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

Chapter 358 I must go in person.
As the sun dips westward, the golden crow gradually sinks.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City were coated with a layer of flowing reddish-gold, resembling a burning jade palace.

The air inside the hall was warm and tranquil.

The shock and emotion brought about by the mirror, soap, and honeycomb briquettes did not dissipate with the passage of time. Instead, like a fine aged wine, it fermented in tranquility, producing an even more intoxicating fragrance.

Consort Jingbei remained seated in front of the mirror, like a child receiving a beloved doll for the first time.

Her fingertips gently glided across the smooth, water-like surface of the mirror.

The person in the mirror smiled sweetly, her beautiful eyes sparkling. Every subtle expression, every trembling eyelash, was so clear it seemed almost tangible.

Zhou Jingshu sat gracefully to one side, her slender hands still faintly carrying the delicate and lingering floral fragrance from the soap she had just used.

Empress Zhang Yan's gaze, however, was the most complex.

Her gaze would linger briefly on Consort Jingbei's mirror and Zhou Jingshu's soap before finally settling on the unassuming black honeycomb briquette that the palace maids had carefully placed in a corner.

It was ugly and rough, completely out of place in the magnificent Kunning Palace.

However, in Zhang Yan's eyes, this black, hole-filled object possessed a more powerful and moving force than the priceless mirror or the fragrant soap.

These honeycomb briquettes were a timely help, giving countless ordinary people of the Ming Dynasty, struggling on the brink of life and death, a glimpse of hope for the coming spring.

What is a ruler?
He bestows favor upon all people, rather than favoring only one person; he bears the worries of the world in his heart, rather than enjoying the pleasures of the palace alone.

Zhu Youjian smiled as he looked at the satisfied, joyful, and even adoring expressions on their faces, and his heart was filled with warmth.

He enjoyed this atmosphere, not because he enjoyed their worship, but because he enjoyed that his feelings were understood and cherished by those closest to him.

This is a far more genuine sense of accomplishment than the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from officials in the imperial court.

He didn't rush to speak, but instead raised his hand, signaling the palace maid beside him to refill the tea for all three of them with hot tea.

The wafting aroma of tea once again filled the hall, diluting the fragrance of the soap and infusing the almost frozen atmosphere of reverence with a touch of human warmth.

"How have you been lately, Your Majesty? I heard you had a cough the other day. I had the Imperial Hospital send you some loquat syrup. Have you been taking it on time?" The Emperor broke the silence, looking at Zhang Yan with gentle eyes, his words full of concern for an elder.

Zhang Yan quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am much better now. The loquat syrup was very effective."

Zhu Youjian nodded, then turned to Zhou Jingshu, his smile deepening: "You, I saw you sniffing that soap just now, your nose was almost touching it. I always tell you to read more books, but you always say your eyes are tired. But you're quite energetic when you see these novel things."

Zhou Jingshu blushed and gave him a coquettish glare. The charm in her eyes softened the atmosphere in the hall: "I naturally like the things Your Majesty has bestowed upon me."

Finally, his gaze fell on Consort Jingbei, who was still obsessed with the mirror, and he teased, "If you keep looking at it, you might see right through this mirror. Be careful it doesn't suck you in too, then I'll have to go looking for you in the mirror."

One sentence made Zhou Jingshu and Zhang Yan burst into laughter.

Consort Jingbei then seemed to wake from a dream, her face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly stood up from in front of the mirror and curtsied to Zhu Youjian: "Your Majesty is teasing me again..."

A few simple, everyday words, like a gentle spring breeze and drizzle, quietly bridged the distance created by his grand pronouncements about the world.

The image of that aloof and caring person who was concerned about the people perfectly overlapped once again with the image of the husband and brother in front of her who were caring and joking.

Once the atmosphere in the hall had completely calmed down after this round of laughter and conversation, the three women's excitement subsided, and they returned to the warm and homely atmosphere.

Zhu Youjian then picked up the celadon teacup in front of him.

His long, slender fingers gripped the warm, smooth surface of the cup. He brought the teacup to his lips and gently blew on the rising steam.

At that very moment, the emperor's expression changed.

Those eyes, which were originally full of gentle smiles, seemed to be instantly infused with the coldness and profundity of millennia-old iron.

