Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 319 It’s broken, I’ve become a fake!

After the morning court, Qianqing Palace.

Xiyao came in with hot tea and saw a white-haired old man snoring on a chair. She was shocked. It was the first time she saw someone sleeping in the Qianqing Palace.

"It's him!" When she got closer, she recognized the old man and was no longer surprised.

It turned out to be the chief official of this imperial examination, Hu Yi, who was over 80 years old and was specially brought from his hometown to preside over this examination. Now that the imperial examination has finally come to a successful conclusion, it must be that His Majesty has summoned him.

"Where is His Majesty?" Xiyao asked Cao Jixiang.

Cao Jixiang spoke in a very low voice, as if he was afraid of waking Hu Yi, and said, "Your Majesty just came and left in a hurry. Why are you here today? Aren't you going to the Hanlin Academy to be on duty?"

"Come later and prepare tea for His Majesty." Xiyao smiled.

"That's fine." Cao Jixiang complained, "When you're not here, the tea prepared by the palace maids doesn't suit your majesty's taste. You should teach them a lesson. You're a palace lady and a Hanlin now, you can't always serve tea."

Xiyao smiled slightly: "It should be."

As the two were chatting, Zhu Qizhen strode in. Xiyao hurriedly went up to him and bowed: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

"Is the female imperial scholar here to serve me tea?" Zhu Qizhen smiled and raised his hand. "Go and do your own thing. I'm not that pretentious. Don't listen to Cao Jixiang's nonsense."

He walked to the main hall, looked at Hu Yi who was still sleeping soundly, and said helplessly: "We have to wake him up, don't let him catch a cold here."

Xiyao stepped forward, bent down in front of Hu Yi, and called softly: "Mr. Hu~"

After calling a few times, Hu Yi still didn't wake up. Xiyao just grabbed his shoulders and shouted a little louder: "Mr. Hu~"

Hu Yi finally woke up, opened his eyes, yawned, and looked around: "Where is this?"

"Mr. Hu, this is the Qianqing Palace." Zhu Qizhen stepped forward.

"Oh, Your Majesty." Hu Yi came to his senses, "Forgive me for my impoliteness."

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said, "You are old now. I am sorry to trouble you and ask you to take on the post of Chief Justice. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Hu."

Hu Yi smiled and shook his head, his face excited: "It's not hard for me. If I'm still alive, I'll be the chief justice next time. Oh, I'm happy to see countless young people pouring into the court. This is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty."

"Okay, then you should stay in the capital and take good care of yourself." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile, "In the future, the imperial examination may not be held every three years."

Hu Yi was overjoyed: "Really? Then I have to live a few more years."

Zhu Qizhen moved a chair and sat opposite Hu Yi, chatting with the old minister for a long time. Finally, he gently patted Hu Yi on the shoulder and said, "I have another favor to ask of you. Go see Shang Lu. After all, he is also your disciple, right?"

Hu Yi looked gloomy and nodded slowly: "Okay, I will go and help Your Majesty persuade him."

"I won't force him, but he did a lot for me after all." Zhu Qizhen said, "I don't want him to leave with regrets."

Hu Yi's expression changed drastically: "Your Majesty, you... want to kill him?"

"I haven't decided yet." Zhu Qizhen smiled bitterly, "Mr. Hu, you should know a lot of things. It has been very difficult for me to get here. Now that the Ming Dynasty has such a situation, I will not let anyone destroy it."

Hu Yi sighed softly: "I understand!"

……

Watching Xiyao supporting Hu Yi away, Zhu Qizhen sighed with disappointment.

Of the old officials who supported his new policies after the Battle of Tumu, Hu Yi was the oldest one left. This old man was also very capable. In this era, he was over 80 years old and still so strong.

"I hope he can live a few more years to see the future of the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Qizhen sighed in his heart.

Xiyao supported Hu Yi as they walked on the imperial road. The spring sunshine fell on them, casting long shadows. Hu Yi glanced at the bright and charming Xiyao and said cheerfully, "Xiyao, if those guys in the Hanlin Academy bully you, just tell me."

"They don't dare!" Xiyao waved her fist, "I am not someone who can be bullied."

Hu Yi laughed loudly: "That's right, you are His Majesty's man."

"Mr. Hu~" Xiyao said shyly, "I am just a palace maid. What you said is ambiguous."

Hu Yi stamped his feet fiercely: "It's strange to say, why did His Majesty, that lecherous guy, let you go?"

Xiyao: “!!!”

She stared with round eyes and asked in surprise: "You... you dare to scold His Majesty?"

"What are you afraid of?" Hu Yi spread his hands. "When the new policy was implemented, I scolded him a lot. Don't worry, your majesty is a wise ruler and will not do anything to an old minister like me."

Xiyao was speechless: "Hey, you are sure that His Majesty will be defeated, you old fox."

