Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 182 King Xiang: Could it be that he is not my son?

The person who spoke was Lei Shuangxi, who accompanied Li Zicheng to Gucheng. In order to divert the pursuit of the government troops, he led his men to run in another direction.

"Replying to Prince Chuang, a rebel army has recently appeared in Xiangyang. They are very powerful. The leader calls himself the 'Prince of Xin'. Their slogan is to distribute land equally and exempt taxes, and to open warehouses to provide relief to disaster victims."

"Not only that, in every place he went, he personally sat in court to try cases, re-examined previous unjust, false and wrong cases, and publicly executed corrupt officials and bullies. After the executions, he distributed the land of these people to the people who had been oppressed in the past."

"He is also called the Great Lord of Justice by the people..."

Li Yan looked at Lei Shuangxi in disbelief, and sat down on the chair in a daze, "Someone actually used it first? This way we've lost the initiative!"

Li Zicheng was also stunned for a long time. The policies mentioned by Li Yan could be said to be deeply popular.

But who could have thought that someone would intercept it?
Once a slogan loses its leading role, it will fall into a disadvantage.

If you hold up other people's slogans, people who don't know would think that you have joined forces with them.
"Then let's change it again?" Li Zicheng looked at Li Yan inquiringly. The latter's face turned bitter. "That's the only way."

But it’s not that easy to change it.

Slogans are like guidelines. After all, a guideline is put forward after much consideration and in combination with experience and lessons. Li Yan came up with these ideas after his experience with Matchmaker.

It does not come out of thin air.

To the extent that Li Yan thought about it all night, revised it again and again, but he could not achieve the previous effect.

……

As for Chongzhen, he was very popular because he had previously killed several corrupt officials.

Everywhere people were singing, "Kill cattle and sheep, prepare wine and drink, open the city gates to welcome King Xin, King Xin is coming with money and food."

Thirty thousand people. In just a few days, Chongzhen's army reached nearly thirty thousand people.

The momentum was so great that it not only exceeded Chongzhen's imagination, but also stunned Zhu Changgan.

Although he would occasionally say some programmatic things at night, the rapid development was still due to Chongzhen's credit.

Open warehouses to provide relief to the people?
Mr. Qingtian?

Believe in the king?

No, if I had known that Chongzhen was so talented in rebellion, I should have let Chongzhen come directly. Why did I have to ask Hongniangzi to do it? Why waste so much time and energy preaching to Hongniangzi?
The title of Prince Xin was chosen by Chongzhen himself because he was Prince Xin before he ascended the throne.

The old blind man actually gave him other more resounding names, but Chongzhen preferred this one.

When Zhu Changgan walked outside, both the bandits and the common people looked at him in unison, and their attitude towards him was particularly respectful.

Equal distribution of land and exemption of grain tax!

The "equal distribution of land and exemption of grain taxes" proposed later by Li Zicheng was just a slogan. Although it was in sharp contrast to the heavy exploitation of the Ming court, it was hardly implemented.

Because Li Zicheng only shouted this slogan in the early years, but due to mobile warfare, people had already run to the next place before the policy was implemented.

Li Zicheng was a person who was both in power and in office.

He wanted to win over both the peasants and the landlords, and he didn't want to give up on either side.

As a result, the more common practice is to "lose money to help".

The so-called "paying silver to aid the military" meant that after capturing bureaucrats and landlords, the amount of silver to aid the military would be determined according to the level of their official positions in the Ming court.

To put it bluntly, this policy is to take away from the rich to help the poor.

Or it's not poverty relief.

After we capture the bureaucrats and landlords, if you don't want to die, that's ok, just give me some money and I'll let you go. This ensures the expenses of the rebel army, but for the poor, it doesn't really mean much.

But Chongzhen was different.

He simply killed corrupt officials, bullies, and evil gentry, and then distributed their land to the poor people.

Moreover, Chongzhen's actions brought immediate rewards and visible benefits to the poor people.

As a result, his popularity among the people near Xiangyang reached an unprecedented high.

"Lord!"

