Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 332 Did Jiajing finally see the light?

"Sun Weixian went on a killing spree at the Sun residence?"

"It seems there really is someone in the Sun family who dares to participate in the prince's rebellion!"

When the news reached Lu Bing's ears, he immediately discerned the truth and couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration in his tone.

To wield the butcher's knife against one's own relatives requires not only ruthlessness but also the courage to bear the infamy.

But it does save some family members.

Otherwise, it's really possible to be eliminated by the Nine Clans Elimination Game.

After all, His Majesty would never let a former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard get away with being involved in a major case of a prince's rebellion.

Of course, Lu Bing could allow Sun Weixian to commit such a brutal act.

The key is to figure out the impending chaos in Southern Zhili and which other vassal kings harbor rebellious intentions.

So he timed it perfectly, and as soon as the other side finished, Lu Bing appeared in the backyard of the Sun residence.

Sun Weixian, covered in blood and still not having had time to wash himself, immediately knelt down upon seeing Lu Bing: "Commander, I am eternally grateful for your life-saving grace!"

Lu Bingxu helped him up and said directly, "Brother Defu, there's no need for such formalities. The matter of Southern Zhili is of great importance, and we still need your help!"

"Please follow me, Commander!"

When Sun Weixian raised the butcher's knife earlier, he showed no signs of being over fifty years old. But now he deliberately adopted a more aged demeanor, which shows that he is very sensible as the former commander.

Fortunately, he was quick on his feet, entered the study, activated the mechanism, and stepped into the secret room.

Wealthy families often had this kind of design, especially the Sun family, who were generations of imperial guards, and needed such a place to store secrets.

But Lu Bing, after entering, remained somewhat speechless.

The Sun family has been keeping Sun Weixian under house arrest for almost two years, don't they even want to move him to a different place?

I really won't change it.

Sun Weixian arrived at the secret compartment of the secret room with ease, and gently pressed a certain spot with his fingertip, and the mechanism was activated.

He casually picked up a stack of yellowed letters, glanced at them briefly, and handed them over: "These are confidential letters between various vassal states and all sorts of people. Please take a look, Commander!"

Sun Weicheng certainly couldn't have contacted the prince in his own name; he must have had someone else in touch. But the secret letter was preserved, which is more like a handle against him.

The reasons given were quite plausible.

Sun Weicheng also held a position in the Southern Garrison Command, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard did indeed have the function of monitoring local princes, so keeping the letters was also a work requirement.

Lu Bing solemnly accepted it.

The number of letters was alarming.

Sure enough, after opening a few envelopes and examining them closely, his face immediately darkened: "So many princely residences are keeping sorcerers..."

In fact, it was a common phenomenon for princes and nobles in the Ming Dynasty to recruit sorcerers, both to satisfy their personal superstitious needs and to refine elixirs for their own indulgence.

Back then, Prince Zhu Chenhao of Ning was predicted to rebel by sorcerers. "The sorcerers Li Ziran and Li Rifang falsely claimed that he had an unusual appearance and that there was an aura of an emperor in the southeast of (Nanchang) city." He believed this without a doubt and even piled up Yongle Tongbao coins in the warehouse, trying to create momentum for the uprising through the theory of destiny.

This is as if Zhu Di has possessed him.

The idea of ​​Zhu Di, who successfully rebelled, rebelling against his own descendants is rather abstract.

Logically, given the lessons learned from the past, the other vassal kings should no longer believe in sorcerers, but that's not the case.

Even today, sorcerers are still regarded as honored guests by various royal palaces.

Not only the King of Chu, who was previously suspected, but also the King of Jing, the King of Zhou, and the King of Lu were implicated.

Either the vassal king himself or his sons sought a better future.

They even brazenly inquired about destiny, auspicious omens, and so on.

Lu Bing initially observed carefully, but his pace quickened as he went on. Finally, he took a deep breath and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Is this casting a wide net?"

Is it really possible to cast a wide net for something like this?
But Sun Weicheng did exactly that.

Even more tragically, the vassal king actually took the bait.

Or rather, they were simply a group of uninhibited individuals.

For these princes, the "Great Ming Code" was long gone. Secular moral constraints had lost their effectiveness. Even the rites and regulations that the emperor had to follow were trampled underfoot and disregarded by the princes.

Therefore, many members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family committed acts of patricide, fratricide, murder of their younger brothers, disgrace of their mothers and grandmothers, and forced sexual relations—all sorts of despicable acts, with no limit to their culpability.

Oh, the Chu King Zhu Xianrong who was chosen by Haiyue before was actually killed by the eldest son of the Chu King's heir.

First, the Crown Prince of Chu tried to poison the King of Chu with poisoned wine, but failed. Later, the Crown Prince of Chu simply led a group of his entourage, first smashing the King of Chu's head with a bronze mace, and then having his confidants rush forward and beat the King of Chu to death.

This event is historically known as the "Chu Fan Palace Coup".

Such outrageous things were not uncommon. Lu Bing, having come from a princely family, was naturally well aware of them, which caused him great distress.

Compared to Prince Ning, who privately amassed troops and plundered money and grain, the actions of these vassal kings did not necessarily indicate any intention to rebel.

Ask a sorcerer or seek auspicious omens; it's quite possible that he's just bored with life, used to lording it over others in his own palace, and is using this overstepping of boundaries as a source of excitement.

'But His Majesty will absolutely not allow it!'

'But the emperor absolutely cannot tolerate these things...'

