Jingming

Chapter 461 Arguing about the emperor’s lifespan?

When Wu Chengen arrived in the capital on April day, the people in the capital were no longer discussing the new academic system and the new examination syllabus so enthusiastically.

Because the emperor is getting married again, and the new queen is the biological sister of the previous queen.

In this era, this kind of thing doesn't make ordinary people think very much. Not to mention that there are many cases where rich and noble families take in other people's sisters at the same time, let alone the emperor, let alone the second string.

Only the officials found it incredible and felt that the Sun family was truly unparalleled in divine grace.

The only home of the patriarch of the Jiajing Dynasty.

At the same time, there was another clear fact that was talked about by the officials and the people: the Holy King has been in office for twenty-one years!
  Now, His Majesty's reign is second only to Taizu and Xianzong. Including the [-]th year of Jiajing, which is the newly determined [-] AD, from April onwards, it will be the [-]nd year of His Majesty's reign. This has already tied Taizong, and there are two reigns in total. Yingzong in the [-]nd year.

His Majesty is still in good health and has welcomed a new queen and five other young concubines.

If His Majesty can still reign for another ten years, it will exceed the thirty-one years that Taizu reigned as emperor.

By that time, His Majesty will only be forty-six years old.

I don’t know if some thoughtful people started these topics, or if the people started talking about it themselves.

In short, regarding the emperor's second wedding, public talk is gradually moving in the direction that His Majesty is still in excellent health and will definitely become the longest reigning emperor since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Houcong felt a little weird when he heard the report. He looked at Lu Bing and asked, "Why are you suddenly talking in this direction?"

"I didn't do it here." Lu Bingyan replied concisely and concisely, "Your Majesty, do you want to check it out?"

Zhu Houcong frowned and thought for a while.

This direction of discussion is naturally beneficial to Zhu Houcong himself.

The emperor can still reign for a long time, and his prestige is extremely high, so many issues can be pushed forward.

To stimulate the prince? He has not reached the age of "How can there be a sixty-year-old prince in the world"? What is the use of starting to discuss these things now?
  Lu Bing expressed his attitude again and said solemnly: "Your Majesty is in the prime of his life and has a long life. How can so many people be so bold as to make such unbridled discussions as a source of conversation?"

Zhu Houcong couldn't help but look at him.

Of course, the emperor cannot live long. What Lu Bing said is: The emperor is still doing well. Isn't it disrespectful for people to talk about how long the emperor can live?
  After thinking for a while, he shook his head: "Just pay attention, don't check it seriously."

"Your Majesty!" Lu Bing was a little anxious, "This matter is unusual! I didn't say it this way sooner or later, but it just happened that Your Majesty was about to get married! Even if we have to discuss these things, it is only reasonable when the Yuan Dynasty is changed at the beginning of the year. !”

"What can you come for?" Zhu Houcong didn't care. "To make the new queen think that she can wait until her own son grows up? To make both the government and the public remember that most emperors in the Ming Dynasty did not live long? As long as I am still here, even if If there is some bad guy who wants to stir things up, sooner or later the trap will be revealed."

Lu Bing left helplessly, and the atmosphere in the imperial study was a little depressing.

"Wei Yue, Ruzhen, Chunfu, what do you think?"

Lu Bing came to report this matter, and Zhu Houcong did not avoid the three imperial study rooms to read with him.

The civil servants who served in the imperial study room always knew that the emperor had always paid attention to Jin Yiwei, which was also an invisible method.

Yang Boxian said: "Since all the people are looking forward to your majesty's long life, you should be loyal and filial. Commander Lu should only be more vigilant in his duties. Your majesty will handle it appropriately."

Hu Zongxian and Shen Lian just said: "That's exactly it."

Zhu Houcong smiled: "I hope so."

He couldn't think of any bad effects that could be achieved by stirring up trouble with such a topic, so it would be better to stop with silence.

Preparations for the wedding ceremony continued, and the date was set for the auspicious day at the end of the month, twenty-one years after Zhu Houcong ascended the throne.

Thirty-six, judging from future generations, he was extremely young. Even if you marry a girl who is more than ten years younger, what does that mean?
  But the emperors of the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty really did not set a good example, and many died around forty.