"Hahaha, an old man who refuses to die is a thief." Hu Yi laughed comfortably, "Xiyao, have I seen you somewhere before? You look familiar."

Xiyao was slightly startled, murderous intent flashed in her eyes, and then she glared brightly: "Old man, you can't forget which beautiful girl, right? After all, there are not many who are as beautiful as me."

"Hahaha, yes, during those years when I traveled around the Ming Dynasty with Lord Wang, I saw many beautiful girls, especially in Jiangnan. Wow, the girls were so pretty." Hu Yi looked longing.

Xiyao rolled her eyes and said, "You are so dishonest."

Hu Yi sighed: "I'm old, my memory is declining, and I don't remember a lot of things."

Xiyao supported him and said as they walked: "I see you are still strong. How about I help you go to Feiyan Tower?"

"Hey, you're a grown-up girl, what are you thinking about?" Hu Yi glared at her.

Xiyao rolled her eyes again, feeling that she had met her match.

At this moment, in the Qianqing Palace.

Before Zhu Qizhen started reviewing the memorials, Li Bing, the Minister of Rites, came to pay his respects. He reported to the emperor the arrangements after the imperial examination. Zhu Qizhen nodded with satisfaction and changed the subject, saying, "The imperial examination is over. Next, you should prepare for the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ming Dynasty and send invitations to all the foreign kingdoms."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Bing bowed.

……

Jinyiwei, imperial prison.

In a warm room, a charcoal fire was burning. Hu Yi sat on a chair and glared at Shi Biao, the commander of the Jinyiwei: "Where's the wine? How can there be no wine when I host?"

"Mr. Hu, His Majesty said that you can't drink." Shi Biao said helplessly.

"Bullshit, how can you talk without drinking?" Hu Yi waved his hand, "Bring the wine up, if anything goes wrong, it's my fault."

Shi Biao had no choice but to order his subordinates to bring wine. Hu Yi was satisfied and waved his hand: "Please invite my guests. Hahaha, this is the first time I have invited guests in the imperial prison."

Shi Biao complained in a low voice: "Who said it wasn't true? You're still treating us Jinyiwei like waiters."

He went out and brought Hu Yi's guest up soon, who turned out to be Shang Lu. Shang Lu, who was wearing prisoner uniform, turned around and left immediately when he saw Hu Yi, who was sitting on a chair like a big boss.

"Catch him for me!" Hu Yi roared.

Two Jinyiwei pulled Shang Lu in and made him sit on a chair opposite Hu Yi. Hu Yi laughed loudly: "Shang Lu, there will be a day when you will fall into my hands, ha ha ha ha."

"What do you want to do?" Shang Lu asked speechlessly.

"I'm buying you a drink." Hu Yi spread his hands, "And by the way, I want to see how miserable you are now. Hahahaha, when I was drinking in Feiyan Tower, I talked about you with the young girls, so I came to see you." Shang Lu: "!!!"

He picked up the wine glass on the table, took a swig and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."

"Eat first, drink first." Hu Yi waved to Shi Biao and the others, and Shi Biao took the Jinyiwei out, leaving only the two of them in the room.

Although it was spring, the prison was still very cold. Shi Biao stood outside the door, lit a cigarette, and thought about what was going on inside. He didn't know if His Majesty's sending Hu Yi to see Shang Lu would get Shang Lu to tell him about the Junshan meeting.

He was smoking, and when he saw Ding Xiu coming over, he took out a cigarette and handed it to Ding Xiu. The two of them squatted in the corner, puffing away. Shi Biao glanced at him and asked, "Old Ding, have you found anything?"

"I have to send someone to Jiangnan." Ding Xiu said.

"What are you doing in Jiangnan?" Shi Biao was puzzled. "Did a case happen there? There are a lot of things going on in the capital. The death of Prince Run, the murder of Alena's concubines, the murder of the queen, none of them have been investigated yet. There is also the murder of Roujia in the guild hall. These are all of concern to your majesty."

Ding Xiu frowned and said, "I want to check someone's background. Maybe it's related to these cases."

"Who?" Shi Biao was shocked.

"Zhu Xiyao!" Ding Xiu said in a deep voice.

Shi Biao stood up suddenly, stared at Ding Xiu and asked, "She? No way? Then...what should Your Majesty do?"

Ding Xiu's eyes gleamed, "So I have to find out as soon as possible. I hope I am just making false suspicions. There shouldn't be any problems with His Majesty for the time being."

"Then hurry up." Shi Biao nodded, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "I will greet Cao Jixiang first, so that he can be on guard to prevent His Majesty from having any accidents."

"Yes, that's why I came to you." Ding Xiu said, "On the premise of protecting His Majesty's safety, don't alert the enemy."

Shi Biao patted him on the shoulder and said, "I won't ask about the specific details. The Junshan Society's affairs are giving me a headache. I don't want to be distracted. I'll leave the pursuit of the murderer to you."

