King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 638 You are threatening me

Prince Rui's guess was correct, the news had indeed reached the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Prince was extremely happy at the moment.

Zhu Jinghong personally took the field, and now it would depend on how Lao Liu would counter the fight. The more intense the fight between the two, the greater the benefit he would get.

Unlike everyone in the Eastern Palace who were happy, Xu Xin'an had other ideas.

Everyone thought they should sit back and watch the fight, but Xu Xin'an felt the prince should do something, such as taking the initiative to calm the dispute.

The prince is always the prince, and everything should be done with the overall situation in mind. This is the upright way to do things.

So after everyone retreated, Xu Xin'an found Zhu Jingyuan and explained his ideas to him.

"Settling this matter aside? If so... isn't it a pity!" Zhu Jingyuan was unwilling.

"Your Highness, think about it... Even if Prince Xiang is determined to fight to the death, does Prince Rui want to fight to the death?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jingyuan was a little confused, so he asked, "What do you mean, sir?"

Xu Xin'an had no choice but to say: "Your Highness, even though it's good to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, King Rui may not let us gain the upper hand!"

After thinking for a while, Zhu Jingyuan nodded, he still agreed with this statement.

"Since it is impossible for them to both lose, why don't you mediate? This will give them a way out and will surely help reconcile the grudges between the two governments. The emperor will also value you more!"

Zhu Jingyuan continued to nod, while thinking about what he should do.

In the end, he was completely confused, so he could only ask Xu Xin'an: "Please teach me, sir!"

"We can have someone come forward and point out that Zhang Rulin's evidence during the trial was insufficient and cannot be used as evidence of conviction..."

Zhu Jingyuan said: "I have seen the evidence, it is indeed well-founded..."

"Your Highness, Prince Rui and Prince Xiang may now hope that the evidence is wrong!"

If the evidence is insufficient, the generals cannot be convicted, and Zhu Jinghong is certainly not guilty, so the matter is resolved here.

"In this case, Zhang Rulin..."

Zhang Rulin's crime is not light as he dared to detain so many generals without sufficient evidence.

Xu Xin'an sighed and said, "It's just his bad luck!"

After a few moments of silence, Zhu Jingyuan nodded and told Xu Xinan to arrange the matter.

Besides, the news had already spread to Kunning Palace, making the queen very angry.

"Nonsense..."

Yang Qingyin was so angry that she slammed the table, while Baochai had already knelt before the phoenix throne. She had been prepared for this situation before entering the palace.

"What does the Censorate's trial have to do with him? Is it necessary for him to pretend to be a hero?"

After scolding Zhu Jinghong for a few words, Yang Qingyin looked at Baochai again and scolded: "How many times have I told you? I asked you to correct his shortcomings, but I'm afraid you turned a deaf ear to it. Now he is getting worse..."

The Queen's criticism was particularly harsh, and Baochai could only lower her head and listen quietly.

As for Chen Zhi, she stood respectfully aside. Although she felt happy, her expression was solemn.

After scolding for a while, the Queen asked Baochai to return home quickly and call Zhu Jinghong into the palace.

Chen Zhi also wanted to say goodbye and leave, but was kept by the Queen.

Looking at the Queen's unfriendly face, Chen Zhi knew that the situation was not good, and her heart became uneasy.

"Sixth brother's wife..."

"Mother, please tell me what you want!" Chen Zhi responded quickly.

"Your Majesty!"

Chen Zhi knelt down without hesitation, mentally prepared to listen to the scolding.

"You think I don't know that you are the ones who started this? You two really want the world to be in turmoil..."

As a result, Chen Zhi was also caught in the storm, and she was drifting like a duckweed, helpless.

It can be predicted that after she returns to the palace, she will inevitably vent her anger on Zhu Jingyuan.

Back in Prince Xiang’s mansion, Zhu Jinghong had not waited for half an hour after returning home when the first person appeared in front of him.

"Why is he here, sir?"

The only person in the world who could be called "Mr." by Zhu Jinghong was Wang Pei'an.

"My superior has sent me here to return the crown to His Highness!"

Wang Pei'an was the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and his superior was the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, but it could also be the Censor-in-Chief.

Zhu Jinghong smiled and said, "If you are here as a guest, I would certainly welcome you, but if you are here for official business, I'm sorry I can't accompany you!"

Wang Pei'an was in no hurry to leave, and he reminded him sincerely: "Your Highness, you should know that today's actions may cause His Majesty's wrath!"

Zhu Jinghong certainly knew that his actions today were extremely inappropriate, and could even be said to be coercing the emperor.

But this is the only way he has.

Two days ago, he had clearly reminded the emperor that in order to maintain the image of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial guards and the Beijing camp should not be convicted.

But in the past two or three days, more than 30 generals involved in the case were all convicted, but the emperor did not say a word about it. Something was very wrong.

To put it bluntly, the dismissal and imprisonment of more than 30 generals and officers has caused significant changes to the Imperial Guards and the Beijing Garrison. This kind of thing cannot be a shitty case.

In other words, when so many people are mobilized at once, the nature of the matter is different, and the emperor should be wary.

