Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 65: The Emperor Actively Feeds Intelligence to the Censors (Please Read)

Liang Chu looked at the book in front of him, breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time sighed secretly.

"This Yang Xindu, he really backed down after all."

Liang Chu muttered inwardly.

"The master's illness never gets better."

After Zhu Houcong said this, he looked at Liang Chu and said, "Your cabinet should draft an edict and ask all officials in the country to find famous doctors among the people."

"Summon the famous doctors you have found to the capital, and have them work together with the imperial physicians to diagnose the Grand Master. If they are successful, I will reward them handsomely."

Liang Chu bowed and said yes.

Zhu Houcong knew that Yang Tinghe was highly respected by the people of the world.

Therefore, he believed that the bureaucrats and literati in the world would actively respond to Zhu Houcong's call and recommend famous doctors to Yang Tinghe.

In this way, Zhu Houcong used the name of treating Yang Tinghe to gather talented doctors from all over the country to the capital, and prepare for the subsequent improvement of medical standards.

Medical resources are also very important resources.

Zhu Houcong needed to control this resource in his own hands.

then.

Zhu Houcong then asked Liang Chu: "The Queen Mother wants to ask for 2,000 hectares of farmland for the two uncles. Does the Prime Minister really know about it?"

Liang Chu was stunned on the spot.

Liang Chu reacted quickly and nodded: "I understand. I think it is not possible."

"How can I go against the Queen Mother's wishes?"

Zhu Houcong said.

"Your Majesty! It is really inappropriate to grant your noble relatives any more farmland!"

Liang Chu suddenly stood up pretending to be excited.

Zhu Houcong waved his hand: "No need to say more."

"Go back."

"Yes!"

Zhu Houcong waved his hand.

Liang Chu left Qingning Palace.

That afternoon.

Zhu Houcong received a letter of advice from Meng Qi, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Revenue.

The content of the memorial was that he had recently heard that the empress dowager was going to ask the emperor for two thousand hectares of farmland for the two uncles-in-law, and he felt that the emperor could not agree to it. He said that doing so was not the right way to treat the relatives by marriage, but would harm these relatives and damage the reputation of the emperor. He also believed that the emperor should advise the empress dowager not to over-indulge the two uncles-in-law, which would harm the interests of the country and disappoint the expectations of the late emperor.

Zhu Houcong had to admit that Liang Chu was quite efficient.

"Tell the ladies beside the Queen Mother that I will come to Renshou Palace right now."

Zhu Houcong gave an order to the eunuch Mai Fu beside him.

That night.

After dinner, Zhu Houcong came to Empress Dowager Zhang in Renshou Palace, with an angry look on his face and holding Meng Qi's memorial.

When Empress Dowager Zhang saw that Zhu Houcong had a bad look on his face, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Queen, please take a look!"

"These civil officials are really well-informed. They knew things before I even knew them!"

As soon as Zhu Houcong arrived at Empress Dowager Zhang's place, he handed the book to her.

Empress Dowager Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, then said with a wry smile, "I can't read this. It's our ancestral precept that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs."

"That's it."

"Qin Wen, read it to me, and I will listen to it again."

"And the Queen Mother just overheard it by accident."

Zhu Houcong handed the notebook to the eunuch Qin Wen.

Qin Wen bowed and said yes, took the book and began to read.

The more Empress Dowager Zhang listened, the gloomier her expression became, and she glanced at the palace maids in her room.

"ridiculous!"

"This has never happened before. Civil servants from the outer court who want to improve their reputations should not frame others like this!"

"When did I ever say I wanted to ask for land for my two uncles?"

Empress Dowager Zhang sneered and said. Zhu Houcong said: "I am also very angry. This is a completely false thing, but it has spread all over the court. Even the Prime Minister mentioned this matter to me today and tried to dissuade me."

Empress Dowager Zhang was so anxious that she burst into tears and hurriedly said to Zhu Houcong: "Good boy, you must make the decision for your two uncles!"

"Don't worry, Queen."

"I will not sit idly by and watch. I will severely punish Meng Qi and exile him."

Zhu Houcong nodded solemnly.

Empress Dowager Zhang smiled with tears in her eyes and said, "That's good."

"But, having said that, this was also my negligence, which caused suspicion among the outside court and even spread rumors."

Zhu Houcong started talking again at this time.

Empress Dowager Zhang asked with a puzzled smile: "How can this be related to the emperor?"

