Chapter 108: Pulling out the tree and searching for its roots, loving the child deeply

In the first year of the Longqing reign, that is, six years ago, Duan Youxue, the co-magistrate of Baoqing Prefecture, and Jiang Shimo, the prefect of Wugang, were ordered to build the outer city of the Prince of Min's Palace.

The Small Royal City, the Big Royal City and the Outer City are three rings interconnected, and the city wall is more than ten miles long, which is magnificent.

Today, this impregnable royal city was invaded by someone.

The thirteen gates and more than twenty towers of the Min Palace are usually guarded by the palace guards.

Today, they were all taken control of quietly by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

The royal palace used to be high up in the sky.

Today, it is even more of a mess.

The soldiers were looming, their momentum was counter-attacking, and no one knew who was confronting them in the royal city, causing such a turbulent situation.

There was a battle of words, a confrontation of power, and a thunderclap out of nowhere.

Fortunately, there were only strong winds and thunder, and it did not rain.

As if it was a divine connection, the confrontation within the Lishan Palace finally came to an end.

The whole process made Zhu Shitai shudder with fear!
He could hardly hold back his trembling during the brief conversation between his father and King Min.

At least the situation has died down... Prince Min was suppressed and swallowed his anger. He did not get angry, but just made up for it on the surface and drove the Jinyiwei away quickly.

Zhu Shitai avoided the gazes of everyone in Prince Min's Mansion who were watching for someone to devour.

Pushing Zhu Xizhong's wheelchair, he walked out of the Lishan Palace pretending to be calm.

Even though the Royal Guards surrounded him, they seemed unable to stop the prince's surging malice.

At this moment, he was afraid that the prince would be over-stimulated by his father and would not care about anything and would hack him to death here.

He breathed a sigh of relief only when he stepped out of the gate of Lishan Palace and was not stopped.

He glanced at Zhu Xizhong in the wheelchair and couldn't help but complain: "Sir, we are handling the case according to the emperor's order. Even if we offend these princes, we have the support of His Majesty."

"But why do you take the initiative to provoke me?"

Zhu Shitai was secretly complaining in his heart, and he always told himself to be steady in doing things, but today he ended up showing off his power.

Although he forced King Min to retreat, it was obviously a disaster of great magnitude, and he was not afraid of bringing disaster to his family.

"Cough...cough..."

Zhu Xizhong's momentum was gone and he started coughing again.

Zhu Shitai vaguely saw a hint of red, and hurriedly stroked his father's back, saying with concern: "Dad..."

Zhu Xizhong coughed a few times and finally recovered.

He did not respond to Zhu Shitai's words.

He pushed his son's hand away and said to himself in disappointment, "It's a pity that King Min is a man who is rough on the outside but delicate on the inside. Even when I forced him like this, he just pretended and didn't dare to really do it."

Zhu Shitai was puzzled: "Ah?"

After a while, he came back to his senses and asked in astonishment: "Are you deliberately forcing King Min? Why?"

The situation was tense just now, and the palace guards were ready to take action, almost starting a fight!

Although they may not be at a disadvantage, swords have no mercy!

A son of a wealthy family would not sit idle in the hall, how could he step into danger on his own!

He glanced at his father and muttered secretly. He had agreed to take care of the matter of Lishan Palace while King Min was away, but he didn't know his father had such a plan. If he had known, he would not have come.

Zhu Xizhong didn't know what his son was thinking. He just sighed and shook his head, saying, "It's really hard to find a chance to kill the prince on the spot."

Zhu Shitai's face changed, and he asked in shock: "What did the lord say!?"

Crazy!
This time when they broke into the palace, they did not dare to touch the prince and his wife, but killed all the generals who dared to resist.

Even so, he will probably be regarded as a scourge after returning to Beijing.

Now my master says that he still wants to kill the prince!

You dare to do such a dirty job, you really don't care about the safety of your clan! ?
Zhu Xizhong sat in a wheelchair, supporting himself with one hand on the armrest, and sneered, "Do you think you can take over the Prince of Min's Palace and capture the Prince of Min by colluding with pirates?"

