…
…
While Zhao Junchen was secretly digging holes and setting up traps for Zhu Hejian, Zhu Hejian had already left the capital by boat and went south along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal to Zhenjiang. Then he turned from Zhenjiang Prefecture to the Yangtze River Channel and arrived directly at Nanjing.
This voyage passed through Zhili, Shandong and Jiangsu, with a distance of about three thousand miles.
But Zhu Hejian's journey actually only took more than five days!
During the Ming Dynasty, there was a saying that "one watch is sixty miles per hour, ten watches a day and night" when sailing a canal. This means that the speed of an ordinary canal ship is about a little over twenty miles per hour.
When Zhu Hejian left the capital, he specially recruited two wheeled boats as his own ships. The wheeled boats were a new type of warship built in the late Ming Dynasty. The length was four feet and two feet, the width was one and three feet, and it had four built-in wheels. Driven by human power, its speed is much faster than ordinary sailboats and paddle boats.
But even so, it only took Zhu Hejian such a short time to arrive in Nanjing, which can be said to be amazing speed!
It can only be said that Zhu Hejian traveled day and night and drove with all his strength. Not only did he eat and sleep on the boat, he didn't even waste time meeting local officials along the coast, so he could achieve such an astonishing speed.
And this situation is enough to reflect Zhu Hejian's eagerness and inner uneasiness.
After all, this is the first time Zhu Hejian has left the central capital since his birth, and it is still a critical period for the crown prince to be abolished.
The unpredictable situation in the center of the capital, the complex situation of the six departments in Nanjing, and the eager eyes of the two powerful ministers Zhao Junchen and Zhou Shangjing all made Zhu Hejian feel deeply pressured, so he had to seize the time and deal with everything in Nanjing as soon as possible, and then leave. We must return to the capital quickly and deal with all the changes in the situation in the center of the capital in a timely manner without delaying even a second.
*
At midnight on this day, Zhu Hejian's ship finally entered the Yangtze River waterway in Nanjing, and the tall city wall of Nanjing was also visible in the distance.
Then, Zhu Hejian ordered the ship to gradually slow down.
This is because, on the one hand, Zhu Hejian did not want all walks of life in Nanjing to see his eagerness, and on the other hand, he also wanted to take the opportunity to relieve his physical fatigue during this period.
Although the wheel boat was faster than ordinary ships, it was not as smooth as ordinary ships. In addition, Zhu Hejian was originally frail and had congenital deficiencies. During this period, he traveled day and night, had food and accommodation on the ship, and had to work every day. It is naturally a bit overwhelming to withstand a lot of bumps.
Zhu Hejian's physical condition at this moment was on the verge of reaching the limit. Not only was his face pale and bloodless, but his legs and feet were also weak, and even walking normally would have unsteady footing.
In the cabin, after giving the order to slow down the ship, Zhu Hejian ordered Jia Lun to prepare a cup of ginseng tea for him.
Ginseng tea is a great tonic, and sometimes it can overdraw your vitality, so Zhu Hejian has never dared to use it too much. He tried his best to rely on his own willpower to hold on along the way. But at this time, Nanjing was far away, and Zhu Hejian was naturally I don't want to show my weak side, so I still have to use my weak body to bear the heavy tonic.
After Jia Lun brought the ginseng tea, Zhu Hejian immediately drank it all in one gulp and chewed up the ginseng pieces in the tea and swallowed them.
In this way, after about a stick of incense, Zhu Hejian's complexion gradually returned to rosy, and his legs and feet gradually regained some strength, completely covering up his previous sick appearance, but there were still some bloodshot eyes in his eyes. It looks a little scary.
After noticing the changes in his physical condition, Zhu Hejian turned to Jia Lun and asked, "How does my situation look now?"
