The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 164 A King's Tolerance of the Unacceptable
Go around the screen.

The first thing that catches the eye is the throne. Although it is a side hall, it is quite tall. Behind the large pillars on both sides of the throne, there are several incense burners with wisps of smoke rising from them.

"Father is still reprimanding Prince Gu in the main hall. He will be here shortly. Let's wait a moment."

The emperor reprimanded Prince Gu in the main hall, but met with him in a side hall. Li Xianmu guessed that the emperor wanted to say something that was not easy to say openly. This suited his wishes perfectly, and he could also offer his advice on the matter of Shandong.

While the emperor was chatting quietly with Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi about their trip to Jiangnan, they heard footsteps approaching. The two stopped talking, the emperor's face showing obvious displeasure and a livid expression, while the Prince of Han and the Prince of Zhao behind him were filled with indignation.

"Your humble servant Li Xianmu pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

"Xianmu, get up quickly and find a place to sit."

Upon seeing the travel-worn Li Xianmu, the emperor, whose face had been ashen, finally showed a slight smile. "The snow is heavy today, there was no need to rush to the palace. It would have been better to wait until the snow melts before entering."

"Your Majesty has entrusted me with important matters, and I dare not slack off. I put public affairs before private ones, which is what my late father taught me."

"I know you've always been a good boy. Just from what I know, you've done very well in Jiangnan. I also know about your erection of the monument on the banks of the Yangtze River and your oath with the civil and military officials of Jiangnan. You've done very well!"

If all the ministers of the Ming Dynasty were like you, what would I have to worry about?

"King Gu...you truly infuriate me!"

Comparing people is a recipe for disaster; comparing goods is a recipe for disaster. The more people like Prince Gu there are, the more precious people like Li Qi and Li Xianmu, who can share the burdens of the ruler, become.

Zhu Di was very excited. "Especially the matter of erecting a monument along the Yangtze River. This is a great achievement in the education of our dynasty. I was right to have judged you, and the late emperor was right to have judged you. You are indeed the unicorn of our great Ming Dynasty. You and your father could not use the Jian Shuren system, but I used it. Thus, the Jian Shuren lost the country, while I created a prosperous era."

This description practically elevates Li Xianmu to the heavens. Li Xianmu repeatedly expressed his humility, saying he dared not be ranked alongside his late father, but he did not deny his role in the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

The King of Zhao subtly pursed his lips, while the King of Han gave Li Xianmu a deep look. Li Xianmu had returned from Jiangnan with a wealth of achievements, had won the emperor's favor, and had gained his trust. He was now an insurmountable peak on the road to the throne.

"If it's not clear in the memorial, then give a brief account of the important events that happened to you in Jiangnan, and then leave the palace. Your mother misses you too. After the Lantern Festival, you can go back to the palace and tell her everything in detail."

After Li Xianmu responded, he selected several important matters and recounted them to the emperor. It seemed to go quite smoothly, but Zhu Di knew that several of them were not simple matters, and that the slightest mistake could lead to a public outcry.

The matter of the Confucian Temple, in particular, is truly dangerous.

If it really comes to that, even if we use the power he grants to suppress it, it will inevitably turn Jiangnan and the imperial court into enemies, which will certainly be detrimental to governance.

After listening to Li Xianmu's account, Zhu Di laughed loudly and said, "You did a very good job as governor of Jiangnan this time. You could say you did an excellent job. How would you like me to reward you?"

Seeing the emperor laughing heartily, Zhu Gaochi's face was full of smiles, while the Prince of Han looked rather uneasy.

Li Xianmu bowed deeply and solemnly said, "Your Majesty, I dare not ask for any reward. Whatever Your Majesty bestows upon me, I will gladly accept it."

However, upon returning to the capital, I discovered a matter that could potentially shake the very foundations of the state.

Will it destabilize the nation?

Zhu Di knew that Li Xianmu never exaggerated, so he immediately stopped smiling and said in a deep voice, "Xianmu, what is it? Tell me quickly."

Li Xianmu then reported the devastation in Shandong to the emperor.

Before the emperor could even speak, the Prince of Han angrily declared, "Li Xianmu, don't try to scare us. The stability of Shandong is a fact; how could it possibly endanger the nation?"

Li Xianmu's heart tightened, and he immediately realized that the official who was inspecting Shandong was a man of the Prince of Han. The Shandong governor had returned to the capital before him, and had probably already reported the situation in Shandong to the emperor. Clearly, what the Shandong governor said was different from what he said.

If the emperor accepts Li Xianmu's words, the Shandong governor's trip to Shandong will not only be fruitless but also criminal, no wonder the Prince of Han is angry.

In the eyes of the Prince of Han, this was Li Xianmu's deliberate act to strike at the Prince of Han's faction. Not to mention the Prince of Han, even Zhu Gaochi felt that Li Xianmu was doing this, and he was both moved and worried.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di hesitated. Was the situation in Shandong really that critical?

Seeing the emperor's hesitation, the King of Zhao rolled his eyes and said in a sinister tone, "The land of Shandong is full of rebellious people. If it weren't for the rebellious people of Shandong blocking our way during the Jingnan Campaign, we would have succeeded long ago."

Merits are rewarded, mistakes are punished.

Therefore, Zhili and Henan can reduce or exempt taxes, while Shandong cannot. Isn't this a case of the unpredictability of the emperor's will?
If any rebellious people do not repent, the imperial army will be dispatched to them, and naturally the country and the state will be secure!

