I Am the Grandson of the Second Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Earning 100 Million Taels at the Beginn

Chapter 297 The new identity of the old Kong family, a professional backer.

"It's still snowing outside now. There's news from the palace that the crown prince has been kneeling outside the Nuan Pavilion since the night before yesterday. Last night, the crown prince ate on his knees during the reunion dinner. The emperor hasn't let go until now. I guess Then there will be no compromise."

"It's been two days and two nights. If this continues, the crown prince's body may not be able to bear it anymore."

In Jinyiwei Prison, Yang Shiqi's wife, while feeding the surrounding officials, told everyone about the news in the palace.

"Oh, I'm the one who dragged down His Highness the Crown Prince."

Hearing that the crown prince had been kneeling for two days and two nights, Yang Shiqi lost the mood to eat, put down the bowls and chopsticks in his hands, and sat there complaining and weeping.

The others were also silent.

Although they are in the cell, there is no wind or rain here, and the crown prince even asked their family members to come and see them. Last night, the cell was more lively than other places.

It is said that they came to go to jail to suffer, let alone rest here after a busy year.

Of course, those unlucky ones who were beaten came out.

"It's really not possible, or we..."

One of the officials who felt sorry for the prince gritted his teeth and wanted to say something about admitting it, but just as he started to speak, he shook his head helplessly and closed his mouth.

They feel sorry for the prince from the bottom of their hearts, but the government-gentle payment system affects the entire group of civil servants and scholars. If they just compromise and accept their fate, those officials will not only die in vain, but some of them will also suffer in vain. , but also be accused by thousands of people and reviled by thousands of people.

No one dared to initiate such a thing, and no one dared to accept it.

"The princess is here!"

When everyone was silent, there was a roar from outside the cell. When the civil servants heard that it was the Crown Princess, they panicked, thinking that something had happened to the Crown Prince, they quickly got up and fell to the ground.

"Welcome to the princess!"

Mrs. Zhang walked in angrily, followed by Jin Yiwei Commander Ji Gang.

Mrs. Zhang, who came in angrily, looked at all the officials, and did not let them get up like in the past, and pointed at the officials in a trembling tone: "For you, the prince has been kneeling at the door of the Nuan Pavilion for two days, what is his body like?" Don't you understand?"

"I'm waiting for ten thousand deaths!"

All the officials prostrated themselves on the ground in shame.

"I've never begged anyone in my life, so I'm begging you, let him go, give our family a way to survive, and spare his life."

"You guys choose what kind of emperor you want. Choose the one you like. Let's go. We'll go back to our hometown in Fengyang, farm, herd cattle, or even beg for food."

"I just ask you to give our family a way to survive. I know that you look down on my son and think he is too cruel. Okay, I will give you a chance. Now go talk to the emperor and call out all the royal children. Who do you fall in love with?" , let whoever becomes the emperor."

"I dare not wait!"

The civil servants kowtowed again and again.

What a joke, let them choose the emperor, although this is their dream wish, but it is enough to think about it, if you really dare to do this, the old man will cut them all down.

Even the emperor's candidate dared to intervene, he really didn't take his own head seriously.

"What are you afraid of? For that little money and that little bit of shame, you even have to kill the prince. What good is his death to you? Without him protecting you for so many years, the emperor has long ago put you All were killed."

"Which time did you get punished? It wasn't the prince who rushed to the front and took the emperor's scolding for you."

"Which time did you offend the emperor? It wasn't that he knelt there to plead for you and saved the lives of your family."

"You know how to be grateful for raising a cat and a dog, but look at what you have done, and ask yourself, are you worthy of the prince, worthy of him risking his life to protect you?"

Shouting at the officials, Mrs. Zhang looked at a group of officials who were kneeling on the ground, not daring to say a word, and turned to leave with a flick of their robe sleeves.

Ji Gang glared at the officials viciously, then turned to see the Crown Princess off.

"His Royal Highness, I am ashamed of your kindness!"

Yang Shiqi looked in the direction of the palace with tears in his eyes, and sobbed softly with his head on the ground.

Crying is contagious. All the officials thought about the goodness of the prince in the past, and thought of the current prince. Because they were enduring the cold and hunger in the palace, and the beating of the storm and snow, everyone felt a pain like a knife in their hearts.

