The news that lightning struck the palace gate quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys. The government and the public were talking about it, and all kinds of rumors spread like wildfire.
The most widely circulated thing was naturally the warning from heaven. However, there were different opinions on the reason for the warning. Of course, no matter how different the opinions were, they could not be separated from the emperor and the prince.
Some people think that the lightning strike should be on the emperor, because the emperor intends to shake the country's foundation and refuses to accept advice. Some people think that the lightning strike should be on the East Palace. After the emperor's legitimate son was born, there was a lightning strike warning from the sky, precisely because the East Palace was stolen. If the reputation is not right, the country will be uneasy. It is necessary to rectify the origin and clear up the source. Only then can we follow the right path.
It can be said that a lightning strike can indeed be seen. The so-called induction of heaven and man is just a human character opening his mouth, it depends on how to explain it.
Of course, the mainstream public opinion is still based on the former. As for the source of the latter's remarks...
"He Wenyuan?"
Zhu Qiyu looked at the memorial in front of him with a smile on his face.
He had naturally heard about the rumors in Beijing these days, but unlike what the ministers expected, Zhu Qiyu didn't care about it.
With a hundred years of perspective, he has long understood that the monarchy of the Ming Dynasty is almost unbreakable, thanks to Emperor Taizu's actions of withdrawing Zhongshu and deposing the prime minister, especially Taizong's reduction of vassal status and the restoration of the power of the vassal king. In today's Ming Dynasty, there is essentially no power that can threaten the emperor.
Of course, except for a certain Supreme Emperor who belongs to the imperial power itself...
Therefore, in the hundreds of years of Ming Dynasty's history, there have been many crises, but none of them have truly shaken the imperial power status from within.
In a sense, the purpose of Taizu Taizong was actually accomplished, because in the Ming Dynasty, there were young rulers who were just over the age of 18 ascended the throne, there were vassal kings who had no foundation as successors, and there were eunuchs who had all the power in the government. There were also ministers who bullied the court.
But even a powerful minister like Zhang Juzheng was powerless to resist in front of the newly grown Emperor Wanli. Even a cabinet minister like Yang Tinghe, who had been in the court for a long time and was deeply entrenched, was equally helpless in front of a mere vassal king with no foundation. There is no way.
Not to mention, Wei Zhongxian, the so-called powerful eunuch with overwhelming power and many party members, could only kill him in front of an emperor like Chongzhen who succeeded the vassal and had just ascended the throne.
The purpose of Emperor Taizu's original actions was to prevent the situation that occurred in the BC Yuan Dynasty, when prime ministers were abolished and established. From this perspective, the Ming Dynasty had powerful eunuchs, powerful ministers, and powerful relatives. However, None of these people could threaten the stability of the imperial power.
Of course, the side effects caused by this are another matter, but in essence, these measures did have the desired effect.
Under such circumstances, the so-called telepathy between heaven and man cannot be said to have no constraints on the emperor, but it no longer has as strong a binding force as it did during the Han and Wei dynasties.
It should be said that if we were in a dynasty like the Wei and Jin Dynasties that were extremely respectful of metaphysics, comments like He Wenyuan's would not have been possible at all.
However, times have changed, and under today's circumstances, it is entirely possible.
The reason is that the Ming Dynasty's induction of heaven and man, or the so-called etiquette, public opinion, and actual binding force of the Ming Dynasty, all come from the imperial power. But the problem is that the emperor himself is the embodiment of imperial power, and the imperial power can restrain the emperor. Everyone outside, but only the emperor could not be restrained.
In fact, even for Zhu Qiyu, as long as he ignores the evaluation of future history books and no matter what hidden dangers his actions will leave for future generations, he will have many methods at his disposal to deal with the current situation. .
So for today's Ming Dynasty, the so-called telepathy between heaven and man actually depends on whether the emperor believes it. If the emperor believes it, it has infinite power. If the emperor doesn't believe it... then that's it.
As for the saying that lightning striking the palace gate was a warning from heaven, does Zhu Qiyu believe it?
In his previous life, he believed it somewhat. After all, at that time, he issued an edict deposing the crown prince in April, and lightning struck the palace gate in June. It seemed that God was really angry.
But now, the prince is still staying well in the East Palace, but the thunder has come as expected. If he had believed the so-called warning from heaven, Zhu Qiyu's life would have been in vain.
However, times have changed, but some people's personalities will not change.
