Taking advantage of Concubine Li's mood improving, Zhu Yijun found a break and handed Zhang Hong's apology note to Concubine Li.
"Zhang Hong said that he used to work in the needlework bureau and reached out to grab some."
"Now that I have gained my mother's appreciation, my kindness has been renewed. I was afraid that something would happen to my mother, which would discredit her, so I didn't dare to hide anything, so I went out of my way to apologize to my mother."
Concubine Li turned over her fingers.
After taking one look at it, he threw it aside and said, "It's considered loyal. Okay, I understand. Let him not follow suit next time."
He was dismissed with a casual sentence, and it was obvious that Concubine Li had become accustomed to reaching out to eunuchs.
Zhu Yijun responded and said nothing. In Concubine Li's eyes, this matter had nothing to do with him anyway.
Concubine Li did not take this seriously, and then started to engage in household chores with great interest.
What gossip about noble ladies, my father wants to be knighted, etc.
Zhu Yijun frequently echoed from the side, following Li's mood, either sighing or filled with indignation, just like a friend of women on the same front.
After a while, the palace maid brought some fruits.
Concubine Li stopped her son from rubbing his shoulders and said, "I heard that you don't eat sweets anymore, so I asked them to replace the pastries with fruits. Come on, have a try."
Zhu Yijun took a look and saw some fresh bamboo shoots, pomegranates, apricots, etc. on the plate.
They are all his favorite food.
He threw one in his mouth and it tasted surprisingly good. He couldn't help but ask: "Is this this year's tribute?"
Concubine Li nodded: "They are all sent by various chief envoys. Eat as much as you like."
Zhu Yijun suddenly thought of something and smiled flatteringly: "Mother, can I ask for a favor from my mother?"
Concubine Li glanced at him suspiciously: "What are you trying to do again?"
Zhu Yijun shook his head: "Mother, it's not hard. I saw the court for the first time yesterday, and I realized that the country's affairs are difficult, and I feel that your work is not easy."
"Mother, you may know that the official has been owed his monthly salary for several months."
"The minister who cared about life left by Emperor Daxing, the husband of the child, Mr. Gaoyi Gaoge, is now fifty and a half, but he still has no fixed place to live and can only rent here and there."
Of course Concubine Li didn't know these things.
She was stunned for a while and asked curiously: "Don't all the officials in my court make a living through corruption?"
Now it was Zhu Yijun's turn to be speechless. He didn't know how to answer for a moment.
What is the impression this concubine from a peasant family has on court officials?
I don’t know what I went through before entering the palace.
Zhu Yijun could only silently respect him: "There should be quite a few high-ranking people like Mr. Gao Ge."
Concubine Li said oh, still a little unbelievable, and asked curiously: "Then what kind of favor do you want to ask for?"
Zhu Yijun looked at the plate of melons and fruits and said, "Mother, this tribute is quite delicious. You might as well let all the ministers and ministers taste it as an encouragement."
"Besides... my mother just saw me reciting it, and my husband taught me a lot. I am really grateful, and I can't bear to be embarrassed by my husband."
"Can I use this title to reward some daily necessities to supplement the family income?"
Concubine Li shook her head and laughed: "You, you are really..."
She couldn't find the right words for a moment, so she just continued: "Okay, I will accept this. You just need to learn from your husband."
Zhu Yijun felt relieved and thanked her quickly: "Thank you, concubine."
A soft knife kills an honest person best.
Gao Yi, your father treats you like this, can you really be so hard-hearted?
…
Late at night, Cheng Guogong Mansion.
When I should have turned off the lights and rested, the lights in the study were brightly lit, and the sounds of conversations could be heard from time to time.
"Dad, Father Zhong, could this be Zhang Hong's castration holding a chicken feather as an arrow?"
Zhu Shitai asked doubtfully.
He came back from Goulan, and as soon as he reached the door, his father called him to the study.
At first he thought he was going to teach him a lesson, but when he saw his second uncle Zhu Xixiao was there, he immediately knew it was serious business.
As the eldest son of Zhu Xizhong and the future Duke Cheng Guo, he naturally has seen the world.
But when he heard what his second uncle Zhu Xixiao said, he still felt incredible.
How could there be such a precocious sage?
He is only ten years old! He is so well versed in power and has insight into people's hearts? Then Zhu Shitai has lived like a dog for half his life!
I was so shocked that I couldn't help but ask.
It's a pity that I didn't get the approval of my father.
Zhu Xizhong covered his mouth and coughed lightly, stroking a piece of jade pendant, shaking his head and saying: "I personally put it on for the crown prince when he was crowned."
He picked it up again and looked at it in ecstasy: "It's such a good piece of jade. Its beauty is so restrained that I almost lost my sight."
Zhu Xixiao knew that his brother was using things to describe people, and he sighed with emotion.
When Zhang Hong came to his door secretly, he was still a little confused.
