Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Qianqing Palace is bathed in the autumn sunshine.

The result of the first inspection of the court was good or bad, except that Li Ke Zuo was removed and Wang Zhi and Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, were added to the incident. This early court was actually just a formality.

It's good that the number of memorials has been controlled now. Once dozens of memorials have to be submitted to the court in the morning, it will be hard for me to sit there, and it will be equally uncomfortable for the civil and military officials standing in the square.

In this form of early dynasty, it is of little significance for thousands of officials to listen to the government, so the dismissal of the dynasty is a win-win situation.

Sandalwood has been burning in the copper stove, and wisps of light green smoke are rising.

A palace maid with an oval face was studying ink. Different from the trembling palace ladies, her movements seemed rough and smooth, and she even had a candied fruit in her mouth.

The ancient ink is lightly rubbed and filled with fragrance, and the new bath in the inkstone shines brightly.

Zhu Youtang smelled the fragrance of ink floating in the air, dipped his brush in ink, twisted his sleeves, splashed ink and wrote on the white rice paper.

Since he went out to study in the 13th year of Chenghua, he already has the foundation of calligraphy. Combined with his unique insights into calligraphy in his previous life, his current calligraphy can reach the level of elegance.

Since discovering that his skill has improved by leaps and bounds, Zhu Youtang likes to practice calligraphy and painting in his spare time, and even copied several poems from the Qing Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, what are you writing? Life is like...what? I don't recognize the characters behind this!" Niu Mengmeng had stopped studying the ink and was squinting his face curiously.

Since the last time she was punished, Niu Mengmeng recuperated for a few days and was resolutely promoted to Zhu Youtang's personal maid.

It's just that "it's easy to change a country, but it's hard to change one's nature." Niu Mengmeng still looks carefree on weekdays, and seems particularly curious about everything.

"Life is like chess. Those who know the game survive, those who break the game survive, and those who master the game win." After Zhu Youtang finished writing the last word, he pointed to the words above and read.

Niu Mengmeng listened carefully, nodded slowly like a chicken pecking at rice, then turned to look at Zhu Youtang and uttered two words seriously: "I don't understand!"

"I really am playing the piano to a cow!" Zhu Youtang put the brush in his hand back into the pen holder and joked.

At this moment, Liu Jin hurriedly walked in from the outside and reported: "Master, after Xu Pu dispersed the dynasty, he came to the cabinet and Liuke Gallery alone!"

"I asked you to keep an eye on the cabinet. Is there anything unusual there?" Zhu Youtang asked seriously when he realized that things were exactly as he expected.

Liu Jin opened a small notebook of his own and immediately reported: "Mr. Wange brought back the antique chair he brought home a while ago. Does this count?"

"Haha... This is about to form an alliance!" Zhu Youtang picked up the towel handed over by Niu Mengmeng and wiped his hands with a look of helplessness in his eyes.

Liu Jin put the notebook back into his sleeves and said seriously: "Master, Xu Pu must be holding back some bad water again. What should we do now?"

"What else can we do? When the soldiers come, the water will flood and the soil will flood! You hang this banner in my room!" Zhu Youtang didn't want to say more, so he pointed to the handwriting he had just written.

Huang Pan came in to report, and then led Concubine Shao in.

Concubine Shao was an ordinary palace maid. She was sold to the eunuch guarding Hangzhou because of her poverty. She was selected into the palace in the fourth year of Tianshun. After Zhu Jianshen succeeded to the throne, fortunately, she was favored by Zhu Jianshen, and she was later named Concubine Chen because she gave birth to Prince Xing Zhu Youqi.

Now there are three sons born in total: King Xing Zhu Youqi, King Qi Zhu Youbo and King Yong Zhu Yousong. The eldest King Xing Zhu Youxu is eleven years old, and the youngest King Yong Zhu Youxu is only six years old.

Concubine Shao was younger than Empress Wang, but she was destined to live alone in the Forbidden City for the rest of her life. This was the tragedy of being a concubine.

Zhu Youtang found that Concubine Shao was indeed quite pretty, so it was no wonder that she stood out from so many palace ladies and calmly greeted the concubine to her seat.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the pair of embroidered shoes I gave you when you were a child?" Concubine Shao asked straight to the point as soon as she sat down.

Zhu Youtang did not expect that Concubine Shao would play the emotional card as soon as she came up, but she still cooperated and said falsely: "I remember this! Not long after arriving at Qingning Palace, you sent me a pair of embroidered shoes and said they were You sewed it yourself!”

Niu Mengmeng, who came to deliver tea, did not expect that Concubine Shao would personally sew embroidered shoes for Zhu Youtang, even though she thought Concubine Shao was a good person.

"Your Majesty, those embroidered shoes were not actually embroidered by the Aijia! Your stay in Zhaode Palace was short, and before Concubine Wan Gui had time to embroider the shoes, you were already sent to Qingning Palace!" Concubine Shao did not touch the tea. , but looked at Zhu Youtang and said seriously.

"Concubine Shao, I clearly remember that the imperial grandmother said that the pair of embroidered shoes was a gift from you!" Zhu Youtang stopped the tea that was brought to his lips and frowned.

When he was five years old, he was taken out of the Serang Palace. Initially, her custody rights actually fell to Concubine Wan Gui, but just one month later, Concubine Wan Gui's father Wan Gui passed away.

