Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

As soon as the news of the engagement between King Xing and the Jiang family came out, the entire capital was in an uproar.

"The eldest princess really hired someone for Prince Xing?"

"Uncle Zhenliao came forward to persuade him, but the Jiang family chose Prince Xing!"

"The princess married by King Xing is Jinfeng. Doesn't your Majesty really have no heirs?"

…

No one expected that the winner of this battle turned out to be Xing Wang Zhu Youqi, and this matter was accompanied by far-reaching consequences, even related to the change of political power.

Many people saw the whole thing in their eyes. Jin Yiwei and Zhen Liaobo both blocked it, and even Wang Yu from the Procuratorate came. However, King Xing and the Jiang family still chose to marry.

In the whole matter, the biggest variable was that the majestic eldest princess of the empire actually came forward in person to help King Xing complete the most critical recruitment process.

Now that King Xing has successfully engaged him, he can choose a date to marry Jinfeng Jiang. If Dongfang Dao's prediction comes true and Jiang Wei is the reincarnation of the Golden Phoenix, then King Xing is likely to follow the destiny and become the new emperor.

Forbidden City, Qingning Palace.

The layout here is also a quadrangle. Although the scale is smaller than that of Qianqing Palace, there is the towering Qingning Gate in the front, the palace in the back, and a wide courtyard in the middle.

Dozens of palace maids and eunuchs are busy, like dozens of planets, and the star in the center is Empress Dowager Zhou who is playing mahjong in the side hall.

"Haha... The Ai family is confused again!"

Empress Dowager Zhou has long nails and wears long finger cots on her nails. She is very lucky today and it is basically all her fault.

No one is a fool, not to mention the noble status of Empress Dowager Zhou. The Jiang family and her daughter need the protection of Empress Dowager Zhou in Qingning Palace, and they also have to make Empress Dowager Zhou happy.

Of course, they will not make it too obvious. If the Queen Mother Zhou reaches the end of the mahjong and has not missed the tiles, they will also make a small mistake.

Doing this will make Empress Dowager Zhou happy. She will feel that it is mainly because her chess skills and luck are better than others. After all, if she is not lucky enough, she will lose later.

Although mahjong is a game played by four people, the other person is none other than Princess Shao.

Concubine Shao was only in her thirties. She was originally naturally beautiful, but now she lived a pampered life. Even though she didn't have much ambition before, she became more and more restless after all.

Now Zhu Youtang has not only lost the "popular support", but also probably has no heirs. In addition, she has the support of many forces, so she is already ready to make a move.

In addition to her own ambition to become the Queen Mother through the mother-in-law, Empress Dowager Zhou also did not want to be separated from her three sons. It would be extremely difficult for her to see her sons for the rest of her life.

If King Xing could inherit the throne, even if she could not let the other two sons stay in the capital forever, she could still let the other two sons stay in the capital for a longer time, and she could also help the two sons choose good fiefdoms.

Concubine Shao was playing mahjong with the Empress Dowager Zhou, and they had a tacit understanding with Chiang's mother to take turns firing cannons at the Empress Dowager Zhou. She had deliberately set off the cannon just now.

"This is the fourth round. The Empress Dowager is really good at playing cards!" Mother Jiang deliberately complimented her after seeing the cards.

Jiang Wei is a smart woman. She seems to be happy and sighs: "This kind of mahjong is really fun. It's really a strange person who invented mahjong!"

this……

As soon as these words came out, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became weird.

The palace attendants waiting nearby exchanged glances silently. Who didn't know that this mahjong was invented by the emperor? Could it be that this girl was in love with the emperor?

cough……

However, Jiang's mother knew that the emperor had discovered mahjong, so she immediately winked at her daughter and coughed lightly.

Jiang Wei realized that he had said the wrong thing, and immediately turned his eyes and said: "Although the person who invented Mahjong is powerful, the Empress Dowager was the first to come into contact with Mahjong and is very resourceful. She must be the first person to play Mahjong in the palace!"

this……

The palace attendants waiting on the side exchanged silent glances again. The first person to come into contact with mahjong was the Queen Mother of Renshou Palace, and the palace recognized the first mahjong player as the emperor. Is this intentional?

Although this girl looks a bit shrewd, she doesn't seem to have much, and her appearance doesn't make people feel amazing. Is she really the reincarnation of the golden phoenix?

Just when Mother Jiang and Concubine Shao were smiling awkwardly and not knowing how to get out of the situation, fortunately, a eunuch came over in a hurry and whispered a few words in the ear of Empress Dowager Zhou.