A trace of worry flashed through Jalen's eyes, and he said: "It looks normal...but it's just normal on the surface! Your Highness, you are still overdrafting your body now. If this situation happens repeatedly, you will be in trouble in the future." Even if you successfully get into the reserve position, I'm afraid you won't be able to survive the day when the great treasure will be enthroned. From our family's point of view, it's like digging your belly to hide the pearl."
In front of Zhu Hejian, Jia Lun has always said what he has to say and never deliberately conceals it. This is one of the main reasons why Zhu Hejian re-trusts Jia Lun.
At this time, Zhu Hejian was not angry when he heard Jia Lun's almost curse-like comment. He just said expressionlessly: "As long as there is no problem on the surface, I also know that my actions are too eager, but if the current predicament cannot go smoothly, Any long-term plan is just empty talk... What's more, whether it's Nanjing's future situation or the various hidden worries in the capital, they all make me feel uneasy, and I have to force myself to do it!"
While speaking, Zhu Hejian's attitude was cold, as if the body was not his own.
Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Jalen did not continue to say more, but the worry in his eyes became heavier.
On the other side, Zhu Hejian had already changed the subject and ordered: "When you arrive in Nanjing, you should stop following me, but hide in the dark and cooperate with me...
Your next task is very heavy. Not only do you have to be responsible for arranging the dead soldiers of 'Chaofeng', but you also have to contact the factory guards who were the first to rush to Nanjing and lurk in secret, and get all the recent information in Nanjing as soon as possible and give it to me. , and finally, on my behalf, I will have further contact with the Nanjing garrison eunuch Xicheng to test whether this person can be fully trusted..."
After hearing Zhu Hejian's constant instructions, Jia Lun first nodded in agreement, and then asked: "But if our family leaves His Highness, and His Highness lacks reliable helpers, wouldn't it be difficult to support him alone?"
Zhu Hejian shook his head and said: "After I arrived in Nanjing, I was only responsible for some things on the surface at first. It was enough to have the assistance of Bao Wenjie and Liu Ye. During the operation, I mainly relied on the power of the Crown Prince and Grand Master Wang Baoren, but secretly All preparations can only be left to you."
Zhu Hejian's confidant was not only Jia Lun, but in order to prevent unexpected changes in the center of the capital, he secretly left many arrangements when he left the capital. These arrangements all required reliable personnel to be responsible for them, so after Zhu Hejian came to Nanjing, he also Facing a situation of shortage of manpower, many things can only be left to Jalen alone.
When Zhu Hejian said that Cao Cao and Cao Cao had arrived, he heard the voice of Bao Wenjie, the Minister of Rites, coming from outside the cabin door.
"His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince, the ship will arrive at the Nanjing Pier soon. All walks of life in Nanjing, headed by the Crown Prince and Grand Master Wang Baoren, have already appeared on the dock to greet you. Your Highness, the Seventh Prince, is also invited to appear in person. Meet with people from all walks of life in Nanjing."
After hearing Bao Wenjie's report, Zhu Hejian didn't waste any time. After raising his hand to straighten his clothes, he opened the cabin door himself, and then saw Bao Wenjie, Liu Ye and others waiting outside the door.
After meeting everyone, Zhu Hejian also calmed down the coldness in his expression, restored his usual gentle image, and said with a smile: "This is my first time to go on a long trip on a boat. I am inevitably a little uncomfortable. I actually have signs of seasickness. This I have been hiding in the cabin to recuperate for a while, and I can only rely on Mr. Bao and Mr. Liu to take charge of the situation. It is really a blessing for everyone... Fortunately, we have arrived in Nanjing now, and we can take the opportunity to have a good rest."
As Zhu Hejian said, in order to conceal his physical condition during this period, he has been hiding in the cabin and rarely showing up, so Bao Wenjie, Liu Ye and others are also worried.
At this time, after seeing that Zhu Hejian's physical condition seemed to be normal, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. When they heard Zhu Hejian's words of gratitude, they all felt warm in their hearts. They felt that Zhu Heguo was indeed as wise as the rumors.