Even if the evidence in the case is sufficient, the emperor still has to consider the impact on the army and his own control over the army.

The emperor just watched the whole process coldly, which made Zhu Jinghong guess that the emperor would be happy to see these people dismissed.

This raises a new question: why would the emperor be happy to see this happen?
Why?

Zhu Jinghong thought about it for a moment and guessed that this might be directed at him.

The more Zhu Jinghong thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case. After all, those who were dismissed were all his supporters.

Zhu Jinghong is invincible in battle and conquest. His prestige in the army is too high now. He has indeed posed a threat to the emperor, so it is normal to want to weaken him.

This time, Zhu Jinghong was challenging the emperor, and from this point of view he was indeed a little impulsive.

He was gambling, gambling that the emperor still regarded him as his son, gambling that he was still valuable enough!
As for losing the bet... as long as the queen was still alive, the only punishment would be a beating, or imprisonment or stripping of title, which was acceptable to Zhu Jinghong.

But if he didn't take the gamble and allowed Shen Jinxun and others to be dismissed, then those who followed him would become alienated, and this would be a burden that Zhu Jinghong could not bear.

After all, besides him, there are also Prince Rui and the Crown Prince to choose from. If people's hearts change, things will become chaotic.

Of course, Zhu Jinghong couldn't tell Wang Pei'an about the above ideas.

Looking at Wang Pei'an, Zhu Jinghong said seriously, "Sir...if they are guilty, I am indeed at fault, and it is only natural that I should be punished!"

"Your Highness..."

Before Wang Pei'an could finish his words, Zhu Jinghong interrupted him and said, "Sir, please go back. I will ask you to read the Analects to me in a few days when things are more peaceful!"

"Yu Hai, show the guests out!"

After saying that, Zhu Jinghong got up and left. Even if Wang Pei'an wanted to stay, he had no choice but to perform a one-man show.

At this moment he was very sad, thinking that Zhu Jinghong was about to die, and this would be a loss for the Ming Dynasty.

"Heavenly Family...Heavenly Family!"

After sighing a few words, Wang Pei'an had no choice but to leave, thinking about what he could do to help Zhu Jinghong overcome the crisis.

But he thought about it and had no clue. Because in the final analysis, Zhu Jinghong's behavior in the morning was to tie himself to the generals and use the reputation of the imperial guards and the Beijing camp to coerce the Censorate...

To be more precise, it is a challenge to the court system, which is actually a challenge to the imperial power.

So at this point, the so-called direction of the case is no longer important. The key lies in what the emperor thinks.

Wang Pei'an saw this very clearly. In comparison, Xu Xue Shi in the East Palace had a narrow vision and could not even grasp the main contradiction of the current problem.

"I hope Your Majesty can still love your children as always!" Wang Pei'an thought.

When it was noon, Baochai returned home and conveyed the Queen's decree.

Zhu Jinghong was also very straightforward. He refused the Queen's summons on the grounds that he was guilty and had no face to see her.

"I always feel uneasy..." Baochai said very nervously.

She had heard Zhu Jinghong's analysis, so she knew that this time was different from the past and the direction of events was difficult to grasp. This feeling of being unable to predict good or bad fortune was very uncomfortable.

Although Baochai was smart, she was still a woman after all. After a moment of silence, she looked at Zhu Jinghong and said, "Now... go to the palace and admit your mistakes to your mother before the emperor asks you about your crime. There is still room for redemption!"

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but laugh.

"Baochai, this time... I won't lose!" Zhu Jinghong looked determined.

They had already dismissed everyone during their conversation, and since there was no one around, Baochai asked, "Why? Just based on your father-son relationship?"

"Of course not...but I, Zhu Jinghong, this chess piece, can no longer be abandoned!"

He tried his best to add fuel to the fire from all directions, and then turned himself into a fire captain to put out fires everywhere, all for the sake of making himself irreplaceable to the Ming Dynasty.

Now it seems that Zhu Jinghong believes that he has preliminarily completed his plan. In addition, he and the emperor do have a father-son relationship, and there is also the insurance of the queen, so he does not think he will lose.

"I hope so!" Baochai sighed.

"To be honest...if you were really abandoned, we could just be an ordinary couple and it wouldn't be as tiring as it is now!" Baochai said optimistically.

Of course she knew that if her family was defeated this time, even if everything was safe and sound in the Zhengtong Dynasty, life would never be easy in the Xin Dynasty.

"If we really lose, and Old Six takes over, you and I won't be able to live in peace. You'll have to live a hard life then!" Zhu Jinghong joked.

Unexpectedly, Baochai said solemnly: "As long as I am with my husband, even if I die...I am willing to follow you!"

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong's heart trembled.

Looking at his wife with a determined expression in front of him, his heart was filled with a strong sense of happiness, and then he smiled knowingly.

Holding Baochai's hand, Zhu Jinghong said: "It doesn't matter whether we live or die, but we can't let Zhen'er and the others suffer, so we can only win..."

The Prince Xiang's mansion closed its doors to visitors, almost isolating it from the inside and the outside, and Zhu Jinghong took an attitude of accepting trial.