From ancient times to the present, there are really very few people who can achieve the step of being a prince.

Such a crown prince is in line with what they think and is what they dream of.

But such a prince was forced into a dilemma by them and the emperor.

The more the officials thought about it, the more ashamed they became, many of them began to shed tears of sincere regret from the corners of their eyes.

Mrs. Zhang returned to the palace angrily all the way, and when she reached the gate of the Nuan Pavilion, Zhu Pangpang returned to her seat and knelt down.

"Next time this happens, let's not get involved. It's not like you don't know what your body looks like. If you come here during the Chinese New Year, you won't be allowed to stop for a day."

"If I had known it would be like this this year, our family might as well celebrate the New Year in Beiping, so there wouldn't be so many troubles."

When she came to Zhu Pangpang, Mrs. Zhang complained angrily.

"That's enough, that's all for this one time. Let's treat it as a diet to lose weight. Besides, this matter can't be avoided. It will happen sooner or later."

Zhu Pangpang looked around and comforted Mrs. Zhang in a low voice.

"What's going on in the cell?"

Seeing his own people around, Zhu Pangpang quickly asked his wife how the performance was going.
"It's fine." Mrs. Zhang rolled her eyes angrily, "They were all crying when I left, and they probably are suffering now."

"That's fine!" Zhu Pangpang nodded in satisfaction, and secretly waved to a staircase in the distance.

Zhu Zhangui, who was hiding behind the stairs, returned a received gesture, tidied his clothes, walked around in a circle, and strode up.

"Father, let's go. We don't care whether they live or die. There are many people who want to be officials in the world, and they are not bad."

Walking to Zhu Pangpang's side, Zhu Zhangui saw the guard Jinyiwei and signaled that the informant had been released, then when a group of eunuchs and court ladies passed by with trays, he deliberately amplified his voice and said these words.

"Cough cough..."

Zhu Pangpang, who had powdered his face, glanced at the eunuchs who deliberately slowed down, and reprimanded Zhu Zhangui.

"Say...you talk...you bastards, all the ministers are the pillars of the court, and the court is indispensable. Even if I kneel here to die today, I will protect them well."

When the little eunuchs and maids walked away slowly, Zhu Pangpang saw that the performance was almost done, so he said to Zhu Zhangui: "Hurry up and find your grandfather, my legs are numb, it's almost enough, and if I act again, I will overdo it."

Zhu Zhangui nodded quickly, and pretended to say a few words to Zhu Pangpang before rushing into the Nuan Pavilion in a hurry.

After a while, the old man's roar came from the room, and at the same time, various things fell to the ground.

After half an hour, Zhu Zhangui walked out relieved.

Glancing at the guards and eunuchs who had been replaced, Zhu Zhangui breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhu Pangpang: "Grandpa Huang has already let go. He said, for your sake, give those officials a chance."

"But the royal family cannot lose face, so it is impossible to take it back, but there is a compromise."

Zhu Pangpang, who pretended to be weak, hurriedly asked.

"What a compromise!"

Zhu Zhangui stretched out his hand to support Zhu Pangpang, and said quickly: "Grandpa said that the order cannot be withdrawn, but changes can be made. In the name of experiments, the government-gentle payment of food that was originally implemented throughout the country can be changed to Half of the land will be tested, and it will be tried for a few years to see how the effect is, and if there are too many problems, we will make changes.”

"Just take the Huaihe River as the boundary and divide it into north and south. As for how to choose, let the officials decide."

"But officials, as representatives of the world, are not included in the north and south, and must strictly implement the imperial court's policies."

"There is also the military service system, which cannot be changed, and officials are not allowed to object, otherwise, even if you kneel to death, there is no room for negotiation."

"Ugh!"

Zhu Pangpang sighed after hearing this, "It's the only way, I hope all the ministers can accept it."

"You go ask, I'll wait here, tell the officials, don't be influenced by me to make a hasty decision, I'm still healthy, I can carry it for another two days, cough, cough, cough..."

Just as Zhu Pangpang said a few words, he suddenly coughed, rolled his eyes, and fell down.

