Chapter 44: Daming's Bones
Cui Yuan was in a good mood.
In the 26th year of Jiajing's reign, Princess Yongkang passed away.
Before she left, the princess had told him to stay out of state affairs.
In the early morning, Cui Yuan got up and thought of last night's dream. He couldn't help but sigh, "Women's views."
He was a famous handsome man in the capital. Many women had been obsessed with him, but in the end he married the princess.
Princess Shang will surely be rich and powerful throughout her life, but this is also a bondage that deprives her of her freedom.
After the death of the previous emperor, the prime minister and Empress Dowager Zhang discussed for a long time and decided to let the younger brother succeed the elder brother, making Prince Xing Zhu Houzhao the successor.
This matter requires a messenger.
In the end they chose the son-in-law Cui Yuan.
The merit of welcoming the emperor to the throne!
Cui Yuan's heart was burning with excitement.
At that time, Prince Xing Zhu Houcong was young, and Cui Yuan couldn't help feeling a bit of sympathy when he saw him. He felt that if he went to the capital, he would probably become a puppet of the prime ministers and Empress Dowager Zhang.
So, he dropped a few hints along the way.
Unexpectedly, the young emperor gave him huge rewards and surprises in the following years.
——Conferred the title of Marquis of Jingshan!
If Cui Yuan was indifferent to fame and fortune, he should have retired at this moment and avoided the subsequent battle between the emperor and his ministers.
Princess Yongkang also tried to persuade him.
But the title of Marquis of Jingshan was thrown to Cui Yuan, which stunned him. Moreover, Emperor Zhengde died and was succeeded by the foreign vassal prince Zhu Houcong. How could the princess at this moment make Cui Yuan bow his head?
As a result, Cui Yuan became the think tank and envoy of Emperor Jiajing, and one of the most important people.
Many times, Cui Yuan looked at the aging man in the bronze mirror and couldn't help but sigh for the past.
If I hadn't married Princess Shang, based on my abilities, I should have a place in the court right now!
But the past cannot be retrieved.
"Consort."
After her hair was combed, the maid behind her bowed and left.
The dressing table was new, with a large bronze mirror on it.
The old man in the bronze mirror had a ruddy complexion, fair skin and very fine wrinkles.
"This overwhelming wealth has come, can I really give it up?"
Cui Yuan murmured, then looked up at the portrait on the wall, "Your Majesty has retired to the West Garden, leaving the government to the Prime Minister. What kind of authority is this? It can be called an emperor..."
The Princess Yongkang in the portrait is silent.
"I am your Majesty's confidant, but I can only watch this overwhelming wealth flow into the Zhilu and into Xia Yan's hands. The most hateful thing is that Xia Yan, that old dog, disdains me."
Cui Yuan clenched his fist.
"I thought hard about how to deal with Xia Yan, but I didn't expect that Xia Yan would take action against Lu Bing. Someone handed Xia Yan evidence of Lu Bing's corruption, and Xia Yan showed it to Lu Bing. Lu Bing knelt down and begged... Xia Yan then let him go."
The morning light spread from the east, shining through the courtyard and into the house.
The old man in the bronze mirror looked clearer, and the smile on his face was surprisingly ferocious.
"Since Xia Yan, that idiot, wanted to deal with Lu Bing, he should have beaten him to death. But he thought that he had evidence of Lu Bing's corruption and could use it as a threat. But he didn't think about what kind of person Lu Bing was."
"After that, Lu Bing turned to Xia Yan's mortal enemy Yan Song. Princess, you asked me not to get involved, but if I miss this great opportunity, I will regret it even in the grave."
The old man in the mirror chuckled, "Yan Song and Lu Bing joined forces, one open and one hidden, plus me, the three of us joined forces, this government, this power... who can take it away? But as long as Xia Yan is alive, he will always be a big worry."
Cui Yuan looked at the portrait and said, "I had already planned to kill Xia Yan. But I didn't expect that a cousin of your majesty would show up and be quite friendly to Xia Yan. I know, I know..."
Cui Yuan suddenly looked excited and breathed rapidly. He walked to the portrait and panted, "I know you will definitely say that the boy will not speak for Xia Yan, but on what basis?"
Cui Yuan waved his hands, "I have done countless merits for your majesty, which is why I am favored by you today. But since that young man came, your majesty has valued him and summoned him every now and then. He loves him more than his own son. Why isn't all this mine? Why!"
“This is unfair!”
Cui Yuan looked at the portrait breathlessly for a long time, then touched the cheek of the woman in the portrait tenderly, "Princess, I promise you, as long as you kill Xia Yan and drive away that bastard Jiang Qingzhi, I will stay away from Yan Song..."
……
Early in the morning, Lu Bing joined the Jinyiwei.
"Commander."
Zhu Hao followed him and said, "Last night, Wang Xintian's woman didn't return home with the child until midnight."
"Does Jiang Qingzhi have any response?"
"The Jiang family's gates are tightly closed." Zhu Hao said with a smile, "If he dares to drive them away, it will arouse public indignation. The officials of the Ministry of Works will spit at him and drown the Changwei Marquis's mansion."
"Don't underestimate the enemy." Lu Bing looked relaxed.
"Don't worry, Commander." Zhu Hao stopped and watched Lu Bing enter the duty room. He stood outside and chuckled, "It was late at night and the dew was heavy. That woman was so cruel that she made Wang Xintian's child kneel all the time."
