Chapter 46: Killing and testing the sword, white rainbow penetrates the sky
An hour later.

Zhang Juzheng walked out of the Huangji Hall with a complicated expression.

This conversation was the first time he had a close relationship with the young emperor, and it was also the first time that they regarded each other as chess players and political allies.

After seeing the emperor's words and actions firsthand.

Zhang Juzheng finally understood why Gao Yi was so fascinated by this sage emperor.

This holy king is truly full of vigor and heroic spirit.

Not to mention Gao Yi, even he couldn't help but be moved by it.

But... being moved doesn't mean he believed the emperor's lies.

He has been in the officialdom for many years and is no longer at the age where he would bow down and worship anyone just because he is touched.

What was said was not important. What was important was what bargaining chips the emperor would take out to persuade him to join in resolving this turmoil in the court.

Fortunately, the emperor was not naive at his age, and he made a very generous concession as soon as he opened his mouth.

The chief minister, the group of ministers, the ministry of revenue, the ministry of justice, and the imperial tutor were all given to him for free, which far exceeded his psychological expectations.

Of course, it was not without cost - the two had huge differences on how to deal with Gao Gong.

The emperor hinted that he wanted to kill Gao Gong.

Zhang Juzheng absolutely could not accept this attitude.

The Prime Minister of the current dynasty wants to enforce the law, which is too sensational.

If this were to happen, the emperor's authority would be demonstrated, but the political situation would become turbulent.

Even though Zhang Juzheng suspected that this was a bargaining chip to coerce him, he had to advise against it.

Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to make concessions in exchange for Gao Gong's survival.

I don’t know whether the emperor was waiting for him or it was a sudden impulse, but the emperor actually decided to prepare the Beijing camp!
It is hard to say whether it was a win-win situation or a mutual compromise. In any case, the two of them went back and forth for a while and finally reached a consensus.

Zhang Juzheng's promise for this was to employ Gu Huan.

However, the emperor did not promise not to kill Gao Gong. He only said that he would give Gao Gong a chance - he wanted to see whether Gao Gong was devoted to the country or had the intention of usurping the throne.

Zhang Juzheng sighed when he thought of the opportunity mentioned by the emperor.

This was not an opportunity at all; it was clearly an attempt to squeeze out the last bit of usefulness from Gao Gong's old bones and force him to bow his head in gratitude.

At that time, Gao Gong had no choice but to avoid being charged with treason.

He sold people and still wanted people to remember his good deeds. He suspected that the emperor had secretly read the history of Emperor Wen of Han.

Zhang Juzheng felt sorry for the emperor's lack of benevolence, but at the same time he could not suppress his admiration for him.

In such a contradictory mentality, Zhang Juzheng came to the Ministry of Rites and found Lu Diaoyang.

Despite Gao Gong's attempts to win him over, the Minister of Rites remained firmly on his side, which naturally increased his trust in him.

The two men stood by the pool outside the Ministry of Rites, with their hands behind their backs.

Zhang Juzheng got straight to the point: "He Qing, according to the decree, the emperor will be at Xuanzhi Gate tomorrow to attend to official business, and all officials will pay their respects to him."

"Then you will come forward to ask His Majesty to announce the amnesty and reward."

Amnesty and reward means granting amnesty to the whole country and rewarding the royal family members, and it is most appropriate for the Ministry of Rites to do so.

Lu Diaoyang was stunned. Zhang Juzheng usually called the emperor "emperor", but why did he call him "sage" today?

He looked at Zhang Juzheng in surprise and asked, "Are there any changes regarding the amnesty and reward?"

The amnesty and rewards had already been finalized, and the Xuanzhimen was just a formality.

But since Zhang Juzheng said so, it must not be that simple.

"Your Majesty, when the time comes, will show your grace to the nobles and reward all officials."

Zhang Juzheng said, and then turned to look at Lu Diaoyang, his eyes full of satisfaction: "He Qing, you are what everyone wants."

Lu Diaoyang repeated doubtfully, "What everyone wants?"

