Huangming

Chapter 72 Purge the treacherous officials, and let loyalty fill the court.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

Emperor Zhu Youxiao had sharp eyes.

"How much is involved?" The emperor's voice was like a quenched steel knife.

"Replying to Your Majesty."

Wei Zhongxian's Adam's apple bobbed. He knew that this move would surely anger the eunuchs in the palace and make people in the outer court hate him to the bone.

After all, many of the eunuchs on these lists had connections with the outer court.

but.
Most of them were lackeys of the Wei Dynasty.

It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

Wei Zhongxian was not a gentleman, but a villain.

Petty people are always seeking revenge.

Now that he's had the chance, he's naturally going to retaliate fiercely.

"Among the 12 Directorates, 4 Offices, 8 Bureaus, and 24 government offices, more than 100 eunuchs were involved, including many of them who held prominent positions."

There is another one.

He suddenly kowtowed, his voice trembling with sobs, and cried, "This old servant dares not speak!"

"Speak!" Zhu Youxiao already knew who he was going to mention.

"A few days ago, Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, smuggled a cartload of wild ginseng from Liaodong out of the palace. This servant dares not speak ill of the Directorate, and humbly requests Your Majesty's wise judgment."

As he spoke, he handed over the list of more than one hundred people.

Zhu Youxiao opened the book, and among the densely packed people, many were the powerful eunuchs of the Twelve Directorates.

Directorate of Palace Attendants, Directorate of Imperial Supplies, Directorate of Imperial Furnishings, Directorate of Imperial Horses, Directorate of Imperial Palace, Directorate of Imperial Cuisine
They are all on the list.

The names of the people are followed by the number of times they stole treasure and the items they stole.

It is evident that Wei Zhongxian took this matter very seriously. Having obtained substantial evidence, he then came before the emperor to lodge a complaint against the Wei dynasty.

"good very good!"

Zhu Youxiao looked at Wei Zhongxian, who was dressed in a robe with a python pattern, and said with a smile, "I will never tolerate the theft of treasures from the palace!"

Wei Zhongxian's face lit up with joy, and he was filled with anticipation.

Is His Majesty about to take action against the Wei Dynasty?
Then he promoted himself to the position of Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
However, the emperor did not mention the Wei dynasty at all. Instead, he looked intently at Wei Zhongxian and said, "Have you investigated which of the palace eunuchs are colluding with the outer court?"

Wei Zhongxian was stunned for a moment, and immediately cold sweat poured down his back.

He was a smart man and immediately understood the meaning behind the emperor's words.

His Majesty is using the theft of treasure in the palace as an opportunity to eliminate spies in the outer court!

Wei Zhongxian was only shocked for a moment before quickly dispelling his fear.

With His Majesty's backing, what do I have to fear?
Furthermore, due to the emperor's change of heart, he quickly turned his guns around.

The focus shifted from dealing with the Wei Dynasty to dealing with the outer court.

He immediately said, "Your Majesty, please give me a few days, and I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "This matter need not be publicized for now. Once the results are clear, we will strike decisively. Also, find a group of loyal and capable eunuchs. Remember, they must be absolutely loyal to me. If there are any scum among them, I will hold you responsible."

Wei Zhongxian almost burst out laughing when he thought he could place his confidants in the palace.

Upon hearing the following sentence, I suddenly felt a mix of anxiety and uncertainty.

He doesn't have many absolutely loyal subordinates!
The only option is to promote truly low-ranking eunuchs.

After Wei Zhongxian left, Zhu Youxiao quickly sent someone to the Directorate of Ceremonial to summon Wei Chao.

This guy's recent actions have really made him lose his mind.

If you still don't stand out, then go and guard the tomb of the late emperor.

Speaking of guarding the tomb.

I wonder if that scoundrel Wang An is still alive?

At that moment, Wei Chao, in the Directorate of Ceremonial, thought the emperor was inquiring about state affairs, and hurriedly sent his eunuchs with many memorials to the East Warm Pavilion.

"This servant, Wei Chao, greets Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youxiao did not let Wei Chao get up, but asked instead, "Are wild ginseng from Liaodong nourishing?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao trembled.

He faced the marble floor, but his eyes flashed with malice, and his back teeth were almost grinding to powder.

It was that dog eunuch Wei Zhongxian!
They've complained about him!
"Your Majesty, His Majesty previously said that there are too many useless items in the palace, and some of them could be transferred to the imperial estates to be sold to supplement the inner court's needs. A few days ago, a cartload of aged wild ginseng was indeed transported out of the palace to be sold."

Zhu Youxiao was taken aback upon hearing this.

It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple.

cough cough.

Zhu Youxiao coughed once, but his expression remained normal.

The most important thing for a leader is to have a thick skin.

"Get up."

After Wei Chao stood up, Zhu Youxiao said again, "Recently, thefts have been rampant in the palace. Are you aware of this?"

Wei Chao felt a sense of solemnity.

Of course he knew about this, and he even received a lot of gifts from them.

"This servant knows a little about this matter."

Wei Chao immediately understood what kind of complaint Wei Zhongxian had filed with the emperor.

"Eliminate the unclean people, lest you tarnish your own reputation. Also, recruit a group of loyal eunuchs for me; I will need them."

Wei Chao immediately kowtowed and accepted the order, knowing that His Majesty was protecting him.

The portly old eunuch was deeply grateful. "Also, compile a list of those who collude with the outer court and hand it over to Wei Zhongxian; he will handle it himself."

Wei Chao nodded and said, "This servant obeys."

"By the way, is Wang An still in Qingling?" Zhu Youxiao asked abruptly.

