Linxia

Chapter 240, falling into the water

Huai'an, Fang family.

It was snowing heavily. In the backyard garden, a three-year-old wintersweet plant in the corner of the wall was in full bloom, with pale white dots and a lingering fragrance.

Tian Xuan looked at the snow on Fang Lin's body and stepped forward to pat him: "Why don't you take the sedan chair when there is so much snow? Don't catch a cold. Come and change your clothes and shoes..."

This kind of chattering actually dispelled some of Fang Lin's loneliness. He raised his hands and let Tian Xuan pat the snow. He changed his clothes and shoes and talked about the Liu family: "Manager Liu... Alas, another old friend has passed away. From now on, there will be one less person to drink with."

Tian Xuan knew Manager Liu, and she listened quietly, with a look of sadness on her face: "At that time, I was cooking in the store, and Manager Liu often came. Every time I saw him, he was smiling... This year, Manager Liu is also in his seventies. From what you said, he passed away peacefully, without much pain. It can be considered a happy funeral."

As she spoke, she recalled something and sighed, "In recent years, the number of people I know has become fewer and fewer. Every time I go back to the alley, there are one or two people I'll never see again... The last time I went back to Master Ou's house, Father Lu..."

"Old Man Lu, I remember that Old Man Lu once joked that since the Master had outlived his father and mother, he might live a long life and outlive him as well. I never thought that his words would come true." Fang Lin laughed and shook his head as he recalled the past.

"Master is long-lived, and good people are rewarded." Tian Xuan paused and said, "Father and mother are in Southeast Asia, and so is Xi'er... When that guy went to the West, I often woke up in the middle of the night and had dreams... I couldn't sleep well. Fortunately, he came back safely... Now they only reunite during the Chinese New Year. If they could come back, they would all be by my side, and the whole family would be reunited..."

When she said this, she realized something and paused again - with her intelligence, she could naturally see that the overseas side was the retreat that Fang Lin had prepared for his family.

"I'm just saying, brother Lin, let's follow your plan. Someone needs to look after the overseas business as well."

"It would be better if someone is watching over the overseas business, but it doesn't matter if there is no one. I have other guarantees. Anyway, I will write a letter in two days to see if parents are willing to come back and stay for a while... But Xier is a kid who can't sit still. I'm afraid he won't be able to stay for too long if he comes back."

As Fang Lin was talking, he thought of what Manager Liu said, "It seems that Daxia is a little strange, and there may be chaos in the future." He said, "However, let him stay for a few more days this time. Who knows, in a few years, it will be very difficult for him to come back!"

Tian Xuan heard it and was about to say something when a familiar voice came from outside.

"Brother Dong is here!"

Fang Lin came out, and it was indeed Dong Zugao. In the past two or three years, Dong Zugao had come here often. Now Huahua no longer called him when she saw him. Qiuqiu and her two siblings were also familiar with him. They called him "Uncle Dong" and took out dried fruits and snacks to entertain him.

He was just about to make a joke and stay for dinner, but he saw that Dong Zugao was distracted, with obvious worry between his brows. It was obvious that something was wrong, so he seriously invited him into the study.

——At their age, they are much less temperamental. Dong Zugao is also a man who is only one step away from entering the cabinet. He has long since mastered the skill of nourishing his qi and does not show his emotions on his face. It is extremely rare for him to lose his composure like this. It must be something big and urgent.

“Brother Fang, an urgent letter came from the capital tonight…” Dong Zugao sat down and told a shocking news: “A few days ago, on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, His Majesty took several court painters to the lake to enjoy the snow and paint the snow scene. Unfortunately, he fell into the water during the trip… At this time of year, the weather was extremely cold and the lake was icy. His Majesty was weak and was rescued after falling into the water, but he was already unconscious… That night, His Majesty had a high fever and a severe cough… After several days of tossing and turning, His Majesty woke up under the treatment of the imperial physician, but his vitality was seriously damaged and he was already on his deathbed…”

"Ok?"

Fang Lin's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He had guessed at the beginning that the civil officials would not give up and might take action against Emperor Tianshun, but nothing had happened in the past two or three years. Even he began to doubt whether those civil officials had the courage and whether he was too worried. Unexpectedly, this... finally happened.

——It was actually a memory from my previous life, when the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty mysteriously fell into the water and died... When I heard about it this time, I subconsciously concluded that it was a conspiracy due to my stress reaction.

"How could he fall into the water? Your Majesty is surrounded by many guards, not to mention so many followers. Are they all dead?"

"I am also curious about this matter. Behind this..." Dong Zugao paused when he said this. Some things are hard to talk about. He shook his head and said, "Anyway, this matter has already happened... Your Majesty is probably..."

"What's worse is that Your Majesty has no son... At this difficult time for the country, something like this has happened. God cannot bless our Great Xia!" He said with a face full of sorrow.

"Yes!" Fang Lin nodded seriously.

If the tomb of Emperor Tianshun were to collapse, the current stable situation would probably usher in turmoil.

