I'm really not doing business

Chapter 661: Your Majesty’s grace is bestowed upon the world, but this lowly scholar has no moral integrity and only believes what he says!

A person should have a beginning and an end.

Li Chengliang found that he had become an obstacle to the Ming Dynasty's rule over Liaodong, so he planned to leave. But before leaving, Li Chengliang made an elaborate plan. He intended to let the rebels jump out on their own, and then give them a severe beating, so that the whole of Liaodong would be quiet for fifty years.

This means seeing things through to the end and not leaving a mess for the empire.

This plan was really good, and Zhu Yijun fully supported it. The Ming Dynasty did not even need to dispatch troops from Beijing to accomplish it, and only needed a detachment from Liaodong.

The only thing that made Zhu Yijun feel helpless was that Li Chengliang did not say it clearly. Even if he wanted to make a scene and want to stay in the capital, Li Chengliang did not say it. This was out of fear of the civil officials and also for self-protection.

What if the plan fails, or something unexpected happens, such as the Ming Dynasty was defeated by these scumbags at Sarhu? What should we do?

"Is Wang Rulong capable of the important task?" Zhu Yijun asked Qi Jiguang for his opinion. Qi Jiguang was a great general, so he naturally had to consult Qi Jiguang on important military and personnel appointments.

"Like an eagle chasing after a bird, why should I be afraid?" Qi Jiguang said calmly, "From Yiwu to my service, Wang Rulong has been brave, fierce, and ruthless throughout his life."

Wang Rulong joined Qi Jiguang's army when he was recruiting soldiers in Yiwu. Since then, he has fought in more than 50 battles of varying sizes and served as a sharp knife under Qi Jiguang. Wang Rulong will not have too many problems when he goes to Liaodong.

"In that case, let's send Wang Rulong to Liaodong." Zhu Yijun agreed.

Zhu Yijun chatted with Xiong Tingbi for a few more words. The emperor meant to let Xiong Tingbi prepare for the autumn examination in the capital, that is, to obtain the title of Juren, but Xiong Tingbi patted his chest and said that he could also prepare for the imperial examination in Suiyuan and would not be delayed.

At dusk, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty returned to the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace and began to deal with memorials.

"Hey, why hasn't Shen Shixing been reinstated yet? Wasn't he reinstated for his contributions in supervising the construction of fast sailing ships and stabilizing Zhejiang?" Zhu Yijun looked at the official position screen and was surprised to see that Shen Shixing was still a fifth-rank doctor!
How can it be that this governor is a fifth-rank doctor in two places?
A boat capsized and more than 100 cubic meters of teak sank into the sea. Shen Shixing was extremely anxious, but with the help of merchant general Sun Kehong, he was lucky enough to escape the disaster. According to the performance evaluation method, Shen Shixing should have ended his punishment period, but according to the official rank list, Shen Shixing was still a fifth-rank official.

"Governor Shen is a bit unlucky." Feng Bao said helplessly, "The construction of the fast sailing ship was completed three days late. It was completed on December 28th. According to the examination results, it should have been completed on the 25th. Because of these three days, he did not get the credit for supervising the construction of the fast sailing ship."

The performance evaluation method is to set limits and complete the task within a deadline. If you fail to finish the task after the deadline, it is your fault; if you finish the task, it is also your fault.

"How come there is a difference of three days?" Zhu Yijun asked with a little surprise.

"This brings us to Yan Shixuan." Feng Bao's brows knitted into knots, and he whispered, "Your Majesty, this Yan Shixuan is a bit weird."

"A gentleman does not speak of supernatural things. Don't talk nonsense. Yan Shixuan is the prefect of Hangzhou. How could he have influenced the Songjiang Shipyard? Tell me about the matter." Zhu Yijun corrected Feng Bao's supernatural remarks and just said the matter at hand.

"There was an epidemic at the shipyard, so three docks were shut down, which caused the delay." Feng Bao looked around and said, "The shipyard's chief doctor searched everywhere and finally found the source of the epidemic."

