Chapter 4: The Crown Prince ascends to the throne

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince"

"Your Highness."

All the ministers bowed and greeted him.

It was the first time for many officials to meet the heir to the throne of the Ming Dynasty, but they had heard to some extent about his character - pure in character, cautious and sensitive.

The last time he tried to persuade the emperor to ascend the throne, he was so frightened by the large number of military, civilian and officials present that he even dared not show up.

In the minds of all the ministers, an evaluation of being an average person is indispensable.

However, when I met him today, I found that he was unexpectedly well-behaved and spoke clearly, not at all as taciturn as the rumors said.

They couldn't help but look at him, either openly or secretly.

Gao Yi was the head of the attendants of the crown prince's lectures and was the most familiar with Zhu Yijun among all the officials. At this time, he cast his glances at him frequently and felt that the crown prince seemed to have been reborn, which surprised him greatly.

Gao Gong, who was standing by, watched with great interest as the crown prince bowed. He wondered how long this crown prince had been forced to train by Concubine Li to have such manners and conversation.

Only Zhang Juzheng remained calm and glanced at them calmly.

Zhu Yijun felt these gazes and felt helpless, thinking that I couldn't see them stealing glances at him.

Why is it different from the pigtail drama? It was said that looking up at the emperor is a capital crime?

Fortunately, it was only the first court session today, so all the officials came out to welcome and greet him as a formality. There won’t be such trouble in the future.

This scene reminded Zhu Yijun of the first time he stepped into the city hall gate...

Zhu Yijun tried hard to get rid of this sense of déjà vu from his mind.

This inquiry did not last long, Gao Gong stepped out from the crowd and said, "The late emperor has abandoned the country, and the position of the head of Wenhua Palace is vacant. Today, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is attending court. I, your servants, are as happy as if rain has finally come after a long drought."

Zhang Juzheng followed closely behind him with dignity: "Welcome the Crown Prince to the palace."

All the officials echoed this and invited the heir to enter the palace.

Zhu Yijun readily followed the advice and stepped forward, looking around at the officials again as he passed by.

The important officials from the six ministries and nine departments were all listed. Relying on the memory of his previous life, he roughly matched the names with their appearances.

He strode with his head held high, and only when he arrived in front of the cabinet did he raise his head and look carefully at the three people.

The Prime Minister Gao Gong strongly advocated the rectification of officialdom and the elimination of corruption. He was later called the "old angry young man".

Those who cannot afford to buy a house, cannot afford to buy a house, and cannot even raise enough money for funeral expenses, all have high morals.

And there was his long-time spiritual friend, the second assistant Zhang Juzheng, who was good at state affairs but poor at personal affairs.

These are the members of his team today.

Just looking at the expressions of these three people, I'm afraid they don't have even the slightest bit of affection for his new king.

It's not easy to carry out work.

Feeling emotional, Zhu Yijun immediately stopped, turned around to face Gao Yi, and said very respectfully: "Sir."

Gao Yi's heart skipped a beat and he quickly dodged to the side!

"Your Highness, this is not the time for a lecture, so you don't have to pay homage to me!"

As the Prince's Grand Tutor and the head of the class officials, it was in accordance with etiquette for him to receive the courtesy of a teacher when he was giving a lecture, but when was it? The Prince was going to the palace to attend the court! How could he dare to receive this courtesy? He quickly turned aside to explain.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yijun was already ready to rely on him. He showed a look of sudden enlightenment on his face, but he did not change his words: "Oh, the teacher is right."

Gao Yi was speechless for a moment. He looked at the innocent and simple heir in front of him and opened his mouth to speak.

Zhu Yijun did not give him a chance to speak and turned to look at Zhang Juzheng.

His eyes were filled with inquiry: "Master Zhang, I have admired you for a long time."

He made a double entendre, but only paused for a moment before continuing, "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhang."

Zhu Yijun’s current character is that of a smart kid.

Naturally, what he does cannot deviate from the scope of a child. He can learn quickly, but he cannot suddenly understand everything.

