Rule over Ming Dynasty

The early morning light shines, and the golden sunlight shines on the red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City.

Today's court meeting was different from the past. When the civil and military officials followed Yin Zhi and Wang Yue to Fengtianmen Square, the two big men in front did not stop, but continued walking towards the palace road in front.

"How is this going?"

"Has our morning meeting location changed?"

"Don't ask, we just follow!"

……

When all the officials saw the big boss in front of them continuing to move forward, they couldn't help but look at each other, but the senior officials seemed very calm and honest.

They followed this long palace road and passed through three halls in a row before finally coming to an open area.

Knowing that they had entered the core area, the civil and military officials immediately arranged their court uniforms and adjusted their wat boards, preparing to look their best to accept the emperor who was about to appear from the Qianqing Palace.

Just as they found a place to stand, the sight in front of them shocked them.

The charred door frames, broken plaques, and the smell of smoke in the air all silently told that a small fire had recently occurred here.

"Qianqingmen this is..."

"It's burned. Who set the fire?"

"Could this be Lei Huo's doing?"

……

When the civil and military officials saw the burned Qianqing Sect in front of them, their faces showed expressions of surprise, and they began to make various speculations in their hearts.

In fact, there are two reasons for fires: one is a natural disaster and the other is a man-made disaster.

"What...what is going on?" an old official asked with a trembling voice, his face full of worry and confusion.

Li Erli, the minister of Guanglu Temple, looked at the important ministers in front and said nothing. He looked thoughtful and guessed softly: "Is this a warning from God?"

"The sky has been shining brightly in recent days, and the Qingning Palace was also on fire. How did God come to warn me?" Jia Jun, the cabinet minister, heard the words about God's warning and immediately asked with a cold face.

If the Qianqingmen fire was caused by thunder and fire, it can indeed be interpreted as the emperor losing his virtue, and Zhu Youtang may have to practice his virtue honestly.

It's just that this fire was not caused by lightning, but a man-made fire.

"What? Not Thunder Fire?"

"If it were really thunder and fire, how could it happen that the palaces of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were burned down like this?"

"Investigate, we must conduct a thorough investigation this time, and we must find out the traitors who intend to murder His Majesty!"

……

After learning that the fire was actually man-made, the civil and military officials present were furious. They finally realized that this matter was even more serious than the thunder and fire that destroyed the whole house, and they expressed their positions one after another.

More importantly, if anything happens to Emperor Hongzhi, it will be the biggest disaster for the Ming Dynasty.

Although the Ming Dynasty is now flourishing, all this is inseparable from the central figure, Zhu Youtang, a rare hero in China for thousands of years.

Once Zhu Youtang has any shortcomings, although the prince Zhu Houye is now seven years old and many important ministers are still alive, the development momentum will definitely be turbulent.

It will be difficult for the domestic infrastructure construction that is in full swing to continue without this talented and strategic emperor, not to mention whether the court will continue to carry out major infrastructure construction.

The currency and national debt of the Ming Dynasty relied heavily on the prestige of Emperor Hongzhi. Without Emperor Hongzhi, it would be difficult for the court to win the trust of the people. There would definitely be no rush to buy national debt, and the financial system would be affected.

On the other hand, overseas expansion must come to an abrupt end.

Taking history as a guide, this is what the ruling class of all dynasties likes to do most.

From guarding against clan relatives to guarding against relatives and then guarding against eunuchs, even the prime minister was abolished in this dynasty. Now Emperor Hongzhi's overseas expansion policy actually adopted the Tang Dynasty's vassal and town segregation method.

The East China Sea Governor's Palace and the Ryukyu Governor's Palace were not bad. After all, the two places were very close to the Ming Dynasty, and many important matters had to be handed over to the imperial court for approval.

It's just that the American continent is separated from the Ming Dynasty by the Pacific Ocean. A round trip not only takes a year, but is also restricted by ocean currents and wind directions, so they have strong autonomy.

Even with the same system, some emperors can dominate the world, but some emperors can only lead to the Eight Kings Rebellion, or they can seize the throne under the banner of Jingnan like Taizong.

Now the five governors Wang Zhi, Zheng Yong, Han Niu, Xu Shiying and Wang Zhendong are almost equivalent to the vassal town, but Zhu Youtang dares to use these people, but the seven-year-old Zhu Houye may be about to take over power.

Once the overseas governor's offices lose the support of the imperial court, how can they dominate the world and let the Ming flag be planted all over the world?