"The Luomu Battalion entered the city to wipe out the bandits, and the entire Zhejiang Nine Battalions followed suit. They were worried that the disaster would affect their families, so they fled to Songjiang Prefecture. Among the refugees, there was a family from Hangzhou Prefecture. They had been shipbuilders for generations, and after arriving in Songjiang Prefecture, they worked in a government factory, and that's when the plague broke out."

Is it related to Yan Shixuan? It seems that there is no connection, but it seems that there is a connection.

Zhu Yijun was stunned. After a moment's silence, he said, "It is indeed a bit weird. After Yan Shixuan was transferred from Shanghai County, Shen Shixing had been doing well. But after he took over as the governor of Zhejiang Province, it seems that he is not doing well at all. Wu Shanyan also lost his head."

"Originally, as soon as Yan Shixuan left, Governor Shen would be fine. But as soon as he became Yan Shixuan's immediate superior, he suffered from bad luck. How strange, how strange." Feng Bao said with lingering fear as he hit his right palm with his left fist.

Shen Shixing was really unlucky. He really tried his best, but in the end he was still three days late. Zhang Juzheng, the Minister of Personnel and Prime Minister who was in charge of the examination, did not give Shen Shixing any preferential treatment. In the end, Shen Shixing was still a fifth-rank official. This joke has to follow him.

"In April, 4,509 elite soldiers from the selected battalion will go from Songjiang Prefecture to the Governor-General's Office in Nagasaki." Feng Bao reported on the progress of the selection of the Ninth Battalion. The Ninth Battalion formed by Hu Zongxian was finally going to fulfill its original purpose of setting up the battalion, to go to Japan and destroy it. The safety of the southeast depended on the waves of the sea.

Zhu Yijun sat on the armchair in the imperial study and began to review memorials.

All preparations for the southern tour were ready. The emperor's uncle Zhu Zaiyu was appointed as regent, but it was just an empty title and Zhu Zaiyu had no interest in household affairs.

Lu Wang Zhu Yiliu was left behind to handle miscellaneous affairs, Zhao Mengyou led 3,000 imperial guards, and the Ming Dynasty's capital camp would have two infantry battalions, one cavalry battalion, and one chariot battalion, led by Qi Jiguang to the south. Another 36,000 men were on standby, ready to rush south to provide assistance at any time.

The ministers who stayed in the capital were mainly cabinet minister Wang Guoguang and court official Zeng Shengwu.

Zeng Xingwu was the Minister of War. After the emperor left Beijing, he was assigned to be the governor of military affairs in the Beijing camp.

Having the Minister of War reside in the capital was a valuable experience gained by the Ming Dynasty after the Tumu Incident. Even if a calamity occurred, the Minister of War could organize the military and civilians to resist.

The elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp and the navy of Songjiang Prefecture are the greatest confidence for the emperor to march south this time.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, before the Chinese New Year, Zhu Yijun finally met the great medical officer Pang Xian who had returned to the capital from Guihua City.

"Thank you for your hard work, Doctor. Please take a seat. Feng Bao, keep the tea ready." Zhu Yijun met Pang Xian in Tonghe Palace and said with a smile, "It is a pity that I did not personally present the Chonggu Award to Doctor Pang."

"May the people live long and healthy, and bring harmony to the world." Pang Xian hurriedly bowed his head and said. This was the imperial edict given to the Jiekuyuan by His Majesty after he established the Jiekuyuan. It was His Majesty's expectation, and the Jiekuyuan did it.

"Did the trip go smoothly?" Zhu Yijun began to talk to Pang Xian about the cowpox vaccination in Suiyuan.

Pang Xian said with some compassion: "At the beginning, it was very difficult. Smallpox was also rampant in the grasslands. Everyone was terrified of smallpox. Since the Ming Dynasty conquered Bansheng, the smallpox method was introduced to the grasslands. However, these Mongolian doctors were almost the same as shamans. They only learned the basics of smallpox and vaccinated randomly, resulting in countless deaths and injuries."