Moreover, too much is as bad as too little. As the previous experience shows, the young emperor who was too smart could easily "accidentally fall into the water". He has not learned how to swim yet, so he cannot be careless.

Therefore, we can only speak and behave in a simple manner within the limitations.

Zhang Juzheng thought that as the successor to the throne, he had to use these polite words to show his status as a monarch and his subjects, so he bowed hastily and declined the offer.

Zhu Yijun wanted to say a few more words to him, but he also knew that there was a long time to go, so he suppressed the thought.

Then he turned to look at the protagonist on the stage today, Gao Gong.

Gao Gong stood there quietly, waiting.

He was the chief minister of the cabinet. When the heir to the throne greeted the cabinet, he was placed last. He was somewhat dissatisfied, wondering whether the heir to the throne was ignorant or that Concubine Li did not teach him well.

Or maybe, he glanced at the eunuch Feng Bao and wondered if it was this man who secretly corrupted the heir to the throne?

Zhu Yijun did not let him wait any longer and pulled him back to his senses: "Prince Fu, you just sent someone to tell me that I would definitely not come again. Now that I am here, please take back your words."

He had a stiff neck and a serious look in his eyes, just like a sulking child.

Feng Bao opened his mouth slightly in surprise.

Gao Gong raised his eyes blankly.

Gao Yi and all the officials were confused.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at Feng Bao obliquely.

All kinds of situations were displayed at the same time, and Zhu Yijun took them all in.

Are you surprised? Don't follow political rules? That's right! I am a young and immature man. I don't know any political rules. I just have a straightforward mind! Can't you say this in public? It doesn't exist!

He had come with an idea in mind.

With this obstacle that Feng Bao set in front of Concubine Li, Gao Gong was doomed to suffer a loss.

After all, Feng Bao's move could be considered an open conspiracy.

Even if Gao Gong explained to Concubine Li, it would not save the situation at all.

A person's first impression is the most important, especially for women. In Concubine Li's mind, Gao Gong could not be shaken off the label of being arrogant and domineering, and intimidating his superiors.

What's more, Gao Gong must have said something similar. Feng Bao could put the blame on the eunuch who delivered the message with just a few words, and then continue to discredit Gao Gong, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

However, although Gao Gong suffered a loss, Feng Bao could not get away with it unscathed.

It would have been fine if Concubine Li had been the referee, but it was a pity that this matter fell into his hands.

This was why he stopped in front of Wenhua Palace and made the matter clear.

Outside the palace, it was not considered a political matter, but it did not prevent him from questioning Gao Gong as his master.

Besides, the eunuch was his household slave, and he was the person involved. As long as he brought up the matter, he would naturally be qualified to judge.

No one can shake him unless both sides work together to exclude him.

Don't underestimate this as a trivial matter. Real power is accumulated slowly from being a referee.

As he was too young to make decisions on political affairs, he had few opportunities to become a referee.

Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Gong quietly, waiting for his answer.

Gao Gong was worthy of the title of an old angry young man. He suffered an injustice and immediately said in a loud voice: "Your Highness! I will only send someone to the East Palace from the palace. If the prince insists on not coming, I will ask for oral instructions. He did not even go, but was stopped by his colleagues in the cabinet."

"I never said that the prince would not come! I don't know which eunuch caused the trouble! Your Highness, please understand!"

Zhu Yijun secretly gave a thumbs up.

Although Gao Gong was not very politically wise, he had no problem finding his enemy. He started by naming eunuchs and thus covered up the matter.

He immediately said, "Ah? Just now a eunuch came to report that the Prime Minister was sure that I would not come, and he made me very sad."

Zhu Yijun looked embarrassed, as if he felt a little ashamed for having misunderstood the prime minister.

Having said that, he turned and looked at the young eunuch.

The young eunuch was suddenly surrounded by other eunuchs who made way for him. He was extremely panicked, but he still held on to the last glimmer of hope and glanced at Feng Bao out of the corner of his eye.