Just like He Wenyuan, who was mentioned above, in his previous life, he was the one who encouraged Zhu Qiyu to change the throne to crown prince, and he was also considered one of Zhu Qiyu's confidants at that time.
However, after waking up in this life, Zhu Qiyu did not put much emphasis on this person. The reason is that, in a sense, He Wenyuan, like Xu Youzhen, is a person who pursues career advancement. More importantly, with Zhu Qiyu's attitude toward The understanding between the two of them is that they are actually a bit petty and lack a grand perspective to view the entire country. To put it bluntly, it is difficult for people who work hard to hold big responsibilities.
If there must be a comparison, He Wenyuan is actually not as good as Xu Youzhen. He is a person who has areas of expertise, good political performance in the local area, and is relatively honest. However, he has a big shortcoming, that is, he likes to work when he is not good at it. Get involved in areas you understand.
The reason why he was dismissed from office and returned home in his previous life was because he had a different opinion with Yu Qian regarding the rebellion in Miao land. He advocated that Miao land was barbaric and there was no need to expend too much energy. It was better to stop working in the Chief Envoy and Inspectorate departments and only stay in the capital. It is enough to command the envoy to guard the place. As soon as this proposal was proposed, Yu Qian immediately rejected it, reproaching him that he was losing his ancestral land, and then gave up.
So in this life, Zhu Qiyu just ignored He Wenyuan, neither reused nor suppressed him. He was assigned to work under Wang Wen of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which could be regarded as giving him some preferential treatment.
But he never thought that in this roundabout way, He Shilang still bumped into him. It seems that during this period, the people who should be deceived were not deceived, and the people who were not deceived were deceived.
The memorial was presented in the form of a secret memorial, and because He Wenyuan himself was a third-rank official, he rarely used the power of direct memorial and sent it directly to the emperor without the cabinet.
The content inside is the same as in the previous life, with He Wenyuan's signature admonishment appearing. The father owns the world and must pass it on to the son. It can be said that it is very radical.
But how to deal with it made Zhu Qiyu difficult. Logically speaking, this was the first time for a minister of the third rank or above in the imperial court that someone had bluntly stated that the East Palace reserve position was not correct and should be easier.
If Zhu Qiyu announces this memorial to the court, it will undoubtedly add fuel to the current situation. Moreover, the direction of public opinion depends on people to explain it. Just like what He Wenyuan said in the memorial, although God has given a warning, It's destiny, but it's hard to say who it should be.
But……
Sighing, Zhu Qiyu put the memorial away and was about to let Wynn put it away. But when he handed it out, he suddenly changed his mind and took the memorial back for a closer look. He stood up and gave instructions.
"Fetch Lu Zhong, I'm going to the prison!"
Huaien moved quickly. Although it was getting late, the emperor personally ordered it, so the journey was naturally smooth. After a while, Zhu Qiyu arrived at Fusi, Beizhen in a light car.
Regardless of his past life or this life, this is the first time Zhu Qiyu has been to a place like Beizhen Fusi. To be more precise, since he became the emperor, he has been able to leave the palace only a handful of times, let alone this kind of visit. place.
Entering Beizhen Fusi, although it is summer, there is an inexplicable cool air blowing against my face. I continue to move forward and enter the prison. This cold air is even stronger. I put on the cloak I had prepared earlier. , Zhu Qiyu asked as he followed Lu Zhong inside.
"How is Yu Qian doing in prison during this period?"
Although Lu Zhong had played against the emperor many times, this was the first time he spoke with a little more caution on this occasion.
"Your Majesty, according to your instructions, after Yu Shaobao was imprisoned in the imperial prison, he was detained alone. He was not interrogated or questioned. No one was allowed to contact him except for sending food and water every day. "
"Yu Shaobao didn't express any objection to this. He only asked for a few books, pens, ink, paper and inkstones when he came. These days, he was very quiet. He neither complained about injustice nor asked for an interview."
As soon as these words came out, Zhu Qiyu's steps stagnated slightly, and his mood obviously changed.
Seeing this situation, Wynn on the side quickly spoke.
"Commander Lu, is that the cell where Shaobao is being held at the front?"
Lu Zhong blinked and said without reacting for a moment.
"We have to go further in..."
However, after only half a sentence, he saw Wynn, who was following the emperor, winking at him, so he immediately got excited and changed his words.
"But it's not far, we'll be there soon!"
After saying that, he didn't dare to say another word and concentrated on leading the way forward.
