Reborn Ming Dynasty as Emperor

Chapter 353 Zheng Zhi Tiger Face Saint

Zheng Zhilong didn't expect that Li Ge Laohui from the capital would directly take him down as soon as he came, and he didn't seem to have the slightest intention of looking down on him.

Anyway, I am also the overlord of the sea, what is the meaning of this old Ge from the capital now, could it be that I am not low-key enough, and want to show myself off?

Thinking of this, Zheng Zhilong also understood what Li Mingrui meant. At the same time, when he thought that his own people dared to be defeated, his younger brother Zheng Zhihu was also caught in his hands. Zuo asked aggrievedly: "Mr. Li Ge, what are you doing?"

Xiong Wencan and other officials were dumbfounded. They didn't expect Zheng Zhilong to let Li Mingrui's guards arrest him so obediently, and they didn't dare to resist at all!
"Mr. Ge, is it too much for you to do this? After all, Zheng Zhilong is at sea." Xiong Wencan was deeply afraid that Li Mingrui would not know the true strength of Zheng Zhilong, a sea hero, and make such a wrong move, which would even anger Zheng Zhilong , So, he whispered to Li Mingrui as a reminder.

But what Xiong Wencan didn't expect was that Li Mingrui just chuckled and interrupted Xiong Wencan's kind reminder with a wave: "No need to say, Yunjin, I know what you are going to say, but you just need to remember one thing, everyone in the world Could it be the land of the king; the shore of the land, could it be the minister of the king; this Zheng Zhilong is just a slightly strong pirate ear, the court will caress if he can, and suppress him if he can, why should he care about his feelings."

Xiong Wencan didn't know where this Mr. Li Ge got so much confidence, but he was deeply afraid that Mr. Li would completely bring the whole recruitment matter to a deadlock or even fail, so he had to risk Li Mingrui's resentment and reminded him again. Said: "Mr. Li Ge, please forgive me for talking too much. I'm not concealing the truth. Just a few days ago, I just got the news that my fleet of the Ming Dynasty was attacked by pirates of the Zheng family when it was on a mission to the Ryukyu Kingdom. I'm afraid it will be more ominous than ominous! The lower officials have sent the news to the capital by flying horse, but Mr. Li Ge, you have to be clear, once this Zheng Zhilong is cornered, he will really do anything!"

Li Mingrui still smiled faintly, thinking that Xiong Wencan probably didn't know that the imperial court had already known the news of the Ryukyu naval battle before him, and already knew the result.

But now Li Mingrui didn't have time to explain in detail to Xiong Wencan, a little chief minister. Seeing that Zheng Zhilong had been caught, he slapped the table again, which really scared the people beside him!
Li Mingrui asked in a cold voice: "Zheng Zhilong! Let me ask you, what is your intention to attack the fleet of the Ryukyu Kingdom when my court is on an envoy mission! I can give you a chance to make a statement. And I will truthfully hand over your answer to His Majesty, but if you have a half-truth or a half-disrespectful sentence, be careful with your head!"

"Watch your head carefully!"

Li Mingrui suddenly roared again, the arrogance stunned all the officials, but Zheng Zhilong was full of anger and clenched his fists.

But when he thought that his side had just been defeated by the imperial court, and he didn't know how strong the imperial court still was at sea, so Zheng Zhilong could only hold back his anger, deliberately weeping, and shouted: "I'm wronged, Mr. Li Ge, Xiaomin is just a commoner, how dare he insult angels, Xiaomin just got the news that it seems that people from the Satsuma clan attacked the fleet of my embassy to the Ryukyu Kingdom, if Mr. Ge doesn't believe it, he can send someone to investigate. Let Xiaomin be innocent!"

"As for the specific reason, the imperial court will send people to investigate carefully, and you don't need to remind me! I just want to ask you now, is your Zheng family involved in this matter?"

Li Mingrui looked at the slightly obese Zheng Zhilong with a serious face.

"no!"

Zheng Zhilong denied it without even thinking about it. The Satsuma clan is a pirate group in Japan. It is also quite powerful in the sea. It has always had some conflicts with the Zheng family and the imperial court. The kingdom is his own, and now Zheng Zhilong, in order not to tear himself apart from the imperial court, deliberately framed this matter to the Satsuma clan, hoping to find a way to get off the ground.

"Sophistry! According to the news that my Jin Yiwei got, the person who directed the attack was Zheng Zhilong's younger brother Zheng Zhihu! Moreover, he has been taken to the capital now, and he will be known at the first trial. Do you think you can easily get away with it like this! "

Li Mingrui said loudly.

