For Zhu Houzhao,
In today's conversation with Emperor Hongzhi, the soldiers of this guard are not actually the most important.
The most important thing is that the emperor supports him in cultivating his own small team.
In this case, the East Palace soon became a powerful political symbol in the court.
In fact, many emperors would allow their princes to do this, although from the perspective that imperial power cannot be shared, the emperor must guard against the prince.
But the prince is the future emperor after all. If he has no status at all, the old emperor will have to worry about whether the new emperor can control the situation if he dies.
Now it's Hongzhi's turn, and the scale he can achieve will be even greater.
Similar to the Li Jian and the Royal Horse Jian, these are actually the emperor's domestic slaves, and others are not allowed to interfere with them. However, Zhu Houzhao would agree to this if he mentioned it.
And they all thought of a person's name.
"How is Zhang Yong?"
Emperor Hongzhi himself knew that,
Ever since that time, the prince resisted the pressure and protected Zhang Yong in front of the ministers, and this person would only be devoted to the prince.
The eunuch had no choice. Everything he had came from the imperial power. Therefore, many eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty were more loyal to the emperor than civil servants.
Just like Zhang Yong, the person he is following is the prince and the future emperor. As long as he is loyal, he can rise to the top. Where can the Ming Dynasty find a bigger backer than this?
"Father is interested, so Zhang Yong is lucky."
"Then it's settled." Emperor Hongzhi thought for a while and then said, "Zhao'er will have to pay more attention to see if there is anyone who can be useful, but if there is a name, please let me know."
"good!"
It seems that we will have to find more ministers to quarrel with in the future.
The louder the noise, the more panicked Emperor Hongzhi felt. If he panicked, he would strengthen the power of the East Palace.
But this is just a random thought in my mind.
After Zhou Jing made a big fuss in Qianqing Palace,
Those corrupt officials who were involved in the scandal were still punished with a knife.
The Crown Prince has already said that, so Hongzhi must do that, otherwise where will the prestige and face of the East Palace be?
The next month or so passed quite peacefully. The prince read every day and made rapid progress in his studies. Because he had a good memory and excellent understanding ability, he could quickly memorize many words and articles.
The senior officials who had previously planned to go to the provinces involved in the Eucalyptus epidemic also left Beijing one after another.
At the same time, someone also entered the capital under the escort of the royal guards because of the prince's letter.
Mei Kejia got off the carriage and looked at the tall city walls, the pedestrians and merchants coming and going, and was lost in thought. "When I was in Beijing last year, I was still a fat man."
What about now?
The cheekbones are protruding, the eye sockets are sunken, and there are two long red wounds on the back of the hands that snake into the cuffs. The clothes on his body were empty, and he felt a little fluttering when the wind blew them down.
Yuan Ye on the side looked at such a thin man and asked in surprise: "Were you once a fat man?"
"You are richer than Mr. Yuan now." Mei Kejia took a look at Yuan Ye's round and fleshy face.
Speaking of being rich, he can be said to be good at talking.
"It turns out you came to the capital last year."
"Yes, I didn't know if I could come back at that time. I never imagined that one day the current prince would call me back."…
It was also because of this decree that Yuan Ye did not dare to delay. He rushed along the way and almost fell asleep on the road. Mei Kejia was originally imprisoned and lost half of his life. He finally got out, but he was dragged on the road after only five days of rest. It was really hard for him.
That means he is still in his prime, otherwise the remaining half of his life will be lost on the road.
"Go and settle down first, and then wait for the decree."
Mei Kejia cupped his hands, as if begging for mercy, "It's better to eat first, sir. My stomach has been growling for a while. I went to the East Palace like this, and it was disrespectful in front of His Highness. I can't bear the crime." rise."
"good
Bar. Where to go? "
"Linglong Restaurant."
This time, Mei Kejia took the lead and walked ahead.
Yuan Ye originally wanted to eat something here, but Mei Kejia went straight to the second floor. When he reached the second floor, he saw that the three tables facing the railing were occupied, and he couldn't help but frown.
He found a table by the stairs and sat down, then shook out a tael of broken silver from his sleeves and handed it to the waiter wearing a brown hat.
"Boy, I'm a visitor from afar, so I don't know. Why...can that table be occupied now?" He pointed to the middle seat over there.
When the waiter saw the silver, he felt happy and put it away with a flick of his wrist.
He lowered his body and whispered secretly: "Your Majesty, I don't know. At the beginning of the year, the noble man came again. After knowing that he was sitting in this seat and no one else could sit, he got a little angry. He said that there was already a throne in the capital, where did the throne come from? "
After he finished speaking, he added, "It's fine if the guest officer knows, but don't tell anyone."
That's because Shopkeeper Song offended the nobleman and was unhappy for several months. He felt like he had missed out on a great fortune, which servants like them didn't dare to mention.
"It's easy to talk about." Mei Kejia cupped his hands, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Yuan Ye couldn't understand because he didn't spend much time in the capital.