This was also the reason why he mentioned the matter of pirates just now but did not link it to Zhu Dingyao.

Be it collusion or nurturing, this matter is still not big enough!
The royal family's immunity from death was so secure that he never tried anyone he could kill.

I am just afraid that some people will escape death and live alive and well, and will not be able to vent the emperor's anger!
During the reign of Emperor Xianzong, Princess Liu of Jiangchuan, Minfu, replaced a prince with a cat, disrupted the royal family, and tarnished the inheritance of the Zhu family. For this serious crime, Emperor Xianzong could only order her to "reflect".

During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, the fifth Prince of Min, Zhu Yantai, raped his stepmother, Zhuang, to death, which was an extreme violation of the laws of nature and human ethics, but Emperor Wuzong only demoted him to a commoner.

Even more exaggerated was the case of Zhu Huiyan, the Prince of Guangtong in Min vassal state. He was planning to start an uprising in May or June of the second year of Jingtai and "rule the world". However, after his plan was exposed, he was demoted to a commoner.

Even if burning the imperial envoy was a huge event that broke the world, which of the above things was wrong?
What's more, we are just supporting the pirates and giving them a little help. There is still a lot of room for improvement.

If we can't cut the Gordian knot and make the matter a fait accompli, how will we report to the emperor?

He just wanted to humiliate this King Min, who was rumored to have a hot temper, and force him to take the initiative to attack the Jinyiwei so that he could kill him on the spot in the melee.

Unfortunately, his mind is not as simple as it seems. Although he appears aggressive on the surface, he is actually calm and did not take the bait.

As the father and son were talking, they gradually walked away.

Zhu Dingyao stood in the courtyard, looked at Zhu Xizhong's back quietly for a long time, and then silently withdrew his gaze.

As soon as his eyes fell back into the yard, the smell of blood that he had just ignored came to his face again.

Crooked, stiff, bright red, with eyes wide open.

All kinds of familiar faces stimulated Zhu Dingyao's senses.

The relatives around him knelt on the ground and wailed, and some even crawled up to him and pulled his trouser legs to beg him.

Zhu Dingyao had a blank expression on his face.

Only after those who should retreat retreated, those who should be sent to the hospital were sent to the hospital, and those who begged were taken away... and everything was quiet, did he finally take action.

After Zhu Dingyao's chest rose and fell violently, he slowly squatted down.

He ignored the filth, reached out and closed the eyes of his nephew who was standing at his feet with his eyes wide open and his chest pierced.

With his face buried, his expression unclear, he said softly, "Collect it and place it on the altar first. Bury it after the sacrifice."

The people around him responded immediately.

Zhu Dingyao squatted on the ground, put a drop of blood on his brow, and said solemnly: "Submit a memorial to the emperor for me, impeaching Zhu Xizhong. Make up as many charges as you can, and use as harsh words as you want."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Remember to play it more."

As soon as the words fell, someone went to prepare.

After another pause, Zhu Dingyao's voice became even colder: "Don't save the extra money in your house. Feed the Miao soldiers well these days to prepare for emergencies."

At that time, a mere subordinate of the King of Guangtong of the Min vassal state was able to proclaim himself the King of Meng, recruit 30,000 Miao soldiers, occupy Longli, and capture Tonggu and other garrisons.

Now, if Min Fan is willing, he can always take out some of his family assets.

As for what to do?
Zhu Dingyao slowly stood up, took the towel, and wiped the blood off his hands expressionlessly - if his life and property were in danger, which prince could resist thinking about the story of Emperor Chengzu at night?
He walked out of Lishan Palace with a gloomy expression.

He looked up at the gray sky, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed the hesitation and madness in his eyes.

……

There was no obstruction when entering the royal city, let alone leaving.

While talking to his son, Zhu Xizhong signaled the Jinyiwei at the palace gates, city gates, and towers to return to their positions.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards poured out from the city gates like a tide and joined Zhu Xizhong behind him.

The flying fish suit and the embroidered spring sword made the whole place look dark.

He is powerful and domineering.

Zhu Xizhong took the handkerchief handed to him by his son, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and found his son's question somewhat amusing.