Especially Liu Ye, who looked so moved that he was about to cry.
Afterwards, Zhu Hejian led Bao Wenjie, Liu Ye and others onto the bow of the ship and looked at the situation at the Nanjing Pier.
At the same time, no one noticed that Zhu Hejian's personal eunuch Jia Lun and a group of Zhu Hejian's bodyguards and servants had disappeared at this time, as if they had never appeared before.
*
But he said that when Zhu Hejian and others boarded the bow, they soon saw the situation on the Nanjing pier.
Although they only looked at each other from a distance, Zhu Hejian was still keenly aware of the complicated situation in Nanjing's officialdom during this period.
It stands to reason that Zhu Hejian is the prince and quasi-heirloom, and he is responsible for the important task of worshiping ancestors in Nanjing. His status is naturally extremely noble. Therefore, when all walks of life in Nanjing welcome Zhu Hejian, the team should be neat and orderly.
But in fact, when Zhu Hejian looked from a distance, he found that the people from all walks of life in Nanjing who greeted him at the Nanjing Pier were actually extremely loose and split into different groups. They deliberately distanced themselves from each other and had almost no communication. You can feel the solemn atmosphere on the pier.
Obviously, there has been a serious internal split in the Nanjing officialdom, and there is great hostility between each other. Otherwise, the scene in front of Zhu Hejian cannot be explained.
After seeing this scene, Zhu Hejian thought to himself: "It seems that the poisonous plan proposed by Zhao Junchen has worked! The Nanjing officialdom is no longer monolithic, and it is easy to defeat them one by one, divide and conquer!"
The Six Ministries of Nanjing... have been governing all aspects of all walks of life in the south of the Yangtze River for nearly three hundred years. They are not only extremely powerful, but also deeply rooted. Jiangnan businessmen have made a fortune under the protection of the Six Ministries of Nanjing, and the scholars of Jiangnan have been taken care of by the Six Ministries of Nanjing. With the support of the Six Ministries of Nanjing, officials in Jiangnan were steadily promoted...
Therefore, all the forces in the Jiangnan area are unwilling to see the Nanjing Six Ministries lose their power. The imperial court's attempts to take back power have always failed. But now, because of Zhao Junchen's vicious plan, the foundation has been completely shaken and the power has been completely lost. Surprising people... If everything goes well, the imperial court center's plan to take over power may go smoothly unexpectedly! "
While thinking secretly, Zhu Hejian reviewed in his mind the poisonous plan proposed by Zhao Junchen against the Six Ministries of Nanjing. Not only was he not relaxed, but he was increasingly filled with fear!
This is because the poisonous plan proposed by Zhao Junchen was too sinister. After Zhu Hejian knew the details of the plan, he once overturned his understanding of Zhao Junchen. He only felt that Zhao Junchen's character was more important. It was far more vicious and despicable than he imagined, so whenever he thought of this plan, his fear of Zhao Junchen would deepen again.
*
Zhao Junchen's plan for the Six Ministries in Nanjing can be summarized as internal division and stimulating conflicts, and is further divided into four steps, namely "decapitation and bone extraction", "blood extraction and marrow transplantation", "emergency treatment", and " Wonderful rejuvenation!”
The so-called "beheadings and bone extraction" meant taking advantage of the last time the imperial court took action to rectify and clean up Nanjing's officialdom, not only to depose and convict all the leaders of the Six Ministries of Nanjing, but also to depose and convict the middle-level officials with strong abilities in the Six Ministries of Nanjing. They must all be replaced, leaving only those inferior officials who are either greedy or incompetent.
As a result, the Nanjing Sixth Department was naturally leaderless, lost its actual ability to do things, and was completely paralyzed.
The so-called "drawing blood to replace marrow" means that when the imperial court was exchanging blood for Nanjing's officialdom, it deliberately arranged some officials with inconsistent personalities and bad intentions to take on important responsibilities.
