Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 2 Questions from the Minister of Personnel

"His Majesty!"

For a moment, Zhu Houzhao was lost in thought when he saw three officials wearing imperial dragon robes, jade belts and Liang crowns kneel on the ground with a thud and crawl in like howling wolves.

The one in the front had a narrow face, sharp eyebrows like knives, and deep eye sockets.

An old mouth that seemed to have eaten everything in the world was shaking non-stop due to crying, and the crying made Zhu Houzhao's ears deaf, but the ground was dry and not a single tear could be seen.

Zhu Houzhao recognized that this person was the chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Jian, the Grand Secretary of Huagai Palace!
The next person had a yellow beard and a pair of triangular eyes that seemed to have a hint of a sneer, but his tightly pursed old mouth was twitching constantly, and his head banged on the ground, and he shouted dryly: "Your Majesty! Why did you die! Wuuwu!"

Zhu Houzhao knew that this person must be Li Dongyang, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion!
Then, the person following at the end just covered his face with his sleeves and sobbed, but his pair of fox-like old eyes seemed to be staring at the coffin of Emperor Hongzhi, as if he was afraid that Emperor Hongzhi would wake up.

Even though this person covered his face, Zhu Houzhao could guess that this person should be Xie Qian, the Grand Secretary of Dongke!

Because there were only these three cabinet ministers during the Hongzhi period, the civil servants of the time praised Li Gongmou, Liu Gongduan and Xie Gongyoukan very much. The implication was that these three important ministers supported the Ming Dynasty and made great contributions to the Hongzhi Restoration.

But what Zhu Houzhao now had to wonder was why these three ministers were crying so miserably?

Zhu Houzhao even couldn't help but wonder: "Who lost my father, me or you?"

However, at this moment, Xie Qian suddenly looked towards Zhu Houzhao while crying. Zhu Houzhao also saw his gaze and couldn't help but think, "I can't let him find out that I traveled through time. Since the three of them whose biological fathers didn't die are crying so miserably, I, the crown prince whose biological father really died, must cry!"

Then, Zhu Houzhao also burst into tears in Empress Zhang's arms: "Mother, Mother!"

"Your Majesty!"

Empress Zhang also started crying, but Zhu Houzhao discovered that his mother had been clenching her fists. From a psychological point of view, this was a manifestation of extreme lack of security. He couldn't help but think, even if the emperor died, she would become the empress dowager. What on earth made her so sad and insecure?

At that time, an old eunuch who was also wearing a dragon robe and had a powdered face but no beard stood up and walked in front of Liu Jian and the other three cabinet ministers. He helped the three cabinet ministers up and said, "The three cabinet ministers should not be too sad. The late emperor has already left a will saying that the prince is fifteen years old and likes leisure and pleasure. He should be educated. Now the world still depends on the cabinet ministers to support it!"

Zhu Houzhao recognized that the eunuch was Zhang Yu, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. He was also the second most important person in the inner court, second only to Wang Yue, the eunuch who held the seal of the Imperial Household Department. But what puzzled him was why Zhang Yu did not come to support himself, the crown prince, and Queen Zhang first, but went to support the three cabinet elders first.

In this world, who are the most powerful, these three elders, or is he, the crown prince, the most powerful? Even if he doesn't support himself, he has to support his mother first. After all, filial piety is the most important thing. But why does he support the three elders first?
When did the status of the civil service group become so important that even the second-in-command of the Imperial Household Department had to be treated with such respect?
At this time, other civil and military officials appeared one after another, and cabinet ministers such as Liu Jian also began to receive imperial orders.

"Your Highness, I, Liu Jian (Li Dongyang/Xie Qian), will live up to the trust of the late emperor and do my utmost to assist the new emperor and follow the late emperor's policies to ensure the safety of the people!"

Zhu Houzhao understood what the three ministers meant. In any case, they meant that they would never forget the instructions of their boss, the emperor, and would assist your son and follow the system when you were emperor and would not easily reform it. The implication was that if he wanted to reform after becoming emperor, they would definitely stop him on the grounds of following the will.

What a good idea!
At this time, Zhang Yu, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department, came over to help Empress Zhang and Zhu Houzhao up and said, "Your Majesty and Your Highness, please do not be too sad. You should take care of your health."

Zhu Houzhao was quite unhappy, thinking to himself that he didn't know whether the eunuch Zhang Yu, the commander-in-chief of the East Factory, had low political EQ or was doing this on purpose. Not only did he support the cabinet ministers, but now that Emperor Hongzhi had passed away, he could be considered the new emperor, and Empress Zhang would naturally be the new empress dowager. However, Zhang Yu still addressed him as "Your Highness" and "Her Majesty".