Wei Chao felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.

He stammered, but could only say, "Your Majesty, Wang An, an old man, passed away a few days ago."

Zhu Youxiao narrowed his eyes; these people were indeed swift and agile.

Seeing that the emperor remained silent, Wei Chao assumed that Zhu Youxiao was angry and hurriedly explained, "There is no follow-up to this matter. Moreover, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigated, they also discovered that this old eunuch was corrupt and had a huge amount of money in his family. His personal wealth was as much as 500,000 taels of silver. Wei Zhongxian is currently compiling a list and preparing to send the embezzled money to the inner court."

Good guy!
If we don't ask a question today, won't we lose this 500,000 taels?

If even his trusted confidants acted this way, how many officials in the court must have been keeping it from him?

Crack down on corruption.

However, human nature is inherently greedy, and without daily reminders, it will change.

Zhu Youxiao lightly tapped the dragon-patterned paperweight with his fingertips, gazing at the churning winter clouds outside the palace, and pondered, "Wei Dynasty, do you think I am a foolish and incompetent ruler? Have you lost your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao knelt on the ground, his buttocks sticking up high, filled with immense fear.

"This servant knows her crime and begs Your Majesty for punishment."

He and Wei Zhongxian did have the idea of ​​embezzling money, but they hadn't done it yet.

Wei Chao stole a glance at the gloomy-faced Tianqi Emperor, then quickly looked away, his body trembling like a leaf.

It seems that money is His Majesty's bottom line, and he will never dare to touch it again.

"Take good care of yourself. If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, you don't need to serve me anymore."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao was terrified and was about to say something when a reprimanding voice rose from the throne:

"roll"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao dared not say anything more and rolled around in the East Warm Pavilion, truly rolling out of there.

The emperor was furious, and Zhang Zhiji and Luo Yang, who were about to enter, stopped in their tracks.

However, the emperor on the throne had already spoken.

"Come in!"

Zhang Zhiji and Luo Yangxing had no choice but to bite the bullet and enter the East Warm Pavilion.

"Your humble servant Zhang Zhiji (Luo Yangxing) greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao rose from his throne, his face showing no anger, as if the previous angry roars and dragon cries were merely an illusion witnessed by the two.

At the service of the palace servants, Zhu Youxiao changed out of his ordinary clothes and into a light military uniform.

He has learned Professor Zhang Zhiji's Five Animal Frolics and practices it every day, and his health has indeed improved a lot.

In addition, he has a regular schedule and is not interested in women, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is naturally in good health.

Zhu Youxiao felt he could live a few more years if he summoned the imperial physicians less often.

The imperial physicians of the Ming Dynasty were specifically tasked with causing the emperor's death.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao's desire to exercise became even stronger.

"Archive the carriage at the Arrow Pavilion!"

The Arrow Pavilion is located outside Jingyun Gate in the eastern part of the Forbidden City, adjacent to Fengxian Hall. It was a special venue for the emperor and princes to practice archery and inspect the martial arts of their guards. It was equipped with targets and a horse track and could accommodate hundreds of people for training.

A winter wind whistles across the Arrow Pavilion training ground.

Luo Yangxing practiced the Eight Pieces of Brocade in front of the emperor.

He stood with his feet apart, slowly raising his hands from his abdomen to the top of his head, palms facing upwards, his eyes following his hands, pausing briefly before lowering them.

Luo Yangxing was very serious. Because he was teaching the emperor, he was obviously very nervous and even stammered when he spoke.

"Your Majesty, this is 'Holding up the sky with both hands to regulate the three burners.' When lifting up, inhale; when lowering down, exhale."

Seeing his expression, Zhu Youxiao reassured him, "Don't be nervous."

Seeing that His Majesty did not appear to be furious, Luo Yangxing calmed down considerably. He took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, this technique can clear the triple burner, improve blood circulation, and relieve stiffness in the shoulders and neck."

After that, they began practicing the second move, "Drawing the bow with both hands as if shooting an eagle."

Zhu Youxiao followed along and practiced, working up a good sweat under the gentle winter sun.

Zhang Zhiji, who had been tense, relaxed.

He leaned against the weapon rack by the training ground, a blade of grass he'd somehow gotten his hands on, watching Luo Yangxing clumsily teach the emperor kung fu. He was already thinking about how he'd mock Luo Yangxing after his shift ended.

Although this piece of wood is dull, it's quite amusing and even rather cute when you get him excited.

Zhang Zhiji shook his head violently and slapped himself in disbelief.

His idea seems a bit off?
This soldier is clumsy and boring, what's so lovable about him?
Meanwhile, Zhu Youxiao had already practiced the Eight Pieces of Brocade three times.

The Eight-Section Brocade exercise was very helpful for him, a person who sits for long periods of time. After sweating profusely, he felt much more relaxed.

At this moment, he saw Zhang Zhiji watching the show from the side and waved to him.

Zhang Zhiji instantly became serious, straightened his back, swallowed the grass root, and respectfully walked to the emperor.

"What's your majesty's order?"

Zhu Youxiao took the handkerchief handed to him by Zhang Yun'er, wiped his sweat and asked, "The Duke of Ying's mansion is in charge of the Beijing Garrison. Tell me, what is the current situation of the Beijing Garrison?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiji felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

However, faced with the emperor's question, he could only bite the bullet and give a reply.

"This humble servant will certainly speak frankly and without reservation."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Return to Qianqing Palace!"

The inner court is undergoing reorganization, and the Beijing garrison should also prepare for some changes!
(End of this chapter)