According to the prince's instructions, Wang Qiong and Peng Ze took office as Zhejiang's chief envoy and inspector. Before taking up their posts, they first went to the East Palace to meet the prince.
Zhu Houzhao had an impression of Wang Qiong. This impression was that he had a bad relationship with Yang Tinghe in history. Because Yang Tinghe is a pure person, Wang Qiong is willing to try any method that can get things done, no matter how many.
As for Peng Zhi, there was nothing else recommended by Min Gui.
Both of them are officials in their forties. They are at their best and have rich experience. Of course, they have little experience facing the prince, especially the current prince, who is not a real child. With such a bad reputation, they are naturally more cautious.
Zhu Houzhao sat on the couch, stretching out his hand to warm the fire from time to time, "...raise your head, you probably haven't seen me yet."
Wang Qiong is wild, Peng Ze actually has a bad temper, but at this moment he is still like a good little cat. Wang Qiong has deep forehead wrinkles and Peng Ze has a big beard. Zhu Houzhao remembers their appearance.
"Your Majesty's face shines so brightly that I dare not look directly at him."
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but smile. This Wang Qiong is really good at flattering. Without mentioning these things, he said: "You should have heard about the scandal in Zhejiang last year. Officials and businessmen colluded, and even the officials of the imperial court themselves were motivated by certain reasons. There is a merchant family, they are doing it here and there...it seems like the court was created to make money for their own family."
"Being an official, being an official of the imperial court, being an official of this palace, I don't expect each of you to think about me and the imperial court with all your heart, but you should think about it at least five percent, right? The remaining four Think about yourself and think about others. Otherwise, I will have to organize Zhejiang Eucalyptus again."
Wang Qiong and Peng Ze felt guilty when they heard this.
"Li Yancai and Dang Shanji should still be in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. I am too lazy to interrogate them. You two must go to see them once before going to Zhejiang. There is a lot of money in Zhejiang. If you accidentally fall in it, you will never come out again. not coming."
"Yes, the two of you will go to the Penal Department Prison immediately after you retreat."
"You went to Zhejiang to clean up the mess and work hard for several years to do some good things for the people. Zhejiang is a financial and tax center in the southeast. If Zhejiang is in chaos..."
Wang Qiong took over the words, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince understands that if there is chaos in Zhejiang, I will come to see you with my head raised."
"I don't want your heads. What's the use of cutting them off to me? I want a prosperous Zhejiang." Zhu Houzhao pointed at Wang Qiong and remembered another thing, "Your "Caohe Picture Chronicles" is very good. Zhejiang The water network in those places in the north is well developed. After you go to Zhejiang, you should also take a good look at the water system there to connect canals and irrigate fertile fields. If you do this well, I will also remember your great contribution."
"The humble minister has not yet taken up his post and dare not claim his merits. All he wants to do is to do things well in Zhejiang. Your Highness loves and protects the people, and all ministers know it. But it is not enough for the ministers in the court to know about it. The people of the world must also know about it. , I am in Zhejiang, just to let the people of Zhejiang know that so many people killed by the imperial court in Zhejiang are also bad people, and it is for the sake of the people."
Zhu Houzhao rubbed his fingers, with a subtle smile in his eyes. This guy is an interesting person, but he doesn't make too many remarks. He always has to wait until he gets results. ….
"What's good at the top will be good at the bottom. You guys, just remember what I'm good at."
After leaving the East Palace, Wang Qiong wanted to say hello to Peng Ze. After all, he was a colleague, but he didn't expect that Peng Ze had a rather cold attitude. He glanced at him sideways and left straight away.
Wang Qiong was also a person who wanted to save face. He shook his sleeves and angrily said, "Why are you pretending to be a big-tailed wolf!"
Peng Ze is a gentleman, he cherishes his reputation and has a good temper. He just saw that Wang Qiong basically ignored everything in front of the prince, and he was so flattering that he naturally didn't want to be with him.
He didn't even understand why His Highness the Crown Prince would specifically use such a person. There were so many humble gentlemen in the court.
Wang Qiong realized he was bored and walked alone. Halfway down the road, he suddenly saw a group of eunuchs heading towards the East Palace in a panic. This made him squint his eyes.
Something happened?
But he didn't dare ask these things.
In the East Palace, Zhu Houzhao
When I heard the eunuch came to report that Emperor Hongzhi wanted to see him, it was originally a normal eunuch to convey the order, but the eunuch looked very nervous. There was sweat on his forehead in the winter, and his voice was trembling when he spoke.
Zhu Houzhao frowned and looked out the window. Others could not tell what he was thinking.
Seeing that the prince's face was not kind, Liu Jin stepped forward and kicked the guy, "You blind servant! How can you behave in such a panic?!"
"Forget it." Zhu Houzhao sighed, "Let's change clothes."
In fact, at this time, the cabinet also received the same order from the palace, that is, Emperor Hongzhi wanted to see them.
Although he didn't say anything, the emperor suddenly summoned the ministers at this time...
…
…
In the thirteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, Zhu Houzhao didn't listen to the advice of Qiu Yun and others, so he wore less clothes and caught wind and cold.
That time was the most serious illness he had suffered in the past few years. Doctor Tan from the Medical Palace personally tried medicine for him and spent a lot of effort to cure him.
