Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 122 The Queen Mother is Afraid: The Most Vicious Emperor in History

Spring morning.

The sun gently penetrated the mist, brushed the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, and fell on the garden of Kunning Palace, which was wrapped in spring. In the garden, various flowers bloomed and the air was filled with strong floral fragrance.

The empress dowager, dressed in a pink and white long dress, stood in the garden, her figure swaying. The long dress outlined her figure incomparably seductively. She had a plain face, beautiful features, and eyes as tender as autumn water as she carefully appreciated the spring scenery around her.

She stretched out her slender jade fingers and gently brushed a newly opened petal, with a touch of tenderness and sadness in her movements. This beautiful flower, like herself, was locked up in this deep palace, beautiful but unappreciated. The huge emptiness caused ripples in her heart.

The image of a person flashed through her mind unconsciously, and she shook her head vigorously to get rid of the image in her mind. She sighed softly, and the sigh dissipated in the spring breeze, leaving only a barely perceptible sadness.

"The grass in Yan is as blue as silk, and the mulberry trees in Qin have low green branches. When you are thinking of returning home, I am heartbroken. The spring breeze does not recognize me, so why does it enter my room?" She whispered to herself.

A gentle breeze blew, blowing up her long skirt and her beautiful hair, and the surrounding flowers were eclipsed.

"Empress Dowager, His Majesty has come to pay his respects to you." Shuangxi walked over and bowed.

"Bring him here." The Queen Mother put away her expression and regained her dignity and majesty.

After a while, footsteps were heard and Zhu Qizhen, dressed in a dragon robe, walked over. The morning sun fell on him, making his whole body seem to be radiating light, with his clothes fluttering and his bearing majestic.

"Greetings to the Queen Mother." Zhu Qizhen bowed.

The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, then raised her hand: "Why are you here so early today?"

Zhu Qizhen spread his hands and smiled: "Today I have to discuss the new policy of Jiangnan with the cabinet. It will probably take until the evening. I will definitely not have time to come and pay my respects by then."

"Being diligent in work is a good thing, but you still have to eat, right?" The Queen Mother lowered her eyes.

"We must eat. I have prepared some sesame cakes for the cabinet. We can eat and argue at the same time. We must finalize the strategy for implementing the new policy today." Zhu Qizhen snorted, "Otherwise, no one can sleep."

The Queen Mother smiled for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Are you having any difficulties in implementing the new policy in Jiangnan?"

"It's difficult, harder than climbing to heaven." Zhu Qizhen sighed, "Local officials and local gentry are in collusion with each other and reject the new policy. It's like an iron wall, with no room for maneuver."

The Queen Mother's eyes were cold and she asked, "Do you want me to come forward?"

Zhu Qizhen did not expect the Queen Mother to be so proactive. He thought for a moment and said, "Mother, you will definitely appear at a critical moment. It is probably useless to reprimand them now. The new policy affects their interests, and your will may not work. There are policies from above and countermeasures from below. They listen on the surface, but in fact they pretend to obey but disobey."

The Queen Mother nodded slowly and sighed softly: "During the Jin Dynasty, the people moved south. In the following dynasties, the gentry from the Central Plains continued to migrate to the south of the Yangtze River. This was even more so during the Song Dynasty, which led to the current situation where the gentry from the south of the Yangtze River gather together. Your Majesty, you must make long-term plans. The new policy cannot be implemented in a short period of time."

"I'm just afraid I don't have that much time." Zhu Qizhen bowed and turned away.

The Queen Mother stood among the flowers with a very complicated expression.

……

Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Qizhen showed the memorials from Jiangnan to the cabinet ministers, including those from Xu Youzhen and his group of four, as well as those from other officials from Jiangnan, all of which were about the new policy.

After reading the memorials, Shang Lu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what Ren Chang'an, the governor of Jiangsu, said makes sense. Now the treasury is empty. Let him collect this year's taxes first, and then implement the new policy, so as not to delay the important affairs of the court."

Zhu Qizhen smiled but cursed in his heart.

Is this reasonable? He will still say this next year. When will the new policy be implemented?

"Most of the court officials come from Jiangnan, where there are many scholars." Wang Zhi laughed, "Scholars, to put it bluntly, are the representatives of the gentry. It is normal for the new policy in Jiangnan to encounter difficulties. This is only temporary."

Zhu Qizhen also laughed and cursed in his heart, "You old fox, why are you trying to smooth things over now?"
The cabinet ministers talked for an hour without any specific plan. Zhu Qizhen announced a break and took Yang Guifang out for some fresh air.

