Daming Jingtai: I am the eternal benevolent king

Chapter 372: I’m old, I can’t lift the knife anymore

Zhu Jianqi's thoughts are changing, but her acting skills are good.

"A son who serves his father disrespectfully is an unfilial son; a son who handles government affairs for his father improperly is an unvirtuous son; as the eldest son, a son who does not care enough for his younger siblings is a disrespectful son."

"My son knows that his talents are not as good as those of the fourth son, his knowledge is not as good as that of the nineteenth son, and his military skills are not as good as those of the twenty-fourth and thirty-first sons. There are many princes who are worse than my son."

"I beg my father to depose my son from the position of crown prince!"

"Please forgive me, Father!"

Zhu Jianqi used retreat as advance.

"Are you going to marry me?" Zhu Qiyu's mind was spinning, and Zhu Jianqi couldn't keep up.

The prince is still too young to play tricks with the old emperor.

"My son doesn't dare to give up, but his dissatisfaction is real."

"There's actually no money!"

Zhu Qiyu squinted his eyes: "Go and get Guo Dengxuan."

"You have hidden this from me for five years, and you are really my good son."

I dare not say that there is not a penny in the treasury, but it is certainly not as much as what is in the account. As long as we check, we probably won’t find anything.

"My son has been handling the affairs of the state over the years. He has been the prince for twenty-eight years, and after that he became the deputy emperor!"

"Tell me, what are you hiding from me?" Zhu Qiyu touched his face gently.

Zhu Jianqi burst into tears: "But I didn't mean to hide it from you, but I didn't want you to be upset about it. It's for your health's sake!"

"Someone wants to ruin my prosperous age, can you agree?"

His father's hand had just touched that dead face! Touch him again!

Zhu Qiyu glanced at the prince. The prince had a beard and gray hair, and his eyesight was not good. He carried reading glasses with him.

"But do you know how difficult it is for our ancestors to start a business, and how difficult it is for me to create a prosperous world?"

Zhu Qiyu looked at Wang Zhi: "You also know?"

“The Ming Dynasty’s finances look glamorous!”

"My more than 40 years of hard work have been in vain." Zhu Qiyu was very disappointed.

Zhu Qiyu was smiling: "I thought that by training you personally, you would not be deceived by the government and the public, and you would be able to become an understanding emperor."

I cried fake tears before, but this time I shed tears for real.

Could it be that the next head to be admired is his?

As a prince.

“Everyone in the government and the public is greedy!”

"Say!" Zhu Qiyu was very close to him.

Zhu Qiyu changed the topic: "It is true that you are not as talented as your younger brothers, but you are the eldest son, so I made you the prince. I have never wavered."

His voice was very soft, but it frightened Zhu Jianqi to the extreme.

Pfft!

Wang Zhi knelt on the ground: "I heard some rumors, but I don't know the specific situation! Please forgive me!"

"Haha, you are really posing a problem for me. Do you think I am too old to carry a knife?"

Zhu Jianqi immediately thought of what his father was going to do, and immediately crawled over and said urgently: "Father, these forces are mixed together, and everyone is involved. If you, you force yourself, my son will worry about you..."

"It turns out that I overestimated you. You have shit in your head. You were born with it. You can't teach such a stupid and stubborn creature to understand."

"If you lie to me, who else can I trust in this world?"

Zhu Jianqi immediately said: "Corruption."

"I don't have a son as stupid as you."

If you don't even know where your butt is, let's just be an emperor and a puppet!

"Dad..." Zhu Jianqi was even more frightened.

He stood up slowly, squatted on the ground, and gently touched his son's face: "Dad, I know you are tired and suffering."

"You are willing to delegate power to your son. My son is very happy, but he is also a human being. He is really tired. Dad, my son is tired."

"Dad, my son does hide something from you!"

Zhu Jianqi had been in power for more than ten years, and he had a good understanding of people's hearts. He had been thinking about why the emperor was so angry, and now he could guess a little bit.

"Jingtai forty-seven years!" Zhu Jianqi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed the test.

"My son is forty-four years old this year. Dad, my son has become a grandfather. My son is really tired."

Zhu Jianqi also pointed to his hair: "Dad, look at my son's hair. It's white. It's whiter than yours!"

Zhu Jianqi sat on the ground and cried bitterly.

Zhu Qiyu stood up slowly and walked back to the throne: "When did you know about it?"

“Real estate, railways, and even the insurance being promoted all go into the pockets of officials!”

Zhu Jianqi felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Zhu Jianqi didn't dare to say any more.

"Are you worried about changes in Taicheng Palace?"

Zhu Qiyu sneered: "I said you were stupid, but you are extremely stupid! I am not Emperor Wu of Liang, and no one can be worthy of Hou Jing!"

