Chapter Four Hundred and Ten: Pleasure and Sadness
It's raining heavily outside, and it's another day of rest today.
Therefore, Zhu Qiyu was a little surprised by Yu Qian's sudden request for a meeting.
However, when he saw Yu Shiyue following behind, looking like he had something to hide, he felt confident.
After giving the two of them seats, Zhu Qiyu asked: "You two gentlemen are so anxious to enter the palace, but what's the matter?"
Hearing this, Yu Shiyue wanted to speak, but was stopped by Yu Qian.
Yu Qian stood up, knelt down in the tunnel and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. In the past few days, people in the DPRK have been panicking due to the case of the mission, and I have also had doubts. I heard that Your Majesty summoned the chief minister to meet with Yu Ge to discuss this matter.
So I hurriedly went over to the mansion to ask Mr. Yu Ge for details."
"His Majesty said earlier that this case is of great importance and needs to be investigated thoroughly before being announced. This move is against the holy will. Please forgive me."
Zhu Qiyu said nothing and glanced at Yu Shiyue beside him. The latter also smiled bitterly and knelt down on the ground, as if he accepted the punishment.
After a while, Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said: "You two gentlemen, there is no need to be like this. Get up quickly. This is not a confidential matter. If Mr. Yu wants to know, just come and ask me directly. Why should Lao Yu Ge be worried in vain?"
"
This is true.
The reason why Zhu Qiyu told Wang Ao and Wang everything that day was because he wanted it to spread through their mouths.
In this way, at least the government and the public will not be making random guesses.
But who would have thought that these two people would be so strict with each other.
Several days have passed, and I haven't said anything at all.
But the problem is not big. Anyway, he is holding the person now, and there will always be times when the officials in the court can't hold it in any longer.
Right now, it's just the imperial censors who are impeaching Jin Yiwei and asking for details. In a few days, even the six ministries and other cabinet ministers will be unable to bear it anymore.
After Yu Qian thanked him, he sat down again, pondered for a moment, and said.
"Your Majesty, this matter must not be taken carelessly. I know that Your Majesty is concerned about the reputation of the Supreme Emperor, and is afraid that before the truth is revealed, the government and the public will talk about the Supreme Emperor. However, now that the Jin Yiwei has rashly arrested people, there has been no explanation. There have been many rumors in the government and the public."
With that said, Yu Qian repeated what he heard in the tea shed, and then said.
"Your Majesty, when a crowd of words makes a difference, three people can become a tiger. When it comes to Your Majesty's holy virtue, you must not be careless."
After Zhu Qiyu heard this, he didn't react at all, as if he was not the one talking about those rumors.
It's not that he is very magnanimous, it's just that these random rumors have been reported to Dongchang since they appeared.
Compared with these rumors, Zhu Qiyu paid more attention to the people in front of him.
Seeing Yu Qian's worried look, Zhu Qiyu shook his head gently and said calmly.
"It's just some young people who are secretly causing trouble. It won't make any big waves. In contrast, I am a little curious. What do you two gentlemen think of the content of these rumors?"
A trace of cold sweat suddenly broke out on Yu Shiyue's forehead, and he knew that as long as he came over, he would inevitably ask this question.
Afraid that Yu Qian would say something he shouldn't say, Yu Shiyue took the lead and cut to the chase.
"Your Majesty, since it is a rumor, it is naturally the ignorant nonsense of the common people. Your Majesty is filial, benevolent and righteous, and is wise and wise. The whole court knows it. How can I dare to have any doubts."
Zhu Qiyu raised his hand and pressed it, motioning Yu Shiyue to sit down, and then set his eyes on Yu Qian.
He had an obscure exchange with Yu Qian about this matter a long time ago, but after that, they never mentioned it again in private.
Now that things have happened, he really wants to see what Yu Qian's attitude is.
With the sound of rain, Yu Qian's expression was a little complicated. After a moment, he stood up and said.
"Your Majesty is a sage king. He strives to win over the heavens and support the Ming Dynasty in times of crisis. His achievements are comparable to those of Taizong. He has a mind for all the world and cares about the country and the people. He listens to words and accepts advice. He is benevolent and kind and does not give in to Renzong. His holy virtue is clear.
, so that all the ministers from top to bottom will respect you. It is really a blessing for me to have such a holy king and serve him."
"The battle of Tumu was actually due to the fact that the Supreme Emperor insisted on marching north and fell into a treacherous plot. As a result, he hunted and captured the court in the north, and the military and civilian officials were killed and injured. If the Supreme Emperor stayed in Yibei for a day, it would be difficult for the Ming Dynasty to wash away the shame of Tumu."
