Rule over Ming Dynasty

The morning sun also shines on the Xiyuan, and the Yangxin Hall located to the east of Taiye Pool looks golden.

A faint green smoke rises from the ancient copper stove, and the smell of sandalwood seems to be getting stronger and stronger, but it does have a refreshing effect.

"The secrets of heaven are all solved by yourself!"

Zhu Youtang liked the smell of sandalwood in the air very much. His eyes fell on the eight words he had just written. His thoughts seemed very clear at the moment, but there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Naturally, he did not want to give up his throne to others, nor did he want to see the situation of "succession without heir", so he chose to extricate himself.

His original plan was to ruin Prince Xing's marriage, which would not only prevent the birth of the son of luck, Zhu Houcong, but also perhaps allow the son of luck, Zhu Houcong, to call him daddy.

It's just that I played my own cards, and the current situation feels vaguely out of control.

Even though he, the emperor, had already expressed his intention, he used the Eastern Dao to fabricate the identity of the reincarnation of the Golden Phoenix for Jiang Wei. As a result, not only did King Xing and the conspirators in the capital not buy it, but the Empress Dowager Zhou also jumped out to stop it.

Although he prevented Prince Xing's uncle Shao Kang from going there through Jin Yiwei, the Jiang family and their daughter were also dragged into Qingning Palace, and the marriage between himself and Prince Xing was at a standstill.

In fact, the current situation is even more unfavorable to him, after all, he is on the defensive side.

If King Xing's other relatives break through the barrier of Jin Yiwei, and the Jiang family goes their own way and accepts King Xing's letter of appointment, then King Xing will win the competition.

Even if he is a high-ranking emperor, he cannot change this engagement.

Not to mention that Jiang Wei was only a bit beautiful, even if she was a beautiful woman, it was impossible for her to get the reputation of robbing her sister-in-law because of a woman.

As for the plan of "reversing destiny" that I hoped for, I am afraid that it will also go bankrupt.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother and the Empress are blocked outside the Qingning Palace. Do you want to come forward in person?" Liu Jin reported anxiously after learning the news about the Forbidden City.

Zhu Youtang was about to answer when he saw Niu Mengmeng suddenly hurried out, with a light layer of sweat on his pink forehead, and his beautiful eyes were still lively.

In the entire palace, Niu Mengmeng is a very special existence. Not only can she walk in the Forbidden City, but she can also come here from time to time as long as there is a good reason.

Niu Mengmeng was appointed by the Queen to deliver snacks this time, and also brought an investigation report: "Your Majesty, I have just found out! Eunuch Chen Xiang is on duty at Donghua Gate today, and Qingning Palace sent someone to intercept Jiang's mother. Girl, not only did he not inform the Queen Mother, but he also didn’t allow anyone else to speak out!”

Zhu Youtang was not too concerned about the Empress Dowager Zhou's abduction of the Jiang family's mother and daughter, and was more concerned about who betrayed her.

Although the battles in the palace are important, it is equally important to manage the eunuchs and maids, especially in this palace where people who are not loyal to themselves are not allowed to exist.

"Your Majesty, I will deal with it now!" Liu Jin immediately took the initiative to ask Ying when he learned that there was a traitor.

Zhu Youtang raised his index finger and shook it slightly, his eyes flashed with a strong murderous intent and said: "No, hand the person over to Dongchang for disposal, and call Tan Conggui over immediately!"

The functions of Dongchang and Jinyiwei actually conflict. Now the Metropolitan Procuratorate has set up a search office, so now Dongchang's focus is on targeting the eunuch group.

Now that there is such a disloyal person among the eunuchs, mere demotion and punishment are far from enough. Instead, he will be thrown into the Dongchang Prison, where life is worse than death, so as to scare the monkeys.

I have to admit that even though I repeatedly eliminated eunuchs and maids through Dongchang, I could never completely eradicate them. There are still some eunuchs who are devoted to Empress Dowager Zhou.

"My servant asked Xiao Taohong, she is not as beautiful as me!" Zhu Mengmeng was about to return to the Forbidden City after completing her mission, but she suddenly said.

Zhu Youtang was slightly stunned, not knowing who this little girl was referring to.

But his eyes fell on a piece of secret information that had just been sent, and after seeing the content above, he couldn't help but feel a trace of bitterness at the corner of his mouth.

Sometimes, he also has to reflect on himself.

According to the established history, I will be a good emperor and share the blessings of peace with the scholar-officials. I should be able to gain their support as an emperor, instead of the current sworn relationship.

Unexpectedly, I finally chose a completely different path, and the relationship with these vested interest groups gradually evolved into an antagonistic relationship where it was either you or me.

While the mother and daughter of the Jiang family were happily playing mahjong in the Qingning Palace of the Empress Dowager Zhou, King Xing had already taken action again, and another relative of King Xing came to the door of the Jiang Mansion.

A tall carriage stopped slowly, immediately attracting the attention of the people around, but they were all curious about who the person in the carriage could be.

