Zhu Zhanji smiled. He couldn't see what the future would bring, but he believed that with his plan and Li Qing, it would not be too bad.
He patted his son's head and looked at Yu Qian, "Take the prince back to the East Palace to study first."
"I obey." Yu Qian cupped his hands and took Xiao Zhu Qizhen's hand with a sad expression, "Prince, let's go back."
Xiao Zhu Qizhen was a little reluctant and asked: "Father, can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Of course you can!" Zhu Zhanji said with a smile, "Go and study first. When the time comes, my father will have someone pick you up."
"Well, okay." The little guy nodded and followed Yu Qian out of the hall.
The smile on Zhu Zhanji's face faded and he raised his voice: "Let the Queen Mother come in."
After a while, Empress Dowager Zhang hurried in through the small yellow door. When Mrs. Zhang saw her son, she immediately cried, "How could it be like this?"
Zhu Zhanji said with shame: "My son is unfilial."
"Stop talking about this." Empress Dowager Zhang said nervously, "What did the imperial doctor say?"
"Mother, I have something to tell you." Zhu Zhanji breathed a sigh of relief and said, "There is no need to wait here, so please step aside for now."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Huangmen stepped back.
Seeing this, Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't help but feel her heart sinking. Although she was mentally prepared, she still couldn't accept the fact, "Is there really no other way?"
Zhu Zhanji sighed and said with a wry smile: "Let's get down to business."
Empress Dowager Zhang was silent for a moment, "You say."
"I will give you the power to supervise the country, the real power over the new emperor." Zhu Zhanji looked serious, "You can even depose the emperor."
"Ah?" Empress Dowager Zhang was shocked, "Taizu made a rule that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics!"
She loves her son dearly, but she is also afraid of him, because he is too evil, and she thinks this is a temptation.
"This is not a test, I will make a final edict." Zhu Zhanji said seriously, "The current situation is special, and I also believe in my mother."
After so many years of testing and observation, coupled with the fact that the younger generation sees the unique advantages of the older generation, Zhu Zhanji is basically at ease with his mother.
Empress Dowager Zhang looked complicated for a long time and nodded bitterly.
"You can witness all major national affairs, and you have the power to dismiss hundreds of officials." Zhu Zhanji came up with a bombshell.
Empress Dowager Zhang was sincere and frightened, "Son, my mother doesn't have that ability."
"Let the three Yangs in the cabinet and the nine ministers in the six ministries do the specific affairs. You only need to look at the people." Zhu Zhanji said, "I have found a helper for you."
"Who is it?"
"Zhang Fu."
Zhu Zhanji did not talk about Yu Qian, because Yu Qian did not have the power and position of Zhang Fu, and the outer court had enough work for him.
At this stage, Zhang Fu is absolutely the number one person in the Ming Dynasty. Empress Dowager Zhang became more courageous when she heard that he was helping her.
"The queen will do her best."
"Well... As a son, he cannot serve his mother, but he still has to work hard for his mother. This is a very unfilial son." Zhu Zhanji's eyes turned red.
"Son, stop talking..." Empress Dowager Zhang burst into tears.
Zhu Zhanji forced a smile and said, "The prince will try his best to help, but if you really can't help him, just find a stable one among the vassal kings."
"If that's the case, who are you looking for?" Empress Dowager Zhang cried.
Zhu Zhanji pondered for a long time and finally said: "Prince Xiang."
Prince Xiang Zhu Zhan was also born to Empress Dowager Zhang, and was the legitimate son of Renzong. He was not in the capital, so he had a clean background and was of a moderate age, so he was the best choice.
"The Queen Mother has written it down." Empress Dowager Zhang wiped her tears, "Don't worry, son, the Queen Mother will do her best to assist Qi Zhen. She will never welcome foreign vassals to Beijing unless it is absolutely necessary."
Zhu Zhanji nodded: "Also, if you really want to welcome foreign vassals to the capital in the future, kill the queen first, and then depose the emperor."
"Ah?" Empress Dowager Zhang was surprised again, "Are you worried about her?"
"Um."
"Then why not just kill her and bury her?" Empress Dowager Zhang was puzzled. "It's not like it has never happened in history that a son would kill his mother. Besides, you like her so much, wouldn't it be a bad idea to let her accompany you?"
Conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have existed since ancient times. Although Mrs. Sun was brought into the palace by Mrs. Zhang, the relationship between the two... to put it politely: is not bad.
I want to kill her, but I'm also afraid that you have been in power for a long time and will not let go... Zhu Zhanji said in his heart: No matter what, she is Zhen'er's mother, and she will benefit the most when Zhen'er gains power.
No one will do evil to Zhen'er.
It can be said that Zhu Zhanji was calculating to the core. If his young son was really unable to stabilize the government in the early stage, he would not mind letting his brother succeed him for the sake of the Ming Dynasty;
Moreover, in the early days, Empress Sun was unable to stand up to her mother-in-law status when faced with her status.
But if it is stable in the early stage and her son grows up in the later stage, if Empress Dowager Zhang still does not delegate power, then Empress Sun, her daughter-in-law, will be the first to refuse.
The most important thing Zhu Zhanji had in mind was that even Sanyang and Jianxia, who had been ups and downs in the officialdom for decades, were beyond their reach.
