Emperor of the Red Chamber

Chapter 83 The Death of the Deposed Prince

The deceased is like a husband who does not want to leave day or night.

More than a year has passed and it is already December of the second year of Chengtai.

Since Emperor Chengtai ascended the throne, he has been very diligent and quite bold in his administration. After he spread the family into his own land, he instituted several new policies such as integrating officials and gentry as errands to pay grain, returning fire waste to the public, and raising honest silver.

The officials and gentry all worked together as servants to pay the rations. Even the gentry had to pay the rations and serve, but they could donate money to offset the corvee service.

Since the Ming Dynasty, officials and gentry with a rank of 10 or above will be exempted from land tax on a certain area and a certain number of servants. The officials and gentry have become a privileged class, and the court has transferred the harm caused by this privilege to ordinary people and exploited them. .

During the Wanli period, Zhang Juzheng reformed this and implemented the "Examination Method" and the "One Whip Method". However, with Zhang Juzheng's death, this reform was overturned.

Now Emperor Chengtai has integrated officials and gentry as errands to collect food.

Obviously, this new policy offends people and creates great resistance.

The officials and gentry are an important class in stabilizing society in this era. Once the officials and gentry are unstable, the political power will fluctuate.

Emperor Chengtai is now on the throne. With his iron fist, the officials and gentry dare to confront him. It is conceivable that once he passes away, the officials and gentry will inevitably slander him in various ways.

Fire consumption refers to the loss of broken silver when it is cast into silver ingots by adding fire, also known as consumption.

Money and grain were levied across the country, and the people were supposed to collect additional fire charges. Since the fire charges did not need to be handed over, local officials used the fire charges as an excuse to arbitrarily collect and embezzle money.

After the Huohu was returned to the public, the lessons were uniformly collected and kept in the vassal treasury. The local government no longer collected the Huohu on its own and provided honest silver as a salary subsidy.

The fire consumption was returned to the public and allocated to raise honest silver, which could not only increase the financial revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but also reduce the burden on the people, and also increase the salaries of foreign officials.

Although Emperor Chengtai had conflicts with Emperor Jing'an in the two years since he ascended the throne, the conflicts were not serious. Emperor Jing'an supported several of Emperor Chengtai's new policies.

In the second year of Chengtai, Emperor Chengtai also proposed to Emperor Jing'an to expand Yuanzhao Garden, and Emperor Jing'an also agreed.

……

……

It is already December of the second year of Chengtai.

A year ago, Jia Zhu and Li Wan of Rongguo Mansion gave birth to a son, named Jia Lan.

This year Emperor Chengtai also gave birth to a prince, but the prince died just after birth.

In August of this year, You gave birth to a son, who became Yuan Qingbai's first son. According to the royal system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was named Yuan Yanxiang. However, no murder occurred, and precautions were taken very well.

Yuan Yanxiang also became the first grandson of Emperor Chengtai.

There is some truth to the idea of ​​intergenerational marriage.

Emperor Jing'an loved his two grandsons Yuan Qingliang and Yuan Qingbai.
Since Yuan Yanxiang was born, Emperor Chengtai, the emperor's grandfather, even though he was very diligent in politics, has always looked at Yuan Yanxiang, which made You secretly happy, and Yuan Qingbai was also secretly happy, which was beneficial to his smooth succession to the throne.

On this day, Yuan Qingbai, who was already seventeen and about to turn eighteen, was on duty at the Spring Garden. Tao Quan suddenly found him and conveyed Emperor Jing'an's decree: "Sir Bai, the Supreme Emperor has asked you to escort him immediately. The Supreme Emperor and His Majesty are returning home." A trip to the palace.”

Yuan Qingbai was surprised: "What happened?"

Tao Quan whispered: "The deposed prince is very ill."

Yuan Qingbai nodded, not surprised.

Ever since the emperor's eldest son Yuan Sishao broke something big five years ago, he has been imprisoned in Xian'an Palace in the palace.

It has been banned for five years.

