First Prince of Ming Dynasty

The Fengtian Gate was wide open, but the officials who had left the early court did not go to their respective official offices as usual, but gathered in groups in front of the gate of Fengtian Palace to discuss.

"Everyone, Li Shangshu, Chen Jijiu, Zhao Shilang and others have all been imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, waiting to be released. Their lives are at stake. How can we sit idly by?"

"Correcting the disadvantages of the times and admonishing the king is the responsibility of my courtiers. Scholars all over the world are watching me. Is it so difficult to retreat because of punishment and just to protect ourselves?"

"What Li Shangshu and Chen Jijiu said today is for the country and the people, and has not violated the crime of the court. How can he be punished without teaching! Why is he thrown into a prison and awaiting punishment? I will seek justice from the Holy Majesty!"

"His Royal Highness, as the prince of the country, was deprived of the right to participate in the government by the Holy One for no reason. What is the face of the prince? What is the majesty of our Ming Dynasty?"

"That's right, I'm going to meet the Holy Majesty, if the Holy Majesty doesn't see you, I'll kneel and die in front of Fengtian Hall!"

After speaking, many important officials of the imperial court and low-rank officials who heard the news knelt down in front of Fengtian Hall together. Seeing this posture, the eunuch in charge of guarding Fengtian Hall hurriedly persuaded him with a smile.

"My lords, don't be a slave to your slaves. Go back to the Yamen to do your errands. Even if you have an opinion, you can write a memorial to the heavens. How ugly it is to kneel here."

Hu Weiyong kept silent until now, but now he opened his mouth and said: "I beg you, please go and report to the Holy Majesty, the ministers and others still have important matters to report."

The eunuch begged bitterly: "Isn't Xiangye wanting the slave's life? I also beg Xiangye not to be a slave..."

The censor behind Hu Weiyong scolded coldly: "Go as soon as you are told, the Holy Majesty will decide whether you see it or not, so you are free to talk about it here!"

The warriors who had been watching the drama for a long time also made a movement. Zhongshan King Xu Da led a large group of generals in Beijing to kneel down on the other side, causing all the civil servants to look sideways.

Tu Jie reacted quickly and immediately said loudly: "Xu Shuai is loyal to the army and the country. He is worthy of being the pillar of the country and the minister of the country. I am the one who takes the imperial examination..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Da said, "Don't misunderstand me, both civil and military forces perform their duties, and we are not responsible for the imperial examination or the case of Wei Guan."

"I am here to intercede for His Highness the Crown Prince, and ask His Majesty to take back the punishment imposed on His Highness, and allow His Highness to return to the court to participate in politics."

Tu Jie's face remained unchanged: "We also mean the same."

Such news naturally spread throughout the palace quickly, but the emperor did not take any measures, and Zhu Biao had already returned to the Wenhua Palace. After hearing the news from Fugui, he first ordered him to invite the imperial physician to help him. Yan Dong came to check the pulse.

Dali Siqing is the most important position. Yan Donglai has always done a good job, and Zhu Biao also takes him as his confidant, so he is still worried about what is wrong.

Then he sent Fuduo to persuade Xu Da and others to go back. It doesn't matter how much the civil servants make trouble. Once Wu Xun gets mixed up, the nature of the problem will change. In any case, there is a sense of coercing public opinion to force the palace.

Fortunately, it was their father and son. Otherwise, it would not be an exaggeration to cause a huge turmoil. There is no shortage of such precedents in the history books. After all, the prince and the emperor have natural contradictions.

After ordering, Zhu Biao looked at the letters sent by Zhang Fan, Li Jin and others. He didn't care about the so-called suspension of the right to participate in politics in March, because his father had already said that he was going to make a northern tour.

Neither the Wei Guan case nor the imperial examinations will delay this matter, and since the emperor leaves Beijing, it is impossible for the overall situation of the court to be left unattended. Supervising the country and governing the country.

But he was not worried that others would not know, a sound of hurried footsteps spread, and the crown prince in a beautiful dress came into the palace, it seemed that she had just returned from outside.

"The concubine greets His Highness."

Zhu Biao stood up and went down the steps to pull up the princess: "Is this just back from mother's place?"

The two walked hand in hand to the desk and sat down. Zhu Biao's seat in the main hall of the Wenhua Hall was very spacious. After all, the Wenhua Hall was built for the emperor to receive civil servants and foreign envoys. It was far away from the Wuying Hall, but Zhu Biao had a special status. Therefore, the Wenhua Palace became his personal use.

"The queen mother asked me to come back first, and the phoenix headed towards the Jinshen hall."