Emperor Hongzhi resorted to praying to gods and Buddhas again, and everyone in the palace began to perform rituals to pray for the prince. In those days, the emperor was as anxious as the most helpless person in the world. He always had a good temper and even punished the palace maids who failed to serve her well.
In fact, the reason for the lack of service is that the prince's illness has not improved.
The emperor didn't even care about state affairs and sat in front of the prince's bed all day long. Zhu Houzhao uttered words in his coma, saying that he wanted to eat pears, but it was already winter in the north at that time? Where to find pears. The emperor sent a large number of internal officials from the palace to the south to search.
That is to say, Zhu Houzhao didn't say he wanted to eat cherries or kiwis, otherwise he wouldn't know where to find them.
…
…
In the fourteenth year of Hongzhi,
The prince once went out to play in the palace. He said he had business, but in fact there was no business. He secretly ate roast chicken cooked in a local way among the people. To be honest, the sanitary conditions in those days were really worrying. As a result, he had diarrhea when he returned to the palace.
That time things were particularly serious, but the prince was unwilling to punish others with his own mistakes.
Emperor Hongzhi firmly supported the prince in the court, otherwise the eunuchs who failed to persuade the prince would lose their lives.
…
…
In the fifteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, the Prince of the East Palace became furious again because Changxing Bo invaded the land and usurped a young girl from a good family. In anger, he announced that he would cut off Changxing Bo's title and replace him with someone else. ….
Afterwards, an official complained, saying that the prince had made the decision without authorization. As a result, Emperor Hongzhi, without knowing anything about it, said that the prince had reported it to him in advance.
Things like these have happened frequently in the past few years.
…
…
Zhu Houzhao is a person who understands history and politics. Of course he knows that looking at China's thousand-year history and hundreds of emperors, who can achieve the level of Emperor Hongzhi?
Maybe there will never be a second one.
Now the emperor was dying on the dragon bed. His cheekbones were prominent and his lips were white. He had no bones in his body caused by years of illness, and even his loose hair was dry.
In the Nuan Pavilion, four cabinet ministers, Liu, Li, Xie, including Liu Daxia, knelt and sobbed softly.
Among the eunuchs, except Xiao Jing, no one else is allowed to enter. In addition to the doctors from Taiyuan Hospital, there were also two doctors, Tan and Hu, who were kneeling in a side area.
Zhu Houzhao knelt beside the dragon bed, listening to the emperor's words intermittently.
In fact, the emperor was very, very weak. He couldn't turn his head. He looked straight and blankly upward. He only said one sentence, four words: Prince, Prince.
He is always calling.
Facing these four ministers whom he trusted, the emperor said nothing. He raised his finger with difficulty and pointed at them, and then at the prince.
After Li Dongyang looked around, he understood the holy meaning, "Your Majesty means that I should wait for His Highness the Crown Prince Zuo!"
Emperor Hongzhi forced a smile and squeezed out a tear from the corner of his eye.
When the ministers saw this, they knew that Li Dongyang had guessed correctly, so they gathered together
The body kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will serve Prince Zuo wholeheartedly to benefit the Ming Dynasty and the people!"
In fact, Zhu Houzhao didn't have that much determination to show, and he didn't show any arrogance. He just held Emperor Hongzhi's hand, groped and warmed it. He recalled every bit of the past few years in his mind, and tears kept flowing in his eyes. Spin.
"Dad, my son is lucky to have the best father in the world like you."
If Zhu Houzhao had anything else to say when he was dying, it would be this sentence.
He believed that this sentence could comfort Hongzhi's heart the most.
"Prince. Our ancestors' empire will depend on you from now on."
I don’t know why, but the emperor suddenly can make a sound!
Zhu Houzhao thought it was his illusion. He quickly raised his head, with tears streaming down his face, he could hardly see the emperor's appearance, "Father?! Father, are you okay?! Doctor, come and see, father can speak!" "
"Your Highness!" Xiao Jing crawled over and hugged Zhu Houzhao's legs, "Your Highness, the emperor didn't say anything. The emperor has... collapsed!"
boom!
"Go away!" Zhu Houzhao ignored him. He turned around and asked, "Didn't you hear what the father said?!"
The four ministers all buried their heads deeply.
The doctor next to me didn't seem to hear it either.
Zhu Houzhao looked around at a loss. His mind suddenly became clear. When he turned around again, the emperor on the dragon bed still looked like he was breathing. His eyes seemed to be closed forever.
"Father!!"
Zhu Houzhao's heart ached. He thought that no one would love him anymore, and no one would protect him when he got into trouble. When he was tired and sad, he would not even have anyone to talk to.
He gritted his teeth but couldn't stop crying.
For a time, in the Nuan Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, sobbing sounds could be heard one after another.
Li Dongyang held up his sleeves and wiped his tears, "Your Highness, the late emperor has passed away, but the country cannot be without a king for a day. I sincerely ask your highness to slow down your grief and put state affairs first, so that you can live up to the legacy of the late emperor and our ancestors."
===
There should be another chapter tonight. Three thousand words the day before yesterday, four thousand words the day before yesterday, five thousand words yesterday, strive for recovery today. Although it has not turned negative yet, the symptoms are much milder. .
royal hired cat