"The story of Emperor Chengzu? Do you really think that everyone in Huguang is dead now?"

Since they dared to force King Min, they must have been fully prepared for the situation and were not afraid of him causing any trouble.

Besides, the Duke of Chengguo’s Mansion was conferred the title after following Emperor Chengzu in the Jingnan Rebellion, and they knew best what kind of person Emperor Chengzu was - not everyone was qualified to compare with Emperor Chengzu.

Now if the King of Min wants to follow suit, it would save a lot of trouble...

Zhu Shitai always obeyed his father's wishes, but at this time he was still a little worried.

I couldn't help but remind him: "Sir, even so, this is after all the royal family, and it is deeply rooted." "Just follow orders and do your duty. If you do things without leaving any room for us, we may not be able to bear it."

"Why work so hard..."

There are more than just one or two royal families.

No matter how much turmoil there is internally, we are united in our hatred of the enemy externally.

What if you go too far and cause dissatisfaction among some members of the royal family?

At the beginning, Minjian King Zhu Yingbi, just because of a personal grudge, was able to write a memorial to the emperor to falsely accuse Liu Xun, the governor of Wugang, and put him in prison.

More than 60 censors, including Pang Pan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and Liu Shen, the Censor-in-Chief, submitted a petition to the emperor, but were all thrown into jail. This resulted in six departments being vacant for a while, a situation known as the "empty department" case.

The power of the royal family can be seen from this.

Even if the current emperor is willing to take care of the Chengguo Mansion, what if someone else takes over in the future? Who can stand the bad words of relatives every day?
Zhu Xizhong suddenly smiled.

Seeing that he was about to die, his son finally began to think about political affairs.

He rarely showed a look of disdain, but instead asked seriously, "Why do you think His Majesty asked me to come here in person?"

Zhu Shitai said as a matter of course: "Look at what you said, isn't it because my uncle was still in Nanzhili at that time?"

"Besides, you are the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a hereditary duke, and the current Grand Tutor. For such a major event as burning the imperial envoy, it takes someone like you to step forward!"

"Your Majesty, this is..."

At the end of his speech, he suddenly fell silent.

Yes, it takes someone like my father to step forward.

As for what he wanted, wasn't it obvious? Even though he only realized it later.

Zhu Xizhong nodded with satisfaction and said meaningfully: "So it's not that I want to leave no room for maneuver, but the central government wants to! It's the emperor and the cabinet who want to!"

"I am the only one who can do what they want to do for them! I am the only one who can kill who they want to kill!"

"The case of burning the imperial envoy was just an excuse."

"Cough...cough..."

When the conversation got heated, she couldn't help coughing twice and quickly covered her mouth, fearing that her son would suffer bad luck.

Zhu Xizhong continued, "The cabinet... ahem... the cabinet wants to measure the land, and they are eagerly waiting for me to plow all the wealthy officials and gentry that have emerged in the prefectures of Huguang, so I would rather kill them by mistake than let them go."

"The emperor wants to reform the royal family, so Wu Jinghe is here. He is now waiting for me to make an opening, which is why we are here at Prince Min's Palace today."

"You still want to avoid offending others? Remember, it is better to insist on doing it alone than to be indecisive. The former can leave a way out, but the latter is a way to death!"

The more Zhu Shitai listened, the more silent he became.

He suddenly had an epiphany and an epiphany, and inexplicably felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Zhu Shitai looked at his father with a sad expression on his face: "Sir, the emperor and the cabinet never thought of letting you go back, right?"

He squatted down, grabbed Zhu Xizhong's hand, and murmured, "How heartless... How heartless..."

If you kill members of the royal family and wipe out all the wealthy families, I don’t know how many people you will offend.

The cabinet and the emperor would certainly not be able to withstand such a ruthless move.

There has to be someone in a high position who takes the responsibility...

In an instant, Zhu Shitai suddenly grew up a lot and figured out many problems that he had never considered before.

However, his expression became more and more sad.

The Chengguo Mansion sided with the emperor so early, and even the emperor’s position could not be stabilized without their help!
The Jinyiwei were loyal and devoted, and my uncle Zhu Xixiao went through life and death together.