"hateful!"

"Such a treacherous way will be punished by everyone!"

"There is such evil hidden in the palace, we must not stay here!"

……

The Minister of War, Liu Xuan, and other important ministers knew that nothing unexpected could happen to Hongzhi, so they gritted their teeth and expressed their attitude.

The real helmsman of the Ming Dynasty has always been the emperor. Even if Wang Zhen stole power back then, power was actually subject to various constraints. Only the emperor could eliminate all resistance.

The current Emperor Hongzhi is a wise emperor who is rare to see in a thousand years, and he is leading them to create a new prosperous age, so Hongzhi's safety is related to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty.

That's why this fire is not only going to burn the current emperor, but also the prosperous Ming Empire, a super dynasty that will become the world's hegemon.

A ray of morning sun fell on the resplendent glazed tiles of Qianqing Gate, shining with dazzling light.

Zhu Youtang, wearing a dragon robe, appeared in front of the Qianqing Gate, and music was played, just like the usual morning ceremony.

Although the civil and military officials knew that a fire of this magnitude would not endanger the emperor, they were relieved to see that Emperor Hongzhi was safe and sound.

Amidst the shouts of "Long Live the Mountain", Zhu Youtang, who had already run for three years, sat on the dragon chair.

His eyes swept across the courtiers. It was a deep and determined look that made people dare not look at him. He has been in office for twelve years, and now all the people in the court are promoted by him from top to bottom. Liu Zhong and Chen Kun, who were first promoted, have already become ministers.

Now the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty are all truly pragmatic officials, and they are also willing to work with themselves to create an unprecedented super dynasty.

It was just this fire that forced him to re-examine the civil and military ministers of the dynasty.

Who would have thought that Liu Ji, the chief assistant at that time, would include his first love and son among the people he killed, but he turned out to be a rebellious minister who harbored evil intentions!

The civil and military ministers present felt those sharp eyes. At this time, the air around them froze, and everyone held their breath, waiting for his speech.

The mature and prudent Wang Yue also felt unprecedented tension. Although he was loyal from beginning to end, the emperor's suspicion was also a difficulty for loyal ministers.

Although the current fire happened inside the palace, there was no guarantee that it would spread outside the palace.

Since ancient times, there have been various conspiracies in the imperial palace. Not to mention Yingzong's attempt to seize the throne, even Xianzong's death was a little strange.

Such a bad incident this time is destined to cause a bloody storm.

Zhu Youtang finally spoke slowly, with a deep and powerful voice: "Dear dear friends, I am holding a court meeting here today to let everyone take a good look at the Qianqing Sect! I have been in the imperial court for ten or two years, and I have cultivated myself in respect to heaven. Love the people like a son, and work with you to create a lasting legacy. However, someone is setting fire to the Qianqing Palace. Why is this?"

"I am the chief assistant of the cabinet. However, your majesty is in danger this time. I really feel unworthy of your majesty's favor! If this fire is not within the palace, it will come from outside the palace. I am the head of hundreds of officials. I would like to resign and return to the field to redeem my rule. What a crime!" Yin Zhi, the leader of civil and military officials, immediately resigned.

Although he had nothing to do with this arson case, as he said, if the fire did not come from within the palace, then it was instigated by someone outside the palace.

As the chief minister of the cabinet and in charge of all officials, he not only faces serious suspicions about himself, but also needs to bear the responsibility of incompetent governance.

Liu Zhong and other officials from the Ministry of Agriculture looked at Yin Zhi's statement, but they knew that this could be regarded as an example, that is, they also needed to resign to express their loyalty to the emperor.

The world is all about profit. If they can resign to the emperor at this time and express their disdain for fame and wealth, they can clear their suspicions to a certain extent.

Zhu Youtang knew that the decision-making model he created was beneficial to important ministers. The possibility of these people trying to murder him was very small, especially the position of chief minister was almost impossible.

Once he meets the young emperor, the old chief assistant is usually the first to bear the brunt, and it is difficult for Yin Zhi to continue to stay in the position of chief assistant, or he may not stay at all.

As for other non-important officials, since they are not in the core political circle, compared with assassinating the emperor, the risk of trying to climb up is obviously lower, and it is easier to gain something.