It wasn't until my brother enlightened me that I understood the key and was very frightened.
This crown prince almost made him think that he was the Wanshou Emperor who never left home and controlled the affairs of the court.
Zhu Shitai was still suspicious: "How can there be a person who is proficient in power at the age of ten, but is still ignorant in his mother's womb? I still find it unbelievable."
Zhu Xizhong coughed violently.
Seeing that his brother was unwell, Zhu Xixiao explained on his behalf: "This is an old tradition of the Zhu family."
"When Emperor Sejong ascended the throne on the 14th, he launched a 'great ceremony' and forced his chief minister to withdraw."
"Emperor Wuzong ascended the throne on the 14th, established a leopard room, restrained civil servants, and controlled the court."
"When Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne at the age of nine, the Empress Dowager and the cabinet controlled the government. They knew how to keep a low profile and secretly interfered in the selection of the Chief of Ceremonies to cultivate cronies."
"No matter how capable the emperors of Lao Zhu's family are in governance, their struggle for power and profit is never ambiguous."
"This crown prince, I'm afraid he is better than his master."
Zhu Shitai was still hesitant and muttered unconvinced: "The Zhu family members you always mentioned did not end so well."
Zhu Xixiao looked at his unlearned nephew and felt helpless, so he didn't dwell on the topic anymore.
But he was still puzzled, so he turned to look at Zhu Xizhong: "Brother, the crown prince is only ten years old. Even if he has the intention to use his fists, why does he act like this?"
Zhu Xizhong coughed again, and said with a smile: "You want to say that he will ascend the throne soon, so he can just keep him quiet, why should he act sneaky, which is not the way to be a king?"
Zhu Xixiao nodded.
As a junior, Zhu Shitai couldn't interrupt, so he just muttered: "That's it, what are you messing around with?"
"Alas..." Zhu Xizhong sighed.
My younger brother is only a little dull, but this biological son is completely stupid. If the title is passed to him, can he really hold on to it?
He shook his head and couldn't bear to think too much.
His eyes swept back and forth on the faces of his brother and son, he picked up the question just now and said: "Calm it down..."
"If you were to sit in that position, if Gao Gongzhang Juzheng breathed his last breath, the imperial edict would not be able to leave the imperial city."
He is the third Duke, holding the crown for the late emperor's enthronement and the crown for the crown prince. Few affairs in the court can be hidden from his eyes.
What was it like when the late Emperor was here?
Gao Gong served as the chief assistant of the cabinet and also served as the official secretary, with all power and human rights concentrated in one hand.
Anyone who disagreed with him even slightly was expelled from the court. Li Chunfang and Yin Shidan, who were also ministers of the cabinet, had no power to fight back.
Even the late emperor dared to deny it several times.
How powerful is this?
Not to mention the current situation of Gao Gong, who has the late emperor’s will in his hand and is following the orders to take care of his orders. How do you still want to calm down such a situation? It’s simply a dream.
Because of this, the crown prince's actions made him take a high look.
Zhu Shitai hesitated and said: "Dad, I have heard of Gao Gong as a man. How can this one be equal?"
In his impression, Zhang Juzheng was Gao Gong's follower.
Zhu Xizhong was amused by his son: "I don't know much about anything on weekdays. I hang out in Goulan all day long. I'm afraid the Duke's mansion will be defeated by you."
"You are useless, just wait and see. Sooner or later, these two people will have a fight, and then the cabinet will definitely be in the hands of one person."
When Jinyiwei founded the country, he could detect clearly even the ministers talking in their sleep, and it was said that mercury was pouring from the land, penetrating into every corner.
Although he has declined a bit since then, he is still much better informed than ordinary ministers. How can these people's little actions be hidden from him?
Zhu Xizhong was in charge of Jinyiwei, and he was deeply aware of the current undercurrent, and even he felt frightened.
If you are not careful, you will be in danger.
If not, he had taken the hint today and immediately pressed himself against the crown prince's hot ass. Why would he still be hesitating here?
Zhu Shitai waved his hands indifferently: "What are you afraid of? No matter how powerful the old man is, can he still outlive the crown prince? If we don't follow the royal family, do we still have to look at the faces of civil servants?"
The nobles and nobles were weak, so even though Chengguo's palace was famous for a while, Zhu Shitai still had to feel depressed in his daily life.
To put it bluntly, even if he could bear the humiliation and bear the burden, civil servants would still find it dirty to use honor as a stepping stone.
But he forgot that there were two old men in the room.
Zhu Xixiao was so angry that he said angrily: "Shut up!"
I calmed down a little, but I felt that my nephew's words were not rough and crude, but there was some merit in his vulgar words.
He looked at his brother and said, "Brother, what Shitai said seems to make some sense."
"We have received the emperor's favor and are living together with the country. If we are hated by the crown prince, we may cause a lot of trouble."
The so-called thunder, rain and dew are all gifts from heaven. Honorable people are attached to the imperial power and there is always no room for rejection.
