Chapter 1050. The performance of all parties (end).
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"...My son is stupid and incompetent, ignorant of world affairs, and ignorant of people's hearts. He has been the crown prince for eight years, but has made no achievements and made many mistakes. When I ask myself, only uprightness, loyalty and filial piety are worth mentioning, and the rest are not worthy of mention.
, I deeply deserve the respect of my father, and whenever I think about this, I always feel uneasy..."
"...to this day, although I have a clear understanding, I have made countless enemies in the court and lost all my prestige. It is too late to regret it! I thought about it and thought that I was not worthy of my position.
After repeated consideration, I don’t dare to put my father in a dilemma, and I don’t dare to disturb the country, so I should abdicate on my own initiative..."
"... However, there must be legitimate reasons for the dethronement of the princes in the past dynasties, either because they were immoral or unfilial. However, my sons and ministers have always adhered to their duties and have never acted immoral or unfilial. If they were to abdicate forcibly, I am afraid that
It will attract criticism from the government and the public, and it will also damage the Father’s power, and it is not feasible. We must find another reason before we can abolish the establishment..."
"... I know very well that my father has been dissatisfied with the corruption of the clan for a long time, so I arranged for my son to investigate the matter. However, the clan's shortcomings have been going on for hundreds of years, and the vassals have been arrogant for a long time. If they just knock on the mountain to shake the tiger, that's all.
, I am afraid that the symptoms will be treated but not the root cause, and the vassals will only stay dormant for a while, and will surely reappear in the future. The emperor’s worries and the court’s bad policies will remain unchanged..."
"...But if the punishment of the clan is too harsh, there are many things that are wrong. It will not only damage the country's foundation, but also cause instability in the government and the public, and it will also affect the evaluation of the history of the father and emperor...it is not possible to be light or heavy, and it is a dilemma..."
"…Therefore, I have made up my mind to regard myself as an abandoned son and take advantage of today's opportunity to punish the illegal vassal king with heavy fines. I should be reckless about the consequences and go too far. I will thoroughly investigate the crimes of the vassal king and clan and lead the world's clans.
The hatred and grudges! When clans from all over the country are more and more involved, people will surely be in panic, and they will be in awe of the power of God. They will also remember their lessons and never dare to be as unscrupulous as in the past..."
"... Later, when the resentment of the clans in various places is the most serious and they wish to eat the flesh and skin of their sons and ministers, the father can also take the opportunity to take action to bring order to the chaos. He only needs to pardon the crimes of some clans and restore the honorary status of a few vassals to show mercy.
By using means to appease people's hearts, you can gain the gratitude of the clans all over the world, and you can also calm the turmoil between the government and the public..."
"...In the end, the crimes committed by the vassal king and the clan will be severely punished. The few who are pardoned will definitely restrain their behavior in the next few decades and will not dare to commit crimes again. The pressure of the court's support will also be alleviated, and the unjust money and food confiscated will also be relieved.
Benefiting the people, this is good governance, it can be said to be one of the first; after the father looked for an opportunity to bring order to the chaos, it not only stabilized the government and the public, and gained popularity, but also improved the evaluation of history books, and was praised as a benevolent and forgiving king, and his name will last forever, which can be said to be the second;
The son-in-law is not worthy of his position and should have retired long ago. At that time, he was already an enemy of the entire clan, and all officials were also affected. Afterwards, someone would definitely impeach the son-in-law for bullying the clan and causing trouble. The father could also take the opportunity to depose the son-in-law.
Finding another suitable prince to inherit the responsibilities of the crown prince can further calm down the grievances between the clan and officials, and also ensure the inheritance and stability of the Ming Dynasty. These are the three..."
"... A thorough investigation of the vassal king's guilt will be of great benefit to the stability of the country, the welfare of the people, and the power of the father. It can be said that it kills three birds with one stone. It only requires the sacrifice of one of my sons and ministers. However, my sons and ministers have already been killed."
It is not suitable to stay in the reserve position, and it is also a matter of following the current, which is why I am doing what I am doing today...
