Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 336 I wish I could dismiss myself!
Three days later.

At the Zhang family residence.

"Aqiu~"

"Aqiu~"

Zhang Yunxiu and his brothers were setting off fireworks in the courtyard when, just as they were about to light them, his nose suddenly started itching and he began to sneeze repeatedly.

"I'll come, I'll come."

Seeing that the gunpowder fuse was about to get wet, Zhang Jianxiu quickly took the incense stick.

His hands were very steady as he gently placed the incense stick on the fuse. With a "sizzle," a bright flame burst forth.

"Go back!"

Zhang Jianxiu shouted, and the brothers scattered throughout the courtyard like a swarm of bees.

Immediately afterwards, the fireworks exploded with a loud bang, and smoke and dust scattered everywhere, shooting straight into the sky like a rocket. The sky was quiet for a moment.

With a "bang," a dazzling firework burst open in the night sky.

"Fireworks are on! Fireworks are on!"

The children and women in the household cheered, and the brothers' faces beamed with smiles.

"Aqiu~"

Zhang Yunxiu sneezed again, noticing the strange looks from his brothers around him, and couldn't help but rub his nose.

"Recently, it seems like I've been having a run of bad luck."

Ever since the court meeting, his nose has been acting up, and he even wondered if he might have caught some kind of malignant disease from the envoys of the vassal state.

Fortunately, the medical level of Renmin Medical Hall has advanced by leaps and bounds. After consulting with Li Shizhen for examination and based on his own experience, it seemed to be at most allergic rhinitis.

But Zhang Jianxiu, standing to the side, gloated, "Lately, quite a few people are missing Shiyuan. He's sneezing all the time; I'm afraid that Japanese woman is thinking about him day and night."

The second elder brother, Zhang Sixiu, spent his days immersed in the editorial department of the Wanli Xinbao newspaper, and was familiar with all sorts of things, as he jokingly said.

"The news has spread throughout the capital, saying that the Japanese woman is as beautiful as a fairy and comes from a prestigious family. Although she is a foreign woman, she would be quite a different kind of pleasure as a concubine~"

Third Brother Zhang Maoxiu attended the court assembly that day and shook his head, saying...

"The woman was not particularly outstanding in appearance."

He changed the subject.

"However, he does have an extraordinary demeanor and has made considerable achievements in literature. I wonder if Shiyuan is interested in him."

Seeing that his brothers were enjoying the spectacle, the eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, spoke up and said something fair.

"We, as the older brothers, should not gloat."

He turned his head and looked very serious.

"Shiyuan, I have heard that Japanese women are known for their charm and ability to bewitch people. You are still young, so it is fine to make friends with them, but you must not let things go wrong."

"You can propose in a year. You must maintain your integrity; ruining your reputation would be a greater loss than a gain."

Zhang Yunxiu looked at his older brother speechlessly. His brother's words of comfort sounded more like a joke than a genuine attempt to comfort him!
The third brother, Zhang Maoxiu, stood aside, earnestly offering advice.

"Shiyuan, your brothers know you're a little resistant. It's really hard to accept that you've taken a woman from another race as your disciple out of nowhere."

However, this is His Majesty's order, and it is already known to the whole world. Under no circumstances should we act stubborn and refuse to see him.

Faced with his brothers' various words of advice and teasing, Zhang Yunxiu was somewhat speechless.

It's not that he was a paragon of virtue who could remain unmoved even with a woman in his lap, or that he simply didn't have that kind of need.

Who wouldn't want to be reborn and transmigrate to ancient society, reach the pinnacle of life, and live a happy yet monotonous decadent life?

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I simply can't!
Putting aside the age factor, let's talk about these Japanese women. The names of Yoshiko Kawashima and Yunko Nanzo are still fresh in our minds.

If he were like the lecherous pig in some later novels, he would have died countless times.

The Ming Dynasty needs Japan's silver now, and cooperation is needed. It would not be the right thing to do to break off relations rashly.

How to properly deal with the ambitious Hosokawa father and daughter requires careful consideration.

Unable to bear his brothers' constant teasing, Zhang Yunxiu pulled out his fourth brother, Zhang Jianxiu, poured him a pot of tea, and changed the subject by asking him a question.

"Has anything unusual happened in the city lately?"

Zhang Yunxiu, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, didn't actually do much work. Besides pleasing the emperor, he spent his days shuttling between the Western Hills and various research institutes. Almost all the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were left to Zhang Jianxiu.

During the Spring Festival in the capital, all officials were on holiday, but the Embroidered Uniform Guards were not allowed to take a break; instead, they had to work in shifts.

Zhang Jianxiu had drunk some wine, and with a tipsy look on his face, he smiled and said...

