Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 321 The fake becomes real, no one doubts it anymore

Zhu Qizhen was secretly shocked.

What do you mean Yao Guangxiao helped me? He and I are not from the same era. Besides, he is now a pile of bones.

"Tell me more about it." He blinked and pinched the Demon Queen's flexible waist.

The demon queen's eyes were a strange red, and her lips were even redder because of the remaining blood. She glared and said, "I've already said it all."

What did you say?

How did Yao Guangxiao help me? How did he plan it?
He must have had a purpose when he taught you that art. Does the death of the late emperor have anything to do with it?

You once blocked a knife for Emperor Taizong, so what happened there?

"Tell me quickly, or I'll kiss you." Zhu Qizhen held her beautiful face in his hands again.

The demon queen raised her head and blinked provocatively, as if to say come on. Zhu Qizhen bit her without hesitation and hugged her waist tightly with both hands.

After a long time, the Demon Queen felt that she was about to suffocate again, and her waist was about to break, but she couldn't move, so she could only moan: "Well... let... me go."

Zhu Qizhen let her go. She hooked her hands around his neck and leaned her head on his, foreheads touching. They seemed to be able to feel each other's breath as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Did you save Emperor Taizong back then?" Zhu Qizhen took the initiative to start the topic.

The Demon Queen raised her head slightly, and under her messy hair, her charming eyes were filled with pride: "Yes, I helped him block a knife. Originally, he should have looked down on a girl of my family background, but after that, he agreed to let the late emperor marry me."

"How did you and the late emperor know each other?" Zhu Qizhen asked curiously.

The demon queen lowered her eyes and glared, "We are like this, you want to hear my story with him?"

Zhu Qizhen shrugged: "I don't care."

"I care!" The Queen pushed him away and snorted, "You are very proud of conquering me, right? Do you men like to use women to prove something?"

She turned and strode away.

Zhu Qizhen looked at her from behind, his lips curled up slightly: "Sooner or later I will let you know what true conquest is, the kind that you can't stop wanting."

……

The spring is in full bloom.

The sun shines gently on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, shining with golden light, showing the solemnity and splendor of the imperial city. In the streets and alleys, willow trees sway gently and peach blossoms smile in the spring breeze.

As the Ming Dynasty celebrated its 90th anniversary, the festive atmosphere in the capital became more intense. Foreign envoys from all directions arrived one after another, carrying their own rare treasures and their admiration for the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, Li Bing, the Minister of Rites, dressed in a solemn court robe, sat high on a majestic horse, led the guard of honor, and slowly walked to the city gate, ready to welcome the delegation from Japan. His eyes passed through the bustling crowd and swept across the towering buildings, with indescribable pride and pride surging in his heart.

The capital of the world!
From the bustling streets to the solemn palaces, from the lively bazaars to the quiet alleys, every place shows the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. Li Bing had a proper smile on his face, and as the Japanese delegation slowly entered the city gate, drums and music sounded and salutes roared.

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen also read the memorial about the 90th anniversary celebration. Xiyao came up with hot tea and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, I have developed a new tea, please taste it."

"Wait a moment." Cao Jixiang approached with a smile, "Shang Gong, we still have to follow the rules."

He waved his hand and two eunuchs came up to taste the tea.

Everything the emperor eats and drinks must be tasted to prevent anyone from poisoning it. Xiyao smiled and said, "Eunuch Cao, I was negligent."

There was a fierce look in her eyes. After Cao Jixiang saw the two eunuchs tasting the food, he smiled and nodded: "Shang Gong, these are the rules of the palace. It's not that I don't trust you."

"It's my duty." Xiyao smiled slightly.

Zhu Qizhen then put down his pen, raised his head, and said, "There are many rules in the palace. I was annoyed at first, but later I figured it out. This system has been in place for more than a thousand years, so there must be a reason."

"Your Majesty is wise." Cao Jixiang bowed.

"Xiyao, is this the tea you made from the newly picked flowers?" Zhu Qizhen asked after taking a sip.

Xiyao smiled proudly, bright and charming: "Yes, Your Majesty, the flowers in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom this year, and I will pick more."

Zhu Qizhen chatted with them for a while, and a young eunuch came up to report: "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Zhenfushi Ding Xiu wants to see you."

"Announce." Zhu Qizhen put down the teacup, "Then all of you go down."

Cao Jixiang led the eunuchs and palace maids out, and Xiyao was the last one. Ding Xiu went up to the palace, passed by them, and his eyes stayed on Xiyao for a moment.