"This is the Ming Dynasty, my Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Jianqi felt that the emperor had underestimated the power in the DPRK.

You have not been in court for more than ten years, and the power in the government and the public has grown wildly. Now you can't even control the Jin Yiwei. Can you guarantee that the Beijing Camp will completely obey your orders?

Wang Zhi went to Xuan Guodeng.

Guo Deng is not in the capital, but in the capital camp, and it takes two hours to take the train back and forth to the palace.

After such a long time, the news must have been flying all over the place.

Wang Zhi is not Feng Xiao. All of Feng Xiao's interests are tied to the emperor, so Feng Xiao is extremely loyal.

However, Wang Zhi knew that the old emperor could not live for a few more years, and he had to prepare for his future. Therefore, he had constant contacts with officials of the previous dynasty over the years. Even after the emperor passed away, he would still enjoy power and wealth.

Therefore, when Wang Zhi delivered the order, the news spread outside the palace.

But when he returned to the palace, he was secretly arrested by a group of people and dragged into the Yangxin Palace. Immediately, all the palace doors of Qianqing Palace and Yangxin Palace were closed.

At the same time, the entire harem palace gate was closed.

"Emperor, Your Majesty?" Wang Zhi came out of the sack and saw the old emperor playing with the tea cup.

He had served the emperor for more than thirty years and personally for more than ten years. He had no idea where this power came from.

Judging from their quick movements and fierce methods, they are veterans in this field. This is not their first time.

"Eunuch Wang, you have let me underestimate you." Zhu Qiyu seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

Originally, this matter was either big or small.

Zhu Qiyu originally wanted everyone to make up for the greedy money, and the matter would be over.

But his personal eunuch actually had contact with people outside the palace. Such an important joint actually tipped off people outside the palace. This was a big problem.

"Emperor, Your Majesty, slave, slave..." Wang Zhi's upper and lower teeth trembled.

"I really didn't expect that I would raise a white-eyed wolf."

Zhu Qiyu put down his cup: "Ruan Jidao, to whom did he deliver the letter?"

A man, who had always lowered his head, knelt on the ground and said, "Reply to Your Majesty, he sent a message to two families, one is Zhu Ying, the chief minister, and the other is Xiang Zhong, the Minister of Household Affairs."

Zhu Jianqi was also frightened. He had never seen this Ruan Jidao before. Who were they?

Also, when did Wang Zhi have contact with Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong?

A chief minister and a minister of household affairs are in close contact with the emperor's personal eunuch. What are they going to do?

The key point is, his father's eyes are playful, did he already know?

"Let those two bitches get over here." Zhu Qiyu said in a casual tone.

This made Zhu Jianqi even more uncertain. What trump card did the emperor have?

At this time, Guo Deng had already entered the Meridian Gate.

Wang Zhi begged for mercy, but Ruan Jidao covered his mouth and hit him on the head with the head of a whisk to shut him up.

Wang Zhi also didn't expect that he would be hit by someone, and his death would probably be even worse.

The entire Yangxin Hall was quiet.

Guo Deng had already asked for an audience at the door. As the eunuch came in, it was revealed that the eighty-year-old Guo Deng was actually training troops in the Beijing camp.

Recently, the demand for soldiers from foreign vassals was too great, so he could only sit in person and watch the troops train.

"Your Majesty, Guo Deng, please pay your respects!" After Guo Deng entered the palace, he felt that the atmosphere was strangely dull.

"I'm uneasy."

Zhu Qiyu slowly raised his eyelids: "Someone is planning to rebel, Guo Deng, will you participate?"

Guo Deng was so frightened that he almost cried out: "Your Majesty, I am loyal to Your Majesty. Even if you take the lives of my whole family, I will not dare to rebel!"

Guo Deng is not the only one sitting in the capital.

There are also Fan Guang, Mu Cong, Zhu Yi, Yang Xin, and Fang Ying who is lingering on the sickbed, and there are more outside Beijing. Let alone the princes, how many sons does the emperor have? All of them are foreign vassals, with strong soldiers and horses. If something happens to the emperor, it will be the end of the king just to see if they are diligent.

"You hold the capital's 300,000 yuan. You may not have this idea. What if the yellow robe comes to you?" Zhu Qiyu asked.

"Your Majesty, please stop playing tricks on me. My family has been loyal for generations. Why do you want to rebel?" Guo Deng really didn't have this intention.

"The prince said that I am old and can no longer kill people."

Zhu Qiyu was smiling: "The people who talk about nobles and nobles are not with me, but with the civil servants. Guo Deng, what do you think?"

Mentioning civil servants, Guo Deng immediately thought of something.

Guo Deng immediately said: "Your Majesty, I will always stand by your side. Our Guo family, starting from our ancestor Guo Ying, has been loyal and loyal for generations, serving seven generations of monarchs without any reluctance."