Zheng Zhilong gritted his teeth and said: "Mr. Ge clearly checked, this is a non-existent thing. The younger brother of the lower official is doing business in the Jilong area of ​​Quanzhou. He has never been in contact with the Satsuma clan. It must be that the Satsuma clan deliberately hit me. The banner of the Zheng family, and in the name of my younger brother Zheng Zhihu to attack the angels, so as to provoke the relationship between the common people and the court!"

Li Mingrui didn't expect Zheng Zhilong to explain it like this, he secretly sighed in his heart that this person is worthy of being a hero of the sea, his reaction was quick and wise, but it was too cruel and merciless, he could even deny his own brother if necessary.

"Hmph, whether it's your Zheng family's actions, or whether Satsuma Fan deliberately framed your Zheng family under your banner, the imperial court will investigate carefully. Since you intend to belong to the imperial court, you should understand the duty of a minister. Don't think that your Zheng family has the final say on the sea, the imperial court is really a paper tiger, let you run amok, tell you the truth, this time the Ryukyu naval battle, the imperial court only dispatched a warship, and they won a big victory!"

When Li Mingrui said this, Xiong Wencan and other local officials suddenly realized, and thought: "It's no wonder that Mr. Li Ge wanted to arrest Zheng Zhilong when he came here, and he yelled at him without fear. It turned out that it was because he already knew about the Ryukyu naval battle. As a result, I have to admit that the imperial court got the news much faster than myself."

A group of officials couldn't help but let out a long breath like Xiong Wencan. These days, they have been angry with Zheng Zhilong, and now they can be regarded as elated. When they looked at Zheng Zhilong, their waists couldn't help but straighten up. In their eyes, Li Mingrui is no longer reckless, arrogant and ignorant, but the courage that a superior person should have.

But Zheng Zhilong was extremely aggrieved in his heart. He had never been mentally prepared for the failure of the Ryukyu naval battle and then he would be questioned by the court. Now he has to deal with it suddenly, which makes him feel extremely uncomfortable.

After Zheng Zhilong finally dealt with Li Mingrui and was released by Li Mingrui, his son Zheng Chenggong also ran over: "Father, I heard that you asked the second uncle to attack the fleet of the Ryukyu Kingdom as an envoy from the imperial court?"

Zheng Chenggong saw that his father Zheng Zhilong did not answer him, so he continued: "Father, you can't do this! In this way, can the court still accept our submission?"

"Sen'er!" Zheng Zhilong was already in a bad mood because of being angered by Li Mingrui, a cabinet scholar, but now that his most proud son actually taught himself a lesson in front of him, Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but get angry and yelled loudly Zheng Chenggong said this, and reprimanded him: "You shouldn't be asked to learn any literature at the beginning. You are full of loyalty, kindness, respect and frugality. Do you know that you can now become Xiong Wencan's student and be praised by ordinary scholars in Fuzhou? What is the reason for the guest here, do you think you are really the one who is so talented?"

Remarks: At this time, Zheng Chenggong's name is Zheng Sen, which is familiar to readers, and Zheng Chenggong is written in the narration.

Zheng Zhilong said without waiting for Zheng Chenggong's answer, and continued to shout: "You are wrong to think so! They are looking at your father's money, and seeing that the hundreds of miles of sea area is our Zheng family's world. If we don't have these, we are in their They are thieves in their eyes, the thieves who everyone gets and punishes, don’t you understand! Now the imperial court wants us to disarm and return to the fields, don’t even think about it!”

"But, father", Zheng Chenggong wanted to persuade him a few more words, for example, it is not good to go against the court after all, even the Tartars in the north and the Guan Ning army did not get any benefits; but before he could say anything, Zheng Zhilong put it on He waved his hand to stop Zheng Chenggong's answer: "Okay, don't say any more, there's no need for you to mention what to do for your father, go see your teacher, get in touch with these powerful people more, If something really happens in the future, maybe the imperial court will not spare your father, but will be lenient to you."

……

Zhu Youxiao is in a good mood now when people are in good spirits on happy occasions. He did not expect that the Beihai First Fleet could perform so well, which made him think that it would be extremely difficult to get rid of the plight of maritime trade that was slackened by pirates. Take the first step with ease.

It can be said that although the Ryukyu naval battle was only a small-scale naval battle, it was not a big loss to the Zheng Group, but it proved very well that the imperial court could challenge the power of the Zheng Group.

At least, there is no need to be too accommodating and compromising in order to appease Zheng Zhilong in the future.

And what surprised Zhu Youxiao even more was that this Ryukyu naval battle actually captured Zheng Zhihu alive, and he was also Zheng Zhilong's younger brother.

Regardless of whether this Zheng Zhihu can be used by him in the future, Zhu Youxiao plans to try.