Empress Dowager Zhou's sullen face seemed like ice and snow melting away. She immediately showed a bright smile and raised her hands and said, "The Ai family is tired. All three of you, please go back!"

Although playing mahjong is one of her favorite forms of entertainment, playing mahjong is inevitably boring, and her body is already overwhelmed, so she plans to go back and rest.

This time I stood up to support King Xing, and now things are moving in a good direction. I only hope that in the future King Xing can be an emperor who knows how to coordinate the interests of all parties, instead of acting like that rebellious guy.

She really didn't understand what Zhu Youtang wanted to do by causing so many things.

It was clear that the palace had no shortage of food and clothing, but in the end it was necessary to rectify the financial system and issue decrees such as the silver dollar, which caused the whole capital to flee. Almost all the governance skills they had learned back then were given back to the Hanlin tycoons.

this……

Mother Jiang and Concubine Shao did not know this, and they immediately thought that if they went out at this moment, they would be called to the Renshou Palace by the Queen Mother to formally propose the emperor's concubine. They couldn't help but look at each other nervously.

The Empress Dowager Zhou was helped up by her personal eunuch, as if something suddenly occurred to her: "Shao Taifei, it's not easy for the eldest princess to make this trip. You have to ask Prince Xing to thank her later!"

ah?

Mother Jiang and Concubine Shao opened their mouths, feeling a surge of ecstasy in their hearts.

Although the Empress Dowager Zhou did not say it explicitly, the subtext of these words was undoubtedly that the eldest princess's appointment was successful, and now Xing Wang Zhu Youqi and Jiang Wei had reached a formal engagement.

Mother Jiang and Concubine Shao were both smart people. They immediately suppressed the ecstasy in their hearts and congratulated Empress Dowager Zhou to leave.

"Please!" The female officer stepped forward, preparing to lead the person to Qingning Gate.

Mother Jiang and Concubine Shao left with a happy mood at this time. Now they have become in-laws. They are very pleasing to each other and even a little more cordial.

When the three of them came out of Qingning Palace, they happened to see several palace officials who were waiting here leaving, but they knew that the Renshou Palace had already heard the news.

Now that King Xing has successfully hired her, if the Queen Mother calls the Jiang family and her daughter to Renshou Palace again to mention the matter of accepting a concubine, she will undoubtedly be humiliating herself.

"Haha... The Ai family has nothing to do, so I'll see you off!" Concubine Shao saw the palace attendants defeated and left, and she seemed to be in a good mood and took the initiative to see them off.

In fact, it is fake to send each other off, but it is real to discuss the wedding date.

Although the appointment has been successful, to avoid long nights and dreams, Concubine Shao hopes that the two families will start choosing an auspicious day tonight to strive for an early marriage.

In particular, she knew that Zhu Youtang was not like an ordinary young man at all. This time, he failed in the marriage robbery, so there was no guarantee that he would pull off some conspiracy.

"Don't worry, Princess! I'll discuss this matter with my husband when I get home!" Mother Jiang also had this intention, so she naturally agreed.

Although the three of them were still far away from Donghua Gate, Mother Jiang did not dare to let Princess Shao see them off.

Although Jiang Wei is only fourteen years old, she was born in the capital after all. In addition, she has been smart since she was a child, so she has maturity and tact far beyond her peers.

Along the way, although she could only get a glimpse of a corner of the palace, it also shocked her heart a little. Naturally, she hoped to become the master of this place.

When Jiang Wei saw Concubine Shao leaving, she whispered worriedly: "Mother, can Prince Xing really inherit the throne in the future?"

"My mother has taught you since you were a child: You would rather be a chicken head than a phoenix tail! The emperor's harem is full and his reputation is not good. Do you want to be a virtuous princess or a tyrant's concubine?" Mother Jiang did not give a direct answer. , but asked seriously.

Jiang Wei is a young girl with strong opinions, but she said very firmly: "My daughter doesn't mind whether she is a virtuous princess or a tyrant's concubine. What she wants is the throne or the position of queen mother!"

"Prince Xing is supported by so many people now, and you are the reincarnation of the Golden Phoenix. You will definitely be the queen in the future!" Mother Jiang was very satisfied with her daughter's ambition and immediately gave a positive answer.

In fact, she was also a noble lady in the capital. When she was a child, she had a dream of becoming an empress. However, a woman with a background as a military general was destined not to be recommended by civil servants.

Fortunately, her daughter was favored by King Xing, but she was able to save the country through King Xing's curve, and finally took the position that all women in the world dream of.