"Where's the 300,000 Beijing camp?"

"I'll hit wherever you point me!" Guo Deng kowtowed.

"What if someone disobeys me? Or, what if I want to clean up the army?" Zhu Qiyu said bluntly.

Guo Deng was trembling in his heart: "Your Majesty, the actual strength of the nine-door admiral's palace, imperial guards, horse-breeding army, etc. is 27."

"There are 24 naval troops in Tianjin nearby, and troops in Henan, Shanxi, Jehol, Liaoning, and Shandong are on standby at any time. They can all enter Beijing within one day."

"As soon as the imperial edict is spread, the border troops will respond immediately. The nearest border troops from Jilin, Heilongjiang, and the Western Regions total 54 and can reach the capital within three days!"

"There are also the Nanjing garrison, the Zhongdu Remaining Department, and the Shanghai Navy, a total of 50, and they can all reach the capital within three days!"

"The farther away, the more!"

"Wang Yue has 700,000 soldiers stationed in India. They are all soldiers who have fought many battles. They can reach the capital within a month by sea ship."

"Li Jin, the governor of the Aral Sea, has 24 cavalry under his command. He can still recruit a large army from the vassal state. There is no problem in gathering 50 cavalry in a short time. He can return to Beijing along the Zhonghua River in less than a month!"

"Your Majesty has issued an imperial edict that all the vassal states can muster 200 million troops to defend Your Majesty!"

"No one dares to rebel against His Majesty!"

"Whoever Your Majesty wants to be purged, I will purge for Your Majesty!"

Guo Deng knelt on the ground and said: "In the capital, there are veterans of hundreds of battles. There are Fan Guang, Yang Xin, Zhu Yi, Zhu Yong, Tao Jin, Xu Tai and other leading generals. There are also hundreds of leading generals. Among martial arts, More than 1200 grassroots generals can be recruited at any time. The population of the capital is as high as 120 million, and an army of million can be recruited at any time. The veteran is confident that an army will be formed within a month!"

"There are 56 city gates in the capital. His Majesty gave Yang Xin an imperial edict. Yang Xin can close all the city gates within two hours!"

"Your Majesty said that there are bad apples in the army, but I can guarantee that there are more than 200,000 people in the Beijing camp who are truly loyal to Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty's decree can be carried out in the dark!"

Guo Deng knelt on the ground.

"Did you hear that? Prince?" Zhu Qiyu looked at Zhu Jianqi.

Zhu Jianqi really didn't expect that the old emperor seemed not to be in charge of the government, but in fact he had a firm control over the army and could recruit a large army at any time.

However, this is just Guo Deng's one-sided statement.

There was serious corruption in the imperial court, and he didn't believe that there was no share in the army.

"Tell him why Jingying is loyal to me!" Zhu Qiyu felt that the prince was hopeless.

"Go back to your majesty, go back to your highness the prince."

Guo Deng reported back: "The Beijing camp, the frontier army, and the new army replace each other. The frontier army and martial arts students are the basis, and new soldiers come in to complete the army."

"The Beijing camp can be mobilized at any time, and all mobilizations are controlled by the Military Aircraft Department."

"Only His Majesty's seal can be transferred, so many transfers are not known to the government and the public, and are also kept secret in the military."

"So, no one except the Military Aircraft Department knows who is in charge of the troops in the Beijing camp and who are the members of the army. Even the Minister of Military Aircraft only knows about the mobilization of an army."

"The sources of the army are mixed. Soldiers come from all over the world and are randomly formed. They may not know who the leading general is, but they definitely know the emperor."

"Even if someone instigates rebellion, not many people will respond."

Guo Deng explained this.

Zhu Jianqi understood that he had been in power for more than ten years and could not understand the operation of the Military Aircraft Department.

That's right, the Military Aircraft Department is in the hands of the emperor. The prince cannot enter the Military Aircraft Department, and the Military Aircraft Minister is a noble.

Even if nobles were bribed by civilian officials, only a few of them would be bribed. No one except the emperor himself knew all about the mobilization of the entire army.

That's why the emperor said that no one can rebel against him.

As for Xungui's loyalty, there is no need to worry. Xungui's family is a huge family, and everyone lives in the capital.

As long as one person rebels, all nine clans will die. In other words, people from their own family will tie him to the emperor before he can be caught.

"Another point is that starting from the twelfth year of Jingtai, it has been an iron rule that Han children are not slaves. Each family is not allowed to keep servants. Some only have Yi slaves. Yi slaves are not allowed to participate in wars, so Yi slaves have no chance to experience on the battlefield. Even if Some people are plotting rebellion and raising 10,000 barbarian slaves will not succeed."

Guo Deng teaches the prince to be good again.

