King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 637: The Importance of the Black Gauze Winged Good Crown

February 19, the 14th year of Zhengtong.

In Tongxin Hall of Prince Xiang's Mansion, Baochai has packed everything. She is going to the palace to pay her respects to the Queen.

The etiquette requires that the queen should visit her parents every morning and evening, but as one can imagine, the queen had too many people and this system could not be maintained. Therefore, Baochai, Yuanchun and Chen Zhi would enter the palace every few days.

As for the princesses of counties and lower-ranking ladies, they could enter the palace once or twice a month. Of course, most people could not even see him once.

At this moment, sitting on the chair behind her, Zhu Jinghong had already dressed and was frowning in thought.

The red round-collar robe with four dragons, the jade leather belt, and the winged cap, these attire representing the status of a prince, were what he would not wear most of the time, even when he entered the palace to meet the emperor.

"Are you really going today?"

Playing with the jade in his hand, Zhu Jinghong said calmly: "Go... If you don't go, things will be difficult to handle!"

"Then when do you plan to go to the Censorate?" Baochai asked again.

"Wait another hour. When the trial is halfway through, it will be almost done when I go!"

Baochai added: "You have to think carefully about how to deal with this!"

"Ok!"

During the past two days, Zhu Jinghong has been thinking about how to deal with the situation, and now he is confident about it.

"Then I won't wait for you... I'll go to the palace first to pay my respects to my mother, and then I'll make an appointment with a few ladies to appreciate the flowers when I come back!"

The ladies who were qualified to meet her were from the upper-middle class among the nobles, and their families were powerful in the military.

Of course, Baochai could also make an appointment with higher-ranking ladies, but doing so would indeed be too eye-catching, so she generally did not do so except during festivals.

"You go first!" Zhu Jinghong responded.

Soon Baochai finished packing and took a sedan chair to the palace.

The sedan chair entered Dong'an Gate, but had not been out for some time when a maid reported that there was a sedan chair from Prince Rui's palace ahead.

Today, Princess Chen Zhi of Prince Rui also went to the palace to see the Queen. At this moment, she also received a report from the servants saying that the sedan chair of Prince Xiang's mansion was behind.

The sedan chairs of the two princesses stopped outside Donghua Gate one after another. Chen Zhi did not rush into the palace, but waited for a while.

"Meet Sixth Sister-in-law!"

After Baochai got off the sedan chair, she took the initiative to come forward to greet him, and Chen Zhi hurried forward to support her.

Chen Zhi smiled and said, "There's no need to do that. If someone sees me... they'll say I'm acting like a sister-in-law!"

Holding Chen Zhi's sleeve, Baochai walked with her into the palace gate, saying as she walked, "Sister-in-law, you are kind to others. Everyone in the capital knows that. If anyone says bad things about you, they really deserve to go to hell!" Baochai acted indignant.

I'm afraid you're the one who says the most bad things about me...

Looking at the kind Baochai in front of her, Chen Zhi felt resentful in her heart.

"Being kind to others will inevitably make them jealous. To be frank... The Rui Palace is a large family with a lot of wealth, so it's inevitable that there will be some imperfections in the way it handles things. No matter if it's a student or an old friend or a servant, if there's a mistake, outsiders will have to blame your sixth brother!"

The Rui Wang Mansion is a wealthy and powerful place, and this is not an exaggeration.

After all, apart from the emperor and his wife, the most honorable families in the world are the Eastern Palace, the Ruiwang Palace and the Xiangwang Palace.

And what Chen Zhi said at this moment was to prepare for the failure of this struggle. As a last resort, the Rui Palace could only sacrifice Zhang Rulin.

During this process, the only thing the Rui Wang Mansion had to do was to put on a show and create the impression that they were trying their best to rescue Zhang Rulin but were unable to do so due to limited capabilities.

In the end, it was determined that Prince Rui's Mansion had little to do with the matter and shifted the officials' anger onto Zhu Jinghong.

"That's true... The palace is huge and has a lot of business, so we have to keep an eye on everything inside and outside. You and I are not saints, so we can't guarantee that we won't make mistakes!"

"To be honest, sister-in-law, I haven't had a good night's sleep since I became the princess..."

From what Baochai said, it seemed that she regretted becoming a princess. Chen Zhi just found it funny.

The one who truly regretted was Chen Zhi. Pushing Baochai to be chosen as the princess was the thing she regretted most in her life, even more than her own participation in the election for Princess Rui.

While Chen Zhi was thinking, Baochai continued, "Just last night...I was worried about some trivial matters in the mansion, and I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall asleep!"

Seeing Baochai's energetic appearance, Chen Zhi felt even more unhappy, because she really had insomnia for the past two days.

"Then you have to be more careful. Leave the small matters to your subordinates and take care of yourself!"

"Sister-in-law is right... No one wants to cause trouble, but trouble comes to you. Sometimes you can't avoid it even if you want to!"

This was very interesting. Chen Zhi smiled and replied, "Yes... For a family like ours, only we ourselves know the hardships we have gone through, so we should be considerate of each other!"

"Sister-in-law is absolutely right!"

