Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 142: His Majesty is good at killing relatives for the sake of justice, and he kills Zhu family members without mercy
Changchun Palace.

Zhu Qizhen rested his head on Concubine Xian's legs, enjoying the massage from her skillful hands, his eyes slightly narrowed. Concubine Xian's clear eyes were full of love, and she pursed her red lips and asked, "Did you make the Queen Mother angry again?"

"No." Zhu Qizhen reached out and held her jade hand, then opened his eyes. "Internal and external troubles, my mind is a little confused."

The virtuous concubine smiled gently: "The problem in Mobei cannot be solved in a short time. Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xuanzong failed to solve it completely. Your Majesty, you must first maintain the stability within the Ming Dynasty."

The outside must be safe first!

Zhu Qizhen sat up straight and nodded slowly: "Yes, it's time for this court to make some moves again."

He thought that the Queen Mother's party and the Prince of Qing's party must be eliminated. The officials of the Ming Dynasty only obeyed the emperor's will. Only in this way can they focus on dealing with Yesen in Mobei.

However, Mobei will not give me time. However, the war between Ming Dynasty and Mobei cannot be ended in a short time. Emperor Taizong fought for decades and failed to completely resolve it.

First send capable generals to guard the border and stop Yesen. I will stay in the capital and solve the internal problems first, then I can deal with Yesen specifically.

The selection of the commander to go to the frontier was particularly important. Yu Qian was definitely capable of this important task, but he also had to stay in the capital. Duke Chen Mao of Jing was too old and was not suitable either.

Only Shi Heng is left!
Shi Heng was made the main general, and Yang Guifang was made the assistant general, and they were sent to guard the border. With the cooperation of the two of them, they should be able to stop Yesen.

"Your Majesty, have you thought about what I told you last time?" The virtuous concubine blinked her beautiful eyes slightly, her voice gentle and soft.

Zhu Qizhen looked embarrassed because Concubine Xian was talking about asking the imperial physician to see him.

"Wait a minute."

"Your Majesty, you cannot avoid seeing a doctor."

……

Northwest, Dunhuang City.

Yahansha came to see the Zhengtong Emperor with a solemn face. The Zhengtong Emperor was of course very enthusiastic. He was a guest now. Although he had made promises to the Seven Guards of Guanxi, they could only be fulfilled when he returned to the capital.

"Prince Xining, when you see me in the future, please don't bother with those empty formalities." The Zhengtong Emperor smiled.

Yahansha's ancestors once held the title of King of Xining. The Zhengtong Emperor called him that to express that he would also confer the title of King of Xining on him in the future.

"Your Majesty, there is a situation." Yahansha said, "Recently, many tribal leaders under the seven guards of Guanxi have received imperial edicts from the Ming Emperor, summoning them to Beijing to receive titles."

"What?" The Zhengtong Emperor was shocked.

Yahansha frowned and said, "I suspect that the news of your coming to Dunhuang has been leaked, and the fake emperor of Ming Dynasty also knows about it. He summoned those tribal leaders to Beijing, and he must have other intentions."

Xu Bin on the side snorted: "It's just to divide us! If my guess is correct, the fake emperor will set up more guards and enthrone those tribal leaders. By then, there will be more than seven guards in the northwest, maybe more than a dozen, or even dozens of guards."

The Zhengtong Emperor and Yahansha both changed color. If that happened, the Guanxi Seven Guards would soon fall into internal strife. The Zhengtong Emperor slammed the table and said, "What a vicious move, Prince Xining, can't you stop those leaders from entering the capital?"

Yahansha smiled bitterly and spread his hands: "The situation in our northwest is different. For example, in addition to us Mongols, there are also Tibetans, Sari Uighurs, etc. under my Shazhou Guard. They are almost all autonomous. As the leader, I only have the power to command them in military operations. Besides, they are already on their way to Beijing."

After hearing this, the Zhengtong Emperor calmed down and waved his hand, saying, "When they come back, we will summon them again. Isn't that a benefit? Perhaps this is not a bad thing."

Xu Bin nodded secretly.

His Majesty the Emperor has finally grown up over the years.

……

It was already autumn. Zhu Qizhen got up early in the morning and opened the window. The world in front of him seemed to have changed quietly overnight. The frost was like a ruthless painter, sketching a solemn scene with its cold brush.

In the dim morning light, the imperial city was lightly covered with a thin layer of silver gauze. The eaves, palace walls, and stone roads were all covered with a layer of white and cold frost, sparkling with a cool luster.

This frost is like a cold king. It ruthlessly attacks every inch of land and every leaf, killing all the grass without leaving any room. Inside and outside the palace, the grass and trees that were originally still stubbornly green now become withered and yellow under the touch of the frost.

The cold wind blew, rolling up the thin layer of frost on the ground, bringing with it waves of tiny sounds, like whispers and sighs, adding a bit of loneliness and desolation to this cold morning. Zhu Qizhen stood in front of the window, looking at the imperial city decorated with frost, and couldn't help feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his heart.