"Listening to them quarreling is a waste of my time." Zhu Qizhen said speechlessly.

"Your Majesty, isn't that what the court is like? There are always quarrels." Yang Guifang smiled, "For Jiangnan's affairs, we still have to rely on Xu Youzhen and the other four."

Zhu Qizhen frowned and asked, "Is the Biography of Traitors ready? It can be published. Yu Qian has already mobilized the Mongolian troops. I will order them to go to Jiangnan and hand them over to Xu Youzhen."

Yang Guifang's eyes flashed with brilliance: "The Biography of Two Officials will be published soon. Some of the people in the book are the ancestors of some of the current gentry in Jiangnan. I am looking forward to it. How will those gentry in Jiangnan respond?"

Zhu Qizhen stopped and looked into the distance.

Things in Jiangnan are not that simple.

……

After discussing with the cabinet until the afternoon, no terms were reached, so Zhu Qizhen returned to the Qianqing Palace.

Yu Qian brought three Mongolians to pay their respects. After paying their respects, Yu Qian introduced that these three Mongolians were the leaders of the trip to Jiangnan, and they were all from the Wuliangha tribe.

Since the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Wuliangha tribe surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. The three guards of the Duoyan Army in the three camps of the Ming army also came from the Wuliangha tribe and were the most powerful cavalry in the Ming army. They could also be called mercenaries. As long as the money was in place, the Khan of Mobei could do nothing.

Of course, they chose the Ming Dynasty not only because Taizong and Xuanzong defeated them, but also because the Ming Dynasty and the Uriankhai tribe had been relatively friendly since the Hongwu period.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty maintained a trade relationship with the Wuliangha tribe, allowing them to conduct trade activities at designated locations. This satisfied their tribe's needs for daily necessities, so they didn't have to fight desperately for them.

"Agula, Altan, Bayar." Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on the three Mongolian generals, "When you go to Jiangnan this time, you must follow the orders of the court. Remember, you must not disturb the people."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Yu Shaobao has told us everything. We know the importance of this matter." Agula bowed. "Although Jiangnan is rich, it is not a place we can live in. Our hometown is in the grassland. We earned money and bought silk, tea and porcelain from the Central Plains and sent them back to our hometown."

Zhu Qizhen had a smile on his face.

The meaning of Agula's words was very clear. He would definitely obey the imperial court on this trip. After all, Wuliangha relied on the imperial court. Although Jiangnan was rich, it could not shake them.

"Then let's go and go directly to the governor's office in Yangzhou and follow Xu Youzhen's arrangements." Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.

Yu Qian led the three people back.

The 5,000 Mongols who went to Yangzhou this time were all selected by Yu Qian, so Zhu Qizhen was very relieved.

……

Half a month later, in Yangzhou, at the Shen family mansion.

Shen Yihuan was holding a book in his hand, called "Bi Chen Zhuan". As he read it, his face became solemn and he asked, "Where did this book come from?"

The housekeeper standing nearby quickly replied, "It's spreading in Yangzhou and even throughout Jiangnan. Storytellers in teahouses are also talking about it. It has become a topic of conversation among the people after dinner."

Shen Yihuan stood up suddenly: "You have evil intentions."

He stood up and hurried out of the mansion, followed closely by the housekeeper. Soon, they came to a tea stall on the street, and Shen Yihan found a seat in the corner and sat down.

Sure enough, the common people around were all talking about "The Story of Two Officials".

"What the hell are these gentry? How can they have any integrity? They are all ungrateful traitors. The Song Dynasty has nurtured scholars for three hundred years, and this is what produced these sons of bitches?"

"They don't care about the court or the people, they only care about themselves. You see, in the pre-Yuan Dynasty, the so-called gentry helped the Yuan court to oppress the people, and even taxed a kitchen knife."

"Humph, weren't all the great and small hereditary nobles of the Central Plains in the pre-Yuan period gentry? They united together to surrender to the Yuan court, and under the guise of protecting the people, they oppressed the people. Part of the various taxes were paid to the Yuan court, and part went into their own pockets."

"Today, the wealthy families of all sizes in Jiangnan are the descendants of that group of people. Even after the dynasty has changed, they continue to enjoy their wealth and luxury. How shameless!"

Shen Yihan's hands were shaking slightly as he listened.

If this continues, the prestige of the gentry will be shattered. He did not even bother to drink tea, but got up and hurried to the governor's office.

……

The chief envoy is the Yamen.

