"My dear friends, what are you doing? Please get up quickly. If you have anything to say, please say it slowly." Zhu Houzhao was going to pay homage first and then attack and see what the situation was.
In his hand, he was holding Jin Yiwei's secret fold. He wanted to play with it, and he was also irritated. Anyway, you are making trouble, so go ahead and make trouble. I will do it. Whatever happens! If you want to resign, if I don’t agree, you should be treated well by me. I will treat you well this time no matter what you say. I am not a cat, I am a dragon. What I hate most is that these old guys are always on the line. Ancestor rituals.
When the people in the seven cities of Nanjing Prefecture are really in mourning, you will know what regret means. I am saving people, a group of ungrateful old guys.
Liu Jian was the chief minister, and everyone looked at him. Liu Jian naturally stood up and said with excitement and anger, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you, why did you promise that the three of you will not pay attention to the Qintian Prison? Why did he go back on his promise and send two thieves, Jiao Fang and Zhang Zhong, to Nanjing Prefecture to force the people to move away? Now... Now Nanjing Prefecture, Jiangning, Jurong, Liyang, Lishui, Gaochun, Jiangpu, Liuhe, When the county government has ten rooms and nine empty, the people are displaced and complaining, the sycophant Jiao Fang joins forces with Zhang Zhong, the eunuch, and they regard the law as nothing. Your Majesty...Old Minister...Old Minister."
With a bang, Liu Jian knelt heavily on the ground, took off his official hat, and said sadly: "The impeachment memorial of the Nanjing Imperial Palace has been sent to the capital. Your Majesty, I can't hide it. If the Emperor doesn't kill these two thieves, I will Please give me your Majesty's permission to appeal to me. Since I can't assist Your Majesty, I can't report back to the King, I can't govern the people below, I'm incompetent here, what's the use of keeping me here? Why don't I retire and ask for the emperor's sanction?"
As soon as Liu Jian knelt down, Xie Qian and Li Dongyang also knelt down. They both took off their official hats and knelt without speaking. It seemed that they had the same meaning.
Water can carry a boat but it can also capsize it. If we lose the support of the people, what hope does our Ming Dynasty have? It will eventually become a tree without roots and water without a source. The world will be in chaos again. Why doesn't your majesty understand? There must be nonsense. What a degree, this is the voice of the three pavilion elders.
The six officials behind him, big and small, are really neither standing nor agreeing. To stand is to be enemies with the three elders and the millions of people in Nanjing Mansion. To agree is to stand against His Majesty. He, they have been until now. They didn't understand the cause of the matter. If Liu Jian hadn't given a rough idea, they wouldn't have known what happened.
Xu Qiong is the Minister of Rites, and has unshirkable responsibilities. He usually goes to the palace to give lectures and banquets, and the ancient rituals and ancestral systems are open to talk. At this moment, he chose to stand on the side of the three pavilion elders, bowed down, and seconded: "Your Majesty, please think again."
"Your Majesty, please think twice." The ministers bowed down.
Only now did Zhu Houzhao realize that it turned out that the emperor was not that easy to be. It might have been better if he was a tyrant who didn't care. Unfortunately, he really couldn't act like a tyrant and wanted to live in peace with the ministers. Hello, I'm okay. Hello everyone, is it really that difficult?
"You..." Zhu Houzhao pointed at them and was so angry that he couldn't speak. He grabbed the teacup on the imperial desk and really wanted to smash it down.
You are a bunch of fools, if you wait a few more days, you will definitely regret it. When the time comes, I will see if you have anything else to say.
As the emperor's loyal dog-legger, Liu Jin saw His Majesty being cornered by these old stubborns, so that's okay. But against you old guys, he suddenly had an idea and thought of a way to temporarily break this situation.
He whispered in Zhu Houzhao's ear, "Your Majesty, Jin Yiwei and Dongchang are secretly breaking up. Now, isn't it a good opportunity?"
Zhu Houzhao was so angry that he suddenly forgot about this. After being reminded by Liu Jin, he suddenly remembered, isn't it? Look at the adults behind the three pavilion elders. There seem to be a few of them. It's yours. Let's do it to you first. Let's see who is playing. No matter who, I breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time I was denied by myself.
Liu Jin had mentioned the consequences of doing this that day, and today, the consequences really appeared, making Zhu Houzhao so angry that he became dizzy and forgot that he held the handle of ordinary ministers in his hands, which was used at critical moments. For example, when collecting commercial taxes, the ministers object, then send them a copy and let them understand the emperor's heart. This will have a much better effect. What could be better than letting them make their own suggestions for collecting commercial taxes? Woolen cloth.