"The smallpox vaccination itself caused more than 30% of the disease and about 10% of the death. That is to say, for every 10 people vaccinated with smallpox, one would die. This was a very dangerous and life-threatening method. However, after these Mongolian doctors made such a fuss, the mortality rate soared to 30%. The grassland people were extremely resistant to the smallpox vaccination."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Indeed, the smallpox method itself is a life-threatening one. No matter how casually these Mongolian doctors deal with it, naturally everyone is terrified of smallpox and is afraid of it like a tiger."

Pang Xian then continued, "Fortunately, the governor, Madam Zhongshun, found 140 people and forced them to be vaccinated. These 140 people were not death row prisoners, but Madam Zhongshun's Qiexue guards. Madam Zhongshun believed in the Ming Dynasty and sent her own guards to the city."

"After 140 people were successfully vaccinated, smallpox broke out 30 miles north of Guihua City. These 140 people were sent to this department to deal with the matter. Seven days later, they returned to Guihua in one piece. This cowpox method was considered to have opened up the situation. Madam Zhongshun had 900 guards of Qiexue, all of whom were vaccinated."

"I originally thought that the promotion of the cowpox treatment would go smoothly, but it turned out not to be the case. The local Mongolian doctors began to stir up trouble."

Zhu Yijun said in astonishment: "One hundred and forty Qiexue guards went to the place where smallpox broke out outside Guihua City, and they were unharmed. In the face of such ironclad facts, why are the Mongolian doctors making such a fuss? Are they crazy?!"

Pang Xian exhaled, shook his head and said, "They told everyone that if you get the cowpox vaccine, you will turn into a cow, so you won't get smallpox. You will grow a cow's tail and horns at night, and you will turn back during the day. Moreover, the Mongolian doctors have joined forces to denounce the cowpox vaccine."

"After hearing the news, Madam Zhongshun immediately ordered the arrest and investigation of all Mongolian doctors in Guihua City. Anyone who spread the rumors would be killed without mercy."

"Wait? Kill without mercy?" Zhu Yijun was stunned. The seemingly well-behaved Third Lady seemed to have a side that he didn't know.

Pang Xian also saw the angry Sanniangzi for the first time in Guihua City. She was like a tigress. Pang Xian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Madam Zhongshun is a woman. At the age of 27, she has sidelined Altan Khan and is active everywhere. Her methods are extremely cruel."

"One hundred and twenty-four Mongolian doctors were captured that day, twenty-three of whom were beheaded, and the rest were sent to Shengzhou by Madam Zhongshun to dig coal."

"This is the end of the rumors."

"In less than seven days, our doctors who went to Guihua City vaccinated 4,000 people, but we encountered new challenges." Pang Xian said helplessly, "There are too many people coming for vaccination, and we are short of manpower. Fortunately, the cowpox method is not difficult. We taught nearly a hundred local young Mongolian doctors to vaccinate together."

"In July of the 12th year of the Wanli reign, smallpox broke out again outside Guihua City. This time, nearly 10,000 people in the city were vaccinated, and only then was the smallpox plague kept out of the city."

In the past, whenever smallpox broke out, it would be a deadly place where no one was allowed to enter. No goods from outside could be brought in, and people inside could not leave. Everyone would be infected and wait for the plague god to leave. In this way, in addition to deaths caused by the plague, there were also all kinds of turmoil such as looting, smashing, and burning. According to the experience of the Ming Dynasty, when a plague broke out in a city, nearly half of the people would die.

This is true in the Central Plains and the grasslands as well.

But this time it's different. Sanniang has some Qiexue guards who can go deep into the forbidden area. The place where the plague broke out is no longer a restricted area, and it can be dealt with very quickly.

