King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 747 Meeting
"Now that the fourth and sixth brothers are only in name only, there is no buffer between me and the old man anymore. How are we going to get along in the future... It's hard to deal with!"

The tragedy a few days ago was already a joke. If he and his son fight again in the future, no matter who wins, it will be a miserable defeat.

"Keep a low profile from now on, I think nothing will happen!"

"It's not just me who keeps a low profile. Some people want to praise me, while others want to overthrow me. It's inevitable!"

"That's right!" Baochai nodded.

"The servants in the mansion must set up rules with them. Anyone who dares to spread the word outside will be severely punished immediately!"

"I know this!"

The couple chatted like this for nearly an hour before they returned to the palace from the city gate.

On the way back, Zhu Jinghong received a report that many nobles came to greet him, which made him frown.

Now that he is in his current position, it is really difficult for him to keep a low profile. Even if he doesn't have any ideas, the people below him will push him forward.

So Zhu Jinghong ordered Deng An to arrive at the mansion in advance and persuade all these people to go back.

So when Zhu Jinghong returned home, there was no one else present except the people from the palace, and the atmosphere outside the gate seemed rather deserted.

After returning to the mansion, Zhu Jinghong ordered his servants to close all the doors and pretended to confine himself to house arrest.

But less than an hour after he returned home, he received an imperial decree summoning him, so he packed up his things and prepared to enter the palace.

"It may not be appropriate for you to go like this... why don't you change into casual clothes?" Baochai reminded.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong was wearing a green robe that expressed his grief, which seemed inappropriate for him to meet the emperor.

"No need, I'll just go like this!" Zhu Jinghong insisted.

"Forget it, it's up to you. You have to be sensible anyway!"

Shaking his sleeves, Zhu Jinghong said calmly: "I know my limits!"

After he left, Daiyu came over again and asked softly, "I'm afraid this audience will be very difficult!"

"Alas... he will be alone from now on, it will be very difficult!" Baochai looked worried.

Half an hour later, Zhu Jinghong's carriage entered Dong'an Gate. This was his first time entering the palace since the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Zhu Jinghong opened the carriage curtain a little and observed the situation outside. He could clearly feel that the attitudes of the soldiers guarding the palace gate were very different.

In the past, these soldiers certainly had great respect for him, but now the feeling is obviously different, and only he himself can understand the reason.

When passing by the East Palace, he lifted the side curtain to check and saw that all the doors of the East Palace were closed.

The most outrageous thing was that when his carriage passed by, the guards guarding the Eastern Palace and the centurions in charge actually knelt on one knee in salute to his carriage.

Normally, guards on duty do not need to salute outsiders except when the emperor and empress pass by.

At this time, these people saluted in order to express their intentions and tell Zhu Jinghong that they were staying here as a routine matter and not because they were dependent on the Eastern Palace.

As he walked and looked around, Zhu Jinghong felt so many differences.

Finally, his carriage stopped outside Dong'anmen, and he got off as usual.

Looking up at the familiar palace, Zhu Jinghong walked into the palace gate. At this moment, he couldn't help thinking that it was he who had changed, not others.

These palace guards knew more about the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner, so they understood that Zhu Jinghong was the undisputed first heir to the throne of the empire.

As Zhu Jinghong walked deeper into the palace, a pair of old brothers were talking in the Qianqing Palace.

"Ninth brother, you already know what happened that night. Do you think my handling of the matter is appropriate?"

They started talking about their childhood memories. Prince Zhongshun Zhu Xiantao handled the situation very well and made his brother the emperor happy. However, he was given a question that would kill him in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Xiantan was of course well aware of how difficult this question was to answer, and fundamentally he was not qualified to answer it.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant..."

"Hey... let's not talk about this just now. Today, there are no kings and subjects here, only brothers!"

Hearing this, Zhu Xianmo complained even more, but he could only reply: "Yes, Fourth Brother... I think you have handled this matter very well!"

"The Crown Prince and Prince Rui are still young after all, so it's inevitable that they will be deceived and make such a move..."

"So you mean, we can still give them a chance?" Zhu Xianming asked.

At this moment, Zhu Xiantan just wanted to cry. He had no intention of pleading for mercy to the Crown Prince and Prince Rui, but he could not say that he had no such intention now.

What if the emperor still wants to give him a lighter sentence? If he says he won't give him a chance, wouldn't that be going against the emperor's will?

But if he admitted it, on the one hand there would be the risk of misunderstanding the emperor's intention, and on the other hand if the news leaked out, there would be the risk of offending Zhu Jinghong.