At this time, Jinyiwei Qianhu Lao Han ran over and said, "There are several county magistrates in De'an Prefecture who have been found to have embezzled the people's money. Please choose one, my lord."

Zhu Changgan took a look and said, "Let's choose tomorrow. I'm a little tired today."

"Yes, my lord!"

Han Qianhu was about to leave when Zhu Changgan stopped him, "At night, in addition to the visible sentries, add a few secret sentries."

Chongzhen did not cause any trouble for me in the court affairs, so I would not get involved with him. The only thing I needed to do was to instruct Captain Han to pay more attention to protecting myself.

When Captain Han came out, he happened to see King Xiang.

"How is it?" Zhu Yiming couldn't help asking. The old guy was now as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood and participated in this grand cause.

"My lord said, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm too tired today."

"Yes, my son has tried fifteen cases today, he must be exhausted. Come on, someone found a few bottles of good wine in the county government office today, have a drink with me."

He pulled Lao Han into his house, and they had three rounds of wine and five kinds of dishes.

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming stood up and walked to the door, looked outside, and closed the door. "Old Han, you said that there are so many vassal states in the Ming Dynasty, why did His Majesty choose my son?"

Old Han raised his head and looked at him with a smile on his face. "Testing me? You're still testing me now? Do you really think I know nothing?"

"No, what do I know?" Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming looked at him in surprise.

Old Han looked at Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming's face for a while, then asked again, "You... really don't know?"

"What do I know?"

King Xiang still said the same thing.

"The prince is so similar to Your Majesty, you..." Halfway through his words, Old Han suddenly sobered up and swallowed the rest of his words.

Looking at Prince Xiang's clear eyes, Han Qianhu suddenly felt that the other party might really not know.

Then there is only one possibility.

Your Majesty is really having fun!
"Old Han, tell me, why is it?" King Xiang looked at Old Han's eyes changing again and again, keenly aware that there was a huge secret, and asked more anxiously.

Han Qianhu scratched his head. He had guessed the truth, but he couldn't tell it. If he did, he would lose his head.

After holding it in for a long time, he stiffened his neck and explained: "In my opinion, the reason why His Majesty summoned you is because he has taken a fancy to your lineage. Now among all the princes, only the prince has won the first place in the palace case. His Majesty relies on him. Isn't this obvious?"

Prince Xiang Zhu Yiming stared at Lao Han's eyes with a sharp gaze, "No, you didn't tell me the truth, this..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw Lao Han had already stood up, "The lord will go to De'an Mansion tomorrow, and I suddenly remembered that there are still some things that have not been dealt with."

"Stop."

Prince Xiang still wanted to catch the other party, but Old Han was a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard after all, and his skills were much better than Prince Xiang's. He turned around and dodged and ran out of the door.

"Old Han, don't run..."

When we chased after him, we found that the person had disappeared.

Zhu Yiming returned to the house and drank the wine in the cup angrily, frowning, "Is there a hidden story behind this?"

"What's the problem?"

Zhu Yiming thought for a long time but couldn't figure out where the problem lay. He quietly went to Zhu Changgan's room and looked at his son's eyebrows, nose and mouth.

"That's right, he looks so much like me, how could he be wrong?"

……

The capital, inside the imperial palace.

After returning to his body, Chongzhen was extremely excited. He kept walking around the documents, cursing, "Kill them, they should be killed, these black sheep, these corrupt officials."

As he was cursing, he suddenly sat down on the chair, and his eyes suddenly became red.

"I have money now. I finally see some spare cash."

He asked Wang Chengen to bring the wine over and drank a few sips excitedly. It was the first time in so many years that he drank so happily. "Wang Chengen, drink a few sips with me."

Wang Chengen looked at the emperor and could not help but comfort him, "Your Majesty, you still have 20 million taels of silver in your treasury. Don't be so anxious. Drinking so much is harmful to your health."

"You don't understand. That's not my money. Only the money I earn with my own hands is mine."

The corners of Wang Chengen's mouth twitched. Oh, His Majesty is ill again. Fortunately, this attack is milder than before. At least there is no big noise. His emotions are relatively excited, but still stable.