Pang Xian sang two lines of lyrics in the dialect of Guihua City before explaining, "This is a ballad widely circulated on the grassland. It means: Bodhisattva soldiers blessed by Changshengtian came to the grassland with the blessing of your majesty. Angels descended and killed the plague god in the mire. Look, that is your majesty's protection. Listen, that is your majesty's gospel. Your majesty's light shines in all directions."

The angel is Pang Xian, which means the emperor's envoy. This ballad was widely sung, and even the tribes at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains had heard of it. Merchants from the tribes at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains came to Guihua City to complain about the emperor's favoritism and that no angels went to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, outside Lanzhou, or to the Western Regions.

Zhu Yijun got goose bumps when he heard such a corny praise. He waved his hands and said, "Who wrote this? It was obviously the joint efforts of Doctor Pang and Madam Zhongshun that saved the people from the dire situation. I just issued an order, which is insignificant."

"It was written by Madam Zhongshun." Pang Xian explained the problem clearly. This ballad was written by Madam Zhongshun herself and was deliberately spread.

In fact, Pang Xian did not tell His Majesty that the most frequently asked question by the people of the grassland was when His Majesty would recruit concubines and palace maids, and that they would send their daughters to him at that time.

At first Pang Xian was wondering why the grassland people would ask this question. After careful inquiry, he found out that in their opinion, His Majesty and Sanniang had a well-known love story, so giving His Majesty more women could bring more benefits.

The love story is fake. The woman sent as a gift will not be accepted by His Majesty, and she will not even pass the preliminary selection of the Ministry of Rites, so there will be no benefits in exchange.

"I have written a book called 'On Smallpox Treatment' and I would like Your Majesty to take a look at it." Pang Xian took out a book he had written himself and handed it to Feng Bao.

Zhu Yijun opened this not-too-thick book and read it carefully, starting with the origin of smallpox, then to the pathogenicity and mortality of smallpox, the ways in which smallpox is transmitted, the types and limitations of the smallpox vaccination, the treatment of smallpox, the discovery of cowpox, the experiments on cowpox, the methods and means of cowpox vaccination, the discomfort symptoms of cowpox, and so on.

Although it is not very thick, this book "On Treating Smallpox" is the first book in the Ming Dynasty to systematically study a disease.

"Very good, very good. You are worthy of being the winner of the Chonggu Progress Award. This book is very good. Feng Daban, send this book to the Sanjing Factory to be printed and sent to Huimin Pharmacies and educational officials in all directions to persuade people to get vaccinated. Tell all doctors to study hard and prepare to vaccinate the people according to this method." Zhu Yijun gave an order to Feng Bao.

Vaccination with cowpox can cause discomfort symptoms, such as fever, itching, and bean-sized scabs. Some more serious symptoms may include loss of appetite, diarrhea, and runny nose. However, the probability of this occurring is extremely low, and the vaccination will not lead to more serious problems. Among the 50,000 people vaccinated in Guihua City, only three people died.

"Well, since Doctor Pang has returned to the capital, let's vaccinate the royal heirs with cowpox." Zhu Yijun stretched out his arm and said, "Let's start with me. I have never been infected with smallpox. The journey to the south of the Yangtze River is long, and I will meet many people on the way. I am afraid of the risk of this epidemic." "I obey your order." Pang Xian began to vaccinate His Majesty the Emperor.

Pang Xian used a tortoise-shell knife, which is a very small scissors-like knife, to vaccinate against cowpox. However, when vaccinating the emperor, Pang Xian chose a small ivory hairpin, which was made by cutting two inches of ivory and grinding it to be as thin as a needle. The small ivory hairpin was sharp and hollow. Moreover, when vaccinating the emperor, Pang Xian disinfected his entire body before starting the procedure.

The Ming Dynasty had actually produced hollow steel needles, but they were not put into actual clinical application because hollow steel needles would rust and might cause even greater trouble, so they chose small ivory hairpins.

There were a lot of elephants these days, and the ivory obtained by the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade was sold by the ship.