There were suddenly many such discussions among the people. Lu Bing was nervous, and many ministers also felt that something was wrong.

It sounds like I'm expecting His Majesty to break the Ming Emperor's reign record, but something doesn't sound right.

Doesn't it sound like he's cursing the emperor to die early?
  Records are records precisely because they are difficult to reach.

In the State Palace, Yan Song couldn't help but raise this matter to Yang Shen.

"Recently, the capital has been discussing the length of His Majesty's life. Has the Chief Assistant also heard about it?"

He has not yet become Prime Minister and Minister of State, and His Majesty said that he hopes to accompany him for another twenty years. In Yan Song's mind, His Majesty naturally wants to live as long as possible.

Yang Shen frowned: "Is there such a thing?"

So the others looked at him.

You are the Prime Minister and Minister of State. You should know about the trouble, right?
  Yan Song could only reply: "These comments are extremely disrespectful! The Chief Assistant is the Crown Prince's tutor. These comments contain evil intentions, and the Chief Assistant must not be unaware of them."

Yang Shen couldn't help but look at him.

Yan Song looked righteous and awe-inspiring: This kind of discussion is the most harmful to you. I will help you clear the mines first!
  Yang Shen finally came to his senses and suddenly changed his expression: "Who is so bold!"

The two obvious associations are both about the prince. When the emperor reigns for a long time, either the new queen will have thoughts in her heart, or the prince will have worries in his heart. No matter which one, it is related to the embarrassing situation of the prince in the future.

Yan Song named Yang Shen as the prince's master to expose this point.

Tang Shunzhi is now also in the State Palace. He said with a solemn tone: "This matter is not easy to deal with. No matter what, it is all in the name of praising His Majesty's imperial career. I hope that Your Majesty will work hard and make further progress."

Go check? Who will check? How to check?
  Are we just going to say, "People can't arbitrarily discuss the emperor's lifespan?"

Huang Zuo also spoke: "This matter... is indeed not simple. General Assistant, everyone, everything else is trivial. There is a time to talk about the longevity of the emperor, and that is to talk about national policy meetings and the Palace of State. They should be consistent and not ruined by the inheritance of the great position. The situation is now.”

Everyone was shocked, and Tang Shunzhi couldn't help but look at Huang Zuo.

There are no simple people in the State Palace, but Huang Zuo solved the problem.

I'm afraid Yang Shen is the only one who is obsessed with treasury and financial and tax matters and doesn't see it so clearly.

The most sinister part of this discussion is naturally here.

There is no need to argue with the emperor's wisdom and martial prowess now. New methods, complex routines, new learning... No matter what, he has made achievements in civil and martial arts that no one can deny.

But at this time, we began to speculate whether the emperor might break the reign record of the Emperor of Heaven. Doesn't the implication mean that "the emperor will die after all"?
  If His Majesty is gone, what will happen to Ming Dynasty?
  Under the current situation, a pattern has been established in which the center of the imperial court operates around the "National Policy Conference" and the "State Palace".

If you think about it carefully, does this mean that the "National Policy Conference" and the "State Palace" are more important than the existence of the emperor?

Or, you only need to add a sentence when a thoughtful person is discussing: With the general assistant, the state elders, and all the suggestions, the Ming Dynasty can sit back and relax.

What do you want to do?
  The new queen's son, the prince, is a "hidden danger" that will only appear many years later.

Only the National Policy Conference and the State Council have existed for many years.

Many of the official documents that the people of the Ming Dynasty came into contact with were in the name of the State Council and the National Policy Conference.

Yang Shen looked at the worried eyes of the others, feeling uneasy for a moment, and then said calmly: "With your Majesty's wisdom, there is absolutely no suspicion!"

"I'm just afraid that someone is harboring evil intentions." Tang Shunzhi spoke earnestly, "Not only in the country, but also in foreign vassals."