These words struck a chord with the emperor. Zhu Di was essentially petty and kind to his family, but he had nearly died twice in Shandong, so it was impossible for him not to hate them. Not imposing heavy taxes on Shandong was already a sign of his leniency. It was impossible for Shandong to enjoy the same treatment as Henan and Zhili.

Zhao Wang Zhu Gaosui's words almost made Li Xianmu lose his temper and retort.

What kind of beast is this?

"What His Highness Prince Zhao says is utterly absurd!"

Li Xianmu spoke calmly, “Your Majesty, Shandong is the most crucial part of the Grand Canal. Looking out to sea, Jiaozhou can cut off sea transport.”

The road to the capital is flat and without mountains, while heading south would allow one to breach the north bank of the Yangtze River and threaten Nanjing. If anything were to happen in Shandong, the consequences would be unimaginable!
Such an important place deserves the utmost care; how can we allow it to descend into chaos because of some personal feelings?
This is absurd!
That's absurd!

Li Xianmu repeatedly said "too absurd," which made the emperor, the crown prince, the Prince of Han, and the Prince of Zhao all see his disbelief.

King Zhao immediately retorted with displeasure, "Isn't this just alarmist talk? Where is the truth in that...?"

"Your Highness, Prince Zhao!"

Li Xianmu could no longer remain calm and roared, "Don't even mention a one in a million chance, as long as there is danger, we cannot gamble with the fate of the Ming Dynasty."

Besides, is this really just alarmist talk?
If the people cannot survive, they will surely rebel. Even the people of Fengyang, the ancestral home of the late emperor, rebelled. Are the people of Shandong just going to wait to die?

King Zhao said they were all rebellious people, and if they were rebellious people, then they must be even more unbearable!

"If the imperial court cannot quell the rebellion... no, if the imperial court drags on for two years, and the grain from the south cannot be transported to the capital, does Your Highness know how many people will starve to death?"

Zhu Gaosui was completely speechless as Li Xianmu choked him down with each word. Just as he was about to retaliate when Li Xianmu finally stopped, he was interrupted again. "Moreover, although Your Highness cannot inherit the throne, you will eventually be enfeoffed in a country. A king is different from an ordinary person and should have a heart that embraces the world!"
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, could even forgive his enemies. Now, His Highness Prince Zhao cannot even forgive some ordinary people who were once forced into their positions, and he is rewarding and punishing them with the mentality of a commoner. I am deeply ashamed!

"you……"

Zhu Gaosui never expected that Li Xianmu would dare to point his finger at him and curse him in front of the emperor. Just as he was about to retaliate, the emperor interrupted him with an angry shout, "Enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough yet?"

"Father... it's Li Xianmu who's so arrogant..."

"What Li Xianmu!"

Zhu Di angrily rebuked again: "Those are your cousin's sincere words. You have lived so many years in vain, it's like you've lived to the point of being a dog's belly. How come I only gave birth to three of you? You are not even as good as Xianmu."

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu were taken aback, feeling somewhat aggrieved, wondering how the anger had spread to them.

Li Xianmu knew immediately that Zhu Di had taken his words to heart. Although he was referring to Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, he was actually speaking to Zhu Di.

A ruler must have the heart to embrace all his subjects. If you impose a high-pressure rule in Shandong, there will be resistance wherever there is oppression, and the people will surely rise up against you in the future.

"Xianmu, I will consider what you said. After the Lantern Festival, come to the palace and I would like to hear your opinion."

It's getting late, you should go home now. Your mother probably misses you very much.

After bowing, Li Xianmu went outside the hall, wrapped himself in a thick brocade robe again. The world was still a blanket of white, and the biting wind stung his face like a knife.

He recalled the looks in the eyes of the King of Han and the King of Zhao in the palace, and felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that he had completely offended them.

"King of Han, I have returned from Jiangnan this time,"

As the saying goes, there's no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days but not being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days. In that case, we must find an opportunity to strike the King of Han dead in one fell swoop.

……

"Dong dong!"

Li Xianmu pounded heavily on the tightly closed vermilion gate of the princess's residence with the door knocker.

The gatekeeper of the princess's residence poked his head out, about to ask who they were looking for, when he saw the young master standing in the snow with a palace carriage behind him. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes and let out a startled cry. A furious shout came from inside the gate, "What are you yelling about?"

Another person poked their head out, and upon seeing it, immediately cried out, "Young...Young Master!"

Li Xianmu smiled and said, "Open the door quickly, it's a bit cold outside."

The two men snapped out of their shock and quickly pushed the gate open together. Li Xianmu pulled his thick cloak over himself and went straight into the mansion, followed by the two gatekeepers who shouted, "Young Master is back!"

"Young master, you're walking too slowly. Although the snow has been cleared, your feet may slip. Be careful not to fall."

Although there are no natural bridges and streams in the north, Princess Lin'an liked the scenery of Jiangnan, so her palace built a fake one. Now the garden is covered with snow, the pavilions and towers are trembling, and the branches that have long lost their leaves are also covered with white snow, which is quite interesting.

Only the blooming of winter plum blossoms adds a touch of fragrance to the desolate winter days, bringing life to the mansion.

The shouts from the two gatekeepers startled everyone in the mansion, and the maids and others in the side rooms all peeked out to look.

"Truly a young master! Truly a young master!"

"Young Master is back!"

"The princess must be overjoyed."

(End of this chapter)