He hurried to the Fengtian Hall. As an emperor, he could not be late for the morning court. When he arrived in front of the Fengtian Hall, he looked up and saw the ministers walking on the imperial road, facing the cold wind. Among them were many old ministers with gray hair, who seemed to be swaying in the wind.

The four drums are beating and the clothes are on. It's still too late to meet at the Meridian Gate.

When will I be able to enjoy the joy of the countryside and sleep until the food in the world is ready?

Zhu Qizhen suddenly felt that it was time to let some old ministers go back to enjoy the countryside, such as the Cabinet Chief Minister Wang Zhi and the Minister of Rites Hu Yi, both of whom were almost eighty years old.

Before, they were needed to help stabilize the court, but now, Zhu Qizhen felt that he was capable enough! He asked the old ministers to retire and return home, and then eliminated the Queen Mother and the Prince of Qin's party.

……

early morning.

Yang Shan, the Chief Censor of the Censorate, reported: "Your Majesty, the inspectors were inspecting Henan and found that Prince Zhuangding not only violently resisted the new policy, but also forcibly seized the people's land and killed people to silence them. This is the evidence of Prince Zhuangding's crime, as well as his confession. Your Majesty, Prince Zhuangding ignored the law and committed crimes in defiance of the law. Please punish him severely."

Zhu Qizhen thought for a long time before he remembered that this Prince Zhuangding was from the line of King Zhou. The first generation of King Zhou had more than ten sons, and now it was the fifth generation, and there were dozens of princes in their line.

"Do you have all the evidence?" Zhu Qizhen asked, "We can't wrongly accuse anyone."

At this time, the cabinet minister Shang Lu stood up and reported: "Your Majesty, the memorial from Henan Governor Liu Dingzhi just arrived today, also impeaching Prince Zhuangding. The evidence is conclusive, please punish him severely."

Then several ministers seconded the motion.

Zhu Qizhen glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "Killing someone means paying with one's life! After the Dali Temple has approved it, Liu Dingzhi will be ordered to arrest the criminal and execute him on the spot. There is no need to escort him to the capital."

The ministers took a breath of air.

They hoped that His Majesty would severely punish Prince Zhuangding, but they did not expect His Majesty to directly order the execution.

Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty is sacrificing your own relatives for the sake of justice, Your Majesty has done this so hard, how painful it must be...

The ministers began to imagine that Zhu Qiyu's back teeth were almost broken as he stood in the hall. His uncle was sacrificing his relatives for the sake of justice. He was a fake emperor, so how could he be related to him?

"My dear ministers, I still say the same thing!" Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "I want to implement a new policy, and no one can stop the chaos! My sword will kill the Zhu family first. The people of the world should know my good intentions."

"Your Majesty is wise." The ministers knelt down.

Zhu Qizhen sighed softly, looking very painful.

……

On this day, the leaders of the northwestern tribes came to Beijing and were personally received by Emperor Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen put on the dragon robe and sat on the dragon throne. He looked at the ministers and the visitors from afar and said in a loud voice: "I have heard that the northwest has magnificent mountains and rivers, rich products, and the people of the tribes are brave and good at fighting, and loyal to the country. Since Emperor Taizu, the Ming Dynasty and the northwest tribes have been of the same blood and have jointly resisted foreign aggression. It is truly a match made in heaven and a fate created by the earth."

After finishing his words, Zhu Qizhen stood up and walked slowly down the steps to the northwestern leaders, showing his friendliness. He continued, "You are the close friends of the Ming Dynasty and the shield of the northwest. You have the responsibility to defend the land and have made contributions to the country, which comforts me. I hope that the Ming Dynasty and the northwestern tribes will always be united and share peace. No matter how the wind and rain change, or how time passes, our friendship should be as solid as a rock and cannot be shaken."

Upon hearing these words, all the Northwestern leaders present were moved to tears. They stood up to express their gratitude and pledged to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to guard the border together.

Zhu Qizhen was delighted to see this, knowing that this meeting had won the hearts of the people and stabilized the border. He wrote the four characters "永结同好" in his own handwriting and presented them to the leader of the northwest.

He also announced that 15 more garrisons would be set up in the northwest, and 15 of them would be chosen as leaders. At the same time, he promised that the Ming Dynasty would trade with all of them.

Zhu Qizhen's purpose was very simple. If these people returned, there would be 15 more guards in the northwest, which would be the same level as the current seven guards in Guanxi. In this way, they would definitely fight among themselves.

And what he paid was just some gold and silver rewards, and some empty titles. If anyone here could solve the problem of the orthodox emperor, he would even reward him with the title of King of the Northwest.

Anyway, I'll just deal with them later.

……

The imperial court welcomed the leaders of the northwestern tribes with great ceremony, treating them as envoys from a great country. The imperial court also held a banquet for this purpose, giving the leaders of the northwestern tribes enough face.

Compared to the bustle of the court, the Queen Mother came to the Duke of Yingguo's residence in a low-key manner. The Duke of Yingguo had not consulted on government and military affairs for a long time and had been recuperating at home.