For example, the Nanjing official secretary appointed by the imperial court was named Wu Xingren. This person had a perverse and unsociable character. He did not know how to win people's hearts but liked to exclude dissidents. After he was appointed as the Nanjing official official, all the officials in Southern Zhili They will never get ahead, and they will definitely be rewarded lightly for merit and severely punished for delinquency;
Another example is that the Nanjing Minister of Household Affairs appointed by the imperial court was named Wang Zheng. This man was greedy, stingy and likes to care about everything. After he became the Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing, he would inevitably extort money from businessmen and increase taxes from time to time. , and this person is famous for being ruthless and unable to do things for others even after receiving money. The merchants and farmers in the entire Jiangnan area must be miserable;
For another example, the Nanjing Minister of Punishment appointed by the imperial court is named Li Ziyong. This person is now in his prime years. He has always been old, weak and dim, and has often made oversights. After he is appointed as the Minister of Punishment in Nanjing, he will inevitably The large number of unjust, false and wrongful convictions will inevitably cause public resentment in Jiangnan;
For example, the Nanjing Minister of Rites appointed by the imperial court was named Shen Xinwen. He relied on Zu Yin to serve as an official. He was notoriously uneducated and liked to pretend to be smart and jealous of talents. After he was appointed as the Minister of Nanjing, , not only will there be a lot of jokes, but the students in Jiangnan Gongyuan will definitely be in disaster;
The most important thing is that among the candidates for the Six Ministers of Nanjing, Wu Xingren and Wang Zheng have always had a bad relationship. They are mortal enemies in the officialdom and often impeach each other. Shen Xinwen is a troublemaker, and Li Ziyong has no control over the situation. With their abilities, if they were to serve as the six ministers of Nanjing, not only would several yamen be in chaos, but they would also fall into endless internal friction!
In fact, if the central government had not targeted the Nanjing Six Ministries and took over power from the Nanjing Six Ministries, these officials would have been dismissed by the court long ago.
As for the third step of Zhao Junchen's plan, that is, "discontinuing medical treatment for emergencies", he deliberately left some official positions in the Nanjing Sixth Department vacant. These official vacancies were all handed over to the Nanjing Sixth Department for internal selection!
In this way, the six ministries in Nanjing will inevitably fall into further conflicts in order to compete for these vacancies. When the situation reaches a stalemate, the imperial court will issue a decree to determine the final ownership of these vacancies based on the political achievements of each ministry in Nanjing.
At this stage of the plan, all the hard-working officials in the Six Ministries of Nanjing have been cleared away by the central government, leaving only some ignorant and incompetent officials, and there are completely unreliable officials like Wu Xingren, Wang Zheng, Li Ziyong, and Shen Xinwen. My boss, this situation is exactly what he said - "Do more and make more mistakes, do less and make fewer mistakes, and don't do better"!
Under such circumstances, if the Nanjing Six Divisions could do nothing and keep a low profile, they might still be able to survive this crisis, but according to Zhao Junchen's plan, they were forced to let go and fight!
As a result, the situation in Nanjing Sixth Division will naturally be very lively.
For example, where did the achievements of the Nanjing official department come from? Naturally, it is to assess the merits and demerits of officials, but judging from the character of Wu Xingren, the new Nanjing Minister of Civil Affairs, when he does things, he will definitely discuss too little merit and remember too much. Perhaps he will also eagerly collect the crimes of his officials and impeach them on a large scale. Come to prove your abilities and achievements to the court. What will the officials in Nanzhili think?
For another example, where did the achievements of the Nanjing Household Department come from? Naturally, it’s a matter of levying grain and tax! However, given the character of Wang Zheng, the new Minister of Household Affairs in Nanjing, he is bound to impose excessive taxes and repeatedly distribute taxes to merchants and farmers. How will the merchants and farmers in South Zhili react?
