Zhu Heyu came to ask for an audience with Emperor Deqing, and he was holding a thick stack of papers in his hand, all of which were written by the prince's party to persuade Emperor Deqing to give up his southern tour.
When he learned that Zhao Junchen had returned to Beijing, Zhu Heyu felt that something was not good. Zhao Junchen was Emperor Deqing's "financial courage". As long as Zhao Junchen came back, Emperor Deqing would be more confident for his southern tour.
Therefore, Zhu Heyu planned to make another attempt before Emperor Deqing met Zhao Junchen to express the opinions of the officials and dissuade Emperor Deqing from his determination to tour the south.
However, in order to write these excerpts, time was wasted after all. When he saw Zhao Junchen walking out of the imperial study room, Zhu Heyu knew that he was still a step too late, and he was afraid that he would not be able to achieve his purpose.
Involuntarily, Zhu Heyu's hatred for Zhao Junchen grew even more.
On the other side, after seeing Crown Prince Zhu Heyu, Zhao Junchen's eyes also flashed with helplessness. He did not want to meet the Crown Prince at this time.
Because, according to the inherited memories, every time he met Prince Zhu Heyu, what was left to Zhao Junchen were not good and pleasant memories.
Unfortunately, things in the world often don't go as planned.
Soon, Zhu Heyu came to Zhao Junchen, but he did not rush to see Emperor Deqing. Instead, he stopped there and looked at Zhao Junchen coldly.
Zhao Junchen sighed secretly in his heart, but without any hesitation, he saluted Zhu Heyu with utmost respect and said hello.
"Zhao Junchen, the Minister of Household Affairs, has met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
However, Zhu Heyu did not let Zhao Junchen get up, and just let Zhao Junchen kneel in front of him without saying a word, obviously determined to embarrass Zhao Junchen.
Zhao Junchen came from a later generation and was not used to kneeling down to salute others, let alone kneeling all the time? He couldn't help but frown slightly.
Could it be that Zhu Heyu didn't speak and he just kept kneeling like this?
Thinking that he and Zhu Heyu were enemies rather than friends after all, Zhao Junchen finally stopped giving in and said again: "Zhao Junchen, the Minister of Household Affairs, has met His Highness the Crown Prince."
This time, Zhao Junchen's voice was louder.
But Prince Zhu Heyu still said nothing and still let Zhao Junchen kneel down.
"Zhao Junchen, the Minister of Household Affairs, has met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Zhao Junchen said again, his voice louder again.
However, Zhu Heyu still didn't speak, obviously he had made up his mind to keep Zhao Junchen on his knees.
However, Zhu Heyu had forgotten that they were now outside the imperial study room. Emperor Deqing, who was reading the book in the imperial study room, must have heard Zhao Junchen's loud voice just now.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen didn't speak anymore and just waited quietly.
Sure enough, not long after, a eunuch came out of the royal study and came to Zhao Junchen and Zhu Heyu. He first smiled at them flatteringly, and then raised his voice and said: "Your Majesty has a decree, Prince Zhu Heyu,
Zhao Junchen, the Minister of Household Affairs, accepted the order."
Zhao Junchen was already kneeling, and Zhu Heyu quickly knelt beside Zhao Junchen.
I heard the eunuch raise his voice and say: "Your Majesty has told you that Zhao Junchen, the Minister of Household Affairs, has contributed to the disaster relief in Lu'an Mansion. He has been given two sides of the jade wall, a thousand taels of silver, and ten pieces of silk and satin."
"Thank you Lord for your grace."
Zhao Junchen thanked him.
The eunuch then said to Zhu Heyu: "According to your Majesty's oral instructions, Prince Zhu Heyu made things difficult for the ministers of the court for no reason, and was of poor character. He was sent back to the East Palace to copy a volume of "Xunzi: Self-cultivation" and handed it over to Your Majesty three days later.
Check it out for yourself.”
"My son...accept the decree."
Upon hearing Emperor Deqing's order, Zhu Heyu's face turned dark.
