectful, "Mr. Shang, what else do you need? Tell me all at once."

Shang Lu raised his eyes and said, "You can let your subordinates handle these trivial matters. Will you accompany me for a drink?"

Shi Biao held his forehead, gave his subordinates instructions, and then sat down opposite Shang Lu. He also filled Shang Lu's glass with wine and said, "Mr. Shang, I really can't understand why you joined Junshan Society?"

Shang Lu raised his glass and drank it all, saying, "You won't understand."

"Then explain it to me clearly." Shi Biao spread his hands.

"Even if I tell you, you won't understand." Shang Lu smiled.

Shi Biao scratched his head and said, "Mr. Shang, if you keep chatting like this, you'll get beaten."

"This is how I chatted with Your Majesty in the past." Shang Lu drank another glass.

Shi Biao: “…”

Facing such an old fox, he couldn't torture him casually. Otherwise, at the morning court tomorrow, a large number of court officials might come to protect him, and he would be covered in wounds and drowned in the impeachment memorials from the court officials.

"I'd like to offer you a toast." He raised his glass.

Soon, the subordinates brought three dishes. Shang Lu seemed very interested, drinking and eating small dishes, looking very happy. Shi Biao looked weird. Damn, you mistook Zhaoyu for Taibailou?
"Shi Biao, please leave now." Shang Lu climbed onto the bed dazed. "I'm going to sleep, you know? I haven't had a good night's sleep in years. Now that I'm in your prison, I can finally have a good night's sleep."

Shi Biao: “!!!”

You are insulting me, Zhaoyu.

……

Kunning Palace.

The Demon Queen raised her head leisurely, gazing at the quiet crescent moon in the night sky. The moonlight was like a silver thread, reflecting her otherworldly oval face, adding a touch of coolness and peerless beauty. Her eyes were like deep spring water, flashing with a faint chill. Her skin was as white as snow, delicate and smooth, with a natural pink in her whiteness, like dewdrops in the early morning, about to drip but not yet dripping.

Under the caress of the moonlight, her small red lips sparkled with an alluring luster, which aroused people's imagination. They couldn't help but want to open their teeth and taste the indescribable tenderness.

Her long, smooth black hair falls to her waist like a waterfall, and her waist is slender and can be held in one hand. She is wearing a flawless white dress with a few pink flowers embroidered on it, which highlights her otherworldly and fairy-like temperament, as if she is far away from the hustle and bustle and does not care about worldly affairs.

At this moment, she folded her hands lightly in front of her belly. Compared with her usual dignity and majesty, she looked more gentle and tender, like a fairy under the moon, quiet and beautiful.

"Your Majesty, it's time to rest." Shuangxi came forward.

"I can't sleep." The Demon Queen sighed softly, "Yang Shan, Zheng Hong, and Shang Lu have been arrested one after another. This is already very obvious. Haha, I have almost no one to use."

Shuangxi frowned slightly and said, "Isn't there Yu Qian? He is the Duke of Xia and is also trusted by His Majesty. In my opinion, the most important person is him."

"Yu Qian." The Demon Queen said calmly, "Even if the Emperor uses him, he will be careful. The one who has the least regard for the Zhu family is Yu Qian."

Shuangxi didn't understand and asked, "Then why did you choose..."

The Demon Queen spread her hands and said, "Because I have no choice."

Then, she smiled and sighed, "Forget it. This is my last effort. Whether I fail or succeed, I am free. Shang Lu, who is in prison right now, should be thinking the same thing. He is free and can have a good sleep now."

……

The next day.

After the small court meeting, Zhu Qizhen began to review memorials. The maid serving tea was not Xiyao. He smiled at Cao Jixiang and said, "Hey, I don't even know whether Xiyao will come now."

"Your Majesty, I was also caught off guard." Cao Jixiang said helplessly, "She came to me yesterday and told me that she would go to the university for four or five days. She left without caring whether I could arrange it or not."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and waved his hands: "You, just treat it as a disobedient daughter."

"That is truly a blessing for me." Cao Jixiang said with a smile.

Zhu Qizhen put down his teacup and asked, "I heard that you were the one who transferred Cao Qin to the Chagatai Province? Did you expect that he would be favored by Liu Dingzhi?"

"How could I have expected that? I just wanted him to stay away from the capital." Cao Jixiang was a little proud, "However, the boy worked hard and was favored by Lord Liu, and he even made contributions."