It can be said that the current Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Zhilong are simply treated differently. Zheng Zhilong was so scolded by Li Mingrui in Fuzhou that he dared not retaliate, while Zheng Zhihu, the pirate leader who was originally captured, was escorted back to the capital by Jin Yiwei. Shackled in a prison car, but because of special instructions from His Majesty Zhu Youxiao, he had to rest every [-] miles, and he had to be treated like a seventh-rank official at a post station.

This made Zheng Zhihu very surprised, and he was even more worried about how the court would deal with him. Logically, a thief like him would have to be cut in half if not Ling Chi.

As soon as he heard that Zheng Zhihu had entered the capital, Zhu Youxiao hurriedly asked Xu Xianchun to bring Zheng Zhihu to Qianqing Palace himself.

It was the first time Zheng Zhihu entered the Forbidden City, and it was the first time to face the saint in this way. Frankly speaking, he was a little nervous. As a Ming Dynasty person, even if he was a robber who killed countless people, he would be nervous the moment he stepped into the palace wall. Instinctively afraid of this high imperial power.

"Your Majesty has an order to release Zheng Zhihu from the shackles and allow him to face the saint on foot!" The eunuch, the servant, ran over at this time and shouted loudly.

"According to the order!"

Qin Botong, the commander in chief of the Beihai Fleet who was in charge of escorting Zheng Zhihu to the palace to meet Zhu Youxiao, and Xu Xianchun, the commander of Jin Yiwei, responded at the same time, and personally released Zheng Zhihu from the shackles.

Zheng Zhihu is not as smooth as his elder brother Zheng Zhilong, nor is he as calculating as his fourth brother Zheng Hongkui. He is more of a man with well-developed limbs and a simple mind, and his thinking is relatively simple. He was inexplicably moved by Zhu Youxiao's sudden removal of the hand and foot shackles, and he felt a sense of expectation for the emperor who had not met yet.

"Pile up the memorial even higher. All the pretty maids will retreat. Wang Chengen, you also go down, and then go and call Qian Qianyi, who is on duty in Xinuang Pavilion!"

Zhu Youxiao deliberately pretended to be particularly diligent, so he deliberately piled up some papers that could have been handled by the cabinet and the supervisor of rites, and he was like a student studying hard in the cold window Sitting in the pile of memorials, wearing a pair of presbyopic glasses to review, and at the same time, let the maids and eunuchs who represent the absurd government affairs retreat, the purpose is to appear in front of pirates like Zheng Zhihu as a king who is diligent in government and loves the people look like.

No way, if you want to impress a person, you can’t just rely on money and beauty. Benefits may only be useful to smooth people, but for simple-minded people, you need to use great and righteous actions to impress.

This is exactly what Zhu Youxiao wants to do now. He wants Zheng Zhihu to realize that he, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, is the Lord of Zhongxing who can be loyal to him. What he cares about is the common people in the world, instead of being selfish like his elder brother who only cares about the interests of his own small group. .

If Zheng Zhihu saw not only his elder brother Zheng Zhilong but also himself, the Emperor of Ming, in his eyes, then this Zheng Zhihu should be moved by his actions, at least able to move his mind.

"His Majesty!"

At this time, Qian Qianyi, the chief minister of the cabinet, came in and saluted Zhu Youxiao respectfully.

"Give a seat!"

Zhu Youxiao gave an order directly, and Wang Chengen, who was hiding behind the screen, hurriedly brought up a pier to let Qian Qianyi sit down, and then Zhu Youxiao deliberately asked Qian Qianyi about some memorials.

Qian Qianyi's practical ability is not strong, but he is very good at talking, and he can make a lot of logical words. Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, it is easy to see that His Majesty the Emperor and the chief minister of the cabinet have a tacit understanding and are very suitable for monarchs and ministers look.

Zheng Zhihu never thought that if he ran away, he would run directly into the front gate and kill Zhu Youxiao, not to mention the surveillance of the Jin Yiwei around him, even he himself didn't have this idea.

And when he saw the young man in the yellow robe humbly asking an old official for advice, he seemed to think that maybe this was what the emperor and ministers should look like.

Zheng Zhihu almost forgot about the defeat in an instant, but at this moment, in his heart, there was only reverence for the young king.

"Your Majesty, Zheng Zhihu has brought you here." As soon as Tan Botong shouted, Zhu Youxiao dropped the pen on the ground appropriately, directly staining the off-white carpet and even the dragon robe with ink, and soon Standing up excitedly: "I didn't expect that our hero Zheng Da will arrive so soon!"

Zheng Zhihu was a little flattered. He was still thinking about what kind of reprimand he would face when he met the Ninth Five-Year Lord, but he didn't expect it to be so touching and admirable.

(End of this chapter)