Feng Bao remained silent and closed his eyes slightly.

The young eunuch knew that he could not escape, so he knelt down on the ground in front of Zhu Yijun. He glanced at Gao Gong in fear from time to time and stammered: "Your Highness! I... I have an ear disease, maybe I heard it wrong!"

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

This person is going down a path that leads to the end of the world.

If this eunuch was just afraid of Feng Bao, and admitted the crime and took full responsibility, I could still give him a chance to live.

But not only did he make false excuses for himself, he also pretended to be intimidated by Gao Gong and changed his words, so that Feng Bao could falsely accuse Gao Gong to Concubine Li.

He didn't take the successor king seriously at all, which was a real death.

Gao Gong immediately flew into a rage: "How dare you, a eunuch, to alienate the emperor and his subjects! Who ordered this? Tell the truth!"

Zhu Yijun wanted so much that he held his forehead with his hand. No wonder Gao Gong was defeated by Feng Bao. His methods were too crude.

The young eunuch kowtowed repeatedly: "I dare not! I dare not!"

Zhu Yijun was in no mood to watch the little eunuch's performance, nor did he need him to point out Feng Bao. He looked at Gao Gong and said seriously: "Prince Fu, I was mistakenly convinced by the slander. I will give you an explanation!"

Without looking at Gao Gong's reaction, he turned to Feng Bao and said, "Big Companion, what crime should this man be punished for deceiving the emperor?"

Even if he had not ascended the throne, he was still the heir to the throne, so naturally he could be said to be deceiving the emperor. When dealing with eunuchs and servants, there was no need to put them in jail or put them on trial, they could be dealt with on the spot.

Facing this question, Feng Bao acted like an outsider, his voice was even calm, and he said respectfully: "Your Highness, the crime of deceiving the emperor should be punished by death!"

In front of Wenhua Palace, the heir apparent was coming with pressure from the cabinet. Feng Bao would not go crazy enough to protect a little eunuch.

This was a case of being prepared to abandon a child. The eunuch had already made arrangements for his family before entering the palace. How could he dare not die with him?

Gao Gong was certainly not satisfied with just blaming a small eunuch. He knew who was plotting against him: "The eunuchs on duty in Wenhua Palace were replaced for unknown reasons. When the new eunuchs came, this happened. Eunuch Feng, is this a show deliberately arranged by the Imperial Household Department?"

Feng Bao drooped his eyelids and said weakly, "Don't be suspicious, Prime Minister. The few people on duty before were dismissed by Imperial Concubine Li along with Meng Chong. It was just a routine job to fill the position."

As soon as he mentioned Concubine Li, Gao Gong could not continue to talk in this direction no matter how angry he was. He could only say angrily: "How dare a mere eunuch commit such a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor? How could there be no one to instruct him?!"

The Prime Minister of the Cabinet and the holder of the seal of the Imperial Household Department faced each other outside the Wenhua Hall. All the officials could not help but look at each other in bewilderment.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng suddenly said, "Prime Minister, this matter can be discussed later. Today, His Highness is attending court and it is more important."

Gao Gong suddenly woke up and was shocked to find that the crown prince and all the officials were standing outside the Wenhua Palace. He could not help but suppress his anger in hatred.

Seeing Gao Gong's temper vent, Feng Bao also said in a gloomy tone: "Yes, Prime Minister, His Highness is in court and cannot be neglected. The Ministry of Rites will handle this matter properly when we return. I just hope that Prime Minister will not say anything shocking that would give people room for speculation."

He did things cleanly and was not afraid of being told about it anywhere, otherwise he would not have dared to trip up Gao Gong so blatantly.

Since he holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department, a position known as the Prime Minister, he is not afraid of wrestling with the Cabinet.

This attitude made Gao Gong angry again.

Zhu Yijun watched with great interest. In his previous life, all the meetings were harmonious on the surface, but this scene full of gunpowder was really rare to see, and he couldn't help but watch it in surprise.

