Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 195: Depose Prince Yu and never return to the country!
"Here it comes!" Gao Gong said secretly.

No matter what, court officials paid taxes and served as officials and gentry, and all businesses were run by the government, so few people were satisfied.

Seeing Zhao Zhigao fire the first shot, the hall immediately became lively, with people whispering to each other.

The civil and military officials who were in Prince Yu's mansion last night chose to follow him. They knelt down outside the hall like a landslide and shouted, "Your Majesty, we ask you to dismiss Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Lu Bing and other corrupt officials, abolish the corrupt policies of government-run enterprises and return peace to the world!"

Gao Gong, Hu Zongxian, Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin, the four cabinet ministers, all entered the court as officials around the 20th year of Jiajing, but during their 20 years as court officials, they had never encountered such a scene.

However, Lu Fang's right eyelid twitched, or to be more precise, it twitched. This scene was so similar to the dispute over the great ceremony back then.

But what was different from the Great Ceremony Debate was that those who argued against the incident included not only foreign ministers, but also His Majesty’s son, Prince Yu.

Lu Fang looked at Prince Yu who was standing calmly beside him, and knew that this restless prince was ready to fight with His Majesty at any time.

The kings were stunned and said that the vassal states were in chaos, but seeing this, the capital and Yuxi Palace were not peaceful either.

Under the pressure of Zhao Zhigao and other civil and military officials, Zhu Houcong stood up, but said nothing. He only swept his cold and stern eyes to every corner inside and outside the hall.

Under the intimidation of Holy Observation, the atmosphere in the venue became much quieter.

“Finally I said it.”

Zhu Houcong's eyes were like knives, slashing across all the high officials and dignitaries, and he said, "I didn't expect that you would have so much dissatisfaction with the new policy. You are all gritting your teeth. It's not Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, or Lu Bing that you are gritting your teeth at, but me, right?"

Under the holy question.

Zhao Zhigao seemed to be timid for a moment, but the words had already been spoken, and he expected that the Shenshu Camp outside the Yuxi Palace had already started to act, and there was no room for turning back, so he simply stood up straight, met the cold dragon's eyes, and shouted: "Your Majesty, Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong, Lu Bing and their ilk are abusing their power to disrupt the government. Please obey the will of the people and punish the treacherous officials in the court!"

Zhu Houcong laughed, "You said, 'The world is peaceful!' You said, 'We must obey the will of the people!' Are you worthy enough to say that the world is peaceful? Are you worthy enough to say that we must obey the will of the people?
During the 200 years of the Ming Dynasty, the national treasury was empty for 190 years. The national treasury was empty and the people had to bear the taxes alone. In the 7th, 8th and 12th years of Jiajing, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong, these four provinces suffered from severe droughts and floods. The court could not even come up with money for disaster relief. But what about the officials and gentry?
They have the most land, they don't have to do any corvée, they don't have to pay any taxes, they just let the country become weak and the people become poor. Shouldn't this established practice, this ancestral system, be changed?"

"It shouldn't be changed!"

Zhao Zhigao did not back down, his tone gradually became stern, and he said: "Only the wisest and the most foolish are unchangeable, this is what the saints said!"

"What about putting the people first? Whose words are these?"

Zhu Houcong brought out the saying often used by court officials: "People are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important." Zhao Zhigao blushed immediately and continued: "You have read a few of Zhu Xi's maxims and copied a few high-sounding lectures, and you dare to talk nonsense about the words of the saints and criticize the new policies in the Dragon Court. You are really bold!"

Under the mighty power of the dragon, Zhao Zhigao knelt down, but he still did not lower his head. He used the most powerful trump card of the literati and threatened: "Your Majesty, if you do this, aren't you afraid of being cursed for generations to come?"

"We, the ministers, do not want Your Majesty to be cursed for generations to come. We implore Your Majesty to revoke the new policy to preserve His Majesty's virtue!" the civil and military officials outside the hall shouted.