If not for this, when Emperor Sejong conferred the title of Three Dukes, Zhu Xizhong would not have been unable to do so despite his efforts.
Even this imperial guard was forced upon Zhu Xizhong by the late emperor.
Now that it's time to pay off the debt, how can we avoid it?
Zhu Xizhong slowly shook his head: "Being resented by the cabinet will pay off overnight."
Regardless of his prominent official position, if the cabinet is really determined to control him, it should not be too easy.
Gu Huan, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, who was also prominent for a time, was secured by the late emperor to be in charge of the Jingying camp (stationed in the central army).
Just because he did not agree with the cabinet, the officials came one after another to impeach Gu Huan for being old and mediocre. If the late emperor dealt with one official, ten more would appear.
Later, there were reports that Gu Huan was greedy for power and position, alienated the emperor and his ministers, and wanted to seize his title.
Gu Huan was so frightened that he suddenly suffered from dementia overnight, so he asked the cabinet to show his favor. Some people even openly said, "I only know how to give in and defend myself to protect my reputation and avoid suspicion."
But now Gao and Zhang are still at fault, how dare Zhu Xizhong offend him.
The cabinet is strong and the new leader is precocious, but he is still being pushed to the top. It is really a two-pronged situation.
Zhu Shitai was already impatient: "Then just treat Zhang Hong as bullshit, we haven't heard anything."
Zhu Xizhong didn't even bother to correct his son's appearance, he just closed his eyes and meditated.
Zhu Xixiao didn't push him, he stood up gently and helped his brother hold the blanket on his body.
After a while.
Zhu Xizhong opened his eyes, with a flash of light in his eyes, and looked at Zhu Xixiao: "Jiang Keqian from Yutian Uncle's Mansion, seems to be working under you?"
Zhu Xixiao was startled and nodded: "Yes, the Jin Yiwei who attacked in August commanded the position of Qianshi."
Then he suddenly realized: "Brother means... leave this job to Jiang Keqian!?"
"Wonderful! High!" The more Zhu Xixiao thought about it, the more feasible it became, and he couldn't help but exclaim.
Yutianbo was granted the title by a maternal relative, and Shifeng was the younger brother of Empress Sejong Chaoxian.
When it was passed down to Jiang Keqian's father, it was only the second generation.
But Jiang Keqian's unlucky father was a libertine. He repeatedly ignored the king's laws and cheated on women from good families, thus directly surrendering Jiang Keqian's hereditary status.
So much so that now Jiang Keqian can only attack a minor official in Jinyiwei.
Although he is a minor official, he is still a distinguished person, and he is a relative of the emperor, so that is a guarantee!
What's even better is that this kind of poor people who were richer than the previous generation have an extreme mentality and are naturally addicted to gambling. They can't wait to build their achievements and restore their glory immediately.
Let him represent the Imperial Guard and fall to the Crown Prince. Both parties want it. At the same time, it is convenient for them to cut off at any time. It can be said to be a win-win-win situation.
Zhu Shitai was confused: "What's so wonderful? Wouldn't we no longer be close to the crown prince?"
Zhu Xixiao had no choice but to explain: "When you enter a casino, you have to increase your bets slowly. You are familiar with the game. How can you risk all your wealth as soon as you enter the casino?"
Comparing it to a casino, Zhu Shitai immediately understood.
He nodded frequently: "It makes sense, it makes sense!"
Zhu Xizhong was so angry that he coughed for a while.
His unlucky son, if he had half the intelligence of the crown prince, he would not be terminally ill and would not dare to die.
If this lineage of Duke Cheng were left in his hands, he would be just like that libertine from Uncle Yutian's family.
It's just a matter of hanging around the Goulan Casino. If he was set up by his gangster friends and was found guilty of committing crimes...
Yan Guan is like a wolf and a tiger, staring at the nobles!
In particular, they, who are in charge of the Jinyi Guards and have the body of the Duke of Chengguo, are regarded as a thorn in the flesh.
Once he goes wrong, the Chengguo Palace will inevitably decline, and Zhu Shitai may even be in danger of his life.
I don't have much time left to live. Who can protect this huge government and this incompetent and stupid son?
Betting on the Crown Prince...maybe it's not an opportunity.
——
Note 1: (June of the 6th year of Longqing Dynasty), the ministers and lecturers were given fresh bamboo shoots of the third grade or above in each yamen - "Records of Ming Shenzong"
Note 2: (August of the fifth year of Longqing), the late Yutian Bo Jiang Rongzi Keqian was ordered to serve as the Jinyiwei leader and the capital commander. Keqian was Qi Wan, and he was appointed as the commander of the capital. Because his father had committed adultery, he was demoted.
Yun.——"Records of Mu Zong of the Ming Dynasty"
Note 3: Goulan generally refers to a performance venue, and this chapter specifically refers to high-end brothels.
Chapter completed!