Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 77: Keep a low profile and avoid desires? Make money by joining forces!
The Hall of Mental Cultivation is not very famous today.

The main purpose of Emperor Jiajing building this palace was actually to make alchemy.

But the dining room is to the south of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so it is actually very convenient to live here.

The layout of the Hall of Mental Cultivation today is also different from that of later generations.

(The content of the pattern introduction is verified from Liu Ruoyu's "Zhuo Zhong Zhi")
Coming out of the Yuehua Gate on the southwest side of the Qianqing Palace, directly opposite is a gate called Zunyi.

Entering the gate, on the left is a row of north-facing rooms, which are now used by Zhu Changluo as the direct rooms of the eunuchs of the Silijian. In fact, Zhu Yijun used this row of houses as the direct rooms of the Silijian in his later years, all because of the good location of the Yangxin Hall.

This row of rooms faces the main gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Entering the gate, the first thing you see is three independent halls in the shape of a Chinese character "品". The west side hall is called Yide Pavilion, the east side hall is called Lurenzhai, and the main hall to the south is naturally the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The northern rear hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation has a central part called Hanchun Room, a eastern part called Longxi Pavilion, and a western part called Zhenxiang Pavilion.

To the south of the Zunyi Gate leading into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, there is another Kitchen Gate, which is the imperial kitchen of the palace.

There is an independent small courtyard to the south of the kitchen, in which the building is called Longdao Pavilion. It was built because Daojun wanted to worship the Three Pure Ones and he himself meditated and practiced Taoism here in his early years.

To the west of the dining room and Longdao Pavilion is an independent small palace garden called Xiangning Palace. The main hall in Xiangning Palace is called Wuliang Hall because it is made of bricks and stones without any wood. Its previous purpose was to make elixirs for the Taoist master.

Today, the purpose of the Hall of Mental Cultivation is naturally different.

Among those who were left behind, there were the Shu and Lu families among the royal vassals, five dukes, Guo Dacheng, Marquis of Wuding, Li Chenggong, Earl of Xiangcheng, and Wang Chengxun, Earl of Xinjian; and among the royal relatives, there were Li Wenquan, Marquis of Wuqing, Wang Dong, Earl of Yongnian, Wang Daoheng, the emperor's uncle, Gongchen, Marquis of the clan, and Wang Bing, the commander of the imperial family.

There were fifteen people in total, who gathered in Yidexuan, warming themselves by the fire, feeling confused and uneasy.

The emperor hasn't come yet.

"Hou Zongling, Wang Zongcao, and my uncle, please tell me something," asked the young Duke of England, Zhang Weixian. "Your Majesty has been talking to you for quite some time. Do you know what it is about?"

"...Duke of England, just wait." Hou Gongchen replied helplessly.

He thought to himself that this might be what His Majesty meant by “there are many things that will require your life.”

I didn't expect it to be so fast.

Xu Wenbi was highly respected, Zhu Dingchen was in even worse health, the Duke of Qian and the Duke of Wei's son did not dare to say much, and Marquis Wuding was completely confused.

Li Chenggong, the Earl of Xiangcheng, had inherited the title for eighteen years. He looked at the lineup of meritorious officials: the Duke was needless to say, and the ancestor of the Marquis of Wuding was one of the five great imperial relatives outside of the ordinary imperial relatives designated by Taizu. Apart from these, there were two earls among the meritorious officials, one was the commander-in-chief of the grain transport army, and he himself was the admiral of Caojiang...

The chief secretaries of the Shu Palace and the Chu Palace were just subordinate officials and could not say a word at the moment.

Just when everyone was confused, someone else came in from Zunyi Gate.

Everyone inevitably crowded to the door of Yidexuan.

The leader was Wang Zhizhen, who was in charge of the Jinyiwei, and behind him were ten people dressed in cotton or linen, who became even more uneasy when they came in and saw their group.

They were led into Lu Ren Zhai opposite.

"Who are those people?" Zhang Weixian didn't recognize them.

Xu Wenbi and Li Wenquan's expressions changed.

"Duke, do you know him? Lord Li, do you know him too?"

It was Zhang Weixian who asked the question again, but the two of them remained silent.

"...Wang...Admiral Wang..." Guo Dacheng's voice trembled a little.

He felt that Ti Shuai's appearance was not a good thing.

Little did they know that the atmosphere in Lu Ren Zhai was even more depressing.

How could they know that there would be so many royal relatives and relatives present when the emperor was meeting him?

"Zhizhen, what on earth is this..."

"Uncle, just wait for your call."

The person who can call Wang Zhizhen like this is naturally the current head of the Puzhou Wang family, Wang Xun, the son of Wang Chonggu's younger brother Wang Chongyi.

The head of the Puzhou Zhang family is Zhang Zhizheng, the son of Zhang Siwei's younger brother Zhang Sijiao.