"What's the story?"
Mei Kejia didn't say anything, only said: "The noble man the waiter mentioned is a real noble man."
Although there are many noble people in the capital, Yuan Ye made eye contact with him, so he guessed in that direction, "Could it be...?"
"good."
Speaking of this, Yuan Ye still hasn't been able to figure it out, "The northwest and the capital are thousands of miles apart, but I don't know why I want to see you."
"Who can understand the thoughts above." Mei Kejia contemplated carefully, but in fact he couldn't figure it out. He just sighed, "No matter what, I am already a person who can't help myself."
"Were you able to control yourself before?" Mr. Yuan was actually only in his twenties, but he seemed to have a more open mind. "You people are just because you are smart, and you are troubled by too much brain activity."
"Master Yuan, won't you be annoyed?"
Yuan Ye took a sip of coarse tea and said, "What's the trouble? I'll do whatever the higher-ups say."
"It's really enviable. I can't do it anymore. The wilderness is full of ferocious beasts. I don't have any sharp claws or sharp teeth. I can't move my brain. I won't be able to sit here today."
"Then why do you think the higher-ups are looking for you?" Yuan Ye sarcastically said, "In the end, you just do what the higher-ups say? That's it. Many people want this opportunity but haven't yet."…
Mei Kejia lowered his head and looked at the steaming tea in the cup, and chuckled, "Master Yuan is right. Many people want this opportunity but haven't yet. I also heard that... that is a very smart person. people."
"So, stop being so smart. You'll die."
"Lord Yuan, I've got a different idea." Mei Kejia smiled and shook his head, "For people like us, if the superiors can give us a chance to be stupid, I would rather be a very stupid person."
It's a pity that I don't know if he, a businessman, can reach it.
In the afternoon of this day, when Zhu Houzhao was bathing in the warm sunshine of spring,
Liu Jin ran in with small steps, knelt and kowtowed, "Your Highness, Mei Kejia has been escorted to Beijing."
The Crown Prince was shocked, "Bring him to me. By the way, what has Cheng Minzheng been doing lately?"
Liu Jin was confused as to why he suddenly asked about such a person.
"Master Cheng, I go to the Ministry of Etiquette every day for duty, but I haven't done anything."
Zhu Houzhao stood up and patted his butt, "So, don't you find it strange?"
"strangeness?"
"That day, you, I, and Zhang Tianrui clearly heard outside the palace that he was quite dissatisfied with the construction of the academy. How come more than a month has passed and there is no news at all?"
To be honest, after Zhou Jing, Zhu Houzhao was waiting for Cheng Minzheng.
But it had been quiet for more than thirty days without anyone making any noise, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Habit,
At the beginning, he knew that building a school palace would be difficult, so he bypassed the cabinet and the six ministries. Even so, he had no confidence that the civil servants would acquiesce in his doing this.
What's going on now? Have they forgotten this?
Liu Jin also reacted at this moment and guessed: "Perhaps he knows that His Highness is doing this for the sake of the people, so he doesn't cause trouble."
"No." Zhu Houzhao could not deceive himself to this extent. "I have fought with these civil servants several times. Which time did I really convince them? The same goes for Cheng Minzheng. They are all stubborn old men. Once you know it, it won’t change.”
"So... maybe he is planning something."
This is what Zhu Houzhao was thinking about.
Although I don’t know what it is yet.
But the situation is clearly abnormal.
"To be on the safe side, let's send someone to keep an eye on it."
"Yes." Liu Jin took the order and left.
The prince also returned to his book. His reading companion, Yang Shen, was quieter and more honest than him, and he would also study his books in the afternoon.
When Zhu Houzhao saw that he was working hard, he would ask someone to bring him some delicious food.
As a child, he was quite reserved the first few times, but when he saw the snacks later, he happily accepted them and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
His smile is more genuine now.
Children in this era should have dug out bird's nests together several times, and their friendship will be different.
Half an hour later, Liu Jin came back and said, "Your Highness, Mei Kejia has arrived."
"Bring it in."
After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, he looked at Yang Shen and said, "You go outside and play for a while."
Yang Shen saluted, "Yes."
Mei Kejia is a businessman. Although he is rich, he has never had status. He never thought that one day he would enter the East Palace and meet the most noble crown prince in the world. ….
Even if he had seen big scenes, he would still be nervous.
Fortunately, he was a man who had gone through many trials after all. After entering the palace, he knelt down and kowtowed.
"Mei Kejia, a grass-roots citizen, meets His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness is a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"
He was dressed in gray coarse linen. It was not that he could not afford silk, but mainly because Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that merchants were only allowed to wear cloth.
This palace is magnificent. The sunlight shines in during the day. Even the floor tiles and wood are very exquisite and luxurious. Just now, he didn't dare to look at the Crown Prince. He just glanced briefly and saw a man wearing a red round-necked dragon robe. figure.