The two families who were fighting each other were now talking to each other in harmony, both showing their sophistication.

As the two of them walked together into the depths of the Forbidden Palace, today's interrogation began again in the Censorate Yamen on the other side.

Zhang Rulin was full of fighting spirit. Just like the previous two days, he summoned the generals involved in the case to court, listed the evidence one by one, and then convicted them according to the law.

After the conviction is completed, it has to be reviewed. If the review is correct, it has to be presented to the emperor, and only then can the verdict be made.

All Zhang Rulin has done in the past few days is to complete the task of conviction.

Today's trial is completely completed. After finishing this, Zhang Rulin can retreat unscathed. At least he can reasonably avoid the following things, instead of doing it like this now.
He risked his life because he had no choice, not because he really liked it.

Finally, when the last captain refused to plead guilty, Zhang Rulin forcibly convicted the general based on the witnesses and evidence he had collected.

A total of more than twenty people were interrogated this time, and none of them signed or sealed their names. Zhang Rulin was risking his political life and even his life to handle the case.

Once the case is reversed, he will be doomed.

After trying the last person, he ordered everyone to be brought to the court and read out the charges against everyone.

Nearly thirty generals were standing upright in the hall at this moment, all looking coldly at Zhang Rulin and the jurors.

These people had all come out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Their cold and angry eyes were extremely oppressive, making Zhang Rulin, who was sitting in the hall, very uneasy.

In order to avoid further complications, it is of course better to close the case quickly and hand over the documents as soon as possible.

After adjusting his mindset, Zhang Rulin slammed the gavel, then picked up the document and prepared to read it.

But before he could open his mouth, they heard a noise coming from outside, so everyone turned around to look.

The generals present were delighted, but Zhang Rulin looked solemn.

"The prince is here..."

"I knew that Master Thirteen would not allow us to be framed..."

"Now that the prince has arrived, we will be saved..."

Upon learning that Zhu Jinghong had arrived, the officials from various ministries and agencies present all changed color, but none of them was as solemn as Zhang Rulin.

Although the Censorate was large, it was ordinary to Zhu Jinghong. He walked into the lobby of the yamen smoothly.

Inside the lobby, although Zhu Jinghong did not say a word, dozens of generals had already made way for him and saluted him deeply.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Everyone spoke in a loud voice. Zhu Jinghong's assumption was correct. Only by intervening at the last minute could he gain the greatest gratitude from everyone.

But at this moment, he did not ask everyone to stand up, and it could even be said that he ignored all the generals.

He walked into the gate and glanced at the officials present.

Led by the Vice Minister of War Wang Xiu, all the officials present stood up and saluted him according to etiquette.

"Greetings to Your Highness!"

Compared with the generals in the hall, these civil officials were undoubtedly much more reserved, and the only salute they gave was a bow.

"No need to be so polite, I came here today to apologize to the court!"

As soon as Zhu Jinghong finished speaking, Wang Xiu, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, walked around the desk, came to Zhu Jinghong and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, I really don't understand what you said!"

Pointing at the generals who were still kneeling on his left and right, Zhu Jinghong said, "I heard that they all violated military discipline in the northwest. If this is true... I am guilty of the same crime as them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Shoujun, who was convicted first, raised his head and said, "Master Thirteen, we were all wrongly accused. They found some bullshit evidence from somewhere and thought..."

"shut up!"

Zhu Jinghong's light words made the most rebellious Zhou Shoujun shut up, and he dared not say another word.

This scene made the officials present feel much more at ease. They were afraid that Zhu Jinghong would be "bewitched" and make a scene that would end badly.

"If you really have done something that is against the will of heaven and earth, and has damaged the reputation of the court and damaged the virtue of Your Majesty, you deserve to die ten thousand times..."

"If these things are all false, the court will clear your name. Why do you have to keep talking about it?"

Here, Zhu Jinghong used the word "if" twice in two sentences, which actually meant that he had denied Zhang Rulin's interrogation.

"Imperial Censor Zhang...is that right?" Zhu Jinghong asked with a smile.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Rulin mustered up his courage and said, "Your Highness, I am here to try the case by imperial decree. The evidence is irrefutable and there is absolutely no possibility of error!"

Nodding, Zhu Jinghong said, "Since Censor Zhang said they are indeed guilty, I, as the commander-in-chief that day, am also guilty of lax military discipline and poor supervision!"

"The Imperial Guards and the Beijing Camp were supposed to be the model for all the armies of the Ming Dynasty. Under my command, these evildoers emerged... who murdered, burned, and looted the people. This is all my fault!"

The imperial guards... since they are the emperor's personal guards, can they accept the presence of bad people? Can they accept these things being known to the world? Unless the emperor has no face left.

Zhu Jinghong's words were not actually meant for the officials present, but were meant to remind the emperor again to consider the overall situation.

The so-called overall situation is that no matter whether Zhang Rulin's accusation is true or false, the emperor's personal army must not be tainted.

When the generals present heard these words, those who had something to hide were very uneasy.

Even more people were indignant. As the emperor's personal troops, they had their own honor, and how could they accept this honor being trampled upon?