The two men lit a cigarette and were smoking when they heard a quarrel in the room.

"You old bastard, take care of yourself! Who do you think you are to teach me a lesson?"

"I am your master, you traitor!"

"Mr. Bullshit!"

"Hey, I can't beat you to death."

With a bang, the door was thrown open and Shang Lu came out angrily. Hu Yi followed behind him and shouted, "Go to jail and wait to be beheaded."

Shi Biao went up to him with a confused look on his face and asked, "What's going on? His Majesty asked you to persuade him, why are you adding fuel to the fire?"

"I won't persuade him anymore. It won't work." Hu Yi jumped up and down. "Look, I'll see. You can use all the tortures of the Jinyiwei on him."

Shi Biao: “!!!”

He held his forehead in silence and said to Ding Xiu, "Send Mr. Hu back."

……

Qianqing Palace.

Shi Biao hurried to report to the emperor, but was stopped outside the palace by Cao Jixiang.

"His Majesty is summoning the five princes." Cao Jixiang said, "Wait here."

Shi Biao remembered that Ding Xiu suspected Zhu Xiyao, so he pulled Cao Jixiang aside and whispered what happened. Cao Jixiang was shocked after hearing it: "Could Xiyao be the murderer? How is this possible? She... is just a little girl."

"Ding Xiu has already sent people to her hometown in Jiangnan to check her background." Shi Biao whispered, "It is possible that Ding Xiu's suspicion is wrong, but you have to pay attention, what if it is."

Cao Jixiang's mind raced, and he was filled with fear: "She is your Majesty's tea-serving maid. If she does anything bad to your Majesty, it will be troublesome."

"So, from now on, you must ensure the safety of His Majesty's food and drink." Shi Biao said, "You can't alert me. She is a girl, and there must be some powerful people behind her."

Cao Jixiang took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, I have a way."

At this moment, inside the hall.

Zhu Qizhen looked at Zhu Qiuyu, Prince of Qin, Zhu Shanyan, Prince of Su, Zhu Huiyan, Prince of Min, Zhu Meigui, Prince of Jin, and Zhu Gongxi, Prince of Qin, who were kneeling on the ground.

"I have been to the Western Regions and I am back safely." Zhu Qizhen laughed coldly, "What are your feelings? Tell me."

The five princes looked at each other, and finally Zhu Qiyu spoke up: "I feel that my Zhu family's luck has run out."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and shook his head: "You are wrong. The Zhu family is in its heyday. With me here, the Ming Dynasty will become an unprecedentedly powerful empire, far surpassing the Han and Tang dynasties."

Zhu Qiyu sighed dejectedly: "So what? What does it have to do with us?"

"Of course it is related, because you are all descendants of the Zhu family." Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice.

Prince Su Zhu Shanyan raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, will you let us go?"

"You are not wrong." Zhu Qizhen spread his hands.

"We..." Zhu Qiyu was stunned.

Zhu Qizhen laughed out loud: "Oh, you are talking about the fake princes? They are all dead. I will announce to the world that they were beheaded. You are the real princes, and that matter has nothing to do with you."

"Really?" Prince Su Zhu Shanyan was overjoyed.

"Of course it's true." Zhu Qizhen stood in front of them, looking down at them, his voice suddenly turned cold, "You are still vassal kings, I will give you a larger territory, but if there are any fake vassal kings who emerge, they can only die."

Zhu Qiyu winked at the other four people, and the five of them knelt down quickly: "Your Majesty, we bow to thank you."

Zhu Qizhen's mouth flashed coldly, and he raised his hand: "Everyone, get up. There is one more thing. Soon it will be the celebration ceremony of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. At that time, you will meet guests from all over the world with me."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The five of them bowed together.

They also understood that the emperor needed them to stand at the ceremony. From then on, all the princes of the Zhu family acknowledged him as the emperor without any objection.

……

The next day, Fahai Temple, back mountain.

Xu Bin, dressed in monk's robes and carrying a food box, came into the cave and saw Emperor Zhengtong and Wu Xingdao playing chess.

"Your Majesty, I just received news that the court will hold a ceremony to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. All the princes of the Zhu family will attend." Xu Bin frowned and said, "The fake emperor will let the world know that he is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and will dispel the rumors about the fake emperor."

The chess piece in the Zhengtong Emperor's hand fell, his face pale: "In other words, from then on, I became a fake. Whether it is the court or the people, even the nations, they will all think that he is the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."

"Yes!" Wu Xingdao's face was gloomy, "This should be one of the reasons why he held such a grand ceremony."

The Zhengtong Emperor slammed the table and said, "What should I do?"

"It's not a big deal." Wu Xingdao smiled, "Your Majesty, you were burned to death in the first place. Holding a grand ceremony to set things right is very important to the false emperor, but it's not important to you anymore."

The orthodox emperor frowned, he always felt that it was not that simple.

(End of this chapter)