Shen Yihuan was a distinguished guest here, and the guards all knew him, so they let him in without any announcement. He was familiar with the route, and came to the back hall of the government office, where he found the governor, Ren Chang'an.

Ren Changan held a document in his hand, frowning. When he saw Shen Yihuan coming in, he sighed, "Manager Shen, you came just in time. I was just looking for you."

"Is it about the Biography of Traitors?" Shen Yihuan asked anxiously, "Sir, this book must be sealed." Ren Changan was stunned, smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I have also read the book you mentioned. It is not important. After a while, no one will talk about it anymore."

"No!" Shen Yihan shouted, "This book will have a huge impact and may even destroy our foundation."

Ren Changan handed the document in his hand to Shen Yihuan and said, "This is the most urgent matter!"

Shen Yihuan took the document and glanced at it quickly, his expression becoming more serious: "Mongols? Come to help the governor's office implement the new policy?"

Ren Changan sat down and said coldly: "These Mongols only obey the orders of the court. They don't see gentry in their eyes, and they are not afraid of the influence of local forces. They don't consider their own future, official reputation, etc."

"This move is ruthless." Shen Yihuan gritted his teeth and said, "I knew Xu Youzhen was waiting. If my guess is correct, he will implement in Jiangnan what Liu Dingzhi did in Henan. He will post notices in plain language to tell the people what the new policy is. He will even make up a song and sing it in the streets and villages. It won't be long before the people understand that the new policy is a great benefit to them. With the support of the people and the cooperation of the Mongols in the implementation, the gentry may not be able to withstand it."

Ren Changan snorted, "Like before, all the gentry united and went to the Saint's Temple to cry! Under the guise of pleading for the people."

"Do you think the people will still follow?" Shen Yihuan laughed angrily, "Mr. Governor, you should go out more often instead of staying in this government office reading documents all the time."

Seeing the usually calm Shen Yihan being so cautious, Ren Changan panicked: "What should we do?"

"Immediately ban the book and put the person who spread it into jail." Shen Yihan said coldly, "Gather our people. We need to discuss a countermeasure."

"I... will do it right away." Ren Changan nodded repeatedly.

It looks like he is Shen Yihuan's subordinate.

……

Capital city, Prince Qing’s Palace.

Zhu Qiyu handed the latest court report to Tung Xingdao and said angrily, "Your Majesty is very clever. He actually sent 5,000 Mongolians to assist Xu Youzhen. When those Mongolian barbarians came to Jiangnan, they didn't care whether you were a gentry or a commoner. They only listened to the court and dared to offend anyone."

Tung Xingdao looked at the court report with a frown on his face. "The combination of "Bi Chen Zhuan" and the Mongols is really amazing. Your Majesty's vicious plan is admirable."

"Mr. Tung, please stop admiring me." Zhu Qiyu asked, "What should we do next?"

"Your Highness, the game has just begun, don't be impatient." Tung Xingdao smiled, "Don't underestimate those people in Jiangnan. This is related to their vital interests. They will have ways to deal with it."

Zhu Qiyu sat down and said, "Are we going to do nothing? Jiangnan is also related to our vital interests. The money for the small inner treasury mainly comes from Jiangnan."

Tung Xingdao took a sip of tea, thought for a while and said, "Let's not make a hasty decision. Let's see how Jiangnan will act first. However, Your Majesty can go and see the Queen Mother. The Emperor used the Mongols and sent the army to Jiangnan. This is against the ancestral system."

"Yes, yes, yes. I will go find the Queen Mother right away." Zhu Qiyu stood up and left.

Tung Xingdao continued to sit there, drinking tea slowly, with a smile on his face: "It's getting more and more interesting, so enjoyable! Your Majesty, you really impressed me."

……

Kunning Palace.

Prince Zhu Qiyu of Qin came to pay a visit to the Queen Mother, who dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs.

"Tell me, what happened again?" the Queen Mother asked coldly.

"Empress Dowager, in order to implement the new policy, His Majesty created the "Bi Chen Zhuan" in Jiangnan." Zhu Qiyu said, took out a book and handed it over, and continued, "He also sent 5,000 Mongolian soldiers to Jiangnan to assist Xu Youzhen. The Mongols, since being driven out of the Central Plains by Emperor Taizu, have actually come to Jiangnan again. This... This not only panics the people, but also brings shame to the Ming Dynasty."

After he finished speaking, he found that the empress dowager had not listened at all, but was concentrating on reading the book "Bi Chen Zhuan". The empress dowager was secretly shocked. She never expected that the emperor would come up with such a combination of punches and hit the vital points of the gentry in Jiangnan.