When Jiang Wei heard the affirmative answer, her eyes flashed with greed and she whispered softly: "Everything is up to my mother!"

"Just watch! Today, I have offended too many people. In a few years, you and King Xing will have all the hardships, and then you will be able to take over this palace!" Mother Jiang looked at this magnificent palace. The palace is also a tunnel for planning the future.

Jiang Wei had already arrived in front of Donghua Gate. Now he turned around and looked at the palace. He secretly made up his mind to assist King Xing in ascending the throne.

As night falls, the lights in the capital light up.

"I won't come home until I get drunk tonight!"

"Haha... so happy!"

"A thousand cups of wine is too little to meet a close friend, so let's drink it up!"

…

The British government palace seemed particularly lively, and a group of nobles were exchanging glasses of wine here.

Not only was the whole house brightly lit, there were many guests coming, and the banquet in the flower hall was filled with fine wine and delicacies, and there were even beauties playing the piano.

The joy tonight belongs to the Anti-Tyrant Alliance. They gather at this banquet and celebrate their victory here.

"Haha... Who would have thought that we would invite the eldest princess!"

"This is still a gift from him. If he hadn't offended others everywhere, why would it be like this?"

"Now everyone knows that King Xing married Jinfeng. From now on, no important ministers will dare to disrespect King Xing?"

…

Marquis of Xiangcheng Li Jin and others successfully arranged the marriage of King Xing today, which also created a greater possibility for King Xing to succeed Zhu Youtang as the throne. The nobles present at the meeting seemed particularly happy at this moment.

Today's events not only dampened the tyrant's arrogance, but also brought great benefit to King Xing.

Now that King Xing has Jiang Wei's golden phoenix endorsement, more people will surely believe that the person who will inherit the throne in the future will be King Xing, so more dignitaries will turn to King Xing one after another.

Once the time comes, they only need to unite with the civil servant group, and they may not be able to imitate the change of seizing the door and elect Zhu Youqi as the new king.

"I thought the emperor would use some thunderous means to stop it today!"

"Haha... The emperor's nature is hard to change. He knew that this person was cowardly as early as in the East Palace!"

"As long as we assist His Highness Prince Xing together, we will definitely be able to bring great rule to the Ming Dynasty in the future!"

…

As they drank more and more drinks, Xiangcheng Bo Li Jin and others no longer had such scruples in speaking, and seemed to be very proud to describe a beautiful scene that belonged to their upper class.

Although the empire has been victorious in many battles now, life for their powerful people has become even more difficult.

Not to mention the need to pay more grain taxes and return part of the land that had been occupied by the people, and the loan sharking business, which was the largest source of income, had to be paid, and the kiln silver that the family had accumulated over several lifetimes continued to depreciate.

Especially now that the imperial court is promoting the new currency, many shops in the capital either significantly increase the silver price of their goods or do not charge silver settlement at all. As a result, they may not be able to spend the silver they have.

On the other hand, the lives of the people at the bottom are getting better and better. Now, let alone borrowing loan sharks from us or working as tenants or day laborers, they can actually eat meat.

Although some people have begun to praise the prosperous age of Hongzhi, the lives of their powerful people are getting worse and worse, and only the lowly common people are benefiting. What kind of prosperous age is this?

Because of this, their powerful people hated the tyrant Hongzhi very much and hoped that the dynasty could return to the era of benevolent government governed by scholar-officials. Therefore, Xingwang became their greatest hope.

The marriage between King Xing and the Jiang family was also put on the agenda tonight, and the specific date was finalized the next day.

Originally, there might not be a good day for several months, but in order to get married as soon as possible, the two families chose September 19th as a date with a long-lasting meaning.

Time flies, and September has passed in the blink of an eye.

The people in the capital had just recovered from the battle between the emperor and King Xing, when a food crisis suddenly struck.

"Royal Rice Store has no rice for sale today, their warehouse must have been exhausted!"

Just when some people came to the Royal Rice Store in Rizhongfang in the north of the city to exchange rice with their rice tickets, they were told that today's polished rice had been sold out, and the news quickly spread throughout Beijing.

"What's going on? Is the Royal Rice Store really out of rice?"

"The people from the Royal Rice Store said that this situation occurred because someone exchanged a large amount of rice early in the morning today!"

"This is obviously an excuse! It's the same as the previous routine. It's obvious that there is no rice anymore, but in the end, it deceives us with lies!"

…

Although the Royal Rice Store that was out of stock gave an explanation, as the news continued to ferment, more and more people believed that the Royal Rice Store's rice bank was about to run out, so they went to the Royal Rice Store to buy.