The Ming Dynasty had a servant army, but it did not use domestic slaves. Instead, it used common people in war zones as servant troops, so the barbarian slaves in the territory had no chance to come into contact with weapons.

The way of fighting has changed these days, muskets have to be used, and the Ordnance Bureau and the Weapons Storage Bureau are in the hands of the emperor.

This is also the reason why Guo Deng almost pissed himself when asked by the emperor.

Without the emperor's decree, Guo Deng couldn't mobilize a single soldier, especially since the railway was opened and the palace was only 40 minutes away from the barracks, so the rebellion was extremely fast.

It would be useless even if someone occupied the arsenal.

Because iron, saltpeter and other materials are only available for a limited time, they can only be produced with a note from the Ministry of War and a seal from the Military Aircraft Department. Even if you get some weapons, you still won't be able to gain momentum without enough bullets.

In places like the Ordnance Factory, multiple departments are holding each other hostage. The palace, the military, and the court all have a hand in holding each other hostage. Unless the emperor issues an imperial edict, all formalities can be bypassed, otherwise all procedures must be followed.

Zhu Jianqi never stood up, and kowtowed vigorously: "I know that I am stupid, please punish me."

Zhu Qiyu was very disappointed with him.

But he was even more disappointed with the court.

At this time, Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong entered the palace. They came in without official robes and with disheveled hair. They couldn't kneel at the door.

"My good first assistant is capable."

Zhu Qiyu ordered them to come in: "Hu Weiyong rebelled back then because he was the prime minister and could rebel. You, a mere sixth-rank sesame official, also want to be the emperor?"

"I have no intention of doing this!" Zhu Ying burst into tears.

"Then why are you so closely connected with my eunuch? Are you aware of my movements and want to kill me?"

Zhu Qiyu suddenly said: "Oh, I have lived too long and blocked your way, Zhu Ying."

"Your surname is also Zhu. Do you want to ascend the throne?"

Zhu Ying was very greedy for power. He knew this from when he was the governor of Shandong. The governors of Shandong and Jiaozhi won great achievements. After returning to Beijing, he looked down on this one and looked down on that one. Finally, he killed several old ministers in front of him and got to the position of chief minister. position.

He began to monopolize power, wanted everything, and wanted to know everything.

Wang Zhi wanted to find a way out, so he hit it off with Zhu Ying. The two worked together, one in charge of the government and the other as the internal minister in the palace, and they worked together perfectly.

"How about you rebel?" Zhu Qiyu said.

Zhu Ying kowtowed vigorously: "My loyalty to Your Majesty can be seen from the sun and the moon. Please grant me death. I want to die!"

"Oh, you don't want to bear the infamy, why don't you let me do it?"

Zhu Qiyu sneered: "Why do you think it's so cheap? Really, Xiang Zhong?"

"The old minister is guilty, the old minister is guilty!" Xiang Zhong kept kowtowing.

"You tested me back then and wanted to go back to Borneo to be king and hegemon. This time I will give you a chance. Come, sit here, sit!"

Zhu Qiyu stood up and pointed to the throne.

Xiang Zhong was trembling all over and crying.

"The prince told me that you would break into the palace, starve me to death, and make me Emperor Wu of Ming Dynasty and Liang Dynasty."

Zhu Qiyu smiled: "Zhu Ying, Xiang Zhong, can you two tell the prince?"

"I am definitely not Hou Jing. My loyalty to Your Majesty has never changed!" Zhu Ying cried.

Zhu Jianqi was a little dumbfounded.

In his impression, Zhu Ying had all the power in the country. In the past few years, Wang Hong and Wang Fu gradually died of illness. Zhu Ying was the oldest and had the greatest contribution. It can be said that he had all the power in the country and was ignored by everyone.

He always thought that it was his father who couldn't control Zhu Ying, but he didn't expect that it was his father who indulged Zhu Ying. It wasn't that he couldn't control it, but that he didn't want to.

He realized that he had underestimated his father.

There is something really special about this old man being able to inherit the throne at a critical moment after the Tumubao Incident, and then avoid the incident to seize the throne, and single-handedly create an unprecedented prosperous Ming Dynasty.

"The loyalty in your mouth makes me feel sick."

Zhu Qiyu sat down and said, "I remember that in the eighth year of Jingtai, I was the one who made an extraordinary promotion to you. It was also me who overcame all objections and allowed you to supervise Shandong."

"It's me who will give you the greatest authority to plow Shandong and support you."

"Later, after Jiaozhi was recaptured, you went to supervise Jiaozhi again. You could do whatever you wanted. I never complained about you."

"You are indeed capable, and I am satisfied with everything you do."

"After you returned to court, your life was not very smooth."

"I do have selfish motives. Those old ministers have made great contributions to me, so I want them to be respected ministers."