"Dad...Dad...Dad..."

Zhu Zhangui hugged Zhu Pangpang and shouted anxiously. At the same time, he turned his head angrily and shouted at the eunuch guards who were listening to the news with their ears up.

"Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and tell the imperial doctor!"

After a while of panic, Zhu Pangpang was rescued by the imperial doctor, and then he knelt down to the door of the Nuan Pavilion regardless of everyone's obstruction.

In Zhu Pangpang's words, if the matter is not done, he can't leave. Only when both parties have made a decision can he leave.

The informants of those officials were very fast. While Zhu Zhangui was helping his father to wait for the imperial doctor, those informants took the opportunity to spread the news.

In the cell, the officials looked worried.

According to their informant's report, the emperor softened his tone at the begging of His Highness the Grandson, and decided not to implement the whole country to pay food for officials and gentry, but to choose half of the country to try it out for a few years.

As for which half of the officials and gentry will pay the grain together, the emperor did not say, but just asked His Royal Highness to come over and tell them the emperor's decision, and let them decide for themselves.

It is obvious that they do not want to take on the name of being scolded, and kick this bad ball and this notoriety to them.

And let's put it down, if the civil servants disagree with this, it will be useless for the crown prince to kneel to death. This is obviously forcing them to make a decision quickly.

And according to the information from the informant, the crown prince couldn't bear it any longer and passed out several times. Every time he was woken up by someone, he returned to kneel again.

They are well aware of the crown prince's health, and if they do this a few more times, they will be able to prepare for the national funeral without waiting for the crown prince to ascend the throne in the next year.

Is it really necessary to lose another benevolent prince like Hong Wunian?
If that is the case, I am afraid that the emperor will pave the way for the grandson of the emperor, and there will definitely be several rounds of cleansing, and they will definitely be the unlucky ones.

After all, without their troubles, the crown prince would not have left so early, allowing the emperor to experience the experience of sending a white-haired man to a black-haired man just like his father.

"Everyone, His Royal Highness is coming soon, how are you thinking?"

Yang Shiqi took the lead in asking questions.

"We can't go on with this stalemate anymore. We can handle it, but the prince can't. If something happens to the prince, we won't even have a chance to change in the future."

Yang Pu also expressed his thoughts.

"In my opinion, if it's just like this, the emperor has already given the steps, so we can use the slope to go down the donkey. If we don't give the emperor face, if this stalemate continues, let's not mention the emperor's anger, the prince's health may I can't hold on anymore."

"But the problem is which half to choose, the south or the north. Even if we have made a decision, will the people on that side accept such a result. If it is not handled properly, it will be a troublesome matter, and we will not be left behind Well, I will still be scolded by people pointing at the spine."

"Hmph, so what if you don't accept it. Who are we risking our lives to get into trouble with the emperor? Is it for ourselves? Isn't it all for them."

"It's not that you don't know the emperor's character. It's all thanks to the prince's life to get to this point. Otherwise, a few years ago, we wouldn't even have a chance of stalemate. The emperor probably sent troops to enforce it."

"That's true. Let's just wait a few years. Paying the money will be considered as a face for the prince. When the time comes, whichever side pays the money, whichever side will recruit more people in the imperial examination later, it can be regarded as compensation."

The officials discussed in a hurry for a while, and finally decided to take the steps given by the emperor.

Divide the north and the south by the Huaihe River, and then choose one side to implement the imperial court's policy, and the other side to continue as before without any changes.

They just thought that they spent money to eliminate disasters in the past few years. When the emperor is gone and the crown prince is completely stable, they are thinking about changing things.

It was only a few years before and after, and it passed by gritting your teeth.

But which side to choose has become a headache for everyone.

If you choose the north, the officials in the north will not do it. If you choose the south, the officials in the south will not agree.

For this choice, the two sides quarreled endlessly across the fence of the cell, and even a few violent ones almost staged a full-scale martial arts.

No one wants to suffer losses on their own side, let alone being scolded by people pointing at the spine in the future.

Zhu Zhangui, who was outside the cell, smiled with satisfaction when he heard the quarrel inside.