"...What does Ying De mean by this?" Yang Shen asked. "The new examination syllabus and the new examination system are so earth-shaking?" Tang Shunzhi answered truthfully, "How many aristocratic families have a long history of family education. In the past, they could take advantage of their elders' family education, but what about now? There is no harm in clearing the fields and collecting money. Foundation. This matter only involves the foundation! Re-processing agriculture and commerce are regarded as one. In the past, the achievements of the new princes shocked China and foreign countries, and in the later years, science will be established in various disciplines. And the heroes of foreign vassals saw that our Ming Dynasty monarchs and ministers were working hard to govern, how could they not know Are there hidden worries in the Ming Dynasty? Only if the monarchs and ministers of the Ming Dynasty are not in harmony is the last chance for the Ming Dynasty to survive!"

He is in charge of the Ministry of Culture and Education, and what he says is judged by everyone.

It is difficult to get ahead in a poor family. Not only do you need to get out of work to study, but you also need a certain family financial foundation. The reason why aristocratic families can always stand firm is because of their family history. It has not only the experience left by previous generations in learning, but also the foundation of connections that previous generations have laid.

But now, knowledge has changed.

And what would the gentry who had already occupied the upper class think in their hearts when faced with the emperor's emphasis on the formerly lowly craftsmen, merchants, and farmers?
  Why did this discussion begin to spread before the emperor's wedding? Because this time not only a new queen was established, but the emperor also named five concubines who came from agriculture, industry, business, military, and arts.

It is getting further and further away from the Ming Dynasty that the nobles are familiar with.

What Tang Shunzhi said is: The nobles within the Ming Dynasty may no longer dare to be so bold, but what if there are still outside vassals to provoke them?

Yang Shen looked at Tang Shunzhi and said seriously: "Ying De, don't be alarmist! The monarchs and ministers of the Ming Dynasty have been united for twenty years, and now all the vassals have surrendered. How dare you do this?"

He felt that Tang Shunzhi wanted to draw this matter out. In this way, Ming Dynasty would have more reasons to send troops abroad.

Tang Shunzhi only said lightly: "Reports from the Qinghan-Gansu Border Region revealed that in February of the following year, Turpan suddenly raised its troops and overthrew Yarkand in one fell swoop, and then restored the Chagatai Khanate. Turpan had surrendered to the Ming Dynasty for several years, and the country was small and weak. Why? This achievement was achieved in ten months? I have been invading the Western Regions for many years, so why did I sit back and watch Chagatai reappear? This matter is extremely strange. This year, His Majesty has made a decree to invite envoys from all countries to Beijing before the Longevity Festival to make a convention. Things must be done continuously. Get up and think about it.”

"How could the foreign vassal countries make such waves in the Ming Dynasty?" Yang Shen didn't believe it.

Tang Shunzhi looked at Huang Zuo, then at Yan Song, and then said: "Border trade. The border market has flourished for several years, and many private merchants and foreign vassal families have become grasshoppers in the same boat. But now, who can get permission to divide this How many of the nobles are taking a piece of the pie from border trade?"

Yan Song took a deep look at Tang Shunzhi. He really didn't expect it to be so profound and broad.

But now, the more he thought about it, the more sense he made, and he said to Yang Shen seriously: "Chief Assistant, this matter cannot be ignored! Your Majesty will naturally know about the discussions among the people. Not to mention Your Majesty, at your age, you and I will never hear someone talk about it. How long can you and I live, and how do you feel about it? Your Majesty is standing still, but the dangers cannot be underestimated!"

Yang Shen felt a little more tired. He didn't expect that there would be so many "little things" but they turned out to be no small things.

He thought for a moment and knew: "This matter should be submitted to His Majesty for his adjudication together with a brief report. Everyone infers that it should be reported together. If we really want to investigate, it will naturally be necessary for Your Majesty to issue an order to the Jinyi Guards, the Internal and External Inspection Factory and the General Directorate of Public Security , we cannot listen to the Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan Procuratorate."

Since Huang Zuodu said this, it seems to be suspected of elevating the status and role of the State Council and the State Council. Naturally, it cannot be verified only from the departments that the State Council has the power to mobilize.

The emperor may be waiting for the attitude of his ministers.

So after Lu Bing, Zhu Houcong saw the Minister of State's "serious treatment" of this matter.

He couldn't help but feel a little surprised and helpless.

Obviously he is the one who wants to make the imperial power less absolute and allow the joint decision-making of the bureaucracy to play a greater role, but now everyone cares more and more about the opinions of the imperial power.