Now, obviously it is not the time, but Liu Jin made him wake up. I am the emperor, how can I let my ministers be forced? I am not the weak emperor of Wanli Tianqi. Although I am reluctant to deal with you, I am You have to be tough to the end, even if you don't admit your mistakes, what do you want me to do?
Zhu Houzhao figured out the key and decided to be tough to the end. He said in a deep voice: "I have made up my mind. There is no need for the three masters to say anything more. I will not agree to resign and go into seclusion. However, since the three masters feel that I have used it wrongly, , how about you dare to make a bet with me? If you win, I will issue an edict to let Wang Qiong and others go to the Meridian Gate for forcing the palace. If the three masters lose, Wang Qiong and the others will die. forcing the palace is a serious crime, the three of them What do you think, master?" He said softly later.
Xie Qian saw that the emperor not only did not admit his mistake, but also had such a tough attitude. This is a state matter. How can it be used as a bet like a child's play? It is simply unreasonable.
"Your Majesty, state affairs are nothing like child's play. If your Majesty threatens you with imperial power and the old ministers refuse to obey, there is an old saying..." Xie Qian has not finished speaking.
Zhu Houzhao interrupted forcibly and scolded: "Thank you, Master. I know that you are well-read, knowledgeable, talented, with a lotus tongue, and eloquent. I don't want to hear you talk about the Four Books and Five Classics, the ancestral rules, and in the Ming Dynasty, I These are the rules, I am the emperor, how can the emperor make mistakes? Whose world does this belong to?"
His eyes glanced at the ministers kneeling on the ground. Liu Jin felt extremely comfortable. This was the emperor he knew.
Xie Qian wanted to say more, but was forcibly interrupted by Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao said angrily: "You must be calling me a tyrant now in your heart, right? You must also say that the world belongs to the people of the world, right?"
Some people were about to speak but stopped, but seeing His Majesty being so angry, they had no choice but to bow their heads.
Zhu Houzhao continued: "Which of you has witnessed what happened in Nanjing with your own eyes, or verified the bullets? It's just Wang Qiong who thought he had a handle on me and criticized me for my faults, so you believed him. Could it be that I You are unworthy of believing that Jiao Fang and Zhang Zhong were sent out by me. That’s because you are blind-eyed and blind-minded. You are only afraid of what’s in front of you. Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Emperor Hua, or do whatever you want? If you want to pull me over and become the emperor who rules the world from the top down, I tell you that it is a statue of a statue carved from clay and wood in the temple. I am not and will not become that kind of emperor."
Zhu Houzhao said this deliberately, like a child's angry words, which made the ministers feel relieved. Except for Yang Tinghe, if they had not talked with the emperor, they might have been deceived by his words. Li Dongyang was tricked again. .
Li Dongyang seized the loophole in the emperor's words and asked: "What kind of emperor does the emperor want to be? Qin Shihuang, Han Wu Emperor, Tang Zongzu and Song Zu? Or Taizu Emperor Hongwu, or Chengzu Emperor Yongle, but these eternal emperors , who does not accept loyal advice or listen to advice? Your Majesty wants to learn from them. Why not learn from them first to accept loyal advice, make good use of power, take care of yourself, treat your subjects leniently, and create a prosperous world for all people, just like the emperor is doing now? , the eternal emperor is not like this."
Yang Tinghe found it funny, and deeply admired the emperor's means and thoughts to change the situation. Although Li Dongyang was good at planning, when facing His Majesty, he always missed a move. He promised to risk his life to directly remonstrate, but His Majesty was slightly stronger. A little more, if you continue to play the helpless character, just think that Your Majesty is a big boy, risking your life to persuade him, it will turn into anger. Looking at the thoughtful looks of the ministers around him, I am afraid that Your Majesty will be the winner in this scene again. Come on.
When the sea ban was lifted, because of Liu Daxia, Ma Wen Sheng entered the palace angrily to intercede for Liu Daxia, but was shunned. He went to look for three pavilion elders, only to find that they had already been summoned by His Majesty to the inner palace to give him a dinner. When the three elders came out of the palace and came back to their senses, His Majesty had already closed the palace door. Didn't this scene happen before?
Zhu Houzhao nodded, secretly happy in his heart, his tone slowed down, and he said: "Master Li is right, accept loyal advice, make good use of power, be careful with yourself, and be lenient to your subjects. I was wrong. The mistake was that I didn't follow the instructions." The ministers discussed it and acted arbitrarily. Okay, I was wrong. Please give me some time, three masters, but don't get angry. As for Wang Qiong and others, I have spoken first, and what I say will be followed. It is a matter of concern. The imperial authority is strict and does not tolerate provocation, but I promise to give them a chance to change their ways. If they retreat now, I will forget about it, how about that?"
Liu Jin looked convinced, Your Majesty is Your Majesty, and he settled these old guys in just a few words.