After Zhu Jinghong finished speaking, he took off the black gauze Yishan crown on his head and slowly walked in front of Zhang Rulin.

"I am the heir of the royal family and have been deeply educated by your majesty. But now I have committed such a heinous crime. How can I continue to enjoy the dignity of a king?"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong placed the crown and hat on Zhang Rulin's case, then looked around at everyone and said, "Please write my name in the transcript as well. I am willing to be tried with them!"

Ever since Zhu Jinghong took off the crown, the officials present had been petrified, and it was not until this moment that they came to their senses.

"Your Highness, they are guilty and it has nothing to do with you. Don't do this!" Wang Xiu spoke first.

As a prince, it may not be appropriate to say that there was no government office in the Ming Dynasty that could try him. His honor and disgrace all depended on the emperor's decision.

Zhu Jinghong took off his crown, which was a major event. It is no exaggeration to say that it caused a shock in the court.

"A prince who breaks the law is guilty of the same crime as a commoner... My crime is as heavy as Mount Tai, and the world will not be at peace unless I am punished!"

Princes who break the law are subject to the same punishment as common people. It is very funny to hear this from Zhu Jinghong, but the officials present could not laugh.

Not only Wang Xiu, but officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple also came forward to persuade him, trying every way to defend Zhu Jinghong.

Some courageous officials even picked up the black gauze winged hat and wanted to put it back on Zhu Jinghong.

This scene stunned the generals who were still kneeling on the ground. They really didn't expect it to be possible to play like this.

"Everyone...if they are guilty, then I am guilty. If they are not guilty, then I am innocent!"

At this point, Zhu Jinghong looked at the officials present, and then said in a deep voice: "I won't make it difficult for you. I won't go to the prison of the Ministry of Justice. I will return home now and wait for the court's decision!"

After putting the gauze hat back on Zhang Rulin's desk, Zhu Jinghong turned around and walked out of the hall. No matter how Wang Xiu and others tried to persuade him, they couldn't stop him.

Zhu Jinghong left like this, leaving only his black gauze winged hat quietly placed on the table in the lobby of the Censorate.
Upon learning of this situation, the bigwigs in the Censorate could no longer sit still, and several assistant censors and deputy censors-in-chief in the yamen came to the front hall.

After briefly understanding the reason, these people first scolded Zhang Rulin, and then tried to save the situation.

Wang Xiu and other jurors left with complicated expressions. They all had to report the situation to their superiors. After all, what was happening now was too serious.

Especially Wang Xiu, he is extremely anxious at the moment.

Tomorrow is February 20th, and the negotiations between the imperial court and Dzungar will begin. Zhu Jinghong is the appointed person in charge of the negotiations.

If he gives up now, he will miss out on this important military and national event.

It can be said that at the moment, the Censorate was in chaos inside and outside, and only the dozens of generals who had been convicted were all relaxed and watching the show.

Especially when Zhang Rulin was reprimanded by his superiors one after another, they felt extremely happy.

These people were all smart and understood Zhu Jinghong's intention at this moment. They knew that he was joining the game with his own body and tying himself to everyone else.

When one is prosperous, both are prosperous; when one is lost, both are harmed!
The generals and officers in the hall all understood this, but unfortunately they only understood this.

The trial had turned into this situation, and Zhang Rulin and several of his colleagues were panicked. They could only send these generals back to their original places and then consider how to deal with the aftermath.

About a moment later, the news reached Zhu Jingyuan, who was in Jixian Hall at the time.

According to his plan, he would return to Nanjing to seize power around mid-to-late March, as he did not have much time left in Beijing.

He has many old friends in the capital, so he wants to contact as many of them as possible, and Jixian Hall is a good place for communication. It is more convenient than the Prince Rui's Palace anyway.

When he learned the news, Zhu Jingyuan was asking several officials about the progress of the book revision. He was very happy to learn that the progress was very fast.

But when he learned what happened in the Censorate, the smile on his face disappeared.

"Old Thirteen...he actually came up with this trick, he's really smart!" Zhu Jingyuan just wanted to vomit blood.

Honestly speaking, Zhu Jinghong's methods were not very clever, but no one else was as shameless as him. He could even do such a thing as removing the crown.

Isn't he afraid of the old man getting angry? Zhu Jingyuan really wanted to ask this little brother in person.

While Zhu Jingyuan was thinking, an official beside him reminded him, "Your Highness, tomorrow we will negotiate peace with Dzungar. The emperor has entrusted your Highness Prince Xiang with this important task. If something unexpected happens today... I'm afraid something big will happen!"

They were all old hands in the officialdom. They were all very smart and grasped the key to the problem very keenly.

"Hmm..." Zhu Jingyuan nodded. He was already thinking about how to resolve the matter.

Although he could cut ties with Zhang Rulin, that was just for show to the world. The emperor would always think that it was Zhu Jingyuan's people who messed up the situation, causing it to get out of control and delay important matters.

Zhu Jingyuan thought further. He looked at everyone and said, "I'm afraid the East Palace also knows..."

(End of this chapter)