As mentioned before, the stability of the court was due to Wei Zhongxian's suppression of all parties and his extraordinary "extraordinary means" to solve the problem of Daxia's lack of money. He was able to do this because of the support of the emperor, and now that Emperor Shun's life is in danger, how could Wei Zhongxian not be affected? Moreover, would the civil service group that had been suppressed by Wei Zhongxian for a long time miss this opportunity and remain indifferent?

When the new emperor ascends the throne, what will be his attitude towards Wei Zhongxian? Can he continue to enjoy the trust of Emperor Tianshun?

It can be said that this change inevitably involves Wei Zhongxian, and Wei Zhongxian is an extremely critical point in the current situation. A single move can affect the entire situation... It is conceivable that now, the capital must be undercurrents.

……

Capital, East Factory.

Wei Zhongxian sat on the armchair with his horse and golden sword, his face as gloomy as water, holding the teacup in one hand and using the tea lid to stir the tea with the other hand, listening to the screams coming from the prison.

"Report, Factory Master, after torture, it was revealed that there was indeed another story behind His Majesty's fall into the water."

"explain."

"Yes, this time..."

"As we expected, it's that group of civil servants again."

Wei Zhongxian thought about how Zhang Ruian had secretly reminded people to protect Emperor Tianshun before he left for home. He had also blocked many open and secret attacks in the past two or three years. But as the rats in the gutter say, if you can steal for a thousand days, you can never be on guard against thieves for a thousand days. Finally, he was attacked.

"Kill!" He took a sip of tea and uttered this word. It is conceivable that there will be a lot of blood in the capital tonight.

When this person left, another spy came to report: "The civil officials... are in collusion... and are trying to convince the prince..."

"Prince Xin, the third son of the late emperor." Wei Zhongxian narrowed his eyes, as if thinking. He slowly rotated the teacup in his hand, and finally put it down heavily. He closed his eyes and said, "Send people to protect Prince Xin. If anything happens to Prince Xin, you will be beheaded."

"Yes!"……

in the palace.

Emperor Tianshun was on his deathbed, looking pale. He did not summon his ministers to select any regents. He only allowed his younger brother Prince Xin and Wei Zhongxian to come in, and helped him up and paced to the door.

"Brother, what do you think of my ten years as king?"

'He only cared about painting and calligraphy, and ignored the government affairs, which led to the loss of power, the dominance of eunuchs, and the corruption of government officials...' Prince Xin commented secretly, but said on the surface: "My royal brother knows how to appoint people, and the Liaodong Tartars have been kept out of the country for ten years. This is a great contribution to the country!"

Emperor Tianshun looked into Prince Xin's eyes and asked, "Are you sincere in what I say, my brother?"

"Of course I am sincere." Prince Xin's eyes flashed with panic and he avoided her gaze.

"Ugh!"

Emperor Tianshun sighed softly. How could he not know people's hearts after being an emperor for so many years? Prince Xin did not say that he was diligent in government affairs or lazy in government administration, but only talked about Liaodong. Perhaps he did not understand his painstaking efforts. At this moment, on his deathbed, his mind became clearer and he broke it down to explain to his younger brother: "The victory in Liaodong is only an appearance and a result. The key behind it is that Duke Wei found money to provide Liaodong military pay and promoted capable generals without hurting the people, which led to this achievement..."

"I dare not take credit for myself, it is all thanks to your Majesty's support...I will always remember the kindness of the late emperor and your Majesty, and I dare not forget it for a single day." Wei Zhongxian did not expect that Emperor Tianshun understood him so well. Tears welled up in his eyes and he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Pretending to be righteous!" Prince Xin felt cold in his heart when he saw this scene. In his fiefdom, he could hear that Wei Zhongxian had five tigers, ten children, and forty grandchildren who were accomplices to the tiger, and that he wasted the people's money to build ancestral temples in various places. He was often heartbroken that Daxia had such a cancer.

It can only be said that most of Wei Zhongxian's cronies were not good people. Wei Zhongxian was greedy, and they followed suit. However, the only good thing about them was that they knew what money to be greedy for and what money not to be greedy for. For example, for disaster relief funds, eight or nine out of ten would be put to good use; if it came to other money, only two or three out of ten would be put to good use.

——Of course, this is already good compared to 99% of the civil servants. Most of the civil servants are really taking advantage of others. If only 3 or 4% of the tenth of the funds can be put to practical use, they are considered to have a conscience.

As for the construction of ancestral temples, the people in the capital were generally sincere because of the high welfare provided by the perfume and soap factories. As for the ancestral temples in various parts of Daxia, it was because the people below were trying to please Wei Zhongxian. Out of vanity and self-esteem, Wei Zhongxian did not stop it, which indeed cost a lot of people's money.

However, as the saying goes, how much of a country's resources can one person use? How much can one person embezzle? Compared with the role played by Wei Zhongxian, generally speaking, his existence is more beneficial than harmful.