This plan is so vicious and cruel!

She suddenly realized that the fake emperor's growth rate frightened her. Whether it was strategy, scheming, or the strategy of governing the country, the fake emperor grew rapidly, showing the potential of a great sage.

Too bad, he's a fake after all.

"If he uses all those evil schemes on me..." The Queen Mother thought of this question and suddenly felt a chill down her spine.

Now it seems that the fake emperor has not used all his strength to deal with her, the queen mother. If they finally fall out, what sinister means will the fake emperor use? She dare not imagine.

"Empress Dowager?" Zhu Qiyu shouted.

"I understand." The Queen Mother slowly raised her head, her eyes as cold as ice. "I have told you that I support your Majesty's new policy! It is good to have extraordinary measures in extraordinary times."

Zhu Qiyu was anxious and took a step forward: "But, Queen Mother, don't forget that His Majesty is..."

"I haven't forgotten!" The Queen Mother interrupted him, staring coldly at Zhu Qiyu and said, "So, you have to listen to me, otherwise, you will never have a chance!"

Zhu Qiyu was filled with anger, but he finally bowed and said, "I understand. Please rest assured, mother. The five million taels are ready. I am already contacting Yesen in Mobei."

"I'm waiting for your good news." The Queen Mother waved her hand.

Zhu Qiyu bowed again and walked out.

……

Recently, there have been rumors of the empress being deposed throughout the court and the public.

As the emperor, Zhu Qizhen did not stop it, but let it ferment. The rumor of the deposed queen spread throughout the harem. The maids in the harem whispered to each other from time to time.

However, the queen living in Chuxiu Palace seemed very calm.

The virtuous concubine Zhang Jingshu came to see the queen, who greeted her warmly with a smile, and the two walked hand in hand in the garden of Chuxiu Palace. The palace maids were all dismissed by them.

"Before I came here, I was worried about the queen. Now that I've seen her, I feel more at ease." Zhang Jingshu smiled slightly, "Queen, please don't worry about the rumors in the palace."

The queen smiled and shook her head: "It can't be considered a rumor. I am a queen without any children, so I will be deposed sooner or later. Maybe this is a good thing for me, so I don't have to bear such great pressure. Besides, I don't want to affect His Majesty because of myself. Alas, His Majesty really needs a legitimate son."

"I admire your broad-mindedness, sister." Zhang Jingshu bowed slightly.

The queen smiled brightly, took Zhang Jingshu's arm and said, "Sister, you and I get along very well. To be honest with you, I hope you can be the queen. Then, the harem will be peaceful, which will be a blessing for your majesty."

"Sister, you are joking. How could it be my turn?" Zhang Jingshu said, "How long have I been in the palace? The Queen Mother will not choose me."

The queen frowned slightly: "Sister, let me help you think about it. With your talent, you are enough to take charge of the harem."

Zhang Jingshu smiled helplessly.

……

sunset.

Zhu Qizhen came to Kunning Palace to have dinner with the empress dowager. When he entered, he saw that the food was already on the table and the empress dowager was sitting at the table, seemingly waiting for him.

"Don't be so polite. Sit down," said the Queen Mother.

"What day is today? Such a grand feast?" Zhu Qizhen sat down puzzledly, "Mother, your birthday has not come yet. Besides, you are old, so it is better not to celebrate your birthday."

The Queen Mother's temper suddenly turned cold after hearing this. Her cold and beautiful face became a little stiff, and she glared angrily: "You feel uncomfortable if you don't bully me, right?"

"How dare I?" Zhu Qizhen smiled and shook his head.

After this conversation, the two realized something was wrong, and they all lowered their heads and ate. After a while, the Queen Mother asked calmly: "You sent the Mongols to Jiangnan? Are they reliable? Aren't you afraid of arousing opposition from the gentry in Jiangnan?"

Zhu Qizhen snorted coldly: "The Mongols are more reliable than the gentry in Jiangnan! I am forced to do nothing. The situation in Jiangnan is so complicated that I cannot implement the new policy without some unorthodox methods."

"Hmph, it's really vicious!" The Queen Mother looked at him coldly, "Who knows, you might use it on me in the future, too?"

Zhu Qizhen put down his chopsticks and sighed, "It won't be that bad between us, right? Last time you said we should make a pact, have you thought about it?"

The Queen Mother's eyes drooped slightly, then she shook her head and continued to eat elegantly.

(End of this chapter)