Zhu Youtang's heart moved slightly. After all, he had cut off the connection between the palace and outside the palace when he first ascended the throne, but he knew that the problem might really only be in the palace: "I will discuss this matter with all my dear friends, and I am not asking you to resign, but I hope there is a solution! Mr. Yin Ge, you are an important minister of the Ming Dynasty. Now that I am in danger, it is time for you to be loyal. As the head of the officials, this is how you repay me. ”

"I know the crime! I beg you to investigate this case thoroughly immediately! If this is not the case, I and others will not be able to sleep peacefully, and the prosperous Ming Dynasty will not be expected!" Yin Zhi immediately admitted his mistake and also proposed a solution.

"Your Majesty, please hand over this case to me for investigation. I will definitely get to the bottom of it!" Song Cheng, the Minister of Punishment, stood up expressionlessly and volunteered.

When Wang Yue and other important officials saw Song Cheng standing up, they all felt that it was appropriate to hand over the case to Song Cheng.

Song Cheng has already proven his ability to solve cases in countless cases. If the case is handed over to Song Cheng, even if it cannot be fully investigated, several major suspects can still be listed.

When Zhu Youtang saw Song Cheng volunteering, he said happily: "Song Aiqing, I'll give you three days, I hope you won't disappoint me!"

"I obey the decree!" Song Cheng said very seriously.

"There are many people in the Forbidden City, but the gates and courtyards in the palace are very wide. I would like to ask you to build a palace in Xiyuan. Your Majesty can move there at any time, and I and others can have peace of mind!" Chen Kun, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, knelt down and also expressed his opinion. .

"This is a sound policy!"

"Please ask Your Majesty to build a palace in Xiyuan!"

"There are two bedrooms and two couches for sleeping, so I can rest in peace!"

……

Unlike previous dynasties that opposed the emperor's palace building, now the Ming Dynasty has strong financial resources and is related to the safety of the Ming Emperor. Yin Zhi and other important ministers have expressed their stance.

Zhu Youtang raised his hand, but shook his head gently: "Even if Xiyuan builds a palace, it cannot be to avoid disaster. Qianqing Palace is my residence, and I live with the queen, concubines and princes. If this place is If you are uneasy, you can’t find peace anywhere?”

This……

Chen Kun and other officials choked on their words and found that this was true.

If you become suspicious just because of a fire, then that's a big problem. The current empress is a wise empress who keeps the entire harem in order, and all the concubines and the emperor are very loving.

This time the arson was probably caused by someone taking advantage of the situation and only burning two pillars. There really was no need to be a frightened bird.

Zhu Youtang believed in his woman, so he said decisively: "My palace will be investigated by Song Qing, and the area outside the palace will be investigated by Wan Qing. Do you have any objections?"

what?
He Cong, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and other officials found that the fire was burning on themselves, and their mouths couldn't help but open wide.

The emperor's real intention is here. Although he may not suspect them, he still takes the opportunity to have the Metropolitan Procuratorate investigate them.

But who can be blamed for this? This is no ordinary fire.

Not to mention just letting the Metropolitan Procuratorate investigate them carefully, even letting the Jin Yiwei take them to Beizhen Fusi for interrogation one by one is a very reasonable thing.

The Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Wanji, has been appointed and has been silently observing the reactions of the officials present, but he did not let go of any clues.

Although their Wan family is happy with their father Wan'an, his success is inseparable from the favor of two generations of emperors, Chenghua Emperor and Hongzhi Emperor. In particular, Emperor Hongzhi made his father's political career shine. Rejuvenate with a second spring.

Their Wan family was about to decline, but Emperor Hongzhi promoted him to the important position of Zuodu Censor in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, regardless of the criticism from the outside world.

Whether it is to repay Hongzhi for Wan'an's kindness, or to repay Hongzhi's kindness, or for his own future, he needs to be the sharpest knife in the emperor's hand.

Although he did not think that any important ministers would dare to plot to murder the emperor, but with the fire of Qianqing Palace, the Metropolitan Procuratorate under his control could legitimately investigate these important ministers in depth.

It is completely conceivable that after this in-depth investigation, some hypocrites will be dug out, and the court will become more united.

"Your Majesty is wise, I have no objections!" The chief minister of the cabinet, Yin Zhi, and other important ministers also bowed their hands in a dignified manner when faced with the emperor's arrangement.

When Zhu Youtang saw that the matter had been planned, he waved his hand and said: "In that case, the matter is settled! Let's start the morning court!"

With the turmoil just now, all the civil and military officials present were more or less affected, and the following morning court was indeed a mere formality. Since there is nothing too important, many people have begun to guess who set the fire? (End of chapter)