Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 338 The Battle of Wits: The True "Prince of Abyss"

"Zhang Zuo is missing?"

"Lu Bin and Zhao Hong have also not been found... There's no need to call the others; they're of no use..."

"So brave!!"

The candlelight in the Qianqing Palace flickered suddenly. Zhu Houcong's face darkened, and he suddenly sprang up, slamming his palm on the imperial desk. The Hetian jade paperweight fell to the ground, and the flying jade fragments grazed the cheek of the standing palace maid, leaving a bloody mark.

The entire hall was instantly filled with people kneeling down.

Not only the young palace maids and servants, but also several elderly eunuchs trembled all over, their foreheads pressed tightly against the gold bricks.

Since the Renyin Palace Incident, His Majesty's temper has not improved but has worsened. He frequently beats and scolds his servants, especially after taking elixirs recently.

The biggest difference is that the number of guards patrolling every night has increased several times, so that they rush into the palace at the slightest sign of trouble.

Under such circumstances, upon witnessing the emperor's wrath, they were naturally trembling with fear, feeling as if their lives were hanging by a thread.

Zhu Houcong paid no attention to these things that weren't even human; a deep unease arose in his heart.

With the overwhelming force of the outer court and the mysterious disappearance of the commander of the secret guards, he suddenly felt as if a net was closing in on him.

They came for him, the emperor, not just to plead for the prince!

"Who?"

"Who has the audacity to oppose me?"

Zhu Houcong was both shocked and furious, but also felt a long-lost thrill.

His neglect of his duties was due to a variety of reasons.

One key factor was that after wielding absolute imperial power and having no one in the world dare to disobey him, he developed a sense of invincibility and became disillusioned.

He had thoroughly subdued the court, but the administration of state affairs remained a multitude of trivial matters, and the implementation of the new policies ultimately failed to touch the fundamental interests of the gentry and common people.

What else is there?
As long as the crown prince is properly arranged, making it difficult for the court officials to support someone else to oppose him, then everything will be fine.

result.

it's not true.

After his initial rage, Zhu Houcong paced back and forth in the Qianqing Palace for a long while, his hands clasped behind his back, before finally calming down: "Go! Summon Xia Yan!"

Based on their relationship and official rank, he should address Haiyue.

But somehow, at this crucial moment, he suddenly lost faith in the young, trusted official he had personally promoted. Instead, based on his understanding of the three key officials, he targeted the one who was easiest to deal with—

Xia Yan!

However, the messenger quickly returned with news: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Xia, having been overworked with the northern war, caught a cold while reviewing military reports last night and is now bedridden. Only Grand Secretary Yan is on duty in the cabinet..."

"Ok?"

Zhu Houcong suddenly stopped, a movement that made everyone in the hall hold their breath once again.

"Where is Yan Song?"

"Grand Secretary Yan has been waiting outside the Meridian Gate since he heard that His Majesty has summoned him."

Zhu Houcong raised an eyebrow and ordered, "Go, bestow upon Yan Song the golden elixir that I just refined today!"

The eunuch was taken aback, puzzled.

When the Second Grand Secretary Xia Yan fell ill, shouldn't he have been given medicine instead? Why was it given to the Grand Secretary Yan Song?
Could it be that His Majesty also knows about the elixirs he refined...?

That's not right! So, he was going to bestow it upon Yan Song?

"Yes!"

Regardless, the eunuchs ran out as fast as they could.

Zhu Houcong, with his sleeves billowing, walked to the window and gazed at Yan Song standing beneath the steps.

That perpetually respectful figure seemed to be performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows in the direction of the Qianqing Palace. After the eunuch returned, he said with an admiring tone, "Grand Secretary Yan is so grateful for His Majesty's bestowal of the elixir that he accepted it on the spot!"

The obedience test has been passed.

Zhu Houcong crossed his arms with satisfaction and turned back into the Qianqing Palace.

His gaze then fell upon the stack of impeachment memorials on the dragon's desk.

These are all related to the chaos caused by the feudal lords.

The man surnamed Zhu was his potential rival. Although he was far less threatening than a prince, he was still a threat nonetheless.

"Transfer all of these to Haiyue and have him draft a 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan'—I want to see what kind of trouble these imperial descendants can cause!"

After the eunuch bowed and withdrew with the memorial in his hands, the emperor's tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly.

He got up and turned to the west warm pavilion, pushed open the sandalwood door carved with the Bagua diagram, and the familiar scent of agarwood mixed with cinnabar wafted towards him.

The Samadhi Fire in the alchemy furnace burned a deep blue, reflecting in his eyes as if a galaxy were flowing. Zhu Houcong took a deep breath, as if this was the world that truly belonged to him.

He practices both Buddhism and Taoism, but compared to meditation and contemplation of Buddhist principles, he feels more at ease with everything Taoist.

In particular, the lifespan of Taoist immortals is far longer than that of Buddhist monks.

It is said that Master Zhang had white hair and a youthful face, and could split bluestone with his bare hands. The four Jiazi years of life recorded in Taoist classics were like a hook that tormented his heart day and night.

The anxiety of wanting children in his youth has long faded; now, the fire in the furnace illuminates a face that is increasingly obsessed with immortality.

"Open the furnace!"

……

"call!"

"That was a close call!"

When Haiyue received the news from Qianqing Palace, she couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, Jiajing was in fact isolated from all sides and a tyrant, yet he was still able to so keenly sense that something was wrong and attempt to strike first, which was truly terrifying.

If he hadn't been on guard, and if Yan Song hadn't been so patient and readily taken the elixir, all his previous efforts might have been wasted.