"So, you waited for many years before ascending to the position of chief assistant."

"One person is inferior to ten thousand people."

"I know everything you have done, but I have never said anything about you because I feel I owe you. With your ability, it is more appropriate for you to sit in the position of chief assistant."

Zhu Qiyu murmured to himself: "But in the end, you failed me."

Zhu Ying burst into tears.

"Xiang Zhong, stop crying."

"So are you. I single-handedly promoted you. I let you command the soldiers and navy."

"I originally wanted you to be a noble person, but if you don't want to, I will let you return to the central government. After Geng Jiuchou dies, I will let you be the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. You will be the Minister of the Ministry of Finance for nearly twenty years."

"I feel that I have done my best to show you my kindness."

"But how did you repay me?"

"Do you want my throne?"

Zhu Qiyu sneered: "You two will rebel when you go home. Let's see how many people dare to follow you two in rebellion. Get out!"

Neither Xiang Zhong nor Zhu Ying moved.

At this moment, Xiang Zhong hated the prince. He must have been slandering the prince and making the emperor doubt him. He did have ambitions, but he never thought of rebellion.

This is the Ming Dynasty, not the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Who doesn’t know how powerful the ministers are?

Not to mention civil servants, just military generals. Look at those generals thousands of miles away. Is there any one who rebels?

No!

It’s not that they don’t want to, it’s that they can’t rebel!

Since the Song Dynasty, the general's sense of existence has been continuously weakened, and the general's tight spell has been continuously tightened. In the Ming Dynasty, it became even more powerful.

And Emperor Jingtai put another layer of tightening curse on all the generals.

The army is full of spies, including Dongchang, Jinyiwei, Military Discipline Department, Yebushou Department, and many eunuchs. With civilian officials in charge, there is a possibility of rebellion.

"Please give me a chance, Your Majesty!"

Xiang Zhong kowtows vigorously: "I am willing to investigate corruption for Your Majesty. I just ask Your Majesty to give me a posthumous name! I don't want to be a rebellious minister and a traitor. I won't be able to enter the ancestral graves after my death. I don't want to!" "My family has been loyal and loyal for generations, and there has never been a rebellious minister. Thief!"

"I am willing to spend all my reputation in my life and the wealth of my descendants. Please give me a chance. I am willing to be your majesty's sword!"

Xiang Zhong is really smart.

He immediately knew what the emperor was going to do.

Zhu Ying's face turned pale. He really didn't dare to investigate. Once he did, the whole court would collapse.

The question is, will the emperor be afraid?

How many times has the court collapsed? Did the emperor ever care?

He was angry because someone lied to him. What the emperor hated most was someone lying to him and letting the government out of his control.

"I am willing to be your majesty's sword!" Zhu Ying had no choice.

"You two are good at bargaining."

Zhu Qiyu sneered: "If you want a posthumous name and serve as a sword for me, it sounds like you are so noble."

"Why don't you ask yourselves, do I need you to be a sword?"

"Have I never killed anyone? Or do I not know how to kill?"

"I just want to ask Your Majesty to give me a happy life for the sake of my hard work for half my life." Xiang Zhong is smart and always considers the emperor.

As long as he serves as a swordsman, he might not die and can still be the chief assistant.

And this time to clean up corrupt officials, it may be a good opportunity to buy reputation.

People become better with age.

He immediately saw through the emperor's intention. The emperor did not execute them immediately, which proved that he did not pay much attention to corruption and was more concerned about the government and the public deceiving him.

Then find out those who deceived the emperor and kill them all, so that the emperor can feel at ease.

"Prince, what do you think?" Zhu Qiyu looked at Zhu Jianqi.

Zhu Jianqi was dumbfounded. I have no idea.

"The prince persuaded me, saying that corruption is rampant in both the government and the public. The relationships inside are complicated and they are shielding each other. Even I, the emperor, cannot control it."

Zhu Qiyu suddenly smiled and said: "But you two want to be my sword. Do you think you can kill them all?"

"Yes!" Xiang Zhong said loudly.

"How greedy are you?" Zhu Qiyu found it funny.

Xiang Zhong said calmly: "I have collected a total of 27 yuan. There is an account book for everything. Your Majesty can check it at any time if you want. I have not touched a penny."

This guy is so smart.

I've collected the money and done the work, but I haven't touched the stolen money. If you want to check it out, I'll give it to you.

Could this old guy have spotted Zhu Ying's weakness and want to step on Zhu Ying to get the upper hand?

Are you still a good gay friend, and are you just trying to trick people like this?

Zhu Qiyu felt that he had been deceived by this old guy.

"Prince, what do you think?" Zhu Qiyu asked Zhu Jianqi again.

Zhu Jianqi kowtowed: "I know I was wrong."