The smile in his eyes receded like the tide, and his gaze seemed to no longer be on the tea in front of him, but pierced through the palace walls, through the layers of the Forbidden City, and looked towards a distant and cold direction.

Zhu Youjian put down his teacup.

"Snapped."

A crisp, light sound.

All the sounds inside the hall, including the sound of the wind outside the window, seemed to be swallowed up by this soft sound at that moment.

The three women's eyes were drawn to it simultaneously, and their hearts tightened for no apparent reason.

Zhu Youjian's tone remained calm, even more so than during their casual conversation, but every word he uttered carried the weight of a mountain.

"Mirrors and soap can make the people of my Great Ming Dynasty live more decently."

“Honeycomb briquettes can keep them alive.”

He paused, his sharp gaze slowly sweeping over the three slightly puzzled faces, then said, word by word:

"But all of this has one prerequisite."

That is, peace and tranquility for the country and its people.

Before he finished speaking, he paused again, giving them a moment to grasp the weight of his words.

Immediately, a thunderclap boomed from the ground!

"Therefore, my next major plan is to dedicate the nation's resources to resolving the Jurchen threat once and for all after the spring of next year!"

"...to solve the problem of the Jurchen slaves once and for all!"

Each word of that last half-sentence instantly extinguished the warm atmosphere in the room, freezing it into frost.

It was a chill that penetrated to the bone, more biting than the north wind of a Beijing winter.

The blush that had risen on Consort Jingbei's face due to shyness vanished instantly, like embers doused with ice water, leaving only a pale expression of astonishment.

The silk handkerchief slipped silently from her hand and fell to her feet, without her even noticing.

Zhou Jingshu's hand holding the teacup trembled suddenly.

The tea in the cup sloshed, and a drop of scalding tea splashed onto the back of her delicate hand, making her shudder. But the slight pain was insignificant compared to the turmoil raging in her heart.

Zhang Yan, the former Empress Dowager who had experienced the fierce factional struggles of the Tianqi Dynasty, witnessed the death of the late emperor, and assisted the new emperor in ascending the throne, had her pupils shrink to the most dangerous pinpoints when she heard the words "the threat of the Jurchens"!
The air seemed to freeze, and time stretched out infinitely in that moment.

The first to react was Zhou Jingshu.

As his bedmate, no one understood Zhu Youjian's style of doing things better than her.

Once this man makes up his mind, he has an unwavering resolve that cannot be swayed by even nine oxen.

His words were never embellished; his plans never had a way out!
A series of images flashed through Zhou Jingshu's mind like lightning:

Faced with the devastating disaster in Shaanxi, all the officials in the court said that the national treasury was empty and there was no way to provide relief. However, he resolutely went to Shaanxi in person and stood before the starving people as the emperor!

Then, in order to thoroughly eradicate the corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty's finances, he once again led his army south, stirring up a huge wave in Yangzhou City and uprooting the salt merchants and other powerful figures who had been entrenched for over a hundred years!

Shaanxi is plagued by natural disasters and man-made calamities, while Jiangnan is a scourge of the nation.

And the Jurchens of Liaodong...

Zhou Jingshu's heart sank suddenly, as if gripped by an invisible hand, instantly plunging into an abyss.

She knew the true meaning behind the emperor's words about solving the problem once and for all, which filled her with fear!
That was by no means a simple matter of appointing a general and allocating more provisions and pay.

Given the emperor's personality and past actions, the word "resolve" means that he must personally take control, personally supervise, and personally... face the situation!
"Do not……"

A silent word screamed in Zhou Jingshu's heart, and the color drained from her face instantly, turning into a chilling pale white.

She could no longer hold the teacup firmly, and it crashed to the ground with a thud, shattering into pieces.

The crisp cracking sound was like her heart, shattered into pieces.

Almost instinctively, Zhou Jingshu turned her panicked and helpless gaze toward Zhang Yan, who was sitting at the head of the table.

As Zhou Jingshu accidentally broke the teacup, Zhang Yan also caught sight of her pleading gaze.

Zhang Yan's heart sank to the bottom.

What Zhou Jingshu could think of, how could she not think of?
She thought even deeper, further, and with greater fear!