"Your Majesty is the younger brother of the Supreme Emperor, and is also the Son of the Ming Dynasty. In your Majesty's heart, the imperial court and the country are more important than anything else. Welcoming the Supreme Emperor is a family relationship in the whole world, and it is also a plan for the dignity of our great Ming Dynasty. Since I know that your Majesty takes care of the country in everything,
How can there be any doubt about your intention? Even if thousands of people doubt your Majesty's intention to welcome the emperor, I will not doubt it either."
These words were resounding and echoed in the small palace of Qianqing Palace, lingering for a long time.
Yu Shiyue on the side was both pleased and worried.
Fortunately, the stubborn Yu Qian finally figured it out and knew when to say what to say. Finally, he did not make a mistake in his position on such a major matter.
As for worry, it's because Yu Qian is still the straight-tempered Yu Qian.
In the civil war, everyone in the court knew that the Supreme Emperor had a great responsibility, but no one dared to say so. Everyone could only say that it was Wang Zhen's fault.
But Yu Qian dared to say, "The Emperor insists on the Northern Expedition, and the casualties of military and civilian officials will be insignificant", without mentioning Wang Zhen at all.
If this spreads out, even if he is Yu Qian, it will not be easy for him to slander Jun's father.
Also, his words were a bit too harsh.
When people in the government and the public mentioned the matter of welcoming back the Emperor, they all praised the Emperor for his filial piety and brotherhood.
But Yu Qian said it so directly.
He believed in the Emperor, not because he believed that the Emperor would protect family ties, but because he believed in it.
As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and an emperor who puts the country first in everything, and has the hope of becoming a holy king, he will not sit back and let the Supreme Emperor stay in Yibei, allowing the Ming Dynasty to continue to lose its dignity, and the court to continue to lose its dignity.
These words, how should I put it, were so direct that Yu Shiyue could not predict whether the emperor would be happy or angry after hearing this.
After all, although it sounds like he is praising the emperor, but thinking about it the other way around, the underlying meaning is that Yu Qian may not necessarily believe that the emperor will welcome back the emperor simply from the perspective of brotherly love.
Zhu Qiyu's expression is indeed a bit complicated.
It can even be said that from the day he woke up from Prince Xi's Mansion to now, there has never been a moment where his mood has been more complicated than now.
Are you happy? Yes, you are.
Since the civil war, he seemed to be taking everything lightly and easily, but in fact he was walking on thin ice, exercising restraint and forbearance.
He has seen Xichang's arrogance and Jiajing's court staff. With the factory guards in hand, it is easy to break up.
The British government was powerful, but after all it was nothing more than a government house.
An imperial edict was issued, and it would not take even a day for the Jin Yiwei to crush these young people. How did Cao Jixiang die? Those who are sneaking around in the dark can be dealt with in the same way.
Including those civil servants, clan members, and even scholars who adhered to etiquette and continued to speak for Zhu Qizhen, no one could be spared from the crushing power of the imperial power.
But he didn't, because the court would be in chaos, maybe for a few years, maybe for more than ten years, and no one could make a conclusion.
After the restoration of Nangong in his previous life, Zhu Qiyu watched Zhu Qizhen helplessly and had trouble eating and sleeping for eight years.
He re-employed factory guards and monitored the officials. He could not trust anyone and spent all his energy on suspicion.
Shi Heng, who supported him, Cao Jixiang was ambitious and fought for power and profit.
All the civil servants in the imperial court were worried, fearing that one day they would be dug up by Jin Yiwei and be classified as rebels against the party.
The civil and military ministers, from cabinet ministers to local officials, were fearful and uninterested in political affairs, and the people were in dire straits. They spent eight years like this.
It was not until Zhu Jianshen ascended the throne that the court got back on track.
It took eight years to recover from the turmoil.
Zhu Qiyu did not dare to take risks. He was not sure how long it would take for the court to return to normal if he used imperial power to crush the past and eliminate all "threats" that posed risks to him.
He is not only himself, but also the emperor of Ming Dynasty.
It's easy to be responsible for yourself. You're in good health, you have the power, and you can eliminate all risks that threaten you. It's not difficult.
But as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he must be responsible for the country.
So he knew clearly where Zhang Xi and others would go after welcoming the Emperor back, and how far they would go in the end, but he still didn't do anything to them.
The stability of the court is more important than anything else.
Therefore, he would rather restrain himself and use the safest method to get rid of these people with evil intentions step by step.
Of course, it’s not so much that I don’t dare, as it is that it’s not necessary.
With his past life experience, Zhu Qiyu is confident that he can get rid of these people one by one at the smallest cost that will least affect the people of the country.
But apart from this, even in normal government affairs, he made many concessions for the sake of the stability of the court.
Yu Qian understood all this.
The border defense lines are gradually being repaired, the Miao chaos in the southwest is gradually being calmed down, and the Shawan canal project is nearly halfway completed.
After the war, the people could finally breathe a sigh of relief. They no longer had to bear the burden of hard labor and could rest and recuperate.
The whole world is slowly recovering from the heavy blow of the civil war, and everything is developing in a good direction.
