Jingtai Fengyun: The First Absurd Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 432
As a chess player who controls the overall situation, the focus should be on the thinking and planning of strategies and tactics.

So after issuing two edicts, Zhu Qiyu fell into silence.

Before lunch, Zhongzhi passed on to the cabinet.

Although it is said to be the central purpose, the content is extremely serious, and it can be seen from the tone that the emperor's will does not allow any refutation.

For Wang Wen and others, the good news is that this edict is so tough, which is obviously the emperor's style. It seems that the emperor still has the energy to deal with government affairs.

The bad side is that the emperor did not discuss with anyone about such a big matter as the abolition of the vassal's judicial privileges, and just issued the Zhongzhi.

Anyway, we should call a small court meeting, let's talk about it together.

Such an abrupt order, should everyone accept it or not?

To Wang Wen's surprise, the cabinet ministers did not discuss much, and immediately began to stand in line.

Wei Ji, Zhou Chen, Luo Tong, and Shen Yi acted the fastest and firmly supported the emperor's decision.The four of them have long had enough of those vassal kings who exploit the common people and do evil.

He Wenyuan and Jiang Yuan chose to support the emperor, but they were relatively calm.

Chen Xun, Yu Shiyue, and Shi Pu stood aside, silent.

As Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment and the censor of Zuodu, Wang Wen certainly did not dare to oppose this central purpose.As long as Wang Wen dared to say half a word, he would be sprayed by civil and military officials that day so that he could not take care of himself.

Civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty, from the capital to the local government, from ministers to county magistrates, no one would really like to see the feudal princes have the privileges of the judiciary.

It's all right for these feudal kings to rob people's daughters by force!It's okay to steal and plunder!

Merge farmland, no problem!It's okay to ignore human life!

Anyway, as long as you don't rebel, it doesn't matter what you do.

Your local officials wrote a letter to impeach the vassal, sorry, punish!

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were very smart, and if they couldn't solve the problem, they should solve the minister who raised the problem.

Civil and military officials, especially civil officials, dream of restricting the privileges of vassal kings.But since Taizu, no emperor has not favored the vassal king.

Over time, everyone will recognize it.

Today, however, the absurd Emperor Jingtai began to challenge the understanding of civil and military officials again.

Unexpectedly, there would be such an absurd and absurd emperor in Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that no one jumped out to object, Wang Wen asked Wei Ji: "Old Wei, shall we draw up a formal imperial edict?"

Wei Ji smiled and said: "This is a great thing that benefits the country and the people. You are the secretary of the Ministry of punishment and the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. It is appropriate for you to come here."

So several people got together, carefully considered every word and sentence, and slightly polished the original text of the imperial edict. Wang Wen wrote the imperial edict and drew up the imperial edict.

In the afternoon, it caused an uproar in the ruling and opposition parties.

This is a very clear signal: the suzerainty reform is about to kick off.

Chen Xiang, who was on duty at the Supervisor of Rituals, returned to Nangong ahead of schedule.

Chen Xiang made a very bold move: he took a large stack of edicts and memorials back to Nangong, and handed them to Emperor Gongrang for his own review, including the two edicts issued by the emperor today.

This is Chen Xiang's act of showing his loyalty to Emperor Gongrang, and it is also a test of the ruling and opposition parties.

Zhu Qizhen was very surprised by Chen Xiang's actions: "You just carried the memorial book back to Nangong? No one cares?"

Chen Xiang said with a smile: "Your Majesty is worrying too much, now who is the Supervisor of Rituals vying to curry favor with Nangong?

The emperor's four confidant eunuchs have all gone to Beijing for business. You can see the rest of the eunuchs: Ruan An, Ruan Lang, Ruan Rang, Wang Jin, Xing'an, Chen Mian, Ruan Xi, Cao Jixiang, plus the servants. .

Either they are all confidantes of the emperor, or they are neutrals who are wise and safe.

It's not that the slaves are talking nonsense, but now the emperor's words are more effective in the supervisor than the emperor. "

Zhu Qizhen shook his head: "This kind of situation can only show that my younger brother has completely emptied the Supervisor of Ceremonies. The Supervisor of Ceremonies now has no practical effect except to approve the red seal.

Even I can see this kind of thing. Today's courtiers are in charge of three parts of civil servants, forming a three-legged situation.

The six ministries controlled some of the key powers, the cabinet controlled some of the key powers, and then the Fengge Luantai invented by the younger brother formed a veritable Zhongshu Province. The civil servants in it were responsible for helping the younger brother to make suggestions and manage political affairs, and they had great power.

It is equivalent to saying that Sili Supervisor, Dongchang, and Jinyiwei have all been kicked out.

So don't look at the civil servants making a lot of noise, it's just making noise.

If you really want to propose to replace your younger brother and let me be restored, they will immediately be unhappy.

On the contrary, quite a few of the generals are facing me. "

"Emperor Shengming, you are still far-sighted, slaves are too short-sighted and complacent."

Chen Xiang hurriedly flattered her.

Thousands of wears, no flattery.

Zhu Qizhen remained calm on the face, took the topmost decree and flipped through it.