A thought that made her tremble from the bottom of her heart, a thought she dared not even imagine, suddenly illuminated her entire mind like a pale white lightning bolt in a dark rainy night the instant Zhou Jingshu's pleading gaze met the emperor's cold and resolute eyes!
The trip to Shaanxi involved unarmed, starving people, with the dangers of uncontrolled epidemics and civil unrest, but ultimately these were internal matters. The trip to Jiangnan involved wealthy merchants with ruthless hearts, with the dangers of unseen assassinations and conspiracies, but ultimately these were on the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The emperors all chose to personally go to the front lines, using themselves as bait and the dragon as a symbol of control, thus keeping everything under their own control.

Now, the Jurchens in Liaodong, since Nurhaci raised his army, have been like a sharp blade hanging over the neck of the Ming Dynasty. They are the biggest threat to the Ming Dynasty in the past hundred years, causing the most bloodshed, the greatest losses, and the most devastating damage!

Given the emperor's hands-on approach and his belief in the principle of "no destruction, no construction"... he would inevitably...

A personal expedition!

Consort Jingbei finally recovered from her shock.

Looking at Zhou Jingshu's pale face, then at Zhang Yan's suddenly solemn expression, and recalling the emperor's words, she finally understood.

The three of them had discussed the situation in Liaodong more than once in private.

In their vision, after resolving internal troubles and replenishing the national treasury, the emperor should, like wise rulers of the past, first allow the people to recuperate, strengthen the military, appoint capable generals, and gradually plan for advancement.

Perhaps it will take five years, perhaps ten years, until the nation is at its strongest and its army is powerful, then we will fight the Jurchens to the death.

They never imagined that this day would come so quickly and so decisively!

It was so fast that it caught them off guard, and so decisive that it terrified them!

For a moment, the room was completely silent.

Only the rapid, suppressed breathing of the three women remained.

Zhou Jingshu's lips moved, but no sound came out.

She knew that in matters of national importance, in the face of such supreme decisions made unilaterally by the emperor, her influence was far from sufficient.

Any advice she offered would likely be dismissed by Zhu Youjian as mere sentimentality or childish affection, and might even displease him.

Needless to say, Consort Jingbei was also involved.

Her usual role was to smile and serve the king, and on matters of great importance that could shake the foundations of the state, she didn't even have the right to speak.

Their gazes, those two gazes filled with fear, worry, and last hope, all converged on Empress Zhang Yan, the Empress of Yi'an.

In this vast Forbidden City, before this young emperor:
In terms of status, she was the emperor's sister-in-law, the late emperor's widow, and a legal elder.

In terms of affection, the emperor had always held her in extraordinary respect and closeness since he ascended the throne.

Perhaps only her words could make this emperor, who had already made up his mind, change his mind even slightly!

Zhang Yan felt those two gazes that almost crushed her.

She could clearly feel Zhou Jingshu's hand trembling slightly as she gripped the hem of her clothes, and she could also see the fear and tears welling up in Jingbeifei's eyes.

Zhang Yan took a deep breath, and the air she inhaled was cold and bitter.

She forced her wildly beating heart to calm down, gathered her thoughts, and then slowly stood up from her seat, solemnly bowing once more to Zhu Youjian.

This time, it wasn't admiration, but a plea.

Her voice tried hard to remain steady, but she still couldn't hide the trembling that came from the bottom of her heart:

"Your Majesty, I know you have the nation at heart and your ambitions extend to all corners of the land. But... but Liaodong is no small matter!"

She raised her head, looking directly into Zhu Youjian's unfathomable eyes, and voiced everyone's fear:
"Shaanxi is plagued by starving people, and Jiangnan by merchants; both are internal troubles of our Great Ming, mere ailments. But the Jurchens... are battle-hardened bandits, hungry wolves that have entrenched themselves in the north for decades, feeding on the flesh and blood of our Great Ming! Since the Battle of Sarhu, how many losses has our Great Ming suffered at their hands? How many elite troops have been lost? The Liaodong military commissioner has changed one after another, but the war situation... has never improved!"

Her voice carried a hint of sobbing:
"You are of inestimable worth, the sole pillar supporting this great Ming dynasty! As the old saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall!"

These words, like the mournful cry of a cuckoo, each word a tearful lament, expressed the sentiments of all the women present.

That wasn't an inspection tour, nor was it disaster relief; that was going to the battlefield!