Everyone came to plead for them before, but it was only after Wang Qiong forwarded a memorial to Liu Jian that the trouble became like this. Now that I think about it, the emperor was right. When did the memorial arrive in Wang Qiong's hands? Did he verify the authenticity? , no matter what the situation is now, everyone has no idea, so they just think about how unbearable the emperor thinks. It seems that something is wrong.
The three pavilion elders felt a little ashamed even if they risked their lives. They imagined that they and others were still shouting for the late emperor in the corridor before. Now it seems that it was a bit too much. Did we really blame the emperor wrongly?
Zhu Houzhao was innocently wronged and looked at them sincerely. The hearts of the three cabinet elders melted. Your Majesty is still young and it is inevitable to do wrong things. And young people, who is not young and energetic, wants to Thinking about the cruel words His Majesty said out of anger, I felt quite amused.
An emperor who wants to do things is better than an emperor who only knows how to have fun. They have watched Zhu Houzhao grow up, so they naturally know his past dark history, but because of this relationship, they also have a deep understanding of Zhu Houzhao's past. Zhu Houzhao had placed great hopes on him. The emperor had been smart and alert since he was a child. Wouldn't it be just right if this wisdom could be used in governing national affairs.
"If the emperor knows his mistakes and can correct them, it will be a blessing to the world and a blessing to the country. I congratulate the country and all the people in the world. Long live my emperor. Long live the emperor." Yang Tinghe spoke and secretly helped Zhu Houzhao.
"Long live, long live, long live my emperor."
At first, the ministers were angry and high-spirited. Under the leadership of three pavilion elders, they entered the palace arrogantly.
Now, a fundamental change has occurred in the blink of an eye, and I even doubt in my heart whether my behavior is worthy of His Majesty, and I feel ashamed.
After everyone left the palace, Liu Jin went to the Meridian Gate with his oral instructions and proclaimed the edict: "Your Majesty ordered that all officials, students, and disciples outside the Meridian Gate should retreat immediately. I will forget the blame. If not, they will all kneel here for three days." For three days and three nights, officials who do not retire will be dismissed from office, students who do not retire will be expelled from school, candidates who do not resign will be deprived of their qualifications, and those who make trouble with nonsense or make loud noises will be immediately locked up and imprisoned. No one is allowed to plead for mercy. Violators will be severely punished. this."
"Gao Lan, what are you waiting for? Haven't you heard His Majesty's decree?" Liu Jin said in a gloomy voice as he glanced at everyone kneeling outside the Meridian Gate.
"Wei Chen received the decree." After Gao Lan received the decree, he immediately ordered the imperial troops to drive away.
"Take action immediately. If he refuses to leave, let him kneel down. He will not be released for less than three days. No one is allowed to show favoritism. Anyone who violates the rule will be kicked out of the Imperial Army with an eighty-point rod."
"promise."
Only in the army can you accept the promise, which means you solemnly accept it.
There was a huge uproar outside the Meridian Gate, where people were preparing to watch the excitement. I didn’t expect His Majesty to be so tough and unwilling to give in at all. If you want to kneel, you can kneel for three days and three nights. Let’s see who can survive. You are not allowed to beg for mercy. Three of you. Mr. Ge and the six adults had already left. When they came out, they didn't even look at Wang Qiong. They didn't know what happened in the palace? The disappointment on Wang Qiong's face was different from what he expected.
The eldest son of the Kong family also looked disappointed. He had promised to show off his power, but this situation was wrong.
There were several thorns among the examiners and students. After being taken down on the spot, the others all dispersed when they saw that something was wrong. Only a few censors from the Imperial Academy and the Supervisory Council, and Wang Qiong and a dozen others who had been kneeling for a long time over there.
It was noon, the sun was in the sky, the bluestone on the ground was boiling hot, and there were only a few who could survive the scorching sun. It seemed that the emperor was determined to kill them. Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, and some people thought of retreating. Yi, just when he was about to make a move and start a fight, he was hit by a halberd on the knee, and he knelt down again with a cry of pain.
Gao Lan shouted, "Your Majesty has ordered you to kneel for three days and three nights. Then it will be easy for you to kneel for three days and three nights. If you are not allowed to do so, any further violation will be punished by death."
Wang Qiong was still "proud and unyielding" and knelt straight, even if he gave up his skin, he wanted the emperor to admit his mistake. It would be better to be beaten to death. Instead of living and being humiliated, it would be better to die here. It seemed that he had made up his mind. Those who are willing to give in.
It's just a pity for Hanlin and Yushi Qingliu who followed him to cause trouble. They are so innocent, but it's too late to say anything now.
Zhu Houzhao and Liu Jin changed their equipment and left the palace again, missing their whereabouts.