Emperor Deqing's rewards and punishments were clearly supporting Zhao Junchen.
After the two got up, Zhu Heyu finally stopped embarrassing Zhao Junchen because Emperor Deqing was in the Yangxin Hall next to him. However, after understanding the purpose of what Zhao Junchen did just now, Zhu Heyu looked at Zhao Junchen.
The look in his eyes became even more hateful.
Or, with a hint of surprise, although Zhao Junchen was arrogant and domineering in the past, he would never dare to plot against him like this.
On the other side, noticing the way Zhu Heyu looked at him, Zhao Junchen secretly sighed again, but his expression returned to normal, and he said to Zhu Heyu: "Your Highness, in this case, I will leave first.
.”
With that said, after bowing to Zhu Heyu, Zhao Junchen turned around and left.
"etc!!"
Although Zhao Junchen wanted to leave, Zhu Heyu finally spoke.
Zhao Junchen turned around and asked, "What other instructions does His Highness the Crown Prince have?"
Zhu Heyu's voice became colder: "What did you say to your father in the Yangxin Hall just now? Tell the truth!!"
Zhao Junchen looked helpless and said: "Your Highness, is this against the rules?"
Zhu Heyu's eyes widened and he said: "Now that the national treasury is empty and the people are in hardship, it is necessary for the court to live frugally for the sake of the country, the world, and the people. Father, his southern tour at this time has both disadvantages and not benefits. In your daily life,
It’s okay to be corrupt and bend the law. If you dare to confuse your father and disrupt the government at this time, I will not spare you!"
Hearing Zhu Heyu's threat, Zhao Junchen's expression did not change, he just sighed and said: "His Majesty the Crown Prince's words are wrong. Only a foolish king and a master can be deceived. Today, your majesty is a holy king and a wise master.
You will not be deceived by others. Please keep this in mind, Your Highness."
Seeing that Zhao Junchen was so reticent, Zhu Heyu snorted, finally ignored Zhao Junchen, and turned to the imperial study to meet Emperor Deqing.
………
"It is a good thing to be upright, and it is also a good thing to hate evil as much as hatred. But please remember, Your Highness, that being strong is easy to break, and the way to win is to combine strength and softness."
Looking at Zhu Heyu's leaving figures, this sentence came to Zhao Junchen's lips, but in the end he still refrained from saying it.
Since Zhu Heyu would definitely not listen, why bother humiliating himself?
In fact, from the bottom of his heart, Zhao Junchen did not want to go against Zhu Heyu. Firstly, Zhu Heyu was likely to be the future emperor. Secondly, Zhu Heyu was upright by nature, loved virtuous ministers, hated corrupt officials, valued the country and cherished people's livelihood.
, if he can succeed to the throne in the future, he will be a good emperor.
It can be said that if Zhu Heyu was a little more broad-minded and could accept Zhao Junchen regardless of previous suspicions and would not be full of hostility because Zhao Junchen was a corrupt official, then Zhao Junchen would not mind becoming an upright official and joining Zhu Heyu's sect.
, doing his best to serve him.
It's a pity that Zhu Heyu is too upright and stubborn. In his eyes, corrupt officials will always be corrupt officials. If they are corrupt officials, they should be killed. He can't even be polite to Zhao Junchen, and he doesn't even do it.
It is possible to change his view on Zhao Junchen, let alone accept Zhao Junchen. It is foreseeable that if Zhu Heyu can really ascend the throne as emperor in the future, the first order he will make is to have Zhao Junchen's house confiscated and beheaded.
This has just been proven again.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen could only continue to be a corrupt official, and a corrupt official who formed a clique for personal gain. He cooperated with other corrupt officials and traitorous ministers to fight against Zhu Heyu, and tried every means to overthrow him from the throne of the crown prince.
This has nothing to do with morality, it's all about self-preservation.
Although it is unreasonable and irresponsible to say this, the fundamental reason why Zhao Junchen, who is now dead, is still a corrupt official, is because of Zhu Heyu's "uprightness" and "hate of evil"!