I really don't want to be a traitor

Chapter 540 Secret
Ming Dynasty, Prince’s Palace.

"My reputation is completely ruined."

Crown Prince Wanli sat slumped in the armchair, his face turned up to the sky, with no spirit in his eyes.

Dozens of intelligence reports were sent in from the provincial governments of the Ming Dynasty. Those ferocious eunuch governors were ordered to plunder the people's wealth in various places, almost to the point of digging three feet into the ground and leaving no grass behind.

But he did this kind of oppression of the people under the name of Crown Prince Wanli!
Therefore, the people of the Ming Dynasty do not hate Your Majesty, they only hate the Crown Prince.

"Don't worry, Your Highness." Chen Yiqin comforted him, "The people have suffered, but our new Ming army [Guan Ning Iron Cavalry] has been trained. This is a great achievement! Your Majesty will treat Your Highness differently in the future!"

"great merit?"

Prince Wanli looked at Chen Yiqin with disappointment.

"Even if Your Majesty appreciates it, what's the point if hundreds of millions of people in the Ming Dynasty resent me?"

"Moreover... do you really believe that it is possible for His Majesty and I to ease the relationship?"

Wanli's crime was not how many times he lost battles.

In order to improve his strength, Wanli awakened and integrated his previous life. After inheriting Xia Jie's powerful strength and quickly entering the Mahayana realm, he also completely severed his blood ties with Emperor Jiajing.

The royal family is inherently heartless.

What about Emperor Jiajing?
Chen Yiqin was speechless.

Gao Gong at the side said, "Your Majesty has promised first. If Your Highness completes the task, you can secure the position of the Crown Prince. It is worth it after all. As for the people's hearts, when Your Highness ascends the throne in the future, you only need to work hard to govern the country, and the people will be easy to please."

Chen Yiqin felt very embarrassed when he heard this.

The word "coax" fully reveals the cruelty of the power-seekers.

Compared with Gao Gong, Chen Yiqin was a more pure Confucian scholar and could not agree with this idea.

He was about to retort when he felt someone quietly pulling his sleeve.

Looking back, it turned out to be Zhang Juzheng.

"Mr. Gao is right." Zhang Juzheng said loudly, "To keep the position of Crown Prince, we just need to be patient and patient. Time is on our side."

Although his last sentence was cryptic, everyone present was shrewd.

Gao Gong was impatient and asked, "Taiyue, have you received any news?"

Zhang Juzheng frowned slightly, a look of displeasure flashing across his face.

As they were both ministers in the same dynasty, and both were lecturers in the Prince's Palace and important officials in the Cabinet, Gao Gong's attitude was a bit too high!
Among the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty, Yan Song was first, Xu Jie was second, and Gao Gong was the third.

"Indeed, there is news." Zhang Juzheng gathered his thoughts and turned to Prince Wanli and said, "Feng Bao has been in charge of contacting the person in the palace. He has just confirmed that your majesty has recovered from his injuries and has subdued the Divine Whip for his own use."

"what?!"

Wanli, Gao Gong, and Chen Yiqin all changed their expressions!

Because Feng Bao was a eunuch, these people were proud of their status and disdained to have close contact with eunuchs.

But Feng Bao was responsible for the intelligence exchanges between the Prince's Mansion and the palace, and was an extremely important person.

So, when several lecturers were trying to shirk their responsibilities, Zhang Juzheng easily took over the intelligence work in the Prince's Mansion and became the person with the closest relationship with Feng Bao in the mansion.

Whenever Feng Bao had any news, he would inform Zhang Juzheng immediately.

"Bastard!"

Gao Gong started cursing without caring that Crown Prince Wanli was present.

"Zhang Taiyue, did you drink too much yellow soup and lose your mind?"

"All this information of yours is of great benefit to His Majesty, but not to the Crown Prince!"

"What exactly are you up to? How dare you say that time is on our side?"

He wanted to curse more, but Chen Yiqin was a kind man and could not stand it anymore, so he stepped forward to dissuade Gao Gong.

"Master Gao, please be patient."

"Master Zhang is always calm and capable, and he would not speak without a purpose. I believe he has something else to say. Let's hear him continue."

Chen Yiqin turned around and faced Zhang Juzheng again.

"Don't keep me in suspense. Can't you just say it all at once?"

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng's face was covered with spit from Gao Gong.

He first took out a handkerchief and wiped his face clean, then glared at Gao Gong coldly and turned his back to him.

"Your Highness, I haven't finished what I want to say." "The person in the palace, tell Feng Bao a message."

"The reason why His Majesty's injuries healed so quickly, and he was even able to forcibly refine the Divine Whip, was because he was taking the [Nine Transformations Golden Pill]."

"real?!"

Crown Prince Wanli, Gao Gong, and Chen Yiqin were shocked when they heard this, but their expressions were different.

Gao Gong looked strange.

Chen Yiqin frowned.

Only Crown Prince Wanli couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Master Zhang is right."

"Time is indeed on my side."

"But I never thought that old fellow would dare to...dare to reveal such important information? Out of nowhere, he wants to join me again?"

There was silence.

The three lecturers were unsure about this question and didn't know how to answer it.

"Your Highness," Zhang Juzheng said softly, "The time has come. We should go to court. Yesterday, His Majesty ordered that no one is allowed to ask for leave during the court session today."

"Ah."

Prince Wanli nodded.

At this moment, he just felt high-spirited and full of fighting spirit, and his future was limitless!
"Three masters, follow me to court!"

……

…………

Officials of the Jiajing Dynasty were not used to attending court.

In particular, His Majesty has issued a decree that anyone who is qualified to attend the court meeting will not be allowed to ask for leave. This is the first time since His Majesty ascended the throne.

If you don't follow the rules normally, you're afraid of being asked to follow the rules suddenly.

During the Jiajing period, there were more than 1,200 officials who were qualified to attend court!
There was no one working in government offices at all levels as they all rushed to attend court. Some people had been officials for ten years, and this was their first time entering the palace except for the time when they passed the palace examination.

The Golden Palace couldn't accommodate so many people, so they all lined up in the square outside the palace.

The dragon throne was also taken out of the Golden Palace and placed outside.

At the front row of the court were Crown Prince Wanli, Chief Minister Yan Song, and Second Chief Minister Xu Jie.

Then came Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Chen Yiqin, Yan Shifan, as well as the ministers and left and right vice ministers of various ministries who had not yet entered the cabinet.

"Your Majesty has arrived."

"All officials kneel to welcome you!"

More than a thousand people, all well-trained, immediately knelt down in a huge crowd.

However, officials who often attended court found that the eunuch's voice today was very unfamiliar and did not sound like that of Eunuch Lu.

Personnel changes in the inner court are also a big deal!
Some people know Huang Jin, while others don’t, and their moods vary.

But when Emperor Jiajing sat on the dragon throne, everyone put aside their thoughts and pricked up their ears to listen to his teachings.

"I have nothing to do at the court meeting today."

When Emperor Jiajing opened his mouth, his first words made thousands of officials present feel depressed.

This is the Jiajing Dynasty!
Playing with power strategies has reached the point where it is deeply rooted in the bones.

The emperor's seemingly casual words cannot be believed in any word and must be carefully considered.

fine?

It's okay. You asked all officials above the fourth rank in Beijing to attend the court meeting. Do you like to watch the grand spectacle of more than a thousand people kowtowing?
"I just got a magical weapon called [God-beating Whip]."

"I don't know the power of this treasure, I want to ask a few ministers to try it out."

"Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Chen Yiqin, practice with me!"

"Oh, the prince is also attending court today?"

"The prince, come along too!"