“The Royal Rice Store in the north of the city is out of rice!”

"Haha... I should have told you that the rice warehouse of the Royal Rice Store has been exhausted!"

"Let's buy rice quickly. Once the price of rice in the capital rises, we will no longer be able to afford it!"

…

Due to a large number of people in the north of the city rushing to buy, all the Royal Rice Stores in the north of the city ran out, which further triggered panic among the people in the capital.

There is a fear of crazy buying of any product. Once there is an irrational rush, even sand cannot satisfy the irrational demand.

"Everyone, calm down, we have to believe in the Royal Company!" Liu Ying did her best to comfort her after learning the whole story.

In fact, many people still believe in Royal Rice Bank's statement, and they have also come forward to persuade everyone to stay rational.

It's just that the entire Royal Rice Store in the north of the city cannot exchange for rice grains. This negative impact is really too great, so the people have already panicked.

Starting from the north of the city, the Royal Rice Stores in the east, west and south of the city were crowded by the people, and eventually the Royal Rice Stores in the whole city ran out.

"I'll buy rice!"

"I'll buy rice!"

"I want to buy rice too!"

…

The non-royal rice store, which was originally no one interested in, was knocked open by some people in the north of the city who couldn't overcome their panic, but they chose to buy the high-priced rice, which was not too outrageous.

These non-royal rice banks insisted on using silver taels for settlement, so ordinary people had to spend ten taels of silver to buy one stone of rice, which was ten times more expensive than the previous rice price.

But if the news spread that the Royal Rice Store could not exchange rice tomorrow, then they might have to eat more expensive rice, so they gritted their teeth and bought it.

“Have you all forgotten Korean rice?”

"Yes, the rice shipment from North Korea has returned, and the Royal Rice Store has rice again!"

"I think it's 80% likely that someone is deliberately hyping it up. Don't panic now that you have the rice tickets in your hand!"

…

Although many people in the north of the city were affected by their emotions, some people thought rationally about North Korean rice, knowing that once North Korean rice successfully reaches the capital, the current predicament can be solved.

"I just got a piece of definite news that several bridges going north in North Korea were burned down, and the rice grains from Seoul can't go north to Northeast Prefecture at all!"

Just when everyone was still expecting North Korean rice to return to save the situation, a piece of bad news suddenly came, as if the people of the capital were secretly going to experience this disaster.

We can't blame the people in the capital for the food panic, it's really a bad year.

It is a foregone conclusion that the locust plague in the North Zhili region has reduced production, but grain grains have not yet been able to go north. Now North Korean rice cannot be delivered. In addition, the rice grains from the Royal Rice Bank have been exhausted, and the price of rice in the capital is bound to skyrocket.

“We don’t accept cash dollars!”

"What is a cloth ticket? It's just waste paper!"

"Rice tickets? Haha... go to the Royal Rice Store to redeem them!"

…

Hundreds of rice shops in the capital seemed to have suddenly formed an alliance. Not only did they have unified prices, but they also made it clear that they would not accept new coins from the Hongye Dynasty, and even made fun of them.

"Two hundred yuan per catty!"

"Two hundred and ten cents per catty!"

"Two hundred and twenty cents per catty!"

…

The price of rice in Beijing has risen again in response. Since the rice shops in Beijing have formed a monopoly on rice, they are now starting to raise prices. They seem to be trying to recoup their losses.

The preservation of food actually requires a high cost.

Not to mention that the cost of warehousing in this era is very high, and there is a lot of loss in the storage of rice grains. In addition, each granary must arrange a large number of personnel to prevent fire and theft.

The dignitaries in the capital, headed by Uncle Xiangcheng, naturally wanted to recover their losses, and they also wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make a huge profit, so this price increase seemed very fierce.

When the people saw the price of polished rice posted at the rice store in Beijing, they started to curse.

At the same time, Prince Xing's Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colors, looking very festive.

"Congratulations to His Highness Prince Xing on your happy wedding!"

"His Royal Highness Prince Xing, you are so petty and disrespectful!"

"I wish His Highness Prince Xing and the Princess a happy marriage and a happy son soon!"

…

King Xing's wedding came as scheduled, and he also invited Xiangcheng Bo Li Jin and others. Naturally, these dignitaries came with heavy gifts.

If he had to restrain himself earlier, but after openly snatching the golden phoenix Jiang Wei, his relationship with Zhu Youtang has actually deteriorated, and naturally he no longer needs to be so scrupulous.

Just when the atmosphere was harmonious, Lu Song hurried over to report: "Something happened!" (End of Chapter)