"It's not that you know your fault, you're just stupid."

Zhu Qiyu no longer wanted to reprimand him: "Xiang Zhong, what did you do wrong in telling the prince?"

Xiang Zhong suddenly trembled, he was really scared.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are the Deputy Emperor who handles the government affairs on His Majesty's behalf. I will report all the matters to Your Majesty. Whether His Majesty wants to hear it or not is one thing. Whether you report it or not is another matter..."

Zhu Qiyu interrupted him: "To get to the point, he is stupid and can't understand the meaning."

"You are the Crown Prince and should stand with His Majesty."

Xiang Zhong gritted his teeth and said: "You have been in power for more than ten years. You should know that there are problems that need to be solved, instead of hiding them."

These words broke Zhu Jianqi's guard.

How can I take care of your actions? You Xiang Zhong also admitted that you have been greedy over the years. The emperor is here today. If there was no emperor, what would you do to me?

In your eyes, I am nothing more than a stupid student, not even the slightest bit like a deputy emperor!

"Rebellion is not as simple as you think."

Zhu Qiyu hated the fact that iron cannot become steel: "Do you think they can rebel just by raising their arms?"

"What do you think Guo Deng and Yang Xin do for a living?"

"Can a few nobles in the army rebel? Will their huge family survive? If they have the slightest hint of rebellion, their family will report to me!"

"Kicked in the head by a donkey!"

"You haven't been smart since you were a child. I have taught you for forty years and you still don't know what one plus one equals. How can you be the king of a country?"

This is too strong a statement.

Zhu Jianqi was about to kowtow and beg for mercy.

"You also said that you are tired and don't want to be the prince anymore. Please resign tomorrow."

Zhu Qiyu wants to change to the prince.

But these words immediately caused Zhu Ying, Xiang Zhong, and even Guo Deng to become anxious.

"His Majesty……"

Before Zhu Ying could say anything, the emperor glanced at him and gritted his teeth and said: "The country cannot be moved lightly."

"Yes, the foundation of the country cannot be touched. I understand. Such a mascot is so good. If it is placed in the court for you to fool around with, the world will no longer have the surname Zhu."

Zhu Qiyu felt that the prince was hopeless.

You can't teach a fool.

Zhu Ying was so full of words that she choked in her throat and dared not speak any more.

When Zhu Jianqi ascended the throne, the whole crowd probably burst into laughter.

I used to think that it would be good to be a steadfast master, but he couldn't really be a fool.

"Your Majesty, the holy grandson is smart and can inherit the throne!" Xiang Zhong was smart, but Xie Jin, who liked the holy grandson, did not end well.

Zhu Jianqi's eldest son, Zhu Youzhen, was very smart and the emperor quite liked him.

But how can a grandson be as good as a son?

The sons in the fourth family are also capable.

I just don’t know if the fourth child is willing to come back and be the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the prince has made no mistakes or omissions in these years. Being fooled by others just shows that the prince is benevolent."

Xiang Zhong gritted his teeth and said: "The prince has been the prince for twenty-eight years. The people of both the government and the public agree with the prince. If you change him rashly, you are afraid that the country will be unstable."

"Furthermore, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty both thought about changing the prince, but later they could not change the prince due to various reasons."

"Your Majesty, this matter is more serious than investigating corruption."

Zhu Jianqi never expected that Xiang Zhong, who had always been at odds with him, would support him as the crown prince. Was it because he was too stupid?

Zhu Qiyu's eyes flickered: "Are you saying that I am too old?"

"I don't dare!" Xiang Zhong kowtowed, his forehead bleeding.

What if the prince is used as a sword?

Zhu Qiyu thought of a bad move and destroyed the prince's golden body. Isn't he kind? He asked him to take the initiative to kill people, to be an executioner, to clean up the corrupt officials of the government and the public, and see if the government and the public would support him?

Will do!

A stupid prince would support it, let alone an executioner.

But this will only disgrace the old Zhu family and the emperor.

"That's all, let's go down first. I want to see the list tomorrow."

Zhu Qiyu suddenly realized that there were some things he could do and some things he couldn't do.

He has been the prince for twenty-eight years, and he cannot change him.

Then let him die.

Zhu Qiyu originally wanted to keep the prince and scold him a few words, but found that he had no intention of it. People are like this. Once they are disgusted, they will look at each other with disgust.

When Zhu Jianqi returned to the palace, she burst into tears and felt depressed.

In the next few days, the number of people in the palace decreased obviously, and many people disappeared. This was because the emperor was purging Wang Zhi's followers.

It is said that Wang Zhi died tragically.

What frightened Zhu Jianqi was that several of the eunuchs serving in the East Palace were actually Wang Zhi's people.

Behind Wang Zhi is the emperor.