Zhu Qizhen handed him a memorial and said, "Liu Dingzhi also wants to recommend him to be a general to coordinate the military affairs of the entire Chagatai."

Cao Jixiang was overjoyed. After taking the memorial and reading it, he became a little worried: "Can that boy do it? After all, he is young. This matter requires an experienced general, right?"

"I think so too. It's not that I doubt Cao Qin's ability, but Chagatai needs an old general to take charge and stabilize the morale of the army." Zhu Qizhen frowned.

Cao Jixiang smiled and said, "The only suitable person to go to the court is either Duke Xia or Duke Zhong."

"No, there is someone more suitable." Zhu Qizhen raised his lips slightly, "That is Guo Deng who returned from the northern border. He hates staying in the capital the most."

As the two were chatting, Jinyiwei Zhenfu Envoy Ding Xiu asked for an audience. Cao Jixiang then left, and Ding Xiu hurried to the palace. After paying his respects, he looked solemn and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Roujia from the Chamber of Commerce... was killed last night."

"What?" Zhu Qizhen stood up suddenly, "Are you sure it's Roujia?"

Ding Xiu nodded affirmatively: "It was her. I went to examine the body. She was killed around midnight last night. She was stabbed in the heart. The method was very similar to... Alena's death."

Zhu Qizhen's heart trembled.

Could it be that he was targeting my woman? He had sex with Roujia yesterday, and she was killed at night? No, it must be a coincidence. One is in the palace and the other is in the folk. There is no connection between the two.

"Alena's case happened in the harem, so it's not convenient for you to investigate." Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice, "This case is in the capital, you Jinyiwei must find the murderer for me."

Ding Xiu bowed: "As ordered!"

……

Zhu Qizhen was still a little upset after Roujia's death. He finished reviewing the memorials early, walked out of the Qianqing Palace, and took a walk in the harem. He had a habit of thinking while walking, so his brain was clearer.

In his opinion, Roujia, a woman, was from the Jianwen clan, so her death was probably related to this. As for himself, because he concealed his identity, the merchants in the guild hall only regarded him as a businessman doing business.

"Ding Xiu should know which direction to check." He muttered to himself.

Unconsciously, he arrived outside Kunning Palace. At this moment, a man happened to walk towards him. It was Guo Deng. He saw the emperor and hurriedly came up to pay his respects: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Please stand up." Zhu Qizhen raised his hand. "Did the Empress Dowager summon you?"

Guo Deng nodded and said, "Yes, it will be the anniversary of my great-grandfather's death in a few days. The Queen Mother summoned me to inquire about the situation."

His great-grandfather was Guo Ying, Marquis of Wuding, the adopted son trusted by Emperor Taizu. Zhu Qizhen was puzzled. Why did the empress dowager ask about this matter when they were relatives from decades ago?

"Marquis Wuding is a founding hero and should be taken seriously," said Zhu Qizhen.

"I am terrified." Guo Deng said helplessly, "We will take the sacrifice to our ancestors seriously. The Queen Mother's sudden concern really makes me confused. I have already reported to the Queen Mother. In the future, there is no need for her to worry about these trivial matters, so as not to occupy her mind."

Zhu Qizhen looked strange and asked, "Is this how you talk to the Queen Mother?"

Guo Deng nodded as a matter of course: "Yes, I always speak my mind."

"Well, just say it directly." Zhu Qizhen held his forehead with his hand.

Guo Deng bowed solemnly and left. Zhu Qizhen smiled, thinking that this old man was indeed not suitable to stay in the capital. His temper would offend many people.

He arrived at Kunning Palace and saw the empress dowager was angry. She was standing in front of the flower bed, plucking leaves with her hands: "Guo Deng, this old man, actually dared to contradict me."

Her pretty face turned red with anger. Zhu Qizhen watched with interest and raised his eyebrows and said, "Why are you so angry? You are the queen mother of a country, you have to be magnanimous."

The Queen lifted her skirt slightly, with a coquettish look on her face, and walked in front of him with an angry look on her face. She raised her bright and beautiful face gracefully, stared at the guy who said sarcastic words with her peach blossom eyes, wrinkled her nose slightly, and snorted coquettishly: "You issue an order to depose the general of that old man. This is the result of disrespecting me."

(End of this chapter)