The moment she walked out of the gate, she heard the emperor ask, "Ding Xiu, I heard from Shi Biao that you sent people to Jiangnan? To secretly investigate the Japanese who sneaked in?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but he hasn't come back yet." Ding Xiu replied.

Xiyao did not stop and walked out of the palace, with a flash of surprise in her eyes. Cao Jixiang's eyes seemed to follow her all the time, and he came to her side and smiled: "Shang Gong, how do you feel about being in the Hanlin Academy?"

"Copying and writing is so boring." Xiyao smiled brightly, "That's why I come back to the harem more often."

Cao Jixiang sighed softly: "I still envy you. You hold official positions in both the former court and the harem. This is unique in the past thousand years."

He found it hard to believe that the murderer Ding Xiu suspected was the cute little girl in front of him.

……

The sun is shining and the capital is full of flowers.

Because of the Ming Dynasty's 90th anniversary celebration, more and more people flocked to the capital. For this reason, the number of patrol guards increased, and they shuttled through the streets and alleys to maintain order.

In the west of the city, there is a yard.

Hundreds of people in black stood in the yard, their eyes all fell on a woman in front of them. The woman wore a fox mask, had a graceful figure, and her hair fluttered in the breeze.

"It's your turn to take action. I hope you won't bring disgrace upon the reputation of your predecessors." The fox mask swept his eyes over, "The Six Servants of Tian Zhang, haha, it's been decades, everyone has forgotten them, but you shouldn't, because you are their descendants."

"Die for His Highness!" the men in black shouted in unison.

The fox mask nodded slowly and said in a deep voice: "Send a team to Jiangnan to eliminate the Jinyiwei who are investigating me and prevent them from returning to the capital."

There was murderous intent in her eyes.

These black-clad deadpools followed her ancestors for decades. Originally there were only six of them, but now there are hundreds of them. She has full confidence in these people.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness!" said the leading man in black.

The fox mask raised its arm and smashed down, and all the men in black disappeared in the yard.

……

Fahai Temple, with towering ancient trees and swaying green bamboos, adds a sense of tranquility and depth to this thousand-year-old temple. The sound of bells comes from deep in the temple, and every beat seems to cleanse the dust from people's hearts. In front of the incense burner, smoke is curling, and many foreigners, with awe and curiosity, hold incense in their hands, bow and pray devoutly.

In the meditation room behind the temple, a rat mask and a fox mask stand opposite each other.

"I should be suspected." said the fox mask.

Rat Mask snorted calmly: "Who told you to kill indiscriminately? You have a pig brain."

The fox mask chuckled and said, "Boss Rat, if I get caught, you'll lose a big helper."

Rat Mask was silent for a while, then asked, "So, what do you want from me?"

"Get rid of Cao Jixiang." The fox mask said coldly.

"Hahaha, just do it yourself." Rat Mask chuckled, "Aren't you good at killing?"

The fox mask had a smile in its eyes: "Boss Rat, getting rid of Cao Jixiang will benefit both you and me. Also, I feel like we don't have much time left. Don't you think the 90th anniversary celebration is an opportunity?"

Rat Mask was slightly startled.

"The real His Majesty presides over the ceremony, and that will be the true celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ming Dynasty." The fox mask said, "Otherwise, after the celebration, no one will doubt the fake emperor anymore."

Rat Mask shook his head: "Junshan will be in disarray now, the risk is too great."

"There will be no chance after that." said the fox mask.

Rat Mask was silent for a long time, then waved his hand: "Let me think about it, you can leave first."

The fox mask smiled faintly and turned away. The mouse mask slowly sat down on the chair, his beautiful eyes drooping, with a complex look in his eyes.

At this time, a young monk came out from the inner room, knelt in front of the rat mask, and bowed respectfully: "Mother, I think what the fox said just now is right. If we are late, we will have no chance."

The Rat Mask slowly took off the mask, revealing the Queen Mother of the Ming Dynasty. Her beautiful face was full of confusion, and she sighed, "There is only one person standing on our side now. If he fails, it will all be over."

"Mother, we have no other choice." The young monk bowed again.

He was naturally the legitimate emperor, because the people of Junshan Society were arrested one after another, and he couldn't wait any longer. The Queen Mother rubbed her brows and waved her hand: "You go back to the back mountain, I will think about it."

"Mother, please think twice." The orthodox emperor bowed again, "At the ceremony, the fake emperor will definitely make all the princes recognize him. From now on, no one will doubt him anymore."

The Queen Mother's eyes were sharp: "I know."

……

Chamber of Commerce, Guild Hall.