By the afternoon, under the manipulation of the Eastern Palace, a Censor from the Criminal Department went to the Censorate and openly questioned Zhang Rulin's interrogation process.

Zhang Rulin was indeed very rigorous, but he could not resist the nitpicking of others, and the person from the Criminal Department actually found a few faults with him.

For example, the Criminal Department's Censor asked, the so-called witnesses and evidence are mostly herdsmen, who once served under the rule of Junggar. How can we ensure that their testimonies are true?
Zhang Rulin was an inspector of local warehouses, so it was beyond his authority for him to investigate the military discipline of the northwestern troops. Yet he spent more than half a year collecting evidence. Was he suspected of abandoning his post without permission?

Thirdly, the ten censors who were impeached in a hurry each had their own division of responsibilities and were not subordinate to each other, but they colluded and worked together for one person who did not want to do anything. Was there any suspicion of forming a clique for personal gain?

These doubts had already been raised by Shen Jinxun and others during the trial, but their influence on public opinion was almost zero, so they did not cause any waves at all.

But this Jieshi Zhong was different. He was a fighter among the censors, and certainly people would listen to his doubts in public.

The most crucial thing is that after raising the question, this person submitted an impeachment memorial to the Ministry of Public Security, directly pushing Zhang Rulin to the forefront.

As a result, the situation changed. Some people supported the questioning remarks, while others supported Zhang Rulin's interrogation.

To put it simply, the factions of the Crown Prince and Prince Rui started to fight each other, a major party struggle was brewing, and an even larger-scale war of words was about to begin.

Things changed so fast that it was hard to keep up. Before Zhu Jingyuan could figure out how to deal with Zhu Jinghong, he had to discuss with his confidants how to fight against the prince.

In the cabinet duty room, Prime Minister Zhao Yushan read the memorial handed over by the Ministry of Public Administration, and he couldn't help but sigh.

After reading it, he put the memorial aside and did not rush to draft a vote.

If Wang Pei'an could see the situation clearly, Zhao Yushan would certainly understand it as well.

After serving as Prime Minister for several years, Zhao Yushan completed the arrangement of the court affairs and was basically able to suppress the Second Prime Minister Chen Jinyun, so he could flex his muscles and carry out the survey.

To get things done, he needed a stable political situation, but the turmoil in the fight for the throne in recent years had really made him extremely annoyed.

But this incident made him see something different, so he was looking forward to the emperor's reaction.

"What is your majesty doing?" Zhao Yushan asked the secretary at the door.

The secretary on duty replied, "In the Longwu Hall next door, a group of generals have been gathered. I heard they are going to play polo!"

As the sun was setting, a team of guards arrived at Prince Xiang's mansion and conveyed the emperor's summons.

It was indeed unusual for the guards to come and invite her, which cast an even darker shadow on Baochai's heart.

On the contrary, Zhu Jinghong was not panicked at all. He said goodbye to everyone in the mansion with a smile and followed the guards into the palace.

After entering Donghua Gate, Zhu Jinghong thought he was going to the Qianqing Palace, but was taken directly north by the eunuchs.

Could it be in Longwu Palace again?

After walking for a while, Zhu Jinghong found that he had guessed correctly. He was in the Longwu Palace just like last time.

When he approached Longwu Gate, he heard the sound of horse hooves coming from inside, which made him feel even more strange.

When he entered Longwu Gate, he discovered more different situations.

This is because today in the parade ground in front of Longwu Palace, there are three times more guards on duty than before, and each of them has a solemn expression.

It really hit the old man in the heart... Zhu Jinghong guessed secretly.

"Your Highness, please!"

When the eunuch reminded him, Zhu Jinghong had already seen the emperor.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves was thunderous in the arena, and the emperor's ochre-yellow color was particularly eye-catching among the many people in the arena.

When Zhu Jinghong got closer, he finally saw who was playing with him.

There are commanders of each guard of the imperial guards in Beijing, generals and commanders of each camp stationed in the Beijing camp. In short, all the senior and powerful military generals in Beijing are there.

When Zhu Jinghong approached, Cheng Ying took the initiative to come forward and said, "Your Highness, please wait a moment!"

After all, the situation was different today, so Zhu Jinghong stayed where he was, watching the people galloping around not far away.

What does this mean, old man? You gathered all these people together just for me?
Time passed quickly as I was thinking to myself. Half an hour later, the sun had already set behind the distant palace wall.

The polo match was over, and the generals said goodbye to the emperor and left the Longwu Palace training ground one after another. No one came to greet Zhu Jinghong throughout the whole process.

After everyone left, only Zhu Jinghong and his son were left at the scene, apart from the guards and eunuchs.

Looking at the emperor approaching, Zhu Jinghong picked up the teacup from the coffee table and trotted towards the emperor.

"Dad, have some tea!" Zhu Jinghong said, bending his waist.

However, the emperor walked around him and sat down on the chair at the back.

Zhu Jinghong turned around, raised his head slightly, and met the emperor's cold gaze.

"father……"

Before Zhu Jinghong could finish, he heard Zhu Xianming say coldly: "You are threatening me!"

(End of this chapter)