After walking for half a cup of tea, we finally arrived at the door of the cell. He waved his hand and sent all the guards nearby to wait far away. Lu Zhong stepped forward in person and said.
"Yu Shaobao, someone is here to see you."
At this moment, Yu Qian was wearing a prison uniform, which looked a little dirty. It was obvious that he had not taken care of it for a few days, and his beard and hair were a little messy. After all, the prison was a prison, and even with Yu Qian's status, he was not allowed to be punished at most. Just harsh treatment.
In the entire cell, apart from a roll of beds, there was a small case with an oil lamp, a few books, pens, ink, paper and inkstones on it. This was the only preferential treatment he received in prison.
Although it was getting late, Yu Qian was still sitting upright behind the case, with an open book in his hand. The oil lamp was dim, and he was struggling to read the words in the book while writing something on it from time to time.
When he heard someone coming from behind, he thought it was the jailer who came to check as usual, but unexpectedly he heard Lu Zhong's voice.
Looking up, he saw a young man in a cloak standing behind Lu Zhong. Suddenly, Yu Qian almost lost his grip on the pen in his hand. He immediately stood up, knelt on the ground upright and said.
"I, Yu Qian, pay homage to Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and signaled Lu Zhong to open the cell door. Then, he stepped in, but ignored Yu Qian. Instead, he came to the desk beside him, picked up the open book on it and took a look.
What surprised him was that there were some miscellaneous books that were popular in Beijing recently. He flipped through them and found that Yu Qian had made some serious annotations on the books.
I don't know if it was a psychological effect, but he always felt that this writing was a bit more spacious and softer than the memorial written to him.
Huai En and two chamberlains on the side gently set up chairs in the cell. After Zhu Qiyu sat down, he turned his eyes to Yu Qian and said.
"It seems that Mr. Yu has been living a happy life in this prison for more than a month..."
"I don't dare."
Yu Qian knelt on the ground, lowered his head and spoke in a very calm tone.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu snorted lightly and said.
"Sir, you are very comfortable in this prison. You are not worried. Is there anything earth-shaking happening to the court now?"
Yu Qian raised his head slightly and met Zhu Qiyu's eyes. Rarely, his eyes no longer had the stubbornness of the past, but instead were a little more peaceful, and he said.
"How can I dare to interfere in the government affairs of the imperial court now that I have been convicted of a crime? It is up to the ministers to discuss the affairs of the court, and your Majesty will make a decision. I am already in prison and cannot protect myself, so what is the use of thinking too much?"
"At this time, sir, you have become more open-minded. When you knelt down at the palace gate to remonstrate, why didn't you think that I would be the one to decide all matters in the court?"
Putting down the book in his hand, Zhu Qiyu's voice finally turned cold.
Compared to the emperor's anger, Yu Qian remained calm and said.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that Song Wenyi's case is indeed illegal. I know that most of the land he seized near the capital came from the homes of wealthy gentry families, and many of them were plundered by these people. Song Wenyi's seizure of land was considered a serious matter. It's an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I have also learned about the operation of His Majesty's Imperial Manor. It has indeed provided a place for many refugees, which can be called a good deed that benefits the people."
The more he said this, the angrier Zhu Qiyu became.
Do you know everything about co-authorship?
"So, Sir, everything is known, but even so, Sir still kneels down outside the palace to remonstrate, intending to make this matter a problem in the city?"
To be honest, this is what makes people most angry. If Yu Qian doesn't know the inside story, that's fine.
But since he knew Zhu Qiyu's difficulties and still made such a fuss, it was clear that he wanted to go against the emperor.
However, facing the emperor whose body pressure had begun to decrease, Yu Qian just nodded slightly and said.
"yes!"
"you!"
Zhu Qiyu almost jumped up from the chair. After standing there for a long time, he squeezed the armrest with his hand and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.
"Okay, okay, okay, you Yu Qian are really tough. In that case, you can either give me a reasonable explanation today, or you can continue to stay in this prison!"
Looking at the angry and smiling emperor, Yu Qian cupped his hands and said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
As he spoke, Yu Qian straightened up and his face became serious. He pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I know your majesty's intentions, but because of this, I am even more opposed to this matter. I kneel down at the palace gate to remonstrate with you. I want to remonstrate with your majesty. It is not only for the sake of the emperor's estate, but it is not just for the sake of the emperor's estate..."
(End of chapter)