Originally, he thought that he would have to talk a lot before he came here to convince these stubborn donkeys, but he didn't expect that before he arrived, the people here began to discuss which half.

After listening outside for a long time, seeing that there was really no noise inside, Zhu Zhangui coughed and walked in.

"See His Royal Highness Taisun!"

The officials who were arguing hurriedly bowed their hands and saluted.

"I didn't come in just now, but I heard you guys arguing. You guys are very well informed."

The crowd was embarrassed.

What the emperor just decided, they knew before the person who conveyed it came over, and all fools knew that they had insiders in the palace.

It seems that new informants will be prepared, and the old batch will probably be purged.

"Since you all know, I won't talk nonsense anymore."

Sitting down on the chair brought by Jin Yiwei, Zhu Zhangui looked at everyone with a serious expression.

"You all know the bottom line of the emperor. My father bought it with his life. Don't think about continuing to oppose it. Just accept it as soon as you see it. If this continues, everyone will lose face."

"I'm waiting for orders!"

Now that everyone has made a decision, they don't insist on it.

After all, the crown prince is still kneeling there, if they delay for a while, the crown prince's body will be more at risk.

"His Royal Highness, we have agreed to the solution proposed by His Majesty, but we cannot make a decision at the moment, whether it is the south or the north. Can you ask the emperor if you have any thoughts on this?"

An official stood up and wanted to kick the offending ball back to the royal family.

Zhu Zhangui glared at him angrily, "After all, you are also ministers of the humerus of the imperial court, each of you holds important positions, and you can't even decide on such trivial matters as sesame and mung beans. How do you become officials?"

The royal family can't see this hot potato. After finally pouring out this pot of dirty water, the ghost will pick it up.

The officials were worried for a while.

Seeing that as long as everyone makes a decision, the emperor will make a decree, and everyone can go back, but they just can't decide on the result.

Still the same sentence, no one wants to do something sinner, who decides who is unlucky in this matter, and will even be written in books or biographies by those literati who are going to be taxed and taxed, discrediting their reputation for a lifetime It stinks forever, so no one dares to pick this head.

Even Sanyang and the others are now squinting their eyes and pretending to be thinking, without any intention of expressing their opinions.

The old man is still kneeling there. I still have a lot of things to prepare. After all, I will go to North Korea in a few days. Zhu Zhangui doesn't have so much time to spend with these people.

"I have an idea, I wonder if you would like to listen to it."

The tense atmosphere relaxed instantly, and everyone looked at Zhu Zhangui and saluted, "Please give instructions, Your Highness."

Zhu Zhangui quickly waved his hand, "I'm just a little grandson, but I don't have that much right to help you make decisions."

People are helpless.

No one is a fool, and no one dares to take on this mess.

Zhu Zhangui got up slowly, walked to several important officials and whispered: "The Nankong family has been writing to the court, wanting to take over the position of Yan Shenggong. After careful observation, the emperor found that they are really good. There has been a change. I heard that the head of the Nankong family is in Jinling, maybe you can convey this good news to them and make them happy too."

After finishing speaking, Zhu Zhangui gave a few people a look that you understand, stretched out his hand and patted Yang Shiqi on the shoulder, turned and left.

Yang Shiqi and the others looked at each other looking at their backs going away, and finally Yang Shiqi gritted his teeth and said to a Jin Yiwei: "Brother, please ask the head of the Nankong family to come here. If he wants to ask why, you can tell him. I have persuaded the emperor to give them the title of Duke Yansheng."

Dead Daoist friends, not dead poor Daoists.

The reputation of the old Confucian family is so bad, it’s not too bad this time or twice. If you want the title of Lord Yan Sheng, what you don’t want to pay, the emperor promised and we didn’t agree.

The speed of the civil official group was very fast. Less than half an hour after Zhu Zhangui left, Jin Yiwei sent a joint memorial.

The old man couldn't help a sneer when he looked at the memorial, the words of the officials pleading guilty, and the string of names appended after it.

Soon the prince Zhu Pangpang, who was still trembling while walking, went to the cell with a pale face and took the imperial decree, announcing the pardon of all civil officials.

Of course, a full pardon does not mean an acquittal.

Contradicting the emperor, if he let it go so easily, the emperor would lose face.