"Is Shiyuan afraid of the rumors in the capital? There's no need to worry. Your reputation is already bad enough. There are all sorts of rumors circulating about you. One or two more won't make a difference."

Zhang Yunxiu was speechless and said helplessly.

"It's not about these things. These days, with envoys from various countries visiting, has anything unusual happened in the capital? I'm just afraid that someone might try to take advantage of the situation."

Zhang Jianxiu thought for a moment, then said with a somewhat strange expression.

"Yes, there is, but it's nothing serious."

Zhang Yunxiu was speechless: "Does it exist or not?"

Zhang Jianxiu sighed helplessly and said, "It's nothing more than a matter concerning His Majesty."

He then briefly recounted the recent actions of the Wanli Emperor in the capital.

"Your Majesty purchased tens of thousands of goods in Xishan on New Year's Eve, as you should know, Shiyuan."

Or perhaps he wanted to make some money; the eunuch Zhang Cheng had been peddling goods extensively throughout the capital since the New Year.

"Selling goods?"

Zhang Yunxiu was speechless. He couldn't possibly be unaware that the Wanli Emperor had purchased a large quantity of goods, but he had been too busy lately to ask.

Now, it's hard not to chuckle at the thought.

Zhang Jianxiu said, "It seems they're not selling very well, and there have been some mishaps."

Zhang Yunxiu said helplessly, "It would be a miracle if we sold it. The year-end is over, and people should have already bought their New Year's goods."

Furthermore, Xishan is already discounted. With such a high price already set, who would be willing to buy from you if you were to raise the price?

The common people are honest and simple, not fools.

“That’s the problem,” Zhang Jianxiu sighed. “Zhang Cheng was eager to sell his goods, so he thought of imitating Xishan and organizing a promotional event. But in order to make money, he cheated on the weight and weight, and the eunuchs of the Eastern Depot forced him to buy and sell, causing a lot of trouble in the capital.”

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes: "How can the upright officials in the capital tolerate his arrogance and domineering attitude?"

Compared to their hatred for Zhang Juzheng and his son Zhang Yunxiu, the upright officials who spoke out against the eunuch faction were even more disgusted with them.

After all, Zhang Juzheng could still be considered a civil official, while those eunuchs were truly the emperor's loyal henchmen.

“These upright officials are now timid and afraid of trouble; how dare they interfere with Zhang Cheng?” Zhang Jianxiu asked with a complicated expression.

Zhang Yunxiu was speechless. In fact, his punishment of those upright officials and gentry had a side effect: the support base of many censors was destroyed. These people, under the "tyranny" of Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Yunxiu, did not even dare to do much impeachment.

With a sigh, Zhang Yunxiu said helplessly, "It looks like it'll be a trip for the two of us brothers."

Zhang Cheng has made a political mistake. With the Ming Dynasty about to open its seas and all nations coming to pay tribute, this kid is openly messing things up like this.

Even if he was a confidant of the Wanli Emperor, or had the emperor's decree, he would have died even if he didn't.

Before Zhang Yunxiu could plan how to punish the eunuch faction, Zhang Jianxiu reminded him.

"There's no need for us to take action. Someone has already leaked this information, and His Majesty is probably aware of it by now."

"Someone's here?" Zhang Yunxiu asked, puzzled. "Hai Gangfeng is back?"

“Hai Gangfeng hasn’t returned,” Zhang Jianxiu said, spreading his hands. “A Zhu Gangfeng has appeared in the capital.”

Zhang Yunxiu always felt that the name "Zhu Gangfeng" sounded like "Zhu Ganglie" (a character from a Chinese folktale).

Zhang Jianxiu said, "Zhang Cheng was forcibly buying and selling in the major markets of the capital, causing chaos everywhere. Many officials and clerks dared not speak out against him. Coincidentally, the Prince of Lu was traveling and encountered that group of eunuchs. He pretended to be an ordinary young master from a noble family and caught Zhang Cheng red-handed."

Presumably, they are already facing off before the emperor.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu was stunned and said in disbelief.

"The Prince of Lulu?"

Zhu Yiliu, the Prince of Lu, was the younger brother of the Wanli Emperor, born of the same mother.

Compared to the Wanli Emperor, who was strictly treated by Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Juzheng, Zhu Yiliu's childhood was one of pampering and care.

His royal status allowed him to enjoy wealth and honor, but he also did not feel the pressure of securing the throne.

Empress Dowager Li doted on and indulged him in every way, and Emperor Wanli naturally showed favor to his young brother as well.

As history has recorded, this pampering and indulgence fostered Zhu Yiliu's arrogant and spoiled nature.

Previously, the Shanxi merchants even intended to use Zhu Yiliu to deal with Zhang Yunxiu.