Is this the outcome?!

Zhu Xizhong couldn't help but put his hand on Zhu Shitai's head and rubbed it with a smile.

My own son is a little stupid, but he is a kind-hearted person. It is worth bringing him to Huguang to teach him a last lesson.

Zhu Xizhong fiddled with Zizi's hair for a while, then stopped smiling and said seriously, "I took the initiative to ask Your Majesty."

He waved his hand, asked the guards to push his wheelchair, and continued walking out.

Zhu Shitai was startled, and quickly stood up and followed, asking in astonishment: "Sir..."

Active request! ?
Wasn’t it the emperor who forced him?
Zhu Xizhong continued: "Besides me, wouldn't Xu Jie be more useful?"

"Once again, we have Gao Gong and Zhang Siwei to support us. Even the other dukes wouldn't be a problem."

He looked at his son and repeated, "I took the initiative to ask your Majesty."

Zhu Shitai was silent.

His father said something he couldn't understand again.

Regarding this matter, he finally began to think seriously about these words that had sounded obscure and difficult to understand in the past.

His mind raced, but he still couldn't figure it out and was confused.

So he asked, "Sir, I want to know."

Zhu Xizhong nodded with satisfaction.

He looked towards the north, which was the direction of the capital, and whispered, "His Majesty said that he would make me a prince after this."

Prince! ?
Zhu Shitai was shocked, but he immediately realized that this was a great honor, which was rare in the dynasty!

It is no wonder that such an honor could drive this father who has devoted his whole life to the family.

This is what I wanted, right?

It was supposed to be a happy occasion, but Zhu Shitai was still sad and his expression was extremely complicated.

I wanted to put a smile on my face for my father, but when I thought about the price, I still couldn't be happy.

He said in a low voice: "It is naturally a good thing for my father to be posthumously honored."
"But the child is idle and good for nothing. He only knows how to eat, drink, gamble and have sex. Without his father, I'm afraid this golden signboard will not be able to support it."

Zhu Xizhong knew his son's reaction without even looking, and shook his head with a smile.

"I also know that you can't hold on. Not to mention you, Xixiao can't hold on either."

"If you are not a royal relative, even if you are posthumously crowned a king, your title will inevitably be revoked."

Zhu Xizhong turned his head and looked at his son beside him. He squeezed his son's hand and said with a smile, "So... I refused."

"Use this condition to ask His Majesty for a title for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Shitai was stunned on the spot, at a loss as to what to do.

"Father……"

Zhu Xizhong interrupted him: "I have always thought in my early years that the Duke of Chengguo's mansion is in charge of the Jinyiwei and is deeply involved in the vortex. It is not something that ordinary people can handle."

"You are not capable enough, so it is not a good idea to let you inherit the title."

"But if I rashly ask for your permission to deprive you of your title of Crown Prince, I am afraid that you will become resentful of me and your family members, not to mention whether His Majesty will approve it."

He paused, took his son's hand, and said with relief: "Now that I have this opportunity to have both, I will die with no regrets."

"Since you are not interested in the central government, I will ask His Majesty to give you this opportunity to start a new business. I have other plans for the Chengguo Mansion."

"Your Majesty, I see clearly that the best place for you is to go to the coast, build a garrison and grant you a title, go out to sea to plunder, and let you do whatever you want outside."

"..."

Zhu Shitai listened to his father chattering and coughing from time to time, and his expression was even more sad.

It turns out that he was paving the way for himself with his life!
He finally couldn't hold back his emotions anymore, and he fell to his knees, kowtowed repeatedly.

"Father, I was ignorant before and I'm sorry for causing you trouble!"

"I wish my father good health and a long life!"

Zhu Xizhong helped his son up and nodded, "My old bones can still hold on for a while, and I will eventually finish the work for His Majesty and the cabinet."

"During these days, you should follow me and learn more."

Zhu Shitai wiped his eyes and nodded silently.

Zhu Xizhong looked up at the sky and said softly, "Send Zhu Dingjiong to the Jinyiwei Qianhu Division and give him a thorough interrogation. We must find a reason to kill Zhu Dingyao."

(End of this chapter)