Chongzhen took several gulps of wine and his face turned red.

He touched the golden dragon throne and continued to mutter, "I am the emperor, but this emperor is so aggrieved."

"Civil servants, nobles, and eunuchs took charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel in the name of relieving my worries, but in the end, the treasury was always empty, and the officials below were constantly corrupt."

"The officials of the Ming Dynasty were all promoted by the civil officials. They have long since formed a small group. Even if one is replaced, the next one will still be theirs. What can I do?"

"We sent them to suppress the bandits, but they were not eliminated, and the national treasury deficit became even worse. We repeatedly increased the food and salary, but even so, the civil officials and military officers were still unwilling to do it. What can I do?"

"Every time the court went to court, the debate was nothing more than that the national treasury was tight and it was difficult to suppress the bandits."

"What do you mean by lack of money or tight treasury? It's just that the money in those local towns has gone into the pockets of those officials and gentry... It's not that I don't want to investigate them, but every time I bring it up in the court, the ministers are filled with indignation, and in the end nothing is done."

"Even if we investigate a few local cases, it's just a show for me. They are all fake and rotten accounts."

"I know they are fooling me, but I really can't find anyone to investigate... They are fooling me, they are fooling me... My brother was just feeding a fish in the palace and he could fall into the pond and drown. Since I inherited the throne, I have been afraid that I would fall into the water one day."

"Wang Chengen, what kind of life am I living?"

Being the emperor these years is really tiring.

He had been worrying about money and food day and night, and his hair had turned white at the age of thirty. Now that he had become a thief and had grabbed a lot of money, his mood was really indescribable.

"It's different now. I can get money, I can suppress bandits, and I can clean up the corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty and kill those stinky bugs. It's better to rely on myself than on civil servants, military generals, and eunuchs... I'm happy, really happy."

Chongzhen spoke in an excited tone, holding Wang Chengen's hand and telling him everything.

"Your Majesty, please slow down!" Wang Chengen hurriedly supported the emperor, fearing that he would fall, but Chongzhen stuffed a glass of wine into his hand.

"Okay, okay, drink. Is it not okay for me to drink?" His only hope now is that the emperor can remain calm.

"You don't see how majestic I am today, how heroic I am, how the people treat me, why I didn't realize before that I have this talent..." As Chongzhen was speaking, the wine glass fell to the ground and he fell asleep.

Wang Chengen helped Chongzhen onto the couch, covered him, and breathed a sigh of relief, "This is the third time I've seen you drinking in all these years."

The first two times were when he married the princess and after he ascended the throne.

But it can be seen that the emperor is really happy.

Now, Wang Chengen has summed up a pattern. At night, he only takes care of daily life and does not ask about, pay attention to, ask for instructions, or report on government affairs.

When ministers from the imperial court came to visit, their visits were delayed as much as possible and they were not allowed to enter the palace.

Let's wait until daytime to discuss everything. Even if it is urgent military information, let them go to the Grand Council. Sun Chengzong and Yang Sichang are on duty there, so there won't be any major mistakes.

late at night,
Chongzhen suddenly got up and clamored for water. Wang Chengen trotted in from outside and helped him drink the water.

Chongzhen also recovered his mood at this moment, "How is the situation with Concubine Chen?"

Although he was only half-involved in Concubine Chen's affairs, no matter what, the baby in her belly was also Zhu's flesh and blood.

Chen Erfa died for the country. After having experienced a father-in-law like Zhou Kui, he felt guilty and longed for Chen Erfa in his heart, and helped the Chen family in many ways, both openly and secretly.

"Your Majesty, Chen Guozhang's funeral has already been arranged, but his son seems a little cowardly." Wang Chengen's face turned purple when he mentioned this.

After Chen Erfa's death, Zhu Changgan promoted Chen Erfa's son Chen Liji to the throne, but this son was even more timid than his father. He was either feeling uncomfortable here today or there tomorrow.

He was asked to take over the post of commander-in-chief of the Five Cities Military Affairs Division, but he was also on sick leave at home. In the end, it was only when Concubine Chen came to plead for him with a big belly that he was demoted to the position of deputy commander-in-chief.