The two former commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, their eyes now fixed on the letter, reached the same conclusion.

Sun Weixian also served Emperor Jiajing.

Unlike his predecessor Wang Zuo and successor Lu Bing, he was purely a transitional figure.

Knowing full well that they would soon be replaced, they lacked loyalty and ambition.

While in office, he was busy confiscating property and making money, which made him feel more at ease and allowed him to see things more clearly.

The current emperor is the type who, no matter how loyal you are, will still be suspicious and constantly give you warnings. As for those who harbor ulterior motives and dare to test the waters, he will show them no mercy whatsoever.

'These letters cannot be handed over directly, or it will cause chaos throughout the land!'

Lu Bing made a decision in an instant, and also prioritized the issues: "If Southern Zhili doesn't descend into chaos, the vassal kings won't be able to cause trouble. The most urgent task is to suppress the mutiny!"

He looked at him intently and said, "Brother Defu, this rescue was entirely thanks to Mingwei's warning and his efforts. Now the safety of Southern Zhili rests in our hands. Let us not fail you!"

"How dare you!"

Sun Weixian stood solemnly, clasped his hands tightly, and said in a voice as firm as metal and stone: "My life was saved by the two of you, and I will do my utmost to protect the territory and its people!"

……

"Sun Weixian has been rescued!"

The situation in Nanjing was not yet completely stable, but the Imperial Guards' fast horses had already headed north to inform them of the success of the rescue operation.

Haiyue breathed a sigh of relief.

With Sun Weixian's cooperation, Lu Bing's actions in Southern Zhili, while not entirely unimpeded, at least gained some confidence.

While eradicating the threat is impossible, maintaining overall stability should not be a problem.

At present, with the decisive battle against Altan Khan in the north imminent, the cabinet's focus is largely on that area.

There is also something that is attracting attention from both the government and the public.

The eldest son, Zhu Zaiji, left the palace to establish his own residence, and the one-year period has come to an end.

The time has come for the emperor to test the students' knowledge and then appoint a crown prince, as promised in the past.

Many officials believed that this was just a formality.

Your Majesty has finally emerged from the shadow of the palace coup of years past; it is time to appoint a crown prince for the country.

Even Hai Rui had his own judgment.

He did not believe that the emperor was aware of the crown prince's role in the stability of the country, but rather that through his proactive lectures during this period, he sensed that the emperor was probably reassured about the eldest prince's temperament.

Zhu Zaiji's cowardice and fear were precisely seen as strengths by Jiajing.

And after a long period of contact and training, it was confirmed that the other party was not pretending, but was genuinely terrified of his father to the extreme.

In this way, even if the eldest son of the emperor is made crown prince, he will not pose any threat.

He could also completely overwhelm Hai Rui in a debate, leaving him speechless.

Zhu Houcong then prepared to make concessions on the issue of establishing an heir.

After all, he felt that he was in his prime and had many more years to live, and he couldn't possibly drag things out forever without establishing a crown prince.

Rather than risk any unforeseen changes in the future, it would be better to put this cowardly eldest son in power first.

Hai Rui felt deeply disappointed by this.

The selection of the crown prince was not based on the principle of primogeniture, nor on the judgment of wisdom; it was purely based on whether there was any threat.

Zhu Houcong never considered what would happen after his death, when the Ming Dynasty was handed over to a new emperor.
"What else can we do..."

"If the Crown Prince manages to live to that time in fear, he can either give up or stage a comeback!"

Haiyue had foreseen this situation long ago.

The more precarious a prince's life is as a crown prince, the more he will seek revenge after ascending the throne.

One form of "idleness" is completely disregarding national affairs and indulging one's own desires within the palace; Emperor Longqing was a typical example.

That's even considered good; the worst is another kind: a rebound.

These types of emperors are often ambitious and eager to achieve great things. They also want to handle political affairs and even aspire to be the greatest emperor of all time.

A prime example is Yang Guang.

If Yang Guang had only indulged in pleasure, he would never have been able to squander the wealth left by Yang Jian. Instead, he insisted on launching three wars against Goguryeo, which ultimately brought down the Sui Dynasty.

If Zhu Zaiji were to succeed to the throne, what would the future hold?

Haiyue didn't know, and didn't want to know.

He has other plans.

Therefore, on the surface, as a former Hanlin Academician and now the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he is extremely concerned about the matter of establishing a crown prince, and the actual appointment of a crown prince is indeed within his authority.

In reality, however, he calmly arranged government affairs, waiting for the day of test to arrive.

The subtle reactions of the courtiers, observed meticulously by the secret guards, were clearly heard by Zhu Houcong.

Some things cannot be sent.

This can be sent.

“Mingwei has always been loyal to me…”

Zhu Houcong was very satisfied.

Are you focusing too much on your younger brother and neglecting your older brother?

Compared to his younger brother Hai Rui, who was determined to be an advisor, the elder brother Hai Yue was a more sentimental person!
His loyalty to me has never wavered!
Compared to the secret guards who only work and don't eat grass, this one can be rewarded openly and secretly. Zhu Houcong even considered whether to let Haiyue enter the Imperial Study to teach the princes.

After all, Haiyue is getting older, and the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites is more than enough for her now, unlike when she was first appointed.

However, the thought was quickly suppressed.

It's best for the young and promising Iksimkai to stay away from the princes!
"A cowardly and useless eldest son, surrounded by a group of decrepit and pedantic scholars..."

"Then let's stand here!"

(End of this chapter)