Wang Xiang had been in the restaurant on the street in front. When he saw the purple figure from a distance, he sighed and drank all the wine in his hand.

Although he wanted to stop him again, and also wanted to use the name of Jin Yiwei to arrest people, he couldn't afford to offend the other party's identity, and he couldn't just accuse him of treason.

After all, there are people with special status in this dynasty, and Jin Yiwei is not in charge of everything, not to mention that the emperor has also told him not to mess around.

The woman who appeared in front of Jiang's house was none other than the aristocratic Chongqing princess.

Although the Princess of Chongqing does not have any real power, her identity and status are here, and even the Imperial Guards cannot easily arrest the majestic Imperial Princess.

Now that the Princess of Chongqing appears here, she is naturally here to replace King Xing.

She is the eldest daughter of the Empress Dowager Zhou and also the aunt of Prince Xing. Naturally, there is no problem in coming to present the engagement letter this time as a relative of Prince Xing.

Just like this, the key link in etiquette was filled with the appearance of the Chongqing princess.

"Your Highness, Princess Chongqing, it's a good thing you're here. I'll help you!" Eunuch Huang, the eunuch of Prince Xing's Mansion, saw Princess Chongqing appearing and immediately stepped forward and said.

Although the Chongqing princess was wearing a formal dress, she still had a white flower on her head, and her eyes looked like a trace of resentment. Facing the flattery of these eunuchs has long been accustomed to him, not to mention that he is here for King Xing this time.

"roll!"

Princess Chongqing saw Zhang Cai standing at the door with several Jinyi guards, and immediately said rudely.

Although Zhang Cai stayed here under the order of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister has not yet issued an order. However, when he met the eldest princess with a distinguished status, he could only silently make way for the eldest princess of the empire.

But he didn't understand why the imperial princess wanted to help King Xing?
"Your Highness, Princess, please stay!" At this moment, a voice came from behind.

The princess of Chongqing naturally knew what happened to Shao Kang, and immediately turned her head and looked over with disdain and said: "Even the Jin Yiwei dared not take action, how dare you, the procuratorate, disrespect me? Or do you want to arrest me and put me in the prison of the procuratorate?" Can’t do it?”

The person who appeared here was not Wang Xiang, but Wang Yu from the Investigation Department of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. "Princess of Chongqing, how dare I arrest you because of my humble position! But you should have heard that the Queen Mother wants to take Concubine Jiang as a concubine for Her Majesty, right?" Wang Yu did not come under an order, but took the initiative to express his position.

The Princess of Chongqing naturally knew it, but she said indifferently: "So what?"

"According to the estimation of Dongfang Gaoshi, Jiang Wei is the reincarnation of the golden phoenix!" Wang Yu frowned slightly and pointed out the key point here.

The people present nodded. It would be fine if Jiang Wei was just an ordinary noble girl, but she was the reincarnation of the legendary golden phoenix. Then there was no reason for such a woman to be sent to the palace.

The corners of Princess Chongqing's mouth raised slightly, as if provoking: "So what?"

"Eldest Princess, please don't get involved in this matter!" Wang Yu didn't expect Princess Chongqing to be so unscrupulous, so he pleaded seriously.

There was a trace of ridicule on Princess Chongqing's face, but she waved her sleeves like she was shooing away flies: "It's not my princess's turn to be dictated by low-class people like you. Your Wang family won't be prosperous for long, so get out!"

Even though a long time has passed, she has never forgotten the scene of seeing her consort Zhou Jing beheaded in front of her, and she can never forget this hatred.

This time there was no need for the lobbyists of Prince Xing's Mansion to waste any words. Her relationship with Zhu Youtang had completely broken off, and she naturally hoped that Prince Xing could inherit the throne.

"Why does this eldest princess seem to have a grudge against the emperor?"

"Don't you know this? Her consort Zhou Jing died under Shang Fang's sword!"

"Back then, in order to rectify the financial system to give the people a way to survive, Zhou Jing openly defied the government orders based on his status. It would be a shame to die!"

"Your Majesty is devoted to us people, but in the end he doesn't even help his own aunt. It's really hard for us, Your Majesty!"

……

The people who were watching saw the Princess of Chongqing break through the obstacles and enter the Jiang family gate, and saw the balance of victory tilting towards Prince Xing, but they couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Wang Yu knew that the eldest princess resented not only the emperor, but also his grandfather. After all, it was his grandfather who personally killed the consort Zhou Jing.

It's just that Zhou Jing brought it all on himself, not to mention his blatant defiance of the imperial government's financial rectification, and the Jingsheng Bank he ran had forced countless families to die.

Wang Yu faced the scolding of the Princess of Chongqing and endured it silently, but he still didn't understand how these people dared to openly oppose the talented and resourceful Emperor Hongzhi?
The Princess of Chongqing crossed the threshold and entered the Jiang Mansion smoothly.

"I pay my respects to Her Royal Highness, the eldest princess!" The two brothers Jiang Bin and Jiang Xiao had already known the movement in front of the door, but they took the initiative to greet her in the front yard and knelt down in worship.

