Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 12: All Heroes

The fact that the Ming Dynasty had been sentenced to death by the chief minister of the cabinet was unknown to Zhu Yijun and his sons, as well as the civil and military officials in the court.

But the fun is here after all.

Two days later, Shen Yikuan submitted another memorial: The imperial edict said that after the move, the imperial edict will be issued to the whole country. I am so happy! Then which auspicious day should be chosen for the move? Your Majesty, please pay attention and give me a word!

No report.

Two days later, the emperor gave some silver to the cabinet ministers and the eldest prince's lecturer: take the money and do the job, don't rush.

As a result, the censors and many small and medium-sized officials in the six ministries no longer gave any face and submitted memorials one after another requesting progress.

However, Shen Yikuan felt that luck was on his side!

Because the military situation in the Bozhou direction suddenly became tense.

First, the memorial from Li Hualong, the governor of Sichuan and Hubei and the commander-in-chief of the rebellion suppression, came: the soldiers from Guang and Shaanxi killed each other in a fight, and he impeached the general Wu Guang for failing to control his subordinates.

Shen Yikuan quickly drafted a bill, saying that the work on the front line was heavy and it would be better to just impose a small punishment salary.

The emperor approved: a three-month salary deduction.

Then the Ministry of Revenue submitted a memorial: The salaries of the various border garrisons have been greatly borrowed due to military needs of the eldest prince Sanli and Bozhou, and they cannot be paid overdue. Can we temporarily borrow 500,000 taels of silver from the treasury to distribute to the various border garrisons to reassure the troops, and then repay them in installments after everything is completed?
Shen Yikuan quickly drafted a bill: Military morale is the most important thing, the Ministry of Revenue can still make changes.

The emperor approved it quickly again: Yes.

In such a big Ming Dynasty, there are so many different things happening.

As long as it is not a major national event, Shen Yi's proposals on other national affairs have an unusually high approval rate these days!

The emperor and his loyal ministers reached a high degree of consensus on this matter.

It has been a long time since the emperor and his ministers have been so efficient and smooth in dealing with state affairs!
It was not until April 25, a full month after the emperor's oral order was issued, that the Ministry of Rites, as the department first affected, finally could no longer hold back.

The memorial submitted by Yu Jideng, the Minister of Rites, was submitted.

Without talking about when the ceremony will be held, could you first decide on the list of people who will preside over the ceremony and who will go to various places to convey the emperor's will, as well as the list of officials from the Ministry of Personnel?
This time the emperor did give a reply, but the one he named was not the "Wanli Chief Priest" Dingguo Duke Xu Wenbi, but Dingxi Marquis Jiang Jianyuan and the Right Councillor of the Ministry of Public Administration and others.

Is this the standard for the ceremony of enthroning a crown prince?

The next day, the Ministry of Revenue submitted another memorial.

【The wedding of the eldest son of the emperor and the ceremonies of enthronement and enfeoffment require the use of gold, gems, pearls, and jade. The treasury is extremely depleted and it is difficult to provide them. The border payroll department is in urgent need of purchases and has no idea how to buy them. Now, the ones that are available will be presented to the treasury for collection. The rest will be provided by the ministers first with payroll silver and will be handled in order.】

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Xie Tingzan was extremely angry: "What do you mean by the wedding of the eldest prince and the ceremonies of enthronement and enfeoffment? Your Majesty has made it clear that the enthronement should be done first! How can we have a wedding before the status is determined? Is this wedding held according to the rules for the crown prince or the rules for the princes?"

Heroes from the lower levels of the Kedao and other government offices are gathering here.

Everyone can give the cabinet minister some face, but take a look: In this month, have the cabinet ministers tried their best to persuade the emperor to issue an imperial edict? Even setting an auspicious day for moving to Ciqing Palace and giving the eldest prince a lesson would be fine!

In the past, Shen Shixing could restrain court officials for eight or nine months, but now due to inflation, Shen Yiquan can only restrain them for one month.

Go after him!

Zhao Zhigao, who had fulfilled his promise of "not resigning" for a month, submitted his 37th resignation letter after hearing that several people had requested to add cabinet members at the end of April.

In the Forbidden City, Zhu Changluo, who had been quiet for a month after being "beaten" by the Empress Dowager, loosened his clothes and said, "April is almost over."

"...Yeah." Wang An added.

Zhu Changluo confirmed that the foreign ministers were not competent.

The battle for the national capital seems to have entered a period of fatigue.

So what if the eldest prince is almost twenty? The emperor didn't say he wouldn't make him the emperor. Just take it one step at a time!
In view of the outcome of the previous cabinet ministers' fierce attacks on this issue, this cabinet ministers have probably adopted another strategy: as long as the emperor does not explicitly state that he will depose the eldest son and enthrone the youngest son, then they will just go through the motions.

Zhu Changluo was very distressed: he had such a father, and he had to be on standby for such a long time. The Empress Dowager Li was very careful about her reputation, and the important ministers could not give him good assistance. What should he do?
"It's time to go to the Cining Palace to pay respects."

Zhu Changluo stood up.

After what happened a month ago, if he wanted to leave Jingyang Palace again, Wei Gang would not dare to stop him.

They would visit each other every morning and evening. Whether they were willing to see him or not was one thing, and whether Zhu Changluo went or not was another.

After being "rebellious and unfilial", one naturally has to put in enough effort to shape one's image.

Now it was getting dark again. Zhu Changluo arrived at the Cining Palace. He thought that Empress Dowager Li would still not meet him, so as to avoid being suspected of putting pressure on the emperor.

But today, Empress Dowager Li summoned him into the palace.