This is also the reason why he can still have fun and have fun in a court with a group of people.
Zhu Zhanji made an excuse: "Zhen'er is still young, so we can't let him lose his father and his mother."
How could Empress Dowager Zhang know her son's thoughts? She nodded in agreement without thinking too much.
"Any more?"
"The Queen Mother must be on guard against the Sun family." Zhu Zhanji said something else to break up the rift, laying the groundwork for a future battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Empress Dowager Zhang nodded heavily: "Mother has written it down. Son, do you have any wishes?"
Zhu Zhanji said affectionately: "My son hopes that his mother will be healthy, safe and happy..."
"My son...!" Empress Dowager Zhang broke through her defenses and howled bitterly.
…
In the evening, Xiao Zhu Qizhen came to Qianqing Palace.
After Zhu Zhanji finished plotting against his mother and daughter-in-law, he started plotting against his son.
Although his son is still young and may not be successful in his calculations, he does not have time.
"Zhen'er, do you want to be a good emperor?"
It's a multiple-choice question that requires almost no thinking. The little one will naturally not make the wrong choice, "I think."
"Is my father a good emperor?"
"Father, it must be." The question is too simple, and the little guy can't get it wrong.
Zhu Zhanji asked again: "Does that mean you can be a good emperor if you listen to your father?"
Xiao Zhu Qizhen nodded: "Yes."
"Good son, listen to what my father is saying." Zhu Zhanji said warmly, "If you want to be a good emperor, the first factor is to think independently;
Don’t just believe what others say. You should judge a person’s good or bad, loyal or traitor by what he does and the impact he has.”
"Never speak out your true thoughts, think more, ponder more, and plan before you act." Zhu Zhanji taught seriously, "Don't trust a person wholeheartedly, because people will change."
The difficulty suddenly increased, and the little guy couldn't keep up with his thinking, so he asked: "Teacher Yu, can't you do it too?"
"cannot."
"Where's the queen mother?"
"cannot."
"Where's Grandma Huang?"
"No," Zhu Zhanji said, "Father is not asking you to doubt them, but he is asking you to have your own opinions. Don't take their words as the words of a saint..."
Zhu Zhanji tried his best to explain it to his son in the most straightforward terms.
…
He talked bit by bit, very carefully.
"For another example, if you see an evil official, the first thing you should do is not to directly vent your anger and kill him, but first think about how to kill him to achieve the desired effect or minimize the negative impact. …”
Zhu Zhanji Balabala was talking. The little guy listened attentively but did not digest it.
This is reasonable, and Zhu Zhanji is not surprised, but he still talks.
It wasn't until the little one was sleepy and Zhu Zhanji himself was tired that the father and son fell asleep.
In the days that followed, the father and son stayed at the Qianqing Palace. Xiao Zhu Qizhen stopped his studies, and Zhu Zhanji stopped his official duties, allowing the six ministries and the cabinet to jointly manage the government.
The father is the teacher and the son is the disciple!
Zhu Zhanji took the trouble to repeat explanations, give examples, and ask questions; Xiao Zhu Qizhen listened, took notes, and answered questions.
His thoughts and character have been subtly influenced by Yu Qian, and he has established a great ideal: to be a good emperor.
The father spoke seriously, and the son listened carefully.
Zhu Zhanji was very pleased with his son's attitude towards learning, and even more so with his understanding. He found that his son was much smarter than he thought, and his thinking was also very broad.
As the days passed, Zhu Zhanji's physical condition became worse and worse, but he still insisted on teaching.
Ten days later, young Zhu Qizhen was able to answer all the questions raised by Zhu Zhanji fluently, and they were completely in line with Zhu Zhanji's teachings.
"Father, have you answered everything correctly?" the little guy said proudly, "My memory is very good."
"No." Zhu Zhanji said solemnly, "If it's an exam, my father can only give you zero points."
"Ah?" The little guy was stunned and said nonchalantly: "Why? This is how your father teaches his children?"
Zhu Zhanji hummed: "Think of the reasons yourself, let's continue..."
One day later.
"Father, did I get the answer right this time?"
"No, let's continue."
Two days later.
Three days later.
On the fourth day, Zhu Zhanji asked a commonplace question as usual: "If a minister comes to tell you that a disaster has occurred somewhere, what should you do?"
Xiao Zhu Qizhen, who always gave standard answers, did not say anything this time. He just looked at him without speaking.
"Why don't you answer?" Zhu Zhanji frowned.
The little guy still didn't speak, just looked at him.
For a long time, Zhu Zhanji's frown relaxed. His son finally understood the most important thing.
——Don’t speak out your true thoughts.
"Father, how many points did my son get?" Xiao Zhu Qizhen asked.
Zhu Zhanji smiled: "Full marks."
"My son will make a good emperor." He was very young, but he said it very seriously and in a firm tone.
Zhu Zhanji also smiled, relaxed and relieved.
"Zhen'er, go lift the mat at the end of the bed and take out the things underneath," Zhu Zhanji said softly, "That's the gift my father left for you."
The little guy ran to the end of the bed, opened the mattress and mat, and took out a long wooden box.
"Open it and take a look."
Xiao Zhu Qizhen did as he was told, opened the box, took out the scroll, and slowly unfolded it...it was a man.