"Fourth brother, this matter involves serious matters, and it is not something that we, the ministers, can talk about rashly!"

After answering this, Zhu Xiantan got down from the bed and knelt in front of Zhu Xianming.

Zhu Xianming lowered his head slightly and looked at his brother kneeling on the ground, and couldn't help but sigh.

He really had no intention of testing anyone just now, he just simply wanted to hear the opinions of outsiders, but he didn't expect Zhu Xiantao to be so scared.

Having been the emperor for so many years, this situation once again made Zhu Xianming deeply realize why the emperor was called a lonely man.

"Forget it... Let's stop here today, you can go back!"

"Yes...I will take my leave now!"

From the time he knelt down to the time he left, Zhu Xiantan did not dare to look at the emperor again.

After Zhu Xiantan left, Zhu Xianming sat there for a while, but found himself becoming more and more annoyed, and finally he couldn't help but overturn the chessboard.

Although he had made preliminary arrangements for the Crown Prince and Prince Rui, he still had no idea what to do next, so it was normal for him to feel upset.

Nowadays, both civil and military affairs are being developed. Although "military" is extremely important, the power of "civilization" is also very strong.

The Crown Prince and Prince Rui each have a group of people supporting them, including officials in the court and those in the opposition. The strength of these people should not be underestimated.

In order to ensure the stability of the court, careful arrangements must be made, but Zhu Xianming just couldn't calm down.

The main problem is that the treatment of the crown prince and Prince Rui is not an isolated matter. It involves the stability of the court, the implementation of the new policy, and the public opinion of the literati...

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Xiang is here to see you!"

"Tell him to wait in the East Warm Pavilion!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Jinghong was brought into the east warm room. After waiting for about ten minutes, he heard footsteps outside, so he immediately stood up from his chair.

After a few breaths, Zhu Xianming entered the hall, and Zhu Jinghong took the initiative to pay his respects. Seeing that he was still wearing a green robe, Zhu Xianming said, "It's past the mourning period, and we are not in Siling, why do you need to wear this green robe!"

"I mourn for my mother, so I don't want to take off my mourning clothes!" Zhu Jinghong answered calmly.

Zhu Xianming sat on the throne, motioned Zhu Jinghong to sit down, and then asked: "What do you think of the officials in the court?"

This question was too broad, and Zhu Jinghong did not have too many concerns and asked directly: "Son, I don't understand what you mean!"

Zhu Xianming was not angry either, and said slowly: "Do you think they are powerless, or do you think that although they are weak, they can overcome the strong with the soft!"

Knowing what the emperor meant, Zhu Jinghong calmly replied: "The army can conquer the world and defend the world, but it cannot rule the world. The officials in the court are the pillars of our Ming Dynasty!"

While replying, Zhu Jinghong had a hunch that this conversation might be an interview.

Sighing, Zhu Xianming asked again: "The court relies on them to rule the country, but they are also the ones who take the lead in opposing and even destroying some of the court's systems. How do you think we should deal with these people?"

"Should we demote all these people, or just kill them?"

"When my son was managing the palace, he also encountered similar things. Those disobedient slaves would naturally be suppressed and punished. Only those slaves who committed serious offenses would be beaten to death as a warning to others!"

"Why not kill them all?" Zhu Xianming asked.

"If we beat them to death regardless of the size of the crime, it will cause panic among the people in the mansion. After all, no one is perfect!"

"Secondly, if they make a mistake, they will die. These slaves will think that they will die sooner or later, and they will lose their reverence for the Lord, and even become tempted to kill their master!"

"Although my son is brave, he cannot open his eyes day and night. If there is really a slave who is determined to kill me, I am afraid he will not be able to escape his clutches in the end!"

"And if all the servants want to kill me, then my son will surely die!"

Zhu Xianming listened to these words carefully. He could easily apply the principles to the imperial court, so his own questions were answered.

Zhu Jinghong had made great military achievements. Zhu Xianming knew that he could easily control the imperial guards, the Beijing camp, the local military governors and the foreign vassals of the Ming Dynasty.

But he could not rule the world at will, and he could not just use overbearing means on civil servants. Zhu Xianming was particularly worried about this.

That's why he asked these questions today, wanting to hear Zhu Jinghong's opinion.

At the moment, it seems that Zhu Jinghong answered very well, so Zhu Xianming is not worried anymore.

He is fifty-six years old this year and has not been in good health in the past two years. He had even suddenly fainted before, so he urgently summoned Zhu Jinghong back to Beijing.