Zhang Yunxiu was naturally aware of this, after all, even the *Jingji Daily*, which rivaled the *Wanli Xinbao*, was also published under Zhu Yiliu's name. However, Zhu Yiliu did not appear to be a child easily manipulated; he was merely spoiled, not foolish.

Especially in the struggle between the Jiangnan gentry, Shanxi merchants and Xishan, Zhu Yiliu, the Prince of Lu, was initially placed in the eye of the storm, seemingly about to compete with Zhang Yunxiu.

But later he gradually realized what was going on and was frightened by some of the crazy actions of the Jiangnan gentry, so he became a coward.

For a prince of the Ming Dynasty, if he didn't have a keen sense of the court, he would surely die without even knowing how.

Therefore, Zhu Yiliu was almost never seen in Zhang Yunxiu's struggles with the Jiangnan gentry, and he even avoided cooperation with Shanxi merchants.

He changed from his previous unruly nature to becoming respectful and cautious.

On the carriage to the palace, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke.

"This kid knows how to play dumb to fool others. Wasn't he supposed to be keeping a low profile? Why is he starting to provoke the eunuch faction again?"

He couldn't help but feel a little helpless. This tactic of pretending to be an ordinary person and then revealing one's true identity to deceive others is the domain of time travelers. How come Prince Lu is so familiar with it?

Zhang Jianxiu said, "The Prince of Lu has completely changed his nature these days. He is fickle and unpredictable. At first, he was cautious and respectful, but later he often provided relief to the people. Recently, he has started to help His Majesty punish corrupt officials and has reported many ministers."

Zhang Yunxiu narrowed his eyes: "Is this how he keeps a low profile? He might as well be an arrogant and domineering prince."

A wise and capable feudal lord is clearly more threatening than a decadent and incompetent one.

Zhang Jianxiu then reminded him, "Shiyuan, you don't understand? Times have changed. The Prince of Lu's wisdom is nothing special. What the emperor fears most is that he can befriend the eunuch faction and form an alliance with us."

The two brothers chatted idly inside the carriage, and soon they arrived outside the Forbidden City.

The supervising eunuch Zhang Jing had been waiting there for some time. As soon as he saw the Zhang brothers, he immediately came forward to greet them.

"Oh! Commander Zhang! Assistant Commander Zhang! You two have finally arrived. His Majesty is furious and has specifically requested Commander Zhang to come."

Zhang Yunxiu squinted at the eunuch who seemed quite familiar with him and asked him a question.

"How much silver did you lose?"

“This…” Zhang Jing looked conflicted and pained. “Zhang Cheng has acted recklessly. All he could think about was making money for His Majesty. But now he hasn’t made any money. Instead, he has harmed many people in the capital and even dared to offend the Prince of Lu.”

Zhang Zhangwei is incredibly powerful; please help alleviate His Majesty's fury.

Zhang Cheng Zhang Cheng

He looked like he was in pain, but the way he was gesturing and dancing around made it seem more like a celebration.

This is understandable; if Zhang Cheng falls from power, the position of Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs will then fall to Zhang Jing.

Zhang Yunxiu, knowing the unspoken truth, spoke slowly.

"Hurry up and go to the palace."

Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty! I'm innocent!"

Zhang Cheng's pig-like screams echoed throughout the hall. Emperor Wanli sat upright in his chair, his face ashen as he looked at the other man.

"puff!"

"puff!"

"puff!"

The dull thuds of clubs pounding flesh echoed continuously, clearly indicating that the eunuch behind Zhang Cheng was using great force.

Emperor Wanli was still furious. He got up from his dragon throne, slowly walked up to Zhang Cheng, and kicked him again.

"You spineless wretch! I sent you out to earn money. If you hadn't earned any, I wouldn't have blamed you. But you harbored evil intentions and dared to harm the people."

Xishan is skilled at making money, but he also values ​​honest business practices. When you go out to do business, it's not just about your own reputation, but also about my reputation!
"If it weren't for my brother discovering it today, I would have been completely kept in the dark!"

"Hit me! Hit me hard!"

With a wave of his hand, the two eunuchs behind him dared not show any mercy and beat Zhang Cheng's buttocks with their breasts, as if they were afraid of not killing him.

Back on the dragon throne, Emperor Wanli, still not satisfied, said to Prince Lu: "Brother, over the years, how many people have cursed me? Whether they are upright officials or self-proclaimed ministers, they have all pointed their fingers at me and cursed me, and I have not been able to say anything against them."

But strangely enough, it has never been criticized by the people!

Today, Zhang Cheng has incurred the wrath of the masses, and even I cannot tolerate it.