"... I am worried that my father cares about the relationship between father and son, hesitates a lot and misses the opportunity, so I act first and then tell you later... This is not only my last willfulness, but also my greatest filial piety. I hope my father can forgive me again."
Sir, if this is accomplished, I will finally be able to share my father's worries, and I will be able to make a contribution to the country, and I will have no regrets in my heart..."
*
After reading the detailed contents of Zhu Heyu, Zhao Junchen felt solemn and amazed.
Although the method used by Zhu Heyu this time cannot be said to have turned things around, it can still be said to be extremely beautiful!
Nowadays, as Emperor Deqing has begun to acquiesce to the seventh prince Zhu Hejian's open recruitment of cronies and involvement in the government affairs of the previous dynasty, coupled with the stubborn temper inherited from the old Zhu family, it is no longer possible to change the dethronement of Zhu Heyu.
It's a sure thing.
But because of this closeness, the nature of this matter has quietly changed!
Originally, the reason why Zhu Heyu lost his position as crown prince was very simple. It was because he was incompetent, made too many enemies, and repeatedly got into trouble. Now he has betrayed his relatives and lost his prestige. He is no longer a qualified candidate for crown prince. But now,
With Zhu Heyu's active request to be deposed in this close relationship, the situation became that Zhu Heyu voluntarily sacrificed himself for the sake of the overall stability of the court and for the historical reputation of Emperor Deqing!
What a noble reason! What a touching filial piety!
They were both deposed, but the difference was huge.
If it is the former, even if Emperor Deqing is dissatisfied with the new crown prince Zhu Hejian and has the idea of changing the crown prince again, he will never reconsider Zhu Heyu. But if it becomes the latter, if Zhu Hejian makes a mistake in the future, Deqing will
Emperor Qing will definitely recall the benefits of Zhu Heyu.
What's more, in this close relationship, Zhu Heyu's words all reveal his growth and filial piety, and all hint that he is still the best candidate for the crown prince, but he has matured a little later.
Therefore, it is no wonder that Emperor Deqing's attitude during this period was so strange. Even if he had made up his mind to depose Zhu Heyu and support Zhu Hejian to ascend the throne, as long as there was still a trace of father-son affection in his heart, after seeing such a
After writing the memorial, you must not be able to help but feel hesitant, right? You may even feel guilty, feeling that you owe some patience and have wronged Zhu Heyu.
Perhaps Zhu Heyu's approach of "retreating to advance" was inspired by Zhao Junchen.
Before Zhu Heyu left Beijing, Zhao Junchen made a tailor-made plan for him in view of the future situation of seizing the throne. This plan was essentially a method of "retreating to advance", which was to allow Zhu Heyu to enhance the reputation of his temple.
Under the premise, he took the initiative to leave the position of crown prince without leaving any excuse, and then quietly waited for Zhu Hejian to make mistakes after ascending to the throne, and then waited for an opportunity to make a comeback.
Zhu Heyu's performance today is still within the framework of Zhao Junchen's original plan, but Zhao Junchen's "retreat in order to advance" is aimed at the temple officials, while Zhu Heyu's "retreat in order to advance" is
For Emperor Deqing, the combination of the two would undoubtedly have a better effect, but it also gave him a head start!
According to Zhao Junchen's original plan, if Zhu Heyu wants to make a comeback in the future, he can only rely on Zhao Junchen's full assistance - not only hope that Zhao Junchen will do his best to force Zhu Hejian to make a big mistake.
, we also hope that Zhao Junchen will clearly take the lead in supporting him to return to the throne - but with this memorial, in the future, if Emperor Deqing is no longer satisfied with Zhu Hejian's performance, he will not need Zhao Junchen's full strength.
If you support him, Emperor Deqing will take the initiative to think of Zhu Heyu.
Apart from not consulting with Zhao Junchen in advance, Zhao Junchen could not find many faults with Zhu Heyu's approach. However, he recovered some of the disadvantages when cooperating with Zhao Junchen and regained control of his own.
destiny.
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen's view of Zhu Heyu quietly changed again.
