The Empress Dowager Zhang was leaning on the chair with her eyes closed and concentrating. The young man Zhu Qizhen stood behind the chair and held her shoulders.
"Grandma Huang, is your strength okay?"
"Okay." Empress Dowager Zhang smiled happily and said, "Zhen'er has grown up."
Zhu Qizhen said with shame: "My grandson is incompetent, leaving Grandma Huang still working on state affairs at this age."
"No way... you have done very well." Empress Dowager Zhang said with a smile. Suddenly, she realized something and slowly opened her eyes, "Zhen'er, come and sit down."
Zhu Qizhen stopped, came to sit in front of her, and called out affectionately: "Grandma Huang."
"Haha... Zhen'er has grown up!" Empress Dowager Zhang repeated the sentence again, with a completely different tone and mood from the previous sentence.
"Zhen'er still has a lot to learn." Zhu Qizhen said modestly, seemingly unaware of her changes.
Empress Dowager Zhang looked at her grandson as if she were seeing her son back then. While she was happy, she felt sad and even chilled.
Well, I don’t have two years left to live. Since he wants it, then give it to him... Empress Dowager Zhang sighed and said seriously:
"You are already thirteen years old this year, and you are already familiar with national affairs and court affairs. Grandma is getting old, and it is true that she can no longer do it. I will tell all the officials tomorrow that I will return the power to you."
"No, Zhen'er is still young and needs help from Grandma Huang." Zhu Qizhen said quickly.
"When you grow up, grandma believes that you can do well. Sooner or later, you will have to take over the power of the country. It should be sooner rather than later. That's it."
"Grandma Huang..."
"Don't say it again. Grandma Huang is already old. If she continues to control the government, she is suspected of clinging to power." Empress Dowager Zhang said in a stern tone, "Is it possible that you don't have the confidence to do a good job?"
Zhu Qizhen was stunned and said seriously: "My grandson is confident."
"That's good." Empress Dowager Zhang smiled, "Grandma is tired and needs to take a rest."
Zhu Qizhen nodded, helped her to the bed, and stayed with her for a while before leaving.
As soon as he left Kunning Palace, Zhu Qizhen immediately said: "Let Wang Zhen go to Qianqing Palace and wait."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The accompanying eunuch bowed and hurried away.
…
Qianqing Palace.
When Zhu Qizhen arrived, Wang Zhen was already waiting.
Seeing him entering the palace, he quickly came forward to flatter him and said, "Your Majesty, are you looking for a slave?"
Zhu Qizhen nodded, walked to the chair and sat down, crossing his legs and looking at him with interest, neither unhappy nor unhappy.
Wang Zhen was confused and said: "Your Majesty, why are you looking at this slave like this?"
"Don't you think something is missing?" Zhu Qizhen said.
"It's missing..." Wang Zhen suddenly woke up and hurriedly knelt down to salute, "Slave, please see the Emperor. Long live the Emperor. Long live the Emperor."
Only then did Zhu Qizhen look away, stood up, walked to the red lacquered wooden pillar, and took down the hanging Emperor's Sword.
"Changlang~!"
The Qing Feng came out of its scabbard, Zhu Qizhen held up a sword flower and pointed at Wang Zhen, "My dear friend, what do you think of my swordsmanship?"
Wang Zhen didn't hear Ping Shen's words and didn't dare to get up rashly. He said with a flattering smile: "The emperor's swordsmanship is superb."
"Really?" Zhu Qizhen smiled, seemed very proud, and started playing again.
The two of them were getting closer and closer. Seeing the three-foot green peak in front of them, Wang Zhen was really scared and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, please... take it easy."
He was not stupid and knew that this was the little emperor's intention, but he did not understand how he had offended the little emperor.
"Hey~"
The sharp sword edge cut through the air and passed close to his face. Wang Zhen could even feel the coldness on the sword edge.
No matter how slow his reaction was, he could still tell that the little emperor had murderous intentions towards him.
However, he still couldn't figure out where he had offended the little emperor.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life!" Wang Zhen trembled and kowtowed repeatedly, "This slave is stupid, please express it clearly, Your Majesty."
Zhu Qizhen sheathed his sword, sat down in front of the chair again, and said quietly: "A few years ago, the Empress Dowager said that you bewitched me and wanted to kill you. Who saved you?"
"It's the Emperor." Wang Zhen spoke hurriedly, with a face full of emotion and said: "If it weren't for the Emperor's intercession, my slave's bones would have been buried long ago. The Emperor's great kindness to my slave will never be repaid by my death."
Zhu Qizhen smiled: "Isn't it? I didn't have that much dignity at that time to make the Empress Dowager put away her murderous intention."
Wang Zhen was stunned and asked tentatively: "Is it Sanyang?"
"Yes, that's right." Zhu Qizhen clapped his hands, "Sure enough, I repay the favor with kindness, and I still remember it clearly after several years."
Wang Zhen finally understood what the problem was and quickly bowed his head: "Your Majesty, forgive me. Sanyang is not begging for mercy for the slaves, but for the Emperor."
After a pause, he said, "Your Majesty, my servant's loyalty to you is remarkable. I have never been half-hearted and have been loyal to you from beginning to end!"
Zhu Qizhen was unmoved and said calmly: "Do you really think I don't know about your affairs with the foreign court?
You frequently seek benefits for the Queen Mother and her family, do you think I don't know about it?" He said coldly: "The Queen Mother's father is a bookkeeper, but he actually made him a Marquis. Isn't it a bit too much?
Big companion, what do you think I should do?"
"Your Majesty..." Wang Zhen was dumbfounded. He never expected that the little emperor who was so kind and cheerful yesterday would suddenly appear like this, as if he was a different person.