Only the Supreme Emperor is still in the north, constantly reminding the emperors, ministers and people of the Ming Dynasty how shameful the civil war was.
As long as the Supreme Emperor does not return, the dignity of the Ming Dynasty will be trampled into the mud.
As far as the country is concerned, this is absolutely unacceptable. Yu Qian understands this, he knows it even better, and the emperor also understands this.
Therefore, Yu Qian said that even if everyone has doubts, he will not doubt it either.
Zhu Qiyu could see his sincerity when he said these words, so he was happy because he was recognized by others.
But at the same time, he felt a little sad.
Because Yu Qian never told him this in his previous life.
At that time, the reason Yu Qian gave him was.
"...The throne of heaven is established, Ning Fu has him...".
They don't talk about the principle of filial piety and brotherhood, they just start from the perspective of interests.
But at that time, Zhu Qiyu did not understand the deeper meaning of Yu Qian's words.
Saying these eight words represents Yu Qian's heart that he, as the emperor, always cares about himself and not the country.
Recalling the years in his previous life when he and Yu Qian were so called monarchs and ministers, Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but feel a little sad.
He has never been too humble to be truly loyal.
Yu Qian was grateful for his promotion and trust, and also grateful to himself for allowing him to fulfill his ambitions, but he never considered himself a truly wise and wise leader.
Especially after experiencing the turmoil of the East Palace changing hands.
From Yu Qian's point of view, perhaps there is no difference between himself and Zhu Qizhen. They are mediocre in ability, have no virtue and incompetence, care about themselves rather than the country, and are nothing more than ruling from the top.
If there is any difference, it may be that I am less fussy and more at ease.
But this may not be impossible for the Emperor, who has experienced ups and downs.
Therefore, there is nothing incomprehensible about Nangong's restoration, following the trend of the times, and being captured without hesitation.
At that time, Zhu Qiyu was not worth Yu Qian's bet on the possible turmoil of raising an army, nor was it worth Yu Qian's bet on his own reputation.
This conclusion came so suddenly, but it really lingered in Zhu Qiyu's heart, making him feel so sad.
The relief of being understood, and the disappointment of figuring out the truth about his past life, two completely different emotions hit Zhu Qiyu, making his expression extremely complicated.
The rain outside the window gradually decreased, dripping on the eaves, turning into long lines of rain pouring down.
A gust of cold wind blew in from the window, making Zhu Qiyu wake up.
In the hall, Yu Qian looked calm, but Yu Shiyue's face flashed with a trace of worry from time to time. Neither of them lowered their heads slightly or spoke.
After letting out a long sigh of relief, Zhu Qiyu's eyes fell on Yu Qian again and he asked.
"So what is the truth about this case? Yu Shaobao, what do you think?"
He once asked Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue the same question, but neither of them answered directly.
But he believed that Yu Qian's character would not be perfunctory.
Sure enough, after hearing this question, Yu Qian clenched his fists, and after a moment, he spoke.
"Your Majesty, I have requested an order to go to the imperial prison to visit Xu Bin in person. I will report back to Your Majesty when I receive the order."
The hall was quiet for a moment, and Zhu Qiyu just looked at Yu Qian, but this time, Yu Qian did not raise his head to look at him.
After a while, a smile suddenly appeared on Zhu Qiyu's face and he said.
"Okay, Huai'en, go and call Shu Liang from Dongchang and ask him to accompany Yu Shaobao and go to the imperial prison in person."
Yu Qian knelt down on the ground, kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The rain was still falling. Looking at Yu Qian walking out of the hall, Zhu Qiyu leaned gently on the back of the chair, still unable to calm down.
After a while, two palace maids walked into the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother please come over."
So, Zhu Qiyu opened his eyes, waved his hand to signal the two of them to leave, and then ordered someone to prepare and drive to Jingyang Palace.
At the same time, when Yu Qian entered the palace to ask for an order, he was outside Fusi in Beizhen.
Under the cover of the heavy rain, the streets were empty, and pedestrians went home to take shelter from the rain. A simple carriage stood just like this in the middle of the heavy rain.
Not long after, a man walked out of the concierge, wearing a large hooded cloak and a hat on his head. His appearance was unclear.
After the man got on the carriage, the carriage immediately started to move, turned a few corners, and disappeared into the heavy rain.
After about two sticks of incense, the carriage turned left and right, and finally stopped in front of the British Government House.
The housekeeper, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly came to greet him, bringing with him a group of servants to hold umbrellas and support them.
The person on the carriage also took off his cloak at this moment, it was Zhang Shi, the second master of the British government.
First, he went back to the inner courtyard and changed into dry clothes. Zhang Xi hurried to the front flower hall without even having time to drink.
In the flower hall, Ningyang Bo Chen Mao, Prince Consort Jiao Jing, and Ningyuan Marquis Renli have been waiting for a long time...