In a private room, Xiyao was reading a letter.

After reading the letter, she slammed the table with a cold light in her eyes: "Ning Rongrong, how dare you disobey me?"

It turned out that she was reading Ning Rongrong's letter. In the letter, Ning Rongrong almost explicitly expressed her suspicion about Roujia's death, suspecting that it was Xiyao who killed her.

"I need to mobilize the power of the Chamber of Commerce, and I need your consent?" Xiyao shouted coldly, "Who is the master among us? Don't forget the oath of your ancestors."

She was so angry that she started writing. As she was writing, she stopped and whispered to herself, "Ning Rongrong has become so powerful now that I can't control her. The fake emperor can't control her either. She has become an independent force in Japan."

dong dong dong~
There was a knock on the door, and a maid came in and bowed, "Your Highness, the Chamber of Commerce managers are here."

Xiyao was silent for a while, then said, "It's not convenient for me to come forward. From now on, you will take over Roujia's position in the affairs of the Beijing Chamber of Commerce."

"Yes!" the maid was overjoyed.

Xiyao stood up and ordered, "Write a letter to Ning Dajia and explain the situation here. Also, tell her that I want to mobilize some forces and ask her to obey my orders."

"Yes!" the maid nodded.

Xiyao walked up to her, patted her shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Caiwei, in my opinion, you are more capable than Roujia. Back then, it was the Ning family who chose Roujia, and I can't say much. After all, she has been in charge of the Chamber of Commerce for these years. However, I will take care of it myself from now on, and you will listen to me."

Caiwei nodded heavily: "Yes, sir!"

Xiyao nodded in satisfaction: "The alliance with Daming Trading Company must continue. Following them, our Chamber of Commerce can also make a fortune. As for the Ning family, all future decisions must be approved by me."

"The Ning family is far away in Japan, I'm afraid..." Caiwei hesitated.

Xiyao snorted, "Send some of the Six Heavenly Servants over there. Over the years, the Ning family has really become a big family. It's so big that I'm a little scared of it."

……

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen stood in front of a huge map of the Western Regions. Behind him were Yu Qian, Shi Heng and a group of other generals from the Five Military Commanderies, and of course the ministers of the cabinet.

"Where is Cao Qin?" he asked, looking at the map.

Yu Qian walked to the map and pointed to a place: "Huochan City, because the front line of the attack is too long, I guess the Timurid Empire also knows their target."

"Liu Ding's memorial also said the same thing." Zhu Qizhen smiled, "Yang Guifang also sent a memorial, saying that he would launch several attacks to contain the main force of the Timurid Empire in the Pamir Mountains."

Yu Qian stared at the map, pondered for a while and said, "As long as Cao Qin is fast enough, even if the main force of the Timurid Empire wants to return to Samarkand, it will be too late."

"From the current perspective, Cao Qin is quite fast." Shi Heng spread his hands and smiled, "He is even faster than Huo Qubing during the Han Dynasty. He is invincible all the way to the west."

Zhu Qizhen asked everyone to sit down and said, "Samarkand will be taken sooner or later. I am not worried about this at all. What I am thinking now is that if we take Samarkand, we will almost destroy the Timurid Empire. At that time, we will definitely set up another Timurid province, a province larger than Chagatai. All preparations must be made."

"Your Majesty, the cabinet is already drawing up a list of officials such as the provincial governor and the commander-in-chief." Xu Youzhen said, "However, this province is too large. I suggest that it is best to establish a vassal state."

Zhu Qizhen understood Xu Xuyouzhen's intention, which was to use vassal kings to manage the country. However, if these vassal kings of the Zhu family were released now, they might turn out to be troublesome.

"I do not agree with the establishment of vassal states," Li Bing said. "Then we can create a few more provinces and put them under the overall management of the imperial court."

Several cabinet ministers agreed with Li Bing's suggestion.

Zhu Qizhen pondered for a moment, unable to make a decision, so he asked them to go down and discuss it again, and each of them should submit a memorial. Whether it was to establish a vassal state or to divide a province, officials were needed.

The current situation is that there is a lack of officials like Liu Dingzhi.

"First, send the people on your list to Chagatai Province to learn from Liu Dingzhi," Zhu Qizhen said, "After that, when they arrive in Timur, they can start working right away."

Xu Youzhen nodded repeatedly: "Your Majesty is wise!"

After discussing the military affairs ahead, they began to discuss the 90th anniversary celebration, which was also extremely complicated. The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory had not had a good night's sleep for a long time.

However, everyone is excited and looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)