Even my mother’s family and my grandfather don’t care!
Thinking of this, Wang Zhen became even more frightened.
His behavior is no longer considered to be a domestic servant with three surnames: the outer court, the harem, and the emperor.
He had read "The Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and the same was true for Lu Bu in it. In the last words of Liu Bei, Lu Bu was killed by Cao Cao.
Wang Zhen cursed secretly: Damn, who is this ‘Liu Bei’?
He believed that he was not as capable as Lu Bu. Although he showed off his power and had the same reputation both inside and outside the palace, the emperor wanted to kill him with just one sentence.
Wang Zhen didn't have time to think too much, and he didn't dare to defend himself. He just kept kowtowing.
"Your Majesty, spare your life, I don't dare to do it anymore. From now on, I will only be loyal to you." Wang Zhen cried bitterly, "I hope the Emperor will forgive me this time because of my love for accompanying you since childhood.
Bar."
Zhu Qizhen stared at him for a long time, and finally said: "Get up?"
"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty..." Wang Zhen spoke incoherently, he was really frightened.
He had never been so scared when he castrated himself.
"I can let you go, but you must cherish it." Zhu Qizhen said calmly, "Next time, you can go underground and explain."
"There's no next time, there's no next time." Wang Zhen said hurriedly.
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand.
Wang Zhen kowtowed repeatedly: "I, my slave, retire, my slave, I retire..."
Zhu Qizhen hung the Emperor's Sword on the pillar and said in his heart: Wang Zhen is ruthless and bad. I am in need of such a person, and I can't find anyone to replace him for the time being. Let's see how he behaves in the future.
After a pause: The Queen Mother also had to be beaten. The Empress Dowager was there before and tacitly allowed her to make some small moves to check and balance. I can't be tolerant to her in the future.
Zhu Qizhen's eyes were sharp and his heart was filled with excitement: Five years, five years, I want to take back all the imperial power that belongs to me!
He calmed down his turbulent mood and walked out of Qianqing Palace.
As soon as I left the main hall, I met Yu Qian.
Zhu Qizhen stopped and asked, "Is there anything urgent for Yu Aiqing?"
Yu Qian nodded: "Wala can't hold it any longer."
"Wala..." Zhu Qizhen frowned, "Adou is really helpless. The trade is so big, but they are not rivals of the Tatars."
Yu Qian sighed: "Wala is rich, but its strength is not good. Many goods have been robbed by the Tatars."
"So...what's the best plan for Aiqing?"
"Send troops to assist." Yu Qian said helplessly, "That's all we can do now."
Zhu Qizhen's heart skipped a beat. For an emperor, no power could compare with military power. To gain military power, launching a war was the most effective way.
"Sending troops to assist..." Zhu Qizhen's eyes widened, but soon he calmed down and said, "We cannot send troops."
"Why?" Yu Qian was puzzled, "Your Majesty, you know what will happen to the grassland once Oara is destroyed."
"Of course I know," Zhu Qi said, "The Tatars will unify the grasslands and will definitely keep an eye on the Central Plains."
"Then the Emperor...?"
Zhu Qizhen said: "But have you ever thought that once the Ming Dynasty sends troops, Wala will inevitably drag the Ming Dynasty into the quagmire of war for its own interests. The grassland is vast. It is not difficult to win, but it is much more difficult to find them and fight decisively. ;
If you want to annihilate them in one fell swoop, it is even more wishful thinking."
After a pause, "Not only that, the Ming Dynasty sending troops will also cause panic among the tribes in the grassland. Out of the mentality of relying on a big tree to enjoy the shade, they will definitely move closer to the Tatars!"
Yu Qian was speechless for a long time, and then he said sincerely: "Your Majesty is wise!
However, Wala cannot die."
"I understand!" Zhu Qizhen thought for a while, "Since trade items cannot improve their combat power, then we can help them with firearms, cannons, muskets, shells...all of them."
"Ah?" Yu Qian was shocked, "Is this... inappropriate?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. The grassland is rich in cattle and sheep, but the resources are not very rich, and the iron smelting technology is even lower. Even if they are given tiles, they can't imitate them." Zhu Qi said, "But... This matter cannot be put on the table. Yu Aiqing has a close personal relationship with Yang Hong of Xuanfu, so he can be allowed to operate it secretly."
Yu Qian's face heated up, "I obey your order."
He and Yang Hong were not simply close personal friends. They were both married. His sister was married to Yang Hong's brother. In addition, there was Wang Zhi, the Minister of Rites, and Wang Zhi's sister was also married. Yang Hong's younger brother.
The three of them got married.
There is Yang Hong in the local government, Yu Qian and Wang Zhi in the court.
Yu and Wang advanced and retreated together, and together with Zhang Fu, even so, the three of them could only barely resist the growing cabinet.
In this complicated situation, the Empress Dowager Zhang could only maintain the chaos.
The situation in the DPRK is complicated and complex, with constant cuts and chaos.
"I'll do it now." Yu Qian cupped his hands and said.
"I just want to go to Dongyuan to see off the teacher." Zhu Qizhen said with a smile.
In fact, he didn't want to go to Dongyuan, he just wanted to accompany Yu Qian all the way, so that some people could see that he was close to Yu Qian, and thus improve his status in the court.
That's all.
Yu Qian suddenly felt that the emperor seemed to have grown up a lot all at once...
~
Palace entrance.
Li Qing waited boredly. He found out that Yu Qian had entered the palace, so he blocked him here.
There was no time, so Li Qing could only read Yu Qian's archive in order to quickly enter the game.