Since Concubine Wan Gui had to observe filial piety for her father, she was regarded as an unlucky person, and naturally she could not continue to support herself, the Ming prince.

Almost at the same moment, his biological mother Ji, who was only 24 years old, died of illness. Therefore, he could not return to his biological mother, but was taken to Qingning Palace.

After staying in Qingning Palace for a few days, Concubine Shao gave her a pair of embroidered shoes that she had embroidered by herself. For this, Concubine Shao was praised by Empress Dowager Zhou.

Concubine Shao couldn't help but smile miserably, looked into Zhu Youtang's eyes very seriously and said, "If it hadn't been said that it was embroidered by the Ai family, those embroidered shoes would not have reached His Majesty's hands. Do you know the reason?"

Zhu Youtang is not a fool, otherwise he would not have gotten a perfect score in mathematics in the second grade of elementary school in his previous life.

A pair of embroidered shoes clearly made by Concubine Wan Gui's novices, but it turned out that they had to be delivered under the banner of Concubine Shao. One can imagine how harmonious the relationship between Zhaode Palace and Qingning Palace was.

"Your Majesty, both Aijia and Concubine Wan Gui were born as palace maids, so they both pay special attention to rules. It is against heaven for the harem to interfere in political affairs, let alone talk about the foundation of the country? Although Concubine Wan Gui was the exclusive favorite of the late emperor, she did not There is no reason to suggest to the late Emperor that the throne should be abolished, and there is no reason to propose to His Majesty that the throne should be abolished. Your Majesty, please take a closer look!" Concubine Shao no longer beat around the bush and seemed to be speaking sincerely.

Zhu Youtang finally knew the purpose of Concubine Shao's visit, so he took a sip of tea and said: "Concubine Shao, do you really think Concubine Wan Gui didn't mention the matter of abolishing the reserve? Is there any solid evidence?"

"Your Majesty, there is no solid evidence for the idea of ​​abolishing the crown prince! The Ai family is Zhu You'er's biological mother. If the late emperor really had this intention, the Ai family would have known it, but the late emperor never mentioned such an idea! Concubine Wan Gui didn't pay much attention to Zhu You'er. , I can only hand-cut embroidered shoes for you, so someone is deliberately trying to smear Concubine Wan Gui!" Concubine Shao expressed her judgment.

"That being said, there is indeed something fishy about this matter!"

Zhu Youtang held the teacup and poured the tea lightly. Thinking that Concubine Wan Gui had personally embroidered shoes for him, and that Concubine Shao, one of the parties involved, had not received any news, he was partial to Concubine Shao's statement.

Concubine Shao hesitated for a moment, and then made a serious request: "The three of them are still young and have been with the Ai family since they were young. I hope your majesty can let them accompany the Ai family for a few more years before letting them go to the feudal country!"

"Okay, I promise you!" Zhu Youtang saw the brilliance of his mother from Concubine Shao, and nodded happily.

Earlier, the Empress Dowager Zhou deliberately made alarmist remarks. Naturally, she did not really think that Xing Wang Zhu Youqi would rebel. At that time, she just wanted to prevent Hua En from returning to the Supervisory Ceremony Supervisor.

Now Concubine Shao has come forward to directly refute Concubine Wan Gui's slanderous statement about abolishing Chu. This further confirms her earlier speculation that abolishing Chu was either fabricated or exaggerated by someone.

Even the history books of later generations are only records full of speculation. There is no record of the conflict between the Lihu Sect and Emperor Chenghua at all.

"The Aijia would like to thank Your Majesty for your support. The Aijia will retire first!" Concubine Shao immediately resigned after seeing that the matter had been resolved.

When Liu Jin saw Concubine Shao leaving, she immediately expressed her opinion: "Your Majesty, I think what Concubine Shao said is true. Someone must have made the matter of abolishing the crown prince out of thin air!"

"Don't talk nonsense! What the Imperial Grandmother told me was that Concubine Wan Gui had slandered her and ruined the throne, and everyone said that Huai'en was demoted back to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum by his father because he risked his life to dissuade her!" Zhu Youtang frowned and drank. Taking a sip of tea, he seemed to have a bit of a headache.

Liu Jin did not dare to say anything when he heard that the Empress Dowager Zhou was involved, but complained to Huai'en again: "After Huai'en regained control of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, he now ordered Dongchang to investigate the corruption of our eunuchs, which has made the palace full of chaos. People are panicking!”

"You were just filling the urinal for me before. Even if you have money and greed, it's not your turn. What do you have to be afraid of?" Zhu Youtang put down the tea cup and said with a bit of ridicule.

Liu Jin quickly denied it and said very seriously: "Of course I don't have to be afraid, I just think that Huai'en is very hypocritical! I even suspected that he was looking for the civil servants. I heard that he ordered Dongchang to release a household doctor that night when he came back. Now On the contrary, we eunuchs are being investigated strictly one by one!"

"I don't want to touch him yet, just keep an eye on him!" Zhu Youtang knew that in order to destroy him, he must first make him crazy, but he explained seriously.

Liu Jin is now at his most energetic age, so he naturally obeys Zhu Youtang's words and strives to become Zhu Youtang's number one minion as soon as possible.