It was the emperor who buried the nails in his palace.

The only thing that puzzled him was who were the new faces working for the emperor? Ming Dynasty does not have this department.

When did the emperor establish this department?

In the Yangxin Hall, the emperor changed his habit and no longer had one eunuch to serve him, but many eunuchs served together and supervised each other.

Moreover, a group of new-faced palace maids came into the palace.

They serve in the Qianqing Palace and the Yangxin Palace. No one knows the origins of these people.

orphan!

Zhu Jianqi figured it out a bit. These people were orphans adopted by the emperor, and then trained as spies from childhood to be used by the emperor.

Who is training for the emperor?

He remembered an old incident. In the eighth year of Jingtai, the emperor ordered Shu Liang to secretly train an army in Shanxi.

Later, when the emperor visited Nanjing, it was this army that provided personal protection.

There must be someone who is secretly training spies for the emperor. Children selected from the nursing home are trained since childhood and then lurk in a certain department, like shadows, acting as the emperor's eyes and ears.

"Father, I really don't believe anyone."

Zhu Jianqi was horrified: "Wang Zhi has been serving him personally for more than ten years, but he doesn't even know that his father is hiding something. So, is there another force in this secret spy? Silently observing this shadow force?"

"I heard from Guo Deng that all military deployments come from the emperor's orders."

"The problem is, I have been in charge of the government for so many years, but I don't know how the Beijing Camp was built. No, I do. What I know is the previous news."

"When was the military system changed? How come I don't know about it at all?"

"Oh, right!"

"One year, Yu Qian suddenly entered the palace and had a long secret conversation with the emperor. It must have been changed at that time, and Yu Qian personally presided over the change!"

"Yes, it must be Yu Qian!"

"When did that happen? Jingtai's 40th year?"

Zhu Jianqi couldn't remember clearly. Anyway, for a period of time, Yu Qian often entered the palace.

Only Yu Qian could reform the military system in such a drastic way.

"So, the emperor doesn't panic at all. He doesn't care that I am in charge of the government and flirting with important ministers."

"The courtiers are corrupt, and some have power over the government and the opposition, but he doesn't care."

"Just like Zhu Ying, in front of him, she is just a slave. With just one word from him, this powerful Zhu Ying can be executed!"

"This is imperial power."

"No wonder my father only called me stupid and didn't say I had any evil intentions."

"Because the court officials can fool me, and they don't have my heart at all."

"Does your honor really have the same intention as the emperor?"

"Not necessarily."

"Otherwise, why would the emperor lift it up high and put it down gently?"

"He is also afraid that his control of military power may not be as good as when he was young. In other words, the elite are abroad and it will take time to bring them back."

"So he's making a fool of himself."

"When the elite return to the court, it will be time for him to show his claws."

Zhu Jianqi found that he was smart.

At this moment, he finally understood his father.

His father was a chess player who liked to make big moves and eliminate the roots when he got the upper hand.

Not this time, which means he didn't gain the upper hand.

Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong seemed to be miserable, but in fact they were just pretending. When they investigated corruption, they only killed a few leaders, returned part of the money, and handed in an answer sheet to the emperor.

So do they know that the emperor will mobilize the army back to the court?

Will do.

So what Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong faced was either to survive with a broken arm or to take a desperate risk.

"Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong are crying like that. Do they dare to take risks?"

Zhu Jianqi thought for a long time and shook his head: "Who will rebel against them? Those corrupt officials? Let them be corrupt and rebel, okay?"

"Yes, my father has long seen through that he has no capital to rebel, so when he talked to Guo Deng, he insisted that he was a civil official, not civil and military."

"My father must have made an agreement with the military commander in the past few days."

"He has erected the top of the army with his own hands. There are thorns in all the forces, but no one knows who is the peg. Only he knows how many hidden lines the emperor has buried in the army."

"Whether the army can return to the court or not, as long as the nobles are dealt with, the civil servants can only hold their noses and admit it. The best result is to return the money."

"wrong……"

"Father doesn't want money!"

"He is proving to the world that he is not old!"

Zhu Jianqi completely understood.

So Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong were willing to be swordsmen, so the emperor gave in and gave them a way to survive.

Zhu Ying and Xiang Zhong are extremely smart people, and they will really be the emperor's sword.

As for how many people died, how much money was returned was not that important.

Therefore, the emperor's last words were to change the prince.

This is to test the attitude of the courtiers.

To be precise, it is not to change the prince, but to see how much weight the emperor still has in the hearts of the courtiers. This determines how many people the emperor will kill.

So Xiang Zhong seemed to be speaking for Zhu Jianqi, but in fact he was speaking for the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.

Everything is clear.

At the same time, Zhu Qiyu was also thinking: "When you get old, you have to obey the old. This is the world of young people. What's the use of fighting for it?"