Zhu Yijun didn't feel anything, just like being bitten by a mosquito.

Pang Xian had been observing the emperor for a full quarter of an hour before he breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure of vaccinating the emperor was very high. Chen Shigong had knocked out his wisdom tooth and almost sent him to death. Pang Xian vaccinated the emperor's arm with cowpox and nothing unexpected happened.

"Is it okay now?" Zhu Yijun looked at his upper arm and asked with a smile.

"On the ninth day after sowing, there will be scabs the size of soybeans. That is real pox. If there is real pox, smallpox will not be able to harm Your Majesty at all." Pang Xian told His Majesty with certainty.

"This ivory hairpin is very good. I will pay attention to maritime trade and try to give each of our Ming Dynasty doctors a pair." Zhu Yijun was very fond of the ivory hairpin. Gold and silver are a bit soft, but the ivory hairpin is just right.

The small ivory hairpin is part of a complete set of tools, as well as a glass box specifically for disinfection, a syringe and other items.

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace." Pang Xian bowed again.

Pang Xian began to vaccinate the Ming royal family with cowpox. Zhu Yijun's third daughter Zhu Xuanyan had a little fever, but was fine the next day. The fourth prince Zhu Changhong had a little itch and scratched himself, but there was no real pimple on the ninth day, so he was vaccinated again. Apart from that, there were no other adverse reactions.

Large-scale vaccination against smallpox began in the capital.

"These cheap Confucian scholars are so disgusting. They don't feel ashamed to eat steamed buns that have been chewed by others! Those ignorant Mongolian doctors on the grassland are talking nonsense. The cheap Confucian scholars in the capital heard it from others and published it in miscellaneous newspapers to confuse the public! They even grew cow tails and horns. Why don't they perform 72 transformations? They deserve to die!" Zhu Yiliu expressed his disgust for the cheap Confucian scholars in great anger during the court meeting.

Zhu Yiliu was also vaccinated against cowpox, and it was real smallpox. He felt it was very magical that with just one prick, he could completely defeat smallpox, a disease with a mortality rate of over 30%. This was something that even the Great Emperor Zhenwu could not do, after all, curing diseases and saving lives was not part of the Great Emperor Zhenwu's responsibilities.

But the lowly scholars in the capital began to talk nonsense again, saying that people would turn into cows and grow tails and horns.

"Your Majesty, Madam Zhongshun has ordered the killing of all those who spread rumors." Wang Chonggu took a deep breath and said, "Madam Zhongshun ordered the killing of all those who spread rumors because the plague of smallpox is right before our eyes. In order to prevent and control it, we have to be so violent. Your Majesty, although there is no major epidemic in the capital, we cannot tolerate their nonsense."

Sanniangzi was not bloodthirsty, and she was thinking about killing people. At that time, smallpox had broken out thirty miles north of Guihua City, and it would soon spread to Guihua City. The epidemic was as urgent as fire, so how could she deter others if she didn't kill people? It was a matter of life and death, so she had to do it as quickly as possible.

The Ming Dynasty does not need to be so anxious.

"Didn't Pang Xian write "On the Treatment of Smallpox"? Just publish it on a large scale to dispel the rumors." Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe and said, "All miscellaneous newspapers in the capital will publish unverified statements. The first time they publish, they will be warned. The second time, they will be fined. The third time, their publication number will be revoked."

Zhu Yijun did not want to launch a literary inquisition, but during the Wanli period when people generally did not receive education, the excessive talk of these scholars would really affect the implementation of Ming Dynasty policies, so a news censorship mechanism was necessary.

Freedom has never meant being unrestrained, and freedom has never meant allowing people to smear, fabricate, and spread rumors without any basis without any punishment.

"I obey the order." Wan Shihe obeyed his leader's orders.

The court officials looked at Zhu Yiliu. Judging from this master's attitude towards the lowly Confucian scholars, with the Ming Emperor leaving the capital, Zhu Yiliu was completely free from restraint and who knew what kind of trouble he might cause. Those lowly Confucian scholars who were used to a lenient attitude would probably suffer serious consequences.