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said with a smile: "You are going to join the cabinet."

Lu Diaoyang: "Ah...ah?"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes were full of meaning. "Don't be nervous. Not only you, but all the meritorious officials will be rewarded, and the highest honor will be given to the Yuanfu."

……

into the night.

Night fell, covering the capital with thousands of lights, each with its own purpose.

Among them, the lights in front of Gao Gong’s mansion are not the brightest, but the most eye-catching.

It reflects the endless stream of guests, the exchanges taking place under the table, and also reflects Gao Gong's current high spirits.

Under this lantern.

Chen Hong walked out with a swagger.

This eunuch, who was born in Prince Yu's Mansion and once served as the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, is now in high spirits.

Not only has the haze of being suppressed by Feng Bao been swept away, but his power over the court and the country is also just around the corner.

The two most powerful people in the dynasty - the Empress Dowager and the Prime Minister - are both his backers!

Thanks to this, more and more people in the inner court showed goodwill and loyalty to him.

There were even officials in the court who flirted with him.

Such a beautiful scene of flowers is truly a wonderful thing in life!
As long as the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven and conferred titles on the two palaces, Empress Dowager Chen would be able to walk out of Ciqing Palace and issue orders openly. He, Chen Hong, would be one of the most powerful people in the Ming Dynasty!

By then, he will be even more glorious than when he was the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department!
The East Factory! The Imperial Stables! The Imperial Treasury! They were all in his pocket!

She can also assist the outer court in governing the country on behalf of Queen Chen!

If he could convince Empress Dowager Chen again, he would let her control the emperor.

He, Chen Hong, can really act like a bully!
He still remembered the revenge of Feng Bao's punch in the Imperial Household Department that day. In a few more days, he would kill the thief with his own hands!
Thinking of this, Chen Hong passed by a dark street and for no reason, his heart suddenly tightened.

The instinct of years of open and covert fighting immediately made him alert!

He immediately turned around and ordered the two eunuchs following him to retreat and leave the street.

But as soon as he turned around, he saw a terrifying scene - two dark shadows stood behind the eunuch's attendant, covered the eunuch's mouth and knocked them down.

Chen Hong's first reaction was to shout loudly and run away.

Before he could take any action, his vision suddenly went dark and he immediately fell to the ground, slowly losing consciousness. He only saw a few pairs of Jinyiwei shoes stepping into the puddle in front of him.

"Captain Chen has great skills!"

Jiang Keqian squatted down, gave Chen Hong another stab with the knife, and praised him.

"Brother Jiang, please stop mocking me." Chen Mingyan received the compliment and just smiled bitterly, then got down to business: "How do we deal with this person?"

He called me brother in an attempt to get close to me.

As the two were talking, a captain behind them heard what was said and immediately came up to them: "Commander Jiang, Captain Chen, I am best at torture!"

Jiang Keqian and Chen Mingyan looked at each other strangely.

The former glanced at the latter and asked, "Does Captain Chen want to interrogate him?"

Chen Mingyan hesitated and said, "I'm afraid it can't be tried, right?"

Jiang Keqian nodded and looked at the captain: "Did you hear that? Captain Chen said he won't try him, so just drown him."

The centurion nodded and bowed in agreement.

He immediately squatted down, took out a stack of coarse cloth, pressed it on Chen Hong's face, then took out a bottle of wine and poured it into his mouth.

Chen Hong seemed to be about to wake up.

The captain held Chen Hong tightly with a ferocious look on his face, and it was no use for Chen Hong to scratch him with his hands and kick him with his feet.

Finally, things slowly returned to calm.

After everyone confirmed it, they dragged the body to the river bank and kicked it into the river.

A senior eunuch got drunk and accidentally fell into the river and drowned.

negligible.

……

As Feng Baofang came out of the Cining Palace, he was stopped by Zhang Jing.

He looked at Zhang Hong's godson with caution and suspicion.

Zhang Jing was very respectful: "Master Feng, Your Majesty invites you to come over."

When Feng Bao heard this title, a sinister look flashed in his eyes.