Fan Yuanzhu, who was seen by Wei Yunzhong, Cheng Qinan, and Meng Xikong in Lu'an Guild Hall, was only the third most important person in the Shanxi Merchants in front of these two people. At 4:00 pm, Zhu Changluo arrived here.

As soon as the emperor was announced, everyone in Yidexuan and Lurenzhai came to the courtyard and knelt to welcome him.

"Flat body."

Zhu Changluo walked into the Palace of Tranquil Longevity without stopping.

Now the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation has been refurbished, with the warm rooms on the left and right sides filled with shelves and only a throne in the middle hall.

By the time Zhu Changluo sat down, the two sides in front had already been divided into two rows.

Wang Zhizhen knelt down first and said, "In compliance with your order, the heads of the ten Shanxi merchants have been brought here."

Zhu Changluo nodded: "You can leave now."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Wang Zhizhen just left like that, leaving behind ten big businessmen who were looked at strangely by the nobles and two chief secretaries of the royal palace.

Some of those who knew them were feeling uncertain; while those who didn't know them didn't understand what kind of summons this was.

Zhu Changluo first looked at the meritorious officials, with a faint smile on his face: "Duke Dingguo, Marquis Wuqing, which family are you old acquaintances with? The Wang family of Puzhou, or the Zhang family of Puzhou?"

Wuqing Marquis Li Wenquan was the first to feel weak in the knees: "Your Majesty... I... No, my father was acquainted with... the father of the Zhang family master..."

Zhang Zhizheng quickly knelt down.

"The Empress Dowager is originally from Shanxi. It's not surprising that you two know each other. Don't be nervous." Zhu Changluo smiled. "From the fifth year of Longqing to the second year of Wanli, Zhang Wenyi resigned and returned to the court. I know what happened during that process, but that's all in the past."

The two became even more nervous.

At that time, Zhang Siwei was impeached by the censor for corrupting the salt law of the Wang and Zhang families, but Gao Gong tried his best to protect him; later, someone impeached Zhang Siwei for bribing Gao Gong, and Zhang Siwei finally resigned and returned home. It was not until the second year of the Wanli reign that Zhang Siwei was able to return to the court, and then he was recommended by Zhang Juzheng to enter the cabinet. What changes had taken place during the process?
Since Wang Zhizhen told everything he knew to show his loyalty, how could Zhu Changluo not know?

The Zhang family was rich, and Empress Dowager Li's father Li Wei received money, and Zhang Juzheng also received some money. Gao Gong had already been defeated, and since Zhang Siwei was so humble, why didn't Zhang Juzheng recommend him to the cabinet?

After that, Zhang Siwei followed Zhang Juzheng cautiously and never had his own opinion. When Zhang Juzheng's father died, Zhang Siwei also used the old example of Yang Pu, Jin Youzi and Li Xian's succession to beg Zhang Juzheng to stay.

During this period, Zhang Siwei requested to retire countless times, keeping a low profile until Zhang Juzheng's death, and finally took office.

Now that the emperor says he knows what happened back then, how can Li Wenquan and Zhang Zhizheng not be afraid?
"Everyone, get up. Now don't ask about the past, just look to the future."

Zhu Changluo spoke again, and the two men stood up tremblingly.

Li Wenquan is the elder brother of Empress Dowager Li, so he knows better how much Empress Dowager Li values ​​the current emperor.

He knew that Empress Dowager Li had repeatedly told the Li family to obey the Emperor's orders.

"On one side are the royal family and noble relatives, and on the other side are the merchants." Zhu Changluo looked at them, "I know you are all confused. There is nothing wrong with being frank. Which royal family and noble relatives did not have dealings with merchants in the past? I have kept you here today and called these ten families here for no other reason than that the national treasury is empty and the financial situation is difficult."

Most people were shocked. Even a simple-minded person like Zhang Weixian was shocked when he saw ten businessmen kneeling down together and heard what they said.

"I am willing to donate a small amount of money to help your majesty relieve your worries!"

Twenty-three people knelt down in an instant. Only two chief secretaries of the palace were unable to make a decision for the prince. They knelt down at a loss and did not say a word.

Zhu Changluo sighed: "Do you think I want to take it by force?"

"I dare not!"

"Everyone, get up."

There is no greater majesty than that of an emperor, but the main point was made clear first, so that everyone finally knew what was happening today.

make money.

Businessmen think more actively: if it is something that can be settled with money, then they will grit their teeth and do anything.

Then the emperor said, "It's not that I don't like you trying to save money. On the contrary, I kept you here today and called them here just to make money. I can take out a million taels of capital. How much are you willing to put in so that we can make a lot of money together?"

There is nothing better for nourishing the mind than having few desires, but the hall was suddenly filled with the smell of money and everyone was stunned.

(End of this chapter)