Zhu Houzhao increasingly felt that Zhang Yu, the eunuch who was in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the Eastern Depot, was in collusion with the civil servants, and that Emperor Hongzhi was most likely killed by them.

But Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but look at the civil and military officials in the hall, but no one was willing to stand up and question the death of Emperor Hongzhi.

Zhu Houzhao was very disappointed. As far as he knew, Emperor Hongzhi was very lenient towards civil officials. When Li Mengyang chased and beat his brother-in-law in the court, he didn't do anything to the civil officials. Now, none of these civil officials would question the death of Emperor Hongzhi out of nostalgia? Could people really be so cruel and heartless?

"Eunuch Zhang!"

Just when Zhu Houzhao was quite puzzled, a minister with thick eyebrows and white hair came out and suddenly called out Zhang Yu, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department.

Zhu Houzhao noticed that this person was the Minister of Personnel Ma Wensheng!
Zhang Yu, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department, also turned around and asked, "I wonder if the Grand Chancellor has any advice for me?"

"I was summoned by Your Majesty a few days ago. Your Majesty was in good health at that time, just feeling a little sick. I don't know why he suddenly fell ill and passed away. May I ask who was the imperial physician who examined Your Majesty today? Is the prescription he prescribed still available?"

Ma Wensheng raised his own questions.

Zhu Houzhao was quite moved. He thought that Ma Wensheng was a veteran of four dynasties and was favored by Emperor Hongzhi. He even remembered the emperor's favor and dared to raise doubts at this time.

At the same time, Zhu Houzhao could also be sure that if Emperor Hongzhi was framed, Ma Wensheng definitely did not participate in the murder of Emperor Hongzhi.

"What do you mean, Grand Chancellor? Do you mean that His Majesty was murdered? Eunuch Zhang is the chief of the Imperial Household Department and the commander of the Eastern Depot. Do you think he would frame His Majesty?"

At this time, Xie Qian came out and questioned Ma Wensheng.

At the same time, the Minister of War Liu Daxia also stood up and said, "Is the Grand Chancellor too old and senile? Your Majesty has always refused to listen to the doctor's advice and only used the Taoist secret red pill as medicine. That's why you are in this situation today. We have advised you many times, but it's still the same. Do you still want to stir up a big case? Now that the late emperor has just passed away and the new emperor has not yet ascended the throne, what on earth do you want to do!"

Zhu Houzhao wanted to laugh in his heart. This Liu Daxia was praised as a famous minister in later generations, but now he started to confuse right and wrong. In order to cover up some facts, he even slandered Emperor Hongzhi. He actually said that Emperor Hongzhi did not listen to the doctor's advice and that the disease was caused by taking elixirs.

Everyone knows that as soon as Emperor Hongzhi ascended the throne, he drove out all the Taoist priests who practiced alchemy in the palace during the Chenghua period from the capital. Now Liu Daxia is throwing dirty water on Emperor Hongzhi at will. Does he really think that the dead cannot speak?

With the support of cabinet minister Xie Qian and Minister of War Liu Daxia, the eunuch Zhang Yu showed no sign of panic. He knelt down in front of Zhu Houzhao and Empress Zhang and started crying: "Empress, Your Highness, I am innocent! I don't know how I have offended the Grand Chancellor, but I was framed by him. To prove my innocence, I am willing to be buried with him! Woo woo!"

"Okay! Brother Fu Tu (Ma Wensheng), this is a critical moment, don't make things complicated!"

The chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Jian, spoke.

At the same time, Li Dongyang, the deputy minister of the cabinet, nodded and said, "What the chief minister said is absolutely right. The late emperor has just passed away, and the new emperor has not yet ascended the throne. The world cannot be without a ruler for a day. This matter should be discussed later. Now it is better to stabilize the government first."

The cabinet's chief and deputy chief ministers had both made their decision, and the Minister of Personnel Ma Wensheng had no other choice but to wave his sleeves and say, "Can't you investigate the cause of His Majesty's death? Are you still His Majesty's loyal subjects?"

The chief minister of the cabinet Liu Jian and the second minister of the cabinet Li Dongyang ignored Ma Wensheng, Xie Qian smiled contemptuously, and the Minister of War Liu Daxia even snorted coldly.

Zhu Houzhao could see that the Inner Court Lijian and the Outer Court Cabinet were definitely colluding together, and Ma Wensheng and others were obviously not in the same party with them. But in general, he and his mother, Queen Zhang, were orphans and widows, and they could not shake others at all. He could only cry! Only crying could arouse the sympathy of the ministers and allow him to ascend the throne smoothly.

"When I become the emperor, we will fight each other!"

Zhu Houzhao thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)