Although they guessed that King Xing would not give up so easily, they never expected that they would invite the eldest princess, which would immediately increase the bargaining chip on King Xing's side.

"No courtesy!" The eldest princess glanced at the two warriors contemptuously, and then walked straight towards the main hall.

Everyone else knew that the eldest princess was arrogant. Not to mention that she had been loved by Emperor Yingzong since she was a child, she was also liked by Emperor Xianzong. She was truly a proud daughter of heaven.

This time King Xing's betrothal gift was very generous. In addition to Concubine Shao spending most of her savings over the years, she also had the support of the people in the Xiangcheng Hou Mansion.

The eldest princess sat at the head of the table, while Eunuch Huang, the eunuch of Prince Xing's Mansion, sang the ritual list.

Not to mention the potential opportunities for knighthood, these batches of property alone were enough for the Jiang family to accept the marriage at the risk of offending the emperor.

Now that Mother Jiang and Concubine Jiang have entered the palace but have not returned, even if the Queen Mother has expressed her intention to take a concubine for His Majesty, they can now pretend to be ignorant, so the emperor has no reason to hit them.

"Haha... I sincerely hope that King Xing will not abandon his niece, who is not very talented and has little education. Our Jiang family agrees to this marriage!" However, before the eldest princess could ask, the head of the Jiang family, Jiang Bin, immediately expressed his stance with a smile.

"Wait a minute!"

It was at this moment that a burly figure strode in.

Huh?
The Princess of Chongqing has always been arrogant, but when she saw this man appear, she immediately felt the murderous aura in him, and couldn't help but examine this extraordinary warrior.

"Uncle Zhenliao, what brought you here?" Jiang Bin smiled politely when he saw the young man appearing here.

Tie Xiangshan glanced at the eldest princess sitting on it, but directly expressed his attitude: "Jiang Bin, you must think clearly, you cannot accept this letter of appointment!"

Because he had led the Aegis Battalion to conquer the north and south and made great achievements in these years, he was recently recalled to the capital by the imperial court to be appointed as the governor of Liaobo, responsible for forming a new Aegis Battalion to defend against the savage Jurchen tribe.

Because the Ming Dynasty's territory continues to move eastward, especially after the annexation of the three Haixi tribes, the conflicts between the Ming Dynasty and the wild Jurchens are increasing, and some wild Jurchen tribes are eyeing the grasslands of the Northeast Prefecture.

Although the Aegis Battalion is the nemesis of the Jurchen cavalry, it ultimately belongs to the Beijing army, but it cannot be stationed in Northeast Prefecture all year round, so it is planned to reorganize a heavy cavalry army in Northeast Prefecture from Tiexiang Mountain.

Although Tie Xiangshan had already made a fortune, he was from a low-level military family after all, and the Jiang family were hereditary high-ranking generals, so he came with the idea of ​​repaying his kindness, and naturally he also wanted to win the support of the Jiang family for the emperor.

"Haha... Tie Xiangshan, you have indeed made a fortune, but you still have nothing to do with our Jiang family, right?" Jiang Bin immediately said with a straight face when he learned the other party's intention.

Princess Chongqing seemed to be in control of the victory. Even though she knew that Tie Xiangshan was coming to cause trouble, she still drank tea slowly and watched the show quietly.

In fact, she knew that the Jiang family's suppression of Bao Xingwang was an important factor, but she did not know that when Zhu Youtang rectified the financial industry, it also caused heavy losses to the Jiang family.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty was a dynasty where the emperor centralized power. If this kind of thing had happened in other dynasties, Zhu Youtang would have been drowned by others.

Tie Xiangshan frowned slightly, and immediately pointed out the powerful relationship: "This is not a fight between princes. Do you know the consequences of getting involved?"

"What are the consequences? What will King Xing do tomorrow? Even if you are granted the title of uncle now, you still have to lead the horse for my Jiang family!" Jiang Bin said proudly with a beautiful vision in mind.

Tie Xiangshan did not expect that the other party could not see the situation so clearly, and shouted angrily: "I am nostalgic for old friendship, so I came here to persuade you, don't be so kind as a donkey!"

"Go away! Your grandfather was just a front-line soldier of my Jiang family, and you are just a nouveau riche. It's not your turn to point fingers at our Jiang family!" Jiang Bin did not put Tie Xiangshan, who was born at the bottom of the family, at all. In his eyes, he immediately issued an order to expel the guest.

Tie Xiangshan always had a hot temper, so he left with just one sentence: "You will regret it!"

"It's a joke! You're just a nouveau riche with such short-sightedness. Even if wealth falls on you, you won't be able to take it! Second brother, sign it!" Jiang Bin looked at Tie Xiangshan's back and said with a straight face.

In his heart, Jiang Jing was also leaning toward Prince Xing, who had unlimited potential. He nodded to his brother, and immediately accepted the appointment letter from Eunuch Huang and completed the engagement that attracted the attention of the world. (End of chapter)