Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 335: Duke Dingguo regrets educating his son, and the Prime Minister admits that he has no morals!

"Call the Duke Dingguo."

After Zhu Houcong heard Wang Bangqi confess that it was Duke Dingguo who ordered this, he gave this order in a deep voice.

It is said that Xu Guangzuo was already sick from worry at this time and was lying on the couch, but he did not ask anyone to call a doctor to see him.

Xu Guangzuo's family was naturally worried.

When the Jinyiwei arrived, Xu Guangzuo's face turned pale: "As expected, they are here."

Then, Xu Guangzuo called his 13-year-old son Xu Yande to his side and said weakly: "Son, I'm sorry for you. I may also implicate you!"

"Dad, will my son die?"

Xu Yande was also very uneasy after hearing this, and hurriedly looked up at Xu Guangzuo and asked.

Xu Guangzuo looked at Xu Yande's worried face and felt even more uncomfortable. He also smiled bitterly: "Whether I will kill you too depends on the emperor's will."

"But if the emperor really shows mercy and lets you live, you must remember not to hate Wu Dinghou. This incident was not caused by him. It was because your father forgot the teachings of our ancestors and the six virtues, especially the one of loyalty! But the emperor is resolute and wise, and is a true hero of the restoration. So you must remember that if you can survive, you must put aside your personal grudges, practice the six virtues, and carry on the virtue of your ancestors to keep you noble, just as your grandfather gave you!"

After Xu Guangzuo said this, he asked someone to help him up from the couch.

When Xu Guangzuo stood up and stood trembling in the hall, the Jinyiwei came in and announced the imperial decree summoning him to see the emperor.

After hearing this, Xu Guangzuo followed the Jinyiwei to the inner court, walking unsteadily with a miserable look on his face.

Xu Yande stood in the courtyard, his eyes dull, at a loss as to what to do.

When Xu Guangzuo was brought before the emperor, Zhu Houcong did not continue to interrogate Wang Bangqi, but took advantage of the break to read Lu Bing's secret report in the southeast.

Through these secret reports, Zhu Houcong was not surprised that the forces behind the scenes who did not want to see the emperor stabilize the southeast by controlling the East and then control the distribution of maritime trade benefits were still struggling and trying to make the inspection of the East unsuccessful! And since they could not find a reason to stop it openly, they used various conspiracies behind the scenes.

But while Zhu Houcong was still relieved, these people still had no intention of mobilizing the people to fight against him, so they still resorted to shady conspiracy methods, intimidating the imperial envoys inspecting the East Ocean, and plotting to ambush spies who could poison and set fire to the fleet inspecting the East Ocean.

Damn, can it be a little more advanced?
The terrorist threats, premeditated poisoning and arson, etc., really make me feel more and more that this is a makeshift team.

Zhu Houcong was really worried that if things continued like this, he would become like this too, so he was only willing to use this simple and crude method.

Since Xu Guangzuo had already knelt down and kowtowed before the emperor, Zhu Houcong stopped complaining in his heart and looked at Xu Guangzuo.

"Do you know why I summoned you here?"

Zhu Houcong asked him a question at this time.

Xu Guangzuo replied weakly, "I know."

"Then tell me, why did you let Wang Bangqi sell the musket?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

Xu Guangzuo raised his lifeless eyes and looked at Zhu Houcong: "I did this because I wanted the benefits of the 60,000 silver dollars and I also wanted Zhang Tong to die."

"After all, a musket costs 20,000 silver dollars. I am used to making money, so I didn't control my hands."

"And they wanted Zhang Tong dead because he broke the rules, making people no longer trust the emperor's close ministers to reveal palace secrets to the outside world. The success of the grain transport reform, which caused great losses to the powerful and wealthy in the north, was also related to his loyalty to Your Majesty."

"When Wang Bangqi came to me and told me that someone wanted him to sell a gun, I guessed that someone must want to kill Zhang Tong, so I was happy to facilitate the matter and make some money at the same time."

After Xu Guangzuo answered, Zhu Houcong sneered: "You really dare to take any money!"

"His Majesty!"

"I know that I have failed the Emperor's grace, and death is not a pity. But I only ask Your Majesty to allow me to speak from my heart!" At this time, Xu Guangzuo burst into tears and kowtowed in response.

Zhu Houcong's face darkened: "Speak!"

"The nobles and other wealthy families in the capital all have huge expenses. After all, everyone is used to spending money lavishly. Your Majesty is trying to revive the country and reform the system for the sake of the people and the country. This is of course a righteous cause, and no one in the world dares to criticize it!"

"But this is forcing everyone to be true gentlemen! If the court changes, every household will have to change accordingly. As a result, some people in the court began to murder the imperial physicians and the eldest prince, and every household also saw fathers and sons turning against each other, and husbands and wives becoming estranged."

"So, I, a guilty minister, have no other choice but to seek temporary peace in my home and hope that Marquis Wu Ding will help cover it up, so that Your Majesty will not be able to find out the truth, and even cannot do anything to us, the military heroes."

Xu Guangzuo replied.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong fell silent.

After a while, Zhu Houcong finally smiled and looked at Fei Hong, Wang Ao and others: "You are all well-educated people. Tell me, how should I view the sincere words of Duke Dingguo?"

"Your Majesty, at this point, I, an old minister, have no choice but to report the truth."

"The words of the saints can only be spoken, not used to do things, but they cannot be ignored, just like sometimes some extraordinary punishments cannot be ignored!"

Fei Hong played at this time.

Zhu Houcong nodded, smiled, and put his hand on the throne: "So, I shouldn't have the ambition to revive the country?"

Fei Hong and others could not help but frown, secretly wondering what the emperor's purpose was in pretending to be so.

Soon, Fei Hong figured it out first, and immediately crawled on the ground with a nervous look on his face, bowed his head and said in pain:
"Your Majesty should have the ambition to revive the country, but I am the honored Prime Minister, but I am incompetent and unworthy of managing the yin and yang and balancing the government. That is why Your Majesty cannot achieve the cause of revival!"

Fei Hong started crying as he spoke.

Wang Ao also understood, and deliberately waited for Fei Hong to say so, then followed up with: "This old minister also believes that Your Majesty wants to carry out the great cause of rejuvenation and care for the people, which is not wrong, but I am old and it is difficult for me to devote myself to Your Majesty's grand plan. This old minister asks Your Majesty to allow me to return home and give up the throne to the minister of rejuvenation. In this way, I can help Your Majesty achieve the cause of rejuvenation!"

After Wang Ao said this, his eyes welled up with tears and he bowed his head.

Wang Qiong and Zhang Cong also wanted to speak when they saw this, but Zhu Houcong waved his hand and stopped them from speaking. He only let Fei Hong and Wang Ao stand up first:
"Let's stop here for now and continue with the case of the private sale of muskets."

then.

Zhu Houcong then asked Wang Bangqi and others: "Who did you sell the musket to?"

Wang Bangqi replied: "It was sold to a merchant called Wanglou."

"It seems that this merchant must have been killed, or his whereabouts are difficult to track, but the factory guards can still investigate, at least to find the whereabouts of the three guns."

"Yes!"

Zhu Houcong looked at Wang Bangqi and the others and asked with a smile, "Do you want a chance to atone for your sins?"

"miss you!"

"Thank you for your order, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houcong then looked at Xu Guangzuo, the Duke of Dingguo, and said, "As for you, the Duke of Dingguo, you have learned to behave yourself at this time."

"The sinner deserves to die!"

Xu Guangzuo replied at this time.

(End of this chapter)