Seeing that the situation was almost heated, he immediately took over the conversation: "Prince, dear companion, please allow me to speak a word."

Feng Bao shut up immediately.

Gao Gong wanted to argue more, but was not given any face at all.

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun hurriedly continued to speak, not daring to give him a chance to interrupt: "I am young and immature, which is why someone bullied my orphan and widow, and mistakenly believed in slander. I should reflect on myself first."

This was a politically correct and humble expression often used by the royal family, and all the officials knelt down reflexively.

"I am waiting for death!"

In this situation, no matter how senior you are, you have to kneel down.

Gao Gong could not say anything more and could only bow down immediately: "How dare I blame Your Highness for the wicked behavior of this thief!"

Zhu Yijun quickly helped him up: "When my father was still alive, he often told me, 'If anyone is guilty, the fault lies with me.' Although I am not the emperor, I am now the heir to the throne and I should shoulder the responsibility."

All the officials bowed down again.

Gao Yi felt that after not seeing him for a few days, the words and conversation of the heir really made him look at him with new eyes.

Zhu Yijun turned to look at Zhang Juzheng and said seriously, "What Lord Zhang said just now makes sense. The ceremonials agreed upon by the Ministry of Rites are important and cannot be delayed. However, I have just promised to give an explanation to the Prime Minister. How about I make a gesture and cut the Gordian knot?"

Zhang Juzheng pursed his lips and looked up: "Your Highness has a decisive mind, and I listen respectfully."

As he bowed, he put his hands in his sleeves and rubbed his thumbs constantly, his thoughts churning.

Zhu Yijun nodded and looked at Feng Bao again: "Your Excellency's words are mature and prudent. Since my mother has ordered the change of the Wenhua Palace, there is nothing to investigate. There are always people who disrespect the emperor and father, and it is not surprising that they do anything. Drag them out and beat them to death."

He pointed at the young eunuch, and no one moved for a moment.

After Feng Bao made a subtle gesture secretly, a eunuch immediately came forward, stuffed his mouth, and dragged him away forcibly.

Feng Bao saw that the farce ended with the sacrifice of a little eunuch, and he smiled in his heart, prostrating himself: "Your Highness is wise and wise!"

Zhu Yijun nodded.

Gao Gong refused to give in: "Your Highness!"

Zhu Yijun just has a headache. Why are you so anxious?
He interrupted immediately and changed the subject, "But, what Yuan Fu said also makes sense! It's not surprising that this person has no king or father, but he was able to sneak into Wenhua Palace to serve, which really makes me feel uneasy!"

"My dear friend, who is in charge of the Imperial Household Department to supervise the duties of each palace?"

Feng Bao's eyelids twitched and he was about to speak.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "No matter who it is, remove him. I will go back and ask mother to re-select someone."

The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department has always been in charge of the duties. He is a high-ranking eunuch and must be Feng Bao's confidant. If he is dismissed, it will be enough to make him heartbroken for a long time.

As for the right candidate, he had some vague ideas, but he still needed to convince Concubine Li. It would be even better if he could arrange some people to work for him.

Feng Bao seemed to argue: "Your Highness..."

Gao Gong immediately interrupted him: "It is only right! Your Highness is wise and decisive, and I admire you!"

Although he was dissatisfied, he had other plans. Now that he could vent his anger, he would certainly not let Feng Bao go.

Zhang Juzheng also echoed: "No one is more wise than Your Highness!"

Feng Bao was stunned.

If Zhu Yijun spoke, he could pretend not to hear it.

But at this time it was the common will of Zhu Yijun and the cabinet, and he was powerless to refute it.

He could only hold on to his toes tightly and kowtow to Zhu Yijun repeatedly: "Your Highness is wise and wise!"

Gao Gong glared at Feng Bao and secretly made a note of this.

Seeing that the dust had settled, Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and felt relieved.

Power over affairs is authority.

With the help of the cabinet's power, Feng Bao was forced to bow his head. Even if it was just the personnel power of a eunuch, it was of great significance to him.