Although Yuan Sishao requested to see Emperor Jing'an many times during this period, they were all rejected. Emperor Chengtai did meet him, and recently there was news that he was ill, and his condition was not serious.

Yuan Qingbai led many palace guards and pro-military camp officers and soldiers to protect Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai from Dangchun Garden to the palace, and Yuan Qingliang also followed.

Yuan Qingbai followed him into Xian'an Palace and saw the abandoned prince Yuan Sishao lying on the bed. This was the first time Yuan Qingbai saw the deposed prince after five years.

Although the earth dragon burned the room warmly, Yuan Qingbai felt that this bedroom was cold and gloomy at this moment.

Five years ago, as the prince, Yuan Sishao, although he was already in his forties, did not look old, and he looked high-spirited and bright.

Now, five years later, the deposed prince has gray hair, pale complexion, and a lifeless appearance.

"Father!" Yuan Qingliang stepped forward and knelt down.

The deposed prince looked at Emperor Jing'an and was stunned for a while before his eyes filled with tears. He squeezed out his strength and shouted: "Father!"

Emperor Jing'an nodded: "I'm here!"

The deposed prince looked at Emperor Chengtai again, squeezed out his strength and shouted: "Your Majesty."

With the support of the eunuch, the deposed prince struggled to lean on the bedside and said to Emperor Jing'an: "Father, I'm sorry that I can't salute you now. I know that I was wrong. I am ashamed of my father and have nothing to do with you." Face to face the ancestors."

Emperor Jing'an's eyebrows trembled, and his eyes became sore.

The deposed prince said to Emperor Chengtai again: "I am deeply grateful to you for all the kindness you have received from the Holy One."

Emperor Chengtai looked sad.

The deposed prince looked at his eldest son, Yuan Qingliang, who was kneeling beside the bed: "Qingliang, you must respect your filial piety to the Emperor Qin's grandfather, and you must also serve your Majesty well!"

Yuan Qingbai looked solemn and filled with emotion.

Don't lean on the fence when you are alone. There is no limit to the country. It is easy to say goodbye but difficult to see others. The flowing water and falling flowers are gone in spring, and the world is in heaven and earth.

If the deposed prince hadn't ruined everything, if he had been patient and worked hard as the prince, he would be the emperor of Zhou Dynasty today.

But he did something smart when he was dying. In front of Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai, he did not complain, but felt guilty and grateful.

This will undoubtedly be beneficial to his reputation and his family.

On the contrary, it is disadvantageous.

……

……

In the middle of the night that day, the deposed prince died of illness in the bedroom of Xian'an Palace.

Outside the window, the cold night was deep and the cold wind was biting. Under the eaves, there was a palace lantern swaying in the cold night wind, making it look desolate.

After discussions between Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai, the deposed prince was posthumously named Prince Yizhong!
The princes granted by Emperor Jing'an all start with the word "righteousness".

The princes granted the title of Emperor Chengtai all start with the word "loyalty".

The deposed prince became the first and only prince to be named a prince by two emperors, Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai.

The reason why he was posthumously named Prince Yoshitaka.

Because he performed well before his death.

Emperor Yu Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai both knew that there were many discussions about the deposed prince among the people in the court, for the sake of the dignity of their two generations of emperors and the Zhou royal family, and also to cover up the truth in the history books.

In addition, Emperor Jing'an also wanted to do it for his beloved grandson Yuan Qingliang. In the future, Yuan Qingliang would be promoted to the throne of Prince Yizhong of his father. This throne was jointly granted by Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai. After Emperor Jing'an died, this throne was important to him. Yuan Qingliang can also be protected.

Emperor Chengtai also consecrated Yuan Qingliang's biological mother as the concubine of Prince Yizhong, who was supported by Yuan Qingliang. He deposed the remaining concubines of the prince and chose a place to live according to his own wishes, so that he could have enough food and clothing to live out his remaining years.

The deposed prince was buried according to the prince's rules, and the eldest son Yuan Qingliang Kejin was the son of the emperor.

(End of this chapter)