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

Chapter 42 What exactly does he want to do? (Third update, humbly requesting votes and continued reading)

Zhou Yanru's memorial hit the nail on the head.

He did not directly accuse the emperor, but instead directed his criticism at the Ministry of War and the Imperial Guard, but everyone could tell who he was really questioning.

He brought out the "ancestral laws," the most powerful shield and weapon of the civil service group.

Zhou Yanru is forcing the emperor to abdicate.

He was forcing Zhu Youjian to make a clear choice in front of the entire court: to stand on the side of the "ancestral law" and the civil official group, and voluntarily put shackles on the violent machine in his hands? Or to continue to allow the secret police to operate and openly oppose the entire civil official system?

Han Kuang stood at the front of the line, his palms already slightly sweaty.

He admired Zhou Yanru's courage, but at the same time, he was worried for him.

Since his ascension to the throne, the new emperor on the throne has had an unpredictable and eerie style of doing things.

He seemed to be manipulated by Wei Zhongxian, yet at a crucial moment, he was able to calmly eliminate Duke Cheng, Zhu Chunchen.

No one knew what he was thinking, nor did anyone know what kind of fury Zhou Yanru's almost outright offensive memorial would provoke.

Zhu Youjian looked at the prince's face, which was full of justice and integrity, but he only found it funny.

The laws of our ancestors?

What a high-sounding reason!
Are you people really upholding the laws and regulations established by Emperor Taizu Gao?

No.

What you are upholding is the supreme right of interpretation of this country by your deeply entrenched gentry and bureaucratic group.

You are the true uncrowned kings of this empire.

In your eyes, the emperor is nothing more than a mascot who needs to be constantly supervised and taught by you.

He thought of Emperor Chongzhen in the history books, who spent his entire life fighting against this ubiquitous civil service system.

When he wanted to do something, they would use the excuse that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be violated" to hinder him. When he wanted to appoint people, they would attack him for "forming cliques for personal gain." When he wanted to collect a little tax from the richest people, they would accuse him of "Your Majesty competing with the people for profit."

Ultimately, he was driven to his death on Coal Hill by the very bureaucratic system he nominally ruled.

And what about those gentlemen who constantly preach "for the country and the people, to sacrifice their lives for righteousness"?

When Li Zicheng's army was at the city gates, no one donated money, but after the city fell, they immediately shaved their heads and changed their clothes, rushing to kneel and welcome their new master!

How ironic, how tragic.

A barely perceptible, mocking smile appeared on Zhu Youjian's lips, but when he raised his head, a perfectly measured look of confusion and impatience appeared on his face.

He looked at Zhou Yanru as if he were looking at an unreasonable minister who was deliberately causing him trouble.

Zhu Youjian picked up the memorial, glanced at it briefly, and then casually tossed it onto the large imperial desk, making a slight sound.

“Minister Zhou,” his voice carried a hint of youthful languor, “occasionally there are military drills for the defense of the capital region. As for the Imperial Guards arresting people, I have heard from Consort Wei that they only seized a few illegal merchants who evaded taxes and engaged in market manipulation.”

He even yawned, seemingly genuinely sleepy.

"These are all minor matters. My dear ministers are all pillars of the nation and should focus their attention on state affairs, rather than always making a fuss over rumors and gossip. If you make such a big fuss over such trivial matters, wouldn't you make the world laugh at our Ming Dynasty court for having no ministers capable of governing the country and only capable of forming cliques and attacking dissidents?"

These words, spoken lightly, were like a cotton ball hitting Zhou Yanru's powerful punch. Zhou Yanru was completely stunned.

He anticipated that the emperor would be furious and reprimand him on the spot for speaking out against state affairs. He also anticipated that the emperor would remain silent and leave the matter to the cabinet and the secret police to deal with themselves, playing a game of cat and mouse.

But he never expected that the emperor would respond in such a nonchalant manner.

What does "occasional drills" mean? What does "minor matters" mean? What does "baseless speculation" mean?

The emperor's words seemed to be an attempt to appease the situation, but every word revealed a sense of contempt and perfunctory disregard for these officials who dared to speak out.

He was like a spoiled brat caught by his parents for causing trouble outside, neither admitting his mistake nor making excuses, but simply saying indifferently, "I know, you guys are so annoying."

This attitude made Zhou Yanru even angrier than thunderous rage, and also made him feel...powerless.

"Your Majesty!" He couldn't help but step forward again, his voice trembling with excitement, "This matter is no small thing! Military power is a vital instrument of the nation, and the secret police are its sharpest weapons. Without rules, chaos will surely ensue! I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

"Alright." Zhu Youjian waved his hand impatiently, interrupting him directly. "I'm tired. Let's leave it at that."

"Retreat."

After saying this, he didn't even wait for the court officials to shout "Long live the Emperor!" before standing up from the dragon throne, turning around and walking into the rear hall, leaving behind only a solitary and indifferent figure, and the court officials looking at each other in bewilderment.

Zhou Yanru stood frozen in place like a stone statue, the jade tablet still held high in his hand, but the person he wanted to question, persuade, and teach had vanished.

He felt that all his strength, all his preparations, and all his impassioned words had struck a void in the air.

An unprecedented sense of frustration surged into his heart like a tidal wave.

Han Kuang slowly walked to his side, gently patted his shoulder, and whispered, "Let's go."

His voice carried a deep sense of weariness.

The court assembly ended in such an absurd and disjointed manner.

Officials emerged from the Hall of Supreme Harmony in twos and threes. The dazzling sunlight had already risen, casting golden rays upon the glazed tiles, reflecting a dazzling brilliance.

But the Donglin Party officials gathered in a corner outside the Meridian Gate, and everyone looked grim.

"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" A relatively young censor trembled with anger, lowering his voice as he roared, "How is His Majesty any different from a tyrant? He treats matters of state as child's play!"

"Watch your words!" Han Kuang whispered, stopping him.

He glanced warily at the Imperial Guards not far away, his brows furrowing even deeper.

“His Majesty is not incompetent,” Zhou Yanru suddenly spoke, his voice low but exceptionally clear. “He is acting.”

"Acting?" Everyone was taken aback.

“That’s right.” Zhou Yanru’s eyes gleamed with thoughtfulness. “His behavior in the palace today was all too deliberate. That impatience, that perfunctory attitude, that blind obedience to Wei Zhongxian… it all seemed like he was deliberately putting on an act for us. He wanted us to believe that he was just an ignorant young man blinded by the eunuch faction.”

He paused, then countered, "But think about it, would a truly ignorant youth not hesitate to attack Duke Zhu Chunchen of Cheng?"

One sentence silenced everyone.

Yes, that earth-shattering strike and the image of that lazy and sleepy young man in the palace today can never be reconciled!
"Then... what exactly does he want to do?" an official murmured, a question that echoed the thoughts of everyone present.

(End of this chapter)