Chapter 836: A Feast for the World
The army's triumphant return was a display of the achievements of Emperor Jiajing after he left the Western Garden. It was also a deterrent.
This mighty army, which had just defeated Altan Khan's invincible cavalry, was loyal to me.
The army is the emperor's greatest confidence.
"What do those people want to do?"
In the Zhilu, Cui Yuan frowned and said, "Saying that the Prime Minister accepted bribes...isn't this nonsense?"
"Confiscate it?" Zhu Xizhong sneered and threw the memorial in his hand on the table. "Those people came prepared. They must have obtained evidence that the prime minister accepted bribes."
It had long been a habit for Yan Song and his son to accept bribes. During this triumphant journey, Zhao Wenhua was responsible for winning over the hearts of the people, and Yan Song was like a giant Buddha. He only had to squat there, and gifts and money from local officials and powerful people who wanted to get close to Yan's party would come rolling in.
"Evidence, grab a lot!"
Zhu Xizhong shook his head, "Prime Minister, you are too careless."
In fact, Zhu Xizhong was wrong. Yan Song and his son were still cautious at the time. In a few years, they became unscrupulous in accepting bribes and even selling official positions and titles.
Yan Shifan was even so arrogant that he regarded the Taoist priest as nothing... As a close minister to the emperor, and as a prime minister who was not a prime minister, after living with him day and night for a long time, in Yan Shifan's eyes, the emperor was just an ordinary person, or even a vulgar person.
How could a vulgar person be worthy of the attention of this young minister?
So he unscrupulously collected money, unscrupulously formed cliques, and unscrupulously sold official positions... But it was not easy for ordinary people to buy official positions, especially local officials.
For example, Hu Zongxian gained the power to preside over the anti-Japanese war by bribing and flattering Zhao Wenhua, who said many good things about him to Yan Song and his son.
It is sad to say that an ambitious official who wants to do something practical has to bribe corrupt officials to achieve his goal.
The news had already reached Emperor Jiajing. He was having breakfast while the little girl was serving him food and muttering from time to time.
"My uncle said that I can't be picky about food. I have to eat meat, tofu, and vegetables every day... I can't miss anything."
Emperor Jiajing ate a piece of mutton cooked by Xiao Mian'ao with an expressionless face, and said in her expectant eyes: "Well! It's much better than last time."
"That's what I said!" Changle said happily.
"Your Majesty!" Rui Jingxian came.
Changle stood up and said, "Dad, I'll make a few more dishes for you later."
Emperor Jiajing's eyebrows jumped, "Okay!"
Changle took his leave. Emperor Jiajing pointed at the mutton. Zhang Tong said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty..."
"I ate it." Emperor Jiajing also didn't like wasting food.
Rui Jingxian came in. According to convention, unless it was a serious matter, the matter should be put aside while Emperor Jiajing was having a meal.
"Your Majesty, there are people outside who are making a fuss, saying that the Prime Minister has been plundering the land along the way. The army is returning victorious, and the people along the way have suffered terribly. They say that if we welcome him, we will be helping the treacherous... helping the tyrant to commit atrocities."
Emperor Jiajing ate the cake slowly, and the wheat aroma gradually turned into bitterness.
Did he know that Yan Song and his son were corrupt?
know.
Know it better than anyone else.
But he doesn't care.
No matter how much corruption you commit, your Yan family can only use a limited amount of it.
When I think of it, I will slap it and everything will be mine.
Just like the saying later: Heshen fell, Jiaqing was full.
Why did the emperor condone corruption among his close ministers?
It's not stupidity, it's watching a show.
You are greedy, and you continue to be greedy.
In the end, all of this will belong to me, or to my children and grandchildren.
In any case, the meat ended up rotting in the pot.
I, it’s not a loss!
But now the backlash came.
Rui Jingxian glanced at the Taoist cautiously, and when he saw him stop eating, he said, "It is widely rumored in the market that the Prime Minister should be killed. Many people say that... we will not welcome the victorious army tomorrow."
