Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 341 A Grand Vision for the World, Private Palace Discussions Touch the Emperor's Heart

Inside the warm pavilion, the light and shadows were dim, with only a few palace lanterns beside the throne casting a tranquil orange glow amidst the wisps of smoke rising from the golden beast incense burner.

Zuo Liangyu and Fan Jingwen bowed and took their leave. The heavy palace doors slowly closed behind them, making a long and muffled sound, as if separating two worlds.

Zhu Youjian let out a long breath, which turned into a wisp of white mist in the cool air and then dissipated.

The heated debate and planning he had just witnessed, though mentally and physically exhausting, had also released a pent-up frustration within him, replaced by a feeling of exhilarating control over the universe.

He picked up the warm tea on the imperial table. The tea had already cooled slightly, but it was just enough to calm his slightly agitated blood.

After a brief silence, he did not rest, but took out another file from a sandalwood box with a secret lock on the side of the imperial desk.

What I just said to Zuo and Fan was merely the first step in this grand blueprint, a process of destruction before construction.

What is written in this dossier is the foundation of this system.

The emperor slowly unfolded the fine white Xuan paper with his slender fingers, his gaze calm and serene as he calmly read the lines of ink.

This document, titled "A Long-Term Strategy for Governing the World," differs from the solutions presented to his ministers earlier. It is a national framework planned for the next century of the Ming Dynasty, a true blueprint deeply hidden in the emperor's heart.

Its core lies in the concept of "order," which involves three steps, each linked to the next, progressing step by step.

Firstly, it was to unify the currency system. Once the national treasury was full of silver, the "Civil Code Edict" was promulgated, using the "Chongzhen Yuanbao" standard silver coin to consolidate the power over the nation's finances and establish a unified financial foundation for the empire for all time.

Secondly, it ensures sound fiscal management. The profits from maritime trade are divided into four parts: 30% for strengthening the navy to patrol the seven seas, 30% for the national treasury to secure the nation, 20% for the imperial treasury to prepare for emergencies, and 20% for investment in science and technology to promote innovation. In this way, the empire's lifeblood can be continuously replenished, allowing it to prosper.

Thirdly, it was for the purpose of conquering the world. Once the nation was wealthy and the military strong, trade would be the reins and money the weapon. In the east, it could control the rise and fall of the daimyo of Japan, and in the west, it could acquire the unique skills of the Western countries. Ultimately, it would establish numerous ports in key overseas locations, transforming the profits from trade into the power to command the world.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly swept across the paper, his mind filled with countless thoughts and ideas.

This was ultimately just a grand concept in his mind, a outline of the future empire.

As for how to fill it with flesh and blood and how to adjust the details, we still need to adapt to the changing times and circumstances in the future.

To think that a single policy can determine the course of a century is nothing but wishful thinking. The only true way to govern the world is to adapt to changing circumstances.

After locking the "Long-Term Strategies for Governing the World" back into the sandalwood box, Zhu Youjian felt a deep weariness wash over him.

He waved his hand, dismissing the eunuchs standing in the corner, and leaned back on the dragon throne alone, closing his eyes to rest.

Inside the warm pavilion, it was so quiet that you could hear your own heartbeat.

However, as soon as I relaxed, a jumble of chaotic thoughts surged up uncontrollably.

In his half-awake state, the questions raised by court officials in their memorials and the unspoken discussions among the old eunuchs about the empress resurfaced in his mind like ghosts.

The moment he thought of the "Empress," a name immediately came to mind, and that name brought to mind another figure that gnawed at his throat—Zhou Kui!
Zhu Youjian's brows furrowed unconsciously.

Zhou Kui, this name is simply the epitome of all the negative images of the special status of "father-in-law of the emperor" in China's five thousand years of history.

His actions perfectly illustrate what it means to be despicable and shameless, greedy and short-sighted, and a petty and philistine!
Those absurd and shameful memories were etched into Zhu Youjian's mind like a brand.

Historically, Zhou Kui's daughter was chosen as the Princess Consort of Xin. After Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, Zhou Kui rose to prominence and was granted the title of Earl of Jiading.

From then on, this man was like a hungry ghost, using his position as the emperor's father-in-law to amass wealth wildly both inside and outside the capital.

He seized fertile land, embezzled property, accepted bribes from officials, and used connections to sell official titles... He used every means at his disposal to quickly become the wealthiest man in the capital.

However, his desire for wealth had reached a pathological level. His mansion was piled high with gold and silver, but he only took in money and never gave it away. He was stingy to the core.

The most telling example of their despicable humanity was the farcical "donation" incident during a time of national crisis.

That scene was so clear in Zhu Youjian's mind, so... disgusting.