Ultimately, the most fundamental reason why Zhao Junchen is now willing to support Zhu Heyu is because Zhu Heyu must rely on himself at this stage and will be controlled and influenced by himself, and Zhao Junchen can also take the opportunity to guide the situation in the temple...
But what if Zhu Heyu is no longer under his influence and control? Under such circumstances, is it necessary for him to continue to support him?
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
But the next moment, Zhao Junchen had suppressed all the thoughts in his heart and no longer thought about it.
The pros, cons and development of this matter cannot be sorted out in a short time. The most important thing at present is to deal with Emperor Deqing.
After reading Zhu Heyu's secrets, Zhao Junchen had roughly guessed Emperor Deqing's current thoughts.
Obviously, Emperor Deqing did not intend to miss this opportunity and wanted to act in accordance with Prince Zhu Heyu's plan.
After all, according to the plan of Prince Zhu Heyu, it was most beneficial to Emperor Deqing. However, at the same time, Emperor Deqing felt a little soft-hearted after seeing Zhu Heyu's filial piety and growth, and did not want Zhu Heyu to be deposed.
His fate was too unbearable, and he lived a miserable life in the imprisonment and supervision of the Zongren Mansion, so he was in a dilemma.
It is precisely because of this dilemma that Emperor Deqing has not made any statement after receiving Zhu Heyu's memorial. He just wanted to find a way to get the best of both worlds and protect Zhu to a certain extent after he was deposed.
He Yu.
Now, Emperor Deqing has obviously found a way, which is why he has all the weird behaviors today.
Previously, when Emperor Deqing summoned all the important officials of the imperial court, he only allowed them to read the impeachment memorials between Zhu Heyu and various feudal princes, but did not express his own attitude clearly, in order to prevent all the important officials from reaching a consensus.
attitude, leaving some room for him to deal with Zhu Heyu's affairs in the future.
*
While thinking about all these things, Zhao Junchen could not help but remain silent for a little longer.
Seeing that Zhao Junchen was thoughtful and silent all the time, Emperor Deqing's face suddenly darkened and he snorted coldly: "Is the prince's secretiveness due to your instruction? I want to ask you something.
, why are you silent and not answering? Is it because you feel guilty?"
Hearing Emperor Deqing's questioning, Zhao Junchen finally came to his senses and quickly explained: "I hope your Majesty will be clear about it! The content in this secret has absolutely nothing to do with me! I had no idea beforehand that His Highness the Crown Prince would have
Such a statement! Your Majesty, you also understand that although the relationship between the Crown Prince and his ministers has eased, but for such an important matter, His Highness will never blindly listen to the opinions of his trusted ministers... The prince's trust in his ministers,
He Chen's influence on His Highness the Crown Prince is far from reaching this level! With the death of Taishi Xiao and Zhao Shancai successively, His Highness the Crown Prince will only make such an important decision because of his own determination.
It will never be influenced by anyone!”
Zhao Junchen's statement is extremely rare and does not contain any falsehoods. It can be said to be true to every word.
Emperor Deqing's deep eyes were fixed on Zhao Junchen's expression for a long time. He seemed to believe Zhao Junchen's explanation, but also seemed to not believe it at all, but he did not go into details anymore and just asked again: "So... for the prince?
What do you think of the statement in the secret?"
Zhao Junchen lowered his head again and replied quickly: "The prince's secret relationship is not only related to the imperial clan's politics, but also involves the important matter of the abolition of the crown prince. I... I dare not have any opinions.
Everything is decided by His Majesty Qiankun, and I only need to do things according to His Majesty's will."
This time, Emperor Deqing nodded lightly to express his satisfaction, and said expressionlessly: "It is of course the best for you to have such an awareness! I left you alone in the imperial study room to talk this time because I have something to do.
Order to you!"
Then, Emperor Deqing said in a tone that could not be refused: "I do not intend to refuse the prince's request to be deposed this time, but if this matter is to be realized, there must be a person of sufficient weight when the time comes.
The important officials of the imperial court took the lead in standing up to impeach the prince. He persecuted the clan and led the public opinion in the temple. I intend to leave this matter to you!"