It is a true den of dragons and tigers, built with the bones of countless Ming Dynasty soldiers!

……

Inside the room, the echoes of Zhang Yan's heartfelt and fear-filled words of dissuasion still lingered on the beams.

Both Zhou Jingshu and Consort Jingbei looked at Zhu Youjian with tears in their eyes, hoping that he would be moved by his sister-in-law's words, even if he only showed a little hesitation.

However, to the surprise of all of them.

Faced with Zhang Yan's tearful words and three pairs of extremely worried eyes, Zhu Youjian was neither angry nor impatient, nor even wavered in the slightest.

Instead, he smiled.

The smile was light and faint, yet it was like a bright moon slowly rising above an icy sea, radiating a cool and clear light.

There was no sign of being persuaded in his smile, only an air of composure born of absolute confidence and an unparalleled aura that looked down upon the world as if it were a smooth road.

"Royal sister-in-law."

Zhu Youjian slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the dim twilight, a shadow that seemed like a towering deity, enveloping the entire palace.

He walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed once more at the northern horizon dyed blood-red by the sunset. He shook his head, his voice soft yet crystal clear, reaching everyone's ears:

"I understand your concerns. All the officials and subjects of the empire share the same concerns as you."

“But that’s precisely why,” his tone suddenly became resolute, “I must go in person!”

Zhu Youjian turned around, no longer looking at the scenery outside the window. His eyes, burning with flames, were like two unsheathed swords, piercing straight to the heart.

He swept his gaze across three stunningly beautiful faces, each one etched with worry and confusion, and spoke with resounding conviction!
"If I do not go and remain in the Forbidden City, relying solely on an imperial edict and a few words of encouragement, what will the soldiers on the front lines rely on to fight to the death?"

"If I do not go, and remain seated on this dragon throne, only listening to reports and memorials, how can the people of the capital believe that the court can win?"

"I want the whole world to see this, for the loyal and brave soldiers to see this, for the terrified people to see this, and for those two-faced, treacherous villains to see this."

Zhu Youjian's voice was filled with an arrogant and domineering air:

"I, the Emperor of the Great Ming, dare to personally lead the troops to face the most ferocious enemy of my Great Ming!"

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall?" Zhu Youjian repeated Zhang Yan's advice, then let out a very soft laugh.

But there was no warmth left in that laughter, only the clanging of swords and the heroic spirit of about to shatter mountains and rivers!
“Well said. But sister-in-law, you’ve all forgotten one thing.”

He took a step forward, and in that single step, his aura reached a breathtaking peak.

"I am the Son of Heaven!"

"What is the Son of Heaven? He is the one who governs and grazes on behalf of Heaven, nurturing all peoples. From the icy plains of the far north to the misty waves of the South China Sea, where is not my land? From the majestic imperial palace to the fields of the countryside, where is not my responsibility?"

The emperor's voice seemed to possess a magical power that made his words come true, causing the entire palace to tremble!
"A crumbling wall?"

"The iron hooves of the Jurchens are a crumbling wall; the beacon fires of bandits are a crumbling wall; the insatiable greed of corrupt officials is a crumbling wall; and the numbness of people's hearts is an even more crumbling wall!"

"If even I, the Son of Heaven, only know how to fear crumbling walls and only think about securing a corner of the country, then wouldn't the Ming Dynasty truly be surrounded by crumbling walls everywhere, with no peaceful place left?"

Zhu Youjian looked at the three women who were stunned into silence by his words, and slowly restrained his outward aura, but the determination in his eyes became more and more firm.

His voice rose in pitch, filled with authority and determination, as if he were not announcing to the three of them, but to the palace, to the Forbidden City, and to the entire world:

"My mind is made up!"

These words crashed down like a mountain, shattering the last glimmer of hope in their hearts.

Zhu Youjian paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick palace walls, through endless space, reaching the frozen and snow-covered land of Liaodong, reaching the pseudo-capital of the Jurchens called Shengjing.

Then, with resounding conviction, he made his most arrogant yet most steadfast vow as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty:

"Not only will I go to Liaodong, but I will also personally lead a large army to the gates of Shengjing!"

"I will make Huang Taiji, and all the Jianzhou Jurchens, open their eyes wide and see clearly—"

"Who is the true master of this world!"

(End of this chapter)