Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 30 Life is like chess, whoever controls the game wins
Qianqing Palace, bathed in the sunshine of autumn.

The result of the first visit to the court was neither good nor bad, except that the addition of Wang Zhi and Li Yu, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, was removed. This kind of early court was actually a mere formality.

Now that it is required to control the number of memorials, it is okay. Once dozens of copies are to be played in the morning, it will be hard for me to sit there, and the civil and military officials standing in the square will also feel uncomfortable.

In the form of this early dynasty, it is of little significance for thousands of officials to listen to the government, so stopping the court is a win-win situation.

Sandalwood has already grown in the copper furnace, and wisps of light green smoke curl up.

A court lady with an oval face was grinding ink. Unlike those trembling court ladies, her movements appeared rough and steady, and she even had a candied fruit in her mouth.

The ancient ink is lightly polished and filled with a few fragrances, and the inkstone pool is newly bathed in light.

Zhu Youtang smelled the scent of ink floating in the air, dipped the ink with a brush, and then twisted his sleeves and splashed ink on the white rice paper to write.

Since he was out of the pavilion to study in the 13th year of Chenghua, he already has the foundation of calligraphy, and combined with the unique insights on calligraphy in his previous life, the current calligraphy is already able to be elegant.

Since discovering that his skill has advanced by leaps and bounds, Zhu Youtang enjoys practicing calligraphy and painting in his free time, and even copied a few poems from the Qing Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, what are you writing? Life is like... what, I can't read the characters after this!" Niu Mengmeng had stopped studying ink, and was curiously squinting his bun face.

Since the last Punishment Department, Niu Mengmeng recuperated for a few days, and then resolutely promoted to Zhu Youtang's personal maid.

It's just that "the country is easy to change, but the nature is difficult." On weekdays, Niu Mengmeng still looks carefree, and he is particularly curious about everything.

"Life is like chess, those who know the game survive, those who break the game survive, and those who control the game win." Zhu Youtang finished writing the last word, pointed to the words on it and read.

Niu Mengmeng listened carefully, nodded slowly like a chicken pecking rice, then turned his head to look at Zhu Youtang and spit out two words solemnly: "I don't understand!"

"I'm really playing the piano to the cow!" Zhu Youtang put the brush in his hand back into the pen holder, but joked.

At this time, Liu Jin hurried in from the outside to report: "Master, after Xu Pu left the court, he went to the cabinet and the sixth branch hall alone!"

"I asked you to keep an eye on the cabinet. Is there anything unusual in the cabinet?" Zhu Youtang asked seriously when he found that things were as he expected.

Liu Jin opened a small notebook of her own, and immediately reported: "Old Wange asked someone to bring back the antique chair that he brought home a while ago, does this count?"

"Hehe... this is an alliance!" Zhu Youtang picked up the towel Niu Mengmeng handed over to wipe his hands, his eyes flashed helplessly and said.

Liu Jin put the small book back on his sleeve, but said seriously: "Master, Xu Pu must be holding back bad water again, what should we do now?"

"What else can I do? Soldiers come and flood the water and soil! You hang this banner in my room!" Zhu Youtang didn't want to say more, so he pointed to the words he had just written.

Huang Pan came in to report, and then led Concubine Shao in.

Concubine Shao was born as an ordinary court lady. She was sold to the eunuch guarding Hangzhou because of her poor family, and was selected into the palace in the fourth year of Tianshun.After Zhu Jianshen succeeded to the throne, fortunately, Zhu Jianshen fell in love with him, and later she was named concubine Chen because she gave birth to King Xing Zhu Youzhu.

Now they have three sons: Xing Wang Zhu Youzun, Qi Wang Zhu Youzun and Yong Wang Zhu Youzun. The eldest Xing Wang Zhu Youzun is eleven years old, and the youngest Yong Wang Zhu Youzun is only six years old.

Concubine Shao is younger than Empress Wang, but her life is destined to die in the Forbidden City, which is a kind of sadness as a concubine.

Zhu Youtang found that Concubine Shao was indeed pretty, so it was no wonder that she stood out from so many court ladies and greeted this concubine calmly.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the pair of embroidered shoes I gave you when you were a child?" Concubine Shao asked straight to the point as soon as she took her seat.

Zhu Youtang didn't expect Concubine Shao to play the emotional card as soon as she came up, but she still cooperated and said falsely: "I remember this! Not long after you arrived at Qingning Palace, you sent me a pair of embroidered shoes and said yes You sewed it yourself!"

Niu Mengmeng, who came to deliver the tea, did not expect that Concubine Shao would personally sew embroidered shoes for Zhu Youtang, and Dang even thought that Concubine Shao was a good person.

"Your Majesty, those embroidered shoes were not actually embroidered by the Ai family! Back then you lived in Zhaode Palace for a short time, before Concubine Wan Gui had time to embroider the shoes, you were sent to Qingning Palace!" Concubine Shao did not touch the tea. , but looked at Zhu Youtang seriously.

"Concubine Shao, I clearly remember that the emperor's grandmother said that the pair of embroidered shoes were a gift from you!" Zhu Youtang stopped the tea brought to his mouth, and couldn't help frowning.