For Emperor Wanli, he could disregard the gossip of his ministers, but he would always keep in mind the people's opinion of him.

Especially after the emergence of the Wanli Xinbao, the emperor had a bridge to communicate with ordinary people. Since the editorial department was subordinate to the royal family, the emperor could see all the letters it received.

Since the implementation of the new policies in Xishan, Wanli's prestige among the people has been rising day by day.

Whenever he read the words in the letter praising "His Majesty's wisdom" and "His new policies benefit the people," he felt even more delighted than if he had drunk the finest wine.

But at this critical juncture, Zhang Cheng dared to defy the wind and commit the despicable act of bullying men and women. What infuriated him even more was that this matter happened right under the nose of Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, which was tantamount to trampling his face into the mud.

Prince Zhu Yiliu of Lu hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is evident to all. This time, you were merely deceived by a villain. The people have clear eyes and will certainly not harbor resentment towards Your Majesty because of one or two mistakes."

The Wanli Emperor snorted and said, "The people are simple and honest. If you treat them sincerely, they will naturally support you."

But those upright officials who dared to speak out have always opposed me. They had only recently become more obedient, but now that Zhang Cheng has run into trouble, I'm afraid they'll seize the opportunity to stir up trouble again.

Zhu Yiliu became even more respectful: "Your Majesty need not worry. Justice resides in the hearts of the people. If those upright officials continue to distort the truth and make a fuss over nothing, they will get burned sooner or later."

Emperor Wanli glanced at the other party with some surprise, then smiled and said...

“Yi Liu, you’ve changed quite a bit these days. You used to be a big believer in Confucianism and its etiquette.”

Zhu Yiliu said sincerely, "Our Great Ming Dynasty governs the world with Confucianism, and your subject should naturally devote himself to studying it."

But I have only recently come to understand that Confucianism is ultimately a means of governing the country, and the foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty lies in putting the people first. This is all thanks to Your Majesty's daily teachings, which I dare not forget.”

A sense of unfamiliarity swept through the Wanli Emperor's heart, but he still encouraged him.

"I am very pleased that Yi Liu understands this principle. From now on, I will need your help to protect this Ming Dynasty."

"Your subject dares not!" Zhu Yiliu's body stiffened abruptly, and he hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects, his tone tinged with panic.

The Wanli Emperor narrowed his eyes, not continuing his words, but instead stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, speaking solemnly.

"The Ming Dynasty belongs to the Zhu family. Although you are not the eldest son, you should still shoulder some responsibility. From now on, I will give you the power of supervision. If you find any corrupt officials in the capital, you can execute them without reporting to the emperor."

Zhu Yiliu seemed about to decline, but the Wanli Emperor waved his hand and said, "The matter is settled then."

He glanced at Zhang Cheng, who was lying on the ground barely alive, and said coldly.

"You should go back now, and don't let such treacherous people have another chance to take advantage of you!"

Zhu Yiliu's lips moved, his expression a mixture of joy and fear, but he ultimately bowed and turned to leave the Qianqing Palace.

Just as they reached the palace gate, they bumped into Zhang Yunxiu, who was coming straight at them.

Zhang Yunxiu, dressed in a flying fish robe, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, much taller than Zhu Yiliu, and exuded an aura of oppression.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Lu!"

Zhu Yiliu was momentarily stunned, then a complex expression crossed his face, whether it was disdain or fear, he simply nodded slightly, his tone carrying a deliberate air of authority.

"Zhang Zhangwei, with the Lantern Festival approaching, I would like to trouble you to take good care of all matters inside and outside the capital. We must not let foreign nations laugh at us and tarnish the dignity of our Great Ming."

Zhang Yunxiu smiled slightly and said, "Please rest assured, Prince Lu."

After saying that, he looked up at the other person, his tone casual as if he were just praising them.

"It has been a long time since I last saw Your Highness. You look completely different from before, even more wise and powerful."

This was supposed to be a normal compliment, but Zhu Yiliu's body suddenly trembled.

He was initially annoyed.

"That's utter nonsense!"

Zhang Yunxiu didn't react either, just stared intently at the other person, his gaze like that of an eagle.

This made Zhu Yiliu extremely uncomfortable, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"The King has departed."

He hastily uttered those words and then quickened his pace to flee.

Zhang Yunxiu watched his slightly bloated figure disappear at the end of the palace road, then narrowed his eyes, looking thoughtful.

After a long while, he finally looked away.

He straightened his clothes and stepped into the Qianqing Palace.

As soon as I entered the door, I heard Wanli's tearful cries.

"Shiyuan! Shiyuan!"

"I am guilty! A full 100,000 taels of silver!"

"I wish I could be dismissed!"

(End of this chapter)