The eunuch behind him was very understanding and immediately scolded him: "You are a person of no rank and no status, and you dare to call the ancestor's official rank directly!"

After being scolded and being stared at expressionlessly by Feng Bao, Zhang Jing did not lose control and continued to behave politely.

He moved closer and whispered, "Your Majesty said it was about Gao Gong..."

Feng Bao's eyes flashed.

Gao Gong was now in power and had pushed him into a corner. The East Factory was lost, and the Imperial Household Department was silent, like having both arms cut off.

He could no longer treat the emperor as a child as he had done in the past.

He even began to think about whether he should turn to the emperor for help and join forces with Zhang Juzheng to deal with Gao Gong.

Now that the emperor has summoned him privately, could it be that they have the same idea?
Thinking of this, he nodded and told Zhang Jing: "Lead the way."

Zhang Jing led the way respectfully, and from time to time he mentioned the emperor's private resentment towards Gao Gong.

Feng Bao thought that the emperor wanted to use him, which forced Zhang Hong to use this method to show that he had no hostility.

The group soon arrived at the Qianqing Palace.

Zhang Hong was already waiting.

Seeing someone coming, he hurried over to greet him.

He reminded: "Master Feng, His Majesty only wants to see you."

Feng Bao naturally came to the Qianqing Palace many times, as this was indeed the rule.

He did not argue, nodded, asked the two eunuchs to stay in the outer room, and then followed Zhang Hong into the Qianqing Palace.

As soon as Feng Bao's back disappeared, Zhang Jing signaled with his eyes.

When the people nearby got the news, they all took action and immediately knocked out the two people brought by Feng Bao.

Zhang Jing approached and kicked him twice in frustration: "Old Ancestor! You dog-footed old ancestor!"

Then he waved his hand and said, "Drag him away and bury him."

Feng Bao walked a little further inside and heard some strange noises in his ears.

He looked around in confusion.

Zhang Hong said at the right time: "Master Feng, your Majesty is waiting inside, we will send you here."

Feng Bao's attention was called back and he had to suppress his previous feeling for the time being.

After saying thank you, he turned and went into the hall.

Although he is weak now, he still holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department.

The emperor probably summoned him because of his identity - the two of them were naturally in the same group when it came to dealing with Gao Gong.

Feng Bao thought about his later attitude.

After being stripped of his duties in the East Factory and encountering suppression from Gao Gong, he naturally knew that he had missed his last chance to take power.

If Gao Gong won, his life would be in danger.

But even if Gao Gong was defeated, Feng Bao would never be able to return to his previous glory.

Thinking of this, Feng Bao sighed - he had to get closer to the emperor.

In addition to the reason of resisting Gao Gong, it is also because the young emperor is so precocious!

Only the empress dowager and the outer court tacitly agree that they don't want the emperor to take power, and only then can they suppress the little emperor.

But now that Empress Dowager Chen supports Gao Gong, Empress Dowager Li trusts the little emperor more and more.

Feng Bao no longer has any room to maneuver.

Having made up his mind, Feng Bao rubbed his face to make himself appear more respectful.

The moment he stepped into the palace, he would sing a long song of flattery to show his attitude.

Before he could move, two men in flying fish suits pushed him to the ground!
Feng Bao was shocked!

Just as he was about to shout for help, a piece of sackcloth was stuffed into his mouth, making him unable to speak.

His arms were firmly clamped by two large hands, one on each side, and he was dragged halfway up like a dead dog.

Only then did Feng Bao see the two people on his left and right clearly.

This is clearly the Imperial Guard!
how come!
Why would the Jinyiwei attack me, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, in the Qianqing Palace!

Could it be that Zhu Xizhong also defected to Gao Gong? He wanted to control both him and the emperor in this Qianqing Palace! ?
Or was it that Empress Dowager Chen had already moved into the Palace of Heavenly Purity, nurturing the emperor and waiting to take power? ?
"Woo...Woo..."

Feng Bao struggled constantly and whimpered.

Suddenly, two Jinyiwei threw him to the ground and stepped on his head.

