Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 1 The Young Emperor!

In 1488, the Ming Dynasty welcomed its ninth emperor, whose reign was named Hongzhi.

Datong Mansion.

Countless troops attacked the city walls of Datong Prefecture, and the soldiers defending the city fought desperately to protect this fragile line of defense.

The sounds of fighting and shouting were deafening.

The young Tatar prince personally led an army of 100,000 and approached the city of Datong.

As the city gate was broken, countless Tatars rushed into Datong Prefecture!

Datong Prefecture was lost!
Several fast horses came out of the small gate and rushed straight to the capital at a speed of 800 miles!

Urgent! Urgent!
Danger!
Tatars enter the country!

The Ming Dynasty is in danger!
……

The Forbidden City, the imperial capital.

In the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang still felt incredible when looking at the extremely luxurious decorations around him.

"I traveled through time... and became the newly enthroned Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youtang..."

"The young emperor who is only seventeen years old..."

Zhu Youtang looked at the dragon robe on himself and felt excited.

"Your Majesty, this is the new memorial drafted by the cabinet. Please review it."

At this time, Huai En, with a head full of white hair, came to Zhu Youtang with a memorial in his hand.

Zhu Youtang suppressed his emotions and calmed down.

"Well, let me take a look."

Zhu Youtang nodded, picked up the letter and took a look, but the more he read, the darker his face became, and finally he was so angry that he threw the memorial to the ground.

"It's too much to bully others, it's simply too much to bully others!"

"They are trying to blatantly embezzle my money!"

"I won't allow it! I absolutely won't allow it!"

The content of this memorial was that after the cabinet had voted, it decided to abolish the tax-paying Kaizhong method established by Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang during the Hongwu period and replace it with the Zhese method.

Paying grain and paying homage to the emperor meant that merchants would transport grain to border towns and then exchange it for salt of equal value at the imperial court.

This system is not very efficient and has many problems.

But its biggest advantage is that it can effectively prevent corruption.

Because the entire transaction process is barter and does not involve cash.

Even if the cabinet ministers and the generals of the border towns colluded secretly and embezzled food and wages, all they could get was food or salt.

No cash!

If you want cash, you have to cash it out.

It would be indecent for a general to open a grain store at home, or for a minister to sell salt at home.

Therefore, in order to fight corruption, the cabinet chief Wan'an and the minister of the Ministry of Revenue Ye Qi, in unison, abolished the Kaizhong method that had been used for more than a hundred years and replaced it with the Zhese method.

Salt permits and military rations were commercialized and could be traded at will with cash.

The idea was to increase the court's revenue, but the actual result was that not only did the court's revenue not increase, but there were also problems with food and salaries in the border towns.

Because it is easier to cash in, corruption in border towns has gotten completely out of control and military pay has been insufficient for years.

And this phenomenon continued until the end of the Ming Dynasty!
The color reduction method commercialized salt permits, which was fatal to the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Youtang would never allow this decision because he was fully aware of the harm that the Zhese Fa had done to the Ming Dynasty.

But Huai En stood in front of Zhu Youtang and spoke tremblingly.

"Your Majesty, the Cining Palace has already approved this memorial, and all the red seals and stamps are on it..."

"what?!"

Zhu Youtang sneered repeatedly: "Great, a cabinet, a harem, and a Silijian, this is trying to seize my power!"

"Since my decision is useless, why did the Cining Palace send the memorial to my Qianqing Palace?"

The Cining Palace was the residence of Empress Dowager Zhou, while the power of red-letter approval and seals was the exclusive right of the two eunuchs in the Silijian.

The Ming Dynasty cabinet had a special voting system, that is, all matters major and minor in the court would first be drafted by the cabinet, written on a ticket, and then presented to the emperor for decision.

Under this system, the cabinet has certain advisory powers, the six ministries have executive powers, and the decision-making power is firmly in the hands of the emperor.

The decision-making power is divided into two parts. One is the imperial approval, which is the final decision.

The second is to stamp the memorial with the imperial seal, so that it will have legal effect.

These two major powers were originally in the hands of the emperor, but in order to reduce his workload, Emperor Xuanzong set up eunuchs in charge of writing and eunuchs in charge of seals in the Imperial Household Department, allowing eunuchs to assist him in handling official affairs.

But now, Zhu Youtang had not even seen the memorial drafted by the cabinet, but the Cining Palace had already agreed to it directly through the eunuchs in charge of writing and the eunuchs in charge of sealing, bypassing Zhu Youtang.

The cabinet and the harem directly sidelined Zhu Youtang!

"Your Majesty, the Cining Palace has sent memorials before, and Your Majesty has no other opinions. Moreover, this memorial must be sent out from the Qianqing Palace, which is in accordance with the rules..."

Huai En observed Zhu Youtang's expression and spoke carefully.

Zhu Youtang's face was gloomy and he was burning with anger.

It turns out that the harem's interference in politics has become so serious that it has reached the point of being wanton.

But when he thought of the power of Empress Dowager Zhou, Zhu Youtang couldn't help feeling despair.