The world was in chaos, bandits rose up everywhere, the Jurchens attacked the gates, and the national treasury was so empty that rats could run through it.

The soldiers on the border were ragged and starving, and their pay had been in arrears for months.

In desperation, Emperor Chongzhen was reduced to the point of having to set aside his imperial dignity and call upon all his officials, relatives, and nobles to donate money to support the army.

The first person he thought of was his father-in-law, Zhou Kui, who was extremely wealthy in the capital.

Emperor Chongzhen naively hoped that Zhou Kui could take the lead in donating a large sum of money to set an example for all officials and alleviate the immediate crisis.

Therefore, he sent his trusted eunuch to Zhou Kui's residence to deliver the imperial edict, which was delivered in a sincere manner.

However, what happened next was enough to make any person with a temper tremble with anger.

The moment Zhou Kui heard the word "donate money," his old face fell instantly, and then a spectacular performance began.

This dignified father-in-law of the emperor actually clung to the eunuch's leg, tears streaming down his face, and wept bitterly.

The wailing was so piercing that it seemed as if they were not asking him to donate money, but rather to dig up his ancestral graves.

"My dear grandfather! You're going to kill me!" he wailed, claiming that his family was destitute and penniless, and that he had no money to donate.

To make his argument more convincing, he even took the eunuch on a tour of the mansion, pointing to the deliberately displayed dilapidated furniture and lamenting how hard his life was as the emperor's father-in-law, and how he could barely survive only because the empress's daughter in the palace would occasionally lend him money.

The acting, the expressions—they were so moving that they brought tears to the eyes of those who heard of them.

If one didn't know his background, one might really think he was some destitute old man.

When the news reached the palace, Empress Zhou was filled with shame and indignation, feeling that her father had disgraced her and the entire royal family.

Having no other choice, she secretly sent someone out of the palace to give to Zhou Kui the five thousand taels of her personal savings that she had scrimped and saved. With tears in her eyes, she begged him to donate the money no matter what, for the sake of the royal family and for his own sake, to preserve the last bit of face.

However, shamelessness knows no bounds.

Zhu Youjian clenched his teeth as he thought of this.

After receiving the life-saving money from his daughter, Zhou Kui's greed overcame the last shred of kinship and shame.

He actually kept two thousand taels of the five thousand taels of silver his daughter gave him!

Then, he reluctantly took out a small amount from his mountain of gold and silver to make up the difference, and, weeping and wailing, as if cutting off a piece of his own flesh, personally delivered it to the Ministry of Revenue as a donation to "bankrupt" him.

Afterwards, he didn't forget to spread the word everywhere, telling everyone how he had sold everything he owned and tightened his belt to donate to the country, presenting himself as a tragic figure who was loyal to the country and sacrificed his family for its relief.

Every official in the court is a shrewd and capable person.
Seeing that even the emperor's father-in-law only donated such a small amount, and yet acted so hypocritically, everyone tacitly agreed. Thus, this "Love for the Ming Dynasty" donation, initiated by the emperor himself, ultimately became a complete farce under Zhou Kui's "example," and came to nothing.

The final outcome was the greatest irony of Zhou Kui's life.

Li Zicheng captured Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Hill.

This Mr. Zhou had no intention of sharing the fate of the country, nor did he feel any sorrow for his daughter's martyrdom. The first thing he did was to put on a fawning smile, open the gates of his mansion, and humbly welcome the army of the rebel king, offering up the gold and silver treasures he had prepared in advance, hoping only to save his vast wealth and his life.

Unfortunately, he encountered Liu Zongmin, who was even more unruly.

Under the cruel torture of "recovering stolen goods to fund the army," this old scoundrel, who cried and insisted that he was penniless, was tortured beyond recognition. Finally, the rebel army searched his mansion's cellar, hidden walls, and even under his bed and found "700,000 taels of silver and countless treasures and toys"!
Seven hundred thousand taels of silver to the Lord!

He would rather watch his son-in-law's country perish than part with the 100,000 taels he donated, but in the end, the rebel army used the most cruel torture methods to squeeze all of it out of him, with interest.

Whenever he thought of this, Zhu Youjian felt a tightness in his chest, and a mixture of nausea, anger, and sorrow made him want to vomit.

It is precisely because of this unforgettable history that, for more than a year, although Zhou entered the palace as the Princess Consort of Xin, and although she was the only woman in the harem besides the Mongolian Princess Jingbei who came through a marriage alliance, he has never formally conferred upon her the title of Empress.

but……

Zhu Youjian's thoughts shifted from his hatred for Zhou Kui to his daughter, the woman who was still only "Consort Zhou"—Zhou Jingshu.

