I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

After Consort Hui accompanied the emperor to Zhaoren Palace that day, Zhaoren Palace became her usual residence.

Having undergone the previous reprimands, Yue is now as obedient as a cat and naturally dares not utter any complaints.

"Your Majesty~"

Consort Hui's restless hands moved like a little mouse under the quilt.

"It's just a poem; I can read it after I finish my business."

With a flicker of her eyes, the hot breath she exhaled from her crimson lips went straight into Zhu Houcong's ear canal.

Zhu Houcong grabbed her restless hand, feigning anger, and said, "That's a woman's view. State affairs come first. Am I such a foolish ruler who indulges in sensual pleasures?"

Consort Hui blushed and lowered her head to hide the twitching at the corner of her mouth.

During this period, they did all sorts of absurd things in the world, and she had no idea where the emperor got so many crazy ideas from.

Last night, they even insisted that they wear court robes and perform some kind of "meeting between the emperor and his ministers"?

Now they're putting on the airs of a wise ruler.

Although her thoughts were racing, Consort Hui still provided very effective emotional support.

His face immediately changed to one of adoration.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Looking across all the nations of the world, who can compare to even a fraction of your virtue?"

"Haha, you, your mouth is as sweet as honey."

Zhu Houcong chuckled as he pinched her chin.

"Just wait patiently. When I return, I'll deal with you properly, you 'femme fatale' who has brought ruin to the country."

Zhu Houcong strode out of Zhaoren Palace, where Yan Song had been waiting for a long time. He was holding a scroll of green paper in his hands. When he saw the emperor come out, he quickly bowed and stepped forward, presenting the scroll with both hands.

"My lord, this is the petition from Minister Lou."

Zhu Houcong took the paper, his gaze sweeping over it, a slight smile playing on his lips, and a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"His writing is brilliant, full of witty remarks, which greatly pleases me."

He tapped the paper lightly with his fingertips and asked, "Have any other ministers submitted petitions?"

Yan Song lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, not yet."

Zhu Houcong chuckled, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "Heh, good, it seems Lou Zhijing understands my thoughts best."

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Xuanlou Zhijing will have an audience at the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

"Yes!" Yan Song bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Houcong had just stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation and had not even settled in when the eunuchs announced his arrival from outside.

It was the Crown Prince and Prince Yu who requested an audience.

He frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes, and said coldly, "Summon."

Zhu Houcong is very annoyed by the two of them; they're like two stubborn plasters.

They spent all their time figuring out how to impress the emperor and curry favor with him.

He's not my biological son after all!

It seems the harem needs to put in more effort to produce a few more sons as soon as possible.

The two men entered the hall and bowed respectfully, but Zhu Houcong didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He simply said indifferently, "Why are you two here at the Hall of Mental Cultivation instead of helping with state affairs?"

The Crown Prince and Prince Yu exchanged a glance, their hearts tightening.

Their father has become increasingly capricious lately, and the slightest mistake can bring him reprimand.

However, if he did not frequently appear before the emperor, he feared that the other party would take advantage of his position, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come.

Seeing Zhu Houcong's unfriendly expression, the Crown Prince quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Father, I have noticed that you have recently shown a great fondness for Taoist classics, so I have specially ordered someone to find the secret classic of the Human Sect, the Daoist Canon."

"This is a unique copy from the previous dynasty, extremely rare in the world. I present it to my father, hoping it will help His Majesty to comprehend its profound mysteries."

Prince Yu, not to be outdone, followed up, saying, "Your subject has also searched far and wide and finally obtained an ancient copy of the Lingbao Duren Jing. It is said to have been written by the Daoist master Beimingzi himself. I have come today to present it to you, hoping that Your Majesty will accept it with a smile."

Zhu Houcong glanced at the ancient books in the hands of the two men, his expression remaining indifferent.

"You're very thoughtful. Put your things down."

He paused, glanced at the two of them, and said bluntly, "Instead of spending your days pondering these unorthodox methods, you should learn from Jingyan and help me handle government affairs, so that I don't have to worry about everything."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu felt a chill in their hearts, but dared not show it on their faces. They could only respectfully reply, "Your subjects will obey Your Majesty's teachings."

It's Xiao Jingyan again!

The Crown Prince's fist was clenched tightly in his sleeve, and Prince Yu's face was also grim.

At this moment, Yan Song bowed and stepped in, whispering, "Your Majesty, Minister Lou has arrived."

"Announce him to come in."

Zhu Houcong's gaze shifted to the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, who were still standing to the side, and he said with a half-smile, "Jingxuan, stay here. Jinghuan, you can go back now."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghuan paused slightly, a shadow flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He gave the crown prince a deep look, while the crown prince's lips curled up slightly, his eyes full of smugness.

"Yes, I will retire."

Xiao Jinghuan bowed and slowly withdrew from the hall.

As the palace doors opened and closed, Lou Zhijing stepped inside.

Approaching the emperor, he respectfully kowtowed and said, "This old minister greets Your Majesty, and wishes Your Majesty good health."

Zhu Houcong raised his hand in a gesture of support and said with a smile, "I am well, Minister Lou, please rise."

Lou Zhijing stood up and stood with his head bowed.