"Your Majesty, people have been brought."

Hearing this noise.

Feng Bao widened his eyes in disbelief.

He suddenly realized what had happened to him!
Feng Bao was stepped on and couldn't move, but he tried hard to raise his head to confirm his guess.

Suddenly, a slightly thin lower body walked in front of him and slowly squatted down.

What caught Feng Bao's eyes was clearly the emperor's face!
Feng Bao suddenly closed his eyes.

He finally understood why Zhu Xizhong recommended Li Jin and took away his East Factory that day.

I thought it was the father-in-law who bribed Zhu Xizhong.

It turned out... it was the emperor! He had quietly taken control of the Imperial Guards!

Zhu Yijun was just about to ask the Jinyiwei to take the sackcloth out of Feng Bao's mouth, and he used this gesture to ridicule Feng Bao as a victor.

But suddenly, I felt bored again.

He wasn't really here to fight for power, and there was nothing to be proud of in killing a eunuch.

If I can achieve something one day, I will have the nerve to speak from the heart.

Think of this.

He swallowed all the scoldings against Feng Bao for bullying his master, the contempt for Feng Bao for deceiving Empress Dowager Li, and the accusation that Feng Bao was colluding with foreign court.

When it came to his lips, it turned into a sentence: "Give Feng Daban a red pill as a reward."

The words fell.

Feng Bao immediately struggled violently. The emperor actually wanted to kill him!
He is ready to be a slave and swear allegiance!

How can you kill him! He is still useful!
Feng Bao kept whimpering and begging for mercy vaguely, and blinked hard to indicate that he was willing to be a dog for the emperor!
Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao strangely.

Suddenly I understood.

He smiled and said, "Feng Daban, there is no need to threaten me. I will naturally appease my mother."

After saying that, he turned around and stopped looking at him.

The Jinyiwei stuffed a red pill into Feng Bao's mouth, and soon he died.

One of them reached out and closed Feng Bao's unwilling eyes, then dragged him out.

……

Feng Bao is not the focus of tonight, or even just a sideshow.

Zhu Yijun didn't take things that happened conveniently to him seriously.

His mind is now focused on Ciqing Palace.

There was still an hour left until midnight, and he waited quietly.

Jinyiwei came in and out from time to time to report the latest developments to him.

From Jiang Keqian's news of Chen Hong's execution, to Li Jin's confirmation that the East Factory had completed a certain degree of cleansing.

From the calmness in the palaces to the eunuchs guarding the gates who occasionally stopped them from going out.

Until Zhu Xixiao's voice was heard again in the hall: "Your Majesty, Chen Hong, Feng Bao, Chen Suan and their subordinates have all been executed."

"All palace gates are locked tightly, and no one can sneak out."

"Clear all areas around Ciqing Palace."

It was a rare occasion for him to wear the robe that the late emperor had bestowed upon him when he was conferred the title of the Crown Prince's Tutor.

He looked solemn and murderous, a real Jinyiwei commander!

Zhu Yijun turned around and nodded expressionlessly: "Let's go, follow me to Ciqing Palace to ask for my mother's order."

He gestured to the draft decree on the table.

After saying that, he walked out of the hall.

He was wearing a wide-sleeved robe and seemed to bring up a gust of wind as he walked, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Zhu Xixiao knelt on the ground and responded. He raised his head slightly and saw that the shadows behind the emperor seemed to be overlapped, flickering and looming.

Following the emperor's steps, it seemed as if something indescribable was struggling to break out.

Zhu Xixiao's heart was shaken when he saw it, and he quickly turned his head away, not daring to look any longer. He stood up, picked up the decree on the table, and quickly followed.

The moment you walk out of Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Xixiao looked up suddenly.

In the northeast of the sky, a pale air, as bright as a white rainbow, rose up into the sky and cut through the night sky.
-
On the night of the 6th month of the 6th year of the Longqing reign, a pale cloud appeared in the northeast, as bright as a white rainbow, and gradually dissipated after a long time.

(End of this chapter)