For another example, if the Nanjing Ministry of Justice wants to establish meritorious service, it needs to resolve some old cases as soon as possible. However, the new Nanjing Ministry of Justice Li Ziyong has always been ignorant and incompetent. Under his leadership, what are the chances that these cases can be solved smoothly? What is the possibility of an unjust, false or wrongful conviction?
In short, there is nothing more terrifying in the officialdom than letting a group of unreliable bosses lead a group of greedy and incompetent subordinates to have free reign and hold each other back. Otherwise, it will inevitably lead to a situation in which people’s resentment boils over and people’s hearts and minds are completely lost!
The fourth and final step in Zhao Junchen's plan, the so-called "rejuvenation with a wonderful hand", was to secretly incite and instigate, further arousing the dissatisfaction of the people from all walks of life in Jiangnan, including farmers, industry and commerce, against the Nanjing Six Ministries, and even triggering a fierce conflict. , completely losing the support of Nanjing Sixth Department!
Under such circumstances, as long as someone comes forward and guides secretly, all walks of life in Jiangnan will soon think of the existence of the capital center, and they will all ask the court center to uphold justice!
In this way, as long as the center of the imperial court stands up in time to quell the public grievances, the people of all walks of life in Jiangnan can return to their hearts! Then we can take advantage of the situation and take the authority of the Six Ministries of Nanjing back to the center of the capital!
At this time, the forces from all walks of life in the south of the Yangtze River were deeply resentful of the Nanjing Six Ministries, and there would not be much backlash against the imperial center's move to take back power. By the time they reacted, the matter would have been a foregone conclusion!
*
According to Zhao Junchen's plan, the imperial court has been secretly promoting changes in the officialdom of Nanjing for more than half a year. It has also arranged for Prince Taishi Wang Baoren, who knows the officialdom of Nanjing thoroughly, to stay in Nanjing.
Today, Zhao Junchen's plan has reached the end of the third phase and is about to usher in the fourth phase.
Therefore, at this time, the dissatisfaction and resentment of the forces from all walks of life in the south of the Yangtze River towards the Six Ministries of Nanjing have accumulated to the extreme. Soon, under the guidance of thoughtful people, there will be a riot against the Six Ministries of Nanjing!
Taking advantage of this change and taking the opportunity to return the authority of the Six Ministries of Nanjing to the center of the imperial court is the next task of Zhu Hejian and Wang Baoren.
Thinking of these situations, Zhu Hejian's eyes kept fluctuating, obviously there was a deeper consideration!
As his ship got closer to the Nanjing dock, Zhu Hejian continued to think: "This time I came to Nanjing in person to participate in this matter. Although I was forced by Zhou Shangjing, it was also an opportunity to enhance my foundation!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, I can not only get closer to the Crown Prince and Grand Master Wang Baoren and formally become an ally, but I can also win the favor of all the forces in Jiangnan and enhance my connections and influence... At the same time, Jiangnan has always been full of talented people. , I can also take the opportunity to pick some for my own use!
When I was in the capital, I was watched closely by too many people and it was inconvenient to do many things. But now that I have come to Nanjing, although the situation is complicated and I may have to face the trap set by Zhou Shangjing, it is not No matter how restricted and monitored you are, you can still do many things freely, which may turn out to be a blessing rather than a curse! "
Thinking of this, Zhu Hejian somewhat relieved the anxiety and uneasiness in his heart, and became a little more excited.
The next moment, the hull under Zhu Hejian's feet shook slightly, and it had officially arrived at the Nanjing Pier.
Zhu Hejian maintained his gentle and elegant image, led Bao Wenjie, Liu Ye and others off the boat, and then greeted people from all walks of life in Nanjing headed by Wang Baoren.
…
It's the end of the month. Chongzi did some math and found that he updated a total of 160,000 words this month, an average of more than 5,000 words per day, but it's still not stable enough. He hopes to continue his efforts next month!
…