"related!"

"As a matter of fact, I have been on the throne for so long, I should also show some grace to the two uncles to show my love for them."

"So, even the civil servants in the outer court have already thought so and started to make a fuss about it."

"But because I have been too busy these days, I have repeatedly postponed the matter of granting grace to the two uncles. Although I have always kept it in mind, I have never put it into practice."

"And if I had granted grace and determined grace earlier, the outer court would not be so suspicious."

After Zhu Houcong said this, Empress Dowager Zhang's eyes lit up and she was very happy, but she said:
"Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. We are all family, there is no such thing as grace or no grace."

"Besides, those people in the outer court are watching us so closely. It would be bad to show some mercy. I know how many ridicules and curses the previous emperors suffered for showing some mercy to your two uncles. How can I have the nerve to let you be cursed because of them now?"

"As long as I can express my feelings and prevent the two uncles from being wronged."

"What's wrong with getting scolded?"

"Besides, since I am the successor to the throne, I should treat all the royal relatives well, especially the two uncles. After all, the Queen Mother has made great contributions to my smooth succession to the throne. I have to consider the Queen Mother's face, even if it's not for the sake of the two uncles."

Zhu Houcong spoke with a smile.

Empress Dowager Zhang felt even more pleased after hearing this.

This forced her to admit that this nephew from Anlu was more considerate of her and her two uncles-in-law than her own son Zhengde.

And when he thought that after receiving such a memorial, Zhu Houcong did not question him first, but instead only blamed the civil officials, he was even more moved. He felt that this young emperor, whom he had only met for less than a month, was really reasonable and treated him with courtesy.

then.

Zhu Houcong added: "It's just that the Queen Mother said that considering the reputation of the Queen Mother and the reputation of the two uncles, although the grace must be granted, the method and manner must be considered."

"So, I thought of not granting land directly, so as to avoid the accusations from the outer court officials that this is to condone the relatives of the emperor to take away the people's food and the court's labor profits. Instead, I will directly convert the granted land into silver."

"I will also allow the two uncles to use the money to buy one of the imperial stores that I mentioned in my accession edict."

"Those royal stores are all stores with high profits and good locations. Keeping them can also be passed down to descendants, but it will not harm the interests of ordinary people. Moreover, they were purchased legally, so it cannot be considered as embezzlement of national and people's wealth."

"Besides, the officials in charge of the sale will probably not sell it seriously, but will just sell it at a low price. Then the two uncles of the emperor will buy it, and it won't be a waste of money to sell the imperial store left by the late emperor to those corrupt officials."

After Zhu Houcong said this, Empress Dowager Zhang nodded solemnly, and looked at Zhu Houcong with a touched face and said: "It is hard for the emperor to think so carefully. I thank you on behalf of your two uncles. Let them kowtow to you and apologize for privately complaining about your clearing the fields during this period of time."

"No need."

"But I'd like to ask the Queen Mother to talk to the two uncles. If they agree, let them choose the two imperial stores they want to buy."

"When the time comes, I will ask the cabinet to cooperate with the outer court. No matter how much the Prime Minister serves the country and the people, he will not let me not show the slightest grace to the two uncles."

Zhu Houcong said with a smile.

Empress Dowager Zhang smiled and nodded: "I will go and persuade them. If they still want more, even I think it's too much, and I will teach them a lesson first!"

"The Queen Mother is very righteous, I know that."

Zhu Houcong replied, and then said: "As for the relatives of the Xia family, the emperor's sister-in-law's mother's family, please ask the empress dowager to mediate and not give them land, but silver instead, so that they can choose the imperial store."

"it is good!"

Zhu Houcong left Renshou Palace not long after.

As soon as Zhu Houcong left, Empress Dowager Zhang frowned and asked, "Who leaked the news?"

"It may be that Eunuch Qiu leaked the news himself."

At this time, Xi Que, a trusted female official beside Empress Dowager Zhang, replied.

Empress Dowager Zhang asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because there is no mention of Eunuch Qiu in the memorial just now, I am afraid that Eunuch Qiu is colluding with people from the outer court to deliberately induce the queen to do something that will benefit those people from the outer court and improve their reputation, so that Eunuch Qiu can secretly reap the benefits."

The magpie replied.

Thanks to Arima Kaoru and Pineapple Bear for the tips

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(End of this chapter)