I don't know if I don't look at it, but I'm scared when I look at it.

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a long time before he asked: "Brother, what's the fuss, doesn't he know that his favorite concubines are all pregnant?

Assuming that half of his concubines had sons and half had daughters, the first batch alone would have five or six princes.

These princes will be princes in the future, and they will go to various places to establish feudal clans.

Did the younger brother's suzerainty reform improve his own family as well?

When the time comes for his son to kill a man in the feudal kingdom and forcibly rob a civilian girl, will he be punished according to the law? "

Chen Xiang replied: "It seems that today's emperor wants to be the Holy Lord of the ages. Besides, among the vassal kings of Ming Dynasty, there are also many virtuous kings. It's not that the law and crime are prohibited, so life can't go on."

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen frowned tightly.Zhu Qizhen was quite displeased with Chen Xiang's "reveal of true feelings", and asked coldly:

"Chen Xiang, I heard that you are Wang Jin's godson. And my younger brother was born in Wang Jin's family.

Could it be that Wang Jin, you, and Ruan Xi are all thinking of building plank roads in the open and keeping the warehouse in the dark? "

Although Zhu Qizhen reprimanded Xing'an when Xing'an expressed his doubts about Chen Xiang yesterday, but he still became more suspicious of Chen Xiang.

This is the difficulty of being the lord. His subordinates are providing all kinds of information in an attempt to influence the emperor.But who to listen to and who to believe is a test of the master's ability to discern.

Moreover, the emperor is not a god. From the perspective of hindsight, the emperor is often stupid.

For example, Zhu Qizhen blindly believed in Wang Zhen, and was cheated to death.For example, Jingtai in history believed in Xing'an, Zhu Qizhen's confidant, which is simply unbelievable. In the end, Jingtai was ruined by Xing'an.

Chen Xiang didn't say much, just knelt on the ground and kowtowed like garlic.

"Okay, stop knocking, you can kneel first, and I will deal with you after I read the memorial."

Stopping Chen Xiang, Zhu Qizhen took the second imperial decree, opened it and looked at it.

Seeing this decree, Zhu Qizhen's frown became tighter and tighter.

After a while, Zhu Qizhen smiled at Chen Xiang: "Get up, I blamed you."

Chen Xiang was confused: "My lord, didn't you just say that you want to teach your slaves a lesson?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "There is nothing to teach, I believe you. You look at this decree, my brother is going to demolish all the Buddhist temples in Xishan, and then drive away all the monks.

As far as I know, everyone in the palace, from the empress dowager and empress down to the maids and eunuchs, believes in Buddhism.

Wang Jinzhen knew that he was an extremely devout believer.

Look at my brother again, he doesn't believe in Buddhism, he doesn't believe in Buddhism, he doesn't believe in Confucianism, he doesn't believe in Confucianism, and he doesn't believe in Taoism.

There is no way for two people with violent conflicts of opinion to be together.It's not bad that my younger brother and Wang Jin didn't turn against each other.

What do you say, Chen Xiang? "

Chen Xiang quickly replied: "What the emperor said is that the slaves are also devout believers. The slaves have been saving money for a long time, thinking of donating a temple in Xishan when they are old, so that after death, there is also a place to be buried. .”

Thinking of his own childlessness and the loneliness and desolation of what happened behind him, Chen Xiang knelt on the ground and couldn't help crying.

When Zhu Qizhen saw a few words from himself, Chen Xiang burst into tears and cried, and felt guilty in his heart.Quickly comforted:

"That's all, that's all, I shouldn't suspect you. I'll give you three days off, go back and relax.

And that Gao Ping, you take this opportunity to get in touch and try to win him into my command as soon as possible. "

Chen Xiang kowtowed, got up and went out.

"Wait a minute."

Zhu Qizhen suddenly stopped Chen Xiang again.

Chen Xiang was puzzled, but still turned around and stood behind, waiting for orders.

Only Zhu Qizhen said with a smile: "Go and prepare, I want to turn over the brand."

"what?"

Chen Xiang was a little dazed. The last time he flopped the sign and made such a big fuss, why did he flop this time?

Zhu Qizhen explained: "Aren't my remaining fourteen concubines going to be demoted to ordinary court ladies? Before they are formally demoted, I will summon them again."

Chen Xiang was in a dilemma when he heard the words.But after thinking about it for a while, Chen Xiang figured it out, it was the emperor who forced him to submit the certificate.

Before the empress dowager and empress came to Nangong to reprimand them, the words were still in my ears, but now I dare to stand up to the wind, that would completely offend the empress dowager and empress to death.

Zhu Qizhen is not stupid, if I can go to other people's palaces to dig walls, then other people will naturally come to my palace and give me a way to treat them.

Therefore, Chen Xiang had to offend the dead empress dowager and queen before he dared to continue using him.

With no choice, Chen Xiang had no choice but to bite the bullet and arrange two concubines to serve the emperor's bed.

After working for more than half an hour, Chen Xiang just left the Chonghua Palace, ready to go back to the outer house.

(End of this chapter)