All these officials were fined for one year, and Yang Shiqi's leading figures were directly demoted to one level, but the imperial court could not choose a replacement for a while, so they temporarily held their current positions.

A conflict that almost shook the foundation of the country, just like this ended under the performances of the prince Zhu Pangpang, the prince concubine and the old man.

In this conflict, Zhu Pangpang was the one who suffered the most.

After all, he is the main performer, and everyone else is just assisting.

But then again, Zhu Pangpang is the crown prince, and in two years he will be the new emperor of the Ming Empire, so this suffering should be regarded as a celebration before enthronement.

The things decided by the imperial court were implemented very quickly.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the imperial court's big announcement was circulated to all parts of the country, and it was stipulated that the announcement should be announced to the world before February.

There are three contents in this announcement.

The first issue is the reform of military households. There is nothing to dispute about this point. Except for military households, no one cares about this issue.

The second is the matter of the official and gentry receiving food together. According to the above, Nan Kong Jiayan Shenggong wrote to the imperial court, in order to show the heart of the literati in the world to serve the country, and proposed that the imperial court implement the official and gentry receiving food together.He also suggested that the national implementation is a bit too sudden, and it can be implemented in one area first. In the end, he even suggested that the area north of the Huaihe River should be tested first, and then spread to the whole country if feasible.

Out of respect for the Kong family, the emperor didn't even think about Yan Shenggong's proposal, and directly agreed.

That is to say, starting from this year, under Yan Shenggong's suggestion, all the country gentry and gentry north of the Huaihe River who are famous and famous will have to pay taxes and serve the court corvee just like ordinary people.

Good guy, the old man and the civil servants are shameless enough. In order not to leave a bad reputation for thousands of years, they directly pushed everything on the old Kong family.

It even stated in the notice that the policy of paying the government and the gentry together was proposed by the Confucian family, and the emperor agreed to test it out of respect for the sage Confucius.

And the third policy is that starting this year, all men over the age of 3 and under 16 across the country, regardless of whether they are poor, rich or noble, or the children of noble officials, will all be required to serve in the army for two years.

As for the old man's promise, the promise that money can be used to pay for military service, of course it will not be written on the face of it.

People who should know about this kind of thing will naturally know it, and those who shouldn't know it will be useless.

When these three policies were officially announced to the world, it caused an uproar in the world.

The military households were naturally cheering, celebrating their children and grandchildren happily, and they were no longer restricted by the shackles of military households.

The famous scholars and gentry in the south, while secretly rejoicing that they don't have to pay taxes, at the same time look at the third policy with a bitter face.

Of course, those who are sad-faced are almost adults, and those who are over 20 years old are not required to serve according to the imperial court's regulations.

The reason why this age group has to be set is because if all adults are required, Ming's army will increase by at least several million this year.

With millions of troops, not to mention weapons and equipment, just food can make Xia Yuanji cry.

In fact, Zhu Zhangui decided this age stage mainly because he wanted to change the thinking of the people themselves.

Those men who are over 20 years old have fixed their ideas and concepts, and it is simply impossible to change their concepts in two years.

As for men who have just grown up, their thoughts are in the budding stage of good education. At this time, it is very feasible to let them enter the army and use the surrounding atmosphere and patriotic thoughts to change some of their thinking.

"Be careful, you are not allowed to rush to the front line again, do you hear me?"

At Jinan Railway Station, Zhu Zhangui jumped out of the car with his guards.

Zhang, who was worried, exhorted loudly.

Zhao Linger and the others were also worried, with reluctant eyes, looking at Zhu Zhangui who waved goodbye to them.

"I see, I'm right behind this time."

After waving at his mother, Zhu Zhangui bowed his hands to the old man who was standing at the window looking at him, then turned around and got on the horse that had been prepared earlier, and led the guards towards Weihaiwei where the troops assembled.

Walking out of the train station, Zhu Zhangui looked up at the land of Shandong where everything was revived and revived, and said, "I'm here again for my little days, this time we have plenty of time to play."

This time, Zhu Zhangui didn't intend to keep his hand.

It's time for the little pumpkin country to be destroyed.

(End of this chapter)