Chang Luohua looked at her husband with some concern, Zhu Biao shook her white and soft hand clearly and said with a smile: "It's nothing serious, don't worry."

Calmness and self-confidence can be passed on to others, and Chang Luohua also heaved a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's what the empress mother said just now."

Zhu Biao recalled what happened to Yan Donglai and said: "By the way, you will send some precious medicinal materials to Yan's Mansion in your name later."

Chang Luohua responded: "The concubine understands. Madam Yan came to pay a visit to the concubine half a decade ago. At that time, when talking about Yan Siqing's illness, she said that it was a bit repetitive. Why don't you send the imperial physician to take a look."

"I have already arranged for the imperial doctor, the rest will be your reward."

Husband and wife are one, some things are more appropriate for Chang Luohua to come forward, Zhu Biaoen rewards too much and is not in line with the way of the emperor, it is better for the master to be majestic, and the kindness of the mistress can win people's hearts more.

Chang Luohua followed Empress Ma all day long, so he naturally learned a lot. He treated people very seriously and was already quite prestigious among court wives.

Chang Luohua went out to appease the East Palace after saying a few words about the husband and wife, and Zhu Biaole leisurely read the miscellaneous books that he always wanted to read but had no time to read.

"Master, Mr. Hanlin Xiuzhuan, Zhao Shilang of the Ministry of Rites, Mr. Chen passed out due to exhaustion."

Zhu Biao turned the pages of the book and asked, "Which number is it?"

"If you come back to the master, a total of eight elders have passed out from the morning to this time."

Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows and said: "Go to persuade me again, what should I do if I delay my errands in the court like this?"

"When the maid came back, she saw that Hu Xiang was also urging the officials of the six yamen to go back and perform their duties, but they were unwilling."

At this time, another eunuch hurriedly walked in: "My lord, the Holy Majesty ordered the military commander's mansion to take down those officials who refused to leave, and said that he wanted eighty imperial staffs."

Zhu Biao raised his eyes and counted the time, and it was indeed almost the same. The civil servants are all scholars, and for a considerable number of them, fame is more important than anything else. If the imperial examination is stopped, if they don't make any reaction, they will still be punished by the scholars of the world. The traitor who is called a corpse and a vegetarian meal caters to the villain.

Only by acting like this and being beaten by the imperial staff can he benefit from this matter. Of course, Zhu Biao also believes that some of the officials are indeed sincere for the country and the people.

Eighty court sticks, let alone a group of civil servants, even the iron-clad soldiers can't stand it. If they are beaten down, few can survive, and not everyone values ​​reputation more than wealth and life. It can be seen China has never lacked loyal and patriotic people.

Zhu Biao stood up and spun around a few times. Now that he dared to go, he could gain a wave of fame, but it would fuel their arrogance again. What deterrence is there if the court stick is not dead?

Forget it, thinking that my father had made his own arrangements, he wouldn't kill so many important ministers. Just after Zhu Biao took his seat again, an eunuch came to deliver the order.

Zhu Biao got up to receive the order, and the eunuch turned sideways and said with his hands behind his back: "I order the prince to study his homework in the East Palace. If there is no order, he must not leave the East Palace for half a step!"

"My son, I would like to obey my father's will."

Zhu Biao patted his buttocks and sat down, the eunuch hurriedly knelt down and saluted: "My servant pays homage to His Royal Highness, Lord Qianqiu."

"Hu Xiang was taken down too?"

"In the case of Hui Ye, all the officials above the second rank were summoned by the saint to enter the Jinshen Hall, and the rest of the officials below the second rank were escorted outside the Meridian Gate by the pro-military Duwei's Mansion."

"The Empress has returned to Kunning Palace?"

"Empress Fengjia is still in Jinshen Palace."

"Okay, let's go down."

"Slaves leave."

It's easy to say that my mother's empress is here, and it's justified in terms of emotion and reason. I guess it will be resolved when it's almost done. A senior official above the second rank also represents the face of the imperial court, and it is really not easy to humiliate.

Zhu Biao read the book more relaxedly, this is good, the East Palace can't go out, it's more worry-free, leisurely.

In the evening, the matter came to an end. Because of the empress's kindness, no one was beaten to death by the imperial staff, but more than ten officials were dismissed from office, and more than thirty people were demoted to the outside world. Today, all participating officials were fined for one year. In the future, those who do this again will have their entire families thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice and punished severely.

It seems to be resolved, but in fact it is just a foretaste. If the clean-up of officials is aimed at the corrupt officials in office, then this case is aimed at all the literati in the field.

Only dozens of people were fined today, but tens of thousands of people will be sentenced to death and exile in the future. Anticlimax has never been the way Emperor Zhu behaved.

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