"It comes every day this month." Empress Dowager Li seemed to see through him. "Didn't I tell you to wait for the emperor's order?"

Zhu Changluo smiled and said, "My grandson only comes to visit you every morning and evening. Grandmother, don't you like me to come every day?"

Empress Dowager Li did not comment, but just looked at him. They were all shrewd people, and Zhu Changluo did not hide it: "I heard that when the emperor grandfather was alive, he was often unable to see his great-grandfather because of the so-called 'two dragons cannot meet'. I know that it is better to be quiet than to move, but I will not hide it in front of the emperor grandmother. If I really act like in the past, I am afraid that the two of us will rarely see each other. Of course there is selfishness, but filial piety is also true."

"...What a great saying! Of course I have selfish motives, but my filial piety is also real." Seeing that he was so frank, Empress Dowager Li sighed lightly.

As he was the eldest grandson born to an old concubine in her palace, Empress Dowager Li still valued him more.

But… Empress Dowager Li shook her head again: "The Emperor is already handling this matter. You have done your duty this month. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"My grandson can wait." Zhu Changluo said reluctantly, "If the Empress Dowager can show her the special favor of meeting me, my grandson and mother's life in the palace will be better after all."

Empress Dowager Li frowned: "It has come to this? Don't talk nonsense!"

Zhu Changluo was silent for a moment.

The last time his mother was frightened to the point of fainting, that was because he reacted too violently to the emperor's order.

Concubine Wang Gong, who had experienced a lot, knew very well that things would not go so smoothly.

Although this Moon Palace is peaceful, she cannot avoid worry, and has had some minor illnesses recently.

This is also one of the reasons why Zhu Changluo remained well-behaved for a whole month.

"My grandson is the eldest, but the dispute over the throne has dragged on for years. My grandmother is a great virtuous woman, but how could she not know the dangers in the harem? My grandson only hopes that my mother can have a better life first, and my grandmother is well aware of it."

Empress Dowager Li shook her head. "This matter is not just about likes and dislikes. Don't worry about it. Your father has his own difficulties in delaying his decision on this matter."

Zhu Changluo nodded, "I have already said that Zhang Ge Lao is not the prime minister but the acting prime minister. Father is more cautious about the struggle between the power of the emperor and the power of the prime minister. How can I not understand that? The ministers outside the court often use me as an excuse to force Father to follow the so-called will of the people in state affairs. I also know this."

Empress Dowager Li was somewhat surprised: "It is rare that you can point this out."

When Empress Dowager Li heard him mention Zhang Juzheng, her eyes looked a little strange for a moment.

The right and wrong of those days…are in the past.

But Empress Dowager Li has also realized a lot about the impact those events had on her son.

She was just a woman, and the emperor was young at the time. Zhang Juzheng was in control of the overall situation and at least helped the emperor to sit firmly on the throne.

But after he took power, Zhang Juzheng left again. How could the emperor still tolerate overly strong officials? It happened to be a dispute over the foundation of the country. Once the dispute broke out, the emperor's temper naturally rose.

In the blink of an eye, it's already until now.

After collecting her thoughts, she changed the subject: "Did you also go to see the emperor during the morning and evening visits this month?"

"To the Imperial Grandmother, I go there every day, but I cannot see her once."

Empress Dowager Li twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand helplessly.

How could she not know that her son was staying in the harem and was lazy and negligent in handling state affairs?
Although there are many causes and consequences, it is not the act of a wise ruler.

She didn't want to get involved in politics. Since she was a Buddhist, she could only pray more and worship Buddha sincerely, hoping to accumulate more merits.

She understood her grandson's intentions, but she only said, "Your disturbance a month ago was understandable, but it also created consequences. The emperor has his reasons for doing what he does, and you must not be so rebellious and unfilial again."

Zhu Changluo obediently agreed.

There is no need to rush. If I can see Empress Dowager Li again and talk to her to leave a good impression, it may come in handy someday.

The father is partial and the outsiders are afraid of trouble.

As the eldest son and heir apparent, surrounded by the web of loyalty and filial piety and the sensitivity of imperial power, he had to wait until the right time to express his ideas.

Taking this opportunity to reveal his true feelings to Empress Dowager Li, Zhu Changluo asked for her favor before leaving.

He said that he would wait patiently, but was afraid that his mother would be lonely after moving to Ciqing Palace, so he asked Empress Dowager Li to grant him a small Buddhist temple in Jingyang Palace. In this way, his mother would only worship Buddha in the palace and it would be difficult for her to be found wrong. She could pray for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Empress, and her son, and she would not be lonely.

In response to such a request, Empress Dowager Li naturally praised his filial piety and nodded in agreement.

It also reminded Empress Dowager Li of what she had thought before: "You mentioned so many key points today, which is really rare. You said that you have become enlightened after recovering from a serious illness. Could it be that you are really blessed by gods and Buddhas?"

Zhu Changluo immediately replied: "It must be the credit of the Royal Grandmother's sincere worship of Buddha. My grandson was conceived in the Royal Grandmother's palace. When he was seriously ill, he was in a trance and felt as if he had traveled to a strange world in the colorful clouds..."

This is the purpose of becoming familiar with the Buddhist scriptures: the changes before and after are so great that there must be an explanation.

And with Empress Dowager Li, a devout Buddhist, in the palace, how could Zhu Changluo not seek help from her?

I just stopped there, as if I had only told a rough outline of a dream.

When he was leaving, he clearly felt that Empress Dowager Li was still not satisfied with what she had said, which was good.

Sounds good, right? Will update next time.

(End of this chapter)