"Mekojia,"
"The grassroots are here." His head lowered further.
"Let me ask you. You were originally one of Zhang Tao's, without any warning. How did you know that Zhang Tao was going to take the blame on you, and how did you prepare in advance?"
Mei Kejia did not dare to be negligent, and after thinking about it in her mind, she said: "Eunuch Zhang is a member of the palace, and a villain should not offend or offend him. He just obeys the authority in a hurry and acts boldly to survive. Please, Your Highness Forgive me."
"You misunderstood me. I'm not saying that you don't take the people in the palace seriously. I'm asking you, how did you know that Zhang Tao suddenly started to blame you?"
Mei Kejia thought to herself that she had never thought of asking this question directly for days and nights.
"...His Highness, this matter seems to be a coincidence. The villain is a businessman, so naturally he travels a lot from north to south. Last winter, the villain was in the capital, when the imperial court was promoting the tripartite system. After several attempts to select the official, but with no results, I felt that things would change. Later, when the name of Mr. Wang Yuewang appeared, I knew that he was the one to be the chief official of the three sides."
"Why?"
"It was because of the death of the eunuch Li Guang. Since Li Guang died, the chief governors of the three sides should not have any doubts, let alone have anything to do with Mr. Wang. But firstly, the court test had no results, and secondly, Lord Wang's name appeared instead, so the villain concluded that the Emperor's Sacred Heart must have made the decision silently. Since the Emperor has made the decision, Eunuch Zhang has nothing to do.
What choice did they make? Gansu Town was short of food, and they were in this situation. Unless they had a life-long relationship with Mr. Wang, they would not be able to pass that level. But Mr. Wang has been idle at home for fifteen years, how can he have any contact with Eunuch Zhang? Therefore, in order to raise food and wages, the least risky and most effective way for Eunuch Zhang was naturally to plunder businessmen. "
Zhu Houzhao put down the investigative information about Mei Kejia in his hand.
He asked Wang Hao to send the person to the capital. Firstly, he wanted to solve the mystery. Secondly, he knew that Mei Kejia was an extremely smart person and was rare.
"From Li Guangzhi's death to the failure of the tripartite governor's court promotion, you can actually get a glimpse of the court's intentions... Get up." Zhu Houzhao also walked out from behind the bookcase, "You, Mei Kejia, also have a wonderful idea. People."
"Your Highness has given you too much praise. In the final analysis, it's all about survival." After Mei Kejia stood up, he glanced at the prince and found that he was indeed a young man, but it had been widely spread in the capital that the prince was smart and very comparable to others, so Mei Kejia didn't care. He only knew what he saw, it was the prince. ….
"Isn't it easy to live? This time you have been through hell. Are you more scared?"
Mei Kejia was slightly surprised. No one had asked this question because no one cared whether his life was easy or not.
So this is really a bitter smile, "Just begging everywhere and looking for a way to survive."
"Do something for me. Although you are still a businessman, I can guarantee that no one will be able to take your life at will in the future. Prince of the Ming Dynasty, if you say this, you must keep your word."
Mei Kejia was completely shocked. This was something he had thought about but didn't dare to think about, and yet His Highness directly said it? Mainly because he has no connection with the East Palace in the past, so no one would believe it so easily?
Fortunately, the prince still had something to say, so he felt more at ease.
"...But there are some ugly things we want to say up front. I am not someone who trusts others, and neither are you." Zhu Houzhao pointed at him, "The reason why I said this when we first met is because I have already asked someone to investigate. Your background, including your sons and daughters, are all clear. You are a person who can be used by me."
After hearing what the prince said, Mei Kejia knew it was not a lie.
Now or never.
He immediately expressed his position without hesitation, "I thank Your Highness for your love. It is my blessing to be able to work for Your Highness. Your Highness just does what you say! I will go through fire and water without any hesitation!"
"I told you not to rush, you stay in the capital for a few days first." Zhu Houzhao thought for a while and said, "Mei Kejia, when doing business for the prince, it won't be long before the money passed by will be millions of taels. You know this, right? ?」
A bright light flashed in Mei Kejia's mind,
"I understand. Speaking of the strong wind and sand in the northwest, I still have my mother and several children at home. They were previously implicated by the villain and had to hide in Tibet in order to survive. They didn't have a good life for a few days. If His Highness allows it, I will I begged them to be brought to the capital to live there.”
A smart person is a smart person.
Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "You pick it up. I won't hinder you. But your little son has to be sent to me. I don't have enough people to compete with each other in horseback riding and archery every day."
As a prince, he couldn't see a businessman every day, so where did he get so many opportunities to get to know each other? It's better to just order it.
Moreover, a person who has been fighting in people's hearts for a long time and is smart can't hide it even if he makes some twists and turns, and it makes him look hypocritical. It's better to just go straight - I won't worry if you don't send someone over. You should be able to understand, right?
Mei Kejia was thinking about another thing, what exactly did the crown prince want him to do? !
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