"A memorial on maintaining order! What a memorial on maintaining order that speaks frankly about the most important matter under heaven!" His younger brother, Hai Rui, held the memorial with great delight.

He didn't feel any sense of luck being stolen; he only felt that this thing possessed the greatest courage in the world. At the same time, he was aware of the absolute risks involved and said resolutely, "Please allow me to join you in offering my advice, brother!"

"It's not just you!"

"Throughout the two capitals and fourteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, all officials have the duty to offer advice and remonstrance!"

Hai Yue said calmly.

His tone conveyed an unwavering determination.

The more autocratic the system, the more the state of the country depends on the emperor's personal ability and sense of responsibility.

Unfortunately, most emperors do not possess both qualities.

In the early part of Jiajing's reign, he possessed both qualities, but in the middle and later stages, he lost his sense of responsibility as emperor and degenerated quickly and thoroughly.

A corrupt emperor, yet with an extremely firm grip on power, and his courtiers, through long struggles, had long since lost the ability to resist him.

Consequently, the entire country was inevitably dragged into the abyss.

This is the true meaning of "Emperor of the Abyss"!
All this preparation was for the purpose of defeating such a "Prince of Yuan" and preventing such a "Prince of Yuan" from appearing again in the future!
There were no dramatic twists and turns like "the congratulatory memorial has arrived." Just like the historical "Memorial on Public Security," it was delivered to Jiajing's desk in a dignified manner through the Office of Transmission.

In other words, more than one official read the memorial, either agreeing with it, tacitly approving it, or being amazed that someone dared to say what they dared not say. In the end, they let it pass through and presented it to the emperor.

Now, Lu Bing is sharing the truth.

Haiyue, Yan Song, and even Xia Yan, who was finally surprised, all agreed.

I offer my advice!

Write a letter!

……

In the alchemy room.

A spark crackled from the furnace fire, and Zhu Houcong, who was staring intently, frowned. His voice was hoarse from the heat of the elixir: "Add two more qian of amethyst. The *Yunji Qiqian* says it should be taken with dew at midnight..."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

The Taoist priest hesitated, but ultimately bowed his head and performed the procedure.

The emperor's temperament was known to everyone in the palace.

He dared not say more.

When the elixir was ready, the eunuchs and palace maids around him took it first. They experienced no adverse reactions and their faces remained rosy. Then Zhu Houcong took it.

The third watch gong sounded outside the window, but the sky was still pitch black. Zhu Houcong meditated and circulated his qi to digest the elixir, but he felt his blood gradually boiling, as if something was breaking through his meridians.

He stared at the faint blue veins on the back of his hand and suddenly smiled foolishly.

The fire in the alchemy furnace burned brighter and brighter, casting the "Taishang Laojun's Classic of Purity and Tranquility" hanging on the wall in a flickering light.

The words in the scripture, "If people can always be pure and tranquil, all things in heaven and earth will return to them," seemed to be slightly distorted by the flickering flames.

After completing his practice, Zhu Houcong returned to the Qianqing Palace and paced back and forth excitedly. It took him a long time to calm down before he slowly sat down on the dragon throne.

He immediately spotted the memorial sent by the Office of Transmission.

Today's memorials are far more numerous and thicker than usual.

Zhu Houcong casually picked up the top book and opened it.

"Your subject Haiyue, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, respectfully submits this memorial: I wish to speak frankly about the most important matter under heaven, so as to rectify the way of the emperor, clarify the duties of the ministers, and seek peace and stability for all generations."

"The ruler is the master of all subjects and all things under heaven. Because he is the master of all subjects and all things under heaven, his responsibility is extremely heavy."

"If there is anything that is not suitable for the people's livelihood and health, then the person in charge will be deemed unfit for the post."

"The way of the ruler should be comprehensive, and his responsibilities should be entrusted to his ministers, so that they may speak their minds fully..."

"Ok?"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Houcong realized that something was wrong.

As he read through the words, the Jiajing Emperor's expression changed completely.

The core of maintaining order and security lies in the virtue of the ruler.

In practical terms, this included the Crown Prince's serious illness, the Prince's major criminal case, and even the numerous crimes committed by the Liyuan Society.

The source of everything.

It points directly to him, the sovereign and father of all people!

Ever since.

The meticulous calligraphy on the memorial tablet was no longer just words, but like awls piercing his internal organs from his eyes.

The crucial point is that halfway through reading it, the Jiajing Emperor suddenly turned his head, grabbed the second memorial, and flipped through it. His face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth, uttering four words: "Gathering a crowd to offer remonstrance?"

Many officials liked to gather crowds to offer their advice.

Undeniably, some morally upright officials do practice Confucian etiquette and implement the teachings of the sages they have learned, but most of them are merely seeking fame and power.

By criticizing the emperor and powerful officials, they accumulate political capital.

It's quite possible that if someone criticizes the emperor and powerful officials today, even if they are punished with a beating and demoted, they could be reinstated and promoted much faster than before, depending on the changing political landscape of the court.

Haiyue is clearly not that kind of person.

That would be the first type of completely loyal and upright minister.

Do not!
It doesn't seem right...

"I actually misjudged him!"

The Jiajing Emperor's hand holding the memorial trembled uncontrollably: "I thought you, Haiyue, were a person of strong character, with a bright heart and a strong sense of loyalty, hating evil as if it were your enemy and not adept at political maneuvering. I never expected you to be such a wicked person. Is this a case that has led you to investigate me and is now trying to outwit me?"

(End of this chapter)