When he was five years old, he was picked up from Xileng Palace.In the beginning, my custody right actually fell on Concubine Wan Gui, but in just one month, Concubine Wan Gui's father, Wan Gui, passed away.

Since Concubine Wan Gui wanted to keep the filial piety for her father, she was considered an unlucky person, so naturally she couldn't continue to raise her, the prince of Ming Dynasty.

Almost at the same time, his 24-year-old biological mother Ji died of illness, so he could not return to his biological mother, but was taken to Qingning Palace.

After living in Qingning Palace for a few days, Concubine Shao sent over a pair of embroidered shoes embroidered by herself. For this reason, Concubine Shao was praised by the Empress Dowager Zhou.

Concubine Shao couldn't help smiling miserably, she looked very seriously into Zhu Youtang's eyes and said, "If it wasn't for the fact that Ai's family embroidered it back then, the pair of embroidered shoes could not reach His Majesty's hands, do you know the reason?"

Zhu Youtang is not a fool, otherwise it would be impossible for him to get a full score in numbers in the second grade of primary school in his previous life.

A pair of embroidered shoes were obviously sewn by Concubine Wan Gui by a novice, but it was delivered under the banner of Concubine Shao. One can imagine how harmonious the relationship between Zhaode Palace and Qingning Palace is.

"Your Majesty, both the Ai family and Concubine Wan Gui were born as court ladies, so they attach great importance to the rules. It is a violation of the law for the harem to interfere in political affairs, let alone talking about the foundation of the country? Although Concubine Wan Gui was favored by the late emperor back then, she did not There is no reason to propose the abolition of the reserve to the first emperor, and there is no reason to propose the abolition of the reserve to your majesty, please be aware of it!" Concubine Shao stopped making rounds and seemed to be sincere.

Zhu Youtang finally knew the reason for Concubine Shao's visit, so he took a sip of tea and said, "Concubine Shao, do you really think that Concubine Wan Gui didn't mention the matter of abolishing the reserve back then? Is there any evidence?"

"Your Majesty, there is no real evidence for the abolition of the Chu family back then! The Ai family is Zhu Youzhao's biological mother. If the late emperor really had such thoughts, the Ai family would also be able to see it, but the late emperor never mentioned such thoughts! Concubine Wan Gui didn't pay much attention to Zhu You'er. , I can only tailor embroidered shoes for you, so someone deliberately smeared Concubine Wan Gui by the demonic words and abolished storage!" Concubine Shao said her judgment.

"Speaking of which, this matter is indeed strange!"

Zhu Youtang squeezed the teacup and poured the tea lightly, thinking of Concubine Wan Gui who embroidered shoes for herself back then, and that Concubine Shao, who was one of the parties involved, had not received any rumors, so she was also inclined towards Concubine Shao's statement in her heart.

Concubine Shao hesitated for a moment, and then made a serious request: "The three of them are still young, and they have been with Ai's family since they were young. I hope His Majesty will let them accompany me for a few more years before letting them go to Fengguo!"

"Okay, I promise you!" Zhu Youtang nodded readily when he saw the brilliance of his mother from Concubine Shao.

Earlier, the Empress Dowager Zhou was deliberately alarmist. Naturally, she didn't really think that King Xing Zhu Youzhao would rebel. At that time, she just wanted to prevent Wynn from returning to the Prison of Rites.

Now Concubine Shao stepped forward to directly overthrow Concubine Wan Gui's slander about the waste reserve, which further confirmed her earlier guess that the waste reserve was either fabricated or exaggerated.

Even the history books of later generations are just records full of speculation, and there is no record of the conflict between the Ritual Protectors and Emperor Chenghua in the history books.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your fulfillment, Ai's family will retire first!" Concubine Shao saw that the matter had been resolved, and she immediately resigned.

Seeing Concubine Shao leave, Liu Jin immediately expressed her opinion: "Your Majesty, I think what Concubine Shao said is true. The abolition of the reserve must have been created out of nothing!"

"Don't talk nonsense! The emperor's grandmother told me that Concubine Wan Gui slandered and abolished the crown prince, and everyone said that Wynn was demoted back to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum by the emperor because of his death!" Zhu Youtang frowned and drank. Taking a sip of tea, he seemed to have a bit of a headache.

Liu Jin didn't dare to talk too much when she heard that the Empress Dowager Zhou was involved, but she complained again to Huai En: "After Huai En regained control of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, he now ordered Dongchang to investigate our eunuch's corruption of ink, which has caused the palace to be full of corruption. People are panicking!"

"You were just pouring the urinal for me before, and it's not your turn to be rich and greedy. What do you have to be afraid of?" Zhu Youtang put down the teacup, but said with a bit of sneer.

Liu Jin quickly denied it, and said very seriously: "Naturally, slaves don't need to be afraid, but I think Wynn is a hypocrite! I even suspect that he is targeting the civil servants. I heard that he ordered Dongchang to release a household doctor on the night he came back. Now On the contrary, we eunuchs are strictly investigated one by one!"

"I don't want to touch him yet, just keep an eye on him!" Zhu Youtang knew that if he wanted to destroy him, he must first make him crazy, but he confessed seriously.

Liu Jin is now at the most energetic age, so naturally he obeys Zhu Youtang's words and strives to become Zhu Youtang's number one minion as soon as possible.

(End of this chapter)