Is this little thing so important? Do you need to give an attitude to deal with it now?

Abnormal situations always make Zhu Houcong feel a little familiar. The last time he felt this way was when Tang Shunzhi dragged Yan Song to see him at night.

Zhu Houcong couldn't help but think along this line with some "prejudices".

Then, he was a little uncertain and hesitant.

But after thinking about it, he only approved a few words: "Not worth mentioning. The monarch and his ministers are united and focus on state affairs."

Zhu Houcong felt that he needed to look at it again.

After the approval opinions were sent out, Zhu Houcong missed his son a little.

Zhu Zaiyi stayed at the Yellow River construction site for more than a month. He heard that he was now setting off again to Jiangnan.

It seems that as the reform has advanced to this point, more and more people in the court feel that they can no longer understand him as an emperor.

Only Yang Shen can be called "foolishly loyal" and only focuses on doing the things he believes in well.

Even if it sometimes makes the emperor unhappy, he just has a small pattern and does not have more complicated thoughts.

But some people are really curious about how far the emperor wants to push the monarchy and "power of the prime minister" in the Ming Dynasty.

In such a situation, we should educate our son well and let him have some understanding.

That was something in the future, so Zhu Houcong remembered another previous report: According to his order, Wu Chengen had arrived in the capital.

"Xuan Wu Cheng'en."

The emperor finally had time to meet with Wu Chengen, and the decree was quickly sent from the palace to Tongyi Bureau.

Wu Chengen has lived in the Huitong Hall of Tongyi Bureau in Beijing for nearly ten days.

The emperor sent a decree to Huai'an, and he set off soon. But when I arrived in the capital, I had to wait for several days.

In these days, he met Shen Kun, who knew the information because of the exchange of letters.

He was an old friend who had already married, and he had to prepare for the entrance examination, so he did not return to his hometown. After coming to see Wu Chengen, he also mentioned that he mentioned Wu Chengen in front of the emperor, and then the emperor became more curious about Wu Chengen.

Wu Chengen knew that this was Shen Kun's "recommendation", so it was natural to say thank you. But at the same time, he also wondered why the emperor was curious about himself.

Out of curiosity, he made himself wait for nearly ten days. Wu Chengen spent this time feeling uneasy.

Now, the Holy Will came and he was to enter the palace at night, which surprised him even more.

Those who can still be received by the emperor after being released from official duties are those who are favored.

Could it be that the emperor has been very busy and only now have time to see him?
  Walking to the Meridian Gate at night with mixed emotions, and imagining the glory of Shen Kun leaving the Forbidden City from the royal road, Wu Chengen humbly stepped into the side door.

He is just a down-and-out scholar.

After bypassing the Fengtian Gate and entering the corridor leading to the Yangxin Hall, Wu Chengen walked silently with his head down, secretly rehearsing the words he would use to meet His Majesty later.

But when he met the emperor, the first thing His Majesty asked was: "I heard from Shen Kun that you have been thinking about writing a novel. Have you finished it?"

"...back...back to Your Majesty, the student has written some intermittently...and has not yet finished the book..."

"Student?" Zhu Houcong smiled, "So you haven't finished writing it yet? I would like to take a look."

"...His Majesty has an order to learn from...the ordinary people should submit the manuscript to the royal family for inspection."

In front of the now unparalleled emperor, Wu Chengen, who had not given up his pursuit of scientific research and still wanted to fulfill his long-cherished wish to become an official, seemed very cautious.

Seeing that he had changed his self-identity because of his own words, Zhu Houcong said: "Shen Kun praised you to a degree that is rare in the world, and I believe him. Are you loyal? You don't have to be so restrained. Tell me what you like first." of gods and ghosts.”

At such a "sensitive" time, some important ministers also found out about it the next day.

The emperor summoned a down-and-out scholar from Huainan the night before. He heard that the scholar was very fond of stories about gods and ghosts, and he had a good chat with the emperor in the imperial study, and did not leave the forbidden palace until late at night.

First there were people talking about the longevity of the emperor, and then there were emperors who were interested in fairy tales.

Your Majesty, is this implying something?

　I was knocked down at noon yesterday, and the whole day was wasted. Before the [-]th, I have to rush to pay back some project funds. Please forgive me.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)