Only after his position was demoted did he dare to work in the yamen. Although he was the deputy governor, he bowed and scraped to everyone in the yamen, which was a disgrace to the royal family.

Chongzhen's face turned purple when he heard this. "Forget it, let's just leave it like that. As long as he doesn't make any mistakes, he's fine like this."

"Does he have any descendants?" Chongzhen suddenly remembered something and asked.

"Your Majesty, Chen Liji's family just had a son last year, and there is also an older daughter."

"One son and one daughter." Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good too!"

Wang Chengen was still serving, preparing to report to the emperor what had happened today, but he heard a slight snoring sound. He looked up and found that the emperor had fallen asleep again.

He took the cloak, put it on the emperor, and then quietly left.

In his dream, Chongzhen once again dreamed of himself conquering cities, opening warehouses to release grain, and trying cases and executing corrupt officials and bullies.

There are also those generals on the border who are traitors and rebels, those who do not lead their troops and do not maintain the border, those who engage in intrigue and deception, those who plunder the people's wealth, those who draw salaries without doing anything, those who allow their soldiers to rob, those who fight for territory, and those who refuse to work unless they are given benefits.

Killed millions of bandits in Jiangnan, the sword in my hand is still bloody
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the Nanzhang County government office again.

When he opened the door, he found the old blind man's apprentice standing outside, "Master, are you up?"

"what happened?"

"Just now Commander Han seemed to have some conflict with your father and started arguing. We couldn't stop them, so please go over and take a look."

"What are they arguing about?"

Chongzhen frowned and walked towards the house not far away.

……

In the capital, Zhu Changgan once again met with some candidates and scholars from all over the country.

Today's Imperial College has been rebuilt and expanded a lot, serving as a training base for the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot to arrange for foreign scholars.

On the first and fifteenth day of every month, Zhu Changgan would come to meet these scholars.

Today is the fifteenth day, and Zhu Changgan came here in a sedan chair.

The gate of the Imperial College was surrounded by three layers of people, and the candidates were very excited. Zhu Changgan said to them: "Study hard. If you are lucky, it will be no problem for some of you to become officials."

Entering the officialdom, and becoming a minister, is the most powerful stimulant for these people.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"I am willing to sacrifice my life for your majesty!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

Zhu Changgan turned his head and looked at Ma Shiwei meaningfully.

Ma Shiwei handed out the printed materials to everyone and said meaningfully: "His Majesty appreciates you, and now you have such a good opportunity. It all depends on your performance. Don't embarrass His Majesty, and most importantly, don't embarrass yourself."

After the last training, Ma Shiwei has become a qualified instructor.

"Next, we will take out the Ming Emperor's Quotations. These are all his majesty's summaries. They are a treasure book for learning and handling the affairs of our Ming Dynasty. If you want to integrate into the political arena of the Ming Dynasty, it is extremely important to quickly familiarize yourself with his majesty's theories."

"Come on, everyone, read after me."

The sounds of thousands of people reading could be heard, and the Imperial College, which had once been in decline, was now bustling with activity.

The sound of wind, rain and reading.

The sounds of swords, spears, and killing.

In the afternoon, the scholars followed the Jinyiwei and went to the Independent Commission Against Corruption to watch the public trial again. Zhu Changgan did not kill all the corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty at once, but put them in the imperial prison.

For the emperor, the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang people have already investigated these people openly and secretly, and have obtained evidence of their crimes and their moral conduct.

But Zhu Changgan did not catch them all at once, but let them out slowly one by one.

This is like raising sheep in a sheepfold. When the new year comes, you don’t have to kill them all at once.

Especially the "big tigers" in the court, each one of them is a resource.

It would be so boring to finish shooting all at once.

The best effect can be achieved by cutting a few of them every once in a while on specific days, then releasing the news, printing it in the "Da Ming Times" and sending it across the country.

Maintaining continuous high pressure is more important than momentary pleasure!
ps: tried the illustration!
(End of this chapter)