Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 76: The Emperor is Trapped and Dies in Shaanxi (Please Read Further)

However, Zhu Youjian was not in a hurry to take any further drastic measures.

However, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was secretly spreading rumors among the people over the past two days that the tragic death of the person who filed a complaint with the emperor was the work of the Prince of Qin's mansion.

As someone who has been there.

Zhu Youjian knew all too well that public opinion needed time to ferment before it could have the greatest effect.

It's just a bit of a pity.

He doesn't have much time left; he'll have to take action in a few days.

Otherwise, we should allow public opinion to continue to be suppressed for a while longer, and then use some means to pull people back during that time.

When he finally sets it on fire, it will truly be a scene of dazzling splendor and blazing heat.

The man who filed a complaint with the emperor died tragically in the inn on the first day.

The people in the city still seemed to know everything about this matter.

Give the simplest example.

For example, when acquaintances meet on the street or bump into each other at a food stall.

Often, after their eyes meet, they will glance in the direction of the Prince of Qin's residence.

After all, they were members of the royal family, so no one said anything, but those who knew the details understood.

However, the speed at which public opinion spreads is always extremely astonishing.

Especially when the emperor is by their side, everyone will inevitably have endless topics to talk about.

Not to mention that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also involved in fueling this.

Therefore, on the second day.

Public opinion within the city has changed dramatically, with the focus now directed at the Qin King's residence.

The emperor was so good to us.

They came all the way from the capital to Shaanxi just so that ordinary people like us could have enough to eat.

Not only that.

His Majesty also upholds justice for us; even those from the royal family who break the law are severely punished by His Majesty.

But the Prince of Qin's mansion actually killed the person who had filed the complaint in front of everyone?!

For the vast majority of ordinary people.

They wouldn't delve into how the Prince of Qin's mansion cruelly murdered the person who had filed the complaint with the emperor.

A little thought reveals that this task is extremely difficult to accomplish.

However, due to various reasons and the complexities of human nature, ordinary people are unlikely to delve into the intricacies of the matter.

Even if someone raises an objection, it will be instantly drowned out by the tide of discussion.

Not only that.

Following the tragic death of the person who filed the complaint with the emperor, many of the things that the Prince of Qin's mansion had done in the past were also exposed one by one.

Some of these claims are exaggerated, while others are entirely fabricated.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, all these actions spread among the people at an extremely rapid pace.

Everyone was waiting to see how the emperor would ultimately handle the matter.

Zhu Cunshu, who was in the Prince of Qin's residence, naturally heard about these things.

From his perspective at this moment.

It can be confirmed with an 80-90% certainty that this was the work of Qiao Yingjia and his gang of officials.

Because it is impossible for an emperor to destroy the Great Wall in such a way.

That being the case.

Whoever profits the most is the real mastermind behind it all.

The thought that he, the King of Qin, had been used as a target by those civil officials and lackeys made Zhu Cunshu so angry that he clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms.

He immediately retaliated in kind.

The servants of the Prince's mansion also began spreading rumors among the people:
Your Highness is innocent!

The prince usually stays at home and rarely leaves his palace. Where would he find the time to harm the people?

As for the so-called wicked servants of the Prince's mansion, that's even more absurd. In reality, it was all the work of a group of officials led by the governor who were secretly causing trouble. Otherwise, why would they have run off to another place overnight?
Their true purpose is to sow discord among the royal family and weaken the royal power in order to achieve their own ulterior motives and reap the benefits!
Public opinion is something that people tend to believe, regardless of who they are.

Therefore, with the intertwining of various forces, a turbulent situation arose in Xi'an.

But most of these varied rumors ultimately boil down to one central idea: the emperor is good, and everyone else is bad.

after all.

The emperor did indeed distribute land to everyone.

No matter what the emperor does, everyone will support him.

Even if the emperor glossed over the matter of the King of Qin, everyone would silently accept it.

Amidst undercurrents throughout Shaanxi Province.

The two secret letters that Qiao Yingjia sent finally arrived in the capital after several horses died from exhaustion during the 800-li express courier service.

Ever since.

The civil service officials gathered once again in that secluded courtyard.

After everyone had read the information, Huang Lijie was the first to speak.

"Unexpectedly, His Majesty would personally come to Shaanxi and stay there to begin working on stabilizing the situation in Shaanxi."

The crowd remained silent, and no one made any further surprising moves.

If they had heard that the emperor's destination was Shaanxi when he first embarked on his tour, they would have been utterly astonished.

But now.

Their informants along the way had been sending them intelligence intermittently, so they were somewhat prepared.

After a pause, Shi Fenglai continued, "His Majesty's actions have rendered all our preparations futile, however..."

"Can Shaanxi really revitalize itself on its own?"

After the question was raised, an official who was familiar with Shaanxi affairs stepped forward.

"The drought that has lasted for years is beyond human control, and what is said in the letter is true."

"Moreover, I visited Shaanxi a few days ago. With the emperor acting this way, the grain reserves in various parts of Shaanxi will only last for a little over a month. When the time comes, there will inevitably be unrest throughout the province."

Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded slightly.

Although the emperor's stationing in Shaanxi caught everyone off guard, it was exactly what they wanted, wasn't it?
They can tell.

The emperor understood the crisis in Shaanxi and wanted to stabilize the area most likely to experience unrest first.

If Shaanxi can be stabilized, it will indeed further enhance the emperor's prestige, and the entire Shaanxi region will directly submit to his will.

But the problem is, it's impossible.

Now that the emperor is determined to stay in Shaanxi, they should naturally make the most of this golden opportunity.

After a pause, someone said, "In that case, why don't we do as Qiao Yingjia and the others suggested and join forces with the Shanxi merchants..."

"If their interests align, they will inevitably agree."

Someone immediately chimed in, "Sure, I'll go talk to their representatives in Beijing right now."

With that, the official hurriedly ran out the door.

About an hour later.

The official returned, beaming with joy, and said to the crowd, "We've reached an agreement with them; they don't want to get too involved in this matter."

"But if we give them 10% of the salt tax revenue from Jiangnan every two years, they are willing to block the emperor's carriage in Shaanxi, making it absolutely impossible for him to retreat from Shanxi."

The representatives of the prominent families in Jiangnan nodded, as the profits were originally intended for the families in Hebei.

Now that the emperor isn't going to Hebei, it doesn't matter who gets the throne anyway; all that matters is getting rid of the emperor.

After the decision was made, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The current emperor in Shaanxi can truly be described as a lonely figure.

It's impossible to transport grain from the mainland to there.

Once things descend into chaos in Shaanxi, there will be nowhere to run, making it a certain death situation.

However, despite everyone's relaxed demeanor, Huang Lijie and Li Guopu, both from Hebei, seemed hesitant to speak.

　Shaanxi is a crucial part of the main plot, so there's a lot of groundwork to lay, but I'll shamelessly ask everyone to keep reading!
　　The author will update more frequently after the book is published, which will greatly improve the reading experience for everyone.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)