Zhu Youtang, who had just ascended the throne, was facing the most powerful group of foreign relatives in history.

Zhou had a special relationship with the cabinet. The death of Emperor Yingzong was very strange, and it was most likely Zhou's fault.

Before Emperor Yingzong passed away, he left a will that did not allow Zhou to be buried with him.

But later in the 17th year of Hongzhi, after Zhou passed away, with the help of the cabinet, she was replaced by Empress Qian as a noble concubine and buried with Emperor Yingzong.

This incident alone shows the influence of Empress Dowager Zhou in the harem and the cabinet.

Moreover, the person who truly calls the shots in the entire imperial palace is Empress Dowager Zhou.

Zhu Youtang's three uncles, two great-uncles, and a series of Zhou's relatives were all granted titles.

These people either served in the Jinyiwei or in the Five Military Commanderies, and they had a firm control over Zhu Youtang's palace.

Zhu Youtang was simply powerless to resist!
And there is another point that makes Zhu Youtang extremely wary.

That is the death of Zhu Youtang in history, which is also extremely suspicious.

Historically, around the 16th year of Hongzhi, Zhu Youtang was deprived of power by both Empress Dowager Zhou and the cabinet.

First, a fire broke out in the harem for unknown reasons. Zhu Youtang's trusted eunuch Li Guang, who was then the director of the East Factory, committed suicide after being questioned by Empress Dowager Zhou.

Then the cabinet found a list from the East Factory, which recorded several high-ranking officials who had bribed Li Guang.

The list included the six ministers of the court and the nine generals of the frontiers, all of whom were from the emperor Zhu Youtang's party.

The cabinet jointly wrote a letter to the emperor, and more than 50 senior officials were impeached and dismissed from office.

Zhu Youtang's direct confidants, from the six ministers to the generals in charge of the nine frontiers, were all removed, and Zhu Youtang completely lost power.

A year later, in the 17th year of Hongzhi, Empress Dowager Zhou passed away.

The tight ring that had been on Zhu Youtang's head for seventeen years was finally removed, and Zhu Youtang began to seize power.

From the inner palace to the court and the frontier, Zhu Youtang carried out a series of personnel transfers.

But the result of this two-pronged approach was that a few months later, Zhu Youtang was sent away with a bowl of medicine from the Imperial Hospital.

In the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, Zhu Youtang passed away!
Thinking about the situation he was about to face, Zhu Youtang clenched his hands and was extremely angry.

At this moment, a heavenly sound rang out.

"Ding! Check-in location detected. Do you want to check-in?"

Zhu Youtang was delighted and immediately said to himself, "Sign in!"

"Ding! Sign in successfully, rewarded with the Emperor's Divine Art!"

"I have learned the first level of the Emperor's Book of the Gods, which strengthens the muscles and bones."

"Ding! A reward of 10,000 Dongchang soldiers has been given. They have been placed in the Dongchang and their loyalty level is at the maximum level!"

"Ding! A reward of 10,000 Western Factory soldiers has been given. They have been placed in the Western Factory and their loyalty is at the maximum level!"

"Ding! A reward of 10,000 Jinyiwei has been given. They have been placed in Jinyiwei. Their loyalty is at the maximum level!"

A warm current flowed through Zhu Youtang's limbs and bones, and Zhu Youtang suddenly felt full of strength, as if he had endless energy.

And these 30,000 factory guards were Zhu Youtang's reliance for turning the tide and regaining control of the military and political power!

Zhu Youtang sat back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Huai En. Zhu Youtang was able to live safely to inherit the throne, thanks to two eunuchs.

One is Huai En and the other is Zhang Min.

Unfortunately, Zhang Min had been forced by Concubine Wan to swallow gold and commit suicide, and Huai En was Zhu Youtang's most trusted person at this time.

At that time, Emperor Xianzong, under the influence of Concubine Wan, repeatedly wanted to appoint another crown prince.

The last time, Emperor Xianzong called Huai'en, who was the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, and issued an edict to abolish Zhu Youtang's position as Crown Prince.

Huai En was so frightened that he dared not accept the order. He knelt before Emperor Xianzong and shouted: "I would rather die than obey your order. I would rather Your Majesty kill me than let the people of the world kill me!"

This means that Zhu Youtang cannot be deposed as the crown prince, and if he wants to be deposed, he must be killed first.

Emperor Xianzong was furious and immediately demoted Huai'en to Fengyang to guard the imperial tomb.

It was not until last year that Huai En returned to the palace and became a eunuch in the Imperial Household Department.

"Huai En, from today on, I order you to supervise the East Factory!"

Huai En's eyes widened immediately, his whole body trembling with excitement, and he quickly knelt down to thank him.

"Thank you, old slave, for your grace!"

Huai En never thought that at his old age, he could return to the pinnacle of power in the Ming Dynasty.

He was so excited that tears streamed down his face.

But after wiping away her tears, she couldn't help feeling depressed when she thought about the current situation in the court and the palace.