It really is a good start.

There is still a long way to go. Zhu Yijun sneered in his heart but did not show any flaws on his face. He just asked everyone to stand up and ended this episode.

Now that the matter was settled, he would not delay any longer.

He nodded to the etiquette officer, walked slowly towards the Wenhua Hall, and said without turning his head: "Let's go to court."

The etiquette officials were still immersed in the wonderful show that had just taken place.

After receiving the order, they suddenly came to their senses and straightened up.

The moment Zhu Yijun stepped into the Wenhua Hall, the official of the Honglu Temple immediately shouted, "Please invite the Crown Prince to ascend to the Wenhua Hall."

Zhu Yijun strode with his head held high and immediately stepped into the Wenhua Hall.

There was a constant rustling sound as four eunuchs carried the golden dragon throne and carefully placed it on the imperial desk.

Two more stewards led Zhu Yijun in front of them and bowed, saying, "Crown Prince, please ascend the throne."

As soon as he finished speaking, guards wearing armor and carrying swords walked in and stood guard at key positions, looking stern and murderous.

Zhu Yijun walked to the steps.

He walked up to the imperial desk step by step, walking very slowly.

What you are walking on are the stone steps of Wenhua Hall, which are also the pinnacle of power in the Ming Dynasty.

He slowly stood in front of the imperial desk and gently stroked the armrest of the dragon throne.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and slowly sit down.

Snapped!
The sound of whip cracking was heard.

The eunuch stood at the entrance of Wenhua Palace and sang loudly: "Civil and military officials enter the palace! Arrange according to their ranks!"

Zhu Yijun opened his eyes, looked down at the Wenhua Hall, and watched a scene that he would never forget in his life.

I saw all the ministers, both civil and military, entering one after another.

They wore leather belts and ribbons and were divided into different classes.

The court officials in Liang crowns and Luo gowns were bustling around, with a senior official in red robes leading the way, and behind him were officials in green and blue.

They were all lying inside and outside the Wenhua Hall, spreading all the way to the end of the sight.

Behind the hall, the Huangzhong ritual music sounded long and leisurely.

when!when!when!
The people in the hall bowed five times and kowtowed three times.

They all said in unison, their voices shaking the Wenhua Palace: "Your Highness, we respectfully welcome the successor emperor to the throne!"

In his eyes there were only court officials, but in his ears he seemed to hear the entire Ming Dynasty shouting his name.

From the surging banks of the Yellow River to the yellow sands of the northwest desert, from the beautiful southeast scenery with willows and painted bridges to the dangerous and inaccessible Bashu, it seems as if millions of people are shouting together.

Zhu Yijun sat upright on the dragon throne, almost unable to distinguish between reality and illusion, and felt as if his soul was leaving his body.

Is this the throne of the world?
This is the thirteenth new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, which stretches from Korea in the east to Tibet in the west, covers Annan in the south, and is close to Daqi in the north. It is 11,750 miles from east to west and 10,940 miles from north to south. Is this him?
Is it real? Is it an illusion? Is it a time travel? Is it a dream?
Is it Shi Yue? Is it Zhu Yijun?
Finally, he stopped thinking and a smile appeared on his face.

He spoke slowly: "Everyone, please stand up."

He exhaled a breath of turbid air.

These words came out lightly, but suddenly it felt like a heavy burden was pressing down on me.

It is the two capitals and thirteen provinces, it is the common people, it is the Ming Dynasty!
To bear the disgrace of the country is to be the master of the country, to bear the misfortune of the country is to be the king of the world.

After him, he will be Zhu Yijun.

He has taken on all the good and bad fortune in this world!
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Note 1: The eunuch was in charge of supervising all ceremonials and criminal cases in the imperial city, and of managing the imperial attendants, errand boys, and court officials, as well as guarding the gates and supervising the supply of the imperial eunuchs. —— "Ming History·Records·Volume ·Eunuchs"

(End of this chapter)