When the army returned triumphantly, the people of the capital rushed out to welcome them, which was also a way to create momentum.
To build momentum for Emperor Jiajing.
Look, with one move from Your Majesty, Altan was reduced to ashes.
Your Majesty is wise!
Your Majesty is mighty!
The prestige of Emperor Jiajing is closely related to the success of the new policy.
Therefore, the army’s triumphal momentum must be sufficient.
"Your Majesty," a eunuch reported, "Chang Wei Bo said he wanted to visit His Royal Highness King Jing in the palace."
"Hmm!" Emperor Jiajing narrowed his eyes, "What about this matter... Where is Lu Bing?"
Rui Jingxian said cautiously: "It is said that he is still lying down!"
Yesterday, the two eunuchs beside the Taoist ordered all the Jinyiwei to come out and watch the execution. Lu Bing was beaten with thirty sticks and fell to the ground. It was said that his buttocks were broken.
It's a bit of an exaggeration to say it was smashed, but it's true that it can't be repaired.
Emperor Jiajing then realized that he was a little uncomfortable without Lu Bing.
He glanced at Rui Jingxian, who looked up and smiled flatteringly, like a dog volunteering to fawn on his master.
After the rise of the Imperial Guard, the Eastern Depot declined. Most of the public affairs were handled by the Imperial Guard, while the Eastern Depot could only do shady things.
"What do you think about this matter?" asked the Taoist priest.
Rui Jingxian said: "I think we should arrest these idiots who spread rumors and make an example of them."
This is a common practice.
Seeing Daoye frowning slightly, Rui Jingxian knew something was wrong, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes, "How about arresting some people..." "Go!"
Emperor Jiajing waved his hands in disappointment.
Rui Jingxian took his leave and walked down the stairs. He lowered his head and whispered, "This is a big pit. If we jump in, we may not be able to get out!"
He knew who was making the noise outside, and he also knew that if he wanted to fight back, he had to create a commotion in public opinion.
The East Factory is good at killing people and spying on opponents in the dark, but it is weak in creating public opinion.
If he took over this matter, Rui Jingxian would only have a 20% chance of success.
Isn't that sending someone to death?
Can we do something that would lead to our own death?
So Rui Jingxian decided to pretend to be stupid.
After Rui Jingxian left, Emperor Jiajing pondered for a long time. Someone came to report, "Your Majesty, Chang Wei Bo dragged His Royal Highness Prince Jing up and forced him to go out in the sun, and had an argument with the imperial physician."
"He's free." Emperor Jiajing raised his eyebrows, "Let him do it!"
King Jing had caught a cold. At first, his condition was severe, he had a fever, and had no appetite. The imperial doctors consulted and prescribed medicine, and told King Jing to rest.
At this moment, King Jing was walking quickly outside his residence with sweat on his forehead.
He wore a cloak, a hat, and even gloves, with only half of his face exposed... This was the last resort of the imperial doctors.
The sun was shining brightly today, and after the cold wind was blocked by the cloak, King Jing slowly felt his whole body begin to heat up.
An imperial physician grumbled in dissatisfaction on the side, saying that Chang Wei Bo's medical skills were unheard of. If it worked, it would be good... If King Jing's condition worsened due to the wind, whose responsibility would it be?
Jiang Qingzhi was sitting in the corridor, with the worried-looking little girl beside him, "Uncle, Fourth Brother doesn't look very well."
"He's very good at it." Jiang Qingzhi held a cigarette in his mouth and squinted his eyes. "In order to verify his own prescription, he stayed up all night and went out to... perform performance art. If he can't do it, who can?"
King Jing had always been in good health, but this time he fell ill in a strange way, and Jiang Qingzhi noticed something was wrong as soon as he arrived. After a round of threats, he learned that this guy had recently been studying several prescriptions from his ancestors, and he felt that something was wrong.