Hearing that the Queen Mother was coming, the Duke of Ying greeted her in person. The Queen Mother saw the white-haired Duke of Ying and sighed, "You are now the Grand Father-in-law. We are a family. There is no need to be so polite."

"I am first a subject of the Ming Dynasty, and then a relative of the emperor." Duke Yingguo bowed.

"Okay, stand up and talk." The Queen Mother raised her hand, "I heard from Consort Xian that there is a grove of green bamboo in your yard. Take me to see it."

"Yes!" The Duke of England stood up.

The Queen Mother waved her hand behind her, signaling the maids and eunuchs not to follow. Duke Ying led the way and took the Queen Mother into the backyard. The young eunuch Cao Xuan followed her gaze, but did not dare to step forward.

He was Cao Jixiang's adopted son, so of course he wanted to know what the Queen Mother talked about with Duke Ying so that he could report it to Cao Jixiang. Cao Xuan was a little confused. Didn't they say Duke Ying was ill? He didn't look like he was ill. He looked energetic.

The Queen Mother chatted with the Duke of England in the backyard for half an hour before returning to the palace.

……

dusk.

Zhu Qizhen dragged his tired body to Kunning Palace.

The queen mother sat dignifiedly at the table, her hands folded and placed lightly between her legs, cold and gentle. The moment her dark beautiful eyes saw Zhu Qizhen, they flickered slightly, and her voice was gentle and soft: "I thought you were not coming."

"This is home." Zhu Qizhen sat down and rubbed his eyebrows with his hand.

A smile appeared on the queen mother's beautiful and delicate face: "You summoned the leaders of the northwestern tribes to divide the seven guards of Guanxi?"

Zhu Qizhen continued to rub his brows and said, "Yes, if the seven guards of Guanxi unite and work together, it will not be a good thing for the court. The court is already struggling enough to deal with one Yesen. There are also Japanese pirates in the southeast, and the northwest must not be in chaos."

The Queen Mother nodded slowly and stopped asking questions.

Zhu Qizhen opened his eyes, took a sip of the tea on the table, and said casually: "Did you go to see the Duke of Ying today? Is the old Duke in good health? I should go see him too. Not only has he made great military achievements, he is also my father-in-law now."

The Queen Mother's beautiful eyes softened, and she responded in a low voice: "The old Duke still has those old illnesses, the old injuries left on the battlefield, they can't be healed, the imperial physician said that he can only be taken care of."

"Mobei Yesen is ready to make a move. I long for a general like the old Duke." Zhu Qizhen sighed.

"It's easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it's hard to get a general." The Queen Mother stood up, walked to the dining table and sat down, "Let's eat, and don't talk about politics, so that you won't be angry again."

Zhu Qizhen walked up to her, sat down opposite her, and spread his hands: "How could I be sulking? It's you who are moody, and I'm afraid of saying something wrong and making you unhappy again."

The Queen Mother glared with her cold and charming eyes: "How could I have that!"

Zhu Qizhen shrugged helplessly: "Okay, you didn't, stop arguing, let's have a quiet meal, okay?"

As the afterglow of the setting sun shone down, the two of them lowered their heads to eat.

……

After dinner, it was already dusk.

"I still need to go to Wenhua Palace to take a look." Zhu Qizhen stood up.

"You don't have to do everything yourself. You are the emperor." The empress dowager raised her eyes and reminded.

Zhu Qizhen said helplessly, "It is the old man Wang who is on duty tonight. He is almost eighty years old. I have to go and accompany him."

He strode away, and the Queen Mother looked at his back with a smile on her lips.

After dark, the cold wind howled. Zhu Qizhen did not take the sedan chair, but walked to the Wenhua Hall by himself, and saw Wang Zhi sitting in front of the table with a brazier beside him.

"Lord Wang." Zhu Qizhen called out.

When Wang Zhi saw that it was the Emperor, he stood up and was about to bow. Zhu Qizhen stepped forward to support him and smiled, "No need, I'm afraid you'll knock me to death."

"Your Majesty, you are talking nonsense. I, your Majesty, can bear it as I kneel to you." Wang Zhi smiled.

Zhu Qizhen asked Wang Zhi to sit down, but he stood up. Wang Zhi felt a little reserved, and he didn't know why. He didn't feel this way before when facing the young emperor.

In the past, he would always have a seat in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and he would sit there without feeling awkward. Recently, he actually became awkward when he saw the emperor, perhaps because the emperor was becoming more and more like a sage monarch.

"Sir, where is your hometown?" Zhu Qizhen asked casually.

"Taihe, Jiangxi." Wang Zhi's eyes were full of memories. "However, I haven't been back for decades. My family also has a hundred acres of land."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and said, "He is still a small landlord."

Wang Zhi spoke very slowly, and said: "I don't know if those unworthy descendants will leave the land barren. I am still thinking about growing some fruits and vegetables myself after returning home."

Zhu Qizhen raised the corner of his mouth slightly.

(End of this chapter)