Although he had already made a guess in his mind in advance, Zhao Junchen still couldn't help but have a bitter look on his face after hearing Emperor Deqing's decree.
This Emperor Deqing really didn't leave any chance to others.
Obviously, Emperor Deqing was moved by Zhu Heyu's filial piety, but he was suspicious by nature, and he still couldn't help but suspect that Zhu Heyu's statement was based on Zhao Junchen's idea and was a show of bitterness for him.
Therefore, he forced Zhao Junchen to take the initiative to take the lead in impeaching Zhu Heyu. This undoubtedly forced Zhao Junchen to cut off the gradually repaired relationship between him and Zhu Heyu, and also interrupted Zhao Junchen's use of Zhu Heyu to participate in the seizure of power in the future.
The means of direct struggle.
At the same time, it has become widely known that Zhao Junchen and Zhu Heyu turned enemies into friends. Zhao Junchen took the lead in impeaching Zhu Heyu for persecuting the clan at this time. In the eyes of the world, it is undoubtedly a betrayal of allies and capriciousness.
Performance, this can also suppress Zhao Junchen's reputation between the government and the opposition, which has gradually reversed during this period.
Finally, and the most important reason is because Zhao Junchen is the only candidate for this matter! As Emperor Deqing said, the impeachment of the prince to oppress the clan is of great concern, and the person who takes the lead in expressing his position must be a member of the temple
Only important ministers can do it, and under the current situation in the temple, there are only three ministers with such qualifications, namely Zhou Shangjing, Liang Fuchen, and Zhao Junchen. However, with Zhou Shangjing's cunning, prestige and qualifications, he is definitely not willing to get into this mess.
Shui, Emperor Deqing could not force him. Liang Fuchen was Emperor Deqing's most trusted minister. Emperor Deqing was unwilling to let him get into such trouble, so Emperor Deqing's only choice was Zhao Junchen.
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In the final analysis, it is because Zhao Junchen's power and prestige are still insufficient, and he is not yet qualified to refuse Emperor Deqing. Even though he knows that there is a big pit in front of him, if Emperor Deqing forces him to jump, he can only pinch it.
Jump in with your nose held high!
Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen's expression became more submissive, and he said slowly: "Since it is His Majesty's will, I am naturally bound to shoulder the responsibility! When the court meeting resumes, I will definitely stand up and take the lead in impeaching the prince. He is dealing with the clan.
Mistakes in matters!"
Emperor Deqing hesitated for a moment, then added: "You have to think carefully about the size of this. Although the prince's handling of the clan affairs this time is a bit over the top, his original intention is good, and his filial piety is ours."
You can also see that we must not let him be too embarrassed when the time comes."
Zhao Junchen said again: "I understand the rules, your Majesty, just rest assured!"
Seeing that Zhao Junchen was quite sensible, Emperor Deqing nodded again with satisfaction, comforted Zhao Junchen with a few words, and then said that Zhao Junchen could leave the imperial study.
However, after hearing Emperor Deqing's expression, Zhao Junchen still stood still and said: "Your Majesty, I still have something to report here."
Emperor Deqing frowned slightly, seeming a little helpless, but after a moment of silence, he still said: "Oh? What else do you have? Tell me."
Both Emperor Deqing and Zhao Junchen understood that compromise is an important part of politics! Although Zhao Junchen's power and qualifications were not as powerful as those of Zhou Shangjing, so he was not qualified to directly reject Emperor Deqing's will, but Zhao Junchen was still the only one in the temple.
The powerful minister second to Zhou Shangjing was also indispensable in the court, so although he could not refuse Emperor Deqing's request, he was already qualified to bargain with Emperor Deqing and take the opportunity to gain some benefits for himself.
Now, Zhao Junchen said that he still had something to say, obviously for this purpose.
…
Chongzi's character is not as tolerant as Zhao Junchen's. Due to some indescribable reasons, he finally couldn't bear it and broke up with his superiors. Now he has been transferred to another job... There is a feeling of an uncertain future, but he has no regrets.