Inside and outside the palace, the voices of opposition to the new policy were deafening.

The time has come.

Prince Yu, who had been sitting upright, knelt down and said, "I beg you, father, to be prudent, show mercy to the world, and make a fresh start with the people!"

Gao Gong, Hu Zongxian, Li Chunfang and Chen Yiqin were trembling all over. They never expected that Prince Yu, who had not been paid attention to for a long time, would stand together with a group of "rebel ministers" at this time.

The eyes of the princes such as the Liao King and the Chu King suddenly became enthusiastic. The royal family of the Ming Dynasty was not harmonious, and even between the princes and their sons, it was often "the father was not kind, and the son was not filial". When the previous emperors were alive, they always had to reprimand the princes for this and reduce some of their fiefdoms. The current emperor did the same. The previous Chu King was even escorted to the capital to be executed and his body was burned and ashes were scattered.

Now the emperor's family has also seen the scene of a loving father and a filial son. The kings are extremely excited. It seems that this is a reward for all.

Zhu Houcong stared at Prince Yu without saying a word, but Prince Yu lost his fear and said slowly, "Father, please abide by the ancestral rules!"

With the confidence given by Prince Yu, the voices of Zhao Zhigao and other civil and military officials became louder, saying: "Your Majesty, please abide by the ancestral system!"

"good very good!"

Zhu Houcong laughed out loud in anger and said, "I didn't expect the cliques of the former Song Dynasty to reappear in my Ming Dynasty. But don't forget that my Zhu family is not the Zhao family of the Song court. My Ming Dynasty Taizu Gao Emperor grew up from a cowherd to the emperor who ruled the world. He was a tough guy who could go through fire and water, expelled the Tartars, and restored China!

Emperor Taizu Gao and Emperor Chengzu Wen left little for me, the Zhu emperors, but the blood in their bones is of the same lineage.

I have read all the books you have read, and I have also read all the books you have not read.

I am the emperor who was born in the royal family. During the Great Ceremony Controversy, I fought with Yang Tinghe for several years, and I was never afraid. How can I be afraid of you?"

Loud and holy music.

It's like bells and drums ringing in the ears of kings, ministers, civil and military officials.

at the same time.

Even though it was far away from the forbidden gate, the noise could still be heard in the hall.

Zhao Zhigao was very happy.

It's done!
At this point, Prince Yu felt heavy-hearted and said, "Father, please abide by the ancestral rules and don't say I didn't warn you!"

Once the soldiers of the Shenshu Camp rushed in, there was no turning back.

Zhu Houcong's face was ashen, with no expression on his face: "Don't say I didn't warn you! Don't say I didn't warn you! Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, bring the man to the palace!"

The enraged holy voice was heard through the forbidden gate. Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou, both dressed in blood-stained military uniforms, came with Tang Kekuan, the commander of the Shenshu Camp, on their left and right. Behind them, countless soldiers were holding spears and guns, following with murderous intent.

Seeing Tang Kekuan lying like a dead pig, Zhao Zhigao was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

Lost!

Prince Yu's face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he didn't know what to say, but he quickly came to his senses. As the emperor's only son in the country, perhaps he didn't need to defend himself. Just like before, he would be fine if he admitted his mistakes. He swallowed his saliva, kowtowed and said, "I was foolish for a moment, please forgive me, father!"

His fearless appearance finally angered Zhu Houcong, who took a step forward and kicked Prince Yu over in front of everyone. When Gao Gong and Hu Zongxian reacted and rushed forward to stop him, Zhu Houcong stopped and said, "It was my fault that I gave birth to a son like you!

"I hereby declare to the world that Prince Yu Zhu Zaihou has incited all officials, colluded with the commander of the Beijing army, and even threatened me. From today on, his title as Prince Yu will be stripped, he will be expelled from the Ming Dynasty, and he will never be allowed to return to the country! Get out!"

(End of this chapter)