"Your Majesty has submitted a memorial to the Ministry of War regarding Wang Rulong's transfer to Liaodong as the general. The Ministry of War has decided that Wang Rulong has been in battle for a long time and has been at the forefront of the fight against Japanese invaders for decades. He also served at the border in Yingchang for several years. His loyalty is evident to all and he is well-known for his bravery. He has made great contributions to the country and can be trusted to stabilize Liaodong." Zeng Shengwu responded to Your Majesty's inquiry on behalf of the Ministry of War.

"The cabinet agrees." Zhang Juzheng expressed the opinion on behalf of the cabinet. The cabinet had fully discussed the matter. Originally, Zhang Juzheng meant to assign Wang Rulong another deputy general from Xuanda and Suiyuan. In this way, the old incident of Li Chengliang having the final say in Liaodong military affairs would not happen again. But in the end, the cabinet still believed that it would be better for Wang Rulong not to have too many constraints.

If a war breaks out, the general and the deputy general have different opinions and miss the opportunity to fight, which would be disastrous. In the end, the deputy general turned out to be Wang Rulong's old friend Wu Weizhong.

As for the transfer of power, Li Chengliang had already made arrangements. Deputy General Qin Deyi and Lieutenant General Sun Shoulian led 1,500 Liaodong guest soldiers to Yingchang to replace the guard, forming a new Liaodong guest army.

After several days of discussion in Beijing, the Cabinet, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Five Ministries, Duke of Fengguo Qi Jiguang, and Marquis of Ningyuan Li Chengliang finally decided on this change of guard.

"Marquis Ningyuan requests permission to accompany Your Majesty to the south of the Yangtze River. He said..." Wan Shihe looked at the memorial and really didn't know how to start.

"What did he say?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile.

Wan Shihe whispered, "Marquis Ningyuan said that he wanted to see the brothel on the Qinhuai River and see how it was similar to the brothel he had in Tieling."

"Hahaha." Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Accurate."

Even if the barbarians really joined forces and defeated the Liaodong guest soldiers and guards led by Wang Rulong, and defeated the Ming Dynasty's garrison in Beijing, Li Chengliang could directly take a boat from Songjiang Prefecture, land in Korea, and kill Korea by surprise.

Zhu Yijun knew nothing about military affairs, but Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang were both veterans who had fought in battles all their lives, and the plans they formulated were all closely linked. In any case, with Zhu Yijun's military talent, he could not see any flaws, and he could not imagine what kind of strong soldiers and generals could successively defeat the Liaodong detachment and the Beijing camp elite soldiers who had been in service for several years, had full pay and generous rewards, and were well-trained.

The God of the West came down from heaven himself and praised him!

On the second day of February in the 13th year of the Wanli reign, the dragon raised its head and everything was ready. The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty issued an edict and officially started his southern tour.

Zhu Yijun changed into his military uniform early in the morning and got himself ready for his long journey. The only royal family members accompanying him were the Queen Wang Yaozhuo and the eldest son Zhu Changzhi. Zhu Yijun asked Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen to go south with him. He asked them three times, but Empress Dowager Li refused each time, mainly because there were children in Tonghe Palace who needed to be taken care of.

Empress Dowager Li rose from a palace maid to the position of Empress Dowager. She did not think that Tonghe Palace was completely safe now, especially since the emperor had left the capital.

She watched helplessly as seven of Emperor Sejong's eight sons died before him, and only her own husband survived, so Queen Mother Lee wanted to stay and save her grandchildren.

If anyone dares to mess around, Empress Dowager Li will go crazy!

At first, Gao Gong thought that there were only orphans and widows in the palace, so he said something he shouldn't have said and submitted a memorial titled "Five Matters". Empress Dowager Li then drove Gao Gong away. She was indeed a womanizer, but she was also the empress dowager of the Ming Dynasty with a proper title.