If it's not right, then it's not right! Zhu Laosi went to discuss this with the imperial doctors of the Imperial Hospital, and the two sides were at a stalemate.
If you say Zhu Laosi is a proud person, everyone would admit it. But what I didn't expect was that when he got serious... his aura was frightening.
This is a prescription for treating colds. After an argument with the Imperial Hospital, Zhu Laosi decided to go all out. In the middle of the night, when no one was paying attention, he wandered around outside for half an hour in just a single layer of clothes.
This is the North! Brother!
It’s so cold in the middle of the night. You’ve been wandering outside for half an hour in just a single layer of clothing. You’re lucky if you’re not dead.
Is this enough to kill yourself?
not enough!
Then he asked someone to make medicine according to his own prescription. Not long after taking the medicine, he had a high fever...
Changle muttered, "Fourth brother looks unkind, but actually... he's a good person."
Zhu Laosi was a good man, but most people would stay away from him just by looking at his cold face. Over time, rumors spread that Zhu Laosi relied on his mother to run rampant in the palace.
Upon hearing the news, Concubine Lu almost broke her teeth, and asked King Jing to change his arrogant temper.
But this man was born in the Year of the Ox, and he would still be an ox even if he was taken to Java.
The sound of King Jing's waves remains.
"Uncle, is the child having fun?" The little girl had only been to her uncle's house once recently and missed Dapeng a little.
"It's fun." New fathers love to show off their children to others.
"Dapeng likes blowing milk bubbles the most..."
Just as Changle was listening intently and wished he could go to Bo's Mansion to see Dapeng immediately, the eunuch beside the Taoist arrived.
"…Your Majesty asked Lord Bo to handle this matter."
The eunuch thought about the difficulty of this matter on the way and felt that it was too much to ask.
King Jing was tired and stopped to walk over. "This is Yan Song's business. Yan Shifan should be the one to handle it, father..."
Under the gaze of Jiang Qingzhi and Changle, King Jing decisively changed his words. "Father is wise."
whispering sound!
The two men despised King Jing.
Jiang Qingzhi touched his smooth chin and said, "Let's talk about this matter! The root of the problem lies with Yan Song. Go and report to His Majesty and tell him that the root must be removed first. Otherwise, things will be difficult to handle."
The eunuch left in a flash, and King Jing was stunned. "Yan Song wanted to use the opportunity of the triumphant return to create public opinion for himself and the Yan Party. I bet that he and those people in the Yan Party secretly think that my cousin is stupid to return to the capital alone."
"Who is stupid then?" asked the little girl.
King Jing looked at his uncle with amusement, "Of course Yan Song is stupid."
……
After receiving the report, the Taoist priest mocked his loyal dog for once, "Yan Song is not stupid, he just forgot about love because of his greed."
The eunuch waited for a reply.
The Taoist pondered for a long time and said, "Then let Qingzhi go to the army and lead the army to Beijing tomorrow."
Huang Jin was standing by and thought that Yan Song's actions were a praise at first and a criticism later, and in the end it was all to prepare the way for Jiang Qingzhi.
Play the art of war!
The old prime minister is not as good as the young and strong Jiang Qingzhi!
Huang Jin smiled.
After all, he and Jiang Qingzhi had a closer relationship.
He was also happy to see Yan Song suffer a setback.
But the eunuch came back soon.
"Your Majesty, Long Wilbur says he is not feeling well and cannot get any wind."
"What do you want to do?" The Taoist priest was angry.
Huang Jin sighed, "Since he suggested bringing Yuan Fu back, then someone has to lead the army back to the capital, right?"
"Chang Wei Bo said that this great victory was not the credit of one person, but the result of the unity of all people, from the emperor and generals to the peddlers, from every hard-working farmer, every craftsman, every merchant... This is a victory for the entire Ming Dynasty."
"So, we should make this great victory a feast and carnival for the people of the world."
Emperor Jiajing remained silent for a long time.
"good!"
(End of this chapter)