Zhu Houcong picked up the green paper on the table and praised, "Lou Qing's poem is brilliantly written and profound in its meaning. I am very satisfied."

Lou Zhijing humbly replied, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my duty as an old minister to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Zhu Houcong's smile deepened, and he said meaningfully, "If all the ministers in the court were as dedicated as Minister Lou, why would I have to worry about everything?"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's eyes darted around, and he quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles, saying, "Father is wise!"

"Minister Lou is mature and prudent, with profound knowledge and skills. He is truly a rare and invaluable minister in our dynasty."

"Every time I watch Minister Lou's memorials, I feel I have benefited greatly."

Zhu Houcong nodded, tapping his fingers lightly on the imperial desk: "Yan Song, draft the imperial edict."

Yan Song immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"Feng Louzhi was appointed Grand Secretary of the White-Haired Pavilion, serving in the cabinet and specifically responsible for drafting petitions."

Zhu Houcong paused, then added meaningfully.

"The Wenhua Hall is right next to the Yangxin Hall, which makes it convenient for Minister Lou to enter at any time to discuss important military and national affairs with me."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was startled.

Lou Zhijing was visibly shaken, and the tablet in his hand nearly fell to the ground.

The writing of the first half of the poem was unimportant to him, and he didn't care what position the Grand Secretary of the White-Haired Pavilion was.

The phrase "discussing important military and national affairs" is the real favor.

This means he gained the privilege of seeing the emperor at any time, being able to stay by the emperor's side and participate in confidential matters!

The Crown Prince's eyes were filled with joy; Lou Zhijing was one of his men!

"Congratulations, Lord Lou! The Emperor's high regard for you is truly a blessing for our dynasty!"

Lou Zhijing immediately knelt down, his voice trembling.

"This old minister...this old minister is unworthy of such favor from Your Majesty..."

At this moment, he already understood that the cabinet would inevitably become a place that court officials would flock to, and it would not be an exaggeration to call it a miniature court.

From this day forward, the Wenhua Hall will become another center of power outside of the imperial court.

"Lou Qing, there's no need for such formalities. Yan Song, immediately issue an edict to the Six Ministries, instructing the Ministry of Rites to prepare official seals and robes, so that Lou Qing can take office tomorrow."

Zhu Houcong looked at Lou Zhijing kneeling on the ground, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

He wanted everyone to know that in this imperial court, only those who won his favor could rise to high positions.

Chapter 26 Deceiving God

Zhu Houcong coldly observed the two men's jubilant expressions, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

They've been given enough sweet dates; they deserve a slap to teach them a lesson.

So as not to forget what it means for the wrath of Heaven to be unpredictable.

"Jingxuan."

Zhu Houcong suddenly spoke, his voice neither loud nor soft, yet it caused the temperature in the hall to drop sharply.

"Look at you, so happy, like you just ate bee droppings. What, what does this have to do with you?"

Xiao Jingxuan's smile froze instantly, and he hurriedly bowed in response.

"Your subject... Your subject is happy for Minister Lou, and thinking about the future..."

"after?"

Zhu Houcong suddenly interrupted him, saying casually, "So, I can open a few more private fireworks factories for you in the future, right?"

These words struck Xiao Jingxuan like a thunderbolt, turning his face ashen.

His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees, stammering, "A...a private fireworks factory?"

Lou Zhijing, standing to the side, was terrified, and cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead.

He secretly looked up and met Zhu Houcong's ambiguous smile.

That look seemed to say, "Do you really think I don't know about your little schemes?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence, and even the sound of breathing became exceptionally jarring.

Xiao Jingxuan felt cold sweat soaking through his inner clothes on his back, and his mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution.

Zhu Houcong slowly stood up, walked to Xiao Jingxuan, and looked down at the trembling crown prince.

"What, you don't know about the illegal fireworks shop over at the crossroads?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and cold sweat immediately slid down his cheeks.

He opened his mouth, but his throat felt as if it were being choked by an invisible hand, and he could only utter broken syllables: "Your subject... Your subject..."

Lou Zhijing, standing to the side, was ashen-faced. His back, which had been straightened just moments before due to his promotion, was now hunched over like a boiled shrimp.

He stared intently at the ground, as if he could see his own head rolling around on the floor.

"What? Did the cat bite your tongue?"

Zhu Houcong sneered,

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxuan could no longer hold on and collapsed to his knees with a thud.

"Father, you are wise! Your son... Your son..."

Seeing that he still harbored a glimmer of hope, Zhu Houcong continued, "According to the laws of our dynasty, only the Jiangnan Thunderbolt Hall, directly under the Ministry of War, and the artillery workshops under the Ministry of Revenue are authorized to manufacture firearms."

His voice suddenly turned cold, "You didn't know, did you?"

The second question indicated that Zhu Houcong was already losing patience.

Lou Zhijing was a shrewd man, so of course he could tell.

Moreover, the emperor had even investigated details such as the crossroads in great detail, which clearly showed that he had made preparations in advance.

So he knelt down tremblingly, his forehead slamming heavily against the gold brick.

"This old minister deserves to die. This matter was entirely due to my greed and has nothing to do with His Highness the Crown Prince. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Zhu Houcong snorted coldly, his gaze remaining fixed on Xiao Jingxuan.