After this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, he felt even more exhausted and his spirits became worse.

Therefore, he really has no intention of making any more trouble at the moment, as Zhu Jinghong has become his only heir.

The question now is how to naturally promote Zhu Jinghong to the position while stabilizing the political situation.

All along, the Crown Prince and Prince Rui have been a buffer between the Emperor and Zhu Jinghong, but they have also been a buffer between the Emperor and the literati.

With these two people around, the scholars and officials felt that there was hope. They could accept a little grievance and loss, because they were sure that they could change things around in the future.

But if Zhu Jinghong came to power, it would be difficult for the literati to accept his previous remarks.

Although it can be suppressed by overbearing means, doing so will undoubtedly be a lose-lose situation, which is undoubtedly something Zhu Xianming does not want to see.

The situation in the Ming Dynasty was very good at the moment, and Zhu Xianming naturally did not want to destroy it.

After confirming that Zhu Jinghong really understood, Zhu Xianming smiled for the first time, and then asked, "What happened that night really upset me. Your fourth brother and sixth brother...what do you think should be done?"

"I don't know, son, but if mother were here, she would definitely not bear to see them suffer any injustice!" Zhu Jinghong answered frankly.

Zhu Jinghong was also a victim in the Mid-Autumn Festival changes, so he is certainly qualified to say so. He can be called a good man if he repays evil with kindness.

"Alas... it's embarrassing to tell anyone about these things. Now we have no choice but to confine them temporarily. We can only talk about future matters when the time comes!"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "I think the fourth and sixth brothers will reflect on themselves!"

"You should not be idle. You have always attached great importance to the development of firearms. From now on, you will be in charge of this matter. You must urge them to proceed!"

Zhu Jinghong responded: "My son obeys my command!"

Developing firearms is an idle job, but it is better than having no job at all. Of course, these things don’t mean much to Zhu Jinghong.

"Also, you should read more books from now on. It's true that reading can help you understand things. At least when you debate with others in the future... you can have more things to say!"

"Yes!" Zhu Jinghong replied again.

Zhu Xianming continued, "Don't agree so readily. You have to study hard when you get back. You should study for yourself, not for others!"

The conversation between the father and son was peaceful, and they went on to talk about some state affairs, including land surveying, maritime trade taxation, navy expansion, and army replenishment and training.

Each of these things would be a big deal if taken individually, but now the two of them were talking about it together. Zhu Jinghong no longer hid his thoughts and expressed his opinions clearly.

An hour passed as they chatted. Zhu Jinghong even had dinner in the palace with the emperor.

With Prince Xiang's return to the capital, everything seemed to be back on track, but there were still people who felt indignant for Crown Prince Rui, and there was even a tendency for them to collude privately.

August 25th, Wuqiu Posthouse, Chenzhou, Henan.

The Jia family members who were banished from the capital were temporarily staying in the post station, of course they had to pay for their own stay.

The younger ones didn't mind traveling for half a month straight, but older people like Lady Jia couldn't stand the stress of traveling by car, and many of them became sick.

Therefore, according to Jia Zheng's instructions, everyone in the Jia family will rest here for seven or eight days, and then continue on their journey after everyone has recovered.

But they had only rested for three days when the postmaster, who had originally regarded them as the God of Wealth, suddenly changed his attitude and wanted to drive them away.

Hearing Jia Lian arguing with someone outside, Jia Zheng, who was writing a poem to express his feelings, put down his pen, went downstairs to inquire about the matter in person.

"Lian'er, what's going on?" Jia Zheng asked with a frown.

"Uncle, they asked us to move out. We've only lived here for three days... but we paid for ten days!"

Normally, the rent is paid after the stay, but since the Jia family is wealthy, they paid it in advance.

Unlike Jia Lian's anger, Jia Zheng asked calmly, "But the rent is not enough? Lord Postmaster, just tell us the amount, and we will make up for it!"

The postmaster smiled and then said, "Master Jia, this is not about money. It's just that there are too many of you and you occupy too many rooms... It's against the rules!

"This is the room fee you paid before. I will return it to you now. Please go live somewhere else!"

"I am not deliberately making things difficult for you, so I will give you half an hour to clear out all the people and belongings. After half an hour... I will have to ask the officers to come!"

The postmaster had a forced smile on his face, which made Jia Zheng feel indignant and puzzled.

He didn't understand. It would have been fine if this man didn't make money, but a mere postmaster dared to be so disrespectful to him.

(End of this chapter)