——That’s enough. For those in a higher position, good and evil are never the criteria for judging a person. As long as the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, it can be used.

It’s just that Prince Xin still can’t quite understand all this, which is normal. He has not received any education as a crown prince, and now in his mind, good is good and evil is evil. If he trusts someone, he will trust him extremely, and once he doubts someone, he will be ruthless to him.

As for his impression of Wei Zhongxian, because he had been targeted by the civil service group three years ago, he had been influenced subtly. Now Wei Zhongxian's evil and greed were deeply rooted in his heart. He subconsciously guarded against Wei Zhongxian. When he came to the palace, his suspicious character made him dare not eat anything in the palace.

However, he did not think about it. With Wei Zhongxian's current power, if he really wanted to touch him, would he still be alive today?
"I like calligraphy and painting, and I am not interested in government affairs. From this point of view, I am not a good emperor..."

When a bird is about to die, its cry is sad; when a person is about to die, his words are kind. At this time, Emperor Tianshun did not hide his shortcomings and said that he was not a good emperor, but he also explained this behavior: "I know very well that Daxia has been hit by natural disasters one after another, and there are Liaodong Tartars coveting it. Internal and external troubles are like an old man who is seriously ill and lingering on his sickbed. Under such circumstances, it is not appropriate to make a big move. If you are too radical, it will be like swallowing a poisonous drug, and you may die... My brother, if you don't know what to do in the future, then don't do anything. In this way, Daxia will still have decades of national prosperity."

This is the truth, and he still said less. If the current situation is maintained and dragged on for another 10 to 20 years, the Liaodong Tartars will be killed. By then, even if natural disasters continue, patchwork can be carried out to maintain it for a few more decades...

He also discovered that the prosperous industry and commerce in the Jianghuai region, if further developed, would greatly enrich the national treasury. By then, it might be possible to solve the problems in the process of development. If natural disasters were alleviated and there were one or two emperors who did not cause trouble, there might be a chance for revival.

Of course, the premise of all this is not to act recklessly, which is why Emperor Tianshun gave this instruction.

"Since I ascended the throne, I have relied on Duke Wei for many matters of state..." Emperor Tianshun looked at Prince Xin and said, "Brother, Duke Wei is loyal and can help with great things."

Just as Emperor Hongtai had told him at the beginning, he told Prince Xin again today.

——In fact, this was also the reason why he did not appoint any regents. He was afraid that Prince Xin would be fooled by the regents after he ascended the throne and would impulsively kill Wei Zhongxian, causing the political situation to get out of control.

As for the hidden danger of not having a regent to balance Wei Zhongxian?

Firstly, Wei Zhongxian and the civil service group were incompatible, so there was a natural balance; secondly, Wei Zhongxian was a coward, so he was much safer than powerful ministers and military generals; thirdly, Wei Zhongxian had been tested by both Emperor Hongtai and him, so he felt that he could be trusted; finally, Emperor Hongtai had a backup plan, a secret spy force, which would be passed on to Prince Xin. This was enough to ensure that the new emperor would not be deceived after he ascended the throne and would have a check and balance.

——This secret spy force was inspired by the letters between Emperor Hongtai and Fang Lin. At that time, Emperor Hongtai swallowed the golden elixir and his health was getting worse. He spent several years to lay out the new emperor. This secret spy force was one of the important results, and was later passed on to Emperor Tianshun. This is also the important reason why Emperor Tianshun was so bold and entrusted the government to Wei Zhongxian without fear of losing control.

"Brother, I'll remember that." Prince Xin partially agreed with Emperor Tianshun's words. He acknowledged that Great Xia was in danger, but he did not approve of Emperor Tianshun's indifference to state affairs and his attitude of giving up. He secretly vowed that when he ascended the throne, he would work hard and love the people, and eliminate the accumulated abuses...

Of course, he is not stupid. He would not say these thoughts at this time and he hides them very well.

'Perhaps, my brother said this in front of Wei Zhongxian in order to paralyze him and make it easier for me to settle accounts with him after I ascend the throne.' Prince Xin's eyes were deep: 'At the beginning, my father left the Shanxi merchants as a stepping stone for my brother. This Wei Zhongxian may be what my brother left for me...'

"Then I'm relieved." Emperor Tianshun was already exhausted at this time. After giving his instructions, he looked at Wei Zhongxian and held his wrist tightly: "Mr. Wei, Daxia is entrusted to you. Look after it for me and my brother!"

"Your Majesty..." Such words, like those of Liu Bei entrusting his son to Zhuge Liang, made Wei Zhongxian burst into tears, especially when he thought of Emperor Hongtai. How could he have the courage and ability to be trusted by two such emperors?

……

On December 24, the ninth year of the Tianshun reign, Emperor Tianshun collapsed in the Qianqing Palace. His younger brother, Prince Xin, ascended the throne and changed the reign title to Chongxiang. Chong means "noble, prosperous, and uplifting" and Xiang means "auspicious and prosperous."

From then on, Daxia entered a new chapter.

……

(End of this chapter)