My father is Jiajing

Chapter 347: Close to the face and open up

The content of the Xiyuan fire investigation report submitted by Zhu Zaigui and Lu Bing was also very simple, and the central idea can be summarized in one sentence: "This was an accidental fire!"

Of course, whether it was actually an accident or not is not really important, but when it is announced to the public, it must be an accident.

After all, that was the palace where the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty lived. No matter what scandal occurred, unless it was the kind that could not be covered up, it would be classified as an accident.

Otherwise, if people think that setting the emperor off guard is an easy thing to accomplish, God knows what the consequences will be.

Therefore, no matter what Lu Bing found out during the investigation, as long as the investigation report he brought was an unexpected result, Zhu Zaigui would sign it without hesitation.

But if Lu Bing was clever enough to add some conspiracy theory to Emperor Jiajing's memorial, Zhu Zaigui would never sign it.

Because once a conspiracy theory is involved, it is not something that can be easily resolved. If it is not handled properly, many people will die. The first to die are all the guards, eunuchs, palace maids and servants who serve inside and outside the Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan on a daily basis.

All these people add up to at least three or four hundred people. Although they are guards and slaves, their lives and deaths cannot be easily decided with just a few words.

After all, reality is not like in TV dramas and novels, where emperors and superiors can kill people at will to demonstrate their power and status.

You have to know that people in reality are complex thinking animals, and they will bite when they are forced into a corner.

If an emperor has no sense of justice and indiscriminately massacres and punishes those around him, then the next Renyin Palace Coup may be just around the corner.

Therefore, as an emperor, one especially needs dignity, and needs protection and respect from those around him.

Even if they want to kill people around them, they have to find a reason that can convince everyone, and when they kill, they have to make an example of them.

Otherwise, any emperor with a normal mind would not indiscriminately kill all those who serve him.

Unless he can be sure that everyone around him is a bad person.

But if the people around him are all bad guys, arranged by others, then this emperor is most likely just a puppet and cannot control anyone at all.

Therefore, from ancient times to the present, killing is a technical job, and it is not like in novels: a gloomy superior can kill the assassins who do dirty work for him or the slaves who serve him with just a word.

You have to know that since those people are willing to do dirty work for him, it is actually a gesture of loyalty. If even the safety of those loyalists cannot be guaranteed, who the hell would dare to continue to work for him?

Wouldn’t today’s butcher knife become tomorrow’s fish?

Therefore, even if there was some hidden story behind the fire in the Wanshou Palace, Emperor Jiajing would not have investigated it in a high-profile manner, and would not have allowed Lu Bing to directly submit an investigation memorial full of suspicion and drag Zhu Zaigui to submit it together.

Instead, they will covertly use other means and trustworthy people to investigate in secret. Once they find any clues, they will not use any fair and aboveboard means to deal with it, but will use a more shady or more absurd reason to deal with it.

In this way, the impact of this incident can be minimized, while at the same time maintaining the emperor's supreme and inviolable image.

Otherwise, everyone in the world would know that someone could jump out and hit the emperor in the face, so how could the emperor's authority be maintained in the future?

So no matter what, whether Emperor Jiajing was willing or not, he had to handle this matter in a low-key manner and acknowledge that the fire in the Wanshou Palace was an accident.

Emperor Jiajing returned to the Western Garden with a gloomy face. He looked at the Wanshou Palace which had been burned to ashes, and his heart was bleeding.

This palace was personally selected and designed by him. It was several levels higher than his cousin's leopard house next to it, but now it was burned to ashes. How could this not make Emperor Jiajing feel sad and depressed?
Yan Song, Xu Jie and others who had been waiting in the West Garden early in the morning were now standing behind Emperor Jiajing in awe, waiting for his instructions.

Emperor Jiajing looked at it for a long time, and it was unknown what he was thinking. After a while, he sighed and said, "Did anyone get burned to death?"

Lu Bing, who was standing at the side, bowed and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, burn to death the seven eunuchs and guards who put out the fire."

Emperor Jiajing sighed again and said, "Give him a proper burial."

Lu Bing said yes in a low voice.

Then Emperor Jiajing finally turned around and looked at Yan Song, Xu Jie and others standing behind him.

Emperor Jiajing said: "My virtue is not deep, so there is the disaster of fire. Now the Wanshou Palace is burned down, which is also a warning from heaven to me, asking me to cultivate virtue."

After Emperor Jiajing said this, Yan Song and others suddenly panicked.

It is definitely not a good thing for the emperor to take the initiative to admit that he has lost his morals, and it is even more unacceptable for his subjects to follow suit.

Therefore, Yan Song and others hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the flood in the palace was caused by the dry weather, and has nothing to do with your majesty's virtue. Please don't blame yourself so much. If you really want to blame someone, it is because of our lack of virtue that caused this disaster to your majesty."

As Emperor Jiajing listened to what Yan Song and others said, the gloomy look on his face eased a little.

Emperor Jiajing said: "You don't need to blame yourselves. Accidents are inevitable. It's just a pity for my palace."

At this time, Yan Shifan, who had been standing aside and ready to fight, finally got the chance to speak.

Yan Shifan said, "Your Majesty, the palace flood caused your father to worry, and it is our fault. As the Minister of Works, I also have an unshirkable responsibility. Please allow me to make up for my mistake and rebuild this palace for you."

Emperor Jiajing looked at Yan Shifan, who now had only one eye, and couldn't help feeling a little amused.

Emperor Jiajing said: "Since you have such a heart, then I will leave this matter to you."

When Yan Shifan heard this, he immediately said excitedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Then Emperor Jiajing sighed again, "Now that the Wanshou Palace is gone, where should I live?"

As soon as Emperor Jiajing said this, Yan Song, Xu Jie and others all started to think frantically.

You have to know that Emperor Jiajing was not an ordinary emperor. Like his predecessor Emperor Wuzong, he did not like living in the Forbidden City.

Therefore, you must think carefully before answering this question.

Otherwise, if you say something wrong, the consequences will be disastrous.

Yan Song stood there waiting for a while and found that no one took the initiative to speak at this time. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that these people were too smart.

Therefore, as the chief minister, Yan Song had to take the initiative to answer Emperor Jiajing's questions.

(End of this chapter)