He raised his head and glanced cautiously at Zhu Youtang who was sitting on the dragon throne.

"But your majesty, the current director of the East Factory, Liang Fang, is a subordinate of Empress Dowager Zhou. I'm afraid..."

Zhu Youtang showed a sneer on his face: "Are you afraid that my order will not count?"

Huai En was so frightened that he kowtowed immediately: "I dare not!"

Zhu Youtang picked up the teacup beside him and gently moistened his lips.

"Go to the East Factory and have a look. There are gifts I prepared for you."

"After taking charge of the East Factory, secretly bring people into the palace and wait for my dispatch."

"Step aside, and let Jinyiwei assistant Mou Bin come to see me."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take my leave."

Huai En slowly stood up, bowed and slowly backed out of the Qianqing Palace.

Soon, a strong young man wearing Feiyu clothing and holding an embroidered spring sword came to the Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Assistant Mou Bin requests to see you!"

"Xuan."

Mou Bin lowered his head and strode into the Palace of Heavenly Purity. He knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, your Majesty."

When Mou Bin learned that he was summoned by the emperor, he was excited and thrilled.

But now, kneeling before the emperor, Mou Bin felt an invisible pressure that made it hard for him to breathe.

"No need to be polite, just raise your head."

A majestic voice sounded, and Mou Bin dared to raise his head cautiously and quietly look at the figure sitting on the dragon throne.

The emperor sitting on the dragon throne looked very young, but his noble and domineering aura made Mou Bin dare not look directly at him.

"Mou Bin, if I let you take charge of the Jinyiwei, what will you do?"

what? !

Mou Bin's face was filled with shock, then he turned serious and bowed.

"I will serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul, monitor all officials for Your Majesty, and be the sharpest knife in Your Majesty's hand!"

"very good!"

Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "Mou Bin, I order you to be the commander-in-chief of the Jinyiwei."

"Immediately investigate the Jinyiwei and eliminate all discordant voices!"

"Find those people in the palace, the court, and the Imperial Guard who don't obey my orders!"

Mou Bin and Huai En had the same mood, first ecstasy, then worry.

The current commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is Concubine Wan's younger brother, Wan Tong.

Although Concubine Wan has passed away, her family is now closely connected with Empress Dowager Zhou...

A trace of worry flashed across Mou Bin's face, and Zhu Youtang saw it all.

He didn't explain much, just waved his hand and said, "Go to the Jinyiwei Yamen and you will know what to do next."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After Mou Bin respectfully left the Qianqing Palace, he ran towards the Jinyiwei with a heavy heart.

Huai'en and Mou Bin were both very famous Qing officials during the Hongzhi period.

With these two people assisting him, Zhu Youtang felt very confident in them.

……

The sky is covered with dark clouds and a storm is about to come.

After Huai En walked out of the palace gate, he glanced at the sky which had changed color and sat on his soft couch.

"Go to the East Factory, quickly!"

"Yes, father-in-law."

Four young eunuchs carried Huai'en out of the palace quickly and went to the Dongchang Yamen located in Dongzhimen.

Huai En was feeling nervous, trying to figure out what the gift Zhu Youtang was talking about was.

"Eunuch, the East Factory has arrived."

When Huai En stepped down from the couch, he saw the plaque of "Dongjishichang" which exuded a chill.

He walked steadily into the East Factory and pushed open the door.

"Greetings, Mr. Factory Supervisor!"

A dense crowd of people crowded into the East Factory Yamen, greeting Huai En with thunderous applause.

These people were dressed in the uniform of the Dongchang and held shining steel knives in their hands.

At this moment, after the initial shock, Huai En felt deeply grateful to Zhu Youtang.

His Majesty actually possesses such a powerful force and has put this power in his hands.

I am burdened with the grace of the Emperor, and I have no way to repay him except to die!

"Children, follow me into the palace!"

"Yes!"

Ten thousand Dongchang soldiers received the order and immediately followed Huai En into the palace!
The same scene was also happening in the Jinyiwei Yamen.

When Mou Bin arrived at the Jinyiwei Yamen, tens of thousands of Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms and embroidered spring swords on their waists had been waiting for a long time.

"Greetings, Commander!"

Mou Bin stood there in a daze.

After recovering from the shock, Mou Bin couldn't help but feel a deep fear in his bones when he thought of His Majesty's last words.

Mou Bin took a quick look and said seriously, "Where is Qinglong?"

"My subordinates are here!"

Jinyiwei captain Qinglong, along with Baihu, Zhuque and Xuanwu, walked up to Mou Bin together.

These four people are the trusted subordinates trained by Mou Bin himself. All of them are skilled fighters and are known as the Four Great Guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Count the troops and follow me to arrest the traitors!"

"Yes!"

Ten thousand Jinyiwei came out in full force and, under the cover of dark clouds, hid in the streets and alleys of the capital.

At this time, the Jinyiwei from the Empress Dowager Zhou's line were still enjoying themselves in the brothels in the capital.

They don't know yet what is waiting for them.

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(End of this chapter)