Lu Bing said calmly, "Those are the children of Wang Xintian's previous wife. She herself has no children."
"No wonder." Zhu Hao sighed, "Other people's children always die."
Lu Bing read the news in the duty room, selected the important ones, and then went to the palace to report.
"Is your Majesty awake?" Lu Bing asked outside the palace. Huang Jin nodded.
Emperor Jiajing went to bed early last night, which was a rare occasion, and is now having breakfast.
"Your Majesty." While waiting for Emperor Jiajing to finish his breakfast, Lu Bing reported various news.
"An Da has sent people to harass the border wall again, saying that if we don't open up trade, we will send troops to invade..."
Lu Bing looked up, a little worried, "An Da is now very powerful..."
Emperor Jiajing was walking slowly, holding the cat.
"That year... the 20th year of Jiajing!" Emperor Jiajing said, "Altan sent an envoy to ask for tribute. What was my reply?"
Lu Bing said: "Your Majesty has issued a reward. Whoever kills Altan will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins and be made a governor."
"In the 21st year of Jiajing, Altan sent someone to tell me that if we refused to open the tribute, 300,000 troops would march south. How did I respond to his provocation?"
Lu Bing said: "Your Majesty ordered the execution of Altan's envoy by slow slicing, and his head should be sent to the nine frontiers."
Tribute is trade.
"Altan Khan led his army to invade, did I bow my head?"
The Jiajing Emperor's voice was gentle, but Lu Bing's body was shaken, and he stood up straight and replied, "Your Majesty has never bowed his head."
"I have always remembered the instructions of Emperor Chengzu." Emperor Jiajing put the cat down and stood with his hands behind his back. "Establishing the capital in Beiping means that our children and grandchildren will guard the border for the country. The emperor guards the country's gates, and the king dies for the country. This is the bones of the Ming Dynasty!"
Emperor Jiajing turned around and looked at Lu Bing, "Even if the Ming Dynasty is destroyed, this bone must still stand straight. It would rather break than bend!"
……
Lu Bing left the palace and ordered, "Tell Cui Yuan to dig a pit and bury the people quickly. Otherwise, I'm worried that His Majesty will protect Jiang Qingzhi."
"No way?" Zhu Hao said, "After all, Prince Consort Cui is a minister favored by His Majesty for many years. Would His Majesty let him lose face for Jiang Qingzhi?"
"Your Majesty's words today suddenly made me alert." Lu Bing stopped, and the crowd of officials in front of him instantly parted and walked around him on both sides.
Lu Bing stood there, with several Jinyiwei standing behind him with swords in hand.
He squinted his eyes, enjoying this supreme authority, but he knew in his heart that this authority came from Emperor Jiajing.
"Your Majesty is quite tough on Altan. If the border generals are useful, Your Majesty will definitely send a large army out of the border to attack Altan."
"Commander, as for the generals on the Ming Dynasty's border, even Qiu Luan, they can only defend the status quo at best." Zhu Hao said disdainfully.
"But Jiang Qingzhi has made a name for himself in the two battles in the south. I am worried that Your Majesty values his military strategy. Once this happens, Jiang Qingzhi will surely be carefully cultivated by Your Majesty. As Jiang Qingzhi's power expands, we will have another great enemy. Go quickly!"
"Yes!"
After hearing the news, Cui Yuan sneered and said, "The Ministry of Industry is quite dissatisfied with Jiang Qingzhi. In this case, you can send someone to pass on the message that Jiang Qingzhi intends to stand up for the military and use Wang Xintian as a bargaining chip."
So, in the afternoon, there were more than a dozen officials from the Ministry of Works among the protesting crowd outside Chang Wei's mansion.
"Is this a protest?" Jiang Qingzhi laughed.
"Master, they are going too far." Sun Chonglou was eager to try, "I just sharpened the knife."
"A brave but foolish man." said Dou Jialan.
Sun Chonglou was angry, "Have you ever killed anyone?"
Dou Jialan nodded, "Of course."
"Have you ever chopped off anyone's head?"
Sun Chonglou raised his eyebrows, "The blood spurted out from the neck, the head fell to the ground, and the eyeballs were still moving..."
Dou Jialan's throat surged a few times.
"Stop talking so much."
Jiang Qingzhi walked out of the room and Fucheng came.
"Sir, there is still one day, how about... just stab him?" Fucheng said.
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head, "This is my first time taking action in the court, Lao Fu, if the movement is too small, do you think it is possible to establish authority?"
Fu Cheng was stunned, "Young Master, is your purpose to establish your authority?"
"By the way, show the outside world that Jiang's position is different from Yan Song, Cui Yuan and others." Jiang Qingzhi said: "If you don't share the same ideals, you can't make plans together."
"Sir, are you a little anxious?"
Jiang Qingzhi didn't want to either, but if he wanted to increase the country's destiny, there were many obstacles ahead, the biggest of which was Yan Song's party.
Since you want to be enemies, then choose sides early.
Moreover, Emperor Jiajing liked checks and balances. Jiang Qingzhi stood on the opposite side of Yan Song's party, which was a helper sent from heaven for Emperor Jiajing.
Play this, Taoist, I'm not bad at it!
Jiang Qingzhi turned around and said, "Check Wang Xintian."
"Young Master, do you want to..." Dou Jialan asked.
"I'm going to make a big noise!"
……
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(End of this chapter)