She was chosen as the princess consort for Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, by Empress Zhang herself from among many candidates of noble ladies during the grand selection at the end of the Tianqi era.

Empress Zhang valued Zhou Jingshu not because of her family background, but precisely because her family was of ordinary origin and lacked the foundation for interference in politics by relatives of the empress.

More importantly, Empress Zhang's assessment of her was: "She is virtuous and quiet, and dignified in her demeanor."

Calm and composed, truly calm and composed.

Looking back now, Zhu Youjian realized that the word "quiet" perfectly encapsulated Zhou Jingshu's life in the palace over the past year.

Zhu Youjian recalled those afternoons when, after finishing his official duties, he would pass by the side hall of Kunning Palace and see her sitting in front of the loom with several young palace maids, spinning yarn and weaving cloth by hand.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed her focused profile in a soft golden light, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the power struggles and treacherous nature of the Forbidden City.

The palace provided her with new clothes as usual, but she always kept those luxurious fabrics sealed away. What she wore were often old clothes that had been starched and washed many times, and whose colors were slightly faded, but were still clean and tidy.

She said, "Your Majesty is still busy with the affairs of the country, and the people of the world are still in danger of freezing and starving. How can I enjoy luxury alone?"

Moreover, Zhou Jingshu always only took what she needed each month, and she even frequently reminded the imperial kitchen not to be extravagant with the food in the palace, reminding them that every grain of rice and every bowl of porridge should be cherished.

These events, one by one, formed an ironic and stark contrast with the extravagant lifestyle of the officials in the imperial court and her father, who might become insatiably greedy in the future!
The more Zhu Youjian thought about how good Zhou Jingshu was, the more headache he felt.

It was a sense of contradiction that felt like it was being torn apart.

She possessed all the virtues a perfect empress should have: chastity, virtue, frugality, kindness, consideration for the overall situation, and indifference to fame and fortune.

If she is made empress, the imperial harem will surely be stable, and the world will have a virtuous empress to emulate.

Her father was a parasite on the country, and her daughter was a model for the world.

This father and daughter are the best illustration of the two extremes of human nature.

Zhu Youjian opened his eyes, which were filled with exhaustion and struggle.

He could plan a magnificent future for the Ming Dynasty with lightning speed; he could use imperial tactics to manipulate arrogant soldiers and experienced strategists at will.

But faced with this seemingly simple "family matter," he found it to be more difficult than ever before.

A deposed concubine, or should someone else be found?
Zhu Youjian's knuckles curled up unconsciously.

The image of Zhou Jingshu's serene profile in front of the loom flashed through his mind, her untainted character causing him a pang of pain.

She was not at fault; in fact, one could say she was the perfect candidate for empress in his eyes.

So, shall we appoint an empress?
But once the appointment was made, Zhou Kui followed him like a shadow.

The name was like a poisonous thorn deeply embedded in his memory. The Empress's father was naturally one of the core members of the noble group, a natural banner for all those who sought to curry favor.

Suppressing him too lightly would be like scratching an itch through a boot, only encouraging his greed in the shadows; suppressing him too heavily, on the other hand, might embarrass Jing Shu in the palace, damage their already thin marital relationship, and make her unable to hold her head high in front of the world.

This seems to be a dead end, an unsolvable dead end.

The candlelight in the warm chamber flickered slightly, as if it too could sense the emperor's inner turmoil and frustration.

However, after that brief moment of flickering flame, it suddenly became incredibly stable, burning quietly.

The dim, yellowish light reflected in Zhu Youjian's eyes, gradually extinguishing all ripples, leaving only a bottomless, icy pool.

A faint, cold smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

Yes, why should I choose?
He is the emperor, not a gambler forced into a corner, and he doesn't have to choose between two terrible options!

A stunningly beautiful orchid, yet its roots were rotten and even emitted a foul stench.

If we want to preserve its elegance and fragrance and prevent it from withering away, must we prune its branches and leaves every day in vain?
No.

The only way is to use the sharpest knife, in the dead of night when no one is watching, to silently cut away the rotten roots and then replace them with clean, fertile soil.

In this way, the flower will still be the same flower, and may even bloom more brightly.

Upon realizing this, the inner demons vanished instantly.

Zhu Youjian tapped his fingers lightly on the smooth imperial desk, producing a crisp "tap" sound that stood out starkly and clearly in the deathly quiet warm chamber.

He didn't look up, his voice calm and even, as if he were just giving an order for something very ordinary.

"Wang Chengen".

Wang Chengen, who had been standing in the shadows, quietly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This servant is here."

"Issue the decree," the emperor's voice was devoid of warmth, "order Zhou Quan, the director of the Eastern Depot, to come here to see me immediately."

(End of this chapter)