"Your Majesty, please come!" Minister of Rites Wan Shihe bowed beside the Dragon Pond in Tonghe Palace.

The numerous gates of Tonghe Palace opened one by one amid the voices of respectful invitation, and the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty appeared in the deep palace.

"Your Majesty, please come again!"

Zhu Yijun raised his hand, took Zhu Changzhi, and walked out of the Tonghe Palace gates step by step. When they arrived at the main gate of Tonghe Palace, Qi Jiguang was standing in front of the gate in military uniform. When he saw His Majesty coming over, he bowed his head and said, "I will lead the way for Your Majesty."

"Thank you, General." Zhu Yijun stepped over the threshold and looked at the long street in front of the gate of Tonghe Palace.

Zhao Mengyou had already led the imperial guards to clear the streets, but he still allowed the people to watch from ten feet away from the ceremonial guard. Zhu Yijun waved to the people and then took Zhu Changzhi step by step to the imperial carriage.

Qi Jiguang walked to the side of the white elephant. Li Rusong would not follow the army south, so the task of leading the king fell back into Qi Jiguang's hands. Qi Jiguang climbed onto the white elephant very nimbly.

Seeing this, Feng Bao flicked his whisk and shouted loudly, "Get up!"

The compass car was in the front and the ceremonial procession began to move slowly forward. Zhu Yijun opened the car window and looked outside.

"Feng Daban, I'm going on a southern tour today. Is everyone in the capital happy and cheerful?" Zhu Yijun was a little curious about the reactions of the powerful and wealthy in the capital when he went on a southern tour. After all, they had lived under heavy pressure for so long. Once the pressure was gone, wouldn't they be excited?
"The banquet has already started in Xitu City, and they have prepared two thousand fireworks. They are going to set off a fireworks display as soon as Your Majesty leaves the capital." Feng Bao thought for a moment and succinctly summarized the joy of the powerful and influential people after the Ming Emperor left the capital.

With buffets, fireworks and art performances, this group of powerful and wealthy people knew that the emperor would return, but they were happy for every day.

Zhu Yijun did not reply, but looked out the car window quietly.

The Ming Emperor left the loyal Shuntian Prefecture and headed for the less loyal Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Yijun's carriage had just arrived in Tongzhou, and before he had even walked for half a day, a fast rider came galloping in front of the imperial carriage and shouted loudly: "Report! Your Majesty, after your majesty left the capital, His Royal Highness Prince Lu suddenly ordered Zhao Zhenyuan, the Chief of Police, to close the nine gates!"

"I understand." Zhu Yijun took the newspaper, took a look, and said to Wang Yaozhuo who was sitting next to him with a smile: "This Liu'er can't even wait for half a day."

Zhu Yiliu ordered the city gates to be closed, of course he did not intend to ascend the throne and become emperor directly. He was not that stupid. The Beijing army did not listen to him, so how could he become emperor? Zhu Yiliu naturally had his reasons for ordering the city gates to be closed.

Zhu Yiliu was not in Prince Lu's Mansion, nor in Wenhua Palace, but in the Jinyiwei Beizhenfu Office. He held a piece of paper and said, "Zhao Zhenyuan, you are the sparring partner of His Majesty. I have a list here. The city gates are closed. At dusk today, arrest all these people!"

"Your Majesty's grace is bestowed on the whole world, and this lowly scholar has no moral integrity and only believes what he says!"

"How dare you scold my brother!"

"Grasp!"

"There are also those in Xitu City who hold banquets, set off fireworks, and invite artists. Each household will be fined 50,000 silver coins! Aren't you rich? Pay me a tribute first. If you don't see the silver tomorrow, the imperial guards will come to confiscate your property! This is outrageous!"

Zhu Yiliu's behavior is simply that of a devil. He actually knows very well that he dares to do whatever he wants only because of his brother's presence. Even if he pokes a hole in the sky, his brother can cover it up.

(End of this chapter)