He is not afraid of corruption at all.

What he fears is that others will lie to him.

"After this storm is over, let Zhu Ying go home and retire, and Xiang Zhong will be the first assistant." Zhu Qiyu felt that Xiang Zhong was obedient.

It's not that Zhu Ying doesn't understand him, but that Zhu Ying doesn't want to offend all the officials in the world, so this person is useless.

Everyone wants to be the emperor's dog when they want to climb up. After climbing up, they immediately stand on the opposite side of the emperor and confront the emperor tit for tat.

Civil servants all have this virtue, but don't worry, at least they won't rebel like military generals.

At this moment, the prince came to apologize again.

Every day after the morning court, the prince would come to Yangxin Hall to apologize.

"It seems that he has enlightened himself." The corners of Zhu Qiyu's lips curled up.

The harsher the emperor and the harsher his scolding, the more stable the crown prince's position.

Because people in the world are afraid of such a hegemonic emperor, they feel that after the benevolent prince ascends the throne, he will relax all kinds of controls and let the powerful start feasting as much as they want.

This prince is really stupid. He cannot understand what the emperor taught him. If he were to be replaced, he would immediately understand that this person must have a sense of crisis at all times.

"Xuan come in."

Zhu Jianqi asked for forgiveness when he entered the palace. After that day, he thought for a long time and understood the emperor's plan.

Xiang Zhong and Zhu Ying did take action.

But how many years will it take after this disposal is completed?

"Show him." Zhu Qiyu just wrote the imperial edict.

Zhu Jianqi was horrified after reading it: "Your Majesty, do you want to cut off the opportunity for the families of the ruling and public ministers to obtain Jinshi?"

"Is it severance?"

Zhu Qiyu was dissatisfied with this wording: "It just makes it a little more difficult."

Members of Gongqing's family who passed the imperial examination were required to take an additional exam. The subject of this subject was determined by the palace.

This is a matter of digging into someone’s roots.

In fact, it was the emperor who single-handedly facilitated the Ming Dynasty's monopoly on public officials. At first, he was worried that he would die early, so he forced the children of public officials to serve in the palace.

This move indeed saved the emperor's life.

But now, the tail is too big to fall off.

The Gongqing family monopolized politics, forming one political family after another.

Now that the emperor is no longer needed, he must break this monopoly.

In fact, this kind of monopoly is very good. The reason why the Tatar Qing emperor was able to die is because of the political monopoly and the lack of communication between the top and bottom.

The Ming Dynasty did not have a monopoly, so the emperor died strangely.

Once Zhu Qiyu breaks this monopoly, future emperors will probably die inexplicably, and then the young emperor will ascend the throne and return to the original trajectory.

But if we don't break it, the entire class will be completely degenerated, and within a few years, the people will be in dire straits.

The Taqing didn't care whether the people had a living or not. Their essence was slavery, which was nothing more than a feudal skin.

The Ming Dynasty cannot do this. The Ming Dynasty is people-oriented. If the people cannot make a living, they will lose the support of the people and then lose the morale of the military, because the Ming Dynasty does not have the basic foundation of the Eight Banners.

Zhu Qiyu was also hesitant.

If you want the emperor to live a long life, you should learn from the Qing Dynasty, treat the people as stupid dogs, turn the nobles into the Eight Banners, and establish the basic base.

Or just go back to the original track.

The former will become more and more backward, but the imperial power can be maintained. Unless the country is bombarded by artillery, he can always be the emperor.

As the latter walks, it will lead to the election. If the emperor is lucky, he becomes a mascot, and if he is unlucky, he becomes a guillotine.

After all, the development of the Industrial Revolution was completely contrary to imperial power, and sooner or later it would take the road to parliamentary elections.

The reason is not that the imperial system is backward.

But if there are more people who want to be the leader, and they all want to be the leader, then we will form a parliament and everyone will be the leader and vote equally.

If you take the path of the Tatars, you can protect your country for at least five hundred years, and then be sent to the guillotine.

Zhu Qiyu was hesitating.

Should he break the monopoly he created at the beginning, or should he stamp it and establish a monopoly legitimately?

It depends on whether it is better for one household or for thousands of households.

Elections may not necessarily be good for everyone. At least they sound better than the imperial system. In fact, there is essentially no difference between the same blind box draws.

It's just that the family name has changed from one family name to a new family name. It's still the same family and the same person, just a different surname.

But in the land of Ming Dynasty, complete democracy will not be born.

So, in the end, will the Zhu family become a political family, or become a mascot like the British royal family?

Then it depends on whether future generations are smart enough to delegate power in time before they can become mascots.

If you are not smart, it is the guillotine.

Zhu Qiyu fell into difficulty in choosing.

(End of this chapter)